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holly-mckenzie · 2 months

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Hello! I love LOVE your blog it's so good. I always find the most interesting shows because of your posts so i wanted to ask what are your fav ships with the best chemistry in a newer film/tv show? I saw a whole debate a few days ago about how "ships nowadays are always lacking chemistry " and i was interested in your opinion. Have a nice day!

Hello anon... I need to clarify, I wrote this answer essay thinking about romcoms, bc that's what film twitter has been talking about, but I realised you said "ships". I will answer your question here. Under the cut, is my thoughts on romcoms, please be aware what is hiding beneath the cut is a behemoth of an answer.

But in terms of "ships" and lacking chemistry. I think there's a few things to think about. Specifically, I believe there has been way to much focus on "ships" and sometimes this conversation detracts from other elements of storytelling, or completely takes over the entire story and what it makes it interesting (e.g. - the conversation surrounding Anatomy of a Fall or what Reylo did to Star Wars). On the subject of Star Wars, one of the things to think about in this conversation is how racism, misogyny, or general bigotry shape peoples opinions. The argument of "they don't have chemistry" is a common phrase used by racists and bigots who don't want to engage with their faves being involved with characters of colour/woman etc.

Now unto other reasons why "ships" might not have chemistry. I think if you are discussing American Television, one thing to note is the departure of shows that had 20+ episodes. With the fear that the show might get cancelled and with a shorter time to establish the narrative, I think we, as audiences, are seeing less of the long con, "will they, won't they" game, that we saw in the late 90's/2000's. I would argue this could be one of the reasons that British TV does so well, most British series are only 6 episodes long, and there may be a better understanding of how to write a more compact narrative, and perhaps there's even better job security... But maybe not considering Joe Barton's history.

Lastly, there is a world of media out there and you need to make the effort to find and engage with it. I talk more about this under the cut, but so many people who are minorities are not given the same advantages as white straight people... So if you want to find good stuff. You gots to look for it. It might not be in a language you understand, or about people who you can relate to, but its out there. Go find it.

So in Answer to your Question, what are my fav ships with the best chemistry in a newer film/tv show.

Television: Starstruck (2021– ) : Tom x Jessie The Lazarus Project (2022– ) : Janet x Rebrov & Zhao x Archie & Shiv x George The Artful Dodger (2023) : Belle x Jack Foundation (2021– ) : Hober Mallow x Brother Constant Alex Rider (2020– ) : Alex x Kyra Animal Control (2023– ) : Shred x Emily Tom Jones (2023) : Tom x Sophia

Other Honourable Mentions: Summer Love (2022– ), Colin from Accounts (2022), Still Up (2023– ), Little Woman (2022), Lockwood and Co. (2023), The Flatshare (2022), The Other Two, Suzhal (2022), In Limbo (2023– ), The Buccaneers (2023– ).

Films: Femme (2023), Here (2023), Decision to Leave (2022), Stay the Night (2022), The Big Four (2022), Ponniyan Selvan i & ii, Stellar (2022), Wildhood (2022), Lakelands (2023), Wedding Season (2022), 7 Days (2021), Scream VI, Sanctuary (2022)

Books: Anything by Tia Williams, Sarah Beth Durst, Uzma Jalaluddin, Jane Igharo

Stage: The Effect (2023/2024), Much Ado About Nothing (2019), Much Ado About Nothing (2022), The Notebook (2024), Hadestown

My Original Answer:

Hello anon, thank you so much! Thanks for appreciating my questionable taste. I do really enjoy watching TV, film, and books and then writing academic papers about them in my head. So obviously this question is really fun.

I need to start by saying, I have been thinking about chemistry for weeks, so I am going to answer your question, just maybe not the question you were asking. Brace yourselves, I wrote an essay.

The whole debate is deeply fascinating to me for various reasons. In part I do really believe that people need to broaden their horizons when it comes to the art they interact with. There is a world of cinema out there. If you surround yourselves by clowns and then complain you are in a circus... that's a choice, no?

Expand your horizons, dip into Asian cinema, African cinema, American Cinema (North, South, and Central), that European stuff (that isn't just what the BBC is pumping out or starring your French favs). And if you must watch Hollywood, then watch some indie stuff. Watch some gay stuff. Watch some stuff by people of colour.

Lichrelly no one is forcing you to watch the blandest/whitest romcoms/romdrams. Are they more accessible to watch? Sure. But complaining, when you don't even care to do the research is a choice. Especially, bc of the way that racism/misogyny/homophobia/ableism makes it harder for people to get their stories out. If you really care about these things. You gots to put the effort into caring and finding them.

