#but i think if i really had my way i'd go back to 197 | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

bookaddict24-7 · 6 months

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REVIEWS OF THE WEEK!

Books I’ve read so far in 2023!

Friend me on Goodreads here to follow my more up to date reading journey for the year!

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196. The Alien by K.A. Applegate--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was such an interesting perspective! I wasn't expecting it a few books back and was curious how Applegate would tackle it, especially since we know so little about the character. It definitely added a new pov to the story and I'm excited to see how they are represented in the future after more time has passed and more character development has happened!

I can't say too much because spoilers. But I am genuinely enjoying this series and can't wait to get to the next one!

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197. The Grip Of It by Jac Jemc--⭐️⭐️

If there is one thing this confusing and jarring book did really well, it is the representation of what it might be like to slowly fall into madness. The way the characters worked off each other in their madness and the way the dialogue and chapters worked together to create a choppy and disorienting dialogue was genius.

What wasn't so genius was how confused I was most of the time. There are so many unanswered questions and the story is full of confusing moments. I know that Horror can sometimes truly be a hit or miss and that one person's horror won't be another, but this is the kind of horror that should probably be read more than once to fully grasp just what the hell is actually happening.

I will say that while the structure of the story definitely works in creating the mood of the story, listening to the audiobook was an interesting and frustrating experience. The chapters would end rather abruptly and would often leave me wondering what had just happened.

Overall, this book was everything I was expecting, but also underwhelming in its over-all presentation. It was wild and so brain twisting. I don't know if I'd recommend it, but if I did, I'd recommend reading it slowly and maybe more than once LOL.

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198. The Island by Adrian McKinty--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

THE ISLAND was both exactly what I was hoping it would be and still completely different than what I was expecting. I knew it was going to be a ride, but I wasn't prepared for the level of wildness that this book would adopt.

Imagine that you're on vacation with your new husband and his children, shortly after those kids' biological mother has passed away. You're in a country you know close to nothing about (Australia) and being the tourists who should be featured in a horror film, you find yourselves on a small, private island being chased by a trigger happy and aggrieved family. What ensues is something straight out of Hollywood.

I saw this as a cautionary tale for "actions have consequences" and while yes, the consequences here are dire, we have to admit that the catalyst for this was heartbreaking. I think McKinty does a good job of showcasing the dangers of grief and the magic of morally grey characters. Let's be real, the MC and her husband are no saints. They do a pretty twisted thing in order to save their asses and while yes, I was rooting for them and the kids, a corner of my mind couldn't forget the awfulness of their choices.

If you're a parent, this might be a little bit of a rougher read since it does include younger kids in dangerous situations. We get to see an MC who grows as a character in order to make sure these kids survive, but I know some parents, especially those who have younger kids, might have a harder time with stories like this one. Keeping that warning in mind, there were some pretty badass moments, but also some very human ones, as well.

I really enjoyed this and I'm glad I finally picked it up!

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199. Aesthetica by Allie Rowbottom--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

AESTHETICA was a lot and to be honest, I think that's necessary in the world we live in. So many young people obsessed with social media and their appearance on those apps are incredibly impressionable. What can help them be more famous? What can make them look more beautiful? The exploration of beauty standards and how they affect a young woman, in particular, and those around her can be relatable to at least one reader.

I think that Rowbottom's book is also a great look into generational trauma because of how the MC's mother raised her and how she herself had a level of dislike towards her mom that is a whole other side to this book. While we have the clear main story of the MC regretting the choices she made and dealing with that trauma, we also have her disentangling her love/hate relationship for her ill mother.

AESTHETICA was brought to my attention by an article presenting it as a horror story. In some ways, I can understand that. There is a certain kind of horror behind the trauma of selling yourself in the name of success. There is definitely a particular kind of horror in wanting to face all of the trauma you've faced, to the point where you're set on undoing everything that is the physical proof of that trauma.

Though this is a relatively short book, I think it carries a lot of weight. We see the power of social media and a naive mentality. We see the dangers of those who present themselves in a certain way. And we see the sometimes incredibly complex relationships between mothers and daughters and how deeply entwined these relationships and our own self worth can be. Also, a brief mention on the power of childhood friendships and how they can scar us if they end too soon, or shift in any way that is beyond our control.

I'd recommend this if you want a bit of an acid trip of an exploration into the above mentioned topics.

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200. Icebreaker by Hannah Grace--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

RE-READ: September 2023:

My library got the audiobook version, so of course I HAD to put a hold on it. I was a little scared I wouldn't love this book as much as I did the first time around, but I'm happy to say that I DID! ICEBREAKER is still one of my favourite romances, if only because of the level of communication between the characters. I also forgot how spicy and full of sexual tension this book was.

Overall, super happy I re-read this. Maybe it'll be a yearly re-read. 😌

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201. Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer by John Grisham--⭐️⭐️⭐️

There's something interesting about an older man writing a young kid--especially when his MC mentions in the book that at 13 years old, boys don't even notice girls and actively try to stay away from them. LOL. I actually laughed at that because I was thirteen over twenty years ago and I distinctly remember that not being the case. I just thought that was hilarious and felt super disconnected. Not that I want a romance story in a middle grade book, but just...let's be real. And I mention this first because it happens pretty early on.

Anyway, the MC was a pretty cool kid--he knows everyone and even has a little side gig where he gives advice to his classmates. His smart take on the current case and his enthusiasm jumps off the page. I'm not sure how I will feel about the rest of the series, but we will see!

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202. Misery by Stephen King--⭐️⭐️⭐️

I went into MISERY knowing that it's a fan favourite. I don't know what I was expecting, but I was a bit let-down. I think that while I did enjoy some aspects of this book and was genuinely freaked out at times, this kind of fell into the same category of THE SHINING for me. When I read THE SHINING, it was incredibly hyped up and even though it DID have a terrifying take on the fall of madness, it was otherwise meh for me.

One of the best things that King does with his writing (or at least back them) was his creation of madness in a character. He somehow knows how to take the most terrifying characteristics of humanity and integrates them really well into his characters. The brutality of this villain was something else, especially when we actively see her professing her love for the MC and then causing him bodily harm.

