#A Taxonomy of Love

[lilmackiereads]

A TAXONOMY OF LOVE (2018) BY RACHAEL ALLEN - SPOILER-FILLED REVIEW

For the review WITHOUT SPOILERS, click here. To continue WITH spoilers, begin reading after the cover photo.

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

I am actually surprised with myself for giving this such a high rating as I am easily very bored with the teen romance novels. Of the few YA romance that I have read in the last year this has been my favorite which was a total surprise! I actually almost gave up reading it in the first 50 or so pages because I found the initial few chapters from Spence’s point of view unrealistic. For some reason I just didn’t feel like the dialogue and thought processes going on in this 13-year-old boy’s head felt accurate to the tween boys I’ve known growing up. There wasn’t enough swearing or boyish grossness. For instance, I feel like he needed a bit of a sprinkle of yucky (belching/ nose-picking/ farting/ name-calling) like the boys in Stephen King’s “The Body” aka Stand by Me (1986), The Sandlot (1993) or Stranger Things (2016) because many boys at this age are generally just pretty gross and obnoxious in my experience. (I grew up tween to teen between 2008-2018 and babysat lots of kids and now I work with middle school and high schoolers…)

HOWEVER, I think Allen did nail Spence’s dorkiness, which is why I ultimately kept reading because he is pretty adorable and his taxonomies are pretty funny.

Unlike John Green (The Fault in Our Stars, 2012 and Turtles All the Way Down, 2017) and Becky Albertalli (Simon vs the Homosapien Agenda, 2015) who are two of the best teen writers that can accurately display the minds of the opposite sex in my opinion, I feel like Allen struggles a bit with writing Spence’s point-of-view. I found Hope’s p-o-v more realistic (and relatable) as a female, but I think that Spence became more realistic as the book progressed from age 13 to 19. Especially once he hit puberty, I think the romantic stakes and thoughts were more accurate to a teenage boy. Haha. But what do I know? I’ve never been a teenage boy.

Hope reminded me a lot of myself because I’m generally happy-go-lucky, but I had a major emo-phase in high school that really warped my attitude at the time (and admittedly comes out to play occasionally as an adult.) I wish we had more chapters from her perspective. I was bummed out when her sister died. It's hard to lose someone so close to you, especially when they're so young. The only thing I didn't like about Hope was her last name, Birdsong. I think it was just a little too on-the-nose. If we're really going for the "girl next door" she could have just had a basic last name like Smith or Miller.

I really liked all the little parties the characters through for the holidays and the references to Hamilton (2015), Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975), Grease (1978), and Pokémon. Jayla and Spencer's Pikachu and Ash costumes sounded adorable. I feel like Hope’s transition over the story is actually a lot like Sandy’s! Also, the two girls at the Halloween party who were Sandy before and after, such a cool costume idea!

Jayla and Dean were both kind of annoying at times, but ultimately, I think they had good hearts, but were just a little too self-involved for their own good. I really appreciated after Dean went to college and grew up a little and started to stand up for Jayla and Spencer.

I also like that the book goes over some important topics like racism and the Civil War, disability awareness, bullying, mental health, and using sexual situations as a coping mechanism.

My top three favorite parts are:

The Vice Principal’s Surprise -- I mean DICK CONFETTI? How much better can it get?

2. The Tree Stand in the Rain -- My little heart at all the romance:

3. The Lightning Bugs -- Just such a sweet and magical moment.

Would I Read this Book Again?

Low key kind of want to read it again right now! I hope they make a movie of this!

#book review #spoiler review #ya novel #rhps #rocky horror picture show #tourettes syndrome #disability rights #disabled community #ya romance #teen romance #georgia #grease #pokemon #hamilton #rachael allen #a taxonomy of love

[markscherz]

The eye of Uroplatus garamaso, the new gecko species my colleagues and I described yesterday. Check out that weird pupil! Four little diamonds in a chain.

