#floridian literature

[mysharona1987]

#books & libraries #literature #floridians #florida #ron desantis #censorship #harper lee

[lovesickbrat]

What are the recommended works of literature by the coquette community?

well im glad u asked here are some books NOT on coquette booktok (and one that is)

u have to read lolita by nabokov thats what kickstarted the subculture a difficult but beautiful read nabokov is a true word smith and theres only one other author who crafts imagery on his level

and that author is TONI MORRISON. if you want a book on female friendships, isolation, magical realism and truly unhinged female characters read sula. this is my favorite book of alllll time truly nothing comes close at all the titular character is so interesting is blunt and sensual and odd just like her best friend nel and this is a book i have to read to truly experience

if you loved lolita and want a story similar but about black girls read the bluest eye. this has two major TWs of csa and rape but toni does an amazing job at unpacking generational trauma, cruelty, colorism and desirability and how that effects young black girls esp dark skin black girls. i recommend it to non black coquettes all the time bc some (a lot) of them need to learn some empathy for their black sisters

bonkour tristesse is a quick summer read written by an actual 17 year old in the 1960s about a young girl living a bohemian life with her father until he behins dating her deceased mothers best friend and and she does anything she can to stop it. i read this in a day it was so fun and the author being a teen when she wrote it gives the main character and interesting voice

the moth diaries which i just finished like 4-5 hrs ago is a sapphic gothic novel set in a boarding and day school focusing on the boarding students and their isolated existence its really good def a psychological thriller and you’re left unsure what is real and what is the unnammed narrators psychosis. you can feel her slowly losing her sanity on the pages

stolen by lucy christopher is an older YA novel abt a young girl kidnapped by an older handsome man who she develops stockholm syndrome for. its told with the framing device of a letter its all in past tense and its set in the australian desert so lots of tension here

a book i just started but im already finding interesting in innocents by cathy cootes about a young australian girl who traps her teacher in a relationship and u are nottttt supposed to like this girl but ur intrigued by her shes very demented LOL

audition by ryu murakami is what the infamous movie is based on iykyk if not its about a man who holds “auditions” for the perfect girlfriend and instead gets a psychotic young woman

la batarde by violette leduc is a 1960s autobiography about a woman who reflects on how being born out of wedlock tainted the rest of her life

little birds and delta of venus by anais nin are a series of erotic short stories she wrote for a dollar a page on 1940s france for legal reasons i recommend this to ppl 18+

their eyes were watching god is an absolutely stunning take on black girlhood and womanhood set in early 1900s written in the black floridian dialect at the time it does so well at preserving that culture and showing the trials of being a black woman and its a very romantic and lush book one of my favs

o caledonia which is a gothic scottish book set in the 1940s it opens with the death of the main character and we follow the journey it takes her to get there and it’s supremely haunting

the blacker the berry another tale of black girlhood this time in the northern american stares in the early 1900s very insightful tale of a young woman dealing with love and coming of age as a dark skin woman

the lover the (mostly) true auto biography by maurgarite duras about her time in saigon as a poor french teen and the complexities of relationship with an older vietnamese man as well as her complicated interactions with her family & (sexual) feelings for her best friend

flowers in the attic a classic gothic tale about a young woman who is forced to live in the attic of her familys large estate with her 3 siblings and its as bad as u think it is

we have always lived in the castle is a gothic mystery about the 3 surviving blackwoods and the incident 6 years prior that isolated them from the town

emma by jane austen is a classic truly we all know it we all love it and even i enjoyed it and im a perpetual reader of doom and gloom

lady chatterlys lover is one of the most notorious victims of britans whole obscenity thing and its about a relationship between an upperclass woman and a working class man

wuthering heights is another gothic classic i highly suggest reading

and these are (some of) the more underrated books ive seen in my p much 10 years of being here the coquette literature canon is always expanding and growing

and fuck sylvia plath 🫶🏽

#coquette #coquette aesthetic #ask.pdf

[more-better-words]

Part 4!

Parts 1 and 2, Part 3

Hoshi approached T'Pol's door and entered at her acknowledgement. The commander sat at her desk, an open book in front of her, its pages covered with the elegant curves and crossed lines of Vulcan calligraphy. "Yes, Lieutenant?"

"Two things," Hoshi said. "I came to return the lexicon you lent me - thank you, by the way, it was very helpful." T'Pol inclined her head. "And second, I brought you the other LeGuin book we were talking about."

"Thank you."

Hoshi nodded, setting the books on the desk and casting a hopefully clandestine look around the room. She wasn't sure what she expected to see - T'Pol was hardly the sort of person to leave either herself or her quarters in a state of post-coital disarray. There was a blue tee shirt neatly folded on the bed, a shirt she recognized as having been worn by Commander Tucker the night before in the mess hall during movie night, but… that was circumstantial evidence.

"So what you reading?" she asked.

"Are you familiar with the poet T'Mana?"

Hoshi's brow furrowed as she searched her memory. "She was a major figure in the A'sket school, right?" T'Pol nodded like a teacher awarding a point, and Hoshi felt a thrill of pride at getting a good grade in Vulcan literature.

"I studied her works when I was younger," T'Pol said, her hand brushing absently over the page. "But I never experienced any sense of connection to the words. I suppose I lacked the proper context."

"Sometimes we have to be in the right place for poetry to speak to us," Hoshi said. She snuck a glance at the open book, quickly translating both the words and script.

My ceaseless seeking ended/I will breathe you alone

Oh.

"And you…feel a connection to it now?"

"I do," T'Pol said quietly.

Wholeness rests in your presence/my yearning drinks deep/I am found

OH.

"Well, I'll leave you to your reading," Hoshi said, trying not to stare. "Good night, Commander."

The next morning found her unhappily picking at her breakfast, low in spirits and not sure why. Malcolm entered, looking vaguely miserable. He swallowed hard at the sight of the breakfast offerings, his mouth turning in revulsion. He finally gave up and approached her table with coffee alone. "Do you need to go to Sickbay?" she asked.

"No. I've brought this on myself."

"What happened?"

"I'd forgotten how much that damn Floridian can drink," he muttered. Her jaw dropped.

"You got him drunk? That's got to be cheating!"

"Maybe, but it didn't work."

"It didn't?"

"No," he said morosely. "He confessed to something, but it wasn't exactly within the scope of our wager."

Her curiosity was piqued. "What did he say?"

Malcolm sighed, and took a long drink of his coffee. "He's in love."

The universe clicked into place, like a lens being focused. "He's not the only one," Hoshi said. She told him about T'Pol's evening reading material, and his eyebrows lifted.

"Vulcan love poetry? I didn't know there was such a thing."

"Oh, there is." She took another gloomy bite of her breakfast, and sighed. "Are we...are we bad friends?"

Malcolm drained his coffee cup, went to refill it, and returned, all the while obviously working on the question. "No," he said finally. "No, because this is a good thing. I mean...watching them pine for each other was exhausting."

"It really was."

"And if they've gotten themselves straightened out, then I, for one, am happy for them!"

"Me too!" she exclaimed, then asked, "So what does that mean for our bet?" He scratched thoughtfully at his chin.

