#mist getting emotional over historical events on main

[mist-the-wannabe-linguist]

Was thinking about decade nicknames like the Roarin' 20s, Dirty 30s etc and for a moment got weirdly emotional over the fact that the 90s were called the Wild 90s/the Free 90s here

[manuscripts-dontburn]

The Secret of the Rosary

Author: Louis de Montfort

First published: 1710

Pages: 148

Rating: ★★★★☆

I was genuinely surprised at how interesting I found this little book. As a Christian tentatively researching the various Churches I found it very informative. Certainly, the rosary and the Marian devotion of the Catholics (and the Russian Orthodox) are among the most controversial questions when it comes to Christian teachings of different denominations and this book explains the Catholic point of view extremely well, including short stories to illustrate the belief in the power of Mary and the prayer of the rosary (some of those stories are inspiring, some actually sound ridiculous, but I enjoyed them still, much as I would enjoy any storybook). I also found it interesting from the historical point of view, especially the fervent advocacy of indulgences, which, from what I understand, have been altered and are no longer propagated in the same way as they once were. Definitely a good study book for anyone interested in the subject, whether or not you are a Catholic.

How We Disappeared

Author: Jing-Jing Lee

First published: 2019

Pages: 352

Rating: ★★★★☆

Painful, horrifying and yet beautifully written book. A reminder of hurt and crimes we Europeans hardly ever hear about. A story of endurance, of cruelty which is both extraordinary and common, a story of trying to cope and searching for absolution, which may and may not ever come.

The Jungle Book

Author: Rudyard Kipling

First published: 1994

Pages: 256

Rating: ★★★★☆

I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. I need to take off a star simply for a few "casual" racist remarks and the way disability is treated in the first three stories, but I do think the beauty of language, the passion for nature and even raw brutality tied to the animal kingdom were captured wonderfully.

Le Boule De Suif and other stories

Author: Guy de Maupassant

First published: 1880

Pages: 224

Rating: ★★★★☆

A collection of short stories set in the second half of the 19th century in France, all of which touched my emotions and moved me - to humour, to pity, to disgust - but ultimately none had a satisfying ending. They were all very life-like in that respect, but still, left me a hungry reader.

The Kite Runner

Author: Khaled Hosseini

First published: 2003

Pages: 352

Rating: ★★★★☆

Another book that hurt my heart.

Thames: Sacred River

Edited by: Peter Ackroyd

First published: 2007

Pages: 512

Rating: ★★★☆☆

Even as somebody very much interested in the topic I have now read more than I cared to read. This book is monumental and exhaustive when it comes to facts and details, it is also well written, but the sheer amount of information makes it feel like a chore. I have retained very little and skimmed over some of the pages simply because they were little more than lists of names. Impressive but tiring.

Lost Roses

Author: Martha Hall Kelly

First published: 2019

Pages: 464

Rating: ★☆☆☆☆

Read this book if you like bad writing, dull narratives, you are completely ignorant about Russian history and wish to remain so. Seriously, this was my second try with Martha Hall Kelly and it is also where we part ways forever. I do not have the patience or strength enough to go through another of her books. Others have pointed out her outlandish, unbelievable and convoluted storytelling, I absolutely need to underline her disrespect for the well-documented characters and criminal laziness when it comes to historical research. By her own admission, this "research" when it came to the Russian parts of the book consisted of two weeks holidaying in St. Petersburg, trying vodka and caviar, and asking two tour guides some questions. I dare say she read a few Wikipedia pages, but that is all. This woman did not even bother to use Russian names correctly, and let me not start at her disregard to realities of life in Imperial Russia, both of the nobility and the common people. Heck, she even uses "Imperial" and "royal" as synonyms. Her treatment of the monumental events of the Russian revolution(s) and Civil war is dreadful, uninsightful and completely shallow. You do not need to be like me (14 years of research into the Romanovs and three university-awarded diploma theses on their relationship with Victorian Britain, their educational system and religious beliefs) to not write such bullshit as this book consists of. This is merely an American writing a dull and convoluted story set in countries she knows nothing about, the culture she doesn't understand in the slightest, includes people and their conflict which she trivializes and on the whole, does not care about your intelligence.

