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queer-and-dear-books · 2 years

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Title: Cemetery Boys

Author: Aiden Thomas

Content Warnings: Transphobia | Death

Overall Rating: 9.5/10

Personal Opinion: Ghosts are real and Yadriel has always been able to see them. It’s a brujo thing. One day, Yadriel meets the ghost of a classmate, who most certainly should not be dead, Julian. As the two of them try to figure out what happened to Julian, they become closer than they ever did when Julian was alive. Seeing depths to one another they never expected. But can a ghost and a boy be together? I really hope so because they’re really cut together.

Couple Classification: Yadriel X Julian = Nerd X Delinquent

Do I Own This Book? Nope.

Spoilers Below For My Likes & Dislikes:

Likes:

- Allow me to start with one of my favorite parts, Maritza. She is as cool in so many of scenes. She is sassy, hilarious, snarky, and she called the goddess of death a bitch before healing her best friend and pulling him from the brink of death. Like, what an actual badass. She was also the one person in the entire brujx community to support Yadriel without any ulterior motives. I mean, she made his portaje for him and went with him to do his quinces in secret. She was always validating his identity, she gives so much love to her dumb dogs Michelangelo and Donatello, and she yanked tio Catriz by his hair to get him away from Yadriel. A queen. She can be a bit much at times but I do think, overall, that she is just a fantastic character and I am so glad that, at the very end at least, she was not just the gay boy’s straight girl sidekick.

- Julian’s ride-or-die love for his friends and loved ones is a banger. I don’t get how Rio just did not see his brother to be the kind of guy who cares so fiercely for his family but like, Yadriel was right when he said Rio didn’t know him at all if he thought that. But Julian was out here protecting trans lives and abused kids without any hesitation. His instinct when he saw Luca getting jumped was to jump in himself. He actually sacrificed himself even if he hadn’t known it at the time. If you need more proof of his iconic loyalty, look no further than the saying that he spray painted at their hideout, “There are girls with penises, boys with vulvas, and transphobes without teeth.” And that scene was right after he took Yadriel’s yearbook, crossed out his deadname, and wrote in his real name. Icon.

- I appreciate the culture in this book. The scene where Yads distracted the women in the family by saying he didn’t feel well and Lita immediately going to Vaporub as the cure was hilarious. The POC home remedy for literally everything. The use of Spanish for the invocations was also such a pleasant touch too. It gave it a more authentically magical quality to it. And the food stuff sounded delicious too.

- Julian going to Yadriel’s near-dead body and protecting him from everyone was just so tragically romantic. And the fact that we got to see his POV too for the first time I think just solidified his feelings for Yads because I wasn’t sure how he felt. But the way he barked at Yadriel’s family because he personally could not forgive the way they rejected him as both a boy and a brujo is just really amazing. He’s amazing. Also a bit much, like Maritza but still, overall he is an amazing guy. And I can see why Yadriel had fallen for him. He really is just so vibrant and full of life. Ironically.

- Honestly, what a relief that Miguel, Julian, and those other two didn’t die. And I’m glad to see that it wasn’t some bullshit out-of-left-field twist. Also, I’m glad I predicted that it was tio Catriz and the Jaguar Claw behind the disappearances. It was hinted at pretty heavily though so kudos to Thomas for setting things up so well.

Dislikes:

- Julian’s temper is a bit of a red flag for me, not going to lie. Like that was the only reason why I wasn’t totally on board with the pairing. He really threw his own skateboard on the ground and kicked the wall at his apartment while he was a ghost. He wanted Yadriel to not mention him being dead and yet he was making it so much harder for Yadriel to keep it a secret with all the commotion he was causing. He was also so disruptive when Yadriel wanted to focus on class. The only time he was justified in his anger, in my personal opinion, was when the girls on the soccer team were all talking shit about him and his friends. Fuck them, by the way. They really knew nothing about how kind he was and talked all that bullshit about his parents being drug dealers and him being in a gang. Stereotypes are not a good look, ladies.

- Also a lot of the ghost stuff did not make sense to me. Okay, if he focuses, he can touch stuff, I get that. But what about when he plopped down into Yadriel’s desk chair in the beginning? He did it easily. And the bed and the car hood. He didn’t even question it. If I were in his shoes, I’d be wondering about it. But nope, no explanations whatsoever.

- Enrique and Lita are a bit old-fashioned, I get it but damn, the moment when Lita used Yadriel’s deadname and then said, “You will always be my little girl” just makes my skin crawl. I don’t care if she came from a much older generation, what the fuck. Jules is right to not forgive them easily and he’s also probably right that Yadriel isn’t the first trans brujo. Revisionist history is a bitch.

- Maritza saying she didn’t want to “bring the boys” because they “stink” did not seem consistent with the way she treated the dogs once they were actually seen on the page.

- Rio also frustrates me. I sort of get Omar’s anger because Yads is a total stranger who is looking at thin air but Rio saying that his brother didn’t care is just stupid. How do you misunderstand a guy’s personality so badly when you live with them? I still respect Rio though for taking in Rocky, Flaca, and Luca without even a moment’s hesitation though when they needed a place to crash.

- Julian deciding to make Yads steal a priceless and sentimental car and make him go to a party he didn’t want to go to also didn’t fit right with me. I get it, he’s out here making Yadriel enjoy the life he has and blah blah but as a person with social anxiety, I’d have hated this. There should’ve been more build-up to this at least. Well, I guess there was a little bit? With Julian getting Yadriel to use the men’s restroom for the first time. That scene was the good shit, no pun intended.

#Booklr #Booksbooksbooks #Book Blog #Book Review #Book Recs #Cemetery Boys #Aiden Thomas #LGBTQ #Queer Books #Queer Lit #Queer Representation

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gadgetgirl71 · 4 years

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Amazon First Reads for April 2020

Here we are again, it’s time to choose one of eight books that Amazon First Reads lets Amazon Prime Members download for free. At the moment I seem to be downloading more free books than ever. I wonder if it’s my mind trying to get off what is happening around the world, lets just hope that I start to read more quickly.

This months book choices are:

Psychological Suspense

What we Forget to Bury by Martin Montgomery, Pages: 439, Publication Date: 1 May 2020

synopsis: Truth and deceit blur as one woman’s desperation twists into another’s desire for revenge in this mind-bending psychological novel.

Charlotte Coburn has a tragically dark past. But she’s safe now. She lives in a gated community, protected from danger. When teenager Elle knocks at her door looking for shelter during a particularly severe storm, the woman can’t help but think how lucky Elle’s been to have found someone as friendly as her. Except Elle chose her door on purpose…

She knows all about Charlotte’s secrets because they ruined her family and her life. And it is time that everyone else knew. But Charlotte’s past has left a dark void in her life, so she is concocting her own vicious plan, convinced that Elle can help fill that void.

As events unfold, the truth unravels and pulls both women into a dangerous game that will leave you wondering, Who’s the villain?

Contemporary Fiction

Little White Secrets by Carol Mason, Pages 33, Publication Date: 1 May 2020

Synopsis: A daughter pushing the limits. A marriage ready to crack. A secret that can break them.

For Emily Rossi, life may not be perfect, but it’s pretty close. She has a great career, a house in the country, a solid marriage to Eric and two wonderful children—tennis superstar Daniel and quiet, sensitive Zara. But when her fourteen-year-old daughter brings home a toxic new best friend, Emily’s seemingly perfect family starts to spiral out of control.

Suddenly Zara is staying out late, taking drugs and keeping bad company. And just when Emily needs Eric to be an involved father, he seems too wrapped up with his job in London to care. What’s more, he’s started drinking again.

