#i see j w anderson and wonder

[whilstiveputdownthisfic]

1:56 pm est Thursday December 5 2024

[mxlti-fand0m-imaginess]

hiya Madi!! love the nsfw alphabet series, I was wondering if you were willing to do one about kai Anderson or kit walker. thank you :))

sure thing! i hope you like it!

NSFW Alphabet* // Kai Anderson

A = Aftercare (what they’re like after sex)

He’s usually much kinder after sex, allowing you to cuddle up against him, which he doesn’t often allow. He also lets you fall asleep on his chest.

B = Body part (their favorite body part of their partner’s)

He loves your tits. He loves the way they bounce when he’s pounding into you. He loves when he rips your bra off and the fall onto you chest. He loves everything about them.

C = Cum (where they like to come)

Not surprisingly, he likes to cum on your tits. He loves the way his seed coats your chest. And he usually make you lick it off.

D = Dirty secret (pretty self explanatory, a dirty secret of theirs)

He may or may not have a secret stash of panties that he stole from you. And he may or may not jack off to them while thinking of you.

E = Experience (how experienced are they? do they know what they’re doing?)

He’s very experienced. He knows exactly how to make you fall apart at his touch. He is the best in bed out of any guy you’ve ever been with.

F = Favorite position (this goes without saying)

Missionary. He loves watching your face while he pleasures you. It also makes him feel like he’s showing his dominance over you, which he loves to do.

G = Goofy (are they more serious in the moment? are they humorous? etc.)

He is never goofy during sex. He’s only ever serious while he’s fucking you. There’s a few times where you might try to goofy, but he shuts that down real quick.

H = Hair (do they like hair pulling?)

He loves to pull your hair. It also makes him feel more dominant over you. He also likes it when you tug on his hair, it lets him know just how good he’s making you feel.

I = Intimacy (how are they during the moment? the romantic aspect)

He’s not really that intimate during sex. But he’s not a really an intimate person overall. He has his romantic moments sure, but he’s just not good at showing his feeling that way.

J = Jack off (masturbation headcanon)

He likes to jack off to your panties and the thought of you. He’s constantly horny, and if you’re not around he’ll touch himself, imagining that it’s you doing it.

K = Kink (one or more of their kinks)

He has an innocence kink. And he’s also a sadist. He loves causing you pain during sex (the good kind). Of course he would never purposely hurt you, but sometimes he gets a little carried away.

L = Location (favorite places to do the do)

He will fuck you anywhere. Even if there’s people in the room. If he wants you, he gets you. And nothing is gonna stop him.

M = Motivation (what turns them on, gets them going)

Whenever he sees you being naive or innocent or adorable, he gets a little hard. And sometimes just thinking about you will give him a boner. Basically if you’re around him, he’s gonna wanna fuck you.

N = No (something they wouldn’t do, turn offs)

There’s not really much he wouldn’t do. Except have a threesome. He doesn’t wanna let anyone touch you. Your body belongs to him. But he’s doesn’t care if other people see it.

O = Oral (preference in giving or receiving, skill, etc.)

He loves oral. If he’s had a stressful day, but still has stuff to get done, he’ll make you blow him while he’s finishing his work. But he also loves to eat you out, he loves the way that you taste. He also loves when you squirt on his face, which doesn’t happen very often. But when it does, let’s just say you won’t be walking for a while.

P = Pace (are they fast and rough? slow and sensual? etc.)

He is super fast and rough. He loves pounding into you as hard as he feels like. When you first started sleeping together he was a little wary, thinking he was gonna hurt you. But when you assured him he won’t, all his inhibitions left and you’ve never been fucked harder.

Q = Quickie (their opinions on quickies, how often, etc.)

He loves them. He constantly wants you, so he’ll take whatever he can get.

R = Risk (are they game to experiment? do they take risks? etc.)

Definitely. He’s always willing to try stuff you want to. But he also loves to experiment with you.

S = Stamina (how many rounds can they go for? how long do they last?)

This man can last a loooong time. Usually 3-4 rounds. Although he usually makes you cum a lot more than that.

T = Toys (do they use toys?)

He’ll use handcuffs on you, but that’s about it. He’s much rather use himself to pleasure you. And you like it better too.

U = Unfair (how much they like to tease)

He loves it. He loves making you whine and beg for his cock while he teases you relentlessly. And even though you’d never admit it, you love it when he teases you.

V = Volume (how loud they are, what sounds they make, etc.)

He can be pretty loud sometimes. But only if he’s had a bad day and is taking his frustrations out in you. Normally he just grunts and softly moans. You’re pretty loud though.

W = Wild card (a random headcanon for the character)

Anytime someone in the cult even looks at you, he’s glaring at them. He only lets you sit on his lap, and he wants to keep you close by at all times. He will also kill any guy talks to you. He doesn’t want any chance of someone taking you away from him.

X = X-ray (let’s see what’s going on under those clothes)

He’s about 7 1/2 inches.

Y = Yearning (how high is their sex drive?)

Extremely high. He’d fuck you everyday if you could handle it. But since you’d said that’s way to much he’s settled to about four times a week.

Z = Zzz (how quickly they fall asleep afterwards)

He doesn’t really fall asleep that quickly afterwards. He just lies down and watched you as you cuddle up to him. He used to hate when you’d try to cuddle him, but you broke him down and know he loves it.

[yugirl]

Day 6: “Heartfelt Appeal”

You find two characters that click so well, look them up...and there’s no content! ‘Why?? Someone, please make content!’ The pleas go unheard. You’ll just have to make it yourself. Show some love for your rare pairs today!

((Well as I am the only one who makes connectionshipping content, here I am. More connectionshipping content for GX month. I wanted to challenge myself by not writing parent au because that’s usually my go-to… so let’s see what we got…))

@gxmonth

The night was tense. The air was so thick Jaden could cut it with a knife. He had no idea what to do. Everyone had been acting so strange. It was supposed to be their anniversary, a day of fun… but everyone was acting off.

Jesse was trying to get everyone together, Chazz was attempting to speak to each of them in private, and Bastion kept dragging everyone off to places only to be frustrated that they missed out on the booking no one but him knew about, which would make everyone else more stressed. So their anniversary date was cancelled.

Everyone was angry. No one talked and made their own dinner, and then they all went to bed, but… Jaden couldn’t sleep.

He decided to get out of bed, a difficult feat with Chazz and Jesse on either side of him. He watched the three of them, obviously pretending to be asleep. None of them would typically be sleeping at this hour. They just didn’t want to talk to each other. It was pathetic.

He made himself a coffee and went outside to look at the night sky.

What the hell was going on? Did Chazz suddenly decide the poly life wasn’t for him? Was Jesse going back to Europe? Was Bastion trying to take them out for one last nice dinner before he ran away back to the other world to be with Tanya?

That had to be it. The relationship was breaking up, but of course, instead of talking about it like adults, everyone tried to go about it their own way, and when it didn’t work out, they got mad at each other.

But Jaden didn’t want the relationship to be over… he couldn’t understand. What happened to make everyone want to call it off.

What did he do wrong?

He leaned on the balcony and started sobbing. He was going to be all alone again, and there’s nothing he could do about it.

Jesse had very keen intuition. He could usually sense something was wrong. He opened his eyes and noticed Jaden’s spot in the bed was empty. That was a cause for worry. Jaden never went anywhere without waking one of them to tell them first.

He then heard the sobbing and began to panic. He started to shake Bastion and Chazz awake violently.

“Ow! What the hell Anderson!?” Chazz snapped.

“Jesse, what’s going on?” Bastion fake yawned.

“Guys, Jaden’s crying!” Jesse hissed.

The other two finally noticed the space in the bed. The worry immediately setting in.

The three of them frantically toss the covers off the bed. And scramble to find Jaden, fortunately, in this house Chazz managed to win off his brothers, sound carries, and it didn’t take long for them to hear Jaden’s sobbing.

The alarm bells immediately went off.

Jesse was the first to approach, but Bastion and Chazz weren’t too far behind.

“What’s wrong, Jay…?” Jesse asked softly.

“w… what… what did I do wrong?!” Jaden sobbed.

“What?” Jesse whispered in confusion, “y-you haven’t done anything wrong, Jaden, you’re absolutely wonderful….”

“B-but w-why are breaking up with me….”

All three of them froze.

“What!?”

“Y-you’re breaking up with me, aren’t you? Ch-Chazz has been trying to talk to us one on one because he wants out of the polycule, J-Jesse’s been trying to break it to us that he’s going back to Europe, a-and B-Bastion’s planning to run away with Tania, so he planned the day to say g-goodbye, and you’re all upset because you’re unhappy about the relationship and refuse to talk about it!!”

“What?!”

Jesse immediately scooped Jaden onto a hug “Jay! I would never!!— I’m not breaking up with you guys! In fact, it’s the opposite! I love y’all so much, and I never want to be apart from y’all.”

“Jesse’s right!” Bastion agreed, “if anything, I thought you’d have gotten tired of me a long time ago… even now, I’m still learning about how to love in a relationship like this… but I’m so happy here… I don’t want to leave!”

“Slacker, you’re an idiot for thinking that we would ever want to leave you!” Chazz sputters, “w-we l-love you….”

“But then why were you all acting so weird!! Why were you all so upset today! I-I don’t understand!!”

“I was trying to propose!!” All three exclaimed at once. It took a few seconds to realise they chorused and a few more to process that… all three of them tried to propose on the same day? “You too!?”

“W-why wouldn’t I propose on our anniversary!” Chazz protested, “I-I was trying to propose to you all one on one b-because I wanted to make it special for each of you!!”

“You’re kidding!” Jesse gasped. “I was trying to get everyone together because I wanted to propose to all three of you at once. I even had custom rings made!”

“A-and I had this big itinerary planned so we could go to all of your favourite places before proposing after dinner tonight, I had all the surprises planned out, and then I got frustrated because it didn’t work….”

Jaden was shaking “s-so all of you were upset because your proposals didn’t go the way you planned?”

He cupped his face and started sobbing again. “You guys are jerks!!! I thought you were breaking up with me!!”

All three of them immediately started to comfort him, kissing his hands and face and whispering apologies. They were all so obsessed with getting their proposal perfectly that they were inconsiderate of each other, especially Jaden, who had no proposal plan and just wanted to celebrate their anniversary.

They all felt awful…

“Come back to bed, Jay….” Jesse whispered, “we’re sorry….”

“I-ok…” he slowly followed them. He was still sniffling and contemplating.

They made their way back to the bedroom, only for Jaden to blurt it out.

“Will you marry me?”

The other three froze and turned around.

“I… I know this isn’t personalised or after a perfect date night, and I don’t have any rings, but… I don’t need any of that!! I just have all this love to give! That’s all I have… I want to love and be loved and grow old with all of you… so… will you marry me?”

The others were stunned silent, only for Jesse to break it by getting something out of his jacket. “Of course I’ll marry you, Jay! Will you marry me?”

“Yes!” Jaden smiled as Jesse slipped the ring on his finger. A ruby in a heart-shaped cut with a silver engraved band.

“Jaden… Jesse… will you marry me?” Bastion asked, approaching hesitantly.

“Of course, Bastion! Will you marry us?” Jesse smiled.

“Yes, I will!” He smiled as Jesse slipped the ring on his finger. Yellow topaz in a diamond cut with an engraved silver band.

Chazz blushed and got down on one knee before the other three “w… will you three marry me as well?”

“Of course we will, Chazz!” Bastion smiled and helped him up.

“Will you marry us, Chazz?” Asked Jesse.

“Yes! Yes, a thousand times!” Chazz smiled. Jesse happily picked up a ring and slid it on Chazz’s finger. A star cut amethyst on an engraved silver band.

Jaden noticed the last ring and picked it up, looking at the other two.

“Jesse Anderson, will you marry us?”

Jesse smiled and nodded through the tears. “I sure will!!”

Jaden slid the gem-shaped sapphire ring onto his finger. All four of them smiling and holding back tears.

They did it! They were engaged.

Jaden smiled and hugged them all. “I love you guys so much!”

“I love you all too!” Chazz managed to croak.

“I love y’all too!” Jesse grinned.

“And I love you all as well!” Bastion whispered.

They were sticking together. Nothing could stop them now…

[asstronauts]

Alphabet Soup

rating: t word count: 1.7k pairing: jemily summary: perhaps love is in the little moments more than the grand gestures. 26 times (among many) that JJ and Emily fall a little bit more in love with each other in the everyday, smaller moments.

read on ao3, if you’d prefer

---

A - alphabet soup

JJ bought cans of alphabet soup for the boys when Michael first began to read, but Emily quickly found it much more entertaining to spell out words like "boob" or "ass" or "sex?" punctuated with a poorly modified capital P in place of a question mark. JJ had to shut it down when Michael asked what a "tit" was, and Emily panicked and mumbled something about birds.

B - bedtime

They would often unwind by reading before bedtime, and JJ found that Emily read through many foreign literature books. The nights she would fall asleep to Emily stroking her hair and reading aloud in words she didn't understand were the nights she felt most rested.

C - constellations

It was clear that Emily didn't actually know any constellations besides the Big Dipper and Orion. But when she laid on the grass with Henry and Michael, she made up stories in the stars about great heroes and the adventures they went on, and the boys fell in love with the night sky.

D - driving

JJ insisted on driving everywhere without the help of smartphone maps, which had gotten them lost on several occasions. Somehow it felt alright, when she had one hand on the wheel and one hand on Emily's leg, the windows were down, and her hair was streaming in the wind and reflecting the setting sun. Somehow it felt alright to be lost with her.

E - errands

For whatever reason, JJ made running any errand seem like immense fun. Buying groceries, getting gas, even sending a letter felt like an adventure when she was there. They'd only gotten kicked out of one grocery store — when JJ had knocked over an entire display stand of candy bars after running and jumping onto a shopping cart. They didn't regret anything.

F - forehead kiss

JJ wasn't that much shorter than Emily, but when the brunette pressed her lips to her girlfriend's forehead, JJ would feel the need to bury her face in Emily's neck to hide her blushing cheeks.

G - graveyard

On that day, JJ just needed space. So Emily took her to the flower shop the day before and drove her to the cemetery that morning and left her alone until she was ready. In the evening, they didn't speak, just laid with one another on the couch until JJ fell asleep in her arms.

H - horror movie

It was a cheap jump scare, but it made JJ scream out and grab Emily's arm, prompting the older woman to laugh at her. JJ responded with a playful slap, and Emily had to kiss her to reaffirm her love. They didn't finish the movie.

I - ice cream

On a day off, Emily took the boys to get ice cream, and when they came home raving about how Emily had managed to stack five ice cream scoops on top of a single cone, JJ knew she was with the right woman.

J - jaw

Emily's knees grew weak whenever JJ kissed up her jaw and whispered in her ear. Her girlfriend caught on and loved messing with her, working her up into a complete frenzy, then saying the most unsexy thing she could think of. Emily hated it, but she also couldn’t help but to collapse into a fit of giggles when JJ planted kisses all up the side of her face and whispered something like "corned beef" in a seductive voice.

K - kitchen

JJ would use every kitchen utensil as a musical instrument during any spare moment in cooking — while the food was cooking, while the water boiled, while the oven was preheating. She would sing into a wooden spoon and shove it into Emily's face to finish the lyric, and the two would dance in each others' arms all throughout the kitchen.

L - letters

When Emily spent her time in Paris and London, she and JJ wrote each other scores of letters the times they weren't together. They'd both filled up an entire box of papers and knickknacks until they were reunited. Even after, JJ would sometimes write a letter addressed to Emily, drop it into the mailbox and tell Emily to check the mail, for no reason except to make her smile.

M - mugs

JJ had an entire cupboard dedicated to mugs for her tea, which Emily could never understand because she only seemed to ever use two of them: one being a lumpy mug Henry had made in a pottery store and the other being a Valentine’s Day gift from Emily with lovely ceramic boobs protruding from the mug’s body.

N - notes

Emily bought a massive pack of post-its and began leaving notes for JJ around work, bringing a smile to her face every time she found a little colorful message. Some were encouraging — you can do it, you light up my world, you're amazing. Some were cheesy — i love you, je t’aime, when you see this blow me a kiss. And some were...questionable — JJ had to hide the extremely accurate (and well-annotated!) drawing of her naked body before Hotch saw.

O - omelette

Most of the time, Emily couldn't cook without the risk of burning the house down, but for some reason, she made the most scrumptious omelette. Despite not knowing how to cook scrambled or fried or boiled eggs, Emily's omelettes were always perfectly cooked, with an impeccable ratio of egg to filling. JJ tried everything she could to make them the same way, but the boys always preferred Emily's omelettes on Sunday mornings. JJ wondered if it was something she learned during her time in Paris.

P - plants

Before JJ, Emily had never been very good at taking care of plants. They seemed to die with little to no warning. But JJ had taught her well, making little plant calendars and teaching her signs to watch out for, and one morning, JJ caught her talking to one of the plants. As she listened more carefully, she heard that Emily was talking to each plant in a different language — according to the plant’s country of origin.

Q - quiet

The moments after the boys were put to bed were some of the only moments of quiet JJ and Emily got alone during the day. No matter how busy or tired they were, they always intentionally took a few moments to just quietly be with one another, curled up in the other's arms, lying in the other's lap, or simply sitting side by side.

R - rain

They'd gotten caught in the storm on the way back to the office from lunch. Despite JJ’s coat held up above them, the pair was getting drenched anyway, and they gave up and decided to make out in the rain instead. They swung their hands back and forth as they splashed over to the BAU, arriving soaked to the bone but elated, as Hotch shook his head at their sodden clothing and dopey grins.

S - Sergio

Emily had arrived home early and found JJ dancing in the hallway with Sergio to "Can't Stop the Feeling" blasting on the bluetooth speaker. She lifted her ban on Justin Timberlake that day, which had previously been in place when in a moment of weakness, JJ had declared she would choose him over Emily if given the chance. (She’d taken it back for Emily's sake, but deep down she couldn't really decide.)

T - thermostat

JJ liked the thermostat to be set at no lower than 77 degrees, while Emily loved the room as cold as possible. The first few months that they lived together was a horrible battle of constantly changing from one drastic temperature to the next, before JJ finally agreed to keeping the temperature low as long as Emily agreed to cuddle with her any time she got cold. Emily did not, however, realize that this compromise extended to the workplace, where JJ would sporadically ask for cuddles throughout the day, and Emily would have to comply.

U - ugly pajamas

Emily loved her ugly pajama sets. One of her favorites was a bright green Grinch onesie in a ridiculous Christmas sweater. JJ hated it until Emily showed it to the boys, and Michael howled with laughter and asked for one for himself. From that day forward, Emily bought her ugly pajamas in full family sets, including accompanying costumes for Sergio.

V - vanilla

Emily didn’t quite mind JJ’s early morning jogs because her favorite moments were when JJ came home after, took a shower, and climbed back into bed to give Emily a warm embrace, flooding her senses with the smell of vanilla shampoo. Emily would roll over to nuzzle her head in the crook of JJ’s neck and plant soft kisses there, breathing in her favorite scent.