I think one of the downfalls for me in my reading experience of this was listening to the audiobook. It was disjointed and confused the hell out of me. Maybe physically reading it would have been a wholly different experience, but the disorientation of the audiobook could have either freaked me out or confused me and sadly, it was the latter.

Not my favourite King novel, but I can see why so many love it. Will continue on my reading journey with King's books.

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203. Natural Beauty by Ling Ling Huang--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Phew, this book was weird and wild and hooked me right from the beginning.

Huang explores so many topics in her skin crawling novel: Racism, social perception of beauty, the addiction the wealthy sometimes have when it comes to "self-care", unexplored sexuality, envy, and SA in the most unusual of ways but could also be an allusion to how the rich can sometimes use money when it comes to getting away with sexual crimes.

I never expected body horror when I picked up NATURAL BEAUTY, but here we are. I remember when that started to show up in the narrative, along with the changing physical body of the MC, I paused what I was doing (while listening to the audiobook) and became even more enthralled. This was such a creepy and genius exploration of societal expectations and the things people will sometimes do to be either "different" or "like everyone else".

There's also an interesting sub-story about the MC's experiences as a child musical prodigy and how that definitely played into her malleability as a victim for the people who would eventually take advantage of her. It definitely played into the stereotypes society has about young Asian children when it comes to classical music.

And somewhere along the way, as the MC is evolving (both metaphorically AND physically), she starts to discovery a side to her sexuality never fully explored. During these scenes, it truly reminded me of the "will they/won't they" that usually accompanies blossoming sexuality--the "I want this, but do I really? But should I? Do THEY want to?" narrative that usually flashes through our minds when we're right on the verge of making that exploration.

Anyway, I'm just rambling now. I really enjoyed this, much more than I thought I would because this book was WEIRD. Like, mind-bending weird. And if it was ever made into a movie, I'd be watching it with the biggest side-eye.

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Have you read any of these books? Let me know your thoughts!

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Happy reading!

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cloudycera · 1 year

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I posted 396 times in 2022

That's 173 more posts than 2021!

268 posts created (68%)

128 posts reblogged (32%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@jasontoddsguns

@cloudycera

@079soren

@rillette

@penny-anna

I tagged 308 of my posts in 2022

Only 22% of my posts had no tags

#dc dcomics - 206 posts

#billy batson - 202 posts

#dc heroes - 197 posts

#justice league - 188 posts

#shazam - 168 posts

#captain marvel - 157 posts

#fanart - 84 posts

#art - 83 posts

#doodle - 66 posts

#mybillybatsonart - 61 posts

Longest Tag: 101 characters

#it turns out that the quickest ways to make me care about a ship are a) parallels and b)making it bad

My Top Posts in 2022:

Superman: Maybe it's better if we leave you out if certain missions.

Billy: Why?

Superman: *Sigh* Son, You might not be handle it.

Billy: Maybe not but i can handle your mom.

Superman: Excuse me.

Billy: You're right, You're mom's a lovely lady why go to space when I hang out with her.

Superman: Billy-

Billy: Maybe after that we can talk about how you're the strongest man on earth but you disappoint your wife at every turn.

Superman: What does tha-

Billy: Welp have fun let's talk more once you get back.

786 notes - Posted March 29, 2022

Do you like being a hero?

805 notes - Posted April 10, 2022

Ya ever think about the sheer collapse of the Captain Marvel Stans in the DC universe if they ever found out he was a child, like the amount of people about to delete their thirst traps and simp posts would shatter the Internet.

The fighting would be crazy.

And Meanwhile the guy in question has had his phone on silent since 2016 and doesn't know how to download twitter.

880 notes - Posted October 29, 2022

A little treat for traumatising yall.

The Billy Gremlin and Batfam interactions, Billy's like a year younger than Tim and a couple years older than Damian.

*Justice league mission where Billy is just exploring the Batcave.*

Billy: I never noticed the Giant Coin. You'd think I'd notice the Giant coin, me of all people.

Flash: Why does Billy get to be in the Batcave but not me?

Batman: The energy surges happening all over the country have hospitals in critical state, I need you to stand by incase of emergency.

Billy: That means "Cause you're annoying."

Flash: Brat.

Batman: No, it doesn't, why are you here Captain?

Billy: Hmmm...why am I here?

Damian: You came in ecstatic about something till Alfred offered you cookies.

Billy: Kid when you're old enough you'll understand the importance of a good cookie when the world is in danger.

Damian: You are 2 years older than me.

Billy: And?

Batman: Get to the Point.

Billy: Oh yeah I have a lead on the energy surges thing, the leylines are being fucked with.

Batman: How can you tell?

Billy: Anyone with a connection to magic is also connected to The Leylines, their like magic radio towers, the signal naturally fluctuates every century that way everything stays in tune and doesn't clash.

Batman: What does this have to do with the Power?

Billy: That means the election magnetic waves electricity has clashes with the Laylines signals as well, Captain Marvel has a natural electrical field around him so I noticed it really quick.

Batman: So if we find the interference we fix the problem.

Billy: Yup.

Batman: Why did you come all the way here to tell me this?

Billy: I wanted to see my favourite little Robin.

Damian: I'M 2 YEARS YOUNGER THAN YOU DON'T TREAT ME LIKE A CHILD PEASEANT.

Billy: In your dreams, I'm here to see Tim.

Tim: Me why?

Billy: I need to borrow you for something since you're the smartest person I know.

Batman:.......

Dick: I think you hurt his feelings.

See the full post

1,257 notes - Posted April 12, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Hot Take: Superman and Billy batson wouldn't like each other for a long time but after a while they become good friends, they'd fight a lot more than you'd expect cause Clark is like the only functional parent in the league and Billy doesn't vibe well with functional.

Billy wouldn't understand that Clark isn't undermining him but is only concerned for his wellbeing.

And Clark wouldn't understand that enough people have made it impossible for Billy to trust that narrative and the way he goes about it makes it worse.

