#Any Way the Wind Blows Book Review | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

tailsrevane · 1 year

Text

2022 in review, part 5: novel first reads

my top ten favorite first reads of this year! more or less! idk it’s harder for me to rank books than other kinds of media sometimes, i feel like. i did my best.

1. wolfsong by t.j. klune (2015)

i already wrote a very long review of this so i’m not gonna rehash it here, but yeah this is a gay werewolf book with a very unique/artistic writing style and i’m pretty sure the main character is literally otherkin. (they don’t use the word “otherkin” but his experiences line up so well it’s kind of scary.) obviously i’m a fan.

2. wolf-speaker by tamora pierce (1994)

omfg i need to get back to this series i love tamora pierce’s writing style so much. i keep alternating between kicking myself that i didn’t read these as a kid & celebrating the fact that i get to read them all now. but, yeah, i need to get back to this series. and her stuff in general.

3. any way the wind blows by rainbow rowell (2021)

this is far & away the best book of the simon snow series. it’s just such a godsdamned satisfying ending.

i mean, okay, i do find it a little off-putting that i’m meant to believe that penny is heterosexual, but we can’t win ‘em all. but also we get to see her rules lawyer a fucking demon??? and be a stone cold badass in the process? so i can’t really complain about how that went.

the writing of simon & baz’s intimacy with each other was fucking sublime. it was so heartful & honest, i just ached for them.

i’m a little disappointed that this was such a definitive ending because i could’ve kept following these characters for like a dozen more books, but honestly it was such a perfect ending it’s kind of hard to argue with it.

4. birth of the firebringer by meredith ann pierce (1985)

yeah i can’t imagine what i found appealing about the unicorn book with narration from what feels like an awfully authentic animal headspace whose culture is SUPER pagan and where the main perils are 1) vore, 2) mind control, 3) literally a tornado. just truly drawing a blank here.

5. wayward son by rainbow rowell (2019)

i’m so glad the harry potter books never did an american roadtrip because holy shit it would have been insufferable. this, on the other hand, is brilliant.

everyone at ren fairs is apparently actually a witch or supernatural creature? vampires run las vegas? techbros are trying to contract vampirism for incredibly dumb reasons? yes, yes, yes. perfect.

6. star trek: discovery: dead endless by dave galanter (2019)

we gays are so powerful, you guys. i mean, the fucking butterfly effect of the awful season 1 of discovery unironically employing the bury your gays trope resulting in us ending up with this profic au where culber’s ghost finds his way onto a discovery commanded by a michael burnham who never mutineed and has family dinners with fleet captain georgiou & surrogate sibling saru, and he just immediately starts making out with au stamets who starts working on bending the laws of physics to the will of his multiverse gay love story.

sometimes profic is just fanfic with resources & a stamp of legitimacy, and when it is it’s glorious.

7. star trek: discovery: fear itself by james swallow (2018)

the discovery novels are shockingly good. like, this one is so action packed while also being such a great character study of saru. it honestly surpasses what the show was doing contemporaneously. i’d really like to see more comics or novels set on the shenzhou.

8. murder on the orient express by agatha christie (1934)

this was almost certainly hindered by the fact that i had seen so many adaptations of it by the time i read it that i felt like i had already read it, but i nevertheless enjoyed it quite a bit and am eager to read more mystery novels (and christie novels specifically.)

9. lunatic fringe by allison moon (2011)

patient worldbuilding, imperfect but well-meaning characters having mostly (mostly) good-faith conflicts over strategy, and L E S B I A N W E R E W O L V E S. yeah, that’ll work.

10. blood and chocolate by annette curtis klause (1997)

this book’s picture is in the dictionary under “problematic fave,” but this really is delightful if you can get past all the ways in which it’s awful. and i can, clearly.

1 note · View note

thebooksareeverywhere · 2 years

Text

Review: Any Way the Wind Blows (#3) by Rainbow Rowell

Goodreads | Bookshop.org In Any Way the Wind Blows, Simon and Baz and Penelope and Agatha have to decide how to move forward.For Simon, that means deciding whether he still wants to be part of the World of Mages — and if he doesn’t, what does that mean for his relationship with Baz? Meanwhile Baz is bouncing between two family crises and not finding any time to talk to anyone about his newfound…

View On WordPress

#any way the wind blows #book blog #book review #books #bookworm #rainbow rowell #reading #simon snow

1 note · View note

in-the-stacks · 2 years

Text

Presenting Any Way the Wind Blows by Rainbow Rowell. Reviewed by Jess the Librarian for In the Stacks

http://www.inthestacks.tv/2022/09/jess-the-librarian-any-way-the-wind-blows-by-rainbow-rowell

#Any Way the Wind Blows #Rainbow Rowell #young adult #romance #fantasy #Books #Librarians #Reading #AmReading #MyLibrarian #Guest Librarian #In the Stacks #video book reviews

0 notes

mixedmediareviewspodcast · 2 years

Text

Episode out now!!! Go listen wherever you get your podcasts (probably).

#simon snow trilogy #carry on #wayward son #any way the wind blows #simon and baz #simon snow #mixed media reviews podcast #podcast #book review #review

1 note · View note

dia-souls · 4 months

Text

Diabolik lovers Bloody Roses Novel [Chapter 02]

Chapter 02

A terrible silence filled the room. Yui was very scared. She was so scared that she could even hear the echo of her heartbeat. Her hands were shaking and she was staring at the empty bag with wide eyes. She frantically searched and shook the bag. All her belongings were thrown out of the bag, but there was no sign of the diary book.

