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greekgeek21 · 4 years ago

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The Codependency Competition Ch.1

I intend on not writing any more A/N unless absolutely necessary after this, but I just need to get a little bit of info out before we start (not that any of you are actually going to bother reading this, but if you are, good on you!). Anyway, this story is inspired by the story that @Literallyobsessed wrote: "The Highschool Experiment." I absolutely loved their idea, and I think that there should be more stories like it out there. That's why I'm doing this. Plus, once I get a story idea my head, there is nothing that make it go away. I'm going to try and keep this story in 3rd person all the way, but who knows what will happen?! Also, in this story, Percy and Annabeth are both 17, and they are both seniors. This story can also be found on Wattpad, Ao3, FF, and Inkitt.

THIS GOES FOR THE WHOLE STORY: I don't own PJO, sadly. That title goes to Uncle Rick. The plot's mine though. Sorry if any PJO characters turn a little OOC, I can't control that, but I'll try.

And I just wanted to thank my wonderful and amazing beta, JJ. You can find them on Ao3 as nightskywithrainbows. Go check them out!

That's it! I hope you enjoy this story, and please comment, like, and follow! Happy reading!

– your author

ΩΩΩ

Percy Jackson: the popular captain of the swim team.

Annabeth Chase: the nerdy new girl.

Both of them are on opposite sides of the popularity scale, and are thought to have never even spoken to one another. However, that rumor is completely wrong. In fact, Percy and Annabeth are dating, just without the knowledge of their classmates.

There are a lot of things about those two that the students at Goode High have no idea about. For example, they are both part of the most powerful group of demigods alive, and they are the unofficial leaders of Camp Half-blood, one of only two safe places in the world for demigods. But enough of that, let's get back to their secretive habits.

Three weeks ago, Percy and Annabeth were enjoying themselves with the rest of the Seven and Nico at Percy's apartment when Leo made a remark about Percy and Annabeth's relationship...

"Look at you two! I haven't seen you guys apart since Annabeth went on her quest! You guys have some serious codependency issues." he said.

Percy and Annabeth gave each other an incredulous look before Annabeth responded, "Not true! I can handle being apart from him!"

The prideful young demigod couldn't just ignore a direct blow to her pride, whether it be intentional or not.

"Yeah, right! I'll believe it when I see it," Jason cut in.

"You know what? We will prove it to you, one day, we will," Annabeth vowed.

Two weeks later, Annabeth was starting at Goode, and the opportunity had arisen for the duo to prove their friends wrong. Just as they were about to leave for school, Annabeth got the idea that they should pretend to not know each other at school and see how long they could last. Percy was hesitant at first, but was evidently convinced by his girlfriend, as always.

Now, another week having passed, Percy and Annabeth were walking to school. When they get closer, they have to separate so that it doesn't look like they came together, but for the moment, they were walking hand-in-hand down the sidewalk.

"Are you sure you wanna keep doing this? I mean, I hate not being able to kiss you at school! It's torture to see you ten feet away, but have us not even give each other a hug!" Percy said.

"I'm sure. This can be good for us; having some space, you know," Annabeth exclaimed.

"Alright, fine," he sighed, and then started to walk faster because Goode was coming into their sights, "Just know that I'm expecting a prize at the end of today for my efforts, ok?"

Annabeth just rolled her eyes and started to slow her strides.

When Percy and Annabeth entered the senior hallway, he walked over to his friends and she walked over to hers, his being a considerably larger group. Percy's real friends consist of mostly the people from the swim team, but there's still a group of people that just use his friendship for popularity. For example, Kelsey Evans, Goode's resident mean girl. She wants to become Percy's girlfriend so bad, but he always rejects her. Unfortunately, she keeps coming back, and when she thinks someone else is going to try something with Percy, she bullies them away. The only reason Percy puts up with her is so that he can keep an eye on her.

Annabeth's friend group consists of four other people, two boys and two girls. There is Nora, Addison, Noah, and Ethan. They are all the 'nerdy' type, so they spend most of their free time either in the library or together. Annabeth met Nora first, and she immediately got the run-down of the school social hierarchy from her. At first, Annabeth was surprised to hear that her boyfriend was at the top, considering how much of a Seaweed Brain he can be.

At Annabeth's friend group, Noah was actually speaking about the 'cool' group, "Look how righteous they are, thinking they're better than everyone else! I mean, do they really have to block the entire hallway?"

It was a well known fact in their group that Noah didn't like the cool kids. Apparently it had something to do with a swimming lesson in PE last year.

"At least Percy's kinda nice," Addison added.

"I guess, but he's also kinda scary. I mean, the way that he's beat up some kids! Maybe people just say he's nice cuz' they're scared of him," Ethan said.

"Aren't the kids he beats up bullies?" Nora asked.

"Whatever, I still don't think someone who keeps company like Kelsey should be given the benefit of the doubt," he said.

Without anyone knowing, Annabeth had actually been staring at Percy. His unruly hair, his bright, sea green eyes, and the way that little dimples appeared when he smiled his big, dopey grin could make any girl swoon. Fortunately, she managed to break herself out of her daze before her friends figured out what was wrong with her. She would never tell Percy this, but she was struggling to remain in control of her actions just as much as he was.

The warning bell rang, and everyone started to slowly head towards their first class of the day. The next time Percy and Annabeth would see each other would be in the one of only two classes they shared: Advanced Greek. All of their other classes were separate because Annabeth was taking almost all advanced classes and Percy was only taking the one.

In that class, Percy and Annabeth just so happened to be seated on opposite sides of the room. So, the only class they have together and they aren't even near each other. It's perfect! Annabeth sits next to Addison, and Percy sits next to someone else crazy enough to take Advanced Greek.

When fourth period Greek came around, Percy and Annabeth gave each other a glance as they entered the room, but that was it. That glance was a secret message that they had come up with on the first day: I love you. I was just a reassurance that this whole ordeal wasn't affecting their love for each other.

"Alright class, today we're going to have a pop-quiz! I know, I know, I'm your favorite teacher!" Mr. Anastas said while handing out the papers for the quiz, "You have 20 minutes to finish, afterwards it is free time."

Annabeth and Percy both loved this class because they didn't really have to try in it, the language just came easily. It may not be Ancient Greek, but it's still understandable.

Percy gave Annabeth a glance with a smirk as a form silent communication to say 'race you!'. Annabeth didn't even answer, she just got to work. It only took her three minutes to finish, and just as she was getting up, Percy was doing the same. They both tried to speed-walk without anyone noticing, but by the time they neared the teacher's desk, they were practically running. Just as Annabeth was about to place her paper down, Percy slammed his down before she could. The noise caused everyone to jump and look up to where is came from. What shocked everyone was what they found:

Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase staring each other down!

Addison's eyes widened when she realized that her best friend was glaring at the Percy Jackson. And he was glaring right back!

"I won! Haha!" Percy exclaimed in Ancient Greek with a huge grin on his face.

"Not true! You cheated, Seaweed Brain!" Annabeth rebutted.

"Careful, your hubris is showing," Percy pointed at her.

Seething, Annabeth finally took the time to realize that the entire class, including Mr. Anastas was watching their exchange. She blushed and said, "We should get back to our seats. Bye."

While she turned away, Annabeth could hear Percy yell something at her before he turned to his own seat: "I love you!"

She just rolled her eyes. Seaweed Brain, she thought.

When she got back to her seat, her friend seemed to be trying to figure out what they were saying. Luckily, the teacher and the rest of the class were doing the same thing. If anyone had caught onto what Percy said at the end of their conversation, their secret would be exposed a lot sooner than anticipated.

The rest of Greek class included people rushing to finish their quizzes, the teacher trying to figure out how his students knew more Greek than him, and Percy and Annabeth trying to avoid looking at each other. They didn't need anyone suspecting they actually knew each other!

ΩΩΩ

chapter 2 :)

#annabethchase #percyjackson #percy jackon and the olympians #heroes of olympus #high school #teen #percabeth #seaweed brain #wise girl

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sighlizz · 7 years ago

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3, 4, 7, 8, 17, 20-40

3: Talk about the person you’ve had the most intense romantic feelings for.There have only been two people in my life that I’ve had serious romantic relationships with and fortunately one is still well in my life. The first one, definitely my first love, not really my favorite person or someone I would be friends with now. But I really can’t deny that. And the one still in my life is my current boyfriend, which I love to death. And I never really know how much is too sappy, so I’m constantly under sappy and I’m sorry for that. He’s pretty honest with me when I need him to be, which I appreciate lots, sometimes I think he sugar coats things. He’s one of the cleanest boys I know, which I think is like a huge bonus?! and he always knows how to make me laugh and when to comfort me. He’s my best friend, so what more could I ask for?