Secondly, boiling down chemistry to romance is absolutely wild, considering there are different type of chemistry needed for different roles. For example Rob Collins and Shantae Barnes-Cowan have mad chemistry in the show Firebite. Now let me clarify, I am not saying its romantic. They pulled off the single dad and adopted daughter in a survival/action story story so well. Pedro Pascal, who? And it takes chemistry to pull that off. More popularly, one of the reasons that Succession works as a show is because the actors have chemistry. Some of which is romantic ofc, but the vast majority of it isn't (no matter what the in*est shippers on A*3 say). But I understand, the people want what they want, and that's romance.

I also think that chemistry is an odd thing. I know people are inclined to think that its an objective. You look at two people and are like, "Wow, they have chemistry!", and everyone agrees, because "Wow, they have chemistry!". But I am inclined to think its not that straight forward. There is something to be said about our interactions with art being subjective and biased. This is because as we interact with art, we are interacting with it through our own lens. The author is truly dead, and all that matters is the individual reader's interpretation. So, for example, many people love the movie Anyone But You. If you go on YouTube there are many people who have made ship videos about Bea and Ben. But there is a category of people who fucking hate it and think that its trash and the leads don't have chemistry (Yes, I am talking about myself in third person. I will avenge you Much Ado About Nothing).

So, who is right? Who is wrong? Honestly, it really doesn't matter, because its a fucking movie, and like I said, the author is dead. Similarly, some critics really didn't like the series Tom Jones. In certain reviews and articles, criticism of the series was that Solly McLead and Sophie Wilde don't have chemistry. However, if you follow me, you know I completely disagree and made that show my personality for a couple of months.

But on the subject of chemistry (of the romantic variety), I definitely think its more complicated then people let on. I think most people believe that it's about the actors. You put them in a movie, show, whatever, and chemistry they have just happens. It's like love, you can't explain it, but its there. Or, according to my friend, who used to work in the film industry, the best chemistry comes across when the actors hate each other or they secretly like each other/are fucking each other. It's brought on by strong emotions. Which is obviously a school of thought.

However, as my bestie Merry (@akajustmerry) has been discussing, there are actors who are dating/fucking IRL and none of that comes across in the film/show. I highly recommend checking out Merry's blog to see their opinions on this bc Merry is THE film critic of our generation! Someone please hire them!

But I do think it takes more than just what the actors can bring. It's about the direction they are being given, its about the script, its about the staging. It's about the framing. And it's about the actors and their acting ability. Actors are working professionals and contrary to popular belief, it takes skills to act (not just a pretty face). And one of the skills needed is the ability to create trust between the leads, as Merry and an anon discusses in this post. Because without trust, how can there be chemistry. Which is why intimacy coordinators are SO important. Fuck anyone who says otherwise!

To argue against my friend who used to work in the industry, yes hating/loving someone IRL can create tangible chemistry. And yeah, it might be hard to overcome friendship, if you are friends with your co-star (e.g. - that one interview where Jessica Matten jokes about how weird it was to kiss Kiowa Gordan in Dark Winds). But think about Nikesh Patel and Rose Matafeo in Starstruck. From what I can tell, which is little bc I don't know them IRL and its none of my business, Rose and Nikesh weren't hating each other or fucking in each other. They seem to be friends, but mostly co-workers. But regardless of all of that, Starstruck is literally one of the greatest romcoms of our era. And they have mad chemistry.

Additionally, in my opinion, Lee Pace and Laura Birn of Foundation fame, and Lana Gordon and MPQ/Zachary James and Gloria Onitiri of Hadestown fame have chemistry. But all the men I just listed are gay/in relationship with men, so we can't chalk up chemistry to already existing romantic tension. It is an aspect of acting and skill. Both Zachary James and MPQ have spoken about how the trust they have in their co-stars, have allowed space to shape and cultivate the characters they play (including the romance of the show).

You can't just cast two conventionally attractive people and expect their attractiveness to do the rest. You know my thoughts on Anyone But You. But similarly, think about the way that people were thirsting over Zoë Kravitz and Robert Pattinson bc of all the press and photo shoots they did for The Batman. But then also think of the accusations of whorebaiting, that followed. They simply, in my opinion, did not have chemistry. Even if the Bat and the Cat are one of the funnest dynamics in them comics.

