apriki:

The book Leviathan, set on the brink of WWI, contains an “allegorical map” displaying the political climate in Europe at the time. (click for bigger)

“Germany is a massive military machine with weapons aimed outwards to all surrounding countries. It points threateningly at Britain, not so much as a sign of direct aggression, but more as an indicator that it was now Germany’s turn to start a grand global Empire to challenge the world’s current one.

Britain is an militaristic lion beast with a Roman Imperial italic-type helmet. It sits upon a mound of riches gathered from its Empire. France’s elephant beast is influenced by the Elephantine Collossus built for the Universal Exhibition of 1889 in Paris. It represents France’s huge significance in WWI, which is something that tends to get a little glossed over. Russia is a huge imperialist bear, rotting from the inside, a prelude to its collapse during the war. It faces Germany, ready to defend itself.

Austria/Hungary is an aggressive armoured giant, teetering on shoddy foundations. It is also the primary aggressor in a land grab against Serbia, with two bayonets piercing the border. The Ottoman Empire is a teetering automaton, collapsing under the weight of a paranoid and ungainly spying network that gazes at Europe through many lenses and spy glasses. The Swiss watch ticks away the time, comfortable to wait it all out.

Serbia’s imagery is an indicator of the huge amounts of civilian deaths and suffering they find themselves subjected to. Norway and Sweden are both Scandinavian trolls in the style of John Bauer, watching events unfold. Portugal is a parrot for the Entente trying to goad a slumbering Spain into the war. Ireland looks askance to Britain and brandishes a shillelagh. An indicator of their very rough relationship at the time, and of their upcoming involvement with the Central powers. Italy is a clutch of snakes with intents on the Central powers despite existing agreements.”

rosalarian:

magnoliapearl:

Part two. These were pretty hastily drawn. Just wanted to get the thoughts out

(Part one and three)

I went through something similar. I think a lot of it went like this:

1. Manga first starts getting introduced, and they’re translating either really good stuff or stuff that is really different from what I was getting in America. They were stories I hadn’t seen before. Pretty much everything getting translated was interesting, leading a young me to declare “All manga is good and better than American comics!” 
2. They translate so much manga that eventually they’re translating whatever they can get the license to, including a lot of crap, which led me to declare “Manga sucks now. It’s all crap. I hate it.” 
3. I realized it was really no better OR worse than American comics, just different, and there was still good stuff, and I became more picky about what I read, just like with any other kind of comics, and started treating them as regular comics like I should have been doing all along. 

The Casual Vacancy

“All was well.”

Those were the last words that J.K. Rowling left me with when I was seventeen years old and in the summer between my junior and senior years of high school.

The words she welcomed me back with were: “Barry Fairbrother did not want to go out to dinner.” This time I was an adult of twenty-two years of age, graduated from college, and trying to navigate my way through adult life.

In this way, J.K. Rowling has literally grown up with me, and so has her writing and books. When I first read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s/Philosopher’s Stone I was eight years old, and there were plenty of things that I missed outside of “muggles” and “magic” and “Hogwarts” and “ghosts.” By the time I read Deathly Hallows I caught all of the “hints” sprinkled throughout that book in general and the series as a whole. But, with The Casual Vacancy there was no need to “catch the hints,” because this book tells everything up front and is incredibly raw.

The rest of the review can be found under the Read More. It is long, though as spoiler free as possible. :)

Read More

lilbookofkell:

Paperback Swap - Trade books for free 

BookCloseOut - Bargin Books

Download Textbooks

75 Books Every Writer Should Read

20 Useful Free PDF ebooks for Designers and Bloggers

446 Places for Free Books Online

ReadPrint - Free Online Books

Millions of Free PDF e-books

The best places to get free books

Digital Classics

Books Should Be Free

Full Books

Free Classic Audiobooks

kachu-sama:

cleolinda:

Harry Potter by ~ReillyBrown on deviantART

tiniestdormouse:

teachingliteracy:

J.K. Rowling’s The Casual Vacancy Book Cover.

Looks retro and simple. I like it.

