#raina duncan

[greypetrel]

almost forgot to ask oops x'D how bout 😫 for any/all of your girls? :>

Hello!!!

Don't worry about it, thanks for asking! :D

It's been a lot of fun to highlight their differences, LOL. Result: if you need comfort, you'll want the raccoon. She's fluffy if you bathe her after you take her out of her trashcan.

Tis the prompt list

😫 = How does your muse handle a family member being stressed out? What about sick?

Alyra: She'll be the less... Prone to gently deal with it. Usually, she'll just leave you alone and won't disturb you if you're stressed. She's not that empathic and too pragmatic to just... Be a soothing presence. She will understand you're undergoing something stressful and prefer acts of services. Give you your favourite food or the best, tastiest cut. Need to sharpen that sword? She got it done, don't worry about it.

*Alistair cries because Duncan and all his friends are dead* Alyra: ... Oh shit. Oh no. There, there. *very awkwardly pats him on the back* Better? Can we go? You can cry while walking. *very ill at ease* *still saves him the best scrapes of food during dinner, oils the buckles in his armour without him asking. Will absolutely refuse to admit she did it, why does it matter, please can we go on*

Sickness is easier for her to tackle. You see, there's this nice recipe for a home remedy for a flu that she learnt in her clan that just works wonder. Will brew some chicken soup. Sickness has a clear cut, pragmatic solution to it. Stress has not.

All in all, she's for practical solutions to make their lives better, but will be a terrible shoulder to cry on. If you don't like having a person who rationalizes everything, that is.

Raina: BIG SISTER POWER, MAKE UP.

It's all she thrives for. She's not good with words either, but will listen and try to lighten the mood up with jokes and wit. Usually, she manages, or she understands quickly when it's better for her to shut up. She'll do everything in the house in your place without a hint. You're stressed? NO PROBLEM she'll clean your floors, dust everything, wash your dishes, you sit there and don't worry about a thing. Oh she also bought all the groceries. What do you need? She's your woman. (if you saw How I Met Your Mother, she's Robin at the funeral wake for Marshall's dad. Big purse, there's EVERYTHING inside. She got you covered.)

If you're sick, she'll put on a nurse uniform and assist you, not a worry about getting sick herself, will keep you company and entertained because being bed-ridden is BORING, so yeah, worry not. She's there for you. :)

Aisling: Do you need a therapy session? Someone who listens to you and help you make sense of your problems, without rationalising them? She's your girl. She'll realise you're stressed before you do, will make you very poignant questions to trick you into speaking about them. Listen to you for hours in a row and be extremely sympathetic. She's a listener and she's good with words. Will hug you to death if you let her.

She will mother you. Whether you want it or not.

Sickness? HERE'S SOME ELFROOT. She has at least three brews you can take to get better, what are your symptoms EXACTLY? :D It's her time to shine, and she'll be a little obnoxious about it.

Alyra will need to be asked to get closer, Raina will understand when it's the case to insist or walk away... Aisling will need to be pushed away because she thinks she can make it better she knows she can... and is Dalish enough not to have much consciousness of personal spaces needed by other people. (If you tell her she'll step back and apologise and ask you what can she do for you and listen to it... But you'll have to tell her.)

#oc ask game #family headcanons #aisling lavellan #alyra mahariel #raina hawke #trust the raccoon

[failureofmylife]

a list

The 24 Books Pulled from Walton County Library Shelves:

Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher Forever… by Judy Blume Killing Mr. Griffin by Lois Duncan Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer Outlander by Diana Gabaldon Dreaming in Cuban by Cristina García Melissa (previously published as George) by Alex Gino Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris Tricks by Ellen Hopkins Kite Runner: Graphic Novel by Khaled Hosseini Almost Perfect by Brian Katcher Real Live Boyfriends by E. Lockhart Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi Truth About Alice by Jennifer Mathieu Sloppy Firsts by Megan McCafferty Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison Beloved by Toni Morrison Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy This One Summer by Mariko Tamaki and Jillian Tamaki Drama by Raina Telgemeier Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

https://pen.org/book-banning-in-walton-county-based-on-misleading-porn-in-schools-report-illustrates-alarming-influence-of-fringe-groups-on-educational-censorship/

#GQP nonsense

[thetaurusgeminisystem]

Gravity Falls One shot Challenge!

Hey there everyone! Thehetaliaotaku back at it again with an idea I had. I saw these amazing 200 dialogue prompts by @drink-it-write-it that I am using for this challenge.

What's the challenge? I've had a bunch of my close friends, family, and partners choose a number between 1 - 200. Then I will write a ficlet or One shot based on the prompt I got with the number they chose.

Characters: Ford Pines, Stan Pines, Winifred Davis, Raina Duncan

There will be situations from some of my AUs as well that you guys will get to witness!

Will probably make a master list of these once I finish posting them all!

For now here's part 1 - Loyalty

#gravityfalls #stanford pines #stanford pines x oc #origonal character #stanley pines #stanley pines x oc #winiford #staina #winifred davis #raina duncan #otakus ocs #stan twins #pines family

[meret118]

Unfortunately, so many books are in the crosshairs of the censors—around 850 on one list in Texas alone—that we can’t talk about all of them. But here are some of the books that haven’t made individual headlines when they were banned.

The books below don’t just appear on Texas state Rep. Matt Krause’s 16-page list of books to investigate—a list that was more than 60% LGBTQ-themed books, according to one analysis. They might also be books pulled from the shelves in Granbury Independent School District, in Texas; or Polk County, Florida; or targeted by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott. Those books are also heavily LGBTQ. Interestingly, the American Library Association's top 10 most-challenged books of 2020 list is less LGBTQ—though the top book on it, by Alex Gino, was George, since retitled Melissa. The books below are in no particular order. All Boys Aren't Blue, an essay collection by journalist and LGBTQIA activist George Johnson that was included on best books of 2020 lists from Kirkus Reviews, the New York Public Library, and others. Echo Brown’s Black Girl Unlimited, described as “just brilliant” by Kirkus. Susan Campbell Bertoletti’s They Called Themselves the K.K.K.: The Birth of An American Terrorist Group, which won the American Library Association’s 2011 award for excellence in nonfiction for young adults. Adam Rapp’s 33 Snowfish, one of the Young Adult Library Services Association's top 10 books for young adults in 2004. Carmen Maria Machado’s In the Dream House is an award-winning memoir about an abusive lesbian relationship. Separate is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez and Her Family’s Fight for Desegregation, by Duncan Tonatiuh. Ordinary Hazards, by Nikki Grimes, is a memoir that got starred reviews in six major trade journals, among other honors. Maia Kobabe’s Gender Queer is a memoir in graphic novel form. It was an ALA Alex Award winner that got a starred review from the School Library Journal. Drama, by Raina Telgemeier, is an LGBTQ-themed graphic novel that won multiple awards and made multiple year’s best lists, but was also the seventh-most-banned book between 2010 and 2019, according to the American Library Association. Gabi, a Girl in Pieces, by Isabel Quintero, made the best books lists at both Kirkus and the School Library Journal in 2014. Ash, by Malinda Lo, was on the Kirkus best young adult books list in 2009. More Happy Than Not, by Adam Silvera, got starred reviews at Publisher’s Weekly, Kirkus, School Library Journal, and Booklist, as well as making many best-of lists in 2015 and thereafter. Two Boys Kissing, by David Levithan, has made repeated appearances on the ALA's most banned books list. It was also on the National Book Awards longlist for young people’s literature. The Hate U Give, by Angie Thomas, was a well-reviewed, massive young adult bestseller, with Kirkus Reviews calling it “necessary” and “important” in a starred review. The School Library Journal also gave it a starred review. It was a Coretta Scott King Honor book. The list goes on. And on and on and on. We could have a whole section on winners of the Pulitzer Prize or National Book Award that some school boards just aren’t sure belong in schools. It’s not just Maus. Fences, by August Wilson. Beloved, by Toni Morrison. Between the World and Me, by Ta-Nehisi Coates. The Confessions of Nat Turner, by William Styron. Sherman Alexie’s The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, which won the 2007 National Book Award for Young People’s Literature. Or books by authors who’ve won those awards for their other work, like Morrison’s The Bluest Eye, which the College Board actually uses as an example for AP exam preparation. Or Isabel Wilkerson’s Caste.

