#martin goodwin

[nofatclips]

Wait by NAO - Director: Lisette Donkersloot

[indefinite-pitch]

Martin Goodwin - Idilia

Buy & Support: Martin Goodwin - Lost Souls

[leosgreyfringe]

love their little pre set piece hot girl meetings

[fourorfivemovements]

Films Watched in 2024: 99. The Mummy's Curse (1944) - Dir. Leslie Goodwins

[weirdlookindog]

The Mummy's Curse (1944) - Pressbook

[alex6186]

Fancasting: Aegon The Conqueror

#Fancast #Fancasting #aegontheconqueror #aegontargaryen #GameOfThrones #HouseTargaryen #HouseOfTheDragon #viseynatargaryen #HBO ##orysBaratheon #rhaenys targaryen  #VanessaKirby #harrygoodwins #kayaScodelario #meraxes #vhagar #baleriontheblackdread #ironthrone #JeremyParisi #meraxesbalerionvhagar #FireAndBlood #TargaryenDynasty

[mariocki]

House of Horrors (1946)

"Listen closely, Clarence my lad, I have penned a deathly masterpiece of barbed invective."

"Ah, don't kid me, Mr. Ormiston, you don't use a pen. I saw you do it on the typewriter - and not very fast, either."

[bspoquemagazine]

YOU & ME. ARTISTS INVITE ARTISTS @ FeldbuschWiesnerRudolph

Die FWR | Feldbusch Wiesner Rudolph Galerie freut sich mit YOU & ME. ARTISTS INVITE ARTISTS, 34 Künstler:Innen in ihren Galerieräumen begrüßen zu dürfen. Die Eröffnung findet am Mittwoch, den 29. Januar 2025, von 18 bis 21 Uhr statt. 

Header Image: Jinhee Kim Die Ausstellung YOU&ME basiert auf der Idee von Freundschaft und Partizipation, Austausch, und Networking, Freude und Lebendigkeit. So war im Vorfeld der Ausstellung jeder Galeriekünstler aufgefordert, persönlich den Gastkünstler seiner Wahl nach Berlin einzuladen.   Die Installation der Werke erfolgt gemeinsam aber immer in der paarweisen Zuordnung. Man darf gespannt…

[duranduratulsa]

Up next on my 80's Fest Movie 🎬 🎞 🎥 🎦 📽 marathon...227: Mary's Brother (1985) on Hulu #TV #television #comedy #sitcom #227 #marysbrother #MarlaGibbs #halwilliams #alainareedhall #JackeeHarry #ReginaKing #kiagoodwin #helenmartin #hulu #80s #80sfest #durandurantulsas6thannual80sfest

[jjspina]

Books Read and Reviewed in April 2023!

Here it is already the end of another month. Where does the time go? I have been busy as usual reading some wonderful books for the month of April of 2023. Here are the 9 books I read and reviewed for February. I might have read even more if I didn’t have a few WIP. But I always seemed to have a WIP! That fact never stops me! I hope you enjoy reading these reviews. I love sharing my eclectic…

[camisoledadparis]

THIS DAY IN GAY HISTORY

based on: The White Crane Institute's 'Gay Wisdom', Gay Birthdays, Gay For Today, Famous GLBT, glbt-Gay Encylopedia, Today in Gay History, Wikipedia, and more … December 14

c.530 – Venantius Fortunatus (d.circa 600/609) was a Latin poet and hymnodist in the Merovingian Court, and a Bishop of the early Catholic Church. He was never canonised but was venerated as Saint Venantius Fortunatus during the Middle Ages.

Born in Treviso, near Ravenna in Italy, he spent his time as court poet to the Merovingians. After visiting the tomb of St. Martin of Tours at St. Hilary at Poitiers, he decided to enter a monastery.

He continued to write poetry, some of which have a permanent place in Catholic hymnody, for instance the Easter season hymns "Vexilla Regis" and the "Pange Lingua" (Sing, O my tongue, of the battle). Three or four years before he died he was made bishop of Poitiers. Although never canonized, he was venerated as a saint in the medieval church, and his feast day is still recognized on 14th December each year.

Like Paulinus of Nola, St Venantius's poetry also includes some decidedly secular verse of the romantic sort. That this celebrates male love is clear from its inclusion in the Penguin Book of Homosexual Verse.

"Written on an Island off the Breton Coast" You at God's altar stand, His minister And Paris lies about you and the Seine: Around this Breton isle the Ocean swells, Deep water and one love between us twain. Wild is the wind, but still thy name is spoken; Rough is the sea: it sweeps not o'er they face. Still runs my lover for shelter to its dwelling, Hither, O heart, to thine abiding place. Swift as the waves beneath an east wind breaking Dark as beneath a winter sky the sea, So to my heart crowd memories awaking, So dark, O love, my spirit without thee.

Fortunatus died in the early 600s. He was called a saint after his death, but was never formally canonized.

1901 – King Paul of Greece (d.1964) reigned as king of Greece from 1947 to 1964. He may have been bi-sexual.

Paul was born in Athens, the third son of King Constantine I of Greece and his wife, Princess Sophia of Prussia. He was trained as a naval officer. On 9 January 1938, Paul married Frederika of Hanover at Athens. They had three children.

Before his marriage he is alleged to have invited the homosexual literary muse, Denham Fouts, on a cruise of the Aegean Sea, perhaps because they were lovers. However, Fouts's friend John B. L. Goodwin said Fouts often made up stories about his life, and literary critic Katherine Bucknell thought many of the tales about him were myth.

During most of World War II, when Greece was under German occupation, he was with the Greek government-in-exile in London and Cairo. From Cairo, he broadcast messages to the Greek people.

Paul returned to Greece in 1946. He succeeded to the throne in 1947, on the death of his childless elder brother, King George II.

David Lewis (L) with Producer Irving Pichel

1903 – David Lewis (d.1987 ), born David Levy, was a Hollywood film producer who produced such films as Dark Victory (1939), Arch of Triumph (1948), and Raintree County (1957).

He was also the longtime companion of director James Whale from 1930 to 1952. Although they were separated at the time of Whale's death in 1957, Lewis later released the contents of Whale's suicide note.

Lewis was portrayed in the 1998 film Gods and Monsters by David Dukes.

1915 – The American actor and dancer Dan Dailey was born on this date (d.1978). Dailey was born and raised in New York City and appeared in vaudeville before his Broadway debut in 1937 in Babes in Arms. In 1940, he was signed by MGM to make movies and, although his past career had been in musicals, he was initially cast as a Nazi in The Mortal Storm. However, the people at MGM realized their mistake quickly and cast him in a series of musical films.

