#the lying game book review

[allthingsnerd01]

What’s Up Y’all!

Its been a while, but I am BACK! Life got a little bit hectic, but I wanted to make sure that I got back to doing what I love and that is reading and reviewing books, movies, and even board games! While I never stopped reading, writing definitely took a back burner for a while, so rather than simply going through and writing MASSIVE amounts of reviews for all the books I have read in the last 9 months, I am going to add a list down below of some of the things that I have read and LOVED recently. I would love to hear your thoughts on them!

THE INHERITANCE GAMES TRILOGY - JENNIFER LYNN BARNES

A COURT OF THORNS AND ROSES SERIES - SARAH J MAAS

ONE OF US IS LYING TRILOGY - KAREN M. MCMANUS

THE PERCY JACKSON SERIES - RICK RIORDAN

THE HOUSEMAID DUOLOGY - FREIDA MCFADDEN

THE COWORKER - FREIDA MCFADDEN

MANACLED - HARRY POTTER FANFICTION BY SENLINYU

THE MINDFUCK SERIES - S.T. ABBY

THE INMATE - FREIDA MCFADDEN

THE GIVER SERIES - LOIS LOWRY

CHAOS WALKING TRILOGY - PATRICK NESS

… AND SO MANY MORE!

What are you currently reading or what have you read recently that you absolutely love?

[csuitebitches]

Things I Have to do for My Sanity

1. Wake up at the first alarm - no snoozing and no going lying around in bed. Getting up straight away and head to the bathroom. It’s going to suck initially but you’ll get used to it in a few days.

2. Mental self care: 30 minute meditation, brain games mental math, reading, news. Knowledge is sexy and don’t deny yourself sexiness.

3. Daily review in my diary at the beginning and end of my day: what went well, what didn’t, what I need to accomplish to achieve my goals. This has tremendously helped my goals and keeping my motivation more consistent, especially at work. Analysing and correcting incremental changes creates long term success.

4. Cleaning up before bed - clothes, shoes, organising my bag, etc. I set a timer for 5 minutes and try to get as much done as possible.

5. Pick out my clothes the night before and steam iron them for the next day.

6. Face masks twice a week, a hair mask once a week, I scrub the soles of my feet with that foot scrubbing thingy once a week. Manicures every month because my nail beds are too sensitive to do it biweekly, iron supplements so that I’m not a moody bitch. Matching underwear to feel good about myself. Lavender spray on my pillow before sleeping so that I don’t get weird dreams.

7. Reading biographies and autobiographies. My mentor had suggested this to me and it’s amazing how literally I don’t have a single original experience - everything I’ve felt or mistakes I’ve made have already been done by someone else.

I’m going to curate a list of business books that I feel that have helped me the most recently.

8. I write a short essay everyday in the language I’m currently learning. I also end my day by talking about my day for at least 2 minutes in that language and I record it in voice memos to keep a track of my progress. I want to be fluent to a level where I can think in this language.

✨

I don’t generally share a lot about my personal life - none of you know my name or where I’m based and I feel comfortable doing that. But I do want to start giving out more insights to what I’m doing personally in my career - the good, the bad, the ugly.

Being self aware and honest to myself has helped me improve a lot. I know that shame is my Achilles heel, so now I’m reading books to combat that. I’ve caved in and decided to try therapy for a bit to see if what I’m doing is useful or not. My first session is tomorrow. Staying disciplined was my initial hurdle but the systems I’ve set (waking up early + habit stacking) have helped me slowly overcome that.

Work side, I’ve started establishing myself publicly more. I don’t want to reveal too much about what I do exactly but the good news is that our biggest competitor has noticed my progress (a former employee of that company came to us for an interview and directly asked our top management about me). It’s been 4 months that I’ve been working here but I know that next year I really have to swing the bat and hit a home run. I’ve decided to work on the field more and less in the office to really understand people’s needs and create unique solutions.

The daily/weekly/quarterly diary is definitely credited to my recent wins. That’s the biggest change I’ve made in my routine and i can already see that it’s working well. I’m going to continue refining and implementing that method.

Recent work methods I’ve decided to start working on (I’m not required to do these but I do it for my growth):

1. I’ve started studying popular companies’ business and revenue models in detail. Everything is adoptable and adaptable, you just have to figure out how to tweak something for your company’s clients and needs. Now I’ve decided that I want to keep a track of our competitors, their business models, their owners names, pricing strategy, their target audience etc etc on an excel sheet so that I’m aware with what’s happening in the market. 

2. I’ve started making client profiles. Every time I meet a client, I note down their name, the company name, what they were like, anything specific they seemed to like or want, how much they had paid us for a service, what their paying capacity could be, etc. 

[sweetkpopmusings]

wonwoo boyfriend headcanons <3

a/n: i am vibrating from how much cold brew i consumed on an empty stomach so i'm writing this in hopes of wonwoo thoughts calming me down but honestly i'll just end up crying <3 pics not mine~

content: fluff | wc: 1.4k | warnings: none! | pairing: boyfriend!wonwoo x gn!reader | requests: open

wonwoo is the love of my life actually. it's scientifically proven and peer-reviewed that i love and adore him with all my heart and soul, so this post is going to be long and filled with my love for him <3

sweetest softest most loving boy in the world <3

he's the type of person to show love through small, tender gestures and actions

loves playing with your hands

i can very clearly see him lying in bed, grabbing your hand delicately, and twiddling with your fingers while you both watch tv/read/scroll on your phones

he also does this absentmindedly when he’s thinking

he may be lost in thought but that doesn’t mean he’s unaware of your presence <3

your presence actually helps him think more clearly :-(

he'll always come to you with questions or problems he needs to work through because just talking to you helps him sort out his thoughts and he knows you'll always offer support and advice

he will call you or send you voice messages about this when he's away too

you are always always always on his mind

and he never lets you forget it

wonwoo so clearly loves you with every little thing he does

even the unconscious ones

walking on the outer part of the sidewalk so you're farther away from vehicles, putting his hand over your head when you enter a car, getting two of a drink/snack so you can have some, tidying up your area of the bathroom counter, and so on

taking care of you is his second nature :-((

sometimes wonwoo just stares at you with complete wonder in his eyes because he can't believe you're real

when you catch him doing it and ask if there's something on your face he just shakes his head and says in tiny "oh no it's nothing"

he looks down to his hands and he's blushing SO much and fighting back a lil smile because he's overwhelmed by how much he loves you i'm screaming

if you push up his glasses when they start to slip or straighten the collar of his shirt or fix a loose strand of his hair he will absolutely lose it

you broke his brain like he doesn't know how to contain himself when you do kind gestures like that

he's muttering and stuttering "thank you" over and over again

he's so cute and flustered so you just give him a lil kiss or pat on the head and he goes completely silent and his eyes are literally sparkling with his love for you

no thoughts head empty except for his love for you <3

wonwoo is a big big BIG fan of quality time

he adores doing things with you, and he equally adores sharing space with you as you both do your respective things

if y'all are in the living room reading different books but cuddled together on the couch, wonwoo is genuinely in heaven

he also loves having you around while he games. like if you're in his vicinity he's so at peace even when his emotions are at an all-time high during the game

and he loves just hanging out while you're doing something you love !!

he simply loves your physical proximity (or digital if he's touring/you're traveling and y'all just facetime or call while doing your own things like cooking or working)

he will let you know when he wants your undivided attention though

often he will do this by biting your shoulder :,-)

you could be making tea in the kitchen and wonwoo will walk up and give you a backhug and gently bite your shoulder so you know that he wants you to look at him and talk to him i'm sobbing thinking about this

and he's so content talking about the smallest things with you :-(

after he bites your shoulder he hums "what're you doing?" and you know he knows what you're doing but you love him so much so you answer "i'm making tea"

he proceeds to ask you lil questions about your tea, your mood, what you plan to do while drinking your tea the correct answer is "hang out with you, wonwoo"

he could actually listen to you talk for hours i'm not even kidding

he's obsessed with the sound of your voice and all the idiosyncrasies in your speech, gestures, etc

he starts picking them up and seventeen is like ?? when did you start saying/doing that ??