1,955 notes - Posted March 20, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

#tumblr2022 #year in review #my 2022 tumblr year in review #your tumblr year in review #false

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trashlie · 2 years

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New Aegi hug on the anniversary of Ep151 hug and it starts snowing because Symbolism baby!!! 🤗🤗🤗🥰

Didn't Quimchee say she wanted to show how everyone's memories are not 100% reliable due to their own implicit biases and trauma? Thus creating inconsistencies in the flashbacks. I wonder what other purpose Maya's flashback serves. She's the third party in this situation having observed the two of them and will probably play a role in resolving their drama. The thought of Alyssa and Nol both hurting Shinae to protect her kills me!!!! You are galaxy brain girl! 🤯 Yes, I think this recollection will be a huge revelation for Shinae. She's not at fault for putting her trust in others. She can have faith in humanity even if it feels like the world is against her. I think this will help her become the supportive friend she aspires to be. Whatever comes from their exchange, I really want Nol to gain insight from Shinae to never give up hope in the goodness in people Kousuke like Shinae did.

As for Kousuke, my theory is that after the flashback, he will go to the party to talk to Shinae. She called him and we don't know what he said to her regarding Nol. Maybe he wants to make up an explanation. (There's also Rand's speech on TV that may be important storywise for him to watch. Perhaps Rand will reword it to send a message to both him and Nol.) On his way there, I think he will witness them reconciling. It was talked about on twitter that there could be a parallel to the end of Ep18 where Kousuke was watching them exchange phone numbers from a balcony. It would be a really nice touch for the story circle back to the moment when all three of them intertwined their lives together but with Nolan this time instead of Yeonggi.

I definitely wanted to answer this earlier this week before this episode went up but WELP I clearly did not do that lol but bear with me! I loooooooove this ask; you brought up something I LOVE to talk about! (Spoiler alert: I love to talk about everything lmao)

God I forgot Shinae had said she wants to give Nol a hug haha imagine actually getting that wauw! I'm not really holding my breath for it given how things currently are but I would love that. BOOKENDS!!!!! A parting hug and a reunited hug!!!! From rain to snow!!!!!! GOD that's beautiful!

Didn't Quimchee say she wanted to show how everyone's memories are not 100% reliable due to their own implicit biases and trauma?

BINGO BINGO BINGO Even though 197 made me pause and contemplate what I'd written before it came out, I still think this is worth examining, and this goes for all flashbacks. We've seen it most heavily with Nol and Kousuke, of course, where Kousuke's censored Nol's mom in his own memories, and the way Yui appears in Nol's recollection, but yes, I think we are supposed to acknowledge that in all memories or recollections, we are not seeing the whole story, or even necessarily the way things happened. In fact, even after episode 197, I think a lot of this still stands, because something important to glean from Shinae's memories is that what happened with her and Alyssa was not simply between her and Alyssa. There's a number of extenuating circumstances and forces that influence their choices and behavior. If it was solely between Alyssa and Shinae, maybe it would have turned out differently, but given that we know Alyssa is a character with different wants and needs than Shinae, who is affected differently than Shinae by the bullying the image others have created for her, it's no surprise that she makes the choices she does, right? I think you know well enough that when I say this I'm not excusing her behavior, but sometimes I like to reiterate this lol. At the end of the day, Shinae can only remember the way she was influenced and affected; especially if Alyssa isn't forthcoming about things, she's not privy Alyssa's side of the story, to why she did the things she did or made the choices she did. In Shinae's view, it's always going to be something confusing that she didn't quite understand, and may still not understand after all.

Yes, I think this recollection will be a huge revelation for Shinae. She's not at fault for putting her trust in others. She can have faith in humanity even if it feels like the world is against her.

This is what I hope for, as well! One of the most important lessons for Shinae to learn is that no matter how it feels, she is still the one in control of her own life, that she's not fighting against some kind of karmic destiny; the cards are just stacked against her. Because of how Alyssa hurt her, she built these walls and convinced herself that people could only let her down, but even though Nol did let her down, she's also learned that's not true. There are people like Minhyuk and Dieter who have never let her down. There are people like Rika and Maya who let her down but made it up to her and resolved to start over and do better. I think seeing herself in Nol will help her view her past through a new kind of clarity and understanding that she is always responsible for her choices. Does she want to stay locked inside of her self-built prison, to never again give anyone chance and lie to herself all the time again? Or does she want to embrace what she really wants and face her fears? No one can change over night, and Shinae will still take time to grow, but I think - or maybe I just hope - that seeing each other in one and other will help Nol and Shinae climb out of those very deep holes they're currently stuck in.

Tangential, but this is absolutely something I love about Shinae, because once upon a time I also had very similar ideas, though not nearly as deeply rooted. It's so easy to tell yourself that people suck and will always let you down. There's a sort of comfort in it, because once you start to think otherwise, you have to reckon with questions like "If people don't inherently suck, then why did this person hurt me?" which is sometimes even more uncomfortable, right? Shinae has been hurt by a lot of people and acknowledging that they hurt her by choice, not because that's just human nature, can make those instances feel even more painful. But again, that's something I hope she will come away from this flashback with - that even though she's been hurt, there are still those who DON'T want to hurt her, those who will see her for all that she really is. Minhyuk, for instance, is pointedly juxtaposed against Alyssa in that one is willing to throw her under the bus in order to save face and get what she wants and the other is willing to stand up for her despite what others will think of him.

And like you, I want Nol to come to this same conclusion, too - that there are people worth investing in, people worth fighting against the universe for, people worth letting down your guard and sharing a part of your heart. Despite knowing that Soushi is "working for Kousuke", I think it's safe to still say that, like Shinae, Dieter and Soushi have proven to be people who do care about Nol and his friendship, who appreciate what he's done for him, and are willing to fight for him, too. And, yes, I think there's also some kind of hope that one day he and Kousuke can.... reconcile? Make peace is probably the better word lol. Like Nol, Kousuke has been dealt his own circumstances, and I hope that Kousuke will come to see beyond them and maybe, you know, deal with all his trauma lol. I'm really, really looking forward to seeing what comes of their futures, actually.

The thought of Alyssa and Nol both hurting Shinae to protect her kills me!!!!

