#if there's one thing shai loves it's when people aren't what's expected of them | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

yourtouchismidas · 11 months

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Can you write smth about Matty shutting down sexist comments about his family? Like men will be praised for doing the bare minimum with their family while women are expected to do everything as their “job”?

yes ofc i love this idea.

so i think matty walks a line with how much he talks about his children, and you, in interviews. obviously there is a large part of him that wants to keep your privacy locked down, barely any details out there about you, to never be asked. but then there is another part, which wants to tell the whole world about you. to boast. to wax on. to tell funny stories about shay's games, or brag about valley's test scores, or post pictures of the twins chubby cheeks, or to talk about gigi starting a band with her friends. he picks and chooses very carefully and on top of that it is always a family decision. increasingly though, its been hard to keep you all under wraps, because of the sheer size of the family. fans bump into him in the street when he has a baby strapped to both sides of him. shay waves at people and chatters their ears off about "daddys band" until matty has to playfully put his hand over her mouth while the fans all coo at her. names are kept secret, full names at least, but the size of his family and the little army of mattys that follows him around now is a pretty well known fact. you also run a popular book shop in london, where the band have been known to play some secret pop up sessions, and have signed the doors in the toilets which you've then framed, so fans pilgrimage there and take photos with you too, if you're willing.

so when the radio interviewer asks matty, "you've just had some new additions to the family, haven't you?" he is comfortable enough to say, "yes. i have. my twins."

"big family now huh? was that always the plan?"

"oh god no," matty chuckles. "i always wanted kids. but the how and the when and the erm volume of them just kind of happened. love them. they're the best. hi girls if you're listening. they aren't. by the way. they've got better things to do apparently."

the dj laughs. "i'm sure you're a great father. and having a dad in a band that must be pretty cool."

"erm, again, i dont think they really care. like i know to you lot, i mean to some people, im like matty healy oh my god, matty healy from the 1975 but to my daughter's i'm just dad. or if you're my eldest, you call me matty as well."

"does she really?"

"uh huh," he says, "or matthew. dead cute. it's dead cute."

"and how are you finding being on tour without them? does it get hard?"

"of course," matty smiles, starting to get nervous about how long he is lingering on the girls. he knows jamie has briefed them, but maybe not hammered it home enough. "we make it work though."

"must be hard for them to be away from you. and for your wife too."

matty clears his throat, "like i said, we make it work. everyone has a different life. this is ours. wouldn't change it."

"and is your song true?" the interviewer asks, "do you do the nappies?"

matty laughs again, more comfortable. music. talking about music.

"yeah," he says, "of course i do."

"your wife is a lucky woman. to have a hands on dad like you then. she must love it when you're home to babysit."

"babysit?" matty says, his voice hardening.

"well you know, with you being away..."

"i dont babysit, mate. they're my children. i brought them into the world too. they're just as much my responsibility as hers."

"i know i was just...."

"well dont just mate. okay. think about what you're saying. isnt it sad?"

"I mean yeah..."

"isnt it sad that you think she is lucky? she shouldn't have to be called lucky. equal parenting should be the norm. she's not lucky. you shouldnt be... no one should be batting an eyelid."

"i'm sorry matty, i didnt mean to upset you."

"i know you didn't. but think of the women you might have upset. i dont want my daughter raised in a world like that. i think you should apologize to my wife."

"i will."

"no time like the present."

"you want me to.... you want me to. on air?"

"may as well. right your wrongs now. if my girls listen back, which they wont, i need to them to know that you can hold people accountable"

"okay," the interviewer says, his voice small, "i'm sorry."

"and you're sorry to all women?"

"yeah," he says, "i am really sorry. i shouldn't have put it like that."

"by the way, for the record, my wife runs a really successful book shop as well as being a mum. we're both working parents and we both rock it. shout out to heartbeat books, soho. go buy a book everyone. they also have good coffee. love you darling!"

they cut to a song. jamie shrugs at the dj. he must have hammered it home. when they come back they talk about matty's music.

#ruins #ruins behind the scenes #matty healy x reader #matty healy x you #matty healy #matty healy x y/n #the 1975 fanfic #matty healy fanfiction #dad!matty

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episims · 3 months

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Random Foxfire Facts

That probably interests no one, but I miss my game a ton and felt like doing something related. I've probably mentioned some of these at some point, but oh well.

