Watching the Superb Owl with this magnificent fluffer Frank. https://ift.tt/2Ok6r0O

Current status: no power at home, so an early dinner out with David instead of our planned cooking. https://ift.tt/2T0Cx3j

A bowlful of Fezzik. #cat https://ift.tt/2SWBbrF

A bowlful of Oswin. #cat https://ift.tt/380irvF

The best way to get young people to invest their time in reading is being willing to invest time in it ourselves.

At the beginning of every year, I reevaluate my reading habits. I love to read but sometimes I find that reading gets put on the back burner more often while other activities take priority. Sometimes these activities, especially family-related and work-related, NEED to take priority, but I find there are still ways to find more time to read. How do YOU make more time to read? Answer my survey here. I'll post results in this blog.

This year, I've signed up for Goodreads 2020 Reading Challenge. I'm starting out with a goal of 100 books. This includes picture books, so I'm actually aiming for MORE than 100. In addition to being realistic, however, I also don't want to be tempted to speed-read. With picture books, for example, I want to start going through new and not-so-new picture books and read them more thoughtfully, both for enjoyment but also more analytically (how the text and illustrations interact, etc).

Anyway....I've updated my post below in case one or more tips might help others. You might also want to check out what parents suggested in my "Finding Time To Write (Even If You Have Kids)" survey.

1. I have multiple print books on the go, and keep them around the house. I usually have print books that I'm in the midst of reading in our bedroom, my office, living room, dining room, etc. Print books have the advantage over ebooks here in that just SEEING them reminds me to read them.

2. I read books on my iPhone. Yes, the screen is small but I enlarge the text to make reading comfortable. This is super-handy for reading when I may only have a few minutes, like when I'm in a line-up or waiting for someone. Or when I'm in a super-crowded subway train and am holding onto a support pole with one hand....but I can easily reach into my purse, pull out my iPhone and flip through pages with my other hand.

3. I read books on my iPad. I have an iPad Pro and find it a bit too heavy to hold for reading unless it's propped up somehow, but I find that using a pillow or my knees works fine. I prefer print books for the esthetic experience (turning print pages, feel of of a physical book etc.) but I do find that the backlit screen on my iPad enables me to read even in places with dim lighting. Some are ebooks I've bought, some are borrowed from the Toronto Public Library.

4. I read books on my Kindle. Because the Kindle is lightweight and loaded up with a lot of my ebooks, I can avoid angsting over what book to take on out-of-town trips ("I'm 3/4 of way through this book so if I finish it on the plane, what do I read next? Should I bring an extra just in case? But I'm trying to travel with just carry-on augh" etc.), I just take my Kindle and I have access to many books-on-the-go.

5. I listen to audiobooks. I remember avoiding audiobooks in the beginning because I never considered it REAL reading, plus I didn't think I could really enjoy a book by just listening to it. Then my husband played an audiobook (I can't remember the title...something about divers and scavenging in deep waters) on a long car trip and I was surprised to find it an immersive reading experience. The narration is important, though -- a bad narrator will totally turn me off a book, so I make it a habit of always listening to a sample first. I have an Audible subscription but I also borrow audiobooks from the Toronto Public Library. Whenever I'm at certain stages in book illustration, I listening to audiobooks as I draw.

SUMMARY:

As long as the story is good, I am willing to read it in any format. I do make a point of buying books from indie bookstores but I have found that my appetite for reading makes it impractical (from a budget standpoint) to buy all my reading material. The Toronto Public Library is a wonderful resource, with print and ebook and audiobooks available.

Also, I squeeze in reading whenever I can. While I'd love to save my reading stints for when I have an entire afternoon to curl up on the couch with a good book, reality is that if I always waited for The Perfect Reading Day, I wouldn't be reading nearly as many books as I do now. Before my recent eye surgery, I also found it a challenge to read a regular print book.

And as summer approaches, consider participating in Donalyn Miller's #BookADay Challenge!

SURVEY:

How do YOU make time to read? Answer my 3-question poll here.

