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Insuring Your Future: Examining the Advantages of Guam's Insurance Industry
2023.03.29 12:54 Whole_Cow6078 Insuring Your Future: Examining the Advantages of Guam's Insurance Industry
| Guam is an excellent destination for exploring your insurance choices. Guam, a US territory in the western Pacific Ocean, is a unique blend of American and Asian cultures, making it a popular tourist and business location. But what makes Guam a wonderful place to do business in the insurance industry? To begin, Guam's strategic location provides excellent chances for businesses seeking to expand their presence in the Asia-Pacific region. Because of Guam's proximity to other major Asian economies such as Japan, South Korea, and China, insurance companies operating in the territory can provide policies that cover a wide range of risks and meet the varied requirements of their clients. Furthermore, Guam has a highly skilled workforce that can help insurance businesses provide quality services to their customers. Second, the tourism sector in Guam provides an excellent opportunity for insurance companies to give travel insurance policies. Guam's beautiful beaches, warm climate, and distinct culture draw millions of tourists each year. These visitors present chances for insurance companies to provide policies that protect tourists from unforeseen events such as flight cancellations, lost luggage, or medical crises. Insurance companies can establish themselves as dependable and trustworthy service providers in the tourism business by offering such policies. Aside from the tourism industry, Guam's expanding economy provides numerous chances for Insurance Business in Guam in a variety of sectors. As Guam's economy grows, there is a greater need for insurance coverage to protect companies from a variety of risks, such as natural catastrophes, cyber threats, and liability claims. Insurance companies can create policies that are customised to the specific requirements of businesses in Guam, ranging from small startups to large corporations. There are many different types of insurance accessible in Guam. These include, among other things, property insurance, car insurance, health insurance, life insurance, and business insurance. The Guam Insurance Commissioner regulates insurance policies in Guam, ensuring that insurance firms follow local laws and regulations. Policyholders will feel more secure and at ease knowing that their insurance business operates with transparency and accountability. In conclusion, anyone seeking to secure their financial future should consider purchasing an insurance policy. Guam's unique location, growing economy, and thriving tourism industry make it an ideal destination for insurance companies seeking to broaden their reach and meet the requirements of a diverse client base. Whether you're a company owner, a tourist, or a Guam resident, researching your insurance choices can provide you with the peace of mind and financial security you require. submitted by Whole_Cow6078 to u/Whole_Cow6078 [link] [comments] |
2023.03.29 12:50 paranormalium 31 [M4F] wala ka din ba plano sa holy week? - laguna/south ncr
yung tipong lahat ng tao nakaplano mag travel pero ako gusto ko lang humilata maglaro video game, manood movies(plano ko mag lars von trier movie marathon), series(ongoing marathon ako ng Mythbusters) kung same lang tayo ng plano tara mag usap baka mag-vibe tayo and hopefully same goal tayo na mapunta sa relationship if ever.
me: - 31, 5'7, 170cm, INTJ-A, long hair, fit naman size L ang tshirt - single/no kids/never married - atheist - sana ndi dealbreaker religious stand ko. - works in tech(hybrid wfh setup sa taguig office) - taga south laguna - other interest: anime(evangelion, steins gate, monster and recently kakatapos ko lang bocchi the rock) movies(trainspotting, reservoir dogs, clockwork orange), music(smashing pumpkins, the cure, bjork, jpop/jrock), reading books, electric guitar, video games(mostly single player JRPG) craft beers, bisikleta(nagiisang physical activity ko).
you: - 28 to 35yrs old - single/no kids - sana may stable career din pero may mga hobbies parin ndi puro work lang. - around south ncr or laguna pwede din taguig kung din work location mo. - same field of work sana or same hobbies/interest para madami tayo mapagusapan - physical preference: slim #flatisjustice plus kung short hair or naka glasses basta looks healthy hanggang size L siguro ang damit hahaha (inspire naten isat isa maging fit) pwede naman exchange pic agad para d sayang oras.
send k na lang ng ASL or any interesting intro about you, takits kung masamahan mo ng pic much better mag send din ak. takits sa inbox.
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2023.03.29 12:49 paranormalium 31 [M4F] wala ka din ba plano sa holy week? - laguna/south ncr
yung tipong lahat ng tao nakaplano mag travel pero ako gusto ko lang humilata maglaro video game, manood movies(plano ko mag lars von trier movie marathon), series(ongoing marathon ako ng Mythbusters) kung same lang tayo ng plano tara mag usap baka mag-vibe tayo and hopefully same goal tayo na mapunta sa relationship if ever.
me: - 31, 5'7, 170cm, INTJ-A, long hair, fit naman size L ang tshirt - single/no kids/never married - atheist - sana ndi dealbreaker religious stand ko. - works in tech(hybrid wfh setup sa taguig office) - taga south laguna - other interest: anime(evangelion, steins gate, monster and recently kakatapos ko lang bocchi the rock) movies(trainspotting, reservoir dogs, clockwork orange), music(smashing pumpkins, the cure, bjork, jpop/jrock), reading books, electric guitar, video games(mostly single player JRPG) craft beers, bisikleta(nagiisang physical activity ko).
you: - 28 to 35yrs old - single/no kids - sana may stable career din pero may mga hobbies parin ndi puro work lang. - around south ncr or laguna pwede din taguig kung din work location mo. - same field of work sana or same hobbies/interest para madami tayo mapagusapan - physical preference: slim #flatisjustice plus kung short hair or naka glasses basta looks healthy hanggang size L siguro ang damit hahaha (inspire naten isat isa maging fit) pwede naman exchange pic agad para d sayang oras.
send k na lang ng ASL or any interesting intro about you, takits kung masamahan mo ng pic much better mag send din ak. takits sa inbox.
