A harrowing novel set in an alternative United States —a world of injustice and bondage in which a young Black woman becomes the concubine of a powerful white government official

Solenne Bonet lives in Texas, where choice no longer exists. An algorithm determines a Black woman's occupation, spouse, and residence. She finds solace in penning the biography of Henriette, an ancestor who'd been an enslaved concubine to a wealthy planter in 1800s Louisiana. But history repeats itself when Solenne, lonely and naïve, finds herself entangled with Bastien Martin, a high-ranking government official.

Me and who?

Most of the reviews feel like my parents reading the stories I wrote when I was 15. "Wow... This is certainly unique! Um, 4 stars?"

I did get a chuckle out of this one tho:

What happens when you cross a terrible idea - an erotic novel about a slave in love with her master - with an okay idea - an dystopian novel about an alternative United States where a second Civil War reversed emancipation? I guess you get the blueprint for The Blueprint, which is not good, but has potential to be even worse.

If Ms. Rashad wanted to write a more straightforward erotic novel, it would probably be pretty good, there are some genuine sensuous passages in "The Blueprint." If Ms. Rashad gets a little better at world-building, she has the imagination to author some compelling science fiction, her ideas are good but underdeveloped. But it seems like she considers herself too good for genre fiction, she wants to be the adopted daughter of Toni Morrison and Margaret Atwood right now. And the result of such impatient ambition is phrases like "the room was washed in truth" and "I saw all the girls I was from fifteen to twenty." I'm guessing that wouldn't be quite so awkward in a romance novel, but in "The Blueprint," the romance is supposed to be a symbol of oppression, so I don't quite know why it's also a coming-of-age novel. It left me confused. Confusion is not always bad, but combined with incuriosity, it makes for an unsatisfying experience.

!bookworms !writecel

Starts off pretty and desired , and as the picture degrades he doesn't realize he's ageing into an AGP hon

Logan's Run is also about femboys.

I wanted to post this on /h/femboy but I'm not a member.

Nothing that is better appreciated by actually reading. Light nonsense, preferably fantasy/Sci-fi, but more ideally something that benefits by having great readers.

Already have a bunch of discworld audios, so none of those.

!bookworms

From now on the “what are you reading” threads will become bi-weekly to give more time to finish whatever books you're reading. To fill gaps we'll have bi-weekly “genre threads”, first genre is horror so you can discuss your favorite and least favorite authors, books and characters in horror literature as well as to post your recommendations

The user page for the guy who made these changes is under the category "Wikipedians with autism"

Also I stole this post and its title from Reddit but if you actually loved me then you wouldn't care

I'm not going to play the games (not THAT much of a manchild) or read the books(I know they're slop), so I thought reading their lore would be a good way to pass the time but even that didn't seem all that well thought out. It's like they came up with a lot of cool concepts/premises but didn't bother to flesh it out beyond that .

This isn't the "neurodivergent world building" that nerds promised me . Worst part was how underdeveloped the "God Emperor" himself was.

!fellas !kino

Book description

"Number of natural blondes in America: 1 in 20. Number of American females who dye their hair blonde: 1 in 3.

Blondeness became a prejudice in the Dark Ages, an obsession in the Renaissance, a mystique in Elizabethan England, a mythical fear in the nineteenth century, an ideology in the 1930s, a sexual invitation in the 1950s, and a doctrine of faith by the end of the twentieth century. With its powerful imagery of wealth, light, youth, and vitality, built up over thousands of years, it has woven itself into the most popular materials of the imagination. In art and literature, in history and popular culture, blonde has never been a mere color. For two and a half thousand years, it has been a blazing signal in code, signifying beauty, power, and status.

From Greek prostitutes mimicking the golden haired Aphrodite, to the Californian beach babe; from pigeon dung and saffron dyes to L'Oreal-because you're worth it-Joanna Pitman unveils the lengths to which women will go to become blonde. We watch while the blonde as erotic symbol, saintly virgin, or racial elite waxes and wanes throughout the ages, but never disappears. Why is it that blondes rose to prominence in Hollywood and in Nazi Germany at the same time? Why do young Japanese women today want to be blonde?

By looking at the world through the eyes of famous and infamous blondes and their admirers, we are drawn into an intriguing portrait of society. Weaving a story rich in drama, mystery, triumph, deception, disaster and curiosity, Joanna Pitman effortlessly combines the wealth of her knowledge with a sharp and clear-sighted view of the power of the blonde throughout the ages."

I thought the author was going to give a more global context of what blonde means to societies all over the world but instead she said blondes are wonderful, blondes are the most beautiful and innocent and sexiest of all women, and everyone wants to be like us. Hello!! That is the problem. Women of different ethnicities pretty much give up their culture to live the blonde White-American dream, and there is only one reason- to feel more accepted in our society because the closer you are to white the more society will accept you, and one way to do this is to dye your hair blonde. Instead of telling us what we already know, or better yet what society reinforces to us, that blonde is the ultimate beauty, why not tell us how this fascination has hurt society and women especially from different races. I am guessing it was too easy for her to spew off the gloriousness of blondeness- she being a blonde herself, than to search for something deeper because we all know sometimes the truth is hard to take, especially when you are on the inside looking out.