When I moved Becca, Ruby, and Cloud together at the very start, I was betting that Ruby and Cloud would hook up

As I was setting up the neighborhood, Mel and Ash kissed. Then Ash got together with Lydia and Mel found a toyboy from Cloud and the whole thing didn't make much sense anymore

I have addressed most pre-playing kisses in some way, tho! That's how Mel and Will ended up being exes (let's just say Mel was very efficient with uh, getting to know everyone)

Will and Jamie are the only pair I guessed correctly before playing

Vera has by far the most three-bolt matches. And she's straight! You'd expect some bisexual to hold that record, but no. Troy has had some competition for sure

When I created Julian I thought he's someone who imagines being above interacting with people who aren't as intelligent as him. After playing him for five minutes I realized that actually, this guy has no freaking clue how to interact with anyone at all

I already knew when I created Jonas that he must have a twin but I had zero plans to add Judi to the hood as I was very determined to keep gen 1 free of pre-set familiar relationships. I just eventually hit the wall with writing Jonas without showing Judi (and I'm happy that I did)

I didn't think Deanna and Tess would last, but they've steadily gained more bolts over time and are now one of my rare few three-bolter couples

I would've stopped Chase from kissing Hanna, but their round was just about to end and I went to the second floor to shoo Jonas away from the computer so that Chase could go to sleep. My heart stopped when I suddenly heard that first kiss tune playing

Breaking up Ally and Judi is the most I've intervened in anyone's relationships. As soon as I realized Judi was going to keep the baby no matter what, I didn't see any other outcome

Jonas and Cloud really were talking about aliens at the same time when Julian got abducted

Luke has had enough skill points to get a promotion for something like five rounds at this point. I haven't stopped him from getting them, either. Dunno who did he piss off to get his career to freeze this badly (it's Luke we're talking about, so probably everyone)

Cedric and Shay had a hard time getting along for a while, which caught me by surprise since they're both generally nice

When Dari first got a crush on Felix, the game crashed right after. So I was like, right, that won't likely happen again. Well, after I loaded, Dari got both crush and love at the same time

Okay, that's enough for tonight!

#text #text post #foxfire forest #foxfire forest extra #i've had a rough week #really needed this little bit of comfort

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yshai-tia · 3 years

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💭(not that they've ever met, but still!)

—> q'ruhka

"pree' lil' dove, ain' he? cor, can't imagine the sorta maintenance that goes inta' that hair an' tail, one helluva groomin' session. gotta say 'm impressed; pretty face an' body like that? ye'd think he's the sort ye'd find prowling the quicksands out in ul'dah, snatchin' up some rich bloke an' givin 'em the run 'round for his goods, if ye whiddle me meanin'. doubt he'd have much trouble attractin' that sorta attention. but, colour me surprised 'ta find out that, instead, he's that wealthy, well-known admiral from lominsa, aye, i ain' deaf, 've heard his name passed 'round the docks more than once, a man with that many ships 'ta his name ain' 'forded much in th' ways ov' anonymity.

surprisin', ye wouldn' expect it from looks alone, makes a guy wonder wha' other sorta surprises he's got 'ta find out, cheers 'ta the lucky bloke who gets 'ta go diggin' fer that treasure."

#.ic #if there's one thing shai loves it's when people aren't what's expected of them #being surprised is his favourite pasttime #also definitely bit biased #can't help but be a bit second-hand proud to see a fellow tia succeeding in life

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interact-if · 3 years

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Day 10, 2/2 of the A/PI Heritage Month featured authors interview! For our final entry, we have the amazing Shai!

Shai, author of Hollowed Minds

A/PI Heritage Month Feature Author

“You will play as a disgraced detective, entangled in webs of conspiracies and betrayal as your character engages in a suspicious probation - with a whole lot of enigmatic hallucinations and explosions to deal with. It will be up to you to shape your detective’s (or Ripper’s, if you prefer to call them that) perception and motivations. After all, Gaile City is a place full of secrets - some of them belonging to your own character’s family - and you’ll have the freedom how to act accordingly.”

Author's Kofi

(INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT UNDER THE CUT!)

To put it simply, Hollowed Minds is a long quest on morality and relationships. You'll start as a disgraced detective, once a favored hero of the city until this one unfortunate mistake, and now you're forced into a suspicious probation that you shouldn't even be in. There would be a lot of challenges and suffering along the way, and you can either help your character maintain their heroic ideals or succumb to the darkness that the future brings.

Q1: First of all, introduce us to your project! What is it about?

There are a lot of things to uncover in the story, but the main issues in the first book would be the mysterious hallucinations that people are suffering from and the explosions that would shake the fundamentals of the society. There would be several approaches to choose from as you go forward, some of which may be quite outside the law, and you could opt to use a certain ‘talent’—one with accompanying repercussions—to learn more secrets. You would also have the choice to cultivate your relationships with the people you trust the most and have your interactions with them matter in the long run.