He served in the United States Army during World War II, was commissioned as an Army Officer after graduation from Signal OCS at Ft Monmouth, NJ, after which he served with distinction until the war ended. Then returned to more musicals. Beginning with Mother Wore Tights (1947) Dailey became the frequent and favorite co-star of movie legend Betty Grable. His performance in their film When My Baby Smiles at Me in 1948 garnered him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. In 1950, he starred in A Ticket to Tomahawk, often noted as one of the first screen appearances of Marilyn Monroe, in a very small part as a dance-hall girl. In 1953, Dailey starred in Meet Me at the Fair. One of his notable roles was in There's No Business Like Show Business (1954) which featured Irving Berlin's music and also starred Ethel Merman, Marilyn Monroe, Donald O'Connor, and Johnnie Ray.

In 1950 the notorious "Confidential" Magazine (the National Enquirer of its day) printed a picture of him wearing female clothing. His studio, 20th Century Fox, rushed to repair the damage; gossip columnists were told that Dailey had simply been snapped on his way to a fancy dress party. But Andre Previn, the composer, tells in his biography No Minor Chords how Dailey turned up drunk and in female clothing for the press screening of It's Always Fair Weather in 1954. In the mid '70s, gossip columnist Joyce Haber was on television promoting a novel about Hollywood. Asked to dish some gossip, she mentioned that one of the top dancer-actors was a closet transvestite with a costly and beautiful wardrobe that many women would envy.

He had three failed marriages with women, but also was known to hang out in Gay bars. After the suicide of his only son, he was an embittered alcoholic. He died three years later, just after he playing boyfriend Clyde Tolson in (the unintentionally hilarious *and bad*) The Private Files of J.Edgar Hoover (1977). He appeared in over 60 films in his career.

1932 – George Furth (d.2008) was an American librettist, playwright, and actor.

Born in Chicago with the name of George Schweinfurth (he dropped the "schwein" on becoming an actor).

Furth made his Broadway debut as an actor in the 1961 play A Cook for Mr. General, followed by the musical Hot Spot two years later. He was also known for his collaborations with Stephen Sondheim: the highly successful Company, the ill-fated Merrily We Roll Along and the equally ill-fated drama, Getting Away with Murder. Furth penned the plays Twigs, The Supporting Cast and Precious Sons, and wrote the book for the Kander and Ebb musical, The Act.

Company has been revived many times over the years, sometimes updated to the Aids era, although requests from producers to give the show a homosexual slant were turned down by the unmarried Sondheim and Furth, although both of them were gay.

Frequently cast as a bespectacled, ineffectual milquetoast, Furth appeared in such films as The Best Man, Myra Breckinridge, Hooper, Blazing Saddles, Oh God!, Shampoo, The Cannonball Run, Young Doctors in Love, Doctor Detroit, Bulworth and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. His many television credits include Tammy, McHale's Navy, Ironside, I Dream of Jeannie, That Girl, Green Acres, The Monkees, Batman, The Odd Couple, Bonanza, Happy Days, All in the Family, Murphy Brown, L.A. Law, Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, Murder, She Wrote, Little House on the Prairie, Love, American Style, Adam-12, F Troop and the made-for-TV film The Scarlett O'Hara War, in which he portrayed famed film director George Cukor. He was a regular in the cast of the short-lived 1976 situation comedy The Dumplings.

He adapted his play Twigs as a 1975 television production, starring Carol Burnett. He also worked as a voice actor in several episodes of the animated television series The Adventures of Don Coyote and Sancho Panda for Hanna-Barbera Productions.

One of Furth's last writing projects was a foray into an area where he had not previously endeavored. Furth penned the lyrics for a musical revue, with music by Doug Katsaros. Furth and Katsaros shaped the work with San Francisco director Mike Ward into "The End - a new musical revue". The piece was performed at San Francisco's New Conservatory Theatre Center during the summer of 2004 and was billed as a "Pre-U.S. Tour Workshop Production". The piece was reworked twice, with the title changing to Last Call and Happy Hour, respectively.

Furth died on August 11, 2008 at the age of 75. The exact cause of death is unknown, although he had been hospitalized for a lung disease at the time.

1955 – Hervé Guibert (d.1991) was a French writer and photographer. The author of numerous novels and autobiographical studies, he played a considerable role in changing French public attitudes to AIDS. He was a close friend and lover of Michel Foucault.

Guibert was born in Saint-Cloud, Hauts-de-Seine, to a middle-class family and spent his early years in Paris, moving to La Rochelle from 1970 to 1973. In his teens Hervé Guibert lied about his age to work at the magazine 20 ans eventually leading to a job with Le Monde. After working as a filmmaker and actor, he turned to photography and journalism. In 1978, he successfully applied for a job at France's prestigious evening paper Le Monde and published his second book, Les aventures singulières (published by Éditions de minuit). In 1984, Guibert shared a César Award for best screenplay with Patrice Chéreau for L'homme blessé. Guibert had met Chéreau in the 1970s during his theatrical years.

Guibert's writing style was inspired by the French writer Jean Genet. Three of his lovers occupied an important place in his life and work: Thierry Jouno, director of an institute for the blind whom he met in 1976, and which led to his novel Des aveugles; Michel Foucault, whom he met in 1977; and Vincent Marmousez, a teenager of fifteen who inspired his novel Fou de Vincent.

In January 1988 Guibert was diagnosed with AIDS. From then on, he worked at recording what was left of his life. In June the following year, he married Christine, the partner of the late Thierry Jouno, so that his royalty income would eventually pass to her and her two children. In 1990, Guibert publicly revealed his HIV status in his roman à clef "À l'ami qui ne m'a pas sauvé la vie" (published in English as To the Friend Who Did Not Save My Life). Guibert immediately found himself the focus of media attention, featured in newspapers and appearing on several television talk shows.

Two more books also detailing the progress of his illness followed: Le Protocole compassionnel (published in English as The Compassionate Protocol) and L'Homme au chapeau rouge (published in English as The Man In The Red Hat), which was released posthumously in January 1992, the same month French television screened La Pudeur ou l'impudeur, a home-made film by Guibert of his last year as he lost his battle against AIDS. Almost blind as a result of disease, he attempted to end his life just before his 36th birthday, and died two weeks later.

1960 – Bob Paris, American bodybuilder and Gay rights advocate, born; The former Mr. Universe, and International Federation of BodyBuilders professional bodybuilder, Bob Paris is a writer, public speaker and civil rights activist. He acknowledged his sexuality in the July 1989 issue of Ironman magazine and has graced the covers of scores of magazines worldwide. After Paris officially came out as a Gay man in the media, he and his then-partner, Rod Jackson, became involved in marriage equality advocacy, started successful non-profits, lectured on a wide variety of Gay civil rights issues, and made many television, radio, newspaper and magazine appearances. The two separated in 1995. Today, Paris lives with his spouse of eleven years, Brian, on an island near Vancouver, British Columbia. Bob and Brian were legally married after Canada equalized the marriage laws in 2003.

