#I haven't finished the whole thing and I'm only on vol 3 | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

phantastragoria · 11 months

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Not sure if it's okay to send you this ask but I actually feel the same way you do about the end of vol 3 and I've been feeling pretty alone about it. I haven't said much because I don't want to seem like I'm being mean about the movie. I think my issue is the team hasn't spent years and years together. Most of them were snapped for 5 years. When they came back Gamora was dead and then Peter was clearly left suffering and dealing with the trauma for a while. I can live with the idea of "we've all grown to need time apart and want to do our own things" but I don't think the build up and execution was there. Not just for those on the team but also 2014 Gamora who was literally just coming back to the story and finally getting to see who these people were and what her life was once about. Then it's over and it doesn't feel like enough of a resolution. I also don't love how Gamora was treated which is a whole other topic but I disliked how it seems like there hasn't been any issue with her death for anyone but Peter. There doesn't even seem to be any memories of her lingering with the team. I have so many thoughts around this that I'll be thinking about it for a while but man, she was murdered by her abuser and most of her family are victims of abuse and I dont think the aftermath has been handled very well at all. Mostly I think there needed to be another movie In between Endgame and vol 3 to hash out what happened in Infinity War/Endgame and to progress some of the characters more and build up to the more Rocket focused ending where they all part ways. Or vol 3 needed to not be quite as focused on Rocket. Not saying he shouldn't have the most focus, just scale it back a little because other things desperately needed attention.

Oh it's absolutely fine to send an ask about this!!! I'm always up for a discussion, and honestly, it makes me feel better that I'm not the only person not completely happy with the ending, solidarity my friend.

I want to preface this all with I DON'T hate the film, and I thought it was way better on a 2nd viewing, but I really don't think it's a crime to criticize it because nothing is perfect (Vol. 1 + 2 aren't either) But Vol. 3 really has some deeply ingrained issues that should've been dealt with, or at the very least acknowledged, because as it is they really stand out, especially on a second viewing or if you've marathoned all the films together, and they literally drag the film down.

Gunn said on Twitter in response to something that he wanted Vol. 3 to be able to stand on its own without the viewer needing to have seen the other films (and by extension IW+EG) but that is so unhinged when it's literally titled as the third in the series at this point lol. Like it's extremely weird to have let IW+EG affect the Guardians as much as they did and then not even try and deal with the aftermath of it all in the last film featuring (almost) everyone together... ???

He's made it clear Rocket is his favorite and that he only came back to do Vol. 3 because he wanted to finish his story, I don't doubt that's true even if I think having a single character be more important than the others is the wrong choice and leaves the whole story as a trilogy a bit lopsided. But even so, if that's the case then it's crazy to not even have Rocket's thoughts on all of these things that've happened in the last decade as if it wouldn't be traumatic to lose your loved ones for years, and how hard it would be to readjust to life after it all. I kind of can't see him letting everyone leave so easily at the very end, especially after he almost died, so I'm just left feeling confused at the choice at best and vaguely unsatisfied at worst.

Maybe Gunn didn't have as much control over their appearances in IW+EG as he says he did. Maybe they really did completely derail the road to Vol. 3 and he just won't admit it, but the film as it is doesn't help in any way by pretending nothing there happened at all. I don't see any logical reason for the audience to just go along with "For some reason Gamora left, she might've died but also maybe not, who knows. Peter is sad and the rest of the team want to move onto something else. " and then the only hint at that last part is... Mantis telling Peter to go see his grandpa, so that leads to everyone else having a change in goals too, huh. I know it's not meant to be forever, and we're to assume everyone keeps in contact with each other, but the ending really makes it feel like no, we'll never all be together again, so bah.

And concerning Gamora, I agree with what you've said. I could write an entire book with my issues of her overall treatment in the narrative and the implications of her character from the comics getting adapted like this, but I'll spare you the speech and just say the TLDR is everything starting from IW onwards concerning her (the specific framing around her murder and then time travel bringing in 2014-Gamora, and the complete lack of acknowledgement about either version of her from the rest of the team) never should've happened. It's all such a mind-boggling choice, I can't get over how much of an afterthought Gunn made her at the very last minute.