W - wine

Emily drank red, JJ drank white. And Henry and Michael loved to join in, pretending to be adults by sipping grape juice from their colorful cups. Perhaps their family had unconventional tea parties, but at least they always had massive amounts of fun doing family activities tipsy. These were the nights when it was almost difficult to tell the difference between Michael and Emily’s coloring pages.

X - X-Files

JJ didn’t fully understand Emily’s deep obsession with The X-Files, but after Emily convinced her that she wasn’t only watching for Gillian Anderson, the younger woman began finding the long rambles and discussions of extraterrestrial life more endearing and interesting.

Y - yarn

JJ really wanted to get the hang of knitting and give something special to the boys, but Emily kept distracting her. Any chance she got, Emily would hold the yarn balls to her chest as fake boobs, use threads of yarn as mustaches, and drum the knitting needles against any surface. It wasn’t that JJ couldn't finish her projects out of annoyance — it was that JJ couldn’t help but laugh and find her girlfriend irresistible, forcing her to set aside her work and wrap herself up instead in the brunette’s embrace.

Z - zoo

It was Emily's explosive childlike joy when she had seen the dolphins. She claimed it was for the boys’ sakes, but JJ had noticed the pure excitement in her eyes when they saw the sign and felt the way Emily had tugged on her wrist to rush to the stadium and grab seats right in the splash zone. And in the screams of laughter and the moment when both Henry and Michael clutched at Emily when the water washed over them, JJ knew she wanted to spend the rest of her life with this woman.

[skonnaris]

Books I’ve Read: 2006-2020

Alexie, Sherman - Flight

Anderson, Joan - A Second Journey

                         - An Unfinished Marriage

                         - A Walk on the Beach

                         - A Year By The Sea

Anshaw, Carol - Carry the One

Auden, W.H. - The Selected Poems of W.H. Auden

Austen, Jane - Pride and Prejudice

Bach, Richard - Jonathan Livingston Seagull

Bear, Donald R - Words Their Way

Berg, Elizabeth - Open House

Bly, Nellie - Ten Days in a Madhouse

Bradbury, Ray - Fahrenheit 451

                       - The Martian Chronicles

Brooks, David - The Road to Character

Brooks, Geraldine - Caleb’s Crossing

Brown, Dan - The Da Vinci Code

Bryson, Bill - The Lost Continent

Burnett, Frances Hodgson - The Secret Garden

Buscaglia, Leo - Bus 9 to Paradise

                        - Living, Loving & Learning

                        - Personhood

                        - Seven Stories of Christmas Love

Byrne, Rhonda - The Secret

Carlson, Richard - Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff

Carson, Rachel - The Sense of Wonder

                         - Silent Spring

Cervantes, Miguel de - Don Quixote

Cherry, Lynne - The Greek Kapok Tree

Chopin, Karen - The Awakening

Clurman, Harold - The Fervent Years: The Group Theatre & the 30s

Coelho, Paulo -  Adultery

                          The Alchemist

Conklin, Tara - The Last Romantics

Conroy, Pat - Beach Music

                   - The Death of Santini: The Story of a Father and His Son

                   - The Great Santini

                   - The Lords of Discipline

                   - The Prince of Tides

                   - The Water is Wide

Corelli, Marie - A Romance of Two Worlds

Delderfield, R.F. - To Serve Them All My Days

Dempsey, Janet - Washington’s Last Contonment: High Time for a Peace

Dewey, John - Experience and Education

Dickens, Charles - A Christmas Carol

                            - Great Expectations

                            - A Tale of Two Cities

Didion, Joan - The Year of Magical Thinking

Disraeli, Benjamin - Sybil

Doctorow, E.L. - Andrew’s Brain

                        - Ragtime

Doerr, Anthony - All the Light We Cannot See

Dreiser, Theodore - Sister Carrie

Dyer, Wayne - Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Life

                    - The Power of Intention

                    - Your Erroneous Zones

Edwards, Kim - The Memory Keeper’s Daughter

Ellis, Joseph J. - His Excellency: George Washington

Ellison, Ralph - The Invisible Man

Emerson, Ralph Waldo - Essays and Lectures

Felkner, Donald W. - Building Positive Self Concepts

Fergus, Jim - One Thousand White Women

Flynn, Gillian - Gone Girl

Follett, Ken - Pillars of the Earth

Frank, Anne - The Diary of a Young Girl

Freud, Sigmund - The Interpretation of Dreams

Frey, James - A Million Little Pieces

Fromm, Erich - The Art of Loving

                      - Escape from Freedom

Fulghum, Robert - All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten

Fuller, Alexandra - Leaving Before the Rains Come

Garield, David - The Actors Studion: A Player’s Place

Gates, Melinda - The Moment of Lift

Gibran, Kahlil - The Prophet

Gilbert, Elizabeth - Eat, Pray, Love

                           - The Last American Man

                           - The Signature of All Things

Ginsburg, Ruth Bader - My Own Words

Girzone, Joseph F, - Joshua

                              - Joshua and the Children

Gladwell, Malcom - Blink

                             - David and Goliath

                             - Outliers

                             - The Tipping Point

                             - Talking to Strangers

Glass, Julia - Three Junes

Goodall, Jane - Reason for Hope

Goodwin, Doris Kearnes - Team of Rivals

Graham, Steve - Best Practices in Writing Instruction

Gray, John - Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus

Groom, Winston - Forrest Gump

Gruen, Sarah - Water for Elephants

Hannah, Kristin - The Great Alone

                         - The Nightingale

Harvey, Stephanie and Anne Goudvis - Strategies That Work

Hawkins, Paula - The Girl on the Train

Hedges, Chris - Empire of Illusion

Hellman, Lillian - Maybe

                        - Pentimento

Hemingway - Ernest - A Moveable Feast

Hendrix, Harville - Getting the Love You Want

Hesse, Hermann - Demian

                           - Narcissus and Goldmund

                           - Peter Camenzind

                           - Siddhartha

                           - Steppenwolf

Hilderbrand, Elin - The Beach Club

Hitchens, Christopher - God is Not Great

Hoffman, Abbie - Soon to be a Major Motion Picture

                         - Steal This Book

Holt, John - How Children Fail

                 - How Children Learn

                - Learning All the Time

                - Never Too Late

Hopkins, Joseph - The American Transcendentalist

Horney, Karen - Feminine Psychology

                       - Neurosis and Human Growth

                       - The Neurotic Personality of Our Time

                       - New Ways in Psychoanalysis

                       - Our Inner Conflicts

                       - Self Analysis

Hosseini, Khaled - The Kite Runner

Hoover, John J, Leonard M. Baca, Janette K. Klingner - Why Do English Learners Struggle with Reading?

Janouch, Gustav - Conversations with Kafka

Jefferson, Thomas - Crusade Against Ignorance

Jong, Erica - Fear of Dying

Joyce, Rachel - The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy

                      - The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry

Kafka, Franz - Amerika

                     - Metamophosis

                     - The Trial    

Kallos, Stephanie - Broken For You  

Kazantzakis, Nikos - Zorba the Greek

Keaton, Diane - Then Again

Kelly, Martha Hall - The Lilac Girls

Keyes, Daniel - Flowers for Algernon

King, Steven - On Writing

Kornfield, Jack - Bringing Home the Dharma

Kraft, Herbert - The Indians of Lenapehoking - The Lenape or Delaware Indians: The Original People of NJ, Southeastern New York State, Eastern Pennsylvania, Northern Delaware and Parts of Western Connecticut

Kundera, Milan - The Unbearable Lightness of Being

Lacayo, Richard - Native Son

Lamott, Anne - Bird by Bird

                        Word by Word

L’Engle, Madeleine - A Wrinkle in Time

Lahiri, Jhumpa - The Namesake

Lappe, Frances Moore - Diet for a Small Planet

Lee, Harper - To Kill a Mockingbird

Lems, Kristin et al  - Building Literacy with English Language Learners

Lewis, Sinclair - Main Street

London, Jack - The Call of the Wild

Lowry, Lois - The Giver

Mander, Jerry - Four Arguments for the Elimination of Television

Marks, John D. - The Search for the Manchurian Candidate: The CIA and Mind         Control

Martel, Yann - Life of Pi

Maslow, Abraham - The Farther Reaches of Human Nature

                             - Motivation and Personality

                             - Religions, Values, and Peak Experiences

                            - Toward a Psychology of Being                            

Maugham. W. Somerset - Of Human Bondage

                                       - Christmas Holiday

Maurier, Daphne du - Rebecca

Mayes, Frances - Under the Tuscan Sun

Mayle, Peter - A Year in Provence

McCourt, Frank - Angela’s Ashes

                         - Teacher man

McCullough, David - 1776

                               - Brave Companions

McEwan, Ian - Atonement

                     - Saturday

McLaughlin, Emma - The Nanny Diaries

McLuhan, Marshall - Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man

Meissner, Susan - The Fall of Marigolds

Millman, Dan - Way of the Peaceful Warrior

Moehringer, J.R. - The Tender Bar

Moon, Elizabeth - The Speed of Dark

Moriarty, Liane - The Husband’s Sister

                        - The Last Anniversary

                        - What Alice Forgot

Mortenson, Greg - Three Cups of Tea

Moyes, Jo Jo - One Plus One

                      - Me Before You

Ng, Celeste - Little Fires Everywhere

Neill, A.S. - Summerhill

Noah, Trevor - Born a Crime

O’Dell, Scott - Island of the Blue Dolphins

Offerman, Nick - Gumption

O’Neill, Eugene - Long Day’s Journey Into Night

                           A Touch of the Poet

Orwell, George - Animal Farm

Owens, Delia - Where the Crawdads Sing

Paulus, Trina - Hope for the Flowers

Pausch, Randy - The Last Lecture

Patchett, Ann - The Dutch House

Peck, Scott M. - The Road Less Traveled

                        - The Road Less Traveled and Beyond

Paterson, Katherine - Bridge to Teribithia

Picoult, Jodi - My Sister’s Keeper

Pirsig, Robert - Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

Puzo, Mario - The Godfather

Quindlen, Anna - Black and Blue

Radish, Kris - Annie Freeman’s Fabulous Traveling Funeral

Redfield, James - The Celestine Prophecy

Rickert, Mary - The Memory Garden

Rogers, Carl - On Becoming a Person

Ruiz, Miguel - The Fifth Agreement

                    - The Four Agreements

                    - The Mastery of Love

Rum, Etaf - A Woman is No Man

Saint-Exupery, Antoine de - The Little Prince

Salinger, J.D. - Catcher in the Rye

Schumacher, E.F. - Small is Beautiful

Sebold, Alice - The Almost Moon

                      - The Lovely Bones

Shaffer, Mary Ann and Anne Barrows - The Gurnsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

Shakespeare, William - Alls Well That Ends Well

                                  - Much Ado About Nothing

                                  - Romeo and Juliet

                                  - The Sonnets

                                  - The Taming of the Shrew

                                  - Twelfth Night

                                  - Two Gentlemen of Verona

Sides, Hampton - Hellhound on his Trail: The Stalking of Martin Luther King, Jr. and the International Hunt for His Assassin

Silverstein, Shel - The Giving Tree

Skinner, B.F. - About Behaviorism

Smith, Betty - A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

Snyder, Zilpha Keatley - The Velvet Room

Spinelli, Jerry - Loser

Spolin, Viola - Improvisation for the Theater

Stanislavski, Constantin - An Actor Prepares

Stedman, M.L. - The Light Between Oceans

Steinbeck, John - Travels with Charley

Steiner, Peter - The Terrorist

Stockett, Kathryn - The Help

Strayer, Cheryl - Wild

Streatfeild, Dominic - Brainwash

Strout, Elizabeth - My Name is Lucy Barton

                           - Olive, Again

                           - Olive Kitteridge

Tartt, Donna - The Goldfinch

Taylor, Kathleen - Brainwashing: The Science of Thought Control

Thomas, Matthew - We Are Not Ourselves

Thoreau, Henry David - Walden

Tolle, Eckhart - A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose

                     - The Power of Now

Towles, Amor - A Gentleman in Moscow

                      - Rules of Civility

Tracey, Diane and Lesley Morrow - Lenses on Reading

Traub, Nina - Recipe for Reading

Tzu, Lao - Tao Te Ching

United States Congress - Project MKULTRA, the CIA’s program of research in behavioral modification: Joint hearing before the Select Committee on Intelligence and the … Congress, first session, August 3, 1977

Van Allsburg, Chris - Just a Dream

                               - Polar Express

                               - Sweet Dreams

                               - Stranger

                               - Two Bad Ants

Walker, Alice - The Color Purple

Waller, Robert James - Bridges of Madison County

Warren, Elizabeth - A Fighting Chance

Waugh, Evelyn - Brideshead Revisited

Weir, Andy - The Martian

Weinstein, Harvey M. - Father, Son and CIA

Welles, Rebecca - The Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood

Westover, Tara - Educated

White, E.B. - Charlotte’s Web

Wilde, Oscar - The Picture of Dorien Gray

Wolfe, Tom - I Am Charlotte Simmons

Wolitzer, Meg - The Female Persuasion

Woolf, Virginia - Mrs. Dalloway

Zevin, Gabrielle - The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry

Zusak, Marcus - The Book Thief

[kuramirocket]

Whenever I visit Olvera Street, as I did a couple of weeks ago, my walk through the historic corridor is always the same.

Start at the plaza. Pass the stand where out-of-towners and politicians have donned sombreros and serapes for photos ever since the city turned this area into a tourist trap in 1930.

Look at the vendor stalls. Wonder if I need a new guayabera. Gobble up two beef taquitos bathed in avocado salsa at Cielito Lindo. Then return to my car and go home.

I’ve done this walk as a kid, and as an adult. For food crawls and quick lunches. With grad students on field trips, and with the late Anthony Bourdain for an episode of his “Parts Unknown.”

This last visit was different, though: I had my own camera crew with me.

My last chance at Hollywood fame was going to live or die on Olvera Street.

I was shooting a sizzle reel — footage that a producer will turn into a clip for television executives to determine whether I’m worthy of a show. In this case, I want to turn my 2012 book “Taco USA: How Mexican Food Conquered America” into the next “Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives.” Or “Somebody Feed Phil.” Or an Alton Brown ripoff. Or a TikTok series.

Anything at this point, really.

For more than a decade, I’ve tried to break into Hollywood with some success — but the experience has left me cynical. Personal experience and the historical record have taught me that studios and streamers still want Mexicans to stay in the same cinematic lane that American film has paved for more than a century. We’re forever labeled… something. Exotic. Dangerous. Weighed down with problems. Never fully developed, autonomous humans. Always “Mexican.”

Even if we’re natives of Southern California. Especially if we’re natives of Southern California.

I hope my sizzle reel will lead to something different. I doubt it will because the issue is systemic. Industry executives, producers, directors and scriptwriters can only portray the Mexicans they know — and in a perverse, self-fulfilling prophecy, they mostly only know the Mexicans their industry depicts even in a region where Latinos make up nearly half the population.

The vicious cycle even infects creators like me.

As the film crew and I left for our next location, I stopped and looked around. We were right where I began, except I now looked south on Main Street. The plaza was to my left. City Hall loomed on the horizon. The vista was the same as the opening scene of “Bordertown,” a 1935 Warner Bros. film I had seen the night before. It was the first Hollywood movie to address modern-day Mexican Americans in Los Angeles.

What I saw was more than déjà vu. It was a reminder that 86 years later, Hollywood’s Mexican problem hasn’t really progressed at all.

Birth of a stereotype

Screen misrepresentation of Mexicans isn’t just a longstanding wrong; it’s an original sin. And it has an unsurprising Adam: D.W. Griffith.

He’s most infamous for reawakening the Ku Klux Klan with his 1915 epic “The Birth of a Nation.” Far less examined is how Griffith’s earliest works also helped give American filmmakers a language with which to typecast Mexicans.

Two of his first six films were so-called “greaser” movies, one-reelers where Mexican Americans were racialized as inherently criminal and played by white people. His 1908 effort “The Greaser’s Gauntlet” is the earliest film to use the slur in its title. Griffith filmed at least eight greaser movies on the East Coast before heading to Southern California in early 1910 for better weather.

The new setting allowed Griffith to double down on his Mexican obsession. He used the San Gabriel and San Juan Capistrano missions as backdrops for melodramas embossed with the Spanish Fantasy Heritage, the white California myth that romanticized the state’s Mexican past even as it discriminated against the Mexicans of the present.

In films such as his 1910 shorts “The Thread of Destiny,” “In Old California” (the first movie shot in what would become Hollywood) and “The Two Brothers,” Griffith codified cinematic Mexican characters and themes that persist. The reprobate father. The saintly mother. The wayward son. The idea that Mexicans are forever doomed because they’re, well, Mexicans.

Griffith based his plots not on how modern-day Mexicans actually lived, but rather on how white people thought they did. 

A riot nearly broke out as Latinos felt the scene mocked them. It was perhaps the earliest Latino protest against negative depictions of them on the big screen.

But the threat of angry Mexicans didn’t kill greaser movies. Griffith showed the box-office potential of the genre, and many American cinematic pioneers dabbled in them. Thomas Edison’s company shot some, as did its biggest rival, Vitagraph Studios. So did Mutual Film, an early home for Charlie Chaplin. Horror legend Lon Chaney played a greaser. The first western star, Broncho Billy Anderson, made a career out of besting them.

These films were so noxious that the Mexican government in 1922 banned studios that produced them from the country until they “retired... denigrating films from worldwide circulation,” according to a letter that Mexican President Álvaro Obregón wrote to his Secretariat of External Relations. The gambit worked: the greaser films ended. Screenwriters instead reimagined Mexicans as Latin lovers, Mexican spitfires, buffoons, peons, mere bandits and other negative stereotypes.

That’s why “Bordertown” surprised me when I finally saw it. The Warner Bros. movie, starring Paul Muni as an Eastside lawyer named Johnny Ramirez and Bette Davis as the temptress whom he spurns, was popular when released. Today, it’s almost impossible to see outside of a hard-to-find DVD and an occasional Muni marathon on Turner Classic Movies.

Based on a novel of the same name; Muni was a non-Mexican playing a Mexican. Johnny Ramirez had a fiery temper, a bad accent and repeatedly called his mother (played by Spanish actress Soledad Jiminez ) “mamacita,” who in turn calls him “Juanito.” The infamous, incredulous ending has Ramirez suddenly realizing the vacuity of his fast, fun life and returning to the Eastside “back where I belong ... with my own people.” And the film’s poster features a bug-eyed, sombrero-wearing Muni pawing a fetching Davis, even though Ramirez never made a move on Davis’ character or wore a sombrero.

