#if the alcott counts then the alcott survived too

[titsthedamnseason]

which songs from your surprise song list survived the first U.S. leg (plus mexico city weekend) of the eras tour?

#for me it’s renegade beautiful ghosts and i did something bad (but only if it’s played on the piano) #OUT OF 22 SONGS ONLY THREE SURVIVED #but two of them got played at my show 😁😁😁😁 #and no other night except the night i was there had two from my list played. IS THAT NOT CRAZY #taylor swift #mine #surprise song game #if the alcott counts then the alcott survived too #but i feel like she wouldn’t perform that alone. WE NEED TO GET HER ON A STAGE WITH THE NATIONAL PLEASEEEE

[thaliaisalesbian]

i get myself twisted in threads

Chapter 1: to meet you at the Alcott

Chapters: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15

“Run!” Steve shoves at Nancy, then at him, hard.

The same way he’d forced the kids out earlier.

“Get out of here!”

“We’re not leaving you!” Jonathan isn’t sure what makes this worse: that the three of them have finally fallen into an easy friendship, no one left out, or that conversation Steve had walked in on, at the absolute worst moment, with no time to explain because Dustin and Lucas had found something in the woods.

Even after what he’d heard, he’s still putting them before him.

Nancy’s still holding his arm, just a little too tightly, so when she falls through the gate, he goes with her.

And they both get to watch as it closes, Steve still on the other side.

continue under the cut or on ao3

He doesn’t regret it. He can’t regret it, not when it means his the kids are safe, that Nancy and Jonathan are safe, that someone is there to explain this to Hopper and Joyce and make sure no one else gets sucked in.

They’re safe. The kids—the kids are all smart as fuck, if anyone can find a way to get him back out of here, it’ll be them.

If he even survives that long.

He can’t afford to think like that, though. Not if he wants to survive.

It would be easier.

He can’t let the kids down like that.

He won't.

At this point, Steve just counts himself as lucky that he has his nail bat. 

He watches the place where the gate closed up, trying to forget the looks and Nancy and Jonathan’s faces as he'd shoved them through instead of letting them get trapped here with him.

He'll be fine.

Mike would have to explain his sister's disappearance to their parents, and Joyce doesn't need to worry about her eldest being stuck here.

He’s got the bat, he’s only bleeding a little, and since this place is Hawkins, just… creepier and monster-y, he even knows his way around.

As he walks, heading back in the direction of the main road, Steve makes a checklist in his head of all the things he’ll need.

One: Food and water.

Can he trust any food he finds, though? He’s pretty sure Will didn’t eat anything, holed up in this world’s version of Castle Byers, but he hasn’t exactly asked. 

Maybe another gate will open up right in front of him, and that won’t be a problem.

Two: Shelter.

All the buildings will hopefully be empty, shouldn’t be too hard.

It’s not a long checklist, but maybe it will keep him alive.

“What do you mean, Steve’s still in there?” Dustin’s red in the face, yelling, but it seems like he’s trying not to cry.

“Dustin, please.” She sighs, trying to hold it together herself. Steve’s got good survival instincts—she thinks, anyway, he’s always good at protecting the kids—and he’s got his bat. He’s not on the baseball team for no reason, and she knows sometimes he’ll go to the woods behind his house and whack the shit out of trees with it.

“We have to go get him!”

“We will.” Jonathan says, quiet as always, but it’s enough to get Dustin to stop yelling. “But we need to tell Mom and Hopper first. We’re not going looking for it alone.”

They shouldn’t have this time, but none of them thought this would happen.

“I’ll call Hopper,” Nancy squeezes her eyes shut, trying to get the image of Steve, dirt streaked on his face, hands a little bloody, out of her mind. “Jon—”

“I’ll call Mom.” He nods when she looks at him. “Kids, get blankets and pillows and set up on the floor. I don’t care if you actually sleep, but try and rest. We’ll need it.”

Will is the only one who listens right away, and she immediately misses the way all of them listen to Steve, despite complaints and protests.

“We’re going to find him.” Jonathan tilts her head up and makes her meet his eyes. “We’re going to find him, and he’ll be okay.”

“Maybe he won’t get a concussion this time.” She laughs, though it’s not that funny.

She’d pay to have a concussed Steve here, safe on this side of the gates, and not in there.

Jonathan calls Joyce first; he keeps his voice low for the kids’ sake; none of them will admit it, but they’re tired. Max and Lucas are half-asleep against each other, while Dustin, Mike, and Will lay in the circle, heads together as they whisper.

Getting through Flo to Hopper is a little harder, and for a minute, she regrets saying she’d call him.

“Hopper, it’s Steve.” That could mean any number of things, she knows: Steve’s at the quarry again, his parents are in town, or he’s having/had a panic attack and is refusing to let the kids out of his sight. Usually, it doesn’t mean that Steve’s gone missing in the Upside Down.

She wishes it were a simple problem like that. Something Hopper might even be able to fix with a few words over the phone.

“What happened?”

“He’s on the other side of a gate.”

“You went looking for one?”

“Lucas and Dustin found something in the woods and came running to Steve. We all went out. He just—” At the gate, they’d entered, he’d shoved the kids out right away. At the next one, he’d shoved them out. And they let him. “He did what he usually does.”

“I’ll be there soon.” He doesn’t have to ask, he knows they’re at the Byers’— as small as it is, it’s become their gathering place.

“What about El?” Nancy jumps, not expecting Jonathon’s voice in her eye. “She’s at the cabin, right?”

“I’ll go get her.” She says. “Steve and I have been alternating afternoons with her.”

Since Steve is still benched because of his concussion, it’s really been more him than her. “I’ll be back soon.” She kisses his cheek and grabs his keys off the counter.

“Nancy? Where are you going?” Mike sits up, like he’s going to come with her.

“To get El. Stay here. Sleep, or maybe come up with a plan.”

It doesn’t take long for him to realize there’s no way he’s going to be able to tell time here.

He heads into town first. If they’re going to have food anywhere, it would be in town, right?

The school, maybe?

He goes there first.

He finds bags of crackers, but pretty much everything else is worthless. Cans that he can’t open, perishable food he definitely can’t take with him, and that looks half-rotted anyway.

“Come on, Steve.” He says, just to hear something other than silence. “You can come up with a better plan than this.”

He opens one packet of crackers, and shoves the rest into his pockets.

He’s always been better at thinking when he’s moving, so he walks around the school, trying to figure out where he should search next. Should he go to his house? Or the Byers’? Will figured out a way to communicate, right? Maybe he can do that, too. The kids are certainly there by now, and maybe Nancy and Jonathan too.

Steve doesn’t let himself think about them for too long.

Maybe El will be able to find him. Maybe he got hit over the head and he’s going to wake up and find out this was all some shitty concussion dream.

If only it could be that easy.

Deciding to try somewhere else for food before something comes looking for him in the school, he walks to Melveld’s.

It’s the same there. Nothing refrigerated is trustworthy. He’s reaching for a can opener—maybe he can get a little variety, even though he doesn’t think he’ll be able to cook anything while he’s here—when the growl behind him sets panic ringing in his ears, his heartbeat almost covering it up completely.

There’s a demodog at the end of the aisle, and when he looks out the window, he can see another one waiting.

Are they smart enough for that?

Steve brings the bat up in front of him, wincing at the sting in his palms. 

He manages to back out of the aisle, the demodog hardly moving, but he’s not lucky enough to make it to the back door.

It charges, snarling, and for a minute he’s back in the tunnels. It’s only the fact that he doesn’t have Dustin’s weight to hold up that he remembers that he’s not in the tunnels, he’s somewhere far worse.

And he’s alone, this time.

Not concussed, though. Probably.

There are more than two once he stumbles outside, nearly right into them. He doesn’t take the time to do a headcount, but even he isn’t good enough with a bat to fight them all and come out alive.

So he does the next best thing: hits the ones close to him as hard as he can.

He runs, ignoring the bites at his ankles and legs and swinging wildly in any direction.

He gets out, but they keep following him, and then he remembers: Blood.

He’s bleeding.

From his hands, his ankles now, probably—he can’t feel the pain yet, too hopped up on adrenaline, but they’ve been biting.

He shoulders the bat and runs as fast as he can, heading for the woods.

Up is probably his only option.

Steve hasn’t climbed a tree in years, and the bat in his hands just makes it even harder, but he gets up high enough that the demodogs can’t reach him.

He rips his shirt, using the pieces to wrap around his ankles. Now that he’s relatively safe, he can feel them throbbing. It’s hard to look at them properly, eyes blurry with tears.

He ignores the flash of white that he thinks might be bone and pulls the makeshift bandages just a little too tight.

They don’t bleed through immediately, so maybe he did something right. It’s hard to get comfortable in a tree, but he’s not leaving until all the demodogs below him have left. If it means sleeping here, it means sleeping here.

By the time he wakes up, just moving his ankles makes him want to cry. But he can’t stay in a tree forever. He needs to find a way out of here.

The Byers’ place is closer than his; he's comfortable there, too. He knows Joyce keeps a shotgun in the house, just in case. He’s not the greatest with them, but he’ll manage to figure it out.

Despite the strangeness of this version of the house, it’s still familiar. Normal, almost. If he tries hard enough, he can picture everyone sitting around the table, laughing. Or maybe planning. He’s not sure which, but it feels real either way.

Are demodogs venomous? Poisonous? Steve’s not sure which word would be used to describe them.

Fuck, he doesn’t even know anything about them and he’s got multiple bites on his ankles.

Sitting on the cleanest spot on the couch, he opens another packet of crackers.

This time, he only eats half.

2 ->

#stranger things #stranger things fic #steve harrington #nancy wheeler #jonathan byers #stoncy #hurt steve harrington #whump #whump fic #st s2 #st fic #i get myself twisted in threads #nix writes #my work #my writing #dustin henderson #el hopper

[racecarcat]

intro ??! ˚❀༉‧₊

Hiiii!!! I’m racecarcat, if you want you call me kat for short.

I just kinda wanna post stuff because I think it’d be fun. I’m unfortunately very inconsistent and everything (read: my mood) fluctuates very fast. I also, am really bad with tech, and therefore know to format nothing. Consumerism. Anyhow, here are some fandoms I’m in (or rather, have been in that if given the opportunity to talk about I can rant abt for hours):

• Jujutsu Kaisen (JJK)

• Honkai Star Rail (HSR)

• Genshin Impact (GI)

• Bungo Stray Dogs (BSD)

• Project Sekai (PJSK)

• Chainsaw Man (CSM)

• Sakamoto Days (SD)

Here are my fav characters from each, not in a specific order:

JJK: RIKO AMANAIIIII (pls someone love her as much as I do), Aoi Todo, Mai Zenin, Maki Zenin, Hiromi Higuruma, Kento Nanami, Yuki Tsukumo, Iori Utahime, Yuko Ozawa, Mei Mei and Mahito (I like them ironically I swear)

HSR: Stelle/Caelus, Jing Yuan, Welt Yang, Robin, MISHA, YUKONGG, Fu Xuan, Huohuo, Tingyun, Bailu, Ruan Mei, Jing Liu, ARGENTI, BAI HENG

GI: NAVIA, Neuvillette, FURINA, Kokomi, Shenhe, CHIORI, Jean, Lumine/Aether, GANYU, KUJOU SARA, KAVEH, Itto, Nahida, Faruzan, Yanfei

BSD: PAUL VERLAINE, Rimbaud, FUKUZAWA, SIGMA, Kunikida, Chuuya, all the flags (I LOVE STORMBRINGER), HIGUCHI, Hirotsu, ODA SAKUNOSUKE ODA SAKUNOSUKE ODA SAKUNOSUKE, H.P Lovecraft, Louisa May Alcott, EDGAR ALLEN POE, Fukuchi, TERUKO

PJSK: ENA SHINOME, Mafuyu Asahina, Ichika Hoshino, Honami Mochizuki, Minori Hanasato, Shizuoka Hinomori, KOHANE AZUSAWA

CSM: Denji, ASA MITAKAAA, Aki Hayakawa, KISHIBE, QUANXI, Angel, Kobeni, Reze, Madoka, Nomo, Santa Claus, PINGSTI, NAYUTA, Himeno

SD: Taro Sakamoto, LU XIAOTANG, OSARAGI, Shin Asakura, Nagumo, GAKU, Rion Akao, AKIRA AKAO, Natsuki Seba, Nao Toramaru, Obiguro, Heisuke, SHISHIBE, AMANE

And for funsies, here are some ships I like! Fair warning, I LOVE rarepairs and multi shipping:

JJK: Satosugu, Itafushi, NobaMaki, Hakari/Kirara, Choso/Yuki, Yuji/Yuko, MECHAMIWA, Nanami/Bakery Lady, Yuta/Maki, Yuta/Inumaki

HSR: Stelle/March 7th, Caelus/Dan Heng, Gepard/Sampo, Blade/Kafka, DAN FENG/YINGXING, Jing Yuan/Blade, Pela/Lynx, Bronya/Seele, JING LIU/BAIHENG, Himeko/Kafka, Cocolia/Serval, ASTA/ARLAN, Jing Yuan/Fu Xuan, Tingyun/Jing Yuan

GI: Jean/Diluc, Qingxiu/Chongyun, Beidou/Nigguang, Neuvillette/Focalors, Ganyu/Xiao, Lumine/Amber, Arlecchino/Columbina, Yae/Layla, truly too many to count.

