#icons John Steinbeck

[tsukiqumi]

and icons to match the headers!

250x250

free to use, credit appreciated!

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

* * * *

“But the Hebrew word, the word timshel—‘Thou mayest’— that gives a choice. It might be the most important word in the world. That says the way is open. That throws it right back on a man. For if ‘Thou mayest’—it is also true that ‘Thou mayest not.”

― John Steinbeck, East of Eden

Master of the Osservanza Triptych - The Birth of the Virgin with Other Scenes From Her Life. Detail. 1428 - 1439

[nevertoparadise]

the ultimate girl blogger guide

disclaimer: these are my own personal preferences. this “guide” is supposed to be a fun little board where I recollect all my favourite little things and connect them all together. this could be used for inspiration to anyone who wishes to understand the life of a rotting girl blogger with daddy issues who’s addicted to cinema and music (aka me). this is actually just an excuse to introduce myself.

୨୧ movies: the virgin suicides, girl interrupted, buffalo 66, marie antoinette, palo alto, priscilla, malena, kids (1995), waves, gone girl, pearl, the love witch, black swan, prozac nation, white oleander, sharing the secret, valley of the dolls, christiane f, helter skelter, vivre sa vie, a woman is a woman, to the bone, sixteen candles, lolita, melancholia, billy elliot, speak

୨୧ music artists: lana del rey (lizzy grant), amy winehouse, radiohead, air, jeff buckley, mazzy star, fleetwood mac, slowdive, cocteau twins, sade, hole, the cure, pink floyd, led zeppelin, sex pistols, nirvana, massive attack, lalleshwari, black box recorder, autumn’s grey solace, oasis, beach house, nicole dollanganger, heart, boris, you’ll never get to heaven

୨୧ albums: ultraviolence, blue banisters, did you know that there’s a tunnel under ocean blvd (lana del rey), in rainbows, amnesiac (radiohead), grace (jeff buckley), moon safari (air), bare trees, kiln house (fleetwood mac), after hours (sarah vaughan), so tonight that I might see, among my swan (mazzy star), within the depths of a darkened forest (autumn’s grey solace), live through this, celebrity skin (hole), mezzanine (massive attack), surrealistic pillow (jefferson airplane), tell mama (etta james), seventeen seconds (the cure), the wall, wish you were here (pink floyd), mothership (led zeppelin), how does that grab you? (nancy sinatra), planet waves (bob dylan), blonde (frank ocean)

୨୧ books: the bell jar (sylvia plath), the perks of being a wallflower (stephen chbosky), lolita (vladimir nabokov), white nights (fyodor dostoevsky), the virgin suicides (jeffrey eugenides), girl interrupted (susanna kaysen), speak (laurie halse anderson), metamorphosis (franz kafka), of human freedom (epictetus), elvis and me (priscilla beaulieu), a room of one’s own (virginia woolf), madame bovary (charles flaubert), devotions (mary oliver), east of eden (john steinbeck), the stranger (albert camus), i malavoglia (giovanni verga), i who have never known men (jacqueline harpman)

୨୧ girl blogger icons: lana del rey (lizzy grant!!), sofia coppola, kirsten dunst, lily rose-depp, alana champion, nina sayers, effy stonem, amy dunne, lux lisbon, layla (buffalo 66), karissa love, nicole dollanganger, snejana onopka, vlada roslyakova, alida simone

thank you for reading, xoxo

[zestylemonsz]

bc it's almost the last day of pride (my time) I'm now going to give you all my pride hc for bsd characters whether you like it or not.

also their names are either first name/ last name or last name/ first name

also I don't use neos and don't know how they work. so there isn't many neo mentions.

no I don't stick to these all the time!! thoughts and opinions change.

and silly ™ for the characters at pride

for some reason the TM doesn't work anymore (no storage probably) so I'll probably just use TM instead lmao

Ada:

Fukuzawa Yukichi/

he/him.

asexual. panromantic. cisgender. #1 dad hugs at pride™

Osamu Dazai/

he/they. she/her when silly. bisexual. genderfluid (bigender or trigender specifically). at pride just to argue with the pride protestors. wears heels and dresses to make the homophobes angry™

Kunikida Doppo/

he/she/they. (< in that order) his preferred pronouns change a lot. asexual. demiromantic. biromantic. also genderfluid.

screams about how queer and trans rights are human rights, very proud, wears a bunch of pins™

Ranpo Edogawa/

he/him. gay. cisgender. goes to pride with poe just to hold hands with them the whole time TM

