#the casual book reviewer rambles

[thecasualbookreviewer]

I need u guys to know I’ve had a half assed review sitting on my drafts for like two weeks now and I can’t bring myself to finish it. The executive disfunction be hitting hard.

[fangirlwithasweettooth]

I hope @what-eats-owls is somehow aware that I finished Little Thieves in under 3 days and now am starting Painted Devils and im ABSOLUTELY OBSESSED???

[artist-ellen]

Young Rhaenyra

It's happening! At least a year after Season 1 is relevant I'm finally starting the House of the Dragon series. Like before I'm probably going to just do the ladies, men's fashion in the show has it's weird moments but it isn't my field of interest/expertise so I'll burn out pretty fast if I have to draw that many pants.

We're starting from the beginning with Rhaenyra's yellow dress. The idea of the dress is fine... but the choice of fabric and finishings really undercut her status and character. Supposedly there was a fabric shortage when the show was starting which affected the costuming decisions but I am going to have opinions on how the final product looks. It's understandable for example if a student ran into technical difficulties, but it doesn't mean a lower quality end result wouldn't affect their grade. Anyway there are a LOT of costumes in the series that bewilder me. Especially with the amount of costumes that resemble Spirit Halloween purchases, the fabric often looks too thin or cheap, the appliqués are sometimes painful... and the world-building through clothing makes no sense (watch Sumalee Eaton on clock app for a professional's review with more detail).

Speaking of world building one of the reasons I put this design challenge off for so long was that in my first ASOIAF redesigns I referenced clothing and fashion across different time periods. So when HotD is set ~200 years before ASOIAF... the answer of when/what to base things off of gets real complicated. While keeping up with the reactions to HotD as it aired I came across Sumalee Eaton’s review of the costumes and they recommended that the show lean into its Byzantine inspiration. Every once in the a while the show will have a costume that references a sort of kokoshnik or mantle...but then sabotages itself with either unlined fabric or some haute couture thing.

This is getting too ramble-y, sorry. This is her yellow dress if it leaned into Byzantine fashion, if it reveled in the wealth of the Targaryens with gems and jewelry that are worn with their everyday wear. It's casual, the shape feels appropriately young and unserious but royal all the same. (And before anyone worries this is not an April fools joke, I really am doing a Season 1 redesign series)

I am the artist! Do not post without permission & credit! Thank you! Come visit me over on: instagram, tiktok or check out my coloring book available now \ („• ֊ •„) /

https://linktr.ee/ellen.artistic

[dustofthedailylife]

Genshin Men as Influencers

→ Masterlist || → Taglist

Pairing: Alhaitham, Ayato, Kaveh, Wriothesley, Neuvillette, Zhongli, Kazuha, Cyno, Kaeya, Thoma, Tighnari x (gn!) Reader

Summary: What type of influencer would they be. What do they post.

Tags: Fluff, modern AU, short headcanons

A/N: This was a random idea I got today that I needed to get out of my system. And it got longer than I anticipated, oopsie.

Alhaitham | Bookstagrammer

He is neither someone who wants to stand in front of a camera talking nor does he desire to interact with people much. Yet he has this desire to share his thoughts about the books he reads with someone. When you propose the idea of becoming a bookstagrammer to him he is at first very dismissive about the idea, but eventually caves and creates an account. As it turns out he enjoys it more than he originally thought he would. He writes book reviews, does book hauls, and critical literature commentary. Reels are not his thing and he only posts pictures. His account blew up when he posted a selfie of him while reading a book. To this day he has not the faintest idea why that is what made his account grow exponentially. He turns to you whenever he gets DMs or comments that annoy him. He will sometimes ramble for half an hour about a single comment and explain in-depth why what that person wrote is utterly stupid.

Ayato | Fashion Influencer

He is predominantly a fashion influencer and model. Frequently posting pictures and reels of outfits, hauls as well as model and runway jobs. He is often described as the influencer who "effortlessly combines casual and business chic and turns it into a fashion statement". Always the best-dressed man around, no matter where he goes. Both his enchanting looks as well as his enigmatic personality draw his fans in. He has his own clothing brand for his trademark "casual business chic" which is quite successful. Every new collection is immediately sold out a day after launch. Yet, despite his fame, you had never seen or heard of him before. You randomly met him at a local bar where he offered to buy you a drink. You talked to him all evening and had just exchanged numbers with him when his face suddenly popped up on the TV screen at the bar. You had to do a double-take and reconfirm that the man on TV was indeed the one sitting in front of you right now. He had seen your glance and was now smiling back at you smugly, visibly enamored by the confusion that was written all over your face. For once he was happy someone didn't outright recognize him and just genuinely interacted with him without any second thoughts. And he fell for you right then and there.

Kaveh | Lifestyle Blogger

This man has so many things he loves he can't just decide on one thing. So he does kind of everything and his followers love him for it. He is smart, good-looking, artistically gifted, enjoys food, drink, fashion, and is into the latest gossip. His feed is a bit of everything, art gallery visits, food posts, fashion photos including OOTD, motivational quotes and more. He has a loyal fanbase that would do anything for him. They lovingly refer to him as "babygirl" all the time. When you become a couple he incorporates you into his posts and videos as well which lands you a couple of very angry DMs of fans who have formed a parasocial relationship with your boyfriend. And while you just ignore them, Kaveh absolutely can't and won't tolerate this behavior towards you so he replies to them from your account with an angry picture and a long DM. In all honesty, he is more upset over the messages than you are.

Wriothesley | Fitness Blogger

He is your classic fitness blogger and personal trainer. He posts training videos, nutritional advice posts as well as gym pictures of himself and fitness modeling campaigns he gets invited to. And he is quite successful at what he does. When you start dating you're not at all surprised when you learn what he does for a living. A man with his physique? Of course, he would be successful. You mutually decide to keep your relationship out of the public eye. Both because he wouldn't want you to get exposed to potential negative press or hateful DMs. But of course, paparazzi are more watchful than anyone ever could be. So naturally a picture of him and you kissing soon adorns every gossip magazine front page including your name and Instagram profile (because of course they also found that out...). Not long after #WrioYN starts trending. The posts under the hashtag are a mixed bag of either excited fans and positive articles or angry fans and negative press, who say that you aren't good enough for him. Since your relationship is out of the bag now, Wriothesley decides to take you with him to the next red carpet event where he provocatively and fiercely kisses you in front of everyone to show the world what he thinks about their opinion. You're his and he is yours, and no one would ever be able to change that.

Neuvillette | Food Critic

He is one of the most famous food critics around and gets invited to various restaurants all around the world. He writes reviews for the things he eats and drinks and rates the restaurants without mercy. If your restaurant gets a bad review from him you might as well lock the door and close forever. He rose to fame through a video that went viral where he taste-tested a variety of different water brands, grading them on a scale from one to ten as if it was the finest wine. At first, people were amused by the videos and created memes about it until it eventually gave him so much publicity that he was invited to restaurants. So he organically rose to fame practically overnight without even realizing it. This already led to some less nice situations where some angry restaurant owners insulted him in public for ruining their reputation or hate comments under his posts. He didn't understand what he did wrong or why they were so upset with him and he always looked for the fault in himself, socially isolating himself as a consequence. You're always there to lend your ear and shoulder to cry on to him when situations like these arise. He may look tough but you know he has a soft and fragile heart and often takes negative comments about his person way too much to heart.

Zhongli | Food Blogger

He is a food blogger, mostly known for his expensive taste and aesthetic tea brewing videos and it even expands beyond that to clothing and his appearance in general. When watching him prepare all sorts of dishes one could be inclined to think he has all the time in the world. Doing live streams where he brews tea or cooks for six hours or more is not a rarity. His followers love his insight and knowledge about all the ingredients he uses. He always sprinkles in little fun facts, trivia and random bits of information. Being his partner therefore also means you always get the privilege to have the most delicious and fragrant food served to you. If you didn't know better you would think he is a renowned Michelin chef. Food is definitely his love language. Sometimes you and him would do couple cooking streams together and his community is all over you two. You're receiving fanart and people even write fanfics about you two. Generally Zhongli, much like himself, gathers a very level-headed, polite and loyal community around him.