[collectorscorner]

CC Blogger - New Arrivals @ Collectors Corner : Wednesday 12/23/20

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[laurelsofhighever]

Kiss prompt: ‘when they lean forward a fraction as if to kiss the other person, then realize they shouldn’t and pull back to stop themselves’ Indulge my need for fluff! XD

C’mon, that prompt is flangst at best!

Introducing my non-Warden Rosslyn AU. She survived the sack of Highever and spent the Blight leading the rebellion against Loghain, before coming to court as King Alistair’s chancellor (for various reasons). Hope you enjoy!

Alistairbarely recognised the great hall under the swathes of Wintersend decorations. From his vantage pointon the throne, greeting his guests as they were presented to him, he could seejust about every noble in Ferelden. Every one showed themselves in their finery, richsamite and velvet in family colours, and his newly trained observationalskills picked out rhythms to the melee, groups forming and flowing as oldallegiances were reaffirmed. There was an alarming number of young, unattached women among them. 

I wonderwhat they’re here for. 

He kept his sarcasm tohimself, however, if only so Eamon wouldn’t fuss. His sort-of uncle stood onthe right side of the throne, immaculate as ever in his usual dour shades, with hishand resting on the gilded back in a way that wouldn’t have been permitted ifnot for his age. The nobles might see an advisor concerned tosupport the king, but Alistair knew it was just more of the same scrutiny hehad faced all those years ago when Maric visited Redcliffe. 

“Bann Ferrenly and Lady Raina ofLakehead!” 

At least Rosslyn, onhis other side, would appreciate his trepidation. Making her his chancellor had been hisbest decision so far, a feeling that always reasserted itself whenever hefelt out of his depth. Observant as she was, no doubt she had noticed theslowly circling horde of parents with their even bigger horde of eligibledaughters, and he could imagine the amusement curling atthe corner of her mouth with every new flutter of eyelashes. He had toimagine it, because if he actually looked at her, he doubted he’d be ableto look away. There were plenty of others in the room whoseemed to be having the same issue. It irked him. 

 “HisLordship Teyrn Cousland of Highever!” the herald announced. 

“Fergus!”

With a sweep ofmidnight silk, Rosslyn broke from the decorum of the king’s dais and caught her brother in a crushing hug before he had even a chance to makehis bow. He smiled ashe returned the gesture, eyes squeezed shut to hold her closer, and the rest ofthe room faded out of importance. Alistair, drawn in by the show of affection, rosefrom the throne and followed at a distance, unable to hide his own grin, andunwilling to hear Eamon’s hissed entreaty to sit back down. 

“What’s this,Scrub?” Fergus asked when they finallypulled apart. “No riding leathers?” 

Sheshrugged. “They needed laundering.” 

“Well, it’s not acomplete loss,” he teased as he looked at her. “You’re theenvy of everyone in the room.” 

“someone’sbeen practicing their flattery.” 

“Ha! Andwhat about you? Has she been behaving herself, Your Majesty?” he asked of Alistair. 

The heavymantle of State Brantis had forced him into seemed totighten under the combined scrutiny of both Couslands at once. 

“She’s been invaluable,”he answered truthfully, his gaze softening as he glanced to Rosslyn. “But I canspare her for a few moments. You two should catch up. Uh – maybeon one condition…”  

Rosslyn paused. “Your Majesty?” 

His mouth went dry.The crowd of nobles, which had seemed so distant a momentbefore, turnedits gaze on his silence, eager to watch the dramaunfolding before him. He straightened, hung a smirk on his rapidlyheating cheeks, and winked with a confidence he hoped was lessbrittle than it felt. 

“When thedancing starts,” he declared, “I get to dance with you first.” 

“I –” Her turn toblush, though she’d had years longer to practice composure,and recovered quickly. She dipped him a graceful curtsey. “Of course.As Your Majesty wishes.” 

The thoughtof dancing with Rosslyn buoyed Alistair through meeting therest of his guests, and the social mingling that followed - not even Eamon’sdisapproval for his breach of protocol had its usual effect. He toldhimself it was relief at not being made to dance with someone he didn’tknow and whose feet he might tread on, but even though he wascareful to wander and pay attention to everyone who spoke tohim, his eye kept flicking back to track her movement among the throng. That, hetold himself, was coincidence. She just happened to keepstanding where he looked.

When theherald finally smashed his staff against the stone andannounced that the centre of the hall should clear, he smiledand bowed over the hand of a young woman who might have been charming if heweren’t so distracted, and tried not to seem too eager to leave. Hiseyes searched for Rosslyn across the room and found her on her brother’s arm,cutting a regal path through the crush of lesser gentry. 

“Here sheis,” Fergus announced. “I thought it best in case she tried to run away.” 

“I wouldnever do such a thing,” she replied loftily, then ruined the effect by elbowing her brother inthe ribs. 

“Friends,honoured guests, please take your places for the remigold!” 

“Shall We,my lady?” Alistair asked, holding out his hand. 

“We shall,Your Majesty.”  

Placing herpalm over his knuckles, she let herself be led towards where other coupleswere assembling in place. He was glad of that, at least, because his palms weresweating. 

“You couldhave asked anyone to dance, you know,” she told him in an undertone asthey made it to the head of the room.  

“True,” hereplied. “You’re just the only one I trust to tell me if I canactually dance.” 

Shesmirked. “I’m sure Eamon would oblige you with an honest opinion.”  

“I’m notdancing with Eamon.” 

“Then Isuppose I’ll have to try extra hard to be cross with you.” 

They stoodface to face. Rosslyn raised her right palm and he mirrored her as the firstchord of music hummed through the room. Her hand was warm, slender, smaller than his, but with thesame rough calluses from years of swordwork. Everyone notdancing had formed a ring around those who were, quiet for the most part, butin the focussed way that revealed more than just idle scrutiny.  

“Just lookat me,” she murmured. “They don’t matter.” 

Heswallowed. The steps had been drilled into his memory by the dance master andhis muscles moved on their own – the bow, the turn, the circling steps like the first meeting in conversation with astranger. But his mind wandered, seeking escape. 

“What’sfunny?” she asked, when a giggle escaped him. 

Theyturned, met with the other palm as the tempo increased. 

“I was justthinking – remembering, actually. I once told Duncan I wouldn’t dance the remigold in a dress.” 

“What –?” 

“It was in Ostagar, before the battle, and...” Othermemories crowded in, what happened after, and he faltered. “You had to havebeen there, I guess.” 

She flicked hereyes down to his feet and back. “You might look good in a dress.” 

“You lookbeautiful in that one.” 

She froze.Only for an instant, but he caught how her eyes widened as shestepped into the reach of his arms for the spin, how her cheeks stained pink as his handbrushed across her waist. Her hair, worn loose just for tonight, featheredover his shoulder as she whirled away again and followed the steps intothe cariole with the other fourdancers in the line. All too briefly, he caught her scent, sweetgrass andsomething floral and the hint of sweat beneath. 

I neverwant to dance with anyone else. I want... 

The remigold carried them both along theline, swirling together then away, and Alistair remembered none of it. Theworld narrowed to the regard of bright grey eyes and his mounting panic that when the dancewas over she would expect him to say something, to behave like nothing was wrong.  

“Are youflagging already?” she teased when they came back together for the last time,and he found himself wishing for darkspawn. 

“Uh, no. Iwanted to say...” 

“Yes?” 