"Probably best to leave it, eh?"

"Probably."

He returned to his coffee, sipping this time, and she resumed eating her breakfast, and they were silent for a few moments before she said, "Of course...maybe we were betting on the wrong thing?"

"Go on."

She leaned over the table, lowering her voice. "Double or nothing says they're engaged by the end of the year."

He looked dubious. "Marriage is a big deal, Hoshi."

"I know! But I'm putting down my marker."

"Alright," Malcolm shrugged. "I look forward to spending your money."

#fic #trip x t'pol #star trek enterprise #STILL DOING THIS LOL

[fuckyeahmarxismleninism]

These rules have driven transgender kids and their families out of Florida, said 17-year-old Samira Burnside. The Tampa student attends school virtually, so she doesn’t have to worry about day-to-day access to bathrooms, but she’s seen the impact on those in her community.

“It’s created a culture of internalized fear within the queer community,” she said. “As people leave Florida, it only becomes a worse and worse place.”

Lindsey Spero, a nonbinary Floridian, is suing the state over HB 1521, alleging the law’s impact goes beyond bathrooms. Rather than leave Florida, they've decided to stay and fight for their community.

At a march for trans rights on Oct. 7 in Orlando, the 26-year-old called the law and Board of Education rules “an attack toward trans youth.”

“Schools and libraries are some of the only places that they have in this state to be able to access literature, education, even bathrooms — a space outside of their own home, outside of their own hostile environments,” Spero said.

Limited bathroom access prevents kids from enjoying other activities, too. For Samira, enjoying things like road trips is difficult — though she’s only 17, meaning she likely would not be charged with a misdemeanor if she used the women’s restroom, there’s a “chilling effect,” which she said has spread beyond just bathroom usage.

But Samira plans to stay in Florida and fight for transgender rights. Some of her friends are leaving.

“I’m seeing a lot of them drop their in-state dream colleges to leave the state so that they can be themselves, even though they wanted to grow into members of the Florida economy that benefit this place,” she said.

Spero, who escaped to Florida with the help of their friends from conversion therapy in Pennsylvania as a teen, still sees the good in what they call “the swamp.” Their love for the Sunshine State and its queer community drove them to get involved in the lawsuit.

#trans youth march #ProtectTransKids #Florida #bathroom ban #Ron DeSantis #transphobia #fascism #Orlando #protest #Samira Burnside #Lindsey Spero #TransRightsAreHumanRights

[ausetkmt]

The NAACP Board of Directors has officially issued a travel advisory for the state of Florida. This advisory has been prompted by Governor Ron DeSantis’ vigorous efforts to diminish the significance of Black history and curtail programs promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in Florida schools.

For context, Gov. DeSantis has employed the term “CRT” as a political buzzword and to justify his asserted efforts to have schools teach a white-washed version of Black History. He contends that CRT is an attack on White culture, especially White school children.

However, African American Studies is not about assigning blame; instead, it fosters a dialogue surrounding systemic issues. Nevertheless, Gov. DeSantis’ culture war efforts continue to accelerate political polarization and reignite racial tension in his state.

The travel advisory warning states, “Florida is openly hostile toward African Americans, people of color and LGBTQ+ individuals. Before traveling to Florida, please understand that the state of Florida devalues and marginalizes the contributions of, and the challenges faced by African Americans and other communities of color.” 

“Let me be clear – failing to teach an accurate representation of the horrors and inequalities that Black Americans have faced and continue to face is a disservice to students and a dereliction of duty to all,” said NAACP President & CEO Derrick Johnson, who supports the travel advisory. “Under the leadership of Governor DeSantis, the state of Florida has become hostile to Black Americans and in direct conflict with the democratic ideals that our union was founded upon. He should know that democracy will prevail because its defenders are prepared to stand up and fight. We’re not backing down, and we encourage our allies to join us in the battle for the soul of our nation.”

“Once again, hate-inspired state leaders have chosen to put politics over people. Governor Ron DeSantis and the state of Florida have engaged in a blatant war against principles of diversity and inclusion and rejected our shared identities to appeal to a dangerous, extremist minority,”said Chair of the NAACP Board of Directors, Leon Russell, who voted for the travel advisory. “We will not allow our rights and history to be held hostage for political grandstanding. The NAACP proudly fights against the malicious attacks in Florida against Black Americans. I encourage my fellow Floridians to join in this fight to protect ourselves and our democracy.”

Notably, a significant portion of the donated books were titles banned due to the state’s increasingly restrictive laws. The NAACP remains steadfast in its commitment, which is why the travel advisory was issued. Moreover, the organization actively encourages local branches and youth councils to establish community libraries, ensuring access to literature that accurately represents diverse perspectives.

The NAACP extends an invitation to Florida residents, urging them to unite in combating the regressive policies enacted by the Governor and the state legislature. They encourage interested residents and supporters to visit their website for further information and regular updates on the ongoing efforts.

#florida #white hate #racism #white supremacy #NAACP #Florida Racism towards Minorities #NAACP Issues Travel Advisory in Florida for Black Americans #Black Wall Street Times

[johnnyrobish]

Florida Demanding Girls Report Menstrual Info to the State in Order to Play School Sports

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis isn’t stopping his attack on Florida education by simply prohibiting Black History Classes; he’s now trying to require school girls to report their menstrual information to the state before they will be permitted to participate in school sports.  In fact, a subcommittee of the FHSAA just voted to make it mandatory that female athletes answer these questions if they want to participate in school athletics:

When was your most recent menstrual period?

How much time do you usually have from the start of one period to the start of another?

How many periods have you had in the last year?

What was the longest time between periods in the last year?

They then want kids to upload all this information to a third-party platform that is not bound by HIPAA - where the information could be forced to be disclosed under subpoena, which could result in making the girls’ menstrual information public.

Well, given how intent the governor seems to be about monitoring all aspects of female student menstruation in Florida, I suggest every time a female student has her period, simply have her package and date all her used female products - and send them directly to Gov. DeSantis’ office for inspection.  Talk about full compliance with the law!

Gee, wonder if they plan to ask the male student-athletes similar questions?  I mean, these are adolescent boys, after all!  It might be important for the state to record how many times they’re jerking off in an average week,  whether they’re wanking during English Literature classes, are their fantasies are completely heterosexual, and do they have wet dreams?  Its important Republican politicians know these things.

I suppose its comforting for Floridians to know Gov. DeSantis and his Republican pals are leading the fight against “Big Government’s" intrusion into our personal lives - trying to prevent “freedom” from being taken away by those “woke” libtards.  Why, if you leave it up to that “woke crowd,” they’ll try and convince you that people and opinions other than those of Republican white males are just as important as those of Gov. DeSantis.  

Now, is it just me, or does anyone else wonder if there are any sane people left in Florida at all?  I mean, do Florida women really want to live in a Ron DeSantis Handmaid's Tale?  It sure seems like it.  Where are the fucking protests?  Besides, if Florida really wants to collect intimate sexual information about teen girls, why depend on spaced-out, flaky adolescent kids for the data?  I mean, why not just ask Matt Gaetz?