4: Talk about the thing you regret most so far.I regret everything I ever do? Ha, but one of the things that I don’t think anyone really knows about much, is family. I often times let my (dads side) family walk all over me and talk down on my brother and I. I don’t ever stand up for myself, it’s a love-hate relationship I have with them. For example, my mom couldn’t afford to pay for all of my dads funeral expenses, so my family came in and I wanted my dad to be buried at a specific spot but it was a little bit pricier, and my uncle had come in and told me “beggars can’t be choosers” Long story short, they turned around and decided we were going to have to pay them back for the whole funeral. Which was shitty.

7: Talk about your biggest insecurity.I almost want to say my intelligence? I mean I’ve got quite a few insecurities, but my intelligence is one of the bigger ones that I don’t think many people know about. A lot of my grades after elementary school, I feel like were very unimpressive, and I don’t know if it’s because I don’t try enough or I really am stupid. I’ve been diagnosed with ADD and I have been prescribed for medication in the past and my grades were terrific then, but it also makes me shitty and suicidal so I don’t enjoy taking it and I haven’t been taking it since like my freshman year of high school. But even socially, I feel like I can be saying some nonsense and I’m just completely embarrassed later.

8: Talk about the thing you are most proud of.This took me a long time to kind of figure out. But my heritage, it’s not super common, and I really like it when people ask like where I’m from actually. I mean unfortunately both sides of my family don’t clash well together, but I’m able to go to one side and just experience things and go to another side, and both families are immigrants so the traditions are pretty live and well.

17: Talk about someone you want to be friends with. Anyone willing to hand me some money? Show me the finer things in life? lol, on a real note, I feel like I’m friends with everyone I would like to be close to, with an exception of old best friends, but ya know, it’s life.

20: Talk about something that happened in high school.Ooo, girl, I was just with a friend I haven’t seen since high school like a few hours ago and she brought up this story that I forgot. I had just been broken up with this guy I had been with for two years and yikes, well he had milk in his locker/cubbies and like who tf leaves milk all day in their locker? So that was nasty, anyways, I opened up that milk and poured it all over his clothes and books in the BACK of his locker, so he wouldn’t even know and I was in guard and all the girls thought it was funny, so like 3 days later this horrible stench comes and people are trying to figure out like what that nasty smell was, HA ya it was coming from his locker and he had to clean everything out, and oh my gosh, my text books were still in his locker! And I thought those textbooks was owned by the girl he was flirting with so I was about to pour milk onto those books too, but luckily I didn’t cause, um ya haha they were mine actually. Anyways the girls and I laughed, the end.

21: Talk about a time you had to turn someone down.I feel like I don’t turn people down? It’s probably worst, lol. I’ll give someone a chance, and if I’m not feeling it, I do a 180 and ghost them.

22: Talk about your worst fear.Oh, well I’m religious so like I’m dead serious. Demons, like not even the devil that I’m kinda scared of, it’s like demons from like Insidious the movie. Like with zombies? I could kill myself and I don’t have to deal with them anymore. But demons, oh my, no, they’ve got you.

23: Talk about a time someone turned you down.N/A ?

24: Talk about something someone told you that meant a lot.I don’t think I can really pinpoint anything specifically right now, but anytime a friend comes to me with a problem they have I feel special, I’m terrible at giving advice, but I’m always around to sit and listen and mope with you. And also anytime someone comes to me and just tells me their true feelings about something, knowing that they feel comfortable enough to open up about something, that’s good stuff.

25: Talk about an ex-best friend.This happened recently that she became my ex-best friend. I don’t know I miss her and I still hope the best for her. I’m sure if I reached out and kept bothering her she’ll eventually let me into her life, lol, but I just don’t think that’s a good idea. She’s really pretty and definitely one of the most realistic people I know and honestly, I don’t have a whole lot of girlfriends, so losing one out of the few I already barely had made me devastated.

26: Talk about things you do when you’re sick.I sleep? Don’t do very much because I’m so tired. And I’m not sick very often either, but when I do, I’ll probably do 3 gulps of NyQuil, no more, no less. Definitely not the amount recommended but I sleep more and that’s all I care about.

27: Talk about your favorite part of someone else’s body.Hmm, I love a good nose. Noses are probably my favorite, I love the tip of the nose, the cartilage part, it’s a good part. I also really like fingernails. I think those two specifically are my favorite because I don’t like my own nose and fingernails.

28: Talk about your fetishes.If you’re able to find my BDSM test scores, I feel like those are all still pretty relevant. The only new thing is I’m a slight masochist.

29: Talk about what turns you on.I’m a slut for people who text back fast. Anytime someones got Old Spice deodorant, like my sense of smell isn’t great, but I can pinpoint who’s wearing it and I love it. I guess just caring about my safety should be a basic one, but ya I like that. Complimenting me, that’s basic, I don’t know these are all basic. I am a basic girl, feed me and touch my hair and I’m in love. Maybe it’s little things I like, are these little things? I feel like these aren’t very high standards lol.

30: Talk about what turns you off.If you don’t keep up with basic hygiene and if you don’t care how you appear to other people, then we’re going to have a problem. If you’re inconsiderate and have no manners, like dinner table wise especially, eek. If we’re texting and you make me wait for long periods of time (talking about hours, lol minutes is pushing it, but I guess I gotta be realistic) then Imma drop you.

31: Talk about what you think death is like.I would like to think there’s a heaven. Everyone is happy and dandy and those who deserve not to be there, ya. They’re not there, heh heh. But I guess my faith is not all that stable, because otherwise, I think it’s just cold and dark.

32: Talk about a place you remember from your childhood.Hmm, well I lived in southern California for the most of my life, but when I was younger my cousins had this house up in central California and basically a farm. Cows, chickens, goats, dogs the whole thing and before I started high school, I would go there every summer and like just run around and that was fun.

33: Talk about what you do when you are sad.Ooooo, listen to sad boi music. Cry more. And it’s a good time. If it’s really bad, then I’ll call up a friend and have them just keep me company, but by the time they get to me I stop crying because I hate crying around people, and they’ll ask me what’s wrong and I’ll try to avoid the question and act like nothing has happened and we’ll eventually talk then they leave, and I cry again. It’s a routine I have.

34: Talk about the worst physical pain you’ve endured.Once in middle school, I got some sort of kissing disease or I was sharing too many of my drinks and I got this gnarly infection in my mouth. I couldn’t eat or swallow so I basically starved myself. Eating caused me an enormous amount pain and starving wasn’t any better. So I lost a quite a bit of weight, and at one point I thought I was going to die. lol

35: Talk about things you wish you could stop doing.PROCASTINATiNG. BEING LAZY. Cracking my knuckles, shaking my leg when I’m nervous, turning red when I’m embarrassed. I wish I wasn’t so petty, that I was just nicer. I want to stop judging people, the last two things I really try working on, but I’ve still got some=progress to do.

36: Talk about your guilty pleasures.Oof, I love looking at myself. I love picking at my own skin too, it’s really unnecessary but I enjoy it (and if I’m virtually spotless, then I attack my brother, a gold mine for me)

37: Talk about someone you thought you were in love with.Omg. Middle school. I don’t know. We’re all stupid then. I’m glad none of my current friends were close to me, Jesus. I don’t know??? I said I love you to the guy??? UGH. dumb and gross.

38: Talk about songs that remind you of certain people.Fuqboi - Kelsey Hauf, thanks for showing me songs you think I would like, because I did like them, but mostly because you thought about me.Unintended (Muse) - Aileen, we both cried our eyes out to this, for the same reasons Wait a Minute! - Tegan, thanks for always screaming this song with me, I don’t know why we like it so much, lol My Boo (Hitman’s Club remix)- Michael, because you would dance this every time it came on and I thought it was so darn cute.Toothbrush (DNCE)- Michael, lol one of the first songs that I associated with you, it was on the radio constantly and we were always together. I’ve been meaning to make a playlist, but just never got around to it.

39: Talk about things you wish you’d known earlier.Don’t go to parties with people you barely know. Don’t drink alone with only one person. Save your virginity, like wtf. Be on top of your shit, life goes by WAY to fast for the worst.

40: Talk about the end of something in your life.A lot of my life was carefree, up until my dad passed. I didn’t worry about anything and took care of nothing. When my dad passed, I felt like I was forced to start doing things all of the sudden, taking care of my brother, making sure my mom was okay (she started to drink a whole lot more) and I would have to put her in her place, take her to bed, made sure she got up for work, etc), I had to start learning how to drive because my dad was the person who took us everywhere. So after that, I was given a lot more freedom, but I also was given a ton of more responsibilities.

