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Browsing posts from the category Events
In addition to providing education to customers in the shop, we offer monthly sexuality-related classes and workshops. Class topics include the G-spot, anal play, non-monogamy, communication, cunnilingus, BDSM, burlesque, rough sex, fellatio, rope bondage, and many more. In addition to in-house educators Amory Jane, Sid Need, and Gretchen Leigh, we enlist local sexuality instructors such as Annamarie Stockwell, Ev'Yan Whitney, Jessie Fresh, and Stella Harris.
We also bring in speakers from other parts of the country. These have included author and director Tristan Taormino, queer porn icon Jiz Lee, author and blogger Kevin Patterson, podcasting sexpert Sex Nerd Sandra, and author and sex educator Ducky Doolittle.
Introduction to Rope Bondage
Wednesday, May 16th — 7:30 p.m. — $20
Does the idea of restraint turn you on? Do you want to learn the building blocks of rope bondage? In this class, Stella Harris will teach you basic safety along with the single column tie, double column tie, and a simple chest harness. With these fundamentals you will be able to improvise and create many different bondage positions and hot scenarios. You'll also learn ways to use rope to build intimacy and connection while you're tying, and tricks to help you build confidence as a beginner.
It's ideal if you attend this class with a practice partner (please note that the $20 registration is per person), but folks who come alone may be able to pair off with other students, and most of these ties can also be practiced solo. Please bring rope if you have it, but some practice rope will be available. Absolute beginners are encouraged to attend!
Stella Harris is an author, educator, and coach who focuses on intimacy and connection. As a certified Intimacy Educator, she uses a variety of tools to guide and empower her clients and she teaches everything from pleasure anatomy, to communication skills, to kink and BDSM. She has presented classes for a variety of organizations including the Portland Leather Alliance, the Portland Academy of Sex Ed, Sex Positive Portland, and more, and has spoken at Portland State University, Reed College, and Pacific University. Stella is widely published in print and online, from erotic fiction to educational and lifestyle pieces on sex and kink.
Stella hopes to build a world where everyone has the tools and confidence to explore their sexuality safely and free of shame.
Events BDSM, bondage, kink, rope bondage, Stella Harris
Wet & Wild: G-spot and Squirting Orgasms
Wednesday, March 21st — 7:30 p.m. — $20
Ancient societies called it Amrita, the nectar of the gods. Pop culture regularly debates whether it's urine. Whichever camp you fall in, squirting is a hot topic.
In this class, Stella Harris will cover internal and external anatomy with special emphasis on what is commonly known as the G-spot — but is becoming better understood as the clitourethrovaginal (CUV) complex. She'll talk about everything from sex toys to touch techniques you can try alone or with a partner to experience an internal orgasm, and ways you can increase your chances of squirting.
Just as essential as sexual skills, Stella will discuss how to become comfortable with your body and with your partner, and ways to talk about touch and exploration that will put everyone at ease.
Stella Harris is building a world where everyone has the confidence to explore their sexuality safely and free of shame. As a certified Intimacy Educator, she uses a variety of tools to guide and empower her clients and she teaches everything from pleasure anatomy, to communication skills, to kink and BDSM. Stella has presented at venues and conferences nationally including Catalyst Con, KinkFest Portland, COPE Ohio, and Seattle's Center for Sex Positive Culture. She has also spoken at Portland State University, Reed College, Lewis & Clark College and Pacific University.
Stella has been widely quoted in the media and she's made guest appearances on numerous podcasts including Sex on the Brain and Playboy Radio. Her articles have appeared on Thought Catalog, Kinkly.com, and Fetish.com, and her fiction is included in more than a dozen anthologies.
Events G-spot, squirting, Stella Harris, vaginal ejaculation
Sexting Myself: How to Take Sexy, Sensual Selfies
Thursday, February 8th — 7:30 p.m. — $20
Uncover, explore, and celebrate your sexuality through the fun and sensual art of sexy self-portraiture. In this class for women and femmes, Ev'Yan Whitney — sexuality doula and erotic selfie-taker — will teach you all the tricks and tools you'll need to take bomb sensual selfies — not just for the pleasure and lustful gaze of your lover, but for your pleasure, for your gaze, as a way of acknowledging and expressing the erotic in you. You can't be what you can't see, and sexy selfies can show you your sexual radiance through your own eyes.
In Sexting Myself, you'll learn how to do the infamous "Mirror Selfie" and will be given a private, enclosed space in the shop for you to play with it. You'll also receive a digital guide packed with tips to help you with poses, playing with certain props, journal prompts, and even photo editing recommendations that you can use after the class is over. This class is open to women and femmes, both seasoned selfie-takers and total selfie novices. All you'll need is a smartphone that takes pictures. If you have a prop that you'd like to use for the class — a robe, a flower crown, sexy lingerie — feel free to bring it with you.
Events Ev'Yan Whitney
Back That Ass Up!: Anal Sex 101
Thursday, March 1st — 7:30 p.m. — $20
Are you interested in anal pleasure but not sure where to get started? Already tried anal play but wanting to learn some fun tricks and techniques? Whether you're brand new to the wonderful world of anal or already have some backdoor experience, this class is sure to teach you something new!
In this educational and humorous workshop, AJ will confront taboos, go over anal anatomy, prostate, and the G-spot, discuss anal penetration for beginners, and show great positions for anal sex. She'll also cover safety and hygiene and give you the inside scoop on all the best lubes and anal toys! This class is open to all genders and sexual appetites.
AJ (aka Amory Jane) graduated with a master's degree from Lewis & Clark College, where she studied Sex Therapy and Marriage, Couple, & Family Counseling. AJ is the host of the podcast Sex on the Brain with Amory Jane, has spoken on various panels about sex and sexuality, frequently emcees sex-positive events (such as Whoopee! A Sex-Positive Variety Show) and regularly presents workshops at She Bop and around the country.
Events AJ, anal, anal sex, prostate stimulation
Strap it to Me! Strap-on Sex for Everybody
Sunday, January 28th — 7:30 pm — $20
Buckles and straps and dildos, oh my! Strapping it on can feel a little overwhelming at first. Luckily, strap-on sex is one of Gretchen and Sid's favorite teaching topics!
Are you new to the world of strap-ons? Curious about pegging but not sure where to start? Looking to gain some extra cock-confidence while wearing a harness? In the market for a new strap-on but not sure which dildo would be the best choice? Join She Bop's very own Gretchen Leigh and Sid Need as they walk you through the ins and outs of strap-on sex! This fun and informative class will cover pegging, how to choose a harness and dildo, packing/playing, penetration, positions for all body types and abilities, how to get more comfortable using your strap-on, and tips for adding a little extra fun for the wearer. Participants of all genders, orientations, size, abilities and experience are welcome.
Sid Need is a certified sex coach, educator, and one of She Bop's long-time staff members. Gretchen Leigh is a sex educator and strength coach, often found representing She Bop around town as a resident in-house and off-site educator. With their shared academic background in psychology and gender, and their mutual passion for inclusive, comprehensive sex education, Gretchen and Sid use playfulness, humor, experience, and compassion to tackle the topic of strap-on sex for everybody.
Events Gretchen Leigh, harnesses, pegging, Sid Need, strap-ons
Rope Bondage 201
Wednesday, February 21st — 7:30 p.m. — $20
You've taken the Introduction to Rope Bondage class and/or you've already learned the single column tie, double column tie, and basic chest harness. So, now what? It's time to level up! In this 201 rope class Stella will show you how to put those ties together to create positions such as the hogtie and shrimp tie, and other positions that can be used for kink and sex. We'll also dive deeper into rope handling, building intimacy and connection, and how to create a full scene with rope. We'll demo these positions and techniques and give you time to practice them yourself.
Since these ties are more complex and intimate, you'll get the most out of this class if you attend with a practice partner (please note that the $20 registration is per person), but folks who come alone may be able to pair off with other students. Please bring rope if you have it, but some practice rope will be available. Also, please bring a yoga mat and/or blanket because we'll be on the floor for this class.
Wednesday, January 17th — 7:30 p.m. — $20
Fellatio 2.0: An Oral Sex Upgrade!
Sunday, January 7th — 7:30 p.m. — $20
You know the basics: your hand-mouth coordination is on point, you've timed your breathing to a T, and you have an A+ in anatomy. Now's your chance to take things up a notch!
Join She Bop educator Gretchen Leigh as she takes you through the ins and outs and ups and downs of advanced fellatio. We'll dive deep into deep throating, play with power dynamics (bondage, dirty talk, and CBT, anyone?), explore hot blow job techniques for non-traditional recipients including strap-ons, soft cocks, and enlarged clits, brush up on butt stuff, build ball-handling know-how, get creative with oral sex positions, and more!
Come one come all, fellatio aficionados and enthusiasts — this class is open to blow job givers and receivers of all genders and orientations. This class will include a live demo on a dildo; please feel free to bring a pen and paper if you'd like to take notes, or a toy from home if you'd like to practice as you learn!
Events advanced, blowjobs, fellatio, Gretchen Leigh, oral sex
Exploring Burlesque: Striptease Salon
Wednesday, December 6th — 7:30 p.m. — $20
Have you ever wanted to rock your boa? Peel your stocking? Shimmy your hips? Get your glamour puss on because this class is for you! Join Orchestre L'Pow producer Madison Moone for Striptease Salon, a flirty evening of classic bump and grind perfect for beginners or just the curious.