Yui: No... No... this is impossible. The book is not in my bag.

Yui looked inside the bag several times, but there was no sign of the book. She felt ashamed that she could not keep her promise to Peter. It was perhaps the simplest thing that Yui could have done, but she had failed to do it, and a feeling of shame filled her entire being.

Yui tried to control herself and think a little about where the book might be. She reviewed all the events after the forest in her mind and remembered that while she was running in the forest, she tripped and her bag dropped from her hand. It is possible that the book fell out of her bag when she dropped it.

With these thoughts and fantasies, Yui tried to calm herself down. She now knew where the book might be, so she tried to take a deep breath and push the fear out of her heart. As she took a deep breath, she placed her bag next to her bed and lay on the bed, staring out the window at the silver moon.

Yui: (Tomorrow I will go back to the forest and find the book. Nothing bad will happen.)

In her positive thoughts, Yui slowly closed her eyes and tried to sleep. She wasn't sure if she would be able to find the book tomorrow or if her father would even allow her to return to the forest, but she tried to hope so that she could sleep peacefully.

*TIMESKIP*

In the morning, with the sun shining on her golden hair and hearing the beautiful sound of birds singing, Yui slowly opened her eyes. When she regained consciousness, she quickly got out of bed, changed her clothes and combed her hair.

Yui had slept last night hoping to go back to the forest to find her book, but now she was afraid to share this with her father and face his disapproval. However, she gathered all her courage and left her room and walked up the stairs to meet her father and talk.

When she went down the stairs, she found an empty room. Yui looked around. There was no sign of her father and apparently his hunting gun was not at home, and it seems that he has gone hunting again. But this was very strange for Yui. Her father usually used to go to the forest for hunting three times a week, but this time is the fourth time in a week. This was very strange.

Yui was very worried about her father. But she had other problems to worry about. So she decided to take advantage of this situation and her father's absence and quickly return to the forest to find the book.

Yui put on her leather boots and wrapped Hina's precious scarf around her neck and grabbed her bag and hurried out of the hut. She didn't want to make eye contact with any of the villagers because it would slow her down and she wouldn't be able to get home before her father returned. So she decided to run all the way to the forest.

She runs at full speed without looking around. Sometimes a strong wind blows and slaps Yui's face. Yui closed her eyes for a few moments to protect her face from the wind. She continued to run with her eyes closed when she hit a hard object and fell to the ground.

???: Oi stupid. What are you doing?

Hearing this voice made Yui panic. She opened her eyes and saw that she had bumped into one of the village girls and because her eyes were closed she did not see her and bumped into her. The girl had fallen on the ground and her clothes were soiled and she was looking at Yui with eyes full of anger.

Tina: Clumsy girl. Look what you did. You dirty all my clothes. Are you blind?

Yui: Tina-chan... I'm sorry... I didn't mean to...

Yui tried to apologize to her with a voice full of fear and with broken words, but before she could finish her sentence, Tina stood up and shook her clothes and walked towards Yui angrily. With every step she took towards Yui, more fear filled Yui's being and she tried to find a way to escape but there was no way. Tina stood facing Yui and leaned towards her.

Tina: You are the stupidest girl I have ever met. I will make you regret being born.

Yui: Tina-chan.... please calm down.... it was just an accident..... I didn't mean to....

*slap*

Yui's words were stopped by a hard slap on her face. In the shock of the strong blow that hit her face, Yui suddenly felt a heavy weight on her head and her head hit the ground hard. Tina hit Yui's head with her boot and put her weight on Yui's head.

Tina: You are a dirty animal..... You were just lucky that Seiji-san saved you. Even your real parents didn't want you...

Tina's weight pressed harder on Yui's head, causing Yui to moan in pain. Her cruel words made Yui cry. Even though Yui never wanted to appear weak in front of them, she couldn't stop her tears from flowing. While Yui was crying silently, Tina put more weight and pressure on Yui's head and Yui screamed in pain.

Yui: Aarrgggg.... Tina-chan... please stop.... you're breaking my head...

Tina: Hahaha... that's what you deserve, dirty animal.

Tina removed her foot from Yui's head and Yui raised her head in pain. She felt dizzy due to the great pressure that Tina had put on her and her eyes could not see anything clearly.

While kneeling and holding her head tightly, Yui tried to clean her hair. It took a few moments for her to see things clearly again and she realized that Tina was still standing facing her, staring at her with a mocking grin. Tina put her right boot in front of Yui's mouth and looked at her with an evil grin.

Tina: Hurry up you dirty dog. Lick my boot to forgive you. Lick it just like a dirty dog.

Yui was looking at Tina with a frown. She was very embarrassed. She felt ashamed to be treated like this. Yui couldn't allow herself to do such a shameful thing, but on the other hand, she was very afraid of Tina's cruel behavior and didn't want to make her angry.

Tina: Be quick...

Yui: I'm not a dog... I'm not dirty... Please leave me alone.

Tina: Aaaahhhh..... poor girl. I warned you but you ignored it.

Tina held Yui's hair with her right hand and started pulling it. Yui struggled to free her hair but Tina continued to pull it and took Yui to the village fountain and pushed her with all her strength towards the fountain causing Yui to lose her balance and fall into the fountain. All her clothes get wet.