#:)#ha #Thanks for the questions!#I had this all written out yesterday but somehow got deleted #so here I am again 3:42 AM #writing it all out again #made me actually think and reflect on stuff #hmh #BUT AGAIN #Thanks!

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kirachama · 7 years ago

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🌷/💕/☕️

🌷 = favourite blogs

more favorite blogs hug…. so let’s go with… arts this time! all of these blogs i have notifcations on for because I don’t ever want to miss their art!

@r-e-i-i - her choi bros are absolutely beautiful. seriously. my phone’s lock screen is currently one of her saeran drawings. *____*

@blueplusiron - i get crazy excited every time they post something new and their comic draws are so fun~ this one is my favorite!

@roociel - screams incoherently about how much i love irene’s art. i can feel her love for 707 every time she draws him- it adds ten years to my lifespan. *____*

💕 = tumblr friends

mmm… i guess i’ll be double dipping here…

@cannibalisticskittles - I’m bringing Kelsey up again because we talk a lot LMFAO. Mostly about fic and/or Saeran. And I love her to bits. I think talking to her and showing her bits and pieces of Eye Examination is what got me so far, even though I never hit that 50k mark.

@angelsdoexist - quite possibly one of the sweetest girls i’ve ever met on this site. like. literally. we don’t chat too often because of work and the time difference but i’m happy when we get to. :D

@mf-despair-queen - my mom friend in an entirely different fandom. we’ve talked for hours about fics even though we’re different kinds of trash lmfaooo. also the sole reason why i’m addicted to dr. pepper.

☕️ = shade someone

earlier tonight i was playing this game called monster seeking monster with a few friends and my fiance. and someone refused to offer me a date and even said that he couldn’t trust me. it’s not my fault i was a zombie the first game and they all fell into my trap and caused a zombie apocalypse.

send me asks!

#asks

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taylorinthe20s · 4 years ago

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blog post three

1. "I don't care about being popular. I care about climate justice." Please comment on this quote by Greta. How does it differ from the priorities of many teens? Do you see any irony in how popular Greta has become worldwide?

Greta Thunberg’s perspective and priorities are very different when it comes to a typical teen due to the fact that she is focused on a larger scale picture, the future, and facing what most (or at least for myself) teens struggle to prioritize at that particular age. In my experience, most of my fellow peers and friends during my teenage years did not know much about climate change, let alone fully neglecting the idea of wanting to be approved by others. She also seems, and is, a young woman wise beyond her years, and an old soul- which is something that I admired through her book. The way she expresses herself, and where she gives her time, is unlike any other 17 year old I’ve met or seen. I do see the irony in how popular she has become worldwide, but I also think she gained ‘popularity’ through her own terms, and for starting a global revolution that made others her age, even younger or older, pay attention to the things that really matter.

2. Did you attend the #ClimateStrike just one year ago in Foley Square in NYC ? If yes, what was your experience first hand? If you tuned in virtually were you surprised how many people across the world were galvanized by her message?

I sadly did not attend the #ClimateStrike a year ago in NYC, since at the time I was living in Santa Barbara, CA. I also was not able to tune in virtually, but I had seen clips and photos from this particular day, and what a turn out!

3. Why do you think a girl with Asperger's syndrome has inspired a generation of young people to rise up for climate?

Asperger’s for some can involve an all-absorbing interest in specific topics, and for Greta, this happened to be climate change which is touched upon within the trailer for her Hulu documentary. Due to the fact that she has encompassed herself within the immense world of climate change, and has put so much time into learning more, she has become very knowledgeable on a subject that again, most people her age would not know much about. This is what helps make her such an inspiring woman for young people - because she’s showing that her syndrome is not a negative connotation, but a vehicle for her knowledge to help inform the rest of the world what they should know.

4. Do you think the pandemic has dampened or amplified the climate situation? How can we innovate beyond the limitations imposed by the pandemic to create new strategies for activism? Please provide specific examples.

In May, it was announced that the pandemic had limited carbon emissions, and within months, the demand for energy had “fallen off a cliff,” but it’s important to note that climate change won’t stop for the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s easy to look at pictures from Los Angeles with smog being reduced, or Venice with sea creatures returning to the canals, and think everything is on the incline, but within the larger picture, this is more of a wake up call or a chance for us to reinvent cities. Social media is a huge innovator for creating activism. Due to the restrictions from the pandemic, many have a larger online presence and even I have noticed people I follow re-posting and sharing about climate change, and what we can do to spread awareness from our own homes. You can write letters to government officials for call to action, engage in discussions with your peers and family, post on all social platforms, raise money for causes - it’s all about engaging (even though this is now mostly all online).

5. "...if a few girls can get headlines all over the world just by not going to school for a few weeks, imagine what we could do together if we wanted to." --Greta Thunberg, 2018 What are your thoughts on this quote?

I really love this quote. It exemplifies the power of protesting, and challenging a system that we have grown to always accept even when we don’t agree with it. She’s completely right though - and a thought that came to mind when reading this quote, specifically the girls part, is the issue of women supporting other women. Many are quick to preach this, but when it comes down to it, many are threatened by ones successes, rather than celebratory which is something that has to change. For Greta - it warms my heart to see all of the young girls and even older ones that are inspired by her call to action, and take place in this because again, it is true that we are capable of very powerful things.

6. Choose one favorite quote from the "Our House is on Fire" speech included in No One is Too Small to Make a Difference and comment. Why do you think this speech inspired so many memes? Find a meme to include on your blog.

My favorite quote from the “Our House is on Fire” speech is, “Adults keep saying: ‘We owe it to the young people to give them hope.’ But I don’t want your hope. I don't want you to be hopeful. I want you to panic. I want you to feel the fear I feel every day. And then I want you to act” (22). Many times, we hear politicians and adults talk about hope in relation to the future - but are they hopeful because it’s a future they are not having to face? I agree with Greta, I want people to panic because fear is what causes a mass amount of change. As for how it became a meme, I honestly could not pin point an exact reason why, only alluding to the fact that pretty much everything shared on social media these days can become a meme. This speech also received attention because people are critical of her in general (and may I add mostly middle to late aged men aka ‘boomers’ as we see below), as again, people on social media are critical of almost everyone. Media has become a tough crowd! (Please see the included memes below this post!)

7. “Greta Thunberg is the spark but we are the wildfire.”--Naomi Klein . Please comment. Has Greta's activism lit a fire inside you? What actions have you been inspired to take? How have your habits changed?

This quote exemplifies Greta’s impact perfectly. I remember seeing her as the ‘spark’ when her speech went viral, and all of a sudden (or at least within my world), I noticed many young people posting and sharing about the importance of climate change and what we can do. Not only was she a huge ‘spark’ for youth, but she did create a ‘wildfire’ through media frenzy, passing on knowledge to younger generations, and inspiring them to do the same as her. She was (and still is) pretty young, and for her to be able to have the courage to stand up in front of an older generation, built of important people, and be able to speak as eloquently and passionately as she did was inspiring to so many. Greta’s activism has definitely created a spark in my own life - I took an environmental studies course and through this, along with her many speeches and her book, I have become much more knowledgable about climate change and try to share this with my peers and family members. This also has changed my habits in the way of noticing the little, or big, things I can do to help - recycling, carpooling, meat intake, etc. She is a great role model.

8. "“We have a new wave of contention in society that’s being led by women. … And the youth climate movement is leading this generational shift." 46% of girls consider climate issues extremely important compared to 23% of boys. Why do you think this gender disparity exists? Why are girls stepping up to helm the movement?

Choose one of these young women's names and provide one sentence about their role in the environmental movement:

Kelsey Juliana:

A 24 year old student from Eugene, Oregon who submitted a Constitutional Climate Change lawsuit along with 20 other youth against the United States Government at the age of 19, and has been engaging in climate activism since the age of 10.

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agoddamnbeautifulidiot · 7 years ago

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30 questions. I was tagged by @harrywavycurly

1. Nicknames? Never really had one. Always just been Ciara

2. Gender? female

3. Star Sign? Pisces

4. Height? 5’3

5. Time? 8:48 pm

6. Birthday? March 20th

7. Favorite bands? Fleetwood Mac, One Direction, Queen, Rolling Stones, it’s a lot so i won’t bore you.

8. Favorite solo artists? God how long do you guys wanna be here? Niall Horan, Harry Styles, Sam Smith, Maren Morris. Again I won’t bore you and keep you here all night.

9. Song stuck in my head? It’s been one of Taylor Swift’s new songs for most of the day. The chorus cause that’s all I remember lol.

10. Last movie you watched? Umm we watched Doctor Strange last night.

11. Last show you watched? I’ve had old school Full House on for most of the afternoon.

12. When did you create your blog? I had it for a while and never used it and just really started using it again when Niall started his tour.