Students will be guided through a sexy burlesque movement study including bumps, grinds and struts, followed by a tantalizing round of peeling techniques and prop dancing. We will also explore classic burlesque characters before constructing a series of short teases as a group. Together, we will discover a deeper sense of our personal erotic being while developing a greater appreciation for our feminine power!
Students should dress in comfortable clothes such a yoga or dance wear. Music and demo props will be provided by Miss Moone. All levels of fitness welcome, no dance experience or nudity required. Please avoid alcohol consumption before attending and arrive by 7:20 p.m. — class will begin promptly at 7:30 p.m., no late entrance after 7:45 p.m. No photographs are permitted. There will be time for shopping after the class!
Grab your best girlfriends and join Miss Moone for an evening of fun, laughs and celebration of the female spirit. See you in class!
Events burlesque, Madison Moone
Events Gretchen Leigh
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Tag: giveaway
Book Tour, Reviews
The Weight of a Soul (+ Giveaway!)
December 8, 2019 A Morrow
When Lena's younger sister Fressa is found dead, their whole Viking clan mourns—but it is Lena alone who never recovers. Fressa is the sister that should've lived, and Lena cannot rest until she knows exactly what killed Fressa and why—and how to bring her back. She strikes a dark deal with Hela, the Norse goddess of death, and begins a new double life to save her sister.
But as Lena gets closer to bringing Fressa back, she dredges up dangerous discoveries about her own family, and finds herself in the middle of a devastating plan to spur Ragnarök –a deadly chain of events leading to total world destruction.
Still, with her sister's life in the balance, Lena is willing to risk it all. She's willing to kill. How far will she go before the darkness consumes her?
Check out the Book Trailer here!
Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Book Depository
The Weight of a Soul by Elizabeth Tammi was insightful, descriptive, fun, and showcases one of my favorite things: the love between two sisters. There were a lot of things to like about this book.
Probably my favorite aspect of this story was the emphasis of Nordic Mythology. Tammi does a great job of interweaving the mythos with the rest of the world and the story and I loved that she took a spin on the topic that most don't. The Nordic angle still feels fresh and new and original and it was fascinating to me to be introduced to myths I wasn't already so familiar with. The viking characters care deeply about these myths and gods and I loved that the author took the time to connect that to the characters' culture. It really was well done.
Another thing I loved is that this book starts off fast right out of the gate. Before we even get to know anyone too well, things are turned on their head and we have to reorient ourselves all over again. Usually this would be jarring, but for some reason here it worked well. I liked having to relearn the new rules of the story. The pace does lag in the middle and I struggled to get through some bits, but it picks back up near the end and ties off nicely.
The sister relationship between Lena and Fressa was another high point for this story. Their closeness felt real and relatable instead of too sweet or too formal, and the lengths they would go for each other are vast. I have a sister and reading this made me think of all the things I would do for her. I was really touched.
I enjoyed this book quite a bit overall, even though I struggled in the middle. The mythology is rich and the world is immersive, the relationships are touching and intuitive and the story was pretty interesting. If you're a lover of myths, this might just be the next book for you.
Elizabeth Tammi was born in California and grew up in Florida, but is currently double-majoring in Creative Writing and Journalism as an undergraduate at Mercer University in Georgia. When she's not writing, you can probably find Elizabeth at work for her university's newspaper and literary magazine. Her other interests include traveling, caffeinated beverages, and mythology.
You can find Elizabeth online on Tumblr at (annabethisterrified), Twitter at (@ElizabethTammi), Instagram at (elizabeth_tammi), and at elizabethtammi.com.
Goodreads | Website | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest
Enter to win 1 of 5 copies of The Weight of a Soul by Elizabeth Tammi!
Giveaway is open to US residents and ends 12/17/2019.
Enter through this Rafflecopter form and may the odds be ever in your favor!
Bookish Looks – Guest Post
Adventures and Reading – Review
Foals, Fiction & Filigree – Review + Favourite Quotes
Gwendalyn's Books – Review + Favourite Quotes
Books_AndPoetrii – Promotional Post
L.M. Durand – Review
womanon – Review + Favourite Quotes
It Starts at Midnight – Review
Papertea & Bookflowers – Review
Sometimes Leelynn Reads – Review + Favourite Quotes
A Dream Within A Dream – Review
The Reading Corner for All – Review + Playlist + Favourite Quotes
Donnie Darko Girl – Review
The Reading Life – Promotional Post
Kait Plus Books – Interview
Place of Wild Strawberries – Review + Favourite Quotes
YA/NA Book Divas – Review
Sincerely Karen Jo – Review + Favourite Quotes
Confessions of a YA Reader – Promotional Post
To All The Books I've Read Before – Guest Post
Shalini's Books & Reviews – Review
PopTheButterfly Reads – Review
Evelynreads – Review
Story-eyed Reviews – Review
Wishful Endings – Interview
EatingbetweenthelinesINC – Review
Port Jericho – Review
Clarissa Reads It All – Review + Favourite Quotes
Synopses by Sarge – Review
See you tomorrow, bookies! x
Find more recommendations on: Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads
Tagged blog tour, Book Tour, elizabeth tammi, enter to win, giveaway, the weight of a soul, win, YA, YA fantasy, ya historical fantasy, ya historical fiction, young adult, young adult fantasy, young adult fictionLeave a comment
Sisters of Shadow and Light (+ Giveaway!)
November 5, 2019 A Morrow
From the acclaimed author of DEFY, Sara B. Larson, SISTERS OF SHADOW AND LIGHT is a timeless and fantastical tale of sisterly love and powerful magic.
"The night my sister was born, the stars died and were reborn in her eyes…".
Zuhra and Inara have grown up in the Citadel of the Paladins, an abandoned fortress where legendary, magical warriors once lived before disappearing from the world―including their Paladin father the night Inara was born.
On that same night, a massive, magical hedge grew and imprisoned them within the citadel. Inara inherited their father's Paladin power; her eyes glow blue and she is able to make plants grow at unbelievable rates, but she has been trapped in her own mind because of a "roar" that drowns everything else out―leaving Zuhra virtually alone with their emotionally broken human mother.
For fifteen years they have lived, trapped in the citadel, with little contact from the outside world…until the day a stranger passes through the hedge, and everything changes.
This book was wholeheartedly fun to read.
Sisters of Shadow and Light is not a simple story, but it's a wildly intriguing one. It was readable, relatable, fantastical, and most of all it felt original. The story moved in ways that I didn't expect at all, which is saying something considering that I'd pegged the story for an ending early on in the book. I couldn't have been more wrong, and I enjoyed it a lot.
Following two sisters with vastly different talents and experiences in the world, this book is told from alternating perspectives for the most part and the effect this creates is masterful. Zuhra, the sister we hear from first and most often, has had her life formed around caring for her sister and keeping their family's secrets. Inara, on the other hand, is struggling with powers that make her so sensitive that she can't even communicate for part of the book's story. Her moments of lucidity are cherished and then used as a device to further the story, it really is well done.
I enjoyed the characters as much as the book in this one. These girls aren't perfect, but they are strong. Both whole and interesting characters in their own right, both sisters are ambitious and headstrong, committed and focused, and they do not give up. Their bond was my favorite part of this whole story. Yes, I know, I'm a bit biased in that I love a good sisterly bond in a book, but adding the fantasy and the dynamic between them, this felt new and fun.
I hesitate to say too much else about the magic system or plot lines because I truly enjoyed being confused and confounded throughout the course of this story. I truly enjoyed Sisters of Shadow and Light and (gah! with that ending??) I cannot wait for the sequel that hopefully comes.
Sara B. Larson is the best-selling and critically acclaimed author of the YA fantasy DEFY trilogy (DEFY, IGNITE, and ENDURE) and the DARK BREAKS THE DAWN duology. Her next YA fantasy, SISTERS OF SHADOW AND LIGHT, comes out November 5th from Tor Teen. She can't remember a time when she didn't write books—although she now uses a computer instead of a Little Mermaid notebook. Sara lives in Utah with her husband, their four children, and their Maltese, Loki. She writes in brief snippets throughout the day and the quiet hours when most people are sleeping. Her husband claims she should have a degree in "the art of multitasking." When she's not mothering or writing, you can often find her at the gym repenting for her sugar addiction.
Goodreads | Website | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest | Youtube | Instagram
Enter to win 1 of 10 copies of Sisters of Shadow and Light by Sara B. Larson!
BookCrushin – Tell Your Story in 3 or 5 GIFs
NovelKnight – Story Behind The Cover
Utopia State of Mind – Review + Favourite Quotes
Write, Read, Repeat – Review
Book Briefs – Review
Bookish Looks – Character Playlist
Here's To Happy Endings – Review
The Boozy Reader – Review
Becky's Book Blog – Review
books_andpoetrii – Mood Board/Book Style
Musings of a (Book) Girl – Official Playlist
Novelishly – Review
Kait Plus Books – Top 10 List
Artsy Draft – Review + Favourite Quotes
Novel Nerd Faction – Review + Playlist
Jrsbookreviews – Review
Fictitiouswonderland – Review
Sereadipity – Video Interview
Sometimes Leelynn Reads – Review + Dream Cast
Wishful Endings – Review
Happy reading, friends! See you tomorrow! x
Tagged blog tour, book review, Book Tour, giveaway, release day, sara b larson, sisters of shadow and light, win, YA, YA fantasy, young adult, young adult book review, young adult fantasyLeave a comment
ARC Reviews, Book Tour, Reviews
Angel Mage ( + Giveaway!)