#gecko #lizard #animals #eye #herpetology #wildlife #Uroplatus #Uroplatus garamaso #I have always loved the eyes of these weirdos #why would you want four separate images on your retina? #while you are at least ostensibly asleep? #sounds like orc mischief to me #also I don't know if you guys are aware that we named another one of these geckos after Treebeard #Uroplatus fangorn #so happy about that one #it's the only species I've named after something by Tolkien so far #which is kind of surprising given that my personality is composed largely of Tolkien nerdery #but there are other fandoms I have not yet acknowledged at all with species names #so keep your eyes out for some Star Trek names in the future #there's taxonomy in that nebula #this has been your evening tag ramble #enjoy

[black-and-yellow]

Bug AU stuff for YOU

#that's right! #idk why Taxonomies gets so many kudos when it's only 2 chapters and not very good but #i should probably harness that and continue it #bnha #hizashi yamada #present mic #mha #shouta aizawa #eraserhead #nemuri kayama #small might #toshinori yagi #butterfly!might #wasp!mic #mothzawa #spider!midnight #mic loves his friends <3 #all might is also there

[greenteacology]

my theory of science as a field is that. you know those light box things we would use to trace pictures as kids? my theory is that the true nature of reality is this wild complex crazy complicated picture, and it’s covered by about 100 layers of paper and that’s what we can perceive. and science is us putting that on a light box and trying to trace it. and every time someone makes a new discovery it’s like peeling away one tiny layer of paper to make it easier for the next person to trace.

#genetics #taxonomy #ecology #chemistry #physics #that’s my viewpoint of science #I love science #like taxonomy is a crazy complicated organizational system #and it’s basically us peering at a photo through another sheet of paper and going okay how thick are these lines? #are these things connected or am I imagining it? #is this space really blank? #and I love it so much

[a-dinosaur-a-day]

I have a special interest in fish and birds. Sometimes people ask me what I like more

Than I remember they’re the same thing and I don’t have to pit two bad bitches against each other, love taxonomy

EYYYYYYYYY

#taxonomy wins! love wins!

[plant-taxonomy-showdown]

Class Round 1: Nymphaeales vs Ceratophyllales

Water Lilies vs Aquarium Plants

Nymphaeales: A basal clade of Magnoliophyta that contains the water lily family, and other aquatic plants with prominent flowers. Water lilies with larger flowers and more complex parts are pollinated by beetles -- they were initially believed to be plants that evolved earlier, but while Nymphaeales as a whole did diverge early, the ones with more flower parts did not diverge earlier than the ones with fewer flower parts. Water lilies were used as an indicator of water cleanliness in the Maya civilization, were a symbol of the Maya elite, and were likely used in a religious context to induce altered states of consciousness.

Ceratophyllales: Core Magnoliophytes that are very closely related to the eudicots. These aquatic plants are found all over the world, and are known as coontails or hornworts (though they are not related to the non-vascular hornworts from the phylum battle.) Ceratophyllum demersum is sold as an aquarium plant, and is considered invasive in Tasmania and New Zealand, where it has been known to interfere with hydroelectric power plants.

#before I started this tournament I would have assumed #that ceratophyllales wouldn't get many votes #but given the apparent deep and widespread love #of moss-like plants #who knows really? #nymphaeales #ceratophyllales #plant taxonomy showdown #battle of the plants #class round 1 #class #plant bracket #tumblr bracket #bracket tournament #poll bracket

[batnbreakfast]

I swear, getting Shark ready for a trip has me craving a holiday.

Not just because she’s going to Mexico this time, but also because it’s stressing me out to see her prepare… to the point where i just take over the whole packing process. 😂

#marine biologists: how about I take two t-shirts one pair of trousers a fleece my sturdy boots and a windbreaker for a two weeks trip? #this way i’ve got enough space to pack three pairs of binoculars my two favourite snorkelling glasses and a huge ass taxonomy book #me - a normal (sic!) person: #love… dear… maybe - not? #*sighs* #*gently unpacks two out of three binoculars and replaces them with three more t-shirts* #it’s a bat’s life

[fisherman-fight]

ROUND TWO

KINGFISHERS from CLASS AVES vs TOBY from HARVEST MOON

PROPAGANDA:

KINGFISHERS - "Saw one snatch up and gobble a fish in front of me. Very good at the grabbing part but less good at the eating part due to the fish being extremely large in relation to its beak"

TOBY - "Lives at a fishery. Favorite hobby and job are both fishing.' "This man can marry you but his first love is fishing."