(But I hope the author photo is not part of the actual cover, because it makes it looks like some sort of weird 1960s tabloid advert)

It’s not! If you check out MuggleNet, their news article on this has the cover art as well, but her face is not present on it.

Also from that article: The page count is 512 pages and it will be released worldwide in English on September 27th, 2012 for $44.98 (CD), $39.00 (Large Print Hardcover), $35.00 (Hardcover), $29.98 (Unabridged Audio Download), and $19.99 (e-book). Audio editions will be read by Tom Hollander. 

galiko:

daphneontherun:

At long last (and by popular demand), my original trilogy of fantasy novels is available in the Red String Productions store here!! Available for instant download after purchase to computer, e-reader and kindle, enjoy them pretty much anywhere!

(from the back jacket of book one):

Outcast from the clan of her birth, unjustly accused of her guardian’s murder, and auctioned off as a slave—or a wife, a far bleaker fate in the corrupt empire of Kusleke—fourteen-year-old Kaiya has nothing in the way of resources, skills, or friends. She’s rescued at the last minute by the Lancers, gods-appointed guardians of justice, who take her as one of their own. So grateful is she to be rid of her smiling, unctuous master that she commits her life—and fledgling magical ability—to their cause. Now, Kaiya must prove herself to her new homeland; for the Lancers find themselves under siege by Lord Perfial, the man who once purchased Kaiya’s body and mind. Between a budding war, an easily-distracted spiritual guide, a maybe-imaginary brother, and the roguish fire-juggler Fihn, Kaiya doesn’t have a moment to spare. For the future of the Lancers soon comes to depend on Kaiya’s unique talent—the ability to see the past.

These books are a few years of my life. I want to show the big publishers of the world that books that deal with explorations of women with healthy sexualities, gender roles across society, and the nature of affection as defined by cultural stigmas are not a risky venture—that people will buy well-written fiction even if not all the characters conform to the traditional mores of what boys and girls “should” act like in stereotypical fantasy novels. I think this could be an important step not only for the YA community, but for the publishing industry in general!

Thank you, anyone who considers reading my books (or actually does so). To be a writer is a lifelong dream for me. My dearest dream is that someone out there will fall in love with Kaiya and her story.

Buy Corinna’s books, she’s amazing, ok?

lilyginnyblack:

HUGE SALES POST!!!

Okay, so, this September I am going to be getting some intensive Japanese language studying done at the Inter-University Center (IUC) in Yokohama, Japan, for 10 months. I need all the money I can get, and am currently looking for a summer job, so I thought I would try and get rid of some anime, manga, books, and etc. that have been lying around in my room and building up some dust. Thank you so much in advance for even taking a look at this post! <3

Time Period:  May 24^th 2012 to August 25^th 2012

Shipping: I can only afford to do shipping inside the US, sadly. All prices include shipping.

Payment: Let me know what you would like via Ask/Fanmail here on Tumblr, and then send payment to my PayPal account via the e-mail address: LilyGinnyBlack@aol.com. All prices are negotiable.

Items for Sale:

Anime and Manga:

DramaCon Omnibus (manga) - $12

Gravitation Vol. 1 (anime) *There is slight damage to the cover, it’s been ripped. - $14

Hellsing Boxset (anime TV series) - $22

Tactics Boxset (anime) - $22

Chobits Vol. 1~8 (manga) – Individual Volumes - $6, Whole Series - $26

Trinity Blood Vol. 1 (anime) - $17

Sprial Boxset (anime) - $22

Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles Vol. 1 + Artbox (anime) - $20

Kingdom Hearts (Vol. 1-3), Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories (Vol. 1&2), and Kingdom Hearts II (Vol. 1&2) (manga) – Individual Volumes - $6, All Volumes - $24

Let Dai Vol. 1~4 (manhwa) – Individual Volumes - $6, All Volumes - $14

Absolute Boyfriend Vol. 1~6 (manga) – Individual Volumes - $6, Whole Series - $20

FullMetal Alchemist Vol. 1 (first anime TV series) - $17

Death Note Vol. 1 (anime) - $17

Kyo Kara Maoh Vol. 1 (anime) - $17

Rurouni Kenshin Tales of the Meiji – End Song (episodes 91-95) (anime) - $14

Gunslinger Girl Il Teatrino (episodes 1-13) (anime) - $22

Trigun Vol. 1 & 2 (manga) (Complete) – Individual - $7, Both Volumes - $10, With Trigun Maximum - $12