OTHER RESOURCES ON HOW TO MAXIMIZE YOUR READING TIME:

11 Ways Busy People Make Time To Read - by Eva Lantsoght on Lifehack.org

The Best Way To Find More TIme To Read - on FS Farnam Street's blog

How To Read Even More In 2019 by Strand bookstore

5 Ways To Find More Time To Read - by Kristin Wong on Mentalfloss.com

25 Expert Tips To Reading WAY More Books This Year - by John Rampton on Inc.com

 

GIVEAWAY (U.S. only): Karla is giving away a copy of Marie Curie And The Power Of Persistence, written by Karla Valenti and illustrated by Annalisa Beghelli! *** ENTER HERE ***

Karla Arenas Valenti was born and raised in Mexico. Since then she has put down roots in a number of countries she now calls home: Japan, France, Germany, and the U.S. where she lives in the Chicagoland area with her husband and three kids. She writes picture books and middle grade novels. You can find out more about Karla at www.karlavalenti.com or connect with her on Facebook or Twitter @KV_writes.

I asked Karla to describe her book, and here's what she replied:

My Super Science Heroes is a picture book series for children ages 4-8. The series focuses on key scientists, but rather than defining those scientists by what they did (their achievements), we are choosing to highlight who they were (the traits that made those achievements possible).

This distinction is important as it allows readers (young and old) to re-frame what it means to “succeed” - in other words, you do not need to be a genius or Nobel-prize winner in order to be a hero in your own life. Arguably, what makes someone a hero is how they make use of their own “super powers” in pursuit of their dreams.

And what are these super powers?

The first one we chose to highlight is persistence.

Throughout her personal and professional life, Marie Curie encountered many societal and institutional limitations that threatened to block her progress. Rather than telling our young readers about these challenges, however, we chose to show them. Enter Mr. Opposition, a character designed to embody these counterforces and give Marie a chance to prove her persistence to all her fans and readers.

In this way, Marie’s ultimate success and notable achievements are not presented as the inevitable result of a gifted mind. Rather, we are honoring the tremendous effort she exhibited in never giving up on her dreams, a super power indeed.

Our next book focuses on the power of curiosity, exemplified by Alan Turing and his minion, Miss Enigma (due out Jan 2021).

My Super Science Heroes is unlike any other children’s book series focusing on historical figures, and we hope it will inspire countless of young scientists (and non-scientists) as they develop their own super powers.

Q: How did MARIE CURIE AND THE POWER OF PERSISTENCE get published?

This is a story about the unexpected surprises that come our way when we are open to any (and sometimes unconventional) opportunities.

I was living in Europe at the time, and a friend forwarded an open call for story submissions run by a non-profit science association. The Marie Curie Alumni Association (MCAA) was looking for a creative way to raise funds to support their science initiatives, so they launched a contest for picture book submissions. The topic was a story about Marie Curie, but told in a way that would excite young readers about science

As a fiction writer, I was hesitant at first to submit a story on a non-fiction topic. However, I also viewed this as an opportunity to flex my creative wings, so I took the challenge and wrote a story about Marie Curie... the super hero.

As I researched her life, it became clear that, while she certainly accomplished a great deal as a scientist, her most notable achievement was her unwavering persistence in facing a number of challenges throughout her life. Persistence! A skill highly valued in the scientific community (and one present in all of us).

What if the book was about Marie Curie using her power of persistence to achieve great things in the scientific world?

What if she had an evil nemesis who lived in a craggy cave deep underground, and whose sole purpose was preventing the spread of knowledge?

What if he sent his minion, Mr. Opposition, to stop Marie in her heroic journey?

Thus was born the My Super Science Heroes series.

It was an unconventional premise, but I decided to submit the story. To my tremendous surprise, I won!

Working with Micaela Crespo Quesada (a super scientist herself) and the MCAA association, we identified the perfect illustrator for the project, Annalisa Beghelli. Her artwork brilliantly captured the super hero themes we wanted to explore. In a true collaboration, the three of us worked to bring this project to life.

Initially, the project was going to be funded exclusively through a global crowdsourcing campaign. Not only did we exceed our goal by 20%, but a couple weeks into the campaign, we received an offer by Kelly Barrales-Saylor at Sourcebooks for world rights.

Fast forward to today as we celebrate the world publication on April 7th of Marie Curie and the Power of Persistence.

Q. What advice do you have for young writers?

In a perhaps not-so-ironic twist, the most valuable piece of advice I can offer is to believe in the power of persistence. And I hesitate to say this is only relevant to young writers (since I myself only learned this as a writer after many years).

The journey I have taken to get to this point has not been a short (or always-joyful) one. Indeed, it has been more agonizing than not, more heart-breaking than uplifting, and certainly taken a lot longer than I expected.

