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#i know the da vinci code is basically a classic i am sorry
snarktheater · 3 years
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Hey, d'you have any French book recs? I'm trying to work on my French, and rn I have downloaded one of my favourite book series' French translations, but I figured maybe books already written in French might work better? Also have you read the Ranger's Apprentice series? 1/2
RA's def flawed - the books' narration does like to point bright arrows at the protagonists' intelligence, and the last few books def have the tone of 'old white man trying to write feminism', although at least he's trying? - and it's aimed more to the younger side of YA, but it is still a very fun series, and I can ignore the flaws fairly easily, at least partly due to nostalgia? This rather long lol but I'm wordy.
I'll start with the second question: no, although every time the series is brought up I have to check the French title and go "oh, right, I've seen these books in stores". But I've never purchased or read them. It sounds like something I probably would have enjoyed as a teen but I just missed the mark, and these days I'm trying to drown myself in queer books, so that probably isn't happening.
As for your first question, geez, I haven’t read a French book in years, so this is gonna skew middle grade/YA, though that may not be so bad if the point is to learn the language. I will also say that as a result, these may read a little outdated.
I'll put it under a cut, even if Tumblr has become really bad with correctly displaying read mores. Sorry, mobile crowd.
It's also likely that old readers of the blog will have seen me talk about most of these. I don't feel like going through old posts.
One last thing: while I was curating this list I took the time to make a Goodreads shelf to keep track of those.
The Ewilan books by Pierre Bottero
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(It's a testament to how long ago I read these books that these are not the covers of the edition I own, and I can't even find those on Google. I'm settling for a more recent cover anyway since it'll make it easier to find them, presumably)
There are at least three trilogies (that I know of) set in the same world.
The first trilogy is essentially an isekai (so, French girl lands in parallel fantasy world by accident) with elements of chosen one trope, though I find the execution makes it worth the while anyway.
The second trilogy is a direct sequel, so same protagonist but new threat, and the world gets expanded.
The third one is centered around a supporting characters from the previous books, and the first couple of books in it are more her backstory than a continuation, though the third one concludes both that trilogy and advances the story of the other books as well.
Notably these books have a really fun magic system where the characters "draw" things into existence. It's just stuck with me for some reason.
A bunch of stuff by Erik L'Homme
I have read a lot of this man's books, starting with Le Livre des Etoiles.
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They also skew towards the young end of YA, arguably middle grade, I never bothered to figure out where to draw the line. They're coincidentally also using the premise of a parallel world to our own (and yes, connected to France again, the French are just as susceptible of writing about their homeland), but interestingly are set from the point of view of characters native to the parallel world.
It also has a very unique magic system, this one based on a mix of a runic alphabet and sort-of poetry. I'll also say specifically for these books that the characters stuck with me way more than others on this list, which is worth mentioning.
This trilogy is my favorite by Erik L'Homme, but I'll also mention Les Maîtres des brisants, which is a fantasy space opera with a pirate steampunk(?) vibe. I think it's steampunk. I could be mistaken. But it's in that vein. It's also middle grade, in my opinion not as good, but it could just be that it came out when I was older.
Another one is Phaenomen, which was a deliberate attempt at skewing older (though still YA). This one is set in our (then-)modern world and centers a group of teens who happen to have supernatural powers. I guess the best way to describe it is a superhero thriller? If you take "superhero" in the sense of "people with individualized powers", since they don't really do a lot of heroing.
...I really need to brush up on genre terminology, don't I.
The Ji series by Pierre Grimbert
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This one is actually adult fantasy, though it definitely falls under "probably outdated". It is very straight, for starters, and I'd have to give it another read to give a more critical reading of how it handles race (it attempts to do it, and is well meaning, but I'm not sure it survives the test of time & scrutiny, basically).
If I haven't lost you already, the premise is this: a few generations ago, a weird man named Nol gathered emissaries from each nation of the world and took them to a trip to the titular Ji island. Nobody knows what went down here, but now in the present day, someone is trying to kill off all descendants from those emissaries, who are as a result forced to team up and figure out what's going on.
