#children rekindled review

[adamwatchesmovies]

The Sound of Music (1965)

I was shocked to learn that The Sound of Music received mixed reviews upon its release in 1965. I can sort of understand someone criticizing the liberties it takes with the story it's based on (though of course, someone who does this should realize that real life is not particularly cinematic) but how can you not fall in love with this musical? Unabashedly sweet, it effortlessly charms you. This is exactly the kind of movie you’d love to watch on a miserable day when you’re sick. No matter how foul your mood is, it’ll lift your spirits.

In 1938 Austria, Maria (Julie Andrews, magnificent) studies to become a nun but doesn't fit in with her peers. She’s always humming a tune and constantly finds her spirit whisked away by music. To help her decide where she belongs, Maria is sent to help care for the seven children of Captain von Trapp (Christopher Plummer). As the family bonds, everything seems blissful, until neighbouring Nazi Germany begins mobilizing its troops…

If you’ve never seen The Sound of Music before, you’ll feel a little foolish once it’s over. You haven't sat down with this movie, but you’ve heard several of the songs before, you’ve seen parodies of the most memorable scenes and you may have even seen clips out of context. It makes you go "Oh! That's from THIS movie!" There’s no way to forget My Favorite Things, Do-Re-Mi, Sixteen Going on Seventeen or So Long, Farewell and you won’t want to. Much credit belongs to Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, who wrote the stage musical but if that was all the movie had going for it, you could watch a stage version. What elevates this production is the cast. Julie Andrews, best known for her role in Mary Poppins is unsurprisingly excellent as Maria. What she does almost seems easy because - like the children she cares for - you instantly fall for her. She’s so sweet, gentle and kind it’s hard to imagine even the iciest hearts - like the one beating inside Captain von Trapp - staying cold in her presence. What’s surprising is Christopher Plummer. Turns out, he can sing. I don’t know if you’d be as excited at the idea of them becoming romantically entangled if the children weren’t there, but that’s the point. If Maria does fall in love, it won’t be with just the father, it will be with the family.

The film’s best scenes often involve dance numbers. Not the big kind of dances that suddenly has everyone in the country expertly coordinated; playful, childlike dances as the young Von Trapps perform for a crowd or tender scenes between two people who tell us how they feel through lyrics and body language. Though the children are only given limited screen time and character development, they all get enough for you to understand them as people. It helps that the young actors portraying Liesl, Louisa, Friedrich, Kurt, Brigitta, Marta and Gretl are terrific.

One of my favorite things about The Sound of Music is that while it’s light, happy, romantic and carefree - maybe even corny - it has this tiny bit of tension and a smidge of fear in it too. As we approach the second act, a looming shadow in the distance keeps you wondering. When Germany annexes Austria, it’s a cold bucket of reality dumped onto this musical. Things were so sweet and light before; surely this means the family will be alright? You’re pretty sure they will be, but there’s a part of you that doubts. It’s just enough to give this movie stakes and compels you to keep watching. As nice as the film is, it might’ve been too much without that little bit of vinegar.

The Sound of Music has melted the ice around my heart and rekindled my appetite for musicals. It's the kind of picture that introduces itself to you by handing you a bouquet. You fall in love with the songs, the story and the dance numbers too. There's even a puppet show so darling it'll make your every worry and fear vanish. I can't wait to see it again. (December 13, 2023)

[omgkalyppso]

I posted this before but deleted it both because I was embarrassed and because I was worried I'd severely fucked up Astarion's age for the nth time, originally referenced from This Post. But I've seen many more analyses and I think it's right. I think it is. Anyway!

EDIT: I DID GET HIS AGE WRONG because that is the post I meant to reference. But I'm not fixing it. 232.

I was tagged by @luinen-bluewater to complete this far simpler ship meme: otp, ot3/4.

Here is the template I actually used: ot3. Here's the otp version.

I'll tag a few people to complete any of the templates referenced: Luinen, @the-eldritch-it-gay, @vlwv, @tadpole-apocalypse, @boghermit, @lemonbronze, @littleplasticrat and YOU.

I'll put the above image chopped up below the cut so it's easier viewing for the curious. And I'll ramble a bit more (bg3 spoilers, discussion of vampirism and character deaths).

In my headcanons, Astarion neither remains a spawn nor becomes the Vampire Ascendant, he becomes a vampire, and some hundreds of years later he turns Étoile to a vampire as well (this post / these headcanons need reviewing after the epilogue changes with the Crown, but we'll see).

With this in mind, I was thinking of Halsin being the longest of their lovers and how Étoile could possibly handle his death:

Étoile and Astarion occupied on some adventure / business or other, and when they return, an unaffected or perhaps impatient messenger has come to deliver news of Halsin's death. And it is so long after the others of their relevant, initial, adventuring party has passed (or maybe not. Lae'zel is a wild card (no aging on the astral plane)). Still, i can imagine one of them snapping. I think it's more interesting if it's Étoile, saying aloud that the messenger is mistaken, that surely the message is that Halsin's ill and is calling to see them a final time — Astarion's near shouting in embarrassment and worry, telling the messenger to go, calling Étoile's name, grabbing their arm until Étoile says loudly that they heard them. They heard what they said. And also sends the poor messenger away.

But then I started considering an alternative which I felt was ooc for Halsin from the base game but which I think is more possible / within the scope of his character after the addition of the epilogue. Reminder that Étoile is a paladin of the neutral evil goddess Auril, started bg3 as neutral good but whom I consider neutral evil, and is an Oathbreaker by the end of their adventure:

Halsin at like 820 or older, life expectancy 700-1000, veering wildly between peace with the natural order of things and intense discomfort with things that feel unfinished, the way they always do. And sometime with Étoile leaned against his chest he speaks of Silvanus, the Oakfather, of children and elders in all families of creatures have come and gone, of how his druidic order has changed more slowly than a tree spreads its roots, and how never in all that time did Étoile ask him to abandon his god and his (god's) comfort for the sake of vampirism and eternity. Fondly, expecting Halsin to imagine it an irritation after his speech, Étoile recalls that Astarion did, three hundred or so years ago. Étoile points out that they know the comfort they found in their worship, and they would never have sought to steal that from him (Halsin). To be a vampire is unnatural, lost to his Oakfather. Halsin points out that he has felt that Étoile has wanted to ask before, even if it has always remained unsaid, in the emptiness in their chest (lack of heartbeat), in the slant of their mouth when his (Halsin's) movement is broken with age, in how they've (Étoile has) breathed in his silver hair the more it's overcome him, something that felt respectful once, but now he's past where his end should have been, and the temptation of rekindling old strengths, the hope of another thousand years, through vampirism, shames him (Halsin) greatly. The selfishness of an old mind. Why wouldn't it have felt like a possibility a hundred years ago, two hundred, more? How could he dare to think of continuing a protection of his forest, of caring for his kin, if he lost all connection to them, and even fears what makes them the same in their morality so much that he would dare forsake it. If he was going to lose his faith, why wouldn't he have done so when he was younger and different, except that he was stronger then, in body and in mind. And yet what difference would there be, feasting upon the wild in the woods? And Étoile would be blunt about the differences, and about how there are even laws now, that they helped put in place. "They" could punish them both greatly for this, but the transformation itself would be their shared shame. He could be their first spawn, and perhaps their only, but if he wanted this now — that it was no corruption of age, just a changed heart. And they would happily accept him into their home if all beasts and men turned from him as a decree from his Oakfather -- but he would have to be sure, because the fallout could be immeasurable. Étoile would try to do it permissably, but they would turn Halsin in secret, if need be. And what if "they" were like. fucking no???? and to ensure you don't do this thing we're going to keep you sealed, either in an area or in a fucking coffin until your druid has passed. (Astarion would lose his fucking mind.)

Abbreviated:

Halsin: what if i've lived long enough to see myself become the villain. Étoile: well my ship has sailed, and you know, if i meet you in hell then it's not hell

I think though that Halsin's village would have warm, clean shelters under the ground, just below the surface as if to shelter from storms, but well-used and familiar to vampires after years of shared knowledge and resources. They'd be glad to claim him.