As it is, you'd have a large target on your back, owing to a sinister group with a very sinister plan—something that might be worse than death.

Q2: If it’s not too spoilery, what are you most excited about your project?

First of all, the reputation system. You can manipulate how the general public would see you, either as the hero they once saw you as, or a corrupted personality that everyone would loathe. Best thing about it? You can hide your real intentions. This would have a lot of interesting consequences, especially if your character's actions tend to be the opposite of what they're perceived as.

Second, the most awaited reunion. People who have read the available demo would know what this refers to, and well, it's about to happen soon, so I'm very excited about the idea of writing the whole scene!

Then there's this one big chapter that I know would be torturous to write and code. Basically, you'll be choosing how to 'infiltrate' this certain location, the person whom you'd be with most of the time, a decision between accomplishing what you came there for or sacrificing it for something else, how you'd get out, and where you'd go to after the whole thing. It will be a wild ride of twists and emotions, and it's not even the endgame. A lot may change with this chapter alone, and it's one of those things I think about a lot before going to sleep.

Lastly, the customization of the main character. The motivations, blame mechanic, alcoholic/non-alcoholic option, and relationships (romantic or not). Those little details would change a lot of content in the narrative and maybe in the plot itself. Whether you want to build a character who's kind to a fault or an anti-hero who wouldn't hesitate to make questionable decisions, the journey would be entirely yours.

Q3: What inspired the current project you’re working on?

It was based from a short story of mine that won a small competition back in 2018. They share similar themes, but the short story was a lot darker than I could ever put in a game that I plan to get published.

I initially thought of starting my IF writing attempts with the supernatural genre—it does seem to be a successful area—but that short story was probably the first piece of mine that I've come to appreciate, and I wanted to at least honor that. The writing style that I adopted, the evocative tone I learned to use, and the plot pieces that I've managed to be good at crafting—they all started with that story.

Looking back, there aren't much similarities anymore between the two, maybe aside from the appearance of certain characters, but the themes are still the same.

It will definitely be a huge challenge to implement what I have on mind, but I do hope people would love what's to come.

Q4: Do you pull from your own identity for inspiration? How has that been reflected in your work?

I grew up in a troublesome neighborhood, along with people who continue to fight against the struggles. That's both good and bad, I suppose. Philippines has a lot of corruption deep in its roots, I won't deny that, but there are also people working hard for the changes they want. That's one of the biggest influences I've got in this story.

As we delve into the plot, the readers would discover more questionable decisions that some characters may have made or would make. It's parallel to how I witnessed people having differing reactions to injustice and the way they make changes in their lives as a response. Adding to that, I personally know the feeling of grief, and I’ve seen how the people around me deal with it themselves.

There are also moral choices to be had in the game, and when I speak of that, it's not going to be just around choosing between saving/killing people. It's about the main character's intentions and emotions, and how the revelations might slowly change their views. It would be a story that will steadily define your character’s perceptions amid the threats.

Q5: What’s been your experience so far? With writing, with the if community...

It's been great. I appreciate the people who have reached out in various ways to share their love for my work and to give meaningful feedback that are continuously helping me shape the story in a better way. And honestly, I'm so overwhelmed with excitement for all the support I'm getting. I didn't even expect a lot of people to like the story this early. That's why I'm so thankful!

There's also a great IF author whom I've been occasionally getting advice from, and they've been a huge reason as to why I even managed to make the first steps. Interacting with other writers is something that I never really expected myself to do, but I’m quite glad I did it.

Q6: Do you have any future projects in the works?

There are three more interactive fiction stories I've already thought of, though I won't be actively working on them until I finish the Hollowed Minds series, which would take a long while. Their temporary titles are respectively "Corrupted Legacies" (fantasy), "The Remnant's Keeper" (supernatural horror), and "A Hero's Touch" (superhero story with a twist).

Aside from that, I'm also looking forward to finishing my fantasy novel, one that I've been delaying for years, literally, as soon as I finish the first book of Hollowed Minds.

Q7: Finally, what piece of advice would you give to fellow authors?

Write what you want to write. I know that you're all probably tired of hearing this, but it is still very important. During the planning stages, you'd most likely be excited to show the readers what you've got in store. You'd be proud of it, and you'd believe that it's one of the most brilliant ideas out there. Then a few days after you finish planning, you'll realize it may not attract as much readers as you may have expected initially. Then you'll get tempted to change your visions for the story and adopt the plot lines that the famous works have.

Do not abandon your own vision.

