#eddis-not-eeddis

[mentacosee]

yeah i'm starting with the Thief!!! our boy is so DRAMATIC. and also very manhandled. it feels like he's an angry kitten constantly being held by the scruff

i'm rereading the queen's thief and, well. my journey with this book has been interesting. the first time i tried, i got bored halfway through. the second time i tried, i sure enjoyed living in the world the author was describing. and now.... everything's in a totally new light. like wow

Are you reading the Thief? Or the whole series? Is it your second read through?

[cultivating-wildflowers]

tagged by @thejonderettegirl to share six books I want to read in 2025 (and Gigi, your six books are all EXCELLENT choices 👏🏻)

tagging @eddis-not-eeddis, @rubyintheskywithdiamonds, @stormsouls, and anyone else who wants to join (yes, that means you!)

[healerqueen]

"10 people I'd like to know better" tag game

Open tag from @sisterdragonwithfeathers. Thanks for the tag!

Last song 🎧: "Scarborough Fair" by Simon & Garfunkel (which I'd never heard of before yesterday--I'm intentionally catching up on the classics)

Favorite Color 🎨: Purple in many shades, especially lavender and blue-toned purples.

Last Book 📕: The Realm Beneath, a new multi-author anthology of undersea fantasy short stories edited by Allison Tebo. Before that, I spent six weeks reading Sense and Sensibility for the first time.

Last Movie 🍿: How to Train Your Dragon 3, yesterday with my sister. (My first time watching it--it took me forever because I wasn't originally sure I'd like it. I did like it.)

Last TV show 📺: I don't watch TV shows often. The last time I watched an episode of a show was probably when I watched an episode of Sue Thomas: Season 3 back in October, in an attempt to finish my favorite show that I still haven't finished. (I just don't have time for shows.)

Sweet/Spicy/Savory 🍔: Savory or mildly sweet. (I like savory meals. For health reasons, I shouldn't be eating anything even mildly sweet, besides fresh fruit, but I just can't resist. I don't like things that are too sweet.)

Current obsession 🌀: Perennial obsessions are Broadway's Anastasia, everything by The Logos Theatre (live stage productions, including excellent Narnia adaptations), Megan Whalen Turner's Queen's Thief series, Narnia, and my old favorites J. R. R. Tolkien and Rosemary Sutcliff.

Last thing I searched 🔎: I searched for GIFs of my favorite movies for a tag challenge, and I also searched for a certain historical artifact 1830s gown for a different post.

Looking forward to 👀: Going to see the Logos Theatre live stage production of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (hopefully this spring and maybe this fall), and going to the beach for our first family vacation in a long time (a few months from now).

Tagging: @batrachised @oldfashionedbooklove @eddis-not-eeddis @fictionadventurer @anythingforstories @isfjmel-phleg @freenarnian @scarvenartist @tsfennec @incomingalbatross and anyone who wants to do this!

[ed-died688]

No i I LOVE THE BEACH SCENE SO MUCH WHAT THE HELL

IM ALSO IN LOVE WITH THE DELETED ONE BUT STILL THIS ONE IS SO FNFKFJEFNENFNJSJFJWJFJEJJDKS MY HEART!!!!!!!!!!

-ITS RIGHT AFTER THE SCENE WHERE VENOM SAID HE HAD TO GO OR SOMETHING BUT Y'KNOW WHAT?!!? EDDIE FREAKIGN STAYED WITH HIM AND WENT TO THE BEAACHHHHHH

-EDDIE REMMEBERED THE "I WANT TO FEEL THE SAND BETWEEN MY TOES!!!!" THING VENOM WAS TALKING ABOUT AT THE START

^AND THE HAIR THING HE MENTIONS IT

-venom BASICKLALY SAYS HE LOVES EDDIE EVEN WITH ALL OF HIS FLAWS

THEN EDDIE POINTS OUT VENOM BASICALLY SAID 'I LOVE YOU'

VENOM DIDNT DENY THAT HE JUST SAID "UHM" ??!??!?!??? AND FNKGIGN MOVED ON??!?!?!

