#listen listen overall I enjoyed that boon however

[hadesknockedupintheunderworld]

While I was reading the later chapters of Phantom of the Opera a friend of mind reminded me it was a serialization, and suddenly I had a moment of clarity in which I thought "Oh so that's why it's written like that"

[thisgirlhastales]

“Wayward Son” — Is There Peace When You Are Done?

What we have here is an essay of sorts: a loosely organized mishmash of thoughts and opinions. Disclaimer that this is highly subjective, as it is based on my own experiences and expectations going into this novel :)

And, naturally, many Wayward Son spoilers below the cut! If you haven’t read it yet and are planning to do so, please do not proceed further. If you’ve already read it or don’t care about spoilers, c’mon in! Ain’t nobody here but me!

First Thing: I thought the plot was cool — I loved seeing the characters again, loved seeing the different magical culture within the United States as compared to the UK; all the geographical variety and how that impacted magical abilities and politics, the creatures and the nature of magic as it applied to people who aren’t mages, the syntax, and Shepard. All of that was fascinating. It felt organic and real, even though our main dude, Shepard, did drop a few exposition bombs. I loved it all.

The magical creatures touch on something that I think all the main characters learn and re-learn (and may be symbolic of their issues as a whole): there is no one way to do or be magic. The word magician can apply to any creature who is or practices magic. The UK’s mages have an expansive but selective history. They do not acknowledge people like Lamb (see Nicodemus), even though they are technically part of their world. I wonder if the UK vampires have something like what the Las Vegas vampires do — i.e. ways to feed without killing, ways of living without standing out so much, a hierarchal structure, their own historical narrative, etc. 

Agatha coming into her own was fabulous, driving the plot with the vampires on her end; she wasn’t a character I enjoyed in the last book too much (I thought she was very real, even practical, she just didn’t appeal to me as a person), but in this? Loved her. And she figured out her own way to be, though there’s still a ways to go for her, I think …

There is no one way to be anything, and that’s a lesson everyone in this book needs to learn (and talk about with each other, please, please, please).

Second Thing: Dealing with Trauma — I do think this was what resonated most with me, as someone who likes it when things are not perfectly hunky-dory after severely traumatic events.

Simon is Not Dealing. He stopped going to his psychologist. He thinks about the Mage, but doesn’t fully process the impact of having killed him. He’s in mourning over his magic and the Mage and all of it, but he’s choosing to not digest it fully — every time he was happy on this road trip, I, like Baz, was thrilled, but I also knew that it was fleeting because he hadn’t really dealt with anything. The underlying cause of his depression and listlessness wasn’t being addressed. His bursts of anger, his heartbreak, his inability to let go of the wings … He goes back and forth a lot, as well, tormenting himself.

Baz is Not Dealing. Baz was suicidal in Carry On. Baz barely knows anything about vampires. He lives in fear of being a monster, and of being executed as one regardless of his actions. As much as I detest Lamb, he had knowledge: How to feed without killing your prey. How to live amongst people and blend in better. He looked physically healthier. Baz’s grey complexion is actually a sign that he is starving more often than not. Remember how powerful he is now, and imagine how powerful he could be if he took better care of himself. And how much more comfortable in his own skin he’d be, which would help with so many of his bitter self-recriminations.

Penny is Not Dealing. Wow, that break-up with Micah was rough. She has a few more moments of self-realization than Simon and Baz do, but she’s also completely caught up in her own magical world, culture, and plans for the future; she has trouble reconciling what Shepard tells her, and is still processing (accepting? Healing?) from not only that breakup, but everything else that has ever happened to her and Simon. Penny copes better, but still not necessarily well. Her can-do, will-do attitude is a huge boon, but when it fails? Yikes. I rather feel like she had overly-rationalized (maybe even over-simplified) every trauma she went through with Simon, and … the world isn’t rational or simple at the best of times. I really, really hope she can come to terms with that (and that we get to see it).

Simon and Baz Together Are Not Dealing. It goes without saying that these two NEED to talk. But their separate issues are a huge roadblock — I feel like the chances of misunderstandings occurring are high. Each is convinced that they are bad for the other. Baz is slightly better about it, but he’s so afraid of the consequences of broaching the subject, he simply won’t. And the thing is? His instincts aren’t wrong. Simon does want to break up with him. It’s based on the whole you deserve better than me assumption, but Baz is actually sensing correctly that Simon is on the verge of leaving him. They need to deal with their own, separate traumas, and they can do that together or apart, but they need to start healing in some capacity. I fully believe that they can be together, even with a break, but that break needs to come with communication? Point being, we all go through healthy and unhealthy periods, as individuals, as part of a family, as part of a couple. They are right smack dab in the middle of a rough, not-so-healthy part — however they cope with it, (TALKING AND LISTENING ARE MUSTS), we at least know that they love each other. Love alone is not enough, but it is a powerful, wonderful force in their corner.

The expansion on magic implies legion of ways in which to exist, and such is the case for coping with pain, sadness, regret, and all the other fun aspects of being humans who experience trauma in innumerable ways. Sometimes we choose things that are unhealthy as a stopgap, because we’re not ready for the work and pain that is healing. Y’all, healing sometimes is on par with the issues that made it necessary — in simpler terms, it can really, really suck at the start. Again, some of you may come from different perspectives, but this struck a chord with me. 

I definitely went in with the expectation that all the issues would be laid out, and then addressed … We got the first half in spades … Did not get the second, nope.

Third Thing: The structure of this book implied right from the start that things may be unresolved, but, er, it was still a bit hard to deal with — having an epilogue at the beginning and a prologue at the end implies to me that this second book is a launch point. The prologue at the end is the start for the next (hopefully larger) narrative. That makes Wayward Son something like a sprawling behind-the-scenes look into these characters before we launch into their following, more detailed story. 

But I didn’t feel too great about having been plunged so deeply into this ‘verse, only to not have a lifesaver tossed my way … Which is to say, it kept me breathless, and knowing that people survived allowed me a reprieve, but the core of this novel — the overall mental well-being of Simon, Baz, Penny, and Agatha — had me tight in its grip from the beginning and then just … kept right on squeezing at the end. Even tighter. 

I don’t mind a plot-based cliff-hanger, but the fact that all the emotional and character arcs were left hanging as well? I felt like I got a decent resolution, or partial conclusion, on a few plot points, but next to no resolution for the emotional and/or psychological arcs. That I have a lot more trouble accepting. Particularly when I’ve spent an entire book with characters forced to live in each other’s space, in close quarters, and still not communicating. I wanted to rip out every beautiful thought Simon and Baz had about each other and throw it in the other’s face. Because they were gorgeous and wonderful, and for all that they are currently fractured and bleeding, they so clearly want what is best for each other. They are (mostly) selfless in their love (with a few selfish foibles, but they made sense to me).

I was also rather … not happy with the fact we got no mention of Lucy, of Davy, of them being Simon’s parents. I’m really, desperately hoping we get that in the next chapter of this series.

The positive thing I can take away from this point is that when we get to the next book (and I know there will be one — my copy literally has a number 2 on the spine, which heavily implies series to me), we will be firmly grounded in what is facing these characters both internally and externally.

The biggest issue that lies ahead is COMMUNICATION. I know (I hope like hell) this will be addressed in the next book, but I craved it so, so badly in this. Not just for Simon and Baz but PENNY. They are all sitting on shifting sand foundations now — their worlds have been completely overturned, over and over again in the past year or so, and they haven’t found firm footing yet. When Micah broke up with Penny, I very much thought that was the kick off for a road trip filled with introspection and epiphanies and finally, lots of talking about said introspections and epiphanies — I got half my wish. The latter half, I suppose, will have to wait until the next novel. I didn’t expect all the character/emotional beats to be acknowledged and resolved, but at least some of them, with room for others to be resolved in the next story, so we would have more (and more room) to explore in that novel.

As a result, Wayward Son, for the many things I loved about it, didn’t feel like a complete story for me. It doesn’t stand on its own quite as well as Carry On did. Maybe when the third book comes out, I will retroactively love it more, but for now I’m just sort of … floating along, waiting for that lifesaver. It did, honestly, feel a bit like half of a story. Half a good story, fantastic even, but still … Half.

In addition to these thoughts I’ve shared, here’s where I’m coming from, as a reader — we all come at these books from different places, different life experiences and wants and expectations. 