It's your work. It's your masterpiece. Listen to feedback, sure, and let them guide you into becoming a better writer, but do not let go of the things that made your work your own. Some way or another, there will be people who would love your story, and they'd deeply appreciate that you made it the way it is.

So don't hesitate. Is it weird? Is it unconventional? Does it belong to a genre that's not as popular as the others? It doesn't matter. Write it, polish it, and show it to the world.

People will love it as long as you do.

#if: events #Happy Asian and Pacific Islander month!!#Asian/pacific islander month 2021 #a/pi month #a/pi month 2021 #aapiheritagemonth #aapi month #interactive fiction #authors of color

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tabloidtoc · 3 years

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Us, May 3

You can buy a brand new copy of this issue without the mailing label for your very own at my eBay store: https://www.ebay.com/str/bradentonbooks

Cover: Pregnant Meghan Markle: My Baby, My Way

Page 2: Red Carpet -- rufflemania -- Hollywood style stars are tier-ing it up in this flattering design with feminine flair -- Tracee Ellis Ross, Kaitlyn Dever, Margot Robbie, Logan Browning, Nicola Coughlan

Page 3: Lizzo, Maude Apatow, Lucy Boynton, Jessica Alba, Lily Collins

Page 4: Who Wore It Best? Anya Taylor-Joy vs. Isla Fisher vs. Regina King in Stuart Weitzman Nudist sandal

Page 6: Loose Talk -- Shonda Rhimes on the intense backlash she received over Rege-Jean Page's exit from Bridgerton, Kelly Ripa on her most embarrassing interview, Luke Bryan on his mother LeClaire's Instagram fame, Blake Shelton on The Voice's new coach Ariana Grande, Reese Witherspoon joking about wearing bottoms that aren't sweatpants

Page 8: Contents

Page 10: A Final Farewell to Prince Philip, his four children Prince Charles and Princess Anne and Prince Andrew and Prince Edward were among the loved ones who participated in the emotional ceremony, feuding brothers Prince Harry and Prince William (and his wife Duchess Kate) put their differences aside after the intimate service, due to Covid-19 protocols the grieving Queen Elizabeth stayed socially distant from the other 29 people who attended the funeral for her husband of 73 years

Page 11: ACM Awards 2021 -- Maren Morris teamed up with her husband Ryan Hurd and won Female Artist of the Year, Thomas Rhett won Male Artist of the Year, Carrie Underwood took the stage

Page 12: Hot Pics -- Rosie Huntington-Whiteley wore an orange coat during a visit to NYC, John Stamos plays a coach on the TV show Big Shot, Zach Braff goofed around on the set of Cheaper by the Dozen in L.A.

Page 13: Eva Longoria on her trampoline while aboard a yacht in Miami, Howie Mandel arrived to the set of America's Got Talent dressed as a bug in Pasadena

Page 14: Jon Hamm and his rescue dog Splash strolled around the neighborhood in L.A., Heidi Klum in all white in Pasadena, Sara Gilbert and Linda Perry take a stroll in L.A.

Page 15: Eddie Cibrian and LeAnn Rimes held hands after dinner at Il Segreto in L.A., Patrick Dempsey shot a scene for his show Devils in Rome

Page 16: Rachel Brosnahan in a blue dress and carrying a clear umbrella on the set of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel in NYC, Lin-Manuel Miranda at the opening of a vaccination center for Broadway workers in Times Square, Trisha Yearwood feeds one of her rescue pups

Page 18: Gen Z Has Spoken -- these celebs are making the young kids proud -- Baggy Jeans -- Hailey Bieber, Tracee Ellis Ross, Bella Hadid

Page 19: Middle Parts -- Busy Philipps, Lizzo, Jennifer Lopez, Kourtney Kardashian, baguette bags -- Dua Lipa, Elsa Hosk, Irina Shayk, Kendall Jenner

Page 20: Seeing Double -- stars bear a striking resemblance to their famous counterparts -- Elizabeth Banks and Chelsea Handler, Emmanuelle Chriqui and Nina Dobrev, Betty Gilpin and Jodie Comer

Page 21: Rob Lowe and Ian Somerhalder, Jaime Pressly and Margot Robbie, Isla Fisher and Amy Adams, Rupert Grint and Ed Sheeran, Kyle Richards and Kacey Musgraves

Page 22: Clueless Crew -- stars are totally buggin' over Cher Horowitz's style in yellow plaid -- Robin Roberts on Good Morning America, Katie Holmes was rollin' with her homie beau Emilio Vitolo Jr. in NYC, Vanessa Hudgens, Dianna Agron

