#the toll review

[yilisbookclub]

"The Power of Now" is a book by Eckhart Tolle that explores the concept of living in the present moment and the benefits of doing so. The book is based on the premise that the present moment is the only moment that truly exists and that by focusing on the present, individuals can experience a higher level of consciousness, inner peace, and personal fulfillment.

Tolle argues that many individuals are trapped in negative thought patterns related to the past or the future, leading to stress, anxiety, and unhappiness. By learning to live in the present, individuals can break free from these patterns and experience a greater sense of peace and contentment.

The book offers practical advice on how to cultivate mindfulness and live in the present, including techniques for quieting the mind and becoming more aware of one's thoughts and emotions. It also addresses common obstacles to living in the present, such as the ego, fear, and the illusion of time.

[tilbageidanmark]

[ungoliantschilde]

Ride the Lightning, 1984.

Every aspect of this album was an improvement over Kill ‘Em All. The writing, the composition, and the variety of sound.

Fantastic album.

There was an error edition of the vinyl albums. A small number of the first printings were produced with a green hue. They’ve been bootlegged and copied. Original error editions are VERY valuable in the vinyl collector’s world.

The only single was “Creeping Death”, and it’s about the Israelites fleeing Egypt. Stoned Sour did a great cover of it. Great, great track.

My picks for the best are basically Metallica’s signature song, “For Whom the Bell Tolls” and “Fade to Black”.

“For Whom the Bell Tolls” is the song you’re going to expect when you see them live, and be fucking pissed if they don’t play it. Cliff Burton’s bass chromatic intro is based on what got him hired by the band. It’s… iconic.

“Fade to Black” is the perfect example of them broadening their musical tastes. The acoustic intro was initially derided by the hardcore fans. This climactic ode to suicide is one of their best.

[tacoma-narrows]

another number since this is fun

55 !

55! Fly Around by Bill Wurtz!

Congratulations! You hit a Not Flickerstick song! lol. I went on a big Bill Wurtz kick again in the late summer so he's got a number of songs sprinkled throughout the lower half of my list :3

[romy350-romyakari]

I was planning for Ephemer week for a while but between classes it is just me making each piece for the day the same day

I know it's not my A game and stuff but the love is there as I want to do this and try no to be too hard on myself bc yeah I want to have fun.

School was asking me for so much to be right and I am glad we got some break time to rest.

It is fine if some come a bit messy but as long as I had fun and a laugh it is good enough in this case because this is for me and to celebrate Ephemer.

[mirireads]

𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐄𝐋𝐋 𝐓𝐎𝐋𝐋𝐒 • 𝐚 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰

general info

author: Everythursday fandom: harry potter pairing: draco malfoy/hermione granger chapters: 20 rated: M/E potential triggers: death, gore, torture, sexual content, mention of rape

𝐖𝐎𝐔𝐋𝐃 𝐈 𝐑𝐄𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐃: 𝐲𝐞𝐬

As a Dark revival begins to rise four years after the war, Hermione Granger is placed on the assignment of putting an end to them - and her first task is to recruit the Ministry's best hope and last option in the form of Draco Malfoy.

i'm going to start this review on a slightly dramatic note: this is. my favorite dramione fanfiction to date. in all honesty, i totally see that changing as i read more by sage (aka everythursday). as it stands no, though, this fic absolutely blew me away. i am especially fond of the whole ministry-employee-hermione-tasked-with-draco's-case trope and sage is just an incredible writer who spends time developing a slow-burning progression from hatred, forgiveness, friendship, to eventual romance, so this whole fic felt like it had my name written all over it. it. is book length at a whopping 413 pages...and i still finished it in under 24 hours.

every single character, but especially draco and hermione, is just so perfectly written and true to the source. the plot just pulls you in, too; i found myself on the edge of my seat reading about the revival's plans and intentions. and the romance, the ROMANCE! so well-developed and beautifully written. i literally had butterflies in my stomach while reading. i find it hard to overstate this fic. if you like plot and romance, slowburn, and a draco redemption that actually takes a long time, this is absolutely the fic for you.

the only negative thing i can say is that i wish it was l longer and the ending is a bit abrupt. please read this fic.