Concrete Rose

Author: Angie Thomas

First published: 2021

Pages: 360

Rating: ★★★★☆

Concrete Rose works wonderfully as a prequel but could stand solid on its own as well. The family dynamics and the character of Maverick were both important factors that made The Hate U Give the remarkable book it was. Seeing this very character growing up and learning to own up to situations that could easily break any of us was fascinating. You truly feel for him, but at the same time want to shout at him to open his eyes to reality and see the larger picture. I had some trouble getting into the book simply because I am not an American (or English native speaker) and the informal and specific language used by Maverick is not the one I have studied at school, but I got used to it eventually. I also felt that perhaps the conflict lacked the strength a little, especially compared to The Hate U Give. All in all, however, Angie Thomas has done it again.

Katya and the Prince of Siam

Author: Narisa Chakrabongse

First published: 2011

Pages: 320

Rating: ★★★★☆

Supremely interesting and a wonderful, accessible introduction into another part of the history I have previously known nothing about.

The Mists of Avalon

Author: Marion Zimmer Bradley

First published: 1982

Pages: 884

Rating: ★★★★☆

This is an impressive retelling of a legend that is so very well known it is quite a feat to present it in a way that has both surprises and thrill. The politics and the battle of religions, both of which prove to be in the hands of obstinate and hateful people seeking only their right is cleverly chosen as the main conflict. I must say, however, that sex-obsessed paganism did not seem much better than the sex-less Christianity in this book. The tolerance, with which the religion of the Goddess begins very quickly disappears and Morgaine and her followers very soon become as fanatical and unforgiving as their Christian enemies. It goes to show how our beliefs can be short-sighted no matter the lofty ideas they are based on. On the negative side, the novel is a mammoth undertaking, very quickly I had to switch to an audiobook (which was excellent), otherwise, I would be reading it for the next three months at least. Some of the arguments and conflicts the characters have over and over again (sometimes word for word), to the point of being annoying too. Be prepared to like nobody and watch an epic tragedy unfold.

The Invention of Murder: How the Victorians Revelled in Death and Detection and Created Modern Crime

Author: Judith Flanders

First published: 2011

Pages: 556

Rating: ★★★★★

It is amazing how different and yet still the same people have always been throughout centuries. This is that kind of book which entertains yet gives testament to human viciousness as well as morbid curiosity. The reader is introduced to some truly grisly murders and then shown how these very cases influenced the culture (especially books, newspapers and theatre) and through it the way everything connected to it was seen at one point in time. I begrudge the book spoiling some classics I have not yet read, but other than that I found myself fascinated and flew through this book quickly. Finding out I am no better when it comes to the fascination with a murder that is far away and non-threatening to me than any common Victorian.

Worlds of Ink and Shadow

Author: Lena Coakley

First published: 2016

Pages: 352

Rating: ★★★★★

You know what, maybe I will change the rating later, but right now, at this very moment, remembering simply how much I enjoyed this reading experience, I am giving this 5 stars. I flew through this and marvelled at both the author´s imagination, the accuracy of her research and especially how well she pays tribute to the Brontës. The way she portrays them is very similar to how I came to know them through nonfiction literature and their works. It is marvellous to me how she does not play favourites with any of them - something very few people manage (I myself have always been partial to Charlotte for example). But she does it. She shows the point of view and feelings and flaws of all of them. The family dynamics is well captured too. I liked this book a lot. It is that simple. Perhaps that is all one needs to rate it so very high.

[placetobenation]

What a strange week it’s been in the WWE! A trip to Saudi Arabia not only gives us The Fiend as your new Universal Champion, crowned on Halloween no less, but it also sets up an historic Friday Night Smackdown! When I first heard most of the Smackdown talent couldn’t make it to Buffalo for the LIVE show, I cringed at what we’d see. But, for the first time in a while, a show not named NXT delivered the one thing it needs: UNPREDICTABILITY! And we got it in spades!