There have been plenty of opportunities for me to give up and walk away (and if I'm honest, there have been moments in my life where I've had to do that). However, I am fiercely proud of this story because it feels like a real badge of honor; a testament to the courage it takes to pick up your "pen" and keep putting words to paper, despite everything standing in your way.

The truth is, we all have our own version of Mr. Opposition, and we all must do battle with the nemesis that intends to bring us down. But word by word, line by line, we can persist. That is no small thing.

--

For more interviews, see my Inkygirl Interview Archive. Also see Advice For Young Writers and Illustrators, a compilation of tips generously offered by children's book creators I've interviewed over the years.

Here's where we're playing....
Aug. 19 Pittsburgh with Surrender. at Zach's house. I'm not sure of the address
Aug 20 (maybe)Athens OH 35 Brown St
Sept 16 Baria KY, maybe
Sept 19 Ida work party, Tennesse (they need more people to come to this work party. check it out at www.workhardstayhard.com
Sept 21 Chatanooga - probably at Sluggos
Sept 23 Asheville NC, Buccannen St house (I don't know how to spell it)

I'm working on doing more selling zines direct to stores, and since I haven't been traveling around much lately, I need your help! Let me know if you know of any stores that carry zines! I already sell directly to some - like Woodenshoe, Red Emmas, City Lights, Powells, Bound Together, Needles and Pens, Downtown Books and News, Quimbys... but I know there are a lot more stores out there that I don't know about.
Thanks!!

Doris 28 is finally out!!!!
you can order it though my website at doris distro
or by mail, 2.60 to
cindy crabb
pobox 29
Athens OH 45701

horray!!!

also, we're starting a Girls Rock Camp here in Ohio this summer!
check it out at
athensrockcamp

Snarlas will be playing May 24 in Columbus at the 15th street house, and May 30 in Athens OH at the Smiling Skull. Also, there's a Girls Rock Camp benefit show May 27 at Subama Women's Land, near Athens. It's women only trans inclusive. We'll be in Chattanooga TN for Do You Hear We Fest, June 3-5!

More new zines in the distro doris distro

!!!!!!!!!!Featured Music of the Season!!!!!!!!!!
Wild Miners CDR
singer/songwriter, sultry, beautiful singing. She's in a band called Octopus and Owl now, which should be on tour this summer, so check it out. click here
listen to wild miners

Shotgun Seamstress #5
A zine by and for black punks, queers, feminists, artists, musicians. Articles about bands Death and ESG, interviews with DJ Soul Sister, Aye Naico and Kicktease. plus a critique of corporate sponsored Afro-punk

Rad Girlz: my struggles with sexism, racism and violence
looking personally and critically about how sexism and violence have shaped her life. what it means that all white people are racist, what it mean politically and in her life. She talks about being queer, trying to reclaim her sexuality, dealing with eating disorders and cutting.

When the Crash Meets Something Solid #6: organs of voice and respiration
deals with time spent in the sex industry, drug addiction and recovery and being a mother. Poems and stories and journal entries.

The "T" Word: pass the mission
a zine made by Tranzmission about all kinds of stuff - How to be a good ally, language definitions, poems, personal stories, flyers from events, questioning DIY ethics in the Trans Liberation Movement, transexual prisoners, and reading recommendations. Procededs go to Transmission Prison Books Project

When the Crash Meets Something Solid #007: Widowmaker
continuation of the story of sexindustry and addiction. This one has a section on an abusive relationship she got out of in 2009.

We'll be playing in Columbus May 24, with Pink Houses and Lose the Tude, at the Villa Villa Kula house.
then on may 30 in Athens OH with Street Legal at Smiling Skull
June 4, Chattanooga TN at the Do You Hear We fest!

Believe it or not, social media is a valuable marketing tool for real estate businesses. Many landlords, property managers, and real estate agents use it for marketing their businesses and attracting more customers. If you haven’t been using social media to promote your rental properties, you’re likely missing out on a variety of benefits. Let’s take...

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Nearly two-thirds of the workforce is one paycheck away from poverty. If you think about it, those are unbelievable statistics. This number consists of those who make modest amounts of money and those who make exceptional amounts of money. What this reveals is that far too many people don’t understand how to manage money. Listed...

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August 11th, 2019
Flow Festival in Finland
Scheduled to start at 8:30 pm

In the US that's a start time of 1:30 pm eastern, 12:30 pm central, 11:30 am mountain, 10:30 am pacific.