OH! And Étoile's birthday is Oct 20th (their date of creation during early access was Oct 20 2020), I gave Astarion Sept 22nd (first day of autumn), and Halsin May 13th (he seems like a Taurus and I figured he'd be worn and irksome about having a birthday that often falls on a day associated with bad luck (Friday the 13th)).

[bibliophileiz]

2023 in Books, Part 2

(posting a day late, oops)

This was a pretty great literary year for me. Even the books at the end of this list I enjoyed reading. I left out an anthology I read for class (Peach Pit is ... interesting) and a book of poetry written by someone I know, just because I don't know anything about poetry and don't want my personal feelings about the poet (she's great) to muddle it even further. I also already posted a separate list ranking the six children's/YA books I read. That still leaves thirty-one books to rank, though.

As usual, this is based entirely on personal preference/enjoyment and not necessarily on quality of writing or story. I reserve the right to change my mind about this ranking as soon as I post it because I am fickle like that. (Although I don't think I'm going to change my mind about my number 1 choice.) Here ya go.

31. The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling Dates Read: Dec. 12-13 GoodReads Rating: Three stars Summary: A witch accidentally curses her ex-boyfriend, and by extension her small magical Georgia town. She and her ex have to lift the curse without falling in love (which of course they do anyway). One-sentence review: (directly from my GR review) Cute and witchy, just the thing to get you through finals week.

30. Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld Dates Read: April 28-May 7 GoodReads Rating: Three stars Summary: A musician and comedy writer seem to hit it off when the musician guest stars on the comedy writer’s late-night show, only for the writer to blow it by assuming the musician is a shallow womanizer. A few years later, they rekindle their connection during pandemic lockdowns. One-sentence review: I liked the characters, but as usual Sittenfeld is more interested in commenting on whatever she saw on Twitter while she was writing this then she was on, like, writing a dramatic plot.

29. The Murder of Mr. Wickham by Claudia Gray Dates Read: Aug. 19-27 GoodReads Rating: Three stars Summary: All of Jane Austen’s beloved couples (except the Tilneys), plus the Darcys’ son and the Tilneys’ daughter, attend a house party at the Knightleys’ where Mr. Wickham turns up and is immediately murdered. One-sentence review: This is what P.D. James’ Death Comes to Pemberley SHOULD have been.

28. Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus Dates Read: May 24-27 GoodReads Rating: Three stars Summary: It’s the 1960s, and chemist Elizabeth Zott was kicked out of her Ph.D. program for reporting her supervisor for rape, and then loses her job after she becomes pregnant outside wedlock, and ends up starting her own STEM cooking show and some other stuff happens, look, I know you already read the reviews of this one. One-sentence review: It was fine, I just thought it was overrated.

27. The Paris Deception by Bryn Turnbull Dates Read: Aug. 23-Sept. 7 GoodReads Rating: Three stars Summary: Two women immersed in the French art world in the 1930s and ‘40s defy their German occupiers by hiding, documenting, and sometimes copying “degenerate” art to keep it from the hands of high-ranking Nazi officials and sympathizers, or to keep it from being destroyed. One-sentence review:  The main characters were great and I really like the focus on protecting art and culture from extermination, but the constant time jumps drove me nuts.

26. Forever, Interrupted by Taylor Jenkins Reid Dates Read: April 3-5 GoodReads Rating: Three stars Summary: Less than two weeks into her marriage, a young woman is widowed and only meets her mother-in-law at the hospital. The two strangers find a way to navigate their grief together. One-sentence review: While the grief could be gut-wrenching due to Reid’s fantastic writing, the characters were nothing spectacular.

25. Hell’s Half-Acre: The Untold Story of the Benders, America’s First Serial Killer Family by Susan Jonusas Dates Read: Jan. 29-31 GoodReads Rating: Three stars Summary: The Benders were a creepy family in late 19th Century Kansas who murdered people who stayed at their boarding house and then disappeared before they could be arrested. One-sentence review: I’m not super into true crime—it has to be historical for me to even start it--but I did like the look at life in the Midwest.

24. Galatea by Madeline Miller Dates Read: Jan. 6 GoodReads Rating: Three stars Summary: Madeline Miller retells the Pygmalion myth in a way that doesn’t suck. One-sentence review: Miller smartly skips the gender misery by making this a short story and then delivers an extremely satisfying ending.

23. My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite Dates Read: July 26 GoodReads Rating: Three stars Summary: Korede and Ayoola are sisters who fall for the same man. Ayoola is hot and a serial killer, and Korede is getting pretty tired of covering for her. One-sentence review: Despite (or perhaps because) all the characters are awful, this book STAYS with you, and I feel like it would be a blast to talk about in a drunken book club. Note: I listened to the audiobook and want to give narrator Adepero Oduye a shout out.

22. The Weaver and the Witch Queen by Genevieve Gornichec Dates Read: July 24-Aug. 17 GoodReads Rating: Three stars Summary: Three friends in Medieval Scandinavia find themselves in the middle of a Game of Thrones-esque rivalry for the crown and a deadly battle between supernatural forces. One-sentence review: Good story and I liked the characters, but it moved too slowly sometimes.

21. The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle by Jennifer Ryan Dates Read: May 7-10 GoodReads Rating: Four stars (I was feeling more generous about Grace marrying Hugh than I am right now) Summary: A sewing circle in a small English village in the 1940s decide to pool their talents and resources to help English brides wear the perfect white gown to their weddings, clothing rations be damned. One-sentence review: Ryan excels at writing about women and civilians in wartime, and I would have ranked this so much higher if it hadn’t ended with the best character marrying the worst one.

20. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid Dates Read: Jan. 31-Feb. 8 GoodReads Rating: Four stars Summary: Aging actress Evelyn Hugo (who is not Elizabeth Taylor, by which I mean she absolutely is Elizabeth Taylor) invites a young journalist to write her life story. One-sentence review: The plot was engaging and thought-provoking, but I never could decide how I felt about Evelyn.

19. A House with Good Bones by T. Kingfisher Dates Read: Oct. 28-Nov. 1 GoodReads Rating: Three stars Summary: An archaeologist visits her mother at the family home in North Carolina only to find that her grandmother’s ghost is haunting it. But how do you banish a ghost once you learn it’s keeping something far worse at bay? One-sentence review: Of all the haunted house books I read this year, this one was the worst, and yet it was still great.

19. To Swoon and to Spar by Martha Waters (That’s right, I ranked a trashy Regency romance above both Romantic Comedy AND Lessons in Chemistry) Dates Read: May 17-24 GoodReads Rating: Four stars (Objectively, this was too many, but I also don’t care.) Summary: When Viscount Penvale’s uncle promises to sell him back the family estate for a steal if Penvale marries his uncle’s ward Jane, Penvale reluctantly agrees. He and Jane make an agreement to leave each other alone, but Penvale didn’t expect to fall in love with her. Nor did he expect his family house to be haunted. One-sentence review: The Regency Vows series just keeps getting better, honestly.

17. A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson Dates Read: Aug. 31-Oct. 13 GoodReads Rating: Four stars Summary: Humor writer Bill Bryson and his on-again-off-again friend Katz decide to hike the Appalachian Trail, and Bryson tells you all about its history and natural resources along the way. There are moose, but no (confirmed) bears. One-sentence review: This book got me really into nature and hiking again.

16. The Shining by Stephen King Dates Read: Dec. 1-4 GoodReads Rating: Four stars Summary: I know you know what this book’s about. One-sentence review: Super tense, riveting look into the mind of a toxic, self-absorbed abuser who doesn’t need to be anywhere near blizzards, haunted houses, or children.

15. Carrie Soto Is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid Dates Read: July 12-23 GoodReads Rating: Five stars (Objectively, this book probably deserves that. Subjectively, I like Regency romances and journalists better than sports stars.) Summary: A retired tennis star full of rage and ambition makes a comeback to keep a younger player from breaking her record. One-sentence review: An absorbing, balanced take on the pressures women athletes face, plus a heart-warming father-daughter story, with some romance and female friendships to round it out.