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2023.03.29 12:47 paranormalium 31 [M4F] wala ka din ba plano sa holy week? - laguna/south ncr
yung tipong lahat ng tao nakaplano mag travel pero ako gusto ko lang humilata maglaro video game, manood movies(plano ko mag lars von trier movie marathon), series(ongoing marathon ako ng Mythbusters) kung same lang tayo ng plano tara mag usap baka mag-vibe tayo and hopefully same goal tayo na mapunta sa relationship if ever.
me: - 31, 5'7, 170cm, INTJ-A, long hair, fit naman size L ang tshirt - single/no kids/never married - atheist - sana ndi dealbreaker religious stand ko. - works in tech(hybrid wfh setup sa taguig office) - taga south laguna - other interest: anime(evangelion, steins gate, monster and recently kakatapos ko lang bocchi the rock) movies(trainspotting, reservoir dogs, clockwork orange), music(smashing pumpkins, the cure, bjork, jpop/jrock), reading books, electric guitar, video games(mostly single player JRPG) craft beers, bisikleta(nagiisang physical activity ko).
you: - 28 to 35yrs old - single/no kids - sana may stable career din pero may mga hobbies parin ndi puro work lang. - around south ncr or laguna pwede din taguig kung din work location mo. - same field of work sana or same hobbies/interest para madami tayo mapagusapan - physical preference: slim #flatisjustice plus kung short hair or naka glasses basta looks healthy hanggang size L siguro ang damit hahaha (inspire naten isat isa maging fit) pwede naman exchange pic agad para d sayang oras.
send k na lang ng ASL or any interesting intro about you, takits kung masamahan mo ng pic much better mag send din ak. takits sa inbox.
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2023.03.29 12:13 yoyo9988 Got SOM admit. Do I take it or apply to M7 next year?
Very lucky and privileged to get an admit from Yale SOM with a $20k scholarship a few days ago.
The goal was always to apply R1 2023 to the M7 schools, but when I took the GRE (327 - 168Q, 159V) in Dec '22, I wanted to shoot my shot this year and thus had 2 weeks to apply R2 this year and selected Yale, Cornell, Duke and USC. I did not expect to get into any school this year as I had a feeling that my essays would be raw without any consultant and with 2 weeks in hand and that my score would not be enough especially for a school like Yale whose median GRE is 330.
A background about myself :
I am a US citizen (Indian ethnicity) male
Education - UG in engineering from a T15 school in India with a 7.7.10; MSc Finance from a leading school in Asia with a 4.5/5
Work Experience - 1 year in market research as a trainee in a renewable energy company; 2 years as a consultant (post-MBA role) at a T2 strategy consulting firm; 0.5 years as Chief of Staff in the CEO's office at another renewable energy startup
Entrepreneurship - Cofounded a sanitation startup 1.5 years ago, currently funded by The Gates Foundation and work closely with the Indian Water Minister
Post MBA goals - ST : to work in MBB NYC/The Bridgespan Group for 2 years and then go back to India to scale my sanitation company throughout India by attracting private/public investors such as The World Bank, UN, etc and VCs willing to fund this industry which is nascent right now
LT : to build the company globally, utilize global alumni network of the school and take it to countries in Africa, Asia and South America where similar sanitation issues are faced.
Some part of me just wonders if I did apply to the M7 and particularly HSW.
Super confused and so I would love for some opinions as to whether I should go ahead and attend SOM or if I should wait to apply in R1 to M7, missing out on SOM :/
Do I have a good enough story to shoot higher for HSW? FYI - median GRE scores for HSW range from 324-327
Thanks for your time, everyone!
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2023.03.29 11:43 alphaannapurna UNESCO World Heritage Sites In Nepal
Nepal is rich in culture and nature. There are ten natural and cultural heritage sites listed by UNESCO as World Heritage Sites in Nepal. According to the UNESCO World Heritage Convention, a UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place of cultural or natural importance. As a UNESCO World Heritage Site, each of these places has interesting cultural treasures, history, or just pure natural beauty and diversity to offer. Let's take a closer look at the landmarks, monuments, and magnificence that have created these places as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Below are the top UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Nepal.
1. Pashupatinath Temple One of the holiest Hindu temples in the world, Pashupatinath is a thousand-year-old temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. It has a double roof and four silver doors. Devotees from all over the world come here to pay homage to Lord Shiva. The temple consists of a large temple and grounds, surrounded by various smaller temples, ashrams, and sculptures, and is situated on the banks of the holy Bagmati River on the eastern side. Watching various ceremonies, and funerals is also a new experience for tourists. Evidence of the importance of this temple is the number of pilgrims it attracts, especially during a holy occasions like Teej and Shivaratri when visitors reach hundreds of thousands on that day. In 1997 Pashupatinath Temple is designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
2. Boudhanath Stupa If Pashupatinath is the holiest Hindu temple in Kathmandu, then Boudhanath Stupa is the counterpart for Buddhist. There are many Newar and Tibetan Buddhist legends surrounding this amazing place, while some records show that it was built by the Licchavi King Man Dev in the 5th century A.D. Today, it is one of the largest Buddhist stupas in the world and the entire surrounding area is home to Buddhists with more than 40 monasteries nearby. A large number of tourists, pilgrims, and locals visit the Stupa every day, each for their own different reason. Chanting monks, spinning prayer wheels, pigeons, and incense burners are just a few of the things that add to the special atmosphere here. It is one of the main sites for pilgrims and tourists in the country.
3. Swayambhunath Stupa Swayambhunath Stupa is one of the oldest stupas in Nepal. It is located three kilometers west of Kathmandu. Swayambhunath, which literally means self-suspension, is said to have originated after the lake drained and created the present valley. It is said that there are 365 steps in the staircase leading to Swayambhunath. This is a holy place for Buddhists. After the Mughal invasion, it was damaged and rebuilt in the 14th century. King Pratap Malla in the 17th century improved the architecture and added steps to reach the stupa. Meanwhile, the stupa is a solid structure of brick and clay, supporting a tall conical spire with gilded copper and the eyes of Lord Buddha adorning the four corners of the spire's head. Swayambhunath also offers a magnificent view of the entire Kathmandu Valley.
4. Kathmandu Durbar Square Kathmandu Durbar Square palace was built in the 15th century, with buildings and other monuments added over time. Hindu legend boasts that if one deciphers the 17th-century inscriptions written in 15 different languages on the walls of Hanuman Dhoka Palace, milk will immediately flow from the walls. The royal family lived in Hanuman Dhoka Palace until 1886 and then moved to Narayanhiti Palace. The new king was crowned in the palace. The palace commemorates the history of the royal family, culture, and religion of Nepal. The museum inside the palace provides an opportunity to explore the culture, religion, tradition, culture, architecture, history of the palace, etc. An entrance fee is charged to enter the museum. The museum is open 7 days a week except for Tuesday from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. in winter and from 10:30 to 4 pm in summer. On Friday, you will visit the museum from 10:30 am to 2 pm.