When a dark secret from the past emerges, Emily’s life is turned upside down. Struggling to protect the people she loves, can she save her damaged family? Doing so may mean keeping a secret of her own…

Thriller

The Girl Beneath the Sea by Andrew Mayner, Pages: 328, Publication Date: 1 May 2020

Synopsis: For a Florida police diver, danger rises to the surface in an adventurous thriller by the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of The Naturalist.

Coming from scandalous Florida treasure hunters and drug smugglers, Sloan McPherson is forging her own path, for herself and for her daughter, out from under her family’s shadow. An auxiliary officer for Lauderdale Shores PD, she’s the go-to diver for evidence recovery. Then Sloan finds a fresh kill floating in a canal—a woman whose murky history collides with Sloan’s. Their troubling ties are making Sloan less a potential witness than a suspect. And her colleagues aren’t the only ones following every move she makes. So is the killer.

Stalked by an assassin, pitted against a ruthless cartel searching for a lost fortune, and under watch within her ranks, Sloan has only one ally: the legendary DEA agent who put Sloan’s uncle behind bars. He knows just how deep corruption runs—and the kind of danger Sloan is in. To stay alive, Sloan must stay one step ahead of her enemies—both known and unknown—and a growing conspiracy designed to pull her under.

Science Fiction

A Girl from Nowhere by James Maxwell, Pages: 442, Publication Date: 1 May 2020

Synopsis: Surrounded by fire, a girl with mysterious powers and a young warrior search for safety.

Life in the wasteland is a constant struggle. No one knows it better than Taimin. Crippled, and with only his indomitable aunt to protect him, Taimin must learn to survive in a world scorched by two suns and frequented by raiders.

But when Taimin discovers his homestead ransacked and his aunt killed, he sets off with one mission: to seek revenge against those who stole everything. With nowhere to call home, his hunt soon takes a turn when he meets a mystic, Selena, who convinces him to join her search for the fabled white city. Taimin and Selena both need refuge, and the white city is a place where Taimin may find someone to heal his childhood injury.

As they avoid relentless danger, Taimin and Selena attempt to reach the one place that promises salvation. And they can only hope that the city is the haven they need it to be…

Romance

Love on Beach Avenue by Jennifer Probst, Pages: 310, Publication Date: 1 May 2020

Synopsis: True love is in the details for the Jersey shore’s premier wedding planner in this heart-swooning series about big dreams and happy endings from New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Probst.

Avery Sunshine might not have a soul mate of her own, but she still believes in happily ever after—for her clients. Making dreams come true is her business at Sunshine Bridal, which she runs with her two sisters. When her best friend announces her engagement, Avery is thrilled to take charge of the giddy bride-to-be’s big day. Less thrilling? Her best friend’s arrogant and demanding brother, who just so happens to be the man of honour.

Carter Ross’s first instinct: call 911. He promised to always take care of his impulsive little sister, and he honors that vow. Even if it means taking over her wedding, where he is sure Avery will fail. At best, Avery is unpredictable. At worst, if she’s anything like the spitfire of a college girl he remembers, the main event could run wild.

With Avery and Carter wrestling for control, tempers heat up. So does the spark of attraction they’re fighting with every kiss. As the wedding draws near, it’s time to reconcile a rocky past and make a decision that could change everyone’s lives. Because what they’re rebelling against looks a lot like love.

Contemporary Fiction

Stories We Never Told by Sonja Yoerg, Pages: 328, Publication Date: 1 May 2020

Synopsis: From the Amazon Charts and Washington Post bestselling author of True Places comes a suspenseful novel of love, secrets, and obsession.

Psychology professor Jackie Strelitz thinks she’s over Harlan Crispin, her ex-lover and colleague. Why should she care if Harlan springs a new “friend” on her? After all, Jackie has everything she ever wanted: a loving husband and a thriving career. Still, she can’t help but be curious about Harlan’s latest.

Nasira Amari is graceful, smart, and appallingly young. Worse, she’s the newest member of Jackie’s research team. For five years, Harlan enforced rules limiting his relationship with Jackie. With Nasira, he’s breaking every single one. Why her?

Fixated by the couple, Jackie’s curiosity becomes obsession. But she soon learns that nothing is quite what it seems and that to her surprise—and peril—she may not be the only one who can’t let go.

Literary Fiction

Meadowlark by Melanie Abrams, Pages: 238, Publication Date: 1 May 2020

Synopsis: A haunting novel about the lasting effects of childhood trauma and the resulting choices we make for our children.

After growing up in an austere spiritual compound, two teenagers, Simrin and Arjun, escape and go their separate ways. Years later, Simrin receives an email from Arjun. As they reconnect, Simrin learns that he has become the charismatic leader of Meadowlark, a commune in the Nevada desert that allows children to discover their “gifts.”

In spite of their fractured relationship, Simrin, a photojournalist, agrees to visit Meadowlark to document its story. She arrives at the commune with her five-year-old daughter in tow and soon realizes there is something disturbing about Arjun’s beliefs concerning children and their unusual abilities. When she discovers that the commune is in the midst of a criminal investigation, her unease grows deeper still.

As tensions with police heighten, Arjun’s wife begins to make plans of her own, fearing the exposure the investigation might bring for her and her children. Both mothers find themselves caught in a desperate situation, and as the conflict escalates, everyone involved must make painful—and potentially tragic—choices that could change their worlds forever.

Gripping and beautifully crafted, Meadowlark explores the power and danger of being extraordinary and what it means to see and be seen.

Children’s Picture Book

Bear & Fred (A World War II Story) by Iris Argaman, Pages: 47, Publication Date: 1 May 2020

Synopsis: Based on true events and beautifully illustrated, this is the story of a friendship that will last forever—told by Fred’s best friend, his beloved teddy bear.

During World War II, Fred must leave his home and live in hiding, apart from the rest of his family, but he always keeps Bear by his side. Bear knows it’s his job to take care of Fred and make sure he doesn’t feel alone.

After the war, Fred and his family are reunited and leave Holland for the United States. And still Bear is with him. When Fred grows up, he and Bear part for the first time when Bear is sent to Yad Vashem—the World Holocaust Remembrance Center in Israel, where this book was first published—to show the power of hope, friendship, and love.

I felt Fred’s small hand grab me. He patted me and whispered, “Bear, I won’t leave you here all by yourself. You are my best friend.”

*** Which book will you choose? I decided to go for Love on Beach Avenue. ***

#amazonkindle #amazon prime members #amazonprimemembers #amazonfirstreads #Kindle #Kindlebooks #books #childrens #childrenspicturebooks #contemporary fiction #goodreads #literary fiction #PsychologicalSuspence #romance #thriller #science fiction

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cyrelia-j · 6 years

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[Fic] Deuces V: Trips (Garak/Bashir)

(Again apologies for weird characters, they disappear after "Keep Reading" is clicked)

This got a bit long but I couldn't leave our boys hanging. I'm also debating where I want to go with Ziyal as far as relationships (if any) so we'll see what happens there.

Previous Parts are here:

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4

Summary: AU (no Dominion and some characters who died in the series are alive like Vedek Bareil) Garak and his surrogate daughter Ziyal find themselves on Deep Space Nine for a month on a stopover to Bajor. After a disastrous first date, Julian is determined to make amends and turns to Ziyal for advice.

“Good morning, Miss Ziyal. I’m so terribly sorry to bother you but I had hoped to speak with you about your father. Nothing bad I just… I was hoping I could… I don’t know talk to him. I know he’s been avoiding me and I’m sure that it’s something that I’ve done and he’s just being polite.” Ziyal looks up at the doctor standing in front of her and considers what he’s been saying. It’s true, of course. Her yad’ had hacked into the Station logs using the old Terok Nor codes and a lot of creativity for the sole purpose of planning his activity around Doctor Bashir’s shifts. He’d also ended up fielding a lot of questions from Odo in the security office and as a result found himself “volunteering” to assist with upgrading some of the security protocols to guard against similar incidents in the future. So in the end it worked out exactly as he had hoped anyway.