14. Swamp Story by Dave Barry Dates Read: Dec. 30 GoodReads Rating: Four stars Summary: There is actually too much going on to summarize this book, but suffice to say it involves a desperate single mom, her shirtless fame-hounding ex-boyfriend, a failed journalist with a drinking problem, and a lot of people in the Florida Everglades looking for a cryptid OR Confederate gold OR pythons. One-sentence review: Dave Barry writes about Florida like it’s a drunk, eccentric relative who everyone hangs around at the family reunion even though he smells bad, because he has the best stories.

13. Vampires of El Norte by Isabel Cañas Dates Read: Oct. 15-28 GoodReads Rating: Four stars Summary: During the Mexican-American War, a Wuthering Heights-esque couple learn their homeland is being stalked by vampires. One-sentence review: You root for the couple, you root for the Mexicans, you even root for the vampires once or twice, but you never root for the Texas Rangers. Note: The couple is Wuthering Heights-esque in the sense that he is poor, she is rich, they were childhood sweethearts, and then they were separated—not in the toxic incest way.

12. A Lady for a Duke by Alexis Hall Dates Read: July 12-23 GoodReads Rating: Four stars Summary: A trans woman believed to be dead at the Battle of Waterloo reinvents herself and returns home to England, only to find that her best friend has been consumed by grief over her death. As she helps him heal—and he slowly falls for her—she battles with whether to tell him who she really is. One-sentence review: I'm a sucker for love stories in which the couple are torn asunder, believe they will never see each other again, and then are reunited unexpectedly. Note: This actually would have ranked a lot higher if all the main couple’s angst wasn’t basically resolved in the first half. The second half is fine but not as good.

11. The Lover by Silvia Moreno-Garcia Dates Read: Dec. 26 GoodReads Rating: Four stars Summary: A young woman must choose between two potential “lovers” who come from the woods in this dark fairy tale novella. One-sentence review: Finally, a good werewolf book.

10. The Dark Queens: The Bloody Rivalry That Forged the Medieval World by Shelley Puhak Dates Read: April 4-14 GoodReads Rating: Four stars Summary: Puhak writes about the feud between rival Merovingian queens Fredegund and Brunhild in sixth century western Europe. One-sentence review: It’s like Game of Thrones, but real, shorter, and with more women and less sexual assault.

9. Lafayette in the Somewhat United States by Sarah Vowell Dates Read: Dec. 14-25 GoodReads Rating: Four stars Summary: Vowell writes Lafayette’s biography, focusing on his and the larger French role in the American Revolution, all while musing on our country’s inability to agree on anything. One-sentence review: Vowell’s irreverent essay style is just the tone needed to tackle the oft-romanticized American Revolution.

8. The Hacienda by Isabel Cañas Dates Read: July 23-26 GoodReads Rating: Four stars Summary: In the aftermath of the Mexican War for Independence, a young bride moves to her landed husband’s country estate, only to find that the house is super haunted and her new in-laws super racist. One-sentence review: Your standard haunted house story, except the ghost is colonialism.

7. Under the Whispering Door by T.J. Klune Dates Read: Oct. 29-31 GoodReads Rating: Five stars (was probably generous, but the ending had just made me cry, so) Summary: When workaholic Wallace dies, his spirit is sent to a teashop for transition to the afterlife. But after a few weeks of hanging around teashop owner and “ferryman” Hugo, his reaper, and the ghosts of Hugo’s dog and grandfather, Wallace realizes he doesn’t want to leave what he’s coming to think of as his family. One-sentence review: A lovely mixture of funny and sad, this book is a nuanced look at death and found family.

6. Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia Dates Read: Nov. 1-6 GoodReads Rating: Four stars Summary: A debutante from Mexico City visits her cousin’s haunted house in the countryside where she’s pulled into a mystery surrounding her cousin’s eugenics-obsessed in-laws. One-sentence review: Noemi is a fantastic character, and the plot is engrossing, which is good because you will hate all the other characters.

5. Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer Dates Read: Aug. 9-29 GoodReads Rating: Four stars Summary: In 1996, Outside magazine sent Jon Krakauer to cover the burgeoning commercialization of Mount Everest. When Krakauer climbed the mountain himself, he and his team got caught in a freak snowstorm that resulted in what was then the worst disaster in the history of the mountain. One-sentence review: Apart from being a really tense and riveting account of a brutal natural disaster in an already brutal environment, Krakauer’s account of the 1996 storm on Everest raises questions about who should be on the world’s highest mountain and whether money and fame have blinded guides and climbers to the risks of tackling the summit.

4. The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty Dates Read: Nov. 20-30 GoodReads Rating: Four stars Summary: Amina al-Sirafi, a retired smuggler and single mom on the Arabian peninsula, has to get her old band crew back together for the promise of more money than they’ve ever dreamed of when wealthy grandmother hires Amina to rescue her kidnapped granddaughter. But things go awry when the crew learns the girl is with an evil crusader with plans to unleash dark magic and monsters on the world. Inspired by the rich mythology, religions, and history of the Middle East, East Africa, and the Indian Ocean. One-sentence review:  I have not had so much fun reading a fantasy novel since I was a kid reading Harry Potter and I can’t wait for the sequel.

3. Lone Women by Victor LaValle Dates Read: Oct. 5-12 GoodReads Rating: Four stars Summary: In the early 1900s, a woman burns her parents’ mangled bodies in their California farmhouse and flees to Montana with a secret locked in a heavy trunk. One-sentence review: Frankenstein meets Calamity Jane in this horror Western about race and female friendships.

2. We Could Be So Good by Cat Sebastian Dates Read: Oct. 28-Nov. 9 GoodReads Rating: Five stars Summary: Two men reporting for a progressive newspaper in 1950s New York fall in love. One-sentence review: I mean, it’s journalists in love in the 1950s, and one of them is investigating police corruption and the other covered a Civil Rights meeting in DC, so of course I loved this book.

1. The Correspondents: Six Women Writers on the Front Lines of World War II by Judith Mackrell Dates Read: Nov. 27-Dec. 26 (during finals and holidays with family—I don’t think I could have finished the book if it wasn’t so good) GoodReads Rating: Five stars Summary: Mackrell covers the WWII careers of six journalists—a correspondent in Berlin who ingratiated herself in the Nazi Party to tell America about Hitler’s plans for world domination; a photojournalist for Vogue who took pictures from the Blitz to Dachau; a young American whose coverage of both sides of the Spanish Civil War catapulted her to journalistic stardom; Martha Gellhorn whose fury at her husband (you’ve heard of him) compelled her to illegally stow away on board a hospital ship and cover the invasion of Normandy from Omaha Beach while helping wounded soldiers; a rogue freelancer who broke the story of the invasion of Poland and whose thrill-chasing career took her from there to Greece to North Africa and beyond; and Helen Kirkpatrick, who covered the liberation of Paris while Hemingway was getting plastered at the Ritz.

Review: There is too much to say about this book. Mackrell did an incredible job. These journalists’ triumphs and tragedies play out alongside the triumphs and tragedies of the world’s biggest conflict. Each woman had different motivations and goals, from thrill-seeking to career-making, from spite to idealism to simply a love of journalism and dogged search for the truth. While Sigrid Schultz’s Chicago editor applauded Hitler’s control of Germany, Sigrid warned his readers of Hitler’s ambition. When the world turned a blind eye to Hitler’s military build-up and annexation of half of Europe, Virginia Cowles and Helen Kirkpatrick wrote furiously against Chamberlain’s policy of appeasement. And while the rest of the world celebrated the end of the war in Europe, Lee Miller swept through Dachau taking pictures and refusing to ignore the human cost of fascism and war.