In addition to his writing career, Bob Paris remains a committed civil rights advocate as well as a motivational speaker, model and actor. In 1998, he made his New York stage debut, starring at Carnegie Hall opposite Bea Arthur, Sandy Duncan and Tyne Daly in the Broadway musical, Jubilee as the character Mowgli. He is one of the subject of photographer Herb Ritts' gorgeous book, Duo. His official website is: http://www.bobparis.com/

1966 – James Earl Hardy, born in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, New York, is an American playwright, novelist, and journalist.

Generally considered the first to depict same-sex love stories that take place within the hip-hop community, his writing is largely characterized by its exploration of the African-American LGBTQ experience.

Hardy's best-known work is the B-Boy Blues series. The B-Boys Blues series comprises six novels and one short story. B-Boy Blues was adapted into a play in 2013 and into a film, directed and co-written by Jussie Smollett, in 2021.

Hardy attended undergraduate school at St. John's University and afterward went on to graduate from the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism in 1993. From 1992 to 1994, he wrote for Entertainment Weekly as a music journalist.

1968 – Yotam Ottolenghi is an Israeli-English chef, restaurateur, and food writer. He is the co-owner of six delis and restaurants in London, as well as the author of several bestselling cookbooks, including Ottolenghi (2008), Plenty (2010), Jerusalem (2012) and Ottolenghi Simple (2018).

Ottolenghi was conscripted into the Israeli Defense Forces in 1989, serving three years in IDF intelligence headquarters. He then studied at the Adi Lautman Interdisciplinary Program for Outstanding Students of Tel Aviv University, where in 1997, he completed a combined bachelor's and master's degree in comparative literature; his thesis being on the philosophy of the photographic image. While working on his thesis, Ottolenghi served as a night copy editor for Haaretz.

In 1997, Ottolenghi and his then-partner Noam Bar moved to Amsterdam, where he edited the Hebrew section of the Dutch-Jewish weekly NIW and considered getting his doctorate in comparative literature. Instead, he moved to London to study French cooking at Le Cordon Bleu.

Ottolenghi met his partner Karl Allen in 2000; they married in 2012 and live in Camden with their two sons, Max and Flynn. In 2013, Ottolenghi "came out as a gay father" in a Guardian essay that detailed the lengthy process of conceiving Max via gestational surrogacy, an option that he believes should be more widely available to those who cannot conceive naturally.

Ottolenghi served as a pastry chef at three London restaurants: the Michelin-starred Capital Restaurant, Kensington Place, and Launceston Place in Kensington New Town. In 1999, he became head pastry chef at the artisanal pastry shop Baker and Spice, where he met the Palestinian chef Sami Tamimi, who grew up in Jerusalem's Old City. Ottolenghi and Tamimi bonded over a shared language—Hebrew—and a joint "incomprehension of traditional English food".

His debut cookbook Ottolenghi was published in 2008 and has sold over 100,000 copies. Six volumes have followed: the all-vegetable cookbooks Plenty (2010) and Plenty More (2014); Jerusalem (2012); Nopi (2015); the dessert cookbook Sweet (2017); and Ottolenghi Simple (2018).

Ottolenghi's bestselling cookbooks have proven influential, with The New York Times noting that they are "widely knocked-off for their plain-spoken instructions, puffy covers, and photographs [that Ottolenghi] oversees himself, eschewing a food stylist". In 2014, the London Evening Standard remarked that Ottolenghi had "radically rewritten the way Londoners cook and eat", and Bon Appetit wrote that he had "made the world love vegetables".

1988 – The movie version of Harvey Fierstein's play "Torch Song Trilogy" opened in New York.

1989 – Amini Fonua is a Tongan competitive swimmer.

Fonua was born and raised in Ponsonby, Auckland, New Zealand to Tongan lawyer Sione Fonua and British-born mother Julie. He holds dual Tongan and New Zealand citizenship. His family includes two other sisters.

Fonua's swimming career began at the Roskill Swimming Club based at Cameron Pool in Auckland, coached by Sandra Burrow from 1999–2007. He broke numerous Auckland and New Zealand Age Group Records under Burrow's tenure. He then moved to West Auckland Aquatics in 2007, and was coached by Donna Bouzaid. In the Fall of 2008, Fonua enrolled at Texas A&M on a swimming scholarship. While at Texas A&M he was a peer voted Team Captain, Big XII Conference Champion, NCAA All-American, and recipient of The Aggie Heart Award. He graduated with a Telecommunication and Multi-Media degree, with a Minor in Creative Writing in May 2013.

He was the first Tongan swimmer to win a gold medal in international competition, when he took gold in the 50 metre breaststroke at the 2010 Oceania Swimming Championships.

In preparation for the 2012 London Olympics Fonua was trained by New Zealander and designated head coach for Tonga, Jon Winter. He served as his nation's flag-bearer in the 2012 Summer Olympics Parade of Nations. As a swimmer at the 2012 Summer Olympics, he competed in the Men's 100 metre breaststroke, failing to reach the semifinals.

Fonua made an international comeback at the 2015 Pacific Games in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. He created history by becoming the first ever Tongan athlete to ever win 3 Gold medals at a Pacific Games by sweeping the Breaststroke events, setting 2 Games Records in the process (50 m and 100 m Breaststroke). He is the only Tongan athlete in history to ever hold dual Oceania and Pacific Games titles.

Fonua is openly gay and an advocate for LGBT rights.

1993 – In Denver Colorado, Judge Jeffrey Bayless ruled Amendment 2 unconstitutional. The amendment to the Colorado state constitution sought to eliminate all gay rights laws in the state and prevent any more from being passed.

[tnt-tourney]

welcome one and all to the 2023 t+t tournament!! despite the long wait for the final bracket, the day has finally arrived. due to the size of the text, the list of contestants will be under the cut. due to how many contestants there are, i wont be able to tag everything, but i will tag as much as i can.

now, since it's been a while, a quick rehashing of the relevant rules!

1. be polite to others participating in the vote

2. do not Rig the vote -- propaganda is more than welcome and the askbox is always open for it! i just dont have the energy to deal with botting

3. dont be rude if the contestants youre rooting for are voted out!! sometimes thats just the way things go. theres always next time!