It's funny you mention the need for another film to deal with the emotional fallout of everything post-Vol. 2, because absolutely, but they kind of had the chance??? I realize the Holiday Special isn't film length and is meant to be the calm before the storm of everything that's to come, but in a post-Vol. 3 world I can't stop thinking about how it was SUCH a missed opportunity to not have that be the sobering moment for the characters to talk about everything that happened in the years everyone was snapped. It could've even been the perfect time to plant the metaphorical plot seeds of everyone wanting to go and do their own things after what happened because they just can't make life feel the exact same as it was before, and understanding things can never be the same after something like that.

Even the last lines of the song used in the Holiday Special feels more appropriate for the Guardians as a family struggling to keep it all together (and trying to deal with the sudden loss of Gamora) than it relates to Peter and Yondu, in my opinion.

I would have preferred a more out-there story in general, something to give everyone equal stakes in the plot, but I do think Vol. 3 could have stayed overall the same if any of this was addressed or even mentioned in one or two lines of dialogue somewhere. Because as it is, it really feels like we missed something important between it all, but we didn't from what we we've been shown. I don't think it would have killed Gunn to include a quick moment where someone just says to Peter "I miss her too and I get everything's been way harder lately, but you can't let it grind your life to a complete halt like this." or something!! ANYTHING!!!

And if we absolutely had to stick with the time displaced Gamora plot... When she was snooping around on the Bowie by herself i dont get why she didn't get to see some old photos or something of the team during happier times (including 2018-Gamora specifically) and realizing that they really are going so far to save Rocket because they genuinely love him, and once upon a time they loved her too. 2014-Gamora getting to see the life she very nearly COULD have had within mere hours in her own timeline (without the threat of Thanos ever taking that away, mind you) but having to come to terms with the life she's made with the Ravagers in the present day. That would've been a more appropriate arc for her, I think, then her presence in the story wouldn't have had to only center around what Peter lost and nothing else and we'd at least get the idea that the others still had her on their minds even if they outwardly "moved on."

But also? Another missed opportunity to not have a moment when 2014-Gamora is in a battle with the other Ravager leaders mirroring the hallway scene with the Guardians that could have been when Peter (and the audience) "get" who she's currently more comfortable with in a basic sense, but... you know... it is what it is or whatever.

#guardians of the galaxy spoilers #vol 3 spoilers #gotg spoilers #lex thoughts #gotg thoughts #universe: mcu #ask tag #anon #i hope my ramblings make sense I've tried to coherently put my thoughts on the movie together for a while now #i wouldn't say im fully over it and i dont think i ever will be but im coming to terms with it or whatever #from how i speak about it youd think id hate the film I DONT!!! It's got really good things in it but i just cannot overlook the things-#-that bother me about it. genuinely i find the stuff with gamora straight up upsetting in a way that's hard to put into words #and i had expected better for her at the end but. you know.#i just care about the whole team in general 😔 i would like to say it was perfect like most everyone else but i cant #and i understand we have the benefit of having had all this time to expect more from vol 3 and gunn did not when writing it #but idk the only thing that feels like gunn had set in stone from the start is everything with rocket up to right before the team breaks up #if you asked me in 2017 that this is where it was going i also wouldve said what???#vol 3 wants to so badly be “let's meet in the year 2000 won't it be strange when we're all fully grown” but it's more-#-like a friend (by pulp) :'/

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mo0124 · 1 year

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~february 2023 reading wrap-up~ hello loves!! this month i procrastinated so much on school and work, and instead i read sooo much. so here is a brief recap of what i read!