and then they meet you and go OHHHHHHHHH that's what it was

after that they will point out every time he acts/speaks like you and he gets a lil embarrassed but also his heart swells because he loves that you've become such a huge part of him <33

he strikes me as the kind of guy who likes to listen to podcasts with you

hear me out

walking around outside, there's a breeze in the air, you're holding hands, sharing headphones, and listening to a podcast about your shared interests

someone hold me i'm having a breakdown

he's so good at comforting you

he becomes so in tune with your emotions that whenever you come to him sad/angry/stressed/etc he is ready

even if he doesn't know exactly what to say, he will listen to you and support you however you need

he'll hold your hands in his while you speak and maintain eye contact so you know you have his full attention

and whenever you cry he will gently wipe your tears away before grabbing tissues for you <3 and sitting with you while you settle yourself <3 and then he'll ask if you want water or anything to make you feel more at ease <3

he's also the absolute best at supporting you through all your successes

he is your BIGGEST fan

he'll always be proud of you and tells you that frequently because he thinks you're so amazing in whatever you do and he wants you to celebrate yourself as much as he celebrates you

he will be walking on cloud nine if you ever compliment a song/performance he's done

like if you like what he's doing that's more than enough for him to be satisfied with it

if he's ever insecure, you telling him all the wonderful things he does makes a world of difference

also so silly with you

he loves making comments that make you laugh

he gets the proudest smile on his face when he makes you laugh

he likes to whisper lil jokes or ad-libs to you when you're hanging out in a group

because he loves when you giggle or even laugh loudly at something he added to the conversation just for you

sometimes he'll make notes of a funny story or a joke he wants to tell you the next time he sees you :,-)

he also will keep notes (mentally or on his phone) of cool things he's learned so he can share them with you !!!

few things make him happier than the look on your face when he tells you something interesting <3

speaking of notes

wonwoo loves leaving handwritten ones for you

if he leaves before you wake up, he's putting a good morning note by your usual mug or your toothbrush so you see his encouraging message as soon as you start your day

if you're going to be apart for a while, he'll write longer notes or hide different little ones around your place so you can get surprise wonwoo words while he's away :-(

any notes you write him are kept safely with his things !!!

he keeps a special one in his wallet or phone case, so you are always with him and he takes it out and reads it when he misses you or is feeling sad even though he has it memorized

if you give him a gift based on the notes you two have written each other throughout your relationship, he WILL cry

he just loves sentiments like that <3 he's a sentimental guy and he likes to show you his love through things with meaning because he thinks it's the best way to convey how special you are to him

wonwoo loves you with everything he's got, and it's clear from the way he interacts with you on a daily basis that you are an important part of his life

no matter what, he's thinking of and caring for you because you make him feel so loved and cared for that he wants nothing more than to make you feel safe and adored <3

sorry i gotta go clutch my crocheted wonwoo plushie to my chest and cry because i love him so dearly :,-( i hope everyone gets the wonwoo they deserve <3

[echobx]

The Resort - Rudy Pankow × fem!reader

summary: y/n and Rudy haven't been together for a long while but he invited her to an OBX event

word count: 2.7k

warnings: semi-secret relationship at first, light miscommunication, meeting the parents, smut, p in v (protected), fluff

author's note: idk okay. I just wrote this and it's not edited bc it's 2am and I'm not gonna turn my laptop on now to actually edit this. but I hope there's something here for you to enjoy. it's also my first time writing rpf so please be brutal (/gen) with your reviews. this is also loosely based on the dream I had last night.

The heat hit your face like a punch to the gut as you stepped out of the screening room. Quickly you made your way over the palm tree lined path past the main building of the resort and towards the small cottage where Rudy and JD were staying. The key card Rudy had given you worked to much of your surprise without any issues, and when you stepped inside you could enjoy the cool air again.

You let your bag fall down next to the door and padded towards the noise the two men were making. Playing video games was their way of coming down from the long flight you had had.

“Hi,” you spoke up and sat down on the bed behind them. Jonathan turned his head for a second to smile but Rudy ignored your existence completely, which did annoy you a little, but you brushed it off as he was focused on the game.

“The screening was good, you guys did a good job with this season,” you said while letting your hand run over the soft fabric of the throw blanket.

“Yeah, was hard work,” JD replied quickly, but your eyes were trained on the back of Rudy's head, hair disheveled as always as he ignored your existence.

“Do you wanna do something later?” you asked sweetly and he paused the game to turn around and look at you.

“I'm trying to win a game here. Just go to the pool or something,” he told you rather harshly before getting back to his game, not even minding that JD was giving him a confused look. And your heart felt heavy at the rejection, but you left anyway, knowing when to not cross a line with him.

You decided to explore the resort by yourself. It wasn't how you had pictured this trip when he had invited you. You had thought he would spend every free minute with you, doing anything a new couple would do. But you should've guessed as much when he had booked your ticket for you to be seated on the opposite side of the aisle from you.

You couldn't be mad, even if you wanted to be, because the fact that you were there was more sign of his affection than anything you'd ever done. Especially considering that you still needed to keep your relationship secret.

So you spent your day walking along the beach, watching other guests play tennis and reading at the pool.

For dinner you had picked out a floor length dress with a waterfall back. You had bought it specifically for this trip. The purple satin sat perfectly on your body, accentuating every single curve and making you feel like you could actually belong into his world.

When you got to the restaurant most of the cast and their respective guests were already seated, including Rudy who looked at you for a moment, taking it all in before diverting his gaze back to Chase, who he'd been talking to. You'd be lying if you said it didn't hurt, but you couldn't let it show, so you took your seat far away from him and chatted with Madison instead. It was a nice dinner with lots of laughter and even more wine for you.

Before you could order dessert Rudy got up and pulled you away, towards your room, but he didn't step inside.

“Did I do something wrong?” you asked, your breath smelling of merlot.

“No, baby. It's just very stressful, and you know how the rules are,” he whispered while brushing a strand of hair from your face.

“Will you come inside?” you asked and he sighed, cupping your cheek in his large hand.

“You look very beautiful tonight,” he complimented you, not wanting to give you a straight answer.

“I’m so lonely without you.” You were basically begging him to give you any kind of affection, but he refused.

“You know we have the promo shoot tomorrow. I can't be late for that. I'm sorry, darling.” With a quick and gentle kiss to your lips he was gone, leaving you all alone once again.

You slept in, ordered a late brunch to your room and watched your favorite movie to fight the light hangover before you faced the sun. But once you did go outside you met up with Mariah and you talked for a while, she was accustomed to Madison's tight schedule around the release and filming rather quickly, but to you it was still difficult. Of course it was easier with your job being mostly remote with a handful of zoom meetings each month, but it was still something you needed to get used to.

That was your greatest fear when it came to dating Rudy, that people would call you a trophy girlfriend, someone who was only interested in his money. They had said the same thing about his ex, but he never really talked about her, so you couldn't be sure how much of it was true.

And still, you didn't want to spend this weekend working, not when it was such a beautiful place to be, even without your boyfriend being with you 24/7. He had to work and you were lucky to be there. That was just how it was.

You decided to skip dinner that night, just like you had breakfast and lunch, which didn't go unnoticed by Rudy who showed up at your door just as you were about to order in again.

“Why aren't you dressed?” he asked and you shrugged your shoulders and walked back into the room, wearing nothing but underwear and a bathrobe.

“I don't feel like sitting miles away from you, having to do small talk with people that think you'll replace me soon.”

“You know I wouldn't do that,” he argued, following you and pulling your back flush to his chest. “Will you please put something very pretty on and join me for this very boring dinner?”

“Will you sit next to me?” you whispered and he kissed your cheek.

“I'll make them change the seating chart.” He took his phone out and called the manager while you got ready, putting on light makeup and a short dark red dress.

“Stunning as always,” Rudy told you after you were done putting on your heels and you left for dinner.

Just like he had promised you were allowed to sit by his side, his hand on your thigh under the table half of the time, but his head as always turned to his friends to entertain them. That's just how he was and you loved him for it.

He didn't show too much affection when you were with others, maybe you should've picked up on that before but now it was glaringly obvious. It wasn't that he wanted to keep your love completely hidden, but by not showing it off too much he felt more secure in it. Especially because he didn't want you to experience all the bad sides that came with dating a popular actor like him. The fans could be rather viscous and he just wanted to protect you.

However, he still didn't want to stay over that night and you didn't understand why.

“There's this fan meet and greet tomorrow, and they want to do the full program,” he explained while leaning in your door and holding onto your fingers.

“Can I come? Watch you from the audience?” you smiled sweetly and he nodded.

“Maybe I'll even let you ask a question,” he flashed his brows a single time and you giggled.

“Mr. Pankow, I was wondering how such a handsome, smart and very delicious guy like you hasn't managed to lock down a pretty lady yet,” you pretended to hold a microphone out for him.

“Hmm, no comment,” he grinned and pulled you into a longing kiss. He tasted like whiskey and smelled like cedar. “Tomorrow night, I promise,” he whispered against your lips before stepping back into the hallway. “Sweet dreams, princess.”

“Goodnight, big shot,” you blew him another kiss, that he caught, before closing the door and getting ready for bed.

The next morning you found yourself chatting with a woman at the coffee machine at the breakfast buffet.