Trigun Maximum Vol. 1 (manga) – $6

The Devil Within Vol. 1 & 2 (manga) (complete series) – Individual - $6, Both Volumes - $10

Bound Beauty Vol. 1 (manga) - $6

Doors of Chaos Vol. 1 & 2 (manga) – Individual - $6, Both Volumes - $10

Nightmare Inspector Vol. 1 & 2 (manga) – Individual - $6, Both Volumes - $10

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Vol. 1 (manga) - $6

The Legends of the Dark Crystal The Garthim Wars Vol. 1 (manga) - $6

Fallen Moon Vol. 1 (manga – BL) - $6

Gorgeous Carat Vol. 1 & 2 (manga – BL) - $6, Both - $10

FAKE Vol. 1~7 (manga – BL) - $6, Whole Series - $23

Blood Alone Vol. 1~4 (manga) – Individually - $7, All Volumes - $18

Kamikaze Girls Vol. 1 (manga) (Complete) - $6

Gravitation EX Vol. 1 (manga) - $6

Blank Slate Vol. 1 (manga) - $6

Togainu no Chi Vol. 1 (manga – BL) - $6

Silver Diamond Vol. 1 (manga – BL) - $6

Loveless Vol. 1 & Vol. 5~8 (manga - BL) – Individually - $6, All Volumes - $17

La Esperanca Vol. 1 ~ 7 (manga – BL) – Individually - $10, All Together - $37

Our Kingdom Vol. 4 (manga – BL) - $10

Sweet Revolution Vol. 1 (manga – BL) (Complete) - $10

Fushigi Yugi Vol. 1~3 (manga) – Individually - $6, All Volumes - $11

Crescent Moon Vol. 1 & 2 (manga) – Individually - $6, Both - $10

Tokyo Mew Mew Vol. 1~7 (manga) (Complete) – Individually - $6, Whole Series - $23

Phantom Dream Vol. 1 (manga) - $6

Mars Vol. 1 (manga) - $6

Devil May Cry Vol. 1 (manga) - $6

Zodiac P.I. Vol. 1 (manga) - $6

The Gentleman’s Alliance Cross Vol. 1 (manga) - $6

Diabolo Vol. 1 (manga) - $6

Di Gi Charat Theater Vol. 1 (manga) - $6

Broken Angels Vol. 1 (manga) - $6

Dark Prince Vol. 1 (manga – BL) -$6

Return to the Labyrinth Vol. 1 & 2 (manga) – Individually - $6, Both Volumes - $10

Cursed Sword Vol. 1 & 2 (manga) – Individually - $6, Both Volumes - $10

Nana Vol. 1~5 (manga) – Individually - $6, All Volumes - $17

Cross Vol. 1~4 (manga) – Individually - $6, All Volumes - $14

Hetalia Season 1 (anime) (Unopened) - $20

Missing: Spirited Away (TokyoPop – Novel) -$12

Sukisho Vol. 1 (anime) - $17

Code Geass Vol. 1 & 2 (Boxset) (anime) - $18

Magazines:

Gothic & Lolita Bible (Japanese – 9/27/2004) - $8

Gothic & Lolita Bible (English, TokyoPop – Vol. 1) - $8

Shojo Beat (August 2007) (Slightly beat up condition) - $5

Anime Insider (54 March) (Slightly beat up condition) - $5

Anime Insider (55 May) (Slightly beat up condition) - $5

Shonen Jump (October 2003) (Slightly beat up condition) - $5

Books:

The Hunger Games (THG, CF, and MJ – THG is paperback, while CF and MJ are both hardcover) – Individually - $5, $7, $7, All Three - $12

The Vampire Lestat - $5

The Time Traveler’s Wife - $7

Forbidden Game by L.J. Smith - $8

Misc.

