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U18s | PREVIEW: Barnsley Vs Crewe Alexandra
Young Reds at home ahead of first team fixture on Saturday
Barnsley U18s welcome Crewe Alexandra to the Oakwell Training Ground on Saturday morning as they look to make it four consecutive wins.
The Professional Development league clash takes place ahead of our first team's Sky Bet Championship game with Swansea City, so you can make a day of it at Oakwell by also enjoying a variety of entertainment at our Fan Zone in between the two fixtures.
Our U18s head into this encounter on the back of a hard-fought 1-0 win at Hull City last weekend, with captain Will Calligan scoring the only goal midway through the first half.
With four clean sheets in eight outings, Tom Harban's side boast the best defensive record in the league but will be going up against the second most potent attack this weekend.
Crewe have notched 17 goals in nine games – bettered only by leaders Wigan Athletic, who have struck 28 times in 10 matches so far.
However, in Aiden Marsh and Jack Sherlock, the Reds have strike partnership in fine form and they will be looking to add to the eight goals scored between them this campaign.
Barnsley did the double over Alex last season, registering an emphatic 7-1 win on home soil before securing a narrow 2-1 victory in the reverse fixture.
Another three points for the young Reds on Saturday could be enough to see them climb to second, providing Nottingham Forest fail to beat Sheffield United.
You can cheer our U18s on by attending the game for FREE at the Oakwell Training Ground on Saturday morning, kick-off at 11am.
Alternatively, you can follow updates on our official Academy Twitter account: @AcademyBFC.
Our Fan Zone opens in the East Stand at 12pm and will be hosting live music until kick-off at 3pm.
Any supporters wishing to attend our U18s fixture are politely reminded not to park on Grove Street, but to park in the CK Beckett South Stand Car Park.
Barnsley U18 vs Crewe Alexandra U18 on 19 Oct 19
Professional Development League 2019/20
Pache: "The lads are confident heading into the game."
Barnsley U23s host Crewe Alexandra on Tuesday afternoon looking to build on their South Yorkshire derby victory over Sheffield Wednesday.
U18s | REPORT: Barnsley 1-0 Crewe Alexandra
Barnsley U18s are now second in the Professional Development League table after Sam Nicholson's solitary strike against Crewe Alexandra on Saturday.
HIGHLIGHTS | U23s and U18s
You can watch the highlights from our latest U23s and U18s for FREE on iFollow Barnsley.
Barnett: "It's a different challenge, but hopefully we can win."
Barnsley U23s host Wigan Athletic at Oakwell in the Professional Development League on Friday afternoon.
PREVIEW: Bristol City Vs Barnsley
A clutch of long-distance away journeys kick off this weekend for Barnsley, as the Reds head to face Bristol City in the Sky Bet Championship - here's the preview!
FA Youth Cup | Preview: Birmingham City Vs Barnsley
Charlie Winfield says our U18s are full of confidence ahead of the FA Youth Cup fourth round tie with Birmingham City on Wednesday evening.
PREVIEW: Barnsley Vs Huddersfield Town
The Reds are on home soil this weekend for the first time in 2020 with local rivals The Terriers the visitors - it's time for the preview!
Jordan Helliwell previews U23s clash with Wigan
Barnsley U23s are back in action for the New Year when they travel to Wigan Athletic on Monday afternoon.


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Don't be so set on finding the meaning that you forget to enjoy the story.
Series Review: Crier's War Duology by Nina Varela
Published on November 28, 2021 by ShouniLeave a comment
Impossible love between two girls —one human, one Made.
A love that could birth a revolution.
After the War of Kinds ravaged the kingdom of Rabu, the Automae, Designed to be the playthings of royals, took over the estates of their owners and bent the human race to their will.
Now, Ayla, a human servant rising the ranks at the House of the Sovereign, dreams of avenging the death of her family… by killing the Sovereign's daughter, Lady Crier. Crier, who was Made to be beautiful, to be flawless. And to take over the work of her father.
Crier had been preparing to do just that—to inherit her father's rule over the land. But that was before she was betrothed to Scyre Kinok, who seems to have a thousand secrets. That was before she discovered her father isn't as benevolent as she thought. That was before she met Ayla.
Set in a richly-imagined fantasy world, Nina Varela's debut novel is a sweepingly romantic tale of love, loss and revenge, that challenges what it really means to be human.
"For the queer readers, you deserve every adventure."
I was in tears before I even began this book because the dedication page got to me. Varela plays around with a lot of the same YA Fantasy tropes from other books of the genre and I loved how those scenes played out with a Sapphic couple.
The actual plot itself isn't anything we haven't seen many times before: world ruled by Automae where humans are treated as second class citizens, rebel MC infiltrating royal palace to spy, enemies-to-romance between rebel and ruler's child, international wars, etc. Stories we've seen with countless straight couples and I can't say I would've enjoyed this book half as much if our MCs weren't a same-sex couple.
The book isn't romance heavy though. Both Crier and Ayla are trying to figure out where they fit into their world and what they need to do to change it.
Absolutely loved that it was a queernormative world, always makes me happy to see more of that in fantasies. I also loved the commentary the book makes on what it means to be human.The commentary the book makes on what it means to be human was nice.
I would've liked the side characters to be explored more, we spend so much time with Ayla and Crier that all the sides are a little neglected.
For too long, Automae have lorded over the kingdom of Rabu, oppressing its human citizens. But the human revolution has risen, and at its heart is Ayla. Once a handmaiden, now a fugitive, Ayla narrowly escaped the palace of Lady Crier, the girl she would've killed if she hadn't fallen in love first.
Now Ayla has pledged her allegiance to Queen Junn, who can help accomplish the human rebellion's ultimate goal: destroy the Iron Heart. Without its power, the Automae will be weakened to the point of extinction. Ayla wants to succeed, but can't shake the strong feelings she's developed for Crier. And unbeknownst to her, Crier has also fled the palace, taking up among traveling rebels, determined to find and protect Ayla.
Even as their paths collide, nothing can prepare them for the dark secret underlying the Iron Heart.
I thought Iron Heart was a satisfying ending to the duology. I loved Crier and Ayla's journey in finding themselves and their place in this world.
That being said, I thought the plot was a little too convenient at times and they kept getting lucky. That's not a bad thing in my opinion because I like it when things go right for my MCs but it got to be a little too much.
I have the same complaints about the side characters on this one as I did in the first one. I was holding out hope after the first book that the sides will be explored more but none of the other characters beside Ayla and Crier are explored all that much.
!! spoiler zone !!
The reveal of Queen Junn being human didn't make sense to me especially seeing that Automae have heightened senses. You're telling me none of them noticed that she was human? I wasn't buying that explanation.
Also didn't make sense to me how Kinok was so powerful and had spies everywhere but missed entire mines of Tourmaline. Yes the people of Tarreen were secretive but I can't believe that he didn't even think to look in those lands especially seeing how much research he was doing on that stone.
But overall, it's a good fantasy series, made even better by being gay 😌 would recommend.
Categories 4 stars, 4.5 Stars
Review: One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston
Published on September 19, 2021 September 19, 2021 by ShouniLeave a comment
For cynical twenty-three-year-old August, moving to New York City is supposed to prove her right: that things like magic and cinematic love stories don't exist, and the only smart way to go through life is alone. She can't imagine how waiting tables at a 24-hour pancake diner and moving in with too many weird roommates could possibly change that. And there's certainly no chance of her subway commute being anything more than a daily trudge through boredom and electrical failures.
But then, there's this gorgeous girl on the train.
Jane. Dazzling, charming, mysterious, impossible Jane. Jane with her rough edges and swoopy hair and soft smile, showing up in a leather jacket to save August's day when she needed it most. August's subway crush becomes the best part of her day, but pretty soon, she discovers there's one big problem: Jane doesn't just look like an old school punk rocker. She's literally displaced in time from the 1970s, and August is going to have to use everything she tried to leave in her own past to help her. Maybe it's time to start believing in some things, after all.
Casey McQuiston's One Last Stop is a magical, sexy, big-hearted romance where the impossible becomes possible as August does everything in her power to save the girl lost in time.
This was so cute! An ensemble of queer characters, the chosen family trope, epic sapphic romance with a dash of magic, and friends figuring out life together, it's really all I ask for in a book so thank you Casey. I had a great time reading One Last Stop and I wanted Myla and Niko to adopt me into their friend group just like they did August.
Going into this book, I didn't really know what it was about. I picked it up because I liked Red, White and Royal Blue. One Last Stop surprised me because I wasn't expecting it to be a sci-fi/fantasy romance but it works really well with the plot and characters.
Speaking of characters, they're awesome and wholesome and lively and I fell in love with all of them. I would say though the romance was good, as the book progressed, I was in it for August's friends more than anything. I loved the banter and camaraderie and you could really see the love between these characters pour out of the pages.
I was definitely bothered by the fact that the MCs kept having sex on the train and they dismissed other people's disapproving looks like they didn't matter. I understand that for the sake of the story, it was necessary since Jane literally could not leave the train but I'm not a fan.
My 2021 Pride Month Reading List
Published on June 7, 2021 by ShouniLeave a comment
I wanted to make the decision to exclusively read queer books in June but after thinking about it, I don't even remember the last book I read where at least one person in the main cast wasn't queer. So I had subconsciously already started exclusively reading books with queer rep already. But nonetheless, here are a list of books with queer MCs that are in my priority to-read list (so hopefully books I will get to read and finish this month if I can stay off of the internet for an extended period of time).
"Crier's War" (Crier's War #1) by Nina Varela
"The Jasmine Throne" (Burning Kingdoms #1) by Tasha Suri
Author of Empire of Sand and Realm of Ash Tasha Suri's The Jasmine Throne, beginning a new trilogy set in a world inspired by the history and epics of India, in which a captive princess and a maidservant in possession of forbidden magic become unlikely allies on a dark journey to save their empire from the princess's traitor brother.