13. What do I post? Random stuff. Lots of Niall and some Harry. I do write a little so I have a few blurbs.

14. Last thing I googled? I think it was something looking for a pic for the next chapter of my story.

15. Do you have any other blogs? Nope.

16. Do you get asks? Every once in a while. Mostly from Sarah and Kelsey lol.

17. Why did you choose your url? It had to do with Grace Helbig back when I first started blogging. Now it’s just stuck.

18. Following? 222

19. Followers? 261 beautiful people follow me!

20. Favorite colors? Green. I love it. Blue is a very close second.

21. Average hours of sleep? It depends. When I’m working it’s about 5.

22. Lucky number? I don’t think I really have one to be honest.

23. Instruments? Piano. Not well but enough lol.

24. What am I wearing? Shorts and a gray t shift cause I was cleaning earlier.

25. How many blankets do I sleep with? 1 to 2 depending on how cold I am.

26. Dream job? I would probably want to work for like an online magazine or journal or blog. Always been the dream.

27. Dream trip? My roommate and i are talking about going to England next year which has always been a dream for me.

28. Favorite food? Either Mexican or Italian.

29. Nationality? American. My dad is from Germany so I’ve got that stubborn mind lol.

30. Favorite song right now? Probably IDGAF by Dua Lipa. I’ve listened to it every day this week.

I tag @harryslittlekiwis (cause i know she hasn’t done it yet ��) and @glamguccigod cause she seems sweet

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wenamedthedogkylo · 7 years ago

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Eyyyy, sum tags bruh

Get to know me tag game!

Tagged by @betweenrivers-betweenworlds, thnx m8.

Rules: Answer these 92 statements and tag 20* people.

LAST:

1. Drink: Aqua, also known by plebs as “water”. 2. Phone call: Uh..... technically to Willa cause I think she was tryna find her phone. 3. Text message: A group text, in which I provided some amusing pictures. 4. Song you listened to: The chocobo theme from FFXV cause Willa’s playing it right now. 5. Time you cried: I genuinely have no clue. It was a while ago and I don’t cry easily. It was probably at a movie or something. Or maybe it was the cry I had after BatB...

HAVE YOU:

6. Dated someone twice: HAH!! No. 7. Kissed someone and regretted it: Yep. 8. Been cheated on: Lmao no 9. Lost someone special: Yeah, a couple. 10. Been depressed: Ahahahahahahaha! Literally 24/7. *finger guns* 11. Gotten drunk and thrown up: Of course, gotta do it at least once. I’ve done it more than once, so I’ve had my fill for life.

LIST 3 FAVORITE COLORS:

12-14: Dark red, black, and dark purple

IN THE LAST YEAR HAVE YOU:

15. Made new friends: Yup. 16. Fallen out of love: Pfft, ain’t even fallen in love so no. 17. Laughed until you cried: Many times. 18. Found out someone was talking about you: Like... in a bad way? Not that I– wait, yes, my older sister talked trash about me to my parents cause she’s a butthurt immature crybaby who can’t have mature conversations to save her life. We all laughed about it. (By that, I mean my parents eye-rolled and sympathized with me and I cackled.) 19. Met someone who changed you: Mmmm... can’t say I have? 20. Found out who your friends are: Lmao I mean I already knew it. I don’t make friends easily, so once you’re a friend, that’s that. 21. Kissed someone on your Facebook list: HAH. Nope.

GENERAL:

22. How many of your Facebook friends do you know in real life: I mean, technically most of them? I knew them either from HS or college, or they’re family? There’s only a few that I’ve met online, and at least one of those that I’ve met online who I’ve subsequently met IRL. 23. Do you have any pets: 1 1/2 cats. 1 cat is fully mine, and I co-parent her brother. 24. Do you want to change your name: I think I’ve effectively done all the name flipping necessary to feel comfortable with it, so nah. 25. What did you do for your last Birthday: Um. That... that’s a good question. I think I just... maybe had good food and watched a movie? 26. What time did you wake up: Like 11:55 AM, just in time to get my computer open to start work XD. 27. What were you doing at midnight last night: Playing the Sims and watching Parks & Rec. 28. Name something you can’t wait for: BLACK PANTHER! THOR: RAGNAROK!! STAR WARS!!! 29. When was the last time you saw your mom: Mmmmmm... I wanna say October? 30. What is one thing you wish you could change in your life: I’d make myself very wealthy to solve literally every single problem I, my friends, and my parents have. 31. What are you listening to right now: The background music for Final Fantasy XV. 32. Have you ever talked to a person named Tom: Yeah, my grade school principle was a Tom. 33. Something that is getting on your nerves: Capitalism, not having money for the things I need, and how hard it’s been for me to focus on/enjoy things lately because *Jean-Ralphio singing voice* ~even on medication, depression makes my life a walking nightmaaaaaaare!~ 34. Most visited website: Tumblr for sure.

RANDOM INFO:

35. Mole/s: A few all over. 36. Mark/s: Tons of scars, can’t really think of any birthmarks of note. 37. Childhood dream: Archaeologist, dinosaur hunter, historian, astronaut, pirate, queen of England... the list was long and unrealistic. 38. Hair color: Light blondish-brown naturally, purple by choice. 39. Long or short hair: Long as fuuuuuuck. 41. What do you like about yourself: My eyes are a cool color I guess, and my hair is usually really soft and smells good. 42. Piercings: 3 per ear, two on each lobe and one each in the cartilage. 43. Blood type: Literally never been tested so I have no clue. 44. Nickname: Bree is the most common that I usually use in place of my real given name, Briana. My dad used to call me Bubbles for reasons I still don’t know, some friends called me Breezy in HS. Right now the only other big one is Bryn (online only). 45. Relationship status: Single as fuuuuck. 46. Zodiac: Capricorn. 47. Pronouns: She/her and they/them (rarely he/his). 48. Favorite TV Show: Penny Dreadful, it’s the most beautiful show to grace the world ever in the history of everything. 49. Tattoos: None. 50. Right or left hand: Righty. 51. Surgery: I had to get stitches on my head when I was little. It’s a dumb story. 52. Hair dyed in different color: Hell yes! 53. Sport: Quidditch. On the computer. That’s it, I don’t like sports. 55. Vacation: I’d love to properly explore Europe, do some more putzing around the UK and actually visit France. 56. Pair of trainers: Uh, none right now. Like I said, I’m not a sporty, active type of person so if I don’t need ‘em, I don’t got ‘em. I prefer boots and like, Keds-type slip-on flats types of things.

MORE GENERAL:

57. Eating: Nothing healthy, I’ll tell you that much. I’m trying to restructure my diet and exercise rn to lose weight, but 100% honestly that just means I’m gonna get tall 2% S’mores Frappuccinos instead of grande regular (whole milk) ones. 58. Drinking: I’ve been making a conscious effort to drink way more water, especially cause the summer makes me even more dehydrated. 59. I’m about to: Probably play the Sims? Or rewatch Castlevania hehe. 61. Waiting for: MY FIRST COLORED CONTACTS TO GET HERE AL-FUCKING-READY SO I CAN TRY THEM OUT. 62. Want: Student loans paid, more money in my bank account, and my new work schedule to start already. 63. Get married: It would certainly be nice with the right person, but highly unrealistic. 64. Career: Well, I’d prefer to be a film actor already, but until I’m more financially stable, my current job is alright.

WHICH IS BETTER:

65. Hugs or kisses: Both are great, but honesty bomb warning, I’ve been pretty touch-starved my whole life thanks to social anxiety so I’m not used to either, especially kisses. Those tend to come more easily only when I’m drunk and there’s lots of people to kiss. 66. Lips or eyes: Eyes for sure. 67. Shorter or taller: I prefer taller, and in fact would love to be taller myself, but oh well. 68. Older or younger: Younger than me just really weirds me out, although Tom Holland makes me feel a way or two. Older actually feels way better, particularly in the 10-15 years range, but I also know that if just like 1 or 2 years younger feels weird to me, then 10-15 probably would feel too weird to them. So I’m just resigned to living alone for the rest of my days. 70. Nice arms or nice stomach: Nice stomach, and with nice arms would be a bonus. 71. Sensitive or loud: If... if this is referring to sex, then I can’t tell ya as I’ve never done it. I would hazard a guess, just based on who I am, that I’d prefer sensitive? 72. Hook up or relationship: The very idea of a hookup repulses me and drives home how incredibly demisexual I am on top of everything else. 73. Troublemaker or hesitant: Uh....???? I... I guess I’d prefer someone who’s more hesitant than troublemaking, because that means they think about their actions first?

