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#coat review
lovefrenchisbetter · 6 months
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morganalefay · 6 days
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MORGANA | Cloaks, Coats, & Covers ➛ first & last appearances
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asgardian--angels · 6 months
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...prayer circle for izzy hands
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3gremlins · 3 months
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no, you watched all of hazbin hotel season 1 in one sitting!!
...okay it was me. it was so good?!? def check out if you like cool animation, interesting designs, queer characters and musicals!
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samwisethewitch · 2 years
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Spooky Books I've Been Enjoying Lately
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(Yes, this is a break from witchcraft/paganism-related content. It's been a long week and my brain is tired, so we're going to talk about other hobbies that require less research.)
Does anyone else feel like Halloween has totally crept up on them this year? This is my favorite holiday, but I feel like I just have not had time for spooky celebrations. It's like it was mid-August, and then I blinked, and then it was late October.
The one thing I have been doing to celebrate spooky season is reading horror novels. I love horror generally, but around Halloween I crave a certain kind of horror story. It has to be supernatural, it has to be atmospheric, and it has to be creepy. Realistically, it also needs to be pretty short because I've been crazy busy this year.
I thought I'd share the spooky books I've enjoyed lately, in case any of y'all are looking for something to read in the week leading up to Halloween. In no particular order, they are:
Thirteen Storeys by Jonathan Sims
I have been looking for a good "haunted apartment building" type of story for so long, and this book is exactly what I wanted.
This is? not quite a short-story collection, but also not quite a novel?? As the title implies, it's thirteen short stories set in the same apartment building, but the stories overlap in some places and do come together into one big narrative in the last couple of chapters. It reminded me of horror anthology movies like The Mortuary Collection or Trick 'R Treat where the different stories are revealed to all be connected at the end.
The anthology format allows Sims to fit several different horror subgenres into a single book without it feeling like there's too much going on. The first chapter is a pretty straightforward ghost story, the third chapter is sci-fi horror about technology gone wrong, the fifth is psychological horror, etc. I really enjoyed this approach, because it really keeps readers on their toes and keeps things feeling fresh. Usually in short story collections there's a couple of standouts and a couple of duds, but I really enjoyed all of the stories in this book.
One of my favorite things about this book is its explicit anti-capitalist themes. The apartment complex was built by a billionaire and is funded by some of his business ventures, and many of the hauntings are tied to human rights violations, worker abuse, and illegal dealings in those businesses. Maybe I'm just a cynical leftist, but I felt like this helped ground the horror in real-world issues. And without getting into spoilers, the way these themes get wrapped up at the end was really satisfying.
(And yes, this author is that Jonathan Sims, the writer and narrator of The Magnus Archives. But for what it's worth, I'm not a TMA listener and did not buy this book because of the podcast, and I fucking loved it. I think Sims is a really excellent horror writer.)
*******
The Lost Village by Camilla Sten, translated by Alexandra Fleming
I was a little disappointed with this one, but it's not really the book's fault. This was recommended to me by someone who said it was similar to The Blair Witch Project, which I think set some unrealistic expectations going in.
This is a story about a documentary team investigating an old mining town where the entire population disappeared in the 1950s. Because this is a horror novel, things do not go as planned. Equipment breaks or malfunctions, distrust starts to build between team members, and of course, they start to suspect that the town isn't as empty as they thought.
This is also, in the author's words, "a book about how society views women suffering from mental illness." There are three women in this book living with mental illness -- one who has recovered, one who is in recovery, and one who never had access to treatment. There's explicit discussion of this in the book, including mentions of a suicide attempt and of sexual abuse. If either of those topics is a trigger for you, you may want to skip this one or read ending spoilers before deciding if it's for you.
Interpersonal relationships also play a big role here. Friendships, ex-friendships, and romances are all part of the equation, and feelings definitely get hurt along the way. That's not a bad thing, but I'd definitely say this is a character-driven book, not a plot-driven one.
This is a translation of a Swedish novel, but there wasn't any translation-awkwardness that I noticed. I'm sure there's things I missed because I didn't know the cultural background, but I thought the translator did a good job.