If you’ve enjoyed what you’ve just read, please consider joining me at:

#Ron DeSantis #Florida #Girl's Sports #Politics #Progressives #News #Fascism #Satire #Humor #Jokes #Comedy #Government Intrusion

[thedspost]

When you encourages and champion an a..hole you get in a..hole… but Floridians love it 😂😂😂 Can’t study African-American history in Florida Wow… I took African-American history, one and two first year of college 

[humorship9]

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The influence of laboratory adaptation of check strains, similar to P. aeruginosa, to zero.55% OPA has been evaluated.

#清潔公司

[southfloridagothic]

"How to Leave Hialeah" a collection of short stories by Jennine Capo Crucet depicting the experiences of first-and-second-generation Cuban Americans in Miami.

Not horror, but its certainly got a vibe and some dark elements to it (if you have any triggers, please do your research beforehand).

Worth the read just by the tangible power of her descriptions alone ie. "Her halter top is bluish-silver, hanging from her neck and made of a material that ripples like a bothered puddle when she breathes.” is the line on the second page that got me to check it out.

#literature #jennine capo crucet #short stories #miami #cuban #hispanic literature #floridian literature

[rockislandadultreads]

Dark Humor in Fiction: Book Rec

No Sunscreen for the Dead by Tim Dorsey

Serge and Coleman are back on the road, ready to hit the next stop on their list of obscure and wacky points of interest in the Sunshine State. This time, Serge’s interest is drawn to one of the largest retirement villages in the world—also known as the site of an infamous sex scandal between a retiree and her younger beau that rocked the community. What starts out as an innocent quest to observe elders in their natural habitats, sample the local cuisine, and scope out a condo to live out the rest of their golden years, soon becomes a Robin Hood-like crusade to recover the funds of swindled residents. After all, our seniors should be revered and respected—they’ve heroically fought in wars, garnered priceless wisdom, and they have the best first-hand accounts of bizarre Floridian occurrences only Serge would know about. But as the resident’s rally for Serge to seek justice on their behalves, two detectives are hot on the heels of Serge and Coleman’s murderous trail. In this epic adventure that jumps between present day and the tumultuous times of the Vietnam war, mystery fans are in for a witty and deliciously violent delight from the twisted imagination of bestselling author Tim Dorsey.

Mostly Dead Things by Kristen Arnett

One morning, Jessa-Lynn Morton walks into the family taxidermy shop to find that her father has committed suicide, right there on one of the metal tables. Shocked and grieving, Jessa steps up to manage the failing business, while the rest of the Morton family crumbles. Her mother starts sneaking into the shop to make aggressively lewd art with the taxidermied animals. Her brother Milo withdraws, struggling to function. And Brynn, Milo’s wife—and the only person Jessa’s ever been in love with—walks out without a word. As Jessa seeks out less-than-legal ways of generating income, her mother’s art escalates—picture a figure of her dead husband and a stuffed buffalo in an uncomfortably sexual pose—and the Mortons reach a tipping point. For the first time, Jessa has no choice but to learn who these people truly are, and ultimately how she fits alongside them.

My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh

From one of our boldest, most celebrated new literary voices, a novel about a young woman’s efforts to duck the ills of the world by embarking on an extended hibernation with the help of one of the worst psychiatrists in the annals of literature and the battery of medicines she prescribes. Our narrator should be happy, shouldn’t she? She’s young, thin, pretty, a recent Columbia graduate, works an easy job at a hip art gallery, lives in an apartment on the Upper East Side of Manhattan paid for, like the rest of her needs, by her inheritance. But there is a dark and vacuous hole in her heart, and it isn’t just the loss of her parents, or the way her Wall Street boyfriend treats her, or her sadomasochistic relationship with her best friend, Reva. It’s the year 2000 in a city aglitter with wealth and possibility; what could be so terribly wrong? My Year of Rest and Relaxation is a powerful answer to that question. Through the story of a year spent under the influence of a truly mad combination of drugs designed to heal our heroine from her alienation from this world, Moshfegh shows us how reasonable, even necessary, alienation can be. Both tender and blackly funny, merciless and compassionate, it is a showcase for the gifts of one of our major writers working at the height of her powers.

No One Is Talking About This by Patricia Lockwood

As this urgent, genre-defying book opens, a woman who has recently been elevated to prominence for her social media posts travels around the world to meet her adoring fans. She is overwhelmed by navigating the new language and etiquette of what she terms "the portal," where she grapples with an unshakable conviction that a vast chorus of voices is now dictating her thoughts. When existential threats--from climate change and economic precariousness to the rise of an unnamed dictator and an epidemic of loneliness--begin to loom, she posts her way deeper into the portal's void. An avalanche of images, details, and references accumulate to form a landscape that is post-sense, post-irony, post-everything. "Are we in hell?" the people of the portal ask themselves. "Are we all just going to keep doing this until we die?" Suddenly, two texts from her mother pierce the fray: "Something has gone wrong," and "How soon can you get here?" As real life and its stakes collide with the increasingly absurd antics of the portal, the woman confronts a world that seems to contain both an abundance of proof that there is goodness, empathy, and justice in the universe, and a deluge of evidence to the contrary.

#Fiction #humor #funny books #dark humor #adult fiction #to read #tbr #to be read #reading recommendations #Book Recommendations #book recs #funny stories #library #public library #highly recommend

[ariianaz]

For Bill and Mira on Christmas ( @swedeskarsgard ) —

Bill,

Another Christmas season that I get to spend with you, and I’m all the more sentimental for it this year than most. I remember this time last year fondly; I was nervous then, with high hopes of rekindling the love for you that never truly waned. This year is a reminder that life has a funny way of sorting things out, and there’s not a day that goes by that I’m not grateful that the universe decided to bring us back together. You and Mira (and our future little one) will be, by far, the greatest gift I’ll ever receive.

Regardless, you deserve to be spoiled! Blankets are a staple, and I couldn’t pass up this super fuzzy one. It looks like the perfect one to curl up in by the fire, don’t you think? I know the winters in Stockholm can be more intense than my lackluster Floridian ones, and I can’t imagine a better way to spend my nights than snuggled up with you.

I’ve been really impressed with your cider-making skills (and everything about you, really) that I couldn’t help but invest in a book dedicated to the cause. I know how much you like to read (and I think I have some recommendations for you, too, but we’ll discuss that later), and it only seems fitting that the cider master himself has some literature centered on his craft.

I know you know that I’ve kept and dried all the flowers you’ve given me; I thought it would be special this year to repurpose some into a resin keychain for you. Just a small reminder that your actions — big and small — are certainly not unnoticed, and I love and appreciate all the things you do for me, Mira, and our four-legged family members.

And, don’t judge me — but, I thought it was about time to up my aquatic gifts for Mira. I got her this aquarium and have plans for us to go pick out a fish or two that she likes… maybe after New Years? I love that she’s so into marine life, and I’m excited to indulge her further in her passion.

But, more than anything, I’m excited for this life with you — to continue to have the opportunity to love you, to learn with you, and everything in between. The man that you are is a gift alone, and I’m lucky to love you always.