HAVE YOU EVER:

74. Kissed a Stranger: Yes, while highly intoxicated AND high AND in an environment where I felt safe, which was the only way that was ever gonna happen. 75. Drank hard liquor: Yeeeeeeeeup. 76. Lost glasses/contact lenses: YES AND IT’S THE MOST OBNOXIOUS THING EVER ESPECIALLY WHEN THE SHRIVELED DRIED UP CONTACT SUDDENLY SHOWS UP ON YOUR FLOOR A FEW DAYS LATER. 77. Turned someone down: Yeah. 78. Sex on the first date: As stated earlier, never had sex, so no. And I never would unless I already knew the person a while before the date. 79. Broken someone’s heart: Not that I’m aware of. I’m not really heart-breaker material. 80. Had your heart broken: Mostly by myself with my insecurities. 81. Been arrested: No. 82. Cried when someone died: Of course. 83. Fallen for a friend: Yeah, on occasion. Usually briefly before slapping my shit brain for confusing platonic feelings for romantic ones and making me have a crisis. Fuck you, shit-brain, fuck you.

DO YOU BELIEVE IN:

84. Yourself: Haaaaah, not really. I mean, sometimes? But depression makes that hard. 85. Miracles: I’d like to, but good things rarely happen to me so it’s hard to. 86. Love at first sight: I believe attraction at first sight can be unusually strong, but that should never be conflated with love. That takes time. 87. Santa Claus: Hahah no, my dad accidentally ruined that for me as a kid. 88. Kiss on the first date: If the date was bad, no, absolutely not. If it was okay and there’s some potential there, a kiss on the cheek seems appropriate. If it was great and there’s a lot of potential there, especially if you were friends already, sure go for it.

OTHER:

90. Current best friend name: Willa and Kelsey (I firmly reject the notion that you can only have one best friend and fuck all you ungrateful cunts who don’t love your friends or yourself enough to have more than one). 91. Eye color: Blue-gray 92. Favorite movie: I... I think it might be Phantom of the Opera? I dunno, that’s always a hard fucking question for me.

*Tagging less than 20 cause man I don’t have the focus to count up that many people: @nerfherding-smuggler, @peasantabuser, @aceofaces20, @mel0dyoftears, @hawkeyepancakes, @girl-in-the-coat, @jo-version-2point0, @thegreaterfool, @bimgnusbane, @radioactive-spacemen.

And of course, it’s totally optional. And if you wanna do it but aren’t tagged, well now you’re tagged, go nuts buddy.

#Bree's stuff #about me #about Bree

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novapark · 8 years ago

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Underestimating Liam IS a mistake

and other replies...

"Oh but it's more realistic!" Sure, until you see this. :D

elisabettasims replied to your photoset “Awwww yissss, awkward kiss I didn’t get a full picture of >.<. It WAS...”

Ha ha. This really just reminds me why I never used height sliders in my game. This kind of discrepancy would drive me insane since I don't use poses myself.

Yeah for this it matters little cause I’ve been making most of the poses lately for my story stuff so I can just adjust for it myself, lol. If it was gameplay I’d probably at least make them closer in height so the animations aren’t super super awkward. Course I did leave all my sims height adjusted for the crazy fairy bc but mostly cause that save is ridiculous and the awkward adds to the funny to me.

msmidnightblonde replied to your photo “I got bored watching them do nothing and Kelly was starving so they...”

yum, ice cream....also, imagine the tension in this car. lol

Right? Especially cause of how many they had to fit into that taxi. :P

msmidnightblonde replied to your photoset

like wtf you lookin' at dude?

lol right? STAY ON TASK MAN. Considering her side eye he was probably checking out one of the girl townies. :P

crownmesims replied to your photoset “Well Davis seems the tables have turned. Now who’s the reactionary?...”

Man these two are something else XD

Just a freakin mess, I maintain they are their male and female counterparts which can result in either really great interactions or seriously terrible ones.

ashuriphoenix replied to your photoset “At least she knows how to find her chill when she needs to. ”

I'm proud of her. xD

Gotta get to the ducky when things are sucky.

gaiahypothesims replied to your photoset “Well Davis seems the tables have turned. Now who’s the reactionary?...”

I don't like where this is going. Maybe MMBC and Zeff can quietly get rid of Davy....Its for the greater good!

LMAOOOOOO. It’d be funny to see those two in a deathmatch. I could see Zeff throwing rocks at him cause technology sucks while Davy just wines not to touch the face cause he’s so drunk he can’t feel it anyway.

gaiahypothesims replied to your photoset “Naturally though they can’t talk to each other without getting...”

He just wants to grope her tits in the most LOVING way.

HAHAHA. He really is the Kon of the group.

crownmesims replied to your photoset

Looks like she is giving him serious side eye in that last picture

LOL right? He was probably pervin’ on one of my worker ladies in town. :P

crownmesims replied to your photoset

Liam is slowly becoming my favorite

crownmesims replied to your photoset

I love how Liam seems to want to win now, he's been doing all the right things

I think it’s easy to underestimate him, especially at the start cause he’s just sweet and generally quiet compared to some of the others. Jumps in every so often for friendly chatter but seems to avoid causing her any drama at all. I think he does want to win, he’s just doing it in his own way.

crownmesims replied to your photoset “The next morning Kelsey was in a bit of a mischievous mode. “Holy...”

A bit sadistic there XD

“Take that you snob!” lol >.<

gaiahypothesims replied to your photoset “And of course I was shocked EVERYONE decided to skinny dip. Kelsey was...”

OOOHHHHMIGOD. Zeff!!!!

LOL of course your boy was one of the first to strip.

msmidnightblonde replied to your photoset “Sierra Marie Javadi for @freckled-pixels Eerie[[MOR]...”

ooooooh I love her and her bio!! <33

Thanks! I really adore her, had to tame my desire to give her too much detail cause she wasn’t for me. :D

ciarasia replied to your post “Getting to know you type things”

also interesting backstory about your url :D

Nova Park will always be my favorite save. Whenever I make a new one I always hope it’ll turn into that save again, feeling wise. So far no luck but it has a lot to do with rose colored glasses I’m sure, lol.

ciarasia replied to your post “Getting to know you type things”

thanks so much for tagging me! :p i already did it and i was actually also someone who tagged you a while ago lmao :$$$

See I knew I saw that at least one other person had, god I’m sorry! :D

gaiahypothesims replied to your post “NSFW Warning”

hahahahaaaaaaaaa yuss.

lmao it was so short but I didn’t want to have dick out of left field.

#elisabettasims #msmidnightblonde #crownmesims #ashuriphoenix #gaiahypothesims #ciarasia #replies #gif warning

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inloveandwords · 5 years ago

Text

Lately, I’ve been adding the books I want to read to my Amazon Wishlist instead of my Goodreads TBR. This is mostly because I can see right away if it is available on Audible Escape or Kindle Unlimited, which is nice.

Anytime I’m shopping for books, I just refer to that list more often than my Goodreads TBR (and my shelves there anyway).

I want to rethink how I use my Goodreads TBR, but for now, I’ll just focus on decluttering it.

It works like this

Go to your Goodreads to-read shelf.

Order on ascending date added.

Take the first 5 or 10 books (I’m doing 20 because I have way too many on my list)

Read the synopsis of the books

Decide: keep it or should it go?

The Moon and More by Sarah Dessen

CLICK FOR SYNOPSIS

Luke is the perfect boyfriend: handsome, kind, fun. He and Emaline have been together all through high school in Colby, the beach town where they both grew up. But now, in the summer before college, Emaline wonders if perfect is good enough.

Enter Theo, a super-ambitious outsider, a New Yorker assisting on a documentary film about a reclusive local artist. Theo’s sophisticated, exciting, and, best of all, he thinks Emaline is much too smart for Colby.

Emaline’s mostly-absentee father, too, thinks Emaline should have a bigger life, and he’s convinced that an Ivy League education is the only route to realizing her potential. Emaline is attracted to the bright future that Theo and her father promise. But she also clings to the deep roots of her loving mother, stepfather, and sisters. Can she ignore the pull of the happily familiar world of Colby?

Emaline wants the moon and more, but how can she balance where she comes from with where she’s going?

Sarah Dessen’s devoted fans will welcome this story of romance, yearning, and, finally, empowerment. It could only happen in the summer.

Date added to TBR: 12/29/16 Keep or Ditch? Keep Comments: I’m planning to read all of Sarah Dessen’s backlist.

Gardenia by Kelsey Sutton

CLICK FOR SYNOPSIS

Seventeen-year-old Ivy Erickson has one month, twenty-seven days, four hours, fifty-nine minutes, and two seconds to live.

