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fanhackers · 8 months

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Radio, Radio!

I almost didn’t write this post for fear that you guys will think I’m even more of an old than I even am, but a) fuck it and b) there’s a way in which everything old is new again, so bear with me. *takes deep breath* OK, so when I was a young fan, a lot of my fannish life happened over the RADIO. Yes, RADIO, that–I was about to say, that weird looking box with dials on it, but you probably don’t even have a radio. (*Shut up, shut up, I can’t hear you, la la I am going to live forever!*) But you probably listen to something like radio on Spotify, or you listen to podcasts, or you might even use an app to listen to some great legacy radio station in your area. So imagine you had a dedicated box just for that.

Anyway, in the before-times, radio then–like podcasts now–was a way to do fandom. Music people know this of course, but I’m both a fan and a theatre person, and man, radio theatre was the best, and fannish radio theatre even better. Britain had and still has a really strong radio drama tradition, which is smart because it lets them produce new plays by new writers for a fraction of the cost of a staged production. But NPR in the US used to do radio drama too–they had a show called NPR Playhouse / Sounds of Theatre which I was devoted to.

I have two particularly strong fannish memories from this era. First, the joy of hearing the original Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy on radio. Douglas Adams wrote Hitchhikers for radio and radio is the best way to experience it - I mean, Zaphod having two heads and three arms is radio joke if there ever was one, and then all these poor TV and film people had to figure out how to actually get an actor with a second head. (Footnote 1). I backtrack here to say that if you don’t know what I’m talking about, never read or saw any version of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to The Galaxy, click on the link and have yourself a whale of a time (or a bowl of petunias of a time.) (Sorry, the whole Hitchhiker’s thing makes me instantly 12 years old FOREVER. My whole world is Hitchhikers, Star Wars, and Doctor Who– Five.)

Moving on: the second great fannish radio experience was NPR’s dramatized version of Star Wars, which had Mark Hamill and Anthony Daniels playing their original roles, and Perry King as Han Solo - Perry King, you will remember (who am I kidding, you will absolutely not remember, but anyway), became a fan-favorite for a show called Riptide, so that was okay, too. And they expanded the text! And added new scenes! I can remember Mark Hamill giving an interview talking about how different it was to play the part for radio; he talked about how you had to sort of put movement in your voice at all times: “I’m–grunt–putting on my–harumph–jacket!” But he was great at it–obviously, since he’s become such a famous voice actor since. And it’s wonderful that podcasting has brought theatre and fandom back into the medium of sound - podcasts are the obvious new media version of all this.

Okay, so bring this back to fan studies, these personal fannish reminiscences (and awesome links—you’re welcome!) are brought to you by Martin Cooper’s book Radio Legacy in Popular Culture: The Sounds of British Broadcasting Over the Decades (Bloombury, 2022, excerpt available at the link). Make no mistake, this is a fannish book in its way - Cooper is interested not just in radio but in artistic works that are in some way about radio, which he regards explicitly as fanworks about radio:

In the case of fandom it could be alternative storylines; in our case of radio listening, it can be a reinterpretation of what has been heard on the airwaves. Hence, it is plausible to think of the responses I analyse in the chapters that follow as reinterpretations and critiques of radio listening; that they have been produced by professional writers and musicians makes them less of a subculture and more of a series of transformative texts that extend the meaning and understanding of the medium of radio. They are portrayals of the everyday action of listening to the radio: of paying attention to the programmes, the discussions, the documentaries, the dramas, the daily shows and the DJs.

Note that the book has a specifically British focus, but British music and drama have influenced fandoms all over the world. I mean, Radio, Radio; Video Killed The Radio Star; Oh Yeah (There’s a Band Playing On The Radio), Radio Clash –Cooper frames all these songs as part of a British transformative fannish response to the medium. Radio on!

–Francesca Coppa, fanhackers volunteer

(1) I got the chance to meet Mark Wing-Davey, who played Zaphod Beeblebrox both on the original radio show and on the BBC show--he's a big-shot theatre director now, but I honestly could not keep my inner 12 year old under control: I basically had my fists stuffed in my mouth because OMG Zaphod Beeblebrox!!! my heart!! and finally I just kind of choked out, "sorry, I can't--excuse me" and fled the dinner. *facepalm*

#author: francesca coppa #forever 12 #radio fandom #so glad that podcasts and podfic are a thing now!!

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somethingusefulfromflorida · 9 months

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My entire Spanish novel collection

I'm not a huge fan of George Orwell, but I read both Animal Farm and 1984 in high school so I know they're short and easy to read. They'll be good practice.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is by far my favorite series of all time. None of the four (yes, four. Not five, not six, but four) are favorites by themselves, but taken as a whole I have yet to find anything more entertaining.

Jurassic Park is fun but VERY dry (as is Crichton's style). He has a lot of "look at all the research I did" exposition dumps, which I liked as a teenager but don't much care for now. If nothing else, I'll learn plenty of scientific vocabulary from Parque Jurasico.