4. have fun !

the polls will start rolling out sometime next week. thank you!!

left:

Hexsquad (The Owl House) VS. Vault Hunters (Borderlands 1+2)

The Bad Kids (D20: Fantasy High) VS. FloweringPassionFruit (Ride the Cyclone)

Barbie + Ken (Barbie) VS. Dwarves (Deep Rock Galactic)

Mabel Pines + Dipper Pines (Gravity Falls) VS. The Fantastic 4 (Marvel)

Klaus Hargreeves + Viktor Hargreeves (The Umbrella Academy) VS. Spiderband (Spider-Man: Into/Across the Spiderverse)

Lup + Barry Bluejeans (The Adventure Zone) VS. Cleo de Nile + Deuce Gorgon (Monster High)

Spideypool (Marvel) VS. Gomez Addams + Morticia Addams (The Addams Family)

Team Rocket (Pokémon) VS. Rashmi Jamil + Amelie Macon + Loam Arnault (Entropic Float)

Link + Zelda (The Legend of Zelda) VS. Peter Parker + Harry Osborn (Marvel)

Huey Duck + B.O.Y.D. (Ducktales 2017) VS. Golf Ball + Tennis Ball (Battle for Dream Island)

Lewis + Vivi + Arthur (Mystery Skulls Animate) VS. Horokeu Usui + Pirica Usui (Shaman King)

Paulkins (Hatchetfield) VS. Magnus Chase + Alex Fierro (Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard)

Bill Preston + Ted Logan (Bill and Ted) VS. Leonard Church + Agent Texas (Red vs. Blue)

Ariel + Prince Eric (The Little Mermaid) VS. Polypirates (JRWI: Riptide)

Cody Goodwin + May Goodwin (It Takes Two) VS. Frank-N-Furter + Magenta + Columbia + Riff Raff (The Rocky Horror Show)

SpaceDolls (Ride the Cyclone) VS. Kim Possible + Ron Stoppable (Kim Possible)

---

right:

The Guardians of the Galaxy (Marvel) VS. Julian Bashir + Miles O'Brien + Jadzia Dax (Star Trek: Deep Space 9)

The Murder Crew (Clue) VS. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Vash the Stampede + Nicolas D. Wolfwood + Meryl Stryfe + Milly Thompson (Trigun) VS. Team Chaotix (Sonic the Hedgehog)

Steve + Alex (Minecraft) VS. Gyro Gearloose + Lil Bulb (Ducktales 2017)

Phantom Thieves (Persona 5) VS. Wright Anything Agency + Apollo Justice + Klavier Gavin (Ace Attorney)

Westley + Buttercup (The Princess Bride) VS. Shin + Noi (Dorohedoro)

Kermit + Miss Piggy (The Muppets) VS. The Mechanisms

Jeremy Heere + Michael Mell + Christine Canigula (Be More Chill) VS. The Solve It Squad (The Solve It Squad Returns)

Harleyberts + Crockenglishes (Homestuck) VS. Sonic & co. (Sonic the Hedgehog)

Mulder + Scully (The X-Files) VS. Steph Lauter + Pete Spankoffski (Hatchetfield)

Main Cast (Omori) VS. Ben Tennyson + Gwen Tennyson + Kevin Levin (Ben 10)

Ashe Ubert + Claude Von Riegan + Sylvain Jose Gautier (Fire Emblem: Three Houses) VS. Birdetta + Yoshi (Mario)

Prime Defenders (JRWI: Prime Defenders) VS. Strilondes (Homestuck)

The Mystery Gang (Scooby Doo) VS. Billie Logan + Thea Preston (Bill and Ted)

Splatoon Idols VS. Lexthan (Hatchetfield)

Sex Bob-omb + Ramona Flowers (Scott Pilgrim vs. the World) VS. Jonathan Sims + Martin K. Blackwood (The Magnus Archives)

[wheel-of-fish]

Updated stream list

Everything we've watched so far!

Longtime crowd favorites (streamed at least three times) are marked with a single asterisk.

Why isn’t [specific actor/video] on this list?

The video is currently marked not for trade.

We haven’t gotten to it yet.

The footage does not exist or is too incomplete.

It isn't on a platform I can stream it from.

There's something particularly off-putting about the video or actor.

How can I get a copy of a video listed here?

There's a list of publicly available bootlegs here, and there are many other adaptations on the Phantom Retrospective channel. Otherwise, contact @glassprism (or another trader) for a possible trade, or check her website for info on which master(s) to contact.

For general stream info, please see the Saturday Streams FAQ.

On to the list!

Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera (Dividing these by decade because there's a character limit per text block!)