Imprisoned by her dictator brother, Malini spends her days in isolation in the Hirana: an ancient temple that was once the source of the powerful, magical deathless waters — but is now little more than a decaying ruin.
Priya is a maidservant, one among several who make the treacherous journey to the top of the Hirana every night to clean Malini's chambers. She is happy to be an anonymous drudge, so long as it keeps anyone from guessing the dangerous secret she hides.
But when Malini accidentally bears witness to Priya's true nature, their destinies become irrevocably tangled. One is a vengeful princess seeking to depose her brother from his throne. The other is a priestess seeking to find her family. Together, they will change the fate of an empire.
"Cemetery Boys" by Aiden Thomas
A trans boy determined to prove his gender to his traditional Latinx family summons a ghost who refuses to leave in Aiden Thomas's New York Times-bestselling paranormal YA debut Cemetery Boys, described by Entertainment Weekly as "groundbreaking."
Yadriel has summoned a ghost, and now he can't get rid of him.
When his traditional Latinx family has problems accepting his gender, Yadriel becomes determined to prove himself a real brujo. With the help of his cousin and best friend Maritza, he performs the ritual himself, and then sets out to find the ghost of his murdered cousin and set it free.
However, the ghost he summons is actually Julian Diaz, the school's resident bad boy, and Julian is not about to go quietly into death. He's determined to find out what happened and tie up some loose ends before he leaves. Left with no choice, Yadriel agrees to help Julian, so that they can both get what they want. But the longer Yadriel spends with Julian, the less he wants to let him leave.
"Wilder Girls" by Rory Power
From the author of Burn Our Bodies Down, a feminist Lord of the Flies about three best friends living in quarantine at their island boarding school, and the lengths they go to uncover the truth of their confinement when one disappears. This fresh debut is a mind-bending novel unlike anything you've read before.
It's been eighteen months since the Raxter School for Girls was put under quarantine. Since the Tox hit and pulled Hetty's life out from under her.
It started slow. First the teachers died one by one. Then it began to infect the students, turning their bodies strange and foreign. Now, cut off from the rest of the world and left to fend for themselves on their island home, the girls don't dare wander outside the school's fence, where the Tox has made the woods wild and dangerous. They wait for the cure they were promised as the Tox seeps into everything.
But when Byatt goes missing, Hetty will do anything to find her, even if it means breaking quarantine and braving the horrors that lie beyond the fence. And when she does, Hetty learns that there's more to their story, to their life at Raxter, than she could have ever thought true.
"The Priory of the Orange Tree" by Samantha Shannon
The New York Times bestselling "epic feminist fantasy perfect for fans of Game of Thrones" (Bustle).
A world divided. A queendom without an heir. An ancient enemy awakens.
The House of Berethnet has ruled Inys for a thousand years. Still unwed, Queen Sabran the Ninth must conceive a daughter to protect her realm from destruction – but assassins are getting closer to her door.
Ead Duryan is an outsider at court. Though she has risen to the position of lady-in-waiting, she is loyal to a hidden society of mages. Ead keeps a watchful eye on Sabran, secretly protecting her with forbidden magic.
Across the dark sea, Tané has trained to be a dragonrider since she was a child, but is forced to make a choice that could see her life unravel.
Meanwhile, the divided East and West refuse to parley, and forces of chaos are rising from their sleep.
Categories Lists
Review: "Boyfriend Material" by Alexis Hall
Published on May 27, 2021 June 1, 2021 by ShouniLeave a comment
One (fake) boyfriend
Practically perfect in every way
Luc O'Donnell is tangentially–and reluctantly–famous. His rock star parents split when he was young, and the father he's never met spent the next twenty years cruising in and out of rehab. Now that his dad's making a comeback, Luc's back in the public eye, and one compromising photo is enough to ruin everything.
To clean up his image, Luc has to find a nice, normal relationship…and Oliver Blackwood is as nice and normal as they come. He's a barrister, an ethical vegetarian, and he's never inspired a moment of scandal in his life. In other words: perfect boyfriend material. Unfortunately apart from being gay, single, and really, really in need of a date for a big event, Luc and Oliver have nothing in common. So they strike a deal to be publicity-friendly (fake) boyfriends until the dust has settled. Then they can go their separate ways and pretend it never happened.
But the thing about fake-dating is that it can feel a lot like real-dating. And that's when you get used to someone. Start falling for them. Don't ever want to let them go.
Ahhh this book was such a pleasure to read. I absolutely adored it. This right here is the fake dating trope at its best, also the enemies to lovers trope at its best. I haven't burst out laughing so much reading a book in YEARS. Boyfriend Material is hilarious but don't let that fool you because it will definitely also punch you in the feels.
The book starts off with Luc, son of famous musicians from the 80s, getting put on tabloids by the paparazzi when coming out of a party. Seeing this, his boss at his job told him he needed to fix his image, so why not find himself a respectable boyfriend?
The best thing about this book was by far the characters. Luc is an awesome mc. The epitome of a disaster gay and I was living for it. Oliver was also a pretty great love interest, and I just had so much fun reading their interactions. All the hilarity and fluff to my heart's content.
The side characters were also phenomenal. I love the emphasis this book had on friendships and both Luc and Oliver's friend groups have a big impact on their lives. The friendship dynamics feel authentic and real, I wanted to jump in the book and be their friend. Every scene with Luc's coworkers also made me laugh out loud because the relationship dynamics are so hilarious.
Between the funny bits though, the book does handle a lot of heavy topics like homophobic microaggressions, queer communities, absent parents, anxiety, etc. But all of it is still handled with a little bit of humor (though I thought it was dealt with respectfully). My only qualm is that Luc's boss is coded as autistic and it's pretty stereotypical and the story never really calls that out.
Overall, I thought it was one of the best (if not the best) romcom I've read, books don't usually manage to make me laugh so much. Highly recommend!
Review: "Rule of Wolves" (King of Scars #2) by Leigh Bardugo
Published on May 3, 2021 May 3, 2021 by ShouniLeave a comment
The wolves are circling and a young king will face his greatest challenge in the explosive finale of the instant #1 New York Times-bestselling King of Scars Duology.
The Demon King. As Fjerda's massive army prepares to invade, Nikolai Lantsov will summon every bit of his ingenuity and charm—and even the monster within—to win this fight. But a dark threat looms that cannot be defeated by a young king's gift for the impossible.
The Stormwitch. Zoya Nazyalensky has lost too much to war. She saw her mentor die and her worst enemy resurrected, and she refuses to bury another friend. Now duty demands she embrace her powers to become the weapon her country needs. No matter the cost.
The Queen of Mourning. Deep undercover, Nina Zenik risks discovery and death as she wages war on Fjerda from inside its capital. But her desire for revenge may cost her country its chance at freedom and Nina the chance to heal her grieving heart.
King. General. Spy. Together they must find a way to forge a future in the darkness. Or watch a nation fall.
The more I think about this book, the less I like it. The first third of the book was good, things were heating up, we got some nice Nicolai and Zoya moments. But as the plot progresses, it becomes more and more of a mess. There were a lot of situations added in merely for plot convenience, new POVs that we did not need and also a lot of unnecessary cameos (and I say this as someone whose favorite book is Six of Crows). And overall, I am most disappointed for and in behalf of Nina, she was not done justice in this book.
Okay, let me start with the positives before I start complaining.
The best parts of the book were hands down the interactions between Nicolai and Zoya. I love them both as individuals but also as a couple. I think they have really good chemistry together, love the banter (makes me miss Matthias and Nina). And you can just tell the amount of trust they have for each other's abilities.
Zoya. Honestly just Zoya, two of my stars are solely for her. We find our more about her Suli heritage and what exactly happened with her parents. My favorite scene was the scene with her in the garden where we find out she planted flowers for every fallen Grisha, it made me tear up.
Other than those two, and a few scenes here and there, no other parts seemed that great. Although I thought the cameos were unnecessary to the plot of the book, I did enjoy seeing the crows again. I wish they were incorporated into the story better and not as a side plot that didn't make sense.
Okay, now to talk about all the things I thought were off. There are going to be spoilers so don't read on if you don't want spoilers.
NINA ZENIK
The biggest complaint I have about Rule of Wolves is how Nina was handled. I understand Nina is not the same Nina we meet in Six of Crows and that she's still grieving and is in the heart of what she considers enemy territory, but RoW Nina still felt so out of character to me. The ending especially with her agreeing to be with Hanne wearing Mila's face for who knows how long didn't sit right. I felt like Bardugo was trying to make the readers believe that it was a happy ending because Nina was "happy" but I don't buy it. Nina being in a position to basically rule Fjerda side-by-side with Hanne seems less than ideal.
Speaking of Fjerda, I wish we got to see more of the good in Fjerda that didn't just have to do with the people converting away from Djel and to the religion of the Saints. Where are the good Fjerdans who remain a devotee of Djel but figure out that they need to treat everyone with kindness and respect? I understand that a large part of us not seeing the more common Fjerdans have to do with the fact that Nina is in the Ice Court which is where the most extremist Fjerdans are so that's all she's exposed to, but I would have liked to see more diversity when it came to the Fjerdans we do get to see. Leigh almost villainizes most of Fjerda and puts Nina in a position to "save" them when she doesn't really care for Fjerdan people.
There were also so many little side plots thrown in the book that didn't make sense. Nina sneaks in and out of the Ice Court multiple times in this book when SoC established how hard it was to do just that. This especially didn't make any sense since I would assume they umped the security even more after the crows sneaked in and out last year. And not only did she sneak into the court, she sneaked into Jarl Brum's office??? TWICE?! AND to top that off, we hear that Magnus Opjer sneaks out of his prison by himself?? Make it make sense. The only explanation we got about that was, oh he's Nicolai's father, so he must be smart and sneaky.
Also to talk more about that ending, another reason I don't think Nina would actually be okay with it is because how patriotic she is and how much she loves fighting for Ravka. Being in a ruling position in Fjerda, again, just doesn't make sense for her. Being an ambassador between the two countries where she tries to make changes to Fjerda to become more accepting to Grisha? Something like that would make perfect sense. Living as a native Fjerdan and ruling alongside Hanne? No. There's no way. Especially when she doesn't know how long she would have to live as Mila.
