#Some books I have I'm pretty sure just aren't good to start with lmao they're about very specific stuff

[bijoumikhawal]

hello! i hope it's alright to ask you this but i was wondering if you have any recommendations for books to read or media in general about the history of judaism and jewish communities in egypt, particularly in ottoman and modern egypt?

have a nice day!

it's fine to ask me this! Unfortunately I have to preface this with a disclaimer that a lot of books on Egyptian Jewish history have a Zionist bias. There are antizionist Egyptian Jews, and at the very least ones who have enough national pride that AFAIK they do not publicly hold Zionist beliefs, like those who spoke in the documentary the Jews of Egypt (avaliable on YouTube for free with English subtitles). Others have an anti Egyptian bias- there is a geopolitical tension with Egypt from Antiquity that unfortunately some Jewish people have carried through history even when it was completely irrelevant, so in trying to research interactions between "ancient" Egyptian Jews and Native Egyptians (from the Ptolemaic era into the proto-Coptic and fully Coptic eras) I've unfortunately come across stuff that for me, as an Egyptian, reads like anti miscegenationist ideology, and it is difficult to tell whether this is a view of history being pushed on the past or not. The phrase "Erev Rav" (meaning mixed multitude), which in part refers to Egyptians who left Egypt with Moses and converted to Judaism, is even used as an insult by some.

Since I mentioned that documentary, I'll start by going over more modern sources. Mapping Jewish San Francisco has a playlist of videos of interviews with Egyptian Jews, including both Karaites and Rabbinic Jews iirc (I reblogged some of these awhile ago in my "actually Egyptian tag" tag). This book, the Dispersion of Egyptian Jewry, is avaliable for free online, it promises to be a more indepth look at Egyptian Jews in the lead up to modern explusion. I have only read a few sections of it, so I cannot give a full judgment on it. There's this video I watched about preserving Karaite historical sites in Egypt that I remember being interesting. "On the Mediterranian and the Nile edited by Harvey E. Goldman and Matthis Lehmann" is a collection of memiors iirc, as is "the Man in the Sharkskin Suit" (which I've started but not completed), both moreso from a Rabbinic perspective. Karaites also have a few websites discussing themselves in their terms, such as this one.

For the pre-modern but post-Islamic era, the Cairo Geniza is a great resource but in my opinion as a hobby researcher, hard to navigate. It is a large cache of documents from a Cairo synagogue mostly from around the Fatimid era. A significant portion of it is digitized and they occasionally crowd source translation help on their Twitter, and a lot of books and papers use it as a primary source. "The Jews in Medieval Egypt, edited by: Miriam Frenkel" is one in my to read pile. "Benjamin H. Hary - Multiglossia in Judeio-Arabic. With an Edition, Translation, and Grammatical Study of the Cairene Purim Scroll" is a paper I've read discussing the Jewish record of the events commemorated by the Cairo Purim, I got it off either Anna's Archive or libgen. "Mamluks of Jewish Origin in the Mamluk Sultanate by Koby Yosef" is a paper in my to read pile. "Jewish pietism of the Sufi type A particular trend of mysticisme in Medieval Egypt by Mireille Loubet" and "Paul B Fenton- Judaism and Sufism" both discuss the medieval Egyptian Jewish pietist movement.

For "ancient" Egyptian Jews, I find the first chapter of "The Story of the Jews: Finding the Words 1000 BC-1492 AD” by Simon Schama, which covers Elephantine, very interesting (it also flies in the face of claims that Jews did not marry Native Egyptians, though it is from centuries before the era researchers often cover). If you'd like to read don't click this link to a Google doc, that would be VERY naughty. There's very little on the Therapeutae, but for the paper theorizing they may have been influenced by Buddhism (possibly making them an example of Judeo-Buddhist syncretism) look here (their Wikipedia page also has some sources that could be interesting but are not specifically about them). "Taylor, Joan E. - Jewish women philosophers of first-century Alexandria: Philo’s Therapeutae reconsidered" is also a to read.

I haven't found much on the temple of Onias/Tell el Yahudia/Leontopolis in depth, but I have the paper "Meron M. Piotrkowski - Priests in Exile: The History of the Temple of Onias and Its Community in the Hellenistic Period" in my to be read pile (which I got off Anna's Archive). I also have some supplemental info from a lecture I attended that I'm willing to privately share.

I also have a document compiling links about the Exodus of Jews from Egypt in the modern era, but I'm cautious about sharing it now because I made it in high school and I've realized it needs better fact checking, because it had some misinfo in it from Zionist publications (specifically about the names of Nazis who fled to Egypt- that did happen, but a bunch of names I saw reported had no evidence of that being the case, and one name was the name of a murdered resistance fighter???)

#cipher talk #I find Leontopolis fascinating because after the first time a bunch of Egyptian Jews built a temple in Egypt a second guy did it #And allegedly had a not terrible scriptural justification! And the temple lasted for THREE EXTRA YEARS after Jerusalem was sacked! #Never let anyone tell you there was only one temple #There's also other stuff but this is what I immediately had #Some books I have I'm pretty sure just aren't good to start with lmao they're about very specific stuff #Modern Middle Eastern Jewish Thought: Writings on Identity politics and culture is interesting and includes Egyptian Jews #But it's definitely got a zionist bias. It's mostly essays #I'd definitely recommend reading up on Joseph Cattaui and Murād Farag because they were simply so influential #Even though Farag was a dumbass that wrote the first Arabic defense of Zionism #Ya‘qub Sannu‘ is also fascinating- he spent a lot of his time defending Muslims to European audiences so some people assumed he reverted #He didn't he just took a hard stance on it. Also he got exiled for criticizing the Khedivate #All 3 are in MMEJT iirc

[ohbo-ohno]

bo, first of all i adore your writing!!

but you've mentioned a few shall we say 'darker themed' books you've read in asks here and there, can you give some recs of your faves?? pretty please??

first of all, i love you! and also yes always, i never mind giving book recs! i sorta ramble under the cut, sorry lol

alright i'll start with the darker romances. these are hard noncon, and depict abusive relationships that aren't always framed as bad. when i say dark i mean dark lmao, always be aware of what you're going itno before you read a dark romance