Yosano Akiko/

she/her. lesbian. cisgender. probably in a corner at pride drinking wine™

Atsushi Nakajima/

he/they. biromantic. asexual. doesn't know much about pride. sitting with a group of queer people, getting taught about sexualities and genders™

Junichiro Tanizaki/

he/him. questioning his sexuality, but doesn't have a preference. transgender. sitting far from the people, because it's too loud and is too crowded™

Naomi Tanizaki/

she/her. pansexual. cisgender. sitting with Junichiro to calm him down, also giving out bracelets to others TM

Kenji Miyazawa/

he/him. unlabled. dresses androgynous. goes to pride to learn about sexualities and genders (also everyone loves him) TM

Kyouka Izumi/

she/they. considers using neopronouns (fae/faer), but so far doesn't use them. unlabled. dresses feminine. goes to pride to make new friends and get bracelets TM

Kirako Haruno/

she/her. acearo. cisgender. goes to pride with Naomi, Yosano, or Kyouka to hang out

Katai Tayama/

he/they. gay. bigender. also gender goals. only goes to pride with Kunikida because they make him go TM

PM: (did not include everyone bc uhm. idk enough about some characters. also mori makes me uncomfy)

Chuuya Nakahara/

he/they. pansexual. transgender. goes to pride and drinks wine, also yells at homophobes and transphobes with Dazai TM

Kouyou Ozaki/

she/they. lesbian. cisgender. drinking wine with Yosano TM

Ryuunosuke Akutagawa/

he/him. gay. cisgender. sitting with Atsushi and learning TM

Higuchi Ichiyo/

she/they. bisexual. so many bi panics. transgender. hanging out with gin and admiring others and telling people how beautiful they are TM

Gin Akutagawa/

she/they. asexual. acespec. transgender. hanging out with Higuchi, occasionally with (ryuu) Akutagawa TM

Tachihara Michizo/

he/him. transgender. questioning sexuality. hanging out with Higuchi and Gin. staring at the pride protestors just to scare them TM

Yumeno Kyuusaku/

they/them. unlabled sexuality. non-binary. goes to pride and scares off the homophobic and transphobic protestors TM

Oda Sakunosuke/

he/they. gay. never told anyone his gender so who knows. just an icon TM

Ango Sakaguchi/

he/they. maybe she. gay. doesn't care about gender, but aligns with male. just a loser TM

The Guild: (not everyone because I don't write for a lot of the characters)

Poe/

he/they/she. genderfluid. gay. brings Karl and everyone loves him TM

Lovecraft/

they/them. he/him whenever they feels like it. non-binary. likes men. asexual. dresses androgynous and masculine. just an eldritch horror beyond your comprehension TM

John Steinbeck/

he/him. gay. male aligned but doesn't care about gender. hanging out with his eldritch horror partner TM

Lucy/

she/they/he. genderfluid. panromantic. asexual, probably cupiosexual. hanging out with Poe and playing with Karl TM

Louisa/

she/they. unlabled gender. pansexual. very anxious and probably hiding in a corner with other people TM

Mark Twain/

he/they. transgender. transition goals btw. just a cool guy TM

Misc:

Nikolai/

any pronouns. gay. terrorizing everyone with his clown behavior TM

Bram/

he/they/she. unknown labels. he doesn't tell anyone anything. showing people his fangs because people are interested in them TM

[aheathen-conceivably]

Hello darlings! 🏜️

Now that we are well and truly into the 1930s I wanted to give y’all some context about the Darlingtons’ new location. Ultimately, Strangerville is a figment of my imagination, a sims world superimposed into the real world. I did this because I wanted the freedom to draw from different elements of this region’s history and landscape without having to worry about the visual transformation of the actual in-game world.

However, it is very much intended to in a real region of the United States. Specifically, the north west corner of New Mexico, between Albuquerque and Gallup along the newly built Route 66. We’ll see key elements of this in the story time and time again, so if anyone would like more information I’ll leave some maps and context for y’all below the cut:

Previous / Next

Commissioned in 1926, Route 66 was actually not the first cross country highway system in the U.S.; however it was designed to traverse the flattest and mildest climates so that it could be the most easily traveled. It also followed popular tourist routes from the railroad days and was marketed as an “All American” experience, drawing travelers and families from across the country and leading to its iconic status even today. The first map shows its path as it would have been in 1930, from its start in Chicago to its end in L.A. and the second map is a cutaway of the specific section of the road between Albuquerque and Gallup where Strangerville is meant to be located.