-eEDDIE ADMITS HE MEANT THE "WE ARE THE LETHAL PROTECTOR" THINGY IN THE FIGHT, DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW IMPORTANT THIS IS

HE WAS GENIUne

THEY ARE THE LETHAL PROTECTOR TOEGETHER

THIS IS IMPORTANT FOR SYMBIOSIS I DONT KNOW WHAT IM SAYING

-THEN LOVE WILL TEAR US APART PLAYS (WOW IT WAS LTBC'S ORIGINAL TITLE) AND THEY GO WATCH A TELENOVELA IN MEXICO I DONT KNOW

ALSO VENOM LOOKS LIKE HALF A HEART, NOW WHERE IS EDDIE'S HALF

[whenthegoldrays]

rogerhamleys -> @whenthegoldrays

some quick tags for the mutuals who’ve joined recently: @madamescarlette @rj-anderson @eddis-not-eeddis <333

[faeriefully]

Tag 9 people game (whoops @novelmonger tagged me almost exactly a year ago)

Last song: "Overcome” by Nothing But Thieves

Last movie: … uh… um… La La Land? I think? Idk it’s been a while. Wait no, it was the Deaf Missions: Jesus movie

Currently watching: … Critical Role: C2 Mighty Nein… Frieren (but in Spanish this time)

Currently reading: Show Me Your Glory by S. Lawson, The Woman I Kept To Myself by Julia Alvarez, Powerless by Lauren Roberts

Last thing researched for writing purposes: Euphemisms for Death in Spanish

Tagging: @thisbibliomaniac @msburgundy @snowsalive @she-is-amused @parlaypeach @thejonderettegirl @knowledgetosorrow @eddis-not-eeddis @rin-fate @turretty

[thebirdandhersong]

After talking to @eddis-not-eeddis about Korean music, I thought I'd put together a list of Korean music that carried me through the last years of high school/first year uni :)

I listened to mostly kpop (and some r&b/indie/rap/alternative/pop rock) near the end of high school, but it became too tiring to listen to, and I became more interested in other genres of Korean music. I've linked a few of my favourite albums below, but most of those artistts have grown in name and (relative) fame since I began listening to them. Here are a a few more recommendations (some of which are smaller/lesser known artists, some of which have big presences in the industry):

Acoustic indie: OKDAL, Han All, Kim Na Young, Standing Egg, Lucid Fall, Sugarbowl, J Rabbit, Urban Zakapa

R&B: Zion.T, Zico, HYUKOH, Heize, GSoul, Ra.D, Crush, DEAN

Ballads: Ji Jin Seok, Park Hyo-shin, Jeong Sewoon, Kim Jin-ah, ONEW, Jung Seung Hwan, Paul Kim

Bands: Martin Smith, LUCY (they have a VIOLINIST !!!), The Rose

Indiepop/pop artists who branched out to different genres: Minseo, Chen, AILEE, BOL4, Sandeul, ONEW, Jonghyun, Monogram, Roy Kim, Lee Hi

Sam Kim's Sun and Moon was THE album of the year in grade 12. Every single track on this album is memorable. Sam Kim (from Seattle!) is signed under Antenna Music, whose other artists are worth checking out, too, if you're interested in unconventional, unique indie music (Antenna's whole brand is letting the artists explore their own tastes and interests; it's a whole agency of singer-songwriters). Sam Kim himself is an excellent guitarist, and likes to dabble every once in a while in other genres (r&b, ballads, pop) and has performed singles for k-drama soundtracks in the past. First song rec: It's You for a relaxed indiepop sound, NO SENSE from his album I AM SAM for a demonstration of his guitar picking style.

Lee Jin-ah is also at Antenna Music. When she arrived on the music scene with her voice and her piano, even big names like JYP (which is one of the "Big Three" pop music companies) were scrambling to offer her a contract. Her jazz piano background brings something very distinctive to the Korean music industry; she combines that with r&b and bubblegum pop influences, which is a really interesting contrast with her light, airy, fairy-like voice :) First song rec: RANDOM (a good intro to her eclectic style), Let's Go Camping (a slower acoustic/piano track that displays her whimsical sound in a softer way).