All of this was at great personal risk. The Nazis tapped Sigrid’s phone and searched her house until she was finally forced to flee to America in the early 1940s (where her editor promptly benched her for three and a half years). Virginia dodged bombs in Madrid, and Helen dodged bullets in Paris. And Lee Miller defiantly washed off the stink of Dachau in Hitler’s own bath, which was immortalized in a photo her equally defiant boyfriend took in the days after the Fuhrer’s death. Mackrell’s prose also gets into the nitty gritty of correspondent life, how the reporters all camped out in hotels and spent their days chasing stories and their nights drinking whiskey. She discusses the friendships and rivalries—Marth and Virginia became great friends in Spain and eventually wrote a play together satirizing the misogyny they faced during the war. And while the stars are the six I mentioned above, cameos include Mary Welch (Hemingway’s wife after Martha), Dorothy Thompson, Vogue editor Audrey Withers, and “Maggie the indestructible” who convinced an American commander to let her go on a bombing mission over North Africa, paving the way for other women correspondents on the front line after the US entered the war. Plus there are appearances from Picasso, both Randolph and Winston Churchill, Eleanor Roosevelt, Dwight Eisenhower, David Lloyd George, the Duke of Windsor after he abdicated, Hemingway of course, and half the Nazi high command. Mackrell uses the women’s own words to describe the bombing of Madrid, the mass evacuation from Paris, the refugee crises in Eastern Europe, and the Night of Long Knives in Germany. Every moment is riveting as Mackrell and the women she writes about pull you into Europe of the 1940s.

[infjtarot]

6 of Cups. Morgan Greer Tarot

The Good Old Days Nostalgia. Innocence. Reviewing childhood memories. Revisiting scenes of childhood. Sharing. An honest talk. Rekindling love. Renewing old ties. Harmony restored. Thinking about old times. A lover from the past. An old fling. Old friends. Karmic ties. Happy memories. Anniversaries. Emotional renewal. Unearthing buried emotional treasures. Warm get-togethers. Celebrations. Gifts. Sentiment. Family values. Enjoyment of home and family. A trip to visit family. A job offer. A move. An inheritance. Dealings with children. Anthoney Louis.

[jessread-s]

✩🧁🐈‍⬛ Review:

The conclusion to the Dreamland Billionaires trilogy is bittersweet!

Cal and Alana’s relationship is everything! Their alternating viewpoints allow the reader to piece together their joint pasts, the moment their childhood friendship turned into something more, and the fallout that tore them apart. Asher makes it clear, however, that the two still have lingering feelings for each other in the present, no matter how bad their reunion was. I appreciated how Asher naturally intensified these feelings over the long summer period Cal spent in proximity to Alana at the family lake house as part of receiving his inheritance. Though agonizing, the slow rekindling of Cal and Alana’s romance is worth its weight in hundred dollar bills. 

“Final Offer” proves that it is much more than a romance novel by broaching topics like substance addiction. Asher takes great care in capturing Cal’s dependence on alcohol to overcome his grief and anxiety. Through his point-of-view, the reader is exposed to Cal’s internal battle with himself and the commitment he makes to stay dry. I appreciate Asher for not sugarcoating reality by taking her time detailing Cal’s road to recovery.

Like her other novels, “Final Offer” features diverse characters. Alana was born in Barranquilla, Colombia before moving to the United States with her mother and sister when she was seven. Asher showcases how Alana’s culture is an integral part of her identity by writing her dialogue in Spanish and familiarizing the reader with Columbian dishes she is fond of making. I enjoyed learning about this piece of Alana’s identity and region of the world I did not know much about prior to reading “Final Offer.”

Another piece of Alana’s identity is being a single parent. Cami, her adopted daughter, is her world. I loved how Asher uses Alana and Cami’s relationship to show that family isn’t always comprised of parents and their biological children, but can simply be the people we choose to be in our lives. Alana’s devotion to her daughter’s happiness over all else really moved me.

I’m sad to say goodbye to this series, but equally excited to dive into the spin-off, “Love Redesigned”!

➤ 4.5 stars

Cross-posted to: Instagram | Amazon | Goodreads | StoryGraph

[ash-and-books]

Rating: 3/5

Book Blurb: A teen girl seeking retribution against her backstabbing former best friend finds her plans slightly derailed once she catches the eye of a familiar, handsome marquess. Bestselling author Amalie Howard delivers a delightful, anti-historical Regency-era romp that’s Bridgerton meets The Count of Monte Cristo! Lady Ela Dalvi knows the exact moment her life was forever changed—when her best friend, Poppy, betrayed her without qualm over a boy, the son of a duke. She was sent away in disgrace, her reputation ruined. Nearly three years later, eighteen-year-old Ela is consumed with bitterness and a desire for . . . revenge. Her enemy is quickly joining the crème de la crème of high society while she withers away in the English countryside. With an audacious plan to get even, Ela disguises herself as a mysterious heiress and infiltrates London’s elite. But when Ela reunites with the only boy she’s ever loved, she begins to question whether vengeance is still her greatest desire. In this complicated game of real-life chess, Ela must choose her next move: Finally bring down the queen or capture the king’s heart?

Review:

Bridgerton meets The Count of Monte Cristo in this story about a girl who was betrayed by her friend and now has come back with a new identity and a plan for revenge against her ex best friend and the boy who shunned her. Lady Ela Dalvi had it all: a wealthy life, a great best friend, and a boy who she loved... until her best friend Poppy betrayed her for said boy and then Ela’s life was completely ruined: she was sent away in disgrace and her reputation was left in tatters. Three years later, eighteen year old Ela has a desire for revenge and with the help of some amazing friends and a wealthy guardian she takes on a new identity and returns to infiltrate the inner circle of her ex best friend, destroy her, get her revenge, and break the heart of the boy who broke hers. Yet from the moment Ela runs into said boy she is smitten all over again, she can’t help but forget all the things he did to her, how he shunned her, believed lies about her, and left her to her ruination. She finds herself playing a dangerous game of emotions, toeing the line between what is real and what is fake, as she seeks revenge while rekindling the feelings for the boy she loved. Her lies will catch up to her and she’ll have to figure out if she’s willing to risk it all. This definitely had a similar feeling to the Count of Monte Cristo ( movie version) rather than the classic book, Ela and Kes ( the boy who is the romantic interest) just didn’t work for me. i was  rooting for her the entire time to move on and get over the guy. Seriously she was stewing in her anger and revenge for three years and just one look at the guy and suddenly she is smitten all over again and fixed on his lips the entire book, it was disheartening to say the least. I liked most of the book, I just did not like the second chance romance between Ela and Kes, it just didn’t feel like it worked, and I was really hoping for more for Ela. Overall, it was an okay read that definitely was fun at some moments but bogged down by the romance for me, but definitely give it a go if you like regency young adult stories with a dash of revenge and second chance romance.

*Thanks Netgalley and Random House Children's, Joy Revolution for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

[saiswamikalyan]

Amma, Take me to Shirdi-Book Review

Author-Bakthi Mathur

PUFFIN BOOKS, 2019

Part of "Amma, Tell me" Series

It has been said that once a person reaches a certain age called as “ripe old age” they should take up spiritual reading. But I always wondered why it should be so late. Shouldn’t we also teach children spiritual reading so that they can live their lives accordingly? For children, though, the stories are always there. Books are a great way of discovering, imbibing and rethinking our ideals, beliefs and faiths. And stories attached to pilgrimage centres are even more exciting for children as they see and visualize it through sculptures, locations and customs. If they can’t go there directly, the next best way is to take their imagination there. The “Amma, take me to Shirdi” book does just that. It brings Shirdi, Sai Baba and most importantly His teachings alive for children.

"Amma, take me to Shirdi” takes the form of a travelogue. It is written in the format of a conversation between a mother and her two children. This is an appropriate choice considering the target audience. The author uses the voices of her children to ask the questions that children are most likely to ask and are curious to know about.  She answers as a parent would. The conversational style of text paves the way for a good start to the book, to keep the flow of the book going and to also appropriately close the narratives. The book starts with the travel of the trio to Shirdi in a car, and takes us through the places in Shirdi as they visit them– the Samadhi Mandir, the Dwarkamai, the Chavadi, the Gurusthan, the museum and the Hanuman temple. The stories around these places and the significance of these places are narrated as they go from place to place. The narrative as they travel to the various places brings about a lovely yet subtle comparison between the Shirdi of today and the Shirdi when Baba was alive. As a person who has visited Shirdi, I felt the description of the places brought them alive, esp. those of the Samadhi Mandir and the idol of Baba brought the same emotions as when I had myself visited.