All my love,

Ari

#———— 𝑔𝒾𝒻𝓉 𝑔𝒾𝓋𝒾𝓃𝑔 . ♡ i’d rather spoil all my friends with my riches. ˎˊ˗ #tw: long post

[demi-shoggoth]

2021 Reading Log, pt 4

16. Raised by Animals by Jennifer L. Verdolin. This is a book about animal parenting behavior, throughout the animal kingdom but mostly focused on mammals and birds. What I didn’t realize when I put a hold on this book from the library is that it has “Try-at-Home Lessons from the Wild”. This is intended to be a book of parenting advice with illustrative examples from animal behavior. The author is good about avoiding naturalistic fallacy, the idea that just because something happens in animals means it is just and moral. But the discussions of parenting problems in humans—conflict between parent and child, conflict between siblings, neglect, and abuse—were difficult for me to read. Too much empathy for people, too many things illuminating about myself and people I know. So while I acknowledge that this book was well written and interesting, it was also uncomfortable. Incidentally, although koala mother and child feature on the cover of the book, koalas appear nowhere in the actual contents.

17. Life’s Engines by Paul G. Falkowski. This is a book about microbial diversity, specifically the diversity of their metabolisms and how the activity of bacteria and archaea made the Earth habitable to other, multicellular organisms like animals and plants. This book does some things very well, and others not so much. It does a good job of explaining the mechanisms behind things that cells do, and has excellent diagrams of protein structures such as ATP synthase and the photosystems. The author clearly loves his subject. Unfortunately, it gets a little lost in the weeds sometimes—the author is fond of metaphors and analogies, and what he’s trying to convey sometimes gets lost in the metaphor. The “electron economy” he talks about comes to mind.

18. America’s Alligator by Doug Alderson. This is a short, well illustrated tour of alligators in pop culture, particularly in the American South of the late 19th and early 20th century. There are lots of reproductions of alligator postcards, photos of alligator wrestlers and attractions, even posters of alligator movies. The text is very short, and not a lot of detail is gone into any of the subtopics. The author is clearly a Floridian, so that state gets the most attention. I definitely learned some things (like how alligator wrestling became a major source of income for Seminole populations in the early 20th century), but the book is mostly pleasant, disposable fluff. I could see the natural habitat of it being sold at one of the alligator attractions featured within.

19. The Lives of Bees by Thomas D. Seeley. Now this is the sort of in depth biology wonk I can get behind. Seeley has had a 50 year career working on honeybees, and this book is a summary of all of that research, focused on the natural history of wild honeybees and how lessons can be learned for bee-centric apiculture to ensure a better quality of life and less disease costs. The book is also gorgeously produced, with full color photographs throughout and glossy paper. This was a fun return to my days as an entomology grad student, and a look at the kind of work my colleagues were up to while I was doing DNA analysis of fly larvae instead of anything with practical application.

20. Ghosts, Monsters and Demons of India by J. Furcifer Bhairav and Rakesh Khanna. Another recommendation from tumblr people, this was pointed out to me by @wannabedemonlord​. It’s a very well put together regional bestiary, talking about monsters from folklore, religion, literature, urban legends and pop culture from throughout India. It is also very well cited. The book does a good job of pointing out to me how little I know about India’s many linguistic, cultural and ethnic groups. It’s written in English, but for an Indian audience, and spends some time talking about the impact of Indian monsters overseas as well (for example, it explains why Western rakshasas are depicted with tiger heads). The best book I’ve read so far this year. Of course, it’s February, so that might change, but I’m still very happy to have this in my collection.

#reading log #monster book #entomology #animal behavior #alligator

[maniacalmagician]

EVERHOOD: Pinocchio in Psychedelic Purgatory: the Rock Opera Adventure. OR: I walked backwards into hell, and felt euphoria as I became privvy to the Divine Truths

Hello tumblr people. I’ve been Away. I played a game recently and I wanted to talk about it.   damnit i really wanted to put pictures into this mini essay. ive been away from this garbage site for too long, i dont know how to do it lol.  ok anyway    First, I want to say to the developers and anyone else that this has quickly become one of my all time favorite games. Currently writing I have personally never felt a greater emotional attachment to an experience with a piece of software. Perhaps it is the extreme idiosyncratic nature of it, perhaps it is the deeply intriguing storyline, mostly however it is a combination of those in addition to some of the most outstanding psychedelic visuals I have ever seen, particularly in the finale sequence, and a killer soundtrack that combines many genres but focuses mostly to being as bangers as possible. I will be upfront and say this game comes with a boatload of trigger warnings, and thus the aforementioned idiosyncratic nature of it may not appeal to everyone, however I feel it necessary to indicate potential content warnings here as I would hate for people to be triggered: epilepsy is the big one, I myself have mild stutter based epilepsy and it didn't cause health problems or anything but my case is not universal. Anyway. That is a hard warning on epilepsy. I do it because The Incredibles 2 did not, lmao (that's an example of the kind of visuals that trigger me personally. An aside ) Other things include (spoilers): arachnophobia, misophonia (screeches, unsettling sounds), themes of death, immortality, suicide. Some game mechanics are not immediately intuitive and puzzles require some pretty clever but sometimes obtuse solutions. Direction is not always super clear either. People have complained of performance issues but I am leaving this review after playing the switch port, which played smoothly other than some awkwardly long loading times here and there. What I have played of PC so far runs smooth but as of writing, performance for me was fine (my pc is a lowend budget build). There is a difficulty to it. Even playing on easier modes, it can be quite unforgiving. If you're a fan of hard games (I am but I suck at them) and rhythm games (this is, uh, Not? That? Almost functions as half walking sim, half rhythm Game, dodgy shoot em up kinda feels. Truly unique gameplay I think. Constantly switches things up, too. But yes I also adore rhythm games, and yes i also do suck at those too.), half of it is that. The devs troll you with puzzles. It's truly a wild experience as it advertises, one of a kind. And yet, however.... This game wears, much like its heart,, its references, on its sleeve. If you are not into that kind of thing, you will probably be annoyed by this game. It also loves to delv into meta, as many puzzles and interactions are references to the UI of the game itself. Personally, I'm not wild about meta but I appreciate the ernestness here, so I'm willing to roll with whatever this game throws at me because every turn feels unexpected, fresh, funky, somber, and wildly intelligent, with boldly sincere ludonarrative choices, script and art direction. If you like Geno from super Mario Brothers, which, guess what, narrator here LOVES Geno from Super Mario Brothers, this is functionally the game you've always wanted that Nintendo could never make because Square has held Geno hostage in some kind of underground torture facility since 1995. Turns out they were rather right to do so, because when that puppet is out serving a higher authroity, he can be quite dangerous. Narrarively it borrows much from its sources but I would argue there's proof the writers have spent time thinking about the implications of their source materials worlds, and that reflection casts itself back to create this, experience that is wholly unique even if we know Red is Geno and "Gaster" (who was based on Uboa from Yume Nikki or princess mononokes forest spirits), and some kind of disco Marceline character who changes their identity frequently, skeleton brothers- well undead brothers, really - We have to remember in the creation and consumption of media sometimes, influences and archetypes are ever present and Everhood almost itself is a realm that would indulge in the idea of self referential material. It makes for this very Jungian experience of friendly archetypes we're familiar with, which works well with this setting of an immortal realm. Thats not to say the personalities we do meet aren't expounded upon - they are, heavily, and become uniquely their own. (Spoiler) if my theory is to be believed this world is a purgatory where people have made their own artificial vessels and as time has made them bored (though some seem to be having a good time) while typical strains of the Pinocchio myth are thrown in about questions of identity and death - and probably even more so towards Timothy Learys concept of the Ego Death, or the return to the collective soup of unconcious being. Undertale will probably always be a reccomendation even by its own reference to it so comparisons to it will be littered through here. It feels like the developers were emboldened by Toby Foxs spirit in game development (his creative energy is rather infectious) and shared many similar ideas, but this feels far more aimed towards a maturer audience (references to the things I mentioned in the trigger warning list) and focused on achieving this feeling that its predecesors have as well. Yume nikki. Lisa. Earthbound. Toby's games. super Mario rpg in its humor, Cat Soup in its psychedellic depressive vibes, all this cool indie cult classicy kinda mash up soup.  bizarre antics and then these characters who have surprising depth the further you go. It has been 6 years since Undertale came out, and the developers for Everhood have called a lot of the "what ifs" that fans of that game ask, an answer in their own game. (What if No Mercy was forced, for example? What if going against destiny is the wrong thing to do? Why is Death such a Bad Thing? etc!) And the further along you progress, the smarter the story gets, the more complex the narrative threads and characters. This game knows how to write compelling literature and that wasn't an element I expecting but god am I so glad for it. Literally my pea brain saw Red's design flipping around some frets on a streamers videocapture (shoutout to based fellow tampa native Charles White, thank you for being witty and having good taste and your Floridian comisery.) one night and went "oh i like." But the experience I got in exchange was, so, so much more than that (but the tetris effect won't let that image disappear from my eyelids quite yet haha.) I hear there are multiple endings and one requires a 3 hour long trek. I'm not done with the game at the time of reviewing. You bet your sweet ass I am going to find out the Ultimate Truth. I found a way to deal with some of the bullshit in other games, I may not be great at games but I want to see whatever imagery these guys put on screen so it compels me to seek out all the alternative routes. I am going to be following these developers projects very closely. If this is their debut, their next project will be ... ... I would hate to force expectations, like if you just made a magnum opus like this it'd be perfectly alright to retire, but I just once again want to say thank you to the developers for putting your heart on display for the world to see. I see it. I have dealt with struggles similar to the ones in the stories this game articulates about anxiety and depression, existentialism and dread, dissociation and all the heavy themes that were risky to include narratively - I'm certaintly glad you took the risks you did. May update this review as I get further along the story but yeah. Tl;dr: haha pinocchio myth done well make brain go brrr. 9.99999999999998/10. I am taking an infitisimal fraction of a point off because of the ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ spider in the monster maze. that thing was abhorrent, but I won't let it deter anyone else who wants to play.