5. Patan Durbar Square Like the Kathmandu Durbar Square, the Patan Durbar Square is located in Patan/Lalitpur. People believe that the name of the city is King Yalamber, as Patan translates it to Yala. It is located about 8km southeast of central Kathmandu. Here you can see beautiful Newari art and culture. As well as here are a number of Hindu and Buddhist monuments. Historical records have shown that Emperor Ashoka built part of this square in the third century BCE. Famous places in Patan Durbar Square include Mahaboudha Temple, Kumbeshwor Temple, Krishna Temple, Golden Temple, Jagat Narayan Temple, Hari Shanker Temple, Vishwanath Temple, Bhimsen Temple and Rato Temple Machhendra, among others.
6. Bhaktapur Durbar Square Bhaktapur is located on the eastern side of the Kathmandu Valley. Also known as Bhadgaon or Khwopa, Bhaktapur is home to ancient Nepalese culture, tradition, and beautiful arts and crafts. Each historical monument represents the ancient tradition, religion, and culture of Nepal. Bhaktapur was mainly ruled by the Newari people. Bhaktapur is the only place untouched by western culture in Nepal. Lion Gate, Golden Gate, Art Gallery, King Bhupatindra Statue, Nyatapola Temple, and Fifty-Five Windows Malla Palace are the living pride of Bhaktapur. The place is home to the best hotels and restaurants to meet the needs and demands of travelers.
7. Changu Narayan Temple Changu Narayan is a Hindu temple of Lord Vishnu. It is 15 kilometers away from Kathmandu valley. The stone inscriptions of 464 A.D. and other architectural structures displayed in the temple reflect the ancient history of Nepal. The temple offers a spectacular view of the Manohara River.
8. Lumbini Lumbini is located about 300 kilometers southwest of Kathmandu in the Terai region, Lumbini is a religious pilgrimage site steeped in history. It is the last of the 4 sites in Nepal to be designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site (1997). Lumbini is also known as the birthplace of Gautama Buddha. Also known as Siddhartha Gautama or Shakyamuni. Buddha was a 3-4th century who spent decades in self-imposed exile and eventually attained enlightenment to become a Buddha. His teachings became known as Buddhism and spread throughout the world over the years. As such, Lumbini is a very important religious place for Buddhists. Major monuments and landmarks to explore here include Maya Devi Temple, Sacred Garden, World Peace Pagoda, Chinese Temple, Thai Monastery, Burmese (Myanmar) Temple, Nepalese Buddhist Temple, Buddhist Monastery Buddhist Dharmaswami at Tilaurkot Palace.
9. Chitwan National Park Chitwan National Park is also known as Royal Chitwan National Park. This national park is established in 1973 first national park in Nepal. The park covers an area of 952 m². km and has many exciting activities to choose from including rafting, boating, elephant bathing, and of course, Jungle Safari. Jungle Safari in Chitwan is a popular tour package in this park. It is a sanctuary for more than 700 species of animals, from mammals and reptiles to rare species of birds. The Royal Bengal Tiger and the Asiatic Horned Rhinoceros are the two iconic animals of Chitwan National Park. In addition to these, black leopards, Sloth Bears, Striped Hyenas, Golden Jackals, Gaurs, Antelopes, Bengal Floricans, Oriental Darters, Kingfishers, Spotted Eagles, King Cobra, the rock python, gharials, crocodiles make up the most famous species. While staying at one of the resorts in the park, you will be taken on a cultural tour of the Chitwan way of life.
10. Sagarmatha National Park The last place on our list is Sagarmatha National Park, which is the second national park of Nepal, which was established in 1976. After 3 years of its establishment, it was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, due to its large culture and wealth of nature. The most recognizable part of Sagarmatha National Park has to be Sagarmatha, or Mount Everest, which is the highest peak in the world at 8,848m. Besides Everest, the region is also home to some of the highest mountains in the world, as well as beautiful glaciers, valleys, rivers, and mountains. The park itself covers an area of 1,148 km2. It is home to a variety of Himalayan flora and fauna including rhododendrons, blue pine, silver fir, and birch. While exploring the Sagarmatha National Park, it is possible to see rare animals such as snow leopards, pandas, lynx, snow cock, pheasants, snow pigeons, etc. There are many popular hiking and climbing trails within this national park. Everest Base Camp Trek and
Mount Everest Expedition is the most amazing trek in the world.
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2023.03.29 10:58 diveforevermitzy communist gets the dates of historical events completely wrong
2023.03.29 10:54 OP-CDOMarkets DJI Daily Report
Support Level: 32400 - 31950 - 31650
Resistance Level: 32790 - 33000 – 33270
DJI consolidated in the familiar range, trades between intraday high 32782 area to intraday low 32485. It ended Tuesday around 32620, modestly down for the day and indicates bearish sign in the hourly chart. Right now market is standing below 20 and 50 SMA, suggests bearish strength. Meanwhile, 20 SMA started turning south and heading towards longer ones, suggests bears not exhausted yet. On upside, overcome 32790 may encourage bulls to challenge 33000, break above that level will open the gate to 33270.
Visit for more:
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2023.03.29 10:53 Accomplished-Fix-572 A state-corner in Australia.
2023.03.29 10:31 Dylan_Hidalgo I’m Hispanic American, Canary Islands Spanish & Guanches descent. These are my results.
2023.03.29 10:08 mynameiskd 2 IPL tickets available - KKR vs PK
2023.03.29 10:08 snigdhatbrc RF Signal Chain Components Market Report 2023- Market Size, Share, Growth Statistics, Top Key Players
The Business Research Company’s RF Signal Chain Components Global Market Report 2023 is the most detailed report available on the market, including broad forecast periods and multiple geographies. The report covers the historic period – 2010-2021, and the forecast period – 2023-2032. The RF Signal Chain Components Global Market Report 2023 evaluates RF signal chain components market size, growth rate, drivers, trends, and major companies.
The report provides a global perspective by covering 60 geographies and focusing on major economies in each region – Asia-Pacific, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East, Africa.