The book uses the narrative to not just describe or take us around the various holy sites but also uses the curiosity of the two young children to delve into questions of philosophy or spirituality. It was lovely that the author fantastically uses the opportunity to also convey the teachings of Baba. I liked the bits where it talks about the power of devotees and devotion right in the start of the book itself, talking about walking barefoot and surrendering the tiniest of worries, setting up the correct attitude to pursue the rest of the book. The author uses small,simple sentence structure, with clarity of thought, conveying the ideas with a good flow. The reference to Harry Potter tickled my funny bones, rekindling the child and Harry Potter fan inside me a little bit.

There are mini narrations of stories found in the Sai Satcharitra and other sources.  These well- chosen incidents grab the essence of the philosophy and could entice the devotees to suggest this book as a pre-reading to their younger ones before they introduce the Satcharitra, the quintessential book for Sai devotees.

The book makes references to the philosophy, teachings and customs of other pilgrimage places and saints like the Guru Granth Sahib, Kabir and sufi saints. This may appear as deviation to some. But it is a good way of integrating various teachings and faiths and interconnecting various holy sites. It also arouses a good interest to read the other books in the “Tell me” series written by the author.

The book has wonderful illustrations.  Be it the grey brick walls of Dwarkamai, the artifacts of the museum, the sellers of Shirdi, they are truly beautiful and close to real-life. I wonder who all were involved in coming up with ideas for illustrations, it speaks of a person who has thoroughly and truly enjoyed and soulfully experienced Shirdi.

In conclusion, the book is a simple, yet articulate, nuanced read for children especially if the parents are looking to increase their curiosity in Indian culture, heritage and spiritual richness. While reading, we get as curious as the children in the book. A complete picture of the place is given and the book with its illustrations, description, narrations and teachings is very wholesome. It belies the author’s own affinity to Baba and his philosophy which I felt in the way the author has finished the book. This makes me want to pick up another of her books in this series to see if I get the same fervour towards it and I really hope and wish I would.

[thegeniuswaveofficial]

genius wave reviews

The Genius Wave is a 7-minute audio file design to promote theta brainwave activity, activating your inner genius. Available exclusively online through TheGeniusWave.com, The Genius Wave bundle includes everything MIT neuroscientists recommend to enter a state of flow and embrace the genius inside of you.

Is The Genius Wave legit? Can you really activate your inner genius with The Genius Wave? Keep reading to find out everything you need to know about the unique program today in our review.

What is The Genius Wave?

The Genius Wave is the crowning achievement of Dr. James Rivers, a neuroscientist with a career spanning 34 years. He discovered The Genius Wave after spending years researching the effects of mental development in children.

He discovered that 98% of young children score off the charts with genius potential. However, that capability declines with age. By the time we’re teenagers, only 12% of us are still geniuses in our thinking and behavior.

Dr. Rivers stumbled on this NASA study of children and was shocked at the results. The study initiated by Stanford University and NASA shows that by the time we reach adulthood, only 2% of us have a “genius” brain.

So, what causes us to lose our genius along the way to becoming an adult?

The earlier NASA experiment hooked kids to an EEG machine to test their brain waves. The experiment results show children have a highly active “Theta” brainwave. However, when adults are hooked to the machine, they have much lower Theta brainwave activity.

Scientists believe those who can tap their Theta brainwave experience better problem-solving and decision-making capabilities – but why can’t we all do this? Further research shows that those who can tap the Theta brainwave can shape their reality and meld it into achieving their desired outcomes in life.

A study by a Japanese scientist showed that the infamous “flow state” of concentration, where time seems to fly by and you’re at your most productive, is closely linked to the Theta brainwave. Musicians, athletes, and geniuses can tap the Theta state on demand; that’s why they’re so successful.

The Genius Wave comes with benefits like:

Rapid book writing without interruptions.

Skill proficiency in any desired area.

Relief from persistent headaches and stubborn belly fat.

Improvement and rekindling of romantic relationships.

Smoking cessation without the usual struggles.

Comprehensive life transformation.

Improvement and rekindling of romantic relationships.

Get instant access today to start transforming your personal and professional life

How Does The Genius Wave Work?

Clever individuals have known about the impact of the Theta state on our thinking and life outcomes for centuries. The legendary American inventor Thomas Edison even invented a device that he could use to unblock the Theta state for himself.

Scroll through the social media accounts of millionaires and billionaires, and you’ll notice a common theme between all of them. They all wake up early – really early, like 4 a.m. Why do they wake up then and not at 5 a.m. – that’s still pretty early for most people.

The reason for waking up now has nothing to do with getting a few extra hours to be more productive. They wake up early in the morning because that’s when our Theta brainwaves are most active as adults.

If you’ve experienced a life of want and tried all the manifestation techniques but experienced no success, the problem isn’t your actions – It’s your mind. The Law of Attraction seems like a great concept, but it only works for a select few – Why is that? Why can’t we all manifest everything we want in our lives?

By listening to The Genius Wave audio files daily, you can embrace your inner genius, stimulating theta brainwave activity to help you become the best version of yourself.

Dr. Rivers developed The Genius Wave based on NASA research. NASA research showed kids have high theta brainwave activity, but that theta brainwave activity drops as you get older.

Dr. Rivers also developed The Genius Wave based on research by Thomas Edison. Thomas Edison developed a machine to stimulate his own theta brainwave activity when he needed help solving a complicated problem.

After gathering all of this information from multiple sources, Dr. Rivers created The Genius Wave.

Theta Brainwave Activity Peaks in Children, Then Declines in Adulthood

You may assume adults are smarter than kids. However, based on theta brainwave activity, that’s not always the case.

Here’s how Dr. Rivers explains theta brainwave activity in kids:

“…kids have a very active theta wave…but when you look at an adult’s consciousness, you see almost no theta wave, it’s like it’s been suppressed.”

As you get older, however, modern life ruins your natural theta brainwave activity, making you feel dumber and lowering your cognitive energy with age.

In fact, Dr. Rivers claims this lack of theta brainwave activity is the root cause of many problems – including everything from bad luck to poor professional success:

“This is the root cause of our problems and bad luck. We are born with miraculous human ability but from the time we are born, the modern way of life systematically suppressed this genius wave, rendering it mostly suppressed.”

Dr. Rivers describes it as “the great swindle of our lifetime,” claiming our “powers and destiny have been stolen from us” at the neural level from a young age, dooming us to a lifetime of mediocrity.

Fortunately, Dr. Rivers has an easy solution: you can reactivate your theta brainwave activity with The Genius Wave, attracting powers to yourself.

4 Science-Backed Ways to Boost Theta Brainwave Activity

There are different ways to stimulate theta brainwave activity. You can meditate, wake up at 4am, or listen to special sounds, for example.

Here are some of the ways to boost theta brainwave activity, according to Dr. Rivers:

Meditate (Difficult & Time Consuming): Meditating twice a day for 20 minutes can activate your theta wave. Many people find meditating hard and time-consuming, but it’s a proven way to support brainpower.

Wake Up at 4am (Hard & Tiring): Many of the world’s most successful people wake up at 4am. However, it can be hard and tiring, and many people struggle to stick with it.

Use a Biofeedback Machine (Too Expensive): You can visit a special brain clinic and use a biofeedback machine to activate theta brainwave activity. This can be effective – but it also costs around $300 per hour at a clinic – or $10,000 to buy a biofeedback machine for your own home to run therapy on yourself.

Use a Special Soundwave (Easy, Proven, Effective, and Recommended): You can use a special soundwave to activate your theta brave activity. This is the method recommended by Dr. Rivers for boosting cognition. According to Dr. Rivers’ research, this is the easiest way, by far, to activate theta brainwave activity.

How Soundwaves Activate Your Inner Genius

It seems unusual that you could use soundwaves or audio files to activate your inner genius. So how does The Genius Wave work? What do the audio files sound like?

Here’s how a simple audio file or soundwave can activate your inner genius:

Dr. Rivers looked at all the ways to activate theta brainwave activity – from machines to electrical stimulation – and found audio files were the best option.