The Martian is one of my favorite books of all time, tied for first with two titles below. I've read it a dozen times, I know it forwards and backwards. El Marciano was the first Spanish book I ever bought back in 2021, and I couldn't parse more than one word in ten. My reading comprehension has improved tremendously since then, and now I can read almost the entire thing (if I don't understand a certain passage, I know from memory of the English version which part I'm at in the story and can limp along without getting frustrated or confused)

The Road is one of the few books that has made me cry. Let me leave it at that.

The Time Traveler's Wife is another favorite tied with The Martian. I read all the other books on this list in high school or college, but I didn't pick this one up until relatively recently. I am currently in the process of reading La Mujer del Viajero en el Tiempo for the first time, and like The Martian I am able to use my knowledge of the English version to cross the gaps I don't yet understand.

World War Z is the third of the three way tie for favorite. I wanna say I read it for the first time in 2011 or 2012. It was before the movie came out, and I remember taking it with me to read at church camp one summer (it was a long bus ride to North Carolina, and I had to hide it from the chaperones all week). Every time I reread it, I pick up on some new aspect I missed the first dozen times around, so I'm excited to see if I come to any revelations in Spanish.

Books I want to get

Artemis and Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

Devolution by Max Brooks

Redshirts by John Scalzi

A family friend of mine moved to the United States from Honduras in her late 20s and learned English in part by watching Sesame Street with her kids, so I want to get Spanish versions of the Hunger Games trilogy and the five Percy Jackson and the Olympians books because I figure YA novels might help me learn Spanish easier than adult fiction. Right now I'm looking for simple titles that I'm already familiar with, but eventually I want to start buying Spanish books I've never read in English so I can fly without a net. My background is in Latin American Spanish, specifically Cuban Spanish, but my copy of El Marciano is European, so it shouldn't make too much of a difference which translations I buy (just so long as I keep series grouped together in sets so they're all the same)

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14carrotghoul · 7 months

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Nine Favorite Books

Thank you to the lovely @cricketnationrise @tintagel-or-cockleshells @daisymae-12 and @happiness-of-the-pursuit for tagging me!! I had to think about it for a second because I've been in a reading slump for several years!

Piranesi - Susanna Clarke

Giovanni's Room - James Baldwin

Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafón. I was reading this during a very tumultuous time on flights to and from funerals, so now it's intertwined with the memory of my grandparents.

Mexican Gothic - Silvia Moreno-Garcia. Kicked off my Gothic phase and my passion for reading more books by Latine/Hispanic authors.

Red, White, and Royal Blue - Casey McQuiston. This book is such an outlier from my usual reads lol I don't like reading published romcoms (and am lukewarm about the romance genre in general) and this has truly been the only one that I have enjoyed and then it had the absolute audacity (hehe) to grip me by the throat and inspire me to write fanfic for the first time in years.

Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams

The Raven Cycle - Maggie Stiefvater. Cheating with a series but everyone else has soooo :)

The Fifth Season - N.K. Jemisin

The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini. This is the first book I remember reading that really expanded my world view as a teenager :)

And this isn't necessarily a favorite but Educated by Tara Westover was set in the area I grew up in, so it's probably the most vivid read I have ever had! A scary thought, but my upbringing was also significantly more chill than hers!

Tagging @indomitable-love @inexplicablymine @read-and-write- @athousandrooms @fuckingyrs @heartitinthesilence @formorewishes @historicallysam @myheartalivewrites @orchidscript @sherryvalli @suseagull04 @xthelastknownsurvivorx

#tag games #about me

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thecowboyghost · 17 hours

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2,4,9,13,32 for the ask game! ignore if you've done any of them already but I'm sat waiting to see your answers!!

2. Favorite fantasy book(s)

i don't read a ton of fantasy as of right now but i loved Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom which i think is fantasy (in my mind i read that recently. it was in 2020. that was four years ago ahhhh) and when i was a kid i fucking loved Fablehaven lmao that book series changed me and i stand by that!

4. Favorite science fiction book(s).

THE HITCHHIKERS GUIDE TO THE GALAXY!!! i love that book series so much omgggg it is like my all time fav. Also The Martian and Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir i love those books 😭. there is also this book called Zenith that i really enjoyed but i have never finished even though i have read it like a full 5 times BUT i thought it deserved a mention because i really like the worldbuilding and characters!