And overall, though Leigh tried to tie Nina's story with what was happening with Nicolai and them in Ravka, her side of things still felt too separate from the Ravkan gang, almost like we were reading two different books. I got so used to Leigh's books being multiple POVs of people who are in the same place, Nina being so far and hers being the only POV in Fjerda felt off at times.
THE SHU HAN STORYLINE
This whole storyline where we spend so much time in Shu Han with Mayu's POV was also not necessary. I think the book would have been stronger if we got rid of all of the side plot with the Shu and gave more time to Nicolai and Zoya. And if we really did need to go explore the Shu more, why couldn't we have the POVs be from Tamar's perspective instead of Mayu, a character that we don't care too much about.
The whole side plot with Queen Makhi and Ehri felt rushed. I didn't want to get into Shu Han politics in this book when we already focus so much on Ravkan and Fjerdan politics and the conflict between those two countries. I think we should have been introduced to the Shu Han characters in King of Scars so we could ease into it more.
That being said though, I did like the dynamic between Mayu and Princess Ehri and how Mayu was slowly starting to realize Ehri is much smarter than she gave her credit for.
the darkling's return
What exactly was the point of this? What did he add to the story? Was he resurrected just so we see Alina and Mal again? There was no need. We have the whole side plot of the Starless Saint gathering followers for his little cult and it just felt so unnecessary to the bigger plot.
And he now decided to sacrifice himself and hold down the fold for the rest of eternity? How did we get here? I am confusion.
Crows cameos
Please note that the Six of Crows duology is my favorite fantasy series. I adore those books, I've read them multiple times, I love all the characters with all my heart. So when I say that we really did not need to see the crows in this, I say this with a heavy heart. Not to say that I didn't want a crows cameo because I really did, I WANTED the crows to show up in this book, that was part of the reason I picked this series up in the first place. But I wanted them to show up in a way that made sense.
So Fjerda just bombed Ravka, we lost David, Ravka is in shambles and could be attacked any minute. And what does the king of Ravka and the general of their army decide to do? Go to Ketterdam to get some Titanium for bombs.
… okay fine, they really needed some titanium and Nicolai doesn't trust anyone else to go get Titanium and he wants to be super discreet about it. And there's also just absolutely no titanium in Ravka. Sigh.
Did I still immensely enjoy seeing Kaj, Jesper and Wylan though? Yes, yes I did. Wesper has my whole heart and Kaz is a big simp for Inej and I love them all.
David kostyck
Why? Just why?? Killing David off purely for shock value is awful, and not only that but a few hours after his wedding?? Genya has been through enough and then you take her person away. I hated it, I wanted her to be happy. David's death was completely unnecessary and only put on there to add a shock value. Which, admittedly was effective because I definitely was shocked, but not at all in a good way.
So my final verdict is that this book would have been much stronger if the main focus was just on Nicolai and Zoya and we didn't have so many side plots. I would even be okay with one or two of the side plots we got but not all of them.
I hope this isn't the last time we see these characters because I don't want to leave the Grishaverse in a disappointed note. The ending makes me feel like there will be a third Six of Crows book so that makes me hopeful (but also scared because this woman better not kill of one of the crows, I will never read again).
Published on March 24, 2021 by ShouniLeave a comment
Review: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Published on February 2, 2021 by ShouniLeave a comment
Aging and reclusive Hollywood movie icon Evelyn Hugo is finally ready to tell the truth about her glamorous and scandalous life.
When she chooses unknown magazine reporter Monique Grant for the job, no one in the journalism community is more astounded than Monique herself. Why her? Why now? Monique is not exactly on top of the world. Her husband, David, has left her, and her career has stagnated. Regardless of why Evelyn has chosen her to write her biography, Monique is determined to use this opportunity to jumpstart her career.
Summoned to Evelyn's Upper East Side apartment, Monique listens as Evelyn unfurls her story: from making her way to Los Angeles in the 1950s to her decision to leave show business in the late 80s, and, of course, the seven husbands along the way. As Evelyn's life unfolds—revealing a ruthless ambition, an unexpected friendship, and a great forbidden love—Monique begins to feel a very a real connection to the actress. But as Evelyn's story catches up with the present, it becomes clear that her life intersects with Monique's own in tragic and irreversible ways.
"People don't find it very sympathetic or endearing, a woman who puts herself first."
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is one of those books that I don't feel adept to write a review for because it is so brilliant and nothing I say will fully capture how much I loved it. But I guess I'll attempt to write a review anyway.
Hollywood superstar Evelyn Hugo, best known for the seven husbands she had in her lifetime, recants her life. She chooses a magazine reporter named Monique, much to Monique's own surprise, to write her biography.
And thus Evelyn Hugo's story begins.
While watching Evelyn's movies prior to the interview, Monique at one point thinks that "Evelyn always leaves you hoping you'll get just a little bit more." Taylor Jenkins Reid does something similar with Evelyn for the readers as well, reveals just enough to keep you guessing, just enough so you can't look away.
"I was gorgeous, even at fourteen. Oh, I know the whole world prefers a woman who doesn't know her own power. But I'm sick of that."
The best way I can describe Evelyn is by her presence – her character fills up the book. She makes selfish and questionable decisions, many to further her own agenda, and she also makes plenty of good ones. You know from the get-go that Evelyn isn't a "good" person in a black and white sense, she is flawed and human and incredibly compelling. She needed to survive in a deeply racist, sexist and homophobic society so she made decisions that would allow her to do so. I was honestly in awe, I thought Evelyn was one of the strongest characters I've ever read.
(Going into slightly spoiler territory now so if you want to read the book knowing nothing about it, don't keep reading, just know that I could not recommend this book highly enough).
Evelyn has had to overcome so much. As a woman in a very male dominated society, as a Cuban woman in a very white Hollywood, and as a bisexual woman in an extremely homophobic time period. So she makes choices that she sometimes regrets but those are choices she's had to make to come as far as she did. Hiding her heritage to pass off as white, using her body to capitalize on the misogyny thrown at her and hiding her sexuality because the world isn't ready for it. Despite the hurdles, she stands back up every time.
The first time Monique asks Evelyn the question, "who was Evelyn Hugo's great love?" she doesn't answer. And it keeps you wondering too until the answer hits you.
"They are just husbands. I am Evelyn Hugo. And anyway, I think once people know the truth, they will be much more interested in my wife."
Going into the book, I didn't know the main love story was sapphic. A sapphic love story set in 1950's Hollywood among the two biggest actresses in the United States?? Absolutely beautiful. Evelyn and Celia have quickly become one of my favorite fictional couples of all time. Neither one of them are perfect and neither of them love each other selflessly but they braved the world to be together and that's so insanely powerful.
There were also some lines in the book that kind of wrecked me a little.
"You imagine a world where the two of you can go out to dinner together on a Saturday night and no one thinks twice about it. It makes you want to cry, the simplicity of it, the smallness of it. You have worked so hard for a life so grand. And now all you want are the smallest freedoms. The daily peace of loving plainly."
I cried some really big tears reading this passage. The truth of it, the need to hide yourself from the world because it's too much for some people, craving the small simplicities of being able to love someone freely. I found myself relating hard to this old woman with a seemingly glamorous past – a past that was actually riddled with heartbreak and doubt but also love and hope.
There's so much more I want to say about this book and this character but I lack the language. I very highly recommend picking it up if you haven't already.
Books with Queer Desi (South Asian) Characters
Published on January 29, 2021 May 1, 2021 by Shouni4 Comments
The past couple of years have been monumental when it comes to queer rep in books. There's still a long way to go but seeing more and more diverse queer stories come out brings me a lot of joy. Here's a list of books with queer desi characters (some of these haven't been published yet but will be later this year). Let me know if I missed any!
**Please note that I haven't read a lot of these so I cannot speak for quality or how good the representation is.
YOUNG ADULT / NEW ADULT
When the Moon Was Ours by Anna-Marie McLemore
Recipient of a Stonewall Honor and longlisted for the National Book Award, McLemore delivers a second stunning and utterly romantic novel, again tinged with magic.
To everyone who knows them, best friends Miel and Sam are as strange as they are inseparable. Roses grow out of Miel's wrist, and rumors say that she spilled out of a water tower when she was five. Sam is known for the moons he paints and hangs in the trees, and for how little anyone knows about his life before he and his mother moved to town. But as odd as everyone considers Miel and Sam, even they stay away from the Bonner girls, four beautiful sisters rumored to be witches. Now they want the roses that grow from Miel's skin, convinced that their scent can make anyone fall in love. And they're willing to use every secret Miel has fought to protect to make sure she gives them up.
(Note: Since it isn't clear in the description, Sam is Pakistani and trans)
The Love & Lies of Rukhsana Ali by Sabina Khan
Seventeen-year-old Rukhsana Ali tries her hardest to live up to her conservative Muslim parents' expectations, but lately she's finding that harder and harder to do. She rolls her eyes instead of screaming when they blatantly favor her brother and she dresses conservatively at home, saving her crop tops and makeup for parties her parents don't know about. Luckily, only a few more months stand between her carefully monitored life in Seattle and her new life at Caltech, where she can pursue her dream of becoming an engineer.
But when her parents catch her kissing her girlfriend Ariana, all of Rukhsana's plans fall apart. Her parents are devastated; being gay may as well be a death sentence in the Bengali community. They immediately whisk Rukhsana off to Bangladesh, where she is thrown headfirst into a world of arranged marriages and tradition. Only through reading her grandmother's old diary is Rukhsana able to gain some much needed perspective.
Rukhsana realizes she must find the courage to fight for her love, but can she do so without losing everyone and everything in her life?
Kings, Queens, and In-Betweens by Tanya Boteju
Judy Blume meets RuPaul's Drag Race in this funny, feel-good debut novel about a queer teen who navigates questions of identity and self-acceptance while discovering the magical world of drag.