One of my most formative reading experiences was Harry Potter. I read Harry Potter practically as it came out. I had to wait years between some of the books. By the time the last book arrived, the characters had matured about as much as I had. Because the middle books were so chunky and dense (and I loved them for it!), I was a little thrown off by how slim Deathly Hallows was in comparison, and that ultimately was reflected in my reading — it went by so quickly. While I loved it and sobbed all over the damn place, when I hit that epilogue … that’s the first time while reading that I did a full stop. All the pain and agony of that book, as quick as it had been, had been amazing, and it felt like it demanded some kind of … reflection and communication between the characters, and I thought after ten years of these books, we had a definite basis for an epilogue that could’ve added another third to this novel — maybe one that jumped through the years, showed us different characters at various stages of healing? Something involved and detailed to a degree.

Wayward Son had that rushed element to it … and I think part of that feeling was enhanced due to the lack of resolution to those character/emotional arcs — we were tumbling, running forward into a free fall and then were frozen right at that point before falling.

However, Wayward Son gives me more positive feelings than that epilogue in HP. Yes, it still feels incomplete, like half a story. But Wayward Son isn’t an end. Unlike Deathly Hallows, there is more to come, and that’s what I’m looking forward to most. It definitely has its flaws in my view, but I can reconcile them somewhat, as you’ve seen.

(There is also a whole thing involving the way these sorts of arcs would resolve in fanfiction versus the medium of a book intended for a broader audience, but that would be a whole other post, methinks. Let me know if you want me to discuss that, because I do have some thoughts on it, though they’re a little haphazard at the moment. Um. Assuming all this rambling isn’t wildly boring and/or awful for you.)

Final Thoughts: At the end of the day? I loved reading this book, even for all that I wanted to reach into the pages and knock the character’s heads together. I said, “Oh no!” out loud when I reached the end, but it was because I desperately wanted more right then and there. The fact that I want more means that, despite any flaws, I’m still on board for this universe and its characters — I still love all this magic, and this dragon boy and his vampire boyfriend :)

And now, 2000 plus words later, I am done, holy crap. If anyone actually made it to the bottom of this, thank you? Not too sure how coherent I was, but I hope some of this was of value to someone :) *many hugs*

Edit: Apparently I still had some things to say, so here is a sequel to this ramble — Simon and Baz Carrying On Like Wayward Sons.

[jiuwuming]

Today Is Wingman Day, Ch. 1

Fandom: Red Velvet Pairing: WenJoy Words: 5.4k+ Rating: T Summary: Joy downloads Tinder. Wendy suffers through the trials and tribulations of being Joy's wingwoman for one day—while juggling some complicated feelings. Good thing Yeri's there to help them both in her own way. Links: ao3 | aff

Sooyoung leaned forward across the table. “So, listen…” she said, voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper, a sly smile tugging on her lips.  The hairs on Seungwan’s arms stood up.  A smile like that from Sooyoung spelled trouble—

“I’m thinking of hooking up with a girl.”

—and bad ideas.

There were few things Seungwan hated more than her sleep cycle getting cut short on a Saturday morning right after midterms.

As a university student smack dab in the middle of her senior year, tackling five whole courses and several extracurriculars that kept her up well into the early a.m.’s, Seungwan cherished every minute of sleep she could get. Admittedly, it was her own fault for being overambitious.  But after spending week after week downing espresso shots just to get through morning lectures, substituting a good night’s rest for caffeinated blood coursing through her veins, any weekend where she could finally sleep in was a luxury. A godsent gift.  And finally, after getting through the midterm exam week, she could finally get the relaxation she deserved.

The incessant vibrations of her phone against the bedside table, however, said fuck you, Seungwan.

Seungwan groaned, rolling over to her side to reach for her phone.  Who the hell was texting her a storm on a weekend morning?  A precious weekend morning!  She slapped her hands blindly on the table until she found the device, bringing it over to her face so she could read the offending name on the screen.

Park Sooyoung, 7:52 a.m.

She sat up immediately, blinking away the blurriness from her eyes as her vision adjusted to read the words in the slew of texts.

Hey.

Hey.

Hey.

Seungwan-unnie.

I need you.

Meet me at Café Eureka.

I have something to tell you.

Important news.

Cold dread crawled down Seungwan’s spine as she scanned the messages.  Any traces of her sleep-induced haze scattered like ashes in the wind.  It was never a good sign when Sooyoung sent her texts like these—full of urgency yet aggravatingly vague.  Was it good news?  Bad?  Seungwan had never been able to get a straight answer, and she’d long given up trying.  Any attempts for elaboration through text were always met with increasingly evasive non-answers, each one more cryptic than the last.  Coming from a typically blunt girl like Sooyoung, though, it was always a cause for alarm.

At least, it was cause for alarm, until Seungwan had figured out that Sooyoung just liked to mess with her.

See, historically, ‘important news’ from Sooyoung meant one of two things:

1.     either she really did have something important to share—like when she had just broken up with Sungjae and needed to be comforted, or

2.     she was just baiting Seungwan with the fear that there was something hypothetically wrong—only to trick her into coming over to her apartment, trapping her into doing something as inane as figuring out which color dress looked better on her.

So yes, lately ‘important news’ was a dice roll.  Over time, alarm over Sooyoung’s wellbeing had turned into wariness; wariness, into dread.  Dread of a flagrant waste of time.  Her best friend was a mystery at times, and Seungwan never knew which Sooyoung she was going to get on any given day.  Excitable Sooyoung?  Sad Sooyoung? Trickster Sooyoung?  

Well, there was only one way to find out.

Seungwan sighed as she uncovered herself from the nest of her warm, plush blankets, resigning herself to another sleepless day and to Sooyoung’s whims—whatever they were.

I’ll be there in a few, she texted back.

-

For a day that was nearing the tail end of March, the weather outside was still surprisingly wintry: frozen dew clinging onto bladed grass, flowers that were normally in full bloom at this point only just shy of budding.  Seungwan shivered as she stepped out of the dormitory, the chill of the cold spring air seeping through her white cardigan and into her skin.  Maybe waltzing out in jean shorts wasn’t such a good idea.  Out of all the advice she’d taken from Sooyoung, ‘dress for the weather you want’ (which was her go-to excuse for wearing skimpy clothing even in frigid temperatures) was probably the worst.

Not many other students were out and about at this time of day on a weekend. Especially not on a weekend after exams.  There was still the occasional ever-so-disciplined jogger looking to knock out their daily run early—Sooyoung was one of them, which was why she was always up so early—but the vast majority of the student populace was probably enjoying their time off. Doing things that Seungwan sorely wished she could also experience: lazing around in bed, drinking a cup of hot chocolate, recovering from a hangover after celebrating the freedom from the brutal crunch of midterm studying.

While Seungwan didn’t regret her impulse decision to minor in music on top of being a biology major, the bone-deep exhaustion after a strenuous school week was… something else.  She missed having leisure time.  A life outside of school dedicated to hobbies.  Having time to spend with friends.  Partying.

Dating might’ve been nice, too, Seungwan thought as she passed by a couple holding hands, bundled up in hooded bubble jackets.  They were strolling peacefully along the tree-lined paths that led to the city, pausing to take photos together against the sunrise-tinged lake.  Stopping to smell the flowers.  Poking each other’s cheeks.  Laughing.  Living in the moment as if they had all the time in the world.

It reminded her of how Sooyoung had been, back when she was with Sungjae.  Carefree and happy.  But here she was, forever single and without a lick of romantic experience.  Oh, how Seungwan wished she were one of the normal students sometimes.

“Unnie, good morning!” called out a voice that sounded entirely too cheery for a Saturday morning.  “Wait up!”

Seungwan’s shoulders tensed as she turned to see Yerim running to catch up to her, guitar case slung over her shoulder.  Kim Yerim. Resident prankster.  Sooyoung’s partner in crime.

There was a wide grin on her face as Yerim fell into step with her. Despite feeling wary toward her and cranky at being woken up early, Seungwan couldn’t help but return the smile. Yerim’s enthusiasm was infectious like that.  On good days, it made the semester a little more bearable when they shared their music composition class together; on bad ones, it foreboded a future of trouble because she was a little shit sometimes.  Like Sooyoung, Yerim was someone who always knew how to keep her on her toes.  A frightening pair, those two.  Especially when they put their minds together.

Even so, it was impossible not to have a soft spot for her.

“Yerim—hey!”  Seungwan pulled her in, wrapping her arm over her shoulder as they walked side by side.  Mostly, she just wanted to steal her body heat.  “You’re going to band practice?  You have a performance tonight at the new bar, right? What was it called—Tiki Island?”