Ziyal found herself reminding him of that each time he would complain about the work involved and so far three days had passed by without him running into Doctor Bashir even once. Ziyal had listened, grimacing at his recount of the “torture” that was Doctor’s Bashir’s “unforgivably dull and clearly contrived company”, and Ziyal knows if there’s one thing that her yad’ abhors in a date it’s tedium. Worse than the, from the way he’d described it, Doctor Bashir could’ve slotted anyone into the space and had the exact same date; probably had, in fact. She hadn’t been terribly happy to hear that; her yad’ deserved far better than just some fetishist. But she’d thought the doctor had presented a much different picture when they met and there had to be more to it than that. She’s thankful that she may actually have an opportunity to find out.

Her yad’ had said that it wasn’t worth looking into any further but it wasn’t like she had promised to stay out of it, and perhaps if she can get to the bottom of the matter then it would help pull her yad’ out of his sour mood. Ziyal shifts the box of Delavian chocolates and the small bouquet of Bajoran lilacs. They’re both for Major Kira, her yad’ insisting that whether they parted on fair terms or not, a show of remorse was in order for instigating such a ridiculous incident. He’d also suggested she request Major Kira help train her combat deficits which made her sigh but acknowledge that it’s better not to be ill prepared. She only hopes that her gesture will be well received though Major Kira had said that everything was fine between them. “Ask Dukat, how “fine” it is when a Bajoran woman says “fine””,he had said and perhaps there was a bit of a tease at her as well.

Ziyal smiles at the doctor.

“I’d be happy to talk to you over breakfast, doctor. Maybe you can help me too as a matter of fact. I was hoping to find Major Kira so that I could give her this but it doesn’t look like my plan of wandering around the Promenade is working out too well. So I think we can probably help each other out.”

“Absolutely!” Doctor Bashir exclaims looking relieved. “And you know, I have it on good authority that those are some of Major Kira’s favorite flowers. Her mother was quite fond of them if I recall so you’re on good footing there.”

They fall into step to the Replimat, Ziyal not quite sure of how to begin exactly. Her yad’ is always on about diplomacy and tact unless something else is called for but for the life of her she’s always been rather plainspoken. Fortunately, Doctor Bashir seems content to talk more about the Major, filling the silence while Ziyal admits that their tour might have gotten a bit out of hand with Julian’s solemn assurance that Major Kira is a wonderful soul and if she says there’s nothing to apologize for then Ziyal has little to worry about. Though it’s been Ziyal’s experience learned from her yad’ that a little flattery and kindness can go a long way in opening doors or mending strain between acquaintances or friends so there’s always that.

At Doctor Bashir’s suggestion Ziyal opts for scones with jam- one of his favorites- and something called “bangers and mash”. It doesn’t sound particularly appetizing but the onion gravy is to die for good. Yad’ was right, Doctor Bashir has an exceptional taste for food. Well that’s something to build a bridge off of. Ziyal is glad for the heavy breakfast as well, not having realized how hungry she was for the time she’d already been wandering around the various shops. She’s also glad that Julian fills the silence telling her about his childhood traveling with his parents. He tells her about his stuffed bear and his aunt and his crazy relatives and she thinks it must be wonderful to have such a large extended family.

“Oh you say that now,” Doctor Bashir goes on laughing, “but that’s because you haven’t had to bail your cousin Paddy out of lockup more times than there are rings around Saturn. You know the last time he honest to god threw a dolly through a tram? Like my aunt Emmeline says it’s just harmless football hooliganism- that’s er like well, it’s rowdy behavior after one of the football matches… do they have team sports on Cardassia?” Julian is also quite easy to distract with his tangents and Ziyal really doesn’t understand how her yad’ could have had such a poor time with a lively man like him.

“No, I’m afraid not. Well not really, sometimes there are combat exhibitions and actually, the annual poetry competition can get pretty intense.” Perhaps not throwing a… dolly? A doll? Through a tram? A… she didn’t quite follow the translator on that but she can sort of imagine what he means. They might not be as exciting as mass riots but the year before everyone had watched with baited breath as the finalist Kaallen Pod recited a riotously subversive piece subtly linking Archon Mal to the disgraced Legate Khet. The trial that followed was quite a spectacle as well.

“Did you really treat yad’ like an “assembly line Glinn?”” She blurts out suddenly just not able to understand what could have possibly gone on. Julian blanches.

“Oh god… did he… is that what he said?” He looks absolutely mortified and she feels bad but that’s certainly not something her yad’ would lie about for no reason… at least not to her.

“Well ah… Well, yes, yes he did and I hope you understand but I’m very confused right now because I’m enjoying your company quite a bit. I know we’re not on a date of course but surely you didn’t behave much differently than now?”

She looks at him and thinks he slinks a bit further down into his chair looking off at something else before looking back to her. Oh dear. He had. He absolutely had. Was that some sort of strange human custom? Was there simply some cultural misunderstanding? Well no, her yad’ had said it was like the doctor had read some “how to” guide that could’ve been written by Gul Dukat himself but that would be far too unkind of a thing to say. She sees him picking at his scone radiating guilt. She’s not quite sure what else to say to that but he saves her the trouble. She watches Doctor Bashir take a deep breath and sigh.

“I’m not good at this,” he says at last and she finds that a bit hard to believe. According to her yad’, they take bets in the bar to see how quickly he can “I’m not having this discussion with you, you’re my daughter.” Julian sees her incredulous expression and rushes ahead with a wave of his hands. “Not… I mean… I mean I… I talk too much. I say too much. I put people off, I have a lot of trouble knowing what’s too much and you’ve no idea just how long it even took me to make friends here. I didn’t even realize I was getting on everyone’s nerves and you know I’m not good at talking to people like… like a date. I can’t do it so I didn’t, I mean I just… I just ended up working out the same thing like… like a formula with data and numbers and adjustments here and there so I can just... just you know, stick to what I know won’t get me slapped or laughed at and I know that sounds stupid and calculating and I look like some bloody awful bad date robot but I… I like your father and I really didn’t want to risk screwing anything up but it seems I’ve just gone and made an awful mess of things anyway.”

Julian sits back in the chair and Ziyal watches his head go back in dramatic defeat and she can’t help the small smile. He really is cute. Her yad’ really would like this man as he actually is. His sincerity is endearing. He’s passionate, he interesting. But how in the name of the Ancients to get him a second chance is the question?

“You know doctor,” she says with a bit of reproach in her voice. “I think yad’ would like you a lot if he got to see this side of you.”

“I know I’ve already blown it terribly,” he groans into the hands over his face and she nearly doesn’t hear him.

“You don’t think you’re overreacting?” she teases. He sits up and looks at her and then the flowers and chocolates. He smiles back a bit.

“Not any more than anyone else, I suppose.” Ziyal clears her throat at that. It’s a nice gesture. It’s appropriate. Alright so flowers or chocolates would have sufficed but there’s no law against manners as her yad’ would say.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She says playfully. “But as for yad’ well… I might be able to do something there…”

“I would be glad to let Major Kira know that you’d like to speak with her. I believe she’s free this afternoon and will probably be at the gym around 1500.”

“The gym?” Ziyal asks uncertainly, thinking back to that last encounter.

“What better place, right?” Julian asks, and somehow Ziyal thinks that awful incident has somehow circulated around the entire station. Guls, no wonder she was getting those stares and those salutes from some of the junior officers.