Kazuha | Travel Blogger

He never stays in the same place for long, so much so that at this point his followers aren't even sure he owns a home at all. His feed and stories are filled with magnificent locations from all over the world. From sunsets over to stunning mountain views and sandy beaches. His life feels like a dream. And his followers live it vicariously through him. Always starts his day by posting an inspirational haiku in his story and with supportive words to his followers. The most sunshine and feel-good influencer around and most certainly a good role model. You accompany him on most of his travels but mostly play the role of the camera person and photographer for him since he wants to keep your relationship private. Until one day he pulls you in front of the camera during one of his livestreams and passionately kisses you on the lips before blushing and turning the stream off right after. When you ask him what made him change his mind he tells you that his heart ached due to the rumors of him and another influencer dating and he wanted to get them out of the world once and for all. Needless to say, your heart and the press are on fire the next day.

Cyno | Entertainer

Of course, Cyno is an entertainer. His intimidating looks paired with an impeccable sense of humor immediately resonated with people all over the place. He quickly garnered a large audience both on Tiktok and Youtube and uploads a new comedic skit at least once a week. He also occasionally does some pack-opening streams whenever new TCG card collections come out. You're always there to support him in his endeavors and he is extremely thankful for that. You're always the first to whom he tells his ideas and sometimes you even get cameos in his skits. Some evenings you sit together while playing cards and brainstorming about new video ideas for him.

Kaeya | Fashion Blogger

Fashionista and icon through and through. He loves the spotlight. And his smooth-talking and sly nature has people on their knees for him all over the internet. Unfortunately, that causes him to have the most obsessed and delusional fans around. He mostly posts OOTD posts, fashion inspo and clothing hauls as well as various photographs of modeling jobs. He often goes live on Instagram and Tiktok to interact with his fans. Sometimes you ask yourself how he even manages to hold a conversation with them, considering that most of the comments and chats he gets are simping. But he is just a natural-born influencer. Knowing his bold nature it doesn't surprise you when he pulls you in for a long and intense kiss on the red carpet one day. Until now you had publicly taken on the role of his manager to disguise yourself. It was an idea that came from his actual manager. The reason for that is to divert the attention away from you and spare you from the wrath of his crazy fans. Seems like he finally grew tired of the act. His smug smile, the flurry of flashing cameras around you, and the feeling of his lips pressed against yours were proof enough of that.

Thoma | Food Blogger

Another food blogger and a really good one at that. The handsome blonde mostly posts aesthetic cooking videos, cooking ASMR videos, quick meal-prep recipes for a busy day-to-day life, as well as comfort food recipes. His fans say his tasty creations aren't the only snack on screen though. Interviewers always ask him about his opinion on what his fans say about him, which always causes him to laugh with a shy smile and a blush across his soft cheeks. He also often posts stories and gives some tips for chores and various other activities like knitting, cleaning, and other useful lifehacks. Occasionally he also uploads pictures of new recipes he is working on behind the scenes in his story. All of this earned him the title of the "Malewife Blogger" quite early on in his career and he fully embraced the title. He even has merch designs referring to the nickname his fans gave him. You are always the first one who gets to hear about his new ideas or gets to review and taste-test his recipes. You often tinker around on recipes with him until late at night. You also help him with the launch of his first cookbook by typing out all the recipes and editing the cover image of him standing behind the kitchen with his signature red apron and smile. And you would agree with his fans, the biggest snack in that cookbook is right on the cover.

Tighnari | Garden & Wildlife Blogger

He blogs about all sorts of wildlife, survival tips, and environment protection and gives gardening tips. His sassy and incredibly sarcastic nature and reactions to some comments are what draw people to him. He makes people aware of how ecosystems work and how to live in harmony with them. He sometimes posts reaction videos and stitches in reply to people treating nature in a disrespectful manner and goes on entire tirades about it as well. He suggests environmentally friendly products and eventually even launches his own brand of environmentally friendly cleaning agents he produces himself. Needless to say, it's a complete hit among his fans. You are supportive of his videos and often help him with filming and editing them. You went on trips with him even before he started his social media career so seeing him become famous and successful with what he enjoys most fills you with joy.

Do not repost, copy, translate or edit - © dustofthedailylife || reblogs, comments, and asks about Genshin or my fics are always greatly appreciated and motivate me! Maple dividers are mine - do not copy.

[iomoru]

Hey!! Love your work!! Since your request is open, can you make a Reader that like to talk a lot x character who's relatively busy, the scene is like reader was talking but then stops cuz she thought that character was busy doing something (example: doing paper work) so they weren't listening, but they actually were listening and they answer reader?, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S CONFUSING OR NOT!!! (any character you want btw)

Unexpected Attention

A/n: I'm so sorry for not being able to do your req sooner, I got so busy in school activities I didn't even notice I had something inside my inbox- (I couldn't chooses single character so yeah 🧍‍♀️)

Genre: Modern! Au, Fluff, Gn! Reader, Second Person, Proofread

Chars: Cyno, Alhaitham, Wriothesley, Neuvillette, Ayato

Summary: You have a habit of rambling about the most random things whenever you're around him, even if he’s preoccupied with work or other tasks. Thinking he’s too busy to listen, you cut yourself off mid-conversation. But to your surprise, he’s been listening the whole time and isn’t about to let you stop now.

Cyno:

Cyno was at the small table in front of you, buried in the pages of some ancient text. His brow furrowed in concentration as his fingers lightly traced the lines of his book. You knew he took his research seriously, so you kept your voice light and casual, not really expecting him to be following along with your rambles.

“—and then I saw this cat trying to chase a squirrel, but it just ended up—” You trailed off suddenly, catching yourself. He was probably deep in thought about something much more important.

“Why did you stop?” Cyno asked, eyes still on the text, but there was a faint smile tugging at his lips.

You blinked, caught off guard. “I, uh...I thought you weren’t listening.”

“I was,” he said simply, finally looking up, his gaze soft. “The cat didn't catch the squirrel, right?”

You laughed softly, realizing he had been paying attention all along. “Yeah, exactly. It just gave up and sat there, sulking.”

Cyno chuckled, marking his page and closing the book. “Sounds like it could use some tips. Keep talking, I’m still listening.”

Alhaitham:

Alhaitham’s fingers flew over the keys of his laptop, the soft clicking punctuating the silence between your words. He was working on some project probably something that required more brainpower than your ramblings about the latest TV show you’d been binge-watching. As you got to the part where the plot took an unexpected twist, you hesitated, realizing he might not even be tuned in.

“You know what, never mind,” you mumbled. “You’re busy, I don’t want to bother you—”

“Why are you stopping?” Alhaitham’s voice cut in smoothly, his eyes still on the screen, but there was a small quirk of his lips. “I want to know how it ends.”

“You do?” you asked, eyebrows raising in surprise.

He glanced at you briefly, his expression unreadable but somehow fond. “Yes. It’s more entertaining than this report I’m working on, so continue.”

You grinned, heart fluttering a little at the thought of him actually listening. “Alright, but don’t blame me if you get too distracted.”

Wriothesley:

Wriothesley was sitting at his desk, pen in hand, as he reviewed some documents. The steady scratching sound echoed in the room as you sat nearby, talking about something entirely unrelated. Maybe it was your plans for the weekend, or how you’d run into an old friend from high school. His eyes were trained on his paperwork, so you figured your words were just background noise to him.

Mid-sentence, you stopped, feeling like you were just talking to yourself. “I’m sorry, you’re working. I’ll shut up.”