“Yup!”  Yerim nodded, waving her sheet music in front of Seungwan’s face.  “Also, we’re finally going to try out that new tune that you helped me with earlier this week and see how it goes.  I think Seulgi-unnie is going to love it.  Thanks for that, by the way.”

“No problem, kiddo.”  Seungwan gave her a pat on the head.  “You had great melody—just needed some polishing on the harmonies.  You did say you’d pay me back anyway.”

“Of course, unnie.  I’m a woman of my word,” Yerim said.  With her big round eyes and angelic face, anyone else who didn’t know her as well would’ve been fooled into trusting the innocent smile that graced her lips.  But years of being swindled by that very smile had taught Seungwan better.

She raised her eyebrows.  “Uh huh. Sure.  The most reliable person I know, really.”

“You headed to Café Eureka?” Yerim asked, pointedly ignoring Seungwan’s jibe.

“Yeah, I am.  Did you want anything?  I could get you something to—wait.”  Seungwan narrowed her eyes suspiciously.  At second glance, the smile on Yerim’s face had turned more… smug than anything.  Like she was privy to a secret that Seungwan wasn’t. “How did you know?  Sooyoung told you something, didn’t she?”

“Ah.”  Yerim’s shoulders stiffened under her hold.  Before Seungwan could react to the obvious tell, she was already ducking out of her arm and booking it.  “Gotta jet!” she exclaimed.  “I’ll see you around, unnie!”

“Hey!” Seungwan yelled after her, but Yerim was already several meters ahead, breaking out into a full run.

Seungwan threw her hands in the air, shaking her fist at Yerim’s disappearing figure.  “Why does nobody tell me anything!”

-

Seungwan felt right at home as she stepped into Café Eureka, inhaling the aroma of freshly-made syrupy waffles and the woody scent of weathered books that lined the walls of the upper floor, sighing in relief when the cozy indoor heating soaked into her freezing thighs.

Café Eureka, like any other restaurant business at the edge of the city, wasn’t an overly fancy establishment, but it was her and Sooyoung’s favorite library café to frequent.  As a hybrid breakfast diner and quiet study place, with both sections split into two floor levels to separate the diners from the students, it was a boon for struggling undergrads who needed a break from schoolwork for a convenient quick fix or vice versa.  The food was good; the staff pleasant.  Overall, it was perfect aside from the drawback of being a trek from the main campus.

Once senior year had hit, she and Sooyoung had both become super stressed university students, constantly hunched over reading thick textbooks in dusty libraries through late nights, so it was nice just relaxing at a cute lowkey joint once in a while.  Not too unruly or greasy like fast food restaurants, not too hoity-toity like those hipster coffee shops with one too many bearded baristas wearing an offensive combination of torn jeans and smartwatches.  Café Eureka was nice in that way—just the right balance of homey and classy: comfort foods in the form of all-day breakfast meals, along with the refinement of an academic setting.

Although a bit cheesy, it was rumored that the owners had named it ‘Café Eureka’ to appeal to the student population.  A place where epiphanies were made, supposedly, from just spending time there and basking in the atmosphere.  Fresh food stimulating bright ideas, bright ideas paving way to brighter futures—that was something of its brand.  It was said so often by staff and clientele alike that Seungwan was surprised it wasn’t made into a slogan yet.

She found Sooyoung settled at the booth in the corner of the café—their usual spot that overlooked the park and waterfront outside.  The bright ambience really did help with keeping them alert during exam weeks—lots of tall glass windows, with each table partitioned by blue leather seats and tall mahogany posts framed by metal bars.  The seating arrangement was a bit reminiscent of a 1950s American diner, just without all the hustle and bustle.

From where Seungwan could see, Sooyoung was busy scrolling through her phone, eyebrows creased together in concentration.  An untouched plate of strawberry crepes lay on the table in front of her—the same thing she always ordered whenever they were together.  It wasn’t a surprise that she was still in her jogging outfit, but as a non-morning person Seungwan didn’t often get to see her wearing it.  She had to whistle at how modelesque Sooyoung managed to make it look, like she’d just walked right out of a high-profile athletic brand photoshoot: fingerless gloves, hair tied into a high ponytail, tight black leggings with mesh panels, a matching sports bra that gave a wide view of the well-defined abs on her stomach.  Even as a runner, she wasted no opportunity to show off the magnificent physique of her body.

Seungwan didn’t blame her.  The girl was chiseled like a Greek goddess, and she had every right to flaunt it.  Especially ever since the breakup from a few months ago, Sooyoung had doubled down on working out to take her mind off of things, to spend time taking care of herself.  The result was marvelous, of course: leaner arms, toner thighs.  Plumper, healthier gluts.  Even Seungwan herself was guilty of staring once in a while—but hey, it was a crime not to admire art, right?  Not that she’d ever make an obvious show of it.  Sooyoung would never let her live that down, with that ego of hers.

It was a good sign, though, that Sooyoung was out and about instead of moping around, as she was wont to do whenever a wave of bad moods struck her.  Like the week when she’d split up with Sungjae, or had gotten a C on her exam.  If she’d been feeling alright enough to go out for a jog, that had to mean whatever she had to tell her wasn’t terrible, at least.

“Hey,” Seungwan greeted, slipping into the seat across from Sooyoung.

“Unnie!”  Sooyoung lit up, placing her phone down as soon as Seungwan announced her arrival. “You came!”

Seungwan laughed.  Sooyoung reminded her of the puppies that she loved to take care of sometimes at the local animal rescue center—the bright eyes, excitable smiles.  One and the same.  “Yes, I did, you brat,” she said, though it wasn’t with as much bite as she’d wanted.  Then again, she couldn’t stay too mad if Sooyoung seemed happy.

“Brat?” Sooyoung echoed, placing a hand to her chest in mock offense.  “Excuse me—I’m anything but.”

“I think you demanding my time and attention before eight in the morning on a weekend constitutes as you being a brat.”

Sooyoung placed her hands on her hips and glared, bottom lip jutting out in the way that forecasted whenever she was about to summon her grossest baby-aegyo voice.  “Unnie.”

“No,” Seungwan said, looking away.

Protests never stopped Sooyoung, though.  In fact, they always seemed to encourage her.

“Why don’t you ever want to spend time with me anymore?” Sooyoung whined, voice rising in pitch with every word.  “I just wanted to see you.  You’re so mean!  Hmph!” She punctuated her harrumph with a shrill squawk, cheeks puffing out.

Seungwan’s mouth twisted into a scowl, cold shivers rolling down her body.  She couldn’t even stop the gagging noises that emerged from her throat.  Sooyoung broke character at that, cackling as she pointed at the disgust undoubtedly written all over her face.

“Well, you must be in high spirits if you’re out here doing this,” Seungwan scoffed.  “I’m guessing that ‘important news’ isn’t a bad thing this time?”

“I’ll get to that later,” Sooyoung wheezed out, still recovering from her laughing fit, wiping tears from her eyes.

“Later?”  Seungwan let out an exasperated sigh.  Of course. “What—”

Sooyoung clapped her hands together.  “First things first, unnie!” she exclaimed, peeking her head outside the booth and snapping her fingers.  At her cue, the waiter walked over to their booth, a platter full of food on his hands.

“Rainbow fruit yogurt parfait for Son Seungwan-ssi?” the waiter presented, a teasing lilt to his voice.

It was Jongdae—one of the regular morning employees who usually ended up serving them more often than not.  Being regulars at Café Eureka, he was long past just a familiar face in the establishment. He felt more like an older brother at times to the both of them, even going as far to preemptively serve them their usual orders before they could even formally request the food themselves.

He smiled as he placed the plate in front of her: an assortment of cleanly chopped fruit—watermelon, mandarins, pineapple, kiwis, and grapes—placed in neat rows, separated by yogurt and granola within a tall glass cup.  Her favorite.  She hadn’t bought it in a while, though, since she was on a budget and it was expensive to order on a daily basis.

“I guess you finally have enough money now to splurge, huh?” Jongdae quipped.

“Actually,” Sooyoung interjected.  “It’s my treat for her.”

Seungwan blinked, mouth falling into an ‘o’ shape.  She looked back at Sooyoung, who was already staring at her with a smug grin, elbow propped on the table as she rested her chin on her palm. Just sitting there, looking like she was so proud of herself.

“Whoa.”  Seungwan couldn’t say she wasn’t impressed by Sooyoung’s thoughtfulness.  Not that she had expected to come out completely drained after meeting up or anything, but it was nice to know that Sooyoung could still surprise her with small gestures like this.