They turnedagain, palm to palm, the final steps. Rosslyn’sbreath fanned across his cheek, heavy with exertion, her skintinged pink and sweat gleaming at her hairline, and hisstomach dropped. 

“I...” 

She glancedat his mouth. Her own lips were parted slightly, bowed in a slight smile that fadedas he leaned forward, drawn closer like a flower turning towards the sun. But hecouldn’t do that to her – not here, surrounded by so manypeople who would try to turn the action to their own advantage. And he stillremembered that first proper meeting, all those months ago, when she had toldhim She wasn’t interested in him. 

He droppedher hand. “I hope I didn’t step on your feet too much.” 

“YourMajesty did very well,” she said graciously, though hervoice wobbled. “You can be let loose on the restof your guests with impunity. May I be excused? I – it’srather warm in here.” 

He alwaysruined everything. “Of course. I – you are released from any obligation tonight.” 

“Thank you,Your Majesty.” 

He didn’treach for her as she turned and disappeared into thecrowd, didn’t follow her progress towards the terrace door. He was theking, with guests waiting on his word, and he had to play his part. 

#my writing #dragon age #dragon age origins #alistair theirin #rosslyn cousland #cousland #alistair x cousland #gingerbreton

[roarformeprettylion]

List of Banned Books

How Many Have You Read?

Children’s Books:

Allan, Nicholas. Where Willy Went

Allard, Harry. Bumps in the Night

Allard, Harry. The Stupids series

Allington, Richard. Once Upon a Hippo

Ancona, George. Cuban Kids

Avi. The Fighting Ground

Babbitt, Natalie. The Devil’s Storybook

Bailey, Jacqui, and Jan McCafferty. Sex, Puberty, and All That Stuff: A Guide to Growing Up

Bannerman, Helen. Little Black Sambo

Birdseye, Tom. Attack of the Mutant Underwear

Blume, Judy. Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret

Blume, Judy. Blubber

Brannen, Sarah S. Uncle Bobby’s Wedding

Brittain, Bill. The Wish Giver

Brown, Laurie Krasny, and Marc Brown. What’s the Big Secret? Talking about Sex with Girls and Boys

Brown, Marc Tolon. Buster’s Sugartime

Butler, Dori Hillestad. My Mom’s Having a Baby! A Kid’s Month-by-Month Guide to Pregnancy

Carle, Eric. Draw Me a Star

Christensen, James, C., Renwick St. James and Alan Dean Foster. Voyage of the Basset

Clutton-Brock, Juliet. Horse (DK)

Cohen, Daniel. Ghostly Warnings

Cohen, Daniel. Phantom Animals

Cole, Babette. Mommy Laid An Egg

Cole, Joanna. Asking About Sex and Growing Up

Collier, James Lincoln, and Christopher Collier. Jump Ship to Freedom

Collier, James Lincoln, and Christopher Collier. My Brother Sam is Dead

Collier, James Lincoln, and Christopher Collier. With Every Drop of Blood

Cormier, Robert. The Chocolate War

Coupe, Peter. The Beginner’s Guide to Drawing Cartoons

Curtis, Christopher Paul. The Watsons Go to Birmingham—1963

Dahl, Roald. James and the Giant Peach

Dahl, Roald. The Witches

de Haan, Linda. King & King

DeClements, Barthe. Sixth Grade Can Really Kill You

Elliot, David. An Alphabet for Rotten Kids

Fierstein, Harvey. The Sissy Duckling

Fogelin, Adrian. My Brother’s Hero

Fox, Mem. Guess What?

Fox, Paula. The Slave Dancer

Garden, Nancy. Holly’s Secret

Geisel, Theodor Seuss. Hop on Pop: The Simplest Seuss for Youngest Use

Geisel, Theodor Seuss. If I Ran the Zoo

George, Jean Craighead. Julie of the Wolves

Gordon, Sharon. Cuba

Grove, Vicki. The Starplace

Hahn, Mary Downing. The Dead Man in Indian Creek

Hanford, Martin. Where’s Waldo?

Harper, Charise Mericle. Flashcards of My Life

Harper, Kathryn. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

Harris, Robie. It’s Perfectly Normal: Changing Bodies, Growing Up, Sex, and Sexual Health

Harris, Robie. It’s So Amazing!: A Book about Eggs, Sperm, Birth, Babies, and Families

Harris, Robie. Who’s In My Family?: All About Families (Let’s Talk About You and Me)

Henkes, Kevin. Olive’s Ocean

Henson, Jim. For Every Child a Better World

Hergé [Georges Remi]. Tintin in America

Hergé [Georges Remi]. Tintin in the Congo

Herthel, Jessica, and Jazz Jennings. I Am Jazz

Hill, Douglas Arthur. Witches and Magic-Makers

Homes, A.M. Jack

Ignatow, Amy. The Popularity Papers

Jukes, Mavis. It’s a Girl Thing: How to Stay Healthy, Safe and in Charge

Kehret, Peg. Stolen Children

Kellogg, Steven. Pinkerton, Behave!

Kilodavis, Cheryl. My Princess Boy: A Mom’s Story About a Young Boy Who Loves to Dress Up

Kotzwinkle, William, and Glenn Murray. Walter the Farting Dog

L’Engle, Madeleine. A Wrinkle in Time

Lewis, Richard, comp. There Are Two Lives: Poems by Children of Japan

Lindgren, Astrid. The Runaway Sleigh Ride

Lowry, Lois. Anastasia Krupnik series

Lowry, Lois. The Giver.

Madaras, Linda. What’s Happening to My Body? Book for Boys: A Growing-Up Guide for Parents & Sons

Madaras, Linda. What’s Happening to My Body? Book for Girls: A Growing-Up Guide for Parents & Daughters

Martin, Michael. Kurt Cobain

Mayle, Peter. Where Did I Come From?

Mercado, Nancy E., ed. Tripping Over the Lunch Lady and Other Short Stories

Merriam, Eve. Halloween ABC

Merriam, Eve. The Inner City Mother Goose

Mochizuki, Ken. Baseball Saved Us

Nelson, O.T. The Girl Who Owned a City

Newman, Leslea. Heather Has Two Mommies

Okimoto, Jean Davies, and Elaine M. Aoki. The White Swan Express: A Story About Adoption

Opie, Iona. I Saw Esau

Orgel, Doris. The Devil in Vienna

Pardi, Francesca, and Tullio F. Altan. Little Egg (Piccolo uovo)

Park, Barbara. Junie B. Jones (

Parr, Todd. The Family Book

Paterson, Katherine. Bridge to Terabithia

Paterson, Katherine. The Great Gilly Hopkins

Perritano, John. Amityville

Peters, Lisa Westberg. Our Family Tree: An Evolution Story

Pilkey, Dav. The Adventures of Super Diaper Baby: The First Graphic Novel

Pilkey, Dav. Captain Underpants series

Pittman, Gayle E. This Day in June

Polacco, Patricia. In Our Mothers’ House

Pullman, Philip. His Dark Materials series

Quinlan, Patricia. Tiger Flowers

Reavin, Sam. The Hunters Are Coming

Richardson, Justin, and Peter Parnell. And Tango Makes Three

Rodgers, Mary. Freaky Friday

Rosen, Lucy. I Am Bane

Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter series

Ruby, Laura. Lily’s Ghosts

Sachar, Louis. The Boy Who Lost His Face

Sachar, Louis. Marvin Redpost: Is He a Girl?