While the cultural significance of Route 66 now perhaps outweighs its era of utility, the Darlingtons are living along the route as it rises to prominence throughout the 1930s into the 1950s. While it was used for utility and leisure travel from its opening, Route 66, particularly between the Dust Bowl states and California, is iconic for its role as “the Mother Route. Perhaps best typified in John Steinbeck’s Grapes of Wrath, this road became one of if not the primary route for people fleeing the plains states during the Dust Bowl. Through their passage it became an American symbol of desperation, poverty, and for some, the hope of a better life.

Strangerville is meant to be located at the edge of the Dust Bowl (specifically at the meeting of the brown and yellow zones in the first map toward the leftmost mid-top area of the state of New Mexico). This region would not have suffered the worst conditions (and would have been spared intense dust storms) but it is still close enough to be heavily effected. This is especially true in the early part of the decade, as fear of dust tornados and mass unemployment spreads like wildfire, and explains the intense volatility amongst Strangerville residents who have no way to know just how bad their own situation could get.

For larger context, the Dust Bowl was caused by extenuating weather conditions and poor farming practices. It was an agricultural catastrophe throughout the 1930s that displaced millions of people, and coupled with larger economic factors such as the plummet of crop prices, led to mass homelessness, unemployment, and starvation.

Beginning in 1930 but reaching its zenith in the years 1934 and 1936, vast swaths of the United States experienced record drought and heat. In the second map we can see how widespread drought conditions were. They are of course at their worst in the central Dust Bowl area; however we also see that Strangerville is located in a moderate drought, and in 1936 twelve states recorded their highest temperatures to date.

However, these weather conditions only highlighted underlying farming negligence. After decades of manifest destiny and an influx of settlers with little to no farming knowledge (of which Giorgio falls in line), the land had been woefully over plowed and deprived of nutrients. After the rising farm prices of the 1910s and 1920s met with the crash of 1929, settlers pushed this to an extreme, removing vast swathes of native grasslands and leaving the soil vulnerable to record breaking weather conditions. Without rain or prairie grass, winds ravaged the region, creating dust storms that ravaged the region and ultimately led to hundreds of thousands of abandoned farmland. This collection of photographs shows the scale of dust and desolation better than words can express.

Scholars estimate that somewhere between 2.5 to 3 million people left their homes in the Dust Bowl states. Their stories are notorious, and live in the consciousness of what we now conceptualize as 1930s America. These maps superimpose the path of Route 66 with the Dust Bowl states, highlighting how the two formed a symbiotic relationship and became linked in the American consciousness. Of the millions who fled their homes, approximately 300,000-400,000 eventually settled in California. The number who traversed the mother route looking for work with the hope of a better life is perhaps incalculable.

However, they did not initially receive a warm welcome. As much of the country was also gripped in fear and poverty, migrants, or Okies as they were derogatorily called, were viewed as pariahs, threats, and even harbingers of worse times to come. This, as we now know, is far from the truth. The economy of many small towns along Route 66 fared better than other areas of the Dust Bowl. They became hubs for migrants and businesses alike as gas stations, roadside accommodations, food stalls, and other amenities opened. It provided an alternate means of business for areas that has previously been very rural, and who’s own farms had been gouged by the plummeting crop prices of 1929 as well as the gradual disappearance of herding economies.

As the decade went on and much of the nation began to heal in the New Deal Era, the migrants who passed this stretch of road only made it more legendary. Where they eventually settled they brought stories of Route 66, of a symbolic idea of the American West, of an ocean at the end of the line, of different people and travelers they had met on the way. This coupled with a growing fascination of the “Okie” figure at the end of the decade, perhaps best seen in the celebrated 1940 Hollywood remake of The Grapes of Wrath, as an emblem of American hardship and drive.

Together they fused an iconic idea of an authentic “Americanness” that existed along Route 66, one that was infused with even older ideas of manifest destiny and the “American” cowboy. This is the landscape that the Darlingtons now inhabit, one that they are watching unfold along with us all at the very start of the 1930s.

[theheirofthesharingan]

I started reading your fics and fell in love with your writing. I was thinking if you could talk about the books/authors who inspired? Who's been your favourite author and what books inspired you the most?

Thank you. :) There are many authors that I love, but for inspiration, I guess, some take the upper hand.

To name a few:

JRR Tolkien. His were the first books in English I ever read. And thankfully I read those before watching the movies, because I dislike the films. Tolkien's definition of love, heroism, goodness has stayed with me for 10 years. I often subconsciously incorporate some things from his works in whatever I write.

Khaled Hosseini. This one is no surprise. His depiction of the war-torn Afghanistan and the lives at stake there, along with hope and struggle - it moved me in both his books I've read. The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns are the books I read once and might never read again, because I'm still not over anything I read in those books.