Brock Lesnar quits Friday Night Smackdown to search for revenge on Rey Mysterio, Jr.on Monday Night RAW.

NXT takes over the night on FOX!

Not only do we get NXT Women’s Champion Shayna Baszler punking out Smackdown Women’s Champion Bayley & Sasha Banks, but we get Tomasso Ciampa challenging and beating The Miz! And to boot, NXT Champion Adam Cole cleanly defeats Daniel Bryan, 1-2-3 in the main event!

You heard it here first… @TripleH warns #Raw and #SmackDown because #WWENXT is coming for a BATTLE at #SurvivorSeries. pic.twitter.com/ZXDJNpbqOE

— WWE (@WWE) November 2, 2019

Then, just to put the cherry on top of the Smackdown sundae, Triple H declares this the first blow in the new war. RAW vs. Smackdown vs. NXT – what do you got next RAW & Smackdown? The build to Survivor Series is set. Now, keeping all shows strong over the next three weeks will be interesting. I’m just not sure if I have enough faith in the creative to pull this one off. But, I’m hoping and can’t wait for the next week of WWE programming. And with pro wrestling and/or sports entertainment, that’s all you can ask for.

My biggest question going forward is this: with Triple H being “the authority face” of NXT, who will that person be for RAW and Smackdown? Will it be the executive directors Paul Heyman and Bruce Pritchard or do we get the McMahons vs. Triple H in an all in the family feud? The other question for the night is where was Finn Balor? Wouldn’t this have been the perfect chance to get back at the bigger brands? Or, will he be a hand played later in the build? And just how will War Games play out in all this, especially if NXT is fighting with themselves during Survivor Series weekend’s kick-off show and then back together to fight RAW and Smackdown? Food for thought indeed!

Kudos for stepping out of the box! When challenged, at least for a night, the WWE delivered.

RAW

RESULTS

RAW Women’s Champion Becky Lynch defeated Kairi Sane in non-title match

Buddy Murphy defeated R-Truth

Ricochet defeated Drew McIntyre by DQ when Randy Orton interferes with RKO

Non-Title Match: The Viking Raiders defeated The Chicago Cubs

Andrade defeated Sin Cara

Charlotte & Natalya defeated The IIconics (submission)

Falls Count Anywhere Non-Title Match: Champion Seth Rollins defeated Erick Rowan

United States Champion AJ Styles defeated Humberto Carrillo in non-title match (submission)

What we loved:

Holy RKO – You would think one move would get old after nearly two decades, but Randy Orton’s RKO delivers time after time. This time blindsiding Ricochet to give him the DQ win over Drew McIntyre.

Women’s Tag Team – I like the pairing of Charlotte and Natalya and hope they get a nice run together. Maybe a title pairing in future against the Kabuki Warriors would be some nice business! Plus, it’s nice to see The IIconics on TV once again. They’ve been wasted thus far on a tag team title run that went nowhere.

As the Paige Turns – Love the turn on Paige by the Kabuki Warriors! Solidifies them as top heels and gives the opportunity to have Paige seek out a new tag team to bring up to fight against them. Give me more of the green mist!

Becky vs. Kairi – Quality match to start the night off on RAW. The match got better as it went along and builds Kairi Sane as someone as more than just a tag team partner for Asuka.

What we didn’t love:

The vibe of RAW – Monday nights used to be the destination for WWE. The night where “anything” was possible. It seems like the show has turned into jus a run of the mill outing just to fill three hours on the USA Network. For a Falls Count Anywhere match that Vic Joseph kept hyping could go anywhere in St.Louis, the match went to the concession stands and back to the ring. Ho-hum. Plus, we get a King’s (Divorce) Court with Jerry Lawler, Rusev, Lana and Bobby Lashley in the main event. Heading into a PPV, Crown Jewel, it’s not quite what we should get. This is more of mid-night filler than something to pay off the night, especially when they don’t have a huge one-on-one match at the PPV. And now compared with what NXT and Smackdown delivered this week, it clearly comes in as the #3 show of the brand.