#everhood #audnalysis

[agentsofmarvel]

More Modern MPHFPC Headcannons

(becuase i’m bored & the last one did well)

⚠️ slight spoilers!!!! ⚠️

Jacob

watches gaming videos on YT a lot more than he would like to admit

cannot cook for ANYTHING. the most he can do is microwave something.

knows basic polish bc abe. curses & gossips in polish so no one knows what he’s saying.

your average floridian who wears hoodies & long sleeves no matter the weather.

shares a room with hugh (canon) & its an organized chaos that works very well.

Emma

writing notes >>> texting any day.

i feel like she cannot cook either. one little distraction and boom, the whole meal is up in smoke.

immune to spice. a spicy pepper is like a cucumber to her.

hates the cold, so she enjoys winter in florida.

starts to wear jeans & pants more and is falling in love with it.

in my mind she’s still dating jacob. i know.

Hugh

f r e c k l e s for days.

loves enamel pins & buttons, especially if they have little bee designs.

wants nothing to do with the wights & hollows anymore. just wants quiet quality time with his love.

knows a T O N of tik tok dances & nobody knows why or how.

avid hgtv watcher. enjoys “fixer upper” and a bunch of others & everyone makes fun of him for it.

Fiona

learns sign language to communicate now that,,, y’all know 👅🚫

has really expressive eyes & eyebrows. she uses her facial expressions to communicate what she’s thinking a lot.

can cook vegan meals like a goddess.

she’s also an amazing artist. she mainly paints landscapes with watercolors & ms.p loves to frame them.

likes modern day board games.

Millard

has been taking online college courses without telling anyone.

has accidentally spent a night in barnes & noble after being locked in while invisible.

avid booktube watcher?!? kinda wants to make videos like them, but.....he’s y’know invisible.

is also a great artist. he can paint with fiona for hours while hugh watches.

has a perplexous fan account that jacob made for him accidentally.

Bronwyn

gets way too invested in the plots of kids shows. the others will catch her watching disney or nick junior by herself.

is in a bunch of parenting facebook groups giving advice to a bunch of middle aged moms on how to treat their kids properly.

goes to ALL of claire & olive’s activity’s. soccer game? there she is in a homemade t-shirt with their names on it. school play? she’s in the front row crying.

barefoot 24/7 but wants to stop because claire & olive want to copy her & what if they get hurt????

has single handedly kept this family together during this quarantine.

Enoch

2020 as a human being. you think it can’t get any worse,,, but then....

“that’s what she said jokes” 24/7 and everyone HATES it.

used being in quarantine as an excuse for anything & everything. washing the dishes? “but, we’re in q u a r e n t i n e miss.”

likes hiding the others stuff and waiting weeks until they figure it out. “where’s my book?” “oh yeah, i tossed that two weeks ago.” “you what??”

has worn the exact same outfit everyday to the loathing of horace & ms.p.

Horace

loves horrible puns. “do you want to hear a ghost joke? that’s the spirit” will make him cry laugh for hours.

plays modern music on the piano.

“i don’t care if people see me or not, i’m wearing the suit.” - his quarantine motto.

absolutely horrible at video games, it’s not even funny watching him.

his camera roll on his phone is 99.9% mirror selfies of himself in different suits. the other 0.01% is a blurry picture of enoch.

Olive

avid watcher of disney tv animation shows. gravity falls & the owl house are her faves.

has made multiple powerpoint presentations (after jacob taught her how) on why they needed a dog.

has hid on the ceiling in the house and watched as people panicked looking for her for an hour.

has a single stuffed animal. it’s old. it’s falling apart, but she A D O R E S it.

wants to play minecraft 24/7 but miss.p says no.....

Claire

unlike olive, she has a billion stuffed animals and makes jacob drive her to build-a-bear often.

wants one of those princess-themed beds from rooms-to-go kids that they advertised in the early 2000’s. (y’all know what i mean.)

knows the plot of every disney movie and can guess them in a few words.

miss.p’s little shadow. she will follow her everywhere and take notes on everything like she’s seen millard do.

the BIGGEST tattle-tail. this is also 100% cannon.