“Are you bribing her, or something?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Oh, nothing like that,” Sooyoung denied, though the smirk on her face made Seungwan feel a little unsettled.

Jongdae snickered.  “Well, I’ve got to go back to work now.  Enjoy, girls!” he said, bowing before he left.

“Thanks, oppa!” Seungwan called after him.

Sooyoung pushed the parfait closer to her, placing a spoon in her hand.  “Bone ape tit, unnie.”

“I think the phrase is ‘bon appétit’, but thanks.”

“Am I still a brat?” Sooyoung asked, batting her eyelashes.

Seungwan smiled despite herself.  Maybe it was worth going out after all.  “Aside from grossly butchering the French language?  You’re alright, I guess,” she conceded.

“Bon appétit, then,” Sooyoung said, slicing into the crepe with her fork, slathering a generous helping of cream over it.

It looked good.  Seungwan’s mouth watered at the sight of it.  “Hey, let me have a bite of that?” she requested, opening her mouth wide.

The fork halted before it reached Sooyoung’s mouth.  She shot her an incredulous look.  “Unnie, you have one whole parfait in front of you.  You’re really going to make me sully my fork with your cooties before I even try my own crepes?”

“Don’t be difficult.  You’re the one who pestered me to come see you.  Besides, I haven’t tried it in a while.”

“Are you sure you aren’t the brat?” Sooyoung laughed, extending the mouthful of food out to Seungwan.  “You should be honored.  I don’t spoon feed just anyone, princess.”

Seungwan’s eyes lit up as she bit into it.  “Mm!  No wonder why you love this so much,” she said, wiping her mouth with a napkin.

“Yep!  Well, glad to know it’s fantastic as usual.”

“It is.”

Spooning her own parfait, Seungwan took her first bite, humming contently as the taste of kiwis and creamy Greek yogurt melted on her tongue.  Ah, fresh fruit.  Definitely hit the spot.  Crepes were good, but nothing beat a helping of fresh fruit in a parfait.   “It’s delicious.  Thank you, Sooyoungie—you seriously ordered this for me?”

“Duh.  I wasn’t going to drag you out here from the freezing cold in the morning for nothing.”

“Why did you, then?”  

Sooyoung leaned forward across the table.  “So, listen…” she said, voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper, a sly smile tugging on her lips.  The hairs on Seungwan’s arms stood up.  A smile like that from Sooyoung spelled trouble—

“I’m thinking of hooking up with a girl.”

—and bad ideas.

Seungwan whipped her head up from the parfait, mouth stopping mid-chew.  Her eyes widened to saucers.  “What.”

“I’m thinking of hooking up with a girl,” Sooyoung repeated, eyes twinkling in the way they always did whenever she took in Seungwan’s distraught expressions. Clearly, she was enjoying herself.

Seungwan set her spoon down slowly, swallowing her last bite before she irrevocably choked on it.  She’d been so absorbed in eating that she’d nearly forgotten that Sooyoung had dragged her out for a purpose.  Right. The ‘important news’.

Something actually important, or just a bait?

For once, Seungwan wasn’t sure which it was.

She didn’t even know Sooyoung was into girls in that way.  She’d been dating Sungjae for the majority of the time Seungwan had known her—a few months into their first year of school—so she could see why there wasn’t much opportunity for Sooyoung to express interest in the fairer sex.  Sure, Sooyoung had made a couple of comments about girls here and there that warranted a bit of eyebrow raising, but Seungwan thought that was just how she was.  No filters and unapologetically shameless.

Like when she’d half-jokingly considered bombing her organic chemistry exam just so she could get extra tutoring from the hot teacher’s aide, Bae Joohyun. Or when she’d gone slack-jawed watching Seulgi, their mutual friend from Yerim’s band, dance in a well-fitted suit and remarked I can see why they call her ‘oppa’.  Or when she’d said girl butts were more fun to look at than man butts—and oh god, Seungwan was an idiot.

Sooyoung liked girls.  How could she have missed it?

When she came to from her (extremely belated) revelation, Sooyoung was still staring at her expectantly.  Right, she hadn’t even answered her yet.

“Uh,” Seungwan said eloquently, licking her lips to catch a stray granola bit hanging off the edge of her mouth.

“Well?  Thoughts?” Sooyoung prompted.

What was even the proper response when your best friend simultaneously came out to you and announced she wanted to hook up with a girl—all in one breath?  “Congratulations?” she offered.

“‘Congratulations’ is damn right!” Sooyoung asserted, slamming a palm on the table, plates rattling with the force of the thump.  Seungwan winced, gripping her parfait glass to steady it.  “It’s been months since I’ve broken up with Sungjae. Can’t a girl treat herself?”

“Treat herself… to a hookup?”

Seungwan could already feel herself growing some white hairs.  This was all coming out of left field, honestly—Sooyoung liking girls, Sooyoung wanting flings with girls.  For all the years they’d known each other—ever since freshman orientation—Seungwan had never thought Sooyoung as the type do anything scandalous, like hitting the clubs in hopes of engaging in one-night stands.  Despite her outwardly flirty nature, she was a romantic at heart.  Someone who valued stability.  Softness. Not hedonistic passion.

“That’s right,” Sooyoung confirmed cheekily.

“And this is a good idea—how?  Why?” Seungwan rubbed her temple.  Having a bomb like this dropped on her definitely was not how she envisioned spending her Saturday morning.

Sooyoung picked up her fork, finally digging into her crepe.  She popped a strawberry into her mouth, chewing slowly as she looked out the window.  Seungwan followed her gaze, and outside she could see the couple she passed from before, still ambling near the lake.  She hadn’t noticed earlier, but they were both women.  Wow, she really was oblivious sometimes.  

“You know, I was always curious about how it’d feel like.  Being with a girl.  Even before I accepted that about myself.”

The tone of her voice sounded a bit more contemplative now.  Like she’d actually been mulling the idea over in her head, instead of tossing it out there just to throw Seungwan off balance. Maybe this was a serious matter after all.

“You never told me,” Seungwan said, hiding the frown that tugged at her lips behind another spoonful of yogurt.  The watermelon had turned mushy.  Great. “That you like girls, I mean.”

Sooyoung shrugged.  “Yeah, I’m bi.  I thought it was pretty obvious, unnie.  I just didn’t think it was necessary to talk about, with me dating Sungjae and all.”

Bi. Sooyoung was bi.  Seungwan felt her ears warming, hearing that out loud. She wasn’t embarrassed—just… caught off guard.  Yeah, that was it.  It was such a Sooyoung thing to do, confessing an important secret so casually. Flippantly, even.

“You could’ve told me,” Seungwan grumbled, pouting.  Did Sooyoung think she was homophobic?  She wasn’t!  Sooyoung knew that, too.  She had to, right?  When Yerim came out to them as a lesbian, neither of them had even batted an eyelash, accepting her with open arms.  Well, it wasn’t like she was entitled to know everything about Sooyoung, even if they were best friends, but still…

“I could’ve,” Sooyoung agreed, looking back at her, laughing when she saw her face.  “Why so grumpy?”

“Did you think I would judge you?” Seungwan blurted out without thinking. She couldn’t even keep the hurt from her voice.

Sooyoung frowned at that, sobering up instantly.  “No, that’s not it.”

“Then—”

“Hey,” Sooyoung said softly, reaching over to grasp Seungwan’s hand. “I know what you’re thinking when you have that look on your face—” Seungwan wrinkled her nose.  What look? “—but you know I would trust you with my life, right?”

The fact that Sooyoung could read her so easily was a bit terrifying.  Her shoulders slumped as she stared into her parfait instead of meeting Sooyoung’s gaze.  “Sorry,” she mumbled.  “I know it’s none of my business.”

“Like I said, it’s not like that.  I just thought it’d be more fun if you found out this way.”

Seungwan rolled her eyes, but she didn’t mind when Sooyoung interlaced their fingers together.  Her hand was warm.  “More fun for you, maybe,” she huffed.

“Yep!” Sooyoung chirped, leaning forward to poke her cheek.  “So don’t be such a baby, okay?”

The way Sooyoung’s finger dug into her dimple tickled, and it made her laugh as she withdrew her hand.  Sometimes Seungwan hated that she could be placated so easily.  “Well, I guess it was kind of funny,” she admitted, rubbing the back of her neck.  “And to be honest, I should’ve expected it.”

“Yeah, well, you heterolinis can be dumb sometimes.”

“Heterolinis?”  Seungwan frowned.  She was less offended at being called dumb than baffled at Sooyoung calling her a… a heterolini.  Where did she even come up with that?