BSD: Kunizai, AtsuLucy, Fyozai, FukuFuku, Shin Soukoku, RIMLAINE, Chuuya/Albatross, KuniBram, OdaAngo, Ranpoe, Shirachuu, KuniChuu, Yosano/Koyou, Kyouka/Kenji, SIGZAI etc.

PJSK: Ena/Mafuyu, Toya/Kohane, Rui/Shizuku, RuiNene

CSM: Denji/Asa, AkiAngel, Aki/Himeno, Denji/Yoshida, Violence/Kobeni, Denji/Reze, Asa/Yuko, Quanxi/her gfs

SD: None, surprisingly!

I’m probably use this blog for writing, talking about said fandoms, obsessively thinking about my ocs for each said fandom, and making very politically(/j) incorrect analysis about characters. And, more! I’m sorry this is so long, really just ask me abt anything and it’ll eventually happen.

Last thing: I might post about my own stories that are… painfully unfinished, so here’s a brief intro about each (they’re all heavily inspired by my respective fandoms, we don’t talk abt that):

*Insert Dramatic Title* (IDT): A robot by the name of Edis is asked to save humanity from a prophecy stating that, from five years from now, the world will end.

Slaughterhouse (SH): A pair of twins live in a “Haven Town” where there outside world was shrouded into an apocalypse. They learn how to truly survive in such a restrictive environment and find out the subtle corruption of their system.

‘Vest of the ‘Usual (VOU): A young boy has unusual abilities that leads him to work in the government, which depicts him having to do the unthinkable: go to school. And, do his job, that too.

Act I (A1): Olesia Lexina has had one dream all her life: protect humanity from the evil that is godlyhood! This follows her journey through the ideal of becoming on of the top members of the “Guardians of Humanity”.

Project: New World (P:NW): The government has allowed a project and organization by the name of “New World” to attempt to “purify humanity of all of its wrongdoings” and it has taken the world by storm; unfortunately, Chara has absolutely no interest in any of it.

The Eight Tragedies (T8T): An Angel has come to earth to ultimately destroy everyone on it, in which a humanities major named Reminiscence gives the world (her two friends) a chance to fix their problems before it can do so—by going into the past eight times to fix mistakes that should’ve never happened.

Majic Girl: BOOM ★ (MG:★): this one is something I’ve been meaning to get motivation to work on properly. A young freshman girl watches her whole world turn upside down (close to literally) to as some sort of eldritch horror resurfaces the earth! And she is one of the few people making the attempt to kill it.

$1 Supermarket ($1): The economy as we know it had crashed after inflation has risen way too high to the point even the upper class finds it hard to buy anything. Thus, a brand new chain store by the name of $1 Supermarket has arisen! Where everything is exactly $1! And there’s like, a bunch of monsters everywhere, but that’s besides the point.

Okay, that’s it now I promise. Thank you for reading this far!

#introduction #hiiii <3

[enchantingkittengaditor]

Born Into This | 02: The Middle Of Starting Over

POV Paddy

“What do you know about what happened a week after your school started? I believe that was the week of the 8th of September. I’m particularly interested in yours and Ms. Barnes ‘study date’ on the 9th and your families’ reactions to you letting her into your home.”

“PATRICK! WHY THE HELL DID YOU INVITE A BARNES INTO OUR HOUSE!” My father yelled at me in his English classroom while Finn watched from the doorway.

“Because we need somewhere to work on the project you gave us. And anyway what does her last name have to do with anything?” I asked him.

“You’re still so naive. Her family is the one that destroyed our home in London. And I thought you could work on it at school or in a public space or at hers, not our home.”

“Why?” Finn asked from the corner of the room.

“So we could have a foothold in her house.”

“I can’t believe this. You promised me and mum that I wasn’t going to be like the other three. I wasn’t going to be a part of all this. I wasn’t meant to join until I was old enough to choose. Everyone agreed at least one of us was meant to have a normal life. I was meant to be normal,” I yelled at my father as Finn locked the class’ door, making sure no one got in to hear this conversation.

“No one in this family is normal Patrick least of all you. You are going to play an important part in the future of this family. You’re going to be the one to put us back on top and not be the minions of some second rate psychopath.”

“Well, this is all well and good but your next class starts in a few minutes and people are wanting to come in,” Finn said from his spot by the door.

“Of course. We’ll discuss this at home Paddy.”

“Actually, we won’t TJ’s coming over so we can do our project. You know the one you assigned us,” I said as we walked out of the door toward our next class.

“A little cold don’t you think,” Finn said as we moved over to our lockers.

“Maybe but it worked didn’t it.”

“Maybe but I have a feeling your study date’s not going to go as you have planned.”

“Maybe not but nothing ever does in that house.”

“You ready?” I asked TJ as I walked up behind her.

“Yup. I just need to grab something from Millie then I’m all good to go,” She said as she quickly shut her locker when she noticed me.

“What are you hiding in your locker?” I asked her.

“I’m hiding books, art supplies and a very embarrassing letter from my twin brother before he… Nevermind,” she said waving to Millie and Sofia behind me.

“Um erro para você,” Sofia said to TJ handing her a bag.

“Now I’m ready to go,” She said smiling at me.

We walked out of the school in silence, getting into my brother’s car. I started talking to Sam while TJ read her book on the car ride to our house out of the city. By the time we pulled into the long driveway, Sam had built up enough courage to talk to TJ.

“I hear you have a twin brother,” He had said to her.

“I had a twin brother. Had being the keyword in that sentence. It was one of the reasons I made the move here with my aunts,” TJ responded with a sad smirk.

“Can I ask what happened to him? I may not know what it’s like without my twin and I can’t imagine what it must be like but sometimes I wish I did,” He told her, looking her in the eye through the rearview mirror.

“He isn’t with us anymore. I’m not convinced he’s truly dead. It feels as though there should be a bigger gap in my heart if he truly was. But it just feels like it did when we were kids and we would go to different schools every day, except we’re further away from each other this time,” She said with a wistful look on her face as if she was trying to figure some big game of chess out, “Sometimes I wish that I could know if he was dead or not, just so I could either find him or his ghost and kill him with my own hands.”

“Well, feel free to do that to Harry anytime you want. I’ll help you make it look like an accident. I have the same emotions toward him as you do your twin.”

“I might take you up on that offer, Sam. But for now, Luisa May Alcott and her Little Women are calling my name and I need a good grade on this if I don’t want to be murdered by my aunt Hayley,” She said smiling at him as we got out of the car.

“Have fun you two and remember, Paddy, keep a door open!” Sam yelled at us as we walked into the house, while he waited for Harry so they could do something I don’t even want to think about.

“Sorry about him and my entire family and friends that live in this house,” I told her as we walked up the stairs to the front door.

“It’s OK. I’m sure my family is 1000% weirder than yours.”

“Really?”

“Oh yeah.”

“Ok. My brothers once decided it would be a good idea to throw toilet paper at my head for an Instagram video,” I told her starting with one of the less weird stories I have from my family.

“My aunts have a metal reinforced bomb shelter that could survive any bomb I’m aware of, in our apartment that they have told me on numerous occasions it’s not used for sex stuff.”

“OK, I’m thinking through all of my stories and none of them match that.”

POV Hayley

“What do you know about what happened the week of the 8th of September?”

“The only thing that I can’t remember that would be at all relevant.”

“Has it disappeared from your memory?”

“It appears it has slipped my mind.”

“So you have a date,” I teased TJ at dinner.

“It’s not a date, it’s a study session for an English project I could do by myself blindfolded in your warehouse. It’s on Little Women, all I really would have to do is ask Emma or Flo and I could get all the answers I would ever need. Or I could just do it myself but it’s a group project,” TJ told me stabbing my salad on my plate.

“It sounds like you have a date,” Lizzie told her.

“And you stole my salad.”

“It’s not a date,” She laughed/defended herself. “And I did.”

“If you say so,” I told her changing the topic, “So how would you feel about helping me on Sebastian’s case? You can annoy the hell out of him till he takes the plea bargain. Or you could trick him into a confession.”

“Aren’t you meant to be proving his innocence?” Lizz asked me.

“Yes, but no jury is going to let him get away with it in today’s society.”

“He was arrested for public intoxication, that’s a slap on the wrist especially with his family,” TJ told me what I already knew.

“He was arrested for public intoxication, attempting to purchase sex, and pimping out college girls. He can get away with public intoxication, maybe depending on his labwork but with his track record and all of this shit he’ll see some prison time. I hope. I feel so sorry for those poor girls he was pimping out,” I told her eating my own dinner.

“How is it that I’m the one who sees this as an uncomfortable dinner time talk? I’m the one that partakes in murder and torture for a living,” Lizzie spoke up refilling her wine glass.

“Maybe because you partake in mob activity and pimps tend to be mob members in this city?” TJ spoke.

“We don’t do that. Like we no longer deal drugs we help them out instead, providing employment and educational opportunities for those who would have no other option but to turn to people like Sebastian and Chris. We don’t play in that game. We try and empower women,” Lizzie said voice rising in anger.

“I’m sorry Liz, I just don’t know that much about all this,” TJ told her.

“So, should we play a game?” I asked trying to ease the tension.

“Sure,” They said in unison.

“How about two rounds of Never Have I Ever?” I asked.

“I’ll win so sure,” TJ said with a smirk.

“If you have you have to take a shot of hot sauce or vodka. I’ll start,” Lizzie said, “Never Have I Ever, worked for the law.”

“Screw you, Elizabeth!” I said as TJ tried to find the hot sauce on the table as I got the shot glasses and took a shot of vodka.

“I had one internship,” TJ said taking her hot sauce shot with pride, “My go, never have I ever shot a man.”

“Not myself, well not with a gun,” Lizzie said as we turned to look at her before she asked, “Do crossbows count?”

“Yes and I want to hear that story,” TJ told her as we both downed Vodka shots.

“Never have I ever had a crush on another member of a mob,” I say handing TJ the hot sauce.

“I haven’t Hayley, I haven’t had a yet crush,” She told me.

We finished our game and turned in for the night all of us doing our own individual tasks. That was until Lizzie came and saw me about TJ.

“I’m worried about her, it’s nearly the one-year anniversary of Robin’s death. I think we should do something about it. Either take her somewhere in memory of him or try to distract her from it,” Lizzie said standing in my doorway.

“Remember at the funeral she said she cherished the memory of going to McDonald’s in time square with him when they were 8 and first came to New York, maybe we could go there with some of her friends,” I told her looking at her through my mirror.

“Who should we invite?” Lizzie asked, “I mean obviously Sofia and Millie, maybe Mia, Emily and Lily?”

“What about her new friend from school? The one she has a school project with?” I suggested.

“Maybe, I’ll have Mr. T look into him, just to make sure there’s nothing too bad hiding in his closet. You can never be too sure with these things,” Liz said, “Maybe you should rethink your stance on Stan.”

“Maybe, you should reconsider Chris’s offer,” I told her.

“OK, so can we agree no more boy talk, lyubit',” Lizzie said to me moving toward me and away from the door.

“What do you want to talk about?” I asked her.

“I’d prefer to not talk and maybe do something else instead,” She smirked.