Emily Brontë. Her words, her hauntingly beautiful world, and her characters in Wuthering Heights. Very few times have I come across authors who can write the most selfish and cruel characters and can still make you feel bad for them. And of course, her poetry is just as beautiful as her novel.

Jane Austen. I have only read Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, and Northeranger Abbey from her, but the way she writes humour, her characters and their mundane lives, with that gorgeous prose. She'll forever be iconic for that.

Daphne du Maurier. Her Rebecca and Jamaica Inn are both stunning books. The way she creates an eerie atmosphere, brings dead to life, weaves people with the phantom threads, not knowing who is real and who isn't, what is truth and what isn't. It's perfection.

Haruki Murakami. His books feel like you've stepped into a world which is made of glass and rain and dreams. Those leave you in a psychedelic trance. His writing of women often puts me off, but he also tells the stories about people, their melancholy so beautifully, it's hard to not love them. And it's also the main theme that goes on in anything I write, so I have soft corner for his work, despite my disagreement with his portrayal of women.

Carlos Ruiz Zafón. He was a Spanish author, who passed away in 2020. His books have inspired me a lot. His world will make you want to wander in the streets of Barcelona. It's been hard for me to find the books with the similar vibes. He's also one of the writers I've read every single book of.

Gabriel García Márquez. Magical realism with the touch of melancholy is my favorite thing to read (and write). And his books, One Hundred Years of Solitude in particular, have caught my attention. It's powerful and feels like being on a liminal plane. You don't know what you're feeling, but there's so much going on. And much like Haruki Murakami, people find some of the things he writes questionable too.

John Steinbeck. I've read his East of Eden (so far), but that one book did change something to me. Again, his story's melancholy caught hold of me and has remained so for years. The way he writes his characters and resolves the conflict (through the tragic route), is my kind of angst. And writing. His words sparkle. They make you feel like you're watching the dancing sunrays on a transparent lake.

Fyodor Dostoevsky. Sometimes reading him feels like reading your own diary. Or his words feel like they're there to pull at your heartstrings. While reading TBK, I did not understand most of his theological commentary, but there's still something that lingers. How raw he is with his words.

William Wordsworth. His poems, the nature, and the feeling of loss and melancholy in them. It's perhaps these things I want in my stories to have. And he provides the perfect inspiration. Every time I feel stuck, I go back to reading his words.

Bruno Schulz. He only ever wrote one book. A collection of short stories. And I will always be sad that we never got to read more of his words. He's one of those authors whose words speak to you. He is also a surrealist author whose stories make you feel dizzy as if you've just been looking at the stars for too long when you finish the stories. Magical.

Anne Michael. She's a Canadian author and poet. And I cannot describe how her words have touched my soul. Her words and sentences feel like they're pure, refined art, done to perfection. Each sentence feels like a poem, even if she's writing in prose. I can never get enough of her writing. On a side note, I sent her my admiration to her on Twitter this year in August and she replied. Anyway, both her prose and poetry are spectacular.

There might be some other authors, but I'm forgetting their names right now, I guess. I hope this was enough. :)

[nitrateglow]

Top new-to-me reads of 2024

It's been a while since I did an all-encompassing post about my favorite new to me books at the end of the year. Normally, I do four categories: fiction, nonfiction, drama, and graphic novels. However, I didn't read a lot of graphic novels this year and most of my play consumption was taken up with rereading the Shakespeare canon for the second time in a row, so I'm just going to skip those. About the only one in either category I was enthusiastic about was a cute graphic novel called The Princess and the Grilled Cheese Sandwich. It's adorable and the art is lovely.

So I'm just going to do my top five fiction and nonfiction books each. Hope you enjoy!

Top 5 new-to-me fiction:

The Street by Ann Petry

Holy shit. This novel lived rent-free inside my head the entire time I was reading it. The first novel by an African-American woman to sell more than a million copies when it was published in 1946, it remains a true classic of American literature. It follows Lutie Johnson, a Black woman living in Harlem with her young son. Separated from a philandering husband, she strives to make a decent life for herself and her son by following the advice of founding father Benjamin Franklin, but both her race and her sex make achieving the American Dream frustratingly elusive. The setting and characters in this novel are incredibly vivid, and Lutie is one of the best protagonists I have ever encountered in a book-- I really empathized with her plight and her dreams. She just felt so real. Highly recommended.

The Annotated Arabian Nights translated by Yasmine Seale and notes by Paulo Lemos Horta

I am so mad because I read this beautiful book via a library loan. When I decided I wanted a copy for myself, it was ridiculously expensive! I am so sad because this edition of the classic anthology is not only beautifully illustrated and bound, but the historical and cultural context inside is invaluable. As for the stories themselves, I can see why they've beguiled generations of readers. There's something for everyone: humor, adventure, romance, spirituality, eroticism, mystery thriller elements, you name it.

Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell

I plan on eventually watching the Wachowski adaptation of this book because it looks like that particular flavor of insane and ambitious I love, but I wanted to read the novel first. I'm glad I did, because this is such a great book. For those unaware, the novel is very postmodern: it cuts between six different stories, each set in a different time and place, spanning hundreds of years, each section a different literary pastiche (ex. Victorian novel, 1970s crime thriller, dark comedy, dystopian future, etc.). It all ties together in a very creative way-- I really don't want to discuss it too much because it's enjoyable to go in as uninformed as possible.

Six Crimson Crows by Elizabeth Lim

I'm a sucker for a good fairy tale retelling. Six Crimson Cranes is a reimagining of Hans Christian Andersen's The Wild Swans, where a princess must remain silent while trying to undo a curse that has turned her brothers into birds. Here, the action is set in a fantasy world inspired by East Asia. Six Crimson Cranes fleshes out the original story's characters and introduces some wonderful complications to traditional tropes. I particularly loved how Lim writes the stepmother character. This is actually the first book in a series, so I definitely want to continue with it.

The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck

This tale of Oklahoma migrants crossing to California during the Great Depression has been on my TBR pile way too long. I like Of Mice and Men and love East of Eden, so I had to read The Grapes of Wrath to round out this trinity of iconic Steinbeck novels. Of the three, I would place Grapes last in terms of personal enjoyment-- I prefer the taut narrative of Mice and the characters in East of Eden more-- but this was still a moving book that in many ways is still relevant to modern American society and culture. Sadly.

Top 5 new-to-me nonfiction:

Paul Robeson: The Years of Promise and Achievement by Sheila Tully Boyle and Andrew Bunie

I could not put this book down. It's not a complete biography of legendary musician and actor Paul Robeson, only focusing on his life until the early 1940s, but it really digs into his development as an artist and civil rights activist during his rise to fame in the 1920s and 1930s. Like the best biographies, it highlights Robeson's strengths (his commitment to his principles) and flaws (not the best husband or father) in a clear-eyed way. I was sad to find there was not a volume 2 from these authors, but this inspired me to learn more about this remarkable human being.

The Making of the Wizard of Oz by Aljean Harmetz

All cinephiles know The Wizard of Oz had a troubled production from cultural osmosis alone. I never looked too deeply into the matter, only being aware of Margaret Hamilton getting set on fire and Buddy Ebsen having an allergic reaction to the aluminum powder makeup for the Tin Man, leading to his replacement. Having seen and loved Wicked this year, I realized I had never delved too much into the 1939 Wizard of Oz's background and decided to rectify that by reading this acclaimed book on the subject.

Wow, what a nightmare making this film was! It makes me appreciate the movie all the more-- and it makes me glad I wasn't working in Hollywood in the 1930s!

I Went Down to St. James Infirmary by Robert Harwood

I first heard the "St. James Infirmary Blues" crooned by Cab Calloway in the Betty Boop cartoon Snow-White. It's a catchy song with morbid lyrics, dealing with a man learning his lover is lying dead, presumably from drug abuse. However, no one quite knows the origin of the song. This author digs into the shaky origins of the piece and it's fascinating just how elusive such recent history is!

Pickford: The Woman Who Made Hollywood by Eileen Whitfield

I've long respected Pickford's achievements, both as a creative person and as a woman working in a staunchly male-dominated world. However, I never read any of her biographies. I recall using this one for research years ago so I went back to it for a proper read through. It's an excellent, balanced work, admiring Mary's thespian skills, business sense, and determination while also being clear-eyed about her flaws, particularly her conduct towards her children and her self-destructive behavior later in life. It's a great companion read to Tracey Goessel's similarly enthusiastic but honest biography of Douglas Fairbanks Sr.

The Material Ghost: Films and Their Medium by Gilberto Perez

This was recommended by a film channel on YouTube. It's an assortment of essays on various directors as well as abstract musings on cinema itself. I disagreed vehemently at some points (he likes silent comedy, but think silent drama is inherently flawed and inferior to talkies), but the chapter on Buster Keaton was among the best criticism of him as a performer and artist I have ever had the pleasure to read.

[mordredpendragon]

🫅🧑‍🧒🗡️?

