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bgb16999 · 8 months

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Heartless Reread

It's been six years since @heartless-webcomic by @myrastuff ended. I did a full reread and wrote down my thoughts, mostly stream-of-conciousness. I'm mostly elsewhere on the internet nowadays (you can find me on the fediverse at @[email protected]), but since Heartless is hosted on Tumblr, and since I was using Tumblr as my main social network back when Heartless was current, I figure I ought to put this commentary on Tumblr too.

This post will contain SPOILERS for Heartless.

2023-10-01

It was six years ago that I first discovered Heartless, as the comic was part-way through Chapter Six. It's been four years since my last full reread. When I first read the series I was completely enthralled (allured?) by a series that was so unapologetic about the protagonist being AroAce, and I seriously considered picking a name based on one of the characters. When I did my reread four years ago, I didn't make a bunch of mostly-stream-of-conciousness notes, so I'm going to do that now.

Chapter 1: Death The cover page shows Clara with blood on her neck, yet her teeth show she has clearly been vampirized already. The story opens as a circular narrative, with Clara writing about her journies one year later. She assures us it's true, and wonders if we are ready for "so great a change," before she allures and feasts on a random person in the street.

Now Clara sets the scene: two months after she turns 18, in 1852, the first chapter post-prologue truly begins with Chapter 1: Death.

The first page after the front-matter begins at Daniel's party. I'd forgotton the Baron was mentioned on the first page. More importantly, however, is what's under the page: the artist's snarky one-sentence page-summary! The first one is "In which our intrepid hero is more properly introduced." At this point in the story, Clara is definitely not intrepid. Clara's human teeth look rather uncomfortable: it's little wonder she prefers unlife as a vampire.

Our heroine's first meeting with Daniel is perfect. I can't tell whether Clara is rejecting what she thinks is a romantic advance, or just completely oblivious as I would be at that age. The author summary says she avoided a "romantic encounter," but of course Daniel didn't really have romance in mind, since he's gay.

Then things kick into high gear as we get our first true introduction to both Elizabeth Knight and the Baron. This is my first reread since I picked a name similar to Elizabeth (and my first reread since I picked a middle name similar to Clara), and Elizabeth's introduction is every bit as badass as I remember. Elizabeth considers the humans of London to be her subjects just as much as the vampires. William makes a strong first impression as a villain by killing the protagonist. I love Daniel and Elizabeth's discussion about whether to vampirize Clara. Also, I'd forgotten Daniel calls her "Liz." More important is that Clara sees Elizabeth use her fangs, but faints before she can see Daniel's fangs.

Chapter 2: Welcome

Clara awakens as a vampire with "concerns about her situation," and complete terror of Daniel. I love how her scream carries across three pages. We get introduced to Genevieve, who partially calms Clara down with words, and unsuccessfully attempts to further calm her using the Allure. Clara's new friends look awfully uncomfortable when she says she is hungry, since they haven't yet told her what she is now. As she bathes, Clara reminds me of one key way she is in no way similar to me: her strong sense of smell, heightened by vampirism. Sound and smell don't normally translate to a comic, but the author does a splendid job showing how Clara can sense the heart of a random passer-by on the street. Clara shows her fangs and red eyes as she drinks blood tea, all without realizing what's happened to her. What's in the scones she's eating? I don't recall if we ever find out. And now, even after assurances from Genevieve that Elizabeth is good, we see Clara is still terrified of Elizabeth.

As Elizabeth becomes the latest to fail to Allure our hero, we get one of my favorite humorous clashes of expectations: Clara is ashamed to admit to reading penny dreadful novels, because they aren't "appropriate for a young lady," while Elizabeth is disappointed to find the kids these days learning about vampires from penny dreadful novels instead of whatever the old fashioned way was. And we meet Permelia, the last member of the main cast and the only unabashed acemisic (though we don't know she's heartless-misic yet). Oh goodie, one of my favorite snarky-author-page-summaries: "In which Elizabeth bemoans the state of kids these days."

The chapter closes with Elizabeth and Daniel realizing Clara's orientation, and plotting to use her against William. I love all of these characters, and all except Permelia make a strong first impression. My view of Permelia's first appearance is likely also tainted by how I know she acts later. The author has been very quick to give us a sense of her world and where the story is going, but the characters are what make this comic a joy to read.

Chapter 3: Promenade I forgot about these cute kids waking Clara up! Clara's "RAAR!!!" to her bedroom mirror is just as sweet as I remember. Daniel is interrupted before he can explain to Clara exactly what they are fighting, which is good for drama because Elizabeth's demonstration later is important. This is the part of the story where I start to suspect old vampires like Elizabeth have a fear aura: Clara quickly overcomes her fear of her new powers and the other vampires, but she's still terrified of the one vampire who's done as much as anyone to help her.

I also appreciate the twist that vampires in the Heartlessverse seem to be the same people they were in life, as it's a change from what other media does. And since it's 1852, I like seeing pre-Stoker vampires who dislike sunlight but aren't actually harmed by it, as Clara and Elizabeth go walking outside in midday. We get the full name of Baron William Lazarus, and Clara still struggles with the behavior she's learned from human society.

Wow, I love Elizabeth's flowery demonstration and description of the Allure, and Clara's shocked reactions when she realizes it takes only "a passing thought," of the sort she doesn't have, to control someone's mind.

Just as Mrs. Pendergast gives us a hint of what will happen in the rest of the story, Clara is distracted by husks. Elizabeth says husks are "things." And the process to create them is what she is fighting against. Clara is willing to join the fight.

Chapter 4: Lessons

Clara is frustrated that she can't be allured, indicating she hasn't yet fully accepted that she's ace. Wow, Permelia really does not like Clara, even before finding out her orientation. Maybe it makes sense, as Permelia has no idea why her leader is treating this new vampire like she's so important.

Clara's first sparring match goes poorly inspite of her immunity to the Allure, but Genevieve's advice turns out to be a lot better than Daniel's. Ah, right, this is when we first explicitly learn that Genevieve Henley (Viv) has a hopeless crush on Liz.

Now we get to the real heart of the chapter, and arguably the heart of the story. Or, the lack of heart, since we finally learn the meaning of the title. Due to her unusual status as a Heartless vampire, Clara has to learn about vampire culture a few decades early. Vampire culture lacks some of the problems of human society in 1852 London: no one questions having a black woman as their leader, for example. But other bigotries are alive and well. Elizabeth's illustrated descriptions still give me chills. Finally, Permelia reveals that she, just like our heroine, can eavesdrop, and finally tells Clara the title of the comic. Oh, and Permelia is the first character to display unreserved acemisia. Fuck her. Not literally.

Ah, now I remember, this is the chapter with a rollercoster of multiple scenes that feel like the "end." Clara asks us to understand her decision, and I think I do, but it's still probably the second-worst decision Clara makes in the entire story. The author summary, "In which our intrepid hero refuses to think things through," is a taste of what's to come in a chapter and a half. As Clara arrives home, I still feel excitement at the cliffhanger despite knowing exactly what will happen next. Come back next time for the final two chapters!

