#20's books

[noveltyreads]

Murder For The Modern Girl by Kendall Kulper Book Review

ARC kindly provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

I really liked this book. It was very fun and pretty quick to get through. 

The book was set in 1920's Chicago where main character, Ruby kills the men who escape Chicago's clutches. Men who plan to do bad things to women including killing them. Genius boy, Guy is on the run. He changed his entire identity, running away from the man he was before. Working at the morgue under the professional who can help him figure out his gift for shapeshifting, Guy discovers that the string of deaths in Chicago are not coincidental. They are the work of a murderer. As Guy tries to figure out the identity of the murderer, Ruby goes to Guy for help on discovering who is targeting her father and wanting to kill him. All the time, a deadly game of cat and mouse ensures between the both of them as well as a blossoming romance. 

The book is told in two parts: Guy's and Ruby's. Personally I liked Guy's parts more as I found Ruby's personality and dialogue a bit annoying. Guy was also so innocent and sweet. I must admit, I didn't ship the two of them as I found Ruby taking advantage of him and his shapeshifting abilities. I wasn't really convinced on their chemistry and relationship because I felt like Guy was just being manipulated and strung along by her. 

While I liked the plot line and Guy, I didn't get a sense of the glitz and glamour of the 20's that I was expecting. We knew Ruby was a rich girl and a socialite but what about that allure during the roaring 20's? I felt like this could've been improved on in future books. 

Overall, this was a good read that was very fun too. I liked Guy but felt like the chemistry could've been better because I felt like Guy was being used in the relationship rather than actually loved. Maybe towards the end yes, but I felt like there was no romantic build up between the two and they got together quickly after their feelings were realised. 

ACTUAL RATING: 3.7 STARS 

#books #ya #young adult #bookstagram #book reviews #reading #bookstagrammer #fantasy #magical realism #murder mystery #bookish #bibliophile #20's #20's books #1920's #Kendall kulper #book reviewer #pretty books

[hanzajesthanza]

geralt "i will NEVER deadname my best friend" of rivia

"he will ALWAYS be dandelion to ME"

#also 'including milva in male costume' goes SOOO HARDDD #everyone say thank you regis for citing a dozen precedents to pull that off. the effect of knowing your herstory <3 #c: geralt #s: i want to be by your side #geralt is like the reverse situation of a transphobe who 'has known you for 20 years so he can't call you something else now' #it's that he has known dandelion for so long that he can't call him anything else but his STAGE / CHOSEN NAME :') #the 'viscount dandelion' is so funny to me #i can accept that he's a viscount but I DRAW THE LINE at calling him by his birth name #milva: 'you can accept that he's a viscount??' #also it's lost in english but that his stage name and birth name begin with the same letter & thus sound. jaskier... julian... #not the 'chosen name starts with the same letter as the birth name' stereotype. and swag #the witcher books #book: lady of the lake #excerpt #one thousand million years ago in posada: #dandelion: 'don't you want to know my name' | geralt: 'but i already know your name. it's dandelion' #dandelion: 'but it's not my real name. don't you want to know my real and famous name' | geralt: 'not particularly' #geralt has the same relationship to dandelion's birth name and viscount status as dandelion has to kaer morhen 💀 #geralt and dandelion are like i don't care who you were back then i cannot comprehend your sad backstory all i care is about who you are no #i think this kind of friendship helped them both slightly detach from their exaggerated levels of perceived self-importance #geralt from his 'woe is me i will never be seen as a normal man' and dandelion from 'im the most interesting man in this tavern' #only SLIGHTLY detach. when they're around each other they temper expectations. but when they're apart it grows back

[booktype]

✨ [Blog]: Beyond Words: Top 10 Vintage Book Covers That Will Leave You Spellbound! ✨

#bookcovers #blog #reading #books #art #20's #butterflies #insects #vintage #antique #design

[amatesura]

A little book of life and death. Binding by Katharine Adams, c. 1925. On book printed in London in 1910.

