#very low key for a woman who gave 70 years to the thrown

[kingandqueencambridge]

Does anyone else think it's kinda weird the royal family hasn't done anything more public or elaborate to honour Queen Elizabeth's passing?

Like they have huge Westminster Abby services of thanks for Prince Phillip and others yearly but for the Queen its just a private church service. Feels like a slap in the face to me.

[jlf23tumble]

This one’s for @homosociallyyours and @silverfoxlouis, the former because she’s not going to listen and the latter because they’re listening as we speak! I saw a post earlier that low-key annoyed me because it either misrepresented today’s Stern interview or it skipped right over the fascinating bits, so here are the parts I enjoyed (I won’t waste my time on the shit I hated, lol):

Shrooms and the song-writing process are related to Harry’s anxiety about fucking shit up and needing to get out of his own head; related: coming from a band, if there's something you don't like, you can tell yourself that it wasn’t your choice.

The Rob Stringer talk made me SIDE EYE w/r/t the delay, like, okay, you’re a label boss who’s gonna drop a ton of money, but you’re cool with telling the artist to just relax and take all the time they need, you’ll just pick up the thread when hs2 is completely finished, lolz (I have my own theories about allllll of that, but okay!).

I love Stevie and her coven of nocturnal witches, too, but tell me more about how she hated Harry’s choice of first single (in my heart, she wanted “Golden”) and the song that she thought should have been on the album but isn’t, god, she’s such a yoda, and this entire bit was so much bigger than the coven.

I live in Harry’s soft, breathy “thank you” whenever Howard praises SOTT.

I feel like all the White Eskimo talk is a fic waiting to happen, the whole battle of the bands and them winning studio time and how Harry talks to maybe one of them and there’s a guy who IS STILL IN WHITE ESKIMO I GUESS???? WHAT?

Howard Stern hatesssssssssssss Simon Cowell, so his attempts to get Harry to talk shit were both wonderful and expertly dodged, lmao. 

My only positive comment about the discussion around Harry “putting on some timber” during his bakery (cashier at a baker) years was how much it echoed Louis’s comment about “having extra timber” during one of his recent BTS specials.

Were the guys in One Direction REALLY saying that Matt Cardle was “so fucking good” back in the day? This junior statesman!

Ralph pointed this out when we were talking about the interview, but a lot of the time, Howard just makes statements (as per usual), and Harry says, “Right,” which is a great response because it isn’t really an answer, yet it’s still participatory.

Howard is obsessed with coronavirus, so it was hella interesting to hear Harry’s thoughts about it affecting his tour, when his tour is still so far away (yet another tour is so much closer and in the direct line of fire).

Howard (like me) was pleased that Harry’s band is a mix of women and men and not just dudes (I should take a drink every time Bowie is mentioned, like around Harry’s clothes, how Harry is starting his tour in Philadelphia, the entirety of that convo making me want to see Harry’s face as much as all the xarries want to).

One of the things I hated seeing earlier today was this notion that Howard “forced” Harry to talk about the robbery because he absolutely did not, Harry went into CRAZY levels of detail about it when Howard asked, “When did this happen to you?” (and the way Harry talked about it wasn’t full of trauma or sadness, it bordered on humorous in spots but still serious; it clearly shook him up, but he wasn’t about to let it change his life of feeling free to walk around at night). 

I wanted to hear a lot more about all the musicians hanging out in the ‘70s and being competitive in terms of who was writing the best songs about a particular party vs. the competitiveness of banging out the best single today. Harry’s focus was that if you say you like a song, people think you should collaborate…if two musicians hang out, they're dating or recording (like with Adele, and case in point, Howard immediately asked if they were working on something).

I also loved the bit about acting and how nervous Harry used to be about EVERYTHING because he’s waiting three hours to do three minutes, and he focuses so much on his voice or hands shaking, but this last SNL really helped (in my heart, his “little tweaks” were on the Sara Lee sketch).

I live in the guffaw from Harry whenever Howard unexpectedly hit his funny bone (like Harry saying Anne gave him some money to buy clothes when he first moved to London, and Howard saying it was good return on investment for her, what with the house Harry eventually bought her, etc.).

I absolutely LOVED the entire bit about Ben Winston’s attic (and Ralph’s related takes on it), the fine line of the plausibility yet the doubling down; the word “cocaine” coming out of Harry’s mouth; the parts about dating and keeping your relationship normal/secret, etc., GOLD, ALL OF IT. 

Harry, like Phoenix Mendoza, writes every day, which is part of why he wasn’t really into giving up his phone to muggers because that’s his writing zone of choice for lyrics and poems (the whole robbery clapback here: “for the purposes of not getting mugged again, no, they’re on a different device”).

MITCH SPEAKS!! He was into his Nick Drake phase when Harry met him, but apparently everyone is into the open D (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) chord, so he was a shoe-in. Also, Harry met Adam in 2010??? I’d like more information.

We move back into 1D territory with Zayn’s departure, which is still shittily handled but somewhat more maturedly discussed, and yet another attempt to get Harry to talk shit about Simon, which is getting us closer to what we want/need (Harry’s very real answer to Simon being pissed that Harry didn’t consult him about going solo: “I’m in a band since I was 16, there were five of us, we had a lot of managers, lots of people at the label, and all of these decisions affect your life in a massive way, every decision I made was a group call. I didn't know who I was as an adult,” and a lot of that is paraphrased in spite of the quote marks, but just know that I am screaming LIAM).

There’s a lot of weird downspeak to Sarah and Ny (Adam and Mitch were talked at earlier), but everyone’s very much into Sarah, and rightfully so. I loved the slip up where Howard is trying to figure out if there’s anything romantic going on between Harry and the female band members, and someone says, “Mitch!” so you can hear Howard process Harry and Mitch for a hot sec, cracking the Hitch dream, before we get clarification and Harry gleefully taking us into the story of their love. (Me as the speech Howard gives Sarah and Mitch about how dangerous it is to be in a band together and to have a relationship because if you fuck it up, it’ll be terrible.)

SLEDGEHAMMER NICE.

We get a bit into the “Adore You” video because Howard’s an animal softie, and he loves it (it’s downplayed, but Howard also mentions how fans have put a lot of “thoughts” into the fish), but then we get into talk about how this song is about the girl Harry’s banging (HIS SNICKER HERE) and how the common denominator in all of Harry’s failed relationships is him, huh. All of this relationship talk here makes me want to DIE with how much I love it.