Schniedewind, Nancy. Open Minds to Equality: A Sourcebook of Learning Activities to Affirm Diversity and Promote Equity

Schreier, Alta. Vamos a Cuba ( A Vist to Cuba)

Schwartz, Alvin. And the Green Grass Grew All Around

Schwartz, Alvin. Cross Your Fingers, Spit in Your Hat

Schwartz, Alvin. Ghosts! Ghost Stories in Folklore

Schwartz, Alvin. Scary Stories series

Sendak, Maurice. In the Night Kitchen

Sherman, Josepha, and T.K.F. Weisskopf. Greasy Grimy Gopher Guts

Silverstein, Shel. A Light in the Attic

Smith, Jeff. Bone series

Snyder, Zilpha Keatley. The Egypt Game

Speare, Elizabeth George. The Sign of the Beaver

Steer, Dugald. Wizardology: The Book of the Secrets of Merlin

Stine, R.L. Goosebumps series

Stroud, Jonathan. The Amulet of Samarkand

Stroud, Jonathan. The Golem’s Eye

Stroud, Jonathan. Ptolemy’s Gate

Tamaki, Mariko, and Jillian Tamaki. This One Summer

Taylor, Mildred D. The Land

Taylor, Mildred D. Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry

Telgemeier, Raina. Drama

Texier, Ophélie. Jean Has Two Moms (Jean a deux mamans)

Toriyama, Akira. Dragon Ball: The Monkey King

Willhoite, Michael. Daddy’s Roommate

Winter, Jeanette. The Librarian of Basra: A True Story from Iraq

Winter, Jeanette. Nasreen’s Secret School: A True Story from Afghanistan

Yep, Laurence. Dragonwings

Young Adult Books:

Adler, C.S. The Shell Lady’s Daughter

Alexie, Sherman. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

Alva0rez, Julia. In the Time of the Butterflies

Anaya, Rudolfo A. Bless Me, Ultima

Anderson, Laurie Halse. Speak

Anderson, Laurie Halse. Twisted

Anderson, M.T. Feed

Angelou, Maya. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

Anonymous. Go Ask Alice

Asher, Jay. Thirteen Reasons Why

Atkins, Catherine. Alt Ed

Atkins, Catherine. When Jeff Comes Home

Atwood, Margaret. The Handmaid’s Tale

Barnes, Derrick. The Making of Dr. Truelove

Barron, T.A. The Great Tree of Avalon: Child of the Dark Prophecy

Baskin, Julia, Lindsey Newman, Sophie Pollitt-Cohen, and Courtney Toombs. The Notebook Girls: Four Friends, One Diary, Real Life

Bauer, Marion Dane. On My Honor

Bauer, Marion Dane, ed. Am I Blue? Coming Out from the Silence

Benioff, David. City of Thieves

Block, Francesca Lia. Baby Be-Bop

Block, Francesca Lia. Girl Goddess

Block, Francesca Lia. I Was a Teenage Fairy

Block, Francesca Lia. The Rose and the Beast: Fairy Tales Retold

Block, Francesca Lia. Witch Baby

Blume, Judy. Deenie

Blume, Judy. Forever

Blume, Judy. Here’s to You, Rachel Robinson

Blume, Judy. Tiger Eyes

Bode, Janet, and Stan Mack. Heartbreak and Roses: Real Life Stories of Troubled Love

Bower, Bert, and Jim Lobdell. History Alive! The Medieval World and Beyond

Boyle, T. Coraghessan. The Tortilla Curtain

Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451

Brashares, Ann. Forever in Blue, the Fourth Summer of the Sisterhood

Burgess, Melvin. Doing It

Card, Orson Scott. Ender’s Game

Cart, Michael. My Father’s Scar

Cast, P.C., and Kristin Cast. House of Night series

Chambers, Aidan. Dance on My Grave: A Life and Death in Four Parts

Chbosky, Stephen. The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Choldenko, Gennifer. Al Capone Does My Shirts

Clerc, Charles, and Louis Leiter, comp. Seven Contemporary Short Novels

Cohen, Susan, and Daniel Cohen. When Someone You Know is Gay

Clinton, Cathryn. A Stone in My Hand

Colasanti, Susane. When It Happens

Cole, Brock. The Facts Speak for Themselves

Cole, Brock. The Goats

Colfer, Eoin. The Supernaturalist

Collins, Suzanne. The Hunger Games Trilogy

Conly, Jane. Crazy Lady

Cooney, Caroline. The Face on the Milk Carton

Cooney, Caroline. The Terrorist

Cormier, Robert. After the First Death

Cormier, Robert. Beyond the Chocolate War

Cormier, Robert. Fade

Cormier, Robert. Heroes

Cormier, Robert. I Am the Cheese

Cormier, Robert. Tenderness

Cormier, Robert. We All Fall Down

Coville, Bruce. Am I Blue?

Cox, Elizabeth. Night Talk

Crawford, Brent. Carter Finally Gets It

Cruse, Howard. Stuck Rubber Baby

Crutcher, Chris. Athletic Shorts

Crutcher, Chris. Chinese Handcuffs

Crutcher, Chris. Deadline

Crutcher, Chris. In the Time I Get

Crutcher, Chris. Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes

Crutcher, Chris. Whale Talk

Daldry, Jeremy. The Teenage Guy’s Survival Guide

Dandicat, Edwidge. Krik! Krak!

Danforth, Emily M. The Miseducation of Cameron Post

Davis, Deborah. My Brother Has AIDS

Davis, Jenny. Sex Education

Dawe, Ted. Into the River

Dawson, James. This Book is Gay

Dessen, Sarah. Just Listen

Deuker, Carl. On the Devil’s Court

Doctorow, Cory. Little Brother

Dorfman, Ariel. Death and the Maiden

Dorris, Michael. A Yellow Raft in Blue Water

Draper, Sharon M., and Adam Lowenbein. Romiette and Julio

Drill, Esther. Deal With It! A Whole New Approach to Your Body, Brain, and Life as a gURL

Duncan, Lois. Daughters of Eve

Duncan, Lois. Killing Mr. Griffin

Eleveld, Mark, ed. The Spoken Word Revolution: Slam, Hip Hop & the Poetry of a New Generation

Elish, Dan. Born Too Short: The Confessions of an Eighth-Grade Basket Case

Ellis, Elisabeth Gaynor, and Anthony Esler. World History

Ellison, Ralph. Invisible Man

Erlbach, Arlene. The Middle School Survival Guide

Ferris, Jean. Eight Seconds

Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby

Forman, Gayle. Just One Day

Franco, Betsy. You Hear Me? Poems and Writings by Teenage Boys

Frank, Anne. Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl

Frank, E.R. America: A Novel

Frank, E.R. Life is Funny

Freedom Writers. The Freedom Writers Diary: How a Teacher and 150 Teens Used Writing to Change Themselves and the World Around Them

Freymann-Weyr, Garret. My Heartbeat

Friend, Natasha. Lush

Gaiman, Neil. Neverwhere

Gaines, Ernest. The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman

Garden, Nancy. Annie on My Mind

Garden, Nancy. Good Moon Rising

Gardner, John. Grendel

Giles, Gail. Shattering Glass

Glenn, Mel. Who Killed Mr. Chippendale?

Going, K.L. Fat Kid Rules the World

Golding, William. Lord of the Flies

Gould, Steven. Jumper

Gray, Heather M., and Samantha Phillips. Real Girl/Real World: Tools for Finding Your True Self

Green, John. An Abundance of Katherines

Green, John. The Fault in Our Stars

Green, John. Looking for Alaska

Green, John. Paper Towns

Greene, Bette. The Drowning of Stephan Jones

Greene, Bette. Summer of My German Solidier

Haddix, Margaret Peterson. Don’t You Dare Read This, Mrs. Dunphrey

Halpern, Julie. Get Well Soon

Hartinger, Brent. Geography Club

Hautzig, Deborah. Hey Dollface

Heller, Joseph. Catch-22

Hernandez, Gilbert. Palomar: The Heartbreak Soup Stories

Heron, Ann. Two Teenagers in Twenty

Hinton, S.E. The Outsiders

Hinton, S.E. Taming the Star Runner

Hinton, S.E. Tex

Hinton, S.E. That Was Then, This is Now

Holliday, Laurel. Children in the Holocaust and World War II: Their Secret Diaries

Holmes, Melisa, and Trish Hutchison. Hang-ups, Hook-ups, and Holding Out: Stuff You Need to Know about Your Body, Sex, and Dating

Hopkins, Ellen. Crank

Hopkins, Ellen. Identical

Horowitz, Anthony. Snakehead

Hosseini, Khaled. The Kite Runner

Howe, James. Totally Joe

Huegel, Kelly. GLBTQ: The Survival Guide for Queer and Questioning Teens

Hurston, Zora Neale. Their Eyes Were Watching God

Hurwin, Davida. Time for Dancing

Huxley, Aldous. Brave New World

Hwa, Kim Dong. The Color of Earth series

Jahn-Clough, Lisa. Me, Penelope

Johnson, Maureen. The Bermudez Triangle

Jukes, Mavis. The Guy Book: An Owner’s Manual

Kehret, Peg. Abduction!