#books #book binding #20's #1910's #art #design #*

[teatitty]

Was showing some TW3 Lambert scenes to Rae tonight and it's soooo cute that he's such an emotional drunk. Depending on dialogue choices, you can have a scene play out where Geralt's like "you know you're like a little brother to me right?" And Lambert goes "[voice cracking] Why would you say that to me? I'm gonna cry. Come here" and as he moves in for a hug he knocks the empty wine bottle to the floor and just shatters it everywhere ruining the moment asfrtdfgt they're all such a fucking mess

#the witcher games #kaer morons #there's also one where his voice cracks and his brothers give him shit for it #idk if he sounds young in the other versions of the game #but in the english he genuinely sounds like he's in his 20's and it makes so much sense now after looking up the book timelines #and learning he's not much older than dandelion #since witchers age slower than humans he's literally like. a baby in witcher years still. I love him #[I'm not being literal about the baby thing don't get weird abt it]

[wonder-worker]

I've been thinking about the tragedy of Elizabeth Woodville living to see the death of her family name.

I don't mean her family with her husband, which lived on through her daughter and grandson. I mean her own.

Her sisters died, one by one, many of them after 1485. When Elizabeth died, only Katherine was left, and she would die before the turn of the century as well.

All her brothers died, too. Lewis died in childhood. John was executed. Anthony was murdered. Lionel died suddenly in the peak of Richard's reign, unable to see his niece become queen. Edward perished at war. Richard died in grieving peace. For all the violence and judgement the family endured, it was "an accident of biology" that ended their line: none of the brothers left heirs, and the Woodville name was extinguished. We know the family was aware of this. We know they mourned it, too:

“Buy a bell to be a tenor at Grafton to the bells now there, for a remembrance of the last of my blood.”

Elizabeth lived through the deposition and death of her young sons, and lived to see the end of her own family name. It must have been such a haunting loss, on both sides.

#(the quote is by Richard Woodville in his deathbed will; he was the last of the Woodville brothers to die) #elizabeth woodville #woodvilles #my post #to be clear I am not arguing that the death of an English gentry family name is some kind of giant tragedy (it absolutely the fuck is not) #I'm trying to put it into perspective with regards to what Elizabeth may have felt because we know her family DID feel this way #writing this kinda reminded me of how I am just not fond at all about the way Elizabeth's experiences in 1483-85 are written about #and the way lots so many of the unprecedentedly horrifying aspects are overlooked or treated so casually: #the seizure and murder of two MINOR sons and the illegal execution of another; #her sheer vulnerability in every way compared to all her queenly predecessors; how she was harassed by 'dire threats' for months; #how she had 5 very young daughters with her to look after at the time (Bridget and Katherine were literally 3 and 4 years old); #how unprecedented Richard's treatment of her was: EW was the first queen of england to be officially declared an adulteress; #and the first and ONLY queen to be officially accused of witchcraft #(Joan of Navarre was accused of her treason; she was never explicitly accused of witchcraft on an official level like EW was) #the first crowned queen of england to have her marriage annulled; and the first queen to have her children officially bastardized #what former queens endured through rumors* were turned into horrifying realities for her. #(I'm not trying to downplay the nightmare of that but this was fundamentally on a different level altogether) #nor did Elizabeth get a trial or appeal to the church. like I cannot emphasize this enough: this was not normal for queens #and not normal for depositions. ultimately what Richard did *was* unprecedented #and of course let's not forget that Elizabeth had literally just been unexpectedly widowed like 20 days before everything happened #I really don't feel like any of this is emphasized as much as it should be? #apart from the horrifying death of her sons - but most modern books never call it murder they just write that they 'disappeared' #and emphasize that ACTUALLY we don't know what happened to them (this includes Arlene Okerlund) #rather than allowing her to have that grief (at the very least) #more time is spent dealing with accusations that she was a heartless bitch or inconsistent intriguer for making a deal with Richard instead #it also feels like a waste because there's a lot that can be analyzed about queenship and R3's usurpation if this is ever explored properly #anyway - it's kinda sad that even after Henry won and her daughter became queen EW didn't really get a break #her family kept dying one by one and the Woodville name was extinguished. and she lived to see it #it's kinda heartbreaking - it was such a dramatic rise and such a slow haunting fall #makes for a great story tho

[stromuprisahat]

You know how girls will disappear for months and give a bunch of hokey as the reason when they're actually having a baby

The rumour mill after Alina suddenly went on an amplifier hunt after like 3 months of training when other Grisha trained for years must have been crazy

And I'm pretty sure half of the Little Palace was already certain she and Aleksander are fucking.

“And what about her?” cried another Squaller. “How do we know she isn’t working with the Darkling? She helped him destroy Novokribirsk.” “And she shared his bed!” shouted another. Never deign to deny, said Nikolai’s voice in my head. “Just what is your relationship with Nikolai Lantsov?” demanded a Fabrikator. “What was your relationship with the Darkling?” came a shrill voice.