She was a true sweetheart of a lady, way better than your own mom but you didn't have the guts to tell her that, after all she was a stranger.

“My son works too much, that's why we decided to fly down here and meet him as a surprise,” she explained while waiting for her cappuccino.

“Oh, that's so sweet. What does he do?” you asked innocently.

“He's an actor, you probably don't know him though. I always say, one day he will get the big roles, but he says as long as he's doing something that he loves it's already perfect and I don't want to argue with that,” she laughed a little and took her coffee mug away to make space for your own.

“My boyfriend thinks similarly,” you nodded.

“What does he do?”

“I don't know if I'm allowed to say to be honest, with all those NDAs and stuff, who knows who's listening,” you smiled and she nodded.

“Yes, that's probably better. Are you alone? You could sit with us if you want to?” she offered and you didn't have the guts to turn her down.

The whole duration of the breakfast you talked about various things, including but not limited to your work and hobbies and all the things the woman and her husband told you about their life and especially all of their sons.

“I think if your boyfriend dumps you, I'll play matchmaker and see if my son wants you,” she laughed after you had mentioned the lack of affection you had experienced with Rudy over the past week leading up to the trip and now.

“Only if he's single too by then,” you point at her with a joking sincerity.

“Of course. Well, right now he's all in love, just like you,” she sighed happily. “Every time he calls me he doesn't want to stop talking about her, but have we gotten to meet her yet? No.”

“I'm sure he will get to it soon,” you assured her, but when your eyes fell to the clock on the wall you almost kicked the table over while jumping up.

“I'm so sorry, I have to go. I have a meeting in twenty minutes and I'm not even dressed for it yet. I'm so very sorry,” you apologized profusely but she let you go with a smile and a wish of good luck.

You got to the huge conference hall just in time for security to let you in with your VIP pass, but there were no more seats left so you decided to just stand on the sidelines.

You watched them all walk in, the interviewer announced everyone separately, and you couldn't help but holler a little as your boyfriend stepped onto the stage, his eyes snapping over to you and giving you a big smile.

He was charming and polite while trying to stay as professional as the interviewer and his friends let him. But the fans were more ruthless than that, asking rather specific questions about the plot of the show and you couldn't really follow them with most of it. But you loved to see him interact with them, the smiles he brought to their faces.

You didn't dare to step up and ask a question, not wanting to draw any attention to yourself, not more than he already was by staring at you half the time he looked into the audience.

“Are you in love?” a little girl, not older than ten asked him and Rudy chuckled.

“Maybe, but I don't think I should spill all my secrets today,” he replied and she nodded and gave him a salute that he reciprocated with a smile. Your heart was fluttering at his declaration. There wasn't really a plan on when you wanted to make it official, but you knew it would be his choice in the end and you'd support him either way.

“You had heart eyes all week, bro,” Chase clapped on his shoulder and Rudy let out a nervous chuckle.

“We'll see,” he replied swiftly and the interviewer took the cue to move on.

You waited until the fans had left the room before you made your way towards the back and into the hallway that led to the waiting room. Rudy whisked you away before you could step inside, pressing his body against yours in a deep kiss that robbed you of both breath and any sense of direction.

“What was that for?” you asked breathlessly, while holding into his chest and looking up at him.

“Because I was such a jerk two days ago, and because my parents are here and I kind of promised them they could meet you,” he tilted his head to the side as if to ask for permission and you nodded.

“I'd love to meet them.”

But what you hadn't expected was to look at the same two people you had shared your breakfast with. But they seemed just as surprised by it.

“What a lovely coincidence,” Rudy's mom took you in a hug.

“Fate or something,” you laughed softly and Rudy pulled you back into his side.

“You know each other?” he seemed more confused than you had ever seen him.

“We had breakfast together this morning,” you explained and he nodded.

“So I don't have to do all the introduction shit?” he grinned at you and you nodded.

Rudy's parents shared even more embarrassing stories with you know that they knew it was okay to do so, and although he tried to stop them at times, he really didn't seem to care. All that mattered to him was that the bunch of you got along, which was a success already.

“You know what I think is incredibly cute?” You looked up at him, his arm draped over your shoulders as he walked you to your room, so you could get ready for dinner that night.

Rudy smiled and you got lost in the blue of his eyes. “You gonna tell me soon or keep staring, beautiful?”

“The autographs and pictures. They are always so excited for it. And believe me I get it,” you sighed and opened the door to your room.

“Yeah? Where do you want it to go?” he teased, letting the door fall into the lock.

“What to go?” you ask while bending down to open the straps of your shoes.

“Where do you want me to sign my name, baby,” he growled and pressed himself against your ass.

“Everywhere,” you sighed while leaning up and against his chest.

That's how you found yourself in bed, riding him and playing with your tits.

“Oh, fuck!” You moaned and he smirked.

“We should name them,” Rudy rasped, sitting up to press himself fully against you. “Should give them some pretty names, like, perfect one and perfect two or something.”

You gave him a mischievous grin as the idea jumped your mind. “Jessie and James,” you giggled and he forced your hips to a stop, planting his feet in the mattress to be able to fuck you from below.

“You're so fucking crazy, baby. You know that?” he groaned, repeatedly hitting your g-spot with his thick and long cock.

“You should fuck me raw then,” you teased but he laughed, his thrusts growing sloppier the closer both of you got to your release.

“Soon, darling,” he sighed and quickly flipped you onto your back to fuck you harder and faster to your orgasm. And the way his cock massaged your insides made your eyes roll back with pleasure. Clamping down hard around him it only took a few more thrusts for him to finish too.

“Now I can make it official,” Rudy laughed through his heavy pants while lying by your side.

“What changed?” you asked, looking over at his sweaty body.

“I did,” he whispered and kissed you again before getting up and leaving for the bathroom. You didn't quite understand what he meant by it, but you took the compliment as what it was. Rudy was ready to show you off and you wouldn't have anything against it.

please don't copy and/or post my work onto other platforms! ~e©ho

taglist: @redhead1180 @spideysimpossiblegirl @drwstarkeyy @princessmaybank @ijustwantttoread @kys4-20 @immyowndefender @julczimozart @m2m2m2 @mochimms @itsme-again

[petermorwood]

How on earth did these goats get there?

*****

In reality the goats are lying on their sides on rocky ground, looking up at a crane-mounted camera. The photograph was taken some years ago, part of a series reconstructing Central European folk customs and traditions which have fallen from favour or are now prohibited.

This old-fashioned rural blood-sport was originally practiced in parts of Anatolia, Turkey, where the game was called keçi fırlatmak, and also in the Carpathian Alps of Romania, possibly imported during the Ottoman conquest. The name there was aruncarea caprei.

*****

The goats would have been coated in a strong adhesive traditionally distilled from pine resin.(represented pictorially here by darker patches of dye on the flanks) and were then thrown upwards towards a cliff or rock-face with makeshift catapults, often a primitive form of counterweight trebuchet assembled from wooden beams and weighted with rocks.

The game ended when the glue dried and lost adhesion, and the goats fell to their deaths. They were then cooked and eaten, their meat being valued like that of Spanish fighting bulls.

The meat of the last goat to fall (başarılı keçi or cea mai durabilă capră) was prized as a special delicacy and selected cuts from the legs of this particular “winner” goat were often smoked and dried into a kind of jerky.

*****

In his “Grandes Histoires Vraies d'un Voyageur le 1er Avril” (pub. Mensonges & Faussetés, Paris, 1871) French folk-historian, anthropologist and retired cavalry general Gilles-Etienne Gérârd wrote about witnessing a festival near Sighișoara, Transylvania, in 1868.

There he claims to have seen catapults improvised from jeunes arbres, très élastiques et souples - “very springy and flexible young trees” - which were drawn back with ropes and then released.

Bets were placed before the throw, and marks given afterwards, according to what way up the goats adhered and for how long. The reconstruction, with both goats upright, facing outward and still in place, shows what would have been a potential high score.

The practice has been officially banned in both countries since the late 1940s, but supposedly still occurred in more isolated areas up to the end of the 20th century. Wooden beams from which the catapults were constructed could easily be disguised as barn-rafters etc., and of course flexible trees were, and are, just trees.

*****

Gérârd’s book incorrectly calls the goat jerky “pastrami”, to which he gives the meaning "meat of preservation".

While pastrami may be a printing error for the Turkish word bastırma or the Romanian pastramă, both meaning “preserved meat”, at least one reviewer claims that Gérârd misunderstood his guide-translator, who would have been working from rural dialect to formal Romanian to scholarly French.

Since this jerky was considered a good-luck food for shepherds, mountaineers, steeplejacks and others whose work involved a risk of falling, Gérârd's assumption seems a reasonable one.