1980s/90s

1988 Broadway: Michael Crawford, Sarah Brightman, Steve Barton

1989 Broadway: Cris Groenendaal, Rebecca Luker, Steve Barton

1989 Los Angeles: Michael Crawford, Dale Kristien, Steve Barton

1990 Los Angeles: Michael Crawford, Mary D’Arcy, Reece Holland*

1991 Los Angeles: Michael Crawford, Dale Kristien, Michael Piontek

1993 U.S. Tour: Franc D’Ambrosio, Tracy Shayne, Ciaran Sheehan

1993 Vienna: Alexander Goebel, Luzia Nistler, Alfred Pfeifer*

1994 Sapporo: Eiji Akutagawa, Hisako Hanaoka, Masayuki Sano*

1994 Toronto: Peter Karrie, Teresa DeZarn, David Rogers

1995 Broadway: Davis Gaines, Tracy Shayne, Ciaran Sheehan

1995 London: Ethan Freeman, Jill Washington, Simon Bowman*

1998 Broadway: Thomas James O’Leary, Tracy Shayne, Gary Mauer

1998 Los Angeles: Davis Gaines, Marie Danvers, Lawrence Anderson*

1998 San Francisco: Franc D’Ambrosio, Lisa Vroman, Christopher Carl*

1998 Toronto: Peter Karrie, Elizabeth DeGrazia, David Rodgers*

1998 Broadway: Thomas James O'Leary, Sandra Joseph, Gary Mauer

1998 Broadway: Thomas James O’Leary, Tracy Shayne, Gary Mauer

1999 Broadway: Howard McGillin, Adrienne McEwan, Gary Mauer

1999 Toronto: Paul Stanley, Melissa Dye, Laird Mackintosh

1999/2000 Mexico City: Saulo Vasconcelos, Irasema Terrazas, Jose Joel*

Early 2000s

2000 Antwerp: Hans Peter Janssens, Inneke van Klinken, Michael Shawn Lewis

2000 London: Scott Davies, Meredith Braun, Matt Cammelle

2000 London: Scott Davies, Charlotte Page, Matt Cammelle

2001 Hamburg: Ian Jon Bourg, Colby Thomas, Kyle Gonyea

2001 Hamburg: Ian Jon Bourg, Olivia Safe, Kyle Gonyea

2001 Hamburg: Michael Nicholson, Olivia Safe, Christopher Morandi

2002 London: John Owen-Jones, Celia Graham, Robert Finlayson

2003 Broadway: Howard McGillin, Adrienne McEwan, Jim Weitzer

2003 Broadway: Hugh Panaro, Julie Hanson, Jim Weitzer

2003 Broadway: Hugh Panaro, Lisa Vroman, John Cudia

2003 U.S. Tour: Brad Little, Lisa Vroman, Tim Martin Gleason

2004 Madrid: Luis Armando, Teresa Barrientos, Armando Pita

2004 Stuttgart: Thomas Schulze, Maike Switzer, Carsten Axel Lepper*

2005 Broadway: Hugh Panaro, Julie Hanson, John Cudia

2005 Broadway: Hugh Panaro, Sandra Joseph, Tim Martin Gleason

2005 Broadway: James Romick, Marie Danvers, John Cudia

2005 Essen: Thomas Borchert, Sandra Danyella, Nikolaj Brucker

2005 London: John Owen-Jones, Rachel Barrell, Oliver Thornton

2005 U.S. Tour: Gary Mauer, Marie Danvers, Michael Shawn Lewis

2006 Essen: Ethan Freeman, Anne Gorner, Nikolaj Brucker

2006 Essen: Uwe Kröger, Beatrix Reiter, Lucius Wolter*

2006 London: Earl Carpenter, Rachel Barrell, David Shannon*

2006 São Paulo: Saulo Vasconcelos, Kiara Sasso, Nando Prado

2006 U.S. Tour: Gary Mauer, Elizabeth Southard, Jim Weitzer*

2006 U.S. Tour: John Cudia, Jennifer Hope Wills, Adam Monley

2007 Broadway: Gary Mauer, Jennifer Hope Wills, Jason Mills

2007 World Tour: Simon Pryce, Julie Goodwin, John Bowles

2008 Broadway: Howard McGillin, Elizabeth Loyacano, Jeremy Stolle

2008 Las Vegas: Anthony Crivello, Kristi Holden, Andrew Ragone*

2008 World Tour: Simon Pryce, Ana Marina, Alexander Lewis

2009 Australia: Anthony Warlow, Ana Marina, Alexander Lewis

2010s

2010 London: David Shannon, Gina Beck, Simon Bailey*

2010 London: David Shannon, Gina Beck, Will Barratt

2010 U.S. Tour: Tim Martin Gleason, Trista Moldovan, Sean MacLaughlin

2012 Broadway: Greg Mills, Marni Raab, Kyle Barisich*

2012 Broadway: Hugh Panaro, Trista Moldovan, Kyle Barisich

2012 London: Marcus Lovett, Anna O’Byrne, Simon Thomas

2013 Broadway: Jeremy Stolle, Samantha Hill, Greg Mills*

2013 Broadway: Peter Joback, Samantha Hill, Jeremy Stolle

2013 Broadway: Peter Joback, Elizabeth Welch, Kyle Barisich

2013 Broadway: Hugh Panaro, Sierra Boggess, Kyle Barisich

2013 London: Marcus Lovett, Sofia Escobar, Simon Thomas

2014 Broadway: Greg Mills, Mary Michael Patterson, Jeremy Hays

2014 Broadway: Hugh Panaro, Sara Jean Ford, Jeremy Hays

2014 Broadway: Hugh Panaro, Elizabeth Welch, Jeremy Hays

2014 Broadway: Jeremy Stolle, Mary Michael Patterson, Jeremy Hays

2014 Broadway: Laird Mackintosh, Kaley Ann Voorhees, Jeremy Hays*

2014 Broadway: Laird Mackintosh, Sara Jean Ford, Jeremy Hays

2014 Broadway: Norm Lewis, Sierra Boggess, Jeremy Hays*

2014 Broadway: Paul Schaefer, Mary Michael Patterson, Jeremy Hays

2014 Hamburg: David Arnsperger, Lauri Brons, Nicky Wuchinger

2014 Hamburg: Mathias Edenborn, Daniela Braun, Nicky Wuchinger

2014 Moscow: Dmitry Ermak, Tamara Kotova, Evgeny Zaytsev

2014 Moscow: Ivan Ozhogin, Tamara Kotova, Evgeny Zaytsev

2014 U.S. Tour: Cooper Grodin, Grace Morgan, Ben Jacoby

2014 U.S. Tour: Cooper Grodin, Julia Udine, Ben Jacoby

2014 World Tour: Brad Little, Kristi Holden, Anthony Downing

2015 London: Geronimo Rauch, Harriet Jones, Richard Munday*

2015 Moscow: Dmitri Ermak, Tamara Kotova, Evgeny Zaycev

2015 Moscow: Ivan Ozhogin, Tamara Kotova, Ivan Rak

2015 Prague: Marian Vojtko, Michaela Gemrotova, Tomas Vanek

2015 Prague: Marian Vojtko, Monika Sommerova, Tomas Vanek

2016 Broadway: Laird Mackintosh, Julia Udine, Jeremy Hays

2016 Moscow: Andrey Schkoldychenko, Elena Bahtiyarova, Evgeny Zaytsev (act 2 only)

2016 Oberhausen: Brent Barrett, Elizabeth Welch, Max Niemeyer

2016? Prague: Marian Vojtko, Michaela Gemrotova, Tomas Vanek