9. Favorite detective novel(s).

Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency by Douglas Adams (same author as the hitchhikers guide!!) is probably the only detective book series i have read and i love it sm for similar reasons to the hitchhikers guide i just love this man's writing style and the characters are so compelling

13. Favorite thriller(s).

i don't think i have ever read a thriller lowkey... i would love some recs tho 👀

32. Name your favorite author(s).

Douglas Adams, Andrew J White and Andy Weir are what immediately come to mind but I'm sure I'm missing someone I just love their books and writing styles :)

#ask game #THANK YOU SCOOB #LOVE AND LIGHT

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socialistexan · 1 year

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What's your favorite book ever? Or like...ten favorite books? 🦗

My favorite books in no particular order (except the first one, which is my favorite):

The Stranger - Albert Camus

Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams

Persepolis I & II - Marjane Satrapi

Leaves of Grass - Walt Whitman

The Locked Tomb series - Tamsyn Muir (I can't pick one, but sword to my head, Nona the Ninth)

If I Was Your Girl - Meredith Russo

Cat's Cradle - Kurt Vonnegut

The Accumulation of Capital - Rosa Luxemburg

The Anatomy of Fascism - Robert Paxton

Equal Rites - Terry Pratchett

If we want to count comics, I really loved Bolero by Wyatt Kennedy and Nate Stevenson-era Lumberjanes.

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theguardianace · 2 months

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ask game: 9, 12, 14, 15, and 90 :D

9. favorite smell in summer?

my work!! a strange mixture of sunscreen, pine needles, bug spray, freshwater, and stank. it's embedded itself in every item i've ever brought there. it's an absolutely rancid smell. it's home.

12. name of your favorite playlist?

vocaloid. lol. but my description is "cr詠zy? i was cr詠zy once. they locked me in a sekai. a wonderland sekai. a wonderland sekai with miku. and miku makes me cr詠zy." and the cover is that emurui ufo scene. its 400 songs long and spans over 24 hours currently. ive listened to it for two years straight. shout out to "TELECASTER B BOY ATTACK" which is the wonderlands x showtime telecaster b boy cover 10,000 times in a row. spotify does not let me add more.

14. favorite non-chocolate candy?

GUMMIES GUMMIES GUMMIES GUMMIES GUMMIES if it is gummy i will eat it. nom nom nom nom

15. favorite book you read as a school assignment?

my memory is about equivalent to tenma tsukasas so i genuinely cannot recall half the books i read for school. i do however remember really liking the percy jacson series, the hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy series, and this fun one called unwanted where the unwanted creative kids learn magic n stuff. its fun. oh actually now that i think about it my second grade teacher did hand me the first warrior cat book which might have been a mistake on her part. i also remember the first time i had ever gotten completely one hundred percent absorbed in a task was reading the entire tuck everlasting book in one free read period. i like books. i need to read not fan fiction more often

90. luckiest mistake?

downloading project sekai. also most of the saves i make in hockey.

#ace answers an ask: game edition!#my brain is shot from the leo/need summary post i need to go to BED

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fulgurantfirstborn · 2 months

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𝐅𝐀𝐕𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐄 𝐂𝐎𝐋𝐎𝐑(𝐒): Burnt orange, dandelion yellow, sage green, teal, and stormy blues seem to make up most of my wardrobe at the moment.

𝐅𝐀𝐕𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐄 𝐅𝐋𝐀𝐕𝐎𝐑(𝐒): Tangy and savory so I am definitely someone who loves red sauce pasta dishes... Lemon is also a good tang that I've enjoyed with chicken especially. When I want something to drink, though, I want something acidic, but not necessarily hella sour nor sweet. Apple cider and tangerine juice have consequently been recent niche favorites (and healthier alternatives to the Pepsi I would otherwise get).

𝐅𝐀𝐕𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐄 𝐌𝐔𝐒𝐈𝐂: Usually indie rock or chill electronica, but I also like retrowave and classic funk/disco music. Late 90s and early 00s grungy rock has been growing on me too. Video game soundtracks (Monster Hunter, Blasphemous, Street Fighter, etc.) have sometimes been on repeat for hours specifically whenever I have time and energy for drawing something.

𝐅𝐀𝐕𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐄 𝐌𝐎𝐕𝐈𝐄(𝐒): Treasure Planet, forever and always.

𝐅𝐀𝐕𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐄 𝐒𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐒: In terms of manga and anime, I like anything by Junji Ito, King of Thorn, Fullmetal Alchemist, Dorohedoro, and Jojo's Bizarre Adventure. I also like webcomics such as Cursed Princess Club and Gunnerkrigg Court. When I read physical books more extensively, I really enjoyed the Edge Chronicles. Otherwise, though I loved Regular Show and other Cartoon Network series, I don't really follow television anymore.

𝐋𝐀𝐒𝐓 𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐆: "König oder Feigling," the musical theme for Ed from Street Fighter 6.

𝐋𝐀𝐒𝐓 𝐒𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐒: Haven't really been watching anything nowadays. Recently did watch some episodes of Twin Peaks whenever my roommates were watching it though! Very cinematic and atmospheric and I love the opening theme too.

𝐋𝐀𝐒𝐓 𝐌𝐎𝐕𝐈𝐄: Spirited Away.

𝐂𝐔𝐑𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐋𝐘 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐈𝐍𝐆: Lots of children's books and then academic literature about child development, grief and bereavement, and the therapeutic potential of play and the creative arts. I would like to read more chapter books again, but the two books I checked out haven't been yet cracked open: Journey to the West and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

𝐂𝐔𝐑𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐋𝐘 𝐖𝐀𝐓𝐂𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆: Not watching anything currently, but I would love to watch Dungeon Meshi on Netflix!