Request A Free Sample Of The Report (Includes Graphs And Tables): https://www.thebusinessresearchcompany.com/sample.aspx?id=9021&type=smp The global RF signal chain components market size is expected to grow from $34.15 billion in 2022 to $38.90 billion in 2023 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13.9%. The Russia-Ukraine war disrupted the chances of global economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, at least in the short term. The war between these two countries has led to economic sanctions on multiple countries, a surge in commodity prices, and supply chain disruptions, causing inflation across goods and services and affecting many markets across the globe. The global RF signal chain components market size is expected to grow to $63.75 billion in 2027 at a CAGR of 13.1%.
The RF signal chain components market segments in the report are:
By Product: Amplifiers Voltage-Controlled Oscillators Power Dividers Mixers Filters Switches Attenuators Diplexers Duplexers Couplers
By Material Type: Gallium Arsenide (GaAs) Gallium Nitride (GaN) Silicon (Si) Silicon Germanium (SiGe) Other Materials
By Frequency Band: VHF Or UHF Band L Band K Band Ka Band V Band W Band
By Application: Telecom Infrastructure Consumer Electronics SATCOM (Satellite Communications) Aerospace And Defense Automotive Medical Other Applications
Asia-Pacific was the largest region in the RF signal chain components market in 2022.
Get More Information On The RF Signal Chain Components Market Report: https://www.thebusinessresearchcompany.com/report/RF-signal-chain-components-global-market-report The table of contents in TBRC’s RF signal chain components market report includes:
- Executive Summary
- RF Signal Chain Components Market Characteristics
- RF Signal Chain Components Market Trends And Strategies
- RF Signal Chain Components Market - Macro Economic Scenario
- RF Signal Chain Components Market Size And Growth
…….
- Africa RF Signal Chain Components Market
- RF Signal Chain Components Market Competitive Landscape And Company Profiles
- Key Mergers And Acquisitions In The RF Signal Chain Components Market
- RF Signal Chain Components Market Future Outlook and Potential Analysis
- Appendix
Read Related Reports: Learn About Us: The Business Research Company is a market intelligence firm that pioneers in market, company, and consumer research. TBRC’s specialist consultants are located globally and are experts in a wide range of industries that include healthcare, manufacturing, financial services, chemicals, and technology. The firm has offices located in the UK, the US, and India, along with a network of proficient researchers in 28 countries.
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2023.03.29 09:58 KimmieBotGPT A beautiful day of the South Western Australian National Range [OC] [3024x4032]
2023.03.29 09:57 collab_eyeballs USA travel itinerary advice for first time visitors from New Zealand
Hi all,
My partner and I are planning a west coast USA road trip in August this year. We are 30ish and have never been to the USA before. I am hoping to run this itinerary past some Americans for any feedback or advice as we don't know any here in NZ! Really looking for a sanity check.
- Day 1 - Fly Auckland to San Fransisco then recover from flight.
- Day 2 - San Fran sight seeing. Mainly interested in doing an Alcatraz tour and seeing the Golden Gate Bridge.
- Day 3 - Rent a car and drive to Yosemite. See a few of the easily vehicle accessible sights.
- Day 4 - Full day in Yosemite National Park.
- Day 5 - Drive south to see General Sherman tree and Sequoia National Park, stay in Three Rivers.
- Day 6 - Drive from there to Anaheim. Drop rental car off.
- Day 7 - Full day at Disneyland.
- Day 8 - Full day doing a Los Angeles sight seeing tour.
- Day 9 - Rent another car and drive to Las Vegas. Stay on the strip. Do Las Vegas stuff at night.
- Day 10 - Visit the Hoover Dam and other Las Vegas activities.
- Day 11 - Drive from Las Vegas to Bright Angel Point (north rim Grand Canyon), stay there the night.
- Day 12 - Drive to Bryce Canyon and do some sightseeing. Stay near there.
- Day 13 - Drive to Arches National Park and do some sightseeing. Stay near there.
- Day 14 - Drive to Eagle (CO) because it's about half way to Fort Collins.
- Day 15 - Drive to Fort Collins and visit a strongman expo.
- Day 16 - Attend day 1 of a strongman event.
- Day 17 - Attend day 2 of a strongman event.
- Day 18 - Drive to Denver, drop rental car off, fly back home.
Is there anything listed above that sounds off? We would be super grateful if anyone has any advice or suggestions regarding this itinerary. Thanks so much!
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2023.03.29 09:38 Krumbirn I hate america
2023.03.29 07:57 flyingwithhardwings nMum Pushing Boundaries with Wedding Planning
Background: 29F, SG, Chinese. Partner is originally South Asian descent but is now a citizen. We have known each other for almost three years.
LONG POST WARNING. STRAP IN AND WITNESS THE DRAMA. BUCKLE IN FOR A RANT/VENT
My mother is quite the character - she nitpicks and is fixated on her 'cantonese heritage' despite my father being hokkien. When my fiance first visited wearing a red t shirt for Chinese New Year, she focussed on the informal nature of the clothes; when he brought a pricey bottle of wine to the gathering as a gift and drank it together with my family over the meal, she noted this as 'alcoholism'. The cherry on the cake was when my fiance gave my family a Christmas gift set of treats, she nattered about the absence of a handwritten card attached to the gift box.
I got engaged one year ago, and in that moment, the saddest thing that struck me was that I was more worried about him getting approval from my parents first than fully enjoying the moment.
Since then, at my request, he did host a dinner at his apartment with my parents and younger sister in tow, to 'ask for my hand'. My parents agreed, with my father asking him to co-buy another property in my name, and my mother wanting the usual 10 tables for the chinese banquet, tea ceremony etc. Unfortunately, in that moment, she said, "I always thought my daughter would marry an ang moh (Singlish for caucasian man)". To alleviate the tension, my fiance laughed it off by making fun of his own skin colour, but that statement weighed on him and he wanted an apology.My mother not only refused to apologise, she and my father sought to gaslight ("No, I'm not racist, I simply meant because you're so westernised, I thought you will marry a white man!", "If he had a problem with it, it's his problem for focussing on his skin colour... if others call me yellow, so what?".
Because of this, wedding planning was deferred. There was a second confrontation last year in June, where my parents and fiance met up separately to discuss the comment. Needless to say, things did not go well. My dad apologised on behalf of my mother, but my mother was still unhappy : NMom: "In all my life I have never apologised, just ask your father!", "He is so rude to tell me that my comment is inappropriate!", "No, I'm not racist, in fact I welcomed him during Chinese New Year although it is inauspicious to have a black face around!"(Note that 'black face', when literally translated from mandarin, means having a disgruntled expression.).