2016 Stockholm: Peter Jöback, Emmi Christensson, Anton Zetterholm

2016 U.S. Tour: Derrick Davis, Kaitlyn Davis, Jordan Craig

2018 Broadway (Sept.): Ben Crawford, Ali Ewoldt, Jay Armstrong Johnson

2018 Broadway (Oct.): Ben Crawford, Ali Ewoldt, Jay Armstrong Johnson

2018? Prague: Radim Schwab, Monika Sommerova, Tomas Vanek

2019 Copenhagen: Tomas Ambt Kofod, Sibylle Glosted, Christian Lund*

2019 London: David Thaxton, Kelly Mathieson, Jeremy Taylor*

2019 London: Josh Piterman, Kelly Mathieson, Alistair So*

2019 São Paulo: Fred Silveira, Giulia Nadruz, Henrique Moretzsohn

2019 São Paulo - Fred Silveira, Lina Mendes, Henrique Moretzsohn

2019 São Paulo: Thiago Arancam, Daruã Góes, Fred Silveira

2019 São Paulo: Thiago Arancam, Giulia Nadruz, Fred Silveira

2019 World Tour: Jonathan Roxmouth, Meghan Picerno, Matt Leisy*

2021–present

2021 Broadway: Ben Crawford, Meghan Picerno, John Riddle

2021 Broadway: Jeremy Stolle, Emilie Kouatchou, John Riddle

2021 London: Killian Donnelly, Holly-Anne Hull, Rhys Whitfield

2022 Broadway: Ben Crawford, Kanisha Marie Feliciano, Paul A. Schaefer

2022 Broadway: Ben Crawford, Emilie Kouatchou, John Riddle

2022 Broadway: Ted Keegan, Emilie Kouatchou, John Riddle

2022 Broadway: Ted Keegan, Elizabeth Welch, Bronson Norris Murphy

2022 Broadway: Jeremy Stolle, Emilie Kouatchou, Jordan Donica

2022 London: James Hume, Holly-Anne Hull, Matt Blaker

2022 London: Killian Donnelly, Anouk van Laake, Rhys Whitfield

2022 Sydney: Josh Robson, Georgina Hopson, Callum Frances

2023 Broadway: Ted Keegan, Emilie Kouatchou, John Riddle

2023 Broadway: Ted Keegan, Julia Udine, John Riddle

2023 Broadway: Laird Mackintosh, Julia Udine, John Riddle

2023 Broadway: Greg Mills, Emilie Kouatchou, John Riddle

2023 Broadway: Greg Mills, Julia Udine, Paul A. Schaefer

2023 Broadway: Jeremy Stolle, Julia Udine, Paul A. Schaefer

2023 London: Earl Carpenter, Paige Blankson, Ralph Watts

2023 London: Earl Carpenter, Eve Shanu-Wilson, Connor Carson

2023 London: Killian Donnelly, Lucy St. Louis, Matt Blaker

2023 London: James Gant, Holly-Anne Hull, Matt Blaker

2023 London: James Gant, Paige Blankson, Matt Blaker

2023 Madrid: Geronimo Rauch, Talia del Val, Guido Balzaretti

2023 Shanghai: Ayanga (various clips)

2023 Shanghai: He Liangchen, Yang Chenxiuyi, Li Chenxi

2023 Thessaloniki: Tim Howar, Harriet Jones, Nadim Naaman

2024 Helsinki: Kevin Greenlaw, Emma Kajander, Olli Tuovinen

2024 London: Jon Robyns, Eve Shanu-Wilson, Joe Griffiths-Brown

Love Never Dies

2010 London: Ramin Karimloo, Sierra Boggess, Dean Chisnall

2011 London: Ramin Karimloo, Sierra Boggess, Dean Chisnall

2013 Vienna concert: Drew Sarich, Milica Jovanovic, Julian Looman

2018 U.S. Tour: Bronson Norris Murphy, Meghan Picerno, Sean Thompson*

2023 London concert: Norm Lewis, Celinde Schoenmaker, Matthew Seadon-Young

2024 World Tour: Luke McCall, Manon Taris, Niall Sheehy

Other stage adaptations

1991 The Phantom of the Opera starring David Staller

1992 Tom Alonso’s The Phantom of the Opera**

1993 Yeston/Kopit’s Phantom (Wichita, Richard White)

2011 Spiritual Twist’s The Phantom of the Opera

2013 Ken Hill's The Phantom of the Opera (Tokyo)**

2019 Spiritual Twist’s The Phantom of the Opera

2018 Yeston/Kopit’s Phantom (Takarazuka Revue)

2018 Yeston/Kopit’s Phantom (Seoul)

2020 Sasson’s Das Phantom der Oper (Germany, with Uwe Kröger)**

2021 Yeston/Kopit’s Phantom (proshot, Seoul)

Movie adaptations

1925 The Phantom of the Opera starring Lon Chaney

1937 Song at Midnight**

1943 Phantom of the Opera starring Claude Rains**

1962 Hammer Horror: The Phantom of the Opera starring Herbert Lom**

1974 Phantom of the Paradise

1987 The Phantom of the Opera (animated)

1989 Phantom of the Mall: Eric’s Revenge

1989 The Phantom of the Opera starring Robert Englund**

2004 The Phantom of the Opera starring Gerard Butler

TV adaptations

1983 The Phantom of the Opera (TV movie, Max Schell)**

1987 Hello Kitty's Furry Tale Theater, "The Phantom of the Theater"

1990 The Phantom of the Opera (TV miniseries, Charles Dance)

1994 Lamb Chop in the Haunted Studio (TV special)**

1995 Wishbone, S1 E37, "Pantin’ at the Opera"*

1995 Goosebumps, S1 E7, "Phantom of the Auditorium"

1999 The Triplets, S5 E9, "The Phantom of the Opera"

2000 Are You Afraid of the Dark?, "The Tale of the Last Dance"

Miscellaneous

1994 Australian Phantom cast Easter charity concert ("Phantales")

1995 The Phantom of the Opera on Ice*

2017 Broadway: Prince of Broadway (in honor of Hal Prince)

2017 The Phantom of the Empire (Turning Tydes Theatre Company)

Stolleboot (fan edit starring Jeremy Stolle as the Phantom, Raoul, Piangi, and Passarino)*

*Longtime crowd favorite (streamed at least three times)

**We’ve watched it, but it was technically streamed by another host I used to alternate with.

[marybeatriceofmodena]

Trading Site Reopening and Gifting Spree!

So. After weeks of work (*insert alpaca scream here*), my trading site is open for trading! To celebrate, I decided to gift a few audios and videos from Phantom of the Opera, a few audios from Les Misérables, two cast recordings from Elisabeth das Musical, and a cast recording for Sweeney Todd. Enjoy!

(If you're the master of a listed audio/video, please don't hesitate to reach out to me if you want me to remove your stuff from the list.)