Seeing Yui's embarrassing situation, Tina started laughing mercilessly and seemed very pleased to see Yui in such a state.

A strong autumn wind was blowing and Yui began to shiver in her wet clothes. The cold was so much that it even burned Yui's bones and Yui started to cry in despair. She was hugging herself like a full-fledged rose to warm herself a little.

Tina: That's what a dirty animal like you deserves.

???: I don't think so. I think the real demons are in front of us and we don't need to go to the forest to see them.

Hearing a strange voice behind her, Tina turned around and faced the angry face of the lovely village librarian. Peter was standing in front of her with clenched fists and a face full of anger and hatred.

Tina: How dare you call me a devil? Don't tell me that you want to support this stupid girl?

Peter: Shut up.

Tina: Ahhhhh, you are like her. Both of you are dirty worms that feed on books.

Peter: Get out of my sight before I crush your teeth. Don't forget that I am a man and my power is much more than you. You will never be able to bring the disaster that you caused to this girl on me and you will not be able to defend yourself against me. So it's best for you to get out of my sight right now.

Hearing Peter's threats, Tina panicked but tried to act calm. So she slowly walked away from the two of them without saying a word in response and didn't look behind her even once.

Peter was staring at Yui with a look full of pity and sadness. He was confused and did not know what to do. He slowly walked over to her and knelt in front of her and took off his coat and threw it around Yui's shoulders hoping to warm her up a bit.

Peter: How are you?

Yui: Achoo... Peter-san.... I can't.... move.

Peter: Don't worry Yui. I will help you.

Peter leaned over to Yui and picked her up. He tried to do it very slowly so as not to hurt Yui. Yui was shivering in his arms and her cheeks were red from the cold air. Peter started walking while holding Yui in his arms.

Yui: Peter-san... where are we going?

Peter: Don't worry Yui... I'll take you to the library. There I will give you warm milk and clean clothes to make you feel better.

Yui: No... no... wait... we shouldn't go to the library.

Hearing Yui's words, Peter stopped moving. He stared at Yui with wide eyes. He could not believe what he heard. Yui loved the library and the library was her refuge to relax. Peter didn't know what is Yui's reason for refusing to go to the library was but he was sure she had a good reason but Yui was in no condition to explain to him so Peter didn't ask her any questions.

Peter: Yui, would you like me to take you to Hina-san's house?

Yui: *Cough*.... *cough*.... yeah... take me there.

Peter gave Yui a soft smile and changed his direction towards old Hina's house. Yui was still shivering and Peter did his best to cover Yui with his coat so she wouldn't catch a cold. After walking for a few minutes, they finally reached Hina's house.

*knock knock*

Hearing the sound of the door, old Hina picked up her cane and got up from her armchair next to the fireplace and slowly walked towards the door. When she reached the door, she opened it with her old hands and seeing the sad scene that was in front of her, her smile faded very quickly and her heart beat faster and faster.

Hina frowned seeing Yui in Peter's arms with wet and clothes and looked at Peter with questioning eyes.

Peter: Hina-san, please help us. Yui is not in a good condition at all. All her clothes are wet. She may get sick at any moment. Please help us.

Hina: What happened?

Peter: I don't have time to explain. Please help Yui. I promise that I will explain everything to you. I promise.

Hearing Peter's pleas and seeing Yui's dire state, Hina opened the door fully and led Peter into her small hut. Peter took Yui to the fireplace to warm her with the fire burning in the fireplace. Meanwhile, Hina went to the kitchen and brought some warm milk for Yui and Peter.

Hina offered glasses of warm milk to Peter. Peter was trying to warm Yui and Hina went to her room to get Yui some warm and clean clothes.

A few hours passed. Meanwhile, Yui was sitting by the fireplace and trying to warm herself. Peter was sitting next to Yui and old Hina was sitting in her armchair facing them. Peter told the whole story to Hina and Yui stole her gaze from the two of them the whole time.

Hina listened carefully to everything that Peter said and at any moment she could start crying. Hina had a very kind heart and had great love for Yui. She loved Yui like her own child or even more and she didn't want to see her sad at all.

After Peter told the whole story to old Hina, Hina wanted to talk to Yui alone. She motioned with her eyes to Peter to leave them alone. Peter immediately noticed and picked up his coat from the floor and said goodbye to Yui and Hina and left the hut and returned to his library.

After a while. There was deathly silence between Yui and Hina and neither of them said anything. Only the sound of firewood burning inside the fireplace could be heard. Yui was staring at the fire and didn't even look at Hina once.

Hina: Yui... my dear girl... why are you stealing your gaze from me?

When Yui heard Hina's voice, she couldn't look away anymore. She looked at Hina with eyes that could fill with tears at any moment. Seeing Hina's innocent face and sweet smile, Yui couldn't control herself anymore and ran to Hina, laid her head on her lap and started crying. She buried her head in Hina's lap to stifle her crying and was crying with all her heart.

Yui: Hina-san.... *sob*.... why.... *sniff*.... why does everyone hate me?

Hearing Yui's words, old Hina felt her heart break into pieces. She always wished that Yui would be the happiest girl in this village and smile from the bottom of her heart. She wished that Yui would never feel the lack of affection that she could see from her parents. But it wasn't like that. Yui was an innocent girl and needed her parents' love more than anyone else.

Hina started stroking Yui's head. She tried to calm Yui down. Yui has been enjoying this since she was a child. Hina caressed Yui's soft hair with her old hands and placed a kiss on her hair.