My biggest issue was the ending. No spoilers, but it was not what I wanted and I personally felt like it was kind of a let down. That's definitely just a personal preference thing, though.
*******
A Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay
I think this might be the most disturbing book I've ever read.
Which may seem odd, because as far as horror novels go, this one is actually pretty tame. It's nowhere near as gross or nasty or viscerally unsettling as other books I've read, and yet this book got under my skin in a way that gorier, scarier, more action-packed books haven't.
Maybe it's me. Maybe as an older sister and survivor of religious trauma with close friends and family who have bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, I am uniquely positioned to be freaked out by this story of an older sister with schizophrenia whose father decides exorcism is a better option than psychiatric help. (Okay, I'm not being totally fair. Technically it's never made clear whether Marjorie is possessed or just mentally ill, and the fact that I lean hard into believing she's experiencing a psychotic break says more about me than about this book.) Maybe it's because this book is a little too real and hits a little too close to home for anyone familiar with real-life cases of religious abuse. Maybe Paul Tremblay is just really good at his job.
I would describe A Head Full of Ghosts as a meta horror novel. It reminded me a little bit of House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski -- both follow a "story within a story" structure, although A Head Full of Ghosts is definitely less intentionally confusing than House of Leaves.
Let's break it down a little: When Merry was a child, her family was on a very popular reality show that revolved around her older sister's demonic possession. The book is framed as a series of interviews with adult Merry, who is telling her side of the story to a biographer. The book also includes a series of blog posts from a horror blogger who analyzes the episodes of the reality show through the lens of horror fiction. I really liked the blog posts, because that's where the author gets to be more self-aware and tongue-in-cheek.
I like that this book works both as a straight-forward modern possession story and as a deconstruction or commentary on the possession horror subgenre. I think horror nerds would really enjoy this book.
*******
The Carrow Haunt by Darcy Coates
Sometimes I just want to read a classic, simple, straight-forward ghost story, and Darcy Coates absolutely delivers on that front. I've been hearing a lot about Coates lately, and I chose to start with The Carrow Haunt because the synopsis reminded me of The Haunting of Hill House, with a bunch of people coming together to investigate a Very Haunted House which, of course, goes very badly almost immediately.
I've heard people describe Darcy Coates books as "bingeable," and I can definitely see why. Although I sadly didn't have the free time to binge this book in one sitting, I think I would have if I could have. It was definitely a page-turner, and I did finish it pretty fast even though I was mostly reading it in the mornings before work.
Again, I really like how simple this story is. It's a very classic ghost story, and it doesn't have a lot of subplots and extra drama like The Lost Village does. The story mostly stays focused on the haunting. It's also a bit more fast-paced than traditional gothic novels, so if you're someone who likes haunted houses but doesn't like waiting for things to start happening, I think you'd enjoy this book.
One thing that surprised me was that this book actually has explicit rules for how ghosts work. Most supernatural horror leans into the unknown and mysterious, but this book takes a very scientific (or at least pseudoscientific) approach. Several of the characters are experts on paranormal activity, and they talk about different classifications of spirits, the environment and energy required for a ghost to be able to manifest, etc.
My biggest gripe with this book is the ending. Without getting into spoilers, I felt like there was a very abrupt change in tone right at the end of the story. It felt inconsistent from what had come before, and in that way it left me feeling unsatisfied.