October 24, 2019 October 24, 2019 A Morrow
Hey all! I am so excited to share with you my stop on the Angel Mage Tour. I've got some creative content for you, a review of this awesome new book, and a giveaway down at the bottom! Hope you enjoy. x
"More than a century has passed since Liliath crept into the empty sarcophagus of Saint Marguerite, fleeing the Fall of Ystara. But she emerges from her magical sleep still beautiful, looking no more than nineteen, and once again renews her single-minded quest to be united with her lover, Palleniel, the archangel of Ystara.
A seemingly impossible quest, but Liliath is one of the greatest practitioners of angelic magic to have ever lived, summoning angels and forcing them to do her bidding.
Liliath knew that most of the inhabitants of Ystara died from the Ash Blood plague or were transformed into beastlings, and she herself led the survivors who fled into neighboring Sarance. Now she learns that angels shun the Ystaran's descendants. If they are touched by angelic magic, their blood will turn to ash. They are known as Refusers, and can only live the most lowly lives.
But Liliath cares nothing for the descendants of her people, save how they can serve her. It is four young Sarancians who hold her interest: Simeon, a studious doctor-in-training; Henri, a dedicated fortune hunter; Agnez, an adventurous musketeer cadet; and Dorotea, an icon-maker and scholar of angelic magic. They are the key to her quest.
The four feel a strange kinship from the moment they meet, but do not know why, or suspect their importance. All become pawns in Liliath's grand scheme to fulfill her destiny and be united with the love of her life. No matter the cost to everyone else. . ."
When I heard that Garth Nix was releasing another book, I was SO excited. Then even more excited when I earned an advanced copy and a spot on this tour!
If you don't know this about me, I used to read Nix's Old Kingdom series when I was younger and it was one that I consistently went back to as I grew up. Starting with Sabriel, the Old Kingdom series was like quicksand for me, it sucked me in and never let me out again. But the wonderful thing about the way Nix writes is that it seemed to almost age with me: I noticed new things, I understood the relationships and complex world even better, it was a whole new experience.
Suffice to say, because of all this, I had high expectations for Angel Mage. After all, this is the same world as the Old Kingdom series…only 100 years later. If you're familiar with the Old Kingdom series, you'll recognize and enjoy callbacks and references to parts of the world you remember. But the real joy of the way Nix has written this book is that it can also stand alone. You don't need any credentials to pick up and enjoy this book, aside from wanting to.
And Angel Mage starts off with a bang. Nix throws us into this insane world without warning and with plenty of action. Given that Nix has a writing style that not everyone finds easy to read, I was pleasantly surprised by how fast-paced, action-packed, and tight this book really was. The plot moves quickly and I found myself waiting, on the edge of my seat many times, just to find out what was going to happen next.
It wouldn't be possible to talk about a Garth Nix book without pointing out what a beautiful job he does with the world-building and mythology in his work. The World of Angel Mage is so full of fascinating things to latch onto, question, and wonder about. The magical and 'religious' and/or angelic pantheon system that Nix has created in this story is immense and complex and so unique. I've yet to read anything else like it and it was one of my favorite parts of the book, figuring out how this fascinating new system of fantasy worked.
Another thing Nix always delivers well is a solid, character-driven story. Despite the plot moving full speed ahead, the characters that we travel with throughout this story have not been forgotten about in the least. I loved to hate the main character in the weirdest way: I empathized with her, felt so deeply for her, and also constantly wanted to shake her by the shoulders. Her drive and stubbornness are such a deep part of her character and mission that she felt alive.
Even Angel Mage's side characters, of which there are four of note, are all unique and full and tangible. I felt their friendship for each other, which is another feat I appreciate so much in books, it felt so real. Their complex histories and personal drives were all so rich and woven into the story so as to dangerously intertwine at just the right moment.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. Angel Mage was gripping, character-driven, quick, and wonderfully magical. Once you ease into the style of Nix's writing, the world is immersive and beautifully written and I think anyone, adult or young adult, who enjoys fantasy might enjoy this too.
Sound interesting? I thought so! In fact I LOVE a good book that can take something so big and vast and complex as the topics of Angels and Gods and turn it into something fresh, original, and new.
Here are a few more of my favorite books that delight in showing off the most original facets of the Divine:
The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher
This might be my favorite take on angels today. (Yes, its also my favorite series, so I am biased, but still.) I hesitate to say too much here, for the simple fact that you might be reading this series and not have gotten to and/or realized the bigger picture of this bizarre and fascinating urban fantasy world. If not, you are in luck; there are huge, shocking, wonderful, horrible twists ahead for you. Butcher uses a myriad of references and entities to weave a bigger story into his narrative and it continues to blow me away. If you like your Angels and Demons smart, subtle, and truly old-as-time, this is the series for you. (Adult, Urban Fantasy)
American Gods by Neil Gaiman
Is there another book that uses gods and angels and higher beings so creatively? I'm not sure. American Gods is a big, wandering, complex book that is a wild ride to read, I've enjoyed it many times. What I love most about it though is how it uses America, a country that's (ideally) known for being a 'melting pot' of different beliefs and cultures, to show a new side to how that might affect those gods being believed in. What happens to a god when their worshippers are driven from their homes and have to find a new way of life? What happens to a god when their people have to assimilate into a new culture? What happens to a god when they are forgotten about? There are so many questions, and so many more, that American Gods both answers and poses, but if these questions interest you then the book will too. If you like your Angels and Demons a little bit gritty, jaded, and all varieties of pissed off, this might be the book for you. (Adult, Urban Fantasy)
Good Omens by Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
Yeah, yeah, yeah, Gaiman made this list twice. But given that these two list entries could not be more different from each other, I'm going to say its a fair count. Good Omens is the antithesis of American Gods in many ways, but also it's just…its own wonderful thing. Good Omens is funny and irreverent, smart and clever, and full of Gaiman's trademark profundity and Pratchett's beloved sense of humor. The two of them come together to create something that is, all at once, a thriller, a coming of age story, a cosmic battle between good and evil, and also just a story of a boy and his dog. This book is hilarious, beautiful, sad, and sweet, and most of all, just a great time. If you like your Angels and Demons to be equal turns snarky and adorable, human-loving and rule-breaking, really into their organizations and maybe a little bit in love with each other too- this book is for you. (Adult, Fantasy)
The Queen's Thief series by Megan Whalen Turner
I didn't expect this series to have anything at all to do with gods or angels or the like, but Megan Whalen Turner has a way of surprising me in everything she does. While these books center on political and royal intrigues for the most part, the reader can't deny that a bigger picture starts forming early on. The main character, Eugenidies, doesn't want the gods' attention and didn't ask for it, but he seems to have it. Between being sent dreams, his fate being turned at a whim, and even direct contact, Eugenidies can't ignore the very real truth that the gods want something with him. And they want something bigger, too. As each book builds on itself and his life changes in ways he couldn't imagine, the picture starts to become clearer and so many things hinge on his trust in his gods. If you like your Angels and Demons subtle but direct, amused, and willing to change a person's fate to meet their own ends, this may be the series for you. (MG/YA, Fantasy)
Both the Tortall and Winding Circle series by Tamora Pierce
Tamora Pierce has been a beloved author of mine since I was young, and I've read all her books. She's written multiple series, but all of them fall into one of two worlds: Tortall or Emelan, named after the countries these stories spend the most time in. Each of these series are different, with different protagonists, struggles, and even magical and religious systems across the two worlds. There is so much variety in the way the people in these worlds worship, which gods they worship, and especially how magic factors into it all. In one world Pierce paints her gods as distant but accessible, benevolent. They exist but on a more practical, worldly level that each character can turn over and decide how it makes them feel. It feels fresh and honest and magically fascinating, and if that sounds like something you'd like be sure to check out her books in Emelan. In Tortall, the gods may feel distant for some but they are ever so very, very present. If you like your gods and angels and spiritual entities meddling and emotional, personal and relational, and potentially able to visit, that might be the series for you instead. Pierce has so much to offer in this arena.
The Empirium Trilogy by Claire Legrand
This series is relatively new; its a trilogy but only two of the books have been published so far, Furyborn and Kingsbane. I enjoyed them both. The most fascinating part for me, in both of them, was the way that Legrand writes this world: magic and religion and angels and science all wrapped up together into one complex thread that cannot be unraveled. If you like your Angels and gods to span centuries and stories, to do whatever it takes to complete their mission, this might be the series for you.
All of the books from Tolkien's Middle-Earth
Oh, Tolkien. How could I not include Tolkien? I don't know about you but I am a huge fan of Middle-Earth and all of its stories. Tolkien's work may be dense, but what makes up for it, especially when it comes to angels, demons and gods, is the immense amount of culture and world-building that he manages to fit into every story. Tolkien's world has gods and beliefs and cultures that go back so far into the history of Middle-Earth that most people on real Earth don't know the half of it. If you like your Angels and Demons to be distant, more mythological than personable, more story than entity, this is the right world for you. There are so many facets to explore.