Siege and Storm Chapter 13

It's pretty obvious when you look at it. Especially Alina's Fete outfit screams MISTRESS! Even before that, all signs are there:

Dinner seemed to last forever. I nursed a glass of tea and endured another round of endless Summoner chatter. I was getting ready to excuse myself and escape back to my room when the doors behind the Darkling’s table opened and the domed hall fell silent. Ivan emerged and sauntered over to the Summoners’ table, seemingly oblivious to the stares of the other Grisha. With a sinking sensation, I realized he was walking straight toward me. “Come with me, Starkov,” he said when he reached us, then added a mocking “please.” I pushed my chair back and rose on legs that felt suddenly weak. Had Baghra told the Darkling that I was hopeless? Had Botkin told him just how badly I’d failed at my lessons? The Grisha were goggling at me. Nadia’s jaw was actually hanging open. I followed Ivan across the silent hall and through the huge ebony doors. He led me down a hallway and through another door emblazoned with the Darkling’s symbol. ...

Shadow and Bone Chapter 9

“Why did she do it?” I asked as I tried to sit up. I’d had plenty of people ignore me or look down on me. But Zoya actually seemed to hate me. Marie and Nadia gaped at me as if I’d taken a crack to the skull instead of the ribs. “Because she’s jealous!” said Nadia. “Of me?” I said incredulously. Marie rolled her eyes. “She can’t bear the idea of anyone being the Darkling’s favorite.”

Shadow and Bone Chapter 11

Since none of the other Grisha knew that I’d had so much trouble summoning, they were all a little baffled by the change in me. I didn’t offer any explanations, and Genya let me in on some of the more hilarious rumors. “Marie and Ivo were speculating that the Fjerdans had infected you with some disease.” “I thought Grisha didn’t get sick.” “Exactly!” she said. “That’s why it was so very sinister. But apparently the Darkling cured you by feeding you his own blood and an extract of diamonds.” “That’s disgusting,” I said, laughing. “Oh that’s nothing. Zoya actually tried to put it around that you were possessed.”

Shadow and Bone Chapter 13

Genya squeaked, and I just stood there gaping at the contents. When I didn’t move, she reached into the box and pulled out yards of rippling black silk. The sleeves and neckline were delicately embroidered in gold and glittered with tiny jet beads. “Black,” Genya whispered. His color. What did it mean? “Look!” she gasped. The neckline of the gown was laced with a black velvet ribbon, and from it hung a small golden charm: the sun in eclipse, the Darkling’s symbol. ... “Excuse us!” announced Genya. “But we have need of this chamber. Darkling’s orders!” Zoya’s beautiful blue eyes slitted dangerously. “If you think—” she began and then she caught sight of me. Her jaw dropped, and the blood drained from her face. “Out!” commanded Genya. Zoya snapped her mouth shut, but to my amazement, she left the room without another word. Genya slammed the door behind her. ... The sad, sickly girl with hollowed-out cheeks and bony shoulders was gone. In her place was a Grisha with sparkling eyes and shimmering waves of bronze hair. The black silk clung to my new form, shifting and sliding like sewn-together shadows. And Genya had done something marvelous to my eyes so that they looked dark and almost catlike. ... In the other boxes on my bed, we found golden silk slippers, glittering jet and gold earrings, and a thick fur muff. When I was ready, I examined myself in the little mirror above the basin. I felt exotic and mysterious, like I was wearing some other, far more glamorous girl’s clothes.

Shadow and Bone Chapter 14

Sure, the reader knows Alina didn't summon, but other Grisha don't. ... and when a girl suddenly radically changes her behaviour, while gaining a shape, EVERYONE knows she's the boss' new favourite AND they sneak off somewhere TOGETHER...

... and once Alina returns, the sickly, frail girl is back:

When we finally pulled up to the immense black silk tent, a crowd of Grisha swarmed around the coach. Marie and Ivo and Sergei rushed forward to greet me. I was surprised at how good it felt to see them again. As they caught sight of me, their excitement vanished, replaced by worry and concern. They’d expected a triumphant Sun Summoner, wearing the greatest amplifier ever known, radiant with power and the favor of the Darkling. Instead, they saw a pale, tired girl, broken by misery. “Are you all right?” Marie whispered when she hugged me. “Yes,” I promised. “Just worn out from the journey.” I did my best to smile convincingly and reassure them. I tried to feign enthusiasm as they marveled at Morozova’s collar and reached out to touch it.