“Can you two please shut your door! I DON’T WANT TO HEAR ANY OF THIS!” TJ shouted from her room.

“OK!” I shouted getting up to shut the door.

“Can I ask what happened next Ms. Atwell? Or has it disappeared from your memory as well?”

“What happened next is strictly between me and Ms. Olsen, God rest her soul and may it not burn in hell with those monsters that did this to her. But I’m sure you can assume what happened next.”

“I’d like to hear the words come from your mouth.”

“You sound like her, but instead of words she preferred to hear something else from me.”

“That’ll be all for know please Ms. Atwell,” The judge told me.

“But he wanted to know what happened next your honour and that requires a bit of foul language that may make you a bit uncomfortable.”

POV Chris

“What do you know about what happened the week of the 8th of September?”

“Not much admittedly, I was on a bit of a bender. You see I was just dumped by my betrothed thingy that Robert set up years ago to keep the peace when the Holland’s moved to New York. Meant to be a part of a peace treaty me and some other unfortunate soul were meant to marry into the Barnes’ as a show of peace.”

“Did this end with the events that unfolded?”

“No, it didn’t. Enough members survived for a need for the treaty.”

“Except they replaced me with Sebastian.”

“Just tell us your story.”

“Hit me again,” Sebastian told me as we played cards.

“We’re playing go fish Seb,” I told him.

“I know, I meant another beer,” He said.

“Sorry.”

“You seem distracted. What did Robert say?”

“The reason I’m Elizabeth’s liaison is I’m meant to marry her and one of the brothers is meant to marry Jean’s granddaughter. And from the age range, I was given of her it sounds likely that Paddy will be drawn into this life after all. And I’m meant to tell Nikki but she terrifies me.”

“She is a scary woman when it comes to protecting her children, especially Paddy.”

“She thought she could save his soul but very clearly she was wrong. I knew Dominic and Robert were up to no good in all of their meetings.”

“It gets worse. Robert killed the girl’s twin brother with his own hands. She was told he died of cancer which he did have but it didn’t kill him.”

“Robert killed a child with cancer because he thought he was a threat, that’s just cold even for him.”

“What was cold of me?” Robert asked coming into the kitchen taking one of the beers from the fridge to hand to Sebastian and another one for himself.

“We were talking about your plans for me and the Barnes girl.”

“She’s coming over tomorrow, it’s a bit of a study date. Hopefully, they don’t kill each other that would put a damper on my plans,” Robert said to us sitting on one of the stools at the bar.

“Why do your plans involve the love lives of two teenagers, isn’t that a bit weird even for you?” Sebastian asked him.

“Maybe but not here I get to say what’s weird and what’s not. Maybe you’d know the feeling if you stayed in Romania a little longer than you did.”

“OK, that’s enough Robert. It’s too much even for you.”

“You seem to have forgotten your place here Evans. As soon as you are in charge you can change how things are but until then I make the rules and Dominic made that deal to save what was left of his family and their business,” Robert spat at me.

Right, the destruction of the Holland Mafia, the event that lead to Robert becoming one of the most powerful men in the world. The events that took place in 2004. London was in term oil there were fights on the streets between the Holland and the Barnes Families until August when Dominic was losing he decided that instead of lose the little bit of power and control he had left he was going to strike a deal with the Barnes Mafia in an attempt to save his own life and the life of his boys. Though through my conversations with Elizabeth I doubt that anything would have happened to the boys other than they’d have been taken into the family fold and been brought up outside of the mob. He used that power to make a deal his yet to be born child would eventually marry the youngest Barnes. He didn’t tell his wife or his boys. He then used this deal to bargain for his escape to New York where the last few of his men joined with Robert’s giving him more power in exchange for protection.

“Fine but that doesn’t make it OK for this to be happening. Any of this,” I said.

“Maybe but what we do isn’t moral it’s a business based of people doing immoral things and if you can’t handle that I can and will arrange for your early retirement.”

“No thank you, Robert,” I said through gritted teeth while he left the room.

“We should tell the kid. Or Nikki maybe that could be a way around this whole thing,” Seb said once we checked that Robert was out of earshot.

“I’m pretty sure that we should tell the kids and Nikki at the same time, you never know maybe the girl will have the guts to kill Robert or at least hurt him,” I told him.

“If only she would. It would make life much easier for us,” He said looking around, “Now tell me about this Elizabeth character does she seem nice or like she’ll shoot you next time you enter her office?”

“Both if that’s possible. She seems like if I say one wrong thing or make one wrong move I’m going to end up in the Hudson. But I saw her with her I want to say niece the other day in central park and she seemed so calm and sweet.”

“She has a niece?”

“I looked into it and not really the kid refers to Elizabeth as aunt and lives with her but she’s Jean’s granddaughter.”

“So not her sisters’ kid?”

“No, they seem to have disappeared off the grid. They haven’t been spotted in 5 years apparently.”

“How have they managed that in today’s tech-driven world? And how did you get all this beer? Robert doesn’t own the beer trade in New York.”

“I honestly have no clue. And Elizabeth gave it to me as a peace offering for the first day on the job as her liaison, apparently, they’re the ones that managed to get almost all of the alcohol trade in NYC. Tip-off before t-total America.”

 POV TJ

“What do you know about what happened the week of the 8th of September?”

“That was an interesting week for sure, we got contacted by two ghosts, I had a study session with Paddy and I nearly shot Tom Holland.”

“You shot a gun?”

“Oh god no I despise the things, I nearly shot him with a bow that I had in my possession for PE class. It wasn’t nearly as bad as it sounds. Yes, I actually hit him but it was his hair that got hurt and his ego but that could take a beating and still be too large.”

“Are you sure?”

“Absolutely. That thing was way too big just because Robert thought he should be his next in line.”

“So have you actually read Little Women?” I asked Paddy as I sat on his bedroom floor.

“First, you know you can sit on a chair. Secondly, I am almost done with it,” He said pointing to the chair opposite to him.

“Yes I know I can but I don’t want to. So I’m going to sit here on the floor and start working on the project while you finish reading it,” I told him opening my computer to start working through the list of tasks Paddy’s father had set out for us.

“Cool.”

After about an hour of working in silence, there was a knock on the door, followed by a woman pocking her head through the door.

“Hey, Pads do you and your friend want a snack?” The ginger-haired woman asked.

“Yes?” He said more as a question to me.

“Sure,” I said to her smiling.

“Thanks, Mum,” Paddy said as I turned back to my computer before I heard his voice go from that of a normal teenage boy to one that grew up in a family of mobsters, “What the hell do you want Chris?”

“I wanted to tell you two and your mother something I found out from your father and Robert. Well, actually from Elizabeth but it has to do with Dominic and Robert,” Chris said as I turned towards him.

“Why didn’t aunt Lizzie tell me if she wanted me to know, Christopher?” I spoke.

“Aunt Lizzie?” Paddy asked.

“Probably for your own protection but I don’t care about that. As long as you don’t die I can get away with anything to do with you,” Chris told me looking directly into my eyes.

“You underestimate my aunt, she’ll kill you if you get to close. She’s a sweetheart though,” I told him.

“Hey – Chris,” Paddy’s mum said voice changing instantly.

“Nicola. I have some news for all three of you.”

“Where does you shooting Tom come into this?”

“I’m about to get there.”

“Go ahead.”

After hearing the new Chris had to say Nicola went after her husband and I went in search of Robert Downey Jr. to kill followed by a puppy-like Paddy. I happened to have a bow and some arrows with me from PE which I took with me on this search. I did come across Robert with some of his close associates, mainly Paddy’s oldest brother, Tom.

“What the fucking hell Robert! When you said our families made peace all those years ago I didn’t think it meant with a freaking arranged marriage! That is the cruellest thing you have ever done and I am counting murdering my twin brother because you saw him and me as threats to your family! Well, Downey I’m here to tell you, you’ve just started a war you can’t win because even if you survive, all this won’t, neither will your legacy. Because the truth will come out whether or not you admit it is the truth. See you in hell asshole,” I stated drawing back the string on the bow and aimed at the table and Tom’s hair, meeting my targets before swirling around and walking toward Hayley’s car in the driveway leaving Paddy standing there staring at his brothers.

I overheard him say, “I should go back and finish my homework.”

“I got your bags from Chris. You need to get out of that English class and maybe that school,” Hayley said as I sat in her car and she took off.

“Or you need Jesus, maybe come to church once in a while kid,” Lizzie said through the phone.

“Or maybe I need someone to tell me the fucking truth from all of you,” I said grabbing my headphones and putting my on and staring out the window. Mr. T is the facts person in the mob if you need to find out anything you go to him and he’ll have the answer 24 hours later. He was the one that lead the charge against the Holland’s all those years ago.

When we arrived back home I stormed into the building getting into the elevator, “I’m going to see Mr. T he’s got more answers than either of you. Including one that I asked him to dig up yesterday.”

“Be home soon. It’s no longer safe for you in this city. You’re coming to church on Sunday. It proves your not actually going to hurt Robert at least not yet,” Hayley said.

“OK Hales,” I told her getting out of the Lift on the floor below Hayley.

“Hey, I heard you were coming over. And I got your answers,” Mr. T said as I knocked on the door.

“And apparently a tiger,” I said as I stepped into the apartment.

“Looking after it for a friend. But in answer to your first question. It’s true you’re suspicions were correct. Sadly for your brother and your mother,” He said.

“Sadder for his wife and my genetics. Now, what can you tell me about how to take down the Downey Mafia. I need to destroy them,” I said with what I hoped was the stone-cold look of a killer.

“Happily,” He responded, handing me a drink from his fridge.

 POV Sebastian

“What do you know about what happened the week of the 8th of September?”

“Nothing that I’d tell you.”

“Please enlighten us, Mr. Stan, it’ll make this a lot easier for you down the road.”

“Maybe but it’s between me and the people involved not you and the internet. So I’d rather stay silent on the matter.”

“So she tried to shoot you?” I asked Tom.

“No, I think she just missed Robert.”

“Trust me if she wanted to hit you she would’ve. I’ve seen her trophies in Elizabeth’s office. She was just trying to scare you all,” Chris spoke up.

“Well, I hope next time she doesn’t aim to kill because I’d rather go out with a bullet than an arrow,” Tom said grabbing a beer.

“Well, then don’t piss off TJ or her family they tend to do things the old fashioned way,” Chris smiled into his beer.

“That’s interesting. How exactly did you know that?” I asked him.

“I have my ways, Stan. Now Holland what are you going to do about your brother?” Chris asked.

“That comes down to my parents. And I’m on standby in case mum needs a body disposed of.”

“Well, good luck with all that. We have bigger issues,” I said looking at the fridge.

“What? Out of beer?” Tom asked.

“Not quite but the only way we can get more is to ask Elizabeth or go through her and help aid her.”

“Well, before we inevitably go to war with the Barnes family, who are objectively older, wiser and more powerful, let’s get shitfaced and ruin our aim tomorrow!” I said.

“Cheers! Here’s to getting shitfaced by illegal means!” Tom said.

“Dude. Just speak normally.”

“Can I ask if you figured out how they figured out the outlawing of alcohol?”

“Probably, Hayley Atwell, she’s a lawyer at one police plaza and worked in Washington for a bit,” Paddy said grabbing Tom’s beer.

“Rough night?”

“Really your asking that after everything that’s happened today?”

“Fair enough, kid. Why don’t you join us?”

“You let a minor get drunk?”

“After everything you’ve heard today about these events that’s your question? If I let a minor get drunk? Of course, I let a minor get drunk! He just found out he’s betrothed to someone he has a school project with and he just met! Who may or may not be related to the people that killed his family members. And you ask if I let him have a beer?”

“Yes, Mr. Stan that is what I’m asking.”

“Well then. The answer is yes and I’m aware it’s illegal in two forms but I did it anyway.”

#mob!au #mob au #mob!reader #mob!tom #mcu #marvel #fanfic #fan fic #My writing #writing #mob!mcu #mcu cast #sebastian stan #chris evans #hayley atwell #paddy holland #kelli berglund #elizabeth olsen #robert downey jr #rdj #tom holland

[ainereads]

June TBR

So, I’m not participating in any readathons this month but I did put together a bit of a TBR. I hope you enjoy. All of the book descriptions are from Goodreads. 

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

I don’t really think this needs an explanation, but this is my first time fully reading this part of the series and I’m so excited. I recently got The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes too. 