These and other faux pas (like Ramirez’s friends singing “La Cucaracha” at a party) distract from a movie that didn’t try to mask the discrimination Mexicans faced in 1930s Los Angeles. Ramirez can’t find justice for his neighbor, who lost his produce truck after a drunk socialite on her way back from dinner at Las Golondrinas on Olvera Street smashed into it. That very socialite, whom Ramirez goes on to date (don’t ask), repeatedly calls him “Savage” as a term of endearment. When Ramirez tires of American bigotry and announces he’s moving south of the border to run a casino, a priest in brownface asks him to remain.

“For what?” Ramirez replies. “So those white little mugs who call themselves gentlemen and aristocrats can make a fool out of me?”

“Bordertown” sprung up from Warner Bros.’ Depression-era roster of social-problem films that served as a rough-edged alternative to the escapism offered by MGM, Disney and Paramount. But its makers committed the same error Griffith did: They fell back on tropes instead of talking to Mexicans right in front of them who might offer a better tale.

Just take the first shot of “Bordertown,” the one I inadvertently recreated on my television shoot.

Under a title that reads “Los Angeles … the Mexican Quarter,” viewers see Olvera Street’s plaza emptier than it should be. That’s because just four years earlier, immigration officials rounded up hundreds of individuals at that very spot. The move was part of a repatriation effort by the American government that saw them boot about a million Mexicans — citizens and not — from the United States during the 1930s.

Following that opening shot is a brief glimpse of a theater marquee that advertises a Mexican music trio called Los Madrugadores (“The Early Risers”). They were the most popular Spanish-language group in Southern California at the time, singing traditional corridos but also ballads about the struggles Mexicans faced in the United States. Lead singer Pedro J. González hosted a popular AM radio morning show heard as far away as Texas that mixed music and denunciations against racism.

By the time “Bordertown” was released in 1935, Gonzalez was in San Quentin, jailed by a false accusation of statutory rape pursued by an L.A. district attorney’s office happy to lock up a critic. He was freed in 1940 after the alleged victim recanted her confession, then summarily deported to Tijuana, where Gonzalez continued his career before returning to California in the 1970s.

Doesn’t Gonzalez and his times make a better movie than “Bordertown”? Warner Bros. could have offered a bold corrective to the image of Mexican Americans if they had just paid attention to their own footage! Instead, Gonzalez’s saga wouldn’t be told on film until a 1984 documentary and 1988 drama.

Both were shot in San Diego. Both received only limited screenings at theaters across the American Southwest and an airing on PBS before going on video. No streamer carries it.

How Hollywood imagines Mexicans versus how we really are turned real for me in 2013, when I became a consulting producer for a Fox cartoon about life on the U.S.-Mexico border.

The title? “Bordertown.”

It aired in 2015 and lasted one season. I enjoyed the end product. I even got to write an episode, which just so happened to be the series finale.

The gig was a dream long deferred. My bachelor’s degree from Chapman University was in film. I had visions of becoming the brown Tarantino or a Mexican Truffaut before journalism got in the way. Over the years, there was Hollywood interest in articles or columns I wrote but never anything that required I do more than a couple of meetings — or scripts by white screenwriters that went nowhere.

But “Bordertown” opened up more doors for me and inspired me to give Hollywood a go.

While I worked on the cartoon, I got another consulting producer credit on a Fusion special for comedian Al Madrigal and sold a script to ABC that same year about gentrification in Boyle Heights through the eyes of a restaurant years before the subject became a trend. Pitch meetings piled up with so much frequency that my childhood friends coined a nickname for me: Hollywood Gus.

My run wouldn’t last long. The microagressions became too annoying.

The veteran writers on “Bordertown” rolled their eyes any time I said that one of their jokes was clichéd, like the one about how eating beans gave our characters flatulent superpowers or the one about a donkey show in Tijuana. Or when they initially rejected a joke about menudo, saying no one knew what the soup was, and they weren’t happy when another Latino writer and I pointed out that you’re pretty clueless if you’ve lived in Southern California for a while and don’t know what menudo is.

The writers were so petty, in fact, that they snuck a line into the animated “Bordertown” where the main character said, “There’s nothing worse than a Mexican with glasses” — which is now my public email to forever remind me of how clueless Hollywood is.

The insults didn’t bother me so much as the insight I gained from those interactions: The only Latinos most Hollywood types know are the janitors and security guards at the studio, and nannies and gardeners at their homes. The few Latinos in the industry I met had assimilated into this worldview as well.

Could I blame them for their ignorance when it came to capturing Mexican American stories, especially those in Southern California? Of course I can.

What ended any aspirations for a full-time Hollywood career was a meeting with a television executive shortly after ABC passed on my Boyle Heights script (characters weren’t believable, per the rejection). They repeatedly asked that I think about doing a show about my father’s life, which didn’t interest me. Comedies about immigrant parents are clichéd at this point. So one day I blurted that I was more interested in telling my stories.

I never heard from the executive again.

A pair of boots

Five years later, and that Hollywood dream just won’t leave me.

I’m not leaving journalism. But at this point, I just want to prove to myself that I can help exorcise D.W. Griffith’s anti-Mexican demons from Hollywood once and for all. That I can show the Netflix honcho they were wrong for passing on a “Taco USA” series with the excuse that the topic of Mexican food in the United States was too “limited.” And the Food Network people who said they just couldn’t see a show about the subject as being as “fun” as it was. Or the bigtime Latino actor’s production company who wanted the rights to my "¡Ask a Mexican!” book, then ghosted me after I said I didn’t hold them but I did own the rights to my brain.

When this food-show sizzle reel gets cut, and I start my Hollywood jarabe anew, I’ll keep in mind a line in “Bordertown” that Johnny Ramirez said: “An American man can lift himself up by his bootstraps. All he needs is strength and a pair of boots.”

Mexicans have had the strength since forever in this town. But can Hollywood finally give us the botas?

[aion-rsa]

Marvel’s Black Widow: MCU Easter Eggs and References Guide

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This article contains Black Widow spoilers. We have a spoiler-free review here.

The MCU is finally back on the big screen! Marvel’s Black Widow was supposed to be the official kickoff of Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but then the pandemic happened, it got bounced around the release calendar, and Disney managed to release three MCU TV shows before Natasha got to take her curtain call on the big screen.

But that’s thankfully behind us, and Black Widow delivers terrific blockbuster action in the mighty Marvel manner. And you know what that means! Let’s try and spot all the cool MCU references and Marvel Comics Easter eggs in Black Widow.

The Prologue

Setting this prologue in 1995 gives us the approximate age of Natasha. If she’s supposed to be about 11 or 12 here, that conveniently makes the character the same age as Scarlett Johannsson, who was born in 1984.

The general premise of Natasha’s childhood, in which she was the daughter of two Russian spies is highly similar to that of the FX series The Americans. 

This seems to be the late summer of 1995, which puts it roughly around when Captain Marvel was taking place (the official word on that is 1995, but little details in it, like Stan Lee reading a Mallrats screenplay could place it in 1994). 

Young Natasha is played by Ever Anderson – the daughter of actress Milla Jovovich and Event Horizon director Paul W. S. Anderson. You will not be able to unsee her resemblance to Milla. 

The first song choice in the movie is young Yelena’s fixation on Don McLean’s fixation on “American Pie,” a song about (among other things) the death of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and “The Big Bopper” J.P. Richardson. That being said, “American Pie” is about a larger loss of innocence, a theme that weighs heavily throughout this film.

Before Alexei turns the radio off to play “American Pie”, the station is set to 105.1 FM. This is WQXK, a country station based in Salem, Ohio that serves the Youngstown market. Natasha and Yelena’s American home is likely based in Eastern Ohio.

There’s an episode of DuckTales playing on TV in the background while they have dinner. We can’t tell what episode it is, but DuckTales ruled, and the new series was even better. And hey, we get some payoff later in the movie when they play an aircraft crash for laughs while having everyone just casually walk it off.

Alexei was working undercover in the US at the North Institute, which he burned to the ground before making his escape. In Black Widow Vol 3 #1, Natasha decided to retire to Arizona but she and other Red Room victims were hounded by the North Institute. Spurred to investigate the situation, Natasha returned to Russia where she discovered much of the terrible truth behind her past Red Room manipulation. This was a story that also featured Yelena (and Daredevil, believe it or not).

There’s definitely an early SHIELD logo on the trucks chasing the family to the very end there.

The plane number is 258. In Incredible Hulk #258, we get the first appearance of the Soviet Super-Soldiers (later named the Winter Guard), a communist superhero team created for the sake of rivaling the Avengers. The original lineup was Ursa Major (more on him in a minute), Darkstar, Vanguard, and the fifth Crimson Dynamo (more on this, too). Over time, Red Guardian joined their ranks, though it was Josef Petkus and not Alexei Shostakov.

This is a perfect cold open, the kind that James Bond movies excelled at, and it’s far from the only Bond parallel we’ll get in the film. 

The Opening Credits

There’s all kinds of stuff happening in the opening credits, including the film’s villain Dreykov being inserted into photos with various world leaders, including President Bill Clinton, President George W. Bush’s Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice, and others. The Red Room’s influence knows no national boundaries, it seems.

The overall effect is to imply that Dreykov and the Widows have been putting their fingers on the scale for quite some time.

It’s also a nice touch that many of the “news broadcasts” we see here are from MCU staple WHIH.

There’s a shot of some vials with blue liquid, which allude to the Red Room’s attempt to create Captain America-esque super soldiers, which they succeeded with to some degree with the Red Guardian, but also makes us wonder if they tried enhancing any earlier Widows.

Smells Like Teen Spirit

The opening credits are set to a version of Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” by Malia J. You may have heard her covers of Seal’s “Crazy” and Buffalo Springfield’s “For What It’s Worth” in trailers for shows like Bloodlines and The Handmaid’s Tale.

We wrote more about the Black Widow version of “Smells Like Teen Spirit” here.

When Does Black Widow Take Place?

This movie takes place in 2016, shortly after the events of Captain America: Civil War. General “Thunderbolt” Ross (William Hurt) is here to remind us all that Natasha is still in trouble with the government.

What’s kind of neat about this is that it’s the first Marvel “prequel” that feels like it is designed to be watched in its chronological sequence (minus that post-credits scene, of course). Captain America: The First Avenger makes more sense as a flashback interlude between Thor and The Avengers, while Captain Marvel makes more sense as a breather between Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. But Black Widow feels like it should be watched right after Civil War.

Thunderbolt Ross

Natasha brings up Ross having his second triple bypass. In Captain America: Civil War, Ross talks about how he had his first heart attack while playing golf and it gave him perspective and convinced him to retire from the US Army. It seems chasing down Cap’s allies hasn’t been so good for his health.

Red Guardian

We know that Alexei has been active as Red Guardian since at least 1983 or 1984 based on the tales of fighting Captain America he tells while in jail. He was apparently sent to the USA for undercover work in 1992, and then imprisoned a few years after their 1995 escape back to Russia.

Red Guardian’s knuckle tattoos say “Karl Marx” which is kind of adorable but…shouldn’t they be in Cyrillic/Russian characters and not Latin/English? Is this to troll his capitalist opponents so they can read them as he beats their asses?

Red says he fought Captain America in 1983 or 1984. The simplest explanation is that he’s lying but…what if he isn’t?

Let’s give him the benefit of the doubt and say that he’s telling the truth and there really was yet another secret Captain America active in the ‘80s. Now that The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is done, we know that there was at least one “replacement Cap” and the comics indicate there were others. Or maybe it’s just Steve in the timestream…maybe we’ll find out one day, but we wrote much more about some possibilities for this here.

Ursa

Red Guardian breaks the arm of a man named Ursa… Ursa Major (Mikhail Ursus) is the name of another Russian superhero in Marvel Comics, whose mutant power caused him to turn into a literal talking bear. He became a staple member of the Soviet Super Soldiers/Winter Guard along with a Red Guardian. While the movie doesn’t depict him like the comics, Red Guardian does joke about him being a bear.

Taskmaster

This is a very different version of Taskmaster than the one we got in the comics. Marvel Comics Taskmaster has “photographic reflexes” and is a man named Anthony Masters. Here, in addition to the new gender (Dreykov’s daughter is named “Antonia” as a nod to the comics character), Taskmaster is cybernetically enhanced to make those “photographic reflexes a little easier.

There is precedent for a female Taskmaster. The series Deadpool MAX reimagined Deadpool in a cynical, dark, and very adult (albeit absurd and humorous) way. This lent itself to Deadpool-adjacent characters. Taskmaster was depicted as a woman roughly in her ‘50s who trained Deadpool and warped his mind.

There’s also Finesse, a member of Avengers Academy, whose powers are so similar to Taskmaster that she believes him to be her biological father. Unfortunately, due to memory problems, Taskmaster doesn’t know for sure and refuses to offer any DNA to find out the answer.

In the course of Taskmaster’s action scenes, we see her mimic a number of Marvel heroes, with a particular focus on those who played a part in the recent (by this movie’s timeline) Captain America: Civil War including Hawkeye, Captain America, Black Panther, and even Natasha.

We have more on Taskmaster here.

Who is Mason?

Rick Mason first appeared in his own 1989 graphic novel called Rick Mason: The Agent. Mason was a SHIELD agent mostly remembered for being the son of Phineas Mason, the Tinkerer. Granted, the Tinkerer we saw in Spider-Man: Homecoming isn’t nearly old enough to be Rick’s father in the movies and he looks nothing like him, so I wouldn’t expect any secret connection.

In the comics, Rick was practically forgotten about and killed off-panel. His son was one of the victims of Nitro’s explosion in Stamford, Connecticut from the beginning of the Marvel Comics version of Civil War.

Melina Vostokoff

The Melina Vostokoff of the MCU is pretty different from the one in Marvel Comics (who created by Ralph Macchio and George Perez in 1983). There, she was known as (we shit you not) Iron Maiden, and she was at least a former Widow-esque agent as she is here in the film.

Yelena Belova

Yelena and Natasha’s first meeting being over a bio-weapon/agent is very faintly similar to Yelena’s proper introduction in the comics, a 1999 Black Widow comics story where they were explicitly fighting over a bioweapon, not a “mind control antidote” as we see in this film.

The “face swap” trick that Natasha and Melina pull in the film’s final act also has the faintest of echoes of another early Yelena story, where Natasha “swapped faces” with Yelena to try and break her mind and get her on the side of the angels.

What Happened in Budapest?

“You and I remember Budapest very differently,” Clint Barton famously told Natasha in The Avengers during the Battle of New York. But now we know what went down…

Basically, Taskmaster’s origin story is tied to Natasha’s superhero origin. To fully defect from the Red Room and go to work for SHIELD, Natasha had to assassinate Dreykov…which meant the collateral damage of Antonia.

Of course, that led to Clint and Nat getting hounded by Red Room agents, which led to them hiding out for days together. 

And before that, they were in that safe house apartment that was currently occupied by Yelena, hence the arrow damage to the walls.

Crimson Dynamo

Yelena (probably on purpose) refers to Alexei’s superheroic days as when he was “the Crimson Dynamo.” Sure, this is cute, but there really was a Crimson Dynamo in Marvel Comics! Crimson Dynamo is primarily an Iron Man villain, lots of different Russian agents have worn the Crimson Dynamo armor. It…didn’t end well for any of them. 

The original Crimson Dynamo was Anton Vanko, otherwise known as the old man dying in the beginning of Iron Man 2. Although his son was known as Whiplash, Ivan Vanko was more of a cross between Whiplash and Crimson Dynamo. In the comics, “Ivan” was an alias Anton used.

We’re gonna choose to believe that Yelena isn’t just making this name up and that the Russians really did have an armored hero called the Crimson Dynamo, and if we’re lucky we’ll get to see him in a flashback of some future MCU project. After all, there’s that Armor Wars series on the way…

Also, there’s one thing that Crimson Dynamo has over the Red Guardian: he was immortalized in the lyrics of a song by a member of The Beatles. Paul McCartney and Wings have a tune called “Magneto and Titanium Man” which involves “a robbery” where “the Crimson Dynamo came along for the ride.” It’s great, and it’s on Wings Venus & Mars album.

Thor

Yelena’s line about how a “god from space” doesn’t “need to take an ibuprofen” after a fight is kinda priceless.

Mutants in the MCU

Dreykov tells Natasha that they were searching for the “genetic potential in infants.” Sure, this could mean anything like how athletic someone might grow up to be, but is there a chance they could also have been searching for a mysterious x-factor in a baby’s DNA?

James Bond

Natasha is watching one of the lesser-regarded Bond flicks, Moonraker. Of course, she still knows every word.

Dreykov gets a classic “Bond villain monologue” wherein a baddie spells out his plans for world domination before a hero who he surely thinks is either neutralized or could be swayed to their cause.

Antonia/Taskmaster is a Bond Girl! Olga Kurylenko played Camille Montes, a Bolivian agent with a vendetta in Quantum of Solace.

Remnants of the Red Room

Black Widow was written by Eric Pearson, who also wrote Thor: Ragnarok.

So… Natasha probably couldn’t taste that peanut butter and jelly sandwich from Endgame, right? That’s too bad.

It doesn’t seem that “Fanny Longbottom” is a thing from Marvel Comics, but as Mason points out it is most certainly a real name. Also, Yelena’s dog in the post-credits scene is named “Fanny.”

We get an explanation for Natasha’s blonde look in Infinity War here, as Mason gave her the hair dye. But the way it’s presented here feels slightly like a sisterly tribute to Yelena, which is really sweet.

Natasha makes a crack about “the cavalry” as Ross’ troops close in, but folks hoping that’s an Agents of SHIELD reference are probably going to be sorely disappointed.

Dreykov’s pheromone trick that he has implanted in the Widows (and Natasha in particular) leads to this scene playing out like when RoboCop tries to arrest Dick Jones in the classic 1987 film.

“Thank you for your cooperation,” Natasha tells Dreykov with a smirk after getting him to monologue his evil plans. This is as close as we get to a Black Widow catchphrase – she also ended a veiled interrogation with Loki using the exact same words in The Avengers.

The Post-Credits Scene

Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfuss) is back after her appearances in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. If we had to hazard a guess, she’s putting together a team of “Dark Avengers” or “Thunderbolts” for the MCU.

Florence Pugh is indeed confirmed to appear in the upcoming Disney+ Hawkeye series, as well.

We went into much more detail about what the post-credits scene means for the future of the MCU right here.

cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "106e33c0-3911-473c-b599-b1426db57530", }).render("0270c398a82f44f49c23c16122516796"); });

Spot anything we missed? Let us know in the comments!

The post Marvel’s Black Widow: MCU Easter Eggs and References Guide appeared first on Den of Geek.

from Den of Geek https://ift.tt/2VrjyDY

[hanawrites404]

Part 2

Noriko stood up from her seat as she locked her eyes with the tall man's emerald ones. Without wasting any more time, she quickly bowed to him.

"It's a great pleasure to meet you, Dr. Kujo" she greets. Her tone sounded like that of a child who is meeting her favourite Marvel superhero but is trying her best to be polite.

"The pleasure is all mine Noriko" he replied.