[hearts4maya]

I FINISHED THUNDERHEAD LAST NIGHT 😭😭😭😭

it feels like someone has shattered my heart and buried the pieces somewhere i can’t find.

i feel empty and broken 😭 but at the same time, I MADE MY HEART BEAT 1000 BPS 🫣

i’m gonna wait around 30 minutes before i start The Toll, i feel like i just need to comprehend and accept what the actual hell just happened in Thunderhead.

i think it was 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

DEFINITELY 👍🏾

[acourtofpaperandink]

Book Review: The Toll (Arc of a Scythe Series) By: Neal Shusterman

Post by: LoisLibrarian Scythe (Book 1) Thunderhead (Book 2) The Toll (Book 3) By Neal Shusterman Cover: It’s not my favorite cover, but I do think it fits the book decently. It doesn’t capture the whole story, but does give you a part of it. Story: ★★★★ So, I struggled a bit with this book. The plot itself was good and interesting, but something about the way the story was told made it hard for…

[jessryno]

Book Review: The Toll (Arc of a Scythe Series) By: Neal Shusterman

Post by: LoisLibrarian Scythe (Book 1) Thunderhead (Book 2) The Toll (Book 3) By Neal Shusterman Cover: It’s not my favorite cover, but I do think it fits the book decently. It doesn’t capture the whole story, but does give you a part of it. Story: ★★★★ So, I struggled a bit with this book. The plot itself was good and interesting, but something about the way the story was told made it hard for…

[frangipani-wanderlust]

Tales From Dispatch, Pt. 33

(call comes in on 911) ME: 911, what is the address of the emergency? CALLER: Hello! This is Devin calling for our valued Americard member-- ME: I'm sorry. You've reached 911. Do you have an emergency? CALLER: ...No. Not calling for 911. I am calling for our valued Americard member-- ME:(realizing that a spam telemarketer has gotten to 911 by mistake) No. This is 911 in Metro County. What is the address of the emergency? CALLER: *hangs up*

[supitsgdo]

Book review: Arc of a Scythe by Neal Shusterman

Rating:

Scythe - 4⭐️

Thunderhead - 5⭐️

The Toll - 5⭐️

Gleanings - 4,5⭐️

(Scythe) Very different and futuristic concept that deals with interesting topics. Humanity has achieved immortality due to artificial intelligence, but has to control the population somehow. And for that they have created the Scythes, a group of humans who kill or glean (as they prefer to call it) the citizens. Although they want to get rid of the human characteristics from the time of the age of mortality, they don't see themselves getting rid of them now. So it is interesting to see how the author talks about politics, morality and common sense of people, and also mortality, wrapped up in small disputes that offer us an original reading.

(Thunderhead) OH MY F*** GOD! In this book it is utterly clear how thorough the author was when creating this world. It's a simply amazing piece of work. Yes, it has a somewhat slow pace. But it's on purpose, and has been so since the first book. And I understand that for certain people that might not be ideal, but I think it suits this particular book like a glove. And my goodness, this ending was the cherry on top of the cake. What it made me feel, many books don't even come close to achieving.

(The Toll) Woaw, what a ride!!! What an unexpected but genius ending that does justice to the plot that was built up throughout the books. I'm not even going to say much more.

(Gleanings) I think my opinion is biased. I was reading and I was reminiscing about the other books. I just love the opportunity of having more short stories, knowing extra things to connect the dots, it's just so wholesome. I don't know what to say more.

[fellhellion]

im kidding but also like. holding that baby really did rejuvate miguel lmao. genuinely very funny that getting ribbed by peter and chilling out w mayday for two minutes reset his entire roiling emotional state back into equilibrium and like. from there miguel reapproaches explaining canon to miles w more patience and empathy which that conversation actually deserved.

[jonberry555]

Hamster and Gretel Episode 15 - For Whom the Belle Trolls / An Arthouse Divided REVIEW

My Review of Hamster and Gretel created by Dan Povenmire Episode 15A For Whom the Belle Trolls and Episode 15B An Arthouse Divided.