I find myself already questioning this one, as much as I really want it to be true lol just based on 197 because SIGH Alyssa is Alyssa lol. I think.... there's still two different forces affecting Alyssa and she's trying to control them in her own way but this is something I'll have to come back to again sometime. I think it would be fun if I was on to something, because I do love the idea that in the same way Shinae is a foil to Alyssa regarding their individual relationships with Nol, I'd LOVE to see Nol as a parallel to Alyssa regarding Shinae. We already see hints of it, in which they both have been people to "cause" (used loosely here lol) a fall that resulted in a head injury to Shinae, both having betrayed her trust and affection. I guess if it turns out I'm wrong, then we get to see Nol and Alyssa foiled, in that one made choices for their own benefit and the other made choices for Shinae's benefit? I guess that's something we'll have to revisit one day!

I know it's very naive of me, but I'm constantly hoping there's more to Alyssa and Shinae's past, because why else would we see it played out in such a long-drawn-out format, when we could have used what we already knew? I guess, again, part of it is illuminating that no situation is as simple as it appears - that Alyssa is pitted with what she wants against what she has, and that she makes choices based on those external factors, like validation and how others perceive her, compared to someone like Shinae who has learned that she'd rather have a real friend that someone who fakes it. But... idk. I guess I'm constantly holding out hope there's something more, and I feel like the implications of the bullying in 196 DO give us a little more insight to things. Maybe that's the straw that broke the camel's back, something she wants to guard so strongly that she snaps and falls apart?

(I think this is a good time to remind us of Alyssa's parallels with Kousuke, how they both reach a point where they can no longer control the narrative and snap, passionately reacting in anger. Alyssa has been cornered and despite doing everything she can to shake this association she was "saddled" with, she's failing to do just that. This is something I think I'll get into in another post, but essentially, I think we're seeing that Alyssa was driven into a corner and behaved much like Kousuke does when he's also driven into a corner; she found a way to take control her own way, and it bore consequences against others.)

It would be a really nice touch for the story circle back to the moment when all three of them intertwined their lives together but with Nolan this time instead of Yeonggi.

Oh ILOVE this, I love this a lot and I did not even consider it at all lol. Frankly I am not sure what Kousuke is going to get up to, but since Yujing drove them all, it's not like he's going to drive himself back, short of hailing a taxi, which is a possibility! But aaahhh the idea of going ALL THE WAY FULL CIRCLE is !!!!!!!!!! Extremely up my alley lol. Also just RIGHT paralleling the beginning of it all? DELICIOUS!!!!! I've already talked at great length about how this is clearly a new beginning for Nol and Shinae, in that he made his decision to return, that the act of climbing up to meet her is a conscious choice and not for the sake of closure, I'm pretty sure. So the idea of Kousuke seeing them making up (ESPECIALLY now that Shinae knows Kousuke had interfered in their relationship!!!), with Nol truly himself, not a fake version of himself, is absolutely delightful.

I know once upon a time, quim said there was a panel in the first so many episodes of ILY that revealed the relationship between Nol, Kousuke, and Shinae, and it's essentially believed to be one wherein Nol is walking away from everyone and Shinae is being taken away by Kousuke. I wonder if it's likely that what we now get to see is a conscious choice against that - where yes, once upon a time, Yeonggi was someone who walked away from his friends, but now Nol is going to be making his own choices? Again, I have to reiterate that this entire reunion arc doesn't feel like it's simply for closure, otherwise why dedicate so much build up and climax to it, you know? There doesn't feel like an air of finality to it as much as an air of a beginning. One, again, with fewer secrets, no masks, and equal footing. One where maybe this time Kousuke does not hold all the cards, where Shinae is more forthright and assertive, and where Nol, hopefully, is more considerate of his choices?

There's a whole tangent here we could get into about what this means for Kousuke, too - to have less control over the people he's been trying to keep a handle on, in addition to the fact that Nol is facing him more squarely. We already saw at Alyssa's agency's party how very thrown off balance he was by... well, everything lol. I think that's going to be something that affects more than just this moment, but that's something we stand yet to see, I think!

Again, something I continue to reiterate is that I believe this reunion is absolutely setting us up for the dynamics these characters will have when we reach our Big Time Skip, so the idea of this being a bookend to how Nol and Shinae first "became friends" (under the guise of Nol's mask as Yeonggi, never intending to be true friends, watched over by Kousuke) to a true friendship and alliance forming where Kousuke holds less control... POWERFUL. Thank you for bringing that concept to my attention, I'm going to fixate on it all night long now!

#I Love Yoo #ILY Brainrot #Shinae Yoo #Nolan Oliver T. Lochlainn #Nol #Alyssa Cho #Kousuke Hirahara #i skirted around spoilers again so I don't think this needs a spoiler tag lol #I'm trying to save all my more spoilery thoughts for a better more cohesive post but i'm also like should i just wait for this arc to end?#i think we have one more post to this flashback unless there's any way to stretch out what remains so?#i just have a LOT of thoughts about alyssa and co and i wanna yell about them #but look i just have a lot of thoughts period at any given time so who is really surprised #anyway as always i am a suCKEEERRRRRRRRRRRRRRR for parallels so THANK YOU for bringing these up to me #PARALELLS. BOOKENDS.#god bookends are especially good because i have never in my life been a crafty enough storyteller to utilize them #just always here screaming into the night about nol and shinae starting over their friendship for real as friends. so good to me

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patches-bitsandbobs · 7 months

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started: 10/10/2023: Giovanni's diary entries, from the 60's, all the way until he meets his new best friend in the 90's. (warnings for mentions of cancer and death)

196⬛, April (a doodle of a man wearing a beaten looking top hat is at the top of the page) Ben and his buds came in, absolutely sloshed out of their minds. Ben was wearing a stupid, torn up top hat. apparently the fair was packed, all kinds of different booths and little shops this time, which is nice to hear. he looks so ridiculous in it. he's gonna regret it tomorrow - don't think Ben thought ahead to take the day off. he never tends to.

196⬛, April I was right. poor fella looked greener than a pickle. apparently Nicole and the people at work laughed at him the entire time, which I don't doubt at all. decided to grant him mercy and let him nap here, though I don't think the counter was the best place for it. he seemed to appreciate it though. his friends came in later, and we all escorted him back home, and Nicole gave us cookies as thanks. saw the top hat on the table. says he's gonna keep it. they're a funny bunch.