I had so much fun reading Angel Mage and honestly I had so much fun making this list. I could ramble on here about more ideas for the rest of the day, but I hope I've at least given you some new titles to check out for your next divine read. What a wild world it is.
Garth Nix has been a full-time writer since 2001, but has also worked as a literary agent, marketing consultant, book editor, book publicist, book sales representative, bookseller, and as a part-time soldier in the Australian Army Reserve.
Garth's books include the Old Kingdom fantasy series, comprising Sabriel, Lirael; Abhorsen; Clariel and Goldenhand; SF novels Shade's Children and A Confusion of Princes; and a Regency romance with magic, Newt's Emerald. His novels for children include The Ragwitch; the six books of The Seventh Tower sequence; The Keys to the Kingdom series and others. He has co-written several books with Sean Williams, including the Troubletwisters series; Spirit Animals Book Three: Blood Ties; Have Sword, Will Travel; and the forthcoming sequel Let Sleeping Dragons Lie. A contributor to many anthologies and magazines, Garth's selected short fiction has been collected in Across the Wall and To Hold the Bridge.
More than five million copies of his books have been sold around the world, they have appeared on the bestseller lists of The New York Times, Publishers Weekly and USA Today and his work has been translated into 42 languages. His most recent book is Frogkisser! now being developed as a film by Twentieth Century Fox/Blue Sky Animation.
Enter to win 1 of 2 copies of Angel Mage by Garth Nix!
Dazzled By Books – Book Review, Creative Content
Library of a Book Witch – Book Review
The Layaway Dragon – Book Review + Favorite Quotes
Moonlight Rendezvous – Book Review + Favorite Quotes
Books_andPoetrii – Creative Content
@tea.books.magic – Book Review
Bout-a-Book Blog – Book Review
Kait Plus Books – Creative Content
Novel Nerd Faction – Book Review, Creative Content
Becky's Book Blog – Book Review
Story-eyed Review – Book Review, Creative Content
evelynreads – Book Review
The Book Bratz – Spotlight
Sometimes Leelynn Reads – Book Review, Creative Content
Clarissa Reads It All – Spotlight
The Reading Corner for All – Book Review, Creative Content
biblioxytocin – Book Review + Favorite Quotes, Creative Content
Popthebutterfly Reads – Book Review
Life With No Plot – Book Review
Book Blog London – Book Review + Favorite Quotes
Utopia State of Mind – Book Review + Favorite Quotes
Nay's Pink Bookshelf – Book Review + Favorite Quotes
Angel Mage is out now!
What are some of YOUR favorite books that play with higher beings?? Leave me a comment, I want to know!
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Tagged american gods, angel mage, ARC, ARC review, blog tour, book review, Book Tour, Claire Legrand, emelan, ffbc, furyborn, garth nix, giveaway, good omens, jim butcher, jrr tolkien, Kingsbane, List, lord of the rings, megan whalen turner, neil gaiman, neil gaiman and terry pratchett, tamora pierce, the dresden files, the hobbit, the thief, tortall, winding circleLeave a comment
The Speed of Falling Objects ( + Giveaway!)
September 30, 2019 A Morrow
From the author of When Elephants Fly comes an exceptional new novel about falling down, risking everything and embracing what makes us unique. Don't miss this compulsively readable novel about the most unlikely of heroes.
Danger "Danny" Danielle Warren is no stranger to falling. After losing an eye in a childhood accident, she had to relearn her perception of movement and space. Now Danny keeps her head down, studies hard, and works to fulfill everyone else's needs. She's certain that her mom's bitterness and her TV star father's absence are her fault. If only she were more-more athletic, charismatic, attractive-life would be perfect.
When her dad calls with an offer to join him to film the next episode of his popular survivalist show, Danny jumps at the chance to prove she's not the disappointment he left behind. Being on set with the hottest teen movie idol of the moment, Gus Price, should be the cherry on top. But when their small plane crashes in the Amazon, and a terrible secret is revealed, Danny must face the truth about the parent she worships and falling for Gus, and find her own inner strength and worth to light the way home.
Whew! What a whirlwind of a book!
The Speed of Falling Objects takes off at light speed and does not slow down even once. This story was swift, well-paced, and a thrilling survival tale of a family doing whatever it takes. I had ups and downs with this story, but overall- a frightening, wild tale. Starting the first page off with a plane crash sure does jump-start a book!
The best thing about this book was the rich, descriptive, immersive world that the author creates in the boundless Amazon Rainforest. What seems like such a beautiful and rich place, full of all kinds of different life forms that continue to flourish, proves to be a much less hospitable place than I imagined. For instance: when so much of what's around you is poisonous, how do you find anything to eat? I'd never thought about that before.
Fischer has a great writing style that clicked well with me too. Her writing simple, straight-forward, and focused. This made it so easy and effortless to read and I flew through this YA contemporary survival story.
My only struggle was that I profoundly disliked one of the characters, the main character's father. I've read some other reviews that struggled with the same character, which leads me to believe- maybe that was the point? Were we supposed to hate him? I'm not sure but, regardless, he will not win father of the year.
Overall, this was a fast, fun, and crazy ride through the jungle at top speed and I flew through this book. If you like thrilling survival tales, this book might be for you. If you like complex characters that make you feel conflicted, this book would be right up your alley.
Check it out for yourself! This one hits shelves tomorrow.
I'm a published author with children's, teen and adult titles including: The Golden Globe, Lyric's World and Promises (Junior Jedi Knights Trilogy) for LucasFilm (Berkeley Press), Feel No Fear, The Power, Passion and Politics of a Life in Gymnastics (Hyperion), Monica: From Fear to Victory (HarperCollins), A Journey: The Autobiography of Apolo Anton Ohno (Simon & Schuster), Nadia Comaneci: Letters to a Young Gymnast (Basic Books), and Winning Every Day with Shannon Miller (Bantam Books).
I've written for a circus, a graduate school, tried my hand at waitressing (I was terrible!), baking carrot cakes (I was messy but good!), and been lucky enough to ultimately do what I love – write.
I live in the Pacific Northwest with my husband and our mostly wonderful (but sometimes vorpal) Vizsla. When I'm not conjuring a story, I love to kite-board, bike, ski or plan adventures with my two guys, who both make me laugh for different reasons and are the best partners in fun a gal could ever imagine.
If you want to learn more about my latest novel, When Elephants Fly (publication date September 04, HarperCollins/Harlequin Teen), please visit my website!
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Enter to win a copy of The Speed of Falling Objects by Nancy Richardson Fischer!
Giveaway is open to US residents and ends 10/9/2019.
Musings of a (Book) Girl – Guest Post
Lisa Loves Literature – Review
alymbobby – Review
Wishful Endings – Guest Post
Hopelessly Devoted Bibliophile – Review
Buzz4Mommies – Review
The Art of Living – Review
Two points of interest – Review
the bookdragon – Review + Favourite Quotes
Kelsey Covers books – Review
Savings in Seconds – Review
A Dream Within A Dream – Promotional Post
Love, Stars, and Books – Promotional Post
Starlight Reads – Review + Playlist
Cinnamon Summers – Review
October 1st
To All The Books I've Read Before – Review + Playlist + Dream Cast
Buried Under Books – Review
Novel Nerd Faction – Review
Happy Monday! x – A
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Tagged book review, contemporary, giveaway, nancy richardson fischer, the speed of falling objects, YA, YA contemporaryLeave a comment
Shadow Frost ( + Giveaway!)
IN THE KINGDOM OF AXARIA, a darkness rises.
Some call it a monster, laying waste to the villagers and their homes.
Some say it is an invulnerable demon summoned from the deepest abysses of the Immortal Realm.
Many soldiers from the royal guard are sent out to hunt it down.
Not one has ever returned.
When Asterin Faelenhart, Princess of Axaria and heir to the throne, discovers that she may hold the key to defeating the mysterious demon terrorizing her kingdom, she vows not to rest until the beast is slain. With the help of her friends and the powers she wields — though has yet to fully understand — Asterin sets out to complete a single task. The task that countless, trained soldiers have failed.
To kill it.
But as they hunt for the demon, they unearth a plot to assassinate the Princess herself instead. Asterin and her companions begin to wonder how much of their lives have been lies, especially when they realize that the center of the web of deceit might very well be themselves. With no one else to turn to, they are forced to decide just how much they are willing to sacrifice to protect the only world they have ever known.
That is, of course… if the demon doesn't get to them first.
From young author Coco Ma comes a dazzling new tale of adventure, power, and betrayal, weaving together a stunning world of magic with a killer cast in an explosive, unforgettable debut.
Where do I start with Coco Ma's stunning new fantasy debut, Shadow Frost? Because there is so much to talk about.
Let's start with my favorite thing about this book: the people in it. Within the first half of this book I had already decided that I would read the rest in the series, simply because I grew so attached to the characters that the story centers around.
Our main character, Asterin, Princess of Axaria, could so easily have fallen into the "Mary Sue" or "Chosen Princess" stereotypical character role and not been much else. But Asterin is no pushover Princess who's going to follow the "rules" of whatever this "genre" thing is. Her world is complicated, dangerous and dark and she has no time to be anyone but herself. Asterin is fierce, headstrong, and more than anything else- relatable. Flawed and imperfect, all she wants is to live up to her mother's legacy and be the Queen her people deserve. Like most of us though, she doesn't know exactly how to do that and makes choices and mistakes that lead her down a winding and completely unforeseen journey instead. This felt so true to life for me, watching Asterin try and find her footing amidst so much uncertainty and danger and, of course, dark magic.