Hina: Yui dear.... no one hates you my girl.

Yui: Yes, Hina-san. The village girls hate me. Even my real parents hated me and abandoned me.

Hina stood up from her armchair and grabbed Yui's chin, forcing her to look directly into her eyes. Hina hugged Yui and caressed her gently.

Hina: Yui... my girl.... I'm sure your parents love you.

Yui: So why did they leave me?

Hina: Maybe they wanted to protect you. We can never understand why they did it. So we should not judge.

Hearing old Hina's soothing words, Yui relaxed into her arms and closed her eyes. She felt that she was holding the dearest person in her life. Hina's embrace was so warm that Yui felt like she was holding her mother for a moment.

*TIMESKIP*

Hours passed. It was almost noon and Yui was still in old Hina's hut. Hina, who had been hugging Yui for a while, slowly fell asleep and Yui helped her go to her bed and rest.

Yui was looking at her with a soft smile while old Hina was napping. She caressed Hina's hair and kissed her forehead.

*smooch*

Yui: Thank you, Hina-san. I am really lucky to have you.

After making sure that Hina was sleeping peacefully, Yui took her bag and left the house. She had a mission that she had to complete, but these events prevented it. While her body still hurt, Yui went to the forest to find the book. She had to do it even though she was not feeling well and had a high fever. Because she had promised Peter and she could not break her promise.

Yui walked in the forest for a long time. She searched everywhere but could not find the book. Because it was dark the night before, she couldn't remember well enough where she had fallen to find the book there.

Yui searched all the places she was there yesterday but there was no sign of the book. She was getting frustrated little by little. Her body was hurting a lot and her head was spinning and she could stand on her feet with great difficulty but Yui went on to find the book.

While Yui was checking under the trees and bushes, she heard the sound of a horse neighing, which made her flinch. This area of the forest is very scary and the villagers do not dare to come here. That's why Yui was surprised when she heard the sound of the horse.

Yui didn't expect anyone to come to this part of the forest, but she was curious about where this horse's neighing sound was coming from. Yui followed the sound and looked for the owner of the sound from behind the bush.

A young man with white hair was standing next to his horse. He had blood red eyes. Or not, his red eyes were a reflection of roses. His hair was white like a swan's feather and shone under the golden light of the sun. But his face was not fully clear because half of his face was covered by his hair. This young man looked very beautiful.

Yui: (He is very handsome... but that man is not from the village.)

While overwhelmed by the young man's beauty, Yui lost her balance and fell to the ground, causing him to hear her voice.

Young man: Who is there? Come out now.

After saying this, the young man turned to his horse and tried to keep it calm. He took out the silver knife and assumed a defensive posture. Yui was horrified to see the knife in his hand and was more afraid of revealing herself to him. He was a stranger and Yui wasn't sure if she could trust him or not.

Young man: If you don't come out, I will come to you.

Yui was very scared and was shaking. She didn't know what to do and whether to take the risk of revealing herself to her or not.

#diabolik lovers #dialovers #yui komori #komori yui #subaru sakamaki #sakamaki subaru #subaru x yui #yui x subaru #subayui #bloody roses novel #bloody roses chapter 02

45 notes · View notes

blackberryghost · 11 months

Text

Interview Music Tag Game

RULES: Put your playlist on shuffle. For each of the 10 interview questions, select a lyric from the random song that comes up. (Skip if there aren't any lyrics and make sure to drop the name of the song in your interview answer!) <3

(I made this. I'm v proud. I hope it gets circulated ^^)

Let's get started...

First off, how would you describe yourself in one sentence?

No one RSVP'd to the party that I hosted (We Hate Everyone - K.Flay)

2. What kind of [insert zodiac sign] are you?

I tried to burn sage to clear the vibe, But the smoke alarm went off, and my ex-girl cried (Subaru Crosstrek XV - Hobo Johnson)

3. You're visiting your favorite spot, what are you thinking about?

When someone calls me I'm most likely to ignore (Personal Lies - Djo)

4. If your life was a movie, what do you think the first review would say about it?

Who would trade that hum of night? For sunlight (Sunlight - Hozier)

5. Say you get a book deal, what are you titling your memoir?

I Like Men On Their Knees (cult leader - KiNG MALA)

6. What would you say about your best friends?

It turns out the sad kids become the Brad Pitts, Ain't that rich? (My Name Isn't Katherine - K.Flay)

7. Think back to when you had everything all figured out in high school, what was your life motto as a teenager?

Make the wind stop blowing your way (Bend - Dear Reader)

8. Describe your aesthetic now:

You couldn't handle your liquor and you can't seem to handle the truth (Regret Me - Daisy Jones & The Six)

9. What's a lyric that they'll quote in your eulogy?

I never really looked before, But now you take my breath away (More Than a Woman - Bee Gees)

10. And for our final question, say we believe in soulmates, what do you think their first impression of meeting you will be?

And, yes, I did use the gender neutral bathroom, What is your concern with what I've got going on? (they/them - atlas)

Ooh, that's it for time, thank you for being here!