[ungoliantschilde]

“For Whom the Bell Tolls”, live 1985.

[tacoma-narrows]

aaaand 16

16! Lift (With Love We Will Survive), also by Flickerstick!

Don't be surprised that Flickerstick is a lot of these, they take up almost half of my top hundred lmao. I'm surprised this one's this high up tho since it's not one of my go-to's from Welcoming Home the Astronauts, but ig that just goes to show how much I listened to that album this year lol

[bookishlifeofal]

book #47: The Power of Now (Eckhart Tolle)

I planned on doing book reviews and use this blog extensively, but for days I've been doing nothing. Then just today I recognized how nice it would be to see reviews of things I read five or ten years into the future, when I will have read much, much more and will know better than I do now. And then I can pride myself with how far I've come and all...motivational stuff, you know.

First: Why did I read the book?

I saw it on the desk of a friend and in its German translation (Is it a translation? Does Tolle write in German?) I saw it when visiting a relative. Since both people seem to be more spiritually connected, somehow more enlightened and serene (they might just NOT have an anxiety disorder) and I desperately searched for something to save me from my panic attacks and my depressing evenings, I picked it up (more like I found it online for free and didn't hesitate). I expected it to calm me down or give me some kind of help (help that the German health system does not give me right now, for some reason).

Second: self-help stereotypes

I recognize that my expectation might have been a bit high for a book written by a person now making lots and lots of money just selling self-help things (Have you visited Tolle's website?). I am generally a bit wary when it comes to popular self-help books exactly due to this reason: the money-making off of people's struggles. I also feared another thing, which is the rampant individualisation of mental health issues. YOU have to fix what is wrong with YOU, while not even critizing the system (capitalism!) that lies at the foot of these problems.

Tolle's book is no exception to this and it really pissed me off. His methods for spritual enlightenment are inherently very isolating and individualist (and sadly fit right into times where loneliness spreads around like the plague).

Third: gender essentialism and "gay people exist.." + sexism

He is sooooo gender essentialist and the book in general really perpetuates heteronormativity (he proclaims wanting to change the world. Who can change the world for the better without dismantling gender as it exists today?).

example 1: "You are either a man or a woman, which is to say, one-half of the whole." (p.191)

example 2: "Would a women still feel incomplete without a man? ... Enlightened or not, you are either a man or a woman, so on the level of your form identity you are not complete." (p.211)

example 3: "This incompleteness is felt as male-female attraction." (p.211)

He does save himself by mentioning gay people for about two pages and proclaiming that because of their exclusion from society, they're closer to enlightenment. I mean thank you....?

Later on, this gender essentialist thingy he got going on also moves into a kind of weird stereotypical reduction, where he says that women are closer to enlightenment than men (positive sexism?) and then stumbles into a whole rant about how women need to be careful when they're menstruating, because their pain body wants them to not continue on the path of enlightenment (the Now). Even crazier: he states that women's pain body is greater than men's (that's still an okayish claim, but wait), whereas men's mind is stronger. Both the pain body and the mind are obstacles for the Now.

Let's take a closer look on what he claims here indirectly: the pain-body is essentially emotions, brought about by pain experienced in life. He is saying here that women are more emotional than men and wants to kind of form that into a weird positive thing by claiming that it brings women closer to the Now. Wtf?

fourth: the rest

I think that the rest of the book is a lot of repetition. A lot of talk, with great words and all. If you like that, then this is your book.

fifth: the positive

I sometimes found reading the book quite calming and could apply some of its methods directly (concentrating on the Now and realizing that you are a part of the flow of life and meditating on that knowledge). Especially the first part (up until page 100-150) was great. And it felt like I was doing something for my mental health (except the gender essentialism, this part actively felt as if I was spitting myself in the face). And the reading in itself is pretty easy, so if you're looking to heighten your StoryGraph non-fiction count easily (this sentence is not based on my wishes and wants), then this book is for you.

3/5 (only because I hate giving authors less than 3 points)