The supporting cast are nothing to scoff at either. If you're a fan of characters that make you feel so soft you want to just scoop them up and put them safely away in your pocket, Shadow Frost has got you covered. I was so worried for these sweet lil cinnamon buns!! From down-to-earth, to dark and brooding, to refreshingly frank, there is no aspect of personality left unexplored in these characters and I enjoyed that immensely. The banter and the way they play to each other's strength and weaknesses was so well blended in with the story that it felt natural, at ease, and so effortlessly compelling.
I was also very pleasantly surprised at how fast-paced and twisty this book was! I wasn't expecting so many plot twists (which was awesome) or what they ended up being (which was even more awesome), and this happened more than once. It was pure enjoyment to constantly be wondering if the status quo will be maintained or upended once more and because it moves so quickly, it gives the story this feeling as if it's pulling you along instead of waiting for you to read.
Finally, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention how absolutely astounding it is that Coco Ma wrote the first draft of this novel at age 15. While some of the characters have aspects or make choices that highlight this fact occasionally, I was blown away by the luxurious complexity, intricate world-building, and twisted plot surprises in this book. This was an absolutely impressive read, but more than that- it was pure entertainment.
If you're looking for a rich new world in a series that is only just beginning, this book is for you. If you're looking for whole and emotional character building or a magic system with a refreshing breath of new life inside it, this book is for you. If you're just bored and want to try something new and a little surprising and creative, definitely for you.
Hope you enjoy it as much as I did. — A
Coco Ma is a Canadian-Chinese author and pianist. She wrote her first novel, Shadow Frost, at the age of 15. Since she began playing the piano at the age of five and a half, she has also performed on some of the world's greatest concert stages and graduated with a pre-college diploma in piano performance from The Juilliard School in New York City. Currently, she studies at Yale University. When she isn't practicing piano, writing, or studying, you might find her bingeing Netflix or eating cake. Lots of cake.
Follow Coco on Twitter @shadowfrost2019 and Instagram @CakeForCoco or visit her website at Coco-Ma.com!
Enter to win a copy of Shadow Frost by Coco Ma, a signed bookplate, and enamel pin!
The Book Bratz – Review + Favourite Quotes
Snark and Squee – Review
Writing with Wolves – Review
The Art of Living – Review + Mood Board
Kait Plus Books – Official Book or Character Playlist
Frayed Books – Review
Lost in Storyland – Review
Novelishly – Review + Favourite Quotes
Novel Lives – Review
Inky Moments – Review + Mood Board
Morgan Vega – Review + Favourite Quotes
Bookish Looks – Meet The Characters
Utopia State of Mind – Official Dream Cast
The Baroness of Books – Review
marshmallow pudding – Review + Favourite Quotes
L.M.Durand – Review + Dream Cast + Mood Board
everywhere and nowhere – Review
Book-Keeping – Review
Bookwyrming Thoughts – Review
the Bibliophagist – Review
Tagged blog tour, book review, Book Tour, coco ma, ffbc, giveaway, shadow frostLeave a comment
Crown of Coral and Pearl
August 23, 2019 A Morrow
Today, I'm excited to introduce you to Crown of Coral and Pearl by Mara Rutherford! I really enjoyed this twist on the mermaid/sea-inspired YA fantasy, and I was lucky enough to join the tour to tell you about it! Let's get to it.
"For generations, the princes of Ilara have married the most beautiful maidens from the ocean village of Varenia. But though every girl longs to be chosen as the next princess, the cost of becoming royalty is higher than any of them could ever imagine…
Nor once dreamed of seeing the wondrous wealth and beauty of Ilara, the kingdom that's ruled her village for as long as anyone can remember. But when a childhood accident left her with a permanent scar, it became clear that her identical twin sister, Zadie, would likely be chosen to marry the Crown Prince—while Nor remained behind, unable to ever set foot on land.
Then Zadie is gravely injured, and Nor is sent to Ilara in her place. To Nor's dismay, her future husband, Prince Ceren, is as forbidding and cold as his home—a castle carved into a mountain and devoid of sunlight. And as she grows closer to Ceren's brother, the charming Prince Talin, Nor uncovers startling truths about a failing royal bloodline, a murdered queen… and a plot to destroy the home she was once so eager to leave.
In order to save her people, Nor must learn to negotiate the treacherous protocols of a court where lies reign and obsession rules. But discovering her own formidable strength may be the one move that costs her everything: the crown, Varenia and Zadie."
I wasn't sure what to expect when I picked up Crown of Coral and Pearl by Mara Rutherford. Would it be the standard YA fantasy fare? Would it feel repetitive? But no, I enjoyed this new addition to the mermaid-inspired fantasy trend and if you enjoy this genre I think you will too.
The best thing about Crown of Coral and Pearl is that it is, at its core, a beautiful little novel in so many ways. The easy flow of the writing, the thought and detail in all the descriptions, and even in the culture of the people in this book. Beauty itself is a sort of theme in this book, one of the kingdoms in which it takes place even values beauty above all else, drawing fascinating questions about what kind of world that builds. This book was gorgeous, I felt like I could see and feel every luxurious detail, and I loved how this concept was woven into the story. Very smart.
Overall, the world-builing in general was a fascinating piece of this book. Each kingdom felt full and lived in, and the issues they faced felt real and layered in complexity. I especially found the politics and relationship between the two kingdoms to be so interesting and could have read a lot longer on these topics alone. I was swept up into this world so well and that is one of the things I appreciate most about reading.
Another thing Coral and Pearl does so well is in showcasing its tough, feminine, relatable main character, in Nor. I found all of the characters in this book interesting, but her most of all. Nor is clever, compassionate, driven, and a great female character. Most of all, I loved the incredibly close but surprisingly difficult relationship between Nor and her twin sister. Watching that relationship develop over the events of the book, in both victories and struggles, was an interesting dynamic considering how close their ties are. Even the villain of this story drew so much empathy and depth of feeling.
My only detractor is that the romance in this book didn't quite work for me. Overall, it didn't take away from the overall story but it just…didn't need it? It seemed too quick and more like infatuation than anything else, so I struggled to root for this facet of the story as much as I did the others. Nor is such a strong character that it was frustrating to see her make certian choices for a romance that felt somewhat out of character. One of the central themes of this book is that beauty is more than just a physical state, its something deeper, and yet for the life of me I couldn't see any other factor but physical attraction here haha. But hey, that's valid too, I guess.
Overall, I enjoyed this. It could use a little polishing when it comes to the romance and maybe the ending, but it was a solid debut into the crowded field of YA fantasy novels right now. I am loving this sea-inspired trend, it's hitting all my nostalgic Little Mermaid buttons, and this just fit right in. Crown of Coral and Pearl was well-paced, interesting all the way through, and set on a great premise. Would definitely recommend.
Keep an eye out for this one in stores on August 27th!
Mara Rutherford began her writing career as a journalist but quickly discovered she far preferred fantasy to reality. Originally from California, Mara has since lived all over the world, from Russia to Peru, along with her Marine-turned-diplomat husband and two sons. A triplet born on Leap Day, Mara holds a Master's degree in Cultural Studies from the University of London and would rather study the folklore of her next post than the language (which she has found is a lot more fun but not nearly as useful). She is a former Pitch Wars mentee and three-time mentor. Her debut YA fantasy, CORAL AND PEARL, will release from Harlequin Teen in Fall 2019.
Website | Goodreads | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest
Enter to win 1 of 15 copies of Crown of Coral and Pearl by Mara Ruthorford!
Giveaway is open to US residents and ends 9/2/2019.
The Clever Reader – Promotional Post
August 21st
Utopia State of Mind – Review + Favourite QuotesA Dream Within A Dream – Review Magical Reads – Review + Playlist
Wishful Endings – Promotional Post
August 22nd
The Bibliophagist – Review + Favourite Quotes
Night Owl Book Cafe – Review
The Reading Corner for All – Review + Favourite Quotes
TheBookNerdDiaries – Promotional Post
August 23rd
Story-eyed Reviews – Review + Favourite Quotes
Once Upon a Time, I Read a Book – Review + Favourite Quotes
Kait Plus Books – Promotional Post
Inky Moments – Review
The Reading Life – Review + Favourite Quotes
Bookish Looks – Promotional Post
The Book Nut : A Book Lovers Guide – Review + Playlist
Tagged blog tour, Book Tour, crown of coral and pearl, giveaway, mara rutherfordLeave a comment

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


ISLAMABAD, Nov 29 (APP): Pakistan has been fined for maintaining a slow over-rate against New Zealand during the second Test in Hamilton which ended on Tuesday.
Richie Richardson of the Elite Panel of ICC Match Referees imposed the fine after Azhar Ali's side was ruled to be five overs short of its target when time allowances were taken into consideration, a press release issued here Tuesday said.
In accordance with Article 2.5.1 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to minor over-rate offences, players are fined 10 per cent of their match fees for every over their side fails to bowl in the allotted time, with the captain fined double that amount.
As such, Azhar has been fined 100 per cent of his match fee, while his players have received 50 per cent fines.
Azhar pleaded guilty to the offence and accepted the proposed sanction, so there was no need for a formal hearing.