𝐂𝐔𝐑𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐋𝐘 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐎𝐍: Graduate student work... This semester is my first internship so I am juggling that with schoolwork and part-time work at my neighborhood childcare center. I have been thoroughly enjoying my teaching experiences with younger children because they are literally the funniest age group ever, besides middle schoolers.

Tagged by @hexenjagd

Tagging... whoever hasn't yet been tagged!

#txt #ooc #grad student life yippee...

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pagesandpagestogo · 3 months

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January Reading Wrap-Up

The first month of the new year is over, and with it begins a whole new year of reading goals! I personally set my goal to 24, which was the number of books I read last year, but considering I've already read 12 this month (okay, two of them were short stories) I'm feeling pretty confident about overcoming that goal!

I thought it would be a good idea for me to write down short reviews of books I read each month, as a way to help me better understand what it is that I like about books. I've never been very critical with my ratings, as you'll notice soon, so I'm hoping that the more thought I put into the reading I've done, the less 5 star ratings I'm giving out.

Books I'll be discussing below:

A Court of Silver Flames, by Sarah J. Maas

Ankle Snatcher, by Grady Hendrix

The Pram, by Joe Hill

Don't Let Her Stay, by Nicola Sanders

The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien

Red, White & Royal Blue, by Casey McQuiston

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, by Douglas Adams

Do Not Disturb, by Freida McFadden

Mister Magic, by Kiersten White

Circe, by Madeline Miller

The Restaurant at the End of the Universe, by Douglas Adams

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, by Suzanne Collins

And of course, here are my Goodreads and Storygraph profiles if you're interested!

A Court of Silver Flames Sarah J. Maas

“The struggle with that darkness is worth it, just to see such things.”

As you could probably expect considering this is the last (at time of writing this) book in the series, I’ve read all of the books to come before it. And this is actually my favorite one.

Which surprised me, I kept seeing a bunch of bad reviews and people talking about how unlikable Nesta is, but I really just don’t agree. I mean, yes, Nesta’s unlikeable at first. That’s the point, character growth and whatnot, but I actually found her much more relatable than Feyre ever was. In fact, I’d go on to say the romance of this book is more fun than the romance of the rest of the series. I adore Feyre and Rhys, don’t get me wrong, but sometimes it’s really nice having a relationship that has more emotional conflict to it. In fiction, at least.

Feyre and Rhys in this book both come off as very up their own asses, which I always imaged had something to do with why people aren’t as fond of this book. But I honestly was a big fan of it. It’s interesting to me seeing the way a character you thought you knew so well can appear from a different POV.

And all that aside, I do genuinely enjoy the arc Nesta goes through, and I really found her emotional struggles very relatable. It felt so worth it coming out at the end and seeing just everything we overcame with her.

4.5 Stars

Ankle Snatcher Grady Hendrix

"They live in our closets and under our beds, and after dark they come out when we break the rules. We’re serving time for the boogeymen’s crimes.”

I liked how the theme for this short story was very clearly generational trauma, being shown in a physical sense with these sorts of demons that are physically following people down the generational line. In the case of the main character here, it’s a monster under his bed that will kill him if he gets out of bed at night, this monster having come to him after being attached to his father. I’m a sucker for generational trauma as a theme, especially when it’s shown in a bit more abstract ways. It was a really quick and easy read, I honestly just was reading it when I had nothing to do at work, and it was really digestible as a horror short story. I'm a very big fan of Grady Hendrix's writing style, and I think it really works well in the form of a short story.

4 Stars

The Pram Joe Hill

It never once crossed his mind that he was depressed, too, that he had also lost a child.

The Pram was a very emotional experience to me. I’m not going to really divulge much of the plot, as there is a very heavy content warning for loss of a child, but I do think it’s important to share the remaining emotions connected to the story. The main character is shown to be developing resentments regarding the content warning above, and we as the reader get to watch as it slowly begins to take over him. It’s an interesting perspective to see from, as there is even a moment where the very obvious root of the resentment starts making sense, and you begin to understand he doesn’t resent the situation, but rather his own emotional reaction to it. I think Joe Hill is a really talented author, especially with situations that aren’t always completely comfortable to readers, but it’s handled in a way that made this a very emotional read.

4 Stars

Don't Let Her Stay Nicola Sanders

'Don’t stand too close to any balustrades, Mrs. Atkinson.’

I honestly keep having a hard time trying to put this one into words. It twists and turns and sometimes I loved it and sometimes I didn’t.

It was the kind of book that made me confused, sometimes unsure how things were going to go, and always eager to find out. Yet simultaneously I just kept feeling like the main character was far too oblivious. I may have enjoyed the uncertainty of what I was experiencing, but the main character really felt like she was just gliding along in life with no understanding of why the sky was blue.