Miss.P

watched the news once, turned it off ten minutes in, has not watched since.

likes modern day literature and talks about it with millard constantly.

when she’s not busy, which is very rare, she’ll sit in her room and knit or needle point.

the children got her social media as a joke, but now she has a ton of followers and no one knows how.

finds modern music “absolutely atrocious”. “what could he be needing to say with so many swears so fast!”

thanks for actually reading this far 🥳 let me know if you have any more, i’m trying to keep this fandom alive.

#miss peregrines home for peculiar children #mphfpc #miss peregrines #mphfpc headcannons #jacob portman #emma bloom #hugh apiston #fiona frauenfeld #millard nullings #bronwyn bruntley #horace somnusson #enoch o'connor #olive abroholos elephanta #claire densmore #alma peregrine #the conference of the birds #amod spoilers #a map of days

[maddie-grove]

My Top Ten Victorian (Ish) Romance Novels

Notes: Queen Victoria’s reign lasted from 1837 to 1901, but I learned in a literature class that sometimes the Victorian era is defined as lasting from 1832 (when the First Reform Act was passed) to 1901 (when Victoria died). When it comes to historical romance novels, I think the second definition works better; a romance set in 1831 usually comes at the tail end of a series or universe beginning in the 1810s/1820s and still has a Regency flavor, while a romance set 1832-1836 has a decidedly non-Regency feel. Incidentally, I’ve noticed that 1830s-set Harlequin Historicals are labeled “1830s,” rather than “Regency” or “Victorian.” No one knows what to do with the 1830s! Also, many of these novels are set in the USA. Three are specifically set in Chicago, which is kind of weird!

1. The Heiress Effect by Courtney Milan (2013) 

Exact Setting: 1860s England.

Premise: Politician Oliver Marshall has ambitions of enacting egalitarian laws, including the proposed Second Reform Bill, but his illegitimate birth and non-aristocratic upbringing make that an uphill battle. Then a marquess makes him a peculiar offer: in exchange for supporting the Second Reform Bill, he wants Oliver to publicly humiliate Jane Fairfield, an heiress who is despised by high society for her bad taste and oblivious rudeness. Oliver, too often the object of aristocratic bullying, has no desire to harm Jane, but he doesn’t feel that he can refuse the marquess outright. Then he realizes that Jane isn’t what she seems; instead, she’s a brave, clever, lonely woman who’s putting on an act so she can stay unmarried and continue protecting her younger sister. Also, he likes her and finds her wildly attractive, despite her nightmarish fashion sense.

Why I Like It: This is my favorite romance EVER. Jane is an all-time-great heroine: intelligent enough to engineer a complicated marriage-repellent scheme (and change it when circumstances require), strong enough to expose herself to ridicule out in the world (and come home to an uncle who thinks she’s inherently a bad person), and vulnerable enough to break your heart. Oliver, a bruised idealist who must reassess his go-along-to-get-along approach, is nearly as compelling. Their romance is full of top-notch banter and solidarity in the face of a world that wants them to be enemies. And there are almost too many excellent subplots to count: Jane’s sister’s secret romance with an Indian student at Cambridge, Oliver’s younger sister’s foray into activism, and Jane’s brittle frenemy-ship with the Johnson twins, to name a few.

Favorite Scene: The first time Jane drops her act in front of Oliver, or the defeat of the marquess.

2. A Hope Divided by Alyssa Cole (2017)

Exact Setting: North Carolina, USA, during the Civil War.

Premise: Marlie Lynch's life has always been complicated. The daughter of a free Afro-Caribbean root worker, she spent half her childhood with her mother before being sent to live with her white paternal relatives. Now she works for two different secret organizations: the Underground Railroad (with the help and approval of her white abolitionist sister) and the black-Unionist-run spying organization the Loyal League (with the knowledge of no one). When she’s not doing that, she’s pursuing her scientific interests while still honoring and using her late mother’s rootworking practices. Her situation becomes even more fraught when she agrees to harbor Ewan McCall, an escaped Union POW, in a secret chamber behind her bedroom wall. They bond over their shared intellectual interests, but is there any time for romance when Marlie’s home is being overrun by loathsome Confederates?

Why I Like It: Many historical romances have good love stories but don’t do much with the setting, while a few excel at portraying the past but fail at creating a compelling central relationship. Alyssa Cole’s Loyal League novels are the total package, and the Southern-Gothic-tinged A Hope Divided is the standout among them. Marlie and Ewan’s courtship is portrayed with tenderness, intelligence, and delicacy. Cole brings just as much sharpness and nuance to her portrayal of the time and place, representing groups of people who tend to disappear in popular discussions about the Civil War. I also really appreciate Ewan as a character. His mind works differently from most people’s (in that he would probably now be considered to be on the autism spectrum), and he worries that he’s a bad person because he doesn’t feel a lot of angst about some morally complicated decisions he made in the past. The narrative does a good job of showing that Ewan is no better or worse than anyone else for using tools other than empathy in his moral reasoning. Also, Marlie is a top-tier Gothic heroine.

Favorite Scene: Marlie reflects on the villain’s oh-so-convenient conception of Southern womanhood. I’m also a big fan of the entirety of the bedroom-wall courtship.

3. The Suffragette Scandal by Courtney Milan (2014)

Exact Setting: 1870s England.

Premise: After his hateful father and self-serving brother abandoned him to a grisly fate in war-torn Strasbourg, Edward Delacey narrowly survived, with his faith in himself and the world around him shattered. Now he’s back in England, and his younger brother stands to inherit the viscountcy that legally belongs to him. He’s not interested in the title; however, he does feel compelled to stop his brother from ruining the life of Frederica Marshall, a daring investigative reporter who writes about discrimination against women. As he lends his (jaded, reluctant) assistance, Frederica’s optimism begins to infect him...and that’s not the only reason he wants to stay around her.

Why I Like It: I love Frederica as Oliver’s little sister in The Heiress Effect, and she’s even better as the cocksure firebrand heroine of her own story. It’s rare that a heroine is allowed to be so successful in her chosen field at the beginning of a romance novel, but Milan accomplishes this while still giving Frederica enough vulnerabilities and flaws to make her interesting. Yet Edward, a wounded cynic who chooses to do good despite believing that he’s a garbage bag and the world is a shit-pile, is what really pushes the novel to all-time-great status. Their story is a wonderful illustration of the best things that love can do; his faith in the world is revived by her ideals, and her worst impulses are tempered by hearing about the lessons he’s learned in his darkest moments. Plus, they have some really funny banter. 

Favorite Scene: Edward explains why torture is ineffective and wrong. (I put years of hard work into getting my torture degree at torture college! Fuck off!)

4. After the Wedding by Courtney Milan (2018)

Exact Setting: 1860s England. 

Premise: After her father was accused of treason and committed suicide, Lady Camilla Worth was passed from home to increasingly shabby home, eventually fading into obscurity as Camilla Winters, a housemaid in a corrupt clergyman’s home. Adrian Hunter, the son of a black abolitionist activist and a white duke’s daughter, is visiting the clergyman in disguise to gather information when he and Camilla fall victim to a dastardly plot. Force to wed at literal gunpoint and thrown out of the house, they must work together to annul their marriage and get to the bottom of the clergyman’s sinister doings. 