Strange Star by Emma Carroll

They were coming tonight to tell ghost stories. 'A tale to freeze the blood,' was the only rule. Switzerland, 1816. On a stormy summer night, Lord Byron and his guests are gathered round the fire. Felix, their serving boy, can't wait to hear their creepy tales. Yet real life is about to take a chilling turn - more chilling than any tale. Frantic pounding at the front door reveals a stranger, a girl covered in the most unusual scars. She claims to be looking for her sister, supposedly snatched from England by a woman called Mary Shelley. Someone else has followed her here too, she says. And the girl is terrified.

New Moon by Stephenie Meyer

I don’t think this needs an explanation either but I’m looking forward to continue on with this series. 

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

In the year 2044, reality is an ugly place. The only time teenage Wade Watts really feels alive is when he's jacked into the virtual utopia known as the OASIS. Wade's devoted his life to studying the puzzles hidden within this world's digital confines--puzzles that are based on their creator's obsession with the pop culture of decades past and that promise massive power and fortune to whoever can unlock them. But when Wade stumbles upon the first clue, he finds himself beset by players willing to kill to take this ultimate prize. The race is on, and if Wade's going to survive, he'll have to win--and confront the real world he's always been so desperate to escape.

Tilly & The Lost Fairytales by Anna James

Tilly Pages is a bookwanderer; she can travel inside books, and even talk to the characters she meets there. But Tilly’s powers are put to the test when fairytales start leaking book magic and causing havoc . . .On a wintery visit to Paris, Tilly and her best friend Oskar bravely bookwander into the land of fairytales to find that characters are getting lost, stories are all mixed-up, and mysterious plot holes are opening without warning. Can Tilly work out who, or what, is behind the chaos so everyone gets their happily-ever-after?The second enthralling tale in the bestselling PAGES CO series.

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

I don’t think I could’ve picked a better time to finally read this, due to everything that is currently going on in the world. 

Anna K by Jenny Lee

Meet Anna K. At seventeen, she is at the top of Manhattan and Greenwich society (even if she prefers the company of her horses and Newfoundland dogs); she has the perfect (if perfectly boring) boyfriend, Alexander W.; and she has always made her Korean-American father proud (even if he can be a little controlling). Meanwhile, Anna's brother, Steven, and his girlfriend, Lolly, are trying to weather an sexting scandal; Lolly’s little sister, Kimmie, is struggling to recalibrate to normal life after an injury derails her ice dancing career; and Steven’s best friend, Dustin, is madly (and one-sidedly) in love with Kimmie. As her friends struggle with the pitfalls of ordinary teenage life, Anna always seems to be able to sail gracefully above it all. That is…until the night she meets Alexia “Count” Vronsky at Grand Central. A notorious playboy who has bounced around boarding schools and who lives for his own pleasure, Alexia is everything Anna is not. But he has never been in love until he meets Anna, and maybe she hasn’t, either. As Alexia and Anna are pulled irresistibly together, she has to decide how much of her life she is willing to let go for the chance to be with him. And when a shocking revelation threatens to shatter their relationship, she is forced to question if she has ever known herself at all.

Clueless: One Last Summer by Amber Benson

Cher, Dionne, and Tai set off for one last summer of footloose and fancy-free fashion and fun before college starts! The class of 1997 has left Bronson Alcott High School for good, and as the weather heats up, Cher and besties Dionne and Tai head off for their last summer vacation adventure together before, ugh, REAL LIFE!

Those are all the books I plan on reading in June! 

#tbr #reading #reader #book #books #fantasy #ya #bookworm #bookworms #book blog

[tinyshe]

Garden Report 20.05.29

I am hard pressed to find nary a caterpillar. I think the wasp(s) came to the rescue in the nick of time! That is so amazing (for which I am also grateful).

The alpine strawberries are coming off. I ate the first Tay of the season today.

Worked more in the old chicken yard. Cut up the Christmas tree. It was still green up to about two weeks ago but with a series of storms and blow overs, it was given up as a lost cause and left laying on its side. Using the limbs about the ancient red rhodie since they appreciate an acid soil. So many tree limbs to take down. I think the ancient dogwood may have gotten choked out by the Lady Banks rose and the haw. Still have the urge to have the chicks on the other side of the house but the coop is not moveable to that part of the garden. Matter of fact, I don’t think we can even budge it!

Was able to source some cardboard from the farm stand outside the city where I donate the flats. When the farmers don’t take back their boxes, they pile up and are given away willingly. Will lay down more as barrier and cover with wheat straw and other cuttings from pruning. Mulching/ compost in pathways.

I purchased a hose extender/ water wand. I wanted just a basic one but all they had was these fancy multi stream ones. But it does have a brake which I appreciate. I still may be too short to get water up into the toms because the opening may not be large enough in the jug.  They aren’t wilting so they must have enough for now. Maybe a funnel in each jug OR drip irrigation!

Worked on taking down the winter veg seed crop. Maddeningly slow process as trying to detangle. High humidity and high pollen count did not help the venture. Most of the Asian greens (brassicas/mustards), red Russian kale, and radish looked fairly mature seed pods. Strip the leaves and any immature limbs/pods off the plant, insert seed heads into paper bags, clothes peg lightly to plant, leaving root out and exposed, hopefully able to have the seeds finish maturing without mold setting in. The Swiss chard, beet root and Lacinato/ English/Italian kale are not ready to flower so I left those.  The red cabbage was pulled and thoroughly danced upon to insure all those fat, juicy aphids would compost well. Pulled the water starved strawberries from the bed so I can put in nursery paks to send off to the sale. Most of the flats I seeded are starting to come up. I have them sitting on the back walk so will need to drape some tulle over them to keep pest out. But then will the dog think its something to walk and lay on? Having the summer house done would be nice.

The Asian pear has fruit this year; mainly on a couple of branches. I will let it do its own thinning if it wants.

The roses are all in full bloom except for the two I moved late in the season. One might make a come back.  I am hoping the other will too and not die back completely. The wild rose is doing very well so am hoping for a great harvest of hips. I still have rose cuttings that have rooted in pots that need to get in the ground.

My tea camellias are in transit but unfortunately have suffered a mishandle. They were to arrive today and I was ready to go pick them up. Now maybe, just maybe, Monday but I can’t reach them until Wednesday! The fun part is that the company stops shipping Friday (today). Let’s hope they survive as there will be no more until next Spring and I am not going to keep playing this game. Just like I refuse to pay extortion prices for Autumn raspberries. This whole panicdemic is getting ridiculous.

I am contemplating making a tiny glass house / large cloche for the lemon tree. It is inundated with blossoms and the scent is fabulous! So do I make the cloche big enough for me to crawl in there too as to enjoy the beautiful scent (aromatherapy) ?! Maybe just maybe, get that damn summer house up and going then move the tree into barrel then there... yeah, that’s the ticket!  *big eye roll* Sometimes I get distracted with the here and now vs the future with limited time. SOME times?! Yes, some times.

Increased the diameter of roost for the chicks. Their feet have gotten so big! Alcott has noticed too and has a thing about her toes. She does this funny walk then picks up a foot to examine it. Walk, look ... Minister of Funny Walks. They are doing well. I am starting to really worry about Rossetti.  She has taken to pecking me; every time she won’t stop after a couple of gentle ‘no’ and brush offs, I just pick her up and cuddle her until she stops screaming then return her back in the run. She just has such a bad attitude and too young for that! I want to stop her bad habits so I don’t have to re-home her. I had a chicken once that was a sneaky twit and finally got rid of her for the sake of the flock (she would pluck and peck other hen’s butts at night!) ... and you know, she settled right down at her new home surrounded by ducks and a goose! I guess she was a malcontent or a princess (or both) that just was unhappy in the pecking order. My other fear is that she could be a he. Friends don’t eat friends but I definitely can not have a rooster ‘in town’ and most just get too aggressive as they age so no one wants them for pets. But I’m not going too far down that path just yet and sticking with the fussy middle chick that’s not like the others, and trying some positive reinforcements to bad behaviour.

#catholic gardener #gardening #garden #permaculture #chicks #chickens #fruit #seed saving #chicken coop #cardboard weed barrier #mulch compost pathways #garden structures #transplants #roses #seeds #pest #wasp #aphids #caterpillars #urban homestead

[powwidge]

Hunger games simulator highlights

Those characters are taking part: Atsushi, Akutagawa, Dazai, Chuuya, Kunikida, Yosano, Fukuzawa, Mori, Fyodor, Gogol, Kyouka, Gin, Mushitarou, Fitzgerald, Poe, Ranpo, Alcott, Kenji, Ango, Odasaku, Higuchi, Tanizaki, Tachihara, Jôno

Gin pushes Kunikida of a cliff. She'd do that.

Jôno kills gogol with a hatchet. So far everything is in character.

Tachihara severely injures Kyouka and leaves her to die. Not news.

Fyodor gives up the fight about a bag with Mushitarou. Ooc count 1/?

Mori fukcign kills ATSUSHI dude.

Fyodor injures himself. I. Ok.

"Yosano dies of dysentery" MISS U R A DOC ooc counter 2/?

Moto attacks Akutagawa. He's. He's in the mafia too my dear... but honestly, this is not ooc.

Poe tends to Chuuyas wounds (and pushes him into a novel right after) ooc counter 3/?

FUKUZAWA SETS FYODOR ON FIRE WITH A MOTOLOV THANKS IM DYING. Not ooc. If they got fyodor, they would so do that.

"Mori, Alcott and Mushitarou cheerfully sing songs together." They've gone mad. Ooc counter 4/?

AKUTAGAWA THROWS A KNIFE INTO GINS HEAD. OOC COUNTER 104/???

Ranpo kills odasaku for supplies. He probably had sweets.

Higuchi and Dazai run into each other and decide to truce for the night ;))))

Poe chases Mori. Baby. Baby, don't. Ooc counter 105/???

Dazai stabs Alcott while her back is turned. Sadly. In character.

Tanizaki ambushed Mori and kills him. Yeah, that almost happened in canon xDD

Fitzgerald and Higuchi huddle for warmth. I sense a new ship...?

Akutagawa throws a knife into Tachiharas head. I mean, that guy deserved it. But what is with u and throwing knives into people's head???

"Fitzgerald and Kenji fight Ranponand Poe. Ranpo and Poe survive." That's it, quality ship.

A SWARM OF TRACKER JACKERS INVADES THE AREA. Ango, Tanizaki and Poe die :'(

Akutagawa and Ranpo huddle for warmth. I. Doubt that. Ooc counter 106/???

The cornucopia is replenished with stuff. Ranpo pushes chuuya of a cliff. Is this ooc?I don't know. Akutagawa cannot handle the circumstances and commits suicide. Ok. Ok dude. After killing your sister, I---

Fukuzawa discovers a fucking cave, Dazai falls into a frozen lake and dies and Ranpo dies from hunger. Appropriate deaths, to say the least.

That's it. FUKUZAWA IS THE WINNER

#bsd #bungou stray dogs #hunger games simulator #long post

[kbrown78]

Monthly Wrap Up: January

Wow, for starting a new reading year, things are going really well for me. First I read 13 books this month, which I am so surprised by, especially since 6 of this books were 500 pages or over. I attribute that to not tagging as many books, in fact I only did that for 7 of them. Aside from my high book count, I'm also on my way to achieving some personal reading goal's of mine. One is to complete 5 series, and I completed 3 this month. I also want to read more diverse books, and while I didn't read any authors of color, 3 of the books that I read featured diverse protagonists. Of the total books that I read 5 were new (one was a non fiction book, What Color Is Your Parachute, which is a great book for job hunting), and 7 were rereads. I also participated in 2 reading challenge's this month, one is the year long PopSugar 2019 Reading Challenge, which I did last year, and the other was a Pick My TBR challenge from the Reading Frenzy group on Goodreads, which will also be a year long challenge. I was able to read the book that was selected for the Pick My TBR challenge and I completed 8 of the prompts for the PopSugar challenge, which is a strong start. Something I also accomplished this month was reading books from several different genres, which is a long term reading goal of mine. There was paranormal romance, climate fiction, classics, contemporary, and even a few fantasies. In terms of my opinion of the books I read, I was all over the board. Now 5 star books, but there was everything from a 4 star to a 1 star. Still I would say January was a good reading month and hopefully the rest of the year continues on a similar note.  