Ever since she was a child, Ivy has been able to see countdown clocks over everyone’s heads indicating how long before they will die. She can’t do anything about anyone else’s, nor can she do anything about her own, which will hit the zero hour before she even graduates high school.

A life cut short is tragic, but Ivy does her best to make the most of it. She struggles emotionally with her deep love for on-again, off-again boyfriend Myers Patripski. She struggles financially, working outside of school to help her mom and her sister. And she struggles to cope with the murder of her best friend, another life she couldn’t save. Vanessa Donovan was killed in the woods, and everyone in town believes Ivy had something to do with it.

Then more girls start disappearing. Ivy tries to put her own life in order as she pieces together the truth of who ended Vanessa’s. To save lives and for her own sanity.

The clock is always ticking. And Ivy’s only hope is to expose the truth before it runs out completely.

Date added to TBR: 12/30/16 Keep or Ditch? Keep Comments: I actually can’t believe I haven’t read this one yet. I love Kelsey Sutton!

Talking as Fast as I Can: From Gilmore Girls to Gilmore Girls, and Everything in Between by Lauren Graham

CLICK FOR SYNOPSIS

In Talking as Fast as I Can, Lauren Graham hits pause for a moment and looks back on her life, sharing laugh-out-loud stories about growing up, starting out as an actress, and, years later, sitting in her trailer on the Parenthood set and asking herself, “Did you, um, make it?” She opens up about the challenges of being single in Hollywood (“Strangers were worried about me; that’s how long I was single!”), the time she was asked to audition her butt for a role, and her experience being a judge on Project Runway (“It’s like I had a fashion-induced blackout”).

In “What It Was Like, Part One,” Graham sits down for an epic Gilmore Girls marathon and reflects on being cast as the fast-talking Lorelai Gilmore. The essay “What It Was Like, Part Two” reveals how it felt to pick up the role again nine years later, and what doing so has meant to her.

Some more things you will learn about Lauren: She once tried to go vegan just to bond with Ellen DeGeneres, she’s aware that meeting guys at awards shows has its pitfalls (“If you’re meeting someone for the first time after three hours of hair, makeup, and styling, you’ve already set the bar too high”), and she’s a card-carrying REI shopper (“My bungee cords now earn points!”).

Including photos and excerpts from the diary Graham kept during the filming of the recent Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life, this book is like a cozy night in, catching up with your best friend, laughing and swapping stories, and—of course—talking as fast as you can.

Date added to TBR: 12/31/16 Keep or Ditch? Keep Comments: I love Gilmore Girls and Lauren Graham!

The Throne of Glass Coloring Book (Throne of Glass) by Sarah J. Maas

CLICK FOR SYNOPSIS

Enter the world of Throne of Glass

Experience the vivid imagery of Sarah J. Maas’s expansive world in her breathtaking New York Times bestselling Throne of Glass saga. Celaena on the rooftops of Rifthold, Chaol in the gardens of the glass castle, Manon riding her wyvern through the Crossing, and many other favorite moments, characters, and objects from the vibrantly detailed realm of Throne of Glass come to life. With stunning original black-and-white drawings, The Throne of Glass Coloring Book is a must-have companion for any reader looking to be swept up in the adventure of a lifetime.

Date added to TBR: 12/31/16 Keep or Ditch? Keep Comments: I have the Court of Thorns and Roses version of this, I just need this one, now.

Off Sides (Off #1) by Sawyer Bennett

CLICK FOR SYNOPSIS

“I’m not sure what possessed me to do it. Maybe it was the impossible expectations I faced, maybe it was my own self-loathing. But I just knew I needed something different to happen. I needed someone… something… to derail me from my current path. Otherwise, I would become lost… a hollowed out shell of a man. So I did it. I approached her, then I pursued her, then I made her mine. And my life was saved…”

Ryan Burnham is the privileged son of a U.S. Congressman and captain of his university’s hockey team. While he is on the verge of fulfilling his dreams to play in the NHL, his parents want him on a different course. One he is expected to accept for the sake of his family’s public image.

Forced her to abandon her music career after the heart breaking death of her parents, Danny Cross exists on the opposite side of the tracks from Ryan. She is struggling to make her own way, working two jobs, attending college part time and volunteering in a homeless shelter. She is on a mission to build her own success.

With a chance meeting, their vastly different worlds collide, causing each to evaluate whether they are truly on the correct path to self-fulfillment and happiness. Can their relationship survive? Particularly when others are against them every step of the way. A lot can happen in just ten short days…

Date added to TBR: 1/4/17 Keep or Ditch? Keep Comments: I have this on audio and started it, but never finished. I think if the timing is right, I’ll enjoy it.

Of Beast and Beauty by Stacey Jay

CLICK FOR SYNOPSIS

In the beginning was the darkness, and in the darkness was a girl, and in the girl was a secret…

In the domed city of Yuan, the blind Princess Isra, a Smooth Skin, is raised to be a human sacrifice whose death will ensure her city’s vitality. In the desert outside Yuan, Gem, a mutant beast, fights to save his people, the Monstrous, from starvation. Neither dreams that together, they could return balance to both their worlds.

Isra wants to help the city’s Banished people, second-class citizens despised for possessing Monstrous traits. But after she enlists the aid of her prisoner, Gem, who has been captured while trying to steal Yuan’s enchanted roses, she begins to care for him, and to question everything she has been brought up to believe.

As secrets are revealed and Isra’s sight, which vanished during her childhood, returned, Isra will have to choose between duty to her people and the beast she has come to love.

Date added to TBR: 1/11/17 Keep or Ditch? Keep Comments: I love Beauty and the Beast retellings!

A Shadow Bright and Burning (Kingdom on Fire #1) by Jessica Cluess

CLICK FOR SYNOPSIS

I am Henrietta Howel. The first female sorcerer. The prophesied one. Or am I?

Henrietta Howel can burst into flames. When she is brought to London to train with Her Majesty’s sorcerers, she meets her fellow sorcerer trainees, young men eager to test her powers and her heart. One will challenge her. One will fight for her. One will betray her. As Henrietta discovers the secrets hiding behind the glamour of sorcerer life, she begins to doubt that she’s the true prophesied one. With battle looming, how much will she risk to save the city–and the one she loves?

Date added to TBR: 1/11/17 Keep or Ditch? Keep Comments: This one is on my bookshelf.

The Lonely Ones by Kelsey Sutton

CLICK FOR SYNOPSIS

When your only friend is your own endless imagination, how do you escape your mind and connect to the world around you?

With parents too busy to pay her attention, an older brother and sister who would rather spend their time with friends, and peers who oscillate between picking on her and simply ignoring her, it’s no wonder that Fain spends most of her time in a world of her own making. During the day, Fain takes solace in crafting her own fantastical adventures in writing, but in the darkness of night, these adventures come to life as Fain lives and breathes alongside a legion of imaginary creatures. Whether floating through space or under the sea, climbing mountains or traipsing through forests, Fain becomes queen beyond – and in spite of – the walls of her bedroom.

In time, Fain begins to see possibilities and friendships emerge in her day-to-day reality. . . yet when she is let down by the one relationship she thought she could trust, Fain must decide: remain queen of the imaginary creatures, or risk the pain that comes with opening herself up to the fragile connections that exist only in the real world?

Told in breathless and visual verse, THE LONELY ONES takes readers through the intricate inner workings of a girl who struggles to navigate isolation and finds friendship where she least expects it.

Date added to TBR: 1/12/17 Keep or Ditch? Keep Comments: Again, I love this author and want to read everything she writes.

Radiance (Wraith Kings #1) by Grace Draven

CLICK FOR SYNOPSIS

THE PRINCE OF NO VALUE

Brishen Khaskem, prince of the Kai, has lived content as the nonessential spare heir to a throne secured many times over. A trade and political alliance between the human kingdom of Gaur and the Kai kingdom of Bast-Haradis requires that he marry a Gauri woman to seal the treaty. Always a dutiful son, Brishen agrees to the marriage and discovers his bride is as ugly as he expected and more beautiful than he could have imagined.

THE NOBLEWOMAN OF NO IMPORTANCE

Ildiko, niece of the Gauri king, has always known her only worth to the royal family lay in a strategic marriage. Resigned to her fate, she is horrified to learn that her intended groom isn’t just a foreign aristocrat but the younger prince of a people neither familiar nor human. Bound to her new husband, Ildiko will leave behind all she’s known to embrace a man shrouded in darkness but with a soul forged by light.

Two people brought together by the trappings of duty and politics will discover they are destined for each other, even as the powers of a hostile kingdom scheme to tear them apart.

Date added to TBR: 1/12/17 Keep or Ditch? Keep Comments: This book has such high ratings, and I vaguely remember really wanting to read it!