So now that we have discussed actors, and audiences. We gots to discuss actual story telling. Writing is a skill. I know on the tumblr dot com, we have discussed that writing good sex scenes is a skill. Writing good romance is the same... I don't want to labour on about this, bc I feel like you must already know that. But some things to consider is the way in which the focus on tropes instead of storytelling is a detriment to the genre. The fanfictionization of romance. The way in which abuse is touted as romance. The way that studios (coughcough Netflix) are churning out these stories (some of which are def US military propaganda). The lean towards making these movies, more and more explicit. The way that some studios/book publishers are trying to profit off already successful stories without realising what made it successful (e.g. - the amount of fake dating stories in the wake of To All the Boys, or the remakes of older movies).

So what made the movies of old so special. What made romcoms from the late 90's early 2000's, the movies by Nora Ephron and Garry Marshall oh so special. The bleak answer is nostalgia. But you could also discuss the type of narratives that were told during the time. The type of backgrounds these actors and storytellers had before they took these roles. The socio-political enviroment that cultivated these stories. The amount of money and time the studios were willing to invest in these movies. The lack of AI technology... All of the cheating scandals that arose on the sets. The existence of the Film Stars™ vs. just actors.

The fact that streaming has changed the way that movies/tv are made, and the way people consume them. Which could potentially lesson the impact on audiences, as there is less need to go to theatres. To wait for the movies to be released on DVD/VCD/VHS. Lessen the need to re-watch the movies obsessively, bc it was one of three movies you owned on DVD/VCD/VHS, and thus a lack of cementing it in your brain as THE RomCom. Yes, this is just an excuse to yell: BRING BACK PHYSICAL MEDIA, YOU COWARDS!

But one thing that I haven't seen discussed as much is the existence of the Hays Code.

A couple years ago, I watched this lecture and read this book by this academic that focused on RomComs. (I forgot the academic, but I can find it later, if you want. Can you tell I studied English and Film in school?). Regardless, the academic argued that during the 90's filmmakers had to grapple with the remnants of the Hays Code. The code was a "self-imposed industry set of guidelines for all the motion pictures that were released between 1934 and 1968." The Code prohibited things like "profanity, suggestive nudity, graphic or realistic violence, sexual persuasions and rape."

So, while RomComs, like Pretty Woman, were in production, more then 20 years after the Hays Code, this academic argued that filmmakers were grappling with what this freedom meant. That while Pretty Woman was definitely a movie that could have never been made during the time of the Code, the affect of the Code meant that these narratives were adhering to the Code, whether intentional or not.

I think one of the things to consider about the Code was the way that filmmakers had to figure out ways to work around the restrictions in order to tell the stories they wanted. So, for example the Noir is a genre came about during the height of the Code and a time where film-makers didn't have access to that much money. So, the filmmakers had to be creative to get the shots they wanted, which is how we got the highly stylized way of filming that is so iconic to the genre. Not out of excess but out of need. Additionally, the iconic archetypes of the Noir Detective and the Femme Fatale are directly due to the Hayes Code and the period that villanized certain types of woman, and esteemed certain types of men.

Yet, there is an entire study on the homosexual subtext, which was written into these films. For example in The Maltese Falcon, the main character, Sam Spade, refers to another character as a "gunsel". The the censors wrongly assumed this was a reference to a gunman, however, it is vulgar way to refer to someone who is gay. This is the same movie that features a different character, Joel Cairo, who is suggested to be gay (which is one of the reasons the film could not be legally shown on US television stations). Being a filmmaker meant learning how to navigate around the code. Being a filmmaker meant taking a risk, bc you may end up on wrong side of it.

If you want more information on queer films of the time, I believe that Merry or Deah would be able to help you seeing they have an entire podcast on gay movies/shows/games. Check out the @gayvclubpodcast.

So, going back to the RomComs of the 90's. You are talking about an entire industry of filmmakers, who were making movies after the wake of an extreme censorship, and on some level they must known or have heard stories about navigating that terrain. They must have also, on some level, understood what it meant to cultivate stories where characters want each other, like each other, yearn for each other. Because during the Code you couldn't just point a camera at them and say "See they are fucking each other, they did fuck each other, they will continue to do so. Clearly this is a romance". More work needed to be done and laid out in order to cultivate the romances that we now love.

I would argue, if you want to buy this argument, that this is the same reason that K-Dramas/Movies are SO popular. Because it was not that long ago, that Korea was more strict about the way in which physical intimacy was filmed. Think about the era, where actors would stand next to each other, lips touching, and the camera would spin in a dizzying way around them. Now, obviously, kisses aren't filmed in that way, and some movies feature open mouth kisses. Scandalous, I know. But I would argue this is one of the reasons that K-Dramas are so famous, because of the knowledge on how to draw out emotions from the audience that does not rely on physical/sexual intimacy.