Abhorsen by Garth Nix: I really disliked Lirael but I knew I was going to read this one since I just had one more book and I already had the entire trilogy. I didn't bother tabbing the book because I gave up on that during Lirael and I didn't expect this book to get much better, so this review is going to contain all my spoilery thoughts on this book. First the things I liked about this book. I liked the animal companions. I liked Mogget in the first book but his appearance in the second book felt a bit awkward because of events at the end of Sabriel. I didn't like the Disreputable Dog at first because she just felt like a bit of a replacement for Mogget. In this book I really enjoyed both of them because I felt like they had distinct but likable personalities, while being these grounded companions but also ancient cosmic creatures. I also liked the magic system. The Charter magic/ Free magic and the Clayer library were the best aspects of the previous books. I think the Abhorsen bells are really cool, how each one has a different role, and all the history behind them that gets revealed. I also think Lirael improved in this one. She was fairly whiny and mopey when we're first introduced to her, but in this book I felt like she matured and did a fairly good job at dealing with her position as the Aborsen-in-Training. It was also nice to have Lirael and Sabriel finally meet since they are both Abhorsen and half sisters. The last thing I liked was that there was no romance. I did not like the forced romance between Sabriel and Touchstone, so having to read another unnecessary romance would have made this book that much worse for me. Now onto what I disliked about Abhorsen. I still really disliked Sam. He wasn't as irritating as he was in the previous book, but he still felt pretty useless and unnecessary. The title of worst character shifted from Sam to his friend Nick. He was as irritating as Sam was in the second book, but he purposefully did things that were reckless and destructive. Dislike of the male characters, and frankly the majority of the characters, aside, I also had issues with the plot and general story. I read this book at the very beginning of the month, and I honestly forget everything that happened, probably because there was a lot of filler. All I remember is being disappointed by the ending because of how underwhelming and predictable it was. I do think it's better than the previous book, but that might be because my expectations were so low. It's one of those endings, where everything is just fixed and everyone survives despite the world ending stakes. As a whole the Abhorsen trilogy has a few interesting elements, like the magic system, animal companions, and Clayr's library. Unfortunately I think this series is just mediocre and not as dark and scary as it could have been. Abhorsen received 2 out 5 stars.

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath: I first read this in sophomore year of college and it was at the same time I got The Virgin Suicides. I really liked it the first time I read it because there was a lot that I could identify with and I thought it was very well written, however I recently reread The Virgin Suicides and hated it. I thought I was going to end up hating The Bell Jar too, but I wanted to give it a try before unhauling it, and I'm glad I did. There is something very thought provoking and familiar about story. The protagonist, Esther, struggling with her identity which leads her into a depressing downward spiral, is something I can personally relate to, but I like how Plath tells the story as well. She has a sort of dry, precise writing style which I normally don't like but Plath also seems to be sure to have that raw, emotional element to it. The story also had a realistic feel to it, not just in the subjects that it deals with but also in the ending. There are some books I've read where things just seem to get suddenly better at the end so that everyone gets a happy ending, but it doesn't feel realistic because it just suddenly happens with no build up or long term effort to fix the initial problem. In The Bell Jar the ending is rather ambiguous, with the audience being unsure of where thing actually stand for Esther and if she'll actually be released from the pysch ward. I will say that this book is pretty depressing and is full of trigger warnings. Esther's story was sad enough before she went to a mental hospital, but then things take a grim turn when she is constantly subjected to electro shock therapy. Again it's a depressing story but I do think is worth it if you can handle it. It's a modern classic for a reason, and while there are some dated aspects of the story, the overall theme and feel of the book is timeless. The Bell Jar received 4 out 5 stars.

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott: This is a classic that I had never read. I grew up on the movie version of this book, but my sister read it when she was young and loved it, and as the years passed I felt this pressure to read it. I finally decided to pick this one up since I want to read more classics this year and there were several PoPSugar 2019 Reading Challenge prompts that this fit. I had a hard time with it at first for a few reasons. The language was a bit off putting, the March sisters felt immature and annoying at the beginning, and I had the movie version playing in my head the whole time. I really liked the movie and while the book is similar there are a few differences and some things are gone into more detail. It took awhile to get into the book, like I was so tempted to quit it, but I pushed through and by the second half things improved. In the second half they start feel more like mature women who are leaving their childhood's behind to manage their own lives. Each still having a distinct personality, but they come across as more complicated than they did at the beginning of the book. Meg dealing with a married life, and while not being as wealthy as other girls, she's happy and never far from home. Amy, who went to Europe, still enjoys luxuries but seems to understand there's more to life than that. Jo becomes a responsible woman, understanding herself a bit better but never losing her fire. It's a story that you have to get the full thing in order to appreciate it. It has themes of wealth and poverty, family, growing, and love, all being well done but again the payoff doesn't really come until later. The sisterly bonds I really liked seeing because I don't often read a book that does a good job of portraying sisters in a realistic yet positive and loving light. I will admit I had mixed feelings about all the romances. Meg and John's is cute and while it isn't my favorite I do like that we see them struggling in their marriage at times, yet always overcoming it. Amy and Laurie's romance was always my least favorite one in the movie because Amy is my least favorite character. In the book I can appreciate it a bit better because they both clearly try to better themselves to be worthy of the other (still don't love it though). Jo and Professor Bhaer are my favorite relationship in movie, like I tear up at the final scene when she asks him to stay. I think that they are so well suited for each other, and he really represents how much she has grown as a character. In the book though, I didn't really get emotional over them. There was still the same scene at the end that I loved, but most of the differences between the book and the movies involved their relationship and the timing of when certain events happened, and I just prefer how it's done in the movie. As more time passes I appreciate the book more and more, I think because the whole story was well written, despite the long and difficult beginning. It's a coming of age classic that I would recommend to anyone, but to young women in particular. Little Women received 4 out 5 stars and was my pick for the PopSugar prompts “book becoming a movie,” “book with 2 word title,” “book that includes a wedding,” and “book about family.”        

An Alchemy of Masques and Mirrors by Curtis Craddock: I went into this book expecting it to be a great story because I heard a lot of key things that made me think I would love it. A deformed princess whose best feature is her brain, I always love intelligent heroines. The prominent relationship would be the friendship between the princess Isabelle and her loyal body guard, Jean-Claude, and while awesome female friendships are my favorite relationships to read about, I always love a platonic male/ female friendship. Isabelle being shipped off for a political marriage, and last year I realized that arranged marriages that turns into real love and partnership is something I really like. A mystery with political intrigue, and I love stories with political intrigue. There's also sorcery next to steamships. Basically everything I heard about it made it sound like it would be something I loved. Once I read the book, though, it wasn't exactly what I expected. All of the stuff that I had hoped for was there, but it wasn't utilized in the way I wanted them to be. Isabelle is smart, she writes mathematical papers and speaks a language that is forbidden to women, and this is shown and made useful a few times in this book, but there other things about the people around her that she didn't pick up on that should have been obvious. That can be blamed on her harsh and isolated background both because of her deformity and the shear cruelty of her family, which is something I see a lot of in fantasy. Having the main character come from an abusive or neglectful family is a stable of fiction that I would like to stop seeing so much of. I do like that their was the father/ daughter dynamic between Isabelle and Jean-Claude, but it was just kind of there and I don't feel like I got enough development of it. I was also a bit underwhelmed by Jean-Claude as a character, because he pretends to be drunkard (which he only keeps up for less than half the book) but is actually a highly skilled musketeer with a strong sense of nobility. I didn't think there was anything fun or interesting about him. I thought that he was a pretty flat and shallow character, and he was so slow to figure out who was behind everything that it really makes him seem almost incompetent. I like the relationship for what it is, but I don't get a sense of history or devotion between either of these characters. Onto the potential romance, I liked that Isabella's worried about both her political standing and what her would be husband will think of her, since everyone but Jean-Claude sees her as an inconvenience at best. The fact that she keeps wanting to communicate with him before seeing him, but he takes no initiative to do that, does help build up the tension. Upon their first meeting at a masked ball though, I wasn't feeling any chemistry between the two. I won't reveal the twist at the end, but I will say Isabelle and her fiance are suddenly very close by the end of the book and it makes no sense. Like they knew each other for a short time, not even a full week, there was hardly any dialogue between them, and yet they are acting all lovey dovey and it just doesn't make any sense and I feel zero chemistry between them. Like the I shipped them more before they met, which means I liked the potential of the relationship much better than the actual relationship. The sorcery and steamships are two distinct pieces of world building and while I liked both overall, I had separate issues with them. The steamships are central part of the world because the kingdoms are all on floating land masses, so while it's important and fun to see something like that in a fantasy, I was a little thrown off by it at first, and it took about a quarter of the book for me to fully understand that piece. The sorcery bit of the world I really, really liked. There's the Sanguine's, which is a type of blood magic seen Isabelle's native court, and is indicated via red shadows. Then there's the sorcery in her fiance's court, which I believe was called Glasswalking, where one can walk through mirrors, and it's indicated via silver eyes. There are other abilities out there, and they are all tied to the history of royal bloodline and great deal of effort is put into preserving these bloodlines. Each ability was distinct and I loved the detail and technicality put into each one. Sometimes these abilities felt like plot devices and were used in a way I didn't like, and I also wished I could have seen more of them rather than just the 2. Lastly, and probably my major issue with the story, was the narrative itself. As I stated at the beginning I went into this expecting it to be a mix of political intrigue and mystery, with the mystery aspect being more of a side thing. Any political aspect of the story was sacrificed for the sake of furthering the mystery narrative, which might have been okay if the mystery was good, but it wasn't. I guessed who was behind the whole thing before either of the characters did. I thought for a mystery it relied on several overused tropes, which again made it feel so obvious, and I thought the villains whole motivation and plan wasn't good because 1) it was insane and was never going to work and 2) the first book of a series is not the place to be putting stakes that were as high as they were. There were several enjoyable aspects of this story, but ultimately I thought it was underwhelming and disappointed me in almost every way. An Alchemy of Masques and Mirror received 3 out 5 stars from me.        

The Nowhere Girls by Amy Reed:  I had this one on my TBR shelf on Goodreads for awhile, and while I was intrigued by the premise, I kept not picking it up. This month I had to read it since it was chosen by someone else to be the book I read, as part of a monthly reading challenge group. The book met my expectations of it, I'm glad that I read it. The premise is that new girl Grace sees messages written into the walls of her bedroom, and when she asks about it she learns that the girl that previously lived in that room was gang raped. Instead of having the boys face consequences, the whole town pretends it didn't happen and label her as a slut, including those that believed her. Grace and her new friends create The Nowhere Girls in the hopes that this will change things for the better for the women of the community, then things take off from there. The story follows mainly 4 POVs. There's Grace, a chubby girl with a religiously liberal mother, and Rosina, a queer punk Latina, and Erin, a girl with Asperger's Syndrome who enjoys Star Trek. I was a little surprised by the diversity in this book because all 3 of these girls are ones that I don't really see as protagonists, especially in YA contemporary, and I while I was glad to see that kind of diversity, I loved that these girls were more than just their labels. The 4th POV is titled Us, and in those chapters we actually get snippets of multiple perspectives of unnamed people (though some you can guess) just going about life, and what I loved about these sections was how it highlighted not only the flaws in our society, but also how simultaneously simple and complicated life is. The girls friendship is nice, but I just don't feel like there was enough depth and development for me to be fully attached to it, which was a bit disappointing. The romances were all really cute, each one having their own ups and downs, but I liked that they were kept a minor part of the story. All the girls struggle with their relationships with their parents in various ways, and that's something that I didn't like about the ending. For 2 of the girls, their relationships just seemed to get fixed with very little discussion, which felt too clean and unrealistic, and the other one's parents are completely absent from the second half of the narrative. The only two complaints I have about this book is that I wish the friendships could have had more depth and development instead of just being there, and I also didn't like the ending. I'm glad it ended on a positive note, that's what I need with these kind of narratives, but everything to just suddenly get fixed and the readers are rushed into a clean ending of a messy, underdog narrative. That being said I still liked this book and think it's a good book that discusses rape culture (that being said there are trigger warnings for sexual assault). I don't know if it will be one of favorite YA contemporaries, but it was a highlight of this month and is definitely more along the lines of the kind of contemporary I want to read. The Nowhere Girls received 4.5 out 5 stars and was my pick for the PopSugar prompt “a book with multiple POV's.”