I’d have my suspicions about the twists shortly before they happened, but I still wasn’t really displeased to see them play out. Unfortunately, I did still find myself a bit disappointed with the outcome, despite enjoying most of the journey. I don’t know how to explain it without spoiling, and I’d like to avoid spoiling since I understand that a lot of people can still get enjoyment out of this book, regardless of the opinion of an internet stranger. I don’t think this book isn’t worth the read, and I’d hate to turn someone off of reading it because I couldn’t help myself and spoiled it while attempting to discuss my thoughts. I guess if anyone is ever interested in asking questions or discussing, I’m here to talk!

3.75 Stars

The Hobbit J.R.R. Tolkien

“Go back?” he thought. “No good at all! Go sideways? Impossible! Go forward? Only thing to do! On we go!”

I don’t even know what to say here. If you haven’t read The Hobbit yet, then I don’t know what I could say to incentivize you! At this point, I don’t personally know a single person that doesn’t have at least some understanding and interest of the Lord of the Rings franchise.

If you’ve been interested in the franchise but have been a bit stressed about reading the **book (like I have) then The Hobbit is a great start. The fun and adventure that J.R.R. Tolkien is known for, and The Hobbit is a far smaller book than the rest of the franchise. I’m a sucker for immersion reading (reading while listening to the audiobook at the same time) and I highly recommend the Andy Serkis version of the audiobook, if you choose to listen. He’s a wonderful actor and does an amazing job reading the book, and you just can’t deny getting to hear Gollum himself reading Gollum dialogue!

5 Stars

Red, White & Royal Blue Casey McQuiston

"With me it is quite stark: I miss you even more than I could have believed; and I was prepared to miss you a good deal."

This book is fun, and that’s a fact that rings true no matter what I say about it.

I’m not always the biggest fan of the writing, but sometimes I’m in love with it. Sometimes I find the concept incredibly silly, while other times I think it’s an interesting idea. It’s not incredibly deep or thought provoking, but it did give me the opportunity for some introspection. It might not make you cry, but you might have some strong feelings. You might roll your eyes, you might laugh. I may not have always been in the mood to read it, but I still had difficulty putting it down.

Above everything, this is the most important sentiment I have to say about it:

Sometimes it was incredibly, eye-rollingly, gushy. Sappy, even. But it kept making me smile and think about my own experiences with love. At the end of the day, I don’t care about the times that it felt a little silly, maybe even like fanfiction. I got a really good, loving experience out of it. I might not read it again, but I know I’ll keep going back to the quotes I highlighted from it.

4 Stars

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Douglas Adams

“I think you ought to know I’m feeling very depressed,”

The first time I read this book, I was a teenager. And even before I read it, it still had a very prominent place in my household. My dad was always making references to it, my very first email address had a “42” slapped proudly on the end of it, this book was always just in my general consciousness, whether I fully understood why or not. This book, despite being a fun sci-fi adventure with an interesting outlook on life and the creation of it, is just so ungodly funny. I’ll never not cackle at “[t]he ships hung in the sky in much the same way that bricks don’t.” The humor is just effortless, and rereading through it, it becomes clear just how much of our modern humor, whether intentional or not, is at least partially derived from this series.

It’s a very quick book, and really worth the read.

5 Stars

Do Not Disturb Freida McFadden

I’ve never attempted to get blood out of my clothing before

I was honestly really invested in this to begin with. I adore the movie Psycho, and this book clearly began as a love letter to it. Plot points are almost beat for beat in certain aspects, it almost read as though the author was looking to see what her take on a story with the same premise would be. And I loved it for a good minute! Then the twist happened. The twist isn’t entirely bad, just very uncharacteristic and makes the book impossible to reread, as suddenly a good amount of the book just doesn’t make sense anymore. It really doesn’t line up with the twist. You know that thing people complain about with Frozen, like “it doesn’t make sense for Hans to be a twist villain, we see him smiling fondly at Anna when she’s out of shot! She would have no way of seeing that, so who was he trying to fool?” It just felt like that. Too focused on making the twist shocking and exciting, and not enough focus on making it an actual reasonable twist.

3 Stars

Mister Magic Kiersten White

"You never forget the lesson that they would rather destroy you than let you inconvenience them.”

I really adore this book. I always loved the Creepypasta Candle Cove, which this book very clearly took heavy inspiration from. And I absolutely mean that as a good thing. Chapters will end with forum posts, podcast discussions, AO3 posts. (Yes, really) It’s a very clear love letter to the fascination with lost media and Creepypastas. I loved the paths this book took, I adored the characters, and I loved the premise. When I first finished the book, I found myself slightly confused by the way it ended. I foresaw a complete separate ending, I couldn’t understand why this was the ending the author went with. But then I read the acknowledgements at the end of the book, and immediately the tears fell. I got it instantly, and I just loved it even more.

5 Stars

Circe Madeline Miller

You threw me to the crows, but it turns out I prefer them to you.

I had always heard people say that this book wasn’t anywhere near as good as Song of Achilles. I ADORED Song of Achilles, so I was a bit hesitant to read this book. I understand everyone’s tastes are different, but man I just loved this one so much more. What’s not to love about a woman living in isolation, turning men into pigs for stepping foot on her island.