Noriko then stood up, a pink blush was visible on her cheeks.

"And by the way Dad, she is very, very, very fond of you" Jolyne informed. "Is that so??" He asked back. "Yes. I mean, she has literally read every single text which was written by you, and she is absolutely in love with you".

"J-Jolyne-chan, it's not like that!!" the girl blushed more. Noriko then looked back at Mr. Kujo, whose eyes didn't leave her even for a second.

"I-I-I'm so sorry Mr. Kujo. It's nothing like that at all. Jolyne is just messing with you" Noriko added with an awkward laugh.

"Yeah right" Jolyne smirked and crossed her arms.

"It's alright Noriko. No need to be sorry" Mr. Kujo replied. Noriko then bowed to him again. "Thank you so much professor!!!".

"No need to be so formal. Mr. Kujo is fine". "Yes sir!!! Mr. Kujo sir!!" Noriko replied without getting up.

"Ugh, give me a break" Jolyne then grabs Noriko by her arm and drags her away. Noriko stumbles a bit but then goes with Jolyne to where she was taking her.

"W-Where are we going??". "To my room of course. I cannot let you wear that stinky uniform tonight. You gotta change". "But it's alright Jolyne. I'm not going to stay that long".

"So what?? This uniform sucks. You deserve a break from wearing it. Now come on, get in" she then shoves the red head in the room and closes the door.

Mr. Kujo on the other hand reached for the photo on the table. It was a picture of his younger self and his companions at that time when all of them voyaged to Egypt in order to defeat a powerful vampire.

His lover too was a part of the crusaders. But unfortunately, he had lost his life during the last fight, and Mr. Kujo can never forgive himself for letting him die. He still carries the guilt of letting his loved one die.

It could have been him.....no, it SHOULD have been him. However, it seemed like fate had some other plans for him, because his lover was back now, but in a very different form which was unfortunately a disadvantage to him.

The fact that he returned as a girl and half of Mr. Kujo's age, the relationship was going to look very questionable and inappropriate. People would think that it is some kind of pedophilia or a sugar-daddy relationship instead of a normal couple.

But why was he going to care?? It's not like he is bound by the insecurities of what the society might think. He will do whatever he wants to. He doesn't give a shit to what people would think of him, and that's what he has been doing for the past 22 years.

But the real problem was......what would Jolyne think of it?? She would literally get traumatized to hear that her friend who is as same age as her is dating her father. She would be disgusted to even imagine Noriko and Mr. Kujo holding hands.

Now what can Mr. Kujo do about that?? He had already lost his lover once, now if he has finally come back, then why lose him (or her) again?? Mr. Kujo really wants to mend the things which were left incomplete between both of them.

He hates carrying the guilt of his lover's death for more than a decade and really wants to let it go. Uniting with Noriko is the only way he can do it to finally let his lover's soul rest in peace. But how will Mr. Kujo win Miss Noriko's heart??

"Come on Noriko. It's alright. You look very cute in it" Jolyne had changed her attire from her school uniform and was now trying to pull the red head out of the room but was resisting her.

"I-I don't want to, not in front of Mr. Kujo" the other girl replied.

"Ugh, there you again. Mr. Kujo-this, Mr. Kujo-that. Can you not take his name after every fucking minute??".

"I-I'm sorry but, the lowers are too small. I cannot come out like this in front of him". "Don't worry Noriko. Dad is not going to bite you or anything". "B-But--". "No buts. Are you coming out or shall I do the hard way??". "........Fine.....".

The red girl steps out of the room, her cheeks dusted pink and her hands trying to hide her exposed thighs. She was wearing a light blue t-shirt which had a star on it and green shorts.

"See?? Not hard at all" Jolyne grinned. "I-I guess" Noriko replied shyly. "Oh come on, are you acting all shy because Dad is here??" Jolyne asked.

Noriko looked at Mr. Kujo who was staring continuously at her too. When he realised that Noriko was looking at him, he pushed his hat down to cover his eyes. Noriko blushed more and looked down at the ground.

"Come on Noriko, you must be hungry. Let's grab a snack and then we will study" Jolyne pushed her forward by her shoulders to the pantry.

"B-But I don't want to trouble you that much Jolyne". "Bullshit!!! You are my guest Noriko. Imagine it like you are in your own house". "I live a hostel Jolyne". "Alright, then imagine this as if you are at your parent's house" Jolyne said.

"I.......I don't have any parents Jolyne".

The taller girl stopped in her tracks, while the shorter girl's eyes got shadowed.

Mr. Kujo was noticing everything what was going on between the girls. When he heard that Noriko had no mother and father, he tensed up.

"Oh I'm so sorry Noriko. I didn't know that" Jolyne apologized. "It's OK.....It's not your fault........"

Noriko rubbed her eyes to stop the tears which threatened to fall from her pretty eyes. But even after her resistance, a stubborn and salty tear slipped from her eye as she closed her eyes to accept the wetness.

But suddenly she felt a calloused yet very gentle thumb wiping the tear from her cheek. Noriko opened her eyes to see whose thumb was it and it was none other than Mr. Kujo himself.

"I'm really sorry for you Noriko......" Mr. Kujo told her.

Noriko then sniffed and wiped the snot which was coming from her nose. She then said "Don't be sorry Mr. Kujo. It's perfectly alright".

"Noriko-chan......Where are your parents?? What happened to them??" Jolyne asked her.

"I-I was away from them at Florida while Mom and Dad were at Japan. Both of my parents were returning from work and they were travelling in a bus. But then a truck came out of nowhere and t-then at the midnight I-I-I got a call saying that--"

"Don't" Mr. Kujo placed his finger on her lips to stop her from continuing the story. He then slowly brushes a strand of her red hair behind her ear.

Noriko gives him a sad smile and then continues calmly.

"Whatever Mom and Dad had earned went to my relatives, so I had nothing to rely on. And that's why I studied hard, got my scholarship and also did numerous part-time jobs to pay the rent of the hostel. The hostel is very shabby and the manager is one big pervert, but that's all I can afford".

"Noriko......why didn't you tell us earlier?? We could have arranged something for you, right Dad??". Mr. Kujo agreed to her daughter.

"No no no, don't do so much for me. I don't want to be a burden to you" Noriko stopped them while shaking her hands as to say 'no'.

"Nonsense!! Just look at your condition Noriko!! You work like an ox daily and all you get is a shitty hostel AND a weirdo manager!!!" Jolyne held her by her shoulders as she explained her face to face.

"Then......what shall I do?? I have nowhere to go". "Stay with us, obviously" Jolyne told her. "B-But--". "No buts. You are officially living with us from now on".

"Jolyne, that's very sweet of you but why are you helping me?? I have done nothing for you, nor I am like a close friend to you. They why??".

"Let's just say that I like you a lot, and I truly think that you deserve a better place. Being without friends and parents and coping with life alone must be very hard for you. Also, studies are a pain in the ass, so why don't I make your life a bit easier??" Jolyne winked at her.

"I.......I don't know how to thank you both.........." Tears welled up in her eyes. "You are already helping me with my studies. I bet if I work hard under your tutelage, I might top the class. Now THAT would be a tight slap on Anderson's face" Jolyne laughed.

Noriko chuckled with her too. She was wondering how she can deserve such generous people.

"So it's settled then. Welcome to your new home Noriko-chan" Jolyne said.

Noriko couldn't hold it on for more and suddenly hugged the taller girl. Jolyne was taken aback for a second, but soon wrapped her arms around the smaller girl.

"Thank you Jolyne. I'm really fortunate to meet you". "You are flattering me now" Jolyne laughed.

"No really.....you don't know how lucky I am to meet such a sweet person like you" Noriko said.

"Yeah yeah whatever. But don't expect me to treat you so nicely like this". "That's fine by me" Noriko chuckled. Jolyne smiles and hugs her tight.

Both of them then let each other go. "So what are you waiting for?? Go get your bags from your hostel, and also don't forget to give a punch on the manager's face" Jolyne punched her hand.

"Sure I will" Noriko smiled. "Wait Noriko, I'll come with you" Mr. Kujo offered. Noriko turned to Mr. Kujo and said.

"It's perfectly alright Mr. Kujo. I'll handle it myself". "It's night, and young girls should not go alone in the dark like this. Let me accompany you" Mr. Kujo suggested.

".....OK sir". "Come on then" he then holds her shoulder and then they both go outside.

"Be back quickly both of you" Jolyne bid them farewell.

Mr. Kujo got his car and Noriko sat beside him. Both of them wore their seatbelts because safety is important and the author wants to promote road safety.

"What's the name of your hostel??" Mr. Kujo asked the girl. "Virgin Donuts" Noriko replied.

Mr. Kujo looked at the girl beside him with cringe written on his face.

"What kind of name is this??" He asked. "I-I know. I-I-I had no choice" she blushed from embarrassment as she hid her face from the man.

The man sighed and he adjusted his hat. "Give me a break" and he then started the engine and were off.

*5 minute time skip, brought to you by Piss Tea*

Mr. Kujo and Noriko were stuck in a traffic which was not going to be cleared in less than 10 minutes. So both of them sat idly wherever they were.

"Ummm....Mr. Kujo??". "Hmm??". "I-I was wondering.....are you going to write another thesis??" Noriko looked at Mr. Kujo who was keeping his eyes on the traffic lights.

"Well yes. I'm still researching but it will be out soon" he replied. "That's great. I can't wait" Noriko smiled as she made herself comfortable in the seat.

Jotaro slightly smiled to himself and he stole a gaze from the red head. He first looked at her bright eyes, then at her perfectly framed nose, and then at her plump lips.

She really reminds me of Noriaki......I still remember how he used to eat his cherries weirdly in front of me.........

Mr. Kujo smiled to himself. Those were some bittersweet memories which he cherished the most.

"By the way Noriko, you have no guardians at all??". "No. I do have relatives but they don't really care about me. They have inherited my parent's house and whatever they had ever possessed. I bet they don't even know that I exist" Noriko said.

Mr. Kujo felt pity on her. He was born in a family with priveledges, so he never had to face such a situation. But it didn't mean that he does not understand Noriko and her struggles.

Mr. Kujo couldn't help himself from holding on any more, and so he reached for Noriko's hand and held it.

Noriko looked at the man in his eyes, and without saying anything, she lightly clenched her hand around his bigger one. Mr. Kujo rubbed his thumb against her knuckles, feeling the soft skin of her hand.

The red head was not sure why, but she felt some sort of connection with the professor.

It felt like magic to her, as if a spell had been casted on her, which was slowly drawing her closer to the man.

Noriko noticed how handsome the professor was from close. His raven black hair and his sea green eyes complimented his face.

Mr. Kujo and Noriko were only inches away from each other, their lips longing to meet and tug at one another. Both of them were waiting for the other person to make a move but it seemed like they were too shy to do so.

The sexual tension was immense in the car. But fortunately, a car horn dissolved it all.

Both of them jerked away from each other and let go of their hands. Noriko was blushing madly while Mr. Kujo pulled his hat down, a small blush on his face.

He also noticed that the traffic has been finally cleared, so he drove his car forward and headed towards the hostel.

*7 minute time skip, brought to you by RaDIOactive*

"That's it. Here is the hostel". Mr. Kujo looked through the window at the small building Noriko mentioned.

"This is where you live?? Even a cardboard box looks neater than this.........structure" Jotaro commented. Noriko sighed as she took off the seat belt and got out of the car.

She then opened the door and much to her disappointment, the manager was there at his desk. At noticing the red lady, he smiled creepily and stood up and dashed to her like a predator.

"Noriko!! My Rose~!! I thought you won't come tonight" he hugged her and buried his face in her chest.

Noriko had already started to feel very uncomfortable. She tried to push him away from her but he was holding onto her like an octopus.

"Oohh~~ Now would you look at that?? You came to visit me in such short clothes hmmm...." He then started to run his hands on her thighs and hips.

Noriko just stood there trying to resist everything, but the man was like 3 times her size, and it was impossible for her to push such a man away from her.

Mr. Kujo entered the building and the first thing he saw was Noriko getting assaulted. His eyes became shadowed and he tensed up a lot. His whole aura had become menacing and murderous.

"You are such a naughty girl Noriko. Say........wanna have some fun at my room??" The man whispered in her ear.

Noriko was petrified beyond anything. She was praying that someone would come to rescue her from this dire situation. And fortunately, her hero was right behind her.

"Noriko......" Mr. Kujo called. Noriko turned around to him, and then the professor pulled her close to him and shielded her with his huge arms, separating the manager from the red girl.

"Huh?? Who are you?? And how dare you interrupt me??" The manager glared at the taller man's eyes, as that was the biggest mistake he had ever made.

"Noriko.....go and get your things. I want to have a talk with the manager alone" Mr. Kujo then let go of the small girl so that she could get her possessions from her room. Noriko gave a small smile at the professor and caressed his arm and then she left, leaving the perv and Mr. Kujo alone in the hall.

"I-I-I'm s-s-sorry sir. I-I-I didn't k-know that s-she was y-your d-daughter" the manager stammered.

"You fucking idiot, she is not my daughter. She is my lover". "What??? You?? Her lover?? But she is half your age!!" The manager was shocked to hear that from the man.

"How Ironic, coming from a disgusting scum who was just harrassing an innocent, young girl shamelessly" he then cracks his knuckles and stares deathly at him.

"You wanted fun right?....let me give you fun". Then, a spirit-like creature formed behind the taller man, and let's just say that the manager retired tomorrow and would never be able to get back to work, nor he would ever be able to have children, or actually do anything at all.

*2 minute time skip, brought to you by Maid Polpo*

Noriko was done packing her bags and exited her room to meet Mr. Kujo outside. Once she reached the hall, she spotted Mr. Kujo smoking a cigarette, looking outside from the window.

"Mr. Kujo, I'm done" Noriko called to him. The professor as soon as he heard the girl's voice, got his cigarette disposed of and he then went to pick her bags up.

Noriko looked around the hall, but she could not find the one she was looking for, so she asked the taller man.

"Where is the manager Mr. Kujo??". "He had some business to take care of so he left" he replied.

Noriko clicks her tongue from disappointment as she placed her hand on her hip.

"What's the matter??" Mr. Kujo asked. "I wanted to give him a punch on the face like how Jolyne told me to, now I have lost the chance to do that" Noriko whined.

Mr. Kujo sniggered at the sassy girl and then patted her red head. "Jolyne is really turning you into like herself. If she was at your place, she would have cut his balls off and stuff it into his own ass" he said.

"Pfffff-hahahahahahahhaha!!!!"

Noriko started to genuinely laugh at Mr. Kujo's statement as she brushed her bang behind. The man observed how beautiful she looked as she giggled her heart out. Also how her vocals bounced as she expressed her happiness.

It reminded him of that time when his boyfriend was laughing after the battle with The Wheel of Fortune along with the others. That time was also the first time Mr. Kujo witnessed his lover truly laughing joyfully.

He always wanted to hear his laughter one more time, and today his wish came true.

Once Noriko's laughter had started to slow down, she wiped the tears which came out while she was laughing. She then regained her breath and said.

"Oh Mr. Kujo, Jolyne is one badass. I am truly grateful to have a friend like her. And also--".

"Jotaro".

"Huh??" Noriko looked at the professor. "Call me Jotaro. That's my first name" he told her.

"A-Alright Jotaro" Noriko timidly took his name and blushed pink. Jotaro felt butterflies in his stomach when he heard his name slipping from the sweet-looking lips of the red head.

"It's getting pretty late now. Let's grab some dinner and go home. Jolyne must be waiting".

"Y-Yes si-- I mean, Jotaro-san" Noriko corrected herself.

Noriko's cuteness touched Jotaro's heart as he blushed pink and pulled his hat down to hide it. It's a good thing that Noriko didn't notice him getting flustered.

*20 minute time skip, brought to you by Caesarino*

Jotaro and Noriko had gathered the dinner and were now heading home. Noriko was humming along the song which was playing on the radio. Though he found Noriko's voice to be angelic, Jotaro was praying for the song to end. You know why..........

(Part 3)

[luvneedsnosyt]

My Favorite Albums of 2019 (So Far)

Here is my list of my favorite albums half-way through 2019

You can find my list of my favorite albums of 2018 here And my list of my favorite EPs of 2018 here

My Monthly top albums lists from 2019: January, February, March, April, May

Honorable Mention:

Alice Merton - Mint Genre: Pop

Proof: No Roots / Lash Out

Anderson .Paak - Ventura Genre: Hip Hop / R&B

Proof: Chosen On (Feat. Sonya Elise) / Jet Black (Feat. Brandy)

Billie Eilish - WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO? Genre: Synth-Pop

Proof: bad guy / you should see me in a crown

blackbear - ANONYMOUS Genre: alt-R&B / Hip Hop

Proof: SWEAR TO GOOD / HIGH1X

Bring Me the Horizon - amo Genre: Rock / Alternative

Proof: in the dark / medicine

Cautious Clay - Table of Context EP Genre: R&B / Soul

Proof: REASONS / HONEST ENOUGH

Circa Waves - What’s It Like Over There? Genre: Alternative / Rock

Proof: Sorry I’m Yours / Be Somebody Good

Dabin - Wild Youth Genre: Electronic / Dance / Future Bass

Proof: In Flames (Feat. Lexi Norton) / Alive (Feat. RUNN)

Dawn Richard - New Breed Genre: alt-R&B / Electronic

Proof: shades / sauce

Dermot Kennedy - Dermot Kennedy Genre: Indie Pop / Soul

Proof: Power Over Me / Moments Passed

GoldLink - Diaspora Genre: Hip Hop / R&B

Proof: Zulu Screams (Feat. Maleek Berry & Babi Bourelly) / More

Hozier - Wasteland, Baby! Genre: Indie Pop / Soul / Folk

Proof: Movement / Dinner & Diatribes

James Blake - Assume Form Genre: Progressive Pop / Electronic / Indie Pop

Proof:  Barefoot in the Park (Feat. ROSALÍA) / Where’s the Catch? (Feat. André 3000)

Karen O & Danger Mouse - Lux Prima Genre: Alternative / Indie Rock

Proof: Turn the Light / Woman

Kevin Abstract - ARIZONA BABY Genre: Hip Hop

Proof: Joyride / Use Me

Maverick Sabre - When I Wake Up Genre: Pop / Soul

Proof: Slow Down (Feat. Jorja Smith) / Weakness

The List:

16. Little Simz - GREY Area Genre: Hip Hop

Proof: Offense / Boss / Venom / Pressure (Feat. Little Dragon)

15. Vampire Weekend - Father of the Bride Genre: Indie Rock / Alternative

Proof: Harmony Hall / This Life / How Long? / Sympathy

14. LÉON - LÉON Genre: Pop / Soul

Proof: Lost Time / Falling / Hope Is A Heartache / You And I // Bonus: Grey - Want You Back (Feat. LÉON)