If you like my fics, I can almost guarantee you'll like Taken by Felicity Brandon. This is about an author who writes dark erotica and gets kidnapped by a fan, who forces her to live out some of her scenes. Includes petplay! I have my issues with the book (and I DNF'd the sequel) but ohhhh the smut is so good

I mentioned them a while back, but Measha Stone's Owned and Protected series is a 6 book series with noncon/dubcon petplay in every single book. Calling these "romance" is a stretch, but god if you like my noncon petplay stuff (and you're alright with reading explicit noncon and forced relationships), you might like these

I haaated the ending of Distorted by Nyla K. but dear fucking god it is a good prison dark romance. Also it is SO Ghoap coded, I would recommend reading the first ~80% of it lmfao

Corrupt Idol by Dinah Harper is the first book in a series that will probably never get finished, but honestly it's pretty good as a standalone. Dark step-brother romance, and I thought the writing (at least in the first half) was so good, I genuinely felt for the FMC at times (even if I was screaming at her)

Ok I'm not confident in this rec because I'm still not suuuuper sure how I feel about this book, but Torment by Dylan Page is a dark step-brother biker romance. The FMC is the MMC's "rock", and the only thing that keeps him from flying off into a violent rage when he's upset, and he develops an unhealthy attachment to her that everyone around them allows because they don't want to deal with him. I never read the second book, but this is another one where you really feel for the FMC

One of my favoriteeee dark A/B/O (specifically the first book) is Born to be Bound by Addison Cane. I would suggest not reading anything past the third book, and I'm not a huuge fan of the side plots, but the stuff with the FMC and MMC is just. God it's the perfect brand of dark A/B/O (in MY head)

I've recommended it before, but for my truly fucked in the head followers - Under His Heel by Adara Wolf is probably the darkest book I've ever read. It's a four book series (and I think the whole thing is worth reading) and it's got every single trigger warning except for (i think) scat, pedophilia, and necrophilia. it has rape, incest that's also rape, extreme body modification (though it's not permanent), severe public humiliation, severe mental torture, and just about 0 aftercare for our MMC. The book follows a man in a far distant future who's working as an indentured servant to pay off his debts & his incredibly sadistic and evil master. These books are far from "for everyone", but if you really want some fucked up romance (with heavy smut) I think these are worth reading!

aaand some softer dark romances. to me, these are books with some lighter kidnapping or soft noncon, abuse in a mental but not physical way, and MMCs who just think they're in the right

Gemma Weir's Montana Mountain Men is like an acid trip and it's kinda crack, but i read all 7 in like a day, so take that as you will. Each book is about a different brother in the same family as they fall in love - except, in this family the men supposedly know who their soulmate is the moment they lay eyes on them. So there's some light kidnapping, some manipulation/unhealthy behavior, and some birth control tampering in these. For what they are, I enjoyed almost all of them lmao

The Darkest Temptation by Danielle Lori is like a kidnapping romance written for non-dark romance readers tbh. It toes the line of noncon/dubcon, and it's definitely a kidnapping romance, but it's really not that dark.

Nicky the Driver by Cate C. Wells is (in my opinion) not as good as the first book in the series, but it's way lighter in terms of darkness level

Shiver by Ella Frank & Brooke Blaine is a stalker romance that fell a little short for me, but was overall enjoyable (iirc lol). It's about a young man who goes into a kink club and attracts the attention of the owner, who then stalks him. I think it just wasn't as dark as I wanted tbh, but if you like lighter dark stuff I think you might like this!

#recs #this got long sorry #asks and answers

[givemewallywestorgivemedeath]

I'm writing a fanfic centered around Wally Linda Irey and Jai, but I can't find any comics where Irey and Jai have like. Actual personalities lmao. I've found like one where Wally helps Jai use his powers without being in extreme pain but other than that they just seem like Typical Comic Book Kids. Ik plenty about the rest of the FlashFam but for some reason Irey and Jai aren't like. Given personalities from what I can tell? Do you have any suggestions?

I'm not really sure what you have read but the Wild Wests established their personalities fairly well. Adams run has also done that.

Irey is a lot like her father. A lot like her father. She's quick to anger and even quicker to lash out. Unlike Wally at that age, her favorite weapon isn't her fists but her tongue. That kid can be mean when she's mad. Irey has an almost teenaged level of sarcasm and sass up her sleeve at all times.

Not to say that she isn't nice as well. She's extremely friendly and outgoing. She puts herself out there and makes friends in a snap. Again... she's a lot like her father. 100% full throttle into whatever emotion she's feeling at the time.

And yeah, beyond that she's a pretty typical speedster child. ADHD to the max. Wants to be a hero and save people even though she's like 9. Dreams of being the Flash's sidekick. Absolutely adores the Flash (Wally). Again, think young KF Wally to get Irey's personality. Even down to the 'wants to be smart about it but is still impulsive as fuck' thing. Irey is 100% the kid with the plan. She thinks things through. She also does things without thinking. No, they aren't mutually exclusive. She has ADHD.

Now Jai.

Jai is a good mix of his parent's personalities. Think 'Blue Valley' era Wally and 'pre dating Wally' Linda. Jai is shy and withdrawn. He prefers solitary activities like journaling, reading and playing videogames. When he's excited he can be hyperactive but he isn't really 'active' the way Irey is. He doesn't have an unlimited amount of energy to burn, just normal kid energy.

Jai is calmer. Personality wise and in general. He lets things simmer. He mulls things over and thinks about things. He is slow to change his emotions. Stubborn even. Jai's baseline is 'annoyed and snappy with Irey' or 'vulnerable shy child emerges from his shell to speak to his parents'.

He's a bit of a lonely kid. Not that you would pick up on that around his family. But at school or at the park? Jai doesn't know how to make friends with other children.

When he's with Irey, he's fine but Jai isn't very functional alone. Despite how much he says that he resents Irey, he's extremely codependent. I can understand his perspective. She annoys him but she's also always been there for him. She's the only one who understands him and she was quite literally the only child he had met until he was seven years old. And then he only started going to school at eight. So he didn't really get to develop his social life beyond Irey.

Jai compares himself a lot to Irey. She's the perfect golden child. Superspeed, extremely social, smart, ect. Jai envies her. He wants her powers, her friends and her grades. He was extremely grouchy and depressed when he didn't have powers because it exacerbated this comparison. He's a little bit better now. A little bit.