“Ah… right… so… so yad’ and I have been meeting for lunch here and it looks like I’ll be busy but I promise he’ll be here. I wouldn’t bother with flowers and chocolates. He likes those but I think your best bet would be to bring something interesting instead.”

“Interesting?” he repeats to her nod. He smiles to himself. “I know just the place.”

—

“No no, you don’t understand, Ziw, I’m sure that wasn’t some playful euphemism. I’m sure that I’m meant to pique his curiosity with something unique, notperverse.” Julian watches as once again the Bolian helpfully holds up an odd three pronged device with an ancient motor and something that looks like it utilizes some sort of outside power conduit. Ziw had let him know that three hundred years ago Cardassian ajan’yas were quite popular both on and off world amongst those looking for a little excitement. The Bolian, Ziw Tralar owns a darkened shop behind an eclectic curtain known only as “Forbin Project”. The place- which Julian has no idea how it keeps in business- is a strange assortment of old print books and antiquities that Ziw has gathered and traded from all manner of customers from the alpha quadrant and some he even claims from the Gamma quadrant and mirror universe. The mirror universe is Ziw’s clever name for Kirk’s other world that Julian’s had the unfortunate chance to visit.

But if there is one thing that can be said about the strange little shop- aside from the smell that Quark claims scares away his customers a few doors down and Ziw claims if anything draws them over to the bar- it’s the wide assortment of interesting things that he’s collected and tends to sell at obscenely low prices. This from Nog who had acquired a highly valuable Ferengi “courtesan novel” written by some famous writer who Nog said wrote such vivid descriptions of oomox that they’d been banned on three provinces on Ferenginar for over a century. That was really more than Julian ever needed to know about Nog’s tastes in literature but supposedly he’d traded the old text to his father to get out of a month of helping at the bar.

Julian had the afternoon free and, cognizant of the time had practically raced over upon raiding his few pithy stores of latinum, has been in the shop ever since while Ziw has been plying him with one sex toy after another.

“Look,” Julian says pushing the device back across the counter. “I don’t want to seem ungrateful. You’ve spent far more time with this than I could expect but I’m not…” He’s about to say he’s not just trying to get Garak into bed except that’s not entirely true. He absolutely is trying to get Garak into bed but he’s not trying to give that impression. Besides, from what little he’d gathered on their date- and God it really was precious little thanks to his stupid “script” that he’d barely gotten to know him at all- he really did want to get to know Garak better and see if they might not have chemistry elsewhere.

“I’ve got it!” Ziw interrupts his thoughts slamming a metal cylinder between them. Julian takes one look at it and is about to protest when Ziw’s hand goes up. Julian notes the “X-Ray” ring on one finger wondering as he always does if the thing really works. “Ah tut tut dirty mind. This is actually meant for your finger, Doctor Pervert. Actually it’s meant for two fingers. I’ll show you. It’s great. You’re trying to snag a guy. That’s your deal. Watch and learn and be amazed.” Ziw insert a blue finger into each side of the cylinder. Julian looks at it seeing the woven slats like some ancient basket weaving. And then he watches as Ziw tries to pull his fingers out to no avail. His eyebrows raise impressed.

“They’re stuck,” he observes.

“Not just stuck, see these are modified from some old Earth joke I read, guy that sold this to me explained it like this. So the old Earth jokes were easy. They released when you press in and loosen the weavings. Real basic, simple principle but some Vulcan somewhere out there had a sense of humor and made his own variation. Called it a “meditation cylinder” and see it’s not so simple.” Ziw pushes his fingers together and the cylinder still gets tighter. Julian’s mouth opens and he looks at Ziw, a smile starting to curve his mouth.

“And surely there’s a way to get out of it. I can’t imagine you’d have stuck your fingers in there if there wasn’t.” Ziw grins back with a nod and closes his eyes. Julian watches as he turns his fingers so they’re running up and down and he watches the trap slowly slide off the top finger. Then he turns his other hand down breathing slowly, deeply, and lets it drop back to the counter.

“Simple right? Just like a Vulcan, see it reads your calm. Thing goes off body tension and heat, don’t quite know how it works but any tension it feels in your muscles in, out, doesn’t matter. Only comes off when you’re perfectly relaxed and then it’ll drop off. No worries. Don’t know why they ever stopped using them on Vulcan with their students. Well maybe they never caught on.” He shrugs looking mischievous. Julian loves it. Garak won’t just find this interesting... he’ll have to agree to let Julian take him on a real proper date if he wants to know the trick to get out! “So tell me what you think it’s worth to you.” Ziw sighs deeply when Julian starts going for the latinum. “Come on, doctor, latinum? Right a man can’t live on trinkets alone but latinum is so dull.”

“I’m sorry, but you know I don’t have a whole lot of artifacts I’m willing to part with.”

“You telling me all that planetary exploration and you don’t have anything? All the “garbage” you always complain about your family shipping you?”

Julian thinks about it a moment, long and hard. It isn’t like he looks for things to stuff in his pockets during away missions... not like cousin Paddy at least. Which reminds him of one of the last weird little parcels his cousin had sent him. “Fell off the back of a freighter” he’d said and Julian knew better than to argue.

“I’ve got a case of bubblegum I suppose.” It wasn’t like he could chew it while he was working anyway; Nurse Jabara said his smacking lips made him sound like an ornery horse and Nurse Hortak tended to jump when the bubbles popped. Very unprofessional. Well, he supposed it was for a noble cause.

“The pink kind, right? The pop kind?”

“Right.”

“Good good. Never could get the hang of that stuff. Need another chance at it i think. Alright, doctor, you got yourself a deal.”

“Wonderful!” Julian stops. “Well it’s almost three already. Please tell me I can bring it by in the morning. If i miss my chance now...”

“Yeah, yeah,“ Ziw is already waving him off. “Not like I don’t know where you work, right? First thing, don’t forget, go get him get out.” Julian is about to snatch the trap when Ziw pauses him, fishing under the counter a moment. “Box, can’t give a guy a gift without a box. S’how civilizations fall I hear.” He puts it in a nearly perfectly sized little gift box with a green bow. “There you go, knock him dead, all that whatever...” Julian takes it gratefully and practically runs to the Replimat just hoping that he can fix this properly.

—

He’s a little late, but Garak is thankfully still there waiting on his daughter and easy to spot. Julian’s first thought is that he looks like a watermelon- a delectable watermelon that he’d like to sink his teeth into. Or sink teeth into him; he decides that would be perfect. Garak is wearing a dark green striped tunic and a dark pink, reddish vest over it. Of course he would look stylish. he’s a tailor, after all. Julian’s rather thankful they’re doing this in the Replimat. It’s easier here. He feels much more like himself here and well... well he could’n’t possibly mess this up worse so if Garak thinks his actual personality is a complete wreck he’ll be in the same spot he was in earlier anyway. Julian can see Garak looking around and almost nervously wipes his hands on his uniform. This was so much easier when there was a plan, when there was simple series of subroutines from A to B. This? This is terrifying. Maybe he should just ask him to give Cindy a kiss and see where that goes. Right. Brilliant idea, that.

“Garak!” Julian calls out tempted for a moment to just play dumb and pretend that he had no idea that Garak was avoiding him but that hardly seems productive. He steels himself, seeing Garak’s face snap to a grin that looks just as much a grimace of pain. God, he really screwed this up.

“Ah, Doctor Bashir! My apologies, we haven’t seen much of each other but I did want to thank you for a lovely evening and a delightful sampling of creative delicacies. You really must tell me what some of those recipes are or where you’d gotten them. But another time, I think. I’m meeting Ziyal here you see and though she’s running a touch late I expect her here shortly.”