2023-10-02

Chapter V: Home My reread continues with Chapter 5. Having got a taste of how vampire society treats openly heartless vampires, Clara does what many struggling queer creatures before and after her have done: She attempts to get back into the closet. Clara tries pretending once again to be a straight human. Falling right back in with her family, Clara finds her parents still want her to get married ASAP. She also finds that no matter how hard she may try to pretend, she is NOT human anymore, and she still has to eat a vampiric diet. The progression of Clara's body language as she hungers, feeds, and heals her victim provide a rollercoaster of flowing emotions. But none of that compares to Clara finally putting her foot down and telling her mom she doesn't want to get married, only for her mom to make excuses about it. Oh and there's a vampire eavesdropping. Now everything Mrs. Pendergast told us in Chapter 3 comes back, and Clara is the latest "troubled" girl to fall victim to the Baron's scheme. I remembered the seamstress warning Clara about the vampire, but forgot about Clara telling the seamstress how wildly overconfident she is.

Remember last chapter when I said running home was the second-worst decision Clara makes? This is the worst. Clara allows herself to be taken straight into the Baron's shadow prison, without discussing her plan with her allies. For someone who reads so many novels, she should know that failing to communicate with your co-protagonists is always a bad idea. But the author did a good job building up to Clara's poor decision, as the conversation last chapter lead her to lose trust in Elizabeth and Daniel.

Chapter VI: Rescue This chapter has everything. Comprising nearly a quarter of the length of the entire series, the final chapter of Heartless is by far the longest. It was mid-way through publication when I caught up, though I don't remember exactly what page I caught up on. The author comment under the cover page says that it is "very likely the last chapter of Heartless, at least in this storyline." At the time, I assumed that meant a short break before Book 2, but that didn't happen.

The chapter opens with Clara and two human shadow prisoners drawn by carriage towards the psychiatric shadow prison. Immediately jumping out at me is the fact that Clara looks just as scared and miserable as her companions, in stark contrast to her confidence at the end of last chapter, and in spite of the fact that she could have easily avoided coming here by fleeing to Elizabeth the previous night. Clara's fear turns to terror as she sees her killer for the first time since the night of her death. And…another vampire tells Baron Lazarus that the girls have "excellent marriage prospects." I totally forgot that: what is William planning on doing with the girls whom he doesn't husk-ify? Does he want his vampire girls to marry into the human nobility, to potentially get more vampires who count as "nobles" among humans, or are they talking about vampire marriage? I don't remember ever finding out, so maybe it isn't addressed.

Ooh, bonus art of Elizabeth reciting a Christmas poem that Daniel is tired of.

Once again, I love the facial expressions from Clara's companions, especially the darker-haired one. Clara's excitement at her successful use of the Allure is topped only by her companions' total confusion as to what happened. I love Clara's deflection, and I wonder if she ever tries contacting her "new friends" again after the events of this chapter, given that we know Elizabeth deals with humans who support her cause. As Clara finds Viv, we get perhaps my favorite snarky-author-summary in the series: "In which it is brought to light that our heroine hasn’t really thought this through." The "nurses" remind us that despite Clara's immunity to the Allure, she barely has any practice fighting other vampires. Of course, they assume she's noble, because ace erasure.

The Baron reveals that he is a man of tradition, and that means threatening to kill the hero's friend to get her to talk, before trying to Allure her. Right away, we learn some key information about how the Allure works: A vampire doesn't automatically magically know if their Allurement attempt succeeded, as William clearly thinks he's in control of Clara. Oh, and a snarky-author-summary I'd completely forgot about, "In which our heroine has rather improved her poker face."

A connection I hadn't thought of before (or forgot about) is that both the Baron and Clara's mother assume Clara has the same orientation, though for different reasons. Clara's mom assumes Clara is straight because she assumes all humans are straight, while William assumes Clara is straight because she's apparently not attracted to women.

Right at the midpoint of the chapter, Clara does the most badass thing in the series: come out to William while stabbing him in the eye with a sword. She's done pretending to be straight, she's done pretending to be a meek human. She's the star of the story and the title character, and she wants us to know it.

But the Baron is an elder vampire, so he can survive being stabbed through the head. Our hero and her now-unallured friends are on the run. I forgot Clara is still sort of squeaked out seeing her best friend drink a husk's blood.

Elizabeth's entrance is totally badass and oh yeah Daniel's also here but he's nowhere near as badass as his leader. My first time through, I thought the Baron's line to Elizabeth about how the council will have her head for apparently sending a heartless assassin was supposed to be foreshadowing to set up Book 2. The author-snark-summary reminds us that this was only "light" assassination. Evidence for my elder-vampires-have-fear-aura hypothesis might be accumulating, as Clara is terrified to see Elizabeth transform. Then again, it may just be the overall situation she's afraid of. Either way, I love how the transformed elder vampires look. Elizabeth and Viv must be proud that their protege gave William an injury that persists even as he shapeshifts. I also love seeing the shadow prison burn, just as Elizabeth knocks William out the window.

Ah, the callbacks: Clara is just about to ask how old Elizabeth is when she gets cut off by a moderately angry Vampire Queen. Here's another line that feels like foreshadowing for a future book that never came: Elizabeth says that thus far her methods are the only way to keep power away from people like the Baron. Sounds like the kind of thing our protagonist could eventually solve, given a few more books.

Daniel and Elizabeth's banter as the Vampire Queen falls unconscious still gives me giggles. The Baron is still alive, Clara brings the ending full-circle with her book, and my reread of Heartless is done.

Six years later, I still love these characters and this world. At 146 pages including bonus art, the story is just long enough to get me really attached. While the story did end at the end of an arc, it still feels like a cliffhanger ending: how will William get the Council mobilized against Elizabeth and Clara? How will Clara overcome the acemisia on her own side from people like Permelia? What happens to the human girls Clara rescued? What word do vampires use for nonbinary folks? We may never know. Even so, I love every page of this series and I'm grateful for what we got.

#asexual #asexual representation #ace #aromantic representation #aromantic #emily griggs #heartless #heartless comic #heartless webcomic #heartlesscomic #clara adams #elizabeth knight #acemisia #amisia #aphobia #acephobia #asexuality

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oneshortlady · 1 year

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mof fan comic character heights

emily: 4ft9

conor: 5ft5

Patrick:5ft5

trent:5ft9

jon:6ft4(because haha I'm messed up)

Christine(ems and conors mother): -6ft, (4ft 10 when she was alive)

sheery: 5ft7

bo:5ft 11

(the graces family being short is mainly inspired by how no one on my birth dads side was taller than 5ft6 since the fucking 1920s...I'm not even joking)

#batman #jonathan crane #masters of fear jonathan crane #original character #mof jonathan crane #emily grace #m.o.f fan comic #conor grace #patrick grace #trent stone #sherry squires #bo griggs

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kwebtv · 12 days

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From the Golden Age of Television

Our Hearts Were Young and Gay - NBC - February 15, 1954

A presentation of "Robert Montgomery Presents" "The Johnson's Wax Program" Season 5 Episode 25

Drama

Running Time: 60 minutes

Hosted by Robert Montgomery.