Sound is all about vibrations, and vibrations shape all matter around you. Vibrations impact every cell within your body – and all of the cells around you.

The Genius Wave uses sound to gently guide your brain into a theta state via a process called “Brain Entrainment.”

Typically, it takes around one hour per session to force your body to enter theta via Brain Entertainment. However, Dr. Rivers and his team reduced the process to a 7-minute session. In fact, Dr. Rivers claims to have worked with PhDs and engineers to conduct extensive testing, making it easy to activate your theta state via Brain Entrainment in a fraction of the time.

During the 7 minute session, the sound “synchronizes with your brain waves and activates your theta,” according to an explanation by Dr. Rivers.

To experience these effects yourself, just listen to The Genius Wave daily. The 7-minute audio files uses Brain Entrainment to activate theta brainwave activity in your mind, helping you enjoy powerful benefits.

What is Brain Entrainment?

The Genius Wave is based on a concept called Brain Entrainment. It’s the process of using sound and lights to activate different parts of your brain.

The Genius Wave isn’t the only way to activate Brain Entrainment. Some go to clinics for Brain Entrainment, paying hundreds of dollars per session. Others buy Brain Entrainment machines at home – including special helmets or goggles to stimulate the eyes and ears, activating your brainwaves.

As a 2021 study explained, Brain Entrainment can put the brain in sync at a specific brainwave pattern called theta.

When you train your brain to enter a theta state, it tends to improve memory, spatial recognition, and overall cognitive performance.

Typical Brain Entrainment sessions involve using lights and sounds to teach the brain to be in sync.

When you attend a Brain Entrainment session at a clinic, a special may put goggles or headphones on you. In that same 2021 study, researchers found flashing lights and beeping noises could activate theta brainwave activity via Brain Entrainment.

Ultimately, Brain Entrainment research is still relatively new, although early research shows it’s promising for potentially improving cognition.

How to Use The Genius Wave

Using The Genius Wave is easy. Just sit back, relax, and spend 7 minutes each day listening to the specific audio file.

Here’s how Dr. Rivers and his team recommend using The Genius Wave for best results:

Pop on a pair of headphones or earbuds

There’s no need to meditate, write anything down, or repeat a mantra. You can conduct each session from the privacy of your home.

Relax for 7 minutes and listening to the calming soundwave

The Genius Wave starts working “the very first time you listen to it,” according to Dr. Rivers. And, the more you listen to it, the more noticeable the effects can be.

Learn More

[twenty-words-or-less]

Just wanted to remind you that Whiplash is a violent fantasy for men who like to beat the fuck out of children. Depiction is not endorsement lol. Happy fucking pride.

Oh good God, you again? First you harass me for liking and reviewing Whiplash, block me on both this blog and my personal blog, and then passive-aggressively post about me? Did you really think I'd forgotten about that, and that making a new blog and choosing to harass me (and no doubt others) wouldn't remind me that you did that?

I have no idea what you think you're gaining from doing this, and once again: depiction is not endorsement. I'm not deleting my review of Whiplash, nor am I reconsidering my opinion on it. You look desperate, rekindling a campfire that was put out two years ago.

I specifically told you to not come into my inbox again at the end of that second ask, but you chose, this time, to ignore it and start yet another harassment campaign. Friendly reminder that this is regarding a film, not an action or behaviour of mine that adversely affected you.

Fuck off and get a hobby.

~ Mikey

[ecargmura]

Tadaima, Okaeri Episode 12 Review + Final Thoughts - Rekindled Bonds

WHAT DO YOU MEAN THIS IS THE FINAL EPISODE? No! I demand a Season 2! This show is way too cute to end. It’s way too hard to part ways with this show after these three months. I hope you don’t mind the rather long review of the finale. I’m just trying to cope with the fact that my Mondays won’t be the same anymore.

I love that while Masaki is a little bothered about what had happened last episode, Hiromu cheers him up with encouraging words. Hiromu really is an S tier husband. Seriously, he knows what to say when Masaki is down and he always does a success job in cheering up his spouse. He tells Masaki that not everyone will be understanding, and while he really only cares about his family, he still wants to see Masaki do his best when it comes to other people because he loves that part of him. He respects Masaki to let him do what he wants, but if things get hard, that’s when he’ll step in. Since he also likes Aoto like Masaki, he wants them to reconcile because he knows it’s worth it for them both. Damn, if I don’t have a man like Hiromu in my life, then I don’t want to get married.

The conversation with Masaki and Yuuki shows that what Masaki is afraid of isn’t the prejudice directed towards him that makes him become timid and overthink, but rather how it affects his family. He doesn’t want his family to be rejected for asinine reasons—that’s his biggest fear. He loves his family and doesn’t want anyone to harm them. Throughout the story, Masaki’s biggest support has always been his family, which is why he’s hurt that someone rejected his family because he loves them so much. I do like that he’s a very loving person but it’s not portrayed in a poor way.

The conversation with Masaki actually encourages Yuuki to confront Aoto when he saw him and have a talk about the Fujiyoshi family and everything he knows about their relationship from Matsuo. Apparently, Hiromu and Masaki have been dating for ten years but only became mates around three years ago. There was a time where Masaki was okay with being mates with Hiromu and he didn’t mind not being his most important person given how omegas were usually treated. Hiromu actually hated that thought and eventually learned something very important: respect. Yes, the reason why Hiromu is the way he is now is because he respects Masaki, omegas and himself. Masaki is the way he is because of the same reason as well. That’s why they’re willing to accept Aoto and want to let him know that they’re fine with his pheromones because Hiromu can control himself. I love that Yuuki is the one who tells Aoto all of this and it’s because he respects the Fujiyoshi family and sees them as the ideal couple; like Masaki, he doesn’t want anything bad to happen to their family as well.

It’s because of Yuuki’s words that Aoto does confront Masaki. I really like the chain reaction. It turns out that Aoto’s behavior from before was due to having a condition where his pheromones leak out a lot more than usual and he cannot suppress or control it as he hasn’t found the right medication for it. It also affects his mood, so he was uncontrollably anxious and afraid back then. Because an omega couple have a hard time conceiving children together, Michiru was actually born from luck and Aoto is worried that he might inherit his condition, hence why he was afraid of being around alphas because of this.

Aoto does feel like what Masaki could’ve been if he didn’t have Hiromu in his life: fearful of others, constantly anxious and lonely. Aoto’s spouse is no longer alive, so he always believed he had to protect himself and Michiru because of this. Fortunately, Masaki reassures him that he’ll be here to help because they have to support each other as fellow omegas, like how Aoto mentioned back in Episode 9. He also tells him that what’s important is to be able to express his love for others because, for Masaki, what hurt him more than the discrimination was not being able to tell the people he loved that he loved them. That’s why he wants Aoto to be able to learn how to love others even as an omega. This is really sweet. Masaki is right, though. It’s better to love others than to put a wall around yourself because there might be others out there willing to love you if you’re willing to do the same. Hikari also teaches him this. Hikari says that he loves Michiru and wants to play with him and Michiru is able to receive that love back. That is the factor that helps Aoto realize he’s not alone and that he has people he can count on and also protect Michiru. Hikari really is like a guiding light.

Fortunately, their issues are all resolved to the point that Aoto is invited to their Christmas party. Heck, I love the difference between the Christmas party in Episode 1 where it was just Masaki, Hiromu and Hikari celebrating it on their own. In this Christmas party, everyone’s invited. The Christmas party is actually much different from the manga as in the manga, only the Mochizukis, Yuuki and Matsuo were in the house while Hiromu’s parents and the twins came at the end. Here, they’ve invited Iwata and her dog Ran, Yuuki’s mother comes, Kazuhiko sends flowers, and Hiromu’s two colleagues show up. Hiromu’s parents and the twins show up at the middle of the party too so they get some screen time. It was funny to see the twins fall for Aoto at first sight because he’s exactly their type—they like people similar to Masaki. Compared to the quiet Christmas in Episode 1, I loved seeing the liveliness of this party because it shows that they’ve broadened their horizons and have their own found family in their community. It’s such a heartwarming sight.