Humberto Carrillo gets another title match – I surely get trying to build up the younger, newer talent. But, in losing to both Seth Rollins and AJ Styles, it’s not quite the way to do it. Sure, he gets the rub on in-ring combat, but at the end of the day, all we’ve seen him do on TV so far is lose.

NXT

RESULTS

Io Shirai defeated Candice LeRae

Bronson Reed defeated Shane Thorne

WWE Women’s Tag Team Title Match: Champions Kairi Sane and Asuka defeated Tegan Nox and Dakota Kai

Cameron Grimes defeated Tyler Bate

Non-Title Match: NXT Tag Team Champions Undisputed Era defeated Matt Riddle and Keith Lee

What we loved:

Bronson Reed vs. Shane Thorne – For a match with no hype, this one was a barnburner filled with physicality. Kept me on the edge of my seat! No BS. True NXT type match here.

WAR GAMES x 2 – Not only do we get an historic announcement from NXT GM William Regal that the women will battle it out in War Games for the first time, but we also get Tomasso Ciampa declaring war on the Undisputed Era and putting his quest to get his “Goldie” back, the NXT Championship, on hold. For the women, we’ll get Shayna Baszler and Rhea Ripley as team captains in what should be an epic throwdown at the War Games Takeover Special Survivor Series Weekend.

The women’s division – When you talk about where the best is, it’s clearly here! From Bazler to Bianca Belair, from Io Shirai to Dakota Kai and from the Four Horsewomen to Candice LeRae, the women of NXT are outshining their counterparts on Wednesday night at AEW, but also outpacing the women of RAW and Smackdown, and that’s saying something! Kudos ladies!

What we didn’t love:

Finn Balor’s promo – While we welcome Balor Club getting the spotlight to try and explain what his latest heel turn is about, we didn’t really get a full explanation as to why Johnny Gargano was the target. Sure, we got a shot at Bray Wyatt being “cool,” but it needed some more depth especially when there are new eyes on NXT since the debut on the USA Network. They don’t know the backstory.

Full Sail University – Sure, NXT Arena is quaint and cozy, but if NXT really wants to take on AEW’s new momentum on Wednesday nights, it has to get out to bigger crowds. The NXT action and storyline progression speaks for itself, but the perception of the crowds in something the mainstream fan will need to see improved. Perception vs. reality folks. Time to check that box off Triple H! And with what we would see later in the week on Friday Night Smackdown, we now know they, as well as the crowds, can handle it.

CROWN JEWEL

RESULTS

Battle Royal For a US Title Shot: Humberto Carrillo

WWE Championship Match: Champion Brock Lesnar defeated Cain Velasquez (submission)

Tag Team Turmoil World Cup Match: Winners: The Good Brothers

Mansoor defeated Cesaro

Tyson Fury defeated Braun Strowman by countout

WWE United States Championship Match: Champion AJ Styles defeated Humberto Carrillo

Natalya defeated Lacey Evans (submission)

Team Hogan defeated Team Flair

WWE Universal Championship Falls Count Anywhere Match: The Fiend defeated Champion Seth Rollins

There's no stopping @WWERollins and #TheFiend @WWEBrayWyatt. Literally, though. Absolute carnage raged through #WWECrownJewel tonight! #FallsCountAnywhere pic.twitter.com/o43HHqGUIW

— WWE (@WWE) October 31, 2019

What we loved:

The Fiend winning the Title on Halloween – What better way to put The Fiend over then on Halloween! It’s something people can remember easily even if they didn’t watch it LIVE.

Uncertainty – With The Fiend winning the Universal Title, RAW doesn’t have a major championship at the top of its show and I, for one, is happy to see where this one goes. I’m hoping they let it linger for more than a few minutes and have some fun with it.

The INCREDIBLE story of the WWE's Women's Evolution continues as @NatbyNature and @LaceyEvansWWE competed in the FIRST-EVER Women's Match in Saudi Arabia at #WWECrownJewel. The #QueenofHarts got the win over the #SassySouthernBelle with the Sharpshooter. https://t.co/snXKQ5cbil pic.twitter.com/MpcG4atCo6

— WWE (@WWE) November 1, 2019

The women debut – History in the making as Lacey Evans and Natalya hold the first women’s match ever in Saudi Arabia! The pure emotion of the match takes precedence over anything else. Great to see and well done.