Since then, fiance and I fought multiple times over my parents, with him threatening to leave if I continue to try and nudge my parents around. He has Ultimately, this year, during the first day of Chinese New Year, my parents initially didn't want to have him over but ultimately added one dish to the menu. My fiance also came to take the bull by the horns, coming by appropriately dressed, and even apologised to my mother twice for being "rude" for telling her she was being rude. While the storm appeared to pass, she still uses this episode of my fiance telling her off as a reason for why she doesn't like him.
Fast forward to today, where ultimately I decided to get started on wedding planning and set a date. My fiance and I have always wanted a small wedding involving close family and friends, and as foodies, we wanted to pick a nice, Michelin-starred restaurant instead of the usual hotel ballroom banquet that is the norm in Singapore. To be fair to his family, we wanted to opt for 'western' cuisine. Since then, additional requirements were thrown in that were not discussed before: involving a geomancer to pick an auspicious date, adding in a
guo da li ceremony with 10 baskets of wedding cookies to be given, and even mandating an
all-Chinese banquet 'to cater to seniors', with at least 100 guests coming from them. Note that (i) 70% of the folks on my mum's invite list comprises of the 'seniors' especially her mother's side of the family, (ii)I have never spoken or interacted with at least 80 of these people, and (iii) in addition to our new house, my fiance and I will be fully footing 100% of the wedding bills and planning for it, with no help coming from my parents. Reasons she has given include: If you invite one, you need to invite all, I'm not giving away my daughter in a low key ceremony, this is about family and you need to invite the seniors as well. Finally, for (iv) the tea ceremony, my mother proudly told me to engage a 'mistress of ceremony' and that she would not be helping with the prepping of the tea, moving of props, etc.
After first exploring another venue serving 'Western' food, but with the capacity to hold 140 people, she kept haranguing on the need for 'Chinese' food. My enabler father was no help, telling me to 'figure out a chinese food for the guests... else the lioness roars!" We ultimately booked another venue of our choice, but my fiance gave in and paid the deposit for 12 tables of 10 people, with chinese food, and add on live stations. I informed my mother about the venue we booked, and asked her to just finalise the guest list. As I had not involved my mother at all due to recent history, she never stopped haranguing me about the date, menu, and even how the sit down affair would work, citing reasons like 'As this is a family milestone, it would set us at ease to know how it works'. She even did an excel sheet detailing at least 5 different options for a hotel banquet.
Prior to going for my holiday, I attempted to set boundaries, explaining that we had outstanding financial commitments for the house and we had paid deposit for the venue, and it would be excessive to have two receptions. This culminated in a confrontation via WhatsApp while I was on holiday. Frustrated, I told her that "It is Chinese food, sit down, and you get your chinese banquet of your dreams. This means NO TWO WEDDINGS, ONE AND DONE. I'm giving up what I want, a destination wedding with elevated food just so you have your moment in the sun. I hope you're happy now."
Apparently, she was so butthurt, she immediately withdrew her guestlist of over 80 people and told me to go for the small wedding I liked, leaving my fiance and I with a venue that can accomodate 120, with just our guests of approximately 30+ people. Good outcome? Nope. She nitpicked the venue, stating that it is "cheap", and she didn't want our relatives to criticise or say that she married her daughter out being stingy. For non-Singaporeans, it is not that the venue was inappropriate, in fact, the cost of the venue we picked would be on par with the median hotel ballroom banquet. Not only did she refuse to hear me on the budget I've set for the wedding, she (i) stood firm on wanting a separate chinese dinner at a hotel and refused to go for the venue we booked, (ii) asked for a pin jin (bride dowry) cash equivalent of the chinese banquet dinner for ten tables, or 100 people, (iii) still asked for the si dian jin (bridal jewelry), plus the guo da li items, (iv) when I tried to establish boundaries by stating the budget limits and how we have tried to cater to her wants, and that costs will escalate with gown rentals and the exertion of energy and time in planning for an additional event, she asked that my fiance "send an elder to speak" to her.
The only concession I could extract was explaining my budget, and with our venue taking more than half of the budget, this would mean we would seriously need to compromise on other things like the gowns, photography, decoration etc just to have two events. I even told her: "Do you really want me to walk in to the venue in a H&M white dress?" She offered to pay for the Chinese dinner, and all we needed to do was show up, but got extremely unhappy when I told her that if she was planning it, we would not be helping in any way, shape or form, and we would not be giving her money equivalent to a second venue. Her rebuttal? "Don't tell me your fiance doesn't want memories of that day", "the groom should pay for the wedding anyway, it's tradition", "Fine, I still want the equivalent of the 10 tables in your pin jin, besides you were going to spend the same amount anyway for your wedding", "If he gives $8, this just shows how much he values you", "a wedding is not just about the both of you... you don't want to regret getting married without blessings. It is a family event, and I want to take this opportunity to get everyone together. Isn't it sad that the only excuse for catching up and meeting up is at funerals?"
I'm really angry and frustrated. I did feel guilty as I still do want to get wed in peace and with immediate family present, and wanted to cancel my existing venue for the smaller venue I preferred while letting my mother have control of her little pet project (the chinese dinner), thus ensuring non-interference in my actual small wedding. Both my fiance and my counsellor told me that this was naive of me as my mother's antics was an exercise in pushing boundaries, and with the escalating demands and shifting goalposts, this behaviour is likely to endure even in her pet project.
What made me really sad was I actually googled to see if I was being a terrible person, and it took reading forums that I am 'normal' in wanting a wedding day for MYSELF, and I deserve to host MY wedding the way I want to feel that my emotions are valid.
Redditors, especially Singaporeans, what do you think?