There will be a livestream here and here, but you will probably need to use a VPN in most places.

Setlist: Shake Dog Shake, Burn, Fascination Street, Never Enough, Push, In Between Days, Just Like Heaven, Last Dance, Pictures of You, High, A Night Like This, Just One Kiss, Lovesong, From the Edge of the Deep Green Sea, A Strange Day, Play For Today, A Forest, Primary, 39, One Hundred Years

Encore: Lullaby, The Caterpillar, The Walk, Friday I'm in Love, Close to Me, Why Can't I Be You?, Boys Don't Cry.

August 16th, 2019
Summer Sessions in Scotland
Scheduled to start at 8:30 pm

In the US that's a start time of 3:30 pm eastern, 2:30 pm central, 1:30 pm mountain, 12:30 pm pacific.

Setlist: Plainsong, Pictures of You, High, A Night Like This, Just One Kiss, Lovesong, Last Dance, Burn, Fascination Street, Never Enough, Push, In Between Days, Just Like Heaven, From the Edge of the Deep Green Sea, Play For Today, A Forest, Primary, Shake Dog Shake, 39, Disintegration

Encore: Lullaby, The Caterpillar, The Walk, Friday I'm in Love, Close to Me, Why Can't I Be You?, Boys Don't Cry.

STAGE TIMES → Check out the stage times for @thecure tomorrow (16th Aug) in Bellahouston Park. For full event details head to our website → https://t.co/3yHTcelJCy pic.twitter.com/TUFQIJbjya

— Summer Sessions (@SmmrSessions) August 15, 2019

THE CURE RETURN TO SCOTLAND FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 27 YEARS TOMORROW TO HEADLINE @SMMRSESSIONS IN GLASGOW. THE SPECIALLY DESIGNED T-SHIRT & LITHO PRINT FOR THE SHOW IS AVAILABLE NOW AT https://t.co/XJrYnqlnGd pic.twitter.com/nvi7FsIhIu

— The Cure (@thecure) August 15, 2019

From a friend at the show, @joyformidable started right on time at 4:40. Robert, Andy and other Twilight Sads are watching their set. pic.twitter.com/1iqUDu0NWw

— Chain of Flowers (@CraigatCoF) August 16, 2019

The post How to Create a Pep Ventosa Inspired Still Life appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Charlie Moss.

Pep Ventosa is a Catalan artist who creates incredible images that explore the boundaries of photography. Made from multiple layers of similar photographs, they create an abstract and often surreal effect with a painterly feel. Ventosa usually creates pictures outside, but you can borrow his ideas to create a Pep Ventosa inspired still life. This […]

The post How to Create a Pep Ventosa Inspired Still Life appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Charlie Moss.

The post How to Setup For Doing Live Streaming and YouTube Videos at Home appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Caz Nowaczyk.

Since many of us are spending most of our time at home at the moment, I thought I’d share this great video from the dPS founder, Darren Rowse, on how to do live streaming and YouTube videos from your own home as a way to reach your audience and promote your photography. He shares his […]

The post How to Setup For Doing Live Streaming and YouTube Videos at Home appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Caz Nowaczyk.

いつも加藤和樹へのあたたかい応援ありがとうございます。
この度、デビュー10周年を迎え、新しい試みとしてVOICE会員限定のトークショー『KATALK‘n  SHOW』を東京のみですが開催する事になりました。
このイベントでは入場時にチェキ撮影、日頃ツイッターにあげている“加藤和樹飯”をカフェの方にお願いして加藤和樹監修の元、レシピ再現したものを食していただいたのち、トーク・皆様の質問にお答えするという2時間前後のイベントにしたいと思います。
会員1名様1回のみ（応募者多数の場合は抽選）ではありますが、ご都合があいましたら是非、足を運んでいただけたらと思います。
※会員期限2017．2まで会員様に同様のはがきを送っております。

【イベント日程】　※会場は池袋の東京芸術劇場付近のカフェになります。

①2017年4月12日（水）　17時40分～開場　　　

②2017年4月23日（日）　17時40分～開場
③2017年4月26日（水）　17時40分～開場　　　

④2017年4月30日（日）　11時40分～開場
⑤2017年4月30日（日）　15時15分～開場
　　　
※入場時、加藤和樹・ウェルカムチェキ撮影は入場をスムーズに進めるため皆様の事前準備ご協力お願いします。
※お席は事前にこちらにて決めさせていただきますので選べません。
※着席後、予め決めていただいた再現メニューをお楽しみください。（本人の登場はありません）
※トークショー開始は開場から45分後位を予定しております。
【再現レシピ】　
※ＡまたはＢをご指定下さい。

