#Also the amount of times he let Merlin off the hook is insane.

[esoulix]

I'm really intrigued by Uther and Merlin's dynamic because Uther actually sees Merlin as a human being? And it's really weird because Merlin's a peasant and a servant but Uther looks at Merlin and confides in him and asks after his son like Merlin is a person worth listening to. And this is Uther 'Just Get Another Servant' Pendragon. I think after the Poisoned Chalice he realized how much Merlin mattered to Arthur and was like. Fuck I guess so. Plus he was Gaius' nephew and also Morgana liked him so-

I think it was the perfect storm for him to look a this farm boy and see a human being tbh

#bbc merlin #I think the weirdest thing that really highlights this is the Witchhunter episode tbh #When Aridian demands to search Merlin's chambers and Uther fucking looks at Merlin as if in permission #That's the fucking genocidal king of Camelot and he said 'merlin?' as if Merlin had any say in the matter #Plus he let Merlin plead Gaius' case afterword like ik Arthur advocated for it but still #Also the amount of times he let Merlin off the hook is insane. #Like when Merlin let the goblin loose? He was like don't let it happen again. And that was a fucking magical creature? #He was going to burn Alice for the same reason basically #Anyways feeling insane about the amount of liberties Merlin was allowed to take with the royal family lol #Also also the Sophia episode when he was scolding Merlin and was like if this was wartime you'd be flogged #And Merlin replies 'but since it isn't you'll let it go just this once?' SIR THAT'S THE BLOODKING OF CAMELOT #And all Uther does is put him in the stocks?? #I feel like Gaius and Morgana and Arthur were all working overtime for this boys safety tbh

[willreadforbooze]

Hello All My Buddies! Into the books!

Linz’s Updates

I’m so behind on reading this week it’s embarrassing. But I had to watch The Circle finale, and I FINALLY started watching The Bachelor. Holy shit does production get these women druuuuuuuunk. I’m almost at THE champagne scene.

What Linz read:

 The Bride Test by Helen Hoang: The “sequel” to The Kiss Quotient was like, fine. They DEFINITELY address the female protagonist’s ethnicity in this one, so that was a good start, but it was still, I dunno, just okay? It had that issue a lot of ok romances had where so much could be cleared up with a good conversation, and that takes me out of the fantasy. Also needed more sex.

Wicked As You Wish by Rin Chupeco: uuuuugh I am not happy about the review I’m gonna have to write about this. Uuuuuuuugh. My stomach hurts.

What Linz is currently reading:

 Reverie by Ryan La Sala: Contemporary fantasy about a teen boy who loses his memory, because of a magic accident, and he and his friends have the ability to get pulled into other people’s super real magic-infused fantasies/”reveries” and the friend squad is able to make sure the reveries get handled so no one gets hurt I think? It’s a little confusing how the magic system works so far, and this might hit my DNF pile.

Followers by Megan Angelo: Two-storyline novel–one about two girls now who do something insane to get super famous, and one in the future about a super-influencer who’s trying to escape her life. I’m explaining it super poorly, but I’m only 3 chapters in and I am LOVING it, it’s so weird.

Minda’s Update

No update from Minda this week—she’s on baby watch!

Sam’s Update

IM ON VACATION!!!!!! Currently at the airport waiting to board my flight. Seeing one of my best friends and then headed off to ALA! See you there!

What Sam read this week:

Silvered Serpents by Roshani Chokshi: Folks this book was fan-fucking-tastic. I love my kids. I love them so much.

What Sam’s currently reading:

Angel Mage by Garth Nix: This is Nix’s newest book that i’m listening to on audio. This is a society that relies on calling upon angels to help them do stuff. Heal, build, spy, etc. When a plague wipes out an entire country, their descendants are suddenly unable to be touched by magic or the same disease overtakes them. Now you can imagine the power dynamics of THAT situation. Anyway, Lilith (of COURSE that’s her name) has some master plan that involves four strangers. The audio was the incorrect format for this book but I finally became interested and then my loan expired so now I gotta wait. FINE.