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hauntedtotem · 4 months
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one of my favorite childhood games got a ""remaster"" for the switch but they replaced the music (arguably best part) and it looks so. So much worse than the original, and they want 30 dollars :/
Unrelated, now accepting eShop gift cards 🤲
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deancaskiss · 1 year
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highlight of the day today: the cranky pessimistic doctor actually said really nice things about me today. I had been asking him questions all day and giving my thought process behind things and my theorized diagnoses and then he let me do a cat neuter today and let me close up another amputation and he wants me to do a spay later in the week… but the real highlight was when we were in surgery and he was asking me questions to test my knowledge and then i asked him a question about his suturing and he was impressed with my knowledge and he called me “intuitive” and said I was “precise and mechanical” (probably because im a hands-on learner and because i like to run through everything I’m doing and do things systemically and he noticed all of that about me in just 2 days and he thought i had good approach) and he repeatedly said he thought i was going to be a good doctor/surgeon and he’s seen students on rotations that he knew wouldn’t be good at the job but he has no concerns about me and said i had good skills and instincts and he was sure about me 🥹
#oliver talks#vet school adventures#literally me trying not to tear up in the OR because he said such nice things#like i asked him why he was doing certain throws with the suture and he was impressed that i noticed he was only doing 2 throws#and he mentioned it was because the suture was a different material than PDS (the normal go-to where we do 4-5 throws)#and he said he does 2 throws because it has good memory and at the same time I said ‘good tensile strength’ and he looked impressed#then he called me intuitive and said i was precise and mechanical (but in a good way)#like he was impressed with the way i approach things and because im hands-on with learning i work through things in my head as im hands on#like i will be coaching myself through it mentally as im doing ti physically#and its like he’s noticed my thought process and the way i work and he was impressed with my approach#anyway still crying about this because after the internal med doctors said crap things in my last review and said i wasnt ready to be a vet#and then this ‘real world’ doctor who’s cyanical and disillusioned turns around and says he has confidence in me and thinks im a good vet#that means literally a million times more than anything else ever could#like its this huge difference from doctors on campus in a education setting being overly critical and harsh#and then an actual real world practice practioner basically sang my praises today in his own cranky way#yeah thats like the biggest compliment ever#because its like he’s so honest and brutal about things he doesnt sugar coat anything#so the fact he said those nice things to me today. i know that was genuine and real because if he doesn’t like something he makes it known#but ive impressed him. me. i did that. i impressed the doctor today.#dont mind me im gonna cry now#now i gotta watch all the spay videos again before i do surgery in front of him this week so i can impress him (dont wanna disappoint him)
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ghostflowerdreams · 3 months
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Book Review: Parasite by Darcy Coates
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When a guard discovers an unusual lifeform on her remote moon outpost, she disregards protocol to investigate―with catastrophic consequences. It soon becomes clear she's stuck in isolation with an alien capable of incredible depravity. The parasite wears its victims' skins and adopts their personalities. It mimics the way they talk, the way they look, the way they act. It's the perfect disguise. And by the time humanity realizes it's facing extinction, it's already too late. As the alien's ruthless progress collapses communication networks, wipes out defenses, and leaves hundreds of stations to fend for themselves, a handful of remarkable individuals must find a way to battle the greatest threat the universe has ever encountered... or die trying.
This book doesn't stick to the usual formula of following one main character or a group throughout. Instead, it goes from station to another, showing how each one deals with the parasite threat. The downside is that we don't get enough time with the characters to really connect with them. The few that made a slight impression, sadly don't return.
Apparently, this actually started off as five separate short stories in a series called Cymic Parasite Breach. These stories were put together to make this book since they all happen in the same universe facing the same problem.
Honestly, when I finished, I was like, "That's it?". It ends on a hopeful note, but I wanted more. I thought we would stick with the last group of characters for a bit longer, but that was it.
I read it in a day, so it was a quick read, or I'm just a fast reader. Overall, it's okay, but not mind-blowing. Those that like Dead Space, The Thing, The Faculty, etc. might like this as I was pleasantly reminded of them at times.
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ash-and-books · 3 months
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Rating: 5/5
Book Blurb: Big sisters are the best! Neither rain nor a series of setbacks can put a damper on a young girl’s day spent with her big sister. A picture book that captures the love between siblings!
A young girl is thrilled to spend the day with her big sister, but things don’t go as planned. It’s so hot outside—legs-stick-to-the-seat hot—that her ice cream melts and then it rains. Their plans must change, and then change again as the library closes just before they arrive. But big sister knows just what to do next—even if it’s nothing besides splashing in puddles and looking at the stars. The day isn’t anything like little sister expected . . . it’s better.