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2023.03.29 06:58 Rand12z [PDF] [Ebook] South-Western Federal Taxation 2023: Essentials of Taxation: Individuals and Business Entities 26th Edition by Nellen
Print ISBN: 9780357720103, 0357720105
eText ISBN: 9780357720219, 0357720210
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2023.03.29 06:58 Rand12z [PDF] [Ebook] South-Western Federal Taxation 2023: Corporations, Partnerships, Estates and Trusts 46th Edition by William A. Raabe; James C. Young
Print ISBN: 9780357719961, 0357719964
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2023.03.29 06:57 Rand12z [PDF] [Ebook] South-Western Federal Taxation 2023: Individual Income Taxes 46th Edition by James C. Young; Annette Nellen
Print ISBN 9780357719824, 0357719824
eText ISBN 9780357719930, 035771993X Edition 46th
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2023.03.29 06:57 Rand12z [PDF] [Ebook] South-Western Federal Taxation 2023: Comprehensive 46th Edition by James C. Young; Annette Nellen
Print ISBN 9780357719688, 0357719689
eText ISBN 9780357719794, 0357719794
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2023.03.29 06:19 BuschMeister83 The Kindness of Strangers
Al-Maz
We just load in near the oil tanker that ran aground at that neighborhood on the western side of the map. I try to get a Mic check, but the other two were on party chat instead of game chat. One had reallocated a weapon to the other, and we start going forward. That started a fire fight 30 seconds in. I try to fend off as much as I could while the other two made a tactical withdrawal, and I fallowed, providing cover fire. They make it to a boat, and just full speed ahead without me.
I try to regroup, and just dove into the water to swim around the slight environmental hazard, I stelth'ed my way to the bow of the ship to take out an AI sharpshooter, and I notice that some of the AI in the area are looking off to my 9. I figured their be players in the area. I menuvered to a shop, and pop a "request to join" while corner camping with a sub. After a slight discussion, they let me join. I was relieved.
We drive off that neighborhood under gunfire, and head to the south bank of Sa'id City where we picked up another who was having a bad time with AI. We head to the Mall to blow up cargo trucks.
We root around the mall for loot, and decide to head for extract since we were stocked up.
We battle another team. 4/5 of us, including me, died at the exfil site.
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2023.03.29 05:58 LadyAntiope Completed Bingo card with reviews: Re-tellings theme
This is my second year of bingo, so naturally I had to extra challenge myself and do a themed card this time. I set out to do strictly re-tellings, but I ended up broadening the category to include strongly inspired by or incorporating folk tales or mythology. It’s a category I read a lot in anyway, and I love that the genre is exploding to include cultures world-wide. And yet somehow I only ended up with 13 authors of color (out of 40 - counting all the short stories). But this year was about 90% women (with 3 non-binary and one man), so huzzah for feminist re-tellings! And all but four of the authors were new to me. I didn’t quite hit all hard mode, but the theme was my hard mode, really.
I tried to cover a variety of inspiration texts (myths, folk tales, “classic literature,” film) as well as stories from around the world, but I’m missing any representation from Australia and the Pacific Islands as well as South America. The origins of a lot of the stories are Western European, but some have been re-told in settings elsewhere in the world. East Asia also ended up well represented.
I did end up substituting a square this year. Instead of “weird ecology,” I opted for 2018’s “a god is a character” square. There were a couple books that had some weird landscaping in them, but none of them quite fit the spirit of the square. Things like a magical forest in an otherwise standard-issue earthly landscape rather than a fundamentally different ecosystem overall. If anyone has any recs for re-tellings set on far-flung planets, let me know! I tend not to do deep researching – mostly I read somewhat mindfully, hoping for the best, and panic in January.
Here’s the visual card:
https://imgur.com/4XRW9W9
Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller (LGBTQIA list)
The Iliad from Patroclus’ perspective, but starting with his childhood and teenage years in which he and Achilles grow up together and fall in love. If you remember the Iliad or just the general arc of the story of the Trojan war, then you will go into this knowing it’s going to be a tragedy. That doesn’t make the pain any less exquisite. The time we spend growing up with Patroclus moves from lonely and neglected to beautiful, golden, idyllic. The voice of Patroclus – pacifist and healer – is expertly written and his relationship with god-like Achilles is full of moments that make the heart ache. This is still on the best-seller list for a reason.
Lore Olympus: Volume One by Rachel Smythe (Substitute square: god character, HM)
Olympus is a contemporary city, albeit still only inhabited by gods, and Hades and Persephone might be falling for each other. Graphic novel. The limited color palettes in this volume are excellent, emphasizing mood and character. It’s beautiful to read. The Greek gods are notorious for having very human flaws, and this telling feels very rooted in human emotions. Olympus feels a bit like a college campus in this telling. There’s a lot of loneliness, and trying to figure out how to fit in. It also gets a big content warning for rape.
Hag: Forgotten Folk Tales Retold by Imogen Hermes Gowar, Naomi Booth, Emma Glass, Irenosen Okojie, Daisy Johnson, Natasha Carthew, Eimear McBride, Liv Little, Mahsuda Snaith, Kirsty Logan (2+ authors, HM)
Strange folk tales from every corner of the U.K. are re-imagined – often in contemporary settings – giving women voices they may have been denied in the originals. It took me a long time to read all these short stories because almost every one deals with death or brutality towards women. That’s not to say they all have unhappy endings – indeed, some have joyously vengeful endings – but there’s quiet tragedy and outright violence woven throughout. Powerful stories, strong narrator voices, and often poetic prose, but read when in a strong mental state.
A Clash of Steel: A Treasure Island Remix by C.B. Lee (Historical, HM)
Treasure Island set in 1826 in the South China Sea with a pirate crew of queer misfits sailing for treasure and a better life – plus actual historical Pirate Queen Zheng Yi Sao as Captain Flint. With contemporary prose and an updated cast, this still feels true to the source material with the adventurous quest deciphering maps and clues. Long John Silver doesn’t have an exact analogue, but his surprisingly complex parental feelings come through with found-family bonds as well as a wild ride of birth-family feelings, and a fraught lesbian love interest.
Once & Future by Cory McCarthy, A.R. Capetta (Set in Space, HM)
This time, King Arthur is a queer teenage girl on the run from the big bad capitalist Mercer Corporation – in space! In this re-telling, the characters are aware of the King Arthur story as a myth from Old Earth, but when they find themselves re-incarnating the well-worn pattern, they don’t seem to recognize it beyond the magic sword and Ari’s renewed determination to be a hero. Merlin has lived through every iteration, and has his own interests at play. Our heroes spend a fair bit of time in their space ship or on planet-sized space-stations, though it may be pushing the rule to say it’s 50% actually in space. This is a YA book and it definitely reads that way, but it’s fun. I thought the “Renaissance Faire Planet” was a bit of a stretch and the big bad was almost a caricature of every evil empire, but if you can look past a bit of cheesiness, there’s plenty of sci-fi action, a quick pace, and some intrigue under the surface.