Page 23: Gabrielle Union

Page 24: Stars They're Not Like Us -- Jay Leno took one of his vintage automobiles out for a spin in L.A., Chrissy Teigen and John Legend took a selfie with a fan while grocery shopping in Beverly Hills, Kylie Jenner has custom vending machines

Page 25: Carrie Underwood in her massive walk-in closet, Denzel Washington signs autographs for fans in NYC, Megan Thee Stallion on a private plane, Drake and his bodyguard in Beverly Hills

Page 26: Stars They're Just Like Us -- Sarah Jessica Parker catches a yellow cab after working at her shoe store in NYC, Brad Paisley picked up five pizzas to go in Montecito

Page 27: Kelly Osbourne handed out goods at a drive-thru food distribution event at the Islamic Center of Southern California, HGTV's Egypt Sherrod transformed her closet into a meditation space in Atlanta, in between filming Law & Order: SVU's Mariska Hargitay and Ice-T take a selfie

Page 28: Hollywood Dads -- Scott Porter on parenting his two kids McCoy and Clover

Page 29: Jonathan Tucker on life with twins Hayes and India, parenthood is a lot tougher than Jovi Dufren imagined, Maksim Chmerkovskiy can't wait to show son Shai his work

Page 30: Love Lives -- Rihanna and A$AP Rocky are showing no signs of slowing down -- the pair enjoyed a night out in L.A. hotspot Delilah where they were holding hands and laughing and they're not hiding the fact that they're dating but they just don't want people in their business -- they're a good match and are each other's best friend

Page 31: Justin Bieber and Hailey Bieber may look like the picture-perfect couple, but Justin admits that their first year of marriage wasn't what he expected, saying it was really tough and there was just a lack of trust and he blamed the strain on his own personal struggles and said before he didn't have someone to love or someone to pour into but now, more than two years after exchanging vows with Hailey, he has that

* Kacey Musgraves' romance with Dr. Gerald Onuoha is giving her butterflies -- the pair are so happy they found each other and while Kacey, who split from her husband Ruston Kelly last summer, is trying not to get too ahead of herself, her connection to the Nashville-based doc is off the charts and it's got the potential to go a very long way

* Today's Savannah Guthrie is thankful to have husband Michael Feldman in her life, especially given the demands of her early morning work schedule

Page 32: Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker are getting serious -- all the details on their whirlwind romance

Page 33: Adapting to parenthood has been a breeze for Emma Stone and she's soaking in all the precious moments of being a mom for the first time -- she and husband Dave McCary welcomed their baby daughter in March and Emma is super protective and a very hands-on mom and Dave is also hands-on and helps with their daughter -- thanks to the little one, Emma's marriage with the comedian has also gotten stronger and having a baby has brought them closer in a way they never expected -- Emma is looking forward to getting back to work; she's taken this time off to embrace motherhood and her number one priority is to raise a healthy baby so that's what she's focused on right now

* Britney Spears is setting the record straight -- despite her ongoing conservatorship battle with her dad, Jamie Spears, she is doing totally fine, assuring fans that she's extremely happy and she has a beautiful home, beautiful children and she's taking a break right now because she's enjoying herself -- although the legal drama with her father is heating up, Britney is staying strong and she has this wonderful ability to see the positive even when the odds are against her

* Keeping Up With Us -- production for the Downton Abbey sequel is underway, Mossimo Giannulli is a free man, Chrissy Teigen returned to Twitter 23 days after announcing that she was leaving the platform, Vanessa Bryant remembered her late husband Kobe Bryant on what would have been their 20th wedding anniversary, Helen McCrory lost her battle with cancer at age 52 according to her husband Damian Lewis

Page 34: A Day in My Life -- Whitney Port

Page 35: Colton Underwood is ready to live his truth -- during an interview on Good Morning America, the former Bachelor came out as gay, saying he's run from himself for a long time and he came to terms with his sexuality earlier this year and he's the happiest and healthiest he's ever been -- now that he feels like he can finally breathe, Colton is excited for his next chapter, which fans will get to see on an upcoming reality show with Olympian Gus Kenworthy -- a huge weight has been lifted off of Colton's shoulders and he is looking forward to being his authentic self

Page 36: Moms Tell All -- Happy Mother's Day! From milestones and manners to rules and nanny-bans, celebs and insiders talk about raising kids in Hollywood