The charge was laid by on-field umpires Sundaram Ravi and Simon Fry and third umpire Ian Gould and fourth official Shaun Haig.


text:
Human Stories, Boldly Told
When Mommy and Daddy Took the Toys Away
Hold those sleigh bells, Santa: A growing number of Americans are rethinking the urge to pamper their kids with playthings. But should this minimalist approach become the next big trend in parenting?
Story by Gina Ciliberto · Illustrations by Jesse Lucas · 12.2.14
Story by Gina Ciliberto
Illustrations by Jesse Lucas
A week before Christmas 2011, Ruth Soukup, a thirty-three-year-old stay-at-home mom of two girls in Punta Gorda, Florida, was throwing toys into a bin. An avid shopper who started a blog about spending less, Soukup had the art of buying on a budget down to a science. She referred to herself as "a Mommy who is a pro at finding great deals." But, on this afternoon, she wasn't seeking to amass things for her children. She was getting rid of stuff that her kids already had.
Soukup had a few eye-opening experiences in the weeks leading up to this moment. First, while on vacation in early December, Soukup and her family were bombarded by children selling bracelets and trinkets on the shores of Roatan, Honduras. She took the opportunity to explain to her daughters that "those kids are selling stuff just so they and their families will be able to eat." A few days later, there was a charity initiative in her church. A tree was strung with names of children whose parents needed financial help buying gifts; churchgoers could pick a name and donate accordingly. With the deadline already passed, Soukup fingered the remaining paper angels with names on them — they were all kids who would not get gifts that year. Then, when Soukup tried to spread Christmas cheer within her own family, she was met with resistance.
While on a boat ride viewing Christmas lights around Florida — one of the Soukup's favorite Christmas traditions — Soukup's "normally angelic" five-year-old daughter, Maggie, became an "overly tired evil twin in full spoiled brat mode," as Soukup wrote on her blog. Maggie threw a fit when she was asked to share a blanket on the boat. When Soukup and her husband tried to explain that Christmas was a time to put others first, their lesson fell on deaf ears.
"Our child, instead of appreciating the lovely evening, spent most of the ride sulking on the floor," Soukup wrote.
Amidst songs and slogans of joy and giving, Soukup felt far from spirited. It wasn't until she took her daughters to see Santa the week before Christmas that she realized the root of her uneasiness was in her very own home. She watched while her two-year-old, Annie, who was perched on Santa's lap, couldn't think of a single thing to request. When Annie finally started to speak, she asked for a Rapunzel doll, something she already had. Maggie asked for Band-Aids.
It dawned on Soukup that her discontent might be connected to her daughter's abundance of toys.
"I am starting to get nervous about all the STUFF that is about to enter my home," Soukup wrote in a blog post after the visit. "I love my kids more than anything, and I want their Christmas to be filled with wonder and joy, but I have to admit that I am worried about the message that this influx of things will send to two girls who already have more than enough."
As she worried, her sister-in-law, who was notorious for buying the girls loads of gifts, was on her way to Soukup's house, no doubt with a sleigh full of presents in tow.
Soukup was compelled to take action. She went on a cleaning spree.
She filled four giant bins with toys to give away and was thrilled — if not surprised — that her kids barely complained about the absence of the toys. Even with the four bins gone, they still had ample dolls, puzzles, pretend kitchen materials, battery-operated mechanisms that sang, hooted, hollered and lit up. Whatever the hottest toy was, they had it "in every size and every color," Soukup says. On one Christmas alone, Soukup's daughter Maggie received so many presents that she ended up opening gifts from seven a.m. to seven p.m.
"They had so much stuff it was insane," Soukup recalled in a phone interview. Soukup is tall and slender, and the voice on her blog is self-assured. Over the phone, though, her actual voice sounds tiny and she laughs at herself openly. It would be easy to mistake her for someone younger than she actually is, but her words are tinged with a rigidness that reminds the listener she is a parent, and not a lackadaisical one. She doesn't just appreciate a clean house. Soukup is an organizing mogul.
Exporting some of the toys out of her home made Soukup feel better in the moment, but it wasn't long before she became overwhelmed by the enormous amount of stuff once again. Later on, she would conduct a much bigger overhaul, but, until then, Soukup continued to get stuff, grow frustrated with it, organize it, get rid of it, and then get more stuff.
She isn't the only parent in America who is frustrated with the overwhelming number of toys in her home. Others have taken steps to put a dent into what feels like a runaway, life-sized — not toy-sized — tank of a problem.
Bill Ciari is a webmaster, firearms instructor, small business owner and a dad. He has two daughters who are four and seven years old.
While sitting on their couch one weekend evening in 2011, Ciari and his wife realized that the volume of stuff in their house was not enhancing their quality of life, but inhibiting it. Until that moment, they'd had a similar approach to Soukup: They wanted to give their daughters the world, and with that came toys aplenty.
"We started out like normal parents where we wanted to spoil our kids and give them everything we didn't have," Ciari says.
Ciari consistently found himself faced with a messy home. Moreover, the toys took on an unintended purpose. While Ciari and his wife both worked full-time jobs, the toys "filled the absence."
"My wife and I were looking around and we realized a need to streamline our life," he says. "We just really wanted to de-clutter, not just our personal possessions, but our house and our lifestyle."
Ciari researched a minimalist approach online that centered around scaling down one's possessions "back to the basics." Ciari and his wife had an open dialogue about how to cut back.
They started slowly, gathering toys that their kids no longer used and taking them to Goodwill or the Salvation Army. On Christmases and birthdays, their girls began discarding the same number of toys they received, such that the number of playthings in their home never increased. "If they got four gifts, they would get rid of four old toys to kind of keep things one-to-one," Ciari says.
The downsizing continued through the years, and now they can count — on two hands — the total number of toys each child has, which includes two stuffed animals and two dolls, while they share a play kitchen and outdoor area with toy buckets.
Ciari is a follower — at least on Twitter — of Joshua Becker, thirty-nine, the founder and editor of BecomingMinimalist.com. Becker and his family are not just self-proclaimed minimalists, but they've made an enterprise from their decision to own less. Becker blogs on the subject, and he's written four books about it, including "Clutterfree with Kids." His family's story has been seen on the CBS Evening News and NPR and in the pages of The Boston Globe and The Wall Street Journal.
Unlike Ciari, Becker's decision to scale down didn't come from within his home, but instead from a neighbor.
It was a Saturday morning of Memorial Day weekend 2008 and Becker, who lives in Arizona, was making little headway on cleaning out the garage. His then-five-year-old son, Salem, kept asking him to play, and, confronted with a mess, he refused. Witnessing Becker's growing frustration at having to spend time in the garage rather than with his son, Becker's next-door neighbor, June, engaged him in conversation.
"Isn't it great owning a home?" she said aptly.
"Yeah, the more stuff you own, the more it owns you," Becker replied.
The next statement, as he puts it, struck a chord with Becker's soul.
"That's why my daughter's a minimalist," June answered. "You don't have to own all this stuff."
For Becker, it was an epiphany.
"I had the realization that not only were my possessions not making me happy, they were distracting me from the things that do bring me purpose," Becker says.
He shared his newfound knowledge with his wife, Kim, who was cleaning inside while their two-year-old daughter Alexa played alone nearby. Kim was immediately on board with scaling down their possessions. They soon began selling and donating things, starting with their personal belongings first. They boxed and bagged "the excess" in almost every area of their home: clothes, dishes, cooking utensils, linens, bed sheets, toys, tools, furniture, decorations. They went room by room and discarded things in each.
Next, they got their son involved.
Salem Becker, who is now twelve, loves basketball and football. He also plays as a defender on his soccer team. Math is his favorite subject and he's happiest when he's playing with his friends. As for all those toys he had before his parents minimized, he says he doesn't miss them at all.
"We had kind of a lot of toys, and they were kind of just spread out everywhere all around the house," Salem says.
As they began to purge, Joshua and Kim Becker explained to Salem that there were a lot of kids who didn't have any toys at all, and they suggested that he donate some of his own to them.
Salem took surprisingly well to the idea.
"I could see what they were doing," he says. "It seemed like a good idea to me, too. My dad had a lot of stuff that he didn't really use a lot. He just got rid of all that stuff."
By 2011 the Becker family had donated or discarded over seventy percent of their belongings. Salem now owns a scooter, a soccer ball, a football, a basketball and a foam basketball hoop. Alexa Becker, who is eight years old, has twelve Barbies, fifteen to twenty Polly Pocket figures with accompanying wardrobes and an arts-and-crafts drawer.
While Joshua Becker says it took him thirty-three years to learn the importance of getting rid of things and owning less, his kids already seem to understand the value of having little. When in stores, his kids never make loud scenes or beg for items they see. When they do want something, they save their money to buy it.
"Just yesterday, I was in the grocery store and there was a seven- or eight-year-old kid who was begging his mom to buy a discounted DVD," Becker recalls. "I thought to myself, 'I don't remember my kids ever making that type of scene.' I like to think my daughter would never stop at the bin of DVDs because she knows that I don't buy DVDs. She knows that we don't go down the toy aisle because I don't just buy new toys like that."
Moreover, Becker says that the value of minimalism comes with the lifelong lessons they are able to teach through it. When his children become envious of another child who has a lot of toys, Becker and his wife try to help them "deal with that emotion as opposed to thinking that they'll overcome it by getting more stuff."