So, I suppose the conversation of "ships nowadays are always lacking chemistry " comes down to a skill issue. Skill on the filmmakers parts for not being able to cultivate good stories. Skill on the Actors part, for not being able to do what is required of the role. Skill of the studios parts, for not realising the long term impact of physical media and what sells. And skill on the audiences part, for not seeing the world in one way, and not caring to do the research to find the stories you are looking for.

#asks #anon #i need to clarify I wrote my original answer at work... and I got very carried away #why can't I get paid to do media analysis... Why must I toil away

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mountainmaven · 1 year

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What Kim Read in 2022

I read 53 books this year: 10 were DNF, 5 were audio books.

My Favorites this year were:

Daughter of the Deep by Rick Riordan The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James The Girls I've Been by Tess Sharpe The Hacienda by Isabel Canas Honey Girl by Morgan Rogers The Sweetest Remedy by Jane Igharo Other Birds by Sarah Addison Allen The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green Hester by Laurie Lico Albanese With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo The Midnight Library by Matt Haig Kiss Her Once For Me by Allison Cocrun

I read a lot more contemporary and contemporary romance than I usually do, and I enjoyed many of them. I read more books by women, and women of color, and more LGBTQ+ books as well.

Overall I'd say it was a really good reading year.

#books #booklr #kim's year in books 2022

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rockislandadultreads · 1 year

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Book Club Recommendations: Immigrant Experiences

Of Women and Salt by Gabriela Garcia

In present-day Miami, Jeanette is battling addiction. Daughter of Carmen, a Cuban immigrant, she is determined to learn more about her family history from her reticent mother and makes the snap decision to take in the daughter of a neighbor detained by ICE. Carmen, still wrestling with the trauma of displacement, must process her difficult relationship with her own mother while trying to raise a wayward Jeanette. Steadfast in her quest for understanding, Jeanette travels to Cuba to see her grandmother and reckon with secrets from the past destined to erupt.

From 19th-century cigar factories to present-day detention centers, from Cuba to Mexico, Gabriela Garcia's Of Women and Salt is a kaleidoscopic portrait of betrayals—personal and political, self-inflicted and those done by others—that have shaped the lives of these extraordinary women. A haunting meditation on the choices of mothers, the legacy of the memories they carry, and the tenacity of women who choose to tell their stories despite those who wish to silence them, this is more than a diaspora story; it is a story of America’s most tangled, honest, human roots.

Ties That Tether by Jane Igharo

At twelve years old, Azere promised her dying father she would marry a Nigerian man and preserve her culture even after emigrating to Canada. Her mother has been vigilant about helping--forcing--her to stay well within the Nigerian dating pool ever since. But when another match-made-by-mom goes wrong, Azere ends up at a bar, enjoying the company and later sharing the bed of Rafael Castellano, a man who is tall, handsome, and white.

When their one-night stand unexpectedly evolves into something serious, Azere is caught between her growing feelings for Rafael and the compulsive need to please her mother who will never accept a relationship that threatens to dilute Azere's Nigerian heritage.

Azere can't help wondering if loving Rafael makes her any less of a Nigerian. Can she be with him without compromising her identity? The answer will either cause Azere to be audacious and fight for her happiness or continue as the compliant daughter.

Afterlife by Julia Alvarez

Antonia Vega, the immigrant writer at the center of Afterlife, has had the rug pulled out from under her. She has just retired from the college where she taught English when her beloved husband, Sam, suddenly dies. And then more jolts: her bighearted but unstable sister disappears, and Antonia returns home one evening to find a pregnant, undocumented teenager on her doorstep. Antonia has always sought direction in the literature she loves—lines from her favorite authors play in her head like a soundtrack—but now she finds that the world demands more of her than words.

Afterlife is a compact, nimble, and sharply droll novel. Set in this political moment of tribalism and distrust, it asks: What do we owe those in crisis in our families, including—maybe especially—members of our human family? How do we live in a broken world without losing faith in one another or ourselves? And how do we stay true to those glorious souls we have lost?

Nuclear Family by Joseph Han

Things are looking up for Mr. and Mrs. Cho. Their dream of franchising their Korean plate lunch restaurants across Hawaiʻi seems within reach after a visit from Guy Fieri boosts the profile of Cho's Delicatessen. Their daughter, Grace, is busy finishing her senior year of college and working for her parents, while her older brother, Jacob, just moved to Seoul to teach English. But when a viral video shows Jacob trying—and failing—to cross the Korean demilitarized zone, nothing can protect the family from suspicion and the restaurant from waning sales.