Mansoor – A solid match that gives the hometown pop with some raw emotion. Perfect pairing with Cesaro who absolutely made the kid look good.

What we didn’t love:

Only two minutes for Lesnar vs. Velasquez – OK, we get it was going to be short with Velasquez’ knee injury that he could reportedly have surgery on, but I don’t think it helped anyone out other than to say that Lesnar gets the win and now an eventual third bout between the two is coming.

Fury vs. Strowman – Count me as one who wasn’t a big fan of this pairing. It’s a no-win situation as neither side was going to get a clear victory and that’s exactly what we got. A countout by Fury and a slam by Strowman that gives each man with what they walked into the match with, nothing more, nothing less. It gave the WWE some mainstream media and that’s what they wanted.

The red lighting for The Fiend – I get what the intent is with trying to make The Fiend’s matches look different, but let’s be honest, it’s just tough to see through the red tinge in the lighting. Drop it already. It doesn’t work.

MEH – Team Hogan beats Team Flair. Solid effort with Roman Reigns pinning Randy Orton, but no real payoff with the two biggest stars, Ric Flair and Hulk Hogan.

FRIDAY NIGHT SMACKDOWN

RESULTS

Smackdown Women’s Title Match: Champion Bayley defeated Nikki Cross

Tommaso Ciampa defeated The Miz

Rhea Ripley & Tegan Nox defeated Fire & Desire (Sonya Daville & Mandy Rose)

NXT Title Match: Champion Adam Cole defeated Daniel Bryan

THE #WWENXT WOMEN'S CHAMPION @QoSBaszler IS HERE AND SHE IS TAKING EVERYBODY OUT!!!!#SmackDown pic.twitter.com/IsISDyZHdT

— WWE (@WWE) November 2, 2019

What we loved:

NXT! NXT! NXT! – No brainer here! The WWE takes a negative in the travel delay from Saudi Arabia that left all of the Smackdown superstars minus Paul Heyman and Brock Lesnar left overseas and turns it into a HUGE positive! With Survivor Series coming up with RAW vs. Smackdown vs. NXT, the men and women of Wednesday night take the spotlight starting with Women’s Champ Shayna Baszler taking out Smackdown Champ Bayley & Sasha Banks to NXT Champion Adam Cole BAY BAY getting a clean 1-2-3 over Daniel Bryan in the main event! Unpredictable, smart and most important for us the fans – FUN and ENTERTAINING!

.@HeymanHustle just announced that @BrockLesnar is QUITTING Friday Night #SmackDown and going to #RAW… Watch out, @reymysterio. #BrockLesnar is coming for you. pic.twitter.com/QNRVRa0lSx

— WWE (@WWE) November 2, 2019

Brock Lesnar quits Smackdown – Sure, I would’ve loved to see how RAW would figure out its next champion with The Fiend defeating Universal Champ Seth Rollins at Crown Jewel, but Brock quitting Friday nights to find Rey Mysterio, JR. settles that. The WWE Title is coming home to Monday nights and that’s a good thing for business.

Pat McAfee – On-point, effective and put his stamp on this historic night! He was Paul Heyman-esque on the mic getting the brand and the talent over. Plus, he got in his plugs in too for people to know to watch on Wednesday nights. Brilliantly done!

What we didn’t love:

The downside to a beatdown – Yes, NXT looks awesome, but in the same show, you’re making Smackdown look a little weak. The building them back up will be in the pudding as we ramp up towards Survivor Series. I’m sure Roman Reigns, The Fiend and crew will have an answer.

Thanks for letting us share our thoughts! Shoot me an email at jcrowe567@gmail.com. We’d love to hear you comments and suggestions! You can also check out my blog, The Crowe’s Nest as we delve into more pro wrestling, sports entertainment and the World of Sports. My apologies ahead of time – I AM a Patriots and Red Sox fan! If you’re not down with that, I’ve got TWO WORDS for you… NEW ENGLAND!