Wriothesley’s pen paused, and he looked up at you, raising an eyebrow. “Why’d you stop?”

“I mean...you’re busy.”

He shook his head, leaning back in his chair. “I’m never too busy for you,” His lips curved into a soft smile. “Besides, I want to know what happened after you saw your friend.”

Your heart warmed at his words, and you couldn’t help but smile back. “Oh, well, they told me this funny story about—”

Neuvillette:

Neuvillette sat quietly across from you, flipping through legal briefs or something equally as complex. His serene expression made it hard to tell if he was absorbed in his work or if he was listening to your musings. You were deep into telling him about a random fact you’d learned earlier that day, but then you faltered.

You sighed, glancing at him. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt. You’re probably focused on something important.”

He glanced up at you, his soft gaze meeting yours. “What makes you think I wasn’t listening?”

You blinked in surprise. “You were?”

Neuvillette nodded, his voice gentle. “Of course. You were telling me about the history of that statue, right? It was quite fascinating.”

Your face lit up as you continued, and he leaned forward slightly, a faint smile playing on his lips. He never seemed to mind your random tangents, and that made you feel like the most important person in the room.

Ayato:

Ayato was typing away on his phone, likely dealing with something work-related even outside of the office. You were in the middle of a rant about a new recipe you wanted to try but stopped when you realized he hadn’t looked up in a while.

“Okay, I’ll stop bothering you now,” you mumbled, feeling a little silly.

Ayato looked up, confusion crossing his face. “Why stop? I was listening.” He set his phone down and leaned his chin on his hand, looking at you with that signature, mischievous smile. “I’m curious now. What was the secret ingredient you wanted to use?”

You bit your lip, realizing you had underestimated him. “Um...it’s actually saffron. You know, to give it that rich flavor.”

His smile widened, and he nodded. “Interesting choice, i’ll have to try it once you make it.”

You grinned, your heart light as you continued explaining the recipe, knowing that despite his busy schedule, Ayato always made time for you.

A/n: I BADLY wanna write more but I'm so buried in stupid school activities

© ²⁰²⁴ ɪᴏᴍᴏʀᴜ ✰ do not repost, translate, plagiarize, use to train ai, or share my work on other social media platforms.

[literary-illuminati]

2024 Book Review #54 – The Design of Everyday Things by Don Norman

I try to read a piece of somewhat respectable nonfiction every month or so, which means I’m always vaguely on the lookout for titles that seem interesting and which aren’t either inspiration porn or just some random New Yorker’s collection of personal essays. I first heard of Design in an editorial in a local paper, which described it as a ‘seminal read’ – the basic conceit and title both seemed interesting so I through it on the list and, however many months later, finally got around to read with it. It was interesting, but altogether a more dense and technical read than I was at all prepared for when I picked it up.

The book is about what it says on the tin – looking at the processes and practices of industrial design and how it can be best applied to create useful, pleasurable tools. It is very much written for an assumed audience of at least interested amateurs or casual practitioners, with lots of specific practical tips and guidelines for the working designer to apply to their own projects. For the same reason it isn’t at all shy about the jargon or business-school models and charts.

Design, from the book’s perspective, covers an extremely broad field – everything from the physical structure of a tool to the systems and procedures that should be followed for its safe operation to the aesthetics and layout that give the most enjoyable and frictionless user experience handling it. The book considers its principles equally applicable to designing physical products and bureaucratic systems, and is mostly even convincing as it says so. That said, it absolutely assume that whatever is being designed is being designed by a large, multi-team project with budgets and stakeholders, and designed for sale on the private market, both of which do shape the advice given quite clearly (the entire final part of the book is about ‘designing in the real world’ and about these exact conditions).

The prose is written with the precise tone and cadence of an above-average but not great professor giving a long, rambling lecture that illustrates every single point with a tangential personal anecdote – though my mind may only jump to that comparison because that’s basically what this is in book form. It is not, being honest, ever exactly gripping or a page-turner; this was probably the book whose reading felt most like homework of any I’ve opened so far these year. Something not at all helped by the fact that the field of industrial design does the same thing as every other slice of academia and redefines a bunch of very common nouns to be very precise and occasionally very counterintuitive terms of art (though in fairness the book could have been much worse about this).

That aside, I did find the jargon mostly helpful, in terms of clarifying and separating out concepts. The distinction between capabilities (what a given device can be used for) and signifiers (the implicit or explicit ways a device presents itself to be used) is useful and pretty easy to keep in my head, for example.

The initial chapters of the book are primarily about the theory and best practices of designing specific, physical things – for example, how it represents a shameful failure for a door to ever require a sign or instructions on how it should be opened. This was probably the roughest part for me to get through, just because I felt like I should be taking quizzes or filling out worksheets to make sure I remembered everything correctly as I went – the sections get dense. It was fascinating reading to bludgeon through though, if only as a collection of the most practical insights yet provided by the study of human psychology. None of the best practices and recommendations given – never require the user to input more than a few commands without feedback or guidance, map the layout of controls to correspond to the physical ordering of the things they control, mechanical commands should feel like they have some sort of intuitive relationship to their effect, that sort of thing – exactly blew my mind, but it was helpful to see them laid out. Also interesting how much a lot of them contrast so strongly with the minimalist, ‘clean’ aesthetic which actually governs the design of so much these days.

The sections on mistakes and accidents were probably the most interesting and compelling in their own right. Maybe because I found the examples more intuitive, or maybe just because industrial accidents and airline disasters are more attention-grabbing examples than confusing and inefficient light switch layouts. In any case, the typology of mistakes versus errors (basically: whether you are trying to do the wrong thing, or trying to do the right thing and just failing in execution) and their subcategories seem genuinely quite useful, as do the various meditations on how to make both types less common.

This is also the section that has stuck with me in the most detail, if probably just because it seems like it might have some direct relevance to day-to-day life. Most especially the idea that focusing on how to assign fault or blame is the most useless possible thing to do when trying to investigate an accident – it only makes everyone motivated to hide any involvement they might have had, and lets you stop thinking about it as soon as you decide who is responsible without ever digging into the actual causes of the mistake. ‘Human error’ is, in Norman’s view, a mirage – if people are making dangerous or expensive mistakes at any appreciable rate, then that is axiomatically a failure of the systems which should be supporting and guiding them.

The fact that airline disasters are drastically overrepresented in the case studies used because the investigative infrastructure for them is uncommonly (almost bizarrely, really) well-designed and diligently maintained in the US is also just a fun bit of a trivia.

The third part of the book is about the actual process of designing something in a large organization. Perhaps unsurprisingly, this is mostly about bureaucratic politics and navigating frictions between, say, the design and marketing teams – the offered distinction that design is about making things that are useful and good whereas marketing’s input on the process is ensuring it is something that people will be willing to buy is pithy and memorable, if perhaps one that people on the marketing team might not be entirely happy with. This, along with terms like ‘the double-diamond design process’ and the oft-repeated saying that ‘the day a project starts it’s behind schedule and under budget’, and the gratuitous use of Japanese, all left me with the uncanny feeling of walking into an MBA seminar.

This is in fact an extremely famous and successful book – I know, because this is a heavily revised second edition, and the new material never missed a chance to say so. Having come out in 2013, the updated material – overwhelmingly about software UX, the internet, and smartphone design, because of course it is – is already somewhat charmingly outdated. The additions did include a long and very interesting section on changing standards, standardization, and when it is or isn’t worth the massive disruption involved (including a fascinating if probably not entirely trustworthy digression into the history of the QWERTY keyboard), so on the whole I’m happy I got this edition rather than the original from the ‘80s.

Overall, not a book I’m likely to open again anytime soon unless I end up making a dramatic change of careers, but interesting enough that I don’t regret reading it.