196⬛, May (doodles of flowers litter one corner of the page) Bridget gave me some of her winnings from the fair today. some pins of characters I've never seen before, posters of TV shows, a really comfortable shirt. has a cat face on it. it's cute. I told her she didn't need to give me anything but she insisted, so I gave her cupcakes in return. glad to hear the rich didn't ruin the fair this year. I wish I'd gone. I always miss it when it's good.

197⬛, March a three legged dog keeps ransacking the bins behind the parlour. no idea how it even gets behind there. told Bertha about it. didn't see a collar, so maybe it's a stray? I hope it doesn't go into the forest.

197⬛, June Tala told me a joke that was so funny I laughed for 10 minutes straight. they wouldn't stop staring at me. I don't care. I needed that. now Ben won't stop calling me the "grinning chuckler". as if it's my fault she's so funny.

197⬛, June Jenny said Ben and Richy had an argument the other day, though she doesn't know about what. said she heard Richy make all kinds of threats toward him. that's scary. that man can do anything he wants with all the money he's got. when Ben comes in later, I'll ask if I can help with anything. we need to stick together.

197⬛, August it's like Ben just up and disappeared. he's been nowhere near the parlour, and the gang say they haven't seen him either. Nicole seems absent too, but Tala said she saw her in her house. it makes me nervous.

197⬛, October (the bottom of the paper is covered with doodles and scribbles of birds and dogs) Ben and Nicole still haven't shown up. not like them to dip without a word to anyone, especially Ben. I haven't even seen them out and about! I've been everywhere, searching and asking around, but no ones seen them. I'm worried.

197⬛, November Richie was in a better mood than usual today, which is never a good sign. was gloating and being more arrogant. seemed like he was celebrating something. I wish he'd drop dead already. it started raining after he left. call me superstitious, but I find that when it rains, it's never a good sign.

197⬛, November still no sign of Ben or Nicole, and now June seems absent too. what is going on?

197⬛, December not much happened today. still worried. all I've done is bake all day. made too many cupcakes. thankfully Bertha buys them in bulk, and Triston always stops by for one. I asked if they'd seen anyone. both said no. Bridget says she feels sick and that her legs feel numb. got a bad feeling about all of this.

197⬛, December (there are dried tear marks on the paper) Bridget is getting worse. can barely walk now, can't even leave the house. she keeps her door unlocked for visitors. she looks like she's on deaths door. she isn't even in her 70's yet.

197⬛, January (the margin is covered with doodles) a new year, a new scheme by the rich to try and petition replacing Kings Park for a bingo place again. I'm so glad they're not allowed to do as they wish; they have enough places that belong to them as is. we're lucky we even have the park.

197⬛, January (the margin is covered with doodles of cats and dogs) at least Richy isn't happy anymore.

197⬛, March I'm trying to help as much as I can; house cleaning, shopping, keeping her company. she's bed bound now. can't stand seeing Bridget like this. it's tearing me apart. Jenny helps here and there. we still haven't seen Ben or Nicole. where are they?

197⬛, April June dropped by! her and Jacob are planning for a baby! I'm so happy that living in a wretched place such as this doesn't put couples off from having families. she stayed for hours. wonderful to see her again. was worried something bad had happened to her. gave her cupcakes on the house. she and Jacob were studying about babies at the library, which, hey. at least they're going into the whole thing properly. I didn't even know they had those kinds of books.

197⬛, November Bertha said she caught the stray dog and gave it a bath! should be staying at hers until she can find it a new home. I would take it in but I'm not very good with animals. breaks my heart every time they go.

197⬛, December they haven't been to the parlour in weeks. not like them at all. Tala never misses Milkshake Monday, even when she's sick. I hope they didn't go looking for Ben, but a horrible feeling tel

(a few pages are messily torn out)

198⬛, June its started to rain really hard. been a while since it rained like this, probably decades, if I had to guess. I've been alive a long time at this point. I'm tired.

198⬛, June there's no doubt in my mind that they're all dead. haven't seen Jenny, Tala, nor Loid in months. still nothing of Nicole either. oh, Ben. if only you knew how much we loved you. we could have tried to help with whatever was happening. I wish you hadn't locked yourself away.

198⬛, July (the paper is covered in angry scribbles) I knew Richie had something to do with Bens disappearance. I knew he had something to do with the others. I knew it. lying, slimy bastard. we can't do anything about him. not like we can kill him, we'd be no better than that thing in the forest. wretched man. no idea what happened to Nicole, but I haven't seen her since all those years ago. no idea how she can stay away for this long - this town is so tiny, how is she staying off the radar? we at least know she isn't in the forest. that's at least a positive.

198⬛, February the stray dog Bertha caught a while ago both didn't find a home and managed to escape her place. for having three legs, it sure is quick! said it managed to outrun her and dip behind a fence. feisty little thing.

198⬛, june (there are dried tear marks on the paper) bridget is dead. cancer. she was struggling for years, finally got her. i am not a praying man, but i cant take this heartbreak any longer. i cant bear losing one more person. i have been alive long enough. i am not giving the forest the satisfaction, but all i beg is that something, anything, kills me. please. i want no more of this. i cant handle it anymore.

(a few pages are full of nothing but drawings; tree's, animals, scenery, and flowers)

198⬛, ju jacob visited. dropped off some flowers and a cake june made. that was nice of him. chest still hurts. need to reopen the parlour soon. can't sit around doing nothing all day.

198⬛, sep feeling a tad better, though not by much. it's still hard. i can't keep getting attached, but i can't help it. i made some pizzas and opened the parlour today. have to keep going, i suppose.

198⬛, March a monster walked out of the forest, a cat. turned out to be one of Bertha's rescues, no idea how she could even tell from under the tar. killed four people. was hard to down - a miracle we were even able to. leaked tar everywhere, can't clean it properly, too sticky and thick, none of us want to touch it, even with gloves on. nothing like this has happened before. it's all too sudden. hope that dog doesn't go in next.

198⬛, March a new rule was made, to catch, report, and eradicate anything that comes out of the forest on sight. easier said than done. of course it was devised by the old rich people, the same ones who won't want to deal with it themselves, so they make us do it instead. typical if you ask me. getting sick of it.