That's not to say that he hates Irey. He doesn't. They're siblings and they'd do anything for each other. They are extremely protective of their twin (Irey lied to Jai about their illness being fatal to spare his feelings, Irey comforted Jai when he found out, Irey had been subconsciously sharing her powers with Jai, Irey took them back when she found out it was hurting him, Irey gave Jai her powers again when he asked, Jai saved Irey from kidnappers solo, Jai saved Irey from the blowback in OMW, ect, ect) They just also annoy the absolute hell out of each other.

#Jai is basically 'Wally pre powers' if Wally pre powers had to hang out with KF Wally all the time #shy lonely but genuine kid with envy he doesn't want and doesn't know how to handle #and Irey is literally just KF Wally. Just a less insecure version of KF Wally. #KF Wally was extremely insecure because his parents wore away at his sense of self like acid. Irey's the same kid except her parents #build her up. so shes confident as hell. that brovado ain't false #their dynamic together is either 'verbally at each other's throats' or 'protective mode activated' #also 'too excited/concerned about something else to remember im supposed to be adversarial to my twin'

[those-weird-twolegs]

What If Scenarios

I asked the other mods to give me some kits or apprentices that died young, so that I could give some ideas on what I'd do with them instead:

Lynxkit of ThunderClan:

(Suggested by Mod Soda Pop)

Potential names: Lynxpatch or Lynxfang

She'd have Patchpelt as her mentor instead of father like canon... Tigerstar is probably her father here but I'm not exactly sure- She's close with her little sister Tawnypelt and the two look very alike! She and Swift aren't... too close. She's actually more friendly with Thornpaw and Fernpaw to contrast with Swift, Cloud and Bright- because I think its funny- She's a lot more studious and very hard headed. She sticks to her own ideals, she reminds me a lot of both her parents and Swiftpaw lmao. Also decided she should be Ferncloud's mate.

-patch suffix because of her mentor and -fang suffix because she's a good fighter and has a sharp tongue

-

Snowkit of ThunderClan:

(Suggested by Mod Eva)

Potential names: Snowmistle or Snowshine Snowkit beloved... I love the idea of Snowkit becoming a guard of sorts? Like someone who actively keeps watch. I think that's because I remember Smallear sounding an alarm I the first book and well- Snowkit's his son Brackenfur does train Snowkit tho cuz I like Brackenfur and I like their bond. Along with Speckletail helping them! Snowpaw very much looks up to his big sister Goldenflower and thinks she's really cool... I think it'd be interesting if he ends up in a cross clan relationship... and what if... maybe?? Stormfur or Feathertail?? I'm not sure who else is in that age range tbh-

-mistle suffix after his littermate and -shine after how he shone through Bluestar's reign and is kinda like a lighthouse shining the right direction ya know with him being a guard and stuff Also I just wanted something that wasn't hawk related and kinda matched with his siblings!

-

Willowkit of RiverClan:

(Suggested by Mod Dorito)

Potential names: Willowfall or Willowberry

Willowkit beloved ♡ She's the one I got most attached to as a kid. I imagine she's pretty quiet and basically the polar opposite of her sister with Silverpaw being a bit... stuck up (affectionate) Willowpaw is the type of person to give and give and be humble and kinda later have impostor syndrome... maybe it has to do with her mom- But she sorta eases up when Loudpaw and her start hanging out more... she's kinda like her rock and helps her ground herself when she's *really* spiraling, yes they become mates- I'm not sure who her mentor is here? Probably Sunfish tbh-

- Fall after windfalls... cuz she's the apple of her parents eye ya know? -Berry after... well... who other than Brambleberry ♡ Also cuz she's sweet like berries

-

Turtlekit of ShadowClan:

(Suggested by Mod Kitty)

Potential names: Turtledove or Turtleskid

Turtlekit is beloved. I love her. She's very close with her cousin Brownpaw... who uh... I'm gonna say is apart of a different litter than Littlecloud and Wetfoot because if not that's just ... weird? Cinderfur was only sire and she and her littermates knew that... but she still wanted to impress him all the same! She's very high achieving and bites off more than she can chew- which is both praised and looked down upon so she's often very confused and seeking out praise while getting in trouble-

She becomes close to Oakpaw and they both just... become frenemies. Both competing yet still respect each other.... it's frenemies to lovers yes. Oakpaw is Oakfur... who is such a nothing character despite training Tawnypelt and Tigerheart lmao. They're both cranky old people yet very much love and respect each other Also I'm giving Tawnypelt to Turtledove/skid to train instead because why not

-

Rustlepaw of WindClan:

(Suggested by Mod Kitty)

Potential names: Rustlefrond or Rustlegust

Their mentor will be Webfoot... despite him being his uncle (I imagine he's Whitetail's brother) he's kinda the only one who can sorta... keep down Rustlepaw's eager nature, always getting into everything and having leafs and twigs stuck to their pelt- They're very wreckless and were held back on their Warrior ceremony due to that... but eventually they did get their name and were very happy about it!

Everyone's kinda put off about how eager they are to explore... but they soon settled down after their little siblings were born and was immediately attached to Heatherkit. Before then Rustlefrond/gust was genuinely considering leaving clan life to explore... with their best friend Pebblefoot of RiverClan... of course they're still very close with Pebblefoot regardless

-Mod ☕️

#warrior cats #mod coffee #erin hunter warriors #windclan #thunderclan #riverclan #shadowclan #lynxkit #swiftpaw #ferncloud #snowkit #goldenflower #Brackenfur #willowkit #crookedstar #silverstream #loudbelly #Turtlekit #Oakfur #Rustlepaw #Willowclaw #Whitetail #Heathertail #pebblefoot

[bri-the-nautilus]

yes agreed Kerouac fucking sucks...but I also don't like any beat literature. It's telling that the best author among his contemporaries was an amphetamine-addled trust-fund kid that murdered his wife.

Yeah Burroughs was a fun case lmao. I'm pretty sure he tried to tell the cops that they were pretending to be William Tell when he killed her. Seriously, all those guys were stoned out of their minds. Probably why their books are amazing if you're a 16-22 year old boy but utterly unrelatable if you aren't; there are tons of accounts online of dudes who read the Beats as teens and loved them but revisited them as adults and were like "wow these guys are losers."