There’s a lot of emotional hardships in this book, and yet I couldn’t put it down. Originally I had worried about the book running slow, considering the limited locations available for the story, but it really flowed nicely and I was never bored. I’m a sucker for retellings of mythology, and Circe is just so wonderful.

5 Stars

The Restaurant at the End of the Universe Douglas Adams

In the beginning the Universe was created. This has made a lot of people very angry and been widely regarded as a bad move.

This is going to seem lazy, but everything I said for the first book is the same here. Really there’s not much else to say. It’s more time with the fun characters that were introduced in the first book, as well as some new additions as well. I adore the titular restaurant as well, it’s such a fun concept to me and it was really enjoyable reading the scenes taking place in it!

5 Stars

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes Suzanne Collins

People had short memories. They needed to navigate the rubble, peel off the grubby ration coupons, and witness the Hunger Games to keep the war fresh in their minds. Forgetting could lead to complacency, and then they’d all be back at square one.

Sometimes I really am a sucker for a main character that I don’t agree with.

Going into this, I knew I wasn’t going to agree with him. That’s kind of the point, isn’t it? To see the creation of the monster we know from the original trilogy. But he’s so human, and it’s kind of sad. Not sad from a writing perspective, she did a great job introducing nuance to the character. But it’s sad because it shows just how normal and natural a person may live and portray themselves, despite having the thoughts and feelings they do.

I adore this franchise, The Hunger Games is just so wonderful and I always love rereading the books. The last time I reread them was Valentine’s Day of last year, so who knows, maybe I’ll do that again this year.

My absolute favorite part of the book is seeing the little bits and pieces that you recognize of Snow from the original trilogy. Things that may seem inconsequential, if you’re reading this book as a new fan, but acts almost like little nods to the people who know what his future holds. The creation of this book, and the new movie based on it, has introduced a lot of people to the fandom. And it makes me so happy seeing all these new takes and perspectives!

5 Stars

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ineffectualdemon · 1 year

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Hi....If you don't mind, can I ask, what are your top 10 (or top 7) favorite media (can be books/ manga/ anime/movies/tv series)? Why do you love them? Sorry if you've answered this question before......Thanks....

Ooo this is a good question but a difficult one to answer but I'm gonna do my best!

Also these are in no particular order cause I just can't rank them

1. Smoke and Mirrors by Neil Gaiman

It's a collection of short stories that I first read as a teenager. It created my love for short stories as a genre and how wonderfully weird they can be. More importantly though the story Changes was the first hint to me that gender wasnt a fixed binary. I read it over and over again on the floor of my bedroom and cried and didn't yet know why. It became incredibly important to me.

2. The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien (both books and the Peter Jackson films)

It's a story about hope in the face of despair and fighting in even when that glimmer of hope has faded. Because at least you can say you tried. At least you did not go quietly into that goodnight. It's a story about found family and companionship and compassion. And god knows I need that

3. Scum Villian's Self Saving System by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu

It's in many ways very shit posty and funny and not for everyone but it's at it's heart a story about the cycle of abuse, of the need to communicate with the people in your life fully and honestly, and love. It's about stopping and listening and opening up your heart. It's also funny as hell and the main character is infuriating and the most queerphobic queer protagonist ever so your milage may vary

4. Kubo Won't Let Me Be Invisible (both manga and anime)

This is my soft comfort pick. It's such a soft story about highschool romance between two characters who take a long time to even realise their feelings. But it's also a story about a boy who has been extremely isolated and alone his whole life being pulled into the world. It's about friendship and kindness and the importance of connections with others as much as it's about the romance. It's extremely cute too and it's my current go to media when I'm feeling sad. The anime only just started so there is only 5 episodes out atm

5. Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman (Book)

This is one of the most read books in the house. I fell in love with it as a kid and it's still one of my favourites. It's exciting and funny and an examination in a lot of ways on what it is to be human. It's also in a lot of ways a coming of age story as one of the main characters is a boy who is on the cusp of being a teenager. I love it but there are some bits that are products of the time that it was written and also if you want more of our Demon and Angel duo who carry the story then you might prefer...

6. Good Omens the TV show

It's got everything I love about the book but updated to more modern times. Also more development of Crowley and Aziraphale (the demon and angel) and their relationship. It's very true to the book and what's changed is still fitting to the original. Also reminded me in feel of the first Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy TV show. Which in my opinion is a plus

7. Taskmaster - TV show OG British version

British show where comedians do silly tasks. There are 14 seasons out and it's just very silly and fun and endlessly entertaining

8. Mashle: Magic and Muscles - manga

In a world where everyone has magic one boy doesn't. But he is swole as hell.