However, several critical comments on that review have dismissed its conclusion, claiming "no translator could be so clumsy", but in its defence, other comments point out confusion between slang usage in the same language.

One cites American and British English, noting that even before differences in spelling (tire / tyre, kerb / curb etc.) "guns" can mean biceps or firearms, "flat" can mean a deflated wheel or a place to live, "ass" can mean buttocks or donkey and adds, with undisguised relish, some of the more embarrassing examples.

This comment concludes that since the errors "usually make sense in context", Gérârd's misapprehension is entitled to the same respect.

*****

The good-luck aspect of the meat apparently extended to work which involved "falling safely", since its last known use was believed to be in ration packs issued to the 1. Hava İndirme Tugayı (1st Airborne Brigade) of the Turkish Army, immediately before the invasion of Cyprus in July 1974.

Nothing more recent has been officially recorded, because the presence of cameras near military bases or possible - and of course illegal - contests is strongly (sometimes forcefully) discouraged, and the sport’s very existence is increasingly dismissed as an urban or more correctly rural legend.

The official line taken by both Anatolian and Carpathian authorities is that it was only ever a joke played on tourists, similar to the Australian “Drop-bear”, the Scottish “Wild Haggis” and the North American “Jackalope”.

They dismiss the evidence of Gérârd’s personal observation as “a wild fable to encourage sales of his book”, “a city-dweller’s misinterpretation of country practices”, or even “the deliberate deception of a gullible foreigner by humorous peasants”.

And as for those paratroop ration packs, Turkish involvement in Cyprus is still such a delicate subject that the standard response remains “no comment”.

[artoatsblog]

What your favorite Nick toon says about you but it's EVERY Nick toon

Doug- When you were asked what you wanted for Christmas, you said "plan white bread."

Rugrats- You're a "90's kid" who wants the modern cartoon enjoyers to get off your lawn.

Hey Arnold-Same as Rugrats, but 5 time worse.

Rugrats (2021)- You only said this one to piss off the above two.

Ren & Stimpy- You're a gay man and all you OCs are ugly men who you need to kiss each other or else you'll die (This isn't an insult, you're the strongest member of our society.)

Rocko's modern life- You relate to at least one character way more than you would like to admit to others.

CatDog- Weird furry.

The angry beavers- Weird furry with taste.

Aaahh!!! Real monsters- You like the idea of Tim Burton's movies but your too cool to actually enjoy them, also your probably non-binary.

Kablam- As a kid you wanted to make something with this exact energy and now, you're a youtuber.

Oh Yeah! Cartoons- same as Kablam but you really miss Cosmo's old voice.

The wild Thornberry's- You worship the ground Tim Curry's walks on SO BAD.

Rocket power- Honest 90's kid.

SpongeBob SquarePants seasons 1-4- You're annoying about seasons 5+.

SpongeBob SquarePants seasons 5+- You know better than me about those people being annoying about seasons 5+.

As told by ginger- You were going to say Hey Arnold, but you didn't want to be lumped in with certain other people.

Action league now- You made at least five short films that look exactly like this.

Chalkzone- Your playlist for working out has the theme song for this show looped for five hours and nothing else.

The fairly oddparents- Your trans, and you hate no other person more than Elmer Hartman.

Invader Zim- You were a vary emo kid/teenager in the late 2000's (same, no shade)

Jimmy Neutron- you're really glad that that you picked the show in "Jimmy Timmy power hour" that wasn't made by an asshole.

All grown up- Come on guys "As told by ginger" is right there.

Avatar: the last airbender- I don't want to hear the lore of the fantasy book you wrote.

Avatar: the legend of Korra- Same as atla but You also made a LOT of shipping fanfics.

My life as a teenage robot- Transfem.

The X's- You don't exist, if you're going to go into the comments and say this is your favorite Nicktoon, you're lying.

El Tigre- This is just the good version of Danny Phantom.

Danny Phantom- That was a Joke don't yell at me.

Mr. meaty- You want this odd but cool type of puppetry to come back (if you thought I was going to make fun of this one your wrong.)

Tak and the power of Juju- Your enjoyment of this show is based entirely on the fact that you liked the games.

Back at the barnyard- Shitposter.

Fanboy and Chum Chum- Shitposter but awesome.

Catscratch- Yeah, I think Wayne Knight's voice is hot too.

The mighty B- Gay.

The penguins of Madagascar- I don't have a joke for this one I just think you have impactable taste.

Planet Sheen- You always wanted Jimmy Neutron to have more "Rawr XD" swag.

T.U.F.F puppy- You ether are Jerry Trainor, or you have a Jerry Trainor stan account.

Kung fu panda: legends of awesomeness- You have a three-hour lore video on this franchise, and I hope it does well.

Winx club- You wanted to help them get free from Netflix.

Robot and Monster- It may just be me, but I think you might enjoy Dan vs.

Teenage mutant ninja turtles (2012)- You don't like rise of the tmnt.

Rise of the teenage mutant ninja turtles- You don't like tmnt (2012).

Sanjay and Craig- You used to freak other kids out with your scabs.

Monsters vs aliens- You can deny Coverton's rizz (sorry).

Breadwinners- Your about to go into every cartoon reviewers house with a shit ton of water balloons.

Harvey Beaks- In the middle/late 2000's you were more of a cartoon network kid, you loved Cowder.

Pig, Goat, Banana, Cricket- Same as Harvey Beaks but with Flapjack instead of Cowder.

Bunsen is a beast- Your Elmer Hartman.

Welcome to the Wayne- You wrote at least one fanfic for the ending of this show.

The adventures of kid danger- We don't talk about this one.

Middle school Moguls- it's ok monster high is about to come to Nick for real.

The loud house- Your ether a sapphic girl or a straight guy with a DeviantArt account who needs to be punished.

The Casagrandes- Same as the loud house but with the added advantages, because if you have a DeviantArt account in this one you're more likely to have a normal relationship with your family.

It's pony- You don't hate the British as much as the rest of us.

Middlemost post- John trabbic III is such a bad ass name though, wait this show has Del the funky homosapien and Tony Hawk as guest stars, I might need to which this.

Star trek: prodigy- You really like Netflix original animated shows don't you.

Big Nate- You haven't read the books.

Monster high- You the perfect in-between of goth and prep.

Transformers: earthspark- Why does this show have better non-binary rep than most other shows...I mean they are called Transformers for a reason.

[batmanisagatewaydrug]

Hey! I work in a bookshop and quite frequently get asked by parents about Anna Huang or other ‘dark romance’ books which have become popular on tiktok. They often very clearly have no clue what they are and have been asked for them by the kid. I’m totally fine with that and each to their own but sometimes I get the question of whether they’re ‘appropriate’, today it was for a 14 year old. I never want to snitch because I’m sure I read the same when I was 14 but I also don’t know how to feel about lying. As someone who talks about sex ed, do you have any advice for talking to parents about books that depict sex explicitly (and with questions about ‘age appropriate-ness) and potentially what you normally recommend to and for teenagers that age, particularly in front of parents?

hey man, I'm gonna be so real with my take on this:

1.) parents don't need to know everything their kids are reading and 2.) if they're so worried about whether or not a book fits what they think is appropriate for their kids, there are... so many ways to do that. literally just google it, besties. read the synopsis. tiktok dark romances are not shy about what they're about.

and if they're right there in the store, odds are they can get their hands on a physical copy of bestseller Ana Huang's books and flip through to get a sense of what's going on. again, the romance genre is not subtle; catching points of concern will not be hard. your job as a bookseller is to get books in people's hands; the vetting process is up to them and that doesn't make you a liar, frankly.

a good canned response might be something like "a lot of teenagers like these books, and kids tend to be pretty good at knowing what kind of stories they're ready to read. if you're worried about it, maybe you can try reading some reviews of the book before you buy it or having a conversation with your kid about the content." no lies there, and kids really are stellar at just noping out of stories that aren't really landing on their wavelength. and on the flipside of that, kids are actually WAY MORE CAPABLE than many parents think of reading potentially upsetting stories and processing it just fine.

the last time I was teaching sex ed classes with my 4th-6th graders there was this darling boy on the older end of the group who LOVED reading romance novels, but on the day our class was talking about consent he told me very seriously that he thought the characters in his books were actually pretty bad at just talking to each other and how those kinds of relationship dynamics wouldn't be very good in real life. he was completely right! and totally aware that things he thought were interesting to read about weren't good role models! amazing!

for a 14 year old in particular, I think drawing hard boundaries around sex in books is frankly very silly. when I was in middle school the Hunger Games was being cheerfully recommended to every kid who walked into the library; if a 14 year old can read about a bunch of teens slaughtering each other in a state-sanctioned dystopian blood bath they can absolutely read about two people having dubiously written sex.