Reading that one chapter of Dharma Bums where Kerouac's self-insert and his inserts of Snyder and Ginsberg do three-day-long alcoholic naked ritual fake-Buddhism sex with a shy local teenager was one of the most uncomfortable experiences I've ever had. I was like, wait, this book is based on his life, these characters are based off him and his friends, and he writes THIS??? And PUBLISHES IT???

The only Beat scribbles that I can somewhat tolerate are some of Ginsberg's poetry. "Howl" is pretty damn good, even if Ginsberg was kind of a weirdo. (sidenote: one of Kerouac's worst transgressions in my opinion was the section of Dharma Bums when he has his self-insert go to the San Francisco "Howl" reading and changed the poem's title to "Wail." Fucking Wail??? Really Jack? That word just doesn't have even a sliver of the impact and tone of the word 'howl'. A howl is something raw and primal, a hoarse, furious refrain. A wail is like a fucking baby that needs a nap or something.)

Something that always amused me about the Beats is that many of them are super aware that they're all self-destructive, miserable hedonists, but none of them do anything about it. All of Kerouac's self-inserts go through this weird nature detox where they swear off alcohol and become functioning human beings, but Kerouac died of liver failure in his mom's basement or some shit. The way Ginsberg describes the effects of substance use on his friends in "Howl" is graphic and objectively brutal (if I wasn't already convinced to never do drugs, that poem would've done it), but then he goes and makes street drugs out to be a religious imbibement akin to the blood and body of Christ. Hypocrisy about matters of self-care is everywhere in Beat literature when you start looking for it. Kinda wild.

Honestly, the more I think about it the more I think the best modern-day analogue for Kerouac in particular is fucking Ernest Cline. The Ready Player One guy. They're the same dude. They both have this fixation with the trappings of their youth (drugs for Kerouac, shitty arcade games for Cline), they both write books about self-insert characters obsessed with said trappings, both books portray the said characters as utterly despondent and in a downward spiral that they come out of while the authors are on that same downward spiral but show no signs of recovery. Obviously Cline hasn't died of whatever the '80s-pop-culture equivalent of cirrhosis is, but if you look at the way he completely half-assed RP2, character-assassinating Wade and Halliday in the process, and how he's reacted to criticism of his books, I think it's not an awful stretch to say that Cline is to RP1 Wade as Kerouac is to Ray Smith or whatever that guy's name was just in terms of how their characters can overcome their flaws but the men themselves just can't.

#bri rants about books #kerouac #beat generation #ernest cline

[smute]

SO YOU WANT TO COLLECT CLASSIC BOOKS...

So here it is! (almost a year later lmao)

My collectible classics "masterpost"!!!😌 🗣🚨🤯

Splain it!

When I say "collectible" classics I'm talking about any ongoing series of reprints of classic (English-language) titles with a cohesive design. They should look good on a shelf and (ideally) be made to last a lifetime. I'm not talking about rare, antique, or limited editions, or books that are expected to appreciate in value.

I'm focusing on collections of classic works of prose fiction (some classics are nonfiction; poetic and dramatic texts are often published in separate collections), i.e. texts with a timeless appeal, texts that have been in print for a long time, and that have been recognized by critics and readers as "must-reads". Very often, these texts are also considered to be part of the English literary canon.

I'm rating each series on a scale of 1–10 and the final score is based on nothing but my extremely correct opinion. I'll do my best to explain all the pros and cons but I don't have a strict rating system or whatever. Just vibes. 🤪

What I care about:

1. Paper: You don't start a classics collection with books that are gonna turn brown and crumble to dust after 15-20 years. That's why you want acid-free paper. Some publishers even use expensive "archival" paper. (There is no set definition but it generally means that in addition to being acid-free, it's made from pure cotton fibers rather than wood pulp, and without optical brighteners.) Normal acid-free paper goes a long way though. It's used for most hardbacks today anyway, so you shouldn't expect anything less from a collectible edition. I personally prefer paper that is neither too coarse nor too smooth. It should also be durable and neutral in color.

2. Binding: There are many ways to bind a book but for the purpose of this ranking we only have to worry about two (okay, three):

Perfect binding (glued binding): The leaves (1 leaf=2 pages) are folded and gathered in signatures (sections). The signatures are combined into a single textblock, the folded edges are sanded off, and the whole thing is glued directly to a flexible cardboard cover. This type of binding is cheap, it produces a very even result (hence the name), but it is not very durable. It's used for pretty much all paperbacks.

Case binding (sewn binding): With case binding, the leaves are also gathered in signatures, but they're sewn together. The finished textblock is usually reinforced with a backing material along the spine (ideally fabric; sometimes paper) and attached to the hardcover (case) via end papers. That means the text block can move independently from the spine and, when opened, all pages will lay flat. This type of binding is much more durable and it's the preferred method for (high-quality) hardbacks. Many case-bound hardcover books will have additional features like endbands, ribbon bookmarks, and protective dust jackets. This used to be the preferred method for binding books and it is still considered the gold standard but, as you can imagine, it is much more expensive than perfect binding.

I'm not a pressman so I'm not sure about the terminology, but I've noticed many hybrid variations in between these two methods. For example, some paperbacks consist of signatures rather than single pages, but the textblock is still glued directly to the cover. This prevents single pages from falling out, but over time entire signatures can come loose. Some books have sewn signatures while others use staples, and so on and so forth...

Due to their very limited lifespan, paperbacks are not the best choice for a collection... generally speaking. However, they are ubiquitous, affordable, and many people genuinely prefer compact paperbacks over clunky hardcover books, so I've decided to include both kinds in this list.

3. Content: Many texts have been altered significantly over the course of their publication history, and the most common editions aren't always complete editions. Ultimately, it's a matter of personal preference—like theatrical releases vs. director's cuts. I'm not normally a snob about abridged texts but if your goal is to build your own little classics library, I think it makes sense to stick to complete and unabridged editions. Abridgments aside, most publishers choose their editions very carefully and put a lot of thought into commentary, footnotes, and background information. Some prefer to stick with the most popular versions of texts, others print less common editions. Some want to make texts accessible, others want to stay as close to the original as possible. Some editions include just the original text, others feature introductions or even extensive annotations and additional critical material.