Perpetually awkward Nima Kumara-Clark is bored with her insular community of Bridgeton, in love with her straight girlfriend, and trying to move past her mother's unexpected departure. After a bewildering encounter at a local festival, Nima finds herself suddenly immersed in the drag scene on the other side of town.
Macho drag kings, magical queens, new love interests, and surprising allies propel Nima both painfully and hilariously closer to a self she never knew she could be—one that can confidently express and accept love. But she'll have to learn to accept lost love to get there.
Bruised by Tanya Boteju
To Daya Wijesinghe, a bruise is a mixture of comfort and control. Since her parents died in an accident she survived, bruises have become a way to keep her pain on the surface of her skin so she doesn't need to deal with the ache deep in her heart.
So when chance and circumstances bring her to a roller derby bout, Daya is hooked. Yes, the rules are confusing and the sport seems to require the kind of teamwork and human interaction Daya generally avoids. But the opportunities to bruise are countless, and Daya realizes that if she's going to keep her emotional pain at bay, she'll need all the opportunities she can get.
The deeper Daya immerses herself into the world of roller derby, though, the more she realizes it's not the simple physical pain-fest she was hoping for. Her rough-and-tumble teammates and their fans push her limits in ways she never imagined, bringing Daya to big truths about love, loss, strength, and healing.
Tell Me How You Really Feel by Aminah Mae Safi
Sana Khan is a cheerleader and a straight A student. She's the classic (somewhat obnoxious) overachiever determined to win.
Rachel Recht is a wannabe director who's obsesssed with movies and ready to make her own masterpiece. As she's casting her senior film project, she knows she's found the perfect lead – Sana.
There's only one problem. Rachel hates Sana. Rachel was the first girl Sana ever asked out, but Rachel thought it was a cruel prank and has detested Sana ever since.
Told in alternative viewpoints and inspired by classic romantic comedies, this engaging and edgy YA novel follows two strongwilled young women falling for each other despite themselves.
The Henna Wars by Adiba Jaigirdar
When Dimple Met Rishi meets Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda in this rom com about two teen girls with rival henna businesses.
When Nishat comes out to her parents, they say she can be anyone she wants—as long as she isn't herself. Because Muslim girls aren't lesbians. Nishat doesn't want to hide who she is, but she also doesn't want to lose her relationship with her family. And her life only gets harder once a childhood friend walks back into her life.
Flávia is beautiful and charismatic and Nishat falls for her instantly. But when a school competition invites students to create their own businesses, both Flávia and Nishat choose to do henna, even though Flávia is appropriating Nishat's culture. Amidst sabotage and school stress, their lives get more tangled—but Nishat can't quite get rid of her crush on Flávia, and realizes there might be more to her than she realized.
We Are Totally Normal by Rahul Kanakia
Nandan's got a plan to make his junior year perfect. He's going to make sure all the parties are chill, he's going to smooth things over with his ex, and he's going to help his friend Dave get into the popular crowd—whether Dave wants to or not. The high school social scene might be complicated, but Nandan is sure he's cracked the code.
Then, one night after a party, Dave and Nandan hook up, which was not part of the plan—especially because Nandan has never been into guys. Still, Dave's cool, and Nandan's willing to give it a shot, even if that means everyone starts to see him differently.
But while Dave takes to their new relationship with ease, Nandan's completely out of his depth. And the more his anxiety grows about what his sexuality means for himself, his friends, and his social life, the more he wonders whether he can just take it all back. But is breaking up with the only person who's ever really gotten him worth feeling "normal" again?
From Rahul Kanakia comes a raw and deeply felt story about rejecting labels, seeking connection, and finding yourself.
Zara Hossain is Here by Sabina Khan
Zara's family has waited years for their visa process to be finalized so that they can officially become US citizens. But it only takes one moment for that dream to come crashing down around them.
Seventeen-year-old Pakistani immigrant, Zara Hossain, has been leading a fairly typical life in Corpus Christi, Texas, since her family moved there for her father to work as a pediatrician. While dealing with the Islamophobia that she faces at school, Zara has to lay low, trying not to stir up any trouble and jeopardize their family's dependent visa status while they await their green card approval, which has been in process for almost nine years.
But one day her tormentor, star football player Tyler Benson, takes things too far, leaving a threatening note in her locker, and gets suspended. As an act of revenge against her for speaking out, Tyler and his friends vandalize Zara's house with racist graffiti, leading to a violent crime that puts Zara's entire future at risk. Now she must pay the ultimate price and choose between fighting to stay in the only place she's ever called home or losing the life she loves and everyone in it.
When Tara Met Farah by Tara Pammi
Sunshine Girl needs math lessons…
Nineteen-year-old Tara Muvvala didn't mean to lead a double life. But her bone-deep aversion to math + a soul-deep desire to please her mother = her failing math grade + exploding food vlog 'this masala life'.
Enter her mother's research intern and resident math genius Farah Ahmed. Tara makes a deal with Farah – help her pass the math course and she'll welcome Farah into the local Bollywood Drama & Dance Society.
Grumpy girl gets life lessons…
After losing her mom to a heart attack, dumping her small-minded boyfriend (she's
bisexual, not confused) and reluctantly moving to the US to be near her dad – all in the span of eighteen months, twenty-three-year-old Farah has hit the full quota on LIFE. Two things keep her going – her internship with a brilliant statistics professor and the possibility of meeting her dancing idol through the Bollywood Drama & Dance Society. That is, if her new hot-mess housemate will let her.
Soon Tara and Farah are bonding over chicken biryani, dancing to Bollywood Beats at midnight and kissing… against all the odds. And maybe beginning to realize that while life's even more complicated than math, love is the one variable that changes everything!
Will they realize that together they have the recipe for a Happily Ever After?
Marriage of a Thousand Lies by S.J Sindu
Lucky and her husband, Krishna, are gay. They present an illusion of marital bliss to their conservative Sri Lankan–American families, while each dates on the side. It's not ideal, but for Lucky, it seems to be working. She goes out dancing, she
drinks a bit, she makes ends meet by doing digital art on commission. But when Lucky's grandmother has a nasty fall, Lucky returns to her childhood home and unexpectedly reconnects with her former best friend and first lover, Nisha, who is preparing for her own arranged wedding with a man she's never met.
As the connection between the two women is rekindled, Lucky tries to save Nisha from entering a marriage based on a lie. But does Nisha really want to be saved? And after a decade's worth of lying, can Lucky break free of her own circumstances and build a new life? Is she willing to walk away from all that she values about her parents and community to live in a new truth? As Lucky—an outsider no matter what choices she makes—is pushed to the breaking point, Marriage of a Thousand Lies offers a vivid exploration of a life lived at a complex intersection of race, sexuality, and nationality. The result is a profoundly American debut novel shot through with humor and loss, a story of love, family, and the truths that define us all.
The Subtweet by Vivek Shraya
Everyone talks about falling in love, but falling in friendship can be just as captivating. When Neela Devaki's song is covered by internet-famous artist Rukmini, the two musicians meet and a transformative friendship begins. But as Rukmini's star rises and Neela's stagnates, jealousy and self-doubt creep in. With a single tweet, their friendship implodes, one career is destroyed, and the two women find themselves at the center of an internet firestorm.
Celebrated multidisciplinary artist Vivek Shraya's second novel is a stirring examination of making art in the modern era, a love letter to brown women, an authentic glimpse into the music industry, and a nuanced exploration of the promise and peril of being seen.
Cobalt Blue by Sachin Kundalkar
Cobalt Blue is a tale of rapturous love and fierce heartbreak told with tenderness and unsparing clarity. Brother and sister Tanay and Anuja both fall in love with the same man, an artist lodging in their family home in Pune, in western India. He seems like the perfect tenant, ready with the rent and happy to listen to their mother's musings on the imminent collapse of Indian culture. But he's also a man of mystery. He has no last name. He has no family, no friends, no history, and no plans for the future. When he runs away with Anuja, he overturns the family's lives.
Translated from Marathi by acclaimed novelist and critic Jerry Pinto, Sachin Kundalkar's elegantly wrought and exquisitely spare novel explores the disruption of a traditional family by a free-spirited stranger to examine a generation in transition. Intimate, moving, sensual, and wry in its portrait of young love, Cobalt Blue is a frank and lyrical exploration of gay life in India that recalls the work of Edmund White and Alan Hollinghurst―of people living in emotional isolation, attempting to find long-term intimacy in relationships that until recently were barely conceivable to them.
The Paths of Marriage by Mala Kumar
Lakshmi, a bright student who grew up in poverty, marries and immigrates to the United States from India to provide a better life for herself and her family. Clinging to her cultural realities, she forces her American daughter, Pooja, into an arranged marriage, creating a rift of resentment. Pooja's daughter, Deepa, is an out lesbian to everyone but her family. The woman Deepa loves presents an ultimatum—come out to Pooja or break up—and Deepa is forced to confront her greatest fear.
Three generations of Indian and Indian-American women navigate the harsh slums of Chennai to the bustle of New York City, struggling through a cathartic generational collision to try to come together as a family.
No Other World by Rahul Mehta
From the author of the prize-winning collection Quarantine, an insightful, compelling debut novel set in rural America and India in the 1980s and `90s, part coming-of-age story about a gay Indian American boy, part family saga about an immigrant family's struggles each to find a sense of belonging, identity, and hope
In a rural community in Western New York, twelve-year-old Kiran Shah, the American-born son of Indian immigrants, longingly observes his prototypically American neighbors, the Bells. He attends school with Kelly Bell, but he's powerfully drawn—in a way he does not yet understand—to her charismatic father, Chris.
Kiran's yearnings echo his parents' bewilderment as they try to adjust to a new world. His father, Nishit Shah, a successful doctor, is haunted by thoughts of the brother he left behind. His mother, Shanti, struggles to accept a life with a man she did not choose—her marriage to Nishit was arranged—and her growing attachment to an American man. Kiran is close to his older sister, Preeti—until an unexpected threat and an unfathomable betrayal drive a wedge between them that will reverberate through their lives.