The Wolf and the Woodsman by Ava Reid (Standalone, HM)
Hungarian and Jewish folklore plus the early spread of Christianity weave together to create a world where magic manifests differently depending on your religious tradition, the Christians are ardent new converts in charge of a poor besieged country, and persecution abounds. The first person perspective came with a lot of (justified) rage and some pretty violent moments, but I found Évike’s voice to be frustratingly naïve at times. The pacing was uneven, and with a lot of elements in play the story was lacking cohesion. I felt okay on the enemies-to-lovers trope in this one. Overall, this book was redeemed for me by the imagined folk stories woven in, and the heart-warming moments spent in the Jewish community. (I forget the actual names of the religions in the book, but they’re pretty obvious stand-ins.)
These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong (Anti-hero, HM)
This time, Romeo and Juliet are in rival gangs in 1926 Shanghai, but their teenage romance is already dead from betrayal at the start of the book and a strange madness is devastating the city they struggle to rule. I usually read-read, but this one I listened to and I loved the narrator! I had a few hang-ups on Juliet as a character (though perfect anti-hero material). Which was tough since she got of lot of screen time, but thankfully we also got Roma and some absolutely wonderful side characters, including a trans woman and a refuses-to-admit-it gay couple. There were some moments of lovely prose, plenty of action, and all the jostling factions in the city were well-balanced in the narrative. First of a series, I definitely want to pick up the second one soon.
All the Murmuring Bones by A.G. Slatter (Book Club, HM)
Drawing primarily on Irish folklore, this is the story of a girl who wants to escape her family obligations - ones that come with generational trauma and greed. It’s a little hard to talk about this one without spoilers since there are basically three distinct sections and each could almost stand as a story on its own, but each depends on the earlier one. Another angry woman in this one, taking matters into her own hands and trying to break spells, break open dark family secrets, and get free of men who are trying very hard to be in charge. I liked the gothic atmosphere, the prose, and probably the middle journey section with fairy-tale creature encounters was my favorite. The family history is also told in mini fairy-tales throughout. The ending fell a bit flat, and I didn’t really connect to the main character, but neither of those were deal-breakers for me.
Spear by Nicola Griffith (Cool Weapon, HM)
From the King Arthur mythos, the story of Percival and the quest for the holy grail, but Percival is a supernatural queer woman who lives in sixth century Wales when the pagan gods still have power. Novella. The story opens slowly and with some very poetic prose to start Peretur’s early life in the wilderness with her mother – a mythic feeling that I fell hard for right off the bat. And yet it also felt very much a story from history – the details of the setting showed the research Griffith put in. I wish it were just a touch longer to give some more room to the relationship developments that get packed into the back half of the book. But the interweaving of historical details, tidbits from myth and story, and imagination was so flawless that this re-telling feels like it could be the "true" history of the story-figure. Even including the gender flip - a skillfully handled "woman dresses as a man to be a knight" trope that works even better when the woman is queer.
Lord of Light by Roger Zelazny (Revolution/Rebellion, HM)
On a distant planet in the far future, the original colonizing crew have set themselves up as gods, specifically taking on the roles of the Hindu pantheon. One member heartily disagrees with how the rest are running things. The prose in this one was a little tough and I’m pretty sure the style is a deliberate choice to make this book feel more akin to reading a religious text. And as a play off of Hesse’s 1922
Siddhartha, since they share the same main character. But some of it may also simply be because it was written in 1967. Still, the content is intriguing. The struggle is between the immortal gods who like being the ones with all the advanced tech (including re-incarnation to transfer themselves into new bodies), and the one who thinks this is some kinda bullshit, why make the inhabitants here go through the dark ages when they could have medicine and electricity now. The premise and watching it play out is the interest here, not so much any emotional investment in the characters.
The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein by Kiersten White (Name in the Title, HM)
Still asking, “who is the monster?” and giving the same answer even more definitively than the original, this is a re-telling of Frankenstein from Elizabeth’s POV with some distinctive twists. In 2022 I did the Dracula read-along and then promptly decided it was finally time to do Frankenstein as well. Which meant I could now read re-tellings of these classics. Elizabeth, when you get to hear her side, turns out not only to be independent-minded, but also a remarkable anti-hero character trying desperately to maintain the only stability she’s ever known. Though there are a lot of grim happenings and emotional abuse, this version has more hope for humanity than the original (which, imo, has almost none). Also, unlike narrator Viktor, Elizabeth doesn’t make you hate her guts regularly; she’s just trying to survive. The prose was the weak point in this one, especially coming off Mary Shelley, but not detrimentally so.
What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher (Author Uses Initials, HM)
Poe’s short story “The Fall of the House of Usher” leaves plenty of room for embellishing and this novella does so perfectly with nightmare fungus, more rounded-out characters (including a non-binary protagonist), and horrifyingly possessed creatures. Alex is a rational narrator, the best kind for encountering increasingly creepy phenomena. Even with the addition of a no-nonsense mycologist and a competent American doctor, the atmosphere of oppressive, inevitable horror from the original short story suffuses this novella. There certainly are rational lines of thoughts to follow to unravel the mystery of the Ushers’ illnesses, but that doesn’t stop each revelation from setting everyone on edge and fearing madness of themselves. Gothic. Horror. Perfection.
Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan (Published in 2022, HM)
The Chinese story of Chang’e is the basis for this re-telling, but this focuses on her daughter and starts after the original stories end. Xingyin’s quest is to obtain freedom and forgiveness for her mother’s actions that gained her goddess status, but exiled her to the moon. The world building of the Celestial Kingdom was a highlight of this one for me since I’m not super familiar with the Chinese pantheon. The story itself relied on some classic YA tropes (including a love triangle, one of my least favorites) and I found the narrator’s voice somewhat simplistic. She’s also a very emotional character, which at times was endearing and at others frustrating. Wise, peaceful dragons do make an appearance, though, and there’s some good political intrigue and a few unforeseen twists. An entertaining read overall, and there’s set-up for the second book, but this one wrapped up nicely enough and I’m not feeling pressed to read the second one right away.