I'm not going to spoil past that, though I will say it has (surprise) a really unique magic system! I guess you can start to piece together what my younger self was interested in. Which, admittedly, I still am.
Once again, this one also has a strong cast of characters, helped by rich world building and the premise forcing the characters to come from many different cultures (though, again, I can't vouch for the handling of race because it's been too long).
The first series is complete by itself, though it has two sequel series as well, each focusing on the next generation in these families. Because yes, of course they all pair up and have kids. Like I said: very straight.
A whole lot of books by Jean-Louis Fetjaine
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OFetjaine is a historian, and I guess he's really interested in Arthurian mythos especially, because he loves it so much he's written two separate high fantasy retellings of them! I'm not criticizing, mind you, we all need a hobby.
The former, the Elves trilogy (pictures above) is very traditional high fantasy. Elves, dwarves, orcs, a world which is definitely fictionalized with a pan-Celtic vibe to it. The holy grail and excalibur are around, but they're relics possessed by the elves and dwarves with very different powers than usual. Et cetera.
Fetjaine also really loves his elves (as the titles might imply), and while they're not exactly Tolkien elves, there's a similar vibe to them. If you like Tolkien and his elf boner, you'll probably like this too. And conversely, if that turns you off, these books probably also won't work for you.
This series also has a prequel trilogy, centered around the backstory of one of the main characters. I...honestly don't remember too much about it, but I liked it, so, there you go, I guess.
I said Fetjaine did it twice. The other series is the Merlin duology, which, as the title implies, is a retelling of Merlin's story. Note that Merlin is also in the other trilogy, but it's a different Merlin; like I said, completely different continuities and stories.
This one is historical fantasy, so it's set in actual Great Britain, and Fetjaine attempts to connect Arthur to a "real" historical figure...but, you know, Merlin is also half-elf and elves totally exist in Brocéliande, so, you know. History.
Okay, that's probably enough fantasy, let me give some classics too.
L'Arbre des possibles et autres histoires - Bernard Werber
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Bernard Werber is a pretty seminal author of French sci-fi and I should probably be embarrassed that the only book of his that I read was for school, but, it is a really good one, so I'll include it anyway.
It's a novella collection, and when I say "sci-fi" I want to make it clear that it's very old school science fiction. It's more Frankenstein or Black Mirror than Star Trek, what we in French call the anticipation genre of science fiction: you take one piece of technology or cultural norm and project it into the future.
It has a pretty wide range of topics and tones, so it's bound to have some better than others. My personal faves were Du pain et des jeux, where football (non-American) has evolved into basically a wargame, and Tel maître, tel lion, where any animal is considered acceptable as a pet, no matter how absurd it is to keep as a pet. They're both on a comedic end, but there's more heartfelt stuff too.
L'Ecume des Jours - Boris Vian
(no cover because I can't find the one I have, and the ones I find are ugly)
This book is surrealist. Like, literally a part of the surrealist movement. It features things such as a lilypad growing inside a woman's lungs (and, as you well know, lilypads double in size every day, wink wink), the protagonist's apartment becoming larger and smaller to go with his mood and current financial situation, and more that I can't even recall at the moment because remembering this book is like trying to remember having an aneurysm.
It is also really, really fun and touching. Oh, and it has a pretty solid movie adaptation, starring Audrey Tautou, who I think an international audience would probably recognize from Amelie or the Da Vinci Code movie.
I don't really know what else to say. It's a really cool read!
Le Roi se meurt - Eugène Ionesco
Ionesco is somewhat famous worldwide so I wasn't even sure to include him here. He's a playwright who wrote in the "Theater of the Absurd" movement, and this play is part of that.
The premise of this play is that the King (of an unnamed land) is dying, and the land is dying with him. I don't really know what else to say. It's theater of the absurd. It kind of has to be experienced (the published version works fine, btw, no need to track down an actual performance, in my humble opinion).