As he leaves childhood behind, Kiran finds himself perpetually on the outside—as an Indian-American torn between two cultures, and as a gay man in a homophobic society. In the wake of an emotional breakdown, he travels to India, where he forms an intense bond with a teenage hijra, a member of India's ancient transgender community. With her help, Kiran begins to pull together the pieces of his broken past.
Sweeping and emotionally complex, No Other World is a haunting meditation on love, belonging, and forgiveness that explores the line between our responsibilities to our families and to ourselves, the difficult choices we make, and the painful cost of claiming our true selves.
A People's History of Heaven by Mathangi Subramanian
Heaven is a thirty-year-old slum hidden between brand-new, high-rise apartment buildings and technology incubators in contemporary Bangalore. In this tight-knit community, five girls on the cusp of womanhood-a politically driven graffiti artist; a transgender Christian convert; a blind girl who loves to dance; and the queer daughter of a hijabi union leader-forge an unbreakable bond.
When the local government threatens to demolish their tin shacks in order to build a shopping mall, the girls and their mothers refuse to be erased. Together they wage war on the bulldozers sent to bury their homes, and, ultimately, on the city that wishes that families like them would remain hidden forever.
Elegant, poetic, and vibrant, A People's History of Heaven takes a clear-eyed look at adversity and geography and dazzles in its depiction of love and female friendship.
Bright Lines by Nandini Tanwi Islam
A vibrant debut novel, set in Brooklyn and Bangladesh, Bright Lines follows three young women and one family struggling to make peace with secrets and their past.
For as long as she can remember, Ella has longed to feel at home. Orphaned as a child after her parents' murder, and afflicted with hallucinations at dusk, she's always felt more at ease in nature than with people. She traveled from Bangladesh to Brooklyn to live with the Saleems: her uncle Anwar, aunt Hashi, and their beautiful daughter, Charu, her complete opposite. One summer, when Ella returns home from college, she discovers Charu's friend Maya—an Islamic cleric's runaway daughter—asleep in her bedroom.
As the girls have a summer of clandestine adventure and sexual awakenings, Anwar—owner of a popular botanical apothecary—has his own secrets, threatening his thirty-year marriage. But when tragedy strikes, the Saleems find themselves blamed. To keep his family from unraveling, Anwar takes them on a fated trip to Bangladesh, to reckon with the past, their extended family, and each other.
The Devourers by Indra Das
Kari by Amruta Patil
They were inseparable – until the day they jumped. Ruth, saved by safety nets, leaves the city. Kari, saved by a sewer, crawls back into the fray of the living. She writes ad copy for hair products and ill-fitting lingerie, falls for cats and roadside urchins, and the occasional adventuress in a restaurant. As Danger Chhori, her PVC-suit-clad alter ego, she unclogs sewers and observes the secret lives of people and fruit. And with Angel, Lazarus, and the girls of Crystal Palace forming the chorus to her song, she explores the dark heart of Smog City – loneliness, sewers, sleeper success, death – and the memory of her absentee Other.
Sensuously illustrated and livened by wry commentaries on life and love, Kari gives a new voice to graphic fiction in India.
Apsara Engine by Bishakh Som
By turns fantastical and familiar, this graphic short story collection is immersed in questions of gender, the body, and existential conformity.
The eight delightfully eerie stories in Apsara Engine are a subtle intervention into everyday reality. A woman drowns herself in a past affair, a tourist chases another guest into an unforeseen past, and a nonbinary academic researches postcolonial cartography. Imagining diverse futures and rewriting old mythologies, these comics delve into strange architectures, fetishism, and heartbreak.
Painted in rich, sepia-toned watercolors, Apsara Engine is Bishakh Som's highly anticipated debut work of fiction. Showcasing a series of fraught, darkly humorous, and seemingly alien worlds—which ring all too familiar—Som captures the weight of twenty-first-century life as we hurl ourselves forward into the unknown.
Honorary Mentions
Afterworlds (Afterworld #1) by Scott Westerfield
BELIEVING IS DANGEROUS…
Darcy Patel is afraid to believe all the hype. But it's really happening – her teen novel is getting published. Instead of heading to college, she's living in New York City, where she's welcomed into the dazzling world of YA publishing. That means book tours, parties with her favorite authors, and finding a place to live that won't leave her penniless. It means sleepless nights rewriting her first draft and struggling to find the perfect ending… all while dealing with the intoxicating, terrifying experience of falling in love – with another writer.
Told in alternating chapters is Darcy's novel, the thrilling story of Lizzie, who wills her way into the afterworld to survive a deadly terrorist attack. With survival comes the responsibility to guide the restless spirits that walk our world, including one ghost with whom she shares a surprising personal connection. But Lizzie's not alone in her new calling – she has counsel from a fellow spirit guide, a very desirable one, who is torn between wanting Lizzie and warning her that…
BELIEVING IS DANGEROUS.
In a brilliant high-wire act of weaving two epic narratives – and two unforgettable heroines – into one novel, Scott Westerfeld's latest work is a triumph of storytelling.
**Note: Darcy is Sapphic and has a girlfriend but she's 18 while her gf is 23 and I had a slight problem with that whole set up.
Wonder Woman: Warbringer by Leigh Bardugo
Daughter of immortals.
Princess Diana longs to prove herself to her legendary warrior sisters. But when the opportunity finally comes, she throws away her chance at glory and breaks Amazon law—risking exile—to save a mortal. Diana will soon learn that she has rescued no ordinary girl, and that with this single brave act, she may have doomed the world.
Daughter of death.
Alia Keralis just wanted to escape her overprotective brother with a semester at sea. She doesn't know she is being hunted by people who think her very existence could spark a world war. When a bomb detonates aboard her ship, Alia is rescued by a mysterious girl of extraordinary strength and forced to confront a horrible truth: Alia is a Warbringer—a direct descendant of the infamous Helen of Troy, fated to bring about an age of bloodshed and misery.
Two girls will face an army of enemies—mortal and divine—determined to either destroy or possess the Warbringer. Tested beyond the bounds of their abilities, Diana and Alia must find a way to unleash hidden strengths and forge an unlikely alliance. Because if they have any hope of saving both their worlds, they will have to stand side by side against the tide of war.
**Note: adding this because one of the major side characters is queer and desi and an absolute badass
Ritu Weds Chandni by Ameya Narvankar
Little Ayesha is all excited for her favorite cousin Ritu's wedding. She can't wait to dance in the baraat ceremony! But not everyone is happy that Ritu is marrying her girlfriend Chandni. Some have even vowed to stop the celebrations. Will Ayesha be able to save her cousin's big day?
This vibrant book sets the story of a same-sex couple struggling to gain acceptance against the colorful backdrop of an Indian wedding.
**Note: this is a children's book and looks adorable! Putting it here since it didn't fit the other categories
All of these books can also be found in (on?) my Goodreads shelf here.
Did I miss any? Let me know!
Review: The Daevabad Trilogy by S.A Chakraborty
Published on January 25, 2021 January 25, 2021 by ShouniLeave a comment
I ended up binge reading this entire series in the span of 4 days so the events of each book have blurred over for me. I will say that overall, this series was a solid five stars and has risen its way to become one of the best fantasy series I've ever read. Easily Top 5. The writing is beautiful, the characters are very well developed and the world Chakraborty creates is fantastic (literally and figuratively).
Chakraborty has said that she wrote this series for her fellow Muslim fantasy geeks (hehe that's me) and it shows. I think any fantasy lover would appreciate the world she crafted but it was extra special to me because of all the references to Islamic folklore. I grew up with djinn stories, passed down over generations from family members or through my own extensive research (sometimes to the point where I would scare myself to insomnia), so this world felt almost personal to me.
**I'm reviewing all three books here. If you haven't read the first book and don't want to be spoiled for the later ones, don't read past the first review.
The City of Brass (Daevabad #1) by S.A Chakraborty
Nahri has never believed in magic. Certainly, she has power; on the streets of 18th century Cairo, she's a con woman of unsurpassed talent. But she knows better than anyone that the trade she uses to get by—palm readings, zars, healings—are all tricks, sleights of hand, learned skills; a means to the delightful end of swindling Ottoman nobles.
But when Nahri accidentally summons an equally sly, darkly mysterious djinn warrior to her side during one of her cons, she's forced to accept that the magical world she thought only existed in childhood stories is real. For the warrior tells her a new tale: across hot, windswept sands teeming with creatures of fire, and rivers where the mythical marid sleep; past ruins of once-magnificent human metropolises, and mountains where the circling hawks are not what they seem, lies Daevabad, the legendary city of brass, a city to which Nahri is irrevocably bound.
In that city, behind gilded brass walls laced with enchantments, behind the six gates of the six djinn tribes, old resentments are simmering. And when Nahri decides to enter this world, she learns that true power is fierce and brutal. That magic cannot shield her from the dangerous web of court politics. That even the cleverest of schemes can have deadly consequences.
After all, there is a reason they say be careful what you wish for…
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Nobles
"Greatness takes time, Banu Nahida. Often the mightiest things have the humblest beginnings."
This is actually my second time reviewing this book because I had read an ARC of the first one before it released and I did not fully appreciated it then. If anyone cares to read my review from four years ago, here it is.
City of Brass starts off slow. Because the world itself is so intricate with so many tribes and centuries of history, sometimes it feels like it's too much. I have had to read certain paragraphs of explanations multiple times because I couldn't grasp the dumps of information. But after you get used to the general sense of the world, the history lessons feel less like history lessons and more like conversations that are meant to be there.
We're introduced to Nahri, an Egyptian woman with the power of healing, a power she uses for her schemes as a thief and a con artist. It took me a long time to love Nahri, among the two POVs, hers was the weaker one for me. Nahri in the beginning almost acts as a stand in for the reader because she is also finding out about this djinn world with us, she's reacting to the world instead of being a part of the world. The first couple of chapters with her is mostly Darayavahoush, the Daeva warrior she accidentally summoned, explaining the djinn world and the history to her.