Master of Sorrows by Justin Travis Call: This is an adult fantasy in a super interesting world. Aanev wants to pass his exam to be an Avatar, a soldier against all magic aka evil. His father figure, Sodar, is the village priest and it’s clear he has some secrets. Aanev has his own too. I’m really really enjoying this so far. Slow start but I’m happy.

The Guinevere Deception by Kiersten White: This is a weird aurthutian retelling where Gwen isn’t really Gwen but Merlin’s daughter sent from Merlin’s exile to protect Arthur from an unknown threat. I’m only a bit into this but I’m happy with how it’s going so far. Kiersten is really good at hooking me into stories.

Ginny’s Update

Whatsup! I’m currently in Utah and because Sam is on a plane, I’m the one writing this update! It’s been a good week with 88″ of snow, lots of skiing, and finding out that the local minor league baseball team is the SALT LAKE CITY BEES! The fact I now know this is amazing. Oh and also plenty of reading.

What Ginny Finished Reading:

A Pineapple in a Pine Tree by Eve Pendle: MMMM the drama in this was delightful. Both of the main characters are genuinely likable so it’s easy to spend the entire book rooting for them to go ahead and work through their differences. So yeah, this book was adorable. Goddamit, am I the only one who has been rating the books I’ve read during our weekly wrap-up?

Becoming RGB by Debbie Levy and Whitney Gardner: This graphic novel does a really good job of hitting some of the highlights of RGB’s life. I’ve read a lot about the Supreme Court so a decent amount of the information wasn’t new to me, but this way the information was shared was fantastic. I really want to read this book with a small child (come on Nephew, stop being a baby! (that’s a lie, I love my baby nephew)).

A Woman Of No Importance by Sophie Purnell: There are a lot of books about history where it’s really easy to see the bias of the author, this is one of those but seems more deserving than many books. It’s clear that spy, Virginia Hall, didn’t want accolades even though she clearly deserved some. She was a woman spy sent into some of the most dangerous places in Europe during WWII. It’s pretty badass. Whether or not you agree with the author (and I think it’s pretty clear I do) this is still a really interesting look at how spy networks functioned behind enemy lines.

The Christmas Princess by Patricia McLinn: This was a free book from Amazon and I’ll sum it up with I spent a good portion of the book trying to mentally rewrite large sections to make things make sense. The main characters are a member of the State Department that is protecting a woman that has a passing resemblance to, but ISN’T, the lost princess of a country that blah blah blah diplomacy. Honestly though, my biggest complaint is that looking up tidbits about DC does not equal having any understanding of the distance between the Washington Monument and Arlington Cemetery.

Currently Reading:

Masquerade at Middlecrest Abbey by Abigail Wilson: This is a book that Linz ended up sending to me and is an ARC coming out much later this year. Because of that, I’ll probs write a review. Elizabeth has a child out of wedlock and ends up marrying spy Adrian after he attacks her carriage in a small attempt to salvage her reputation. Then there’s a MURDER. This book is definitely easy to read and even though I had obvious thoughts about who the bad guy was since very early on, still a gripping read.

Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle by Emily and Amelia Nagoski: Surprising no one, I’m a very stressed individual. I think reading a book that focuses not on reducing the amount of things that stress you out, but what your body needs to really let the stress relax could be really helpful. Sidenote, listening to this as an audiobook while stretching has been a surprisingly good choice.

Miss Kopp’s Midnight Confessions by Amy Stewart: This is the third book in the series and while I really like it, I’m having a bit of a hard time getting through it. Constance Kopp continues to be really cool and I enjoy reading about the variety of cases, I just find myself continually frustrated by the way women in society were treated. I’m about halfway through so I’m definitely going to finish. Just a little slower going for me than usual.

Until next time, we main forever drunkenly yours,

Sam, Ginny, Linz, and Minda

Weekly Wrap-Up: Jan 13-20 Hello All My Buddies! Into the books! Linz's Updates I'm so behind on reading this week it's embarrassing.