Kenan, Randall. James Baldwin

Keyes, Daniel. Flowers for Algernon

King, Stephen. Carrie

King, Stephen. Christine

Klause, Annette Curtis. Blood and Chocolate

Klein, Norma. Beginners’ Love

Klein, Norma. Family Secrets

Klein, Norma. Just Friends

Kleinbaum, N.H. Dead Poet’s Society

Knowles, Jo (Johanna Beth). Lessons from a Dead Girl

Koertge, Ron. Arizona Kid

Koertge, Ron. The Brimstone Journals

Koerge, Ron. Where the Kissing Never Stopped

Korman, Gordon. Jake Reinvented

Kuklin, Susan. Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out

LaCour, Nina. Hold Still

Larson, Rodger. What I Know Now

Lebert, Benjamin. Crazy: A Novel

Lee, Harper. To Kill a Mockingbird

Lester, Julius. When Dad Killed Mom

Levenkron, Steven. The Best Little Girl in the World

Levithan, David. Two Boys Kissing

Lipsyte, Robert. One Fat Summer

Locker, Sari. Sari Says: The Real Dirt on Everything from Sex to School

Lockhart, E. The Boy Book: A Study of Habits and Behaviors, Plus Techniques for Taming Them

London, Jack. The Call of the Wild

Lopez, Tiffany Ana. Growing Up Chicana/o

Loux, Matthew. SideScrollers

Lyga, Barry. I Hunt Killers

Lynch, Chris. Extreme Elvin

Lynch, Chris. The Iceman

Mackler, Carolyn. The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big, Round Things

Mackler, Carolyn. Love and Other Four Letter Words

Mackler, Carolyn. Tangled

Mackler, Carolyn. Vegan Virgin Valentine

Martin, W.K. Marlene Dietrich

Martinac, Paula. k.d. lang

Mazer, Harry. The Last Mission

McBain, Ed. Alice in Jeopardy

McCormick, Patricia. Cut

McCullers, Carson. The Member of the Wedding

McKissack, Fredrick, Jr. Shooting Star

McNally, John, ed. When I Was a Loser: True Stories of (Barely) Surviving High School by Today’s Top Writers

Mead, Richelle. Vampire Academy series

Meyer, Michael, ed. Bedford Introduction to Literature

Meyer, Stephenie. Twilight series

Morrison, Toni. Beloved

Morrison, Toni. The Bluest Eye

Morrison, Toni. Song of Solomon

Mungo, Raymond. Liberace

Myers, Walter Dean. Fallen Angels

Myers, Walter Dean. Hoops

Myracle, Lauren. ttyl; ttfn; l8r g8r series

Naylor, Phyllis Reynolds. Alice series

Nix, Garth. Shade’s Children

Nixon, Joan Lowery. Whispers from the Dead

Nunokawa, Jeff. Oscar Wilde

O’Brien, Sharon. Willa Cather

O’Brien, Tim. The Things They Carried

Oates, Joyce Carol. Sexy

Ockler, Sarah. Twenty Boy Summer

Oh, Minya. Bling: Hip Hop’s Crown Jewels

Orwell, George. 1984

Parish, James Robert. Whoopi Goldberg: Her Journey from Poverty to Mega-Stardom

Park, Barbara. Mick Harte Was Here

Parks, Gordon. The Learning Tree

Paulsen, Gary. Harris and Me

Peck, Robert Newton. A Day No Pigs Would Die

Pelzer, Dave. A Child Called It

Picoult, Jodi. Nineteen Minutes

Pike, Christopher. Bury Me Deep

Pike, Christopher. Chain Letter 2

Pike, Christopher. Die Softly

Pike, Christopher. Last Act

Pike, Christopher. The Listeners

Pike, Christopher. The Lost Mind

Pike, Christopher. The Midnight Club

Pike, Christopher. Remember Me 3

Pike, Christopher. The Star Group

Pike, Christopher. Witch

Plum-Ucci, Carol. The Body of Christopher Creed

Pomeroy, Wardell. Boys and Sex

Pomeroy, Wardell. Girls and Sex

Rapp, Adam. The Buffalo Tree

Reiss, Johanna. The Upstairs Room

Rennison, Louise. Angus, Thongs, and Full Frontal Snogging

Rennison, Louise. Knocked Out By My Nunga-Nungas

Rennison, Louise. On the Bright Side, I’m Now the Girlfriend of a Sex God: Further Confessions of Georgia Nicolson

Reynolds, Marilyn. Detour for Emmy

Riley, Andy. The Book of Bunny Suicides: Little Fluffy Rabbits Who Just Don’t Want to Live Anymore

Rivera, Tomas. And the Earth Did Not Devour Him

Rowell, Rainbow. Eleanor & Park

Salinger, J.D. The Catcher in the Rye

Sanchez, Alex. Rainbow Boys

Santiago, Esmeralda. When I Was Puerto Rican

Sapphire [Ramona Lofton]. Push

Satrapi, Marjane. Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood

Schouweiler, Thomas. The Devil: Opposing Viewpoints

Scott, Elizabeth. Living Dead Girl

Selzer, Adam. How to Get Suspended and Influence People

Shakespeare, William. Romeo and Juliet (No Fear Shakespeare)

Shusterman, Neal. Unwind

Sidhwa, Bapsi. Cracking India

Sittenfeld, Curtis. Prep: A Novel

Skloot, Rebecca. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

Smith, Lee. Fair and Tender Ladies

Smith, Patrick. A Land Remembered

Snyder, Jane McIntosh. Sappho

Sones, Sonya. One of Those Hideous Books Where the Moher Dies

Sones, Sonya. What My Mother Doesn’t Know

Sonnie, Amy, ed. Revolutionary Voices: A Multicultural Queer Youth Anthology

Speare, Elizabeth George. The Witch of Blackbird Pond

Spies, Karen Bornemann. Everything You Need to Know About Incest

St. Stephen’s Community House. The Little Black Book for Girlz: A Book on Healthy Sexuality

Steinbeck, John. The Grapes of Wrath

Steinbeck, John. Of Mice and Men

Stine, R.L. Double Date

Stokstad, Marilyn. Art History: Eighteenth to Twenty-First Century Art, Third Edition

Stone, Tanya Lee. A Bad Boy Can Be Good for a Girl

Srasser, Todd. Give a Boy a Gun

Summers, Courtney. Some Girls Are

Tarbox, Katherine. A Girl’s Life Online

Taylor, Mildred D. Mississippi Bridge

Touchette, Charleen. It Stops With Me: Memoir of a Canuck Girl

Trueman, Terry. Stuck in Neutral

Twain, Mark [Samuel L. Clemens]. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Twain, Mark [Samuel L. Clemens]. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

von Ziegesar, Cecily. Gossip Girl series

Walker, Alice. The Color Purple

Walker, Kate. Peter

Watkins, Yoko. So Far From the Bamboo Grove

Wersba, Barbara. Whistle Me Home

Williams-Garcia, Rita. Like Sisters on the Homefront

Wittlinger, Ellen. Sandpiper

Wolfe, Daniel. T.E. Lawrence

Wolff, Tobias. This Boy’s Life: A Memoir

Wood, Maryrose. Sex Kittens and Horn Dawgs Fall in Love

Wright, Richard. Native Son

WritersCorps. Paint Me Like I Am: Teen Poems

Zindel, Paul. The Pigman

Zwerman, Gilda. Martina Navratilova

Classics:

The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald

The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger

The Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinbeck

To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee

The Color Purple, by Alice Walker

Ulysses, by James Joyce

Beloved, by Toni Morrison

The Lord of the Flies, by William Golding

1984, by George Orwell

Lolita, by Vladmir Nabokov

Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck

Catch-22, by Joseph Heller

Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley

Animal Farm, by George Orwell

The Sun Also Rises, by Ernest Hemingway

As I Lay Dying, by William Faulkner

A Farewell to Arms, by Ernest Hemingway

Their Eyes Were Watching God, by Zora Neale Hurston

Invisible Man, by Ralph Ellison

Song of Solomon, by Toni Morrison

Gone with the Wind, by Margaret Mitchell

Native Son, by Richard Wright

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, by Ken Kesey

Slaughterhouse-Five, by Kurt Vonnegut

For Whom the Bell Tolls, by Ernest Hemingway

The Call of the Wild, by Jack London

Go Tell it on the Mountain, by James Baldwin

All the King's Men, by Robert Penn Warren

The Lord of the Rings, by J.R.R. Tolkien

The Jungle, by Upton Sinclair

Lady Chatterley's Lover, by D.H. Lawrence

A Clockwork Orange, by Anthony Burgess

The Awakening, by Kate Chopin

In Cold Blood, by Truman Capote

The Satanic Verses, by Salman Rushdie

Sophie's Choice, by William Styron

 Sons and Lovers, by D.H. Lawrence

Cat's Cradle, by Kurt Vonnegut

A Separate Peace, by John Knowles

Naked Lunch, by William S. Burroughs

Brideshead Revisited, by Evelyn Waugh

Women in Love, by D.H. Lawrence

The Naked and the Dead, by Norman Mailer

Tropic of Cancer, by Henry Miller

An American Tragedy, by Theodore Dreiser

Rabbit, Run, by John Updike

Source: http://www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks

#banned books #banned books week #ala #american library association #children's books #young adult books #classics #my post or my face

[theangelwrites]

Interpretstory

I was tagged by @christinawritesfiction (thank you, it was very fun!) I feel like this might be a little long, but I couldn’t help myself. ALSO, I spent WAY too long trying to find the right names for these characters, but I like ‘em!

Rules: Write a scene or short story based on the prompt, then tag three people to do the same.

Prompt: There was an incredulous gasp in the room, but she couldn’t tell from who. Everyone was shocked, even the judge.

Tagging time oh boy you guys don’t have to obviously, but I’m gonna tag ye’ anyway! @louisewrites @writtenhastily @dabiyyahwrites

----

“You're late, Eliza,” Duncan scolded as she jogged past him through the castle, sparing him but a glance as she tidied her dishevelled brown hair, letting the loose waves fall around her shoulders.

“Yes, I know. I was… cleaning,” she replied between breaths. She looked down at her hands again, her eyes passing over her folder to her nails, where she could still see hints of blood under them. She folded her fingers into her palms, adjusting her grip on the papers.

“Cleaning?” Duncan sounded surprised. He chuckled. “Like you ever clean anything.”

She glanced back at him again, lips pursed. His guard uniform was perfect as usual, and his dark curls were tucked neatly behind his ears. He guided her through the halls towards the main chamber, where everyone would be waiting for her. She took a deep breath, as she did every time she entered a trial.

“Go get ‘em,” Duncan said, pushing her through the main doors. She hurried into the room, purposefully ignoring the faces of the audience in the main chamber. Instead, she looked straight ahead towards the end of the room. She could see Lord Highmore sitting on his throne, his chin resting on a pale hand. Beside him sat the old judge, accompanied by the rest of the high council. She raised a brow in confusion, since the high council were hardly present for trials. It was at this time that she’d wished she’d read her brief.

“My apologies, Lord Highmore,” she bowed as she reached the end of the large room. She could sense eyes on her from everyone in the room, but she continued to look at the Lord. He dismissed her with a wave of his hand, an unreadable expression on his face. He gestured for her to begin, and she opened her files for the first time. Giving them a quick scan, she cleared her throat, putting them down on her desk. She then finally looked over to the other table, and froze.

Standing in chains behind the wooden desk before her was a pale girl with light amber hair. She looked rather normal, wearing dark blue leather armor. Anyone would think her a traveller, or a mercenary. Eliza would have thought nothing of the girl if she didn’t recognise her.

She thought back to the previous night, the dark alleys of the city around her. She’d stalked her way over rooftops and through passageways, hunting through the night. She’d tracked the unsuspecting old man through half of the city before cornering him in that alley and making her kill. With the thrill of the hunt running through her veins, and the scent of fear tickling her nose, she hadn’t noticed the short girl staring at her from the end of the alley.

Before she could do anything, she’d heard shouting from guards drawing near to the bloody scene. As the girl looked away from her, panicked, Eliza had made her escape, scaling the high walls of the alley onto the rooftops. When she’d looked back down, the girl had noticed her disappearance, and began moving her hands in a slow methodical motion. Eliza had seen the spark of magic at the girl’s fingertips, but before she could complete her spell, guards descended on her. Eliza had elected to take her leave, fleeing the scene across the dark rooftops.

“Miss Dread?” She heard a voice, and snapped out of her thoughts. The judge was staring down at her, his grey brows raised. She cleared her throat, glancing back at the girl. She was glaring straight at Eliza, surprise in her large hooded eyes. Eliza straightened her olive green coat, and focused back on her paperwork.

“The murder trial of a Mr. Church, found dead in the alleys of Willow Avenue in the early hours of this morning. The accused,” she paused, looking at the girl in chains and then down at her notes. “Miss Valerie Raina.”

Eliza glanced around the room, catching the eye of Duncan, who had taken up a spot near the doors. He gave her a thumbs-up, and she rapidly shook her head at him. The judge began talking, but she wasn’t listening. She stared at Valerie, wondering why she hadn’t already outed her. She needed to get out of the room. Any second, this girl would reveal what she’d seen, and Eliza would be chained in a dungeon somewhere.

“Miss Dread?” the old man called on her again, and she glanced up at him. He looked on expectantly. “The evidence?”

“Right, yes, the evidence,” she nodded, picking up her pile of papers, and glancing at Valerie. The girl was watching her, waiting to see what she’d do. Eliza felt panicked. She didn’t know what to do. She could feel her nails digging into her palms, her shoulders tensing. Her vision began to blur, and she blinked rapidly in an attempt to clear it. She was losing control, and Valerie knew. Maybe she wanted her to lose control. Maybe she didn’t plan to out her, but have her doom herself.

Eliza could hear several heartbeats surrounding her. Valerie’s, Lord Highmore’s, The High Council’s. She could hear the blood rushing through their veins, and her instincts were overpowering her. She heard a loud clang, and snapped her head to look in the direction of Valerie. The girl’s chains fell from her glowing wrists, the weight of them crashing down on the tiled floor. There was an incredulous gasp in the room, but she couldn't tell from who. Everyone was shocked, even the judge. They hadn’t known she was a magic user.

“Seize her, now!” Lord Highmore spoke for the first time, shouting the command to his guards and standing from his throne. Valerie gave Eliza a look, and threw her hand into the air, mumbling an incantation under her breath. Suddenly, a grey fog filled the room, and Eliza couldn’t see anything. According to the screams from the crowd, neither could anyone else. She could still hear heartbeats, still had a taste for blood in her mouth. She was about to move, but a hand gripped her wrist.

“Come with me,” Valerie said, pulling at her arm. Eliza yanked her hand away in confusion, studying the girl.