The Plague - Albert Camus
You've probably heard of this one, and if you haven't, let me tell you about a guy called Carlos Maza
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I'm honestly more including this book out of a sense of duty. The other three are books I genuinely liked and happen to be classics. This book was an awful read. But, um. It's kind of relevant now in a way it wasn't (or didn't feel, anyway) back in 2008 or 2009, when I read it. And I don't just mean because of our own plague, since Camus's plague is pretty famously an allegory for fascism, which my teenage self sneered at, and my adult self really regrets every feeling that way.
Okay, finally, some more lighthearted stuff, we gotta talk about the Belgian and French art of bande dessinée. How is it different from comic books or manga? Functionally, it isn't. It really comes down more to what gets published in the Belgian-French industry compared to the American comics industry, which is dominated by superheroes, or the Japanese manga industry, which, while I'm less familiar with it, I know has some big genre trends as well that are completely separate.
The Lanfeust series - Arleston and Tarquin
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This is a YA mega-series, and I can't recommend all of it because I've lost track of the franchise's growth. Also note that I say "YA", but in this case it means something very different from an American understanding of YA. These books are pretty full of sex.
No, when I say YA I mean it has that level of maturity, for better or worse. The original series (Lanfeust de Troy) is high fantasy in a world where everyone has an individual magical ability but two characters find out they're gifted with an absolute power to make anything happen, and while it gets dark at times, it's still very lighthearted throughout, and the humor is...well, I think it's best described as teen boy humor. And it has a tendency to objectify its female characters, as you'll quickly parse out from the one cover I used here or if you browse more covers.
But still, it holds a special place in my heart, I guess. And on my shelves.
The sequel series, Lanfeust des Etoiles, turns it into a space opera, and goes a little overboard with the pop culture reference at times, though overall still maintains that balance of serious/at times dark story and lighthearted comedy.
After that the franchise is utter chaos to me, and I've lost track. I know there was another sequel series, which I dropped partway through, and a spinoff that retold part of the original series from the PoV of the main love interest (in the period of time she spent away from the main group). There was a comedy spin-off about the troll species unique to this world, a prequel series, probably more I don't even know exist.
Les Démons d'Alexia
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Something I can probably be a little less ashamed of including here.
Some backstory here. The Editions Dupuis are a giant of the Belgian bande dessinée industry, and for many, many years I was subscribed to their weekly magazine. That magazine was (mostly) made up of excerpts from the various books that the éditions were publishing at the time; those that were made of comic strips would usually get a couple pages of individual scripts, while the ongoing narratives got cut into episodes that were a few pages long (out of a typical 48 page count for a single BD album). Among those were this series.
For the first few volumes, I wasn't super into this series, probably because I was a little too young and smack dab in the middle of my "trying to be one of the boys" phase. But around book 3 I got really invested, to the point where I own the second half of the series because I had canceled by subscription by then but still wanted to know more.
Alexia is an exorcist with unusual talents, but little control, who's introduced to a group that specializes in researching paranormal phenomena, solving cases that involve the paranormal, that kinda stuff.
As a result of the premise, the series has a pretty slow start since it has to build up mystery around the source of Alexia's powers, but once it gets going and we get to what is essentially the series' main conflict, it gets really interesting.
Plus, witches. I'm a simple gay who likes strong protagonists and witches.
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Murena
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There was a point where my mtyhology nerdery led me to look for more stuff about the historical cultures that created them, and so I'd be super into stuff set in ancient Rome (I'd say "or Greece or Egypt" but let's face it, it was almost always Rome).
Murena is a series set just before the start of Emperor Nero's rule. You know, the one who was emperor when Rome burned, and according to urban legend either caused the fire or played the fiddle while it did (note: "fiddle" is a very English saying, it's usually the lyre in other languages). He probably didn't, it probably was propaganda, but he was a) a Roman Emperor, none of whom were particularly stellar guys and b) mean to Christians, who eventually got to rewrite history. So he's got a bad rep.