Np tags: @wanderingdonut @deadgayfurrywizardsinthe70s @wordknowntoallmen @chace-vito @squintclover @cannabis-major @mkaugust @mblematic @cryhavocc @fruity-individual @crying-lightningx @1hudsonangel @spindrifters @lesbianmckinnonn @violetbaudelaire-quagmire @greenvlvetcouch @tkanb @nymphaea-auri @plecotusauritus @artbyace @youluckydevil @achilleslikespeas @deermessrs @wo2ash @biblicallyaccuratebunny

#tag games

59 notes · View notes

anonymousboxcar · 11 months

Text

TTTE Headcanon: Edward the Audiobook Narrator (+ Bill, Ben, and BoCo)

From what I’ve seen of Edward, it seems like he’s fond of telling stories, both about the island’s history and about stuff he’s made up. As a result, I like to think that not only the Thin Clergyman turns to him as a resource for his books.

One company wants to publish an audiobook collection of stories that originated on/surround Sodor’s railways. It’s a deal that’s arranged with the Fat Controller and the NWR board of directors, giving the NWR hefty royalties so long as it gives them exclusive rights to consult their employees — including the engines.

Edward soon becomes one of the most popular engines to consult. Aside from his sheer repertoire of stories, it’s clear he has a knack for narration and voice work. He’s also very happy to share his tales with new audiences.

There’s only one issue. Or rather, two issues disguising themselves as one underneath a shiny, obnoxious yellow trench coat.

Bill and Ben take a great deal of joy in interrupting Edward’s first recording session. They whistle at inopportune moments, commentate on story events like newscasters, and wind up the person holding the tape recorder until they blow their stack.

Edward tells them off each time. When a stern “knock it off” doesn’t work, he says that they’re wasting tapes every time they make a racket, which means more money and time down the drain.

Bill blinks. “You really care about this, don’t you?”

“You know how I like my stories. And some of them were told to me by engines that aren’t with us anymore, nor their railways. I’d like to make sure they live on in that way.”

“Oh.” Ben winces. “Sorry.”

Edward sighs, but smiles. “It’s alright. Just try to be quiet next time, please.”

That’s when a second issue emerges: Bill and Ben find it very difficult to stay quiet. They’re hyperaware of every little sound they make in the next recording attempt. They start to whisper to each other about the sounds, trying to alert each other, only for it to escalate into a furious shouting match.

While the person from the company steps out to take an aspirin, Bill flushes. “We really tried, Edward.”

“I tried. I don’t know what you were doing.”

“You—”

“I think,” Edward says, his brow furrowed, “something else might suit all of us much better.”

When they pick up again, Edward narrates like before. But this time, Bill and Ben supply sound effects. They rattle back and forth over their tracks. They whistle. They provide the raspy groans of ghosts, muttering nonsense words and cackling in equal measure.

Bill and Ben get very enthusiastic about it. Edward grins at each supplement from them. And the person from the company loves it, proclaiming at the end of the session that it lends a certain “charm and realism” to the recordings.

The company greenlights it for future recordings. As far as they’re concerned, it saves them the money and the time of editing in the sounds themselves.

With each new recording, Bill and Ben get better at it. They practice their sound effects in advance — first on their own, then in a “dress rehearsal” with Edward for an audience of BoCo. BoCo gives his feedback, helping to keep everything in line.

For example: “The screams are very atmospheric. But any louder, and the issue of my cab windows shattering might start up again.”

Sometimes BoCo also offers sound effects of his own, ones better suited to his diesel engine and different voice. His mimicry of the Fat Controller is eerily accurate, everyone agrees. It’s all he and Edward can do to keep Bill and Ben from using that for devious purposes.

Once they finish the recordings and the company edits them, the audiobook gets released on cassettes, CDs, etc. It’s a huge hit. Newspaper reviews reveal that Edward, Bill, Ben, and BoCo’s narrations are the favorites with the public and critics.

They all enjoy the experience so much that they continue to record narrations and sound effects for the company, all the way into the age of the Internet and streamed/downloadable audio. It’s fun and a bonding exercise of sorts for them!

#ttte #rws #ttte headcanon #my headcanons #ttte edward #ttte bill and ben #ttte boco #ttte bill #ttte ben #rws headcanon

33 notes · View notes

hillbillyhippiemusicreview · 2 months

Text

THE HHMR ISSUED A STORM WARNING: A NORTHER IS BLOWING IN AS SHANE SMITH AND THE SAINTS ROLL OUT THEIR LATEST RELEASE

Areas affected include: The Heart, The Soul, & Your Tappin’ Toes. Prepare accordingly.

Strong. Fast moving. Cold. Breathtaking. Those are adjectives to describe a Norther or Blue Norther, a storm bringing in fast cold winds from the north into Texas and surrounding states. Those words also perfectly describe Shane Smith & the Saints newest album, Norther. This album hits you hard and fast! Shane, Bennett, Dustin, Chase and Zach put together an eclectic record that, in my humble opinion, is their best work yet, even topping my favorite, 2013’s Coast.