And then we have Ali, our second POV. Ali is the prince of Daevabad, the second son of king Ghassan. He is a soldier and a scholar, self-righteous, pious, and wants things to be better for the kingdom's shafit citizens (those who have both djinn and human blood). Through Ali, we get to know about the current state of politics in Daevabad, what the city is like now and how the citizens of the different tribes are treated. This, in a way, juxtaposes what Dara has been teaching Nahri about the history of Daevabad from his time centuries ago. With Ali, we're also immediately thrust in the middle of action because the book starts with him smuggling money from the treasury to an underground shafit organization.
The book picks up once Nahri and Dara get to Daevabad. It's not action packed but it's not really supposed to be, there are a lot of action scenes, but it mostly shines in characterization and world building.
Something I really appreciate about these books is how prejudice is portrayed and how you can very slowly see the characters gradually shift their views. Ali being a pious Muslim man has a deep-seated distaste for the Daevas, the tribe of djinn who worship fire. Dara, who has been trained as a soldier for the Nahids (the most powerful Daeva family) to do their bidding holds an enormous hatred for shafits and for the other djinn tribes. Most djinn (Daevas included) think less of the shafit because of their human blood. These feelings don't go away but we do get to witness small changes in the characters when they start to question these deep rooted beliefs they've held all their lives.
The Kingdom of Copper (Daevabad #2) by S.A Chakraborty
S. A. Chakraborty continues the sweeping adventure begun in The City of Brass conjuring a world where djinn summon flames with the snap of a finger and waters run deep with old magic; where blood can be dangerous as any spell, and a clever con artist from Cairo will alter the fate of a kingdom.
Nahri's life changed forever the moment she accidentally summoned Dara, a formidable, mysterious djinn, during one of her schemes. Whisked from her home in Cairo, she was thrust into the dazzling royal court of Daevabad—and quickly discovered she would need all her grifter instincts to survive there.
Now, with Daevabad entrenched in the dark aftermath of a devastating battle, Nahri must forge a new path for herself. But even as she embraces her heritage and the power it holds, she knows she's been trapped in a gilded cage, watched by a king who rules from the throne that once belonged to her family—and one misstep will doom her tribe..
Meanwhile, Ali has been exiled for daring to defy his father. Hunted by assassins, adrift on the unforgiving copper sands of his ancestral land, he is forced to rely on the frightening abilities the marid—the unpredictable water spirits—have gifted him. But in doing so, he threatens to unearth a terrible secret his family has long kept buried.
And as a new century approaches and the djinn gather within Daevabad's towering brass walls for celebrations, a threat brews unseen in the desolate north. It's a force that would bring a storm of fire straight to the city's gates . . . and one that seeks the aid of a warrior trapped between worlds, torn between a violent duty he can never escape and a peace he fears he will never deserve.
"I'm tired of everyone in this city feeding on vengeance. I'm tired of teaching our children to hate and fear other children because their parents are our enemies. And I'm sick and tired of acting like the only way to save our people is to cut down all who might oppose us, as if our enemies won't return the favor the instant power shifts."
As I've said earlier, the events of the books have kind of blurred for me. As far as middle books go, I thought Kingdom of Copper was fantastic in continuing the story from the first and setting up the events in the final. The book also did a great job expanding the universe from the first book.
The book takes place about five years after the events of the first one. Nahri is now married to Muntadhir, the future king of Daevabad. Ali is in exile but has found a djinn village to be a part of and they love him because wherever he goes, water springs mysteriously appear (a miracle to the formerly barren wastelands). And Dara, who everyone thought of as dead, was pulled back to life by Banu Manizheh. Although the five year time skip surprised me at first, it was a smart move since a) djinn have a longer lifespan anyway and b) it allowed for a lot of character growth and off the screen development so we could pretty much jump straight into action.
This was the book where Nahri won me over. She has been working as a healer for the past couple of years now. She's a lot more sure of herself, more mature and a whole lot more powerful. She went from being my least favorite MC in the first book to my favorite character in this book. The least favorite character mantle was taken up by Dara who just frustrated me to the core in this one. I will say though that everything Dara did made sense from a character analysis perspective but frustrating nonetheless.
I also loved the added layers to the side characters, especially Muntadhir, Jamshid and Zaynab.
The Empire of Gold (Daevabad #3) by S.A Chakraborty
The final chapter in the Daevabad Trilogy, in which a con-woman and an idealistic djinn prince join forces to save a magical kingdom from a devastating civil war.
Daevabad has fallen.
After a brutal conquest stripped the city of its magic, Nahid leader Banu Manizheh and her resurrected commander, Dara, must try to repair their fraying alliance and stabilize a fractious, warring people.
But the bloodletting and loss of his beloved Nahri have unleashed the worst demons of Dara's dark past. To vanquish them, he must face some ugly truths about his history and put himself at the mercy of those he once considered enemies.
Having narrowly escaped their murderous families and Daevabad's deadly politics, Nahri and Ali, now safe in Cairo, face difficult choices of their own. While Nahri finds peace in the old rhythms and familiar comforts of her human home, she is haunted by the knowledge that the loved ones she left behind and the people who considered her a savior are at the mercy of a new tyrant. Ali, too, cannot help but look back, and is determined to return to rescue his city and the family that remains. Seeking support in his mother's homeland, he discovers that his connection to the marid goes far deeper than expected and threatens not only his relationship with Nahri, but his very faith.
As peace grows more elusive and old players return, Nahri, Ali, and Dara come to understand that in order to remake the world, they may need to fight those they once loved . . . and take a stand for those they once hurt.
"If you rule by violence, you should expect to be removed by violence."
The last book wasn't really what I was expecting but it was a satisfying ending. I thought it ended well with the most immediate strings wrapped up but also a lot of room left up to interpretation. I don't know if Chakraborty is ever planning on writing more stories in this world but if she did, there's definitely a lot of room to explore more.
Like I said in the beginning, I read these books in about five days (that's quick for me) so entertainment wise, they were gripping. I couldn't put Empire of Gold down. I needed to know how the book was going to end, I needed to know what was going to happen to these characters. And because of that, I couldn't give the book less than five stars despite some of my complaints about the ending.
I don't really think I can review this one without spoilers. So the following will contain spoilers so be forewarned. Overall, it was a fantastic read and well worth my time and I highly recommend.
SPOILERS AHEAD!!!
I'm gonna start by talking about what I think the book was lacking. After finishing the book, my first thoughts were that I wanted more. And yes that had to do with the fact that I just wanted to spend more time with these characters but also that, I think there should have been more. Especially more POVs. I think this book really missed out on showing a lot of the political intrigue that I loved in the first two books by a) having Ali not be in Daevabad when he was usually our window into the politics and b) by not having perspectives from any of the characters who were dealing with the politics (and the aftermath of what Manizheh had done when she invaded). Dara is the only one of the three POVs in Daevabad for a majority of the book and he's not a politician so we don't really get a lot of insight from him, only what he hears from Manizeh and Muntadhir. Not having more of an insight of Daevabad when it's the conclusion of the Daevabad trilogy wasn't what I wanted.
I wanted more of Daevabad, of how the Zaynab got the shafit and the djinn working together, of how Muntadhir was able to plan the attack against Kaveh, the inner conflict the Daevas must have felt when Manizheh – their beloved Banu Nahida – just slaughtered so many innocent Geziris for the throne. I wanted more.
But for the record, I loved what we did get. Especially Nahri's POV. Nahri shines in this book. Most of my favorite scenes were her scenes and I was rooting for her from start to finish.
More random thoughts:
Gotta say I wasn't a huge fan of Ali's subplot of going to the marids, marids just confused me in general
though Ali showing up with the hundreds of ships with the marid's help was pretty frikkin cool
I liked how Ali was improving and questioning the prejudices he had though I do think he could have gone further with it
Zaynab and Aqisa were a team that I didn't know I needed until it happened (also I ship them hard)
Jamshid and Muntadhir getting the happy ending they deserved!! But also, would've loved to see the whole "I killed your father because your parents invaded the kingdom and killed my dad along with hundreds of innocents" conversation between those two
The Egyptian shafit cook in the kitchen being Nahri's grandfather made me BAWL
Also so happy to know Nahri is actually half-Egyptian since that was such a big part of her identity
Nahri made the peris mad, is this maybe a setup for a future book series??
Love the idea of Ali and Nahri making a new representative government from scratch
I actually really like Ali and Nahri as a couple, to me their relationship makes a lot more sense than Nahri's and Dara's did. Ali and Nahri are comfortable with each other, they both have a mutual thirst for knowledge and they are always trying to save other people
Dara's whole character arc was beautifully done and I love that he was the one who ended up killing Manizheh
That ending with the Qahtani siblings gave me life!!
The fact that the book ended with "Nahri always smiled at her marks" had me smiling from ear to ear
I am sad to leave this world. And very excited to see the next world Chakraborty builds.
Categories 4.5 Stars, 5 stars
I'm Still Here? And 2020 Reading Favorites
Published on January 21, 2021 by Shouni2 Comments
Hello! It has been an eternity. Well two years so essentially an eternity.
As I came to understand on my two year hiatus, to run a book blog, you have to read books. That's something I haven't done a lot of the past couple of years and therefore didn't really see a point in continuing this. Despite only reading six books in 2020, they were all pretty great books. I might do more in depth reviews on these later but here they are.
King of Scars (King of Scars Duology #1) by Leigh Bardugo
"Everyone mourns the first blossom.
Who will grieve the rest who fall?"
Though one of my most anticipated books, King of Scars was just okay. Nicolai grew on me in this book, I skimmed the Shadow and Bone trilogy because I wasn't a huge fan so I never got attached to Nicolai in that series. Same with Zoya, loved her in KoS.