Eddy Kim's acoustic stuff is pretty good easy listening. I listened to his music constantly in high school. He's less experimental in his music style than Sam Kim, for example, but when he sticks to his brand (guy with guitar and a regular percussive beat) he comes up with some really good music. First song rec: 2 years apart or The Manual

AKMU (Akdong Musician) is probably the only big name company musician I still follow/listen to. They signed with JYP when they were in their mid-teens -- JYP is the only one among the Big Three companies that branches out from mainstream pop the most. AKMU is a brother-sister duo that creates quirky, whimsical indie-pop music with a very distinctive sound (they often sing together; the sister is an incredible vocalist and the brother is the one who composes and produces). More recent music has either gone electro-pop or acoustic based indie. I've added two albums here (one from their teenage years, one more recent) as a nice comparison. You can hear how their style has changed over the years! First song rec: How People Move (a funky, energetic title track), Time and Fallen Leaves (ballad), Last Goodbye (they incorporated a familiar classical music song into this in a very creative way)

Last of all, someone who technically is part of the pop scene in Korea, but whose sound is more memorable to me. IU's charm is the versatility in her voice; she's experimented with many genres in her extensive career (she was a child star). Musical theatre, jazz, singsong rap, ballads, bubblegum pop, electropop, indiepop, acoustic indie, alternative....... she's literally done it all (well. Aside from rock, metal, and traditional folk music). LILAC is one of her more recent albums (for a more acoustic indie sound, I'd recommend Palette). First song rec: LILAC (this is a pretty good example of the unique things she brings to the kpop scene: a theatrical, refreshing sound), My sea (a kdrama OST-style ballad that demonstrates her vocal ability and range), Through the Night from her Palette album (soft relaxing acoustic song)

[cultivating-wildflowers]

@eddis-not-eeddis

got taken to axe throwing tonight. i may not have impressed anyone with my technical axe throwing skills but my sheer brute animal strength is unparalleled

[cultivating-wildflowers]

2024 Reading - March

By now it is clear that I will not achieve my arbitrary goal of reading 100 books this year, and that's fine. My overall progress so far is what I really care about. I am confronting my TBR, I've already read a good number of nonfics, and for the most part my reading has been enjoyable.

While I do have some large books coming up on my list, I am hoping to set aside a little time in April to get to a couple of anticipated rereads (finally) because I'm starting to crave a change of pace into something more familiar.

Total books: 4  |  New reads: 4   |   2024 TBR completed: 5 (2 DNF) / 9/36 total   |   2024 Reading Goal: 11/100

February | April

potential reading list from March 1st

#1 - Dorothy and Jack: The Transforming Friendship of Dorothy L. Sayers and C. S. Lewis by Gina Dalfonzo - 4/5 stars (audio)

After the whole Thing with The Mutual Admiration Society, I went into this book with no small amount of trepidation.

I was immediately put at ease.

This was a surprisingly cozy little book that accomplished what it set out to do. It wasn't horribly deep, but it was thorough and heartwarming. And I found myself cheering when I discovered that Sayers and I apparently have the same opinions about a certain aspect of Paradise Lost, so that was fun.

It does lose a star for spending what felt like too long on the Charles Williams scandal. I think the writer was trying to make a point but I'm a bit lost on what it was.

Notes: 1) Do not get the audiobook if you are at all put off by poor pronunciation and enunciation. The narrator couldn't even say "Pevensie" correctly. 2) I have to be objective, since I kicked up such a stink with the last Sayers-adjacent nonfic I tried, and say there is a bit of bias to this one, with the writer coming from an Evangelical background. It's not overpowering but I would say it informs Dalfonzo's approach. (Which...is how writing works. Whatever.)

#2 - Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik - 5/5 stars ('24 TBR)

"There are men who are wolves inside, and want to eat up other people to fill their bellies. That it what was in your house with you, all your life. But here you are with your brothers, and you are not eaten up, and there is not a wolf inside you. You have fed each other, and you kept the wolf away. That is all we can do for each other in the world, to keep the wolf away."

I haven't had much luck with Novik in the past. I read Uprooted probably six years ago and remember it struck me as kind of bland and disjointed. When A Deadly Education was released I picked it up, excited by the premise, but didn't make it through the first chapter. I was starting to think Novik's style just wasn't for me.

Then while chatting with Elsabet (@eddis-not-eeddis), she mentioned how much she loves Spinning Silver and urged me to give it a try, so here we are.

Friends.

I did in fact enjoy it quite a lot.