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer: Based on my reading preferences, Twilight is not something that I would have any interest in picking up, in fact it's the exact opposite of that. So why would I read it? I've held onto the entire Twilight series for so long and as I'm trying to tackle my rereads it's just standing out to me. I know I'll probably get rid of it but I haven't read them since middle school (and I graduated from college so it's been about 10 years since I've read it) and I wanted to read it and form my own cohesive opinion. Upon rereading it I can clearly see that Edward and Bella's romance is pretty toxic. I was also surprised by how terrible Bella, like I had heard multiple times how flat she was, so I was excepting a really bland, passive character. While she was definitely that, she was also a whiny, bratty character that I really hated. She's supposed to be very plain, but all the boys are instantly attracted to her. Of course she looks down on all of them until she sees Edward who she immediately becomes obsessed with. She also looks down on the other human girls, and the series does a poor job of portraying any female that doesn't like Bella as either bitchy or slutty. Bella is a character that we are being forced to like, not due to her on merits and traits (with her only trait being clumsy), but by having everyone fawn over her and seem beneath her. The writing was also bad. The sentences were choppy, for lack of a better word, and it didn't feel natural. While reading it I thought that this was something I would expect myself to produce in a high school writing class. It read as very amateur and unedited. This entire series is about a romance between a high schooler and a vampire, and there is so much wrong with. It almost symbolizes being in relationship with a bad boy with a nice streak. He works hard to be good, but there's always the threat of him doing serious damage. For whatever reason this isn't a deal breaker for Bella. Neither is the fact that he's several years older than her, stalks her, watches her sleep, and is rather possessive of her. At one point he even calls her heroin, which is not something I would want to be compared to because it's a toxic drug that kills people. I don't really understand Edward's obsession with Bella either because other than his inability to read her thoughts, there wasn't anything compelling about her. Despite the abysmal romance, protagonist, and writing, this book managed to have a few surprises to it. First I liked learning about the Cullen's different backgrounds, and that remained true through the series. Alice being a mental patient who had visions when she was human, and being the only victim that escaped James, was an interesting part of her back story that wasn't included in the movie. I forget if it was in this book, or one of the later ones, but Edward tells Bella that a vampire's abilities are reflective of their human personalities, which is kind of cool. What drives them together and makes them so close is that they strive to be better and not hurt humans. The Cullen's had a really nice familial relationship, which is more than I can say for Bella and her father Charlie. Second is once the action did pick up, with James hunting Bella, I did like that. It made it easier to fly through the novel, and other than the romance, was the overarching conflict for the first 3 books (though it really could have been 2) but I liked that there were long reaching consequences based on this event. I still don't really get why Bella wasn't made into a vampire at the end of this book, since the venom was in her. It's hard to predict what the rest of the series would have been like had that happened, but I like to think it would have been better, a more equal power dynamic between Edward and Bella. It's easy to see how iconic it is an the influence it has had, but I also think it's very much a product of it's time. Twilight received 2 out 5 stars from me and was my pick for the PopSugar prompt “a book with 1 million ratings on Goodreads.”  

New Moon by Stephenie Meyer: After finishing Twilight I was so on the fence of if I should read the rest of the series, but I ultimately decided to continue on with the rest of the series because I know I'll fly through them, and I did. I finished New Moon in one day. Going into this one I knew it was going to be my least favorite, and it definitely was. I had only 8 tabs in this book that's over 500 pages, and 5 of those tabs were for stuff I disliked. First there's Bella being depressed about her birthday because that means being older than Edward. It could make for an interesting discussion about mortal/ immortal relationships but in this case Bella is just being over dramatic. Her desperation to become a vampire so she won't be older than Edward makes no sense. She's turning 18, not 30, and she's still in high school so she's still fairly young. Also it's okay for a woman to be the older in the relationship. The toxicity of Bella and Edward's relationship continues, in this one it's emphasized how neither can live without the other. Edward says he'll kill himself if he can't live without Bella, breaks up with her, than due to a misunderstanding he really does try to put himself in a situation where he will get killed. It's even worse on Bella's side because for the 3-4 months that Edward is gone, she's basically a zombie. She's completely become a passive blank slate that ignores all her “friends” yet refuses to move on, even when her dad tries to help. It's either that or she's doing reckless things because that causes her to have visions of Edward, which she considers a good thing. The only thing that partially brings her out of it is her friendship with Jacob, which I'll get back to in a minute, but in the end Edward and Bella are reunited, and Bella completely forgives him and starts functioning like a normal human being. This makes it seem like Bella's entire existence revolves around her 100 year old vampire boyfriend, which is not only unhealthy but also makes for a lousy character. Back to the Jacob thing, I liked Jacob before his werewolf transformation because he seemed like a chill guy that really tried to help Bella, without any romantic hintings. Then once he became a werewolf, things went downhill. Despite knowing that Bella knew about the vampires, and how much she needed him at that time, he went for weeks not talking to her, or coming clean about the werewolf thing. Based on stuff in the later books I really think he went downhill as a character once he entered the paranormal, but I also disliked the werewolf thing in general. It felt like it was put there just to have something to oppose the vampires, even though there never is an actual conflict between the two, and create the love triangle between Jacob, Bella, and Edward. We do get introduced to the Volturi, who are basically royalty of the vampire world, and that is as close this series gets to world building. This entire book focused on a toxic romance, and didn't really have any action to it, so it had fewer positive attributes than the previous book, which made it difficult to get through but the length and bland story and writing made it possible to finish this in one day. That and I was determined to get this book done as quickly as possible. New Moon received 1 out 5 stars from me.      

Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer: The biggest complaint I have about this one was the absolute lack of action and how Bella is such a martyr. Both have already been clearly shown throughout the series but I want to talk about it in this one because I think it was the worst in this book. First is the lack of action, which is a stable of this series. Like you usually don't get to the action bits until the last 20% of the book, because the first 80% focuses on the romance. The second book really didn't have any action at all, but I didn't expect it to because I remembered the movie. As I was reading this one, I know it's building up to the big fight between the Cullen's/ werewolves and the new born vampires. We see that in the movie and get to witness some of this battle. That doesn't happen at all, there's just the brief scene with Victoria than we fast forward to after the battle. That was disappointing, because I was waiting for the action bits, and they never happened. This series focuses so much on the romance, which I'm not crazy about in the first place, but when it involves bland characters and toxic elements, that makes the entire plot insufferable and feel like filler material. Onto Bella being a martyr, that's been shown again and again. This series spend so much time emphasizing how special and pretty she is, but the majority of the time she comes off as a bitch. She tends to disregard her human friends and even her own father in favor of Edward but as soon as someone wants to kill Bella, she insists that efforts be put into protecting everyone but her. I think this is done just to portray Bella as a selfless and pure individual but instead it makes her seem stupid and have no survival instinct. I also hated the whole concept of imprinting because it's the sort of love at first sight, soul mates trope that I despise seeing in any narrative. There's something about the imprinting that takes it to a new, gross level but I'll discuss that more in my Break Dawn review. There was also a scene where Jacob kiss Bella without her consent, which made my already dwindling opinion of him plummet, but Bella punched him in response, which was good. Highlights of this book is Bella's sort of friendship with Angela, it's nice to see her around someone that is a regular human, wish there had been more of that. Also learning more about Rosalie and Jacobs back story added to their character and portrayed them in a new light, both tragic in different ways. Putting a background to these side characters is the only way they seem to get any sort of development, yet that little bit makes them more interesting than Bella, who's the main character. It's also interesting how many literary nods and parallels there are throughout the series, with the most prominent ones being famous tragic love stories, like Romeo and Juliet and Wuthering Heights (the latter of which I hated). Eclipse received 1 out 5 stars from me.    

Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer: I first read this back in high school, and actually reread it a few times. I was a bit worried before reading it again that I wouldn't like it because of the main character being a teenager, but that was something I ended up appreciating. The characters all feel very human, flawed but trying to do what they think is right. This also comes across in their relationships, as we see the ups and downs, particularly Miranda's relationship with her mother. Miranda is a fairly typical teenager, she has a few friends, she likes boys, has some hobbies, and can be petty, but she's ultimately a good person that wants to see her family survive. I liked the diary written format of the narrative because it had a more personal feel to it, but I think was the appropriate format for a quieter apocalypse story. Something happening to the moon isn't a new concept for science fiction stories, but this usually creates some sort of epic plot. That wasn't this case in this book. Instead we get a year long story of 1 family trying to survive as the Earth becomes a more hostile environment, and there's progressively stronger feeling of isolation (due to both the amount of people dying or leaving but also the open, rural environment and Miranda's family being crammed in their house when the winter comes). That almost makes the story feel more realistic because everything that happens in this book is something you can easily picture actually occurring if this were to happen. I do wish that there had been a little more character growth, and I'm not sure if soft apocalypse is the kind of apocalypse narrative I like reading about, but it is still a quick enjoyable read. Life As We Knew It received 4 out 5 stars and was my pick for the PopSugar prompt “a climate fiction book.”  

Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer: By the time I got to this one I was so wiped out by the rest of the series and just ready for it to be done. There isn't much to say about this one that I haven't already said about the previous ones, but there are some things I definitely need to talk about that were present just in this book. The first I'm going to talk about is something I alluded to in the Eclipse review, and that is the fact that imprinting seems to excuse pedophilia. There was already Edward, who's about a hundred years old, but is interested in a 17 year old high schooler, but in Eclipse Jacob tells Bella that one of his friends imprinted on a 2 year old girl. Gross! Then in Breaking Dawn, Jacob imprints on Renesme, Bella's half vampire daughter within minutes of her being born. I never liked this because 1) It's just yuck 2) It made Renesme feel like a prize since Jacob couldn't get Bella. I actually skipped over most of Jacob's POV chapters because I was really bored by them and there were only 2 major thins that happen in them. Him splitting from the pack and forming his own, which didn't happen in the movies, and Bella giving birth to Renesme, which is in the movies. The other thing I really disliked through the whole series (besides the romance) was Bella. I already discussed how she's such a martyr and the entire narrative takes the time to make her this plain but special person. I think it's most obvious in this book because of 2 things. The first is her ability to shield, which someone points out is a rare ability among vampires, so rare that it didn't have a name until the 4th book. I will that her ability is reflective of her personality, being unable to read her thoughts because she's basically a blank slate. The other special snowflake scene was when Bella first goes hunting as a new born and she smells human blood but is able to resist the urge to drink. Afterwards everyone is just amazed and proud of Bella for being able to do this, and I might have actually rolled my eyes at this scene because I was sick of the entire series beating you over the head with how amazing Bella is at the expense of other characters. Another minor thing I want to talk about briefly that bugged me, and that is when Bella is first comes to the conclusion that she is pregnant it's because she's 5 days late. I get that a late period is a likely sign that you're pregnant if you've had sex recently, but it's not a guarantee, especially if it's only a few days late. Menstrual periods are not something I see often in books, but there are even fewer instances where I think they are well done within the narrative, and this isn't one of those cases. I'm walking away from this series glad that I read it, but I can't say I enjoyed it or recommend it. There was a lot of wasted potential, with characters, relationships and morality, but all of that was pushed aside for a crappy romance, and that was the biggest tragedy of this series. Breaking Dawn received 1 out 5 stars and works for the PopSugar prompt “a book with a wedding,” since the big event in the first half of this book was the wedding.