“Yeah.  You know—straight people, with their straight lives, always viewing things through their straight lenses.”

Seungwan gaped.  She wasn’t that bad, was she?  “I’ve never even had a boyfriend.  Who knows if I’m straight?”  She furrowed her eyebrows, head tilting quizzically at the words that came out of her own mouth.  Why was she even arguing?  She’d barely even questioned her own sexuality before.

Sooyoung eyed her skeptically.  “Girl, the number of times I’ve caught you staring at Cha Eunwoo from the music department, though…”

Heat rose to Seungwan’s face.  “And what about it!” she protested, jabbing her spoon into the parfait and taking an angry bite out of it, munching loudly.  “He’s beautiful!”

“Yeah, so?” Sooyoung scoffed, crossing her arms.  “So am I, but you’re not attracted to me.”

Seungwan’s eyes widened.  Whoa. Sooyoung really went there. Abort, abort, abort.

“When did you even figure out that you were bi?” Seungwan asked instead, floundering for a change of topic.

Rather than replying, Sooyoung delicately placed her fork down on her plate, metal clacking against ceramic.  She clasped her hands together, looking out the window again.  Birds chirped outside. The front door of the café jingled with the arrival of new customers.

When Sooyoung went quiet a few seconds too long for comfort, Seungwan fidgeted in her seat, backpedaling.  “Sorry—was that too personal?”

“It’s fine.  I was just thinking.  I think I always kind of knew—but it probably only hit me a year ago or so?”

“Oh, wow.”  Seungwan’s eyebrows shot to her forehead as she took in the new information.  A year ago.  That had to mean…  “You were still dating Sungjae at the time?”

“Yeah.”

“Is that why you two broke up?”

“No,” Sooyoung answered immediately.  Her lips pursed into a thin line as she swept her fingers over her hair, pushing them away from her eyes.  “Well—not entirely.  Yes and no. We had our differences, but I can’t say it didn’t factor into it.  He didn’t know, though.  I never told him.”

“Ah.”

“Mhm.”

They fell into an uncomfortable silence as they went back to eating, the scrape of utensils the only noise filling the air.  Seungwan grimaced.  Sooyoung never went into the details of the breakup before, but Seungwan hadn’t expected that to be part of the reason.  She really had to be nosy and open up old wounds, didn’t she.

When it was clear Sooyoung wasn’t going to elaborate any further, Seungwan cleared her throat.  “Oh, yeah! So, anyway—about girls.  You wanted to try hookups?”  She cringed as the words left her mouth.  Hookups.  It sounded so crass.

Sooyoung perked up, a wide grin spreading on her face as though nothing had happened, and Seungwan was thankful it was that simple to dispel the awkward atmosphere between them.  “Yeah! I installed Tinder—I was just setting up my profile right before you showed up.”

“Tinder?” Seungwan repeated.  “Like, for local randos?  Not someone from our school?”

“That’s the point of hookups.”  Sooyoung rolled her eyes.  “I’m not supposed to see them again.”

Seungwan pressed her lips together as she regarded Sooyoung.  Sooyoung, who always cried at the climax of romantic comedy movies.  Sooyoung, who once dumped a boy she was seeing simply because her Maltese puppy, Haetnim, didn’t like him.  Sooyoung, who—despite having a reputation for being a flirtatious tease—valued the fine art of courtship.  Late-night candlelit dinners, picnics under a blanket of stars.

“This isn’t usually like you,” Seungwan pointed out.

“Yeah, maybe I just wanted to try something different.  Something uncomplicated, no strings attached.”

“Why not dating, though?”

“Because I’m probably not ready for a relationship right now?  And also, I’d really just like to kiss a girl.”

“Oh.”  Seungwan flushed at the mental image of Sooyoung doing just that.  Stupidly sexy Sooyoung, kissing a girl—not for the titillation of men but for herself.  “Wow.”

“What is it?” Sooyoung asked.  Seungwan didn’t like the look on her face—the annoyingly self-satisfied smirk that suggested she knew exactly what Seungwan was thinking.

“Nothing,” Seungwan said, shaking the idea from her head.  “Just getting used to you being bi.”

“Well…” Sooyoung began.  She slid out of her seat and into Seungwan’s side of the booth, a devilish sparkle in her eyes.  Her voice had turned husky.  “I think I have an idea of how to help you.”

Their hips bumped together as Sooyoung pushed her farther inside to make room for the both of them.  She pressed in so closely that Seungwan could catch a hint of the fruity floral perfume she always wore.  Plums and peonies.  Of course she had to smell intoxicatingly nice even after a jog.

Seungwan tensed, fingers gripping onto the hem of her shorts.  “Help me… get used to you being bi?”  Why did that sound so ominous?

“Yep.”

“How?”  Seungwan didn’t know if she liked where this was going.

Sooyoung gave her an impish, lopsided smile as she leaned in, maintaining eye contact with Seungwan the whole way even when the distance between their faces shortened to mere centimeters.  Seungwan’s neck craned back as she strained to put space between them, head bumping against the window, and she had to hold her breath so it wouldn’t mingle with Sooyoung’s.  Goosebumps rose on the surface of her arms at the heat radiating from the other girl’s body. It felt nice after walking in the cold for so long, but suddenly Seungwan found herself at a crossroads: uncertain if she wanted to pull her closer for warmth or push her away for her own sanity.

Finally, after what seemed like several excruciating seconds, Sooyoung spoke.

“I…”  Sooyoung licked her lips, moving in almost impossibly close—so much so that their noses almost touched, and it took all of Seungwan’s willpower not to scream.  “…am going to have you—”

She jabbed a finger onto Seungwan’s chest.  Oh, hell.

“—help me pick out a date!” she declared cheerfully.

Before Seungwan could even process what was happening, Sooyoung had already pulled away, slapping a couple of 10,000 won notes on the table to foot the bill, laughing and slipping out the booth with a jolly spring to her step.

Seungwan exhaled shakily once she actually had room to breathe again, feeling a cold draft of air in the absence of Sooyoung’s presence.  “Huh?”

What?

What?

“Come on, Seungwan-unnie!  Let’s go back to my apartment.  I want to shower already, and we can talk more about it there!”

Rooted in place, Seungwan stared after Sooyoung as she made her way to the front of the café, unable to shake how fast her heart was pounding.

What!!!

Once her brain kicked back into gear, Seungwan rushed to scarf down one final spoonful out of her parfait before chasing after Sooyoung—curse her and her long legs.  She noshed on the granola, savoring every munch and crunch as though it could smother the budding realization that threatened to slip out from the tip of her tongue.

She chanced a look back at her wristwatch.  It was only 9:17 a.m.

It was going to be a long, long day.

[stretchearsnotvaginas]

Before I eventually end up starting the new year with resolutions and realistically set goals, I need to wrap up 2018. Last year was one for the books; no pun intended. All along the way, I finished 30 books in total, and 27 of them are in the slideshow at the bottom of my screen (I left out the three for school). While 30 might not seem like a lot to those of you that can finish a book in a day, after looking at my stats, I’ve found out that I can too! Most of these took under 10 hours for me to read, so while it is possible… I just don’t have the time to sit for that amount of time every day. However, I will continue on my reading streak, and I’ll set the bar even higher for this year!

After reviewing the stats, I’ve noticed that surprisingly, most of these books received five stars from me! Unfortunately, that’s not as realistic as I’d like it to be. So, in this recap of my 2018 reads, I’m going to… in a way… re-rate all of my books (besides the three for school). So, let’s dig in!

(I’m also going to tie in Goodreads reviews to each of the book titles in the mini reviews I provide.)

1. A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A Game of Thrones exceeded my expectations. The show is eerily similar to the book… almost word-for-word, and I really enjoyed it. The relationship between Khal Drogo and Daenarys was revealed more in the book than it was in the movie, and it took me a bit to get through, but it was definitely good enough for me to snag the second book.

2. Fight Club and 3. Fight Club 2 by Chuck Palahniuk

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Fight Club was one of those books that made me squirm a little, but I can’t talk about it (see: Chucklehead101). So you’ll just have to read this yourself!

Fight Club 2 was unexpected honestly. It’s a graphic novel, and the narrator’s name was finally revealed as Sebastian. Also, Chuck made quite a few cameos! They gave the book more depth and “broke the fourth wall” in literature. I loved the overall feel of this book and finished it a little less than two hours. I can’t wait for Fight Club 3‘s release this January!

4. Invisible Monsters Remix by Chuck Palahniuk

Invisible Monsters Remix is going to have it’s own review here shortly!