Stars:

Elizabeth Montgomery as Cornelia Otis Skinner

Sally Kemp as Emily Kimbrough

Elliott Reid as Alistar Cochran

Cliff Robertson as Paul Smith

Marjorie Gateson as Mrs. Skinner (Maud Durbin)

John Griggs as Mr. Otis Skinner

Earl Hammond as Henri

Lucie Lancastor as Hawkins

Michael Dreyfuss as Ralph

Felix Deebank as Band Leader

Stafford Dickens as The Steward

Peter Pagan as The Guide

#Our Hearts Were Young and Gay #TV #Robert Montgomery Presents #Drama #1954 #1950's #Robert Montgomery #Elizabeth Montgomery #Sally Kemp #Elliott Reid #Cliff Robertson

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chrisryanspeaks · 1 month

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Babe Report Unleashes Debut Album 'Did You Get Better' with Explosive Lead Single “Turtle of Reaper”

Two years following the electrifying debut of their EP, the Chicago-based band Babe Report has announced their first full-length album, "Did You Get Better," scheduled for release on May 31 via Exploding In Sound Records. This album includes ten fresh tracks, all condensed into less than thirty minutes, marking a dynamic and swift entry by this emerging band consisting of ex-FCKR JR members Ben Grigg (Geronimo!, Whelpwisher) and Emily Bernstein, along with drummer Peter Reale (Yeesh) and bassist Mech. With the album announcement, Babe Report also released their lead single "Turtle of Reaper," which debuted today on FLOOD as a first listen. The opening song of the album explodes with a mix of noisy intensity and high energy, offering a two-minute thrill ride of raw vocals and vigorous drums. Discussing the single, Ben Grigg of Babe Report explains, "The song critiques the alarmist tendencies of click-bait media. I specifically reference Nadig News, known for their consistent crime coverage. Although fascinating, it sometimes appears to stir fear and xenophobia. While I doubt that's Nadig’s aim, and I respect the survival of a family-run newspaper in 2024, their approach can feel unsettling. The chorus references the Y2K media frenzy as a metaphor." Initially a duo formed during lockdown, Babe Report expanded to a four-member band with the release of their "The Future of Teeth" EP, growing into the robust lineup featured on "Did You Get Better." Recorded in just a single weekend in November 2023 at Radon Ranch—Ben and Emily’s modest basement studio—the album uses unique prototype microphones, delivering tracks that are immediately captivating and deeply immersive. Babe Report channels their eclectic influences into a potent mix of chaos and excitement, like capturing a thunderstorm in a bottle. The album reflects a significant evolution in the band's sound, featuring an intoxicating blend of '90s inspired guitars and melodic rhythms. Check out “Turtle Of Reaper” below: Read the full article

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audiofuzz · 1 month

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Babe Report Unleashes Debut Album 'Did You Get Better' with Explosive Lead Single “Turtle of Reaper”

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chorusfm · 2 months

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Full 2024 Oscar Winners

The full list of 2024 Oscar winners can be found below. 2024 OSCAR NOMINEES / WINNERS Best Picture “American Fiction” “Anatomy of a Fall” “Barbie” “The Holdovers” “Killers of the Flower Moon” “Maestro” WINNER: “Oppenheimer” “Past Lives” “Poor Things” “The Zone of Interest” Best Director Jonathan Glazer (“The Zone of Interest”) Yorgos Lanthimos (“Poor Things”) WINNER: Christopher Nolan (“Oppenheimer”) Justine Triet (“Anatomy of a Fall”) Martin Scorsese (“Killers of the Flower Moon”) Best Actress Annette Bening (“Nyad”) Lily Gladstone (“Killers of the Flower Moon”) Sandra Hüller (“Anatomy of a Fall”) Carey Mulligan (“Maestro”) WINNER: Emma Stone (“Poor Things) Best Actor Bradley Cooper (“Maestro”) Colman Domingo (“Rustin”) Paul Giamatti (“The Holdovers”) WINNER: Cillian Murphy (“Oppenheimer”) Jeffrey Wright (“American Fiction”) Best Supporting Actor Sterling K. Brown (“American Fiction”) Robert De Niro (“Killers of the Flower Moon”) WINNER: Robert Downey, Jr. (“Oppenheimer”) Ryan Gosling (“Barbie”) Mark Ruffalo (“Poor Things”) Best Supporting Actress Emily Blunt (“Oppenheimer”) Danielle Brooks (“The Color Purple”) America Ferrera (“Barbie”) Jodie Foster (“Nyad”) WINNER: Da’Vine Joy Randolph (“The Holdovers”) Best International Feature Film “Io Capitano” (Matteo Garrone, Italy) “Society of the Snow” (J.A. Bayona, Spain) “The Teachers’ Lounge” (İlker Çatak, Germany) WINNER: “The Zone of Interest” (Jonathan Glazer, United Kingdom) “Perfect Days” (Wim Wenders, Japan) Best Cinematography WINNER: Hoyte van Hoytema (“Oppenheimer”) Ed Lachman (“El Conde”) Matthew Libatique (“Maestro”) Rodrigo Prieto (“Killers of the Flower Moon”) Robby Ryan (“Poor Things”) Best Adapted Screenplay Noah Baumbach and Greta Gerwig and (“Barbie”) Jonathan Glazer (“The Zone of Interest”) WINNER: Cord Jefferson (“American Fiction”) Tony McNamara (“Poor Things”) Christopher Nolan (“Oppenheimer) Best Original Screenplay Samy Burch and Alex Mechanik (“May December”) Bradley Cooper and Josh Singer (“Maestro”) WINNER: Arthur Harari and Justine Triet (“Anatomy of a Fall”) David Hemingson (“The Holdovers”) Celine Song (“Past Lives”) Best Animated Feature WINNER: “The Boy and the Heron,” Hayao Miyazaki and Toshio Suzuki “Elemental,” Peter Sohn and Denise Ream “Nimona,” Nick Bruno, Troy Quane, Karen Ryan and Julie Zackary “Robot Dreams,” Pablo Berger, Ibon Cormenzana, Ignasi Estapé and Sandra Tapia Díaz “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,” Kemp Powers, Justin K. Thompson, Phil Lord, Christopher Miller and Amy Pascal Best Visual Effects “The Creator” Jay Cooper, Ian Comley, Andrew Roberts and Neil Corbould WINNER: “Godzilla Minus One” Takashi Yamazaki, Kiyoko Shibuya, Masaki Takahashi and Tatsuji Nojima “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” Stephane Ceretti, Alexis Wajsbrot, Guy Williams and Theo Bialek “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One” Alex Wuttke, Simone Coco, Jeff Sutherland and Neil Corbould “Napoleon” Charley Henley, Luc-Ewen Martin-Fenouillet, Simone Coco and Neil Corbould Best Editing “Anatomy of a Fall” Laurent Sénéchal “The Holdovers” Kevin Tent “Killers of the Flower Moon” Thelma Schoonmaker WINNER: “Oppenheimer” Jennifer Lame “Poor Things” Yorgos Mavropsaridis Best Production Design “Barbie” Production Design: Sarah Greenwood; Set Decoration: Katie Spencer “Killers of the Flower Moon” Production Design: Jack Fisk; Set Decoration: Adam Willis “Napoleon” Production Design: Arthur Max; Set Decoration: Elli Griff “Oppenheimer” Production Design: Ruth De Jong; Set Decoration: Claire Kaufman WINNER: “Poor Things” Production Design: James Price and Shona Heath; Set Decoration: Zsuzsa Mihalek Best Makeup and Hairstyling “Oppenheimer,” Luisa Abel, Jason Hamer, Jaime Leigh McIntosh, and Ahou Mofid WINNER: “Poor Things,” Mark Couler, Nadia Stacey, and Josh Weston “Maestro,” Kay Georgiou, Sian Grigg, Kazu Hiro, and Lori McCoy-Bell “Golda,” Karen Hartley and Suzi Battersby “Society… https://chorus.fm/news/full-2024-oscar-winners/

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mariavematei · 9 months

Video

vimeo

A Cherry Pie That'll Kill Ya from Antfood on Vimeo.