The standout aspect for me is how Novik writes relationships. Any kind of relationship. Even the little ones that barely get a paragraph's mention. And then we get to see how those relationships build bonds, build links, make their own kind of magic, and I'm sold. This is how you flesh out characters. And this is how you make me care about them and connect with them.

Novik still has a very distinct style that sometimes trips me up, but it works.

(side note: I always forget Novik helped found AO3, and every time I'm reminded I go "oh yeah! good for her!)

More like this: "The Bear and the Nightingale" by Katherine Arden; "Anya and the Dragon" by Sofiya Pasternack (middle grade but the same sort of vibes); "Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow" by Jessica Day George.

#3 - A Natural History of Dragons by Marie Brennan - 4/5 stars ('24 TBR, audio)

Fantastically written, well-paced, with an engaging narrative and a solid cast of characters. However, it works well as a stand-alone and I’m not sure whether or not I’ll continue the series. There was something in it that was lacking for me personally. I would definitely recommend it, though!

More like this: the Emily Wilde series; the Frontier Magic trilogy by Patricia C. Wrede.

#4 - South With the Sun: Roald Amundsen, His Polar Explorations, and the Quest for Discovery by Lynne Cox - 3/5 stars ('24 TBR)

If you’re looking for a book that's strictly about Roald Amundsen, don't start here. This book is half a general history of 19th century polar exploration leading up to Roald Amundsen; and half a recounting of some of Lynne Cox’s swimming accomplishments, which were largely inspired by Amundsen's work and travels.

I also wouldn't recommend this as a starting-off point for people who aren't familiar with the details of Lynne's story, since she ties so much of that into Amundsen's story.

Overall, it was a decent enough read. Lynne's passion and enthusiasm are plain all throughout the story, but her writing voice is lacking and parts of the book--especially those focusing on Amundsen's various expeditions--were clumsily written and difficult to follow. Amundsen finally crossing the North Pole received a grand total of one paragraph and was so unclear that I had to read it twice and then google the details of the endeavor to understand the significance of the dates listed. The last hundred pages are a proper muddle.

DNF

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern ('24 TBR) - Another book that was strongly recommended by a tumblr mutual! I wanted to like this one, and not just for Jules's sake. I gave it about 15% but it wasn’t clicking and I kept getting lost. Some reviews say the first part is rough, so maybe I’ll give this another try later. Don’t hate me, Jules 😅.

A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World by C.A. Fletcher ('24 TBR) - I will not apologize for not finishing this one. I'm straight-up ticked off.

The story started out strong (despite me being pathetic and having to really power through the stressful parts). It set a good pace AND the story was straight-forward and compelling. The first red flag was the writing style because my. stars. Did we have to get ominous, melodramatic, foreshadow-y asides practically every single chapter? Could be my fresh-from-DNFing self talking, but the whole voice came off as pretentious trying for profound. [Edit from after browsing 1- and 2-star reviews: it's not just me.]

I decided to put up with it because I honestly did want to know how the story would end. But it just dragged on and on with no direction. Stuff just...happened. And I got bored.

So I looked up reviews. And found spoilers. And rage-skimmed the last few chapters.

Friends. If you can get to the half-way mark in the story you're telling without even a hint of setting up for a stunt like that ending, you're doing it wrong.

Don't read this book. It's dumb.

Currently Reading:

Recorder by Cathy McCrumb (reread)

[healerqueen]

Tag Game: How Cuddleable Are Your OCs?

Rules: Answer the above question using a scale from 1-10 and include context!

Thanks for the tag, @freenarnian! It's taken me forever, but I didn't forget. This should be interesting to explore.

Arienna, 7/10: She's affectionate with the right people, but she can be a little aloof and distant. She's very sweet, and she is willing to give and receive affection with her family, especially her father, Roger, and a few other people. But often she puts up walls when she's feeling vulnerable, instead of seeking out affection. Sometimes people perceive her as existing in another world, a little bit remote and inaccessible. When she's in that sort of mood, she's less huggable.

Thalia, 6/10: She's very affectionate with a very small number of people--the few family members with whom she acknowledges love and loyalty. But to everyone else, she would be extremely prickly, wild, and easily angered. Later in the series, she changes and becomes a healthier person who is very physically and emotionally affectionate. She's more well-adjusted and happy all-around, in that season.