5. Phoenix by Chuck Palahniuk

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I distinctly remember reading Phoenix in a hotel room in Golden, Colorado. Phoenix was only around 50-pages long, but it stood out enough for me to give it five stars. Even though Palahniuk is one of my favorite authors, I still choose to review his novels without being biased. Phoenix was a quick read, but it was resolved really quickly. The book discussed showed a broken marriage pretty accurately, and even though I’m a cat person… I couldn’t put it down.

6. Choke by Chuck Palahniuk

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Whenever I go to pick up any Palahniuk book, I always have semi-high expectations. So, giving this book 3-stars isn’t unusual. Choke was one of those books that seemed to try too hard. I love Palahniuk, but this just wasn’t… it. The narrator was prude and he just seemed like a fuckboy. As someone who doesn’t mind reading things “out of the norm,” Victor Mancini was just too much. He was just frustrating to read about, and while I appreciated his storyline, I just didn’t care for him. However, if you don’t mind reading things about a mans’ “dog” every other page/paragraph, then take a shot at it!

7. every day by David Levithan

⭐️⭐️⭐️

I’m not one to read Young Adult books as much anymore, but every day really stood out. While it’s only receiving around 3-stars from me, it was still a unique plot line. However, I just didn’t like the ending as much as I hoped I would’ve. I love the concept behind a non-binary character such as the narrator, but the ending is honestly what ruined it for me. I’m still going to buy the next book to see if it’ll redeem itself, but as for just this one? I don’t think it should standalone as much as it does.

8. the woman in the window by AJ Finn

the woman in the window was my all-time favorite book of 2018. I can’t really put more of what I want to say into words, so check out Review: “the woman in the window” by AJ Finn (2018) for my review!

9. The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory

⭐️⭐️⭐️

I’m not one to read romances like this, but it was a book I received from a book subscription I used to have called PageHabit. They’re no longer in commission, but I still have quite a few books that I have to read from them.

The Wedding Date, in particular, wasn’t one that I’d find myself reading again. It was a cute story, but it was definitely a cliche right from the beginning… which is why I don’t tend to read romances anyway. The characters in the book were cute and charming, but Alexa Monroe (the main character), was a little short-tempered. However, after reading more and more about Drew Nichols, I realize why she is. He is more than just a quirky guy in an elevator, but the more she finds out, the more shady he seems to become.

10. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by J.K. Rowling

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Before I start in on this one, I’ll admit that I’m not a huge fan of JK Rowling anymore. After following her on Twitter, and after I’ve seen her decide to bring to light new things about old characters just to stay relevant… I’ve decided to no longer support her. I’ll always ALWAYS love Harry Potter (proud Ravenclaw here), but she’s become another author that only discusses her characters if they can create a shock factor. So, even though I’ve come to dislike JK Rowling, I’ve decided to separate her from her work. Just because I’m in love with the world she created, doesn’t mean I have to like her as a person. Similarly to how I’ve decided to buy Sleeping Beauties by Stephen King, just because his son wrote it with him (and we all know how much I love him).

Anyway, I devoured Fantastic Beasts in one day. I found myself falling in love with Newt and his creatures fairly quickly, but there’s just one thing I would’ve changed. The dark side of this novel, should’ve been darker. After watching the movie, the book just seemed light compared to how devious the creature came to be. I loved the entire concept of creating a world before our beloved Hogwarts, I loved the snippet of Grindewald, but since this isn’t technically a YA novel like the Harry Potter series… it just should’ve been darker, which is why it got 4-stars from me.

11. Simon vs. the Homo sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

⭐️⭐️⭐️

I have to be one of the only people on the internet so far (from what I’ve seen) that didn’t 100% love this book in its entirety. I’m glad that it brought a few LGBT issues to light, but I just can’t do the cutesy romance books at all apparently. This was another Young Adult novel that flopped in my reading conquests, but I will say one thing… the movie adaptation was really cute. Even though Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda wasn’t my favorite, I still appreciate how everyone came together and read it upon its release.

12. the curious incident of the dog in the night-time by Mark Haddon

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

the curious incident of the dog in the night-time was so unique. So, so unique. It’s from the perspective of Christopher Boone, a fifteen-year-old boy on the autistic spectrum, which only made it more significant. In the book, it shows how Christopher lives by patterns, rules, and the diagram that he keeps in his pocket. The way he moves throughout the world, and how he acts whenever he finds a dead dog across the street. While the entire book is filled with Christopher’s quirks and the way he solves and unseen mystery, I still found myself struggling to get through it on its own. So, I downloaded the audiobook, which led me to a reading by someone who gave Christopher his own unique voice; Jeff Woodman. He managed to create a character with even more depth than Haddon intended. Now, I’m not one to listen to audiobooks all the time, but I’m glad I did with this one. So, if you have Audible, I highly suggest it.

13. Adjustment Day by Chuck Palahniuk

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I’ll admit, Adjustment Day was not my favorite Palahniuk book at all. While it was still better than Choke, it just didn’t feel right. I love that Palahniuk is back in the world of fiction after four years, but this book just gave me a 1984 vibe with a transgressive fiction twist. Honestly, that’s all I can say about it, other than the fact that the idea behind this was pretty ingenious and it could very well happen with the way society is going. I also find it hilarious that in my logo for my blog, I’m reading Adjustment Day. The cover was too great to ignore, and I found myself reading it for hours on end… unfortunately, it just wasn’t… enough.

14. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Gone Girl was an enigma in itself. Not that it was too puzzling to figure out, but the whole plot line is really what hooked me. From the beginning, the first paragraph stood out for me; when Nick describes the back of Amy’s head. So, even before all of the crazy twists and turns, this book already starts out on a rather, unusual note.

I oddly found myself rationalizing with Amy Dunne, and realizing that what she did really did have a reasoning behind it. Plus, her whole plan was just ingenious. The plot twist in this book was seriously unexpected, and the fact that it has the potential to be so realistic is really what brought this book to life.

15. The Merciless IV by Danielle Vega

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Ahhh, The Merciless IV. The fourth novel in The Merciless series by Danielle Vega… aka a candy-coated horror novel. Honestly, this series has been hit-or-miss with me. I loved the first two, but I needed more insight on a few of the characters. I really liked how this was set in Italy, and it was just as stomach-churning as the rest of them.

Now, I’m not sure if there’s going to be another installment in this series because it’s called Last Rites, but I’m going to stay hopeful that there is going to be at least one more so Vega can round it off more with Sofia.

16. Providence by Caroline Kepnes

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 

Providence was a very unusual take on a monster story similar to Frankenstein. This book was equally terrifying as it was mind-bending. It left me wanting more throughout the whole thing, and I was filled with hope that Jon would find justice in the end. Kepnes seriously created a masterpiece filled with illusion, self-destruction, love and obsession. I found myself reading it outdoors in my hammock, falling more and more in love with the relationship between Chloe and Jon, but I just wish it could’ve ended in a better place. To prevent spoiling this piece of art, I won’t go any further, just know that if you haven’t read ANY Caroline Kepnes books. You should pick up this one, and then continue onto YOU and Hidden Bodies (there’ll also be a review on these soon!).

17. Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Sharp Objects was definitely not a favorite. Going into a Gillian Flynn novel after Gone Girl, I was hoping for it to just have more depth to it. instead, I stumbled in upon characters who were tricky and a little cringy. Honestly, the whole idea behind Camille visiting her hometown, definitely reminded me of whenever I’d visit mine. The quaint little town, the drama, the family, it was all surreal how Flynn captured it in this. Yet, I still wasn’t drawn to it. I ended up taking a while to finish it, and I couldn’t focus on it for too long before I got annoyed. However, I did love the show adaptation of it, even though I’m a little biased towards Amy Adams. I just couldn’t grasp onto reading about the characters that were brought to life. The plot twist at the end wasn’t enough for me to grab her books The Grownup and Dark Places, but I know I’ll inevitably end up buying it on one of my bookstore conquests.

18. I Could Pee On This by Francesco Marciuliano

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I Could Pee On This was one of those books that only a true cat lover would love. It felt as though my cats actually wrote each one of these poems, and I found myself actually laughing at the thought. Throughout the whole book, it shows pictures of the “authors,” so not only do you get cute, quirky poems, but you also get cute, quirky photos of the cats themselves. Even though this was an extremely quick read, it still made quite the impact, and instead of having it reside on my “finished” shelf, it now has a place on my desk among a few others.