[gensokyogarden]

You know, I think review and criticism are quite important things. Art is something that is always changing ~ we always hone our skills and it is through the opinions of others that we can shape them. Additionally, most folks don't have the time or resources to engage with every piece of media to ever exist. So reviews as an indicator of quality can really help people to find what they want.

I also just love media analysis and discussion. I think any interpretation of a work is valid as long as you can point to the text that backs it up (very anti authorial intent here) and generally love hearing what meanings others derive from works.

But I have to admit, as far as casual versions of both go, I'm starting to have some concerns about trends in video essays. Particularly in regards to their length.

Like, lemme be clear, I quite enjoy putting on a long video essay while I work on other things. I'd ramble about some of the ones I particularly enjoy but I probably shouldn't pad out the length of a post complaining about length. So I'm not opposed to this trend as an idea. I would go as far as to say I enjoy it.

But outside of entertainment I'm not sure how effective any of those sorts of videos actually are. Like honestly a 9 hour video is more than I would expect from a big thesis paper breaking down both interpretations of the themes of a work and their greater implications. But most of these long videos are just incredibly surface level.

In most cases they really are just indepth summaries of what happens in each episode of the show or the whole plot of the game. Like the furthest criticism or review seems to go is some joke about "yeah this show is hot garbage but I watched every episode please help me" and most of the time the only interpretation of the plot are jokes about "I think the implications of this is [something absolutely unhinged for humor values].

So I just, I dunno, am getting disillusioned with the term video essay. They aren't particularly essays so much as they're a book report, ya know? An entertaining one but when I sit down and think about it half the time I'm left feeling a video managed to contribute less than old "I'm the angry about everything/Here is everything wrong" YouTube critics (though the new trend is still more entertaining while contributing less).

I dunno I'm just a Touhou rp blog but, like, that's been in my mind repeatedly.

[mirkwoodsuperspy]

mini rant abt the OG party

so i recently saw the alignment chart for characters "at a museum" and i immediately thought of the OG party.

michael, lucas, dustin, and william are such nerds (not the point but i would just like to say that).

they would be the ones to "go through every section, read every label, want to stay until closing".

you KNOW they've been preparing for this for weeks.

dustin brought the library books and nougat; will brought the camera; lucas brought the notepads; mike brought a weird assortment of batteries (for the camera and the walkies), magnets, small objects for a distraction, and magnifying glasses (don't mind him he's rich).

-dustin will NOT stop talking. he will analyse everything. he would reference his books.

-lucas would write down everything dustin says. everything they see. literally everything. and he will MAKE SURE they don't miss a single section. he regularly stops the party and calls for a review on what they've seen so far.

-mike will be VERY passive-aggressive. NO, you may not borrow paper from us. NO, you may not have any of our snacks. NO, we're not going to move over just because you want to have a casual glance while we are STUDYING. this boy studied the map of the museum before coming, and everything is going to go according to his schedule.

-will would be the only one listening to any of the other three when they are talking. like could you imagine this boy ignoring any of his friends? but the true beautiful thing is that when he speaks, no one ignores him.

and of course they don't want to leave, but obviously when they do, they all bike home. lucas is overjoyed, because he just loves being with the rest of the party. when he reaches his home, he's greeted by erica calling him a nerd. mike will ramble on about the day to will, and will will later on ramble on about the day to jonathan as they go through the camera roll together.

and dustin? he calls picks up his paddles and calls mr clarke.

[wutheringmights]

The Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins is an overall disappointing read. Do I think it’s clever and humorous? Yes. Is it also drowning in squandered potential? Double yes. (And will I be using this review as an opportunity to procrastinate on my writing? Triple yes.)

I first heard of this book through a booktuber, who pitched it as “Nona the Ninth, but better.” I haven’t read Nona the Ninth, but I was markedly disappointed by my reading of Gideon the Ninth a few months ago. I thought a book that had similar ideas but better execution would be a perfect fit for me. 

I never actually wrote a full ramble about Gideon the Ninth, and I really am regretting it now. I really wish I could just post a link to that review for context and then move on. But I didn’t, so here’s a brief summary of the relevant stuff. 

Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir has a really fascinating world and the hints of an intriguing plot that is bogged down by poor execution. The plot never gained real momentum or stakes, and every instance of humor broke my suspension of disbelief. The book is also extremely opaque, to the point where it’s actively hostile to new readers. There’s a difference between throwing readers into the middle of the world and telling them to figure it out, and making it so confusing on purpose that you have to reread the book. Some readers can like or excuse that; I can’t. 

To some extent, The Library at Mount Char has better execution, if only because it is not determined to be indecipherable to the casual reader. Not every question it raises gets answered, but it knows how to meter out information effectively so that you’re never truly lost. It also has a better sense of humor (to an extent). All of its jokes are rooted in making fun of pop-culture, but because the story takes place in America, it never takes me out of the moment. It also never relies on referential humor. I will spare you my full-length rant. Just know that jokes that I have beef with humor that boils down to just making references to other jokes. 

Despite all that, Gideon the Ninth is still the better novel, if only because it takes full advantage of its conceit. On one hand, The Library at Mount Char has a fascinating idea at its core. The man our main character calls god has a library filled with all knowledge, which is broken up into twelve catalogs. Each catalog is mastered by one of his twelve apprentices. When god disappears, the apprentices now have to fight for who has control of the library, and therefore the universe. 

Cool stuff, right?

The story’s not really about that. None of the apprentices fight each other, and our main character, Carolyn, isn’t really our main character. Most of the apprentices are barely mentioned by name and they (spoiler) mostly die two-thirds of the way through. Our real main character is Steve, who is just Some Guy being dragged along by an extraordinary woman. It’s so standard, and none of the weird set-dressings can disguise it. We’ve read this story before (much in the same way Gideon the Ninth is a stock-standard vaguely-important-people-compete-in-deadly-game-for-more-power plotline, a la Lightlark). 

Gideon the Ninth isn’t really the best comparison to make. Muir and Hawkins may have crept onto similar ideas here and there, but their inspiration comes from elsewhere. Muir was obviously inspired by Homestuck and anime. Hawkins so obviously admires the works of Neil Gaimen. 

Fun fact: I am a long time Neil Gaimen hater. I have never mentioned this before, as up until very recently this was the Neil Gaimen loving website. But I am well-known in real life for not liking his novels. Gaimen is an author who has really cool ideas, and no ability to effectively execute on them. American Gods, Good Omens, Caroline, Stardust: all of them have deeply disappointed me in numerous ways. Despite giving him four tries, I always get harassed about how I’m just reading the wrong work. I won’t get Gaimen until I read the Sandman comics, Graveyard Boys, or that one with the London subway system. To that, I say no. I’m not doing it. I’ve given him enough chances. I’m not going to waste my time any longer. 

A lot of my least favorite Gaimen-isms creep their way into The Library at Mount Char, such as the clunky way he handles writing women. Women are cool and competent, but he never finds them to be as compelling as men. His concern for women’s issues always circle back to sexual assault. Carolyn should be a fantastic character, but the narrative is never concerned about her. She’s a machination for the plot, and nothing more. 

Hawkins also follows Gaimen’s path of having a weird hang-up on some sex thing, but instead of being overtly dedicated to informing the reader how much and what kind of sex every woman in the story wants, Hawkins is very concerned with anal sex. There are constant jokes about men putting things up their butt, and none of them are particularly original or in good taste. A prison rape joke stands out in my mind. Another is how the backstory of a character’s estranged relationship with her son being boiled down to her seeing him, verbatim, take something up his ass (this is part of a trend I find in male writers where their attempts to include topics not about straight men becomes weirdly othering; see aforementioned sexual assault). 

Then, after a hundred pages of this joke, Just Some Guy Steve has to shove some medicine up his butt, and bam. Joke over. We never hear about it again. What a weird set-up and pay off. 