Everyone focuses on the gross talk from Howard about Harry having a lady therapist (this is a long-standing Howard trope), but some good shit disappears between those cracks, like how Harry decided to go into therapy, how he’s keeping his LA therapist instead of having two in different countries, etc., and it’s actually Robin who asks Harry about seeming weak or vulnerable in front of a female therapist, but clearly, he’s not bothered.

I’m so interested in how the shrooms tongue-biting incident cured a speech impediment I wasn’t fully aware of but that is still so impossibly endearing.

Harry himself picks out his opening acts, which we already knew but is always nice to hear confirmed. 

The drug convo in text from earlier today makes it sound like he doesn’t smoke cigs, but to me, it seems like he doesn’t like to smoke weed (an edible king, relatable).

Harry says, “you’ve said it all,” which just makes me think he’s a long-time (or recent) Stern listener, because that’s what Howard says when he’s done/interview’s over.

We think it’s all done but the shouting, and then Robin gets into Harry’s clothing, which is where it gets dicey. Howard (of course) mentions that Bowie wore a skirt and how he himself did full drag on TV (“legs shaved and everything, you should see how gorgeous I am as a woman”), but Harry keeps it very much in the realm of what he wears is what he wears because it’s fun for him, he’s not wearing a school uniform or trying to look cool for his friends, he’s a lot more comfortable with himself: “At shows, I tell people to be who they want to be, I plan on telling my kids that, so I don’t want to be a hypocrite, I’m not wearing it for shock value.” 

Howard says people will assume he’s gay or bi (like Bowie, YEAH, SIGH), but Harry says it’s not performative. This whole bit is fascinating on so many levels, he touches (without saying) on the entire queer-baiting issue, and it’s cringe-y, with Howard saying “I’m not criticizing, wear what you want, I’m a big mess, etc.”

Anyway, they pivot out of that with Howard moving beyond into asking Harry who he wants to badmouth: “Simon?” Harry: “This has been great!” and this entire bit about how Howard wants to know if Harry considers Simon a friend, and Harry saying he doesn’t talk to him gives me life. There’s a lot of gross talk about who Harry has his eye on for his next girlfriend, but I will tell you that I never in my life expected to hear the words SUSAN BOYLE thrown into this convo. 

The interview closes out with Harry getting progressively more silent about the women he should date, saying that he doesn’t talk in interviews about his love life, he talks in music (oh?????), so Taylor Swift comes up, and Harry says it’s flattering to think you’re in a Taylor song because she’s such a great songwriter, which, true, I guess?

Harry hasn’t used a dating app (duh), but Howard thinks he should create one, and…scene. 

[themtmshow]

hey I'm a teenage girl and I'm just getting into this show and I feel like I'm not understanding how big it is/was? is there any modern day comparison you can make to help me understand? thanks! I love your blog!

First of all, I’m very sorry for the delay in answering you. Secondly, I’m so glad you like my blog and the show! I hope you are still enjoying both. And thirdly, I’m posting under a cut because this got ridiculously long, for which I apologize. I tried to give you a concise answer, I really did, but the question deserved so much more. If you hate reading long things, just ignore all my stuff and only read the quotes, which are blocked off. That should give you a pretty good idea anyway.

Your question is really good, but it’s a little tricky for me to answer, because I wasn’t actually alive when the show was first on the air. It’s also hard to answer because I assume you’re talking about the show’s cultural impact, and it’s sort of impossible to know what current show or movie is going to have that kind of impact 40 years from now.

But I think I would have to compare it to Wonder Woman. One of the reasons Wonder Woman is considered so important is that it had such a strong and well-rounded female protagonist, whose narrative revolves around her personal journey and not that of a man. It’s also  the first really successful superhero movie about a woman, and that’s not a genre where you see very many female main characters, so the movie is sort of groundbreaking in that way. The Mary Tyler Moore Show is similar because, as far as I know, it was the first time a working woman was portrayed on television as the lead of her own sitcom, which was quite revolutionary. And Mary herself is really important because although she wasn’t perfect, she was a strong, mature, rounded female character who carried her own story - not unlike Diana Prince.

Here’s a quote about Wonder Woman from an article by Carrie Witmer:

The thing that matters most about “Wonder Woman” is the portrayal of Wonder Woman/Diana Prince herself. Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman is a fully realized character. She’s emotional, confident, yet also insecure. She has hope and she has fear. She can love and lust and she can feel sadness and joy. She’s not just a beautiful face or hot body kicking ass.

Compare that to this quote about The Mary Tyler Moore Show, from a blog post by Erika Schmidt:

The Mary Tyler Moore Show was about a woman in her thirties living her life. Not within the context of her perfect marriage, or her continued wacky attempts to sneak into her husband’s show, or her quirky adventures as a mom/witch. It was, comparatively speaking, real. She worked, she dated. She threw terrible parties. Her friendships were of obvious and incalculable value. She was graceful, clumsy, timid, brave. She developed before our eyes. Mary Richards can’t be described in one sentence. And that is the point. That is what makes her a feminine icon.

The Wonder Woman comparison does break down a bit for a couple reasons: One, The Mary Tyler Moore Show actually drew a lot of heat from the feminist movement at the time, because people didn’t think it was going far enough. I haven’t seen any criticism of that sort about Wonder Woman, which doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist, but it doesn’t seem to be as common. Two, Wonder Woman is a movie set in World War 1, and The Mary Tyler Moore Show is a sitcom set in the decade in which it originally aired. So it’s not a good comparison in terms of format.

I don’t actually watch that many TV shows, but one of the few shows I do enjoy is Brooklyn Nine-Nine. B99 is a sitcom set in the workplace that regularly brings up social issues in a sort of low-key, subtle way, and that’s also what The Mary Tyler Moore Show did. The Mary Tyler Moore Show brought up issues like equal pay and birth control, whereas Brooklyn Nine-Nine brings up things like transphobia and racial profiling, but on either show, it’s rarely done in a way that makes the issue the focus of the episode. And that can be very powerful.

Here’s a quote from an article about Brooklyn Nine-Nine by Alyssa Rosenberg:

“Brooklyn Nine-Nine” has always been unusual in the series’ ability to find unpredictable routes into a wide range of issues in contemporary policing. In four seasons, it’s tackled everything from the New York Police Department’s history of racism and homophobia, to the abuse of internal affairs investigations, to how different city agencies work together, to how overzealousness can influence even a good cop’s judgement.

Compare that to this quote from an article about The Mary Tyler Moore Show by Alexis Sottile:

Over the course of the show’s seven seasons, Mary evolved with the times, tackling infidelity, birth control, sex, job promotions and the general human condition with the same mix of pluckiness, aplomb and oh-shit-do-I-really-have-to-do-this that made her an accessible role model for the new woman – and a sympathetic character for those that were scared of this new breed.