19. Talking As Fast As I Can by Lauren Graham

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Talking As Fast As I Can was such a hilarious autobiography. While I read it, I heard Lauren Graham’s voice, and shortly after I ended up watching Parenthood and Gilmore Girls. This book really brought to life how difficult it can be to get to where Lauren Graham has gotten. She created a quirky novel that came off as though Lauren Graham was Lorelai Gilmore while she was writing. I got through this autobiography as quickly as she talks, and I’d recommend this to anyone who loves her. Even though there are spoilers to the Gilmore Girls reboot, she does warn about them. So, if you haven’t seen it yet, go watch it! Then check out this book! As someone who doesn’t read very many autobiographies, I found myself so attached to this one that I finished it fairly quickly.

20. Coraline by Neil Gaiman

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Even though Coraline is a children’s book, it was still written very well. I only gave it 4-stars because I didn’t finish it. Before you jump on me for this though, I only didn’t finish it because it was TOO close to the movie. Even though it would’ve been a quick read, I couldn’t imagine my own characters. I love the movie adaptation, but once I already know what the characters look like… the books are almost ruined for me. However, if you like creepy stories, or if your kids like creepy stories, I highly recommend this. Neil Gaiman is an amazing writer, so only you can use your better judgment on this one.

21. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society is going to have it’s own review here shortly!

22. Tell Me Lies by Carola Lovering

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Tell Me Lies was extraordinary and filled with a ton of relationship issues that many authors don’t tend to discuss. Written from both the perspectives of the relationship; the gas-lighter and the “gas-lightee,” this book is unique on its own. I actually found myself uncovering more about Stephen in the beginning chapters than I realized. As someone who’s been a victim of gas-lighting, I was surprised I was able to catch the signs so soon. Stephen was an expert in his craft, and it was frustrating to read about Lucy falling for it over and over again, but I couldn’t put it down. Overall, it was a great read, and definitely one of my top five of 2018.

23. Rosemary’s Baby by Ira Levin

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

First thing first, if you’re going to read Rosemary’s Baby – don’t; LISTEN TO IT. Like I said before, I don’t really love copping out of “manually” reading a book, but this one was worth it. Mia Farrow herself reads this and incorporates all of the screams and different voices. It really created a world that was just as intense as this was 50-years-ago. Dare I say, it was scarier in the audiobook version than it was in the film adaption or the book itself? Next is Son of Rosemary, and one can only hope she recorded that one as well (update: I just looked it up and it turns out she doesn’t… which is unfortunate).

24. Saving Red by Sonya Sones

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Even though Sonya Sones is a YA writer, Saving Red was a great story. It was unique on its own, and I can say I’ve never read a story like this before. In this story, a 14-year-old named Molly decides to help a homeless woman named Red. She had to have been only a few years older than Molly, but she ended up on the streets. I read this around Christmastime, and surprisingly it was set around the same time. This book was really cute and heartwarming and, even though I don’t read YA novels, I’ve always found that Sonya Sones’ books will always have a special place on my shelves.

25. A Simple Favor by Darcey Bell

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Eerily similar to Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn, A Simple Favor just wasn’t as appealing to me as I hoped it to be. While I think it was a good standalone book on its own, without comparing it to another book, I think the rating I gave this book was pretty accurate. A Simple Favor, was filled with just the right amount of plot twists, but it was still predictable. Although, as someone who reads thrillers frequently, I’ve found that this is the case for most thrillers at this point anyway. I loved the unique point-of-views, but I still wish it was a little more intense. However, I think this would be a great book for people who are new to the thriller genre. I’ve talked to several people who have loved it, and several who didn’t think it was the best, but if you’re just starting out with thrillers, try this!

26. Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Machado

⭐️⭐️

Her Body and Other Parties received the lowest review of the year, not only because it was a schoolbook… but because it seemed as though it was written purely for shock factor. I couldn’t even make it through some of the chapters, but I had to for school. This book was another that I needed to download the audiobook, and while a few of the chapters were clever, they weren’t good enough for me to rate this any higher.

27. Bait by Chuck Palahniuk

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

It’s not unusual that Palahniuk has presented us with a collection of short stories. It certainly isn’t his first collection, and it won’t be his last. However, what makes Bait unique is that there are photos you can color along with.

While I was reading it, I couldn’t put this book down at all. A few of my favorite stories were: Conspiracy, Let’s See What Happens, and Bait. Even though they were all unique, those three really stood out among the eight in the whole book. Plus, the illustrations really rounded it off.

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      Danielle’s 2018 Reads Before I eventually end up starting the new year with resolutions and realistically set goals, I need to wrap up 2018.

[multisportperformance]

Spotlight:  Jerry Shoemaker

For the last thirty years, Jerry Shoemaker has been an institution in the endurance sports community in Peachtree City. Maybe you’ve had occasion to meet him at a refueling stop at the Hampton airport. Maybe he helped you set up your transition area before a local triathlon. Or, more likely, maybe during the summer months, you’ve seen the footprints on the cart paths made from his sweat-drenched shoes. And, on Saturday, he will toe the line for his twenty-first Ironman triathlon in Cambridge, Maryland.

Over those twenty-one Ironman triathlons and countless marathons, Jerry has inspired and encouraged numerous athletes to start running or riding or swimming. His wife, Ann, has completed three Ironman triathlons; his sons, Adam (me) and Alex, have combined to complete three Ironman triathlons. Three of his brothers, two of his sisters, and two of his nieces have combined to cross the Ironman finish line 41 times, and that doesn’t count all of the other family members who have conquered marathons and other endurance races. Every one of those athletes can trace their inspiration back to Jerry.

Jerry’s march toward an Ironman dynasty was far from inevitable, however. By his own admission, Jerry was never gifted with the raw athleticism needed for traditional sports, but as middle age crept nearer, Jerry knew he needed to get in shape to keep up with his two young boys. As luck would have it, he moved next door to Lou and Martha Boone, endurance institutions in their own right, and before long, Lou was coaching him for his first Peachtree Road Race.

After finishing his first 10K, Jerry logically decided to sign up for his first marathon only four months later. Lou even offered to do the same race with him. What Lou didn’t tell him was that he, wisely, was only doing the half marathon, and so Jerry was alone on the long bus ride to the start of the Atlanta Thanksgiving Marathon. It was on that ride that he realized just how far he’d have to run, but nevertheless, he finished his first marathon, only to shove his sore legs into a car and drive up to Chicago to celebrate the holiday. From there, an endurance athlete was born.

While he might lack the hand-eye coordination to hit a fastball or the deftness to score a touchdown, Jerry found that he had the perfect skillset for endurance sports—mental toughness, persistence, and drive. He would go on to compete in races of all distances, including his quixotic pursuit to qualify for the 100th running of the Boston Marathon. Finally, in 2000, along with the Boones, Chuck Garwood, Dave Piet, Dan Twineham, and Bill McBride, he looked for the next challenge, and like a slice of lemmings, they followed one another in signing up for what seemed certain doom—Ironman Florida. Rather than finding peril, Jerry thrived in the sport. He would go on to complete Ironmans in Wisconsin, Idaho, New York, Florida, Germany, Arizona, Florida, Kentucky, North Carolina, Canada, Hawaii, California, and Florida. Through all of those races, he exhibited his trademark steely resolve to will his body across the finish line.

Before he raced in the Ironman World Championships, Jerry preferred to coach himself. He figured a life in sales with frequent travel was not suited for coaching, but as he approached Kona, he decided it was time to listen to an expert and signed up to have Kim Bramblett coach him. The results of her instruction are apparent—in his last three Ironman finishes, he placed higher overall than when he started racing and when he was sixteen years younger. More importantly, the Multisport Endurance Coaching community has rejuvenated his love of the sport.

If you asked him about his proudest accomplishment over the last thirty years, he probably wouldn’t mention completing Ironman Kona in 2014 or racing the Boston Marathon in 2006. Instead, he’d talk about all of the races that he got to enjoy with so many family members and friends. In a sport that requires individual effort, Jerry has managed to forge a community.

So, on October 7, Jerry will undertake once again the singular challenge of swimming 2.4 miles, biking 112 miles, and running 26.2 miles, and despite all of his experience, he will be just as excited crossing the finish line as he was back in November 2000. I am immensely proud to have him as a role model. Love you, Dad!

~Adam Shoemaker

[universeinform-blog]

Idea to offer 2G, 3G, 4G mobile data at the same price to take on Reliance Jio

New Post has been published on https://universeinform.com/2017/03/24/idea-to-offer-2g-3g-4g-mobile-data-at-the-same-price-to-take-on-reliance-jio/

Idea to offer 2G, 3G, 4G mobile data at the same price to take on Reliance Jio

New Delhi: Telecom operator Concept Mobile will start promoting 1GB and above mobile information plans throughout its 2G, 3G and 4G network at the equal charge by way of the quiet of this month.