Why I Like It: Camilla is the first bisexual heroine I ever encountered in romance, so I was already primed to love her, but it would’ve happened regardless of her orientation. Desperate for any kind of affection after losing her family in a particularly cruel way, her struggle to find love while trying to protect herself is extremely moving. Adrian also has an affecting arc, in which he learns how to let go of family members who don’t really care about him and acknowledge his grief for his brothers who died in the Civil War. Finally, the conspiracy plot is absolutely explosive.

Favorite Scene: Camilla deals with trauma through legal research. 

5. An Unconditional Freedom by Alyssa Cole (2019)

Exact Setting: USA (mainly Illinois and Mississippi) during the Civil War.

Premise: Daniel Cumberland once believed that freedom and justice would prevail for black people in America, but then he was kidnapped and enslaved for several months. Now free, he works for the Loyal League, fueled not by hope but by pure rage. Janeta Sanchez, a mixed-race Cuban-Floridian lady from a wealthy Confederate family, is also working for the Loyal League...as a double agent, because she believes that’s the only way to save her father. Paired with Daniel to gather intelligence about possible European aid, she begins to question her loyalties as she sees more of the world and gets to know the people her hypocritical white family has kept her away from. Daniel, meanwhile, begins to see a way of coping with his trauma and an uncertain future.

Why I Like It: Historical romance often shies away from the worst parts of history, or at least frames them as remaining firmly in the past. Alyssa Cole not only starkly portrays the horrors of American slavery, but also confronts head-on the terrifying realization that things do not inevitably improve over time. Yet Cole’s frankness doesn’t reduce the novel to a horror show; there is plenty of joy and kindness and hard-won hope between Daniel and Janeta. Deceived and guilted by her family into supporting an appalling cause that hurts her, Janeta is a complex heroine who develops wonderfully throughout the novel. Daniel is also one of the best-written heroes in romance. Finally, as in A Hope Divided, Cole sheds light on an aspect of the Civil War (the involvement of Europe) that doesn’t get a lot of attention in popular culture.

Favorite Scene: Janeta and Daniel talk alone for the first time.

6. Wild at Heart by Patricia Gaffney (1997)

Exact Setting: 1890s USA (Chicago, Illinois).

Premise: Lost as a child and raised by wolves in the wilds of Canada, the Lost Man has been discovered by “civilized” people and forced to “live” with a Chicago anthropologist for study. (Really, he’s being held captive.) Only Sydney Darrow, the anthropologist’s widowed daughter, has the sense/compassion to say, “Hey, maybe we should treat this man like a person and not keep him locked in a glorified cell where a disgruntled employee can taunt him.” She gently introduces the Lost Man back into human society, and the two find themselves getting along better and better. But can the Lost Man ever truly adjust to the human world? Or will he forever express his love by giving dead fish to people? Or is okay, sometimes, to express you love with dead fish?

Why I Like It: This is one of the most bizarre romances I’ve ever read. It sounds like a romance that someone made up for a sitcom. It sounds like a fever dream. It’s absolutely brilliant, too, because Gaffney commits. The Lost Man thinks of everything in animal terms; he accurately identifies Sydney’s aunt as the “dominant female” of the household, he has decided opinions about which animals are neat and which ones are pains in the ass, and he shows his love with a beautiful, freshly caught fish. There’s a real sense of loss in his arc; it’s necessary for him to transition into human society, but he’s also lost a beautiful, meaningful world. His romance with Sydney is also a great version of the Monster Boyfriend story; she’s the one who sees his humanity and recognizes many of his more “animal” traits as positive. The backdrop of the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition is also charming.

Favorite Scene: Michael reflects on who’s hot (otters) and who’s not (wolverines) in the animal kingdom.

7. To Love and to Cherish by Patricia Gaffney (1995)

Exact Setting: 1850s England.

Premise: Jaded Anne Verlaine moves to the tiny village of Wyckerly after her wildly unhappy and unpleasant husband Geoffrey inherits a viscountcy. They’re greeted by Christian “Christy” Morrell, the local vicar and Geoffrey’s childhood best friend. Christy is dismayed to see the man Geoffrey has become, but he’s even more disconcerted by the attraction he feels for Anne...who returns his feelings.

Why I Like It: Although she stopped writing historical romance in the late nineties, Patricia Gaffney remains one of the most stylistically inventive and emotionally intense authors in the sub-genre. Anne, a warm and witty bohemian atheist, is a wonderfully unique heroine, while the sweet and scrupulous Christy is a similarly refreshing hero (and, really, an ideal clergyman, with high standards for himself and hardly a judgmental thought towards others). Despite the (delicious) angst involved in their relationship, they’re one of the most convincingly happy couples I’ve seen in romance; they don’t just grow close because of sexual chemistry or their shared complicated feelings about Geoffrey, but also because of their shared interests, oddly compatible senses of humor, and respect for each others’ differences. The village of Wyckerly is vividly portrayed, plus Gaffney makes great use of Anne’s writings and correspondence with Christy to shape the narrative.

Favorite Scene: Anne gets angry with Christy for being so good in the face of Geoffrey’s bullshit. 

8. Silk Is for Seduction by Loretta Chase (2011)

Exact Setting: Mid-1830s England and France.

Premise: After emigrating from Paris to London, Marcelline Noirot and her two younger sisters started a dress shop catering to newly rich and middle-class women. Thanks to Marcelline’s innovative designs and her sisters’ sales/accounting skills, they now stand a chance to be the favorite shop of the entire aristocracy...but first they need an early adopter. Help comes in the form of Lady Clara Fairfax, a beautiful but dowdily dressed girl who’s starting to have doubts about her perfect-on-paper betrothed, the Duke of Clevedon. As Marcelline devises a new wardrobe for Clara and spends more time with Clevedon, it becomes more and more clear that Clevedon is perfect...for Marcelline.

Why I Like It: I’m a simple woman; I like elaborate descriptions of over-the-top 1830s fashion. What’s more, I love Marcelline. She’s a fully realized character with interests, talents, and history that have nothing to do with Clevedon; she misses the sweet husband she lost to an epidemic, is anxious to build a future for her young daughter and her sisters, and spends a lot of the book demonstrating her talents in gorgeous detail. Just like the massive gigot sleeves on her dresses, she takes up space. Overall, the romance resembles a really good 1930s romantic comedy; Clevedon is a great straight man, the love triangle is elegantly resolved, and everything just feels beautiful. 

Favorite Scene: In one of the best sex scenes in romance, Marcelline tells Clevedon that she loves him, knows they don’t have a future, and wants him for one last night just the same.