There are a lot of reasons I love it but I think I can capture the main reason why with one image:

9. Yuri on Ice - anime

I love it one because I was there when we all realised this was canonically gay and lost our collective shit. I love it because the relationship between Victor and Yuuri felt very authentic and genuine. I love it because the antagonist was Yuuri's own anxiety/insecurities. And it still has one of the best twists I've ever seen in media. Also the music is amazing

10. The Goonies

This movie was a staple of my childhood and is still my biggest comfort media. It's silly and weird but it is like an old soft blanket that I wrap around myself when down

Hope that answers your question! This was fun to do :)

#i got an ask #media #fav media

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normal-media-enjoyer · 7 months

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HI!!! RIGHT BACK AT YA, WHATS YOUR FAVORITE BOOK?????

HI HI

ok my usual answer to this question is good omens, i didnt read it til about 4 years ago but of course fell in love immediately and have reread it several times since then; this is probably somewhat obvious from my blog tho so i will give a couple others LOL

my favorite for a LONG time was the book thief, i haven’t read it in MANY years so i honestly don’t remember much about it but i do remember loving it a lot as a kid.

i also really love the hitchhiker’s guide to the galaxy; i actually only ever read the first book though lol, i tried to continue the series but found myself having a hard time getting into the restaurant at the end of the universe for some reason? it’s been a while though so i might try again or maybe even reread hitchhiker’s guide first bc it was such a fun book and i need some fun in my life rn LMAO

thank you for the ask!! ❤️

#asks #good omens #the book thief #hitchhikers guide

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ofalqamar · 1 year

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introductory post!

welcome to ofalqamar!

my name is maya, and i am a mexican-american student with a love for the arts and humanities! this blog, ofalqamar will be dedicated to documenting my time as a university student, recording my studies as well as my hobbies as i navigate my 20s.

kim namjoon described the indigo album as an archive of his 20s. i hope that this will be mine.

so get to know me down below! i’m not new to tumblr — can even be found at @theladydimitrescu for sporadic video game content! — but i am new to the study side of tumblr. don’t hesitate to reach out, as i am excited to meet new people!

all about maya

name: maya [ofalqamar]

age: early 20s

favorite color: green

favorite film: el laberinto del fauno (2005)

favorite season: autumn

favorite song: black swan by bts

hobbies:

acting: although i don’t have technical training as of yet, i’ve enjoyed the voice acting i have done in the past and would love to continue learning. i want to practice so that i can do film-based acting :)

baking/cooking: i like trying new things from around the world!

dancing: i did ballet as a child and unfortunately abandoned it due to financial strain. i now plan to learn contemporary dance as well as hip-hop based movement so that i can be a dancer again. dance makes me happy

drawing: i don’t actually know how to draw but i have the drive to learn

music: i like to sing, and i have a decent voice that i want to improve over time (lean into my natural abilities and all of that). i also adore listening to music and analyzing music videos

reading: i read a lot as a child and have slowly regained my love for literature as a young adult!

writing: i have a plethora of wips i am working on, including a story about día de los muertos, a star wars standalone, a star wars trilogy, a cyberpunk video game, and many more!

interests:

books: babel by r. f. kuang, the ones who walk away from omelas by ursula k. le guin, un señor muy viejo con unas alas enormes by gabriel garcía márquez, a game of thrones by george rr martin, the hunger games by suzanne collins, iron widow by xiran jay zhao, the cat’s eye chronicles by t. l. shreffler, the hitchhiker’s guide to the galaxy by douglas adams

next on the list: mexican gothic by silvia moreno-garcia, human acts by han kang, black flower by the witcher series by andrzej sapkowski

film: el laberinto del fauno (2005), knives out (2019), spider-man: into the spider-verse (2018), the green knight (2021), it comes at night (2017), barbie as the princess and the pauper (2004), your name (2016), get out (2017), in the mood for love (2000), the lady vanishes (1938), interstellar (2014)

music: bts, nemahsis, alaina castillo, megan thee stallion, lil nas x, txt, xg, gloria groove, the weeknd

streamers/youtubers: berleezy, kennie jd, xiran jay zhao, dylan is in trouble, joeiaco, pg, coryxkenshin, binging with babish, amanda the jedi, the try guys, cari can read, moreant, with cindy, somebros [berleezy, joeiaco, pg, krystaology, imdontai, rico the giant, poiised, jojothamofo], jazzyguns, moreant, best ever food review show, hidamari cooking

Television: game of thrones (2011)/house of the dragon (2022), beyond evil (2020), the witcher (2019), the mandalorian (2019)/andor (2022), bojack horseman (2014), undone (2020), avatar: the last airbender (2005)/the legend of korra (2012), doctor who (2005), daredevil (2015), euphoria (2019), the walking dead (2010), vincenzo (2020)

video games: the last of us (2013), gris (2018), uncharted series (2007), tomb raider series (1996), resident evil series (1996), kena: bridge of spirits (2021), spider-man (2018)/miles morales (2020), god of war series (2005), witcher series (2007), telltale’s the walking dead (2012), life is strange franchise (2015), what remains of edith finch (2017), indie horror games on steam :)

studies:

humanities: world mythology, english language and literature, world history (with a focus on mexico + korea), anthropology, sociology, psychology

english: literature (analysis and critique, as well as historical context) and writing (primarily fiction)

film/cinema: acting, cinematography, directing, producing, and writing

language: english (native) with a desire to learn korean, spanish (latin american), arabic, turkish, latin, ancient greek, etc.