[dandelionsresilience]

Dandelion News - August 22-28

Like these weekly compilations? Tip me at $kaybarr1735 or check out my new(ly repurposed) Patreon!

1. Safari park welcomes flamingo chicks

“An animal park has said it is experiencing a "baby boom", including new flamingo chicks that have hatched. Longleat Safari Park in Wiltshire has also recently welcomed rare Amur tiger cubs and an endangered cotton top tamarin monkey baby. [… Flamingos] live 15-20 years in the wild, however in captivity and safe from predators, they can reach ages of 70 years.”

2. Golf clubs fight biodiversity loss

“The project aims to help green-keepers create havens for wildlife, particularly bees and butterflies, as well as introduce mowing methods to protect rare chalk grassland and encourage wildflowers. […] “Clubs doing this are seeing significant increases in pollinators, such as butterflies, without impeding the game."”

3. ‘We’ve got baby owls again’: how farming policy is helping English wildlife

“[In Abby Allen’s] lush Devon fields native cattle graze alongside 400-year-old hedgerows, with birds and butterflies enjoying the species-rich pasture. [… The Environmental Land Management Scheme] pays farmers for things such as planting hedges, sowing wildflowers for birds to feed on and leaving corners of their land wild for nature.”

4. $440 Million to Support Pregnant and New Moms, Infants, and Children through Voluntary Home Visiting Programs

“Through this program […] trained health workers […] provide support on breastfeeding, safe sleep for babies, learning and communications practices that promote early language development, developmental screening, getting children ready to succeed in school, and connecting with key services and resources in the community – like affordable childcare or job and educational opportunities. […] In addition, the [CDC] announced a new investment of $118.5 million, over five years, to 46 states [and] six territories […] to continue building the public health infrastructure to better identify and prevent pregnancy-related deaths.”

5. Endangered leopard frogs released into the wild

“More than a hundred leopard frogs have been released into the wild at Columbia National Wildlife Refuge in Washington state. Leopard frogs are endemic to North America but have been classed as endangered since 1999.”

6. Heat-based batteries are a surprisingly versatile tool

“[T]hermal energy storage [… is] expected to be more cost-effective than conventional lithium-ion batteries for storing cheap clean electricity over longer durations[….] Thermal storage systems take up less space per unit of energy stored than lithium-ion batteries do, [… and] can also deliver their stored energy without the efficiency losses that occur in converting electricity from [AC to DC and back].”

7. Dolly Parton is sending free books to children across 21 states — and around the world

“[In 21 states,] all children under the age of 5 can enroll to have books mailed to their homes monthly. […] Since the program started, books have been sent to more than 240 million to [sic] kids in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland and Australia.”

8. Biden-Harris Administration Awards $100 Million to Navigators Who Will Help Millions of Americans - Especially in Underserved Communities - Sign Up for Health Coverage

“The grants are part of a commitment of up to $500 million over five years - the longest grant period and financial commitment to date, and a critical boost for recruiting trusted local organizations to better connect with those who often face barriers to obtaining health care coverage. […] Navigators offer free assistance to people exploring health coverage options through HealthCare.gov, from reviewing available plans to assisting with eligibility and enrollment forms, and post-enrollment services such as using their coverage to get care.”

9. ‘Ultra-Accommodating’ Hotel Concept Goes Beyond ADA Accessible

“The property […] will feature wider hallways, larger guest rooms, easy access to elevators and other modifications that exceed the standards required under the [ADA]. Staff will be trained in disability etiquette, how to assist with mobility devices and provide various accommodations ranging from hearing aid loops to sensory-sensitive lighting. […] The location in San Antonio is expected to be the first — not the only one — developed under this concept.”

10. Melbourne zoo welcomes rare southern white rhino calf to the world

“Kipenzi and the new calf have been closely monitored this week, with mother and baby being kept in a secluded area accessible only to keepers while they get to know each other and bond. […] The calf has already been showing a forthright personality, snorting and stomping around his enclosure[….]”

August 15-21 news here | (all credit for images and written material can be found at the source linked; I don’t claim credit for anything but curating.)

[veneerandvelvet]

Im sorry

TW: mentions of de*th

“I really hate going to aunt Cressidas..” veneer said. Vivian smiled and turned to look at him “it’s only for a few hours sweetheart. But you know you can call us if you need us”

“You also have velvet with you, so you’ll be fine buddy” Vaughn said as he looked at his children through the review mirror” veneer turned and looked at velvet who was coloring in her coloring book velvet felt his eyes and turned to look at him and smiled

They pulled up in the driveway and got out of the car velvet helped her brother down and walked up to the front porch “just remember he has his oxygen and keep an eye on him because he likes to take it off”

Cressida looked at the twins and then back at Vivian “I’ll make sure he keeps it on. Do they have things to entertain themselves?” Vivian nodded “yes, they have coloring books and some games to play”

Vivian and Vaughn hugged and kissed their babies before heading off and pulling out of the driveway Cressida rolled her eyes and looked at the twins “get inside and go to the room, now!!” Velvet grabbed veneers hand and walked upstairs to the room “why does she hate us so much?” Veneer asked

Velvet looked at him and shrugged “I don’t know…hey, wanna play hide and seek?” Veneers eyes lit up and nodded his head “yeah! I’ll go hide first!” He took off to find a hiding spot as velvet counted he found an extra room and decided go to into it and hide.

“…7, 8, 9, 10! Ready or not here I come!” Velvet shouted and went to search for her brother she went to look for him in the bathroom when she heard it, CRASH! She heard glass shattering and it made her jump

All of a sudden she heard Cressida yelling “SON OF A BITCH WHAT WAS THAT?!” “Uh oh..” velvet said and she went to find her brother as Cressida stormed up the stairs “where is your mistake of a brother?!” Velvet looked at her “I-i don’t know…I’m trying to find him, we’re playing hide and seek…”

Cressida groaned in anger and pushed velvet aside “MOVE I’ll find him myself!!” She walked into the extra room and flipped on the light switch and saw veneer sitting there against the wall and next to him a broken vase

“You little rat!!” She walked towards him and snatched him up by his arm “aunt Cressida I’m sorry I-i didn’t mean to!!” She raised her hand and began beating away at him. velvet watched in horror as she began hitting him “aunt Cressida stop it!!” Cressida turned around and grabbed her and threw her in the room locking the door and continued to hit veneer tears flowing down his cheeks

Velvet pulled and pulled at the door “aunt Cressida please!!” She started crying once she heard her brother screaming and pleading her to stop, she sat in the corner covering her ears and tears streaming down her face “please stop please…” all of a sudden it got quiet and velvet tip toed out.

“Vennie..?” She saw her brother laying on the floor bloodied and bruised “he’ll be fine, get up veneer so we can clean you up before your parents get here.” Cressida demanded but he didn’t move. “He’s not moving..” velvet said. Cressida looked down at her beat up nephew “veneer. Get up!”

She grabbed him and he fell limp. Cressidas eyes widened as she felt him go limp. “No..no no” Cressida began to panic as she heard their parents pulling up “mommy! Daddy!” Velvet ran down stairs and outside to her parents and hugged Vaughn “hey sweetheart, where’s your brother?” Vivian asked

Velvet looked up at them with tears flowing down her face “velvet what happened?” Vaughn asked “aunt Cressida hit veneer and now he’s not moving!! I don’t think he’s breathing!” Vaughn and Vivian’s eyes widened and they ran into Cressida’s house.

They saw Cressida pacing back and forth and Vivian looked up the stairs and saw her little boy lying in the floor motionless “what did you do?” Vivian asked. Cressida looked at her sister and remained silent. “DAMMIT ANSWER HER CRESSIDA!!” Vivian walked by and ran up the stairs and picked up her son

“Vennie…please wake up…mommy’s here” Vivian said trying to get him to wake up. He didn’t budge and tears began to flow down her face “VAUGHN CALL 911!!” He reached for his phone and called them and he looked at Cressida “I’m not done with you”

Minutes passed and the paramedics were doing CPR trying to revive him. Vivian was crying and holding velvet in her arms. The paramedics looked at their parents and shook their head “he’s gone, I’m sorry.”

Vivian started uncontrollably crying and shaking and Vaughn held her as he began to cry too the police took Cressida in handcuffs and she turned to look at them

“Wait!” Cressida said. the cops stopped in their tracks…immediately Vaughn and Vivian looked at Cressida “I’m sorry” was all she said as the cops escorted her out.

[meri-l]

So, a review of Major Grom: The Game... (Yes, I went to see this movie twice because after the first time I had too many emotions and forgot half the movie).