4. Design: should look good innit

Please keep in mind that I'm rating these books with regard to their suitability for collectors specifically.

So here goes! 👁👁

Penguin Classics [3/10]

a.k.a. Black-spine Classics. Books from this series are truly ubiquitous and, in my experience, they tend to accumulate on their own lmao. The series offers a huge selection of nearly 2,000 titles, but as standard paperbacks they're not made to last. They're very flexible and feel good in the hand, although the print quality varies. The paper texture is okay but it's pulpy and not acid-free. Black-spine Classics generally include useful introductions and other supplementary materials.

Pro: literally thousands of titles to choose from, good price, good size, very flexible, okay look and feel, minimal design, additional materials

Con: paperback, black spines crack quickly and don't look very nice on a shelf

Penguin Modern Classics [2/10]

Another huge selection (1,200 titles) that covers more recent texts. They're affordable but, unfortunately, very cheaply made (see below). The discoloration is truly BONKERS—the paper edges yellow super quickly. Very pulpy and definitely not acid-free. They feel aw-FUL.

Pro: same as above

Con: somehow even less durable than the regular Penguin Classics

The Penguin English Library [2.5/10]

I have quite a few of these, but they're not any better or worse than other Penguin paperbacks. The covers are beautiful—very understated and somewhat timeless—and the paper is very flexible and feels quite good compared to other Penguin editions. But it's still not great (see below).

Pro: looks, paper (although not acid-free)

Con: limited selection (126), standard paperbacks

A note on Penguin paperbacks:

All Penguin paperback series suffer from POD disease (POD = Print-on-demand). POD is often used for backlist (=older) titles and titles that are out of print. Thanks to POD, such titles can remain available for a long time after their initial release but since POD uses digital printing instead of offset printing, the quality is absolute dogshit*. The paper used for digital printing is softer and kind of spongy compared to regular books, the text is gray rather than black, and very fuzzy due to the lower resolution. You could achieve the same quality with a photocopier. Personally, I've noticed it the most with the English Library and Modern Classics editions. On some pages, the text blocks are crooked and off center, and some people online have even complained about MISSING PAGES lmaoooo... anyway.

*(I mean that Penguin's POD books specifically are dogshit. Some digital printing methods can produce excellent results.)

Penguin Clothbound Classics [2/10]

Again, a decent selection of nearly 100 titles with absolutely gorgeous covers and a very cohesive design, but made from thee worst materials. The coarse linen fabric feels absolutely gross, the stamped-on decorations basically rub off instantly and the colors fade SUPER quickly. (You can buy a brand new copy, take off the barcode sticker, and the fabric underneath will be several shades darker. The color fades THAT quickly. And yes, the sticker will also take off the decorative pattern.) They're relatively cheap for hardbacks, except they're not actual hardbacks. The have glued bindings with a hard cover, so... the worst of both worlds: stiff spine AND stiff cover. The paper is bright white and feels cheap in the hand, although it is on the finer side, and (as far as I can tell) it is not acid-free. They look really nice on a shelf but if you actually want to read your books, they're terrible. I have no idea why these are so popular.

Pro: hardcover (with glued binding not sewn), original design

Con: they seem affordable, but for glorified paperbacks wrapped in shitty linen they're actually still overpriced

Vintage Classics [5/10]

Another imprint of Penguin. (What isn't?) Vintage Classics look and feel just a little bit nicer than other Penguin paperbacks imo. They feature actual cover designs rather than stock images, but they're still not particularly durable. They do, however, have a few author series with gorgeous covers made from thicker cardboard, e.g., the Austen series or the Woolf series.

Pro: the author series if you're looking for some nicer paperbacks

Con: same as all the other paperbacks

Virago Modern Classics Designer Collection [3/10]

These are very similar to the Penguin Clothbound Classics—beautiful decorative patterns (printed on paper so at least they don't rub off) and the same awful glued-bindings-with-hard-covers-situation. I only have one of these and it's so goddamn stiff it won't open more than 90°. It's pretty much unusable. Also worth noting: they feature some good introductions.

Pro: price, cover designs

Con: small selection, poorly made

Everyman's Library [10/10]

This is one of my favorites. I personally collect the Everyman Classics / Contemporary Classics. The Classics include ancient and non-Western classics, and there are separate collections of Children's Classics, Pocket Classics, and Pocket Poets. EL was founded in 1906 and the current design has been around since the early 90s. EL offers one of the largest selections of hardbacks on this list with new titles being added on a regular basis, and given its century-long history and enduring popularity it'll probably be around for a long time to come. It's an excellent option if you're thinking about starting a collection.

The production quality is unparalleled in this price segment—sewn full-cloth bindings with a rounded spine, ribbon bookmark, and a dust jacket. The fabric feels fantastic and the paper quality is superb. I have no idea how these are so affordable. They could go for 50 or 60€ and still be a great deal. They're color-coded by period and other criteria, but all titles share a similar design and look great together. They also include extensive introductions and additional information.

This series absolutely deserves 10/10 points, but if we're nitpicking... I guess the design may be a little too uniform and understated for some? They're elegant books with a timeless look but they're not exactly jaw-dropping lmao

Important: Most titles are printed in two locations, under different ISBN numbers. The US versions are printed in the US by Berryville Graphics, while the UK versions are printed by GGP Media in Germany. Everything mentioned here applies to the UK versions only. The US versions are glued and the print quality is so bad that people have returned books because they thought they received a counterfeit. If you're buying in person you can simply check the edition notice to see where the book was printed, but if you're buying online you may have to do some digging to find out which exact ISBN to get.

Pro: fantastic quality, very good price, huge selection, future-proof, unpretentious design

Con: differences between US/UK versions

Barnes & Noble Leatherbound Classics [7/10]

First of all, these things are huge. They are indeed bound in leather, if you consider bonded leather (fine leather scraps mixed with polyurethane on a paper backing) to be leather. The sewn binding seems sturdy, the pages open flat, and the gilt edges (foil, obviously) are among the better ones out there. They have a more classic look with faux hubbed spines (horizontal ribs that help strengthen the binding; purely decorative in this case), and the covers are embossed with foil print. Afaik they use acid-free paper, which also feels very smooth. For their price range (20-40€) the quality is decent.