No one knows that Jacob has been possessed by the ghost of his lost grandfather, who feverishly wishes to cross the divide and find the family he left behind in the north. As Jacob is detained by the South Korean government, Mr. and Mrs. Cho fear their son won't ever be able to return home, and Grace gets more and more stoned as she negotiates her family's undoing. Struggling with what they don't know about themselves and one another, the Chos must confront the separations that have endured in their family for decades.

Set in the months leading up to the 2018 false missile alert in Hawaiʻi, Joseph Han's profoundly funny and strikingly beautiful debut novel is an offering that aches with histories inherited and reunions missed, asking how we heal in the face of what we forget and who we remember.

#historical fiction #literary fiction #fiction #book club books #Library Books #Book Recommendations #book recs #Reading Recs #reading recommendations #TBR pile #tbr #tbrpile #to read #Want To Read #Booklr #book tumblr #book blog #library blog

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unstable-urbanite · 1 year

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Current favourites • His Only Wife — Peace Adzo Medie • The Sweetest Remedy — Jane Igharo • You Made A Fool Of Death With Your Beauty — Akwaeke Emezi • Ghana Must Go — Taiye Selasi • #bookstagram #blackauthors #ghanamustgo #youmadeafoolofdeathwithyourbeauty #hisonlywife #sweetestremedy (at Roncesvalles Village) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cps5aE-u3sD/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#bookstagram #blackauthors #ghanamustgo #youmadeafoolofdeathwithyourbeauty #hisonlywife #sweetestremedy

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sincerelyveronica · 1 year

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Have you Read...

How are ya now, book buddies? Enjoying the month so far? I sure do hope so! I have some book recommendations for you, specifically highlighting Black authors. For me, it's been important to discover more black literature and authors. I wasn't exposed to much of it growing up. I make sure that I do from now on. I have discovered some beautiful works of art.

Let me share:

Children of Blood and Bone- Tomi Adeyemi: YA fantasy

The Last Black Unicorn- Tiffany Haddish: Memoir

The Hate U Give-Angie Thomas: YA Contemporary/social justice

My Sister, the Serial Killer- Oyinkan Braithwaite: Mystery thriller

Binti series #1-3- Nnedi Okorafor: Science Fiction

The Poet X- Elizabeth Acevedo: Poetry

The Sun is Also a Star- Nicola Yoon: YA romance

Ties That Tether-Jane Igharo: Romance/contemporary

Helium-Rudy Francisco: Poetry

Tears We Cannot Stop: A Sermon to White America-Michael Eric Dyson: Nonfiction/social justice

The Fire Next Time-James Baldwin: Nonfiction/essays/social justice

The Library of the Dead & Our Lady of Mysterious Ailments(Edinburgh Night Series) -T.L Huchu: YA Fantasy

Iyanu, Child of Wonder vol. 1- Roye Okupe: Graphic Novel/comic

I have enjoyed these books so much over the last few years. These authors have taken me on many emotional rides. Journeys that take place in magical lands, filled with rich culture, and beautiful characters. Some stories that have been heartbreaking and sorrowful. Bringing up uncomfortable conversations about racism and black lives. Stories that are needed to understand the injustices that plagues the black community. The prejudice and hate the lingers and spreads throughout so many communities that are not white. It’s hard to hear BUT it’s imperative to read or listen to. But there have been stories and characters that have made me smile endlessly! As all books should do. I hope you add these books to your collection.

#sincerelyveronica #book blog #bibliophile #bookblr #booknerd #black literature #black authors #blackhistorymonth #black books #books and reading #childrenofbloodandbone #the fire next time #Ties that tether