I’ve spent so long talking about Gaimen and Muir’s works because, by itself, The Library at Mount Char doesn’t leave much to talk about. If I disengage from what I thought the plot was going to be about and only focus on what it is there, it’s fine. Underwhelming, but fine. I really like the dialogue. There are multi-page streaks of characters just dialogue that never feels stale or sparse because the dialogue is that vivid. 

Besides that? Eh. It’s truly just okay. It’s not as weird as what the reviews will tell you, nor as gruesome. It’s a middling fantasy story in the style of American Gods. The novel ends on a note that heavily implies a possible sequel. If it happens, I’ll have to pass. One was enough for me. 

--

The Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins

Rating: 3/5 ⭐⭐⭐

[thereadmind]

Think Faster, Talk Smarter

☑️ Checklist Summary

1. Assess the Situation:

Read the Room: Quickly gauge the mood and dynamics.

Know Your Audience: Tailor your message to who you’re speaking to.

2. Manage Anxiety:

Breathe: Simple breathing exercises to calm your nerves.

Positive Self-Talk: Replace negative thoughts with empowering ones.

3. Organize Your Thoughts:

Structure: Use a clear beginning, middle, and end.

Bullet Points: Jot down key points to stay on track.

4. Deliver with Clarity:

Be Concise: Get to the point without rambling.

Use Examples: Make your message relatable and memorable.

5. Engage Your Audience:

Ask Questions: Involve your audience to keep them interested.

Read Reactions: Adjust based on their feedback and body language.

6. Handle Questions:

Stay Calm: Take a moment to think before you respond.

Be Honest: If you don’t know, it’s okay to admit it and follow up later.

7. Reflect and Learn:

Review: After speaking, think about what went well and what could improve.

Practice: Keep honing your skills through regular practice.

“Smart, Not Loud is great for anyone who wants to get better at understanding their quiet coworkers.”

— MATT ABRAHAMS

This book is packed with practical tips and real-life examples to help you shine in any spontaneous speaking situation. Whether it’s a surprise question in a meeting or a casual chat at a party, you’ll be ready to impress!

Ready to boost your communication game? Dive into Think Faster, Talk Smarter and start speaking with confidence!

Buy on 🛒 Amazon

[thecasualbookreviewer]

Why do I always go into a slump towards the end of the year 😭😭😭 first half of the year I was reading a book weekly 😭😭😭

[oceanspray5]

hello! i simply must know more about lockwood & co. i've seen a couple reblogged posts about it and it does look like something i'd vibe with, but is there anything you want to share in support of it? are there any characters you are particularly attached to? what are the vibes? i would simply love to learn more.

Ahhh I am HAPPY to ramble all about it. Honestly its hard to pick any ONE thing because everything is so good! Like it could easily have been a kids show but its not? The dialogue is so wonderfully written. The shots and cinematography is SO beautiful and artistic and there is so much care in the craft that its been getting rave reviews from absolutely everyone! Critics, fans, general public? You name it.

The show is based on a book series by Jonathan Stroud. Basically its zombie apocalypse where you have to fight the zombies but instead of zombies its ghosts and the only one who can actually see/hear/feel the zombies are children-teens but the danger they pose is to everyone in society as a whole! The vibe is slightly spooky but so completely cozy. Its very hard to describe but it blends the two very well! Its a show I can rewatch again and again and always find something new or not get bored of. Its just that well made and easy to rewatch (and getting me to rewatch 1 thing twice within the same year isn't the easiest task lol).

All the characters are amazing but especially the main trio! They're my perfect blorbos. They're all traumatized weirdos and the best found family and if you're looking for a ship to fall in love with Lockwood and Lucy are so repressed and SO in love and the slow burn is amazing but doesn't feel like a slow burn cuz the intimacy between them is so perfect!!

Also! One thing I absolutely LOVE about the show is its emphasis on friendship not being lesser of a priority than romantic love. George is so important as a character. He's not just the third wheel to Lockwood and Lucy and they show that in such a clear way and its really cool cuz i haven't seen many other shows do that.

The actors are all so amazingly talented. I love them so much. If you go down my blog you'll see its mostly Lockwood and Co and locklyle gifsets! I definitely say its worth it. I put it on casually one day as something to unwind to after a long day and immediately got obsessed! Another thing I have to say is the show takes place at night mostly but you can SEE STUFF! It's not Game of Thrones S8 levels of dark screen. Everything is visible and so very clear. The colors in this show are especially beautiful and used very nicely to add to the storytelling.

This got a little long (can you tell I love the show and can ramble so much more about it if given the chance too? Lol). But if you have any more questions or wanna know more about the show in general hit me up! Or if you decide to watch it and whatever you think about it, I'd love to hear whatever you have to say!

[catt-nuevenor]

April

How do, folks!

Sorry for not posting on Friday, the day got away from me in the form of a grammar induced migraine, and although I did eventually manage to get back to the story, I wasn't in any fit state to be coherent on here once I'd finished work that day.

So, here we are in April. I'm not going to follow the previous format of daily word count updates this month, as I'm hopefully only going to be writing at that pace for half the month. Hopefully.

In the place of that, I'm going to try doing three to four posts a week on the following things;

Book reviews - Casual stuff, just updates on what I've been reading or listening to recently and my thoughts on it. I seem to be going through an awful lot of books at the second, especially in the horror thriller genre, and it's nice to keep a record of them and my thoughts as I go.

Asks - Don't start going all in for the complex self insert ones that require me to code things. Unfortunately, that takes at least a day per post, and I'm still trying to put the vast majority of my efforts towards the book. Mini asks about specific things or characters is absolutely fine, ones that could hypothetically be answered in a few paragraphs would be fantastic.

Research Rambles - Because despite the insanity of research at this stage of the project, I am still regularly wrangling with primary sources, antiquated historians, and tangling myself up in all sorts of grammar headaches. And misery loves company.

Publishing Stuff - Basically keeping you all informed about the broad strokes of what is happening on a publishing pipeline front, so long as that sounds interesting to folks?

Your suggestions - Seriously, if there's something you would like to see pop up on the blog while I'm hacking through the closing stages of this thing, let me know. I reserve the right to say no, of course, but I'd really like to interact more with you all. At the second, it's quite quiet on that front round here.

To close, I hope everyone's Monday is/has been bearable, and if not, I hope it takes the hint and gets on its merry way with all haste.

[fyx-ation]

A Meandering Ramble on FFXVI

Firstly, if you haven't played the game yet or haven't finished the game yet, I suggest scrolling on. If you want a recommendation to play it, the best I can give you is a 7/10. Worth playing. Not the best thing on the market in the same territory but refreshing (I might use that word a lot going forward) and holds interest very well. Like a page-turner of a book.

That said, the rest of my ramble will be behind the cut to spare spoiling others.

Huh. What a strange little game. I actually just finished it, though I do need to go finish the chronolith things at some point. But I wanted to strike while the iron is hot, so this might be all over the place. I usually try to provide some essay-like structure when I write about a game... But I'm not really feelin' it since I've been working 5am shifts for a while and my brain is fried.

I have not read or watched any other reviews or summaries or impressions of the game. I didn't want my opinion to be tainted by bias because some creator or another loved or hated it.

It is Very Pretty. But perhaps not in a PS5 sort-of rock your eyeballs way. It handles like the Witcher III and Final Fantasy had an off-putting love-child. By that, I mean just the walking around and interacting with things reminds me of Witcher. Casual conversations are overheard from NPCs, and occasionally one that will actually speak to you (Clive) even if they aren't offering a quest or incentive. Facial animations, weather/landscape animations. Very Pretty but maybe a smidge outdated? How is that possible? Everything is lovely! But a little stiff if it's not an important, scripted, you-can't control your character here, sort of scene. The ones that aren't separately rendered cutscenes but still have extra polish? Yeah, not those.