I picked this book up though for Nina. And that's where I was disappointed because her story just did not feel relevant enough to Nicolai's. It almost seemed like reading two different stories where the characters just knew each other. I'm sure the story will be more interwoven in the second book but that was the biggest problem I had with this one. Despite that though, I was thoroughly invested in both stories.
Chain of Gold (The Last Hours, #1) by Cassandra Clare
"You decide the truth about yourself. No one else. And the choice about what kind of person you will be is yours alone."
I loved it, this was a fun book. The plot was entertaining enough but I dont read these books for the plot but for the characters and theres a pretty large and diverse cast (and about half of them are queer which is always great). I could not for the life of me keep track of the family trees though, so many Herondales and Lightwoods and Blackthorns running around, I kept forgetting who is whose child.
Chain of Gold did a good job setting up the next books and the characters. We know enough about them to start rooting for them but there's a lot of room for growth.
Okay but do all these characters HAVE to be beautiful??? Where are the average looking Shadowhunters?? Goodness!! I'm also always here for more Will, Tessa and Jem content! Love the OG trio.
Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
"Straight people, he thinks, probably don't spend this much time convincing themselves they're straight."
This was an adorable book! Featuring Alex, a bisexual half-Mexican son of the first female president of the United States, and Henry, the very closeted gay prince of Wales and an heir to the British throne. The romcom of my dreams honestly.
The book was much more than a mere romcom though. The story is set during Alex's mother's presidential reelection campaign and incorporates politics pretty well. All the side characters are also amazing and hilarious.
A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor (The Carls #2) by Hank Green
"People will just share the things that confirm their ideology, and those things will always exist. Our reality isn't about what's real, it's about what we pay attention to."
There's so much in this book that I loved. Hank puts a lot of heavy topics into the story and he incorporates them so well with the characters. He talks about humanity, inequality, distribution of wealth, the pros and cons of the internet, corporations and their unchecked power, etc.
I also adore all the characters and appreciated getting everyone's perspective in the second one and not just April's.
"What I want more than anything else in the world is to feel like being myself isn't something that should be hidden and a secret."
Featuring Nishat, a lesbian Muslim Bengali girl, and Flavia, an Irish-Brazilian girl in a private high school in Ireland. Overall I thought this book was cute. It deals lightly with topics like cultural appropriation vs appreciation and qpoc struggles (especially in a majority white environment). However, I thought the author could have gone more in depth with how she portrayed something like cultural appropriation and she didn't.
I liked the portrayal of Bengali characters and I though Nishat's parents were very spot on when it comes to Muslim Bengali parents dealing with their kids coming out (basically just the silent treatment and pretending that nothing happened). There were small things though that Nishat says about Bengali culture that made me cringe a little. At one point, Nishat mentions that Flavia having her own henna stand was "lifting from Bengali culture" when henna is very much not just Bengali culture, having originated in Africa and the middle east.
Other than small grievances, it was an adorable book!
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E Schwab
"Being forgotten, she thinks, is a bit like going mad. You begin to wonder what is real, if you are real. After all, how can a thing be real if it cannot be remembered?"
I absolutely loved it. This book is not action packed or plot heavy, it's driven by Addie going through this world without being able to be remembered by anyone. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue reflects on what it means to be human, and what it means to live and love and be remembered. The prose was beautifully written.
Aaaaaand those are all the books I read in 2020. No promises that I will blog frequently, though I will try to remind myself how much I love looking back at old reviews to cringe at them (looking back at old reviews is probably the best way to torture myself. They suck. I don't know why I did this, please don't read them).
Other Stuff!
Archives Select Month November 2021 September 2021 June 2021 May 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 September 2018 August 2018 June 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 March 2014

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


In a large bowl, combine spinach, lettuce, mushrooms and bacon. Place vinegar, onion, sugar, salt and mustard in blender. While processing, gradually add oil in a steady stream. Transfer to a bowl; stir in poppy seeds. Divide salad among six plates; drizzle with dressing. Makes 6 servings (1 cup dressing).


I went to the Palm Beach Civic Association reception. It was fun to see everyone.
Remember when we did the boat to match my purse? We paid $40,000 to have that hull painted. I still like that boat dress.
The Civic Association reception was nice. It kinds of reminds me of my time in Rotary on Hilton Head Island.


Your meter box and switchboard are the most important part of your installation!
Not only are they the main connection between your property and SA Power Networks distribution grid, they are also the protection for your cables and circuits within your building.
They protect you from fires and electric shock!
If your meter box and switchboard are old and made of wood, they more than likely contain ASBESTOS!
Imagine if your old meter box caught fire, it would be hard to contain if made from timber and would spread through the rest of your property.
Peace of Mind Electrical install a range of metal fabricated meter enclosures, specifically engineered to suit the Service and Installation Rules (SIR) of SA based Electricity Distributors. There are a different range of meter boxes designed for single domestic installations. We also have Group Metering and Commercial Metering products available.
They are now made from steel with a cable entry, which you can close to give a better fire barrier, to contain the fire in the meter box and prevent it from spreading through the property.
The meter will be installed in an accessible place for easy meter reading.
The switchboard will only be able to install new circuit breakers and safety switches, giving the best circuit protection on the market.
Upgrading your meter box would also mean you would have a new earth stake and new main earth, giving you better protection throughout your property.


The La Quinta Inn Jacksonville Mandarin San Jose is conveniently located off I-295 in the suburbs of Mandarin, just minutes from the Jacksonville Navy Air Station. Do not miss area attractions like the Museum of Science & History. Enjoy a variety of nearby restaurants, including a few within walking distance, and shopping at Avenues and Orange Park Malls. In just a short drive, reach Jacksonville Beach and the beaches of St. Augustine. The sports and entertainment venues of Alltel Stadium are only 10 miles. The hotel is not far from Orange Park Medical Center and Baptist Hospital.Enjoy a delicious free Bright Side Breakfast™ each morning in the lobby along with your copy of USA Today. Hotel services include a guest laundry facility and a 24-front desk with available fax/copy services. When you are ready to kick back, take a plunge in a sparkling outdoor pool or grab an energizing workout in the fitness center.All rooms have secure interior corridor entrances. Rooms feature voicemail, coffeemakers, iron with boards, free high-speed Internet access, hairdryers, and cable TV with in-room movies and video games.


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Q: Is there any way to get information about the latest automatic backup of my android app? I've already implemented the autoBackup feature (I didn't implement a BackupAgent) in my Android app following the indications I've found in the Android Developers documentation (https://developer.android.com/guide/topics/data/autobackup#define-device-conditions)
I've also tested the backup and restore following this page (https://developer.android.com/guide/topics/data/testingbackup) and it seems that is all working fine!
But now I would also like to show some information about the size or the date of the last backup made, in the settings of my app, so that I can inform the user (something similar to what you can see by going to the Whatsapp settings where it talks about the backup of the chats).
Example: WhatsApp Backup information
Is there any way to get this kind of information? thanks

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


All natural color for this blue-eyed dragon who hangs or sits with fiery breath. Wings of rough Pen shell, neck of orange Jingle shell, a tail of auger and cerith shell, and body of Spiny Jewel Box. Her teeth are fossilized sharks teeth and her gnarly visage incorporates barnacles and other shell.


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Projects & Passions
Groundbreaking & Fun
IT'S MY MISSION
TO HELP MANKIND GROW INTO
IT'S FULL POTENTIAL
10^9th Exponential Technologies
Global impact conferences
"The only way you multiply resources is with technology. To really affect poverty, energy, health, education, or anything else – there is no other way."
Eiso Vaandrager, MSc, MBA, has invested into and / or started more than 30 companies in a broad range of industries, geographies, and transaction types, and has been an active advisor, board observer or shareholder in many of these investments.
Eiso has been an entrepreneur and inventor for as long as he can remember. Questioning basically everything and taking on whatever seemed odd around his parent's house, challenging the status quo became his second nature.
His strong dyslexia influenced Eiso's school years, challenging him to adapt and persevere even though his strong visual-spatial learning style wasn't recognized or supported in the school system he was in. He succeeded nonetheless, graduating from Delft University of Technology where he mastered in Industrial Design Engineering (MSc., 2004).
A visionary at heart, Eiso takes on ambitious projects that are in support of his mission to 'help mankind grow into it's full potential'.
Through his personal foundation 10^9th, exponential technology & social impact, Eiso is active in many exponential technologies, including Cleantech, Robotics, Blockchain, Space and VR. He organises and supports countless projects that support social change.
Eiso's endeavours range from co-starting the very first Dutch solar car team ever – and proceeding to beat a team of 100 Honda engineers with a small team of 8 students in the prestigious World Solar Challenge (World Championship 2001) to organizing a TEDx-event in Mount Everest's Advanced Base Camp, thus spreading ideas even in the most remote of areas.
Recently, he founded an exoskeleton team at Delft University that designed and build an exoskeleton to give paraplegics back the ability to stand up and walk, to overcome obstacles they face in daily life and communicate on eye level again. Eiso is currently working to bring the first ever bionic championship for advanced assisted devices to the Netherlands in 2017.
His professional life is dedicated to his personal mission as well.
For over a decade, his focus was on clean tech, first as an entrepreneur and since 2009 as an investor, after attaining his MBA from Erasmus University (Rotterdam) and HAAS School of Management (Berkeley).
Eiso Vaandrager currently lives in Amsterdam with his wife Rosalie and their daughter and son.
"First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win."
− Mahatma Gandhi
"When something is important enough, you do it even if the odds are not in your favor."
− Elon Musk
"Optimism is a responsibility"
− Wubbo Ockels
"The ones who are crazy enough to believe they can change the world are the ones who do."
− Steve Jobs
© 2020 Eiso Vaandrager.


Sandals - Your auction place for New and "Experienced" Outdoors Gear!
Your auction place for New and "Experienced" Outdoors Gear!
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Conway Last Updated: 2 hours ago | 23 April 19 | Same day service in Conway with heart and soul. Trust, quality and experience you can rely on.