🫅 - Favorite Lady/Damsol/Queen

morgan le fay for sure. she's iconic for a reason. i also really love ragnelle though (cough cough L's influence lmao)

bonus points to nimue who i also adore

🧑‍🧒- is this supposed to be favorite parent? i want to say morgan (john steinbeck morgan and ywain is sooooo good), tbh she's my top favorite after mordred and percy. arthur is a close second, but i want to give a shoutout to herzeloyde as well. i'm def biased in my love for percival but i think she's so interesting

🗡️ - Who Are You Betting On In This Month's Tournament?

PERCIVAL no question. next

and thank you for the ask!

[redacted4life]

I... I don't know how this happened...

It was a joke at first but.... now I'm kinda want to see her having a more important role...

potential fic idea below:

I mean, we have characters like Naomi and Gin who aren't based on authors. Like imagine Zelda just shows up because she learn about the book. Fitzgerald didn't tell her about his plan because he feared what she would do in her grief. And now we have the return of the guild (or what remains) and whatever going on with John Steinbeck. I also feel like former members would have some role to play in this like Lucy, Mark and Poe (not sure about Lovecraft, he kinda doing his own thing and I don't really know what happened to Herman).

Honestly, I need more iconic female character (Aya, Kyouka, Teruko and Yosano are amazing and I waiting to see what they plan for Higuchi ability, what happening with Louisa in the remains of the guild and Agatha appearance in the plot but beside that Gin, Margaret, Kouyou and Naomi don't really have much going with them) and Fitzgerald 'I love my wife' energy. Like these two have the option of being such an amazing power couple.

Now that I'm writing this down, it sounds like a good fanfic idea.......

*Opens my ao3 account and starts writing*

[bungou-stray-dogs-archive]

John Steinbeck card - 執事 (Butler)

(Default, left. Unlocked, right. Get him to skill lv.3 to unlock the extra icon) Leader skill - 悠揚なる執事 (Leisurely butler) Increase Emerald atk 40% Reduces dmg from Azure enemies 20% Active skill - くく……油断したね？ (Fufu.... You let your guard down didn't you ?) Deals x8.5 Emerald dmg to an enemy Sub-skill 1 - そろそろお時間です (It's almost time) Activates when 100 orbs are cleared (85 at skill lv.5) Increases atk of all team members by 85 for 1 turn (100 at skill lv.5) Sub-skill 2 - こちらの葡萄はいかがです？ (How about these grapes ?) Activates when the marble hits the wall 30 times (27 at skill lv.5) Increases dmg of all team members by 85 for 1 turn (100 at skill lv.5) Affiliation: The guild Emerald affinity Atk: 1424 (Max) | 160 (Base) Hp: 7296 (Max) | 818 (Base) Balanced type

This card is currently unavailable on EN, available from the Perfect Butler event (Apr 2021) on JP **Note, I do not speak Japanese, my translations are probably off, I apologize if they are.

[kierrasreads]

2023 Reads!

Thank you to everyone for joining me on my book journey! I'm looking forward to another year of good reads! If you have any recommendations, please let me know.

Without further ado, here are my reads for this year!:

Howl's Moving Castle, Castle in the Air, and The House of Many Ways by Diana Wynne Jones

California Plants: A Guide to Our Iconic Flora by Matt Ritter

The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood

Look Alive Twenty-Five by Janet Evanovich

It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey

I Am a Cat Barista (Volume 1) by Hiro Maijima

Koe no Katachi/A Silent Voice (Volumes 2-6) by Yoshitoki Oima

Karakuri Odette (Volumes 1-5) by Julietta Suzuki

Komi-san wa Komyushou Desu/Komi Can't Communicate (Volumes 23-26) by Tomohito Oda

Cannery Row by John Steinbeck

Horimiya (Volume 1) by Hero

Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku (Volume 5) by Fujita

Kakuriyo: Bed & Breakfast for Spirits (Volume 1) by Waco Ioka

Kiki's Delivery Service by Eiko Kadono

Skip & Loafer (Volumes 1-3) by Misaki Takamatsu

Skull-face Bookseller Honda-san (Volumes 2-4) by Honda

Toshokan no Daimajutsushi/Magus of the Library (Volumes 3-5) by Mitsu Izumi

Blasphemy: New and Selected Stories by Sherman Alexie

Strange Weather in Tokyo by Hiromi Kawakami

Saint Young Men Omnibus (Volume 1) by Hikaru Nakamura

The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami

Insomniacs After School (Volume 1) by Makoto Ojiro

Kubo Won't Let Me Be Invisible (Volume 1) by Nene Yukimori

The Sixth Extinction by Elizabeth Kolbert

Twisted Love (Twisted #1) by Ana Huang

Wind/Pinball: Hear the Wind Sing and Pinball by Haruki Murakami

Under a White Sky: The Nature of the Future by Elizabeth Kolbert

Killing Floor (Jack Reacher #1) by Lee Child

Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas by Megan Shepherd

Muffin but the Truth (Bakeshop Mystery #16) & Catch Me If You Candy (Bakeshop Mystery #17) by Ellie Alexander