Directed by BUCK

Executive Creative Director: Orion Tait Creative Director: Gareth O'Brien Executive Producers: Anne Skopas, Erica Ford Art Director: Lucas Brooking Producers: Fiona Patterson, Emily Nelson, Kitty Dillard Lead Design: Lara Lee Design: Lucas Brooking, Josh Edwards, Saiman Chow, Thomas Schmid Previs: Lara Lee, Mathijs Luijten, Josh Edwards, Greg Sharp, Alex Grigg, Ivan Dixon, Mark Russell Animation: Lara Lee, Josh Edwards, Mathijs Luijten, Olivia Blanc, Harry Teitelman, Joe Sparkes, Mateo Mazzini, Rasmus Bak, William Trebution, Jaedoo Lee, Jose Fuentes, Amelia Giller, Tim Beckhart Original Music & Sound Design: Antfood

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mistikfir · 4 years

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The Jane Austen Book Club (2007)

#hugh dancy #hughdancyedit #grigg harris #kathy baker #maria bello #emily blunt #maggie grace #The Jane Austen Book Club #bookmake #mine

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thejusticewarrior · 3 years

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The Book Club - Non-Fiction

The Non-Fiction Book Club TBR list:

100 Nasty Women of History by Hannah Jewell

101 Essays That Will Change The Way You Think by Brianna Wiest

13 Things Mentally Strong People Don't Do by Amy Morin

21 Lessons For The 21st Century by Yuval Noah Haran

A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle

Are Prisons Obsolete? by Angela Y. Davis

Atlantis: The Antediluvian World by Ignatius L. Donnelly

Becoming Supernatural by Dr. Joe Dispenza

Between The World And Me by Ta-Neisi Coates

Beyond The Pill by Jolene Brighten

Boundaries In Dating by Dr. Henry Cloud & Dr. John Townsend

Calm The F**k Down by Sarah Knight

Caste: The Origins Of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson

Come As You Are by Emily Nagoski

Confessions Of A Political Hitman by Stephen Marks

Confessions Of A Sex Kitten by Eartha Kitt

Declutter Your Mind by S.J. Scott & Barrie Davenport

Decoded by Jay-Z

Devil In The Grove by Gilbert King

Fear by Thich Nhat Hanh

Feminists Don't Wear Pink And Other Lies by Scarlett Curtis

first, we make the beast beautiful by Sarah Wilson

Girl, was your face by Rachel Hollis

Heal Thyself For Health And Longevity by Queen Afua

Homo Deus: A Brief History Of Tomorrow by Yuval Noah Haran

Hormonal by Martie Haselton

Hormonal by Eleanor Morgan

How The Pill Changes Everything by Sarah E. Hill

How To Be Single And Happy by Jennifer L. Taitz

How To Love by Thich Nhat Hanh

I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou

Lies My Teacher Told Me by James W. Loewen

Man's Search For Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl

Maybe It's You by Lauren Handel Zander

Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus by John Gray

Milk And Honey by Rupi Kaur

Misjustice: How British Law Is Failing Women by Helena Kennedy

Moody: A 21st Century Hormone Guide by Amy Thomson

Natives: Race And Class In The Ruins Of Empire by Akala

Nile Valley Contributions To Civilization by Anthony T. Browder

Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

Pleasure Activism by adrienne maree brown

Red Notice by Bill Browder

Sacred Woman by Queen Afua

Sapiens: A Brief History Of Humankind by Yuval Noah Haran

Stolen Legacy by George G. M. James

Sweetening The Pill by Holly Grigg-Spall

The 48 Laws Of Power by Robert Greene

The 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

The Art Of Happiness by The Dalai Llama

The Art Of Living by Thich Nhat Hanh

The Autobiography Of Malcolm X by Malcolm X

The Body Is Not An Apology by Sonya Renee Taylor

The Chimp Paradox by Prof. Steve Peters

The Four Agreements by Miguel Ruiz

The Gifts Of Imperfection by Brené Brown

The Little Book Of Hygge by Meik Wiking

The Many-Headed Hydra by Peter Linebaugh & Marcus Rediker

The Miracle Of Mindfulness by Thich Nhat Hanh

The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander

The Power Of Now by Eckhart Tolle

The Second Sex by Simone de Beauvoir

The Silk Roads by Peter Frankopan

The Sixth Extinction by Elizabeth Kolbert

The Sun Does Shine by Anthony Ray Hinton

The Vagina Monologues by Eve Ensler

The Warmth Of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson

Thinking, Fast And Slow by Daniel Kahneman

This Is Going To Hurt by Adam Kay

Vilnius: City Of Strangers by Laimonas Briedis

When We Ruled by Robin Walker

White Tears/Brown Scars by Ruby Hamad

Why I'm No Longer Talking To White People About Race by Reni Eddo-Lodge

Womancode by Alisa Vitti

Women Who Love Too Much by Robin Norwood

Women Who Run With The Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estés

Women, Race And Class by Angela Y. Davis

A Massacre In Mexico by Anabel Hernandez

Putin's People by Catherine Belton

The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan

Hood Feminism by Mikki Kendall

Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson

The Immortal Life Of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

The Good Immigrant by Nikesh Shukla et al.

When They Call You A Terrorist by Patrisse Khan-Cullon & Asha Bandele

It's Not About The Burqa by Mariam Khan

Afropean: Notes From Black Europe by Johny Pitts

Blueprint For Revolution by Srdja Popovic

Freedom Is A Constant Struggle by Angela Y. Davis

White Fragility by Robin Diangelo

The Health Gap by Michael Marmot

Fake Law: The Truth Abiut Justice In An Age Of Lies by The Secret Barrister

The Secret Barrister by The Secret Barrister

I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai

No One Is Too Small To Make A Difference by Greta Thunberg

Our Final Warning: Six Degrees Of Climate Emergency by Mark Lynas

Underground by Haruki Murakami

The Jigsaw Man by Paul Britton

This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. The Climate by Naomi Klein

Justice, Justice Thou Shalt Pursue by Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Bad Pharma by Ben Goldacre

Pharma by Gerald Posner

The Truth About The Drug Companies by Marcia Angell, M.D.