9. The Hostage by Susan Wiggs (2000)

Exact Setting: 1870s USA (Chicago, Illinois and Isle Royale, Michigan)

Premise: Beautiful new-money heiress Deborah Sinclair has always done what’s expected of her. When her aristocratic betrothed shows his true colors, though, she works up the courage to tell her dad that she wants out. Unfortunately, Mr. Sinclair is not receptive...and the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 is literally happening around them...and this random dude just showed up to kidnap her in all the chaos! Before she knows it, she’s on a boat to remote Isle Royale with Tom Silver, a rugged frontiersman who lost many of his friends and his adopted son in a mining accident caused by Mr. Sinclair’s negligence. Because Mr. Sinclair was found not legally liable, Tom has resorted to holding Deborah for ransom. Although he has no desire to harm her, he’s prepared to hate the daughter of his greatest enemy; she’s also not too fond of him, given that he kidnapped her and all. As they wait for Mr. Sinclair’s reply on Isle Royale, however, they get to know each other better.

Why I Like It: I never thought I’d love a kidnapping romance that wasn’t Beauty and the Beast, but Susan Wiggs can sell me on pretty much anything. (It helps that Tom has excellent motives, yet isn’t validated by the narrative for choosing to kidnap Deborah.) This is one of the best adventure-romances that I’ve ever read; much of the first act is an incredibly tense, complicated chase sequence through the flaming inferno of Chicago, while the later chapters consist of their trying to survive together on Isle Royale in the depths of winter. The emotional  journeys of the characters are just as compelling as their physical ones. One of my favorite romance tropes is when one protagonist feels like they should hate the other one, but instead ends up going “wow, this person is obviously not doing okay...wait, am I worried? Should I help them? Actually, I kind of admire them now???” The Hostage has this trope in abundance.

Favorite Scene: The entire part where they’re trapped on Isle Royale together. So many survival details! So cathartic!

10. The Firebrand by Susan Wiggs (2001)

Exact Setting: 1870s USA (Chicago, Illinois)

Premise: Outspoken and awkward, Lucy Hathaway (Deborah Sinclair’s BFF) is a failure at being a lady, but she’s far too passionate about women’s suffrage and dress reform to care (much) about society’s scorn. On the night of the Great Chicago Fire, her world is upended in two ways: her family loses most of their money, and she catches a baby who got thrown out of a burning hotel window. Years later, she’s a kick-ass activist and single mom running a proto-feminist bookstore. Then she learns that her daughter’s father, banker Randall Higgins, is still alive. Once a proud, thoroughly conventional family man, Rand has been a practical recluse since the fire that scarred his face, ended his marriage, and (he thought) killed his daughter. He’s overjoyed to have his daughter back, but now he and Lucy must figure out a way to raise the child that they both love so much.

Why I Like It: I was worried when I began this novel, because Rand starts out as a smug, boring sexist who thinks that a woman’s place is in the home. I would probably hate the book if Rand didn’t end up completely changing his worldview, agreeing with Lucy’s parenting methods, and risking the wrath of his bank colleagues by joining Lucy at a protest. As it is, Rand’s character development is incredibly satisfying, particularly because it’s emotionally realistic. (Instead of being swayed entirely by romantic love or overwhelmed by Lucy’s vast superiority, he learns to see things from her perspective and recognizes that her actions make the world a better place.) Lucy, for her part, is probably one of my top ten heroines. She’s an active, thoroughly engaged progressive who listens to people more marginalized than her without making a big show of it; she’s a thoughtful mom who genuinely likes her weird kid; and she’s got massive insecurities and a stubborn streak that keep her from being too perfect. 

Favorite Scene: Rand sees Lucy’s ideals reflected in their daughter’s response to his kind-of-messed-up face.

Further Note: Is Victorianish my favorite type of historical romance? I think it is!

#romance novels #books #reading #the heiress effect #a hope divided #the suffragette scandal #after the wedding #an unconditional freedom #wild at heart #to love and to cherish #silk is for seduction #the hostage #the firebrand #courtney milan #alyssa cole #patricia gaffney #loretta chase #susan wiggs

[lookatbradsjunk]

[4-ish/5 ⭐]

Broadly speaking, I really enjoyed this book and found the characters and the themes really compelling. Karen Russell is a very talented writer, but you can tell that her forte is really short stories (more on that in a moment). SWAMPLANDIA! follows the Bigtree clan: a Floridian swamp-dwelling family who run a sideshow attraction (the eponymous Swamplandia) from the island where they live. The story opens with the family mourning the untimely death of their matriarch, Hilola Bigtree, award-winning alligator wrestler and Swamplandia's main attraction. Without a star, the park falls on hard times, which result in the splintering of the family unit, leading to chaos all around. The main focus of the story is on the three Bigtree children: Kiwi (17), Osceola (16), and Ava (12); each with their own quirk (Kiwi self-aggrandizes as a "genius", Osceola is dating ghosts, Ava is training to follow in her mother's footsteps and become an alligator wrestler). Ava is our central character, but about 80 pages in Kiwi leaves the family unit to get a job on the mainland and we start getting chapters from his perspective as well--and here is where SWAMPLANDIA! begins to show it's faults. Basically this is two books Frankenstein'd together into one. Once Kiwi leaves for the mainland we have one major story about Kiwi working at a hell-themed water park (which I found very clever) full of antics and teenage baffoonery; but we also have this other major story about Ava and Osceola being left alone on the island because their father (referred to as "The Chief": a difficult character to like, although I'm sure that's the point) has also gone to the mainland to take care of some business--and that story is markedly more bizarre and tense. So the dramatic switch in tone from one chapter to the next is a little jarring. Kiwi is going to night school and losing his virginity and learning how to talk to kids his own age, which was enjoyable enough. But back on the island Osceola has run off to elope with one of her ghost boyfriends, and Ava encounters a drifter called only the "Birdman" who agrees help her look for Osceola and things quickly take a turn for the sinister. Basically, this could have just been a book about Ava's storyline and it would have been a lot more coherent. We're already a significant ways into the book by the time we start getting Kiwi's perspective, and truly up until that point there's almost no reason to care about him as a character--and then his storyline goes on to prove that he's just not as interesting or compelling as his younger sisters. On top of that, there's also just a lot of minor characters and their plotlines going that don't add up to much: the Bigtrees' senile old grandpa who's recently been put in a senior living facility on a boat who hasn't been told his daughter-in-law is dead, Osceola's ghost fiance Louis Thanksgiving who's backstory takes up an entire chapter, the theme park heiress who Kiwi sort of saves from drowning but not really, etc. etc. This is where it becomes apparent that Karen Russell is more accustomed to writing short stories: there's dozens of short stories within this novel. Overall though, I genuinely enjoyed this book. The characters are kooky, but relatively believable (although I thought Ava was 14 the entire book, and was shocked when I double checked and found out she was only 12; she's a highly precocious 12) and have interesting layers. Ava and Osceola's storyline had stakes that were extremely compelling. The story could have done with some serious editing to make it more cohesive, but overall I wasn't necessarily mad about it.

Interestingly this book was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize (truly, literature’s highest honor) in 2012, alongside Denis Johnson’s novella Train Dreams, and the posthumously released David Foster Wallace novel The Pale King, and the committee in charge of the award chose to withhold the prize all together.  This is the 11th time this has happened in the history of the Pulitzer Prize for Literature, and the first time that it’s happened since 1977.  Wild.

#Swamplandia! #Karen Russell #fiction #magic realism #fabulism #book review #Pulitzer Prize