I’ll give a specific example: In season 3, there’s a brief reference to Mary taking the birth control pill. It was just a tiny snippet of dialogue, but it helped shift societal opinions on women being sexually active outside of marriage, which was still very controversial in the 70s’. The book “Mary and Lou and Rhoda and Ted” by Jennifer Keishin Armstrong includes this quote (p. 172) by Treva Silverman, who was one of the head writers on the show:

Mary was a “nice girl,” in quotation marks… If Mary was taking the Pill, it gave the stamp of approval for sexuality.

Treva Silverman, in case you didn’t know, is a woman. And that’s another huge impact the show had: It actively sought out female writers at a time when there was still a huge stigma against women in television production. (Here’s a good article about that.)

The show actually motivated lots of women to enter the field of television, and not just the women they hired to write for the show. Mary Richards was a very inspiring figure. Here’s a quote from TV journalist Katie Couric:

I don’t think I’d have this job if it weren’t for Mary Richards, and I mean that. They say if you can’t see it, you can’t be it, and when I saw Mary Richards make it on her own, driving that Mustang to that TV station in Minneapolis, I was in junior high, I thought, “Wow, I can have a career too.”

Oprah Winfrey, who was the first ever female African American billionaire, credits Mary Tyler Moore with having “more influence on [her] career than any other single person or force.” And “Mary and Lou and Rhoda and Ted” includes this quote from her (p. 283):

[The Mary Tyler Moore Show] was a light in my life, and Mary was a trailblazer for my generation. She’s the reason I wanted my own production company.

Even beyond the world of television and journalism, women were inspired. Here’s a quote from former First Lady Michelle Obama:

She was one of the few single working women depicted on television at the time. She wasn’t married. She wasn’t looking to get married… I was probably 10 or 11 when I saw that, and sort of started thinking, “You know what? Marriage is an option. Having a family is an option. And going to school and getting your education and building your career is another really viable option that can lead to happiness and fulfillment.”

And here’s a quote from another of the shows’ writers, Sybil Adelman Sage:

Before Mary Tyler Moore, it was acceptable to be a secretary, but not to be unmarried. Suddenly it was fine to be unmarried, and we were reaching for better jobs. Along with that blue beret, the rules had been thrown in the air. The show was arguably the most transformative sitcom in television history, forever changing how women were perceived.

Another notable, although less talked-about, influence the show had is that it revolutionized the sitcom format in general.  If you’ve ever seen a realistic, character-driven comedy show with a strong cast of secondary characters, then you can thank The Mary Tyler Moore Show for making that format so popular. You can see that influence today in shows like The Office, Parks and Recreation, 30 Rock, The Mindy Project, Friends, and probably any other sitcom you can think of. (Here’s a good article about that.) I actually can’t think of a good modern-day comparison here because every sitcom I don’t know of anything that is visibly changing the television landscape as much as The Mary Tyler Moore show did in its time.

Here’s a quote from an article written by Jerry Buck as the show was entering its 4th season:

“The Mary Tyler Moore Show” took 20 years of pointless, insipid television situation comedy and spun it on its heels. The Moore show, going into its fourth year on CBS, pioneered reality comedy and the establishment of clearly defined and motivated secondary characters.

And according to this quote from a more recent article by Todd VanDerWerff:

Like [The Dick Van Dyke Show], Mary Tyler Moore would derive much of its comedy from its characters, rather than its punchlines. Where Moore went beyond Van Dyke came in just how thoroughly it embraced that template… [This] method of sitcom writing would, over time, become the dominant one. Even the least sophisticated sitcoms on TV now must at least pay lip-service to character complexity.

Another impact that the show had, and continues to have, is that it makes people happy. It’s just a really nice, positive, feel-good show. And that can be really important too. Here’s a quote from fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi:

[Mary Richards] proved to us again and again that if you put yourself into your world in the right way, if you pay attention to your own story, you can find the right people and the right place and be happy… The Mary Tyler Moore Show was one of the first examples of someone choosing her own family that we saw on television.

Honestly, I feel like I’ve only scratched the surface here. In case you’re not totally exhausted from reading all this and you’d like to read more on the subject, I’ve gone back through my blog and added an “impact” tag for you to look through if you’re interested. I should warn you that some of the posts reference specific episodes and that might be spoilers for you depending on where you’re at in the series.

Thanks again for your excellent question! If you have more questions or if you just want to chat, my askbox and private messaging system are always open for that.

[crazedlunatic]

Money, money, money

“Are you sure you want to do this? We don’t have to do this, Blaine.”

“I know.” Blaine shut his car off and got out of the driver’s seat. He made sure he looked presentable (he always did on work days anyway) and then closed the door.

Kurt, who had been in the parking lot in his own car and waiting for Blaine, pulled him into a hug.

“I’m fine. I want to get this done as quickly and smoothly as possible. I have to be back at the office with Bob in…” Blaine looked at his watch. “An hour and eight minutes.”

“We can talk.” Kurt said gently, looking around. “This is big. You haven’t seen your dad in eight years. Seven if you count the funeral.”

“Kurt, I’m fine.” Blaine looked him in the eyes.

“I’m worried you’re saying that and after you see him…” Kurt trailed off as Bob walked up.

“We ready for this?” Bob asked cheerfully, clapping Blaine on the back and smiling brightly at Kurt.

“Ready for it to be over.” Blaine handed a thick stack of papers to Bob.

“And it went smoothly with your brother?”

“A lot smoother than it’ll go for me.”

“Well, yeah. Your brother got money and you’re getting a million-dollar home in Harbor Springs, Michigan.”

Kurt’s mouth dropped open. He didn’t know that—he thought this was just about money.

“And money.” Blaine added.

“Yes. And money.” Bob put the folder the papers were in on the hood of Blaine’s car and glanced through them. “It looks like your grandfather’s signatures match the records that were on your brother’s papers. They can’t dispute it’s not his signature if they were willing to give your brother everything without a hitch.”

“Yeah. My grandfather’s attorney’s office has the originals still, too. They were both done at the same time.” Blaine said, looking over Bob’s shoulder.

“What fifteen-year-old tells his grandfather he doesn’t want a summer house?” Bob shook his head. “My son wouldn’t have turned something like that down for anything.”

“The consensus seems to be nobody really wanted to be around my parents a moment longer than they had to.”

“Right well, within the hour you’ll have the money in your name and a nice summer house that you can invite me to.” Bob looked at Kurt. “You look nervous.”

“Nothing with his parents is what it seems.” Kurt grabbed Blaine’s hand.