I feel like this book is saying if you aren't a blonde you agent good enough & your results will not be as good if you are not a blonde. Who allowed this author to write? I do not bleach or color my hair nor am I ashamed. I love myself let's all say it together. Other then that I enjoyed the history. A few famous brunettes: Sophia Loren , Angelina Jolie , Cleopatra , Elizabeth Taylor, Salyma Hayek, Sophia Vegara. Mmm what was that thing you were saying about brunettes? Oh yeah Diana would not have gotten an award for all the charity work if she had been a brunette. Okay I hate the writer. Anyway I think if you make up your mind to succeed in life you will. Unless everyone is like this author forget it .

One brave blonde woman stands up for her people

people need to stop harshing on blondes. i've had my hair every imaginable color, red for years, and resisted being a natural blonde because i hated the stereotypes. so now if people dont like my hair color the way it is, thats too bad. you could just as well write an intelligent book about the history of redheads, there is alot of stereotype and mystique surrounding red hair as well. i found that i attracted the most fascinating people when i was a redhead! i also personally think that dark haired women are the most beautiful women in the world, probably because im a blonde and i cant pull off a dark hair color, i've tried... i just wish people wouldnt take this book personally! if i were to write a book about hair it would involve all colors. certainly there is alot of cultural and historical info about it. mary magdalene is actually more often described as a redhead, queen elizabeth was red, not blonde! and red hair has always been associated with sorceresses...also how about snow white? i could go on, but ive made my point, i think. girls who are not blond may be hurt by this kind of book, but its also hurtful and depressing to be a blonde and have people stereotype you, cat call you, and hate you because of your hair.

Lots of inaccuracies in this book. Phryne was not blonde. She was known for her dark skin color! Phryne was depicted with black hair in Greek antiquity.

Recent western artists have changed that. Aphrodite was not blonde. This is the modern Western image. Aphrodite was always depicted with black hair in Greek antiquity. I am familiar with Greek literature and it was never mentioned that Aphrodite was blonde. There is no evidence that Virgin Mary and Mary Magdalene were blond. I find it very irreverent that she just made this up. I cannot recommend this book because it is based on fantasy and not on facts.

There are a lot of successful brunettes so what is she talking about?

Message of the writer: blond beats brunette and is the best. A feel-good book for blonde girls. To read for fun and not for education.

This was a fun (and yes, intelligent) read on the history of blonde hair. It sounds like a boring read, but I had a good time reading all about where the stigma of "dumb blonde" came from. Perhaps I needed a break from "blonde" jokes, and just wanted a bit of honest history on the subject, if just for my own reassurance, (I am a natural blonde :) )

The story was okay but the book really suffers from clunky writing.

It could have been something much more under a competent writer.

A well-read colleague recommended this book to me as the funniest book he has ever read but I didn't enjoy it nearly as much. It's humour mainly comes from absurd yet realistic situations and larger-than-life characters but, unfortunately, after years of exposure to the dregs of the internet the scenarios in this book seem pretty tame and no longer surprise me. It is set in 1960s New Orleans but the main character would definetly be a terminally online reddit poster if he was alive today. In fact, I was constantly seeing parallels with the book and stuff that is now common in society/online and it made me cringe rather than laugh.

For example:

• Man religiously goes to smutty movies in order to complain about them, he yells at the screen

• Gays are more interested in having a degenerate orgy than talking politics

• Man has a masters degree but can't hold down entry level jobs (because he is too smart )

• Man rationalizes wearing comfy outfit in innapropriate settings as being for safety reasons

• Smelly hippie girl puts minorities on a pedestal and turns on them when they don't support her progressive politics

• Man's nebulous health condition flares up suddenly to get him out of uncomfortable situations (r/longcovid)

• Man is so absurdly gluttonous he eats 6 hotdogs (modern fatties wouldn't even see him as fat)

• Man becomes obsessed with porn lady because he thinks she has similar interests to him (https://twitch.tv)

• Woman hates her husband and manipulates her kids into hating him too (but stays with him for the money)

• Person's brain is broken by fear-mongering politics

• Man organises worker/racial rights protest just to get social clout

• Man wanks into rubber glove

As you can see, these situations would seem absurd to a normie but are pretty tame compared to stuff that pops up on rdrama frequently. So if you ever meet someone who loves A Confederacy of Dunces you must treasure them and do your best to protect them from the degeneracy of the internet.

encouraged by commentators on Twitter I tried (again)_to watch "Twin Peaks" & gave up after a half-hour. the mystery for me is why people so admire this pretentious slow dull excursion into absurdity in which, for some reason, characters speak painfully as if brain-damaged.

— Joyce Carol Oates (@JoyceCarolOates) February 28, 2024

All her tweets on the matter.