POTO audios

Michael Crawford, Rebecca Caine (alt.), Steve Barton October 10, 1987; London Michael Crawford and Steve Barton's last in London. Soundboard, very good quality, and this one is complete. And Rebecca Caine sounds amazing in it (as she always does). https://www.mediafire.com/file/pttrjfqzb84gatm/POTO_West_End_10-10-1987_-_Crawford%252C_Caine%252C_Barton.rar/file Steve Barton, Rebecca Luker, Gary Lindemenn (u/s),  Marilyn Caskey, Jeff Keller, George Lee Andrews, Leila Martin September 26, 1990; Broadway Soundboard audio. Because Steve Barton was almost as good of a Phantom as he was as Raoul, and Rebecca Luker is a legend (RIP). https://www.mediafire.com/file/xc9ywojtdesptje/POTO_Broadway_26-09-1990_-_Barton%252C_Luker%252C_Lindemenn.rar/file Davis Gaines, Tracy Shayne, Matthew R. Jones, George Lee Andrews, Jeff Keller, Lelia Martin October 5, 1996; Broadway Davis Gaines's last performance. Because Davis Gaines has one of the best voices I've heard in the role. https://www.mediafire.com/file/w1ybvl8v6e4ex6r/POTO_Broadway_05-01-1996_-_Gaines%252C_Shayne%252C_Little.rar/file Brad Little, Lisa Vroman, Tim Martin Gleason, Kim Stengel, DC Anderson, David Cryer, Patti  Davidson-Gorbea, Kate Wray, Jimmy Smagula December 5, 2003; Los Angeles Lisa Vroman’s second-to-last performance as Christine. Both she and Brad Little are glorious vocal-wise. https://www.mediafire.com/file/muavx4ocvs62eav/POTO_US_Tour_05-12-2003_-_Little%252C_Vroman%252C_Gleason.rar/file Anthony Warlow, Julie Goodwin, John Bowles, Andrea Creighton, John O'May, Derek Taylor, Jackie Rees, Nadia Komazec, David Rogers-Smith August 15, 2007; Melbourne Not the biggest fan of Anthony Warlow acting-wise, but he does not disappoint on the vocals - and neither does Julie Goodwin. https://www.mediafire.com/file/3pm0ksips30n3it/POTO_Melbourne_15-08-2007_-_Warlow%252C_Goodwin%252C_Bowles.rar/file John Owen-Jones, Katie Hall, Simon Bailey, Angela M. Caesar, Andy Hockley, Simon Green, Elizabeth Mars, Hannah Cadec, Vincent Pirillo September 29, 2012; Edinburgh Not the biggest fan of the restaged tour, but... Katie Hall's "Tears of HAAAAAATE" is pretty great. And John Owen-Jones! https://www.mediafire.com/file/00vtvziy172lpkv/POTO_UK_Tour_29-09-2012_-_Owen-Jones%252C_Hall%252C_Bailey.rar/file Hugh Panaro, Elizabeth Welch (u/s), Jeremy Hays March 3, 2014; Broadway Great trio overall, but Elizabeth Welch is a standout (to me at least). https://www.mediafire.com/file/1hc1ozi96vok5pd/POTO_Broadway_03-03-2014_-_Panaro%252C_Welch%252C_Hays.rar/file Dmitry Ermak, Tamara Kotova, Eugeny Zaytsev, Irina Samoylova, Alexei Bobrov, Yuri Mazihin, Elena Charkviani, Valeria Migalina, Rustim Bahtiyarov (u/s) July 16, 2015; Moscow A lovely production that I miss - Tamara Kotova in particular is great. https://www.mediafire.com/file/w56tx5d7fkh4kse/POTO_Moscow_16-07-2015_-_Ermak%252C_Kotova%252C_Zaytsev.rar/file John Owen-Jones, Celinde Schoenmaker, Nadim Naaman, Megan Llewellyn, Michael Matus, Christopher Dickens, Jacinta Mulcahy, Alicia Beck, John Ellis September 7, 2015; London First performance of the 2015-2016 cast. https://www.mediafire.com/file/5hswf44ldku6ngm/POTO_West_End_07-09-2015_-_Owen-Jones%252C_Schoenmaker%252C_Naaman.rar/file Peter Jöback, Emmi Christensson, Anton Zetterholm, Karolina Andresson, Glenn Kjellberg, Rolf Lydhal, Sanna Martin, Tehilla Blad, Sindre Postholm March 19, 2017; Stockholm Given Christine is from Sweden, it's only fair to include the recent Stockholm production. https://www.mediafire.com/file/zkl38t9388gcvh7/POTO_Sweden_2017-03-19_PJ_EC_AZ.wav/file Tim Howar, Amy Manford, Jeremy Taylor, Kimberly Blake, Ross Dawes, Alan Vicary, Jacinta Mulcahy, Georgia Ware, Paul Ettore Tabone September 7, 2019; London This one is different from the one listed as NFT (so don't get mad at me, haha). Last performance for Amy Manford in the West End production. https://www.mediafire.com/file/vf60ie1er18rkon/POTO_West_End_07-09-2019_-_Howar%252C_Manford%252C_Taylor.rar/file Ben Crawford, Meghan Picerno, John Riddle October 26, 2019 Because we all love a Christine with opera chops. https://www.mediafire.com/file/9gji0khgfoazjqd/POTO_Broadway_26-10-2019_-_Crawford%252C_Picerno%252C_Riddle.rar/file 

POTO videos

Earl Carpenter, Rachel Barrell, David Shannon, Wendy Ferguson, David Lawrence (u/s), Sam Hiller, Emily Harvey (u/s), Heidi Ann O'Brien, Rohan Tickell January 2006 VOB format.  If you want to see Earl in London right now but can't... this video is the best quality overall that features him, and Rachel Barrell is a fantastic Christine - one of my favorites in the role. https://mega.nz/folder/u09GQKyR#gjNHj4Letd9YInTsuLowjA Gary Mauer, Elizabeth Southard, Jim Weitzer, Kim Stengel, John Jellison, DC Anderson, Patti Davidson-Gorbea, Kate Wray, John Whitney April 6, 2006; Dallas VOB format.  For my Eristine moots (I see you!): Gary Mauer and Elizabeth Southard were (and as far as I know, still are) married while performing as the Phantom and Christine, and you thought Ramin and Sierra's chemistry was off the charts, think again. https://mega.nz/folder/PtExxS5A#D4yyf2g_lXoN-cIDPkMU2Q Anthony Crivello, Kristi Holden, Andrew Ragone, Geena Jeffries Mattox, John Leslie Wolfe, Lawson Skala, Tina Walsh, Brianne Kelly Morgan, Larry Wayne Morbitt August 8, 2008; Las Vegas VOB format. This is the Las Vegas Spectacular production, which is abriged compared to the original but totally worth seeing. If you want to understand why I love Meg Giry so much, Brianne Kelly Morgan is one of the best I've ever seen in the role. Also, if you’re meh about Raoul... with Andrew Ragone, think again. He’s one of the most Superman/Clark Kent Raouls I’ve seen. And I really like Kristi Holden’s Leroux-esque Christine too.  https://mega.nz/folder/Sh1zxSAB#twtXau8Y8pd_L9tMQLa4Mg Jeremy Stolle (u/s), Samantha Hill, Greg Mills (u/s), Michele McConnell, Tim Jerome, Richard Poole (u/s), Ellen Harvey, Kara Klein, Christian Sebek March 9, 2013 VOB format. Missing part of Act 1 (‘Stranger Than You Dreamt It’ to Il Muto), but otherwise complete. This is one of the best trios I've seen on Broadway, and Samantha Hill is just a fantastic Christine overall. https://mega.nz/folder/y1slyJRD#OP1Tp5Cj_fMk9LbAWJMqAA Tomas Ambt Kofod, Sibylle Glosted, Christian Lund, Louise Fribo, Carl Christian Rasmussen, Sebastian Harris, Elisabeth Halling, Imogen-Lilly Ash, Rasmus Jupin March 2019; Copenhagen VOB format. This one is more recent, but given it's been uploaded on YouTube, I guess it's fine to gift it (again, if you’re the master and you want me to remove this, please let me know).This one has one of the best casts ever caught on tape. Seriously. Everyone in this is a star. https://mega.nz/folder/q40hTagI#Zui14MWo-F2YSQ0gNdaL6Q