お申込みされたメニューは変更できませんのでご注意ください。

Ａ：加藤家の名古屋風ナポリタン＆タンドリーチキン（1ドリンク付、デザート付）
Ｂ：和樹さん宅のオムライス＆タンドリーチキン（1ドリンク付、デザート付）

【料　金】　８，０００円（食事・チェキ・おみやげ付）

【お申し込み方法】
タイトル「トークショー申込み」・希望日・会員番号・氏名・電話番号を記載の上、メールにてお申し込みください。

応募メール　　enta@assist2014.co.jp
　

 

※4月イベント当日に会員証の確認をいたしますので継続手続きお済の方が対象になりますので、まだお済でない方は申込期間中に継続手続きをお済ませください
※会員1名様1回のみの参加となります。応募者多数の場合は抽選となりますので予めご了承ください。希望日は第一希望から第三希望までご記入ください。
※抽選後、いかなる場合も希望日は変更できませんので間違えないようにお願いします。
※日程により定員に達しない場合、複数参加希望者をご案内しますので希望される方は「複数回参加希望」とご記入ください。
※メールは1件のみ送ってください。複数送られてきた場合は無効となります。

【お申込み締切日】
3月10日メールまで有効。　
参加される方へはＶＯＩＣＥよりメールか電話にて3月20日までに必ずお知らせいたします。
ご連絡がなかった方はご参加できません。こちらへのお電話やメールなどでのお問い合わせはご遠慮ください。

※メール@assist2014.co.jpのドメインが受けられるように、または留守番電話がつながるように設置の確認をお願いします。
※ご連絡が行った方はご入金をしていただく際にメニューを決めていただきます。

いつも応援ありがとうございます。

いよいよ２月９日よりKATALK'n SHOW in Valentine -35歳になっちゃった！-が開催されます。

司会を入れての大規模なトークショーの開催は初めてになります。

幼少期の話から現在の話、皆様の質問に答えるなど考えておりますので楽しみにしていてください。

特典のおみやげは終演後退場時にお渡しいたします。

 

下記、注意事項や物販情報などをご確認ください。
 

◇KATALK'n SHOW in Valentine -35歳になっちゃった！-Ｑ＆Ａ◇

 

Q:イベント時間はどのくらいですか？
A:公演は150分を予定しております。

Q.イベントは着席ですか？
A.イベントはすべて着席になります。

 

Q:何か販売物はありますか？
A:FCイベントですので特別FCイベントセールを開催いたします。

この機会にまだ揃えていない商品を是非お買い求めください。

商品はなくなり次第終了となります。

※但し、会場にて売切れでも、倉庫に在庫がある商品は後日発送を対応いたしますのでスタッフにお声掛けください。

 

物販販売時間　１１：３０～

 

Q.販売される商品は
A.グッズは下記になります。

 

 

Q:物販は開場中、終演後でも購入できますか？
A:購入できるようにしております。

 

Q:注意事項はありますか？
A:
・録音録画も禁止です。発見次第、ご退場いただきます。

・今回よりチケットに名前が記載されております。当日は会員証を必ずご持参いただき名前照合をいたします。名前が違う場合は入場できません。(会員期限切れている場合は再更新が必要となります）
・荷物の多い方は、予め駅のコインロッカーなどにお預けください。

・昨今のコロナウイルス、インフルエンザなどウイルス性の感染症が流行しております。入場前に手洗いなど行い、咳などが出る方は必ずマスクを着用してください。また、飴や水などご持参いただき、各自ご注意ください。また、感染拡大防止のため、スタッフがマスクを着用させていただく場合がございます。予めご了承ください。

・開場時に消毒スプレーをご用意しております。必ず消毒してからご入場ください。

・会員証紛失や忘れた方は必ず身分証明書をお持ちいただきスタッフに声をかけてください。身分証明書がない場合はご入場をお断りいたします。

 

Q:当日券はありますか？
A:当日券はございません。

Q:お花などを送りたいのですが。。。
A:会場の都合上、お断りさせていただきます。

 

Q:ＣＤ即売などはありますか
A:販売ございません。

 