The first time I saw it I had the impression that I was watching unrelated shots, but the second time it felt like a coherent movie. I can only assume I got that impression because of the abundance of characters and storylines. The movie constantly gives new plot twists, one cooler than the other. If "Major Grom: The Plague Doctor" told one story from the beginning to the end, then in Major Grom: The Game several stories are told, which are united in one only by the end of the movie.

When watching the movie you want to say: "Well Grom is suffering, maybe now everything will be fine", but the screenwriters do not agree with this. Tikhon Zhiznevskiyy (who plays Igor Grom) said that the character will experience a lot of pain and he was not lying (unfortunately).

If you were expecting this to be a comic book adaptation, you're wrong. But there are tons of references to "Major Grom: The Plague Doctor", "Grom: A Difficult Childhood", the comic book "Major Grom: The Game" and other Bubble comics too.

At the end, the movie left some mixed impressions. At the first viewing I thought that I was deceived especially at the end, but after the second viewing it seems to me that this story in the movie should end just like that. But I have a question: how in only two movies we reached the comic book arc "Igor Grom"?

And as an afterthought. In "The Game," one of the characters has a complete character change. He's not the same as in the comics, but it's so cool! I want to tell everyone what a psycho this character is and how much I like him, but that's only after the release of MGTG on the Internet. I hope that the movie will be translated into English, but unfortunately it may not happen considering that it's a movie from Russia. But let's hope so!

[drdemonprince]

Have you ever experienced like... positive imposter syndrome?

My job is a torment I have to endure to get rent + food money & medical coverage. I lied about my credentials to get it because it had a good medical plan. It's rather technically complex and I don't really understand it or care about it, just do the bare minimum to avoid getting fired.

Just had a performance review with my boss and she told me she was blown away by my skill, engagement, responsibility, and passion and wanted me to work on doing less and delegating more to my other coworkers because I'm taking on too many tasks.

So since I'm doing like, nothing, now I feel like I am a master of deception who could work anywhere and trick a manager into thinking I'm working hard and enjoying it regardless of my competence or passion.

Instead of the classic anxiety of imposter syndrome "I don't know what I'm doing and someone could find out I am a fraud at any moment" it's this empowering and egomaniacal "I've been masking since childhood and I'm so good at lying I could work anywhere and nobody would notice I don't know what I'm doing."

I experience this every day and I have tried explaining it to my coworkers who are afraid to do so much as turn down a meeting invitation and they just don't get it! I have combined my lack of affective empathy with my talent for masking and my Autistic adeptness at pattern recognition to create a system of subterfuge, diplomatic truth-telling, and strategic planning that allows me to ascend the ranks of now two professional fields while doing relatively fuck all. it's fucking crazy dude. i wish i could bottle this arrogance and shrewdness and hand it over to all my friends and loved ones. when i see people getting punished or losing their jobs for being honest or after working their asses to the bone it just... makes me so sad. we have so much power that we are conditioned to never ever harness. granted, a lot of my experience does come from my numerous privileges, and not everyone can play the specific game that i am playing. but i see many people not even realizing there's a toolkit of strategies they could adopt and make work for them. I hope my next book on Autism can tackle much of this.

[thechaoticreader]

10 More Booktok Books I Refuse To Read

Why am I doing this again? Well, I'm a bitch and feel like I've been rating books very highly lately so I need an outlet for the hater energy. Trying to keep the blog chaotic neutral!

*Disclaimer: If you like any of these books, slay! I'm happy for you! These are just my own consumer choices, and imo negative book reviews are just as helpful as positive ones!*

1. Twisted Love (& Series)

will HATE the love intrest

heard its a little incelly

too straight for my gay ass

as an Anna, I cannot condone this spelling so out of principle I will not read her books <3

2. The Fine Print (& Series)

Crusty billionaires aren't sexy

I repeat its too straight for my gay ass

I was born on December 5th which is the same day Walt Disney died and idk I just feel weird about it

eat the rich

I've had another one of Lauren Ashers books on my TBR for like a year and I keep putting off reading it (even tho its about F1 and Im obsessed with F1) so theres no hope of me reading and enjoying one about something I dont care about

3. A Little Life

I have enough mental illness without reading this book

I have enough queer trauma without reading this book

I'm not okay enough to read this book

Seriously though, this would be way too triggering for me and im chosing to prioritize my mental health over reading popular and critically acclaimed works (you all should too <3)

4. One Of Us Is Lying

I don't typically like Y/A thrillers

generally doesnt intrest me -> im getting tired of thrillers and have started leaning towards straight up horror

I HATE the cover

5. Inheritance Games

I've been burnt out of this genre/type of book since the 2000s-2010s dystopian craze

my housemate hated it and I trust his opinion

6. Lightlark

...do I really need to say anything

7. House In The Cerulean Sea

white author profiting off of indigenous trauma

mishandling of indigenous genocide (i.e the 60's scoop)

paints the residential school system as "not that bad"

I know the above books haven't been that serious but this one absolutely is and I will link information and resources in the comments. I put this one so low because I know if it was first people would just skip this whole post and potentially not look into the history of why this book is problematic.

8. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

theres too much hype and i don't want to be dissapointed

9. The Love Hypothesis

galaxy leggings

I wont be able to overlook the cringy millenial humor

it will transport me back to 2016 (in a bad way...see above)

im too gay for that (I can be convinced to read bride tho👀)

10. From Blood and Ash

I have no good reasons tbh

the cover triggers my fight or flight

im not a series girlie (gender neutral) -> duologies are on thin ice

[reyreadersblog]

TIME FOR AUGUST READING WRAP UP (PART 1.)

Well summer ended like a week ago, so here is all the books i've read and my reviews of them.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

Never lie was the first book i read at the start of August and it was very easy quick and twisty read. Finshed it in a day, the dual POV was really fun and it added more tension to it.

However the plot twist was very unexpected, and that's not the reason i disliked it, the reason is that it didn't really make sense. I mean her whole monologue was lie...

Overall i did like the book, i'd say if you want something fast paced read it, but it was kind of a dissapointment tbh.

Raiting:⭐⭐⭐⭐.5

I LOVED THIS BOOK! It was so good! (Gave me major tig vibes)

I love any book that involves a kind of treasure hunt, and this book had added stakes with an inheritance hidden somewhere in the town. It was entertaining and very dramatic, although I wouldn't necessarily say that it was suspenseful, because it felt very over the top at lot of the time, so I wasn't exactly concerned with the characters' safety, if that makes sense. However, it is fast-paced and twisty, and I was excited to find out what was going to happen in the end. It had found family trope which i ADORE! It was so cute and fun to read about the team and what they went through in order to get the treasure. I also loved how many LGBTQ+ character were in the book.

The grieving part was done very realisticly, as someone who is going through grief rn, i fully realate to Lily.

This book was an example of how someone can take an inspiration from another author's work without fully coping them...*cough* Lauren Roberts *cough*

Raiting: ⭐

I love you Lynn Painter BUT WHAT WAS THIS😭😭😭

The main character was unlikable and obnoxious. She was not like other girls, she was just ✨quirky✨ and ✨different✨

The mmc was SUPERRR boring, liks his character revolved around being hot and rich, literally nothing more.

What did i like about this book? NOTHING.

Raiting:⭐.5

I can't tell you one thing that i liked about this book, tbh i read it because someone said it was about a heist and a game...and i'm all for that (the hunger games habit i can't get rid off😔) but oh well...it was not good.

More telling, less showing. The fmc always talked nonsense, i couldn't understand half of what she was saying.

I get that romance wasn't the main focus but it was...so dry, so boring...it felt like she saw someone with the same skin colour as her and ✨immediatly fell in love✨ and i'm not saying any hate or something, i'm a poc but it was done so poorly and unrealisticly.

Uhmm the plotholes???

The characters were just too insufferable for my liking.

I didn't feel connected to any of them.

The authour kepr describing every single detail like it depended on her dear life.

I wanted to dnf so bad but for some reason i kept believing it would get better...it did not.

THE ENDING WAS SO DRY?

Raiting: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The book was very disturbing but so so good!

Long story short it's about Ellery and Ezra are the Corocan twins, siblings that live every day hoping that their addict single mom Sadie Corocan comes home every night.

Usually she does.

But one night, Sadie crashes into a jewelry store while drunk and high. She's sent to rehab while the twins are sent to live with their maternal grandmother in the sleepy town of Echo Ridge

What love about Karen MCmanus' books is her writing. It's really interesting to read a mystery/thriller book with dual POV because occasionaly author drops clues and hints in each of their chapters.

very honestly speaking, this book was a thousand times better than One of Us is Lying. i was even one of the ones who really liked One of Us is Lying, and Two Can Keep a Secret was LEAGUES better.

one of the main things that really set Two Can Keep a Secret apart was the characters.