A Study in Scarlet, The Sign of Four, A Scandal in Bohemia, The Red-Headed League, A Case of Identity, The Boscombe Mystery, The Five Orange Pips, The Man with the Twisted Lip, The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle, The Adventure of the Speckled Band, The Adventure of the Engineer's Thumb, The Adventure of the Noble Bachelor, The Adventure of the Beryl Coronet, The Adventure of the Copper Beeches, Silver Blaze, The Yellow Face, The Stock-Broker's Clerk, The Gloria Scott, The Musgrave Ritual, The Reigate Puzzle, The Crooked Man, The Resident Patient, The Greek Interpreter, The Naval Treaty, and The Final Adventure by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks (audiobook)

Gokushufudō/The Way of the House Husband (Volumes 1-3) by Kousuke Oono

Grand total: 90

[varinastix]

I fear that this drop might not go her way this time. I get her intention of her image on the t-shirt, however I do think she could've still marketed her personality without doing this. I'd personally never buy a shirt with someone's face on no matter how famous or infamous they are

I personally don't think and hope she isn't using Keira for her connections but I can see why some people would think that when they don't know her true personality.

I hope with the t-shirt in question she only has very limited stock so she can still brand it as a sell out😅

I don't think she is using Keira at all. Not in the least.

But do agree with you that this drop isn't a good look. You only want to market brands/merch with images of people on them if they are genuine icons: Mohammad Ali, Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela, or famous writers like Virginia Woolf, JK Rowling, John Steinbeck and people of that iconic level, or sports people who are icons: Venus Williams, Michael Jordan, etc....and you get my point. Any other kind of image brand marketing is dicey and comes across as self absorbed/tone deaf. So I think this is a loss for her and I hope she reconsiders.

Oh dear... 😅

[jbbbuckybarnes]

From 1917 to 1943, literature evolved significantly, encompassing various genres and themes, influenced by world events like the Great Depression, World War I, and World War II. Here are some notable books from this period, highlighting a mix of fiction, non-fiction, and poetry:

1. **"Ulysses" by James Joyce (1922):** A groundbreaking modernist novel that revolutionized narrative techniques, focusing on a single day in the life of Leopold Bloom in Dublin.

2. **"The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald (1925):** A classic American novel that explores the Jazz Age, capturing themes of wealth, class, and the American Dream.

3. **"To the Lighthouse" by Virginia Woolf (1927):** A modernist novel examining themes of time, memory, and relationships within a family over several years.

4. **"The Sun Also Rises" by Ernest Hemingway (1926):** A novel that captures the disillusionment of the "Lost Generation," set in post-World War I Europe.

5. **"Of Mice and Men" by John Steinbeck (1937):** A novella depicting the struggles of migrant workers during the Great Depression.

6. **"Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley (1932):** A dystopian novel exploring the dangers of technological control and societal manipulation.

7. **"Gone with the Wind" by Margaret Mitchell (1936):** A sweeping historical novel set during and after the American Civil War, focusing on the character of Scarlett O'Hara.

8. **"The Hobbit" by J.R.R. Tolkien (1937):** A fantasy adventure story introducing Middle-earth and the character Bilbo Baggins.

9. **"The Catcher in the Rye" by J.D. Salinger (1951):** Although published after 1943, the setting and context reflect the post-World War II generation's experiences and sentiments.

10. **"The Grapes of Wrath" by John Steinbeck (1939):** A powerful novel depicting the hardships of the Dust Bowl and the plight of the Joad family.

11. **"The Maltese Falcon" by Dashiell Hammett (1930):** A classic hard-boiled detective novel featuring the iconic private detective Sam Spade.

12. **"Native Son" by Richard Wright (1940):** A groundbreaking novel exploring themes of race, oppression, and societal injustice.

13. **"Animal Farm" by George Orwell (1945):** Although published just after 1943, this allegorical novella critiques totalitarianism and political corruption.

14. **"Rebecca" by Daphne du Maurier (1938):** A gothic novel filled with mystery, suspense, and drama.

15. **"The Call of Cthulhu and Other Weird Tales" by H.P. Lovecraft (1928):** A collection of eerie and supernatural stories that influenced the horror genre.

16. **"The Age of Innocence" by Edith Wharton (1920):** A novel exploring the strict societal norms of 19th-century New York high society.