Q:プレゼントを渡したいのですが。。。
A:申し訳ございませんが、今回のイベントはお手紙以外のプレゼントはお預かりできません。

プレゼントなどは事務所にお送りくださいますようお願いいたします。

 

 

楽しいトークイベントになりますように加藤和樹・スタッフ一同お待ち申し上げております。

This is not a comprehensive or legal guide, and some of the aspects of this are just generally not a good idea. This is how we did it, though: 1: Raising a Deposit or, Tragic Luck A couple of years…

The best way I know to cook beans, and the one I always return to. A version of the much-loved Tuscan bean recipe - fagioli al fiasco. Traditionally, beans were baked overnight in a Chianti bottle placed near the embers of that night's fire. While not exactly authentic (no fire here), I do a riff on the general idea, using a low-temperature oven and enamel-lined pot.

Continue reading How to Cook Beans that are Tender, Creamy, and Nearly Perfect on 101 Cookbooks

Labeled as a thoughtful work of sociological science fiction, Juliette Wade's debut novel scared me a little. Indeed, this is usually the sort of book that appeals to critics but puts the bulk of SFF fans to sleep. Advance blurbs mentioned that Mazes of Power featured phenomenal worldbuilding, so I finally decided to give it a shot.

And what a mistake it turned out to be. Mazes of Power is one of the most boring novels I have ever read. I wanted to quit early on, that goes without saying. But I had already announced that I was reading the book on Goodreads, so I elected to persevere, hoping that it would get better. Alas, it didn't. . .

Here's the blurb:

This debut work of sociological science fiction follows a deadly battle for succession, where brother is pitted against brother in a singular chance to win power and influence for their family.

The cavern city of Pelismara has stood for a thousand years. The Great Families of the nobility cling to the myths of their golden age while the city’s technology wanes.

When a fever strikes, and the Eminence dies, seventeen-year-old Tagaret is pushed to represent his Family in the competition for Heir to the Throne. To win would give him the power to rescue his mother from his abusive father, and marry the girl he loves.

But the struggle for power distorts everything in this highly stratified society, and the fever is still loose among the inbred, susceptible nobles. Tagaret’s sociopathic younger brother, Nekantor, is obsessed with their family’s success. Nekantor is willing to exploit Tagaret, his mother, and her new servant Aloran to defeat their opponents.

Can he be stopped? Should he be stopped? And will they recognize themselves after the struggle has changed them?

When I think about complex and phenomenal worldbuilding, names of science fiction authors such as Peter F. Hamilton, N. K. Jemisin, James S. A. Corey, Kameron Hurley, and Alastair Reynolds come to mind. Understandably, given the advance praise, I was expecting something more than a society living underground with a technological level that often appears to be straight out of the 80s. In addition, nothing is truly elaborated on. Why are they living in cavern cities? Why is their society so highly stratified? Why is their technological level so low? Why is there such a weird battle for succession? Yada yada yada. This is not cool worldbuilding. This is not convoluted political intrigue. It's just an author offering basically no information to answer any of the questions raised by the concepts and ideas she came up with.

Another odd thing was the homosexual tendencies of a number of male characters. Nothing wrong with that, of course. I wondered if this was a world in which same-sex relationships were an accepted norm, only to find out that it's a big taboo. This left me quite confused at times, especially given the fact that the main protagonist is hopelessly in love with a girl. Once again, no light was shed by the author regarding this aspect of the tale. The emancipation of women in a decidedly patriarchal society appears to be one of the themes Juliette Wade wanted to explore in this series. And yet, for some reason, all the POV characters are male and we never get a female perspective.

There is no way to sugarcoat this, I'm afraid. The characterization is absolutely awful. The main protagonist, Tagaret, is thoroughly emo and extremely boring. To see events unfold through his eyes was pure torture at times. His younger brother, Nekantor, is the antagonist of the story. Ambitious and dealing with a form of obsessive-compulsive disorder, he's the opposite of his sibling. Not as well-drawn as Tagaret, it often feels as though he's a caricature of sorts. Along with his father, some kind of hybrid between a calculating politician, an alcoholic dad from the 60s, and a Neanderthal, both characters actually growl in pretty much all of their scenes. I kid you not. Aloran was probably the most interesting protagonist of the bunch. But like Tagaret, he was way too emo to be believable. I would have liked to discover more about the Imbati culture and why they accept their role as servants without rebelling. Tamelera, the boys' mother, had the makings of a compelling character, yet the author did not see fit to give her a point of view. In addition, I would have liked to learn more about Della and her family, what with the fact that she is Tagaret's love interest. But again, we are left with more questions and few answers.