"We don't overcome envy in our lives by getting what another person has," Becker says. "We overcome envy by being content with what we have and being grateful for what we have."
That point has hit home with Salem. He still asks for some toys or games for holidays and special occasions, and he usually gets one thing that he asks for. As for the rest, he's encouraged to save up his money if it's important to him, as he did for his Xbox One.
"I felt excited when I got it," Salem says. "I felt like my work paid off."
According to Kim John Payne, the author of "Simplicity Parenting" and a family counselor with an interest in neuropsychology, Salem exemplifies the many kids who do better with fewer toys. Payne, fifty-four, has worked with children for twenty-seven years. He says that simplifying a child's environment is not just a tactic of parenting, it's a necessity.
"More and more parents around the world have got this gut instinct that something's wrong," Payne says. "Parents are saying that overloading our children is seriously not okay anymore. The body's not keeping up with it. Neurology's not keeping up with it. You can hardly pick up the Times or any serious periodical without seeing something about this: what's now considered a 'normal' childhood has gotten out of whack."
As Payne writes on SimplicityParenting.com, the first step toward "reducing stress on children and their parents, and allowing room for connection, creativity, and relaxation is de-cluttering too much stuff at home."
After working in Thai-Cambodian refugee camps and dealing with members of street gangs in Australia for four years, Payne became familiar with distressed children. He was surprised and intrigued, though, when he moved to London and saw the same stress in middle-to-upper-class kids who had never endured trauma.
In London, he saw children with Attention Deficit Disorder, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and Pervasive Developmental Disorder, just to name a few, but was puzzled when he couldn't find the concrete causes. Amidst his confusion, he realized that society was in the middle of what Payne calls "the undeclared War on Childhood, and too much stuff was right on the front lines." By "stuff," he doesn't just mean tangible items. He counts expectations, activities, stimulation, even harsh cleaning fluids and lighting, as factors that can cause a child stress. "Too many playdates, too much scheduling, too much adult information, too many sports clubs, too many toys, books — it's the too-much-ness that overwhelms kids and the body," he says.
"It's like stress has become so ubiquitous — too much, too soon; too sexy, too young — that is the new normal, only our brain doesn't think so," Payne adds. As a result, "we've got a generous number of kids that risk becoming adrenaline- and cortisol-dependent because that's the body's reaction to all of this."
Payne's Simplicity Parenting initiative now includes six hundred Simplicity Coaches around the world who encourage parents to schedule less, allow less screen time, and, yes, get rid of toys. Over time, he has become known among his clients as "Doctor Trash Bag."
As part of his practice, Payne went into his clients' homes from wakeup time to bedtime to observe each family. He spent much of this time keenly watching what worked for parents. A common solution, he found, was to discard toys.
"The average American kid has 150 toys," Payne says. "If you have two to three kids, you're now up to like 500 toys. It's astonishing! I would say, 'I have just the receptacle we need!' And I would put all the stuff into trash bags."
On July 26, 2012, Soukup took a similar approach.
It had been only two days since Soukup had re-organized her daughters' room, and there were still a few toys on the floor that her kids, then three and six years old, refused to pick up. "I would say to the girls, 'If you can't take care of your stuff, I'm going to have to take it all away,'" Soukup recalls. It was an empty threat, until that afternoon when Soukup realized she genuinely "wanted it all gone."
Very calmly, Soukup started taking everything except for furniture out of their room and amassing their toys into a gigantic pile.
She took away all their dress-up clothes, baby dolls, Polly Pockets and stuffed animals, all of their Barbies, building blocks and toy trains, right down to the furniture from their dollhouse and play food from their kitchen. She even took the pink Pottery Barn Kids comforter from their bed.
Her kids stared at her. Soukup was surprised, too. She couldn't believe how much stuff had amassed in her home, especially in lieu of her recent efforts to donate, de-clutter and organize.
"It was a shock, kind of," Soukup says. "I thought, 'What are we doing with all this stuff? How could I let that much stuff come into my house?'"
She was also stunned at what happened next.
Soukup had expected crying and wailing and protesting from her kids, but they were unfazed by the ordeal. They resolved to play without toys, saying, according to Soukup, "That's okay, Mommy, we can just use our imaginations." Soon enough, the girls told their mother that, rather than having to clean up all the time, it was actually more fun to play the games they wanted to play without being surrounded by heaps of toys.
Soukup wrote a post on ProjectSimplify365.com explaining that her kids would have to earn back the toys. She also hinted that they might not be keen on doing so. "In all honesty," Soukup wrote, "since I took it all away, they have been happier and more content, fought less, read more, and been MUCH more helpful. Even more amazingly, beyond the two favorite stuffed animals they each earned back, they don't really seem to want any of it back."
As the weeks went on, Soukup remained amazed at the state of her house. Her home stayed cleaner and her daughters played more and fought less than they had before. Moreover, they were never bored; they always seemed to find things to do.
Nearly two months later, Soukup was more affirmed in her decision than ever. On a family trip to Key West four weeks after Soukup's clean sweep, she saw a clear difference in her kids' behavior.
"In contrast to our last outing and for the first time ever, neither girl asked us to buy a single thing the entire weekend," Soukup wrote on her blog. "Not a toy, not a cheesy souvenir, not a light-up necklace from a passing street vendor. Nothing. We passed hundreds of shops and they loved looking in the window, but they were content just to be. What was most amazing to me was that we didn't talk to them about it ahead of time. Not once did we have to tell them not to ask, or explain that being together was what mattered."
Kim John Payne says Soukup's daughters' reaction mirrors his own experience. He says he's accustomed to seeing kids become more relaxed, more creative, more obedient, even quirkier and "truer to themselves" when their environments are scaled down. Payne says that deep, creative play, which can happen with simpler, fewer toys, yields better collaboration among children.
"When you have fewer toys, and I've watched this over and over, the stuff that you have then has to morph from being one thing and another and another," Payne says. "When kids have to be creative in their play, they include each other in the creativity. Now you've got kids who are playing way better together and they don't need the television as a babysitter."
For families who are struggling with behavioral problems or disorders, Payne says the process of simplification leads to positive results.
"One of the first comments that we hear is how much better the parents' relationship with the child is when they simplify, when they start to question the too-much-ness," Payne says. "People tell us, 'I feel like I've got my little boy back, I feel like I've got my teenage girl back.' It's always very moving to hear that."
Dr. Vicki Panaccione, a child psychologist at the Better Parenting Institute in Melbourne, Florida, disagrees with Payne's line of thought. She contends that an environment without toys can bear negative effects, too. Known as The Parenting Professor™ with a twenty-five-year tenure as a child psychologist, Panaccione says that a variety of age-appropriate toys are absolutely necessary for child development.
"I was pretty outraged at the whole idea of taking away a kid's toys," Panaccione says. "Toys are extremely important in the developmental process. Kids don't need tons of toys, but just to take away all toys, especially when kids are young, really concerns me."
Panaccione believes in toys so much that her office is filled with them. She has dollhouses, a play kitchen, darts, a basketball hoop, Twister, "tons of board games," army men, dinosaurs, building blocks, Legos, Lincoln Logs, Tinker Toys, dominos, play cars and more.
As she sees it, they're all necessary for her job of working with kids. Panaccione says that they're necessary for home life too. She argues that toys foster sensory input, spatial awareness, dexterity, frustration tolerance, problem solving and delaying gratification, and they help children learn to cope with impulse control and to master impulses, for starters. Without these toys as tools, Panaccione warns, children might have trouble developing.
"Kids need props," Panaccione says. "They need all sorts of stimuli to realize their interests developmentally and figure out how they're going to function."
Panaccione does have some limits on which toys she prefers and which she thinks parents should buy. The toys in her office might be high in quantity, but they're relatively simple in quality. For one, none of the items are electronic. Her army men are simple and her board games are older models. Her Battleship boards lack sound capability, as she prefers kids to invent noises on their own. Additionally, most of the toys in Panaccione's office are meant for two people so that Panaccione can use them to interact with children one-on-one. She says that upholding similar standards can help parents use toys as a means of interaction rather than distraction.
"I would encourage parents to go back to basics," Panaccione says. "We're losing opportunities to interact with our kids. Toys and games are a good way to get to know your kids. It's easier to talk with kids while you're playing with them than at the dinner table."
Panaccione thinks minimalism can be a healthy environment when done right. She encourages families who want to be more minimal to look into board games and card games, both of which allow parents to grow with kids. Panaccione says the best practice for parenting isn't about finding a magical perfect number of toys, but about executing balance.
"Parenting is the eternal balancing act," she says. "We as parents are always juggling not too much, not too little. I think balancing [the number of] toys is just another factor."
Now five and eight years old, Ruth Soukup's daughters do have a few toys, mostly Legos, with which they can play on weekends, and American Girl dolls, which are sentimental gifts from their grandfather. Additionally, Soukup says that they have plenty of board games, arts and craft supplies and books.
Although her girls encounter toys outside of the home, Soukup is bent on limiting the number of toys that enter it. She encourages family members to do something special with the children for holidays instead of buying them presents.
Bill Ciari and Joshua Becker, on the other hand, ask family members to keep any toys that are presents in their own homes for when the children visit. At birthday parties, Soukup puts a donation box outside for anyone who shows up with toys, though people have mostly stopped bringing them. Soukup even managed to convince her present-prone sister-in-law to gift the children with clothes, art supplies or special experiences instead of toys.