The Dead and The Gone by Susan Beth Pfeffer: This is the follow up to Life As We Knew It, and is set in New York City, revolving around Alex Morales and his two younger sisters as they struggle to survive when the moon is pushed closer to the planet. It manages to distinguish itself from the first book, but I didn't like it when compared to the first book. There's the characters, Alex and his sisters, Briana and Julie. I'll admit Alex is under quite a bit of pressure having to suddenly being in charge of his sisters during the apocalypse because his older brother is on the other side of the country and his parents are most likely dead. That being said, I can't think of anything that he did right or handled well. He seems to keep himself as unaware as possible, waits until the last minute to take any action to further their survival, doesn't help his sisters with any of the house work, and constantly yells at or talks down to his youngest sister. It's hard to be sympathetic toward him because he doesn't mature or change despite how detrimental his actions are, and he pretty much relies on entirely on other people in order to survive. I didn't even really enjoy any of the other characters because I either didn't know enough about them or I didn't like what I saw of them, which mainly applies to Alex's sisters. The older of the two, Briana, is very much a Beth from Little Women, where she's sickly but just “too pure for this world” and her sheer goodness mixed with denial of the harsh realities is what made her irritating for me and what ultimately lead to her demise. The youngest sister, Julie, has a lot of spunk but due to her young age (12) and Alex's bad attitude toward her, she comes off as a brat more often than not. To her credit, I think she improved the most over the book, but she still didn't reach the level that I hoped she would. The characters from Life As We Knew It just felt more complex and changed as the book progressed, where the characters in this book were either flat or unlikable. I will say I liked Alex's friendship with Kevin because that was something I wanted more of in the previous book and it was a nice surprise, that gets taken away about ¾ into the book. My biggest issue with this book was that I wanted more from it and it just wasn't delivering. The previous book was quieter because it was set in a more rural area, but it still had this harrowing feel to it. This one is set in New York City, and because it's a big city that's close to the ocean (the complete opposite of the previous book), I though the story would be more grim and the setting would be much grittier. In part due to the narrative and in part due to Alex's sheer ignorance, I didn't get any sense of identity from the city nor did I really get a sense of how desperate people could get to survive. Another thing I also think had potential but didn't take it far enough was Alex's morality. His family is devoutly Catholic, again quite different from the first book, so he goes to a Catholic school and mass every Sunday. I thought this would be a great way to bring up the topic of “Bad things happen in the world, how do I hold onto my faith,” or “I've done something bad, now I'm struggling with my morality.” There's only one small scene that addresses those kind of issues. Anything else is just people telling Alex to let go of his pride, and then him brooding about but not doing anything. Essentially this book took annoying characters and made them do the same thing until the end of the book, and normally I would get frustrated with that but I wasn't invested enough in the character to do that. I still think this book was decent but I don't think it was as grim or complex as it could have been, and I just didn't care about any of the characters. The Dead and The Gone received 3 out 5 stars from me.

Within the Sanctuary of Wings by Marie Brennan: The final book in the Memoirs of Lady Trent series, I was admittedly a little worried about this one because it's a series finale and I was a little disappointed by the previous 2 books. I do think it improved but I still think it's a disappointment. It's a book that crammed literally years worth of plot into a 450 page story, and the plot isn't the only thing that is glossed over. Isabella's a great character and I loved her passion, her ingenuity, and her growth over the entire series. In this book, I don't think her character underwent any kind of growth, and even her other core aspects aren't really displayed in the story. Yes, her passion for dragons is what drives her to go on the expedition in the first place, but that's it. And while she does have to use her intelligence to communicate with her rescuers, we're honestly told more than shown. There's also her relationships, which are just kind of there but don't do anything. She is very open with and supportive of her husband Suhail, and he supports her in the expedition because he wants her to get the academic credit that she thinks she deserves, but that's all there really is to their relationship. There was a lot more effort put into them becoming a couple rather than them being a couple, which I'm not a huge fan of. I don't mean to bash this book, I did still give it a good rating, but coming away from this book it just felt a rushed and there a couple of convenient plot points that I don't think were well done. As a series finale I have mixed opinions on it. I was spoiled for the big reveal half way through the book, so it didn't have the impact that I would have liked, but it was good series climax. I think I'm so used to epic series, with epic finale's, that it's an adjustment reading a quiet series finale. That being said I don't think the finale did the series justice because there wasn't any further developments to previous established parts of the series, I still don't like the lack of female characters, and the pacing made it come off as a series that just wanted to be finished. I do think the Memoirs of Lady Trent is a good, quiet fantasy that I would recommend, but I don't think this book lived up to what the previous books had set up and I ultimately come away from it wanting a little more. Within the Sanctuary of Wings received 4 out 5 stars from me and was my pick for the PopSugar prompt “a book that features extinct or imaginary creatures” since it's all about dragons.    

Thank You Everyone

Keep Calm and Keep Reading

#monthly wrap up #january #twilight #stephenie meyer #abhorsen #garth nix #the nowhere girls #amy reed #little women #louisa may alcott #the bell jar #sylvia plath #memoirs of lady trent #marie brennan #last survivors #susan beth pfeffer #an alchemy of masques and mirrors #curtis craddock #books

[pagesaplenty]

10 Books to Read if You Want to Date Pete

I have had a few conversations lately surrounding dating, books, and intelligence as an intimidating roadblock. Before I get started on this fun little feature, let’s shed some clarity first. One, I am fine with my status as a single lady. It isn’t a burden, nor is this post a cry for help (matchmakers *wink*). Secondly, I do not believe our passions should so cloister us from any type of relationship that we can’t socialize with someone if they don’t have or share our passions or have any future chance of sharing them. I have friends and family I have meaningful conversations with and take joy in our relationship…and they are not readers. It can be done!

While I’m naming this feature “books to read to date me”, to me this list serves more as a window into who I am and how books have (and do) impact me as a person. Perhaps none of these appeal to you, but maybe you want to know or connect more with me? These titles, while huge favorites, each carry a story of their own and a story that can spark meaningful relationships. By no means do I expect someone to change who they are and suddenly read books that are not their cup of tea or try reading at all. I have learned, the hard way, you should never read a book to impress someone. Chances are they won’t be paying attention anyways (hello bookstore boy I read ‘On the Road’ for and wanted nothing to do with the Beat Generation, save beating my brains out, after I finished).

In no particular order…

Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell – When I was a teenager in the homeschool world, it was a difficult world to gain footing in. It felt a little like the people obsessed with being Purebloods in Harry Potter. I had not been homeschooled my whole life and had left public education; we were in between. Classics were not my forte. They intimidated me, bored me, and even made me feel stupid. Then at a gathering with more down to earth homeschoolers, a girl a few years older than me mentioned reading Elizabeth Gaskell and how much she liked her writing (better than Austen). I think it was the way she talked about books that made it seem possible for me to try reading this classic author, even if she was a contemporary of Dickens. The next trip to Barnes and Noble I was shocked to discover the monstrous size of this book. Queue intimidation all over again. However, I managed to muster my determination and read the book. It was a magical moment to read a classic and not feel bored or overwhelmed by lack of understanding for language and time.

 Reasons to Stay Alive by Matt Haig – A few years ago TWLOHA’s Suicide Prevention Week Theme was based around this book. I was familiar with Matt’s work, but had never read any of it. It was the first time I have ever read a book and felt understood surrounding my own mental health. This is a book I want more of my friends and family to read. I wish more people with loved ones coping with mental health would read this. In my opinion it is a source of hope to see, on the page, so clearly the things I live with and I believe more people need to understand in order to be sources of hope, understanding, and strength for each other. Matt’s honesty, while heavy at times, is very refreshing and clarity amid the chaos that can be my thought process.

 Saga by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples – My siblings have been graphic novel readers for many years. In all those years I know they tried on numerous occasions to convince me to read them too. In my fear of not reading a “real book” and reading something “childish” I deprived myself of many years’ worth of fun and engaging reading in the world of comics. Saga was the first graphic novel I read, and it ignited my imagination and joy for the medium. I love fantasy and sci-fi. I love art. I love reading. I love Saga. Saga is all of those plus it’s cheeky and filled with humor. I haven’t finished the series yet because I read them slowly… I don’t want the series to be over too soon! Don’t let outside influences fool you…reading comics is reading.

 I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith – I was tricked into reading this! When I was a teenager I didn’t read very widely or diversely. I read fantasy and more fantasy. Then the occasional school assigned book that landed me more in the historical fiction genre as a secondary comfort zone. One summertime visit to my Gran’s in Ohio and a stop at our favorite local shop there, had me picking up this book. The green and yellow wallpaper design drew me in, but even more so was the shout out on the cover from J.K. Rowling. (By the way, I rarely read what books are about because I think summaries are written in such a spoiling fashion. I count on good covers, I know terrible, and Freddy to help me find out if I’ll like something.) Well a J.K. Rowling quote on the cover and the word ‘Castle’ in the title definitely sets this story up to be a fantastical one! Not so much, but nonetheless I persisted and fell in love. Dodie Smith writes a strong voice for a coming of age story. I love her word usage and the book is filled with quotable wisdoms. The quirkiness of Cassandra’s family is something to warm your heart to and find kindred spirits on many levels. I once had a friend compare me to Cassandra after I gifted him with the book and I thought I would squeal of said honor.

 C.S. Lewis Biography – This biography stands out for me for a number of reasons. I don’t typical like or read Christian Fiction of Non-Fiction. When I was a Sophomore my Mum’s curriculum for literature was a biography and a book by the author. This specific biography really impacted the way I perceived my own faith at the time. Reading about Lewis’ turning points and his fascination with heaven were very grounding for my teenage years. The fear of the unknown has always been a trigger for me, but to read how at peace he was with heaven will be something I never forget. Also as someone raised in a faith based home, I believe it is important to read testimonies/backgrounds that are not similar (and ‘perfect’ at first sight) to your own. Diversity of all types is imperative for growth.

 The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova – This is another book that made me feel like I was a grown-up and had arrived because I picked it up when I was younger, and it wasn’t my normal reading. My friend had brought it back from a trip and I was instantly intrigued by the cover. This book is dense. I know that turns some people off, so much so the audiobook is abridged to cut out ‘unnecessary’ elements (which personally annoys the hell out of me). As you can see from my own writing, I love detail. I enjoy immersive stories and elements that you know were researched to the gills all for the delight of a story, a fictional one at that. I cannot say too much without spoiling this story, but I can say it is a more mature ‘National Treasure’ paired with folklore/history of ‘Dracula’.

 A Long Fatal Love Chase by Louisa May Alcott – It may surprise many who know me to see this Alcott book on my list instead of ‘Little Women’. Alcott is my favorite author. Almost 60% of one my bookcases in dedicated to books by and about her. While I love ‘Little Women’ and all the memories it holds for me, I know ultimately it was not what Alcott wanted to write. Years ago the copy of ‘A Long Fatal Love Chase’ that Freddy and I came across looked more like a mix between a thriller and sizzling mass market romance. Freddy read it first and we still to this day talk about how we didn’t believe it could possibly be by Alcott.  While the story itself isn’t earth shattering, for me it is the idea behind it. The idea that Louisa still found a way to write what she wanted to write. This book still found a way to survive in the shadow of ‘Little Women’ all these years later. It is a story I enjoyed and Louisa’s influence continues to be in my life. That I may write, write what I NEED to write, and for it to endure in one form or another.

 Stay with Me by Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀ -

"I was armed with millions of smiles. Apologetic smiles, pity-me smiles, I-look-unto-God smiles---name all the fake smiles needed to get through an afternoon with a group of people who claim to want the best for you while poking at your open sore with a stick---and I had them ready."

From it’s ‘simple’ orange cover to quotes like the above, this story’s subtlety and ability to shock grasped at my heart and held on. The story could have go on and on and I would not have shied away from reading it. While heavy with thought (and subject matter) and intention, Ayọ̀bámi writes so masterfully. I’m writing this right now and thinking I need to read it again. I am so struck by her writing. I also am indebted to her because after finishing I wanted more and it sent me on a path to find more Nigerian writers, whom I love too.

 Gift from the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh – When my grandmother was dying, we read this book out loud together. We would discuss and talk about her life after each chapter. We would talk about the shape of the shell we were living in right at that moment. I did not love everything about this book because many instances Anne spoke from a level of privilege I have never experienced and that can leave a taste not so pleasant. However, for the memories it has for me and its ability to have so much to ponder, I find this book a very valuable one. The way she writes about nature feels like my childhood and how my Mum taught us to look at the world around us.

 Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke – I probably talk about this book too much. For such a little book it certainly houses much wisdom. I recently read the letters on my Instagram and was struck anew by things I hadn’t been the first time. I know because this is the first book I have ever allowed myself to write in (aside from my Bible). There were parts that brought me to tears anew that I hadn’t underlined previously. I imagine Rilke calmly sitting in a corner as he observes the world and embraces his failures and struggles as growth. This book of letters holds something different for each reader and therein lies its value.