Page 37: Bindi Irwin says life at home with her daughter Grace Warrior has been positively blissful and her family with dad Chandler Powell is so full of love, adding that the newborn has already met some of the wildlife at the Australia Zoo where Bindi and Chandler live and work and of course she's seen some crocs and really lit up when she saw them -- while the Aussie conservationist is sad Grace won't get to meet her late dad Steve Irwin, Bindi's brother Robert Irwin and mom Terri Irwin have been by her side constantly and Robert is obsessed with Grace and has been helping out so much and her mom has been the biggest guiding light and she's already taught Bindi so much about being a mother, both in how she raised her and by showing her things day by day and Terri is quite the baby whisperer and she's so great a calming Grace down when she's crying -- first-time father Chandler is also a natural with Grace and he's been the most supportive and involved dad and together, he and Bindi make such a great team -- for now, Bindi, who stars with Chandler in Crikey! It's a Baby!, is hoping Grace will follow in her animal-activist footsteps, saying having three generations of strong women working as conservationists is a dream come true

* Jennifer Garner said teaching your kids is a lifelong job, and certainly values are something you have to show them -- Jennifer, who shares kids Violet, Seraphina and Samuel with ex Ben Affleck, is staying true to her word and has led by example when it comes to things like kindness and patience and she won't let anyone in the house to judge or speak ill of people, and she enforces the same wholesome, traditional values that she was raised with and the kids have been taught to be loving, hardworking and fair -- Jennifer has always taken a kids-come-first approach to parenting, and it shows as they bake together, enjoy movie nights, read books and have very active lives and it's a very healthy, happy household filled with laughter and love

Page 38: Gwen Stefani has her hands full with her sons Kingston, Zuma and Apollo with ex-husband Gavin Rossdale, but she wouldn't want it any other way -- Gwen's a tomboy, so having three boys wasn't daunting for her at all, plus she has fiance Blake Shelton by her side to pitch in with parenting duties and Gwen and the boys have a blast at Blake's ranch in Oklahoma where they enjoy riding their ATVs, and they play baseball and football -- it's not all fun and games, though because Gwen is big on boundaries and manners and she doesn't want to raise Hollywood brats and it's important to her that her sons be gentlemen

* Meghan Markle's pregnancy with Archie was no walk in the park, as she revealed during her bombshell TV interview with husband Prince Harry, the couple had concerns over whether or not the royal family would provide security for their son and claimed there were conversations about his skin color -- but this time around, as Meghan and Harry gear up for baby No. 2 at home in L.A., she's doing everything her way, without the royals and Meghan and Harry feel blessed that they're able to raise their daughter in the U.S. and can live by their own rules and make the decisions they feel are best for their children; having independence is the most important thing for Meghan and she's got free rein to be exactly the kind of mom she wants to be -- her parenting style is really like most mothers out there, and she's been craving pasta and doing yoga two times a day as her due date nears and she keeps a lot of art supplies out to foster creativity and healthy snacks around and she's a devoted mom and wants the best for her kids

Page 39: Kate Hudson has a lot on her plate, so the mom of three, who shares son Ryder with former husband Chris Robinson and son Bingham with ex Matt Bellamy and daughter Rani with boyfriend Danny Fujikawa, knows when to put her foot down as things can get a little overwhelming at times for Kate, but when she says no, it absolutely means no, and the kids respect her very much because of that

* Gigi Hadid, who shares daughter Khai with boyfriend Zayn Malik, wants to spend every waking moment with her precious little girl -- Gigi could easily afford to employ a team of nannies but chooses not to and she prefers to do everything herself and besides, she can't bear to be away from Khai for more than a few hours

* Candace Cameron Bure's three grown kids are flying the coop, but she's still super involved in their lives, despite slowly becoming an empty nester -- the mom of Natasha, Lev, and Maksim with former hockey player Valeri Bure says it's been a very transitional time and she's been trying to help them make decisions they feel good about and it's challenging, but they're figuring it out

Page 40: Oh, Baby! Meghan Markle's due date is just around the corner, and here are all the details

* Bump Brigade -- Halsey, Gal Gadot, Shawn Johnson East

Page 42: 10 Years of the Cambridges -- a look back at Prince William and Duchess Kate Middleton's solid marriage for their anniversary

Page 44: Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez: What Really Happened -- cheating and lies? The truth behind J.Lo's split from fiance A-Rod

Page 45: Friendliest Exes -- these former couples managed to stay close after going their separate ways -- Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin, Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux, Orlando Bloom and Miranda Kerr, Demi Moore and Bruce Willis, Lisa Bonet and Lenny Kravitz

Page 48: Gifts for Mother's Day

Page 54: Entertainment -- Ben Barnes on Shadow and Bone

Page 58: Fashion Police -- the most daring Oscars looks -- Bjork, Whoopi Goldberg, Charlize Theron