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23 April 19 Everything you need to know about Gordon Renovations in Conway. Imagine years of enjoyment from quality that stands the test of time and get the job done by Gordon Renovations with great expertise and attention to detail in Conway. Gordon Renovations is here to answer your questions in Conway.


Neeraj Sharda and Sudhanshu Goyal who are management graduates from Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta have joined hands and launched two initiatives as part of their broad vision of transforming the offline advertising market. Their first solution is Chikoop which is an audio mobile marketing solution for all phones, while, their second initiative, 8Hoarding is a venture leading the change in the way outdoor advertising industry works in India. It leverages big data intelligence, sophisticated mathematical models and inputs of advertising veterans to help brands select outdoor media for their campaigns.
"Indian businesses are adopting to the online way of doing things and rightly so, but in a country like ours one cannot really discard the offline ways so early. They still hold the key to success given we leverage the power of technology and big data analytics to make them smarter", says Sharda, co-founder and CSO at the venture.
Chikoop enables brands to market to their target audience by placing ads during free calls. Since the solution works on all phones with or without internet, it promises to give brands access to 90% of the people in India. Higher than TV, Radio, Print and Online put together. It is an audio mobile marketing solution for all phones and it leverages patented technology to provide users with quality of telecom calls without internet and without any top ups. Also they can get information about relevant products and deals & avail them through the platform.
"There are two ways to launch a successful venture: delivering MVP with focus on quick initial traction or work out the product in detail before looking to grow. We chose the second path as we see hundreds of startups everyday making debut with a weak offering and fading away in a short span of time. We believe that more than the early mover's advantage, it is about delivering a masterpiece which users fall in love with", said Goyal, co-founder and CEO about the venture.
8Hoardng is solution helps analyze outdoor media with the help of several heat maps and proprietary methods for estimating daily impressions, views and relevance for the brand. Now brands need not blindly pick media for their campaign or depend on third Party agencies rather they can analyze, compare and book outdoor online on their own and boost their campaign ROI.
"This is just the beginning. We have identified a number of opportunities in offline marketing, each having a highly attractive market. We are ambitious and have sketched out a long-run roadmap to address them," added Goyal.


Despite the universal love of Redbook, Dancing with the Starts, and criticizing you, all moms are not the same at all, so below is a compiled list of great restaurants with awesome brunches, which are suitable for taking your at-least-somewhat-unique mom to this Mother's Day.
Get as adventurous as your mom did in college at this Gowanus indoor/outdoor destination. This is where you can snag venison tartare, fried eggs w/ testa, and steak, egg & cheese biscuits.
You didn't become a doctor like your brother, you're not married, and the chance of grandchildren is very unlikely. But you are making money, so why not treat Mom to a big, fancy, impressive brunch at The NoMad, where you'll enjoy eating on a very serious $26 chicken sandwich with black truffles and foie gras, together with a $37 beef dish adorned with tomato confit and fried bone marrow.
Your mom is a little panicky about coming into the city. She hates grime and has mixed feelings about rats, but mostly thinks they're gross, so you'll probably want to take her over to David Burke. The chances are that she's familiar with him through his cookbook and spot at Bloomingdale's, so she'll feel safe at DBK, while you double-fist "beer-naise"-topped lobster Benedict and a Waffle Grand Slam with sausage, bacon, and grilled pineapple.
Everyone is always telling you how cool your mom is. Now it's time to pay her back for all those 30-packs of Red Dog she bought you by taking her to the renowned party brunch at this Meatpacking pleasure dome, with all its sparklers, champagne, and whole roasted chickens.


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4×18 – "A Dark Knight: That's Entertainment" synopsis
The synopsis for episode 18 of "Gotham" season 4 has been released and is available below. As usual, since we've yet to see the episodes just before this one, it contains some spoilers.
CATCH ME IF YOU CAN ON AN ALL-NEW "GOTHAM" THURSDAY, APRIL 12, ON FOX
The Arkham inmates are still running freely in Gotham and they're only getting more difficult to catch. Gordon develops a plan, but reluctantly has to turn to Bruce for help. Meanwhile, Barbara finds out just how far her new friends are willing to go for her in the all-new "A Dark Knight: That's Entertainment" episode of GOTHAM airing Thursday, April 12 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. (GTH-418) (TV-14 L, V)
Cast: Ben McKenzie as Detective James Gordon, Donal Logue as Harvey Bullock, David Mazouz as Bruce Wayne, Morena Baccarin as Leslie Thompkins, Sean Pertwee as Alfred, Robin Lord Taylor as The Penguin, Erin Richards as Barbara Kean, Camren Bicondova as Selina Kyle/the future Catwoman, Cory Michael Smith as Edward Nygma/the Riddler, Jessica Lucas as Tabitha Galavan, Chris Chalk as Lucius Fox, Drew Powell as Butch Gilzean/Solomon Grundy, Alexander Siddig as Ra's Ah Ghul
Guest Cast: David W. Thompson as Scarecrow, Benedict Samuel as Jervis Tetch, Cameron Monaghan as Jerome Valeska, Michelle Veintimilla as Firefly, Nathan Darrow as Mr. Freeze, Shiva Kalaiselvan as Lelia, Peter McRobbie as Mayor Holden Pritchard
Source: TheFutonCritic.com
Mar 22, 2018 | In: Bruce Wayne, David Mazouz, Episode Synopses, Season 4 | 0 comment(s)
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Tag Archives: Gandalf
Octoberween Eight: The Quest for Vibes
It certainly has been a year. Full of ups and downs. Maybe too many downs, but some absolutely stellar ups: Weddings, engagements, scented candles, reasonably priced fancy cheeses…an immeasurable wealth of riches amidst a real doozy of a time to be living through history*. I know what you're asking yourself: "How, in these certainly uncertain…
October 1, 2021 in Octoberween, Valuable Information, World's Greatest Boss.
What About Second Breakfast? A Fifteen-Year Retrospective on 'The Fellowship of the Ring'
On December 19th, 2001—that is to say, exactly fifteen years ago from the day after this article's publication—The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring started playing in cinemas around the world. I was nine… and a bit. Despite its PG-13 rating for "Intense battle sequence and some scary images," I did see…
December 18, 2016 in Movie Review.
Second Breakfast Jumps the Shark
Okay. Here's the thing. As some of you may know, I have been watching and reviewing a lot of bad fantasy movies lately, mostly from the 1980s. Now… I can't fully explain what possessed me to follow that course of action, but it happened, alright? There I am, watching the likes of Dragonslayer, The Sword…
May 15, 2016 in Second Breakfast.
Second Breakfast: The Battle of the Five Armies
Peter Jackson has spent some time in Middle-earth, producing six movies and oceans of profit, and fostering more childhoods than he could have anticipated. The Fellowship of the Ring hit theaters in 2001, thirteen years ago. Feel old yet? If you don't, that's because you're too young, and you missed The Lord of the Rings…
December 21, 2014 in Movie Review, Second Breakfast.
Second Breakfast: Everything Wrong with the 'Battle of the Five Armies' Trailer
I'm going to cut right to the chase here: Peter Jackson, what are you doing? I've never done a trailer review before, but I feel like it's sort of necessary here. In the last two years, Jackson's come out with two installments of a prequel trilogy that should have been one movie. This December, he'll…
August 3, 2014 in Movie Review, Second Breakfast.
Second Breakfast: The Lego Movie Is Perfect
The few, the proud, the "those with nothing better to do" among you probably know by now that I always begin my articles with a completely pointless introductory paragraph before I approach my obligatory plot summary. Not this time, folks. I'm reviewing The Lego Movie this week and I cannot postpone my excitement. I'm getting…
February 9, 2014 in Movie Review, Second Breakfast, Valuable Information.
Second Breakfast: The 10 Best Changes Peter Jackson Made to 'The Lord of the Rings'
Well, I did it. I finally read all of The Lord of the Rings in one go, cover-to-cover. I've been a fan of the series for actually most of my life, and though I'd read scattered bits and pieces that amounted to a majority of the book, I'd never just read the whole thing from…
July 7, 2013 in Movie Review, Second Breakfast.
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CCTV appeal following hate crime in Clayton Square, Liverpool
Detectives investigating a hate crime in Liverpool City Centre last month are issuing CCTV images of men they believe may have information that could assist their enquiries.
At around 4.45pm on Monday 18 October we received a report that a man had been assaulted on Cases Street, near Clayton Square, outside Cooper's Pub.
It was reported that three males approached the victim and directed racist slurs towards him.
The males were reported to have followed the victim into Clayton Square and hit him several times across the head, while using further racist language.
Following the incident, the males were reported to have made off on foot in the direction of Central Station.
The victim was left with injuries which required hospital treatment and he was left extremely shaken by the incident.
CCTV and witness enquiries are ongoing to identify those responsible, and detectives are now issuing images to help identify men they would like to speak to about the incident.
Detective Inspector Steve O'Neill said: "It is appalling that, in 2021 someone could be subject to such vile racist abuse.
"Hate will not be tolerated in any form by Merseyside Police and we are working to find those responsible for this incident and bring them to justice.
"I am appealing to anyone featured in these images, or anyone who recognises them, to come forward. We believe they could hold vital information to our continuing enquiries.
"Similarly, if you were in Clayton Square at the time of the incident and saw anything, then please let us know.
"You can contact us directly or anonymously via Crimestoppers - however you choose to let us know, please come forward."
Anyone with information is asked to contact Merseyside Police social media desk via Twitter @MerPolCC or Facebook Merseyside Police Contact Centre with reference 21000724582. You can also call 101 or contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously, on 0800 555 111 or via their online form at: https://crimestoppers-uk.org/give-information/give-information.
If you wish to report a hate crime, but don't want to call the police in the first instance, across Merseyside, there are a number of third-party reporting centres available. These include the charity Stop Hate UK who can be contacted on 0800 138 1625. Support networks such as the Anthony Walker Foundation also provide emotional support, practical assistance, and information to anyone requesting help.