Total Books: 24 | Re-Reads: 2 | Average Rating: 4.06 ★ | Overall 2023 Reading Goal: 40/50

note: if you read further,, there will be some minor spoilers. also if you decide to pick any of them up make sure to check the trigger warnings. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

#1 - Toilet-Bound Hanako-Kun, Vol. 2 by Aidalro Rating: 5★ | Format Read: Physical this manga series is continuing in such a fun and interesting way. there is a development in the romance and found family,, and I LOVE the found family in this series. #2 - Fade by Tanya Saracho Rating: 3★ | Format Read: E-Book this play was okay, there is some interesting commentary on the characters LatinX identities and those parts were engaging. i felt like the ending was predictable. my rating might change if i saw this staged. #3 - Kaguya-Sama: Love Is War, Vol. 3 by Aka Akasaka Rating: 4.5★ | Format Read: Physical it's been sooo long since i continued this story, and i'm so glad i picked it back-up. great deepening of romance and friendships. definitely need to continue this series.

#4 - The Tradition by Jericho Brown Rating: 5★ | Format Read: Physical this poetry collection is absolutely beautiful. and exploration of race, love, queerness, rape, and so much more. my favorite poems were: Trojan, As a Human being, and Bullet Points

#5 - Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer Rating: 4.5★ | Format Read: Physical wonderful non-fiction discussion of indigenous wisdom and scientific information. there were a few mentions of pretty traditional roles (that she believes in for herself) that i didn't love. but overall it was beautiful written and had a lot of wisdom.

#6 - Uncomfortable Conversations With A Black Man by Emmanuel Ocho Rating: 4.5★ | Format Read: Audio this is a very palatable non-fiction about racism that black people face in america. for white people who haven't done any anti-racism work, i highly recommend.

#7 - The Son Of Neptune by Rick Riordan Rating: 5★ | Format Read: Audio i love this book, i love the new camp and this trio. hazel and frank have my whole heart.

#8 - Gruesome Playground Injuries by Rajiv Joseph Rating: 1.5★ | Format Read: E-Book i did not like this play at all but i had to read it for class so i finished it. it is a glamorization of abusive relationships that are built on an idealization of self-harm. the only reason it wasn't a 1-star was because there is the use of a cool narrative tool of jumping around in time through traumatic events that connect the characters. but besides that it made me physically ill because it made me so upset.

#9 - Electric Arches by Eve L. Ewing Rating: 4★ | Format Read: Physical this is a beautiful collection of poetry, prose, and visual art that explores black womanhood. i wish it was longer. my favorite quote was: "i wanted a map not to know where things are but to know where i am." #10 - Tristan Strong Punches A Hole In The Sky by Kwame Mbalia Rating: 5★ | Format Read: Audio i have had this middle-grade on my tbr for sooo long and i kept procrastinating,, and why did i keep myself from this gem for so long?? love the characters, the world-building, and the important topics discussed.

#11 - I'm Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness by Austin Channing Brown Rating: 5★ | Format Read: Audio amazing non-fiction that focuses on the intersectionality of black womanhood. it is wonderful to hear her experiences and she needs to write more because it is so good.

#12 - Stage Management Theory As A Guide To Practice: Cultivating a Creative Approach by Lisa Porter and Narda E. Alcorn Rating: 3.5★ | Format Read: E-Book i had to read this for class, but it was interesting. full of a lot of great theory about stage management/organizing people. i wish there was more pracitcal advice.

#13 - The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna Rating: 4.5★ | Format Read: Audio this book was so wonderful. it is as if the book "Nothing To See Here" had a cozy baby. and the romance?? i was crushing on the love interest sooo much.

#14 - Tristan Strong Destroys the World by Kwame Mbalia Rating: 3.5★ | Format Read: Audio i didn't love the addition of the new technology in this book, and all the gods are the worst in this book. the antagonist in this book was cool though and the ending was interesting. opptimistic for the last book, but this was kind of a let down compared to the last one (for me).

#15 - Wash Day Dairies by Jamila Rowser Rating: 4★ | Format Read: E-Book this is such a cute graphic novel about love, friendship, family, and health.

#16 - The Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan Rating: 4.5★ | Format Read: Audio re-read for me, i love this book but it is probably my least favorite in the heroes of olympus... obviously, i love *and hate* the ending, percabeth, and the group dynamics... but they use the word "schizophrenic" to describe the gods in this novel and that feels icky.