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the-page-ladies · 2 years

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Book Review…Where We End & Begin by Jane Igharo Before leaving to America for college Dunni and Obinna vowed to find their way back to each other one day. Twelve years later, and their vow is a thing of the past. While returning to Nigeria for a friend's wedding they run into each other. The shy, awkward boy she loved as a teenager is now a sophisticated, confident man. Things have changed, but there's still an undeniable connection between them. As they rediscover each other, their days filled with desire and passion, Dunni is reminded of the beautiful future she once planned with Obinna. But when devastating secrets are revealed and the reckless actions of their past bring new challenges, she's left questioning everything, including if the love that consumed her as a teenager is still worth holding on to. It was a nice second chance romance! I really liked Dunni's character and Obinna the complimented each other. The romance between Dunni and Obinna was one that I enjoyed especially Dunni you could tell and feel how much she loved and cared for him but with Obinna for some reason I didn't feel the same with him. But other then that it was a good book! Thank you Let's Talk Books, Berkley Books and Jane Igharo for sharing this book with me! #WhereWeEnd&Begin #JaneIgharo #bookreview #berkleybooks #letstalkbooks #romancebook #booksta #netgalley #ebookreview #bookrec #igbooks #igreads #bookstagram #instabooks #instareads #bookstagrammer (at Cleveland, Ohio) https://www.instagram.com/p/CjYMCC3Lvro/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#whereweend #janeigharo #bookreview #berkleybooks #letstalkbooks #romancebook #booksta #netgalley #ebookreview #bookrec #igbooks #igreads #bookstagram #instabooks #instareads #bookstagrammer

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accidentalspaceexplorer · 2 years

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April Monthly Recap:

Okay so it turns out I super forgot to do my April recap, which I only realized now that it’s June... So I’m doing my April recap now, and my May recap will come out in a bit. I have been reading so much though! I read 19 books in April, of which only two were DNFs. My favorites in April were Legends & Lattes and Iron Widow, which are very different books but were both phenomenal.

The Soul of an Octopus by Sy Montgomery: 3.5/5

Nightfall by Isaac Asimov & Robert Silverberg: 3.5/5

A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske: 5/5

Paladin of Souls by Lois McMaster Bujold: 4.75/5

Light from Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki: 3.75/5

The Sweetest Remedy by Jane Igharo: 2.25/5

A Hope Divided by Alyssa Cole: 4.5/5

The Witch’s Heart by Genevieve Gornichec: 2.5/5, dnf

Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree: 5/5

The Triumph of Seeds by Thor Hanson: 5/5

Daughter of the Sun by Effie Calvin: 3.5/5

The Queen of Rhodia by Effie Calvin: 3.5/5

The Empress of Xytae by Effie Calvin: 3.5/5

Daughter of the Moon by Effie Calvin: 3.5/5

The Sandman, Vol. 1: Preludes and Nocturnes by Neil Gaiman: 3/5

Come Tumbling Down by Seanan McGuire: 4.5/5

Eidolon by Grace Draven: 4/5

The Song of the Dodo by David Quammen: 2/5, dnf

Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao: 5/5

22 in 2022: 7

Read 100 Books: 47

Read 40% AOC: 34%

Completing Series: 6 series completed/caught up vs. 5 started

Translated Works: 0

Books in Spanish: 0

Numbered TBR: 4

Discworld: 0

Books by an Indigenous Author: 1

Physical TBR: 8

Storygraph Recs: 2

#monthly recap #april 2022 #book review

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bookclub4m · 2 months

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Episode 190 - Reading Resolutions and Rants

This episode we’re discussing our 2024 Reading Resolutions (and Rants)! We talk about how we’ve already failed our 2024 reading resolutions, audio books, short stories, reading long things, not being able to read long things, and more!

You can download the podcast directly, find it on Libsyn, or get it through Apple Podcasts or your favourite podcast delivery system.

In this episode

Anna Ferri | Meghan Whyte | Matthew Murray | Jam Edwards

Media We Mentioned

Prairie Fires: The American Dreams of Laura Ingalls Wilder by Caroline Fraser

Born to Be Posthumous: The Eccentric Life and Mysterious Genius of Edward Gorey by Mark Dery

War and Peace by Lev Tolstoy (Wikipedia)

Anna Karenina by Lev Tolstoy (Wikipedia)

Animal Farm by George Orwell (Wikipedia)

Stalingrad by Vasily Grossman, translated by Robert Chandler and Elizabeth Chandler

The Platform Edge: Uncanny Tales of the Railways edited by Mike Ashley

Baldur's Gate 3 (Wikipedia)

Yakuza (franchise) (Wikipedia)

Feed by M.T. Anderson

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers

The Majesties by Tiffany Tsao

Minecraft (Wikipedia)

Two Point Hospital (Wikipedia)

Links, Articles, and Things

Episode 167 (version 2) - 2023 Reading Goals & 2022 Reading Report

Which Pokémon are the most goth? 🦇 - Friday Night Spooktacular

2024 Great Graphic Novels for Teens

Manga, Manhwa, and Webtoon titles on YALSA's 2024 Great Graphic Novels for Teens List