“She’s ah... She’s not coming,” Julian says, a nervous hand behind his neck. “She and I may have had a bit of a chat earlier and… um… May I... may I sit down a moment? I promise I won’t stay long though I completely understand if you tell me to get lost I’d just... I’d just like a moment of your time.”

Garak looks like he really is considering the first option but he motions for Julian to take a seat.

“Right, thank you. Thank you so much,” Julian breathes out in relief. At least that’s one part down. “I wanted to apologize for the other night.”

“Apologize?” Garak says in surprise; if Julian didn’t know otherwise he really would believe him. “There’s nothing to apologize for, doctor. You were gracious to show me a delightful evening and again I only regret that I had to leave early.”

“S’pose it was better than you faking a heart attack,” Julian remarks dryly.

“Why doctor! Do you really think I would engineer such a deception?”

“No, you’re much too clever for such an obvious rouse considering I’m CMO of the station but... but what I’m trying to say is that I’d really like a chance to make it up to you. A real chance I mean to ah... to show you a proper date... properly... without the ah...”

“Excruciating flow chart seduction?” Well ouch. Julian’s pretty sure he doesn’t actually wince.

“Yes,” he agrees. “That.”

“You’ll forgive me, doctor, but I really don’t know if that’s such a good idea. I have a lot of work to do with Odo and-”

“Ah but ah.. .!” Julian interrupts presenting the box. “That’s why I er... I brought you something to sweeten the pot,” he says sliding the box over with a nervous smile. Garak does look genuinely surprised this time and Julian really likes that look on his face. “I may have run into your daughter earlier this morning and she said that you liked interesting things, so when I saw this in Ziw’s shop. Oh! Ziw Tralar is the Bolian who owns “Fornby Project” which is a delightful shop that I well anyway I saw that and I thought you’d like it.”

Garak has picked up the woven metal cylinder turning it over in his hand.

“I must admit I’m not quite sure what it is. Is this a human... device?” Garak asks, rubbing his thumb over the weave.

“It’s a meditation cylinder,” Julian explains with a big smile. “Vulcan, in fact. You see you insert both your index fingers at either end up to the knuckles and it... helps you relax based of your energies.” Not entirely a lie. Julian’s leg jitters a bit under the table. “Would you like to... give it a try?” he suggests hopefully. Garak looks at him a moment, some unreadable expression, but he looks almost amused as he does as Julian suggests. “Right, just like that,” he says nodding encouragement.

“Now that’s fascinating!” Garak remarks as he tries to pull his fingers out but can’t. He looks at Julian with that smirk and a speculative tilt of his head. He tries a few more times to free his fingers but can’t.

“There’s a trick to it of course,” Julian supplies, trying to keep his legs still. He really can’t. He’s far too excited.

“Of course. I suppose you’ll be willing to tell me... for a price?” Garak asks coyly and Julian nearly swallows his tongue at that look. Alright, so he’s probably painfully transparent but he’s already nodding like an idiot.

“Yes I’m... guess it was pretty obvious but well, I guess I just wanted to ensure that you would say yes.” Well, if he says no Julian will still tell him how to get it off. He’ll just be absolutely crushed when he does.

“Yes?”

“To another date.” Julian licks his lips nervously. Garak’s hands have gone still and he’s looking at the device calmly. He’s quiet a moment and Julian is about to cave and just tell him but then Garak finally continues.

“Alright doctor, but this time we’ll do this on my terms.” He looks up at Garak and there’s an expression there that nearly stops his heart. God it’s piercing. “After all, I think it’s safe to say that you’ve been somewhat thoughtless and... naughty. Wouldn’t you?”

“Yes... oh... oh absolutely,” Julian answers, the drop in Garak’s pitch melting him.

“Good then,” Garak agrees standing up.

“Wait, but don’t you need to-” Julian’s eyes nearly pop out of his head when he sees the device clatter to the table all of a sudden, Garak pocketing it with the most sinfully smug grin.

“Twenty one hundred hours, my dear boy,” Garak practically purrs as he turns to leave, Julian still in shock, mouth open like he’s trying to catch flies, his aunt would say. “Oh and doctor?”

“Yes?!” Julian coughs. That was far too loud. “Er... yes?”

“Don’t mask your scent, doctor, he says with a subtle scent of the air. “I’m rather fond of it.”

Julian is certain if he nods any harder his head is going to pop clear off. So help him he’s not screwing up his second chance!

(Part 6 is now up HERE)

#star trek ds9 #star trek deep space nine #ds9 fanfic #Julian Bashir #elim garak #tora ziyal #Garak/Bashir #garashir #au #deuces #fanfic #update #cyrelia-j

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wordswimmer · 5 years

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Each of these silver pieces are called in Hebrew a yad (or hand in English), and are used when reading the Torah to point to the Hebrew words as they’re read aloud. They are tools that remind us of our capacity to appreciate beauty, even as they point to a world beyond beauty, beyond our everyday lives, a sacred space that we enter whenever we read the Torah. As the Jewish New Year arrives on Sunday night, I hope we may all find a way to enter sacred space, and to find ourselves stepping into a new year of health and peace and blessings for all.#roshhashana #jewishnewyear #lshanatova #yad https://www.instagram.com/p/B267cZPHeEk/?igshid=1db2uu7ray99p

#roshhashana #jewishnewyear #lshanatova #yad

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everydayantisemitism · 7 years

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VICE ex-founder in vile antisemitic rants says Israelis have a "whiny paranoid fear of Nazis", calls Holocaust education "brainwashing"

#EverydayAntisemitism

Gavin McInnes, a former founder of the popular online media company VICE and current YouTube personality, has made a series of grossly antisemitic comments during and following a trip to Israel.

Following a visit to Yad Vashem, Israel’s official Holocaust memorial and museum, McInnes said that he thinks that the Israeli Government and Jewish organisations funded his trip and they “assume we’re going to listen to all this shit we get fed”, having previously said he was “at the Holocaust museum, or the ‘Holocaust’ museum — no, I’m just kidding”. Read together, these statements clearly indicate that McInnes may believe in some form of Holocaust denial. He then continues “I felt myself defending the super far-right Nazis just because I was sick of so much brainwashing and I felt like going, ‘Well, they never said it didn’t happen. What they’re saying is it was much less than six million and that they starved to death and weren’t gassed, that they didn’t have supplies'”.

Though he did clarify that “I’m not saying it wasn’t gassing. Please don’t take that clip out of context, but that’s what the far-right nuts are saying”, it is quite clear from his previous statement that he has sympathy for those who deny the Holocaust and is all-too-happy to malign those who teach others about the Holocaust as engaging in “brainwashing”, which as a standalone statement is often a favourite term of Holocaust deniers.

He then attempts to minimise the Holocaust by pointing out that “Mao killed 70 million… Stalin, with the Bolsheviks, killed 30 million. But the Russians don’t talk about that. They don’t even necessarily see it as a horrible thing”. Nobody is denying these events, but in bringing them up in this matter, McInnes is committing a false equivalence. Far worse, he then went on to lay the blame for the starvation of Ukrainians under Stalin on Jews, laughing as he says “I think it was ten million Ukrainians who were killed. That was by Jews. That was by Marxist, Stalinist, left-wing, commie, socialist Jews”.

He also asked “Wasn’t the Treaty of Versailles, wasn’t that disproportionately influenced by Jewish intellectuals?”, in a statement which seemingly blames Jews for the rise of the Nazis.