13. Foals - Part 1: Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost Genre: Rock / Alternative

Proof: Exits / White Onions / In Degrees / On The Luna

12. Denzel Curry - ZUU Genre: Hip Hop

Proof: ZUU / RICKY / BIRDZ (Feat. Rick Ross) / CAROLMART (Feat. Ice Billion Berg)

11. G Flip - Drink Too Much EP Genre: Pop

Proof: Drink Too Much / Bring Me Home / Killing My Time / About You // Bonus: I Am Not Afraid

10. Elohim - BRAINDEAD EP Genre: Electronic / Synth Pop

Proof: running / tv / metamorphine / flagpole sitta (Harvey Danger cover w/ ALOWNATION)

9. Sigrid - Sucker Punch Genre: Pop

Proof: Sucker Punch / Basic / Don’t Feel Like Crying / Don’t Kill My Vibe // Bonus: Strangers (R3HAB Remix) / Don’t Kill My Vibe (Gryffin Remix)

8. Lizzo - Cuz I Love You Genre: Hip Hop / R&B

Proof: Cuz I Love You / Soulmate / Tempo (Feat. Feat. Missy Elliott) / Heaven Help Me

7. Seven Lions - Ophelia Volume 1 Genre: Electronic / Dance / Trance

Proof: Start Again (Feat. Fiora) / Ocean (w/ Jason Ross Feat. Jonathon Mendelsohn) / First Time (w/ SLANDER & Dabin Feat. Dylan Mathew) / Dreamin’ (Feat. Fiora) // Bonus: Ocean (Au5 Remix) w/ Jason Ross Feat. Jonothan Mendelson / Dreamin’ (Sunny Lax Remix) Feat. Fiora / Island (Dimibo Remix) (w/ Trivecta & Wooli Feat. Nevve) / Sojourn (w/ Crystal Skies) / Let Go (Festival Mix) Feat. Fiora

6. Maggie Rogers - Heard It In A Past Life Genre: Pop

Proof: Give A Little / The Knife / Alaska / Say It // Bonus: Give A Little (Mokita & GOLDHOUSE Remix) / Alaska (Toby Green Remix) / Alaska (Tycho Remix)

5. Nick Murphy - Run Fast Sleep Naked Genre: Indie Pop

Proof: Harry Takes Drugs On The Weekend / Sanity / Yeah I Care / Dangerous

4. Tyler, The Creator - IGOR Genre: Hip Hop / alt-R&B

Proof: IGOR’S THEME (Feat. Lil Uzi Vert) / EARFQUAKE (Feat. Playboy Carti, Charlie Wilson & Jessy Wilson)  / I THINK (Feat. Solange & Ryan Beatty) / WHAT’S GOOD (Feat. slowthai & Jarrod Carmichael)

3. Khalid - Free Spirit Genre: Pop / R&B / Soul

Proof: Better / Right Back / Outta My Head (w/ John Mayer) / Free Spirit // Bonus: Better (Jayvon Remix) / Better (no clue? Remix) / Talk (Disclosure VIP Mix) / Talk (Jarami Remix) / Talk (Alle Farben Remix)

2. Big Wild - Superdream // Superdream (Remixes) EP Genre: Electronic / Synth Pop / Dance

Proof: Joypunks / 6′ to 9′s (Feat. Rational) / No Words / She Makes Magic // Purple Sand (My Home) (pluko Remix) / City of Sound (Crooked Colours Remix) / Heaven (GG Magree Remix)

1. Nilüfer Yanya - Miss Universe Genre: Pop / R&B / Alterntaive

Proof: In Your Head / Paralysed / Tears / Heavyweight Champion Of The Year

Others:

Good: Adela - On The Line EP, AJ Tracey - AJ Tracey, Aldous Harding - Designer, Alesso - ALESSO MIXTAPE - PROGRESSO Vol. 1 EP, Alina Baraz - The Color Of You (Remixes) EP, Allie X - Super Sunset (Analog), Aly & AJ - Sanctuary EP, The Amazons - Future Dust, Anna Clendening - Waves EP, Ari Lennox - Shea Butter Baby, Anna Lunoe - Right Party EP, Ariana Grande - thank u, next, Ashe - Moral of the Story: Chapter 1 EP, Asiahn - Love Train 2, AURORA - A Different Kind of Human, Autograf - Love & Retrograde EP, Avicii - TIM, A1 - Turbulence, Bad Bunny - X 100PRE, Barrie - Happy to Be Here, Bassnector - Reflective (Part 4) EP, Bastille - Doom Days, BAYNK - Someone’s II EP, Beast Coast - Escape from New York, Beirut - Gallipoli , Better Oblivion Community Center - Better Oblivion Community Center, Betty Who - Betty, Big K.R.I.T. - TDT, Big Thief - U.F.O.F., Blaqk Audio - Only Things We Love, Blu & Oh No - A Long Red Hot Los Angeles Summer Night, Boy Harsher - Careful, Boogie - Everythings for Sale, B00TY - High Art EP, Brasstracks - Before We Go EP, Broken Social Scene - Let’s Try the After (Vol. 1) EP, Broken Social Scene - Let’s Try the After (Vol. 2) EP, Broods - Don’t Feed The Pop Monster, bülow - Crystalline EP, Bun B & Statik Selektah - TrillStatik [Mixtape], Cage The Elephant - Social Cues, Carlie Hanson - Junk EP, Carly Rae Jepsen - Dedicated, Casey Veggies - Organic, Casey Veggies & Rockie Fresh - Fresh Veggies [Mixtape], Cehryl - Slow Motion, Charly Bliss - Young Enough, Chase & Status - RTRN II JUNGLE, The Chemical Brothers - No Geography, Cherry Glazer - Stuffed & Ready, Choosey & Exile - Black Beans, Christelle Bofale - Swim Team EP, Chrome Sparks - Be On Fire EP, Ciara - Beauty Marks, Citizen Cope - Heroin and Helicopters, Clairmont The Second - The Second’s Do You Drive?, Collie Buddz - Hybrid. Crumb - Jinx, Crystal Fighters - Gaia & Friends, Curren$y & Statik Selektah - Gran Turismo, CZARFACE & Ghostface Killa - Czarface Meets Ghostface, David B - BLEU, Deadmau5 - Polar (Music from the Netflix Film), Deante’ Hitchcock - Just A Sample 2 EP, Deerhunter - Why Hasn’t Everything Already Disappeared?, DeJ Loaf - Go DeJ Go Vol. 1 EP, Delta Heavy - Only In My Dreams, Destiny Rogers - Tomboy EP, Devin Morrison - Bussin’, Dijon - Sci Fi 1 EP, Dinah Jane - Dinah Jane 1 EP, Diplo - Europa EP, Diplo - Higher Ground EP, DJ Khaled - Father of Asahd, Dog Blood - Turn Off The Lights EP, Dreezy - Big Dreez, The Drums - Brutalism, Dua Saleh - Nūr EP, DUCKWRTH - THE FALLING MAN, ELHAE - Trouble In Paradise, Emily Wells - The World Is Too ___ For You, Emotional Oranges - The Juice, Vol. I, Eric Bellinger - The Rebirth 2, Eryn Allen Kane - a tree planted by water EP, The Faint - Egowerk, FEELS - Post Earth, FIDLAR - Almost Free, flora cash - Press EP, Flume - Hi This Is Flume [Mixtape], Flying Lotus - Flamagra, Frances Cone - Late Riser, FRENSHIP - Vacation, Freya Riding - You Mean The World To Me EP, Froth - Duress, Gary Clark Jr. - This Land, Gesaffelstein - Hyperion, The Get Up Kids - Problems, Giggs - BIG BAD…, girlpool - What Chaos Is Imaginary, gnash - we, GRiZ - Find My Own Way EP, GRiZ - Ride Waves, Gryffin - Gravity Pt. 1 (Remixes) EP, GTA - La Nueva Clásica (Remixes), Gus Dapperton - Where Polly People Go to Read, HÆLOS - Any Random Kindness, The Hamiltones - Watch the Ton3s EP, Hayden James - Between Us, The Head and the Heart - Living Mirage, Helado Negro - This Is How You Smile, Hello Yello - Love Wins EP, Higher Brothers - Five Stars, Hikaru Utada - Face My Fears EP, Holly Herndon - PROTO, Ida Mae - Chasing Light, ilo ilo - wish i said this to u sooner EP, India.Arie - Worthy, Injury Reserve - Injury Reserve, Intellexual - Intellexual, Interpol - A Fine Mess EP, Izzy Bizu - GLITA EP, Jack & Jack - A Good Friend Is Nice, Jacob Latimore - Connection2, Jade Bird - I Get No Joy EP, Jade Bird - Jade Bird, Jaden - ERYS IS COMING EP, Jai Waetford - Figure It Out EP, Jai Wolf - The Cure To Loneliness, James Bay - One My Messy Mind EP, JAMESDAVIS - MASTERPIECE EP, Jamie Cullum - Taller, Jamila Woods - LEGACY! LEGACY!, The Japanese House - Good At Falling, Jasmine Thompson - colour EP, Jay Prince - WONDER EP, Jayda G - Significant Changes, Jean Deaux - Empathy EP, Jenny Lewis - On The Line, Jeremy Zucker & Chelsea Cutler - brent EP, jesse saint john - don’t stop dancing. life gets sad. EP, J-E-T-S - Zoospa, JOHN.k - if we never met EP, JOHNNYSWIM - Moonlight, JOHKOY - 404, Jonas Brothers - Happiness Begins, Jordan Rakei - Origin, Josephine Wiggs - We Fall, Judah & The Lion - Pep Talks, Juice WRLD - Death Race for Love, Julia Michaels - Inner Monologue, Pt. 1 EP, Kari Faux - CRY 4 HELP EP, Kasbo - Places We Don’t Know Remix EP, Kaskade - Redux 003, KÁRYYN - The Quanta Series, Kehlani - While We Wait EP, Kelsey Lu - Blood, Kerli - Shadow Works, Kevin Abstract - ARIZONA BABY EP, Kevin Abstract - Ghettoboy EP, Kevin Morby - Oh My God, KIAN - BLISS EP, Kiana Lede - Myself EP, Kishi Bashi - Omoiyari, Koffee - Rapture EP, Ladytron - Ladytron, Lafawndah - Ancestor Boy, Lemaitre - Fast Lovers EP, The Lemonheads - Varshons 2, Lexie Liu - 2030, Lil Skies - Shelby, Lissie - When I’m Alone: The Piano Retrospective, Local Natives - Violet Street, Logic - Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, Lolo Zouaï - High Highs to Low Lows, Loote - lost EP, Lonas - Youth EP, Lost Kings - Paper Crowns EP, Louis Futon - Way Back When, Loyle Carner - Not Waving, But Drowning, LSD - Labrinth, Sia & Diplo Presents… LSD, Lucky Daye - Painted, Lucy Rose - No Words Left, Mac DeMarco - Here Comes the Cowboy, Mack Keane - Donna Ave EP, Manila Killa - 1993 EP, Malibu Ken (Aesop Rock & TOBACCO) - Malibu Ken, Manatee Commune - PDA, Mansionair - Shadowboxer, Marco McKinnis - E’Merse EP, Maren Morris - GIRL, Maribou State - Kingdoms in Color Remixed, MARINA - LOVE + FEAR, Matt Maeson - Bank on the Funeral, McClenny - I’m Not Here EP, MED & Guilty Simpson - Child of the Jungle, Meg Mac - Hope, Megan Thee Stallion - Fever, Melii - phAses, Mereba - The Jungle Is The Only Way Out, Mickey Kojak - Coming Together EP, Middle Kids - New Songs for Old Problems EP, Mike Posner - A Real Good Kid, Mr. Carmack - Demolish [Mixtape], Mndsgn - Snaxx, MorMor - Some Place Else EP, The National - I Am Easy to Find, Nightly - Talk You Down EP, NIKI - wanna take this downtown? EP, Nina Nesbitt - The Sun Will Come Up, The Seasons Will Change, no rome - Crying In The Prettiest Places EP, Noah Kahan - Busyhead, Norah Jones - Begin Again, Octavian - Endorphins, ODESZA - A Moment Apart Remixes EP, Offset -  Father of Four, Oliver Dion - Exposed, Olivia O’Brien - Was It Even Real?, Omar Apollo - Friends EP, Panda Bear - Buoys, Patoranking - Wilmer, P!nk - Hurts 2B Human, Pink Sweat$ - Volume 2 EP, Phonte - Pacific Time EP, Plaid - Polymer, PnB Rock - TrapStar Turnt PopStar, Pond - Tasmania, PRETTYMUCH - Phases EP, Priests - The Seduction of Kansas, Prince - Originals, PUP - Morbid Stuff, Queen Herby - EP 5, Quelled Chris - Guns, Raja Kumari - BLOODLINE EP, Rat Boy - International Unknown, Raveena - Lucid, Rema - Rema EP, Reptaliens - VALIS, Rich The Kid - The World Is Yours 2, Rico Nasty & Kenny Beats - Anger Management, Rhye - Spirit, Rhys Lewis - In Between Minds EP, Rotimi - Walk With Me EP, Rudimental - Test Our Differences, Ruti - Racing Cars EP, Ryan Leslie - Fleurier Flows EP, RY X - Unfurl, RY X - The Water EP, SAFE - STAY, Said The Whale - Cascadia, St. Lucia - Remixed, Sammie - Everlasting, Santana - Africa Speaks, Santi - Mandy & The Jungle, Sara Bareilles - Amidst the Chaos, SASAMI - SASAMI, Saweetie - ICY EP, ScHoolboy Q - CrasH Talk, The Score - Pressure EP, Seasons - American Authors, Set It Off - Midnight, Set Mo - Surrender, Shafiq Husayn - The Loop, Sharon Van Etten - Remind Me Tomorrow, Shlohmo - The End, Shy Girls - Bird on the Wing, Silversun Pickups - Widow’s Weeds , Skepta - Ignorance Is Bliss, slenderbodies - soraya EP, slowthai - Nothing Great About Britain, Smif-N-Wessun - The All, Snake City - Hurts, SNBRN - Solé, SOAK - Grim Town, SOB X RBE & Hit-Boy - Family Not a Group, SOB X RBE & Marshmello - Roll the Dice EP, Sofia Kourtesis - Sofia Kourtesis EP, Solange - When I Get Home, SonReal - The Aaron LP, StayLoose - The City, Stef Chura - Midnight, Steve Lacy - Apollo XXI, Striking Matches - Morning EP, Styles P - S.P. The Goat: Ghost of All Time, Sufjan Stevens - Love Yourself / With My Whole Heart EP, Summer Walker - CLEAR EP, Sunflower Bean - King of the Dudes EP, Super Duper - Vessels EP, SVEA - This is EP, SYML - SYML, The Tallest Man On Earth - I Love You, Talos - Far Out Dust, Tank and the Bangas - Green Balloon, Tayla Parx - We Need To Talk, Taylor Bennett - The American Reject EP, Tech N9ne - N9na, TENDER - Fear of Falling Asleep, Terror Jr - Unfortunately, Terror Jr, Tiësto - Together, Tink - Voicemails, The-Dream - Menage a Trois: Sextape Vol. 1,2&3, T-Pain - 1UP, TOBi - STILL, Tom Walker - What A Time To Be Alive, Toro y Moi - Outer Peace, Tory Lanez - International Fargo [Mixtape], Trevor Jackson - Rough Draft 2, Tritonal - U & Me , The Vamps - Missing You EP, Various Artists - For The Throne (Music Inspired by the HBO Series Game of Thrones), Various Artists - Music Inspired by the Film Roma, Vasco - Tender Luv EP, Virginia to Vegas - Heartland St EP, Walshy Fire - Walsey Fire Presents: ABENG, Wallows - Nothing Happens, Wand - Laughing Matter, Weezer - Weezer (The Teal Album), Weyes Blood - Titanic Rising, Wild Belle - Everybody One of a Kind, Wu-Tang Clan - Of Mics and Men EP, X Ambassadors - ORION EP, XYLØ - pretty sad EP, Yeasayer - Erotic Reruns, Yeek - IDK WHERE, YG - 4REAL 4REAL, Yhung T.O. - On My Momma 2, Zacari - Run Free Run Wild EP, Zhavia Ward - 17 EP, 2 Chainz - Rap or Go to the League

Meh: A Boogie wit da Hoodie - Hoodie SZN, Berner - El Chivo, Birdman & Juvenile - Just Another Gangsta, Burna Boy & DJDS - Steel & Copper EP, Calboy - Wildboy, Casilofi - Create, Create, Create EP, DREAMERS - LAUNCH FLY LAND, DJ Muggs & Mach - Hommy: Tuez-Les Tous, Future - Future Hndrexx Presents: The WZRD, Future - SAVE ME EP, HiDoraah & Dolly White - Slimestas EP, Kenny Garrett - Hoax, Kevin Gates - Only The General Gon Understand EP, Logic - Supermarket, Miley Cyrus - SHE IS COMING EP, Night Lovell - GOODNIGHT LOVELL, Pet Shop Boys - Agenda EP, Pi’erre Bourne & Cardo Got WIngs - Pi’erre & Cardo’s WIld Adventure [Mixtape], Rod Wave - PTSD, Shy Glizzy - Covered N Blood, Spellling - Mazy Fly, Tee Grizzley - Scriptures, Tyga - Legendary, Wiz Khalifa & Curren$y - 2009, 03 Greedo - Still Summer in the Projects

Naw: Scarlxrd - INFINITY, Weezer - Weezer (The Black Album), Yung Gravy - Sensational, Zheani - The Line Censored

[sidekickhq]

mw woc?

here’s a list with a wide variety in ages ! laverne cox, maggie q, lupita nyong’o, china anne mcclain, tessa thompson, gina rodriguez, emeraude toubia, hayley law, ashleigh murray, moon ga young, bae suzy, lee jieun, amber midthunder, devery jacobs, leigh anne pinnock, keke palmer, philippa soo, krystal jung, lalisa manoban, chloe bridges, becky g, ariela barer, naressa valdez, herizan guardiola, aja naomi king, constance wu, jessica henwick, candice patton, nathalie emmanuel, tinashe, oona chaplin, janel parrish, im jinah, karen fukuhara, aisha dee, iman meskini, jamie chung, diane guerrero, karla souza, sofia boutella, rosario dawson, zoe saldana, sarah shahi, halle berry, angela bassett, jameela jamil, meaghan tandy, meaghan rath, samira wiley, kelly gale, geraldine viswanathan, eva longoria, olivia munn, monica raymund, jhene aiko, kehlani, malese jow, khadijha red thunder, dana jeffrey, yara shahidi, jeon somi, paris berelc, cassie steele, summer bishil, gina torres, justine biticon, tati gabrielle, indya moore, kiana lede, auli’i cravalho, anna akana, simay barlas, mina el hammani, alia shawkat, beren saat, jenna talackova, alina serban, franciska farkas, luciane buchanan, cindy kimberly, brianne tju, cleo lazuli, arden cho, pom klementieff, kelsey chow, lyrica okano, dichen lachman, lucy liu, priyanka chopra, shraddha kapoor, alia bhatt, neelam gill, deepika padukone, elodie yung, indra varma, nana komatsu, kang seulgi, kim hyuna, jinsoul, nong poy, samantha harris, tanaya beatty, maika harper, hayley atwell, maria gabriela de faria, shyrley rodriguez, eiza gonzalez, aimee garcia, melissa fumero, aubrey plaza, nathalie kelley, cierra ramirez, gigi gorgeous, winnie harlow, kylie bunbury, taraji p henson, tracee ellis ross, maisie richardson sellers, jessica parker kennedy, janella monae, karidja toure, viola davis, antonia thomas, letitia wright, kerry washington, kat blaque, kehlani parrish, katima kojima, joan smalls, sonoya mizuno, amber liu, fan bingbing, kat graham, donna bae, lesley ann-brandt, chanel iman, ming-na wen, tina desai, hannah simone ! wanted connections are under the cut !