Before I go any further, I will give a disclaimer that this review is biased—for good reason. I have no affiliation with the band; I’ve only met Shane twice, I’ve met the other members each once, and I follow Bennett on instagram (he’s also originally from my adoptive city of Louisville, KY). BUT, they are my *favorite* band! I may have Timmy Ty’s lyrics tattooed on my arm, but there hasn’t ever been a band that puts me in a trance quite like Shane Smith & the Saints. I’ve seen them at: Tumbleweed (LaCygne, KS), the Basement East (Nashville, TN), Headliners (Louisville, KY), Bulls, Bands, and Barrels (Lexington, KY), and most recently for their headline debut at the Mother Church, the Ryman Auditorium (Nashville, TN). So yes, I am a fan—to say the least. I *may* even fanboy out when they are within a 4 hour drive. That may ruin the credibility of my review in some people’s eyes; however, in others it makes this review even more true and authentic as I have been a fan for 10 years for no reason except for the facts that they make damn fine music, and that they are the some of the nicest artists I have ever met. And to “kind of” quote Uncle Dallas Moore, “there ain’t no one [reading] my shit anyway.” 🤠

Norther opens with “Book of Joe,” a hard hitting ballad with a heavy fiddle presence from Bennett and drums that hit you so hard that your heartbeat matches that of the drum beat. “Book of Joe” repeatedly tells us that “It’s a rich man’s war, it’s a poor man’s fight”—no matter which side of the dollar you are on, this life is always a battle. Next up, we get “Fire in the Sky.” Shane starts out by “deep talking” the lyrics, reminiscent of some of Johnny Cash’s lasts works. But then it goes into a toe tappin’, head banging song that isn’t country, Americana, or red dirt, but in my limited Eastern Kentucky vernacular can only be described as Rock.

We have to go all the way to track number 7 (out of 13) for what may be my favorite song on the album, “Wheels.” One set of lyrics in particular makes this song my favorite…“You can’t blame the memories because they brought you a long long way.” As imperfect humans living in a broken world, we have all had experiences that that have shaped us. Some are great and some we could do without. Personally, looking back at those memories, the good and the bad, they all taught me a lesson or changed my direction; something I am thankful for from the Man up above. And “Just like wheels caught in their motion,” we keep trudging forward throughout this crazy life. Jumping down to the 10th song on the album, “1,000 Wild Horses” gives something to the lover of “real country.” While it may be a little faster and have some great instrumentals, the focus is obviously Shane’s deep voice, the lyrics, and the melody.

Y’all, most albums have one or two of those “skip over songs.” That isn’t the case with Norther. The album has 13 imposing songs, 6 of which were singles starting with “Hummingbird” back in 2022. I’ve already told you once, I am biased because Shane Smith & the Saints are my favorite band for no other reasons except they make great music that casts a spell on me every time I hear it; and that in my few interactions, they are all humble, friendly and down to earth fellas who work as hard as hell to make the music they want to make. So, I know it is only March, but this album has the potential to have my vote for best release of 2024!

Do yourself and the band a favor and go listen to these independent artists right now. Stream them on your preferred platform, check out their merch, and lastly go to the show! I’ve been to a ton of shows over the years, but not one show impacted me the way Shane Smith & the Saints with Justin Wells did at the Basement East. P.S. and that was a show they played with borrowed instruments from Turnpike Troubadours (I think) after their van burned!

-Cheers, N.

Below is the music video for “Adeline,” a track off Norther

youtube

#Youtube

2 notes · View notes

skieystar · 8 months

Text

Can I get some help from anyone that has read Any Way the Wind Blows? I have few books left in my Reading Challenge but not much time to read in the coming months, so I want to be positive that the books I pick up will actually keep me going.

I've seen mixed reviews on Goodreads, so I want some honest opinions on here. For reference, I enjoyed Carry On, even though I didn't necessarily think it was 'great' in terms of charactersation and world-building. Wayward Son made me LOL at times, but it is a fairly short book whereas AWTWB is almost 600 pages long. Also, I don't mind minor spoilers!

#books #books and reading #writeblr #carry on #wayward son #any way the wind blows #simon snow series #simon snow trilogy #simon snow #snowbaz

3 notes · View notes

poppletonink · 1 year

Text

2022: A Year In Review

Literature

Total Number of Books Read: 46

Top Ten Books I Read This Year:

I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuiston

Solitaire by Alice Oseman

The Secret History by Donna Tartt

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

The Picture Of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

An Abundance of Katherines by John Green

Longest Book: Any Way The Wind Blows by Rainbow Rowell

Music

Top 5 Artists Of This Year:

Taylor Swift

Cavetown

Conan Gray

David Bowie

MARINA

Most Listened To Genres Of This Year:

Indie Pop

Pop

Rock

Riot Grrrl

Show Tunes

Top 5 Songs I Listened To This Year:

Cruel Summer by Taylor Swift

Destiny by Chloe Ament

Style by Taylor Swift

Are You Satisfied by MARINA

Cloud 9 by Beach Bunny

Film and Television

Top 5 Television Shows I Watched This Year:

Heartstopper

Wednesday

Young Royals

Don't Hug Me I'm Scared

The Offer

Top 5 Films I Watched This Year:

The Imitation Game

Enola Holmes 2

Howl's Moving Castle

Legally Blonde

Top Gun: Maverick

Ships

Top Ten Ships:

Wolfstar (Marauders Era)

Nick/Charlie (Osemanverse)

Jegulus (Marauders Era)

Rory/Jess (Gilmore Girls)

Dorlene (Marauders Era)

Enola/Tewkesbury (Enola Holmes)

Wenclair (Wednesday)

Tori/Michael (Osemanverse)

Shara/Chloe (IKSW)

Rory/Smith (IKSW)

Fandoms

Top Ten Fandoms:

The Marauders Era

Gilmore Girls

Heartstopper

Wednesday

Studio Ghibli

Nana

Five Nights At Freddy's

Don't Hug Me I'm Scared

My Hero Academia

Haikyuu

7 notes · View notes

fluorescentmortem · 1 year

Text

Wizarding World // Potterlock AU

⤷ ( VERY Anti-JKR! )

Under the cut in case of length ♡

Molly Louise Hooper was born to a Muggle man and a witch. Not a family of standing, of course, like the Blacks, Malfoys, Holmes', etc.