The series goes for a very historical take on events, albeit fictionalized (the protagonist and main PoV, the titular Lucius Murena, is himself fictional) and attempts to humanize the people involved in those events. Each book also includes some of the sources used to justify how events and characters are depicted, which is a nice touch.
It's also divided in subseries called "cycles" (books 1-4, 5-8 and the ongoing one starts at 9). I stopped after 9, though I think it's mostly a case of not going to bookstores often anymore. Plus it took four years between 9 and 10, and again between 10 and 11. But the first eight books made for a pretty solid story that honestly felt somewhat concluded as is, so it's a good place to start.
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sternvonafrika · 3 years
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If you are still doing the book ask thing I'd love to know your answers for
2. What's the worst book you've ever read and why?
12. Do you have to finish one book before you start the next one, or do you read multiple books at the same time? and
27. The book you're embarrassed to admit you've read
And also if you want to pls recommend me a book, as a bookseller i am always interested in new good and interesting reads.
Thank you so much for your time and also i hope it's not too much (if it is pls ignore the ask) Alles Liebe!
ehy! yes i am still doing it and i am sorry if it took me a lot to answer but i haven't been really active in these last days and i didn't want to rush through this ask and give random answers to the questions.
2. probably not the worst ever (but surely the worst that comes to my mind now, and if it came to my mind it must mean that it's still pretty high in the list of worst-books™) is "i have no mouth and i must scream" by harlan ellison. now, i know, i know: one of the best speculative fiction writers, golden concept, strange and twisted sci-fi which is up my halley. but i hated it and it was probably because of the general rampant misogyny and the autor's inability to write a non-stereotypical woman bugged me so much that i couldn't even fully appreciate the short stories. moreover i didn't like the fact that the moral was immediately broadcasted and the book didn't leave too much room for personal though and i also wasn't a fan of the autor's introduction to his stories (what could've been a great moment for meta-literature turned into a useless introduction that added nothing to the story). even though i like the genre, this book surely wasn't my cup of tea
12. if i am reading something because i genuinely want to read it in my free time then i ALWAYS have to finish a book before i can start another one. however, this rule can be overlooked if i have to read for university, in that case i am perfectly okay with reading one book for my personal enjoyment (usually in the evening/night) and one book for academic reasons (usually during the day). for example, now university is forcing me to read two books at once: königliche hoheit by thomas mann (i chose this one) & the bfg by roald dahl (i need to write a paper on translatorial strategies used by the italian translator of this book for my upcoming exam)
27. the "da vinci code" by dan brown and well ... i am ashamed of it but i admit i didn't like it. i believe it has a trite plot and it does a terrible job at answering/explaining the big questions. the book doesn't have a twist, the plot is predictable and although i read it quickly i just didn't feel engrossed in what the author was telling me. moreover the book doesn't ask questions, it doesn't address anything, it doesn't have a real strong theme except for this half-made up & half-twisted catholic/artistic symbolism, and this is also what makes the book ... forgettable
the last one is a tricky question, you are a bookseller so you are surely more knowledgeable than me when it comes to new editions or amazing new book we shouldn't miss, i am never up to date to things to the point that a recurring question among my friends is "when was the last time you read a book published after 1945?". so, it really depends on the genre, among my fav books you will find some boring italian/german classics everyone probably has read (like: kafka, mann, d'annunzio and so on) but... here are some books i read last year and i really liked, classics and non-classic, mixed genres:
il fu mattia pascal (the late mattia pascal) by luigi pirandello: great italian classic, what would happen if you had the possibility to leave your old life behind and start a new one? or, the story of a man who "died" twice
die verwirrungen des zöglings törleß (the confusions of young törleß) by robert musil: thanks i loved it but also hated it, i can't remember the last time i felt such a strong anguish. basically: törleß goes to a military academy and thinks a lot, he's not a good person
no longer human by osamu dazai: a portrait of the protagonist's sense of isolation, a man who feels he's been disqualified as a human being, heartbreaking book who touches the subject of despair and depression, not my first recommendation if you are not in the right mental place
patria (homeland) by fernando aramburu: the story of two families, one is involved with the terrorist group ETA, the other is a victim of said group. it deals with strength, compassion and the bravery to ask for and grant forgiveness even in front of evil deeds
berlin alexanderplatz by alfred döblin: who would even recommend this one? I WOULD!! shocking, maybe sometimes disturbing and brutal but the best depiction of the 1920s "berlin als hure babylon" out there. don't be like me though, don't let yourself be fooled by reinhold
the general of the dead army by ismail kadare: years after the end of wwii a priest and a general of the italian army head back to albany to recollect the bones of the italian soldiers fallen on the albanian front, a story where silence speaks and the past is still alive
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spoopy-fish-writes · 3 years
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Okay Spoopy, bet you saw this coming but :
2, 3, 4, 6, 11 and 31 !