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uncloseted · 2 years

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i feel like so much of the media i consume is dark or disturbing or gruesome and it's not good for my mental health and can sometimes be triggering for me, do you know of any feel-good, positive, funny or uplifting piece of media like podcasts, tv shows, or youtubers?:)

I've got you! I pretty much only watch positive or feel-good content lately. The world is just too dark and I don't need to seek more darkness out. Here are a few suggestions I could think of off the top of my head. Everyone feel free to suggest others!

Ted Lasso- an optimistic, upbeat American football coach is hired to manage an English football team. Pretty much the most uplifting, funny, and positive show you could imagine.

Adventure Time- brothers Finn the Human and Jake the Dog battle evil in the fantasy land of Ooo. This show starts off very silly, but then becomes profound and life-affirming very quickly.

Community- a quirky sitcom about a study group at a community college. Hijinks ensue.

The Good Place- a woman wakes up in heaven only to realize she doesn't belong there. This show is hilarious but also has a really great message about what it means to live a good life.

Keep Your Hands off Eizouken- an anime in which a trio of schoolgirls start an anime production club. Even if you don't like anime, this show will convince you to love it. It's very uplifting and the girls' imagination and passion is contagious. This is one of my favorite shows ever to be made.

Schitt's Creek- a sitcom where a super rich family goes bankrupt and moves to a rural small town in Canada. Hilarious, but also very feel-good.

Derry Girls- a sitcom where the Derry Girls attempt to navigate teenage life in 1990s Derry, Northern Ireland. Given the setting it seems like this show couldn't possibly be funny or feel-good, but it's one of the few shows that consistently makes me laugh out loud. It has its tearjerker moments and it does those well. There have been episodes that have made me feel truly hopeful for the future of the world. But for the most part it's just fun.

Terrace House- a Japanese dating show where nothing happens. Three men and three women live in a house together, but then leave to go to work, hang out with their friends, and just do day to day things. It's somehow incredibly addictive and calming at the same time.

Space Dandy- an anime about the adventures of a "dandy guy in space who combs the galaxy like his pompadour on the hunt for aliens. Planet after planet he searches, discovering bizarre new creatures both friendly and not." This show is ridiculous in the best possible way.

Rilakkuma and Kaoru- a stop motion anime about Rilakkuma, a lazy stuffed bear, and Karou, an anxious human office worker. This show is very pure, sweet, and endearing.

Books

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet- this is the book I'm reading right now. It follows a space crew of aliens on their journey across the galaxy. The vibes are very comforting and it's kind of about the meaning of family.

Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy- when Arthur Dent's home is destroyed to make way for an intergalactic highway, he unwillingly gets swept up on a search for the legendary planet of Magrathea. Hitchhiker's Guide is a classic series that's very funny and sometimes absurd.

The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared- this is exactly what it sounds like it would be. Allan Karlsson is a hundred year old man who climbs out the window of his nursing home and disappears. It's a funny, passionate adventure about appreciating and enjoying life.

The House in the Cerulean Sea- Linus Baker is a depressed social worker in the Department in Charge of Magical Youth. When he is sent to evaluate the Marsyas orphanage for magical children, he discovers what's important in life. Very uplifting and life affirming.

Movies

Amelie- a quirky, socially awkward Parisian waitress secretly helps the people in her life while trying to work up the courage to talk to the man she's fallen in love with. It inspired me to want to do random acts of kindness for other people and it has great vibes.

Howl's Moving Castle- pretty much any Studio Ghibli movie has good vibes, but Howl's Moving Castle is my favorite. A woman cursed with rapid aging becomes a housekeeper to a narcissistic young magician. I would live in this movie if I could.

Night is Short, Walk on Girl- Night is Short follows Otome, a university student on a never-ending night out in Kyoto, and Senpai, the boy who is in love with her from afar. Before the night ends, they encounter criminal thugs, treacherous gods, and harebrained schemes, and drink a whole lot of alcohol. Whenever I'm feeling down, this is my go-to movie that I watch.

YouTubers

Purple Palace- Shayna is an American visual artist who lives in Paris. Her videos are inspiring and feel like hanging out with your most supportive friend.

Damon Dominique- a travel YouTuber. I don't watch him as much as I used to, but his videos often take a kind of philosophical or spiritual bend, and it's a lot of fun to see all the different places he visits.

ondo온도 - a super calming, low-key Korean lifestyle vlog channel

Mocha- a super calming, low-key Japanese lifestyle vlog channel

Goodnight Moon ASMR- if you don't like ASMR, this probably won't be for you, but this is my go-to ASMR channel for when I need a boost. Erin does an incredible job with props, costumes, sets, and storylines. I especially like her Valley Girl character, who manages to be hilarious and super calming at the same time.

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