Manga for Teen Librarians (page 26) by Matthew Murray & Jean Broughton

Episode 187 - Favourite Reads of 2023

Sold a Story: How Teaching Kids to Read Went So Wrong (Podcast)

Teacher training programs don't always use research-backed reading methods

Literacy crisis in college students: Essay from a professor on students who don’t read

Hark Episode 354: A Special Kind of Horny

Topping & Company Booksellers

The ladder Matthew mentioned

Our Reading Resolutions

Anna

Read (and finish) a book

Listen to audiobook fiction

Jam

Reading (physical books) on public transit

Matthew

Read the books in his office

Read (all) the graphic novels on library ebook platform wish lists

Read short story collections

Meghan

Read more (very) long books

30 Romance Books by BIPOC Authors (including 11 new releases from 2024)

Every month Book Club for Masochists: A Readers’ Advisory Podcasts chooses a genre at random and we read and discuss books from that genre. We also put together book lists for each episode/genre that feature works by BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, & People of Colour) authors. All of the lists can be found here.

Our Cursed Love by Julie Abe

When I Think of You by Myah Ariel (2024)

Stay with My Heart by Tashie Bhuiyan (2024)

The Art of Scandal by Regina Black

A Princess in Theory by Alyssa Cole

Ana María and the Fox by Liana De la Rosa

The Kiss Countdown by Etta Easton (2024)

You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty by Akwaeke Emezi

The Neighbor Favor by Kristina Forest

Canto Contigo by Jonny Garza Villa (2024)

Drunk on Love by Jasmine Guillory

Match Me If You Can by Swati Hegde (2024)

An Island Princess Starts a Scandal by Adriana Herrera

D'Vaughn and Kris Plan a Wedding by Chencia C. Higgins

Let Me Love You by Alexandria House

The Emperor and the Endless Palace by Justinian Huang (2024)

Where We End & Begin by Jane Igharo

To Catch a Raven by Beverly Jenkins

How to End a Love Story by Yulin Kuang (2024)

That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon by Kimberly Lemming

Aphrodite and the Duke by J.J. McAvoy

The Marquis Who Mustn't by Courtney Milan

The Truth According to Ember by Danica Nava (2024)

The Lover, the Lake by Virginia Pésémapéo Bordeleau, translated by Susan Ouriou

Partners in Crime by Alisha Rai

Never Cross a Highlander by Lisa Rayne

This Could Be Us by Kennedy Ryan (2024)

The Takeover by Cara Tanamachi (2024)

A Love Song for Ricki Wilde by Tia Williams (2024)

Frankly in Love by David Yoon

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faithlean · 2 years

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[Download Book] Where We End & Begin - Jane Igharo

Download Or Read PDF Where We End & Begin - Jane Igharo Free Full Pages Online With Audiobook.

[*] Download PDF Here => Where We End & Begin

[*] Read PDF Here => Where We End & Begin

Star-crossed lovers get a second chance at romance when they're reunited at a wedding in Nigeria, in a heartfelt novel from the acclaimed author of The Sweetest Remedy.Dunni hasn't seen her high school boyfriend, Obinna, since she left Nigeria to attend college in America. Before their devastating separation, they vowed to find their way back to each other one day.Twelve years later, and their vow is a thing of the past. Dunni works as a geneticist in Seattle and is engaged to a man she doesn't love but one her parents approve of. Her future is laid out for her, and everything is going according to plan until she returns to Nigeria for a friend's wedding and runs into Obinna. The shy, awkward boy she loved as a teenager is now a sophisticated, confident man. Things have changed, but there's still an undeniable connection between them.As they rediscover each other, their days filled with desire and passion, Dunni is reminded of the beautiful future she once planned with Obinna. But

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bookaddict24-7 · 4 years

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How was your Monday? What was your favourite part about today? 🤔

I find that some aesthetics make themselves known when you need to capture a moment. Whether it’s just breakfast, or an adventure—you’ll get that feeling in your gut telling you to capture the moment (or just live it—that happens, too.) Granted, I also really wanted to capture TIES THAT TETHER’s gorgeous cover. Seriously, how beautiful is it?!? I love seeing beautiful books like this one on my shelves! 📚📚

Today was a great day full of reading, napping, and a round of workouts. It’s weird, but it was a good combination of lazy but also productive. Because it’s the long Thanksgiving weekend, today felt more like a Sunday than a Monday. Honestly, I’ll take whatever I can get when it comes to just hanging out! 😉📖

IG: @daylafm

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millenniallessons-blog · 3 years