She attended Hogwarts at age 11 after receiving her letter, and was sorted into Hufflepuff. Of course, she got teased for that relentlessly by the Slytherin house, but she ignored it to the best of her ability.

James "Jim" Moriarty being a prime one for it, but most said he just took interest in her. Flattering, but no thanks.

No, Molly Hooper liked a Ravenclaw. Smart, tall, curly hair, dashing... though he too tended to deduce her to the smallest, finest detail—but no, he was different from Moriarty. This was Sherlock Holmes.

Of course, there were other boys. Greg Lestrade, another Hufflepuff, and John Watson, a Gryffindor. Both whom she was friendly with, close friends if anything, people she can count on if she needed them.

Molly also bonded with another girl, Mary Morstan, a Slytherin girl. Not as bad as the rest of them, just cunning and had her way of getting what she wanted. She hung around Molly and the others, often joint at the hip with the female Hufflepuff and flirting with John Watson. Bless him, he didn't know what hit him the first time she made his advancements. Molly envied her for it.

Molly's favourite subjects are Herbology, Potions and Charms. She aspired to be a healer in her school years, which Herbology and Potions went hand in hand with, really, so she studied extremely hard for top grades in both—which she came a few places behind Sherlock, no surprise there. Charms were just fun to use, and a hint of Transfiguration too, another fun class full of spells to learn to make day to day life easier.

But she does achieve her goal, becoming a healer at St. Mungo's Hospital and learning all types of things. Inspecting how wizards, witches and creatures of magical properties died. Looking into wounds, taking samples, developing medicinal potions and herbs to see to patients depending on their needs. She got the thrill out of it, getting to try to understand how the body works, especially for magical folk. She knew the ins and outs of both wizarding and muggle doctoring treatments—just because Sherlock Holmes distracted her in more ways than one didn't mean that she didn't study both fields relentlessly. Sleepless nights and lots of coffee to keep her awake.

And even when she thought she'd never get to see the friends she'd made in school ever again, things always seem to crop up and surprise her. Sherlock Holmes waltzing into her area of the hospital, the morgue, asking to see a body, with John Watson on his flank. She gets waves from John, of course, the questions of ❛how are you?❜ or ❛what are you doing later? anything nice?❜, which ended with her saying things like ❛oh nothing, spending time with my Kneazle,❜ ( Toby ) or ❛meeting Mary for a coffee I think❜. Sometimes she'd mention a date, and of course she'd go, but nothing would ever come of it. No, not at all. Not when the consulting wizarding detective was a part of her life. In fact, it was him who told her to stop dating Moriarty, because oh yes, she did do that. A mistake on her part, really. He was just so charming, so she figured... why not? But no, Mister Holmes blew the wind out of her sails... as usual.

In her own time, Molly either reads a book ( ones that help her learn more or fictional romantic novels—Jane Austen or Shakespeare ) with Toby cuddled on her lap, using a free hand to either pet him or sip her coffee / tea / hot chocolate. OR she works at her little brewing stand, working on some potions for her next shift, which can sometimes end up in messes being made or little explosions blowing up in her face. Lovely. Other than that, it was reviewing parchments of the deceased, checking their records of usage of drugs, potions, anything that could've assisted in their death, looking for any details that she's missed off or significant things that she can relay back to Sherlock, given that he asks for those types of documents.

#✦ 𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐄 𝟎𝟒 ➜ ｢ The Wizarding World / Potterlock ｣#⦗✦| Verse Note(s) |✦⦘#⦗✦| About time I made a little thing on this verse‚ I'll add it to her page later but this is a start!! |✦⦘#⦗✦| REMINDER: I am HIGHLY ANTI-JKR‚ so please don't assume that I support any of her notions as I do NOT |✦⦘#⦗✦| I'll make a separate thing on how Hermione is incorporated into this verse later on ♡ |✦⦘

2 notes · View notes

spaceorphanssecondbreakfastclub · 2 years

Text

SO's US Book Tour: Arizona

The Monkey Wrench Gang

by: Edward Abbey

You may have thought I had forgotten about this project. I hadn’t… It's just taken me this agonizingly long to read through this book. Yes, I could have stopped at any point - but I couldn’t. I wanted to have read the whole thing so that when I eviscerated it, I’d at least know what I was talking about. Okay eviscerated is a harsh word. But I definitely did not enjoy this book.

The reason I wanted to do this project was partly to read outside of my comfort zone and pick up books that not only exemplified the states they were set in, but also to break me out of reading the same kinds of things I naturally gravitate towards. The problem was when I sat down to find a book for Arizona - the pickings felt very slim. And then I stumbled across an article from an Arizona native about Arizona set books that lamented that there aren’t many pieces of great literature set in Arizona. But one of the few books that kept coming up on lists, and one that didn’t feel like the most depressing read ever, was The Monkey Wrench Gang.

The book, written in the mid-70s, is about a group of four somewhat social misfits who decide to take on the man -- or more accurately the machine -- in the name of environmentalism, and destroy every man-made object all over the southwest in order to preserve nature’s pristine condition. It’s supposed to be comical and/or satirical (didn’t really find it either, tbh) and supposed to reflect on how nature should be preserved in any way possible -- even if it includes blowing up every damn thing that could possibly scar nature’s pristine horizon.