Juliette Wade is evidently one of those writers who are loath to use profanities in their stories. Nothing wrong with that. But if you decide to replace common obscenities with made-up ones, you should at least endeavor to make them good. In Mazes of Power, Wade replaced the f-word with gnash. Gnash it. Gnash this. Gnash him. Gnash that. And so on and so forth. I mean, this is worse than Brandon Sanderson! Why the author didn't go for safe and acceptable oaths instead of making up such a lame one, I'll never know. But it made me grit my teeth every time someone swore in the novel.

The pace can be quite uneven. At times the rhythm is fluid, yet there are some portions in which the pacing was decidedly slow-moving. My main gripe is that very little actually happens throughout the book. There are a few interesting bits from time to time, but overall the plotlines and the characters totally failed to capture my imagination and pull me in. This is the first volume in The Broken Trust series, which means that there will be sequels. However, can't for the life of me see myself considering reading the next installment. Going through Mazes of Power was a chore from the very beginning and it took me about a month to finish. I'm not going through such an ordeal again.

It's obvious that Juliette Wade's sociological science fiction is not for me.

The final verdict: 3/10

For more info about this title, check out these Amazon Associate links: Canada, USA, Europe.

[IMDB link] RATINGS: Claire: Netflix: 5/5 stars. IMDB: 8/10. Carolyn: Netflix: 5/5 stars. IMDB: 8/10. The native public rating for this movie is: IMDB: 7.4/10. Netflix strangely doesn’t have this. CAROLYN’S THOUGHTS: My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic had a sequel movie for Equestria Girls where Twilight Sparkle becomes a human in a parallel pony […]

With nowhere else to go, 34-year old Fiq Said rolled up his sleeves during quarantine (Movement Control Order) and gave his bedroom an extreme IKEA makeover. While nothing is “hacked” as we’re used to around here, the transformation is startling. It proves in true IKEA fashion, you just need to plan and pick your pieces […]

The post See this guy’s striking IKEA makeover during lockdown appeared first on IKEA Hackers.

Converting an IKEA PS 2014 lamp to resemble the iconic Star Wars’ Death Star is hands down one of the most popular hacks on IKEAhackers. Star Wars fans can’t resist exploding the Death Star in their own living room. Many have attempted it with slightly different approaches. Find one that suits your DIY level and […]

The post All you need to know about building a Death Star lamp appeared first on IKEA Hackers.

Remove the arms on POÄNG in 2 steps. I liked to type on my laptop while sitting in my old POÄNG. While it was mostly very comfy, my elbows were constrained by the armrests. They had to go. Buy POÄNG armchair | IKEA.com Materials and Tools: POÄNG armchair Wood Saw 4x 40mm screws Drill and […]

The post How to remove the arms from your IKEA POÄNG armchair appeared first on IKEA Hackers.

When we renovated  our bedroom last year we built in lots of PAX storage. We built a large wardrobe with grey gloss sliding doors. Photo: IKEA.com We then used the 35cm deep frames to create open storage opposite the end of the bed. IKEA items: White PAX Frame White KOMPLEMENT Drawers This provides open shelving […]

The post Q: How to reduce KOMPLEMENT Drawer Spacing? appeared first on IKEA Hackers.

It took me almost a year to figure it out. I sent a help request in 2019 but here is my attempt at a renter-friendly room divider.  You can get this up by only drilling 4 holes, 2 in the wall and 2 on the ceiling easy to fill up with putty when you are […]

The post How to hack a renter-friendly room divider appeared first on IKEA Hackers.

So I want to copy this behind the sofa storage unit, similar to this image: Source: Yellow Brick Home I had the thought of using the VADHOLMA open storage (20 x 80cm) on both ends, some L brackets and a pre-cut slab of wood. VADHOLMA open storage | IKEA.com I am a total DIY novice […]

The post Q: How to hack a behind the sofa storage? appeared first on IKEA Hackers.

When your email is suddenly accessed from a new location, it could mean someone other than you is trying to log in. Email providers like Outlook.com watch for this.

How Do I Keep Outlook.com From Locking Me Out When I Travel? from Ask Leo!.
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Making money online sounds like a wonderful opportunity. It is, if you have the personality for it.