The idea that Jews somehow provoked Germany at Versailles is a common thread in the thinking of far right antisemites, as is the idea that the atrocities of the Soviet Union can be attributed to Jewish influence, but one need not be familiar with the common context in which these views are expressed to recognise that blaming Jews for some of the worst events in history is grossly antisemitic. According to the Definition of Antisemitism, “Antisemitism frequently charges Jews with conspiring to harm humanity, and it is often used to blame Jews for “why things go wrong””.

On Tuesday he uploaded a video called “10 things I hate about Jews”, which he later renamed to “10 things I hate about Israel”, in a blatant display of trying to dress up his antisemitism as criticism of Israel. In the video he seems to imply that Jews should be more grateful to America for its role in defeating the Nazis, describes Hebrew as a “spit language” and says that Jews have a “whiny paranoid fear of Nazis that’s making them scared of Christians and Trumps who are their greatest allies”. The idea that being worried about Nazism makes Jews “whiny” or “paranoid” is both laughable and extremely belittling, particularly against the backdrop of rising antisemitism in Trump’s America that Trump does not seem committed to tackling in any meaningful way, having axed a special State Envoy dedicated to combating Antisemitism in America as a part of his budget cuts.

He later claimed that he made the comments in the hope that Jews would refute his statements, saying “I landed, and I’ve got tons of Nazi friends. David Duke and all the Nazis totally think I rock…no offense, Nazis, I don’t want to hurt your feelings, but I don’t like you. I like Jews”. The sincerity of such a statement is obviously quite dubious, particularly because it was followed with the comment that Israelis should “embrace Christianity”.

McInnes drew praise from antisemite and former head of the KKK David Duke, who shared a photograph of McInnes holding one of his books, called “Jewish Supremacism”, a vile antisemite work which essentially attempts to reassert the lies of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, passing itself off as academic research. However, we cannot be sure if the image is doctored or not. Nonetheless, even if it is, drawing praise from Duke should be a firm reminder that one has strayed down a very dangerous path.

McInnes left VICE in 2008 and has since been involved with Rebel Media, a right wing Canadian publication whose writers have been extremely supportive of Trump, one of whom described Hasidic Jews as “cult-like” people who they wouldn’t want in their neighbourhood, and also include Tommy Robinson, the founder of the Far Right “English Defence League” who is associated with the anti-Islam “Pegida” group whose founder had to resign after posing as Adolf Hitler and describing immigrants as filth”, “trash” and “brutes”. One of their former writers authored a book called “Barbarians: How Baby Boomers, Immigrants, and Islam Screwed My Generation”.

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greenandhazy · 7 years

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YO! I’m back! and I came back to a Hanukkah card, thanks @canadiansuperhero <3

I’m going to post a bunch of pictures tomorrow probably, but some thoughts and memories beneath the cut

(fair warning, this is fcking long)

I LOVED our tour guide. his name was Boaz and he was chill, funny, and super informative. he addressed us collectively as “beautiful people” or “bubbelech” and presented info in a very nuanced way

like he addressed the whole glorification of the suicide at Masada and how that’s a little bit Problematic, and before we talked about Mt. Herzel he led a conversation about narratives--why they’re constructed, how, how they might be biased or helpful--and he was very frank when asked about various Israeli conflicts (Palestine, Arab-Israelis, Orthodox vs non-Orthodox, etc).

he also took us on an optional museum trip on Shabbat just because he loves museums. man after my own heart. (the Israel Museum in Jerusalem is AWESOME, by the way. perhaps a little traditional, but still very well done.)

holy shit the Negev desert. took my breath away. driving through the mountains was incredible, and I’m sad that I really don’t have very many good pictures of it because it was through the bus window, but damn was it something

on a related note, we spent that night in a Bedouin camp and even though it was totally designed for tourists, the head dudes really did treat us like guests and we learned some really cool stuff and ate a lot of delicious food with our hands, so overall a win.

I hate that I’m going to That Person who’s always like “yeah well to get REALLY good hummus and falafel you have to actually go to the Middle East, you just can’t get it in America.” but like. it’s the truth. Hummus Abu-Hassan in Tel Aviv and Jaffa. for reals.

also, I was planning on buying zaatar anyway because it’s mentioned in the Jerusalem cookbook, but then I tried it on a bagel and also in this Yemenite flatbread and it’s SO GOOD, I got a huge bottle of it.

on our first Shabbat we visited Ramat HaNadiv, which is a garden complex in Zikhron Ya’akov, and it was a really beautiful way to spend the day. there was also a garden section specifically designed for blind people that had only plants that had strong fragrances or interesting textures, that was cool.

we had eight Israelis traveling with us for half the time and I made two friends:

Ayelet, who almost immediately taught me a Hebrew pun. “koreha” means “hilarious,” but she insisted that we always pronounce it as “koreHAAAA.”

and Alon, who was quieter but we visited his family’s home as part of the trip, and he played Hallelujah on the piano while his sister sang, so later on we talked about music and swapped recommendations. he was super into the Tracy Chapman I played him

I also made friends with some people I don’t think I ordinarily wouldn’t have talked to, including an 18-year-old guy from NYC who thinks I’m very mature and wise (which was SUPER gratifying bc this was otherwise a mansplaining-heavy trip) and two brothers who taught me a very fun, very evil card game called King Mao.

there was a geopolitical talk session, which overall I think was quite good--the speaker gave a nuanced talk, and my only critique was that it was a little too nuanced for some of the people who came in with very strong pro-Israel (pro-IDF? pro-Bibi? not sure which term is most accurate) views. like, I think those of us who were moderate or left-leaning understood the sympathy for Palestinian civilians in his portrayal, but it went over some people’s heads, which was unfortunate

I did find it hilarious when he played this Hamas song, and four of the Israelis, including our tour guide, started singing along because it’s so catchy that people used to play it in clubs all the time.

Hannah Senezc’s grave is on Mt Herzl--I realized that it would be about five minutes before we came upon it, and that was very meaningful for me. Hannah isn’t my Hebrew name anymore, but she was a not-insignificant part of the reason I chose it in the first place, so I left a stone.

I had a lot of thoughts at the Western Wall--I might make a whole separate post about that. it moved me, but not in the way I expected.

we visited the Mehane Yehuda Market in Jerusalem on Friday afternoon. it wasn’t my favorite place to shop, but it was a great place to people-watch as people prepared for their Shabbat. I liked that a lot.

the Holocaust History Museum was very moving--I appreciated it as both a visitor and as a public history student. two things I think stuck out for me. the first was Yad VaShem. I was prepared for the wall of names, which I had seen photos of, but I was caught off guard by the huge gaping hole in the mountain below it--“the gap that six million people have left in our community and our history” was how the tour guide put it. and the second was the tour guide, who connected the Holocaust to the violence in Syria (and other modern human rights abuses) several times. she started the tour with the book burnings, and--I remember very clearly--said to us “in 1933, no one could see Auschwitz.” then, as she took us through Hitler’s rise and the development of the reich, she kept asking “do you see Auschwitz yet? do you see us getting closer?” it was incredibly powerful

a couple negatives:

like I said, I don’t think people talked enough about the oppression of Palestinian civilians specifically. the geopolitical talk covered discussions about Gaza, Syria, and Jordan, and it tended to focus on governments; I think the tour guide gave a great discussion about the spectrum of Israeli politics, but the geopolitical speaker discussed Palestinian civilians in relation to Hamas, not in relation to Israel, which was quite a gap.

there were ~28 guys and ~12 women and holy shit men can be the worst. so much casual mansplaining, and I didn’t even REALIZE how much until I found myself being told that ancient Germans and ancient Romans actually spoke different languages, which explains the difference between French and German. then I frigging snapped, and realized how much it had been happening throughout the trip.