It’s not necessarily a bad premise - and author Edward Abbey was known for his outspoken love of Arizona's (and the US’s southwest in general’s) vast natural experience. One of the better elements of the book is the Abbey’s immense passion glowing through the descriptive passages. The Arizona desert is a thing of beauty, and Abbey’s frustrations clearly are from man coming in and filling it with technological advances, particularly industrial advances that dirties nature’s wonder and purpose. There is definitely a conversation here to be had about technology’s effect on the environment - and how far is too far.

I don’t necessarily even mind that the entire book is one act of environmental extremism after another. I do understand that there’s an interesting story to be told under that premise. And being that the book was released in the 1970s, when these conversations really started to be had, it doesn’t surprise me that Abbey was laying blueprint for how to do eco-terrorism. In fact, based on the blurb before the book starts, he definitely was encouraging actions to be inspired by his book.

The problem, and why this book took me nearly nine months to complete, is twofold; I felt bored by the repetition of it and irritated by the characters.

It’s not a hard book to read - despite there being some occasional weird tense shifts going on (is it past tense - is it present tense? Pick a lane, Abbey), the reading level is on the easier side. It’s densely descriptive (in a way that reminds me of Stephen King’s somewhat tangent-y style - without the horror) to the point where I began to glaze over a lot of it. On the one hand - that is why the book ends up on lists, not just the kicking off of eco-terroism but because Abbey’s deep affection for the Arizona landscape shines through his words. But on the other hand, I can only take so many descriptions of how to blow something up or of the main character peeing into the wind. A lot of this book felt like it was treading water until it could get to its big climatic chase at the end.

(As an aside - it is interesting that so much of this book is detailed at length, and yet, every time it approached sex, it was always fade to black. There are definitely some conclusions to be said there - but that’s probably too lengthy to get into for this review.)

The characters, however, are really what had me wanting to stop reading all together. There are only four of them, really, and they’re all assholes. To be fair - it is sort of the point that they are, but you’re supposed to find them endearing anyway. I did not.

The main character is George Hayduke - a jaded, ex-military man in his (I think?) twenties -- though he feels like he’s much older, and if I had to guess, is an insert for the author. He has a real chip on his shoulder about technology - and wants to go out in a blaze of glory, making a statement about saving the environment. But I suppose the irony is that he seems less concerned about the actual environment, and more about preserving how he feels that the Arizona/Southwest landscape is something that is ‘his’ and shouldn’t be encroached on by people with big machines. The ironic part is that he is casual about his littering, which leads to the somewhat hypocritical part of his character. He also is super racist towards Native Americans, finding them dumb and uneducated, and also believing that the land belongs to him and not to people he believes are beneath him.

Hayduke also has a backstory of a veteran who had it rough in Vietnam - and part of the story is him dealing (or really not dealing) with some sort of PTSD. Part of his anger and motivation to blowing all the things up is based in wanting a sort of revenge on the type of men who put him out there to essentially get tortured for a few years. And while I get it - I do (though I think this kind of revelation would have helped the character in the beginning of the book more so the end) the raging masculinity of him needing to blow up machines as a way to say FU to the people (and ideas) he doesn’t like makes him mostly an unpleasant character to spend a majority of the book with.

Meanwhile, there’s Seldom Seen Smith - a nature guide Mormon, who I think is supposed to be considered the comic relief? There’s one joke late in the book where Seldom only knows which wife is which based on the shape and feel of her breasts. And then there’s Doc Sarvis, an aging hippy-esque professor bored with life, so he decides blowing up billboards is his way of flipping the middle finger to ‘the man’. He’s mostly there as a way to encourage Hayduke to take up the fight for all the old geezers who aren’t able to anymore.

And lastly, there’s Bonnie Abbzug. And… just, okay. She’s an early-twenties Jewish girl from Queens just wanting some adventure. She’s with Doc (at least thirty years older than her) during the first half of the novel, and then halfway through, decides he’s an old fart, and starts sleeping with Hayduke. That is until Hayduke goes off the rails, but more so her ‘womanly instincts’ kick in and she wants a kid and family, so she goes back to the Doc. I just cannot even with this.

There are a few attempts to make her more than the ‘girl’ of the group - but she’s so ridiculously stereotyped as this sexy, mysterious, feisty object of affection that it’s clear Abbey is conjuring up an idea of a ‘strong woman’ without understanding who one would really be. Abbey is so bad at understanding women let alone writing one that she might be the worst character in the whole book. She really isn’t more than an object to pass from Doc to Hayduke in some kind of ceremonial passing of the torch.

This book is deeply misogynistic. And while I wouldn’t think this book would be strong on its romance angle - it all together falls flat because Abbey is, clearly, more interested in landscapes and explosions than he is trying to think about women as actual people. It feels rather obligatory, and more so a tangential reminder that women are helpful because you can get your jollies off before and after blowing up whatever bridge you’re onto next.

While I think there is still an audience out there for this book - mainly people who want a more action centric narrative, and while I do think there are conversations to arise from it - namely centered around preservation of land in the Southwest, I cannot recommend this book. I definitely don't think it's the worst book ever written, even if it is overwrought. But I found it tedious to read and tiresome in its plot and characterizations. And while I can understand why it's upheld as a precursor of environmental activism, I don’t think it stands on its own today.

#so's us book tour #arizona #novels set in arizona #arizona books #the monkey wrench gang #books #book review

9 notes · View notes