The concept has now announced that it’s going to permit open market facts recharges of 1GB and above to work on Idea’s 2G, 3G or 4G network without any differential prices and this could be rolled out nationally by way of March 31, 2017,” Idea said in an assertion.

At present Concept cellular net plans are priced at exclusive prices.

Because of stiff competition in the market from Reliance Jio, the 4G cellular facts provider of Concept is drastically cheaper than the 2G provider. Concept sells 1GB of 2G service with about a month validity for around Rs one hundred seventy and 4G is priced at Rs 123.

Additionally, Read|Concept follows Airtel, makes incoming calls on loose domestic roaming

Earlier, the high-speed information plans have been priced higher based totally on their download velocity.

The client can choose the recharge rate foundation usage and volume available in percent, while not having to worry approximately the platform the Patron’s device is logged in,” Concept Cellular chief advertising officer Sashi Shankar stated.

A concept will bring all data product categories like sachets, freedom packs to unified pricing and may be rolled out nationally in levels by way of 31 May additionally.

As Concept’s pan-India broadband insurance continues to amplify and decreases gap with present 2G insurance which covers 4 lakh towns and villages, clients can now seamlessly migrate services among generation & platform without worrying about differential expenses,” Shankar stated.

The data limit in high-speed net plans receives exhausted in less time compared to that on gradual speed community like 2G.

How Are You Filling Your Idea Pipeline

I’ve just been studying a high-quality new e-book referred to as Excessive-Earnings Prospecting via my friend and colleague Mark Hunter. Mark is a consummate sale professional, and his book is about how to preserve your sales pipeline complete so that you by no means run out of treasured potentialities.

I’m not an income expert, however, I’m an idea expert. And, similar to I suppose it is important for people within the income business to keep their sales pipelines complete, I suppose it’s equally vital for people within the idea enterprise to hold their idea pipelines full.

by way of the way, as a frontrunner, you’re inside the idea business.

In his ebook, Mark talks about the significance of now not leaving prospecting to risk, now not simply waiting (and hoping) for possibilities to fall into the pipeline. He says that a true sales expert must have weekly (preferably each day) committed prospecting time scheduled on the calendar. Due to the fact retaining the pipeline full is that critical.

Likewise, leaders must schedule time weekly (preferably daily) to fill their concept pipeline. As it’s that essential.

So, how do you do that? Thru 4 primary assets.

What you examine.

There may be a reason why Invoice Gates, Warren Buffett, and Elon Musk read voraciously. They recognize the fee of preserving their intellectual pipeline complete of recent thoughts.

However, I’m too busy to study, Bill.”

Simply? Busier than Invoice Gates? Because he’s quite busy. And pretty wealthy. And he reads 50 books a yr. I do not suppose these are unrelated. So, I am sorry what is your excuse once more?

agenda time to study. Every day, if viable. (And it’s miles viable.) I am not talking about Grisham and Patterson. They’re best for the beach. read about thoughts. read about belongings you don’t already realize.

What you pay attention to.

To those of you who have horrendous commutes, congratulations! You have got an amazing possibility to fill your idea pipeline! In place of paying attention to the information (miserable), or the frequent pop track station (mindless), why no longer attempt out one of the literal masses of incredible podcasts to be had? My wager is that there are at the least some podcasts out there on your precise discipline. Or, try one of my favorites, the TED Radio Hour podcast.

What you watch.

Despite the fact that this probably won’t help you with your shuttle, There are masses to watch on-line and some of it would not involve kittens. For example, in addition to listening to the TED Radio Hour podcast, you could watch actual TED Talks Or, if you need something more in-depth and academic, Stanford College (among others) puts a lot of their publications online, truly free.

Who you meet.

I have saved the nice for last. There are actual people accessible, freely roaming the earth, who’ve information, reports, and ideas that you do not have. They may be located in your metropolis, to your place of business, sitting next to you on the aircraft or educate. but right here’s the caveat: in case you most effective dangle out with the same humans you always hold out with, you’ll never meet those others. And that is to your detriment, as a frontrunner, and as a person.

So fill your pipeline! Feed your brain constantly with new ideas. it’s the very best Earnings prospecting you may do.

Impact of Mobile Apps on E-Commerce

The effect of cellular devices and technology on each commercial enterprise and customers has been predominant in beyond few years, mainly on E-Trade and may be even more dominant within the coming years. It’s miles anticipated that utilization of cell records will boom by way of eighty% inside the coming 5 years. Underneath are few maximum substantive methods that show how cell applications have changed the face of E-Commerce:

cell Trade and Buying

Because of the boom in demand, It’s miles very important in recent times for E-Commerce portals to have their mobile app developed due to the fact approximately 75% of traffic is been coming from there. Because of ease of use, customers opt for Shopping on cell app rather than achieving to the computer or even beginning the web page in the mobile browser.

Buying trends

As per the information, maximum of the cell app purchases appear within the fraction of seconds. customers do not take the time to make choices and there’s ease of price too with the apps.

there’s no question that cell apps hold the customers engaged for a longer time if they’re properly evolved and have a very good UI.

growth in reliability

When an E-Commerce app is relaxed, masses speedy, gives an ideal UI enjoy without a crashing, users will discover the brand reliable. Reliability is an issue that has the maximum dramatic effect at the enterprise of a cellular app. The manufacturers that have won this carry out the pleasant.

logo loyalty

If you have you an E-Commerce app this is feature wealthy and isn’t always too heavy, it won’t take longer to be consumer’s favored. Some people have confined area in their phones so after they generate a loyalty in the direction of your brand they won’t be inquisitive about installing 50 different E-Trade apps and could go back to your app again and again.

Accept as true with

Agree with has always been vital While there is something that includes the charge. With the boom in cellular apps and the advantageous evaluations that they’ve garnered all over for safety and privateness, humans are not any extra vigilant to make payment with their playing cards for Shopping online.

Have a plan?

Do you believe you studied It’s far excessive time to be able to adapt to mobile software and get one developed soon? We are here that will help you.

Whilst you set out on the lookout for cellular app improvement services, the number one element to look out for will be whether they apprehend your desires and are capable of delivering clarity for your vision.

Reliance Online Recharge Sources

Reliance is a household call in the Indian telecom area. Since the internet site was given into the telecom zone, it has emphasized on the significance ultra-modern DB generation, at the same time as lowering price lists at the equal time. The company’s purchaser-centric technique has always been appreciated, which has made it feasible for state-of-the-art within the state to live linked with their loved ones.

Reliance Communications also received huge recognition for imparting handy recharge alternatives. Subscribers should discover a pinnacle-up option, no matter their wishes and tastes, which confirmed how bendy the enterprise was. Reliance continues to stay one of the pinnacle mobile phone operators in India in terms contemporary subscriber base, however, faces stiff opposition from other corporations inclusive of Airtel, Vodafone, and Docomo that have attempted wooing the audiences with inexpensive call rates and flexible recharge packs.

Regardless of how splendid the services provided by using your network operator had been, getting a recharge on the pass had constantly been an issue. But, on this fast paced global, this is now not a primary hassle, with present day 0.33-party businesses joining hands with Reliance to provide online recharge centers. This has certainly verified to be a boon for the ones subscribers that do not have the time to visit a bodily shop to get a pinnacle-up card.

As in keeping with facts released by way of the Telecom Regulatory Authority brand new India, the USA’s overall subscriber base stands at a spectacular 962.4 million. Notwithstanding the fact that the subscriber base contemporary Reliance has been on a decline, the corporation holds a decent role in the marketplace. Certainly, it is nevertheless a favorite among thousands and thousands trendy human beings in India, because of its affordability.

Several groups have come into lifestyles that provide offerings which include invoice payment and recharge. Heading to a store to get a balance pinnacle-up finished is now an element modern-day the beyond. Given the truth that everyone has a debit card or a credit score card, linking your financial institution account with the website is not an uphill mission either. The entire system would take less than a minute and could give you the ease cutting-edge your mobile phone recharged from anywhere and at any time.

Online recharge can prove to be a saving grace in a few cases. Simply imagine a scenario wherein you’re on an essential call with a capability purchaser and run out the contemporary balance. could you rush to a nearby save to get a stability top-up? Well, that might take cutting-edge time. The nice option would be to log in to your online recharge account and get an immediate top-up executed.