For fans of Oge Mora's Saturday, this picture book about the power of sibling friendship comes from award-winning author Nelly Buchet and Salvadoran illustrator Rachel Katstaller.
Review:
A super sweet and adorable story about spending the day with your big sister. This was such a cute story about sibling friendship. The artwork was really sweet and the story itself was charming. I would definitely recommend this!
*Thanks Netgalley and NorthSouth Books Inc., NorthSouth Books for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*
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handles27 · 2 years
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pov youre about to get challenged to a battle by warden ingo
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military1st · 4 months
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Brandit Teddyfleece Worker Jacket
Brandit Teddyfleece Worker Jacket is your go-to cold-weather companion. Made of deep-pile fleece, it offers exceptional insulation to keep you warm and cosy when the temperature drops.
It features an oversized hood for added protection, a convenient full-length front zipper, and multiple pockets, including two roomy hand pockets and an extra zipped chest pocket for your essentials. With elasticated cuffs and waistband, it ensures a snug fit while allowing free movement.
This versatile and durable fleece jacket is perfect for various real-life situations, from outdoor adventures to relaxed evenings by the fire.
Find out more at Military 1st online store.
https://mil1.st/50241UK
Enjoy free UK delivery and returns! Swift delivery to Ireland, the US, Australia, and across Europe.
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lovefrenchisbetter · 6 months
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The Coat Review
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brigdh · 5 months
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Some books I've read recently!
The Age of Napoleon by Alistair Horne. Nonfiction about (supposedly) the cultural impact of Napoleon's rule.
I wanted to read a book about Napoleon – yes, this was inspired by the new movie, I am not unaffected by advertising campaigns – but I've never been a fan of military history and cannot bear reading anything involving diagrams of battle movements. Trying to find a book without either eliminated most of the many, many, many Napoleon books out there. I searched for a social history of Napoleon, but that seems to be surprisingly rare; The Age of Napoleon was more or less the only one I found. It promised to focus on "censorship, cuisine, the texture of daily life in Paris, and the influence of Napoleon abroad", which seemed like the exact type of thing I like!
Unfortunately, it does not deliver. Horne has written several books on Napoleon, and he clearly expects you to have read those first; he's constantly referencing battles or people or treaties with no explanation – and yes, the battles do play a major role despite my attempts to avoid them, though at least there's no fucking battle diagrams. There's never any background or context for the events Horne does delve into, which makes the book feel like a series of disconnected anecdotes. Adding to the randomness is the way Horne frequently repeats himself, using the same quote or event in multiple chapters. Overall, it's more of a psychological biography of Napoleon than a cultural history. There's no 'texture of daily life' at all, and the closest we get to cultural influence is a long while spent on Napoleon dictating various architectural changes within Paris.
But. All of that is not my main complaint. All of that would be fine, in fact, if boring and unlikely to lead to me recommending the book. No, my main complaint is Horne's appalling style of describing women, sex, and minorities. Let me give you a few quotes to illustrate what I mean. About Josephine's country estate: “At Malmaison, Napoleon also had a better chance of keeping the voracious sexual appetite of the hot-blooded Creole under control.” This! was! published! in! 2004! Who writes like this after the 19th century? Also, Horne refers to Josephine as "the Creole" constantly throughout the book, and it never gets less weird. To be fair, Horne is equally racist/disdainful of Napoleon's sexual appetite, repeatedly alluding to his "Mediterranean" passion and "Corsican" blood.
Another quote, about an actress: “Only fifteen at her debut as Clytemnestra in November 1802, but already physically mature with firm, full breasts, Mademoiselle George stunned Paris, and within a few months she had made her way to Napoleon’s bed.” I understand that, as a soon-to-be famous sex symbol, it probably was necessary to describe George's looks. But did I really need to read about the texture of a 15 year old's breasts? (Also, what the hell source is Horne citing for that, other than his imagination?) Equally, I know absolutely nothing about this historical figure, but I am deeply suspicious of describing a 15 year old as the "seducer" rather than seduced.