(Sorry I am on phone and couldn't copy paste the questions :/)
Don't worry about it Marie ✨
3 movies you have rewatched many times
Howl's moving castle- it's a classic and I'll never forget it
Your name - ghis is only because I like to suffer and it's really bloody angsty but gives you a somewhat but not really satisfying ending
Megamind - this is literally just for the Black Mamba and the random fucking deep quotes that have no right being so relatable
The rest is under the cut <3
3 songs that mean something to you
I'll stay (Isabela Merced) - I can't really explain this one but it just makes me feel... Idk, happy/ understood? I'm not sure but yeah
King (Lauren Aquilina) - Got me through a negative period of my life because it's both calming and the lyrics themselves are just easy to relate to
Born this way (Lady Gaga) - Helped me deal with homophobia from my family and is just a nice song to listen to
3 topics you’d love to learn more about
Psychology - I would like to know what the hell is wrong with me please and thank you and also how to support other people
Biology - Once again, I'd like to know how to help myself and others and be able to identify certain things. It would have been really useful if I'd known about my low iron levels ages ago rather than the cells that make up muscles which would have more use to me if I decide to go into the medical field which I don't
Animals - They're just cool and great creatures and I want to know more about them, especially considering my plans to have multiple animals in the future
3 characters that inspire you
Levi Ackerman - For Levi I think it's his perseverance that really gets to me. Not gonna include any spoilers but just where he started off and where he ended up honestly makes me feel like I can do just about anything if I put my mind to it
Mikasa Ackerman - Mikasa because, no matter how much she loses and how much gets taken away from her, she keeps going and she's just a little reminder that even the people that seem to gain everything, lose and feel just as much regardless of any natural skill and advantages they may or may not have. Basically it's just me being a burnt out gifted kid <3
Sophie from Howl's moving castle - I'm not even going to explain this one because it explains itself. Like, have you seen Sophie??? Yeah.
3 books that you would recommend everyone to read
The Da Vinci code - I have two copies of the book and they a) have some of my favourite book covers and b) have a mildly twisted but engaging story line and I love it
The Lord of the ring - Deep story line, amazing characters, incredible plot. Seriously, just read it. The whole series is amazing
The Poe shadow - Only recently started reading this one but it's got me hooked. Might be because I like things written in a more classical style but I'm just loving the murder mystery thing going on
3 types of flowers you love the most
Spider lilies - Favourite flower of all time simply because it's pretty and looks so delicate but also kind of unnerving because of its meaning in flower language
Sunflowers - They literally face the sun and then face each other when they can't face the sun. How adorable is that?
Rose mallow - No real reason for this one, I just think they're pretty
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thenurseholliday · 5 years
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Hi! I feel stupid to ask this but I was wondering if you could recommend Somme books for me? I’m looking for something new for the summer, but I’m groping in the dark here ahaha
Okay!!!! I'm actually very excited for this. I'm on mobile so sorry about the lack of links and such. I'm not really sure what genre you are looking for, and I read a lot of books over a variety of topics so I'll suggest a few.
SCI FI/FANTASY/DYSTOPIAN/RETELLINGS
The Lunar Chronicles - Marissa Meyer: These books bruh, I found Cinder at a thrift store nearly a decade ago and I was hooked. I love the universe she built and how she tied all the classic fairytales together. Fave character hands down is Wolf, but Cress and Thorn are also top contenders.