#17 - Toilet-Bound Hanako-Kun, Vol. 3 by Aidarlo Rating: 5★ | Format Read: Physical and the series is still good... this volume has lots of great backstory and a good cliff-hanger.

#18- Don't Cry For Me: A Novel by Daniel Black Rating: 5★ | Format Read: Audio this is a retelling of a man's life through letters to his son, an exploration of black manhood, familial trauma, homophobia, and relationships. i have to re-read it physically so i can annotate it.

#19 - How The Word Is Passed by Clint Smith Rating: 5★ | Format Read: Physical a must-read non-fiction about different locations across the united states and their history of slavery and racial segregation and how that history is hidden and changed.

#20 - Off-Headset: Essay on Stage Management Work, Life, and Career by Christopher Sadler and Rafael Jaen Rating: 3★ | Format Read: E-Book another read for class, and it was okay. since it's by a bunch of different authors the quality varies and some parts are very repetitive.

#21 - Cinderella Is Dead by Kalynn Bayron Rating: 2.5★ | Format Read: Audio when i explained this plot to my roommate she said it sounded like shrek 2 fan-ficiton... anyways, even though it was published in 2020 it felt very early 2010's with the main characters "not like other girls" energy. i liked having a sapphic character, and i wanted to love her romances but it is so much of insta-love. cool villian, but the magic system is not at all what i was expecting.

#22 - What A Match by Mimi Grace Rating: 3★ | Format Read: E-Book i have the biggest crushes on characters in this book. the plot is a little all over the place, but if you just want a fun romance reed i recommend it.

#23 - Consumed: The Need For Collective Change: Colonialism, Climate Change, and Consumerism by Aja Barber Rating: 4★ | Format Read: E-Book overall lots of wonderful information about fashion consumption, it is a little disorganized but provides good intersectional discussion. i wish it would have discussed the use of prison labor and the problems with that, but that might need to be an entirely separate book.

#24 - Nick and Charlie by Alice Oseman Rating: 3★ | Format Read: E-Book sadly, this is my least favorite story in the osemanverse that I have read... nick and charlie felt extremely out of character, and i hate this miscommunication trope and that is what this is. i do still love the writing and the ending was cute.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ if you read this far thank you so much <3 share what you have read recently ~mo

#2023 reading list #books #book recommendations #wrap up #heroes of olympus #nonfiction #alice oseman #toilet bound hanako kun #kaguya sama love is war #theatre #scripts #poetry #manga

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lunatriense · 2 years

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So, I finally got around to checking out Ice Queendom's opening movie... thing, and... I honestly really like it. There are a few issues when it comes to animation (and one reallllly unnecessary moment where they try and reference what happens to Pyrrha in vol 3) but otherwise I think it's a legit refinement of Vol 1 while still adding in it's own story details for the Nightmare Grimm and, well, Ice Queendom. I think my only real worry at this point is if they end the anime with fast forwarding towards vol 3 and beyond, like as a reference. Like... the narrator saying something dumb like 'People will struggle, and sometimes they fail' while showing random scenes from vol 3 and beyond, because with the changes, they can easily just let this be it's own timeline. Other than that, very eager to see where this goes, and frankly, it's nice looking forward to the show again for once.

Yeah, I'm hoping that they'll let it be its own little AU, I really am. That unnecessary moment you mentioned is precisely why I haven't watched it yet, and why I'm waiting for the season to finish first to see where things look to be going when it does, because I was I totally hyped to watch it until I saw someone post a screenshot with that.

If we can just let IQ be its own thing though, divorced from the webseries and where Pyrrha doesn't get fridged for Jaune's angst, I'm all in. Sign me up for that, I'll buy so much merch, a subscription to watch (on Crunchyroll), the whole works to support it.