(aside from sexism, 18-22 y.o. boys can just be super disrespectful, fyi. it sucks. some of them were late a lot of the time and they drank way too much, even on the nights when we were explicitly told we should not be drinking. it was v uncool.)

twice we had rabbis speak to us, and both times they were Haredi rabbis who... were just slightly too black and white for my tastes. like, I was probably the only religious person in the group, and among the most educated about Judaism, so I understood a lot of their points, but they were often phrased in a way that was very off-putting to the secular Jews in the group (exacerbated by communication issues with one of the rabbis whose English was not quite as strong), which put me in a weird position of wanting to defend Judaism as a whole even while I disagreed with the specificity of the position under discussion.

related: I have developed a specific frustration with secular Jewish men who criticize the separation of men and women in Orthodox Judaism (and pre-denomination Judaism) as sexist without a) recognizing their own sexism and b) acknowledging that, in some cases, women actually derive personal satisfaction from elements of that separation, and that women can have their own distinct spirituality that does not depend on men. (I feel like my status as a traditionally-women’s-college alumna is showing here.)

overall, I’m glad I went. I had hoped to have had more spiritual conversations with my peers, which didn’t really happen, but other than that I think it fulfilled my expectations. I’m more confident explaining where I stand with regards to Israel; I’m more familiar with its flaws as well as its strengths, and in the future I think I will be able to engage in politics surrounding it with more confidence. (That doesn’t mean I’m going to want to discuss it all the time, but I don’t think I will cringe whenever the topic comes up.)

on a religious level, I’m glad I saw it. I’m glad I visited the wall. seeing so many Jews being unapologetic about it has given me more confidence in how I want to express myself, and I am confident in my choice of name: Yocheved. It felt right when I was holding the Torah, it felt right at the Kotel, and it feels right now.

so yeah. good trip.

#jewish tag #b1rthr1ght

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wakingthefury · 4 years

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The coronavirus crisis may change the Israeli observance of Holocaust Remembrance Day, Memorial Day and Israel's Independence Day

Listen to Today's Program JD: Holocaust Remembrance Day upcoming this week. They're not going to have the open activities normally they do there at Yad Vashem the Holocaust Memorial location. They've already pre-tapped them. They're going to put them on television. This is a unique way of doing it but they still want to remember Holocaust Remembrance Day. DD: Well and Jimmy it is an annual event that is mostly televised. There's always a state ceremony and that has various guest and that sort of thing and that's televised every year. So that's how it normally functions. But they're a little more concerned a little further on this month of course we have Independence Day coming right after the Fallen Soldiers Remembrance Day. Of course Holocaust for the victims of the World War II Nazi Holocaust and then the next week for all of the fallen soldiers, and then immediately followed by Independence Day. Well just as in the States that's normally a day when families go out into the parks. How to change that custom this year is going to be a real challenge. Do they just try to forbid all of these gatherings or is that just too much? They're asking around and checking. JD: These special holy days, and they're not dictated by the Bible to be observed by the Jewish people. These are special times when the Jews want to remember. And of course Holocaust Remembrance Day they want to remember never again will they allow that to happen. So these are special occasions they're not going to quit thinking about this. They want to keep it that up most in everybody's mind. They don't want it to ever happen again do they? DD: They don't Jimmy but as you suggest they're not really religious in nature so the synagogues are not normally filled with people. There's not big groups gathering to pray like there is at Passover and the other holy days; so that's good. There's a reason they call it community spread you get a bunch of people together that don't normally hang together and that virus goes real fast or so says the experts. JD: David Dolan with the details on why Israeli's may observe national holidays different this year however they will not forget them. We report this information because it is setting the stage for Bible prophecy to be fulfilled. Jews in Israel stop to honor certain days annually. They do this because of the significance of these special days in the life of the Jewish state of Israel. They observe Holocaust Remembrance Day to be able to say never again will they allow such a Holocaust to take place. Memorial Day honors all of the fallen soldiers that have died during the wars of the modern day state of Israel. Independence Day this year marks the 72nd birthday of the Jewish state. These dates all mark a fulfillment of Bible prophecy. via Jimmy DeYoung's News Update https://ift.tt/2VrKMIg

#IFTTT #Jimmy DeYoung's News Update #Prophecy #End Times

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metalspawn-blog · 4 years

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“The Britney Song”

vimeo

Wickid Pissa is a Boston band that consists of Josh Mitchell, Patrick Ryan, and Tristan Rudat.

You can buy an MP3 of this song by sending $1 via PayPal to – [email protected]

Support indie art by tipping this video by clicking the tip jar above.

Last night I had a dream I drank beers with Britney Spears at Cheers, She told me her fears as I wiped her tears. She said people don’t appreciate the way she sings, Criticism stings and brings stress: All the emphasis is on her chest, can’t they give her boobs a rest: She said “They’re real, Mitch, squeeze ’em, see for yourself.” So I did! Damn! Those things are authentic, kid! Two minutes later I did it once more, my friend. “What are you doing?” said Britney. I said, “Sorry. Opps I did it again.”

Then I grabbed a copy of Rolling Stone and looked inside. Those firm hips, luscious lips, pretty eyes, I almost died. Brit shook her head and gave her face a rub: “What am I doing in this Boston pub, you’re looking at a girl who used to be in the Mickey Mouse Club?” I said, “Don’t worry, baby, you’re in Beantown, home of the Sox and the Cod, I have a wicked accent and a hot bod and a big rod – she gave a nod. “What if I get arrested for underage drinking. I’m supposed to be NSYNCing. This must be a mistake. You’re not Justin Timberlake.” I said, that’s right, baby. I’m not in no pretty boys band – believe your ears:

I HATE CHEEZY POP MUSIC, BUT I LOVE YOU BRITNEY SPEARS.

“But I love Ben Affleck. You’re not a movie star.” Yeah, but I ‘pak da ca in Havad yad.’ Plus, acting’s hard – I’d rather just play with my sound-card. “Not me, I was gonna be on Dawson’s Creek. Kissing James Van Deer Beek, that big blonde foreheaded geek.” Britney, forget the WB and MTV, let’s talk about you and me. Your chastity belt and the key equals “bye, bye, bye” to your virginity.

“Hi, my name’s not Christina Aquilera. I’m looking for longevity like Santana. I don’t want to sit on your couch, eat junk food, and watch Hanna Barbara. I wanna be like Madonna.” Yeah, I wanna be like Kurt Cobain – but let’s face it: “Crossroads” wasn’t exactly “Citizen Kane”. I love you so much I’m in pain.

I HATE CHEEZY POP MUSIC, BUT I LOVE YOU BRITNEY SPEARS.

All right, Britney, this is your last chance. Sometimes you run so run on over here and let’s dance. I’ll show you how to really rave – because “I’m a slave for you!” So give me a call pretty please. Just don’t play your CDs.

I HATE CHEEZY POP MUSIC, BUT I LOVE YOU BRITNEY SPEARS

Directed by Josh Mitchell Shot & Edited by Mike McMillin

[email protected] Likes: 8 Viewed:

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pomoblue · 6 years

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I realise when I’m analysing stuff, I make up a lot of words, or make words mean different things.

I should start a dictionary for shit I just made up. I should probably make this a page rather than a post but whatever.

"lonely” space opera/sf/scifi: that sort of atmosphere of loneliness and emptiness in a science fiction series, usually one that takes place in spaceships. Think FTL. I think it’s a really cool atmosphere, and I like looking at the simple things that make it feel more immersive.

Base SF: I think the best way to describe this is sort of like cosmic horror, only less cosmic and more sort of dreamlike. People randomly disappearing, things turning into other things,lots of unexplainable stuff. I find it kind of fascinatingly creepy because a lot of my nightmare-y dreams involve that, where things are scary because they’re inherently Wrong.