For as calm as Blaine claimed to be, his hand was pretty sweaty.

“Kurt, I’ve been doing this for nearly forty years. His brother’s paperwork and Blaine’s paperwork is near identical. If they try to contest Blaine getting what’s rightfully is, I’ll get Blaine twice as much as these papers say he deserves and that’s a promise.” Bob looked Kurt in the eyes. “This sad excuse of a human being won’t say another word to Blaine after today and if he does, he’ll be sorry. Fraud, trying to hide these papers when the original attorney’s office has original copies. There’s sworn statements. He’s lucky I’m not having him thrown in jail. Blaine is winning this today.”

Blaine swallowed and took a deep breath.

“After all, you kids have a wedding down payment to make next week, right?”

Kurt smiled at Blaine, feeling much better after hearing Bob’s words. Bob had always taken care of Blaine when it came to anything regarding his family since Blaine had moved to New York and the whole thing blew up. “We do.”

Blaine smiled although it didn’t quite meet his eyes.

“Take your deep breath, take another one, and then you walk into the room behind me.” Bob said as they made it into the hallway that the meeting was taking place in. He locked eyes with Blaine. “You’re better, you’re smarter, and we’ve got this in the bag.”

“Right.” Blaine nodded.

“You okay?” Bob asked.

“Yes.” Blaine nodded again.

“It’ll be over soon.” Kurt added, giving Blaine’s hand a huge squeeze. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” Blaine looked at Kurt with the eyes Wes would describe as dopey.

Bob stepped in, the stern and serious expression on his face that scared at least 70% of the lawyers he competed against. There was a reason he was at the top of every office he’d ever worked for since he was thirty.

Kurt kissed Blaine’s cheek quickly and then followed him into the room.

“I heard about the case you closed on yesterday.” A woman, who appeared to be his father’s lawyer, gave him a bright smile and reached over to shake his hand. “Did you have help with that? It was ten years before I closed a case that big.”

“He’s one of the best we’ve got, Cheryl.” Bob said after glancing at Blaine—he figured the less Blaine said, the better it would be for everyone involved.

“The young ones catch on so much earlier than we did at their age, don’t they?” Cheryl asked, sitting down next to Blaine’s parents.

“Blaine, honey, how are you?” His mother rushed over to him, arms clearly opening for a hug.

“I don’t mean to be rude,” Bob cleared his throat. “But we’ve asked that your clients not directly interact with my client. Given why he even has to have representation with him at a simple exchange of funds in itself should explain why this was requested. Your clients tried to hide the fact that Blaine was owed 5.8 million dollars and a home estimating at 1.4 million dollars now. Your clients also implied that my client and his brother forged the documents signing the before mention to Blaine’s name at the completion of high school which, should I point out, was nine years ago.”

Blaine sat down as Bob spoke, reaching for Kurt’s hand as soon as Kurt had sat as well. He felt a jolt of satisfaction at the look of disgust in his father’s face.

That’s right. Blaine was still happy after everything he’d been put through—and was still gay. Happily gay and happily engaged to his gay boyfriend… well, fiancé.

Blaine’s father cleared his throat. “Those documents were not completed at the time of my other son’s papers.”

“You were there when your other son’s papers were completed. Your signature is listed as a witness on both the paperwork for Blaine and Alex’s. If you want to keep trying, Mr. Anderson, we will leave and you’ll receive a summons tomorrow. And a warrant for both of your doctor’s offices and both of your homes.”

“What fraud?” Blaine’s father scoffed. “Fraud?”

Bob stared at him as thought he was the scum of the earth. “Your mother embezzled money while she was a judge. She then donated the amount to your doctor’s offices and your private accounts. Within days, you wrote checks to her for the same amounts. I have the proof and I am prepared to show anyone who asks.”

“You little shit!” Blaine’s father stood. “You good for nothing little shit. I should have drowned you when—.”

On instinct, Blaine flinched and his chair scooted back.

Bob stood, a very scary look on his face. “Sign the papers or we go walk. I don’t think you want that.”

“This is fucking bullshit. You’ll never amount to anything, Blaine. Just like your brother getting involved in stuff that isn’t even his fucking business. You’re dead to us, you know? Your mother and me. If you died right now I wouldn’t pay a goddamn penny towards your funeral.”

“It’s okay. I’ve got 5.8 million dollars to pay for my own.” Blaine’s voice was calm and steady.

Kurt squeezed his hand, possibly tighter than he ever had.

Bob slammed the papers back down on the table. “We’re walking if you don’t sign these papers right now. I’ve already got a warrant waiting for me outside and I would love to send the NYPD to your hotel to start the search off right.”

Blaine’s dad kicked the chair he’d been sitting in and grabbed the papers.

“There…” His lawyer pointed. “There… initial there… and there.”

Blaine took a deep breath, his shaking hand going still when Kurt squeezed his hand again.

“Let’s get away from these faggots.” Blaine’s dad sneered not even a minute later, all but dragging his wife out.

“Thank you, Cheryl.” Bob said, still looking pissed. “We appreciate you working with us on this.”

“I’m not here to help dirty clients.” The woman, Cheryl, shook her head. “Blaine, so nice to meet you. Hopefully I’ll get to see you in action sometime. You’ve got an awesome career ahead of you.”

“Thanks.” Blaine smiled and stood, going to shake her hand. “And thanks for this.”

“We help our own.” She smiled and squeezed his hand. “Don’t let him out of your sight, Bob. There’s more than a few firms interested in him.”

“I’m not going anywhere.” Blaine’s smile grew.

“Damn right.” Bob grinned. “Hey, you’ve got a meeting with another kid of mine—Adrian. He’s pretty enjoyable to watch too.”

“We’re meeting for lunch tomorrow, actually. Going to see if we can do a plea deal and be done with it.”

Kurt stood.

“It’s always a pleasure but we’ve got to get out of here. We need to be across town in thirty minutes which isn’t exactly an easy feat. Blaine knows the drill though—money will be wired over once processed and you and I will do the home paperwork exchange if it can’t be done electronically.”

“Thank you again!” Blaine shook her hand again. “It was nice to meet you.”

“Next time it’ll be under better circumstances hopefully, but you too.”

Bob ushered Kurt and Blaine out.

“You did so good. You did so good!” Kurt whispered as soon as the door shut behind them.

“Thanks. I was having a low-key anxiety attack.” Blaine admitted. “For a second I thought he was going to jump over the table Hulk style and strangle me.”

“You weren’t in any danger.” Bob shook his head. “Your dad is a piece of work but everything is going to come back on him one day. It always does.”

“Yeah. I hope so.” Blaine nodded.