I loved the characters. I loved how cracked and broken they were. How they didn’t come from perfect families. How they made many, many mistakes. How they grieved for those they lost, but they also let it fuel their desire to find the killer. How they overcome their pasts.

This book has 2 plot twists, and the first one...did surprise me, i expected something better tho. THE SECOND ONE??? THE ENDING? Had me GAGGED and literally almost threw up.

Let me tell you.

The last line.

THE LAST FUCKING LINE.

*spoilers*

✨i thought she was your mother✨.

This woman dropped the most disturbing line in the book history and thought it was fine.

Overall, totally recommend🙏🏻👭

Raiting:⭐⭐⭐.5

I did like this one more than some of the others, but let's talk about its big turn-off: Brynn and Tripp. I love when a mystery book has romance subolot, tbh i can't read a book that has 0 romance in it, but it's kind of annoying when you can feel the author is forcing two characters towards each other.

Brynn and Tripp have no chemistry at all. One of them was in love with the other, then Brynn leaves town for five years and when she comes back they try to resolve this mystery in their life. One of them declares itself to the other, and the other thinks its look has improved with time. They kiss and then they live happily ever after.

What's the point, exactly? Why should they be together when they’re clearly better as friends? What’s supposed to happen now, they’ll have three fantastic months and then break up before college?

It was entertining but the "plot twist" was not it. Like what was the point? If you gave the book "that" kind of ending, what is the point?

Raiting:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

IDC THIS BOOK TRILLOGY WAS ABSOLUTE 6 STAR READ. (Go read it! Now!)

"Ash Princess is a trope-filled book with a very common story line. Theodosia, or Theo, was six years old when she witnessed her mother's (the queen) brutal murder and had her country conquered from her. In her country there are magical caves that run underneath the temples. For fire, air, earth and water. These are very sacred and only those who have proved themselves to the gods completely can go and get the magical gems. Now, Theo's people are forced to work as slaves in these mines and dig up the magical stones.

For ten years she has been living under the Kaiser and his brutal rule, living quietly and trying to please him to survive. All of that ends when she's forced to kill someone and her childhood friend comes and offers her an escape and make things right for their people. She's filled with hate and determination to take back her kingdom and avenge her mother and people."

The fmc in this book, Theodosia has become one of my favourite fmc! An example of fmc that doesn't need to be a bloodthirsty monster from the beggining to be considered as strong, mindful and brave.

CHECK THE TRIGGER WARNINGS!

Even tho it's YA there are some serious and heavy topics in this book so be aware of that!

THERE IS A FOUND FAMILY TROPE!

There is such cute and heart warming found family trope..*cough* with traumatised kids *cough*

I loved literally every character! (Well except for a few...)

LGBTQ+ REPRESENTATON OMGG!!!

The ROMANCE!!!

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA.

One of the main reasons i loved this book,

Oh no, my guys, this has a LOVE TRIANGLE!!! [cue the groans of every person on the planet] LISTEN, I know y'all hate love triangles and I DO TOO!! but this one is somehow bearable, even though it annoyed me a lot. It's like one of "those" love triangles where it's obvious who MMC is. Theo has feelings for the Prinz and her childhood friend, some dude, whose name I forgot, because I DON'T FUCKING SHIP THEM. He's a really good guy, but Prinz Soren and Theo all the way, bitch. Like, they're both good boys, but idk something about the Prinz, man. HE IS BLONDE TOO!! It's a slow burn + forbidden romance.

Overall, I LOVED THE BOOKS, IT'S ONE OF MY FAV READS OF THE YEAR, and if you like high fantasy with great world building + found family + strong character + lgbtq characters + feminism elements GO READ IT ASAP.

Well this is part one! Also not proof read so please don't mind the mistakes🙏🏻

[secretsandwritinggs]

What type of content would they do?

Demetri Alexopoulos - he would make DnD videos and reconstructing old computers with Eli. he would also give out suggestions like which PC is the best for different varieties. he might do some other gaming content but it’s not that popular as him tearing apart an old computer.

Miguel Diaz - he might do some vlogging with Johnny around the state of California or elsewhere, but he’s not clickbaity like some of the other YouTubers who would lie to their audience where they’re at. occasionally he would make an appearance on the other’s YouTube channels as well.

Robby Keene - he would upload gameplay from horror games or his reaction to new horror movies coming out. he’s a big horror and thriller enthusiast and, he got popular by playing Amanda the Adventurer. he would even play the games that his subscribers suggest in the comments of his videos.

Anthony LaRusso - he would also upload gameplay but it’s more of every single type of game since he doesn’t have a preference for a gaming style though he does have a consistent schedule when he’s posting. there will be a couple of live streams of the same game and he would make a playlist for that specific game.

Sam LaRusso - she would either be doing vlogs, book reviews, or have interviews (like a podcast). she would have Demetri, Eli, and Miguel over a lot for the podcast episodes where they’ll talk about a tv show and their opinions on it. for the book reviews, she has a wide variety of book genres for her viewers just in case if they’re not a big fan of horror or thriller like she is. she would have a consistent schedule as well so her viewers would know what day is for what.

Eli “Hawk” Moskowitz - most of his content is clips of the DnD campaigns and Sam’s podcast episodes, or that he makes a little bit of content by vlogging but that’s all to his channel. he tends to promote Sam’s channel a lot more because she uploads more frequently than Demetri does.

Kenny Payne - he has thought about making content but he didn’t want anyone to know that he was going to make some so he decided on making a VTuber model. he’s more comfortable playing with the model than showing his face (and Anthony found out about the model. No, Anthony didn’t tell anyone that Kenny had a VTuber model surprisingly).

Tory Nichols - she randomly pops in on Sam’s podcast episode to say a quick hello before going into Sam’s bedroom to sleep or whatever it is that she does in there. she doesn’t make content on YouTube because she doesn’t understand the jest of it.

The rumors about them:

Sam is either dating Miguel, Eli or Miguel and Eli

Demetri and Eli had a fling at some point

Tory is secretly a LaRusso somehow with “facts” to prove that she is

Anthony (Tony’s World) and Kenny (SGT Ramble) are friends or that they’re dating

Sam’s podcast episodes are staged instead of freeball like she claims (that has been proven false numerous times)

Anthony is cheating during his gameplay or lying about how many hours he has on the game

Anthony stealing Kenny’s content though they do not play the same games

Kenny being told he doesn’t have a father (which he shut down immediately after showing his father on LIVE once)

Sam got her tits done or anything else that would modify her body (has been confirmed that she did do something and it was to remove a large scar on her left leg after getting into a car accident when she was 7)

[kunikinnie]

Hi!

I love your writing, they are so sweet and in character.

Could I request a fic with Poe where the reader (not neceserally in a realationship yet) reads one of his books, and after finishing it he gives it back and inside there are a bunch of pieces of papers full of illustrations/fanarts of the book?

If you don't want to write it or you don't have time, that's okay too. Don't owerwork yourself. Have a nice day!

a/n: thIS IS SO SWEET omg I remember when @amenemisa drew a Kunikida based on one of my drabbles adfjaldfkja anw here's some pure fluff!!

note: GN!reader is NOT in a relationship yet

There was nothing special about a nervous and restless Poe pacing around his room for God knows how long. Anything and everything that could potentially trouble him could trigger such a reaction, although lately the list has been significantly reduced to only two topics - namely, his writings and his crush.

That is why in this current episode, his anxiety has unfortunately doubled in magnitude.

A few weeks ago, you had shown interest in reading one of his very own works (not that it was a rare occurrence - in fact you've repeated yourself dozens of times) and were about to return his book and share your thoughts on it.

Both the panic and excitement were so intense that Poe thought he'd literally split into two different people: the serious writer and the hopeless romantic. The former was ready to brood over possible criticism while the other was simply happy to see you in person again. The only thing the two halves could agree on was the stress from receiving anything, let alone a review on his work from you.

A servant knocked on his door and announced that a guest had arrived, but before he could mention the identity of the person Poe had already scurried to the receiving room.

"Can't believe you had your decor changed just for Y/N..."

Instead of you, a nonchalant young man surveying the room was comfortably lying on the couch.

"It's good to see you, Ranpo-kun," Poe genuinely gladly greeted him. "But what are you doing here now, of all times?"

"Yeah, about that..." He sat up and handed over a familiar leather-bound hardcover book. "Something came up so Y/N asked me to bring this to you. The review's inside."

All the fire from until that moment's fervor had been dampened with a mere few words. Still, just holding the physical manifestation of your thoughts prevented from the disappointment from setting in completely.