Page 59: Rachel Weisz, Gwyneth Paltrow, Lady Gaga

Page 60: 25 Things You Don't Know About Me -- Julia Michaels

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maddiesbookshelves · 2 years

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Alive and Hexing (Hexes and Hazards #1) by Shay Cabe

Home is supposed to be where a witch is always welcome. Except when you neglect to call your four furry best friends after being gone for five years. So, they decided to pay me back, Hazard style. I wanted to deny that they could be cruel to me. It even took me awhile to admit it - but it's a fact - the Hazard Boys Suck. They're not the only ones. A mysterious romeo is leaving me presents of the dead kind. Now, I need to show all of them that girls aren't just made from sugar, spice and everything nice. Especially me. We're also made of something better… Mean.

Would I recommend it to anyone? I'd love to say yes, but unfortunately that's not the case.

Level of (dis)satisfaction based on the summary and my expectations? I knew what I was getting into when I read the summary and understood nothing, especially the last sentence (so this actually fits into one of my reading prompts nicely). I just wanted for the experience to be bearable and to make me laugh.

My thoughts on it? I want to start by saying that I think this book had potential and that it was probably written and self-published by someone pretty young, much to her credit, but it also explains a lot of things in her writing choices. Some moments made me genuinely laugh and feel a little empathy towards Nora (our MC). However, those good moments were immediately followed by things that made me wince. Lots of clichés, girl hate, plot holes, and a lack of maturity in the characterisation of the adults. And let's not mention the fact that this is a story about a 16-year-old in a reverse harem where the 4 love interests are adopted brothers. Thankfully, nothing happens in this book, otherwise I would have had to set my e-book on fire.

Nora is the kind of MC that a lot of people will consider a strong female character because she can fight and isn't feminine. When will people finally understand that you can be a badass and still think about boys and fashion? Sometimes her thought came out of nowhere and lacked actual thinking (to avoid saying "maturity", since she's 16), but it goes with the boys' behavior.

Let's talk about the boys. They were all interchangeable. Honestly, there are only two that have somewhat of a personality (though "personality" is a strong word) : Hez, the angry one, and Phoenix, the smarter one (or the less stupid one, depending on your point of view). I remember Oz's name because, well... Oz... And it took me a good 10 seconds to remember Barrett's name. Anyways, all the characters lack depth, you can't get a feel for their personalities, which is a shame, really. Just making the story last over a longer period of time to give us the opportunity to see Nora spend some time with the boys, one on one, to understand who they are would have made a huge difference. It also would have helped me see what she sees in them, aside from their bodies, cuz I sure didn't see it here.

I also think there was a problem with representation. One of the boys is supposed to be Native American (at least in part) and the way Nora says she knows that is... weird. See for yourself:

“It’s obvious he has Native American blood in him, but I never asked him how much. Seems rude to ask such a thing. I can totally see it now because it’s more than evident in his lightly tanned skin and lean, but tight build. If I were to reach for a fancy word, I’d use the word, sinewy. Mostly because it’s the first time I’ve ever seen someone who pulls it off. His black hair is shoulder length, with a slight curl to the ends of it. It's thick and soft looking."

And let's not talk about the only gay character, who is the absolute walking, talking cliché of the slutty gay looking at every man's ass and who is BFF with the MC. It's painfully obvious that he's gay just so Nora will have a male (since all the other girls hate her) friend the other 4 lover boys won't feel threatened by in their fragile masculinity and won't be jealous of. It was hard to read.

TL;DR: It felt like reading a fanfic written by a 16-year-old but I hope Shay Cabe will keep writing what she likes because the only way to get better is by practicing. And it takes guts to self-publish a book, so props to her.

French version under the cut

Un chez-soi est censé être là où une sorcière est toujours la bienvenue. Sauf quand vous négligez n'appeler vos quatre meilleurs amis à fourrure après être partie pendant cinq ans. Donc, ils ont décidé de se venger, façon Hazard. Je voulais nier qu'ils pouvaient être cruels envers moi. Ça m'a même pris du temps pour l'admettre - mais c'est un fait - les garçons Hazard craignent. Ce ne sont pas les seuls. Un mystérieux roméo me laisse des présents du type morts. Maintenant, je dois leur montrer à tous que les filles ne sont pas faites avec du sucre, des épices et des tas de bonnes choses. Surtout pas moi. Nous sommes aussi faites de quelque chose de mieux... méchantes.

(je suis désolée, la dernière phrase me pique les yeux à moi aussi mais c'est la traduction exacte, la faute est là en anglais aussi zhefzf)

Est-ce que tu le conseillerais à quelqu’un ? J’aimerais pouvoir dire oui mais malheureusement c’est pas le cas.