“Who the hell are you? Why would you do that?” she asked, clearing her throat and shaking her head. Valerie huffed in frustration, looking around in the fog.

“Well, they weren’t exactly going to let me go, were they? Plus, I don’t want them prying into my life, thanks. You’re gonna clear my name, and I won’t tell anyone what I know, deal?”

----

#writing #original writing #writeblr #prompts #prompt things #fantasy #angel writes #tagged

[booksandwords]

Driven by Eve Kenin

Series: Northern Waste, #1 Read time: 2 Days Rating: 5/5

The quote: She was so not herself. Raina Bowen did not turn into a quivering mass of lust just because some guy with a gorgeous face and a body she itched to touch gave her look that could melt the polar ice cap. - Raina Bowen

Warning: One of the main characters has some sociopathic traits. He is a romantic lead and it is explained but it may be uncomfortable for some readers.

This is not the first time I've read Driven, I read it years ago, long enough to have only the vaguest of recollections. This read-through was like reading the book for the first time. The first thing I want to note is that it has a really poor blurb. It is so simplistic. Referring to Wizard as not right is an understatement. Readers find out very early that he is engineered or designed. He doesn't injure, he is stunningly gorgeous and has bizarre speech patterns. As an interesting device Eve Kenin/Silver uses traditionally female beauty adjectives with him, it possibly says more about his appearance than any descriptive passage in the book. Wizard is gorgeous is more ways than just the physical. His code of honour enhances his attractiveness, his broken past and bizarre naivete don't hurt either.

Raina is fighting to give her younger sister a freedom she never knew after the recent death of their father. Raina is a feisty, strong and independent woman in a man's world. To a female reader, she could be very attractive, as an ideal in a post-apocalyptic situation even if not the now. Their pasts are tied by one powerful, violent to the point of sadistic man, Duncan Bane. One has sworn vengeance, the other just wants to get as far as possible from him. What follows is a story of confusion, identity and awkward romance.

Wizard's character, his speech makes this unlike anything else I've read. his speech is almost robotic, or alien. I can see how it could be very off-putting for readers. His speech is explained but not for a decent chunk of the book, and it is consistent. If you can get through a few chapters and adjust to it you'll be fine if you can't I suggest moving on to something else.

The ending is sweet like almost sweet enough to give me cavities. Largely everyone gets what is coming to them be that warmth and joy or a helluva lot of darkness. The book feels kinda feministic. The women are strong, powerful providers and survivors who won't take shit from the men around them. There is a but. Wizard could be problematic when viewed out of context, and he could be triggering for suffers of violence.

I found this quite difficult to rate despite giving it 5 stars. while the ending is sweet it also isn't conclusive. It is a bit odd. There aren't endings for the almost couple who befriend Raina and Ana a mysterious woman who is tied to both Raina and Wizard. Once I discovered there were sequels (one of which Hidden stars Ana) the rating was easy. Driven has a unique linguistic style the like of which I'd never read before and I don't think I'll find again soon. The characters are well defined and if not relatable perhaps aspirational. It situates itself enough to be pleasing without being complicated and provides enough twists that the story remains engaging. (wow that was a longer review than I intended).

#driven #northern waste #eve silver #eve kenin #book review #ktreviews #read 2019 #post apocalyptic fiction

[gokinjeespot]

off the rack #1293

Monday, December 23, 2019

 I'll be working at Comet Comics today which is a good thing because I won't be around all the Christmas goodies at home. Home made cookies and party mix won't be tempting me. I wish you all a Very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. I hope you didn't spend too much. Try not to eat too much. Try to over spread the love and joy of the season.

 Batman #85 - Tom King (writer) Mikel Janin (art) Hugo Petrus (art pages 10-12) Jordie Bellaire (colours) Clayton Cowles (letters). A very satisfying end to "City of Bane". I liked how Tom left Bruce and Selina. Gotham Girl also gets a nice boost. The 3-page epilogue by James Tynion IV (writer) Guillem March (art) Tomeu Morey (colours) & Clayton Cowles (letters) made me think that the future of this title is going to be okay after the departure of Tom King.

 Once & Future #5 - Kieron Gillen (writer) Dan Mora (art) Tamra Bonvillain (colours) Ed Dukeshire (letters). Duncan is Percival in this story and he's about to get a very powerful weapon to fight the bad knights. I hope his granny doesn't die.

 Legion of Super-Heroes #2 - Brian Michael Bendis (writer) Ryan Sook (pencils) Wade von Grawbadger (inks) & Ryan Sook (inks pages 11-13) Jordie Bellaire (colours) Dave Sharpe (letters). One reason that I don't read a lot of super hero team books is because some writers make it very difficult to keep track of everybody on the team and what they're doing. I fear this might happen with this book because there are so many Legionnaires. I like the introduction of Jonathan Kent to the team and him getting a new recruit at the end of this issue made me go "yay". I'm going to stick with this for at least another issue.

 Runaways #28 - Rainbow Rowell (writer) Andre Genolet (art) Dee Cunniffe (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). The benevolent Doc Justice isn't as pure goodie two-shoes as he claims. His gnarly plans for the Runaways start to be revealed this issue.

 Batman Superman #5 - Joshua Williamson (writer) David Marquez (art) Alejandro Sanchez (colours) John J. Hill (letters). Can Batman and Superman get past the Secret Six to destroy the tower and satellite that will bring the Dark Multiverse to our world? Hey, they don't call them the World's Finest for nothing. Of course, keeping the Batman Who Laugh's attack secret is going to have consequences. I want to see how Wonder Woman reacts to the boys leaving her in the dark.

 Gwenpool Strikes Back #5 - Leah Williams (writer) David Baldeon (art) Jesus Aburtov & Guru-eFX (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). Leah sold me on this self aware comic book character so the next time she writes a Gwenpool story I'll be there.

 Catwoman #18 - Joelle Jones (writer) Joelle Jones (art pages 1-3, 10-11, 16-20) Fernando Blanco (art pages 4-9, 12-15) Laura Allred (colours pages 1-7, 10-11, 16-20) FCO Plascencia (colours pages 8-9, 12-15) Saida Temofonte (letters). This was fun. I didn't know that Catwoman and Zatanna were such good friends. Selina gets a little magical help to fight the creepy Raina Creel. I can't wait to see how it works.

 King Thor #4 - Jason Aaron (writer) Esad Ribic (main artist) Ive Svorcina (main colour artist) VC's Joe Sabino (letters). That's all he wrote folks. Jason Aaron wraps up his Thor run in this epic $5.99 US issue. I can't think of anyone who's better at chronicling a god's adventures than him. The list of contributing art teams to this mighty tome is too vast to include here. Suffice it to say that everyone did an awesome job illustrating this finale.

 Avengers #28 - Jason Aaron (writer) Ed McGuinness (pencils) Mark Morales (inks) Jason Keith & Erick Arciniega (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). Part 2 of "Starbrand Reborn" has Silver Surfer Black, Terrax, and Firelord teaming up to hunt the new Starbrand. The three ex-heralds of Galactus only hang around for 2 pages before Silver Surfer leaves them in his dust to go after Ghost Rider's ride. A lot happens this issue so pay attention. It looks like whoever has the Starbrand might be a bad guy. I hope we don't have to wait too much longer to find out who that is.

 The Amazing Spider-Man #36 - Nick Spencer (writer) Oscar Bazaldua (art) Steve Firchow (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). I didn't read 2099 Omega #1 before this issue so it's very confusing what's happening with Spider-Man and Doctor Doom. I find this kind of tight tie-in very annoying. Bottom line is that Peter doesn't die and Doc Doom goes home to Latveria. The evil Countess's goal of starting a war between Symkaria and Latveria has been achieved. Meanwhile, Chameleon hints at future intrigues. A little incentive to keep reading this title.