Heavy Urban Fantasy: Urban Fantasy that uses a lot of heavy lit fic themes alongside the fantasy stuff. Often goes into the moral implications of stuff like the masquerade, as well as the psychological effects. I think supernatural (or possibly buffy idk I haven’t seen either) made this a popular tv show subgenre. If it’s also YA I give it the beautiful acronym YAHUF. Poetic.

Continental Fantasy: oh god I need a better name for this. Similar to urban fantasy, but the “Urban” part of the setting is also a constructed setting, usually based on 20th century earth. Think Legend of Korra, or FMA. It’s fun and political and there’s also magic

Halfpunk: A genre so called because it’s halfway to cyberpunk. Halfpunk works take place A Little Bit(tm) in the future and are A Little Bit(tm) more dystopian. What makes a halfpunk setting work is that the issues in the world are the same issues as in the contemporary world, but worse. The oil crisis worsening, a current conflict turning into an all-out war, whatever. Doctor Who had a couple of good halfpunk episodes, but the quintessential example of this is Black Mirror.

Eclectic Fantasy: I think this is similar to new weird? Eclectic fantasy is any kind of fantasy work which specifically doesn’t take a lot of its influences from Tolkein or any other influential fantasy, and takes a lot of influences straight from other mythologies and folklore. I really like this kind of fantasy. Think Neil Gaiman, Terry Pratchett, all that lot. This may or may not be the same thing as new weird.

YAD: Usually said in a derogatory way. “Ugh, it’s YAD”. Stands for young adult dystopia. You know what I mean. For the record I don’t hate YAD, I just think 80% of it is a bit shit.

My Thing: Young adult gay shit with heavy themes and wacky sci-fi.

There’s more but I can’t remember them at the moment and this post has been in my drafts for aaaaaages.

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pomoblue · 7 years

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A book review by bloom, that will undoubtedly turn into rambling about tropes

Yankee Girl by Mary Ann Rodman.

I’d like to have like, a really detailed account of what happened when I read this book and how it opened my sheltered, middle-class white eyes, but it was a loooong time ago and to be honest I can't remember that well. My mum got it for me for christmas one year, I can’t even remember what year. I think I was either 9 or 10. Probably.

Do book reviews need a synopsis? You could just like, read the blurb. In fact, I’ll make you read the blurb.

Valerie’s voice is as sweet as honey. She’s the obvious choice to star in the Nativity. But this is Mississippi, 1964. Things are far from simple. There is uproar when Valerie is picked to play the angel... because she’s black. As one of the first black children to attend Parnell School, she has to face violent protestors outside and vicious bullies inside the classroom.

Alice is torn between standing up for Valerie, and being popular with the in-crowd. Nicknamed “yankee girl” for her accent and attitudes, Alice has found it hard to make friends since moving to the deep south. Struggling between guilt and fear, it takes a tragedy for Alice to find the courage to act.

Yankee Girl is a truly resonant story about racism and doing the right thing, based on the author’s own eperiences.

As blurbs go, it’s not bad. It doesn’t really misrepresent the story too much. The story is told from Alice’s perspective, and focuses mainly on her choices and opinions. It’s very slice-of-life, and takes place over an entire school year (and a little bit more).

I say I don’t like slice-of-life stories very much, but that’s not really true. Some of my favourite books are SOL, they just also have a solid overarching plot and an interesting setting. One of the most important things in a book like that for me is to develop everything, including the setting. Make the main characters have learnt something by the end of the book, and crucially make society as a whole have changed in some way by the end of the book. One of my favourite examples of this is Anita & Me, where as well as Meenah’s coming-of-age story there’s also the general decline of the small town she lives in. Spud does it well too, though the political changes in South Africa in the early 90′s take a back seat to the lighthearted boarding school hijinks it’s still present. It makes the story feel... more real and connected, and is a very subtle way of fleshing out the setting. Yankee Girl does this really well in my opinion, the start of every chapter has a news headline. A really important moment (to me) from the end of the book is when Alice hears a song by The Supremes (A black singing group) on the radio and notes that though it’s small, it’s a sign that something has changed.

I guess it’s probably time to mention the elephant in the room, which is the theme of racism. A sheltered white girl is... probably not the best person to talk about that, so this is just personal opinion. There’s a trope called “white man’s burden”, where allies’ struggles are treated as bigger than those of the minorities they’re trying to help, and it’s a trope that Yankee Girl could easily fall into. Personally, I think it manages to avoid it. It never really portrays Alice’s struggles as worse than Valerie’s, it just so happens that Alice is the main character so we see her thoughts more. And Alice is the main character because the story is based very heavily on the author’s personal experiences in the same situation, not because “white main characters are better”.

When you say “book about historical racism in the US”, most people think of To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee. It’s a pretty famous book. I read it a few years later, and I really enjoyed it. It’s well written and fascinating. But you know what? I think Yankee Girl is better, in some ways. What I remember from GCSE english (which I failed) is that the central theme and message of it is the idea that predjudiced people hurt and destroy innocent people. Which is nice, but it’s often used simply as a book to start people thinking about racial injustice and societally ingrained racism. Which is something it does well, but in my opinion it’s something that Yankee Girl does better. One of my favourite things about Mockingbird is how theatrical and crafted the story feels, every character and every event feels tailored to tell the message. Unfortunately that kind of makes it struggle as an educational book for me. Tom Robinson’s trial is so black and white that it feels contrived and unrealistic as a plot, it’s a great story (and the trial being exaggerated is kind of the point), but it doesn’t really feel like a genuine slice of 1930′s life. Yankee Girl, on the other hand, is much messier. The plot still has a climax, but the characters and events are much less crafted, it feels a lot more... lifelike. Life doesn’t always make for good stories, but it’s something that helps a story feel realistic, like it could actually happen. I can believe that what happened in that book really was something that happened, whereas Mockingbird feels like a performance, a well crafted play.

There’s another way Yankee Girl feels realistic, and it’s something that I think is really useful when writing in historical (or just non-contemporary) settings. The characters act like modern kids. Alice’s struggles to get into the popular crowd are something that wouldn’t really be out of place in a modern story, and it’s something that would be understandable to a young audience. The constant reference to music and fashion and celebrity gossip really helps this, it makes the characters feel like genuinely real people who exist, and helps the message that even normal people can be complicit in racism. The little things that keep the characters relatable go a long way to making the story work, and I think that’s the most important thing about this book.

While I’m criticising school-study media, I might as well compare it to Noughts & Crosses, gven the whole racism thing. Noughts & Crosses is... fucking heavy. I could write a whole other review on it, but it’s a book that aims to portray how racism and opression can be complicated on both sides (I never read it in school, my class did silas marner that year). Does it do that better than Yankee Girl? I’m not sure. Does the flipped setting really bring anything to that message, or does it ignore the potential of it in favour of the rest of the plot? Does the gut-punch naure of the plot just turn off readers and make it harder to understand the real context, or am I just saying that because I cried a lot reading it? Am I always going to be critical of it because I blame it for the popularity of YA dystopia? Does the romance work or is it unnecessary, or has the hunger games trilogy made me hate any straight romance in YAD? Is it even YAD? I... really don’t know how to feel about it as a book, maybe one day I’ll read the rest of the series and sit down and write something on the setting.

So all in all, it’s a really good book. I probably missed a lot of the stuff you’re supposed to have in a book review but hey, I talked about some other stuff and din’t get lost in tvtropes once. It’s not awful, it has an engaging story, and I may or may not have considered writing a shippy fix fic because Alice and Valerie’s friendship was very relatable to my useless bi heart.

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