Selling Sickness by Ray Moynihan & Alan Cassels

Blood Feud by Kathleen Sharp

The Future We Choose by Christiana Gigueres & Tom Rivett Carnac

There Is No Planet B by Mike Berners-Lee

Invisible Women by Caroline Criado Perez

Society Must Be Defended by Michel Foucault

Discipline And Punish by Michel Foucault

Chernobyl Prayer by Svetlana Alexievich

We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Anne Frank: The Diary Of A Young Girl by Anne Frank

If They Come In The Morning by Angela Y. Davis

Tiny, Beautiful Things by Cheryl Strayed

The House of Government by Yuri Slezkine

The Body Keeps The Score by Bessel Van Der Kolk

Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents by Lindsay C. Gibson

Will I Ever Be Good Enough?: Healing The Daughters of Narcissistic Mothers by Karyl McBride

#tbrbooks #my tbr #reading #reading list #non fiction #feminist #social justice #blacklivesmatter #bookworm #bookshelves #books & libraries #autobiography #biography #learning #self healing #healing #growth #development

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randomlyrandoms · 4 years

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CELEBRITY DEATHS 2019

JANUARY Pegi Young - Jan. 1 (Folk Singer) Bob Einstein - Jan. 2 (TV Actor) Gene Okerlund - Jan. 2 (Sportscaster) Daryl Dragon - Jan. 2 (Pop Singer) Herb Kelleher - Jan. 3 (Entrepreneur) Jo Andres - Jan. 6 (Director) Annalise Braakensiek - Jan. 6 (TV Actress) Kevin Fret - Jan. 10 (Rapper) Mel Stottlemyre - Jan. 13 (Baseball Player) Carol Channing - Jan. 15 (Stage Actress) Hailie Masson - Jan. 17 (TikTok Star) Windsor Davies - Jan. 17 (TV Actor) Mary Oliver - Jan. 17 (Poet) Boo the Pomeranian - Jan. 18 (Dog) John Coughlin - Jan. 18 (Figure Skater) Sean Dolan - Jan. 19 (Family Member) *Ethan & Grayson's Father* Masazo Nonaka - Jan. 20 (Supercantenarian) Emiliano Sala - Jan. 21 (Soccer Player) Ashley Lovelace - Jan. 21 (Imstagram Star) Kaye Ballard - Jan. 21 (Stage Actress) Russell Baker - Jan. 21 (Memoirist) Kevin Barnett - Jan. 22 (Comedian) James Frawley - Jan. 22 (Director) Oliver Mtukudzi - Jan. 23 (Reggae Singer) Aloysius Pang - Jan. 24 (TV Actor) Fatima Ali - Jan. 25 (Chef) Michel Legrand - Jan. 26 (Composer) Jayo Sama - Jan. 27 (Rapper) Pepe Smith - Jan 28 (Rock Singer) James Ingram - Jan. 29 (R&B Singer) Dick Miller - Jan. 30 (Movie Actor)

FEBRUARY Clive Swift - Feb. 1 (TV Actor) Neal James - Feb. 1 (Reality Star) *Kristoff St. John - Feb. 3 (Soap Opera Actor) Julie Adams - Feb. 3 (TV Actress) Matti Nykanen - Feb. 4 (Skier) Albert Finney - Feb. 7 (Movie Actor) John Dingell - Feb. 7 (Politician) Frank Robinson - Feb. 7 (Baseball Player) Fabio Legarda - Feb. 7 (Reggaeton Singer) Cadet - Feb. 9 (Rapper) Ron W. Miller - Feb. 9 (Entrepreneur) Jan Michael Vincent - Feb. 10 (Movie Actor) Pedro Morales - Feb. 12 (Wrestler) Gordon Banks - Feb. 12 (Soccer Player) Bruno Ganz - Feb. 15 (Movie Actor) Saban Saulic - Feb. 17 (Folk Singer) Sean Milliken - Feb. 17 (Reality Star) *Karl Lagerfeld - Feb. 19 (Fashion Designer) Stanley Donen - Feb. 21 (Director) Beverley Owen - Feb. 21 (TV Actress) Peter Tork - Feb. 21 (Pop Singer) Brody Stevens - Feb. 22 (Comedian) Morgan Woodward - Feb. 22 (TV Actor) Clark James Gable - Feb. 22 (TV Actor) Lisa Sheridan - Feb. 25 (TV Actress) Mark Hollis - Feb. 25 (Rock Singer) Christian Bach - Feb. 26 (Soap Opera Actress) Nathaniel Taylor - Feb. 27 (TV Actor) Andre Previn - Feb. 28 (Composer) Anna Cunningham - Feb. 28 (TikTok Star)

MARCH Katherine Helmond - March 1 (TV Actress) Elly Mayday - March 1 (Model) Janice Freeman - March 2 (Pop Singer) **Luke Perry - March 4 (TV Actress) Keith Flint - March 4 (Pop Singer) Ted Lindsay - March 4 (Hockey Player) King Kong Bundy - March 4 (Wrestler) Chokoleit - March 9 (Comedian) Jed Allan - March 9 (Soap Opera Actor) Hal Blaine - March 11 (Drummer) Felicite Tomlinson - March 13 (Instagram Star) Mike Thalassitis - March 15 (Reality Star) Lil Mister - March 15 (Rapper) Dick Dale - March 16 (Guitarist) Richard Erdman - March 16 (TV Actor) Scott Walker - March 22 (Pop Singer) Agnes Varda - March 29 (Director) Nipsey Hussle - March 31 (Rapper)

APRIL Wowaka - April 5 (Pop Singer) Seymour Cassel - April 7 (Movie Actor) Mya-Lecia Naylor - April 7 (TV Actress) Earl Thomas Conley - April 10 (Country Singer) Bibi Andersson - April 14 (Movie Actress) Georgia Engel - April 15 (TV Actress) Black Jezuss - April 15 (Rapper) Alan García - April 17 (Politician) Lorraine Warren - April 18 (Supernatural Investigator) Julio Melgar - April 19 (World Music Singer) Stefanie Sherk - April 20 (TV Actress) Ken Kercheval - April 21 (TV Actor) Mark Medoff - April 23 (Playwright) John Singleton - April 29 (Director) **Peter Mayhew - April 30 (Movie Actor)

MAY Rachel Jones - May 4 (Blogger) Rachel Held Evans - May 4 (Religious Author) Max Azria - May 6 (Fashion Designer) Jim Fowler - May 8 (TV Show Host) Peggy Lipton - May 11 (TV Actress) Pua Magasiva - May 11 (TV Actor) Alvin Sargent - May 11 (ScreenWriter) Elsa Patton - May 12 (Reality Star) Doris Day - May 13 (Movie Actress) *Grumpy Cat - May 14 (Cat) Tim Conway - May 14 (TV Actor) Isaac Kappy - May 14 (Movie Actor) I.M. Pei - May 16 (Architect) Ashley Massaro - May 16 (Wrestler) Bob Hawke - May 16 (World Leader) Herman Wouk - May 18 (Noveist) Niki Lauda - May 20 (Race Car Driver) Bart Starr - May 26 (Football Player) Gabriel Diniz - May 27 (World Music Singer) Bill Buckner - May 27 (Baseball Player) Susan Anne Christman - May 29 (Family Member) Leon Redbone - May 30 (Jazz Singer) Patricia Bath - May 30 (Inventor) Roky Erickson - May 31 (Rock Singer)

JUNE José Antonio Reyes - June 1 (Soccer Player) Ani Yudhoyono - June 1 (Political Wife) Dr. John - June 6 (Jazz Singer) Noemi Ban - June 7 (Non-Fiction Author) Curlyhead.kidd - June 8 (Instagram Star) Mary Duggar - June 9 (Reality Star) Bushwick Bill - June 9 (Rapper) Gabriele Grunewald - June 11 (Runner) Sylvia Miles - June 12 (Movie Actress) Sean McCann - June 13 (TV Actor) Edith González - June 13 (Soap Opera Actress) Franco Zeffirelli - June 15 (Director) Bishop Bullwinkle - June 16 (Soul Singer) Mohamed Morsi - June 17 (Politician) Gloria Vanderbilt - June 17 (Entrepreneur) Philippe Zdar - June 19 (DJ) Judith Krantz - June 22 (Novelist) Dave Bartholomew - June 23 (Songwriter) Stephanie Niznik - June 23 (TV Actress) Fame Reek - June 24 (Rapper) Billy Drago - June 24 (Moive Actor) Etika - June 25 (Youtube Star) **Beth Chapman - June 26 (Reality Star) Max Wright - June 26 (TV Actor) Hella Sketchy - June 27 (Rapper)