Redditoids react

That's funny because Joyce Carol Oates's Twitter feed, at times, seem like vignettes from Twin Peaks The Return

"she just doesn't get it bro. "

What's weird here is that a lot of her own work is surreal, has many layers of reality and people who question their own sanity, she uses satire in dark ways, she has been an English professor for decades so presumably knows how to analyze others' art and does so well with Lynch's other work. I'm just not sure what her payoff is in repeating the “brain damaged” line (which seems inaccurate and mean-spirited to me), and it is painfully obvious that she doesn't understand either melodrama or satires of melodrama.

David lynch hates words. Words are her element. Makes sense she doesn't like his dialogue.

If words are her element she should use them better.

These people genuinely think they're some sort of enlightened souls just because they enjoy David Lynch.

I think there are two kinds of audience (broadly speaking, obviously); the kind that see something that triggers their imagination and sends them into a kind of imaginative engagement with what they are seeing; and the kind that expect what they see to do the imagining for them. Both are valid modes of reception, but the first has the advantage of including the latter in what it can appreciate whereas the second constantly needs to be convinced to remain engaged, and therefore cannot appreciate anything that requires them to imaginatively buy into what they are seeing.

Another user thinks she isn't good enough to critique Lynch. .

I'm not just saying this as a TP fan, in fact I've avoided saying it because of how it looks, but everything I've seen from her seems to be on the level of a third rate Chekhov or a third rate Shirley Jackson, depending on genre. If someone like Ishiguro said what she said, I'd be disturbed, but I wouldn't pretend to dismiss their ability. Obviously I'm in a minority about her.

Multiple accusation JCO being Dull and Pretentious

Dull and pretentious is exactly how I'd describe the majority of these tweets.

Says the lady who exclusively writes pretentious slow dull excursions.

JCO is media illiterate as well according to these redditors.

The world is full of media illiterate people.

Serious question, who is this woman and why should I give a flying frick what she thinks of Twin Peaks? Her tweets read like a crazy old lady with dementia who should have had her phone taken away.

Old senile lady who posts bullshit opinions a lot. She posted her foot one time and it is truly gross

Anyway, lots of "literally who?" comments by the "media literate" intellectuals on /r/DavidLynch regarding JCO. Lots of seethe in the quote tweets as well .

!kino !anime !fellas

@JoyceCarolOates

Thoughts?

https://fortnite.fandom.com/wiki/Batman/Fortnite:_Zero_Point

!comicshitters

Edit: Some Reddit threads:

https://old.reddit.com/r/rpdrcringe/comments/1b6v2jm/you_can_buy_mien_kampf_on_rupauls_new_bookstore/?sort=controversial

https://old.reddit.com/r/rupaulsdragrace/comments/1b7gz9n/bunnys_correct_take_on_rus_bookstore_selling/?sort=controversial

https://old.reddit.com/r/RPDRDRAMA/comments/1b6wrbj/so_many_options_at_rus_new_bookstore/?sort=controversial

To discuss your weekly readings of books, textbooks and papers.

!bookworms !classics

I started reading “Los Premios” by Julio Cortázar set in the 1950s it's about a bunch of porteños who won tickets to a cruiser ship to somewhere (they have no idea where). First chapter the passengers all meet each other at the London City cafeteria in Buenos Aires (that places still exists, it's located between Av de Mayo and Av Perú, they have a wonderful tea and deserts but are kind of expensive) then they're escorted by the police to the ship at the port, a ship called Malcolm, none of the passengers knows where they're going, the officers refuse to tell them at the first day and I'm getting some White Lotus vibes from the passengers and their companions. I'm also reading “ Tratamento de Água – Concepção, Projeto e Operação de Estações de Tratamento” a textbook on water treatment because of work related stuff.

Has anybody every read The Books in Fred Hamptons Apartment, or even heard of it. I don't really know what its about but I have been researching the civil rights era and I need books about Fred Hampton. I have done cursory searches of the book and I'm having trouble finding any good information on it. Most of the big sites like Goodreads and Amazon don't have descriptions and the only copies I could find are really expensive. I found one NYT archived article about it but its just poo-pooing on the author for using black people or something and it doesn't really talk about the book, or it does and I cant decipher the writers r-slurred academia speak. I even briefly searched for it on a couple of pirate sites and couldn't find it. The article I did find made it seem like the title of the book has little to do with the subject but like I said, if that was the article's meaning it was buried under nerd speak.

!truecels Discuss Kino of a Wimpy Kid and how it personally kept you from roping

!

!bookworms

I busted my chin open a week ago so I'm leveraging that and taking random days off

I'll complete the entire book and give you guys the essential notes as a blogpost

@neoconshill could you pin this to lit for 5-6 hours?

One soy milk please, shaken not stirred

Taken from "On His Majesty's Secret Service"

Have you ever heard of anyone who does this annotation crap outside of school? Is it a woman thing? I don't get it