"One of the weirdest and most convoluted Christmas stories that I have ever read, filled with surprises, suspense, thrills, fast paced action, danger, gore and grit... a crazy page turner, a roller coaster of a holiday ride."
@bookstodon My #review of Rouge by Mona Awad is now live! Darkly beautiful and intensely bittersweet, this actually managed to make me cry towards the end. That is VERY much a compliment.
"The much anticipated follow-up to Canticle Creek, The Wiregrass is set in the temperate rainforest area of Victoria in the fictional town of Satellite."
Recently finished "Not A Good Fit At this Time" by Adam Hulse and had a blast with it. Check out my Goodreads review for details but fans of horror, science fiction, and dark fantasy should absolutely give it a read!
@bookstodon My #review of Paladin's Faith (Saint of Steel #4) by T. Kingfisher is now live! Kingfisher knocks it out of the park once again in this continuation of one of the best #romantasy series currently available.
I'm speaking here as an #autistic person, my score is 7 out of 10.
Also note:
I've heard a lot of good things about this.
This was released 10 years ago.
Those said and considered:
The show is not about the autistic person, or #autism for that matter. Autism was only used as a literary device to create a drama, like most other shows (be it Asian or Western) where there is an autistic character.
There was an excessive emphasis on "dumb", "stupid", and "idiot". Instead of it making people emphatize, it makes an audience hateful.
None of them actually showed that they finally understood autism and autistic people. To the very end, it was all about "do this" and "do that" so people will accept you and respect you. Sure, this is a common problem with society, however, should they have ended it that way? People will unconsciously think that's the proper way. It is not acceptance, it is forcing an autistic person to be "neurotypical".
And yet, 박시온 (Park Shi On) said in the last episode that it hurts him more when he's trying to remove his difference. But the people around him still acted the same way to end. There's a disconnect there.
The female lead is a prime example of a lover who doesn't understand a single thing about autism and autistic persons. She never showed any sign that she's doing her best to understand him, nope, instead she's doing her best to make him a "normal" person.
Yes, that's how it is in the real world. I've been in such a relationship. However, why leave it that way? She want to do things her way to the end. She will eventually get tired and quit. They will have a lot of fights. 시온 (Shi On) will just keep doing the same thing, keep quiet, say it is okay, say he is not mad, because he is always the one doing the "understanding".
What they did was to only validate that this relationship is doomed to fail instead of showing how a relationship with an autistic person can be if done properly.
The entire show, it was 박시온 who did the understanding and adjustments. Basically, the show taught us that autistic people should mask, mask, mask, and mask more. That no one will accept you unless you "get over" your autism (or in other words, mask your autism).
Conclusion:
While it did show the discrimination, stereotype, and prejudices against autistic people.
While it did capture the traits and quirks of an autistic person well.
I cannot recommend this show at all because it does more damage than in helping the autistic cause.
If I watched this when it was released in 2013, yes, I would say the same thing and rate it similarly. I'm sorry.
Just watch 이상한 변호사 우영우 (Extraordinary Attorney Woo).
I got a 1 star #review on my latest book yesterday. I’m trying to figure out how this happen, purely on a technical aspect. I’ve never sent an ARC to anyone named “Alexander.” Also, this person only has 15 total books read on their #GoodReads profile. The other 14 a different genre, then there’s my book. Best theory I can come up with is this person didn’t want to ruin their pristine account by giving a 1 star so used another account to do the dirty work. #writingcommunity#author@bookstodon
@bookstodon My #review of The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry is now live! Expected a gothic or maybe folk horror story, but instead got a story about how our connections to others can change the people around us, for better and for worse. Very much a pleasant surprise.
Today's release: Aaron Frale's queer LitRPG fantasy: My Three-Year-Old is a Barbarian and Other Parenting Problems.
Necromantic rituals, murderous ogres, battle-scarred rangers: not a typical Saturday detention for unsuspecting teaching assistant, Petra, and her delinquent teen charges. The Beaverton High School Breakfast Club...
Today's review! Barnabas Bopwright Saves the City by J. Marshall Freeman:
"Excellent writing, believable, relatable characters, a delightful coming-of-age story... Filled with adventure and angst, and a lovely cast of characters who were relatable, believable, and very charming."
This is an excellent film. For an American production, they weren't afraid to depict the "evilness" or extremism of the Western world. It's a nod to the sins of the West during the Colonial era, which unfortunately continues to this very day.
No one country, no one regional power, should be given this much might and sway for it will eventually make them dictators and tyrants disguised as democracy, freedom, and human rights. Exactly what is happening in our world today.
The ones who pay are not the 1% or the politicians or the high ranking military officials. It is the 99% who suffer. They justify their actions as "peace" and "for the future of humanity" when in reality, they only created more reasons for hatred and wars.
Sure, this was about AI. Yes, it is fiction. However, we cannot deny the underlying message of the film. Anyone who denies it is lying to themselves or living in their own fantasy.
Again, a superb film. It is rare to see productions from the West with such a profound message behind it. Western productions are often about entertainment these days, and making tons of money. Not this one. It's all about the message.
I recently finished "All hell breaks loose" the prequel book about Skullduggery Pleasant. A Y/A supernatural mystery series of books.
It started a bit slow but towards the end I started to it's potential. I always prefer a series that gets better and better the deeper I get into it.
Today's review! Jake Monroe & the Case of the Missing Mermaid by Arthur Griffin:
"Well written. The trials and tribulations of being a PI, especially one with a paranormal caseload, are vividly portrayed. Recommended for romance readers who like their mysteries spiced with a little paranormal."
"Damaged Saints has to prove that what happened last year did not stop them but made them more determined than ever. Sex, amazing characters, and rock and roll - how can you go wrong? 5 stars.
I still haven’t read Lolly Willowes, which is a shame, I know, but this review essay on the novel and a new biography on Valentine Ackland, Townsend Warner’s partner, brought it back to my tbr pile.
I’m still awfully lagging behind my @lrb pile, but being a little bit out of synch with the news these days isn’t that bad, Anyway, a good review essay probably profits if one doesn’t read it to be in the loop.
I originally read the Otherland series by Tad Williams in Swedish when it was new, and I remember it made quite an impression on me.
Enough that I've now started re-reading it in English. The impression is perhaps not as strong, but I blame myself for that. 😁
I would througly recommend it to anyone who like sci-fi and especially cyberpunk.