JULY Tyler Skaggs - July 1 (Baseball Player) Lee Iacocca - July 2 (Entrepreneur) Arte Johnson - July 3 (TV Actor) Chris Cline - July 4 (Entrepreneur) **Cameron Boyce - July 6 (TV Actor) Martin Charnin - July 6 (Director) Joao Gilberto - July 6 (Guitarist) *Rip Torn - July 9 (Movie Actor) Freddie Jones - July 9 (Movie Actor) **Denise Nickerson - July 10 (Movie Actress) Emily Hartridge - July 12 (Youtube Star) Bianca Devins - July 14 (Instagram Star) Rutger Hauer - July 19 (Movie Actor) Gabe Khouth - July 23 (Voice Actor) David Hedison - July 23 (TV Actor) Beji Essebsi - July 25 (Politician) Russi Taylor - July 26 (Voice Actress) Carlos Cruz-Diez - July 27 (Pop Artist) Dillon Henderson - July 28 (Youtube Star) The King of Random - July 29 (Youtube Star) Nick Buoniconti - July 30 (Football Player) Harold Prince - July 31 (TV Producer)

AUGUST Toni Morrison - Aug. 5 (Novelist) David Berman - Aug. 7 (Rock Singer) Ben Unwin - Aug. 14 (TV Actor) Peter Fonda - Aug. 16 (Movie Actor) Cedric Benson - Aug. 17 (Football Player) Gina Lopez - Aug. 19 (Environmentalist) Jessi Combs - Aug. 27 (TV Show Host) Valerie Harper - Aug. 30 (TV Actress)

SEPTEMBER Peter Lindbergh - Sept. 3 (Photographer) Carol Lynley - Sept. 3 (Movie Actress) Lashawn Daniels - Sept. 3 (Songwriter) Chris March - Sept. 5 (Fashion Designer) Jimmy Johnson - Sept. 5 (Guitarist) Robert Mugabe - Sept. 6 (World Leader) Robert Axelrod - Sept. 7 (Voice Actor) Camilo Sesto - Sept. 8 (World Music Singer) Robert Frank - Sept. 9 (Photographer) Daniel Johnston - Sept. 11 (Folk Singer) Eddie Money - Sept. 13 (Rock Singer) Ric Ocasek - Sept. 15 (Rock Singer) Phyllis Newman - Sept. 15 (Stage Actress) Suzanne Whang - Sept. 17 (TV Actress) Cokie Roberts - Sept. 17 (Journalist) Aron Eisenberg - Sept. 21 (TV Actor) Sid Haig - Sept. 21 (Movie Actor) Carl Ruiz - Sept. 21 (Chef) Robert Hunter - Sept. 23 (Songwriter) Linda Porter - Sept. 25 (TV Actor) Jacques Chirac - Sept. 26 (Politician) Jose Jose - Sept. 28 (World Music Singer) Jessye Norman - Sept. 30 (Opera Singer) Louie Rankin - Sept. 30 (Reggae Singer)

OCTOBER Karel Gott - Oct. 1 (Pop Singer) Kim Shattuck - Oct. (Rock Singer) Diahann Carroll - Oct. 4 (TV Actress) Ginger Baker - Oct. 6 (Drummer) Rip Taylor - Oct. 6 (Movie Actor) Larry Junstrom - Oct. 6 (Guitarist) David Weisman - Oct. 9 (Film Producer) *Robert Forster - Oct. 11 (Movie Actor) Kadri Gopalnath - Oct. 11 (Saxophonist) Sulli - Oct. 14 (TV Actress) Elijah Cummings - Oct. 17 (Politician) Alicia Alonso - Oct. 17 (Dancer) Bill Macy - Oct. 17 (TV Actor) Willie Brown - Oct. 22 (Football Player) Robert Evans - Oct. 26 (Film Producer) John Witherspoon - Oct. 29 (TV Actor)

NOVEMBER Rudy Boesch - Nov. 1 (Reality Star) Brian Tarantina - Nov. 2 (TV Actor) Walter Mercado - Nov. 2 (TV Show Host) Laurel Griggs - Nov. 5 (Stage Actress) Fred Cox - Nov. 20 (Football Player) Goo Hara - Nov. 24 (Pop Singer) Gary Rhodes - Nov. 26 (Chef) Godfrey Gao - Nov. 27 (Model)

DECEMBER Shelley Morrison - Dec. 1 (TV Actress) Ron Leibman - Dec. 6 (TV Actor) Juice WRLD - Dec. 8 (Rapper) Caroll Spinney - Dec. 8 (Puppeteer) Rene Auberjonois - Dec. 8 (TV Actor) Marie Fredriksson - Dec. 9 (Pop Singer) Philip McKeon - Dec. 10 (TV Actor) Danny Aiello - Dec. 12 (Movie Actor) Chuy Bravo - Dec. 14 (Reality Star) Mama Cax - Dec. 16 (Blogger) Claudine Auger - Dec. 18 (Movie Actress) Sue Lyon - Dec. 26 (Movie Actress) Don Imus - Dec. 27 (Radio Host)

#CelebrityDeaths2019

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weirdletter · 5 years

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Unreal Magazine: Vol. 1, edited by Daniel Scott White, Longshot Press, May 2019. Cover design by Oscar Baechler, info: unrealmag.com.

This magazine is about fiction that isn’t made for this world. So let go. Get unreal for a moment. Let the magic take you away.

- In “Adaptation” by Martha Wells, we find a shapeshifter struggling to cope with being transformed into a shape he’s not comfortable with. - “In Her Fingerless Hands She Holds the Ice and All the Oceans” by Tais Teng is based on Inuit mythology, a story about a fingerless queen who rules the lives of kings from other kingdoms as she is attended by her dubious servants. - “Shadow’s Weave” by Yoon Ha Lee reveals a man who has lost his shadow and a woman determined to get it back for him. - “Immortal” by Adithi Rao is about a man who will be remembered forever, but not in a way that he wants it to be. - “The Drifter” by Jessica Needham tells the story of wind people and earth people and a drifter come to town. - “Lawrencium” by Liz Kellebrew is about a small town’s attempts to rid its street of gigantic jellyfish that have come to occupy it. - “Lure” by George Salis details one man’s descent to the bottom of the ocean and the ultimate surprise he finds there. - “Midnight Murmurs” by J.D. Astra involves a young king trying to pick a bride to be his queen and the discovery of his true bloodline. - “A Most Practical Imperative” by Joe Taylor is a fabulist work about a Peter Rabowski that is meant to make you giggle. - The story “Destry” by Emily Devenport provides a curious account of creatures hiding on Earth as they battle for control. - “The Possessed” by David R. Grigg is a humorous look at a writing workshop he attended under the guidance of Ursula K. Le Guin. - “The Myth and the Phule” by Eric Del Carlo is a profound account of his experience co-authoring books with Robert Asprin.