#shoutout to the nerd in my submission form explaining in depth about kingfishers and herons and such. as an ecology major: i see you #also i misread your submission oops. you wanted herons not kingfishers. which tbh i agree. love herons. but it's too late to change now #fishticuffs #birds #kingfishers #aves #coraciiformes #alcedinidae #sorry for the taxonomy. NOT. #harvest moon #harvest moon toby #hm toby #harvest moon tree of tranquility #harvest moon animal parade

[scribefindegil]

i ALSO love when The Narrative is very kind and compassionate to its characters (Mob!!!!) but if it isn't. well. sometimes you gotta take matters into your own hands.

#makes a graph abt The Narrative in fiction i love where one axis is how loving vs hostile it is #and one axis is how active/present it is as a force within the story #a taxonomy of interest to Me Alone

[dualbasilisk]

This Laios guy is just like me for real

#i love monster taxonomy and anatomy #this show is really good so far y'all #dungeon meshi #original post

[gaytobymeres]

my toxic trait is i dont know many common plant names. im not trying to be pretentious i just actually dont know what youre talking about.

#i love the clarity and the order of scientific names #once you get into the way of taxonomy taxonomic ranks get a handle on genera and families it actually becomes a lot easier #i do love common names im just bad at remembering them #i also love scientific names because so often it's like 'that's a [genus name]? no way!' #or alternatively you see a plant thats new to you and youre like idk the species but i think it's this family or this genus

[lilmackiereads]

A TAXONOMY OF LOVE (2018) BY RACHAEL ALLEN - SPOILER FREE REVIEW

For the review WITH SPOILERS, click here. To continue without spoilers, begin reading after the cover photo.

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

I am actually surprised with myself for giving this such a high rating as I am easily very bored with the teen romance novels. Of the few YA romance that I have read in the last year this has been my favorite which was a total surprise! I actually almost gave up reading it in the first 50 or so pages because I found the initial few chapters from Spence's point of view unrealistic. For some reason I just didn't feel like the dialogue and thought processes going on in this 13-year-old boy's head felt accurate to the tween boys I've known growing up. There wasn't enough swearing or boyish grossness. For instance, I feel like he needed a bit of a sprinkle of yucky (belching/ nose-picking/ farting/ name-calling) like the boys in Stephen King's "The Body" aka Stand by Me (1986), The Sandlot (1993) or Stranger Things (2016) because many boys at this age are generally just pretty gross and obnoxious in my experience. (I grew up tween to teen between 2008-2018 and babysat lots of kids and now I work with middle school and high schoolers...)

HOWEVER, I think Allen did nail Spence's dorkiness, which is why I ultimately kept reading because he is pretty adorable and his taxonomies are pretty funny.

Unlike John Green (The Fault in Our Stars, 2012 and Turtles All the Way Down, 2017) and Becky Albertalli (Simon vs the Homosapien Agenda, 2015) who are two of the best teen writers that can accurately display the minds of the opposite sex in my opinion, I feel like Allen struggles a bit with writing Spence's point-of-view. I found Hope's p-o-v more realistic (and relatable) as a female, but I think that Spence became more realistic as the book progressed from age 13 to 19. Especially once he hit puberty, I think the romantic stakes and thoughts were more accurate to a teenage boy. Haha. But what do I know? I've never been a teenage boy.

Hope reminded me a lot of myself because I'm generally happy-go-lucky, but I had a major emo-phase in high school that really warped my attitude at the time (and admittedly comes out to play occasionally as an adult.) I wish we had more chapters from her perspective.

I really liked all the little parties the characters through for the holidays and the references to Hamilton (2015), Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975), Grease (1978), and Pokémon. I feel like Hope's transition over the story is actually a lot like Sandy's!