Roger, 7/10: He can be very affectionate and warm, even though he outwardly appears to be a tough, unemotional type. In fact, physical affection is the only way he feels comfortable giving and receiving affection and warmth--though now that he's a veteran father, he pushes himself to do it in other ways as well, for the sake of his family. He would probably initiate affection only when it seems like it's needed and welcomed, but when people need it, he gives affection.

Luke, 10/10: He's at the top of the cuddle scale. Luke is the big brother who is always ready with a hug, a grin, a joke, and a kind word. And he gives the best hugs.

Bran, 8/10: Bran has been alone in the world for much of his life, but when he has people in his life to be affectionate with, he can be very affectionate. He tends to be reserved in public and warm in private.

Jason, 1/10 -> 9/10: Jason begins the series in a dark place, surrounded by a cold and hostile environment. It's been years since he was loved or had anyone to love. He's tried to become emotionless and cold to avoid pain. He's definitely not cuddly. (Besides, hugs are uncool.) But deep down he needs healing and love. Later, he grows and heals, and he slowly warms up and begins to receive love. At first, love and affection surprise him, and he doesn't know what to do. He reacts awkwardly, and he's stiff and uncomfortable. But he learns to receive affection and re-learns to give affection as well. He becomes very affectionate and even happy. A healthy Jason is very affectionate. Bethan, 9/10: The soft, warm, wise surrogate mother everyone needs. Not everyone has a hugging relationship with her, but she'd welcome anyone with affection if they needed and wanted it.

Marcus, 2/10: He's the tough, crusty type who is usually not affectionate. However, his papa wolf tendencies include a fierce love and affection for his family. He is affectionate with his wife Merryth and his children, Thalia and Luke.

Merryth, 3/10: Merryth can be harsh and prickly, but she might be affectionate if she was in the right mood. She values efficiency and perfection, and she probably doesn't make time to give and receive affection most days. She can be affectionate with her husband if she's in the right mood, but she's not a very affectionate mother most of the time.

Bonus - Daeren and Evan, 1/10: The last two members of my main characters' family are prickly, standoff-ish, awkward and unhuggable--each in a very different way. Tagging @oldfashionedbooklove @lover-of-the-starkindler @e-louise-bates @eddis-not-eeddis and anyone who wants to do it.

[whenthegoldrays]

Thank you for the tag @abookishnerdheree! (Sorry, I'm making a separate post instead of reblogging bc the original has some swearing in it)

I started watching k-dramas late last year and got addicted very quickly. My favorite ones are "Live Up To Your Name" and "Crash Landing On You"

I really love jazz! I have four different jazz playlists and I always listen to one of them as I'm falling asleep.

My OTP of all time is Jo March and Friedrich Bhaer from Little Women.

I'm starting college this month and majoring in Video and Post Production.

The 9 in my username is a reference to my favorite Taylor Swift album, evermore 🤎

Uhhh you're my only mutual, so I'll just tag a couple of people I follow 😅 I'm tagging @eddis-not-eeddis and @thelasttime!

[whenthegoldrays]

I love Hometown Cha Cha Cha! We actually started rewatching it last night 😆 And EAW was my first k-drama so I also have a soft spot for it like you do for MIHY :)

Thanks for answering! <3 It's funny how your explanation for your number one pick is "I can't stand this guy and I enjoy his pain" hdkskdkj

What are your top 5 k-dramas? (Actually, I'd been meaning to ask you this for a while and your latest post reminded me)

Mmmmmm. I don't have that many favorites...or I should say, I wouldn't watch very many of them again. I've finished quite a few out of sheer stubbornness (I even finish books I hate) and a determination to complete my vocab bingo, but there were a few that were charming and/or very fun that I would consider re-watching.

Among them:

Bad and Crazy - If work gets any worse in the upcoming month this one is going on the re-watch list, because watching the lead get beaten up during every episode was extremely cathartic. (I don't like the lead, in case you can't tell.)

Extraordinary Attorney Woo - I didn't like all of the episodes, but this one was just so cute. I loved that so many of the characters were just genuinely decent people. It took some of them a while to make their way there, but by the end most of them were making good decisions. I liked that.