198⬛, December (the page is full of doodles of a three legged, spotted dog) I've named the stray dog Ruby. it's getting colder, and it breaks my heart to see her outside in this weather. she visits the bins all the time, and she trusts me enough to let me touch her. she's started coming inside the parlour with me, so I got a doggie bed, and she sleeps in it all the time now. looks like she's had three legs for a long time, but she doesn't look skinny or sick. I think she's a bulldog. have to ask Bertha. it's weird. something feels off about her, and I can't put my finger on why.

199⬛, March boxes have started showing up at the forests entrance. I'm not sure whats in them. no one wants to go near them.

199⬛, March some kids visited and gave me something? I'm not sure what the hell it is. it's weird and made of metal, and if you rotate the handle, the end of it twists? it looks like a whisk got shoved on to a pole, with some mechanical bits slapped on for good measure. they said they found it in those weird boxes. trust the youth to not give a fuck. just glad no monster jumped out at them.

199⬛, March the strange mechanical thing is exactly as I thought - a modified whisk. it's less strenuous than using your hand, makes the mixing a lot easier. I like it.

199⬛, March same group of kids came by and dropped off even more stuff from those boxes. there's all sorts of gadgets and gizmos! I can't wrap my head around them! one looks like a flat box that can flip open, while another looks like a brick! it sketches me out that these came from the forest, but the whisk hasn't turned on me yet, so these must be safe as well. it's not like the forest to be so kind without there being a twist.

199⬛, May (there are dried tear marks on the paper) JUNE HAD A BABY! HER NAMES ROXY!

199⬛, May (there are dried tear marks on the paper) Roxy is so tiny she held my hand she's so small compared to me I've never seen Jacob so happy they're gonna be great parents

(the writing is illegible, full of frantic gibberish and half crossed out sentences. only one word is solid) MONST ER

sep woke up on parlour floor. head hurts. maybe just a dream. ruby won't stop sniffing me.

(the page is full of crossed out words that are mis-spells. the face of a toothy blue rabbit is hastily drawn at the bottom) came back

wont leave sharp teeth eyes never blink scared im scared

sep (the page is full of garbled scribbles and swirls) top hat seems familiar why is it magic ???? all it does is stare at me where have i seen that hat before

(the bottom part of the page is torn)

199⬛, September (more drawings of a blue, toothy rabbit litter the page) so! there's a monster visiting my parlour now! and do you know what wasn't talked about in the agreement? WHERE TO GO WHEN THERE IS A MONSTER. WHERE DO I GO. WHO DO I GO TO ABOUT THIS. WHO DO I TALK TO TO GET THIS SORTED OUT. WHO'S IN CHARGE ABOUT THIS. WHERE DO I GO TO MAKE THIS STOP

(the bottom of the page is torn)

im going mad

199⬛, September well, at least the monster knows not to show up in the day time. still don't want it here at all. it said it's from the forest. still don't know what to do. at least it hasn't tried attacking yet. can't tell June, doesn't deserve the stress. don't know Triston well enough. don't think Bertha would want a sentient talking rabbit thing with the rest of her animals. would rather be killed than go to the rich. what do I do

sep is this my prayer finally answered? did the forest actually listen to me? if so, then why isn't it attacking? why is it biding its time? ive wanted this for so long. maybe it can kill me. i need to provoke it. why is it not attacking me. all it does is stare.

-----

Giovanni emotion speedrun

#10t #10oc #the nade and giovannis town trip #2023

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the-slow-arrow · 1 year

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I posted 17,801 times in 2022

10 posts created (0%)

17,791 posts reblogged (100%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@mainly-dumbassery

@wrennette

@letsboldlygomotherfuckers

@robinasnyder

@hot-multifandom-mess

I tagged 1,602 of my posts in 2022

#dreamling - 197 posts

#obi wan kenobi spoilers - 192 posts

#mass effect - 33 posts

#q - 31 posts

#ofmd - 28 posts

#star wars - 22 posts

#fanart - 21 posts

#oh my god - 19 posts

#obi wan kenobi - 19 posts

#lmao - 18 posts

Longest Tag: 129 characters

#i don’t really read wips so if the author says it’s all already written i’ll be a lot more likely to read it than if they haven’t

I sent 1 gift in 2022

My Top Posts in 2022:

For the weird writing ask game :

19. Tell me a story about your writing journey. When did you start? Why did you start? Were there bumps along the way? Where are you now and where are you going?

21. Could you ever quit writing? Do you ever wish you could? Why or why not?

22. How organized are you with your writing? Describe to me your organization method, if it exists. What tools do you use? Notebooks? Binders? Apps? The Cloud?

Alrighty, you had to pick questions that required thought didn't you cat 😂

19. I started writing fic when I was like...12? 13? Me and my friend got into RPF and we'd write fic for each other and then gush over the people we were writing about. I remember her handwriting fic and giving it to me in an envelope in school and I'd have to wait until break to tear into it lmao. I'm sure I still have some of them somewhere actually...But then the obsession faded and the fic writing dropped away and I didn't pick it up again until I was 21. I read a lot of fic in between but didn't think I was any good at actually writing it, but then I was tryna get to sleep one night and a harry potter fic popped into my head and just would not leave me alone until I wrote the damn thing down. That was it though, until a few months later when I joined an amazing quiobi server and was tempted into writing for a prompt challenge they held, and voila! Here I am 2 years and 108 fics later! I wouldn't say I'm going anywhere with my writing except that I want to keep improving from where I started, and I just enjoy it so much (despite writer's block and the agonising over doing the actual, y'know, writing) and how it can be such a personal form of expression that I've never really had access to before. And I'll be forever glad I was tempted back into it because of the friends I've made along the way that are incredible people and have given me so much support

21. I want to say yes to this cos I don't need to write—like I know some people absolutely have to write to clear the clutter from their brain and that's so valid but it's not like that for me—but then I get stories or pieces of dialogue or introspection barreling its way into my head that won't leave me alone until I get it onto paper. So no, I don't think I could quit writing, and I'll never wish that I could so long as I enjoy it

22. Not. At. All. It's a chaotic mess, there is no rhyme or reason to when, where or what I write. I write on google docs and kinda use it as a conveyor belt kinda thing. So all my prompts and wips and random bits of dialogue or story ideas go in there and then when they're finished I download the finished fics to my laptop and then delete them from my google drive. It's very satisfying, like crossing something off a to-do list

2 notes - Posted June 7, 2022

Hello lils! For the writer ask game : has a comment someone left on a fic of yours ever made you laugh out loud?