#answers #ice queendom

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hawkinslibrary · 2 years

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hii!! i just wanted to come here and thank you for your positivity 💞

everybody is honestly being so negative before the season is even out, especially with the reviews. they're taking them SO seriously when they're literally just random people's opinions on vol. 1. random people who don't care about the show the way we do or know the characters like we do. but suddenly one (1) reviewer says they found this thing out of place or disconnected from the rest or anything else tbh and DONE now this whole plot is gonna suck, throw it away!!!!! a, b & c characters are acting out of character!!!! the humor is bad!!!! they're sidelining everybody's favorites!!!! and i'm just here like, chill???? we haven't seen anything yet and reviewers are gonna have takes that you do not agree with, they're gonna think things you personally wouldn't thinking watching it. personal taste matters, interpretation matters. something that makes sense to you, might not make sense to them. something they talk about as if it's this HUGE thing might be a 10 seconds scene. the casual viewer does not watch this show the same way you do, to begin with.

anyway, just, you've been very positive and calming and has helped me quite a bit sometimes with not letting what people are saying get to me so thank you so much!!!!! you're the best 🥺

oh, wow, this was a very nice message to come back to, thank you so much !!! honestly, when it all comes down to it, i just want everyone to be able to enjoy watching the show, you know? it's entertainment. it's a ridiculous, cheesy, wild, and heartfelt homage to 80s movies and underdogs, and i personally mean all of that in the best way. the people behind this show are absolute nerds. i love it

(have to put the rest of the response under a read more bc it's gonna be essay length + a little spoiler-y once again)

but s1 was so new and So Good. and i think with every season, there are those who want it to be as good as s1, or to feel and look like s1 again, you know, but it's a lot bigger in scope and story now than the show it was in s1. so there's just always a lot of high/specific expectations and a lot of room for disappointment

and i think a lot of the negativity just shows how much people do care about this show tbh. we've waited 3 years, we want it to be amazing and worth the wait, so hearing anyone say anything remotely less than positive about it has us on edge. any concerns and criticisms are absolutely valid, i just think we should wait and see for ourselves

now, i'm not really reading the reviews, but i'm seeing reactions and summaries and i have actually seen more positivity than negativity surrounding the season. and again, they've only seen through episode 7 at the most, with some only seeing 4 or 6 bc of the time screeners were sent out and effects taking a while to finish. they haven't seen everything and these certainly aren't their final thoughts on the whole season -- it's incomplete

i do, of course, have my own worries about this season, and they kinda align with the things you've mentioned above, but i'm waiting to make my own judgments on those when i've seen the season in full. i don't think any of them are worth completely discarding the season over, though, especially having not even seen the payout from the penultimate and final episodes

(i think any characterizations that might be a little off can be explained by the trauma and the suffering and the grief and the change and the etc etc etc. humor is another thing. it's really hit or miss with this show, i'll admit, and some of it really does feel out of place or ill-timed. i still say the dustin-suzie-singing thing was to break the tension in an otherwise very stressful ep, though)

and you are right, these are just the opinions of random people who haven't even seen the full picture yet, and everything does depend on their tastes and interpretations. you can tell that some of them just want to complain about the length of the episodes, too, so that's already negatively impacting how they view the season

basically, don't take what random reviewers say too seriously bc it is all only their own opinion, and it can't even be a fully-formed opinion yet bc of the two separate volumes. if you go into the season with what they think of it on your mind, it's very easy for your own enjoyment and anticipation of things to come to be impacted. go in with an open mind, form your own opinions as the story unfolds, and try to have fun watching !

#'try to have fun watching' even though this season is really dark and heavy and scary and etc etc etc #sorry if this is a lot of rambling #and if it doesn't make much sense #i only slept like... 3 hours last night and i don't do well unless i get like 6+ at least lol #also it is very loud in my house rn and i cannot focus through that #anyway thank you for this message !!! 💖#please keep calm and hold onto that positivity !!#and i hope you enjoy the season when it drops in less than 4 days !!!!!#answered #s4 #st4 spoilers #spoilers #i've stared at this for several hours now dsfkjsdfn #long post #it's under a read more but still