I also like that the book goes over some important topics like racism and the Civil War, disability awareness, bullying, mental health, and using sexual situations as a coping mechanism.

Without saying why (see the Spoiler Review for that!), my top three favorite parts are:

-The Vice Principal's Surprise

-The Tree Stand in the Rain

-The Lightning Bugs

Would I Read this Book Again?

Low key kind of want to read it again right now! I hope they make a movie of this!

#ya novel #ya romance #a taxonomy of love #rachael allen #spence and hope #tourettes syndrome #mental health #book review #teen romance #grease #rocky horror picture show #rhps #hamilton #pokemon #halloween #thanksgiving #georgia

[waspredteeth]

We’re at the stage in fic writing where I needlessly add context and backstory to characters who are all already dead before the story started. In other news, guess how many dead parents there are in the taxonomy!verse?

We have Bette’s dead dad and (surprise!) not-dead-but-should’ve-been-dead adoptive mom.

Tom’s dead mom. She’s only mentioned for a couple panels but you bet your ass I’m adding so much tragedy there. Especially since it’s more recent compared to most of these other ones.

We have the adoptive parents (my ocs) of Damian that raised him for only a few years before the League got to them. (SotD!!!)

We have the highly specific version of Willis and Catherine Todd that I made in my head. They’re actually really sweet, which adds to the tragedy of Jason’s life, and also adds some stuff to his particular POV chapters in Chiroptera.

Finally, various parental figures (and sibling figures) from the League that taught Damian things. (This lad fit so many dead family members in his childhood!! That he actively blocks from his memory!!)

(Not even counting the dead parent smorgasbord of freshly-dead Bruce, the Graysons, and the Drakes).

We have fun here.

I’d add more context for you all as to the actual headcanons and histories I’m creating - but spoilers… I don’t want to ruin any build up for the fic series.

#dc #taxonomy!verse #the dead parent document is at 2k and counting #this is me being an absurdly obsessive writer who likes tiny details #and also the joy fo creating tragic lives that affect a child we all know and love #bat-writing!! 🎊🎊🎊🎊

[black-and-yellow]

w1ld a1 b4by

#draw loudspeaker before i forget how #i did have to check the location of his scar #i did forget #I have missed drawing Lines #Louis is my baby boy but he's quite soft #I like to go absolutely wild with lines #wtvr i still love mic #now give me notes #bnha #hizashi yamada #present mic #mha #villain!mic #loudspeaker au #i keep getting kudos and follows on Taxonomies #like it's not that good and it's only got 2 chapters #idk if I'm ever gonna continue it but #glad the 2 chapters that do exist are clearly phenomenal

[puppygirldick]

Contrary to what every stoner will excitedly tell you, and what you will see in most every dispensary, there is technically only one species of Cannabis, Cannabis ruderalis.

"sativa" means cultivated, as in a cultivar of ruderalis

rūdus, rūder- (“rubble, debris”) +‎ -ālis "to grow" --- Interestingly implying it grows in disturbed areas (like a "weed").

"indica", modern Latin for “of India."

Taxonomy has changed a lot since they were initially identified, and the advent of molecular phylogeny

Phylogenetic studies showed both Cannabis "sativa" and "indica" share the common ancestor Cannabis ruderalis and that "indica" is a cultivar of "sativa" which is a cultivated variety of Cannabis ruderalis

For Cannabis sativa to be its own species it would need at least two common ancestors, Cannabis ruderalis being the only known en-situ unaltered native species of Cannabis

Unless we discover another

#sorry stoners #botany #taxonomy #i actually love cannabis #i have worked with cannabis for over 4 years

[tacticaltaxonomist]

URL Change!

Old: BoringID / bid-art

New: tacticalTaxonomist / tactax-art

I've been using the url "boringisdull" and it's variations BoringID/bid for over ten years now across all my accounts, it felt like a good time to go for something new. I'll be changing it everywhere else too insofar possible.

#i always wanted a valid chumhandle as an account name and now i do #i love tactic/strategy games #and i love taxonomy of animals #so there we go #also tactax sounds fun #boringtalks #new talktag too: #tactaxtalks #url change