Because this is the finale, not many things are resolved. Yuuki and Matsuo have mutual feelings for each other, but they’re not dating. The twins fall for Aoto in this episode, so that’s never going to be resolved unless a season two is announced. Yuuki and Matsuo actually become official in Volume 4 while the twins and Aoto have their moments sprinkled out in that same volume. Despite that, I do think this was a good closure for this story. What do you think?

Final Thoughts

It’s still crazy how I live in an era where Omegaverse stories are getting anime adaptations. Given the craziness of the genre, I’m actually glad they chose the tamest story of the bunch to be the first. Hopefully, Tadaima, Okaeri will be a stepping stone for future potential adaptations of the genre.

However, despite me loving this story, this anime does feel like it’s intended for those who are more familiar with the genre because it was written at a time where the genre was still new to Japan hence why the conventional rules are so different here. Because of that, I can see why people do tend to get confuse when the omegaverse lore comes into play. I’ve read a lot of omegaverse stories, so I’m familiar with its rules and conventions, but someone else may not be as familiar with it. I would say that this anime is like a deconstruction of omegaverse stories in a way. If I do have gripes about Tadaima Okaeri, it would be that it could’ve explained the omegaverse lore a bit more to help first-timers understand the genre.

Despite the omegaverse lore, this anime is perfect as a feel-good heartwarming story about a family and those around them. It’s perfect healing for the soul. Even as a slice-of-life family story, I do like that it does do things not many stories of similar genres have—that would be aging the characters. Hikari goes from almost 2 to 2, then to 3 after Hinata is born and him getting older is shown as he looks less chubbier than he did in Episodes 1 to 3; his personality also develops a lot, so it’s like watching your neighbor’s kid that you’re so fond of grow into his own person Time also changes as different seasons are shown throughout the story, which is a detail I like.

For a story like this, characters are vital. Omegaverse stories relies on characters a lot. Fortunately, these characters are great for the type of story they’re in. While the main couple look like a typical BL couple, it’s how they behave that sets them apart from others in omegaverse. Alphas are usually written as domineering and rather toxic, but Hiromu was never that. He’s practically a gentleman in an omegaverse setting. He loves and respects his spouse and family so much and never gives in to prejudice, stigma and discrimination. Masaki is a bit self-loathing and had a rough past, but he’s willing to accept love and affection from his family and friends. The story was also Masaki’s journey into accepting and respecting himself not as an omega but as a person, so it was nice to see him grow alongside Hikari. What I love most about the main couple is that they’re not afraid of PDA. They kiss and are physically intimate all the time. Sometimes, BL stories in general like to have a character shy away from affection. While Masaki is a rather shy character, he goes in for the intimacy as much as Hiromu and it’s so nice to see. Yuuki is probably the standout character of this story. He’s a beta, but he also grows through growth too. His personality helps him stand out as he’s the youngest of the adult cast, so he’s the type that can get along with both the kids and the adults. All the other characters are really good too and fit the setting well.

To be honest, for a BL anime, this cast is STACKED. It helps that a majority of them are or have been active in the genre, so they know the nuances of what to bring for stories like this. The biggest BL veterans are Toshiyuki Morikawa, the BL emperor, and Kosuke Toriumi who had been active in BL in the past—he was Akira in Togainu no Chi! They both do great jobs in delivering their characters’ emotions. Because the anime has babies, female voice actors are also casted and the voice actresses they use are actually rather well-known names too; I think they did the best job. Hikari is voiced by Atsumi Takezaki who is extremely versatile. She’s known for voicing Anya from Spy x Family and Frieren from Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End. Gosh, I think she did the best out of everyone here because her baby voice is super convincing. Kaede Hondo as Michiru was also a great performance because Michiru started off as very soft-spoken but in later episodes, he has a more assertive voice. I’m also amazed with the baby babbles Konomi Kohara did; by the way, these three actresses were in Gakuen Babysitters, so they’re very familiar with how to voice babies.

I really like the animation! Studio Deen may have some misses, but they never miss when it comes to BL adaptations. It’s crazy that they got the director of Sasaki and Miyano and the character designer of Given and meshed them into this extremely cute story. Did you know that the character designer also did the character designs for the Gakuen Babysitters anime? The adults look similar to Given characters while the babies look like Gakuen Babysitter babies. It’s like a good blend of both. I also love how the studio colored this anime. Everything is so soft that it matches the vibes.

The music is great too! The opening song is addictive and the ending song is a nice way to end an episode. The OST was really nice to listen to! At times, I’d like to replay some scenes because I really like some of the music they play in the background. Some highlights include the little marching song that plays when Hikari does something cute and the soft guitar piece that plays when Hiromu and Masaki have a heart-to-heart.

I know that people have their own stigma towards omegaverse, but the moral of Tadaima Okaeri is to look beyond stigma and accept things deep within one another. Yes, the genre can be icky at times, but I assure you that this is a really good story if you’re able to put aside your biases. The heartwarming aspect is perfect for any first-time BL consumers too. I would totally recommend this not only as a BL anime, but as a slice of life family story as well.

[stmaryslibraryios]

Send Down The Rain by Charles Martin

CHARLES MARTIN SEND DOWN THE RAIN

I really enjoyed this novel and kept wanting to get back to it.

It starts with Joseph, known as JoJo, a 62 yr old war veteran who lives in a remote log cabin in the mountains in North Carolina.  He lives alone with his Rhodesion Ridgeback dog Rosco.  He doesn’t trust himself around people, he has recurring nightmares from his stints in the Vietnamese war and anger blackouts.

However when he hears a childs scream he goes out to help whoever is in trouble.  Illegal immigrants Catalina, a young Mexican woman and her two children are cold, lost and hungry and one child is in danger.  Jojo helps them & takes them to his cabin.  They are being pursued by her drug Lord partner.  The family are heading to Florida to the sanctuary of her brother and cousins.  Jojo can’t leave them to navigate the journey alone & penniless and so he drives them in his truck.  He knows the area well as it is near Cape Sans Blas where he and his mum & brother grew up.

As he heads back he sees the black smoke rising way off in the distance in the direction of his childhood home.  He has to investigate.  A truck has crashed, the driver declared dead at scene. The police are there and a Senator, his estranged brother..  The deceased was the husband of the owner of the now closed, beach side restaurant, the Blue Tornado. And so begins his contact again with his childhood sweetheart Allie as he tries to help her rebuild her business and her life. He never stopped loving her and a lot of water has passed under the bridge since they last saw each other.  He isn’t the person she last knew, he has done & seen some horrendous things but things start to go well and they start to rekindle what they had.

Then the demons begin.  The Mexican family are in trouble, secrets he has kept hidden from everyone become public.  Life is about to get a lot more interesting for Jojo.

We learn about all their back stories as the story progresses all of which are interesting.

I liked the characters and the storytelling.  It does have a romantic theme to it but it wasn’t mushy.  I shall defo be reading another by this author.

Review by Lindy

[krispyweiss]

Song Review: The Sam Grisman Project - “Ain’t No Bugs on Me” (Live 2023)

Reinforcing the notion children’s songs can be lyrically playful and musically quite serious, the Sam Grisman Project presents “Ain’t No Bugs on Me.”

As performed at FreshGrass 2023 with dual acoustic guitars, mandolin, fiddle, double bass, percussion and two-part harmony, the unplugged Project rekindled Jerry Garcia and David Grisman in Massachusetts while also establishing their own thing as they sing:

There ain’t no lobsters on me/there may be lobsters on some of ya mobsters/but there ain’t no lobsters on me

All but the drums take short solos and the audience responds lustily on this just-released professional video. It’s a cover, yes, but also original in its presentation.

Grade card: The Sam Grisman Project - “Ain’t No Bugs on Me” (Live 2023) - A-

1/23/24

[thegreatchristmasheist]

Looking for a Great Podcast/ News Guest to Interview?

Joseph Woodley, an author of more than 16 books, will be publishing a new children’s rhyming picture book, “The Great Christmas Heist,” on November 13. Woodley said he was inspired to write his book by authors and books he read as a child, including Dr. Seuss, Roald Dahl, J.M. Barrie, Rudyard Kipling and L. Frank Baum. 