You know what else this game reminds me of? Mass Effect (or Dragon Age). There's no open world to explore. There are pocket maps that you can return to from your Normandy Hideaway, but usually you're just sent there to do a mission quest or hunt or something.

So, let's deconstruct that a little. I think and hope that the producers of this game looked at what has been working and what has landed with the fan-base like a sopping wet diaper. Open world fatigue? Absolutely real. Stamina bars? Fuck right off. Pacing the game out with enormous, unskippable BS like a car ride because the plot is paper thin? Nope!

Does it work for a Final Fantasy game, though? See, this is where the conversation gets choppy. (While I didn't interact with reviews, I did see some plumes of smoke on the horizon in the form of thumbnails and the like). Some people are ride or die "this ain't MY final fantasy." Worse, some are like "this isn't a JRPG q_q."

Personally, I let that ship sail years ago. I loved the old turn-based games, don't get me wrong. I lament there aren't that many on the market anymore. But I've moved on. 16 is probably the biggest departure so far from that. Excluding the online games, they've been moving away from that format since 12. 13 was the last to have party members who you can actually control. (I'm not counting the 7 remake here, either) 16 doesn't have a party system. You can't swap Thane Krios (my space boyfriend) in when you fast travel from your hideaway to the next story beat. It's just the protag and whatever side piece is relevant at the moment, and that side character just does their own thing.

Do I like it? Ehh.... yes and no. Clive doesn't talk to himself or them much, so I feel like a lot more banter was needed. I could see why they left it out on the battle maps ("Hey, Clive, remember when were playing checkers and mom kicked the board because oh hello Mr. Behemoth."). But in city hubs? More banter, please. Even more conversations like the newer God of War games have would be most welcome.

And controlling just Clive? It's fine. I am A-okay with it. Combat's really fun, even when I'm not playing at my best and half-dozing on the couch. It's better than holding down the circle button (15 shaming is my kink). It's all amazingly refreshing in comparison to SE's other departures from turn-based battles. It's the first one so far (again excluding ff7r) to actually succeed at doing something different.

But I would not recommend the game to anyone on that alone. If they were looking for a hack n' slash pew pew magic pew game, I'd suggest the newer God of Wars first.

This is where I'm on the fence about how to judge the game as a whole because it isn't SPECTACULAR. It's good. Combat's good. Story is decent. Side characters are interesting (though some are woefully under-cooked, including Jill, whom I often compared to a piece of cardboard while talking to friends). Pacing a HUGE improvement from previous installments, though the last few hours of the game are weirdly smooshed into sidequests which aren't really sidequests because they are invaluable to the story and the game expects you to do them.

However. The world-building, which is very nice, is padded with lore directories just to clarify shit to people who have no idea what the fuck is going on or who have maybe missed or forgotten details that flesh out the motivations of everyone on the two continents. Did you forget who was fighting who while Clive was was off kicking boxes? Boy, do we have the right solution for that: it's LORE DUMP MAN and his faithful sidekick MAP TIMELINE WOMAN. I'm not saying they are bad things... just... odd. Heavy-handed? I love it when games offer some sort of journal to keep me on track or remind me of things, and yet they feel like they were put in this game because things are a bit blurry for the first third. They throw a lot of names at you, a lot of factions, and a lot of talk of different battles that you don't even witness so the only way to clarify all that is to be given Baby's First Overview. I think that might be indicative of a small failing on the game's part. Lots of telling with little showing often leads to lore dumps in RPGs, because it's critical that you understand for the sake of the story. Weirdly, there actually aren't a lot of exposition dumps in the actual gameplay. I guess they couldn't find a happy medium.

It's late. Gotta get up at 4, so I'll bring this ramble to a close for now. I'll talk about tone and themes later, probably.

Is it worth $70 and satisfying? Mostly. If you like button mashing combat and fantasy, sure. If you're a die-hard FF person, sure, but bolster your expectations as it doesn't really fit that mold. Anyone else that's curious, I'd say wait for a sale or promotion.

TBC

[schmergo]

My informal review of Beauty and the Beast at Olney Theatre in Maryland!

I had to write a casual, rambling review of Beauty and the Beast at Olney Theatre Center for you because that was a fun and memorable theatre experience if there ever was one, and certainly the most maximalist show I've seen since the world shut down in 2020! The production runs through January 1, so there are still plenty of chances to catch it! This production is best known for its inclusive casting of the title characters, and it's so enjoyable in every other possible way, too.

Full disclosure: I love Beauty and the Beast. I've also seen at least 8 different live productions of it, half of them professional. I can be equally overly critical and overly effusive when it comes to this show. It's one of those movies that feels like it's made for theatre (that score!), but translating living household objects, an enchanted castle, and a monstrous but strangely appealing Beast from cartoon format to live action is much easier said than done. Because of that, I've never NOT enjoyed a production of Beauty and the Beast before, but I've also never seen one that felt like they got it perfectly right. (And there's always at least one super distractingly janky costume!) This production was not totally perfect, but it was certainly my favorite mounting of Beauty and the Beast I've seen so far!

I think a lot of girls in my demographic grew up seeing themselves in Belle, but I actually always related more to the Beast. I guess I felt like Belle was always a little too perfect to be especially interesting-- beautiful, kind, elegant, graceful, brave, AND smart?-- and the Beast was the character with the real arc. Despite Belle's big solo in the second act, "A Change in Me," I never felt like Belle changes very much as a character at all, nor does she have anywhere to grow. Jade Jones and director Marcia Milgrom Dodge gave Belle more of a complete journey than I've previously seen. I also appreciated that this production proved there’s no one way a beautiful Princess has to look. Jade Jones is a plus-size, Black, LGBTQ+ performer and she killed it as Belle.

Why do the villagers see Belle as 'odd?' The script implies that it's simply because she... READS. (Gasp!) But in this production, I felt like Belle had a charming, refreshing awkwardness to her in the first half. When she rambles about how much she loves her books, she starts obliviously gushing. When she tries to turn down the ridiculous Gaston, she looks uncomfortable and frozen, unable to clearly communicate with him. And when she's with her eccentric father, Maurice, we see her goofy inner child come out. Oh yes-- and unlike the other women in the village, she wears PANTS!

This slight unconventionality turns out to serve her well in the unfamiliar milieu of the Beast's castle. The Beast, too, does not navigate social norms well. But where Belle's slight awkwardness is adorable, the Beast's lack of social skills is dangerous. But Belle's not afraid of him, and she doesn't even mind when he's rude-- putting his leg up on the table and slurping his soup (heck, she slurps her soup alongside him!)-- as long as he's being respectful to her. When he's not, she calls him out. And when he gushes over the story they're reading together just as much as she does, her eyes light up. That felt very familiar to me. I think some versions of this story feel like, “Belle teaches the Beast how to act normal,” dwelling on finer points of etiquette, but this one felt like, “Two people find someone they can be a little weird with.”

Jade Jones approaches Belle with a commendable playfulness and a groundedness and has the most raw, powerful voice I’ve heard in this role. The song "A Change in Me" has never hit me so hard before. I did feel like some of the impressive vocal gymnastics she displayed detracted a tiny bit from the character's sincerity, but really enjoyed them nonetheless. I'd previously enjoyed Jones as Little Red in Into the Woods at Ford's Theatre, but was even more impressed by her nuanced work here.

Evan Ruggiero made a wonderfully versatile Beast and a fantastic match for Jade Jones' Belle. Their dynamic was a joy to behold-- 'joy' really is the word, because watching the depressed and self-destructive Beast discover a new sense of joy in life was beautiful. I knew he is an acclaimed dancer, but Ruggiero's vocal work shocked me. I don't know how he sustained the Beast's incredibly deep, growly, harsh voice (I wonder if he was speaking through a voice modulator?) when his own natural voice, heard in interviews, has a much lighter timbre.