Broken Saints: The Animated Comic Epic (Boxset) - $17

I don’t know what or how many tags I should use for this post…OTL

lilyginnyblack:

lilyginnyblack:

Fanfiction Commissions

Okay, so, this September I am going to be getting some intensive Japanese language studying done at the Inter-University Center (IUC) in Yokohama, Japan, for 10 months. I need all the money I can get, and am currently looking for a summer job, so I thought I would open up fanfiction commissions (since I cannot do fanart). Please feel free to commission something by sending it to my Ask and you can send the money (information on that can be found below under Pricing) via PayPal to the e-mail address of: LilyGinnyBlack@aol.com. The basic information, fandoms, and pricing can all be viewed below! : D

Thank you so much for even taking a glance at this post! ^^ And I apologize for any spamming that may occur! 

Basics:

-I am open to any couple, any genre, and any type of relationship (for instance, father/daughter bonding fics, platonic friendships, and etc.).

-However, I do not do lemons/smut. I can do Citrus and Lime/sensual and foreplay level fanfics, but smut is simply something that I am not comfortable writing.

-If there is an element to your fic that you would like present, please make sure you add that to your prompt (such as a certain theme or something of that nature).

Time Period:

-From May 24^th 2012 to August 25^th 2012

Fandoms:

Anime/Manga

-Pandora Hearts

-Tiger and Bunny

-Shugo Chara

-Tsuritama

-Mononoke

-Fruits Basket

-Saiyuki

-Ao no Exorcist (though, I’ve only seen the anime as of right now, I plan on reading the manga soon though)

-Chihayafuru

-Samurai Champloo

-Loveless

-Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles

-Chobits

-Pretear

-Princess Tutu

-Ouran High School Host Club

-Kuroshitsuji/Black Butler

-Death Note

-Wolf’s Rain

-Inuyasha

-Code Geass

-Eden of the East

-Hyouka

-Sakamichi no Apollon (Kids on the Slope) (anime only)

-Beelzebub

-Noblesse (manhwa)

-Kuragehime (Princess Jellyfish)

-Clannad

-Star Driver

-Inu x Boku SS (anime only)

-Madoka

-Panty and Stocking with Garterbelt

-No. 6 (anime only)

-Princess Princess (anime only)

-Steins;Gate (anime only)

-Usagi Drop (anime only)

-Ano Hana

Mini Series/TV Shows/Western Cartoons

-Once Upon A Time

-Doctor Who (though, please note that as of now I have yet to properly watch seasons 5 &6)

-Scooby Doo Mystery Incorporated

-10^th Kingdom

-Tin Man

-Alice

Movies

-Disney & Pixar

Books

-Harry Potter

-Percy Jackson (note: I have only read the original five books of the Percy Jackson series)

Video Games

-Kingdom Hearts

-Star Ocean III: Till the End of Time

-Final Fantasy VII (Crisis Core, Dirge of Cerberus, and Advent Children), X, and X-2

Other

-Creamsicle

NOTE: Fandoms are negotiable as well; feel free to ask about fandoms that are not listed here.

Pricing:

100-499 words (½ -1 page): $3
500 words-999 words (1-2 pages): $5
1000-1999 (2-4 pages): $8
2000-2999 words (4-6 pages): $10
3000-4999 words (6-10 pages): $12
5000+ words (10+ pages): Negotiable

Also, for anyone wondering, you can check out my fics over at FF.Net. ^^

wicked-white:

Guys, I really need your help on this one. Anyway who lives

in New York please sign the petition. And I would be grateful, if you don’t to please just pass this around then. 

This week over 1500 “Books Seeds” are being distributed throughout the city to raise awareness about this year’s disastrous round of budget cuts for libraries. Keep an eye out on subway benches, in cafes, pizza places, and laundromats. Maybe you’ll find one!

Even if you don’t find one yourself, please consider signing the petition to restore funding anyway.Mayor Bloomberg is once again targeting libraries with an outsized and unnecessary funding cuts. The proposed cuts would mean closing 46 branches completely, and cutting hours to 2-3 days in many of the ones that stay open.

In a city that has always prided itself on being a place of culture and education, we think this is unacceptable, and we hope you’ll tell your elected officials that you think so too.

Have you found one? Did you sign a petition? Great! Tell us here!