#magazine #unreal #dark fiction #weird fiction #horror fiction #dark fantasy

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bgb16999 · 3 years

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In Emily Griggs’ Heartless, it seems that vampires are fundamentally the same people they were during human life. At first glance, this seems to be in contrast to vampire lore in many other works of fiction, where the vampire is a different person from the human whose body they inhabit.

But maybe vampires in Heartless really are different people from their human counterparts, and the appearance to the contrary is due to Clara being an unreliable narrator!

Clara is the only person in the comic whom we see as both a human and a vampire. From what we see, Clara as a vampire is essentially the same person as Clara as a human was. But Vampire Clara is the narrator, so she could be deceiving the audience into thinking she is the same person even if she isn’t.

#heartless comic #clara adams #emily griggs #asexual webcomic #aromantic webcomic #asexuality in fiction

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thebookwars · 7 years

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Here on the Book Wars’ own Cover Wars, we judge books by their covers: front and back, art and blurb. The Cover Wars has a theme this month: books with ace (asexual) protagonists. Some of these characters are aro (aromantic); others are not.

[webcomic by Emily Griggs. Book 1 (of 3) is complete as of August 2017. #ownvoices]

It’s 1852, and Clara Adams has had her future planned out for her: find and marry a proper young man, then settle in for a life of quiet obedience and domestic bliss. She’s resigned to her fate, until a bout of curiosity leads to her untimely murder, and resurrection, at the hands of monsters that she’d never dreamed might be more than fictional. Death brings Clara unexpected freedom, along with new dangers and the sudden weight of responsibility. Thrust into unlife with no way back, Clara has to learn quickly, for her unique gift might tip the scales in the secret war against her murderer for control of all London!

Heartless is an action/adventure comic set in early Victorian London. It’s about vampires, self-discovery, more vampires, the struggle against oppression, and very pretty dresses. [x]

Janet: If the cover hadn’t swayed me, contrasting as it does the Gothic novel-style innocent heroine with her red eyes and bloodied sword, the back certainly would. Emily Griggs 110% knows how to write a blurb. I liked Clara and her friends & foes immensely and can’t wait to read books two and three. (Note: book 1 is 72-ish pages long. Reading is not a Gunnerkrigg Court-length time commitment.)

Nafiza: I am not that big of a fan of the cover but the synopsis sucked me in. Must find and read.

[Wayward Children #1. #ownvoices]

Eleanor West’s Home for Wayward Children No Solicitations No Visitors No Quests

Children have always disappeared under the right conditions; slipping through the shadows under a bed or at the back of a wardrobe, tumbling down rabbit holes and into old wells, and emerging somewhere… else.

But magical lands have little need for used-up miracle children.

Nancy tumbled once, but now she’s back. The things she’s experienced… they change a person. The children under Miss West’s care understand all too well. And each of them is seeking a way back to their own fantasy world.

But Nancy’s arrival marks a change at the Home. There’s a darkness just around each corner, and when tragedy strikes, it’s up to Nancy and her new-found schoolmates to get to the heart of the matter.

No matter the cost.

Janet: Still not over this cover. It is so perfectly beautiful and suited to the story. I like that the back copy suggests how thoroughly tension and danger pervade the school. (Reviewed here.)

Nafiza: I like this cover fine. I just wasn’t too much into the book.

[Abhorsen #4 / Prequel to Sabriel]

Sixteen-year-old Clariel is not adjusting well to her new life in the city of Belisaere, the capital of the Old Kingdom. She misses roaming freely within the forests of Estwael, and she feels trapped within the stone city walls. And in Belisaere she is forced to follow the plans, plots and demands of everyone, from her parents to her maid, to the sinister Guildmaster Kilp. Clariel can see her freedom slipping away. It seems too that the city itself is descending into chaos, as the ancient rules binding Abhorsen, King and Clayr appear to be disintegrating.

With the discovery of a dangerous Free Magic creature loose in the city, Clariel is given the chance both to prove her worth and make her escape. But events spin rapidly out of control. Clariel finds herself more trapped than ever, until help comes from an unlikely source. But the help comes at a terrible cost. Clariel must question the motivations and secret hearts of everyone around her – and it is herself she must question most of all.

Janet: I don’t love either cover, but both have something to recommend them. The first gives a sense of the scale of the troubles: not only Clariel but Belisaere and the Old Kingdom are in difficulties. The image positioning also suggests isolation, and casts Clariel and the dragon as shadows foregrounding the city. On the other hand, the dragon scene doesn’t play out quite like that (uh, spoiler?), and part of the whole point of the story is that Clariel is not the calm, long-dress-wearing young woman she seems to be here. The second cover shows Clariel in action with gloves and blade. I admire how the colouring of her face suggests a mask, while the detail suggests this is her skin – very fitting! She is a single figure seen at close range, however, which gives a new reader little sense of the story as a whole or of Clariel’s context. The back copy is pretty accurate.

Nafiza: I looove the first cover. Especially for the dragon kinda creature who turned out rather sinister and no, this is not a spoiler. I didn’t like the book as much as I thought I would but I still liked it enough.

Princess Lasva is about to be named heir to her childless sister, the queen. But, when the queen finally bears an heir, Lasva’s future is shattered. Grief-stricken, she leaves her country of Colend and falls into the arms of Prince Ivandred of Marloven Hesea. His people are utterly different-with their expertise in riding, weaponry, and magic- and the two soon marry.

When the sensational news makes its way to Lasva’s sister, the queen worries for Lasva at the hands of the Marlovens, whose king’s mage is in league with the magical land of Norsunder-considered by Colendi to be their enemy. The queen orders Emras, a scribe, to guard Lasva.

But it may be too late-Lasva is already deeply involved with the Marlovens and their magic. War wages on, and all are forced to redefine love, loyalty, and power…

Janet: Ha. I cheated. This isn’t YA; on the other hand, if teens read unending series comprised of tomes (*coughWheelofTimecoughGameofThronescough*), there’s no reason they wouldn’t pick up this single, if thick, self-contained book. The cover and back are – interesting, in that they posit Lasva and Ivandred as the central characters, when in fact Esdras is protagonist and narrator. On the other hand, this decentralization of self is part of Esdras’ character and training, so that a front and back cover that mention her only marginally is very, very apt. That said, I don’t love back or front cover – but I did like reading about Emras.

Nafiza: That cover though >.< But I like Sherwood Smith’s books so I will probably like this one. Now to find time to actually find it and read it.

After a shout-out from one of the Internet’s superstar vloggers, Natasha “Tash” Zelenka finds herself and her obscure, amateur web series, Unhappy Families, thrust into the limelight: She’s gone viral.

Her show is a modern adaptation of Anna Karenina—written by Tash’s literary love Count Lev Nikolayevich “Leo” Tolstoy. Tash is a fan of the forty thousand new subscribers, their gushing tweets, and flashy Tumblr GIFs. Not so much the pressure to deliver the best web series ever.

And when Unhappy Families is nominated for a Golden Tuba award, Tash’s cyber-flirtation with Thom Causer, a fellow award nominee, suddenly has the potential to become something IRL—if she can figure out how to tell said crush that she’s romantic asexual.

Tash wants to enjoy her newfound fame, but will she lose her friends in her rise to the top? What would Tolstoy do?

Janet: The cover grabs my attention but wouldn’t make me pick it up if I hadn’t recognized the author’s name and previously heard that the protagonist was ace. The back copy could do with more of Tash’s best friends, since a) best friends, and b) they’re both involved in Unhappy Families.