 Fallen Angels #4 - Bryan Hill (writer) Szymon Kudranski (art) Frank D'Armata (colours) VC's Joe Sabino (letters). The team's mission to save children succeeds but there are casualties on the good guys' side. We also meet the bad guy and find out what connection it has with Psylocke. This title appeals to me because of the science involved. I think you need at least a university degree to appreciate the whole thing.

 Daredevil #15 - Chip Zdarsky (writer) Marco Checchetto & Francesco Mobili (art) Nolan Woodard & Rachelle Rosenberg (colours) VC's Clayton Cowles (letters). I can't believe that Wilson Fisk has finally met his match when it comes to being a ruthless criminal. Seeing the Stromwyn siblings in action during their meeting with the Mayor of New York City made me cheer for poor old Kingpin. Meanwhile Matt and Elektra get hot under the collar on a mission to find out who ordered the police to keep out of Hell's Kitchen. I'm so glad to see Elektra back on the racks.

 2099 Omega #1 - Nick Spencer (writer) Gerardo Sandoval & Ze Carlos (pencils) Gerardo Sandoval, Victor Nava & Ze Carlos (inks) Morry Hollowell, Brian Reber & Andrew Crossley (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). 2099 was the non-event of 2019. You could have skipped this entire story and be none the worse for wear. This issue didn't even answer any of the questions I had from reading The Amazing Spider-Man #36. The only thing this accomplished was possibly to set up the return of Miguel as Spider-Man 2099 somewhere down the line again. This has been the most useless Marvel story that I have ever read. If I was a paying Amazing Spider-Man fan I would be royally pissed.

 Suicide Squad #1 - Tom Taylor (writer) Bruno Redondo (art) Adriano Lucas (colours) Wes Abbott (letters). There's a changing of the guard as the new Squad gets upgraded with new recruits. The team is sent against some Social Justice Warriors called the Revolutionaries and lose some members in the fight. Tom's not messing around with the changes. Amanda Waller may be in this issue but she's only there to pass the reigns to a hard ass named Lok. I like Lok. I'm going to keep reading these.

 The Old Guard: Force Multiplied #1 - Greg Rucka (writer) Leandro Fernandez (art) Daniela Miwa (colours) Jodi Wynne (letters). Andy's back on the racks. I started to read this immortal woman's first story but had to abandon it due to the store only ordering subscription service copies. I should seek out the collected trade paperback and read that. I remember I liked what I read of the first story and I like this first issue. And if I don't get to read the rest, I can look forward to seeing the movie in 2020 with Charlize Theron as Andy. Charlize was terrific in Atomic Blonde.

 Annihilation - Scourge Omega #1 - Matthew Rosenberg (writer) Manuel Garcia (pencils) Rafael Fonteriz, Cam Smith, Wayne Faucher &  Manuel Garcia (inks) Federico Blee, Rachelle Rosenberg & Erick Arciniega (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). This ending was a lot better than 2099 Omega #1. Even though it was your typical "whole bunch of super heroes fighting a cosmic threat and winning because of a huge sacrifice", the story made sense. It still wasn't a story that was worth reading. The only thing I got out of it was seeing characters that I haven't seen on the racks in ages. Hello Speedball. If Marvel keeps shovelling this crap and stinking up the House of Ideas, they're going to lose more readers.

 Year of the Villain: The Infected - The Commissioner #1 - Paul Jenkins (writer) Jack Herbert (art) Adriano Lucas (colours) A Larger World's Troy Peteri (letters). James Gordon is now a minion for the Batman Who Laughs. With Batman helping Superman fight other infected super heroes, Gotham City is vulnerable after the Commissioner releases the inmates of Arkham Asylum. I'm hanging around this story to see how they cure everyone.

 The Low, Low Woods #1 - Carmen Maria Machado (writer) Dani (art) Tamra Bonvillain (colours) Steve Wands (letters). This is the story of Octavia and Eldora, two teenage girlfriends living in a half abandoned coal mining town. The mines are closed and strange things happen. I liked these girls after reading this so I'm going to stick around to see what happens after one of them wakes up next to a dead body.

 Year of the Villain: Hell Arisen #1 - James Tynion IV (writer) Steve Epting (art) Nick Filardi (colours) Travis Lanham (letters). What a poetic title for this 4-issue mini which will end with us finally knowing how the Batman Who Laughs changes the DCU. I'm finding it difficult to get into this story since it doesn't impact a lot of the DC books that I read. I'm curious to see if that changes.

 Klaus and the Life & Times of Joe Christmas #1 - Grant Morrison (writer) Dan Mora (art). I was a little disappointed because this wasn't a traditional story in the sense of having words and pictures. Notice the absence of a letterer in the credits. What we have here are 25 days in December lovingly illustrated. Punch a hole in this issue and you can use it as a calendar.

 Basketful of Heads #3 - Joe Hill (writer) Leomacs (art) Dave Stewart (colours) Deron Bennett (letters). There's only one head in the basket so far but I think another one will join it soon. This is one weird story with a creepy fantasy twist and I like it. I can't wait to see what June does with the axe next.

 Batman Last Knight On Earth #3 - Scott Snyder (writer) Greg Capullo (pencils) Jonathan Glapion (inks) FCO Plascencia (colours) Tom Napolitano (letters). What a terrific finish. I love these kinds of Elseworld stories where the characters are tweaked so that they're new and yet familiar. The Joker's head was the star of this story.

 Marauders #4 - Gerry Duggan (writer) Lucas Werneck (art) Federico Blee (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). I've been undecided about continuing to read this series but the gorgeous Storm cover by Russell Dauterman (art) & Matthew Wilson (colours) made me grab this issue off the racks and now that I've read it I'll add this to my "must read" list. I like the spy element to this title. We've got the Hellfire Trading Company, ex-bad guys now doing good for the mutant community and this issue introduces the White members of the club, who are anti-mutant. Very intriguing.

 Doomsday Clock #12 - Geoff Johns (writer) Gary Frank (art) Brad Anderson (colours) Rob Leigh (letters). The long awaited appearance of Dr. Manhattan happens here. It took two years for this story to be told. A lot of it had me discombobulated because of the mash-up of different universes. This story boils down to Jon/Dr. Manhattan and Superman/Clark Kent figuring out how to save the Multiverse. The cool thing about Dr. Manhattan is that the possibilities are endless. I rarely read a comic book story more than once but I did read The Watchmen three times. The first was when the original 12-issue series came out. The second was when the story was collected in a graphic novel and the third just after Doomsday Clock was announced. I think you get a better appreciation for Doomsday Clock is you're familiar with the Watchmen. I am considering reading Doomsday Clock again when it's collected too mostly because I loved the art.

 Spider-Man #3 - J. J. Abrams & Henry Abrams (writers) Sara Pichelli (art) Elisabetta D'Amico (inking assistant) Dave Stewart (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). With Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man done and The Amazing Spider-Man and Miles Morales: Spider-Man eliciting mehs from me lately, this is now my number one Spider-Man book. I like how they're handling Ben's evolution after discovering his powers. Their use of Tony Stark and Riri Williams made me smile. The new super villain Cadaverous is very cool.

 Harleen #3 - Stjepan Sejic (writer & artist) Gabriela Downie (letters). Wow, what a great origin story for Harley Quinn. This is the best interpretation of the relationship between Harley and the Joker so far. The inclusion of Two-Face was a bonus.

 Wonder Woman: Dead Earth #1 - Daniel Warren Johnson (story & art) Mike Spicer (colours) Rus Wooton (letters). Wonder Woman is awakened in a post-apocalyptic world where the humans have to survive being overrun by monsters. All the super heroes are dead. Well, at least Batman's dead. She saves Camp New Hope (is this a Star Wars swipe?) from the monsters and decides she's going to lead everybody to, you guessed it, a new hope. I liked the surprise appearance of a frenemy and the story is a basic fight for your life journey. I don't think this deserved the larger $5.99 US DC Black format however. It would have sold better in the regular comic book sized format like the DC Black $3.99 US Low, Low Woods.