After two-and-a-half years, having few toys has simply become the norm in the Soukup household. When the girls attend play dates in other homes, they comment that the extensive numbers of toys are odd. Moreover, Soukup says many of her friends' kids who play at her house enjoy the simplistic experience and later ask to minimize their own toy supply. "Several of my friends have followed suit because they have seen the effect of it on their families, too," Soukup says.
Soukup says the decision to limit toys in her home helped her children and their visiting friends to be more creative and imaginative, and to focus on basic values.
Whereas Soukup once piled on the presents at Christmas, the holiday now centers around family activities. Her girls ring the Salvation Army bell, fill Operation Christmas Child boxes at church and go caroling.
"We try to be very intentional in our family about teaching our kids how to give back," Soukup says. "It's not about what we get, it's more about the cool things we can do together as a family."
Like the Ciaris and the Beckers, the Soukups' decision to own less isn't necessarily about spending less. For birthdays, Soukup's daughters get to choose between having a big party or taking a trip. This past year, one daughter wanted to visit family friends in Tennessee, so the whole family flew out. Of course, four plane tickets cost more than gifts would, but the focus is now on buying experiences rather than stuff, and developing gratitude for it all.
"We try to give them those experiences of reaching out to other people," Soukup says. "We want to teach our kids an attitude of gratitude. Instead of focusing on the things we don't have, we focus on what we do."
Similarly, Joshua Becker says his decision to minimize was grounded in a desire to teach his kids to appreciate the value of family itself. Rather than demonstrating that he and his wife are guided by consumerist pressures, he instead hopes to illustrate by example that family comes first.
"We're not living to get a bigger house or a nicer car or more clothes," Becker says. "There are more important things that we're chasing after and spending our time, money, and energy pursuing."
"People know that we own too much stuff," Becker says of the general populace. "If you slow down with buying stuff, you'll have more money to do stuff together. People believe it because we all know this to be true."
Even at his young age, Salem seems to have a solid grasp on what's most meaningful to him. He says there is such a thing as too many toys, and that an excess amount can lead to an array of issues like forgetting you have them, too much cleaning up, and distraction from playing with friends.
All in all, he agrees with his dad's mantra: less is more.
"You don't really need to have a whole lot of toys to be happy," Salem says. "Just the ones that you really want."
While Soukup's decision to purge her home of toys certainly affected her daughters, and even their friends, the biggest effect was on Soukup herself. Upon reflection, Soukup reveals that the sweep not only changed the way she parented, it changed the fabric of who she is.
Before she took all her kids' toys away, Soukup was an avid shopper. With two young kids and a fair share of boredom, Soukup spent a lot of time in local stores experiencing the rush of buying new things. She started her blog as a way to become more financially prudent.
"I shopped to fill my time," Soukup confesses. "It ended up filling our house."
Soukup now sees that her shopping habit sent a misguided message to her kids. Soukup constantly thought that if she bought more toys, her daughters would finally be entertained. In turn, she taught her daughters to think the same. By example, she was teaching them that acquiring stuff leads to fulfillment.
"I would go to Target and take them with me," she says. "They would see all this stuff and they would want it. I would want it." It was a vicious cycle.
As soon as Soukup took away the stuff, the cycle was broken. Suddenly, her kids didn't want toys anymore. Suddenly, Soukup didn't act like they needed them. A September 2012 post on Soukup's blog begins: "Had I not experienced it with my own eyes, I would've never believed that an addiction to stuff could be broken that quickly."
Soukup's decision to minimize the amount of stuff in her home was more than just a bold parenting move; it was a chance to break her own compulsions. In getting rid of her kids' toys, Soukup realized that her daughters need something other than toys, something that is far simpler, and free.
"Kids just want to be loved," Soukup says calmly, genuinely.
When Soukup is asked what kinds of changes she's seen in the times since she ridded her home of toys, she begins to talk about her children, but then stops to include herself.
"I would say that the biggest change is having my kids, my family, realize that our life does not have value based on what we have," Soukup says. "Our life has value based on who we are."
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text:
Brookhaven resident Yancy Methvien broke the record for most rounds of golf played in a year in 2019.
Local golf record holder reflects on 2020
By Gracie Byrne
Published 5:13 pm Wednesday, December 16, 2020
Local golfer Yancy Methvien reflects on the record he broke a year ago this month.
In 2019, Methvien broke the record for the most rounds in a golf played in a year. He broke the record on foot rather than using a golf cart. The record formerly stood at 878, but he brought it up to 911.
In 2020, he wasn't as busy as he wanted to be.
"I would have loved to have done a lot more, but the pandemic put a hold on a lot of it," Methvien said.
At the beginning of the year, he was invited to Orlando to the PGA Merchandise show.
"I got to test out every piece of equipment, I got to meet so many famous golfers and golf legends," Methvien said. "It was insane."
He was also invited to the 2020 Masters Tournament in Augusta, but portions of the event were cancelled due to the pandemic. He was recently invited to the upcoming year's competition.
Methvien even played 100 holes in a day in New Orleans this year for to help raise money for charity.
"There's a lot of things I wish I could have done, but they're on pause right now," Methvien said.
Methvien has had golfers reach out to him for advice, both for the sport and for their personal lives.
"I'm still trying to figure out how I fit into the world of golf. I'm not a traditional golfer," Methvien said. "I've seen it all at this point, so it's pretty flattering."
While he wasn't able to travel too much this year, he still played golf whenever he could.
"It's unfortunately been an extremely boring year," Methvien said. "I still played around 300 rounds this year."
In a typical week this year, he would play 27-36 holes in a day or five rounds of golf. He played at Copiah-Lincoln Community College's golf course this year. But when Wolf Hollow closed down due to the pandemic, he played at other courses.
"I didn't miss a beat this year," Methvien said.
After spending 2019 being committed to breaking the record, Methvien made sure to rest up during 2020.
"I got more of it than I cared for," Methvien said. "But I've been lucky to do that and keep up a good golf game."
This year a few golfers took a run at his record to see if they could beat it.
"It was pretty cool, because it's a big commitment," Methvien said. "But they didn't make it to April. They put up some pretty good numbers though."
Methvien hopes 2021 is better for himself and those around him. He also hopes to check some items off of his bucket list.
"I'd love to do the Masters, for me that's a bucket list thing," Methvien said. "I'd love for everybody's life to get closer to normal. I want people to be able to get around worry free. A lot of what I want for 2020 doesn't necessarily involve me. This year has been hell for a lot of people, so if there's anything I hope 2021 brings is more normalcy."
He also hopes to have another adventure like his record-breaking year.
"If I'm really lucky, maybe the same thing that touched me in 2019 will inspire me to do something in 2021," Methvien said. "There's a lot of cool things to do in Mississippi, I'm sure I'll find one of them."
Brookhaven School District announces back to school plans for new year
The Brookhaven School District has announced its back to school plans for January. On Tuesday, the BSD school board met... read more


text:
using System;

namespace SquishIt.Framework.Base
{
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    /// No-op preprocessor used to prevent extensions from blocking pipeline
    /// </summary>
    public class NullPreprocessor : Preprocessor
    {
        private readonly string[] _extensions;

        public NullPreprocessor(params string[] extensions)
        {
            _extensions = extensions;
        }

        public override IProcessResult Process(string filePath, string content)
        {
            throw new NotImplementedException();
        }

        public override string[] Extensions { get { return _extensions; } }
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


A PC win?!?! Good Lord People! What are you thinking?! Last election the Liberals got 61% to the PC's 26%. I'm no mathematician but thats a HUGE difference. This time the Liberals are way ahead in the polls and poised to form a large majority government. A single issue is not going to shift that many voters AWAY from the party thats going to form a NEW government, especially in an urban riding. Unless something Earth-shatering happens over the next week, this riding will stay Liberal, again with a 60% + majority.
DJE-R should get together with 'diversity' in York West. What an outlandish idea! 'Nuff Said.
Monte Kwinter voted with Progressive Conservatives for the equal education tax credit(the only thing he has done for the people of york centre for the last 10 years) but if the Liberals form the next government they have already said they will kill it and there is nothing Monte can do about it.That is why Dan Cullen will take this riding in a close vote.
I think that a large percent of the population of York Centre will be voting based on the Fair Funding Issue. Unfortunately for Monte Kwinter, although he himself has voted for Fair Funding, his party is against it. This may be his downfall this election.
Just like York West, this is a Liberal stronghold, with the Tories collapsing and the NDP not making serious gains here. As a result, a Liberal romp, among the most lopsided results in Ontario. Predicted results: LIB 70%, NDP 12%, PC 12%, Green 4%.
No doubt it will remain Liberal, Kwinter won by over 12,000 votes and now with the Liberals doing better in Toronto that number should increase. I cannot even remember once when this riding went to any other party other then Liberal provincially or federally in my life. This has to be one of the safest Liberal ridings in the province and in this election.


Situated at the highest point of Udaipur this hotel provides a breathtaking view of both Lake Pichola and the old city of Udaipur. This hotel is a marvel of architecture and rooms have satin interior. This hotel provides luxurious comfort at affordable price. This hotel is very near to city market as well station and bus stand.