Can we arrange a time for you to speak with Joseph about “The Great Christmas Heist,” which is destined to become a timeless classic?

Our press release is below. Here are some highlights:

• In “The Great Christmas Heist,” illustrated by Syd Hutchison, the characters Thomas and Claire take a journey on Christmas eve that helps them see the beauty around them.

• In a review, Kidlio Magazine wrote, “Let’s celebrate Christmas all year round with this fascinating book that teaches children the real meaning of Christmas, introducing the joy of giving and focusing on the importance of being thankful for what you.”

• Parents and teachers looking for popular books for kids will adore this book. “The Great Christmas Heist” can stimulate children’s imagination and reinvigorate their love for reading as it becomes a timeless classic for the entire family.

With the end of summer here, Christmas won’t be far behind. Joseph would be pleased to speak with you about “The Great Christmas Heist” and the world of imagination it will open for children as it delivers a message about the joy of giving.

contact: letsread@agreatchristmasbook.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

New Children’s Picture Rhyming Book, “The Great Christmas Heist,” is Destined to Become a Timeless Classic

“The Great Christmas Heist” teaches children to celebrate Christmas as the joy of giving

SHADYSIDE, Ohio – September 20, 2023 – Accomplished author Joseph Woodley is thrilled to announce that his new children’s rhyming picture book, “The Great Christmas Heist,” is being published on November 13, 2023.

In “The Great Christmas Heist,” illustrated by Syd Hutchison, the characters Thomas and Claire take a journey on Christmas Eve that helps them see the beauty around them. This is a fun-filled, humorous story that will feel timeless for the whole family.

Woodley said about “The Great Christmas Heist,” “I wanted to write something that reminded me of the children’s books and movies that I read as a child. Books written by Dr. Seuss, Roald Dahl, J.M. Barrie, Rudyard Kipling, L. Frank Baum and many others took me on adventures that transported me to new worlds that stretched my imagination and expanded the promise of possibilities of the world I lived in. There were always great messages interwoven in these books that kids could carry with them in their own exploration of life and the world around them.”

In a review of Woodley’s new book, Kidlio Magazine wrote, “Let’s celebrate Christmas all year round with this fascinating book that teaches children the real meaning of Christmas, introducing the joy of giving and focusing on the importance of being thankful for what you have.

“This book teaches children to celebrate Christmas as the joy of giving, being kind and sharing resources with those who can’t afford gifts [and is] an all-new rhyming Christmas story that rekindles the true spirit of Christmas and teaches children to value people over things.”

Parents and teachers looking for popular books for kids will adore this book. “The Great Christmas Heist” can stimulate children’s imagination and reinvigorate their love for reading as it becomes a timeless classic for the entire family.

The book is written for children aged three and older. 

“The Great Christmas Heist” will be available at Barnes & Noble and at agreatchristmasbook.com.

Woodley is a published author of more than 16 books, a public speaker and leadership and team development coach. Woodley shares empowering stories in his books for children and adults that help support family, faith and character development. He is dedicated to utilizing his accumulated experience, skills and expertise to empower others to reach their God-given potential.

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Released on January 3, 2023

Return to the opulent world of Elfhame, filled with intrigue, betrayal, and dangerous desires, with this first book of a captivating new duology from the #1 New York Times bestselling author Holly Black.  A runaway queen. A reluctant prince. And a quest that may destroy them both.   Eight years have passed since the Battle of the Serpent. But in the icy north, Lady Nore of the Court of Teeth has reclaimed the Ice Needle Citadel. There, she is using an ancient relic to create monsters of stick and snow who will do her bidding and exact her revenge.   Suren, child queen of the Court of Teeth, and the one person with power over her mother, fled to the human world. There, she lives feral in the woods. Lonely, and still haunted by the merciless torments she endured in the Court of Teeth, she bides her time by releasing mortals from foolish bargains. She believes herself forgotten until the storm hag, Bogdana chases her through the night streets. Suren is saved by none other than Prince Oak, heir to Elfhame, to whom she was once promised in marriage and who she has resented for years.    Now seventeen, Oak is charming, beautiful, and manipulative. He’s on a mission that will lead him into the north, and he wants Suren’s help. But if she agrees, it will mean guarding her heart against the boy she once knew and a prince she cannot trust, as well as confronting all the horrors she thought she left behind.

My Review

Posted on Goodreads January 7th, 2023.

★★★★★ — 5/5 stars in this return duology in the cruel prince universe, we are met with suren, a runaway queen, and oak, the hesitant prince of elfhame. this duology takes place eight years after the battle of the serpent. we are given the amazing but tragic backstory of suren, who is the child queen of the court of teeth, with her mother being lady nore. waiting for revenge has been all that lady nore has been planning over the time-jump between stories, but is inhibited by one thing — her daughter. suren, the only person who has power over her mother and the court, has fled to the human world, and lives a feral life in the woods. she often spends her time helping mortals be released from silly bargains struck up my the folk. on the other hand, we are presented with oak, as we remember from the cruel prince trilogy, but this time around he is seventeen years old, and has plans for himself. meeting suren when they were only children, they are both well aware with each other, and have no plans to rekindle relationships. oak is now a charming, handsome, and manipulative heir to elfhame, who is tasked with a mission heading up north. despite rumors of jude and cardans plans with elfhame, oak forges his own path, bringing along tiernan and suren to help bid his mission. but betrayal, deceit, and manipulation are among the hardest tasks. — i loved this book a lot more than i thought i would. i loved the pace of it, and that we were already familiar with the world, and some of the background characters that are present in this book. i'm super happy this is a duology, because the pace between characters was just phenomenal. as well as the action scenes that were present was detailed enough where it didn't keep me guessing what was going to happen next. i think that my favorite thing though about this book was all the deceit, since faerie folk cannot tell lies. it's very interesting to see how they riddle around parts of the book and dance around topics. i cannot wait until the next book comes out!

My Highlights and Annotations

Chapter 2

On page 41, I noted: we hate madoc club, protect oak at all costs club! "Madoc, the traitor who marched on Elfhame with the Court of Teeth. Before that, the Grand General who was responsible for the slaughter of most of the royal family. And Oak's foster father."

On page 43, I highlighted: "Then they marched me before the High Queen and suggested that I be united in marriage with her brother and heir, Prince Oak."

Chapter 3

On page 48, I noted: give me some judecardan crumbs is all i ask for "All Courts pledge fealty to their ruler and that ruler pledges fealty to the High Court. When High King Cardan came to power, because I was hidden, and Queen of the Court of Teeth, my failure to give him an oath of loyalty was the reason Lady Nore and Lord Jarel were able to betray him."

On page 51, I noted: i'm waiting for more.... "The sword's name is Nightfell," he whispered. "it belongs to Jude." His sister. The High Queen. It was such a different way to be royal, to have a family that you would consider by their relationship to you before their title. Whose weapon you wouldn't be afraid to steal."

On page 53, I noted: not oriana again, thought we left her in the dust "So lost in the joy of that moment, I didn't think of danger until the latch of the door turned. I was barely able to roll underneath Oak's bed, putting my sticky, stained fingers over my mouth, before Oriana came into the room. I tried to remain as still as possible. Madoc's wife had camped with us when we were in the north and would know me instantly if she saw me."

On page 54, I noted: i like this back talk version "You are not to go near her alone." "I am the prince," he said. "I can do whatever I like." Oriana looked momentarily surprised, then hurt. "I left Madoc's side for you." "So what?" He didn't appear at all sorry. "I don't have to listen to you or do what you say. And I don't have to tell you anything."

Chapter 4

On page 65, I highlighted: "There are rumors that Cardan never wanted the throne, that he will hand it over to Oak willingly at some vague future time. But when I think of High King Cardan with his black curls and cruel mouth, the way he behaves – silly and dangersome all at once – I don't believe he would relinquish power. He might, however trick Oak into going on a quest he wouldn't return from. Build him up with stories of honor and valiant deeds."

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