Passenger (Passenger #1) by Alexandra Bracken

CLICK FOR SYNOPSIS

Passage, n. i. A brief section of music composed of a series of notes and flourishes. ii. A journey by water; a voyage. iii. The transition from one place to another, across space and time.

In one devastating night, violin prodigy Etta Spencer loses everything she knows and loves. Thrust into an unfamiliar world by a stranger with a dangerous agenda, Etta is certain of only one thing: she has traveled not just miles but years from home. And she’s inherited a legacy she knows nothing about from a family whose existence she’s never heard of. Until now.

Nicholas Carter is content with his life at sea, free from the Ironwoods—a powerful family in the colonies—and the servitude he’s known at their hands. But with the arrival of an unusual passenger on his ship comes the insistent pull of the past that he can’t escape and the family that won’t let him go so easily. Now the Ironwoods are searching for a stolen object of untold value, one they believe only Etta, Nicholas’ passenger, can find. In order to protect her, he must ensure she brings it back to them—whether she wants to or not.

Together, Etta and Nicholas embark on a perilous journey across centuries and continents, piecing together clues left behind by the traveler who will do anything to keep the object out of the Ironwoods’ grasp. But as they get closer to the truth of their search, and the deadly game the Ironwoods are playing, treacherous forces threaten to separate Etta not only from Nicholas but from her path home… forever.

Date added to TBR: 1/12/17 Keep or Ditch? Keep Comments: I am determined to read this.

Friend Me (Mates, Dates #1-3) by Cathy Hopkins

CLICK FOR SYNOPSIS

Lucy, Izzy, and Nesta are sassy, sparkling…and utterly smitten.

In Mates, Dates, and Inflatable Bras, Lucy is at a turning point. She doesn’t feel like she fits in with her friends Izzie and Nesta. Then Lucy sees the most wonderful boy, and things start to change — in all areas of her life.

Izzie is smitten with Mark in Mates, Dates, and Cosmic Kisses. When Izzie cancels plans just so she’s available if Mark should call, Lucy and Nesta know they need to intervene. But how can they help when Izzie is convinced that she and Mark are destined to be together?

Nesta meets a boy of her own in Mates, Dates, and Designer Divas. Simon is rich and his lifestyle is totally glamorous. So is his friend Cressida. But competing for Simon’s affections could cost Nesta more than she anticipated.

Date added to TBR: 1/12/17 Keep or Ditch? Keep Comments: This is on my bookshelf

The One Memory of Flora Banks by Emily Barr

CLICK FOR SYNOPSIS

HOW DO YOU KNOW WHO TO TRUST WHEN YOU CAN’T EVEN TRUST YOURSELF?

I look at my hands. One of them says FLORA BE BRAVE. Flora has anterograde amnesia. She can’t remember anything day-to-day: the joke her friend made, the instructions her parents gave her, how old she is. Then she kisses someone she shouldn’t, and the next day she remembers it. It’s the first time she’s remembered anything since she was ten. But the boy is gone. She thinks he’s moved to the Arctic. Will following him be the key to unlocking her memory? Who can she trust?

Date added to TBR: 1/12/17 Keep or Ditch? Keep Comments: This is on my bookshelf

The Book of Luke by Jenny O’Connell

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Emily Abbott has always been considered the Girl Most Likely to Be Nice — but lately being nice hasn’t done her any good. Her parents have decided to move the family from Chicago back to their hometown of Boston in the middle of Emily’s senior year. Only Emily’s first real boyfriend, Sean, is in Chicago, and so is her shot at class valedictorian and early admission to the Ivy League. What’s a nice girl to do? Then Sean dumps Emily on moving day and her father announces he’s staying behind in Chicago “to tie up loose ends,” and Emily decides that what a nice girl needs to do is to stop being nice.

She reconnects with her best friends in Boston, Josie and Lucy, only to discover that they too have been on the receiving end of some glaring Guy Don’ts. So when the girls have to come up with something to put in the senior class time capsule, they know exactly what to do. They’ll create a not-so-nice reference guide for future generations of guys — an instruction book that teaches them the right way to treat girls.

But when her friends draft Emily to test out their tips on Luke Preston — the hottest, most popular guy in school, who just broke up with Josie by email — Emily soon finds that Luke is the trickiest of test subjects . . . and that even a nice girl like Emily has a few things to learn about love.

Date added to TBR: 1/16/17 Keep or Ditch? Ditch Comments: Not super interested in this one anymore.

The Girl of Fire and Thorns (Fire and Thorns #1) by Rae Carson

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Once a century, one person is chosen for greatness. Elisa is the chosen one.

But she is also the younger of two princesses, the one who has never done anything remarkable. She can’t see how she ever will.

Now, on her sixteenth birthday, she has become the secret wife of a handsome and worldly king—a king whose country is in turmoil. A king who needs the chosen one, not a failure of a princess.

And he’s not the only one who seeks her. Savage enemies seething with dark magic are hunting her. A daring, determined revolutionary thinks she could be his people’s savior. And he looks at her in a way that no man has ever looked at her before. Soon it is not just her life, but her very heart that is at stake.

Elisa could be everything to those who need her most. If the prophecy is fulfilled. If she finds the power deep within herself. If she doesn’t die young.

Most of the chosen do.

Date added to TBR: 1/16/17 Keep or Ditch? Ditch Comments: Eh.

Spindle Fire (Spindle Fire #1) by Lexa Hillyer

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A kingdom burns. A princess sleeps. This is no fairy tale.

It all started with the burning of the spindles.

No.

It all started with a curse…

Half sisters Isabelle and Aurora are polar opposites: Isabelle is the king’s headstrong illegitimate daughter, whose sight was tithed by faeries; Aurora, beautiful and sheltered, was tithed her sense of touch and her voice on the same day. Despite their differences, the sisters have always been extremely close.

And then everything changes, with a single drop of Aurora’s blood—and a sleep so deep it cannot be broken.

As the faerie queen and her army of Vultures prepare to march, Isabelle must race to find a prince who can awaken her sister with the kiss of true love and seal their two kingdoms in an alliance against the queen.

Isabelle crosses land and sea; unearthly, thorny vines rise up the palace walls; and whispers of revolt travel in the ashes on the wind. The kingdom falls to ruin under layers of snow. Meanwhile, Aurora wakes up in a strange and enchanted world, where a mysterious hunter may be the secret to her escape…or the reason for her to stay.

Date added to TBR: 1/20/17 Keep or Ditch? Keep Comments: This one is on my bookshelf.

Rise (Rock Solid #1) by Karina Bliss

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Rise – The redemption story of a rock star going straight(er) through the love of a good(ish) woman.

Acclaimed literary biographer Elizabeth Winston writes about long-dead heroes. So bad-boy rock icon Zander Freedman couldn’t possibly tempt her to write his memoir. Except the man is a mass of fascinating contradictions–manipulative, honest, gifted, charismatic and morally ambiguous. In short, everything she seeks in a biography subject. When in her life will she get another chance to work with a living legend? But saying yes to one temptation soon leads to another. Suddenly she’s having heated fantasies about her subject, fantasies this blue-eyed devil is only too willing to stoke. She thought self-control was in her DNA; after all, she grew up a minister’s daughter. She thought wrong.

Rock star Zander Freedman has been an outlier–many would say an outcast–for most of his life. But there’s no disaster he can’t overcome, from the breakup of his band to the inevitable damage to his reputation. His Resurrection Tour is shaping up to be his greatest triumph–if his golden voice holds out. Contracting a respected biographer is simply about creating more buzz. Elizabeth’s integrity is the key to consolidating his legacy as one of rock’s greats. All the damn woman has to do is write down what he tells her. Not force him to think. Or encourage the good guy struggling to get out. And certainly not make him fall in love for the first time in his life. Turns out he is scared of something: being known.

Date added to TBR: 1/22/17 Keep or Ditch? Ditch Comments: Nah.

Swear on This Life by Renee Carlino

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When a bestselling debut novel from mysterious author J.Colby becomes the literary event of the year, Emiline reads it reluctantly. As an adjunct writing instructor at UC San Diego with her own stalled literary career and a bumpy long-term relationship, Emiline isn’t thrilled to celebrate the accomplishments of a young and gifted writer.

Yet from the very first page, Emiline is entranced by the story of Emerson and Jackson, two childhood best friends who fall in love and dream of a better life beyond the long dirt road that winds through their impoverished town in rural Ohio.

That’s because the novel is patterned on Emiline’s own dark and desperate childhood, which means that “J. Colby” must be Jase: the best friend and first love she hasn’t seen in over a decade. Far from being flattered that he wrote the novel from her perspective, Emiline is furious that he co-opted her painful past and took some dramatic creative liberties with the ending.