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kittysabrina · 1 year

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little life update #2

I need plants. It's almost back to school after a very long weekend and I must say I've taken this an opportunity to rest very well. I had requirements piling up on me and I haven't started a thing which is not good but also not bad at the same time. It isn't good cos I'm running out of time to finish them, we'll get back to uni in Tuesday. And it isn't bad either because I was able to have more "ME" time and I know after this long-weekend, I wouldn't rest properly since its midterms, so sleepless nights are waving at me again. (sobbing)

This long-weekend made me re-watch twice in a week my all-time favorite movie, the World War Z; starring Brad Pitt. Weird, right? Why would I have a zombie-film as my favorite movie? Simply because I love the plot, especially the resolution. Where Gerry (Pitt) discovered that they can use deadly pathogens like typhus, SARS; not as a vaccine but as a camouflage to the zekes. This movie tried to differentiate itself from other zombie-films by being a more serious and smart film that focused on finding a cure rather than just simply surviving. I've watch this for like a number of times. I will surely scream if it will have a sequel but I don't think it will and that's good too. Anyways, I also watched The Fast Saga series, starting from Fast 4 to Fate and Furious 8. I decided to watch them after seeing a glimpse of the Fast X that will be showing this May, perfect for my birthday. Not to mention the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will also be released in the same month. Other movies that I watched was NOPE, (7/10) I was amazed by its foreshadowing because I didn't see it coming. 2037 (9/10) This had me traumatized and crying the whole time! It was traumatizing because the lead was raped, and it terrified me. I couldn't imagine myself in that kind of situation but I felt it. I felt the trauma, the horror, how scared she was. And now I'm scared of going out all by myself late at night which I normally do before. The fact that she also got sentenced for murdering her rapist which is clearly was a self-defense. The law is so un-law-ing in this movie, imagine the injustice. Wrath of Man (10/10) This one's a re-watch, I love how intimidating Jason Statham was in this movie. I also love how the revenge went just smoothly and simply, which is more satisfying for me. I also started watching Duty After School cos its all over my feed and I want to give it a try just like All of Us Are Dead. Lastly for my little update! I learned chess and was able to improve this week. Thanks for my tutor, I love you. Because last time I played in an easy-level, I couldn't even beat the CPU. I felt really dumb. But right now, it's a piece of a cake. Chess helped me realize how I make bad decisions so much and how dumb I was. Just like how my friends would describe me and why they hate me. Which is why I learned how to play it. Simply for character development. I felt like I'm neglecting my time with Qur'an. I started memorizing Surah Al-Mulk and I only got to memorize its first 10 verses. I want to memorize the whole, but I lack Tajweed. But it's okay, I will learn the right way to read it someday. That's all for my update for this week.

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adamparrishapologist · 2 years

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October reads

I know we're already one week into November, but yeah haven't gotten around to but until now, so here a my October reads now, even if a bit late

Red, White and Royal Blue (reread) 4/5

Don't have much to say about this book. It's a good, solid read, the characters are very likeable. Nothing special but definitely worth reading

Darius the great deserves better 4.5/5

Okay I absolutely love the Darius the Great books. The way depression and mental health in general is talked about is just *mwuah* so good. As a person who also suffers from depression and other mental illnesses, it's just really nice to read a book for once where it's talked about without being used in a 'my whole life revolves around my diagnosis but I refuse to get treatment' way. I also really enjoyed the way relationships are presented in a healthy but natural kinda way.

Bungo Stray Dogs vol. 7,8&9 3.5/5

I've already seen the anime and am now reading the mangas, so I'm still reading the volumes that appear in the anime. I'm generally not a big fan of mangas/graphic novels but I always really enjoy reading Bungo Stray Dogs. The plot is interesting (if confusing in the best way possible), the characters are quite interesting and the art style is exactly to my taste

The Raven Boys (reread) 4/5

Okay so I love the Raven cycle series, and it's the only books I've actually annotated with sticky notes haha. The characters, the plot, the writing is just beautiful. The first book isn't my favourite out of the four, but still an incredible beautiful book. There are a few things that bother me throughout the books, like how some racist elements are included regarding Henry Cheng, so ehhh.