The series includes some interesting omnibus editions (several titles by the same author in one book) and anthologies, but due to their size and weight you basically need a table or bookstand to read them. They're mostly just great shelf candy. I mean... look at this.

Pro: Big and beautiful, decent quality at a moderate price

Con: Not very user-friendly, made from cheap materials

Barnes & Noble Flexibound Editions [4/10]

Interesting combination of sewn bindings with flexible rubber covers. Ironically, the text blocks feel stiffer than the leatherbound titles. The paper is kind of dark and it feels coarser than other B&N editions. I personally can't stand the texture of the rubber covers and the material tends to attract lint and dust. There are some interesting designs but due to the strange plastic material they just look tacky imo.

Pro: flexible covers if you're into that, moderately priced

Con: unremarkable design and overall quality, small selection

Oxford World's Classics [6.5/10]

Another big selection of several hundred paperback titles. These are definitely better than anything Penguin sells, but what really makes them stand out is their content. As one may expect from a university publisher, they often use less common editions of famous classics, and all of their titles include a ton of additional materials from introductions and annotations to bibliographies, illustrations, and even glossaries. If you want to start reading classics and are interested in supplementary educational materials, these are a great place to start.

Pro: huge selection, low price, focus on scholarship

Con: standard paperbacks, not particularly beautiful or durable

Oxford World's Classics Hardback Collection [3/10]

What a tragedy. I'm a big fan of the minimalist look, but they're similar in quality to the Penguin Clothbound Classics. They use the same glued bindings (wtf?) and the same cheap fabric on the covers. The paper is unusually thick but it still feels very coarse and pulpy. Their unique design makes them stand out, but due to the poor manufacturing quality, I can't recommend them at all. Of course, these also include extensive introductions and additional commentary from renowned scholars, just like their paperback counterparts.

Pro: minimalist design, supplementary materials

Con: cheaply made, small selection

Canterbury Classics (Leatherbound) [4/10]

They're very similar to the B&N Leatherbound Classics, except they don't look as nice. Not a fan.

Pro: (bonded) "leather", okay quality at an okay price, classic look

Con: big and clunky, boring covers, exactly like the B&N Leatherbound Classics but without any of the redeeming qualities lmao

Chiltern Classics [5/10]

A lot of people seem to love these (???) but I can't really make sense of them. They're on the smaller side, with embossed cover designs, lots of foil print, gilt edges, ribbon markers, and sewn bindings. For some reason, however, they're printed on stiff, satiny, semi-glossy paper that you would normally use for pictorial content, and the books feel like a brick in your hand. I personally don't like it at all. The weight of the paper alone makes them feel quite premium, but it also seems to put more stress on the binding. (One of the two titles I own is already falling apart.) I don't think that they're deliberately cutting corners or that the books are cheaply made (although they use paper instead of fabric as backing material), but some of their ~very interesting~ design choices simply do not translate into a better product.

Chiltern's mission statement promises "the most beautiful classics ever published" so their main focus seems to be on aesthetics. Their titles don't include introductions or any additional commentary, and they don't provide any information on editions/versions of the texts used other than "they are unabridged" lol. Tbh it's hard to find ANY sort of information—about the company, the materials, the editions, the production process, the founders, where the books are printed, ANYTHING. It all feels very gimmicky.

All I know is that Chiltern Publishing was founded in 2018 and that the first Classics were released in 2019. The current selection is small, but growing (I assume). But with such a young publishing house there really is no guarantee that they'll still be around in a year or two.

Pro: pretty, heavy, pretty heavy lol

Con: small selection, no info on anything, glossy paper (unless you're into that)

Macmillan Collectors' Library [9/10]

Another favorite. The quality is comparable to the Everyman Classics, but they use very thin paper that is strangely white. And when I say strange I mean it's BRIGHT white. They're bound in light blue fabric (love it or hate it) with gilt edges, endbands, and a ribbon bookmark, and they come with beautiful dust jackets. Very unusual nowadays: the fabric cover underneath actually has an embossed pattern, so they look good with or without a jacket. They're travel-sized, so the text is on the smaller side, albeit very sharp. The overall quality is fantastic.

What makes MCL books stand out from the rest is their editorial quality. The collection includes more classics from otherwise underrepresented writers, and most titles also feature detailed introductions commissioned specifically for this series. As naive as it may sound, it seems as if MCL is one of the few series whose main purpose is not just to squeeze some cash out of old titles. It feels much more measured and.. meaningful (if that makes sense lol).

Pro: excellent selection, great quality, small size

Con: the paper is very white, small size = small text

Norton Critical Editions [6/10]

These are standard paperbacks printed on 30% recycled paper, but in terms of content, they're a fantastic option. No other series provides such a breadth of supplementary materials. Most texts are fully annotated and include hundreds of pages of criticism.

Pro: focus on scholarship

Con: paperback

Honorable Mentions:

The Folio Society

Illustrated editions, high-quality hardbacks, high price point.

Calla Editions

Dover's premium imprint, facsimiles of famous editions rather than original designs

Knickerbocker Classics

Heard good things but cannot speak to the quality since they're kind of hard to find where I live.

Thomas Nelson Seasons Editions

Beautiful hardbacks with laser-cut dust jackets. Collectibles in the classical sense: each edition is limited to 10,000 copies.

Easton Press

Really fucking expensive.

(Not an exhaustive list, obviously.)

#this post has been sitting in my drafts for ages and tbh im sick of looking at it dhjshdjhfjdhc #plus i think its long enough as it is #so here you go #no one asked #but idk maybe someone will find it helpful #&

[serpenteve]

You were so right about the Darkling vs Kaz post you made. People just aren't ready for the truth.