DEVYN XAVIER-LEHNSHERR, our COURTNEY EATON fc is looking for a BIRTH MOTHER connection who looks like PLAYER’S CHOICE who is 45+YEARS OLD. you CAN contact prior to applying at queenofillusionsx. (Devyn’s birth mom is a closeted mutant who was scared of having a child in case they grew to be one. When Dev was born with lilac eyes, there was no mistaking what she was, so her parents gave her up. Now she is at Paragon to make amends, but it is the one topic she gets angry at so she won’t be happy.)

DINAH PRYDE, our KIERSEY CLEMONS fc is, looking for a OLDER BROTHER (FULL OR HALF, CAN ALSO BE ADOPTED !! ) connection who looks like UTP (MUST BE AT LEAST HALF BLACK IF A SIBLING VIA KITTY OR FULL SIBLING) who is 24+ you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( not to be a cliche heaux but uh give me an overprotective older brother who dinah adores pls )

EMMA FROST, our KATIE CASSIDY fc is looking for her TRIPLETS WITH SCOTT SUMMERS / TWO BIOLOGICAL, ONE ADOPTIVE connection who look like DAYA, LIZA KOSHY, SAFIYA NYGAARD, SEBASTIAN DE SOUZA, HARRIS J, ANY HALF-INDIAN FC IF BIOLOGICAL / RHENZY FELIZ, HAYLEY LAW, ARIELA BARER, ANY FC OF COLOR IF ADOPTIVE who are 16-19 YEARS OLD, 22 OR 24+ YEARS OLD. you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( did u know that in an alternate universe scott & emma had five beautiful lil babies? bc they did. and with a tweak. that is what this wc is for. the frost-summers triplets would have prob had a psychic hive mind to rival the cuckoos if an attack hadn’t sent emma into early labour, resulting in one of them not surviving. the decision to adopt a baby in need of a loving home and complete the otherwise ruined trio? not an easy one to make, lets be real, but it was MADE, and the three have been raised as siblings from minute one. emma loves her babies. pls. give them to her. ) ( rohen frost-summers & open for two more ( bio ) )

ETIENNE BEAUBIER-JINADU, our ARIA SHAHGHASEMI fc is looking for a SIBLING connection who looks like NIKOHL BOOSHERI, TALA ASHE, YARA SHAHIDI, REECE KING, HAILEE STEINFELD, LALISA MANOBAN, MANNY MONTANA / PART IRANIAN IF BIO who is ANY AGE you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( the siblings were born in canada - their parents were good people but did the wrong things that got the siblings taken away from their parents. the two were together for awhile in foster care but were eventually separated into two different homes. etienne was eventually adopted into a loving family but it’s up to you what happened to the other sibling after they got separated! they were raised together. took care of each other. for awhile, all they knew was each other. they’re both mutants and their powers kind of reflect thanatos + hypnos, where tye is hypnos and the sibling has death-related powers like thanatos. the sibling can be half, full, adopted, fostered - whatever works. his url is svmnium if you wanna discuss things further! )

FABIAN TODD, our BOB MORLEY fc is looking for a BIO SIBLINGS ( 3 ) connection who looks like LIZA SOBERNO, JAMES REID, PARIS BERELC, KELSEY MERRITT, NICOLE ANDERSON, ASHLEY ARGOTA / ANY RELEVANT FC who is 18-25 you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( so they’re kids of mario falcone + his wife, though fabian doesn’t know it and doesn’t know they’re siblings because fabian was left in an alley not long after they’re birth. they probably won’t know that fabian is their sibling unless they became part of the crime amd mob part of their family,,, which would be really cool imo. )

NADIA KYLE, our ANA DE ARMAS fc is looking for a HALF SIBLING / CHILD OF TED GRANT & QUEEN HIPPOLYTA connection who looks like BLAKE JENNER, CASSADEE POPE, ODETTE ANNABLE / ANY HALF CUBAN, HALF WHITE FC who is YOUNGER or OLDER THAN 30. you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( correct me if i’m wrong, but a child of ted “wildcat” grant and queen hippolyta of the amazons is… pretty hot, and i’d love to see them around the place ! this one is fun, because nadia has SUCH an appreciation for strong women as someone who was surrounded by them her whole life, and while this doesn’t mean she’s directly connected to wonderfam, it does mean she likes to think that she is, and probably cites herself as being “five percent wonder woman”. i’d like to think that while her relationship with thomas is more on the strained side - as he remembers her as her true self better than this version she’s become - there’s a chance she’s made more of an effort, here, out of sheer respect for their mother, and as such… means they could be MUCH closer, which is a dynamic that i’m here for. )

NADIA KYLE, our ANA DE ARMAS fc is looking for an OLDER HALF SIBLING / THOMAS BRONSON connection who looks like ANY FC AT LEAST HALF CUBAN who is 35+. you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( where thomas really followed in ted’s footsteps… nadia really tried to become her mother, version 2, and that - i think - makes for a pretty interesting sibling dynamic. one is textbook good. the other… morally grey, at the best of times. i’m sure there’s love shared, but nadia didn’t really grow up around many males, either - especially not a lot who were older than her and related to her, so i imagine that she’s spent a great deal of time trying to outdo him. who’s to say she has? her relationship with thomas is probably about as strained as a sibling relationship she has could be, and i’m… so into it. )

NADIA KYLE, our ANA DE ARMAS fc is looking for her MOTHER / SELINA KYLE who looks like MELISSA FUMERO, JOANNA GARCIA / ANY CUBAN FC who is OLD ENOUGH. you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( it may be a little cliche, all considered - but there’s a reason that nadia has become the person that she is today, and that reason… is selina. the love she has for her mother, and the idolization that she’s always felt towards her, is unmatched. nadia’s upbringing was unique in that it wasn’t just isolated to selina & ted. rather, it was a combined effort of selina, ted, holly, eiko - and everyone had a huge role, but no one really ever outshone her mother. she’s always wanted to emulate her, because in nadia’s eyes, there’s no one better - and while she’s made mistakes in coming down this road, and while she’s done things that even selina probably can’t be proud of… it’s all been in hopes of both… being half the woman that her mother is, and being someone that selina is proud of. )

NAOMI DANE-SUMMERS, our NAOMI SCOTT  fc is looking for a TWIN connection who looks like AVAN JOGIA, ALIA BHATT, GERALDINE VISWANATHAN, JESSSE RATH, KELLY GALE, SEBASTIAN DE SOUZA, LIZA KOSHY / ANY FACE CLAIM, who is 23 YEARS OLD. you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( these two have always been close and taken care of each other. naomi’s about 30 minutes older than this twin, she was born on dec 31st and they were born on january 1st. think wanda & pietro as kids. they really just understood each other and have been attached at the hip since they could remember. naomi’s very introverted so it would be nice if the twin was more of an extrovert - but personality and everything is up to you! only requirement is that if they have a mutant hair color that it’s not green - so pink, purple, blue, white, etc - all very cool! )

NAOMI DANE-SUMMERS, our NAOMI SCOTT fc is looking for a YOUNGER SIBLING connection who looks like HARRIS J, ALIA BHATT, KELLY GALE, GERALDINE VISWANATHAN, DAYA, CHARLI XCX / ANY FACE CLAIM who is 16-22. you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( naomi has never been the best older sister, but she does try. it’s possible for them to not be close and be kind of awkward around each other since maybe they don’t know how to be around each other? but naomi loves her baby sibling, despite being bad at showing it. only requirement is that if they have a mutant hair color that it’s not green - so pink, purple, blue, white, etc - all very cool! )

NAOMI DANE-SUMMERS, our NAOMI SCOTT fc is looking for a OLDER HALF SIBLING ( VIA LORNA & MARCOS ) connection who looks like EIZA GONZALEZ, KARLA SOUZA, SEAN TEALE, CHLOE BRIDGES, DAVID LAMBERT, ASHTON MOIO, TYLER POSEY, PETER GADIOT, MICHAEL TREVINO / ANY FACE CLAIM who is 26+. you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( naomi is quite close with marcos diaz so i definitely imagine these two having a sort of close-ish relationship. they’re not full siblings but that part has never been important in their family - they’ve always been siblings. only requirement is that if they have a mutant hair color that it’s not green - so pink, purple, blue, white, etc - all very cool! )

ROSARIO HILL, our MELISSA BARRERA fc, is looking for a YOUNGER HALF SIBLINGS / ADOPTED SIBLINGS ( 1 to 2 ) connection who looks like DIEGO TINOCO, TRINITY ANNE, EDEN ESTRADA, SOFIA REYES, CIERRA RAMRIEZ, ISSA LISH, DANNA PAOLA, ARIELA BARER, MANPREET MABRA, LAURA HARRIER, TRISTIN MAYS, LULU ANTARISKA, KEKE PALMER, TAZZY PHE, TINA TAMASHIRO, TOMMY MARTINEZ, MARLON LANGELAND / AT LEAST HALF MEXICAN IF BIO, ANY FACE IF ADOPTED who is UNDER 25 you DON’T have to contact prior to applying.

WINONA FALCONE, our SHAY MITCHELL fc is looking for a OLDER SIBLING connection who looks like UTP / ANY HALF FILIPINO FC who is 27+ YEARS OLD. you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( the oldest falcone ! mwahaha. so it’s this whole big thing that WINONA IS THE HEIR, but she wasn’t always. she has an older sibling who was disinherited from the family & cast out. a big ole family disgrace that none of them like to talk about. the reason behind this is up to you ! but it can range from being a MUTANT to a DEGENERATE to being SOFT to whatever. sofia is a pretty uptight gal. )

[drgreg]

Dr Greg Hough South Africa

She is aware of she hasn’t been eating proper or managing her situation nicely. Using one of many tablet computer systems within the hub, she learns more about managing her condition and downloads a cellular meditation app for reminders and tips about managing stress on the go. She also indicators up for a digital session with the in-house food regimen counselor. Over two-thirds of today’s Medicaid beneficiaries are served by MCOs, which states contract to handle the health care of their beneficiaries.

Such journeys tick all the packing containers and are additionally a great personal studying experience. Sorry we couldn’t make it this time, wonderful dedication by Birdlife and MSC to make it occur. Whilst unique in its own proper, the importance of seeing and understanding what's there is crucial to the science of the area. This will assist inform policy and the very way ahead for our natural world. Wonderful to see in inaccessible a part of the world and its birdlife. Such a wonderful opportunity – I would love to go on such a visit should you ever go once more.

Amazing journey with nice guides to a exceptional distant part of the planet. It was an awesome trip with MSC Cruises and am so glad to have had the chance to do a bit for conservation and having a model new discovered love. Creating awareness and innovative fund elevating.

The two papers had been 'Tuberculosis', by Dr J. Barcroft Anderson, and a comprehensive evaluate of 'Hygiene in South Africa', the presidential tackle of Dr W. Watkins-Pitchford. The Transvaal Biological Society was inaugurated at a gathering held in Pretoria on 9 December 1907, convened by C.W. Howard and presided over by Arnold Theiler. A structure was adopted on 13 January 1908 and Theiler elected as president for the first 12 months. The society finally amalgamated with the South African Ornithologists' Union in 1916 to kind the South African Biological Society.

Thank you BirdLife South Africa for making attainable the impossible. I was sad to miss out on a beautiful expertise judging by the feedback of those who did participate. Having been on a previous Flock I can imagine the super emotional reward offered to those dr greg hough south africa that sailed this time. Birdlife SA does wonderful work, not solely in analysis and conservation but in addition enjoyment and tourism. Flock to Marion fill both necessities with fund raising as well. Wonderful expertise, excellent Guides that could ID sea birds with pace of flight!

Our secluded islands are uncommon gems and Birdlife SA have unlocked this treasure trove. Here’s wishing the Marion staff and Birdlife SA each success. Birdlife South Africa are totally conservation pushed. The epic Flock to Marion an enormous and magnificent journey finely tuned by organisers.

From comfort to nature and conservation with wonderful guiding with no hidden prices. A member of the family went on this as quickly as in a life time journey into the Roaring Forties where few dare to enterprise. BLSA must be congratulated for this unique expertise it supplied for therefore many individuals. It is superb and coronary heart warming that caring people exist – and particularly those that are persevering to fix the wrong that culminated by way of the years, devouring our treasured Nature. The “Flock to Marion 2022” tour is certainly an amazing venture to have raised funds for the invaluable work carried out and but to be done and beyond that, it is a genius approach to get public involved in things that they care about.

Once identified, nonetheless, folks dwelling with osteoporosis can make modifications that can help them live better. Osteoporosis may be managed, and with train, support and medication – which can prevent as a lot as 70% of fractures – sufferers can still get pleasure from fulfilling lives. There is way dr greg hough south africa that could be accomplished to enhance patient outcomes – by the patients themselves, but in addition by the policymakers, healthcare companies and medical aids. Many of us may have skilled the painful, life-changing effects of osteoporosis. The illness can significantly limit the quality of life for victims and those around them.

Liam Lacey gets Honours Awards for Water Polo. Dwayne Pharo will get Honours Awards for Athletics. Jenna Wright will get Honours Awards for Tennis. Aidan Chamberlain will get Honours Awards for Water Polo. On Thursday morning, 18 March 2021, the annual Neil Aggett Memorial Lecture was delivered at Kingswood College.

[prettymysticfalls]

2018 Oscars Predictions

I tried to watch almost all of the nominees. Sadly, I couldn’t watch them all, even though I did my best. First of all, I don’t watch documentaries, short films and animated films. I didn’t have time to watch all of the action/fantasy films nominated for visual effects. So, my predictions will be based on those films’ trailers. If you want to read my reviews, click on film titles to read. 

BEST PICTURE

Call Me by Your Name

Darkest Hour

Dunkirk

Get Out

Lady Bird

Phantom Thread

The Post

The Shape of Water

Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri

It is too hard to choose just one film, especially, when most of the nominees are so good. Personally, I can not choose among “Get Out”, “The Shape of Water” and “Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri”. However, I feel like "Three Billboards outside Ebbing Missouri” is my favorite. “Darkest Hour”, “Dunkirk”, “Lady Bird” and “Phantom Thread” seem like weak choices as the best picture. I don’t think the Academy will choose “Call Me by Your Name” because it would be like “Moonlight 2.0″. Also, I don’t think “The Post” will be chosen because it would be like “Spotlight 2.0″. If “Get Out” wins, it will really be a nice surprise but I don’t think it will happen. I wonder if “The Shape of Water” will be like “La La Land 2.0″ which means it might not win, even though it has a high chance of winning with 13 nominations - well, La La Land had 14 nominations - . Although “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri“ is my favorite, I’d still think it would win, if it weren’t my favorite. Especially, with the “Me, too” movement. The movie might sound problematic for some but it is because it’s black comedy. 

The battle: The Shape of Water VS. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

My personal choice: Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Dark horse: Get Out

Could win: The Shape of Water

Will win: Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

Timothée Chalamet - Call Me by Your Name

Daniel Day-Lewis - Phantom Thread

Daniel Kaluuya - Get Out

Gary Oldman - Darkest Hour

Denzel Washington - Roman J. Israel, Esq.

Timothée Chalamet was amazing as Elio, however, I don’t think he will be able to win the award. Denzel Washington was also good but I have seen better performances by him so I don’t think he’ll win either. Daniel Day-Lewis is my personal choice and he could win Oscar as a retirement gift. It seems like Gary Oldman’s everyone’s favorite or at least, everyone expects him to win. It seems like he has no competitor. However, I think, we all might be surprised with Daniel Kaluuya’s win. If he doesn’t win, it will be like Oscars so white. Besides the diverse thing, Daniel Kaluuya really deserves to win with his outstanding performance. He is a rising young talent for sure. 

The battle: Daniel Day-Lewis VS. Gary Oldman

My personal choice: Daniel Day-Lewis 

Dark horse: Daniel Kaluuya

Could win: Gary Oldman

Will win: Daniel Kaluuya

ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE

Sally Hawkins - The Shape of Water

Frances McDormand - Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri

Margot Robbie - I, Tonya

Saoirse Ronan - Lady Bird

Meryl Streep - The Post

Please, don’t let Meryl Streep win again. I find it personally boring, when previous Oscar winners keep winning Oscars because it is repetitive, even though they are so talented. I also don’t think Meryl was that amazing this time. Saoirse Ronan was good but she was not the best. Although she delivers a good performance each time, she always has this frozen, emotionless look. Sorry Saoirse, no offense taken, hopefully. Margot Robbie was much better than Saoirse Ronan in my opinion. For me, the best performances were delivered by Sally Hawkins and Frances McDormand. They were both fantastic. However, Frances McDormand was more fantastic. It seems like Frances McDormand’s only competitor is herself. 

The battle: Frances McDormand VS. Sally Hawkins

My personal choice: Frances McDormand

Dark horse: Margot Robbie

Could win: Sally Hawkins

Will win: Frances McDormand

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Willem Dafoe - The Florida Project

Woody Harrelson - Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri

Richard Jenkins - The Shape of Water

Christopher Plummer - All the Money in the World

Sam Rockwell - Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri

I couldn’t watch “All the Money in the World” so I only was able to watch Christopher Plummer’s performance in the trailer. From what I have seen, it looked good. Richard Jenkin’s performance was enjoyable but not the best. Woody Harrelson was much better than I expected. He really killed it. Sam Rockwell killed it more than him though. However, he has a rival and it is Willem Dafoe. To be frank, I’d say that Sam Rockwell would win it. However, I feel like the Academy might give Willem Dafoe an award because Frances McDormand is probably going to win Oscar. 

The battle: Sam Rockwell VS. Willem Dafoe 

My personal choice: Sam Rockwell

Dark horse: Woody Harrelson

Could win: Sam Rockwell

Will win: Willem Dafoe

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Mary J. Blige - Mudbound

Allison Janney - I, Tonya

Lesley Manville - Phantom Thread

Laurie Metcalf - Lady Bird

Octavia Spencer - The Shape of Water

If the Academy wants to avoid becoming a trending topic with the “#OscarsSoWhite” hashtag, either Mary J. Blige or Octavia Spencer will get Oscar. However, I don’t think their performances were as strong as the other three. Octavia Spencer is one of my favorite actresses but her role reminded me of some of her previous roles. It didn’t feel unique or different. Mary J. Blige was good but that was it. Lesley Manville’s performance was very good. She could be a wild card. However, I think, Allison Janney and Laurie Metcalf deserve to win more. Races of mothers! 