Maurice 3.5/5

So this was one of my first attempts of reading an English book written in the 20th century, as English isn't my first language, and it went better then I expected haha. I liked the concept of the books, even though I sometimes found the characters a but frustrating from time to time, but that's probably due to historical context and stuff.

Last Night at the Telegraph Club 5/5

Simply no complaints. I loved the book. I still love it. It was impossible to but down and I immediately fell in love with our protagonist and her love interest. I loved the little snippets of stories out of the life's of her family (especially her aunt) Definitely one of my favourite books from now on.

The Passing Playbook (reread) 4.5/5

I've read this book first in August, then reread in September and now reread it in October again. It's just such an sweet, adorable story, but still touches on some more serious topics. The characters are just really loveable. The writing isn't anything special, and there is definitely room for improvement, but the story is just so catching that I couldn't find myself to care.

Peter Darling 3/5

It was alright. I felt the romance was just really rushed and there was a lot that just remained... untouched, but it was a quick and easy read, and the characters were really interesting and multi-layered.

The Goldfinch 4/5

Okay so I definitely prefer Donna Tartt's 'The Secret History', but I still enjoyed this book. I must say that due to its length, I often considered not finishing it, but I was too invested to actually stop. I don't think I have to go into depth on how incredible the writing is. I really liked the part of Theos childhood, and I think that the book kinda lost some of its potential after the time-jump.

Aristotle and Dante dive into the waters of the world 4.5/5

If i'm being honest, I was really nervous about this book, as most of the times, sequels that were released much later than the first book are often... disappointing. But this was NOT the case here. I still related strongly to Ari and his views, and I was just really happy how many things were tied up that were left open in the first book. The 'Aristotle and Dante' books will forever be one of my favourite books and comfort reads

See you next month

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stardestroyer81 · 2 years

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Hi everyone! As most of my followers know (Especially if the post I made on my birthday is any indication), I'm an enormous nerd on all things arcade games. I grew up playing them by way of official compilations or plug-and-plays, but it's very rare I get to see any of my arcade favorites in person, as arcades are quite sparse in my town.

However, last night I found out about an arcade relatively close to where I live, and while I went into it with mild expectations, let me just say that the amount of fun I had and the discoveries I made were unlike anything I could have ever expected! Below, you'll find a deep dive of my experience there, what games I found, and a superstar display of arcade mastery! Let's insert a coin and jump right in!

Once I arrived, the very first arcade cabinet that caught my interest (And, by extension, saw) was the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles beat-em-up by Konami! Cartoony beat-em-ups such as this one and The Simpsons (Which they also had!) are something I've always had a fascination for, and while it was very tempting to start a game, I decided to hold off on it for the time being so that I could check out what else the arcade had in store— plus, games like this are always more fun with friends!

Just around the corner, I found a genuine Mario Bros. cabinet! This one was the first one that really surprised me, as I'd never seen one physically. I'd played a great deal of Mario Bros. ports in my time, but never the real deal, so it was really cool to finally give it a go...

... before realizing how clumsy I am at it. I'm telling you, the traction on each stage feels like Mario's going ice skating with skates he buttered beforehand— the sliding is real. While I did get pretty close in beating the high-score here, it for some reason decided not to save, but that was no big deal to me. At some point I'd love to practice and see if I can really master the art of Mario Bros.

And because this is probably the only instance I'll ever get to mention this, if you haven't seen the commercial for Mario Bros. Atari port, I'd suggest you do so, because it is nothing short of hilarious. MAAAAAA-RI-O, WHERE ARE YOU?!

I remember getting particularly hyped when I caught sight of the 'Galaxian' marquee shown here, as I'd not once ever seen a Galaxian cab, though upon closer inspection, the machine is actually an iCade 60-in-1 compilation, one I actually grew up playing at a laser tag place and have a fondness for (The menu music gives me SUCH a great deal of nostalgia)!