Les Mis Audios

Colm Wilkinson, Roger Allam, Patti LuPone, Alun Armstrong, Sue Jane Tanner, Michael Ball, Frances Ruffele, Rebecca Caine, David Burt 1985; London Preview at the Barbican Centre. This is interesting since it includes Cosette's song "I Saw Him Once", which has been cut later.  https://www.mediafire.com/file/jbedqiemuk9qnd1/Les_Mis_West_End_1985_-_Wilkinson%252C_Allam.rar/file Symphonic recording (1989)  Gary Morris, Philip Quast, Debra Byrne, Michael Ball, Tracy Shayne, Kaho Shimada, Anthony Warlow, Barry James, Gay Soper https://www.mediafire.com/file/n7gp30jcpnjfkf7/Les_Miserables_Symphonic_Recording.rar/file Kyle Jean-Baptiste (u/s), Earl Carpenter, Erika Henningsen, Chris McCarrell, Samantha Hill, Brennyn Lark, Max Quinlan (u/s), Gavin Lee, Rachel Izen August 13, 2015; Broadway For Kyle Jean-Baptiste, who was an amazing performer gone way too soon. RIP. https://www.mediafire.com/file/fzj2qubunkrrfhc/Les_Mis_Broadway_13-08-2015_-_Jean-Baptiste%252C_Carpenter.rar/file John Owen-Jones, Michael Ball, Carrie Hope Fletcher, Craig Mather (u/s), Lily Kerhoas, Shan Ako, Bradley Jaden, Matt Lucas, Katy Secombe, Earl Carpenter October 16, 2019; London All-star concert! https://www.mediafire.com/file/nh28zdry93vhry2/Les_Mis_London_Concert_16-10-2019_-_Owen-Jones%252C_Ball.rar/file

Elisabeth das Musical

Original Cast Recording (1992) Pia Douwes, Uwe Kroeger, Ethan Freeman, Andreas Bieber, Viktor Gernot, Else Ludwig https://www.mediafire.com/file/fagi9ctooeq2y11/Elisabeth-Original_German_Cast.rar/file Vienna revival cast recording (2006)  Maya Hakvoort, Mate Kamaras, Serkan Kaya, André Bauer, Fritz Schmid, Else Ludwig https://www.mediafire.com/file/7wpqbotp8oszzz3/Elisabeth_-_2006_Vienna_Cast.rar/file



Sweeney Todd

2000 Concert Cast Recording George Hearn, Patti LuPone, Davis Gaines, Heidi Grant Murphy, Paul Plishka, Audra McDonald, Standford Olsen, Neil Patrick Harris, John Aler Pretty sure this isn't on Spotify, which is a real shame given its cast. So enjoy! EDIT: Someone pointed out to me that the recording is incomplete - probably a result of the Great Hardware Crash of 2016, so until I get the full version, this will probably stay incomplete. Sorry about that! https://www.mediafire.com/file/ywoiqe5bnlzr7bs/Sweeney_Todd_2000_New_York_Concert_Cast.rar/file

[fictionadventurer]

Fortnight of Books: Day 1

Overall - best books read in 2023?

Of new-to-me books, the standouts of my year include (in rough chronological order of when I read them):

Endurance by Alfred Lansing: Thrilling and harrowing account of Shackleton's South Pole expedition. It made me very grateful as I went through my day-to-day life--no matter how bad things were, at least I had eaten things that weren't seal meat.

Daisy Miller and Washington Square by Henry James: Short, sad little novellas that drew me in with their compassionate realism and added a new name to my list of favorite classic authors.

A Field Guide to Mermaids by Emily B. Martin: Beautifully illustrated book that provides a detailed world of mermaid species and provides lots of interesting facts about the natural world. Child me would have loved this.

Mary Barton by Elizabeth Gaskell: I hated the ending, and the structure was very weird, but this was a look at a side of Victorian London I rarely see in literature, with some great characters and a really interesting dive into the issues in the background of North and South.

Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin: It gave me an obsession with Lincoln's Cabinet. I still sometimes stop and think, "I need to read about some Seward shenanigans."

Destiny of the Republic by Candice Millard: Extremely readable history book that provided a lot of food for my obsession with James Garfield's and Chester Arthur's presidencies.

The Q by Beth Brower: Victorian Ruritanian fiction about a female newspaper tycoon that has a murky plot but also one of my favorite romantic couples of the year, one of the best tributes to autumn I've read, and most importantly (the real reason it's on this list), introduced me to the author of my favorite series of the year (more below).

Desire and The Good Comrade by Una L. Silsberrad: Forgotten turn-of-the-century women's fiction with some great female leads trying to find a place in society. Desire is a bit more literary while The Good Comrade is a bit more fun, but both were just the type of story that tends to make my list of favorites.

The Romance of a Shop by Amy Levy: Fun sister story with some fun romances. Very easy to read and provided a fascinating look at the world of Victorian photography.

The Law and the Lady by Wilkie Collins: I was so invested in the main character, a woman who would overcome anything that tried to stop her from helping her husband.

The Heir of Redclyffe by Charlotte Mary Yonge: The prose is dense and the author's too preachy, but this had some of my favorite characters of the year (Charles Edmonstone my beloved).

Best series you discovered in 2023?

The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion. If it weren't for this question, it would be at the top spot in the last list. They hit so many sweet spots for my perfect comfort read--Victorian England, memorable characters, lightly fantastical setting, fun narrative voice, friendships and comedy and heartbreak and literature and just so much fun.

Best reread of the year?

Definitely The Lord of the Rings. I had liked the series after my first read, but my appreciation was mostly bolstered by the fact that I'm surrounded by a huge fandom for it. This year's reread made me truly appreciate it for the masterwork it is and made it a cornerstone of my interior life.

If it weren't for that, this spot would go to A Christmas Carol, because I was shocked to find that it really is good enough to earn its dominant place in pop culture. The descriptions of Christmas are some of the best things in literature.

[weirdlookindog]

The Mummy's Curse (1944)