“Listen, I’m going to head back. I’ll put this paperwork on your desk so you can look through it, make copies, what have you. You two take a few minutes. Kurt, help him decompress. I need him at his best when he’s back at the office.” Bob put his hand on Blaine’s shoulder and squeezed. “Take as long as you need… It’s over now, okay?”

“Thank you, Bob. Really. I can’t even thank you enough for this.” Blaine looked him in the eyes.

“Don’t even mention it, Blaine. I’ll see you back at the office in a bit, alright?” Bob smiled. “Kurt, we’ve invited him to dinner on Wednesday. My wife insists you come too. She’s goes on about you any time I mention Blaine’s name.”

“I’ll be there.” Kurt promised. “Thank you.”

Bob headed towards his car, waving when he pulled out of the parking lot.

“Kurt… Kurt, it’s over.” Blaine gasped.

“It’s over.” Kurt nodded, pulling Blaine into a bear hug. “It’s over and you got the house in Harbor Springs. You love the house in Harbor Springs.”

“I do.” Blaine nodded, eyes teary. “I r-really do.”

“Are you okay?” Kurt asked, wiping under his eyes.

“I’m just tense and relieved and in shock that it’s over. I’ll never have to see them again after this. Never. I always knew this was going to come, the money stuff, but it’s over and… and it’s like this huge weight is lifted off my shoulders but sometimes I didn’t even realize the weight was there if that makes sense.”

“It does. It makes perfect sense.” Kurt touched his cheek.

“Thanks for leaving work and coming. I appreciate it so much.” Blaine sniffled. “I love you so much.”

“I love you so much too.” Kurt kissed him. “Guess what?”

“What?” Blaine asked, wiping under his eyes again and taking one final deep breath.

“Tonight we’re going to put down the rest of the money on our tuxes and the wedding planner. Because soon you’re going to be a multimillionaire.” Kurt grinned. “Which makes me one very lucky guy.”

Blaine laughed loudly. “Technically I already am. It’s just not in the bank yet.”

“We’ve never been one for technicalities, Blaine.” Kurt kissed him again.

“True.” Blaine leaned forward kissing him. “Very true.”

[bynkii]

Riding Random

AD(H)D Is Like nothing else

Okay, that’s a bit of a lazy subhead. Everything is like nothing else on some level. Everything we go through, as individuals, in groups is unique because we’re all different, and even the in repetition, there’s something new. (I have ten or more copies of certain songs by the same band, because each is in some way unique.)

AD(H)D is one of those…well, it’s one of the lesser brain issues I suppose. I mean, it doesn’t mean you can’t function, you don’t hear voices, it doesn’t really fuck up your life in the “living in a box by the river” kind of way. But that’s not the same as it not having a profound effect on your life and how you live it.

Firstly: I’m not a doctor. Of anything. Nothing here is based on research or interviews with doctors or scientists or counselors or experts. It’s based on my experience of over a half-century living with this issue. What I will say may in fact be scientifically dubious. I hope not blatantly inaccurate, I try to avoid that as a rule. Were my friend Mike writing this, there would be a stack of supporting evidence as big as your skull, with footnotes and endnotes and 8"x10" color glossies with notes on the back.

This is none of that. This is my attempt to kind of…well, not explain, but rather relate what it’s like being me. A guy with AD(H)D.

First, I’m not sure which version I have. I’m not sure it’s of any particular importance, at least not personally. Also, I’m not sure what it’s like to not have this. I’ve always been this way. So if I seem a tad one-sided, well, I’m also an only child. I can’t tell you what having siblings are like either.

I am sure, that for all the…well…shade (it’s as good a word as any) thrown at AD(H)D, that it’s not bullshit. I mean, I can see why it seems that way, especially given how many people use it as an excuse. “Oh, he has AD(H)D.”

Sigh.

You know, if y’all could stop doing that, I wouldn’t complain. It’s kind of annoying, using AD(H)D to get out of whatever it is you’re getting yourself or someone else out of. Because it’s not cool, it’s not fun. AD(H)D can be handy as hell, but not in that way.

I was born in 1967. I had no idea what AD(H)D even was until a TIME magazine article that happened to lay out every weird aspect of my mental world. In the mid 90s. So for almost 30 years, I thought I was, well, kind of a bubblehead.

AD(H)D is different for everyone. I suppose that’s true of any brain condition. For me…well, imagine being able to remember bizarre trivial details of shit that happened once, but literally forgetting that a gallon of milk exists. Not as a concept I mean, milk and jugs still exist, but that specific jug you just put down. You had it in your hand, you were pouring a glass of milk with it, you put it down and something distracted you, and now that shit has never existed. It’s gone. That jug has ceased to be. It is an ex-jug.

Even better, it sometimes does this while you are holding it and so your brain goes “well, I’m holding something, it must be an empty glass” and so you put the milk in the cabinet, and you will never know, nor remember doing this. It can get seriously weird sometimes. My son watched me crack six eggs, and very carefully throw the egg in the garbage and put the shell in the bowl because I was talking to him about something, and my brain decided I should go through the motions of making eggs, but hey, shell, egg, it’s the same shit, right?

I’m somewhat paranoid about getting Alzheimer’s, because honestly, I’m not sure anyone would be able to really tell until I was deep into it. Forgetting shit is so normal in my world.

Need someone to remember that 4 years ago, you said you like red hats? Done. Need someone to keep track of 53 things at once? Done. Need someone to sit in front of a log roll from an unhappy server without moving for hours until they put the errors together? Done.

Need someone to remember where the coffee mug they just put on the counter in front of them is? Yeah, that could be a problem.

This is frustrating as an adult. As a child, it’s worse. Back in the 70s, before there were “programs” and the like, no one was a “latchkey kid”. Your parents worked, and you came home and fended for yourself. Unless you forgot where you’d put your keys. Again. Then you hung out front of the apartment or house until your mom got home and gave you the look. That disappointed “maybe my son is actually mildly mentally disabled” look, because he’s now averaging losing a set of keys a week, and his keychains resemble gas station bathroom models.

You want to be trustworthy and reliable, but you forget random shit. Constantly. You have conversations you forget while you are talking. Not the subject, but the conversation as a thing.

It’s hard to talk to you because there’s no such thing as a non-sequiter in your world. That would imply there was some form of sequiter to begin with. There isn’t. One minute you’re talking about motorcycles and the next sentence it’s about genetics. You can talk all day, because you’re never talking about a single topic for any amount of time, you can’t.

Except when you can. Then it’s almost obsessive. To this day, I don’t read as much as I inhale. I’ll start reading and then it’s three hours later and I’ve finished the book and I have no idea why people are angry at me and oh…shit…there was a movie we were supposed to go to?