Cafe Minadang - Okay, I am definitely biased, because my favorite Korean pansori singer sings the theme song...nevertheless, I found that I really enjoyed this one. A lot more than I thought I would. It never took itself too seriously and that was refreshing.

May I Help You - This one was the very first K-drama I watched when I started looking for material to practice. I didn't expect anything from it. I've tried watching Spanish tv shows when I was learning Spanish and I hated every single thing I watched, and I really hate C-dramas, so I was sure I'd loathe it. I was pleasantly surprised. It's not the very best show, but it's a little nostalgic now for me. The Golden Princess and I bawled our eyes out on that last episode. Gracious.

Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha - I didn't actually like the main character, but I love slice of life stories, and this one was nice and sweet, and also rather funny. The Golden Princess and I were rooting so hard for the romance subplot for the side characters.

[cultivating-wildflowers]

10 characters, 10 fandoms

rules: list your ten favorite characters from ten separate fandoms, then tag ten people!

Thanks Jules @stormsouls!

in no particular order...

Daniel Jackson - SG-1

Wash - Firefly

Alec Hardison - Leverage

Helen - Queen's Thief

Howl Pendragon - Howl's Moving Castle (book)

Digger - Digger by Ursula Vernon

Ender Wiggin - Ender's Game (series)

JinYeong - The City Between

Ripred - The Underland Chronicles

Csevet Aisava - The Goblin Emperor

Tagging: @number1dork @liquid-sunshine-happiness @o-lei-o-lai-o-lord @eddis-not-eeddis @celestial-citrus and @rubyintheskywithdiamonds

[cultivating-wildflowers]

@eddis-not-eeddis tagged me (thank you!!) and I just remembered: shuffle your on repeat playlist and list the first 10 songs.

"In the Morning" by The Ballroom Thieves

"Better Days" by Birdtalker

"Take This Slowly" by The Gray Havens

"Hold My Hand" by Future of Forestry

"Riser" by Steve Moakler

"Big Black Car" by Gregory Alan Isakov

"Waiting for My Time to Come" by Colony House

"Carry You" by The Native Sibling

"Hold On" by The Gospel Whiskey Runners

"White Picket Fence" by Flannel Graph

no pressure but @dangerously-human, @celestial-citrus, and @liquid-sunshine-happiness if you haven't been tagged recently

[millionsknives]

Wait wait WAIT!

YOU ARE READING THE GOBLIN EMPEROR!?!?!!? I NEED UPDATES, THOUGHTS, ETC. ETC. STAT!

yes lucy got it for me for christmas and im about halfway through rn! the blurb on the back "a single decent person doing his best in a difficult situation" had me hooked immediately but i didnt start reading it until last weekend when i was in oregon. it was such a pleasant slow introspective read for my pleasant slow introspective weekend. the worldbuilding is so rich and i love that addison takes her time with everything. there's no '''action''' per se but it is by no means a dull or actionless book -- the action is in maia's active and conscientious decision-making weighed between his role and duty as emperor and his kindness and understanding as maia

[banana-with-a-bow-tie]

@eddis-not-eeddis

In my L1-acquisition class two weeks ago, our professor talked about how only 9% of the speech a baby hears is single words. Everything else is phrases and sentences, onslaughts of words and meaning!

Thus, a baby not only has to learn words and their meanings but also learn to segment lots of sounds INTO words. Doyouwantalittlemoresoupyesyoudoyoucutie. Damn.

When she talked about HOW babies learn to segment words our professor said, and I love it, "babies are little statisticians" because when listening to all the sounds, they start understanding what sound is likely to come after another vs which is not.

After discussing lots of experiments done with babies, our professor added something that I already knew somewhere in my brain but didn't know I know: All this knowledge is helpful when learning an L2 as well:

Listen to natives speaking their language. Original speed. Whatever speaker. Whatever topic.

It is NOT about understanding meaning. It is about learning the rhythm of the language, getting a feeling for its sound, the combination of sounds, the melody and the pronunciation.

Just how babies have to learn to identify single words within waves of sounds, so do adults learning a language. It will help immensely with later (more intentional) listening because you're already used to the sound, can already get into the groove of the languge.

Be as brave as a baby.

You don't even have to pay special attention. Just bathe in the sound of your target language. You'll soak it up without even noticing.