#to be read #books to read #book list #readers #date me list #reading #impact #books

[edivupage]

60 Inspirational Quotes for Teachers

There were times during my K-12 and higher education teaching career when I needed a little inspiration to keep me going. In times like this, I leaned on inspirational quotes about teaching. In this article, I would like to share 60 of my all-time favorite inspirational quotes about teaching.

“A good teacher is like a candle – it consumes itself to light the way for others.” –Mustafa Kemal Ataturk

“If you have to put someone on a pedestal, put teachers. They are society’s heroes. –Guy Kawasaki

“When you study great teachers… you will learn much more from their caring and hard work than from their style.” –William Glasser

“Wherever you find something extraordinary, you’ll find the fingerprints of a great teacher.” –Arne Duncan

“Teachers can change lives with just the right mix of chalk and challenges.” –Joyce Meyer

“It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge.” –Albert Einstein

“Let us remember: One book, one pen, one child, and one teacher can change the world.” –Malala Yousafzai

“A good teacher can inspire hope, ignite the imagination, and instill a love of learning.” –Brad Henry

“Education is the key to success in life, and teachers make a lasting impact in the lives of their students.” –Solomon Ortiz

“Technology is just a tool. In terms of getting the kids working together and motivating them, the teacher is the most important.” –Bill Gates

“The dream begins with a teacher who believes in you, who tugs and pushes and leads you to the next plateau, sometimes poking you with a sharp stick called ‘truth’.” –Dan Rather

“Good teachers know how to bring out the best in students.” –Charles Kuralt

“They inspire you, they entertain you, and you end up learning a ton even when you don’t know it” –Nicholas Sparks, Dear John

“I am indebted to my father for living, but to my teacher for living well.” –Alexander the Great

“The Master said, A true teacher is one who, keeping the past alive, is also able to understand the present.” (Analects 2.11)” –Confucius

“The art of teaching is the art of assisting discovery.” –Mark Van Doren

“I am a teacher. It’s how I define myself. A good teacher isn’t someone who gives the answers out to their kids but is understanding of needs and challenges and gives tools to help other people succeed. That’s the way I see myself, so whatever it is that I will do eventually after politics, it’ll have to do a lot with teaching.” –Justin Trudeau

“The best teachers are those who show you where to look, but don’t tell you what to see.” –Alexandra K.Trenfor

“A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops.” –Henry Adams

“The task of the modern educator is not to cut down jungles, but to irrigate deserts.” –C.S. Lewis

“Only one person in a million becomes enlightened without a teacher’s help.” –Bodhidharma

“If you don’t have a teacher you can’t have a disciple.” –Dallas Willard

“Teach love, generosity, good manners and some of that will drift from the classroom to the home and who knows, the children will be educating the parents.” –Roger Moore

“It’s the teacher that makes the difference, not the classroom.” –Michael Morpurgo

“The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.” –William Arthur Ward

“I think the teaching profession contributes more to the future of our society than any other single profession.” –John Wooden

“I touch the future. I teach.” –Christa McAuliffe

“Every great leader is a great teacher, and the greatest leaders seize every opportunity to teach well.” –Albert Mohler

“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn. ” –Benjamin Franklin

“Your best teacher is the person offering you your greatest challenge.” –Cheryl Richardson

“Let my teaching fall like rain and my words descend like dew, like showers on new grass, like abundant rain on tender plants.” –Deuteronomy 32:2

“Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.” –Proverbs 9:9

“Those that know, do. Those that understand, teach.” –Aristotle

“The one exclusive sign of thorough knowledge is the power of teaching.” –Aristotle

“A good teacher is like a good artist. They go right to the most difficult part of whatever’s going on.” –Bruce Nauman

“A good teacher who can take the zero pay and help kids develop physically, emotionally, socially, is literally an angel.” –Eva Amurri

“What the teacher is, is more important than what he teaches.” –Karl A. Menninger

“The older I got, the smarter my teachers became.” –Ally Carter.

“Teaching is only demonstrating that it is possible. Learning is making it possible for yourself.” –Paulo Coelho

“A good teacher, like a good entertainer first must hold his audience’s attention, then he can teach his lesson.” –John Henrik Clarke

“Great teachers emanate out of knowledge, passion and compassion.” –A. P. J. Abdul Kalam

“Teaching kids to count is fine, but teaching them what counts is best.” –Bob Talbert.

“A teacher is never too smart to learn from his pupils.” –Bill Bowerman

“We must become what we wish to teach.” –Nathaniel Branden, Six Pillars of Self-Esteem

“Teaching is the greatest act of optimism.” –Colleen Wilcox

“Education is not the filling of a pail but the lighting of a fire.” –William Butler Yeats

“Most of us end up with no more than five or six people who remember us. Teachers have thousands of people who remember them for the rest of their lives.”–Andy Rooney

“Ideal teachers are those who use themselves as bridges over which they invite their students to cross, then having facilitated their crossing, joyfully collapse, encouraging them to create bridges of their own.” –Nikos Kazantzakis

“So what does a good teacher do? Create tension – but just the right amount.” –Donald Norman

“Good teaching is one-fourth preparation and three-fourths pure theatre.” –Gail Godwin

“The teacher who is indeed wise does not bid you to enter the house of his wisdom but rather leads you to the threshold of your mind.” –Khalil Gibran

“The average teacher explains complexity; the gifted teacher reveals simplicity.” –Robert Brault

“Education is what survives when what has been learned has been forgotten.” –B. F. Skinner

“It is a greater work to educate a child, in the true and larger sense of the word, than to rule a state”. –Dr. William Ellery Channing

“Teaching is the essential profession, the one that makes all other professions possible.” –David Haselkorn.

“Teachers have three loves: love of learning, love of learners, and the love of bringing the first two loves together.” –Scott Hayden

“Teaching is the highest art; before the doctor, there was a teacher.” –Steve Perry

“The greatest sign of success for a teacher… is to be able to say, ‘The children are now working as if I did not exist.’” –Maria Montessori

“The true teacher defends his pupils against his own personal influence. He inspires self-trust. He guides their eyes from himself to the spirit that quickens him. He will have no disciples.” –Amos Bronson Alcott

“The test of a good teacher is not how many questions he can ask his pupils that they will answer readily, but how many questions he inspires them to ask him which he finds it hard to answer.”–Alice Wellington Rollins,

The post 60 Inspirational Quotes for Teachers appeared first on The Edvocate.

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[marcusssanderson]

50 hard times quotes about life and this too shall pass

Our latest collection of hard times quotes to help you deal with the many difficult and tough times we all face throughout life.

Life is tough and unpredictable. No matter how well-thought-out your plans might be, they’re bound to be disrupted at some point.

When life knocks you down, you can either bounce back up and move on or you can stay down there and live the rest of your life with resentment and regret.

If you’re going through a hard time in your life, reading some words of inspiration can help you remember that both the ‘best and worst of times’ will soon pass.

Below are some uplifting hard times quotes that we gathered for you. Enjoy!

  Powerful hard times quotes about life and this too shall pass

  1.) “You’re going to go through tough times – that’s life. But I say, ‘Nothing happens to you, it happens for you.’ See the positive in negative events.” – Joel Osteen

  2.) “Tough times never last, but tough people do.” – Robert H. Schuller

  3.) “We’ve gotten through a lot of tough times, and we’re going to keep working to make them better. I wish the record was better.” – Mike Quade

  4.) “We must accept finite disappointment, but we must never lose infinite hope.”– Martin Luther King

  5.) “We must embrace pain and burn it as fuel for our journey.”– Kenji Miyazawa

  6.) “A problem is a chance for you to do your best.”– Duke Ellington

  7.) “Problems are not stop signs, they are guidelines.”– Robert Schuller

  8.) “The greatest glory in living lies not in never failing, but in rising every time we fail.”– Nelson Mandela

  9.) “No matter how bad things are, you can always make things worse.” ― Randy Pausch

  10.) “Life is at its best when everything has fallen out of place, and you decide that you’re going to fight to get them right, not when everything is going your way and everyone is praising you.” ― Thisuri Wanniarachchi

  11.) “It’s funny how, when things seem the darkest, moments of beauty present themselves in the most unexpected places.” ― Karen Marie Moning

  Inspirational hard times quotes for when life gets tough

  12.) “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”—Martin Luther King, Jr.

  13.) “When you come to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on.”—Franklin D. Roosevelt

  14.) “To be tested is good. The challenged life may be the best therapist.”—Gail Sheehy

  15.) “Let perseverance be your engine and hope your fuel.”—H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

  16.) “Seeds of faith are always within us; sometimes it takes a crisis to nourish and encourage their growth.” – Susan Taylor

  17.) “If you are going through hell, keep going.” – Winston Churchill

  18.) “Hard times don’t create heroes. It is during the hard times when the ‘hero’ within us is revealed.” – Bob Riley

  19.) “I am not afraid of storms, for I am learning how to sail my ship.” – Louisa May Alcott

  20.) “I have no regrets in my life. I think that everything happens to you for a reason. The hard times that you go through build character, making you a much stronger person.” – Rita Mero

  Quotes about getting through hard times

  21.) “Hard times always lead to something great.” – Betsey Johnson

  22.) “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” – Winston Churchill

  23.) “Life’s challenges are not supposed to paralyze you, they’re supposed to help you discover who you are.” – Bernice Johnson Reagon

  24.) “New beginnings are often disguised as painful endings.” – Lao Tzu

  25.) “It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare; it is because we do not dare that they are difficult.” – Seneca

  26.) “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.” – Joseph Kennedy

  27.) “Never give up on something that you can’t go a day without thinking about.” — Sir Winston Churchill

  28.) “Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all.”– Dale Carnegie

  29.) “Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.”– Albert Einstein

  30.) “It’s not that I’m so smart, it’s just that I stay with problems longer.”– Albert Einstein

  Encouraging hard times quotes to help you stay strong

  31.) “Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” – Confucius

  32) “We must meet the challenge rather than wish it were not before us.” – William J. Brennan, Jr.

  33.) “Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.” – Thomas Edison

  34.) “Accept responsibility for your life. Know that it is you who will get you where you want to go, no one else.” – Les Brown

  35.) “You need to spend time crawling alone through shadows to truly appreciate what it is to stand in the sun.” – Shaun Hick

  36) If God sends us on strong paths, we are provided strong shoes.~ Corrie ten Boom

  37) “I ask not for a lighter burden, but for broader shoulders.”~ Jewish Proverb

  38.) “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” ~ Thomas Alva Edison

  39.) “Thankfully, persistence is a great substitute for talent.” – Steve Martin

  40.) “I think that little by little I’ll be able to solve my problems and survive.” – Frida Kahlo

  41.) “If you feel like giving up, give up on that feeling and give into the realization there are endless possibilities waiting to be discovered before you.” – Tom Althouse

  Other uplifting hard times quotes

  42.) “Encourage yourself, believe in yourself, and love yourself. Never doubt who you are.” – Stephanie Lahart

  43.) “Pain is your friend; it is your alie. Pain reminds you to finish the job and get the hell home. Pain tells you when you have been seriously wounded. And you know what the best thing about pain is? It tells you you’re not dead yet!” – G.I Jane

  44.) “A problem is a chance for you to do your best.” – Duke Ellington

  45.) “When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it.” – Henry Ford

  46.) “In times of great stress or adversity, it’s always best to keep busy, to plow your anger and your energy into something positive.” – Lee Iacocca

  47.) “If someone is strong enough to bring you down, show them you are strong enough to get back up.”- A. Josland

  48.) “Do not pray for an easy life, pray for the strength to endure a difficult one.” – Bruce Lee

  49.) You’ve got to Stay Strong to be strong in tough times. – Tilman J. Fertitta

  50.) Storms make trees take deeper roots. – Dolly Parton

  Did these hard times quotes inspire you?

  All of us face difficulties or hardships at some points in our lives. But remember, if life wasn’t difficult, then it wouldn’t be worth living.

As Oprah Winfrey once said: “It doesn’t matter how far you might rise. At some point, you’re bound to stumble.”

Hopefully, these quotes have inspired you to never give up even when the going gets tough.

Did these hard times quotes inspire you? Which of the quotes was your favorite? We would love to hear all about in the comment section below. Also, feel free to share the quotes with your friends and fans to motivate them as well.

  The post 50 hard times quotes about life and this too shall pass appeared first on Everyday Power Blog.