About one of the politicians who worked under Napoleon, whom Horne has been sure to inform us is a "flamboyant homosexual": “There were ripples of scornful laughter at the sight of Cambaceres mincing onto the platform in his new blue cloak spotted with gold leaves”. Look, y'all. Let's be real. This is describing a public spectacle during France's First Empire. I have no doubt that every single person there was dressed like their life depended on covering themselves with brocade, gold embroidery, and ermine. And yet somehow we're singling out the gay man for mockery. Hmmm. Surely this has nothing to do with Horne's feelings about homosexuality.
Somewhere out there is the Napoleonic social history of my dreams, but it's absolutely not this book.
Dead of Winter by Darcy Coates. A thriller/horror novel set in an isolated cabin in the Rocky Mountains. Traumatized, introverted Christa is invited on a magical trip by her soon-to-be fiance: two weeks in a mountain lodge, a chance to drop out from the worry and stress of the working world and focus on connecting to nature. Unfortunately, the trip to the lodge is derailed by a massive blizzard, her fiance disappears into the storm, and Christa and her fellow vacationers end up in a backwoods cabin with no electricity, no food, and no phone line. And, since no one was expecting to hear from them for two weeks, no rescue is coming. To make matters even worse, someone begins murdering the vacationers one by one, mutilating the bodies and leaving them as macabre surprises for the survivors. Is the killer someone hiding in the woods? The mysteriously missing owners of the cabin? Or one of the vacationers themselves?
Dead of Winter is, in every possible way, the novelistic equivalent of a shitty slasher movie. Now, I have a lot of love for shitty slasher movies. They are an excellent way to spend a few hours, in my opinion. If you also enjoy them, you will probably enjoy Dead of Winter. Christa is a satisfactory final girl, the gore scenes are nicely gruesome, and the cast of expendable bodies is just interesting enough that you're sad to see them die. My one big complaint is that the identity of the killer is pretty obvious and I wish we'd gotten the reveal earlier, because I had to wait 150 pages after figuring it out for Christa to catch up.
On the other hand, if you're not already a slasher fan, then I don't think Dead of Winter is going to change your mind. It's not doing anything new with the genre, and the writing style is perfectly adequate but not special.
I read this as an ARC via NetGalley.
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rayslittlekitten · 2 years
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The day is here!! Theo Rossi and Kim Coates were finally able to get Charlie Hunnam on their podcast. Their second to the last episode. This was a fun one.
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the---hermit · 2 years
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Neverwhere, and How The Marquis Got His Coat Back by Neil Gaiman
I listened to this novel and short story as an audiobook. I have mentioned in some of my daily posts that I wasn't loving it as much as other books by Gaiman, and it's true. It's not going to be my favourite story by him, but it was still incredibly entrataining (and the audiobook narrated by Neil Gaiman himself is absolutely amazing). It's an urban fantasy that takes place in London, where Richard has his life turned upside down (quite litteraly) when he rescues a girl named Door. He'll find about London Below, a different side of the city where people who have fallen in the cracks live, and he'll find himself more or less forced into an adventure that will deeply change him. I am not a big fan of urban fantasy as a genre, and that was something that surely influenced me in not being into the story right away, but at the end the characters won me over. They are so well crafted, and you cannot help but to deeply care about all of them. They pull the story amazingly, and though the couple of plot twists were not as intricated as I imagined they worked really well. It's a really light entrataining story that kept me a lot of company, so although I didn't love it, I can say I did like it. I particularly enjoyed the short story included at the end of the audiobook, which is all about the Marquis de Carabas, who was my favourite character in the novel. As you can understand from the title he breefly loses his beloved coat in the novel, and the short story explains how he got it back. I would recommend this book especially because of the audiobook, as I said it's really well made, and it works perfectly for this novel in my opinion.
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moth-mart · 6 months
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Zax gets free food & rent in heaven naturally but doesnt get a wage, so he starts up a side business of odd jobs (mostly small maintenance and cleaning things) to have some mortal money for things. some hjinks ensue
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