17. **"The Little Prince" by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (1943):** A charming philosophical tale exploring themes of friendship and humanity.

18. **"Winnie-the-Pooh" by A.A. Milne (1926):** A classic children's book featuring the adventures of Winnie-the-Pooh and his friends.

19. **"The Good Earth" by Pearl S. Buck (1931):** A novel exploring life in rural China and the impact of societal changes.

20. **"The Bell Jar" by Sylvia Plath (1963):** Although published after 1943, it reflects the inner turmoil and mental health struggles of a young woman, resonating with themes from the earlier era.

These books represent the diverse literary landscape from 1917 to 1943, offering insights into the social, cultural, and historical contexts of the time.

[nowyekran14]

Cracking the Crossword: American Gothic Artist Grant Wood's Clues

American Gothic is one of the most famous paintings in American art history, and the artist behind it, Grant Wood, remains an enigmatic figure to this day. However, did you know that Wood was also a crossword enthusiast? In this article, we will delve into the fascinating world of the American Gothic artist crossword.

Grant Wood was born in rural Iowa in 1891, and his upbringing in the Midwest would go on to influence his art in a profound way. He studied art in Minneapolis and then in Paris, but he returned to Iowa in 1924 and remained there for the rest of his life. In the early 1930s, he painted what would become his most famous work, American Gothic, which features a stern-looking farmer and his daughter in front of their farmhouse.

But what about Wood's interest in crosswords? Well, it turns out that Wood was a frequent solver of the New York Times crossword puzzle. According to his sister, he would complete the crossword every day without fail, and he even created his own puzzles. Unfortunately, none of Wood's original puzzles have survived, but we can imagine that they were probably as quirky and idiosyncratic as his paintings.

Wood's love of crosswords is not surprising when you consider that he was a man of many interests. He was an avid reader, a collector of Americana, and a lover of all things Midwestern. He also had a keen sense of humor, as evidenced by his many cartoons and caricatures. All of these interests would have served him well in the world of crossword puzzles, where a broad range of knowledge is essential.

So, what might a Grant Wood crossword puzzle have looked like? It's hard to say for sure, but we can make some educated guesses. For one thing, we might expect to see clues related to Americana and Midwestern culture, such as "Famous Iowa painter" (answer: Wood) or "State bird of Iowa" (answer: Eastern Goldfinch). NowyEkran Wood was also interested in history and folklore, so we might see clues related to those topics as well, such as "Revolutionary War hero" (answer: Paul Revere) or "Famous American folk song" (answer: "This Land Is Your Land").

Of course, Wood's puzzles would not have been limited to these topics. He was a voracious reader, so we might see clues related to literature, such as "Author of The Great Gatsby" (answer: F. Scott Fitzgerald) or "Title character in a John Steinbeck novel" (answer: Tom Joad). Wood was also a lover of nature, so we might see clues related to the outdoors, such as "Large North American mammal" (answer: Moose) or "State tree of California" (answer: Redwood).

One thing we can be sure of is that Wood's puzzles would have been full of humor and wit. His paintings often had a sly, subversive quality to them, and we might expect the same from his puzzles. Perhaps we might see clues like "Famous surrealist painter" (answer: Salvador Dali) or "1950s sitcom starring Lucille Ball" (answer: I Love Lucy). Wood also had a fondness for wordplay and puns, so we might see clues like "Worn by a king or queen" (answer: Crown) or "What a tired athlete might do" (answer: Hit the sack).

In conclusion, the world of the Grant Wood crossword puzzle is a tantalizing prospect for anyone who loves puzzles and art. Although we will never know for sure what his puzzles were like, we can imagine that they were a reflection of his many interests and passions. Like his paintings, they were probably idiosyncratic and full of hidden meanings and surprises. They would have been a testament to Wood's creativity and intelligence, and a delight for anyone who loves a good crossword puzzle.

But Grant Wood's legacy extends far beyond his interest in crossword puzzles. He was an important figure in American art, known for his depictions of rural life and his celebration of the Midwestern landscape. His paintings, including American Gothic, have become iconic images of American life, and his influence can be seen in the work of countless artists who followed in his footsteps.

Wood's interest in crosswords may seem like a small detail, but it speaks to the breadth and depth of his interests and his curiosity about the world around him. It reminds us that creativity and intelligence are not limited to one particular domain, but can manifest themselves in a wide range of activities and pursuits.

In the end, the Grant Wood crossword puzzle remains a mystery, but it is a mystery that invites us to explore the many facets of this fascinating artist's life and work. Whether we are solving crosswords or studying art, we can learn from Wood's example and strive to broaden our horizons and deepen our understanding of the world around us.