One such title in this compilation that I consider myself a pro player at is Super Pac-Man, and that ended up being the first game that I got REALLY into playing. I noticed upon starting the game that the high score was around forty thousand or so, but by the time I wrapped up...

I showed "YOU" who's boss (Weird, now that I look at it, that the 41,470 looks to be a default score as the stage they made it to was... well, zero)! This ended up being my all-time personal best Super Pac-Man score by just four hundred points or so, and was DEFINITELY the most exciting one yet!

When I finished with that game, I noticed that just down the hall, there were even more games, which interested me fairly quickly. I made my way down the hall and turned to the right, and sure enough, there were a whole lot more games!

And then... I saw it.

A genuine Dig Dug cabinet.

It took every last square inch of my entire being to not just start fanboying right then and there. I'd been waiting for as long as I can remember to see a Dig Dug cabinet in person, and it was SO EXCITING finally being able to play one! You'll notice in the image above that the high score was in the thirty thousand range, which I found was EASILY beatable given my expertise...

Turns out, all that practice playing Dig Dug on Jakks Pacific's plug-and-play and in Namco Museum Vol. 3 payed off! Once I began Round One, I noticed one tiny detriment to the cabinet, however- it took some major effort to even go up, which is pretty much a requirement if you even want to beat the first stage.

As I played, though (Let me tell you, this was one of my more intense Dig Dug sessions, I was making some serious plays that hinged on exact timing and choosing which enemies to pump first), the joystick seemed to loosen up, and I found it much easier to move upward as the rounds went on.

This might just be my favorite picture I took last night, too. I've always wanted my initials to be in the top spot of any genuine arcade cabinet, and for it to be Dig Dug no less was just so satisfying! Now, we wait until I scout out a Bosconian cabinet...

They also had a Ms. Pac-Man cabinet in the same row that Dig Dug was in! The version they used was particular fun, too, as it was actually Turbo Ms. Pac-Man, which is exactly what it sounds like. Weirdly, this cabinet's top score was relatively low (Around twenty-thousand, I think?) and I even remember hearing somebody my age remarking how difficult it is.

I don't know if it's just because of how well-versed I am at Ms. Pac-Man but— again— I set the high score for this, too, clocking in at 54,410! I'd played another Turbo Ms. Pac-Man a while back and remember my score being much higher, but the score I had set just proved I was on a roll!

Lastly, another cabinet I was surprised to find was Space Invaders! I recall having seen a Space Invaders cabinet many years ago at a Chuck E. Cheese north of my town, though I don't remember it having a space backdrop like this one has, which blends in with the actual game really well.

I'd only ever played Space Invaders a handful of times, though to nobody's surprise (But perhaps to everyone's amazement) I set the high score HERE, too! In the image above, the score is 910, though by the time I finished, I had upped it to 1140. Games like this and Ms. Pac-Man don't save initials for high scores, but I at least have proof on the matter that this is indeed my score!

I guess I'm a lot better at the classics that I was led to believe! The whole experience was just a blast, and I REALLY wanted to share it with you all! I definitely want to make posts like this for other arcades I visit, and you can bet that if I come across a Bosconian cabinet... THAT'S going to be one lengthy post!

#Arcade #Arcade Games #Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #Mario Bros.#Galaxian #Super Pac-Man #Dig Dug #Ms. Pac-Man #Space Invaders #High Score #Star's Arcade Adventures #Deep Dives with Star #Coolness #I AM T H E ARCADE SUPERSTAR #To think I wasn't expecting to even see an iCade 60-in-1 cabinet here. My expectations were GREATLY subverted!#Some other neat stuff I saw whilst there were a pair of N64s and a Joust cabinet!#There was also a NEO-GEO cabinet in the second room too. I intend on checking that out next time I go #When it comes to high scores... I mean business #A few years back I had the high-score on Pac-Man on a Pac-Man's Arcade Party cabinet #I specifically remember sitting down and noticing somebody had bested my top score... and what did I do?#I took back what's mine.#Don't tussle with Star... or you'll get StarDestroyed!

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