The battle: Allison Janney VS. Laurie Metcalf

My personal choice: Allison Janney

Dark horse: Lesley Manville

Could win: Laurie Metcalf

Will win: Allison Janney

CINEMATOGRAPHY

Blade Runner 2049 - Roger A. Deakins

Darkest Hour - Bruno Delbonnel

Dunkirk - Hoyte van Hoytema

Mudbound - Rachel Morrison

The Shape of Water - Dan Laustsen

The cinematography of “Darkest Hour” is the weakest out of those 5. “Mudbound”’s cinematography is good but it is just not the best. When I watched “Dunkirk”, I was like “whoa, that is the definition of cinematography”. However, it seems like “The Shape of Water” is favored more than “Dunkirk” in terms of cinematography. “Blade Runner 2049”’s cinematography is marvelous. It is a cinematic masterpiece. “The Shape of Water” is an adult fairytale, whereas “Blade Runner 2049″ is a neon-noir. 

The battle: Blade Runner 2049 VS. The Shape of Water

My personal choice: Dunkirk 

Dark horse: Dunkirk

Could win: The Shape of Water

Will win: Blade Runner 2049

COSTUME DESIGN

Beauty and the Beast - Jacqueline Durran

Darkest Hour - Jacqueline Durran

Phantom Thread - Mark Bridges

The Shape of Water - Luis Sequeira

Victoria & Abdul - Consolata Boyle

I fell in love with the dresses featured in “Phantom Thread”. So “Phantom Thread” deserves to win. The costumes featured in “Beauty and the Beast” were pretty but those seemed like digitally made which made me dislike them a bit. 

The battle: Phantom Thread VS. The Shape of Water

My personal choice: Phantom Thread

Dark horse: Beauty and the Beast

Could win: The Shape of Water

Will win: Phantom Thread

DIRECTING

Dunkirk - Christopher Nolan

Get Out - Jordan Peele

Lady Bird - Greta Gerwig

Phantom Thread - Paul Thomas Anderson

The Shape of Water - Guillermo del Toro

Choosing the best director is as hard as choosing the best picture. It is even harder because those 5 directors were all great. There were 2 directorial debuts, “Get Out” and “Lady Bird”, which were both splendid. If Greta Gerwig wins, it will be the second time that a woman has won Oscar as a director. As a woman, I would be really proud if Greta wins. However, if I have to be objective, Greta needs to direct a few more movies before winning it because Christopher Nolan and Guillermo del Toro were slightly better than her. Paul Thomas Anderson was just mediocre this time. For me, Christopher Nolan did wonders. However, it is not the best of him according to the critics. It looks like the odds are in favor of Guillermo del Toro this year. 

The battle: Christopher Nolan VS. Guillermo del Toro

My personal choice: Christopher Nolan

Dark horse: Greta Gerwig

Could win: Christopher Nolan

Will win: Guillermo del Toro

FILM EDITING

Baby Driver

Dunkirk

I, Tonya

The Shape of Water

Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri

It is told so many times that “Baby Driver” is edited so well. However, I just can not see the appeal. “Dunkirk” is much better edited than it, in my opinion. I think, neither “I, Tonya” nor “Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri” can win because their attempts to use CGI in a proper and realistic way failed. “I, Tonya” could be a little bit better at using CGI though. I believe “The Shape of Water” is edited beautifully.

The battle: Baby Driver VS. Dunkirk

My personal choice: The Shape of Water

Dark horse: The Shape of Water

Could win: Baby Driver

Will win: Dunkirk

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

A Fantastic Woman - Chile

The Insult - Lebanon

Loveless - Russia

On Body and Soul - Hungary

The Square - Sweden

This is so hard. All of these movies are more powerful than the best picture contenders. “A Fantastic Woman” is a very important movie which sheds light on trans issues. “The Square” is a social satire. It is a black comedy. It is hard to grasp but it is groundbreaking. 

The battle: A Fantastic Woman VS. The Square

My personal choice: The Square

Dark horse: Loveless

Could win: A Fantastic Woman

Will win: The Square

MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING

Darkest Hour - Kazuhiro Tsuji, David Malinowski and Lucy Sibbick

Victoria & Abdul - Daniel Phillips and Lou Sheppard

Wonder - Arjen Tuiten

It must have taken a lot of work to transform Gary Oldman into Winston Churchill, right? 

The battle: Darkest Hour VS. Wonder

My personal choice: Darkest Hour

Dark horse: Victoria & Abdul

Could win: Wonder

Will win: Darkest Hour

MUSIC (ORIGINAL SCORE)

Dunkirk - Hans Zimmer

Phantom Thread - Jonny Greenwood

The Shape of Water - Alexandre Desplat

Star Wars: The Last Jedi - John Williams

Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri - Carter Burwell

Whoa, this is really difficult. Besides John William’s score, all of those scores were pompous. I am aware that Hans Zimmer’s not everyone’s favorite, but I think he was really good. I really enjoyed Carter Burwell’s score but it might not be as strong as scores of Jonny Greenwood and Alexandre Desplat. I am really torn between Johnny Greenwood and Alexandre Desplat though. 

The battle: Jonny Greenwood VS. Alexandre Desplat 

My personal choice: Alexandre Desplat

Dark horse: Hans Zimmer

Could win: Jonny Greenwood

Will win: Alexandre Desplat

MUSIC (ORIGINAL SONG)

"Mighty River" from Mudbound, Music and Lyric by Mary J. Blige, Raphael Saadiq and Taura Stinson

"Mystery Of Love" from Call Me by Your Name, Music and Lyric by Sufjan Stevens

"Remember Me" from Coco, Music and Lyric by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez

"Stand Up For Something" from Marshall, Music by Diane Warren; Lyric by Lonnie R. Lynn and Diane Warren

"This Is Me" from The Greatest Showman, Music and Lyric by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul

“Mighty River” is a terrific song but it is really underrated. “Stand Up for Something” feels like “Glory 2.0″. “This is Me” is just okay. Some might think “Mystery of Love” is overrated but I think, it is “Remember Me” which is overrated. “Mystery of Love” delivers more feels than “Remember Me”. To be honest, “Remember Me” and “This Is Me” are the worst songs out of those 5.

The battle: Remember Me VS. This Is Me

My personal choice: Mystery of Love

Dark horse: Mystery of Love

Could win: This Is Me

Will win: Mystery of Love

PRODUCTION DESIGN

Beauty and the Beast - Production Design: Sarah Greenwood; Set Decoration: Katie Spencer

Blade Runner 2049 - Production Design: Dennis Gassner; Set Decoration: Alessandra Querzola

Darkest Hour - Production Design: Sarah Greenwood; Set Decoration: Katie Spencer

Dunkirk - Production Design: Nathan Crowley; Set Decoration: Gary Fettis

The Shape of Water - Production Design: Paul Denham Austerberry; Set Decoration: Shane Vieau and Jeff Melvin

I really can’t decide between “Blade Runner 2049″ and “The Shape of Water”. Those two have the best production design in my opinion. 

The battle: Blade Runner 2049 VS. The Shape of Water

My personal choice: Blade Runner 2049

Dark horse: Beauty and the Beast

Could win: Blade Runner 2049

Will win: The Shape of Water

SOUND EDITING

Baby Driver

Blade Runner 2049

Dunkirk

The Shape of Water

Star Wars: The Last Jedi

I didn’t watch the Star Wars so I really can’t say much about it. 

The battle: Baby Driver VS. Dunkirk

My personal choice: Dunkirk

Dark horse: Blade Runner 2049

Could win: Dunkirk

Will win: Blade Runner 2049

SOUND MIXING

Baby Driver

Blade Runner 2049

Dunkirk

The Shape of Water

Star Wars: The Last Jedi

The battle: Baby Driver VS. Dunkirk

My personal choice: Dunkirk

Dark horse: The Shape of Water

Could win: Baby Driver

Will win: Dunkirk

VISUAL EFFECTS

Blade Runner 2049

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

Kong: Skull Island

Star Wars: The Last Jedi

War for the Planet of the Apes

I only watched “Blade Runner 2049″ and I watched the trailers of the rest. 

The battle: Blade Runner 2049 VS. War for the Planet of the Apes

My personal choice: Blade Runner 2049

Dark horse: Star Wars: The Last Jedi

Could win: War for the Planet of the Apes

Will win: Blade Runner 2049

WRITING (ADAPTED SCREENPLAY)

Call Me by Your Name

The Disaster Artist

Logan

Molly's Game

Mudbound

“The Disaster Artist” and “Molly’s Game” may be the weakest screenplays here. I haven’t watched “Logan” but I heard a lot of praises about it. I don’t know if the Academy would like to choose a Netflix movie’s screenplay as a winner but “Mudbound”’s screenplay definitely deserves more appreciation and recognition. However, it looks like “Call Me by Your Name” will win for sure and it should win.

The battle: Call Me by Your Name VS. Mudbound

My personal choice: Call Me by Your Name

Dark horse: Logan

Could win: Mudbound

Will win: Call Me by Your Name

WRITING (ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY)

The Big Sick

Get Out

Lady Bird

The Shape of Water

Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri

Some say that the “Shape of Water”’s screenplay is plagiarized. Therefore, the Academy might avoid calling it winner. “The Big Sick” is entertaining but I don’t think it really deserves to win. “Lady Bird” is good but it is not something extraordinary, even though it seems to be majority of people’s favorite. “Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri” is a black comedy which is hard to comprehend for some people. “Get Out” is a political satire with thriller element. It is a tough one. 

The battle: Get Out VS. Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri

My personal choice: Get Out

Dark horse: Lady Bird

Could win: Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri

Will win: Get Out

Are you excited for Oscars? Who and what are your favorites? 

P.S. If you have a letterboxd account, you can check out my post there, too! 

[mykonet]

Psychedelics and Creative Destruction

Psychedelic drugs have a deep connection to the arts, and by now everyone knows Silicon Valley is crawling with illicit drug users. Steve Jobs said LSD helped him innovate during the early days of Apple. Since then, leaders in the tech world felt comfortable speaking to the benefits of psychedelics. In particular, Silicon valley leaders discuss psychedelics as  “practical tools for harnessing creativity and solving complex problems."

Bouncing back from adversities like the pandemic requires creative thinking. Therefore, creativity is a fundamental part of building resilience in individuals and teams. Creativity should be a top priority among business leaders and strategists.

Innovation drives the economy, and it can make or break a company or a career. It’s obvious creativity and innovation go hand-in-hand, which is why leaders invest in tools and techniques that drive innovation, such as psychedelics.

The evidence supporting the efficacy of these incredible compounds isn’t just anecdotal. Neuroscience research is finally able to show why psychedelics are associated with enhanced creativity.

Whether for solving complex problems, plotting out strategic growth, or becoming more innovative, psychedelics will eventually play a valuable role in business. This article will provide an overview of the neuroscience research showing exactly how psychedelics create the brain states optimal for creativity. Then, we will discuss specific applications for business leaders and entrepreneurs.

What Makes Psychedelics So Special?

Psychedelics are unlike any other psychoactive agent. They induce non-ordinary states of consciousness that cause us to see ourselves and the world differently. Even in tiny, sub-perceptual doses, psychedelics can lead to important changes to affect and cognition. Those changes can reduce some of the common impediments to creativity, from depression to closed-mindedness.

Divergent Thinking

Generating new ideas, even bad ones, is an essential part of the creative process. As soon as we shut off the inner critic and let our mind roam free, we can free-associate during the early phases of the creative process. When we are in the idea generating stage, we engage what is known as divergent thinking: thinking outside the box.

Flexible divergent thinking is what we engage during a brainstorming session; it is also engaged when we leverage our resources during a crisis.

Divergent thinking and creativity can be detected in brain scans. Neuroimaging data shows the psychedelic state is characterized by  “cognitive flexibility” and “unconstrained and hyperassociative mode of cognition.” Hyperassociations are reflected neatly in the famous fMRI images of two brains: one with and one without psilocybin. Taking psychedelics, people are more prone to making connections between disparate concepts.

How do they work? Depending on its mechanism of action, a psychedelic compound may loosen the chains on the brain’s default mode network, responsible for maintaining our stable ego identity and our global schemas. Inhibitions and taboos fly out the window, and we allow into our minds all sorts of weird and possibly wonderful thoughts. We may also enter the elusive flow state when we use psychedelics.

Isn’t It Just A Hallucination?

Under the influence of psychedelics, a person sees reality differently—sometimes literally. You might think that the creativity enhancement is due to hallucinations. However, microdosing studies show that hallucinations are not correlates of creativity. When you microdose, you take such a small amount of the substance that you barely feel it. You certainly do not hallucinate. What’s the point of that? Well, for one, you can still go to work.

Also, preliminary empirical studies have been showing that microdosing leads to enhanced creativity and openness, coupled with increased positive affect and reduced negative affect. Perfect for innovation in workgroups. You don’t need to have an intense trip to gain access to creative states. Perhaps some people react better to the microdose, which can give you just enough to loosen the ball and chain of the ego without letting go of the tether altogether.

Psychedelics may enhance group cohesion. The mind is more malleable in the psychedelic state, making people more open and more empathetic during and after the use of psychedelic medicines. We become less dismissive of our own ideas, as well as those that come from other people. That empathy is critical among diverse teams. When they are administered under clinical supervision, psychedelics have been shown to increase propensity towards positive emotions and reduce negative ones. The trends in the research seem consistent, too, making it more certain that psychedelics will play no small role in creating  new ethical standards in the public and private sector.

Deep Learning, Deep Change

The new ideas and innovative solutions that come from divergent thinking do not necessarily require the additional deep thinking that a more profound and lasting change might require. Deep thinking involves the existential questions, which do tend to arise almost universally when people do psychedelics. As they inhibit default mode network activity, psychedelics can lead to profound and “lasting changes” in values, personality, identity, or worldview.

Moreover, the changes that do occur within the psyche tend to be positive, healthy ones—qualified by prosocial behaviors and beliefs. All of this research points to the value of employing psychedelics to drive systems change. Part of the reason for these lasting changes is that psychedelics have a dramatic effect on what a person finds meaningful: what we value, what we pay attention to, and what we spend resources on. For many, the pandemic caused a similar soul searching. Psychedelic-assisted therapies can help business leaders navigate the tricky terrain ahead skillfully enough to emerge at the forefront of the new economy.

Some leaders want to get a head start on envisioning the future so that they retain a competitive advantage. Even if they do not always lead to “great creative feats,” psychedelics do have a proven impact on enhancing creativity in individuals and groups.

Getting that head start requires deep creative thinking, which can be catalyzed by psychedelics. Psychedelic-assisted therapies can be combined with mindfulness and other techniques that allow for honest self-reflection and genuine humility. The leader can better recognize what changes are required “to achieve transformation, systemic change, and a more sustainable future for all.”

Mental Hygiene

Finally, it should be mentioned that psychedelic-assisted therapies may be critical for midwifing creative projects. Because psychedelics are an effective treatment for depression, anxiety, PTSD, and other mental health disorders, they enhance individual and group performance. Psychedelics can promote resilience within organizations, enhancing creative problem solving, resourcefulness, flexibility, and adaptability. Psychedelics can breed sustainable organizational cultures and structures that thrive with diversity.  Given their ability to stimulate the processes in the brain responsible for flexible divergent thinking, psychedelics can promote global resilience in the face of natural or man-made disasters.

Conclusion

Creative destruction is embedded in the free market economy. Innovate or die. Change your strategy or risk being eaten. Like entrepreneurs, engineers relish innovation. Their products are often market disruptors. Psychedelics are poised to become disruptors, too. Consider how you might start integrating psychedelic-assisted coaching, training, and therapies into your strategy for success.

References

Anderson, T., Petranker, R., Rosenbaum, D., et al. (2019). Microdosing psychedelics: personality, mental health, and creativity differences in microdosers. Psychopharmacology 236(2019): 731-740.

Csermely, P. (2017). The network concept of creativity and deep thinking. Gifted Child Quarterly, 1-8.

Doblin, R., Christiansen, M., Jerome, L., et al. (2019). The past and future of psychedelic science. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs 51(2): 93-97. Retrieved from: https://doi.org/10.1080/02791072.2019.1606472

Gallimore, A.R. (2015). Restructuring consciousness –the psychedelic state in light of integrated information theory. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 9(346): DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2015.00346

Girn, Mills, Roseman, et al., 2020, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1053811920302135

Hartogsohn, I. (2018). The meaning-enhancing properties of psychedelics and their mediator role in psychedelic therapy. Frontiers in Neuroscience. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2018.00129

Hughes, D.J., Lee, A., Tian, A. W., et al. (2018). Leadership, creativity, and innovation: A critical review and practical recommendations. The Leadership Quarterly 29(5): 549-569. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2018.03.001

Kuypers, K.P.C. (2018). Out of the box: A psychedelic model to study the creative mind. Medical Hypotheses 115(2018): 13-16.

Lundberg, H., Sutherland, I., Blazek, P., et al. (2014). The emergence of creativity, innovation, and leadership in micro-level social interactions and how to research it. International Journal of Industrial Engineering and Management (IJIEM) 5(4): 221-232.

Mason, N. L., E. Mischler, M. V. Uthaug, and K. P. C. Kuypers. 2019. Sub-acute effects of psilocybin on empathy, creative thinking, and subjective well-being. J Psychoactive Drugs 51 (02):123–134. doi:10.1080/02791072.2019.1580804.

Metzl, E.S. & Morrell, M.A. (2008). The role of creativity in models of resilience. Journal of Creativity in Mental Health, 3:3, 303-318, DOI: 10.1080/15401380802385228

Nillsson, M. (2020). Catalysts for transformation : a systematic literature review exploring the interlinkages and potential role of classic psychedelics to social-ecological sustainability. Master Thesis Series in Environmental Studies and Sustainability. (Lund University Centre for Sustainability Studies).  http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9031164

Prochazkova, L., Lippelt, D.P., Colzato, L.S., et al. (2018). Exploring the effect of microdosing psychedelics on creativity in an open-label natural setting. Psychopharmacology 235(2018): 3401-3413.