I’m sure there’s some vast range between SQUIRREL! and hyperfocus. But it’s pretty much a fucking mystery to me, I don’t think I’ve really ever seen it. I just fake it well.

Then there’s the overload. If I’m around too many things going on at once…wait, let me back up. So I have this thing where I track things. In a restaurant, for example, I can, within ten minutes tell you what’s on every screen I can see, which waiter/waitress is running what tables, the color of their shoes, that one is limping probably sprained her ankle, dude, what the fuck is up with your hair, the fourth table over needs to leave before that baby gets really cranky…

I have a friend, Low, who is a curious and awesome combination of strong and tiny. 5'-nothing and 160lbs of muscle. Her view on things is if she can climb it and sit on it, she does. It makes for the best pictures. In my case, if it moves, and I can see it, I’ll keep tabs on it. It’s kind of handy in IT.

But in the right situation, say, a casino…it’s not fun. Kansas City has a number of casinos, and my ex, Jenny, learned that I shouldn’t be on or near the gambling bits for too long, because after…an hour or so of being in a room with that many patterns of blinking lights and flashing and sounds and people and my brain trying to track all of it…well, I’d kind of kernel panic, and I’d have to sit somewhere for a few and stare at a wall, preferably a blank one while I rebooted.

If I’m aware of it, and now I am, I can manage it. But the first few times were a bit odd. “Bunghole, you’re just standing there.” “Yeah. I feel weird, can we find a quiet place to sit down?” After 20 minutes or so, I’d feel the normal draining back in, and then we’d go do whatever. But for a while, it was…not quite being unable to think as much as just not completely sure as to what is going on. You know the basics, but it doesn’t have the same meaning. Once, I was rear-ended on the Mass Pike. Had time to watch it happen. Blonde girl with a phone in one hand and a panicked look on her face standing on her brakes. Boom. For a few seconds, I remember staring, intently at my gearshift (car was a manual) and wonder just what the fuck it was, and how did any of this work. Then all of a sudden CLUTCH! That’s the CLUTCH! and the STICK and I KNOW ALL THE THINGS AGAIN AND HOLY FUCK WAS THAT SCARY.

But while it was happening, it wasn’t. It’s only as you start to recover that you realize shit is weird, yo, and then you get freaked out.

I have to say, I’m grateful as hell for things like email and task managers and calendaring. Because the act of having to enter my life into such things helps move whatever it is I’m entering out of the random overwritten bits of my memory into the bits that actually remember stuff. So things like Anylist help not for the obvious reasons, like remembering 45 things is hard, but for the bizarre reason that hey, I’m actually going to the grocery store and there are things I need to buy and they will be in Anylist.

Yes, I’ve forgotten to go to the store that was the only reason I’d left the house. What? Why? How? Beats me man. See, there was a dude walking down the street behind a woman who Was Not Having His Shit. Both were African-American, she was wearing a light purple, almost mauve top with darker purple pants and flat sandals, her hair had a dark red streak in the front, he was wearing a wifebeater, denim shorts, a black belt, his pants were slung low, he was wearing plaid boxers and hi-tops, and I have no idea why I remember this, or that he was around ten meters behind her, but forgot where I was supposed to go that day. Until I looked at my phone at the light and saw the Anylist notification and yep, going to Publix.

I don’t have some kind of on/off switch on this. I just try to create layers of competency that help me avoid the worst of it. I also have a lot of weird habits that are literally designed to get me through the day.

Again, I was almost 30 before I knew what was going on in terms of AD(H)D. That it was a thing, not just me being an idiot. Well, of course I thought I was some kind of idiot. What else would I think? There was no concept of anything else. Ritalin? What was that?

It wasn’t so much that AD(H)D made it okay. It just gave me something to work with. It made it a thing and not this amorphous, unknown, blob of suck. “Okay, so that’s what my brain does, and sometimes it’s handy, and most of the time it’s a goddamned pain in the ass, but at leat I can manage a thing. I can manage AD(H)D, I can’t manage being an idiot.”

It also has a lot to do with my coffee consumption. Because folks, I drink a shitload of coffee. To the point that it doesn’t make me piss any more than any other liquid would, nor does it wake me up. I mean, it can make me jittery, but that’s like bizarre amounts even for me. In truth, it calms me down, mellows me out, helps me sleep and what the fuck is is up with that?

Well, OH WAIT, before I get into that, it can also fuck with relationships. AD(H)D, not coffee. Like, you know those things they show you where you’re just with someone and you can like, do nothing but be with them? Yeah, see, AD(H)D fucks with that, because if I hug someone for too long, like my wife, or (in the past) girlfriends…I get twitchy. Like LETGOLETGOTHEREISSHITTHATISINFRONTOFMYEYESHOLYFUCKLOOKATTHEMICROWAVEANDTHEBUTTERFLYOUTSIDETHEWINDOW kind of twitchy.

It takes an enormous amount of effort to not always be the first one to end the hug. Kissing’s easier, because I’m doing something and also it tends to short-circuit huge swaths of my brain and I go all dur-hur-this-is-so-cooool. But quiet times are hard. Unless I’m in that fucked up hyperfocus, but then I’m not noticing the world around me, so it’s not technically the same thing.

It can make someone with AD(H)D seem…disinterested in people around them. Because we can’t not look at our phones or the TV screens or what have you. We can try to focus on one person, but if there’s enough going on, it becomes really hard.

That’s kind of frustrating, because there’s no good way to explain to someone you love that no, you are interesting to me. Really. I swear. But so are the ceiling fan’s pertubations or lack thereof. And the grain in the wood. And the way the bolts in the roof beams are set up, or the way the waitress is doing her job, or…shit…yeah, see, and then try to explain it to someone who cannot have any idea what you are talking about because they don’t have your brain chemistry, so you’re explaining a mezzosoprano to Helen Keller only you’ve got no hands. And you’re on the opposite side of the planet.

So anyway, coffee, or more specifically, caffeine.

the astute reader will start to feel this is written in a way to try to convey an understanding of what having AD(H)D feels like. it is a bit. This is why my “best” writing is emotional on some levels. The emotional aspect helps keep me focused. Just sitting down and writing, holy fuck, how does that work? So this is a bit more disjointed than usual. Don’t worry, I did do a couple of edit passes to make sure I didn’t leave out entire paragraphs I could swear I typed. Yeah, that happens.