CAAAT! Very good question but I’d have to say your comments 😂 I love your outrage in my inbox when I’m mean to the boys, it’s addictive

2 notes - Posted April 17, 2022

For the ask game : NEXT <3

Oh cat that's just cruel, making me write

Quiobi regency au just for you: "Qui-Gon grips the sketchbook with a shaky hand. “This is how you see me?”"

Ask game

3 notes - Posted June 7, 2022

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: The Sandman (TV 2022) Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Dream of the Endless | Morpheus/Hob Gadling Characters: Dream of the Endless | Morpheus, Hob Gadling Additional Tags: Post Episode: s01e06 The Sound of Her Wings, Developing Relationship, Pre-Slash, Drunkenness, Hob is drunk, Dream is fondly exasperated Summary:

Lesson number one: don’t try and keep pace with an immortal being when drinking.

Spoiler: Hob fails at lesson number one.

Inspired by @fulcrvm‘s post about Ferdinand Kingsley’s twitter bio

33 notes - Posted September 10, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: The Sandman (TV 2022) Rating: Mature Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Dream of the Endless | Morpheus/Hob Gadling Characters: Dream of the Endless | Morpheus, Hob Gadling Additional Tags: Post Episode: s01e06 The Sound of Her Wings, Friends to Lovers, Hob demands compensation for Dream being 30 years late, Dream graciously obliges Summary:

In hindsight, pressing the King of Dreams, an endlessly immortal being of unfathomable power, against the wall of The New Inn is probably not one of Hob’s best ideas.

76 notes - Posted September 9, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

#tumblr2022 #year in review #my 2022 tumblr year in review #your tumblr year in review

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faggo-tron-prime · 4 years

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RULES: Answer 20 questions then tag 20 blogs you want to get to know better.

Thanks to @uitgesproken for tagging me! :D

Name: [readected]

Nickname: KJ

Zodiac sign: Virgo

Height: 1.74-ish m/ ca 5'7/8"?

Languages: Norwegian (+Swed/Danish), English, a little bit of German, once upon a time very rudimentary French and Japanese. Interested in learning Spanish some day

Nationality: Norwegian

Favourite season(s): late autumn and late winter. Best of both worlds! Early summer is also great c:

Favourite flower(s): orchids, they're all so pretty and cool! And coltsfoot, liverwort, and wood anemones give me life every spring/early summer

Favourite scent(s): brisk summer mornings. That scent when snow is about to fall. When summer drizzles soak the scorched asphalt and dry forest floor. One very generic men's deoderant or something that i have never been able to find or ask which one it is. And when my cats fall deep asleep and i can just snuggle nose deep right into their fur

Favourite colour: GREEN

Favourite animal(s): all cats are amazing, same goes for monitor lizards! And i love geckoes, especially the ones with eyelids! Frogs, and TOADS!!!!🥰 all animals are great tbh, I'm not very good at picking favourites 😅

Favourite fictional character: uuuuh (*all media ever consumed has successfully been moved to [this folder doesn't exist])

Coffee, tea or hot chocolate: tea, any time, any day. But hot chocolate is really nice after a long hike or on a boring snowy/rainy evening

Average sleep: uuuuh.. between 5 and 10 hours

Cats or dogs: i love both, but cats and kittens make me very parental, and i find dogs often stress me out in a way over time?

Number of blankets: three on the couch?? I sleep with a duvet

Dream trip: I'd like to see more of the Mediterranean and Spain maybe. And get another shot at Rome and Southern Italy, but right now I'd love a lazy vacation on a lightly inhabited island in the Mediterranean or outside north Africa right before the tourist season hits. Would also love to see the Nevada desert, Mexico, California and Argentina! Going back to Japan as an adult would've been fun too!

Blog established: this one i started in 2016/17, but I first got on tumblr from 2011-2014

How many followers: i think 197 on this one (I think i had around 1k on the '11-14 but that was on the height of several unspeakable fandoms that we do not mention by name👀)

Random fact about yourself: i have never in my life been to a gaybar and it astounds me that the only time i had the chanche to go to a queer establishment other than a pride galla night was when i was 15. With my mum and little sister. It was a gay cafe in Reykjavik, Iceland, and it was like a month or so before i came out to my mum. Neither of them saw the giant rainbows outside before i pointed them out...

I tag: @mistermagius @sailorhomoputo @frog-lover-91 @atheist-xmas @altotrain @drtanner-dickery @captaindigby @fuckingstevenglansberg @baroque-bitchxs @cardsonthemartyn and whoever sees this and wants to join :)

#some of you have been around for so long and we haven't spoken much or at all #let's change that #tag #tag game #let's play #KJ talks

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viraadelia99 · 4 years

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An Essay about "Lincoln in The Bardo" by George Saunders

Vira Adelia

NIM : 171010600238

05SIGE001

V.923

At first, I had trouble read this book. Don't know how to read "Lincoln in the Bardo" by George Saunders. I felt confused with the narrative. But, i enjoyed the story. This book make I kept curious. This book tells the story very emotional, until the impression that I had get after finished reading this book and then pay attention to the back the cover. From his writing style, George Saunders described the background of the third viewpoint and omniscient prespective. Like being felt the emotion, the thought through every word by word in this novel. Perhaps the way it will help us to can feeling what the character feels.

Lincoln in the Bardo that the storyline has the uniqueness of its own. It took the focus that high to read this book. Sometimes forward sometimes down. Maybe this is one of the cause why some readers feel less comfortable and difficult to understand the viewpoint of the story that are served of the chapter beginning to end including me confusion at the first time reading. Because the background when was a Civil War happened. Thus, all chapters in this book using letters Roman.

The story begins opening dialogues from hans vollman and roger bevins.

"On our wedding day I was forty-six, she was eighteen."

Hans Vollman explains during in his life he worked at printing office, explains he died immediately because of hit by falling beam in his office.