Sadlo G. (2016). Towards a neurobiological understanding of reduced self-awareness during flow: An occupational science perspective. In: Harmat L., Ørsted Andersen F., Ullén F., Wright J., Sadlo G. (eds) Flow Experience. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-28634-1_22

Yakowicz, W. (n.d.). Silicon Valley’s best-kept productivity secret: psychedelic dreugs. Inc. Retrieved from: https://www.inc.com/will-yakowicz/entrepreneurs-use-lsd-psilocybin-to-boost-creativity.html

[skonnaris]

Books I’ve Read: 2006-2019

Alexie, Sherman - Flight

Anderson, Joan - A Second Journey

                          - An Unfinished Marriage

                          - A Walk on the Beach

                          - A Year By The Sea

Anshaw, Carol - Carry the One

Auden, W.H. - The Selected Poems of W.H. Auden

Austen, Jane - Pride and Prejudice

Bach, Richard - Jonathan Livingston Seagull

Bear, Donald R - Words Their Way

Berg, Elizabeth - Open House

Bly, Nellie - Ten Days in a Madhouse

Bradbury, Ray - Fahrenheit 451

                        - The Martian Chronicles

Brooks, David - The Road to Character

Brooks, Geraldine - Caleb’s Crossing

Brown, Dan - The Da Vinci Code

Bryson, Bill - The Lost Continent

Burnett, Frances Hodgson - The Secret Garden

Buscaglia, Leo - Bus 9 to Paradise

                         - Living, Loving & Learning

                         - Personhood

                         - Seven Stories of Christmas Love

Byrne, Rhonda - The Secret

Carlson, Richard - Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff

Carson, Rachel - The Sense of Wonder

                          - Silent Spring

Cervantes, Miguel de - Don Quixote

Cherry, Lynne - The Greek Kapok Tree

Chopin, Karen - The Awakening

Clurman, Harold - The Fervent Years: The Group Theatre & the 30s

Coelho, Paulo -  Adultery

                           The Alchemist

Conklin, Tara - The Last Romantics

Conroy, Pat - Beach Music

                    - The Death of Santini: The Story of a Father and His Son

                    - The Great Santini

                    - The Lords of Discipline

                    - The Prince of Tides

                    - The Water is Wide

Corelli, Marie - A Romance of Two Worlds

Delderfield, R.F. - To Serve Them All My Days

Dempsey, Janet - Washington’s Last Contonment: High Time for a Peace

Dewey, John - Experience and Education

Dickens, Charles - A Christmas Carol

                             - Great Expectations

                             - A Tale of Two Cities

Didion, Joan - The Year of Magical Thinking

Disraeli, Benjamin - Sybil

Doctorow, E.L. - Andrew’s Brain

                         - Ragtime

Doerr, Anthony - All the Light We Cannot See

Dreiser, Theodore - Sister Carrie 

Dyer, Wayne - Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Life

                     - The Power of Intention

                     - Your Erroneous Zones

Edwards, Kim - The Memory Keeper’s Daughter

Ellis, Joseph J. - His Excellency: George Washington

Ellison, Ralph - The Invisible Man

Emerson, Ralph Waldo - Essays and Lectures

Felkner, Donald W. - Building Positive Self Concepts

Fergus, Jim - One Thousand White Women

Flynn, Gillian - Gone Girl

Follett, Ken - Pillars of the Earth

Frank, Anne - The Diary of a Young Girl

Freud, Sigmund - The Interpretation of Dreams

Frey, James - A Million Little Pieces

Fromm, Erich - The Art of Loving

                       - Escape from Freedom

Fulghum, Robert - All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten

Fuller, Alexandra - Leaving Before the Rains Come

Garield, David - The Actors Studion: A Player’s Place

Gates, Melinda - The Moment of Lift

Gibran, Kahlil - The Prophet

Gilbert, Elizabeth - Eat, Pray, Love

                            - The Last American Man

                            - The Signature of All Things

Ginsburg, Ruth Bader - My Own Words

Girzone, Joseph F, - Joshua

                               - Joshua and the Children

Gladwell, Malcom - Blink

                              - David and Goliath

                              - Outliers

                              - The Tipping Point

                              - Talking to Strangers

Glass, Julia - Three Junes

Goodall, Jane - Reason for Hope

Goodwin, Doris Kearnes - Team of Rivals

Graham, Steve - Best Practices in Writing Instruction

Gray, John - Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus

Groom, Winston - Forrest Gump

Gruen, Sarah - Water for Elephants

Hannah, Kristin - The Great Alone

                          - The Nightingale

Harvey, Stephanie and Anne Goudvis - Strategies That Work

Hawkins, Paula - The Girl on the Train

Hedges, Chris - Empire of Illusion

Hellman, Lillian - Maybe

                         - Pentimento

Hemingway - Ernest - A Moveable Feast

Hendrix, Harville - Getting the Love You Want

Hesse, Hermann - Demian

                            - Narcissus and Goldmund

                            - Peter Camenzind

                            - Siddhartha

                            - Steppenwolf

Hilderbrand, Elin - The Beach Club

Hitchens, Christopher - God is Not Great

Hoffman, Abbie - Soon to be a Major Motion Picture 

                          - Steal This Book

Holt, John - How Children Fail

                  - How Children Learn

                 - Learning All the Time

                 - Never Too Late

Hopkins, Joseph - The American Transcendentalist

Horney, Karen - Feminine Psychology

                        - Neurosis and Human Growth

                        - The Neurotic Personality of Our Time

                        - New Ways in Psychoanalysis

                        - Our Inner Conflicts

                        - Self Analysis

Hosseini, Khaled - The Kite Runner

Hoover, John J, Leonard M. Baca, Janette K. Klingner - Why Do English Learners Struggle with Reading?

Janouch, Gustav - Conversations with Kafka

Jefferson, Thomas - Crusade Against Ignorance

Jong, Erica - Fear of Dying

Joyce, Rachel - The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy

                       - The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry

Kafka, Franz - Amerika

                      - Metamophosis

                      - The Trial     

Kallos, Stephanie - Broken For You  

Kazantzakis, Nikos - Zorba the Greek

Keaton, Diane - Then Again

Kelly, Martha Hall - The Lilac Girls

Keyes, Daniel - Flowers for Algernon

King, Steven - On Writing

Kornfield, Jack - Bringing Home the Dharma

Kraft, Herbert - The Indians of Lenapehoking - The Lenape or Delaware Indians: The Original People of NJ, Southeastern New York State, Eastern Pennsylvania, Northern Delaware and Parts of Western Connecticut

Kundera, Milan - The Unbearable Lightness of Being

Lacayo, Richard - Native Son

Lamott, Anne - Bird by Bird

                         Word by Word

L’Engle, Madeleine - A Wrinkle in Time

Lahiri, Jhumpa - The Namesake

Lappe, Frances Moore - Diet for a Small Planet

Lee, Harper - To Kill a Mockingbird

Lems, Kristin et al  - Building Literacy with English Language Learners

Lewis, Sinclair - Main Street

London, Jack - The Call of the Wild

Lowry, Lois - The Giver

Mander, Jerry - Four Arguments for the Elimination of Television

Marks, John D. - The Search for the Manchurian Candidate: The CIA and Mind         Control

Martel, Yann - Life of Pi

Maslow, Abraham - The Farther Reaches of Human Nature

                              - Motivation and Personality

                              - Religions, Values, and Peak Experiences

                             - Toward a Psychology of Being                            

Maugham. W. Somerset - Of Human Bondage

                                        - Christmas Holiday

Maurier, Daphne du - Rebecca

Mayes, Frances - Under the Tuscan Sun

Mayle, Peter - A Year in Provence

McCourt, Frank - Angela’s Ashes

                          - Teacher man

McCullough, David - 1776

                                - Brave Companions

McEwan, Ian - Atonement

                      - Saturday

McLaughlin, Emma - The Nanny Diaries

McLuhan, Marshall - Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man

Meissner, Susan - The Fall of Marigolds

Millman, Dan - Way of the Peaceful Warrior

Moehringer, J.R. - The Tender Bar

Moon, Elizabeth - The Speed of Dark

Moriarty, Liane - The Husband’s Sister

                         - The Last Anniversary

                         - What Alice Forgot

Mortenson, Greg - Three Cups of Tea

Moyes, Jo Jo - One Plus One

                       - Me Before You 

Ng, Celeste - Little Fires Everywhere

Neill, A.S. - Summerhill

Noah, Trevor - Born a Crime

O’Dell, Scott - Island of the Blue Dolphins

Offerman, Nick - Gumption

O’Neill, Eugene - Long Day’s Journey Into Night

                            A Touch of the Poet

Orwell, George - Animal Farm

Owens, Delia - Where the Crawdads Sing

Paulus, Trina - Hope for the Flowers

Pausch, Randy - The Last Lecture

Patchett, Ann - The Dutch House

Peck, Scott M. - The Road Less Traveled

                         - The Road Less Traveled and Beyond

Paterson, Katherine - Bridge to Teribithia

Picoult, Jodi - My Sister’s Keeper

Pirsig, Robert - Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

Puzo, Mario - The Godfather

Quindlen, Anna - Black and Blue

Radish, Kris - Annie Freeman’s Fabulous Traveling Funeral

Redfield, James - The Celestine Prophecy

Rickert, Mary - The Memory Garden

Rogers, Carl - On Becoming a Person

Ruiz, Miguel - The Fifth Agreement

                     - The Four Agreements

                     - The Mastery of Love

Rum, Etaf - A Woman is No Man

Saint-Exupery, Antoine de - The Little Prince

Salinger, J.D. - Catcher in the Rye

Schumacher, E.F. - Small is Beautiful

Sebold, Alice - The Almost Moon

                       - The Lovely Bones

Shaffer, Mary Ann and Anne Barrows - The Gurnsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

Shakespeare, William - Alls Well That Ends Well

                                   - Much Ado About Nothing

                                   - Romeo and Juliet

                                   - The Sonnets

                                   - The Taming of the Shrew

                                   - Twelfth Night

                                   - Two Gentlemen of Verona

Sides, Hampton - Hellhound on his Trail: The Stalking of Martin Luther King, Jr. and the International Hunt for His Assassin

Silverstein, Shel - The Giving Tree

Skinner, B.F. - About Behaviorism

Smith, Betty - A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

Snyder, Zilpha Keatley - The Velvet Room

Spinelli, Jerry - Loser

Spolin, Viola - Improvisation for the Theater

Stanislavski, Constantin - An Actor Prepares

Stedman, M.L. - The Light Between Oceans

Steinbeck, John - Travels with Charley

Steiner, Peter - The Terrorist

Stockett, Kathryn - The Help

Strayer, Cheryl - Wild

Streatfeild, Dominic - Brainwash

Strout, Elizabeth - My Name is Lucy Barton

Tartt, Donna - The Goldfinch

Taylor, Kathleen - Brainwashing: The Science of Thought Control

Thomas, Matthew - We Are Not Ourselves

Thoreau, Henry David - Walden

Tolle, Eckhart - A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose

                      - The Power of Now

Towles, Amor - A Gentleman in Moscow

                       - Rules of Civility

Tracey, Diane and Lesley Morrow - Lenses on Reading

Traub, Nina - Recipe for Reading

Tzu, Lao - Tao Te Ching

United States Congress - Project MKULTRA, the CIA's program of research in behavioral modification: Joint hearing before the Select Committee on Intelligence and the ... Congress, first session, August 3, 1977

Van Allsburg, Chris - Just a Dream

                                - Polar Express

                                - Sweet Dreams

                                - Stranger

                                - Two Bad Ants

Walker, Alice - The Color Purple

Waller, Robert James - Bridges of Madison County

Warren, Elizabeth - A Fighting Chance

Waugh, Evelyn - Brideshead Revisited

Weir, Andy - The Martian

Weinstein, Harvey M. - Father, Son and CIA

Welles, Rebecca - The Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood

Westover, Tara - Educated

White, E.B. - Charlotte’s Web

Wilde, Oscar - The Picture of Dorien Gray

Wolfe, Tom - I Am Charlotte Simmons

Wolitzer, Meg - The Female Persuasion

Woolf, Virginia - Mrs. Dalloway

Zevin, Gabrielle - The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry

Zusak, Marcus - The Book Thief

[tiddyanderson]

I was tagged by @paigiieee Thank you so much! Sorry it took me so long to get done I read yours at like, 1 AM and then fell back asleep and almost forgot! I’m putting it under a read more so I don’t clutter anyone’s dash 💙

a-age: 18

b-birthplace: Indiana

c-current time: 4:00 PM

d-drink you last had: Water

e-easiest person to talk to: My best friend. My favorite person. My constant and my touchstone @stormyweatheer

f-favorite song: This changes constantly but right now it’s the acoustic version of On Our Way by Lana Del Rey

g-grossest memory: When I was a baby I was sitting on my grandma’s couch at Christmas and in the video you can see me start to sway and then I just hurl all over the place

h-horror yes or horror no: YES

i-in love?: 👀

j-jealous of people?: Sometimes. It’s part of being human.

k- uhhhhh

l-love at first sight or should I walk by again?: Love at first sight

m-middle name: Ann

n-number of siblings: 2

o-one wish: That Gillian Anderson and Stevie Nicks are healthy and happy

p-person you called last: My mom

q-question you are always asked: “How old are you?”

r-reason to smile: Lots of reasons! Cats, good books, snow, hot chocolate, rain, ice cream, rainbows, pretty sunsets, perfect bubble baths.....

s-song you last sang: Seven Wonders - Fleetwood Mac

t-time you woke Around 1 AM and then I fell back asleep around I think 10ish and woke up around noon

u-underwear color: White

v-vacation destination: The ocean

w-worst habit: God so many things. Forgetting to text people back, chewing on my lips, biting my fingernails.....I’m a big ‘ol mess

x-x-rays: I got one on my right arm when I sprained my wrist back in 5th grade

y-your favorite food: Spaghetti

z-zodiac sign: Cancer

I’ll tag @continuouslimerence @macwoodflac @rosequartzstan and @xf-fan1993

[dominik528]

Books I've Read in 2019

1. The Girl Who Fell From the Sky by Heidi W. Durrow - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (review)

2. Too Many Tamales by Gary Soto & Ed Martinez - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (review)

3. Flossie & the Fox by Patricia C. McKissack - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (review)

4. Leyla: The Black Tulip by Alex Lyter Croutier - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (review)

5. Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (review)

6. The Help by Kathryn Stockett - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (review)

7. The Wrath & the Dawn by Renée Ahdieh - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐(review)

8. The Rose & the Dagger by Renée Ahdieh - ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (review)

9. Frog and Toad: Storybook Treasury by Arnold Lobel - ⭐⭐⭐⭐

10. Kindred: A Graphic Novel Adaptation by Damian Duffy & Octavia E. Butler - ⭐⭐⭐⭐

11. Maurice by E.M. Forster - ⭐⭐⭐⭐

12. All-American Boys by Jason Reynolds & Brendan Kiely - ⭐⭐⭐⭐

13. Boondocks: A Right to be Hostile by Aaron McGruder - ⭐⭐⭐⭐

14. Girls Made of Snow & Glass by Melissa Bashardoust - ⭐⭐⭐⭐

15. Winterspell by Claire Legrand - ⭐⭐⭐⭐

16. Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys - ⭐⭐⭐⭐

17. The Complete Peanuts, Vol. 7 & 8 by Charles Schulz - ⭐⭐⭐⭐

18. Kathleen: The Celtic Knot by Siobhán Parkinson - ⭐⭐⭐⭐

19. Saba: Under the Hyena's Foot by Jane Kurtz - ⭐⭐⭐⭐

20. Archie, Vol. 3 & 4 by Mark Waid - ⭐⭐⭐⭐

21. The Price of Salt by Patricia Highsmith - ⭐⭐⭐⭐

22. Color Purple by Alice Walker - ⭐⭐⭐⭐

23. Keeping You a Secret by Julie Anne Walker - ⭐⭐⭐⭐

24. Notes on a Scandal by Zoë Heller - ⭐⭐⭐⭐

25. Moxie by Jennifer Mathieu - ⭐⭐⭐⭐

26. The Marvels by Brian Selznick - ⭐⭐⭐⭐

27. I Lived on Butterfly Hill by Marjorie Agosín - ⭐⭐⭐⭐

28. Something Like Fate by Susane Colasanti - ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (review)

29. Speak & Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson - ⭐⭐⭐⭐

30. Wonder Woman, Vol. 1: Blood by Brian Azzarello - ⭐⭐⭐⭐

31. To Die For by Joyce Maynard- ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (review)

32. Freaky Green Eyes by Joyce Carol Oates- ⭐⭐⭐⭐

33. That's Not What Happened by Kody Keplinger - ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (review)

34. Little Bear by Else Holmelund Minarik - ⭐⭐⭐⭐

35. In a Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware - ⭐⭐⭐⭐

36. True Story of the 3 Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka- ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (review)

37. Swan Song by Robert McCammon - ⭐⭐⭐⭐

38. Dairy Queen by Catherine Gilbert Murdock - ⭐⭐⭐⭐

39. How to Build a Girl by Caitlin Moran - ⭐⭐⭐⭐

40. Shatter Me & Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi- ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (review)

41. Looking Glass Wars & Seeing Redd by Frank Beddor - ⭐⭐⭐⭐

42. xxxHolic, Omnibus 1 - 3 by CLAMP - ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (review)

43. 11 Birthdays by Wendy Mass - ⭐⭐⭐⭐

44. A Court of Thorns & Roses by Sarah J. Maas - ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (review)

45. A Court of Mist & Fury & A Court of Wings & Ruin by Sarah J. Maas - ⭐⭐⭐ (review)

46. Ignite Me by Tahereh Mafi - ⭐⭐⭐ - (review)

47. Lady of the Rivers by Philippa Gregory- ⭐⭐⭐ (review)

48. Tiger Lily by Jodie Lynn Anderson - ⭐⭐⭐ (review)

49. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas- ⭐⭐⭐ (review)

50. Dear Martin by Nic Stone - ⭐⭐⭐

51. Lincoln by Gore Vidal - ⭐⭐⭐

52. Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys - ⭐⭐⭐

53. The Girls by Emma Cline - ⭐⭐⭐ (review)

54. We Were Liars by E. Lockhart - ⭐⭐⭐

55. Tampa by Alissa Nutting - ⭐⭐⭐ (review)

56. I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika L. Sanchez- ⭐⭐⭐ (review)

57. Sway by Zachary Lazar- ⭐⭐⭐ (review)

58. Wonder Woman: Steve Trevor by Tim Seeley- ⭐⭐⭐ (review)

59. xxxHolic Omnibus vol. 4 by CLAMP- ⭐⭐⭐

60. Firestarter by Stephen King - ⭐⭐⭐

61. Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein by Kiersten White - ⭐⭐⭐

62. Radiant Darkness by Emily Whitman - ⭐⭐⭐

63. Captain Marvel: Higher, Further, Faster by Liza Palmer - ⭐⭐⭐ (review)

64. Dracula by Bram Stoker - ⭐⭐⭐

65. Angels & Demons by Dan Brown - ⭐⭐⭐

66. Agent Undercover & Agent's Redemption by Lisa Childs - ⭐⭐ (review)

67. Burr by Gore Vidal - ⭐⭐ (review)

68. Someone Like You by Sarah Dessen - ⭐⭐ (review)

69. Beatlebone by Kevin Barry - ⭐⭐