The data on caffiene as a treatment in the scientific meaning for AD(H)D is at best slim. https://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/caffeine-for-adhd/ has a decent overview. There is one interesting bit from the article though:

In a trial comparing amphetamines to 600mg caffeine daily, plus amphetamines, caffeine was reported to provide incremental benefit, but side effects were noted. That’s not surprising: 600mg is the caffeine in two Starbucks Grande-sized coffees. A double-blind crossover examination of caffeine, methylphenidate, and dextroamphetamine in 29 children concluded that while the two stimulants had meaningful effects, caffeine was indistinguishable from placebo. Overall — no strong signals of efficacy in the evidence.

First, while I’m sure that for Scott Gavura or a child, two Starbuck’s Grandes is a shitload of caffeine, for me, well, that’s…oh, I’m past that by 11am on a normal day. So clearly, I’m talking about a lot more caffeine here. Also, the article is aimed at giving coffee to kids.

I have found over the years that the amount of caffiene i consume does help. Could this be a placebo? Sure. But the one time I did talk to a doc about it, she said that for folks with AD(H)D, my level of coffee consumption was pretty normal. Or perhaps “common” would be the better word, and as long as it wasn’t making me jittery (it doesn’t) or causing me other problems, (nope), then there was no reason to worry. Well, watch the sugar and addons, (no worry there, I only drink it black) as lattes are not low-calorie refreshments.

So rather than Ritalin or Adderall, I do coffee. It seems to work, and there’s no adverse effects, no more than any other form of stimulant might have.

You know how when you look at your watch and you can’t remember what time it says? So you do it again, and you still can’t remember? Imagine that, only all the time with everything, unless you have elaborate things you do to work around it.

I’m surprised AD(H)D and OCD don’t go hand in hand. I’d not be surprised if AD(H)D and depression go hand and hand, especially in my generation, that shit sucks. (Edit: as it turns out, AD(H)D and depression do go together, as do AD(H)D and rejection hypersensitivity. So I was right I guess. Yey?)

It’s really weird when you know you have issues with procrastination, but not because you don’t want to do something. But because you start to do the thing and then you need to reference Wikipedia and it’s nine hours later but you know a lot about brain chemistry. And Serial Killers. Because Wikipedia is a maze of twisty passages…

The iPhone has had a definite affect on things. I’m still not sure good or bad, probably depends on the situation. Melissa (my wife) would be happy if I were better at not having it out. Having a career where I have to be a bit obsessive about email and similar doesn’t help. Also, it’s a device that can feed me multiple streams of ever-changing information. So it does kind of fit my brain well. A bit too well at times.

One thing though, and I really am only speaking for myself here: what I never want is people working around it. This isn’t like those fucking introvert lists (GOD no), or whatever where it’s a list of instructions on how to treat me or anyone with AD(H)D special. Fuck that. Because here’s the thing: if you let me win, what have I won?

When my son was…ten or so, we were playing “Pokemon Stadium” on our N64, and given I’d been playing videogames longer, better understanding of strategy & tactics, I won pretty easily. He was kind of upset at that, and intimated that I should let him win, since he was just a kid. I said: 

“Nope. Look, you’re right, it’s unfair for you right now. But, you can get better. You can raise your game, you can improve your skills, so one day, when, not if, but when you beat me, you’ll know you actually beat me. I didn’t let you win. I was doing my best to wax you, and you waxed my ass instead. It’ll be an honest, clean victory, and you won’t get enough of those in life as it is. I’m not going to cheat you out of even a minor one.”

Unsuprisingly, he did just that: he got better, and one fine day, he wasted me. Wasn’t even close, and folks, I was trying, but the skinny kid was not gonna have it that day. He starts jumping up and down and whooping, and then doing this weird, hilarious butt dance all the while chanting “I wonnnn, I wonnn”. Yeah, maybe it was kind of bad sportsmanship, but fuck that, he’d earned that dance.

At this stage, managing my AD(H)D is easier than it was, but there’s still a lot of surprisingly minor shit (for y’all) that I have to work harder at. And I’m not saying booby-trap the fucking road or anything. But this is my thing. My AD(H)D. It’s been a motherfucker all my life, so when I have some minor victory that you’d not even register, it means something. But if you “let me win” as it were by bending over to smooth all the bumps, what have I won? What have I gotten better at? Did I get better at managing my AD(H)D or did you do that for me? And if you’re going to own those victories, are you going to be around to own the losses? Because if you want one, best be ready for the other.

Also, I will let you do all the work for me. I’m lazy (sysadmins tend to be), and manipulative at times. If I think you’re willing to do all the work and I just have to collect the paycheck? Fuck yeah. More time for sleeping.

Don’t be a jerk, but don’t make things unrealistically easy. Just understand why I say “email me”, that it’s not me being a nerd, it’s just me working around my brain.

Also, Halestorm is awesome.

[cover2covermom]

Happy Sunday bookworms!

Did everyone have a good weekend?  Mine was low key, as my kids are now on spring break.  I think I look forward to school breaks just as much as my kids because it means I am not chauffeuring my two humans around all day to and from school and extracurricular activities.

Anyways!  My wrap-up this week is a pretty long one, but filled with lots of good stuff (at least I think so).  I talk about some upcoming projects on Cover2CoverMom and pose a few questions to my fellow book bloggers.  So pull up a chair and grab a cup of coffee/tea/wine (I won’t judge if you go with the wine) and let’s see what I had going on this past week, shall we?

*Weekly Wrap-Up is a weekly post where I feature what posts were published on the blog for the past week, any bookish/blog happenings, what I recently finished reading, what I am currently reading, what I will be reading next, noteworthy posts around the bookish blogosphere, and any interesting bookish articles I came across.

This week on the blog:

Tuesday 3/28

Top Ten Tuesday: Authors I’ve Met & A Few I’d Like to Meet

Wednesday 3/29

Kids’ Corner: Diverse Children’s Picture Books in Review (March 2017)

Friday 3/30

March 2017 Wrap-Up + Book Haul

Bookish/Blog happenings:

» I have been working on a little project and I need some help from you all !  What I need from you all is book blogger recs for bloggers who read & review predominantly within a certain genre. 

For example, bloggers who read & review mostly…

• Young Adult • Middle Grade/Children’s Books • Diverse Books • Graphic Novels • Historical Fiction • Fantasy/Science Fiction • Contemporary • Thriller/Suspense • Romance • Horror

You get the idea.  Keep in mind I said bloggers who read & review predominantly within these categories/genres.  They do not need to review 100% within these categories/genres, but a good majority.  So a blogger like myself would not fit into any of these categories because I read & review all types of books.

*Does this make any sense?  Or have I lost everyone?

If you know of a book blogger who fits into any of these (or a different category/genre not listed) please leave them in the comments down below!  Thanks in advance.