While I definitely think they're different (Kaz is more towards anti hero/gray character while the Darkling is villain thanks to the narrative)

people forget that:

a) Kaz go his own pov in the books. So many fans would scream "tOxIc" over his relationship with Inej if we weren't able to see through his thoughts

b) he has little to no morals. Sure he loves Inej and cares somewhat for the crows but he's selfish and bend to his own needs. That isn't necessarily bad. It makes his character interesting, but the stans really just pick whatever traits they like and forget that he threatened to kill a little girl in the books along with many other horrible actions.

c) Even Leigh (whose opinion I don't even care of) has stated that the Darkling has higher morality than Kaz

So, what people who aggressively responded through reblogs of your posts didn't understand is that it's less Kaz vs Darkling and more of an insight over how fans are hypocritical. It's fine to dislike a character. But I've seen Kaz stans hating the Darkling as if their own fav character isn't fucked up

Hypocrisy at its finest ✨

ps: I'm very happy to hear you're doing better in your personal life

I agree! There's lots of fascinating techniques Bardugo uses to change audience perceptions of both characters.

With regards to (a), Kaz gets a lot of humanizing throughout the books. We get a detailed backstory in the first book as well as a "Morality Pet" in the character of Inej. If Kaz didn't have such strong feelings for Inej, he wouldn't come off quite as human and would be harder to root for, I think.

I also think audience expectations and first impressions with regards to both characters is also key. Kaz very much wants to convince us he is pURe EvIL and has no humanity left inside of him, which quite obviously is not the case, no matter how allergic he is to his own feelings. So as the audience, it's very exciting and fun to watch this character reveal their inner goodness and we root for it. We want Kaz to show his human side. On the other hand, the Darkling got somewhat of the opposite treatment. He was obviously villain-coded from the start but we see Bardugo trying to disarm us by showing us that he is a good commander to his men and encourages Alina's powers. Every time Alina gets suspicious of him (before the reveal that is), she's shown to be prejudicial and paranoid instead. So when he is revealed to be the villain, we realize that his "good side" was just a facade and he's been manipulating her the whole time---Or, at least, this is what Bardugo intended, I presume. But I think she blundered writing their relationship and the character and therefore a lot of readers came away with a different interpretation.

I would also agree with Bardugo that the Darkling has more nobler goals compared to Kaz. I think we had a discussion at some point that if Kaz was the one who was immortal, he would be 1000% worse than the Darkling ever was. He is far too selfish and has a strong self-preservation instinct to throw people under the bus when he no longer needs them. Inej is probably the only character for him he sacrifices for but watching him change from a selfish man to someone who learns to care for another is part of what makes him a compelling character to watch.

I'm not surprised that a portion of the Darkling hate comes from Kaz stans. Don't get me wrong, I love both characters (but for different reasons) but I'm able to admit that they are still both very fucked up people. The Darkling hate comes off like some massive projection. They don't want to get caught simping for "the bad boy" so they idealize Kaz into this feminist icon (???) that he just isn't so they don't have to confront that he's just not a good person. He doesn't have to be, he's a fictional character and anti-hero at that. But still, it's pretty interesting that this is the exact same thing they accuse Darkling stans of doing lmao

#viv answers #the psychoanalysis of the fandom no one asked for #brought to you by hungover viv

[tommydoesntpayforsuits]

🎸 ❌❗️

🎸what kinds of music do you like?

I wish I could describe my music taste accurately. Problem is, I'm really not a music snob, I have a really wide music taste. I like everything from 1920s jazz to Classical Music to 80s synth pop to all time classic hits.

❀But if I were to summarise it: Classic Rock would be the top of the list (The Smiths, Nick Cave (I knew him from Harry Potter, way before Peaky Blinders, and I had to study him for A Levels), Arctic Mokeys, Queen, The Killers, the Beatles, Maroon 5 (specifically Songs About Jane), etc. ❀I also really like film scores, it's such a weird niche, and I have so many favourite composers, like Hans Zimmer (obviously), Alexandre Desplat, Nicholas Hooper, etc. ❀MUSICAL THEATRE is a big one. I'm a HUGE theatre kid. Les Mis, Phantom, Beetlejuice, Little Women, Anastasia, The Prince of Egypt, you name it.

I think it's just easier if I link my spotify account lmao: https://open.spotify.com/user/queen-of-melodys?si=2de8a4728c174741 (lmao mini face reveal)

❌what’s an unpopular opinions you have?

Ooooh, good question.

❀I think people should like what they like. It's not really controversial sounding until you start getting specific. I abhore snobs. So if you like cheesy romance, erotica, twilight, 50 shades, the dirtiest books alive— sure. Don't ask for people's permission. If you wanna read about kinky slave stuff, GO AHEAD. As long as you keep it in the fiction book/bedroom/trusted spaces and you don't involve people who can't consent. What I mean by that, is that a lot of people seem to think you can't seperate fact from fiction (and maybe some can't) so if I say I like arranged marriage plots (which I do) people will come at my throat for being anti-feminist, because I'm essentially buying into marriage slavery blah blah blah. No. I can seperate a book with reality. If I really was in a position where my father put me in a business arrangement, I would see fucking red and immidiately become homocidal, i would kill him there and then. If a man really treated me the way Tommy Shelby did, I'd spit in his fucking face and cut him with his own razor cap.

But he's not real. None of it is real. I can seperate fact from fiction.

❀Attractive people aren't treated with respect, they are exploited. Our entire society runs on sex, the male gaze and the notion that women are viewed as objects, we know that much. But when someone who is seemingly attractive suddenly complains about the behavior: It's immediately labeled a "pretty problem" AKA not a real problem worthy of merit or revision. This is stemmed from our societal jealousy and biological belief that attractive = good, and good = no complaints. But we see the way models and people in the film industry have and are treated. And we think NOW is bad, just research Classic Hollywood (forced marriages, hiding gay actor's sexualities, forced abortions, eating disorders, it was a fucking mess). But we seem to have this notion that this affects only people who are attractive in the industry. But what if someone is equally attractive outside of the industry? They're treated similarly, that's what. They're only good feature is their looks, they are rarely regarded for anything but (think Elle Woods) to the point of it becoming dehumanising. Eventually, these women believe that the only thing they have to offer is their face and their body, leading them to be perpetually insecure and get into relationships with people that will dull that insecurity whilst also nurturing it. Eventually, when they start to age, or their body changes because of hormones of pregnancy, etc, they will go to extremes to regain their beauty. Like develop an ed, if they don't have one already, become addicted to pills, overworking their bodies, etc. Because to them, what they have had engrained in their head, is that beauty = good and they have beauty. aging = ugly. if they have no beauty, then what? people will actively treat attractive people badly, because they can get away with it. I've rambled on enough. Anyway, in conclusion, attractive people are exploited.