Arc of a Scythe series - Neil Shusterman: the premise of this books had me the minute I read the back cover in an airport bookstore. Like. It's everything I love in one book. Moral ambiguity, addressing our dependency on technology, political corruption even in an utopian society. Sign me TF up.
Inheritance Cycle - Christopher Paolini: the first two books in this series are dry AF, but the last two books completely make up for the neverending world building that seemed almost redundant. Seriously. The last book, Inheritance absolutely blew me away, even if I didnt agree with the protagonist's final decision.
A Court of Thorns and Roses - Sarah J. Maad: I found this book rec'd on tumblr and never fallen in love so fast with first, these books, and second Rhys and Cassian. Give me 100.
FICTION
The Historian - Elizabeth Kostova: Its like the Da Vinci code but instead of Jesus its Dracula and it might just be one of the most brilliant books I've ever read. I still go back to this book on a regular basis because it's just that good.
Mr. Emersons Wife - Amy Belding Brown: this book isnt for everyone, it blends fiction with a lot of true life information about Ralph Waldo Emerson but this book is absolutely heart breaking. It will for sure stick with you.
Anything - Dan Brown: I'm going to be that person, but I love Dan Brown books. Like I love them. My favorite by far is Inferno, but I really liked the Lost Symbol as well. Zero shame over here.
CLASSICS
The Portrait of Dorian Gray - Oscar Wilde: First off, mai boi right here. I LOVE Oscar, I love everything about him, but especially this book. Some of the most profound quotes on the human condition come from this book and is still applicable today. This book is timeless and an all time fave.
Persuasion - Jane Austen: I will forever stand on my soapbox that Persuasion is the most slept on Jane Austen work. I love Captain Wentworth, I love Anne Elliot. I love the crazy cast of characters. I find Anne next level relatable and I want to both protect and give her the world.
Complete Works - Edgar Allan Poe: I have two Poe tattoo's and a likely neverending obsession. Alone is my favorite poem ever written, but check out his short stories. They are beautifully haunting, this mad cat delivers.
NONFICTION
Peter Lawford: The Man Who Kept the Secrets - James Spada: I have an obsession with both the Ratpack and the Kennedys and viola, this book is about a man who is both. It also is about a man who's got serious issues, but this was an insanely good read.
Columbine - Dave Cullen: I think the premise of this book is self explanatory. Beautifully and respectfully done. Heartbreaking.
Soiled Doves - Anne Seagraves: this is a book about prostitution in the Old West. Its actually really interesting. Not too long, but I've read it more than a dozen times.
HISTORICAL ROMANCE
The Relecutant Suitor - Kathleen Woodwiss: I asked my mom to get me this book when I was twelve and its one of my favorites to this day. I am a total bitch for historical romance and this one is no exception. There is war and intrigue and dastardly plots and love. Its everything and more.
A Rogue by Any Other Name - Sarah Maclean: all of her books are amazing, but this one is just.... Michael is basically the epitome of every fantasy I've ever had and I've never related so hard to a Heroine as I do Penelope. Plus this writer has a way with words I could only dream of.
Three Weeks with Lady X - Eloisa James: A big fan of this writing style as well. Lady X conquers what is considered the outskirts of what was acceptable in regency England, and how money quite literally made the man.
CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE
Austensibly Ordinary - Alyssa Goodnight: Modern day austensian tropes brought into modern times. Its exactly how it sounds. Light on 'the sex' but still worth a read.
The Wall of Winnipeg and Me - Mariana Zapata: I dont know how I found this author but this book is incredible. Its got all the things that I love. A celebrity curve that is still insanely realistic and real. Football and shitty families, and marriages of convenience and everything else.
Dirty Rowdy Thing - Christina Lauren: I get weird about first person POV, but Christina Lauren does it very well. This also goes into the realm of kinks which I find rare in a lot of modern romances. The bondage is hot, the main characters are hotter.
Sorry this ended up so long!
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