Nafiza: Kath’s wordsmithery is such that I have had this on my TBR for a while now. I just need to find to pick it up.

The Cover Wars: Asexual Protagonists part 1 Here on the Book Wars' own Cover Wars, we judge books by their covers: front and back, art and blurb.

#Banner of the Damned #clariel #Emily Griggs #Every Heart a Doorway #Garth Nix #Heartless #kathryn ormsbee #Seanan McGuire #Sherwood Smith #Tash Hearts Tolstoy

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wiccanarchived · 5 years

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CHARACTER SHEET .

BASICS . full name . sally elizabeth mcknight pronunciation . sa - lee , ih - liz - uh - beth , mik - night nickname . thorn , honey ( father ) , rosebud ( mother ) , sal ( other family , occasionally band mates ) height . 5'8" age . 23 zodiac . sagittarius spoken languages . english , spanish , french ( self taught because they're some of the most commonly used languages in the world & made touring easier ) , novice knowledge of welsh .

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS . hair color . black with red highlights , lower back length . it's naturally wavy & tousled but usually straightened eyes . smokey turquoise skin tone . white , almost quite literally aside from her slight pink undertones . doesn't tan in any way shape or form , only burns body type . classic hourglass . full bust , slender waist , wide hips accent . none in particular , perhaps a slight bostonian one when in boston as it rubs off from the locals . her voice is more often than not stays in its consistent breathy , warm , & sultry tone . dominant hand . right posture . straight & reading confidence often , though when nervous can slope her shoulders & fiddle with fingers scars . none ( verse dependent ) tattoos . thorns & roses across lower back , triple goddess symbol on inner right wrist , horned god symbol on inner left wrist ( additional tattoos verse dependent ) most noticeable feature . her mysterious , bedroom eyes & sweet , dimpled smile

CHILDHOOD . place of birth . salem , massachusetts hometown . oakhaven birth weight . 5 pound , 5 ounces birth height . 8 inches , 3 cm manner of birth . born at william griggs hospital on december 1st at 3am first words . " no ! " ( because it's what she mostly heard followed by ' -- sally , don't play with that ! ' ) siblings . one older brother , levi mcknight parents . father , arthur mcknight & mother , emily mcknight parental involvement . thorn's parents were & are incredibly involved in their daughter's life . not to an unhealthy measure by any means but they're supportive endlessly & are immeasurably proud of their daughter . thorn's incredibly protective of her parents , even to the point where she still holds a mild grudge on the mayor for trying to pin the whole witch's ghost scheme on her father . there's a definite softness that come out of her from her parents , addressing both as ' mommy & daddy ' , her mom packing lunches for her when she's in town , helping at her father's pharmacy & mother's vet clinic . there's a very clear , very loving bond among them

ADULT LIFE . occupation . musician ( lead singer / guitarist of the hex girls ) , entrepreneur ( owner eco-friendly cosmetics , skin , & hair care line , ' midnight forest ' ) , editorial & runway alternative model for freak beauty modeling agency , student at salem state university current residence . salem , massachusetts ( oakhaven ) close friends . kimberly " luna " moss , muffy " dusk " st . james , fred jones , daphne blake , velma dinkley , norville " shaggy " rogers , scooby - doo relationship status . single ( verse dependent ) financial status . millionaire . has the potential to be wealthier but is quite generous when giving to charity . driver's license . yes , for both basic automobile & commercial ( personal car & the hex bus ) criminal record . ( oh boy ... ) trespassing , illegal protest , disturbing the peace , resisting arrest , assaulting a police officer , & arson . all done during her late teens - freshman year at uni . all charges aside from arson were done out of protest against animal testing , fashion industry use of threatened & endangered animals , & destruction of natural resources . arson was accidental . vices . ben ravencroft's past works before his mysterious disappearance , very mild jinxes more played off as pranks on people that annoy her

SEX & ROMANCE . sexual orientation . bisexual romantic orientation . biromantic preferred emotional role . switch preferred sexual role . switch libido . very healthy . she's a stressed woman & it's a good way to work it all out with or without a partner . although it can be swayed come the time of year , come the spring / summer months the sun is at its all time high , her ruling goddess , the mother , is at her sexual peak & so is thorn . the autumn & winter months tend to slow her down though since she's not nearly as powerful but if given the right partner with enough stamina to tap into she's more than fine . turn ons . adventurous , intelligent , romantic , sense of humor , a take - charge attitude ( or at the very least having the guts to stand up to her & put her in check ) , soulful eyes , probably the ability to kick her ass , any kind of musical talent turn offs . uncommunicative , selfish , distant , dishonesty , close - minded , a quick sense of over familiarity ( ex. calling her ' sally ' FAR too soon , the assumption anyone knows her only based on media depiction ) love language . when in a serious enough relationship she's openly physically affectionate to the point where she actually won't realize she's even doing it . reaching out to hold hand / arm , playing with fingers , with hair . she's not particularly shy about leaving her mark behind by means of her lipstick along lips , cheeks , forehead if the time feels right . more subtle means conveying her affection usually come by batting lashes & / or a soft , dreamy sort of look in her eye . relationship tendencies . she's ... had it rough . for starters she never had a real love interest until she went to college as as a child / teenager she never felt comfortable in her own self / skin enough to even bother . & at the time no one was exactly beating her door down to ask her out as she was deemed ' the weird girl who talks to trees . ' come college when she fully filled out things went fast & she was became so occupied with the band that she needed someone who would understand she's extremely serious about where she wants to go with her life & hadn't managed to find that person . so it was a string of people who just didn't care too much about what she did & were distant but able to catch her long enough to fill the void . she WANTS someone to care but allows her her freedoms , trusts & respects her

MISCELLANEOUS . character's theme song . i'm a hex girl ( obv ) , witchy woman - eagles hobbies to pass the time . reading , exercising ( yoga , dance , hiking ) , journaling , gardening , listening to music left or right brained . right brain with left brain influences . right obviously leads with her career as a musician having to be creative & imaginative , however left takes influence when it comes to her professional side & logical thinking to solve problems in a manner that would get the job done . feeling takes much influence in her magick , being an empath & having deeply rooted emotions , but on the other side a love of science ( namely biology & the make - up of plants , animals , & medicine ) lean left brain heavy . fears . ghosts , being trapped , inadequacy self confidence level . it's HEAVILY dependent on what area of her life we're talking about . if we're speaking music , it's a solid 10 / 10 . she KNOWS her & the girls are damn good & won't be told otherwise . on a personal level it's quite poor . she has trust issues & doesn't doubt that aside from people that've been there for a long time , people will take the opportunity to do her dirty . while she's getting better on the magick front of things she still has a lot to work through because aside from her work , her confidence does need a lot of repair , which is probably why she's a bit of a workaholic . only thing she feels fully comfortable with vulnerabilities . her family ( the girls included ) , her large heart , insecurities , & stubbornness

TAGGED BY : @lxdrlappen TAGGING : @yunhuntress @baddeleyite @bloomshops @sclskinn & you ♥

#*:･ﾟ♫ ✧ ❛ ѕнe loved мyѕтerιeѕ ѕo мυcн ѕнe вecaмe one ⁽ headcanons. ⁾#*:･ﾟ♫ ✧ ❛ a wιтcн'ѕ тrιalѕ ⁽ dashboard memes. ⁾

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