His singing voice is beautiful, both rich and delicate. I saw a mixed review disparage that he sounds scary when he speaks but sings "like someone from Les Miserables," but that cracked me up-- the role of the Beast on Broadway was originally played by Terrence Mann, indeed "someone from Les Miserables" (the original Broadway Javert). I personally think a Beast with a lovely singing voice isn't incongruous; the songs express his inner feelings with an elegance he cannot convey out loud.

If there's one slight downside to his performance, it's that his animalistic portrayal of the Beast meant he was always hiding his face with his hunched posture in the first act. While his body language ably communicated his character's growth, it meant that those of us in the mezzanine could hardly see his face before his big act one finale song. Then again, this was probably intentional-- we don't really get to know the Beast until Belle does.

I've discovered from the MANY performances of Beauty and the Beast I've seen that I like the Beast's costumes best when they're not attempting to replicate the character's look in the movie or going for extremely elaborate muscle suits and facial prostheses but are more impressionistic. Ruggiero's Beast simply wears a super shabby outfit, a long greasy wig, impressive curling ram's horns on his head, a bit of dark eye makeup, and furry gloves and matching boot. The rest is all his body language and voice.

Ruggiero lost a leg to cancer 10 years ago and now performs with a prosthesis-- in this production, a cool-looking, time-period-appropriate peg leg. (A post on his instagram applauds the skill of the makers of the peg leg: the fit and suction is so good that at one point, Gaston drags him across the stage by it, a gasp-inducing moment and certainly one that shows the extent of his villainy). He uses his prosthesis to creative effect in several scenes, especially when fighting off wolves. He also climbs up and down a super long curvy staircase while belting out high notes with ease, which surprised and impressed me while also making me confront my own ignorant assumption about his ability.

The actor's disability also helps put a different spin on the character's backstory. When we see the young prince at the beginning of the show, he's portrayed as a child and pushed around in a wheelchair by Cogsworth. His servants physically push him anywhere he wants them to, and when they offer him food, drinks, or the enchantress' rose, he brattily throws them to the ground. There's a Colin Craven vibe to the young prince. By portraying the prince as an actual child, we get the sense that he's both spoiled and neglected. The script bears hints of this, telling us the curse has been in effect for 'ten years' (but isn't he almost 21?) and the Beast mentions that he only learned to read "a little" and long ago. Did an illness or accident mean the young prince's formal education or etiquette training was interrupted? Is he babied because of this? Was he shut away from the world because of his disability before he was shut away due to the curse? Where are his royal parents anyway?

This sense of arrested development comes through very well in Ruggiero's portrayal. There is an innocent boyishness to the Beast that comes out in the second act, and his rages seem more like tantrums than genuinely scary. He even wears the tattered remains of his childhood velvet suit. No wonder this poor guy's messed up-- he went through puberty in a Beast's body. When he transforms into a handsome prince at the end, it's a version of himself he's never gotten to see before. While the physical transformation itself isn't anything major visually, he sells it with his character's utter delight. (And yes, he still has a peg leg as the Prince. He spins around on it. It’s neat!) I was so charmed by this version of the Beast/ Prince.

Beauty and the Beast has a third lead role that is not a title character... or, perhaps, is a little of both. That's Gaston, who has a MUCH larger role than almost any other villain I can think of, sharing fairly equal stage time with the Beast and with more to sing. Michael Burrell was an absolute delight to watch as Gaston and was both my husband’s and my favorite part of the show-- which is saying something, because all of the leads were great. He's portrayed less, er, 'rapey?' than many other Gastons I've seen, instead an utterly self-absorbed jock who does hilarious nonstop calisthenics to try to impress Belle in his solo number, "Me." His physical comedy skills are top-notch, his powerful voice rumbles through the score with agility, and he has impeccable timing and chemistry with John Sygar's funny and energetic LeFou.

He doesn't have the looming physical presence you might expect of Gaston, but I liked that for this particular production. Gaston solely defines himself by his peak physical ability. No wonder he is so appallingly ableist toward the Beast (and, in a different sense, Maurice). LeFou plays a sort of coach for him, and the big production number "Gaston" turns into a series of athletic drills that Gaston and LeFou lead. This takes on a more menacing vibe in "The Mob Song" when it seems he was unknowingly training his own personal militia all along.

Despite being extremely funny in the first half of the show, we see the clear moment when Gaston goes fully to the dark side-- it's when Belle slaps him in the face in front of all of the villagers after he offers to release her father if she marries him. We saw him earlier ranting about how being "dismissed, rejected, and publicly humiliated" is more than he can bear, meltdown averted only by LeFou and company cheering him up with a song about how great he is. Now there's no cheerful song to stop him and we see him go past a point of no return into sheer ice-cold villainy. When he's dragged off the stage by wolves after a dirty fight with the Beast-- a new death for the character-- it feels fitting.

It's worth noting that Burrell not only plays Gaston, he also understudies the Beast. He's played both roles before. Now that's duality! Before watching this show, I mentioned that I've seen some disappointing Gastons in past productions. They almost never strike the right balance of humor and villainy. He did it better than any I've ever seen!

The other lead actors in this show were quite enjoyable, too. Bobby Smith (a longtime favorite actor of mine) and Dylan Arredondo were side-splittingly funny and played off each other super well as Lumiere and Cogsworth. Despite their bickering, the two seemed like the best of chums and seemed to be having the time of their lives together. (I wished we could hear both of them sing more-- both have very pleasant voices and Bobby Smith is a talented dancer!)

Their scenes were always highlights, while they drag in some other productions. Like this production's Gaston, Smith didn't come across as inappropriately sexual or gross like Lumiere sometimes does, mostly just goofy. Not all of the silly comic bits blocked into these scenes worked, but enough did to make the audience laugh uproariously. And they gave a lightness to the potentially existential scenes in which the household objects contemplate their fates-- this version of the show felt more warm and light than those I've seen in the past.

Kelli Blackwell had a warm maternal presence as Mrs. Potts (and also played the ghostly figure of Belle's mother in the beginning of the show, too?) and sounded wonderful on the title song. Some of the other numbers seemed a little outside her alto range, though, and I wondered if she may have been losing her voice and had an off-night or if she usually struggled with those parts. I had an understudy for the role of Madame de la Grande Bouche, a bit disappointing at first because she's normally played by another one of my favorite local actors (Tracy Lynn Olivera), but understudy Erica Leigh Hansen sounded absolutely gorgeous on those operatic high notes!

The whole ensemble seemed to be having a blast, interacting with each other in fun and creative ways. One highlight of the show was when the baker was chased offstage during the castle fight by cutlery wielding a giant baguette (a set piece previously used in "Be Our Guest") and screamed, "MARIE! THE BAGUETTE!" The cast had a LOT to do. It's a much smaller ensemble than I'm used to for this show, and many not only doubled as townspeople and household objects, they actually played multiple different household objects in one song.

Ensemble member Connor James Reilly stood out as the Enchantress, dancing gracefully on pointe. I do not know what pronouns Reilly uses, but I have never seen such a tall dancer on pointe before and the effect was cool. As a villager, Reilly appears to be selling puppets of the Beast. That raises an intriguing question: is the Beast a local urban legend? Is he the village's own version of the Bunnyman?

Unfortunately, the choreography in the show seemed a little simplistic and uneven, which is a shame because many of the cast members can DANCE! I would have liked a little more 'oomph!' from the long dance breaks built into this score. Another uneven theatrical element was the costumes. Some of them, like Belle's ballgown (which looks much better in person than in pictures) and the main household objects' baroque costumes, look fantastic. Some work in a simple but effective way, like Gaston and the villager's warm-toned color coding and the Beast's minimalist get-up. But the more minor household objects, which require very quick changes as they switch from costume to costume, have an amateurish and unfinished look to them.