*I would also like to mention they won’t have to do anything, this is going to be more like a feature project :)

» I have been wanting to redesign my blog and graphics for a while now, but it is a hot mess.  Basically I have no idea what I am doing.  What I am struggling with the most is the graphics department.  How did you all do your headers/logos and graphics?  Is there some free graphics site that I do not know about?!  Do you draw/design them yourselves?!  Did you pay someone to do it?  I wish I had the money to pay someone to do all this for me, but I can’t justify spending money on my blog when we are a one income family while I am at home with the kids.  Any advice, suggestions, or direction in this would be much appreciated.

» I realized this weekend that I really need to step up my bookstagram game.  I posted a picture that got over 140 likes, which hadn’t happened to me before.  I know this is probably not a big deal to those of you who are used to getting hundreds (or thousands) of likes every time you post a picture, but I had never gotten over 70 likes before on a picture before.  So what I want to know is, how do you juggle being active on bookstagram if you also have a book blog?

» This week I will be marathon reading to get ready for the Ohioana Book Festival that is taking place in Columbus Ohio on Saturday, April 8th.  I may be a little MIA this week around the blogosphere, but fear not, I’ll be back.

What have I been reading?

*Book titles link to Goodreads

Recently finished reading:

» The Girls in the Garden by Lisa Jewell

Summary of feelings: No one is more shocked then me that I actually really enjoyed this book.  If you have followed me for a while, you know that thriller novels are not my go-to books, but I kept throwing them into the mix.  Girls in the Garden is one of those books where you learn about “the incident” first, then go back in time leading up to the incident.  I thought the author did a great job of holding my attention the entire time.  I really liked how Jewell introduced all kinds of characters/scenarios to thrown the reader off the trail.  The conclusion wasn’t exactly a huge shocker, BUT it was definitely more involved and complicated then I was anticipating.  Typically I don’t like when the author leaves things unresolved, but Jewell does leave a few things up in the air.  I think it worked here.

*Full review to come

» The Animators by Kayla Rae Whitaker

Summary of feelings:  I am going to venture to say that The Animators is going to be the biggest surprise of 2017 for me.  This book is so much more than I was anticipating.  I was anticipating a light hearted contemporary novel with friendship being a central theme.  While friendship is a major theme, The Animators is NOT a light hearted read.  It is very gritty and raw… definitely more of a darker novel.

I also thought this book was young adult, and it turns out that this book is very much an adult book.  I think it was because the cover gave off a YA vibe to me?  Anyways, The Animators has a lot of adult content that is not suitable for a young audience.

*Part of my SOKY Book Fest TBR

» Loving Vs. Virginia: A Documentary Novel of the Landmark Civil Rights Case by Patricia Hruby Powell (Illustrated by Shadra Strickland)

Summary of feelings:   Loving Vs. Virginia is the Supreme Court case that legalized marriage between races.  In this book, we learn about Richard & Mildred Loving, the couple behind this infamous case.  Told in verse, Loving Vs. Virginia is very much the love story of Richard Loving, a white man, and Mildred, a biracial woman.   I was anticipating a little more historical content, but overall, this was a very well done YA book.  I must admit, I have never really read a book about interracial marriage before.  The challenges that the Lovings faced was heartbreaking to read about.

I listened to the audiobook version, but I am waiting for a copy from my library to see the illustrations.

*I am definitely interested in reading a book that goes a little deeper into the history of interracial marriage, as well as challenges that interracial couples face in today’s society.  If anyone has any recommendations, please let me know.

Currently reading:

» Every Single Second by Tricia Springstubb

*Part of my Ohioana Book Fest TBR

» The Magician’s Assistant by Ann Patchett

*SOKY Book Fest TBR

On deck:

» The Seventh Most Important Thing by Shelley Pearsall

*Part of my Ohioana Book Fest TBR

» Fates and Traitors: A Novel of John Wilkes Booth by Jennifer Chiaverini

*Part of my Ohioana Book Fest TBR

Around the bookish blogosphere:

» Cait @PaperFury talks about how to come up with discussion posts for your book blog → How To Think Up Discussion Post Ideas For Your Book Blog

» Ashleigh @A Frolic Through Fiction shares her favorite underrated characters →Favourite underrated characters | Some characters just aren’t appreciated enough

» Marie @Drizzle & Hurricane Books talks about the trend of series and novellas →The series and novellas trend

» Fadwa @WordWonders asks if relating to characters is a must to enjoy a book →Relating to Characters: Is it necessary to Enjoy a Book?

» Kirsty @Kirsty and the Cat Read discusses audiobooks →Discussion: What Makes A Good Audio-Book

» Drew @The Tattooed Book Geek talks about some of the downsides to book blogging →Jaded by Blogging

» Stephanie @TeacherofYA hosts her first giveaway →TeacherofYA’s Very First GIVEAWAY! (::cheers::)

*U.S Only*

» Megan @bookslayer Reads talks about book review layout →Reading & Writing Reviews // Does the layout of a review determine whether or not you’ll read it?

» Amy @NovelGossip is hosting a giveaway →Giveaway: The Breakdown by B. A. Paris #giveaway

Interesting bookish articles:

» Quiz: Which Character Are You Based On Your Astrological Sign?

*I’m an Aries, and got Elizabeth Bennett from P&P.  Very fitting.

» 20 Best Books To Pick Up This April

» The World’s Highest Paid Authors

*I was actually shocked at #2… especially being paid more than J.K. Rowling?!?  Was also surprised who was at the bottom of this list… Happy to see so many female authors (6 out of 14)

» Twice the fun: 9 Books featuring twins

*One of my favorite books, East of Eden, is on this list :)

» Series About the Brontë Sisters Coming Soon

*Um, yes please!

» The 50 Best Books for 11- and 12-Year-Olds

*I’ve only read 5 of these books?!?! I just added 45 books to the ole TBR

» 5 Children’s Stories That Really Freaked Us Out

*I read Coraline this past October… It definitely gave me an unsettled feeling.

» Quiz: Who’s Your Author BFF

*J.K. Rowling and I would make the bestest of friends :)

» 9 Imaginative Fairy-Tale Retellings

» 12 Images All Bookworms Can Relate To

*Yup

Whoa.  That was ridiculously long.  If you have reached this point, go ahead and give yourself a pat on the back.

What are you currently reading?

What will you read next?

Have a wonderful week, and happy reading

See what I #AmReading & what's on the #TBR for this week in my #WrapUp. #BookBlogger #Bookworm Happy Sunday bookworms! Did everyone have a good weekend?  Mine was low key, as my kids are now on spring break.