Niveau de déception/satisfaction par rapport au résumé et tes attentes ? Je savais dans quoi j’allais m’embarquer quand j’ai lu le résumé sans rien comprendre, surtout cette dernière phrase (du coup ça rentre bien dans mon reading challenge). Je voulais juste que l’expérience soit supportable et que je puisse en rire.

Avis sans spoiler ? Je veux commencer par dire qu’il y avait du potentiel dans ce livre et que je pense qu’il a été écrit et auto-publié par quelqu’un d’assez jeune, ce qui est tout à son honneur, mais ce qui explique également énormément de choses au niveau des choix d’écriture. Certains moments ont réussi à me faire rire pour de bon et à me faire ressentir un petit peu d’empathie envers Nora (notre MC). Seulement, ces bons côtés étaient immédiatement suivis de choses qui me faisaient grimacer. Beaucoup de clichés, de girl hate, des plot hole, un manque de maturité dans l’écriture des personnages adultes. Sans parler du fait qu’on parle d’une ado de 16 ans dans un harem inversé où les 4 garçons sont des frères adoptifs. Heureusement qu’il ne s’est rien passé dans ce premier tome parce que sinon j’aurais mis le feu à ma liseuse.

Nora est le genre de MC que beaucoup de gens vont considérer comme badass parce qu’elle sait se battre et n’est pas féminine. Quand les gens vont-ils enfin comprendre qu’on peut être une fille badass qui sait se battre et penser aux garçons et au maquillage ? Certaines de ses réflexions sortaient de nulle part et manquaient totalement de réflexion justement (pour ne pas dire maturité, vu qu’elle a 16 ans), mais ça va de paire avec le comportement des garçons.

Parlons-en, des garçons d’ailleurs. Ils étaient tous interchangeables. Honnêtement il n’y en a que 2 qui ont vaguement une personnalité un peu définie (et encore “personnalité” est un grand mot) : Hez, le coléreux, et Phoenix, le plus intelligent des trois (ou le moins stupide, ça dépend du point de vue). Je me souviens du prénom d’Oz uniquement parce que ben… Oz… Et il m’a fallu bien 10 secondes pour me souvenir du prénom de Berrett. Bref, tous les personnages manquent de profondeur, on n’arrive pas à cerner leur personnalité et c’est vraiment dommage. Il aurait suffit d’étaler l’histoire dans le temps pour nous donner l’occasion de voir Nora passer du temps avec chacun d’entre eux individuellement pour comprendre leurs personnalités et ce qu’elle leur trouve parce qu’à part leur physique, je vois pas.

Je pense aussi qu’il y a un problème au niveau de la représentation. Un des garçons est censé être (au moins en partie) natif-américain et la manière dont Nora dit qu’elle le sait est… bizarre. Je vous laisse juger par vous-même :

"C'est évident qu'il a du sang de natif-américain en lui, mais je ne lui ai jamais demandé combien. Demander une chose pareille parait malpoli. Je peux totalement le voir maintenant car c'est plus évident avec sa peau légèrement hâlée et sa carrure mince mais musclée. Si je devais trouver un mot sophistiqué, je dirais athlétique. En grande partie parce que c'est la première fois que je vois quelqu'un à qui ça va. Ses cheveux noirs lui arrivent aux épaules et bouclent légèrement aux pointes. Ils sont épais et ont l'air doux."

(c'est une traduction approximative que j'ai fait à la va-vite mais vous comprenez où je veux en venir)

Et ne parlons même pas du seul personnage gay, qui est un cliché absolu du slutty gay qui regarde le cul de tous les mecs et qui est le BFF de la MC. On sent qu'il est gay uniquement pour que Nora puisse avoir un ami garçon (vu que toutes les filles la détestent) qui ne menacera pas la masculinité fragile de nos 4 lurons et qui ne les rendra pas jaloux. C’était dur à lire.

TL;DR : J’ai eu l’impression de lire une fanfic écrite par une fille de 16 ans mais j’espère que Shay Cabe continuera d’écrire ce qui lui plaît parce qu’il n’y a qu’en pratiquant qu’on s’améliore. Puis faut avoir du courage pour auto-publier un bouquin alors chapeau.

#alive and hexing #shay cabe #books #book recommendations #booklr #book review #book recs #book reviews #ya books #romance books #reading this was weiiiird guys #i kept spamming my friend about it the whole time i was reading it #not in the good way #but i guess some people like it #at least it seems that way on goodreads #to each their own #i guess #but bruh

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