Shadow and Bone Chapter 20

I don't know how other Grisha, but I'd suspect some tragedy.

Miscarriage?

Stillbirth?

If Grisha can have hard time conceiving, how likely is it those won't be unusual either?!

#reply #Grishaverse #Grisha trilogy #Alina Starkov #Second Army #The Darkling #Darklina #grishanalyticritical #S&S Chapter 13 #S&B Chapter 9 #S&B Chapter 11 #S&B Chapter 13 #S&B Chapter 14 #S&B Chapter 20 #books #quotes #Leigh Bardugo #Siege and Storm #Shadow and Bone (book)

[maggotssmichael]

kanej is locklyle coded. locklyle is not kanej coded. thank you for coming to my ted talk.

#had to make this clear #so sick of ppl 'oh lockyle walked so kanej could run' yeah no absolutely not kanej is certainly not running #im v sorry but yall kanej fans are gonna be waiting 20 more seasons #i say this with respect #and as a SLIGHT kanej fan myself #locklyle has been around since before the s&b books were out of any kind #thank you very much #lockwood and co #save lockwood and co #save lockwood & co #lockyle #shadow and bone #shadow & bone #amita suman #freddy carter #cameron chapman #ruby stokes #lucy carlyle #anthony lockwood #kaz brekker #inej ghafa #six of crows

[yesokayiknow]

cannot believe that in 2007 the eighth doctor adventures writers just decided to put toxic yuri in their show. they did that for me

#not me going insane over 2 minor recurring villains #but literally what the fuck is going on with the headhunter and karen #what if an amoral assassin and a normal office worker decided to become partners on a whim & now they time travel and commit crimes together #like what????? #the headhunter could not give less of a shit about other people and doesn't think karen is useful at all and yet just keeps her around #and karen's like yeah she hates my guts and also she makes me kill people. it's a laugh though can't complain #and i'm just meant to be normal about that?????? huh??????? #also the way they both just flirt with lucie every time they see her is so funny #karen's like hey babe!!!! how are you!!!! do you want to join us!!!! while holding a knife to lucie's neck shdjshs #while the headhunter's like ah lucie miller the thorn in my side [saves her life] this means nothing [saves her life] you disgust me [saves- #doctor who #big finish #i've finished s3!!!! whoop!!!! #my thoughts are why does lucie miller keep getting turned evil and can it keep happening bc it's hot. who said that #my only issue with this format is that it's very adventure based. which yeah it's called the 8th doctor adventures #but i wish there was more breathing room for lucie. the doctor keeps being all sad (fair his life is awful) but lucie's going Through It #and never gets a chance to really process anything #also the retroactive continuity errors make me laugh #'i'm 900 years old' no the fuck you're not! you still have the time war yet buddy! #i like to think they're just signs of 8's swiss cheese memory #i hope there's books set in this era. i'm sure nobody will be able to tell me bc they gave up 20 tags ago agdkhsjshsjs

[orchidsangel]

pregnancy trope is AWFUL like let me speak my truth. like jtv and the originals is different because the entire plot is centered around it but if i'm watching a show or reading a book and it supposedly comes out of nowhere (i've never not successfully predicted it) then it's over. i'm done. i'm out. LIKE DON'T PISS ME AWF !!!!! just sick and awful !!! especially when they're surprised like they weren't literally raw doggin every day, no birth control...you just made me angry. "i don't understand how this could happen ???" i'm literally under your bed rn.

#i've hated pregnancy tropes since i was in middle school #genuinely infuriating #like oh my god can everyone please be normal #when i was reading fucking p doug books #and every time jump had a baby like the mc's werent #early 20's and in the least #sustainable relationships ever #just makes me so angry #like they wouldn't survive a month dating #OR IN CHARMED ???? #when piper (?) had a baby and it became the whole #fucking plot ??? #MIND YOU THE BABY DADDYS DEAD #AND I DONT MEAN HE DIED AFTER ????????? #HE WAS DEAD WHILE THEY WAS FUCKIN #and don't get me started on black cake... #saw that shit coming from a mile away #BOTH times #anyway #ro number 1 pregnancy trope anti #penelope douglas' breeding kink needs to get her put on a watchlist #bc credence ?????? #was 400+ pages of “hinting” that those men wanted to knock her up #and one of them did !!! #in the epilogue #but still !!! #SHE WAS 21 #SHE SHOULD'VE BEEN IN THE CLUB #✧ orchids in bloom ✧

[thebestcomicbookpanels]

Archie's money troubles in 1974 with the high price of gas!