Another scene appeared with the background of Civil War that was still fierce, the Lincoln family; Mr. Lincoln, Mrs. Lincoln, young Willie and his brother, Tad was dinner in winter. When ahead of the night and the weather became cold, their son, young Willie laid sick. He drew every breath with difficulty. The Lincoln's family experienced a tragedy in their life with the death of one of the family members that they were very love including Mr. Lincoln who felt deep sadness. Willie Lincoln, who was still aged 11 years old died of typhoid fever.

"The fever, which had been diagnosed as a cold, developed into typhoid." -leech, op.cit- (page 283)

The irony of Willie Lincoln, he get fever after the start of the civil war just in few hours.

"The saddest eyes of any human being that I have ever seen." (page 197)

Then, Willie was buried in the Georgetown. Afterward, President Lincoln came to the location of the funeral to hug and rock his son. He can't believe his son died. It seems clear from his eyes were sad. His love and grief so great to drown awareness him. While the spirit Willie can't go to the next phase. Therefore, Willie tries to struggles to stay for his father.

In the Bardo, Willie met three spirits, they are Roger bevins, Hans vollman , and Reverent everly thomas, are three spirits oldest.

The Bardo symbolize a life transition between phase of death and headed into afterlife.

There are finally decided to encourage Willie to immediately go along with an angel into the afterlife, as they know that the Bardo is a dangerous place. Three spirits won't Willie stuck in the Bardo like Elise Traynor, a young woman who was stayed in the Bardo too long and became trapped there forever.

"We wished the lad to go, and thereby save himself. His father wished him to be "in some bright place, free of suffering, resplendent in a new mode of being." -hans vollman- (page 161)

Mr. Lincoln is wish for the best for his son, Willie. He won't Willie feels the pain and the grieve.

"Mary Lincoln's mental health had never been good, and the loss of young Willie ended her life as a functional wife and mother." -Jayne Coster- (page 181)

The health of Mary Lincoln worsen after the incident Willie died. Also the condition of the willie's mother, Mary Lincoln, so bad after her son died. She felt the loss of young Willie ended her life as a mother.

"Tried to "see" his boy's face." -roger bevins iii-

"Couldn't." -hans vollman-

"Tried to "hear" the boy's laugh." -roger bevins iii-

"Couldn't." -hans vollman- chapter XLVI, (page 149)

This part really emotionally draining, I can feel the emotion of the loss, when u missed someone you loved. The father-son relationship actually real. The grief father that makes the spirits there be realized right, how a family they had left them and never visited back show love and affection they like when they are still alive. Most of them do not even aware if they're already dead. They think they were a merely sick. For those of life as continues as usual, the fact that makes them becoming increasingly stuck in the Bardo. The presence of the Willie's soul still pure, took them into a new understanding and considering memories of a long time.

The story are located in White House and Oak Hill Cemetery in Georgetown. The White House where the president Lincoln and his wife, his family lived with staff and servants. Georgetown is the place where Willie buried.

So many characters in this book. They are who living and who dead. The figures who was still alive of course there are Mr. Lincoln, and his wife, Mrs. Lincoln. Also the people around President Lincoln like officials, staffs, servants and friend that their impression written in the book as part of the witnesses at the period of this story took place. The others character are already dead there are three spirits, Roger Bevins, Hans Vollman, and Reverend Everly Thomas. Three spirits oldest it was the most appeared the narrative in the book.

"Go on, Mr. Bevins said gently. It is for the best." -hans vollman- "Off you go, Mr. Vollman said. Nothing left for you here." -roger bevins iii-

"Goodbye then, the lad said. Nothing scary about it, Mr. Bevins said. Perfectly natural." -hans vollman-

"Then it happened." -roger bevins iii-

"An extraordinary occurrence." -hans vollman-

"Unprecedented, really." -the reverend every thomas-

"The boy's gaze moved past us." -hans vollman- "He seemed to catch sight of something beyond." -roger bevins iii-

"His face lit up with joy." -hans vollman-

"Father, he said." -The reverend everly thomas.- (Page 41-42)

In this part, Willie actually is ready to go left the Bardo. Three spirits there's been pushed him to go. But Willie suddenly changed his mind when Willie seen his father came to his funeral for the first time.

"He looked down upon the lad's form in the sick-box." -hans vollman-

The sick-box symbolize hopes in vain. The characters stay in the Bardo until they accept their death and must passed through into afterlife.

"And touched the face and hair fondly." -hans vollman-

"As no doubt he had many times done when the boy was" -roger bevins iii-

"Less sick." -hans vollman-

"A gasp of recognition, as if to say: Here he is again, my child, just as he was. I have found him again, he who was so dear to me." -the reverend everly thomas-

"Who was still so dear." -hans vollman- "Yes." -roger bevins iii-

"The lost having been quite recent." -the reverend everly thomas- (Page 46-47)

This part, President Lincoln rock Willie, pushed his hair full of love, his face full of grief until the spirit was felt choked the feeling that had been long lost in themselves.

"Willie Lincoln was the most lovable boy I ever know, bright, sensible, sweet-tempered and gentle-mannered." -In "Tad Lincoln's Father" by Julia Taft Rayne- (page 51)

Willie is a good boy during his life. He is friendly to everyone that he knows. No wonder his soul so pure and his death into a tragedy.

"Mouth at the worm's ear, Father said: We have loved each other well, dear Willie, but now, for reasons we cannot understand, that bond has been broken. But out bond can never be broken. As long as I live, you will always be with me, child.

Then let out a sob

Dear Father crying. That was hard to see. And no matter how I patted & kissed & made to concole, it did no.

You were a joy, he said. Please know that. Know that you were a joy. To us. Every minute, every season, you were a - you did a good job. A good job of being pleasure to know."

-Willie Lincoln- Chapter XXI, Page 61

In this book sometimes Willie that brought his own narrative. This part is also feel very touching my emotions. Every words worthy like a poetry. How Willie felt love from his father are so great, heard were whispers his father in his funeral. Describes his father was very deep sadness about Willie.

This novel not only focused on Willie tragedy but also themes of family love, father-son relationship, humility, human being, sympathetic, the living and the death, and serious themes of the grief and the loss.

Thank you for reading this. I'd be glad if you give me criticism.

#essay #novel #analysis #writing #lincolninthebardo #georgesaunders #historical #fiction #realism #literature #book #writer

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