The only way she can put her mind at ease is to find and confront “J. Colby,” but is she prepared to learn the truth behind the fiction?

Date added to TBR: 1/22/17 Keep or Ditch? Ditch Comments: Nah.

Three Dark Crowns (Three Dark Crowns #1) by Kendare Blake

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When kingdom come, there will be one.

In every generation on the island of Fennbirn, a set of triplets is born—three queens, all equal heirs to the crown and each possessor of a coveted magic. Mirabella is a fierce elemental, able to spark hungry flames or vicious storms at the snap of her fingers. Katharine is a poisoner, one who can ingest the deadliest poisons without so much as a stomachache. Arsinoe, a naturalist, is said to have the ability to bloom the reddest rose and control the fiercest of lions.

But becoming the Queen Crowned isn’t solely a matter of royal birth. Each sister has to fight for it. And it’s not just a game of win or lose…it’s life or death. The night the sisters turn sixteen, the battle begins.

The last queen standing gets the crown.

Date added to TBR: 1/22/17 Keep or Ditch? Keep Comments: This is on my bookshelf.

Song of the Current (Song of the Current #1) by Sarah Tolcser

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Caroline Oresteia is destined for the river. For generations, her family has been called by the river god, who has guided their wherries on countless voyages throughout the Riverlands. At seventeen, Caro has spent years listening to the water, ready to meet her fate. But the river god hasn’t spoken her name yet—and if he hasn’t by now, there’s a chance he never will.

Caro decides to take her future into her own hands when her father is arrested for refusing to transport a mysterious crate. By agreeing to deliver it in exchange for his release, Caro finds herself caught in a web of politics and lies, with dangerous pirates after the cargo—an arrogant courier with a secret—and without the river god to help her. With so much at stake, Caro must choose between the life she always wanted and the one she never could have imagined for herself.

From debut author Sarah Tolcser comes an immersive and romantic fantasy set along the waterways of a magical world with a headstrong heroine determined to make her mark.

Date added to TBR: 1/22/17 Keep or Ditch? Keep Comments: This is on my bookshelf.

Decluttering my TBR #2 Lately, I've been adding the books I want to read to my Amazon Wishlist instead of my Goodreads TBR.

#declutter

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newstfionline · 8 years ago

Text

Santa Delivered the Drone. But Not the Safety and Skill to Fly Them.

By Carol Pogash, NY Times, Jan. 8, 2017

My dad got a drone for Christmas. My dad lost a drone on Christmas. -- @miss_jordon, on Twitter

If this Christmas was the season of the drone, it was also a time of crashes, losses and tweeted laments. Social media is rich with commentary about fathers (major targets) crashing drones, girlfriends with tiny blades enmeshed in their hair (mothers removed them) and crying children whose favorite present went poof in the sky.

“How would you like it if your laptop flew away?” Shelley Holloway’s husband asked her after he lost his holiday drone. Ms. Holloway, of Clawson, Mich., had posted a note on Nextdoor, the community-based social network, saying that “his Christmas has been ruined ever since.” (Apparently he didn’t like the ribbing.)

Most drones are harmless toys--albeit ones that seem to have a shorter shelf life than a Christmas tree. But drones, particularly bigger ones, can cause major damage and injury, especially in the hands of neophytes. Like birds, drones can be sucked into engines, creating a risk of planes being brought down. There is also a risk of drones themselves falling on people or their property. The Federal Aviation Administration requires that every hobby drone owner register with the agency, and insurance companies are girding for a wave of drone-related accident claims.

“We’re adamant,” said Scott McLean, a spokesman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. “If a drone is seen in the vicinity of a wildland fire, we will remove our aircraft, which unfortunately can cause the fire to grow exponentially.”

The agency, known as Cal Fire, has adopted the warning “If you fly, we can’t!” It has a fleet of 50 aircraft and 31 million acres to cover. After a drone flew into what was called the Trailhead Fire in Auburn, Calif., last summer, Cal Fire grounded its aircraft for two hours.

Greg Hillis @gregorykhillis: Someday I imagine my son will think about this day, the day on which I lost his brand new drone somewhere in a tree, & laugh. Someday.

About 2.8 million drones were sold in the United States last year, about 1.2 million of them over the holidays, according to the Consumer Technology Association, a lobbying group. As of Dec. 13, just over 500,000 people had registered with the F.A.A. Surely the rest of the owners will be stepping forward soon--if they haven’t already crashed their drones.

“My daughter got a drone from Santa, and its first launch took off and never returned,” Jim Stephens of Orinda, Calif., notified his neighbors on Nextdoor. “If you find a white and orange drone in your backyard or trees, please let me know.”

In an interview, Mr. Stephens said controlling the drone had been harder than he expected. “I should have let her drive it--maybe we’d still have it,” he said. His daughter, Iris, is 6.

Juan J. Alonso, a professor of aeronautics and astronautics at Stanford who serves on the Federal Aviation Administration’s drone advisory board, suspects that many drone buyers were surprised by the power of their machines--which hobbyists typically fly at 15 m.p.h., but knowledgeable users can nudge up to 40 m.p.h.

“Mostly people bought small drones, up to $500 or $600,” he said. “They’re probably novices who soon exceed capability of the drone or their own capability as a pilot. Most people have zero training.”

Although a drone can go “as high as you want,” Dr. Alonso said, the F.A.A. limits their altitude to 400 feet.

“These are very sophisticated machines,” he added. “We want to make sure people use them responsibly.”

David Pierce @pierce A holiday story: Give nephew drone Nephew flies drone for like five seconds Drone falls, breaks Christmas ruined Drones are stupid The end.

The F.A.A. receives more than 100 reports a month from pilots who complain that drones have flown too close to their aircraft, an agency spokesman said. Drones have injured people and caused power disruptions.

Drones seem “like innocent toys,” said Brad Koeckeritz, the chief of the unmanned aircraft systems division for the Department of the Interior. But last year, his department “had more than 50 encounters with drones on wildfires,” most of them being flown by hobbyists, he said.

“The bottom line is that midair collisions with aircraft involved in low-level flight on a fire or approaching a runway could potentially have fatal consequences,” he said.

On Christmas Day, with Twitter full of drone drama, Faine Greenwood, a researcher on unmanned aerial technology at the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative, retweeted messages under the hashtag #dronecrashmas. This was the second year she has “followed the drone-crash beat,” she said. “It’s becoming a major theme on Christmas Day.”

Underlying the humor is concern that “crashing drones on Christmas is indicative of people not taking it seriously enough,” said Ms. Greenwood, who owns five drones and writes about them for Slate. “We need to do a better job of educating them.”

Instead of going to the park, many consumers are flying machines right outside their front doors, without considering wind and pesky trees.

“We’re seeing a convergence of once-futuristic technology with mainstream America,” said Nirav Tolia, chief executive of Nextdoor. Over Christmas week, Nextdoor had 8,709 drone posts, mostly about drones both lost and found.

“It used to be lost cats in a tree,” said Kelsey Grady, head of communications for Nextdoor. “Now it’s drones.”

For drones of all sizes, there is a learning curve. Jim Hayes, a Fox Sports reporter, tweeted his slow progress:

Survival time of 2015 Christmas mini drone: 5 secs (Crashed into wall) Survival time of 2016 Christmas mini drone: 3 mins (Lost in park)

“Drones look so really cool--they look like they can fly themselves,” said Brian Wynne, president of the Association for Unmanned Vehicles Systems International, an industry group. “People forget they’re actually flying an aircraft.”

The technology has entered the mainstream so quickly, Mr. Wynne said, that “education--and, frankly, regulations--are trying to catch up.”

Drone manufacturers warn people about the dangers, but does anyone actually read those lengthy instructions before running out to try the new toy?

“It is fair to say no one should take a drone out of a box and try to figure out how it works by flying it,” said Brendan Schulman, vice president of policy and legal affairs at DJI, the Chinese company that dominates the personal and professional drone market for high-end aerial photography.

DJI’s consumer drones, which sell for $399 to $1,199, have built-in safety measures, including auto-return and landing for when the battery is low, obstacle avoidance and “geofencing,” which prevents a drone from flying near airports, nuclear power plants or other sensitive locations (including anywhere in Washington, D.C.).

But the market is rife with knockoffs, which may lack those features. And “pilot error” is a big problem.

“Dad crashed Julia’s drone into the neighbor’s tree and broke it on the first flight. Merry Christmas!” tweeted @RachelGriffith.

Two hours later, Ms. Griffith updated the Twitterverse: “He got it working again, and immediately got it stuck in the top of a huge tree.”

#drones #drone crashes #drone losses #lost drones

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