Pep Comics #295 by Dan DeCarlo

#gas prices #high gas prices #archie #archie comics #archie andrews #veronica lodge #the 20's #the twenties #pep comics #dan decarlo #the best comic book panels #riverdale #the great gatsby

[katrinegrey]

#asite #a shadow in the ember #spoilers #fbaa #blood and ash #sera mierel #nyktos #alitf #jennifer l armentrout #sigh...i did something absolutely fucking insane again #i wanted a way to condense ASITE information in a way that would make sense to my silly brain and it just took a TURN #I never liked making powerpoints in school but now in my late 20's for a smut fantasy book? absolutely for sure I'll do that

[amatesura]

Ellen Thesleff's sketchbooks 1912-1927

#ellen thesleff #art history #suomi #finland #design #sketchbook #books #cover design #1910's #20's #1920's #*

[kitseaton]

FULL SHIFT, 2024, a graphic novel with @penguinteen written by Jennifer Dugan

🐺

Hey all, you know if I can squeeze in some 1920’s flapper fashions I’m sure as heck gonna.

Putting this below the fold because I’m getting some health related stuff off my mind. I’m still inking every day, even if I can only manage a little. I’m still… alive. I’ve been working through a period of weird health related things. Turns out I’ve had a B12 deficiency, which left on its own for a while can cause all kinds of physical, neurological, and emotional issues. It may also take a long time to get back up to speed, and it’s left me with lingering questions about whether this will be a chronic issue and there’s more to sort out. But I have to accept that only time will tell, and that it’s gonna take time to come back from this. Which is very frustrating. I will still try to post updates as often as I can. ♥️

#graphic novel #teen werewolf #werewolves #the woof book #penguin teen #jennifer dugan #Kit Seaton #wolves #flappers #roaring twenties #20’s fashion #werewolves not swearwolves #cw: health

[teatitty]

We know Lambert was one of the last boys trained in Kaer Morhen. We also know, from Blood of Elves, that the last boys were trained there about 25 years prior to the events of that specific novel. Since Blood of Elves takes place in 1267, this would mean that Lambert was being trained sometime around 1242, or had just recently finished depending on his age. Dandelion was born in 1229, making him 13 during that year. Ergo: Dandelion and Lambert are very likely close in age and that is really fucking with me right now

The most we know about Geralt's age from an interview with Sapkowski is that he's "over 50" but hides how old he is because even though humans in the witcher verse live longer than humans during the real medieval period did, there's still a prejudice towards "giving a job to an old duffer over 50." And Witchers age much slower than humans - a 60 year old Witcher might look no older than a 45 year old man

There's a common misconception that Geralt must be over a hundred because of when the Pogroms happened, but two things make this impossible: 1) the Wolf School being active after the massacre up until 1242, as stated above, and 2) In Voice of Reason, Nenneke says that she remembers seeing Geralt as a child who only came up to her waist. Ergo: Geralt is older than 50 but younger than Nenneke and likely younger than Yennefer who was born in 1173, thus making her 75-76 when the djinn incident happened

Anyway point is: Geralt is way younger than you think and Lambert and Dandelion are, at most, probably only a few years apart in age. Wild to think about

#the witcher books #lore post #I did timeline math for this my head hurrrtttsss #if we assume lambert is a few years older than dandelion from this info #that'd put lambert in his early 40's at the end of the books as dandy is only 38-39 #therefore: lambert would've only been in his early 20's when geralt and dandy met in gulet since dandelion is 19 at that time

[vaugarde]

God I really wish I could be hyperfixated on things that are better like Kirby or Pokemon or even Sonic again, it's been a bit and I miss that guy. But instead my brain is slamming the Warriors button like its 2013 again

#sorry gamers... they do mean what they say abt ur middle school interests never leaving you #whats worse is im also thinking abt wof again bc of the parallels and tui being a former erin aughhhh #maybe i should just to renew my brain and put my friends through psychic damage through secondhand knowledge #and also moon and kinkajou because those bitches were gay and you cannot convince me otherwise #and yeah actually its overall just a more pleasant read bc the characters actually like each other #but unlike wc i have no desire to read beyond arc 2 at all. everything i have heard about it takes away 20 hp from me #and i remember hating darkness of dragons sm that it killed all my excitement for the arc and book 1's summary #could not convince me. also how do you have bug dragons and make them look boring as hell #echoed voice