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A Quick Book Review of Ties That Tether by Jane Igharo

Ties That Tether illustrates the struggles of a young Ethiopian woman that migrated to Canada as a young girl. She is presented with the challenge of choosing between following her native culture of Ethiopia or choosing the opposite of her culture’s teachings and falling in love with a man that does not meet those expectations. This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a…

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#amazon best book of the month #amazon book of the month club #amazon books of the month #book of the month #book of the month club #book of the month club book club #book of the month club review #book of the month review #book review #Jane Igharo #ties that tether

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rockislandadultreads · 2 years

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Multicultural Romances: Contemporary Picks

How to Marry Keanu Reeves in 90 Days by K.M. Jackson

Bethany Lu Carlisle is devastated when the tabloids report actor Keanu Reeves is about to tie the knot. What?! How could the world's perfect boyfriend and forever bachelor, Keanu not realize that making a move like this could potentially be devastating to the equilibrium of...well...everything! Not to mention, he's never come face to face with the person who could potentially be his true soulmate—her. Desperate to convince Keanu to call off the wedding, Lu and her ride-or-die BFF Truman Erikson take a wild road trip to search for the elusive Keanu so that Lu can fulfill her dream of meeting her forever crush and confess her undying love. From New York to Los Angeles, Lu and True get into all sorts of sticky situations. Will Lu be able to find Keanu and convince him she's the one for him? Or maybe she'll discover true love has been by her side all along...

The Singles Table by Sara Desai

After a devastating break-up, celebrity-obsessed lawyer Zara Patel is determined never to open her heart again. She puts her energy into building her career and helping her friends find romance through the wedding season. She's never faced a guest at the singles table she couldn’t match, until she crosses paths with the sinfully sexy Jay Donovan. Former military security specialist Jay has no time for love. His life is about working hard, staying focused, and winning at all costs. When charismatic Zara crashes into his life, he's thrown into close contact with exactly the kind of chaos he wants to avoid. Worse, they're stuck together for the entire wedding season. So they make a deal. She'll find his special someone if he introduces her to his celebrity clients. But when their arrangement brings them together in ways they never expected, they realize that the perfect match might just be their own.

A Lot Like Adiós by Alexis Daria

Hi Mich. It’s Gabe. After burning out in her corporate marketing career, Michelle Amato has built a thriving freelance business as a graphic designer. So what if her love life is nonexistent? She’s perfectly fine being the black sheep of her marriage-obsessed Puerto Rican-Italian family. Besides, the only guy who ever made her want happily-ever-after disappeared thirteen years ago. It’s been a long time. Gabriel Aguilar left the Bronx at eighteen to escape his parents’ demanding expectations, but it also meant saying goodbye to Michelle, his best friend and longtime crush. Now, he’s the successful co-owner of LA’s hottest celebrity gym, with an investor who insists on opening a New York City location. It’s the last place Gabe wants to go, but when Michelle is unexpectedly brought on board to spearhead the new marketing campaign, everything Gabe’s been running from catches up with him. I’ve missed you. Michelle is torn between holding Gabe at arm’s length or picking up right where they left off—in her bed. As they work on the campaign, old feelings resurface, and their reunion takes a sexy turn. Facing mounting pressure from their families—who think they’re dating—and growing uncertainty about their futures, can they resolve their past mistakes, or is it only a matter of time before Gabe says adiós again?

Ties That Tether by Jane Igharo

When a Nigerian woman falls for a man she knows will break her mother’s heart, she must choose between love and her family. At twelve years old, Azere promised her dying father she would marry a Nigerian man and preserve her culture even after emigrating to Canada. Her mother has been vigilant about helping--forcing--her to stay well within the Nigerian dating pool ever since. But when another match-made-by-mom goes wrong, Azere ends up at a bar, enjoying the company and later sharing the bed of Rafael Castellano, a man who is tall, handsome, and white. When their one-night stand unexpectedly evolves into something serious, Azere is caught between her growing feelings for Rafael and the compulsive need to please her mother who will never accept a relationship that threatens to dilute Azere's Nigerian heritage. Azere can't help wondering if loving Rafael makes her any less of a Nigerian. Can she be with him without compromising her identity? The answer will either cause Azere to be audacious and fight for her happiness or continue as the compliant daughter.

#Romance #contemporary #contemporary fiction #contemporary romance #to read #tbr #library books #multicultural #book recs #reading recommendations #Book Recommendations #to be read #booklr #booktok #book tumblr #Selected titles #womens fiction #chick lit

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