He opened the book to where not one, but a few sheets of loose paper were stuck in between. Upon noticing that some of the papers did not contain words, he frantically looked for the one that did explain or summarize whatever you wanted to say. It was a small sticky note at the back of the front cover.

I really enjoyed this! Couldn't help myself so I hope you don't mind :)

That alone tugged a small but stupid smile on his face. However, further examination of the other papers nearly made his heart burst.

The characters, key moments were familiar... was this fanart of his work...? Drawings? For his work? No one has ever done this before...

"Looks like you'll need more that a moment so I'll just go straight to your game- wait, don't cry on my cape! I just washed it!"

tagging: @stygianoir

[wit4writ]

PJO Episode 2 Detailed Review (Part 2/2)

Part 2 of my Episode 2 Review. Part 1 can be read here.

Three seconds of darkness, and we’re in another creepy nightmare, which quickly cuts to Percy in the cabin with Luke being the best exposition robot he can be, between talking about nightmares, explaining who his dad is, and GLORY.

We also meet Clarisse, who is amazing. She’s confident and terrifying, knocking over Percy like he’s nothing. This is great characterization in a few seconds, establishing her strength, her attitude, and her messing with Percy.

Then we’re back to exposition robots, as Luke’s friend (Chris?) tells Percy that Luke’s the best swordsman in camp. It would’ve been more effective if we had a demonstration of that. For that reason, I would’ve had the scene with Clarisse happen later at the training grounds. Percy’s rationale of getting his dad to notice him was sadly realistic, but it would’ve tied in with Luke’s whole GLORY bit without Clarisse being there, which is another reason I’d move Clarisse’s introduction.

I enjoyed the archery scene, but I would’ve cut the beginning with Luke talking. The blacksmithing scene was also good, but I would’ve added both scenes to a longer montage of Percy trying various activities and failing at them: losing footraces, accidentally pulling out strawberry plants instead of weeds, losing chess games (possibly with Annabeth, but any Athena kid would do), and getting trounced by Luke in a duel (with the Ares kids watching and Clarisse being introduced here).

I’d also want to show Percy excelling at canoeing but I’m not sure where I’d put it. (Maybe right before Luke and Percy duelling.) That way in the next scene where Percy’s having lunch, they can encourage him, “At least you didn’t suck at canoeing too,” or something along those lines.

The burnt offerings thing was more conversational, so it felt like a more natural way of sharing info compared to earlier.

The scene of Percy burning candy in the woods to talk to his mom was so sweet and gave us insight to his inner thoughts. However, I think it would’ve made more sense if Percy said, “I think I’m making friends here,” because at this point, he’s known Luke and Chris for a day and a half, so to assert they’re friends already seems fast.

Three seconds of darkness which we didn’t need later, Percy is being accosted by Clarisse. His line and the transition to the bathroom were good. The scene itself was slightly strange. We don’t know why Clarisse is so annoyed by Percy killing the Minotaur and why she’s so fixated on him admitting he’s lying. In the book, her motivation is “initiation”—she’s a bully and he’s fresh meat. We aren’t giving enough info on Clarisse here to understand where she’s coming from. I also didn’t like the scene happened at night with no one around, which I’ll touch on once we get to capture the flag.

The scene where he soaks Clarisse and the others is great, but it would’ve been more impactful if it was just a little longer, maybe with them trading insults.

Annabeth’s official introduction is next. The conversation with Percy asking if she’s stalking him and her admitting to watching him would’ve made more sense if Annabeth was sneakily in the background of previous scenes, or they cut to a shot of her observing him, him noticing, then the scene moving on. Her being in the infirmary that night makes her creepy, but not a stalker, as stalking is most often used to refer to a repeated pattern of behaviour.

Three second darkness transition (sigh) and Luke the exposition robot is introducing capture the flag and Annabeth as the head counselor of the Athena cabin. Sorry, but no. In a cabin full of high intellect, even if Annabeth is the best and most experienced among them, she is still twelve. Kids tend to create their own hierarchy based on age. I don’t see prideful, eighteen-year-old Athena kids being able to let her be in charge, no matter how good she is. Also, they should emphasize that Hermes and Athena cabins are allies, not a team, because “team” implies they’re always working together, which they very well may be, but that brings up questions of why.

Luke explaining the backstory was, again, exposition we could either cut or reframe. Also, we are told they have a relationship while having no evidence of that, which makes it seem less authentic. If we threaded small interactions of them throughout this, it would characterize them and their relationship.

We also get the “forbidden kid” exposition, which, again, would’ve benefited from being more concise. We could have also dropped hints about Thalia earlier on (referring to Thalia’s pine, etc.), so it didn’t come out of left field.

While it makes sense that Percy asks Luke about Annabeth’s motivations, it takes away agency from Annabeth, and makes her a passive part of her own story. It would’ve been interesting if Luke had stepped back, assuring him that Annabeth had her reasons, and allow her to tell him herself later.

The capture the flag beginning was amazing. It was good to see Luke and Percy talk and skip some of Chiron’s instructions, because we didn’t need to hear it. Annabeth and Luke interacting was great, so why didn’t we have more of it?  

Annabeth leading Percy to the lookout point felt like an actual character interaction, even with Percy rambling on how much he needs to impress his dad and Annabeth showing off her invisibility cap. A bit rough, but I’ll take it.

Three seconds of darkness (I DON’T LIKE THIS TRANSITION, IT FEELS SO CHOPPY) that we didn’t need later, Luke and his team have an incredible fight scene (it would’ve been great if his skills were shown at earlier, like I previously outlined) and after he says Percy will be ready, we get a great cut to Percy goofing off. This made me laugh, because this felt very in character, especially for a kid with ADHD. He’s alone and away from the action, he would get distracted.

Then Clarisse arrives, and her spear looks fantastic (Props to the prop master). This fight scene was good, but again, Clarisse’s motivation isn’t. In the book, she’s getting revenge here after being publicly humiliated during the bathroom incident, because everyone saw it happen and made fun of her for it. Here, it happens in the middle of the night, with no one around except Annabeth. Her revenge line makes much more sense if she got humiliated and wants payback, and is a stronger motivation then him admitting he’s a fake because she’s…jealous? Again, we’re not given enough insight to her motivation.

Percy also getting better at fighting once they were near the lake was hard to explain. In the book, it’s because he got in the water, which is hinted at earlier on. Now, he just so happens to be near the water and got better, so the reasoning behind his sudden athleticism becomes more confusing.

I’d also have Clarisse give him a parting line before just letting him go. Something like, “You get lucky this time.”   

Annabeth interacting with Percy after this would’ve been served by more dialogue to give her more characterization, like so:

// Percy: “You were here the whole time, and you didn’t help me?”

Annabeth: “I was going to, but honestly? You didn’t need it.”

She helps Percy up.

Percy: “Didn’t need it? I almost got sliced up!”

Annabeth: “But you didn’t.”

Percy: “No thanks to you.”

Annabeth stares at him, not saying anything.

Annabeth: “I’m sorry.”

Percy: “Really?”

Annabeth: “For this.”

She pushes him in the water. //

Percy getting claimed by Poseidon was the perfect, climatic moment for the episode to end on. The quest giving should have been pushed to the next episode, that way the episode literally starts with the fact that the quest is also starting. The quest giving bit also gave us more exposition robots in Chiron and Mr. D, where they talked at him instead of with him.

Percy initially refusing the quest made sense in character, but I didn’t understand why Chiron and Mr. D didn’t reveal the truth about his mom then. It seems strangely shortsighted of them to not realize this was the perfect motivation to get Percy to go on the quest. Also, I would’ve had a shot of Grover eavesdropping on Percy’s briefing beforehand to explain his sudden appearance.

Then, the fact his mom was alive, while being a great bombshell drop, took away from the moment of him getting claimed, which is another reason I’d push this to the next episode. Finally, if we’d only hinted at his mom being alive previously (as I outlined), the moment Percy finding out would have hit much harder.

We sacrificed more characters for the sake of info drops, this time Luke suffering the worse. As exposition robots, they felt one-dimensional, and the whole episode felt bloated and messy. There were good moments, but they were few and far between, and not enough to redeem the episode.

I don’t mind Annabeth figured out Percy’s parentage, but it would’ve been good to build to that, characterizing her through actions: have her observing his failures, etc., while also showing her relationship with Luke. Instead, she popped up at the beginning and the end, which was a weird choice since she’s one of the main characters.

No one explained all the heroes have ADHD and dyslexia. Is that not a thing in this world? It was a large part of the books, so I found it odd they skipped over that.

Overall, I liked episode two a lot less than episode one.

What are your thoughts on the episode? Should I keep writing these? Is one long post better or split into two?