How Can I Make an Income Working Online? from Ask Leo!.
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We need updates, yet they can cause problems. How aggressively should you update your Windows 10 machine?

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Posted by: ninetydegrees

Fandom: Teen Wolf
Characters/Pairings: Stiles/Derek
Rating: Teen And Up
Length: 48,544 words

Summary: It's been months. Months of lonely days and lonelier nights.
And Stiles can't understand what he did wrong.

Why is it the BEST THING EVER: I found it to be one of the best stories I've read in this fandom because the author uses several well-loved tropes and treats them with the utmost respect and thoughtfulness. The author's take on them felt incredibly satisfying and believable, but still gave space for other possibilities at several points in the story. It could have gone differently and it would have been right too. I found the story raw, intense and beautiful. There is so much you can do with this fandom and these characters and this fic is a perfect example of that. It's made me fall in love with fanfiction all over again.

Fanwork Links: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15212723

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Posted by: beatrice_otter

Fandom: Star Wars
Characters/Pairings: Mace Windu/Cody, Anakin Skywalker, Shaak Ti, lots of Jedi and clones
Rating: Mature
Length: 202,217 words

Summary: Plo has an idea. Mace agrees, and everything snowballs right into hell from there.

(Or: Mace and Cody get married in order to give the clones citizen status. Before they can focus on that, though, they're going to have to deal with ancient Sith artifacts, evil prophets, plots to overthrow the Supreme Chancellor, lost planets, monsters warped by Sith alchemy, inconvenient feelings, and Darth Sidious turning his eye on a potential new apprentice. Just...not in that order.)

Why is it the BEST THING EVER: Besides having a really unique idea for a fixit, I love the way the characters are written, and the development of Mace and Cody's relationship is wonderful, and the action is engaging and well-written.

Fanwork Links: hunting toward heartstill

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Have you ever said 'yes', when you wanted to say 'no'? You're not alone. A lot of people do this, and often the situation is different every time. For example: It's a hot afternoon and your skinny best friend implores you to go to the ice-cream bar, because she doesn't have anyone else to go […]

Jealously is a human emotion that we all share to some degree. If you're over fifty and new to being single again, some of you will no doubt feel it a little stronger than those of us who have been single for a few years. Especially if your partner has replaced you or traded you […]

Historian Marina Rustow has immersed herself in a unique cache of documents known as the Cairo Geniza, which were hidden for centuries in an Egyptian synagogue.

Crystalline materials known as topological insulators conduct surface current perfectly, except when they don't. In two new studies published in the journal Science, Princeton researchers and their collaborators explain how these "fragile" poorly conducting topological states form, and how conductivity can be restored.

Princeton researchers have been awarded a National Science Foundation RAPID grant to study how anxiety about COVID-19 influences how we learn and share information about the pandemic.

Hurricanes moving slowly over an area can cause more damage than faster-moving storms, and rising global temperatures will likely cause more hurricanes to slow down, said Princeton atmospheric scientist Gan Zhang.

Princeton Research Day will be held as a series of three early evening webinars May 5-7 from 5:30-6:30 p.m. (Eastern). The presentations will showcase the diversity of research projects under the themes of “Reinterpretation,” “Environment” and “Wellbeing.”

Princeton ecologists Peter and Rosemary Grant led a team of researchers to discover how genetics and hybridization affected the beak shape of finches on the Galápagos Islands.

Are you truly present with yourself or are you distracted, thinking about what you have to do later, checking your mobile phone, basically not “with” yourself? Is it uncomfortable to be alone, to do nothing, to have space and no immediate thing that’s consuming your focus?

"I know no one expects much from me! [...] I know more than anyone else that I'll never beat you! But I must fight you anyway! I'm the only one left! It's not about winning or losing! I just have to stand here and face you!"
- Mumen Rider, the bravest hero of all time.

Saitama hates his job and dreams of a hero life in which he would save people like the greatest hero of the world : AllMight, the number one S-Class hero of the hero association. Animated by a strong will to save people from danger and monsters Saitama decides one day to change his life and to be a hero on its own. Thus he become the Justice Rider, a powerless but fearless hero with a strong will that doesn't hesitate to risk his life for others following the path of its main example : AllMight, the symbol of peace.

From now, Saitama's life will never be the same ...


Информация
Автор: Woяthy
Аниме: One Punch Man, Boku No Hero Academia
Музыка: Oh The Larency - Man On A Mission

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