I wrote another long, obsessive review of Creative Cauldron's Beauty and the Beast back in 2019, an even lower-budget production, and noted that despite awesome creative elements, they just had too many people and costumes for the very small performance space. I almost felt the opposite with this one: they sometimes didn't seem to have enough people to fill the stage. In some scenes, the emptiness seems to reinforce the loneliness that the Beast and sometimes Belle feel. In others, it just feels... unfinished. In both productions, the low budget sometimes showed, but so did the heart.

I did very much enjoy the simple set here, though. We're surrounded by the cavernous walls that represent the Beast's castle. In the castle scenes, a big staircase pops out of the wall and cobweb-covered chandeliers fall from the ceiling. (I guess Babette's not a very good feather duster.) In the village scenes, they retreat back into the set. The real crowning glory of the show was their imaginative take on the rose: a stained glass rose WINDOW. This worked beautifully-- because after all, how the heck is an audience going to be able to see a single rose petal fall from the mezzanine? The rose window lost panes as the show went on, like an ominously ticking countdown.

Although it didn't feel as big as a Broadway production, this show is imbued with the pure magic of theatre. Audiences young and old were clearly enjoying every minute while I was there. You will leave it feeling enchanted, invigorated, and maybe even empowered.

I mentioned before that I've always related more to the Beast than Belle. Heck, I even dressed up as a woman version of the Beast for AwesomeCon several years ago and posed for photos with every Belle I found. This was the first time I found myself putting myself in Belle's shoes, too. In this production, I felt like anyone can walk away feeling like they can be Belle, they can be the Beast, they can be anyone. Just don't be Gaston. That guy's a doofus. This tale as old as time has taken on new life and feels more universal and more magical than ever!

[literary-illuminati]

Book Review 70 – American Psycho by Brett Easton Ellis

I’m honestly not sure I ever would have gotten around to reading this on my own, but ended up buying it through the ‘blind date with a book’ thing a bookstore in New York was doing when I was visiting (incredible gimmick, for the record). The fact that it then took me a solid three months to actually finish probably tells you something about how genuinely difficult a read I found it. Not in the sense of being bad, but just legitimately difficult to stomach at points. Overall I’d call it a real triumph of literature.

Not that anyone doesn’t already know, but; the book is spent inside the head of Patrick Bateman, high-flying wall street trader and Harvard blueblood at the close of the Reagan era. Also a serial killer. The story is told as a series of more or less disconnected vignettes, jumping from dinner conversations at one exclusive bar or club or another to the brutal torture and murder of a sex worker to several pages of incredibly vapid pontification on Nina Simone’s discography. The story vaguely tracks Bateman growing ever-more alienated and out of control as the year goes on, but there’s very much not any real single narrative or cathartic climax here. - most stuff just happens (stuff that’s either incredibly tedious or utterly nauseating by turns but still just, stuff).

So yeah this is an intensely literary work (obviously), a word I’m here using to mean one that is as much about the form and style of the writing as about the actual events portrayed. Bateman is a monster, but more than that he’s just an utterly boring and tedious husk of a man, traits which are exaggerated to the point of being fascinating– if you told this story in conventional third person narration without all the weird asides, it would be a) like half as long and b) totally worthless. The tonal whiplash of going from an incredibly visceral depiction of Bateman cutting out the eyes of a homeless man to six (utterly insipid) pages on the merits of The Doors is the selling point here (well actually I think Ellis goes back to that specific well probably one time too many, but in general I mean).

Bateman is a tedious, unstable monster, but as far as the book has an obvious thesis it’s that he differs from the rest of his social milieu only in degree. A symptom of a fundamentally rotten society, not a heroic devil among sheep. The book’s climax, such as it is, involved Bateman getting into a drug-fueled gunfight with the NYPD, shooting multiple people in the middle of the street, and then stumbling home and leaving a rambling confession to every crime on his lawyer’s answering machine – but despite very clearly wanting and trying to get caught and face some sort of consequence or justice, people just refuse to believe that someone like him is capable of anything like that. (It’s not, it must be said, an especially subtle book).

There is, as far as I can recall, not a single character who gets enough screentime to give an idea of their personality who I’d call likeable. Sympathetic, sure, but that’s mostly because it’s pretty much impossible not to sympathize with someone getting horrifically tortured and torn apart (at one point a starving rat is involved). The upper crust of New York yuppie-dom is portrayed as shallow and vapid, casually bigoted towards quite literally everyone who isn’t identical to them, status-obsessed to the point of only being able to understand the world as a collection of markers of class and coolness, and totally incapable of real human connection. Bateman is a monster not because of any freak abnormality, but just because he takes all of that a few steps further than his coworkers.

The book is totally serious and straight-faced in its presentation, and absolutely never acknowledges any of the running gags that are kept up through it. Which shows impressive restraint, and also means that none of them exactly have a payoff or a punchline – it’s just a feature of the world that all the expensive meals at trendy restaurants everyone competes for tables at sound disgusting when you think about them for a moment, or that the whole class of wall street trader guy are so entirely interchangeable that ostensible close friends and coworkers constantly mistake each other for other traders and no one particularly cares. Or – and I’m taking this on faith because fuck knows I’ve got no idea what any of the brands people are wearing are – that the ruinously expensive outfits everyone spends so very much time and money on for every engagement all clash comically if you actually looked up what the different pieces looked like. The book’s in no way really a comedy, so the jokes sit a bit oddly, but they’re still overall pretty funny, at least to me.

I like to think I have something of a strong stomach for unpleasant material in books, but this was the first work of fiction that I had genuine trouble reading for content reasons in I can’t even remember. I’m not sure it’s exactly right to call the violence pornographic in a general sense, but as far as American Psycho goes the register and tone Bateman uses to describe fucking a woman and torturing her to death are basically identical (and told in similarly explicit detail), and all of Bateman’s sexual fantasies are more or less explicitly just porn scenes he wants to recreate, so. Regardless, the result’s pretty alienating in both cases – his internal monologue never really feels anything but detached and almost bored as he relays what he does, sound exactly as vapid and alienated as when he is carefully listing the exact brands and designers every person he ever interacts with is wearing at all times, or arguing over dinner reservations for hours on end with his friends and lovers (though both those terms probably deserve heavy airquotes around them). He legitimately sounds considerably more engaged when talking about arguing over sartorial etiquette. It all adds up to a really strong alienating effect.

Anyways, speaking of sex and violence – perhaps because my main exposure to the story before this was tumblr making memes out of scenes from the movie, but I was pretty shocked by just how explicitly awful Patrick is ‘on screen’. The horrible murder, sure, but also just the casual and frequent use of racist and homophobic slurs, the pathological misogyny, the total breakdown he has at the idea of a gay man being attracted to him and thinking he might reciprocate – all of these are entirely in character for an asshole Wall Street ‘80s Guy even if he wasn’t a serial killer, but it’s still oddly shocking at first to see it so thoroughly represented on the page. It makes how comparatively soft-pedaled the bigotry and just, awfulness, of villains in a lot of more modern books stand out a lot more, I suppose? I have read a lot of books that are in some sense About queerness and/or racism in the last year, and no one in any of them holds a candle to good old Patrick Bateman.

Part of that is just the book being so intensely of its time, I suppose. The New York of this book is very much one of the late ‘80s, incredible wealth living side by side with social rot and decay, crippling poverty everywhere and a society that has to a great degree just stopped caring. Absolutely none of which Bateman or any of his peers care one bit about, of course – they’re too busy showing off the latest walkmans and record players, going to the newest clubs, and just generally enjoying all the fruits of Reagan’s America. Recent history has made the fact that Bateman’s personal idol is Donald Trump almost too on the nose to be interesting, but in 1991 I’m sure it was a bit more subtle in how telling it was.

Anyway, yeah, horrifying and exhausting read, triumph of literature, my god did Easton Ellis hate America (this is a compliment). Now time to go watch the movie!