❀Feminism means that a woman can be ANYTHING SHE WANTS. That means if she wants to be a big name in business, then it is our job as feminists to support her and help her break the glass ceiling NOT tear her down. That logic also applies to a woman who wants to be a housewife. The progressivism of early feminism rejected feminine expectations to express solidarity against their patriarchal society, which caused them to reject parts of themselves that conformed to the expectations for women, which in turn created an era of internalised misogyny. This manifests in our intolerance toward women entering "feminine-coded" fields. A woman is NOT less than because she wants to do "feminine coded things". She is not brainwashed, she is not playing into gender roles, she is being herself. And if she wants to spend her life raising children and caring for her home: FUCKING LET HER AND SHUT YOUR GOB, CAPISCE?

❗️what’s something unusual about you?

Idk about unusual but, something you guys may not know about me is that I'm a singer and actress myself. I've done stage work at around age 7-9 for a theatre company in Spain, where I've been on the stage, and have once been the lead, and my production was featured on a magazine where a critic was reviewing it. A review I never read because I was young and didn't care and made a paper christmas tree out of the magazine. I sing occasionally (my go to is Dead Mom, I Dreamed A Dream, In My Life (Les Mis) or Think Of Me (Phantom)), and I actually do voice acting, (of which I just got a huge gig 👀, maybe more soon)

-----

Anyway, sorry about that. Here are the questions.

#tag you're it #feminism #music #my thoughts #musical theatre #tw ed #eating disorder #tw forced abortions #i went on a RANT #just gonna get off my soap box #SHEESH this is long #sorry

[cxsmicmyeon]

hi hi! it's your bestie 😉 hehe sorry i had too much screen time and needed a break 😂

oh my goodness his fried rice waffles 👁👄👁 he also called himself a culinary genius and i'm wondering how kyungsoo deals with jongin's kitchen adventures lmao or even minseok since he's such a clean freak?? baek just updated and said he's doing well in a strict routine! but for everyone to stop sending mail/email/gifts to his training centre bc it's overwhelming them 😂 so to just tell him everything using a specific hashtag and he can feel the love when he's finished. can you imagine how much they're getting??? lol

i've always used the excuse it's still that date in america soooo technically it's still my birthday 😀

OMG YES PLEASE WRITE THAT!!! that's so cute and domestic stop lol 💞 i feel like a bunny would be a lot less maintenance especially if you're out often! unless you adopt? a puppy is SO much work. ..maybe that's why mine is such a baby. he's almost 6 now but still acts like a puppy we just brought home yesterday 😂 omg that time chanyeol had toben and sehun had vivi? the chaos that was toben LMAO

i sometimes want to start a fic rec blog..but i'm so unorganised i'm not sure how to go about it. i do so much reading and there're so many good fics out there i want to share 😭

we pretty much are but there's some random clusters here and there. plus the newly returned overseas but they're quarantined in a medi hotel. yeah i've seen a lot of news from the us about people refusing to wear masks and stay home. but then turn around and complain that things aren't getting better 😶 yes please keep safe!! ❤

i think the cheaper one is a flip book album! which ofc will be mega cute, i can already imagine! i want sm to bloody release the details though. why are they so lazy when it comes to their best sellers?! is it tomorrow for you yet? 😂 DID YOU GET IT!? omfg yes lol i CAN'T WAIT for your asmr HAHA ��👈 tbh your voice sounded so sweet i felt comfortable messaging you 😂 when you were fangirling about myeon hahaha that's exactly what i'm like when someone asks about yeol hehe

LOL THE WAY I THOUGHT HIS FRIED RICE WAFFLES WERE HASHBROWNS- ngl though it looks good though i'd eat it...😳 kyungsoo prolly had a mental breakdown when he saw jongin making the waffle LOL

OMG WAIT I CRIED WHEN I SAW BAEK'S VIDEO- HE SAID HE'S GONNA BE UPLOADING EVERY 17TH???? AND CHAN UPLOADING EVERY 27TH??? WE DO NOT DESERVE THOSE TWO AT ALL😭😭😭omg i can't imagine all the mail he's getting- i think something similar happened to junmyeon and he had to go on and say stop sending me mail cuz it's too much ahsgdj,, my popular boys🥰

I WILL WRITE IT!! i just need to get through school and finish my final paper lol!! and also finish my requests lol!! thank god school's over next tuesday for me lol! i need a BREAK omg... agh yeah i have heard puppies are a lot of work but they're SO CUTE THOUGH😭😭omg toben and vivi are both of my personalities🤣🤣they're literally the cutest things omg

lol i actually was considering a fic rec blog too! cuz my post is rly long and i feel bad for all the tags the authors get LOL but i'm lazy and i don't want to annoy the authors EVEN MORE LLMAOSODNDNJFHF i love life😃👍🏻

ugh yes i have a lot of family who is anti mask and won't get vaccinated and don't take covid seriously and it just pisses me off🙄🙄but thankfully most of them don't live in my area so i don't have to worry about seeing them a lot lol! and i have both of my shots for the vaccine and i'll be fully vaccinated after next week!

i'm not picky at all when it comes to albums lmao! like even if i don't get a jun photocard i don't complain that much bc i still got a photocard of a member!! like i have a jun, yeol and minseok photocard (and baekhyun poster and jongdae slide thing from obsession) and honestly i'm still happy to get the merch cuz it's exo and i love exo!! :D

AND AGH IM SO SAD IT SAID IT'S COMING LATE😭😭😭like it was gonna originally come on saturday but then usps said thursday (today) and i checked the tracking number and it said "coming late" )): agh but we'll see 🤞🏻 i just hope it comes soon!!

AGH i need to prepare for the filming😭😭i need to find a tri pod and clear my desk and make sure my family doesn't interrupt me AJDHJDH and AAA i hate my voice so much i was so shy when recording!!! but i turned my phone around and spoke from the heart and i felt more comfy!! i may not speak in the asmr tho i'll just let my glue on manicure do the talking LOL!! i love hearing nails tap on stuff so it'll be fun to do!!

#asks #bestie anon