The Chosen and the Beautiful by Nghi Vo (Urban Fantasy, HM)
The Great Gatsby, but from Jordan Baker’s perspective and she’s a bi Vietnamese adoptee in a New York where magic makes all the parties more dazzling. It’s hard to like any of the characters in the Gatsby story, but Jordan Baker as narrator certainly gets more sympathy from me in this go-round. Raised in a rich white family, she carries internalized racism with her, and yet struggles against it every day in a country that is trying to enact a law that will force her to leave. Where the original story condemns classism and unbridled ambition, this story expands its criticism to America’s long history of excluding people of color and the LGBTQ+ community. The prose is gorgeous, and where it overlaps with original scenes it dovetails perfectly. The magic adds an extra shimmer to this story, but doesn’t outshine the character work. I hope this one gets added to curriculums to pair with the original.
Skin of the Sea by Natasha Bowen (Set in Africa, HM)
Inspired by West African mythology with the Little Mermaid for some plot points. Simi was a human who became a Mami Wata and is struggling to fit into her role bringing home the souls of those who died at sea. One decision endangers all the Mami Wata and sends her on a quest with a boy that will entangle her with the gods and other legendary creatures. This story is chock full of magical beings, young adults attempting to navigate dangerous situations as well as their relationships, and quests of mythic proportions. The dark underbelly of the story is the destruction of West African communities as colonizers take their people into slave ships. Though tragedy runs alongside the story, our heroes mostly manage to stay one step ahead of the worst outcomes. The quest did some meandering, and characterizations were a bit uneven, but I think it really came together in the latter half. The main plot wraps up well, but makes set-up for the next book clear and I do intend to get to it eventually.
A Snake Falls to Earth by Darcie Little Badger (Non-human protagonist, HM)
With roots in Lipan Apache storytelling traditions, this is the story of a cottonmouth snake and a human girl whose worlds run in parallel, but become entangled as they try to save friends and family from existential threats. This technically has two protagonists, but the snake is the one whose chapters are in first person and the human’s are in third person. This also would have been great for the hard mode BIPOC author square since the author is Lipan Apache. I absolutely loved everyone in this story. Nina is an intrepid modern girl and a loner, but with strong family ties; and Ollie is a homebody snake setting out to make his way in the wide world. The friends Ollie makes help him to discover his own bravery, and they are a delightfully colorful bunch of creatures! Nina is trying to help her grandmother and unravel the mysteries of their family’s past and possible connections to the animal people. Read this story to be filled with the love of friendship and family, and hope in the face of climate change and social media ills.
Fractured Fables: A Spindle Splintered & A Mirror Mended by Alix E. Harrow (Timey Wimey, HM)
Zinnia Gray’s illness means she likely won’t live past 21, but when she falls into a Sleeping Beauty parallel universe, she might be able to at least save someone else from that fate. In book two, she’s dealing poorly with life in the “real” world, but busting out into a new fairy tale multi-verse (Snow White’s), and finding even more complications in the re-tellings there. I read both novellas currently out in this series, and our hero does a fair bit of jumping around the fairy tale multiverse which makes it clear that time doesn’t run evenly across it all. It’s not really the focus, but it’s there, and it does affect a couple plot points. I think Alix Harrow read the same book I did about disability in fairy tales (Disfigured by Amanda Leduc) and took it to heart to create her hero in this contemporary fairy tale take. Zinnia’s chronic illness is both from an industrial accident and an embodiment of a fairy tale curse. These books don’t take themselves too seriously, but do handle disability and the emotional impacts that come with it pretty well, I think. Disney’s re-telling style features in book one, and book two gets some darker, more horror-esque takes.
Wintersong by S. Jae-Jones (Mental Health)
The re-telling of Jim Henson’s Labyrinth you didn’t know you needed with extra depth from Germanic folk roots and a little Hades-Persephone flavor. Set in early 19th century Bavaria, protagonist Liesl is a composer stuck helping run her family’s inn; in the woods, Der Erlkönig (the Goblin King), may be a relic of a pagan past, but that doesn’t stop him from meddling with her heart and her family members. Liesl is bipolar and her brother (prodigy violinist) has anxiety and (in book 2) severe depression. Her father is an alcoholic. The family member who gets stolen and must be retrieved is her beautiful sister, the life of the family. Liesl’s wild up and down swings are on full display when she enters the realm of the Goblin King and is trying to navigate her relationship with him, her relationship with her music, and her love for her family. This is an emotional book and you will be angry at almost every character at some point. But it’s also heartbreakingly beautiful. The romance sizzles; it’s unhealthy and you want them to fix it. It’s probably not a book for everyone, but I spent a fevered day and a half devouring it. For extra doses of struggling with mental health, sobbing, and musical composing, read book two – Shadowsong.
In the Shadows of Giants by Lazette Gifford (Self-published, HM)
In the far future, the Norse pantheon ends up pitted against the Chinese pantheon and an elder god in a potential new Ragnarok with Loki trying to avoid the mishaps of the last one – in space! Loki gets some good character work in this book, but other characters are a little light on depth. Though Loki is the main focus, I liked that we got some chapters in the Chinese pantheon as well, getting some insight into the politics of the situation from their perspective – and not everyone in their pantheon is on board with the way things are going. Loki is also not really convinced of teaming up with the rest of his own pantheon again either, but he still has a few good ties there and room to mends some relationships. This wasn’t a stand-out novel for me, but neither do I have any strong complaints. It’s a solid sci-fi-fantasy mix, good prose, and well-paced plotting.
Reluctant Immortals by Gwendolyn Kiste (Runner-up, HM)
It’s 1967 in San Francisco and Lucy (from Dracula) and Bertha (from Jane Eyre) are the titular reluctant immortals trying to keep their tormentors from destroying more lives. This seems like it could be an action-packed super-powered immortal battle, but instead it’s the mundanity of simply surviving as an undead being, escalating slowly into a horrifying body count. Obviously I had to read this after finishing the Dracula read-along. The tone is such a contrast! Where Dracula’s heroes struggle nobly against the darkness, this version is full of quiet desperation and bleakness more fitting as the successor to Jane Eyre. As the action ramps up in the last third, it plays out more like a contemporary horror film, including a strange liminal space in the afterlife and scenes of a modern mansion filled with the decay that the undead bring. The drug haze of California in the 60’s suffuses the story. I’m not entirely convinced this was a re-telling we needed, but I’m also not mad about it.
Kaikeyi by Vaishnavi Patel (BIPOC author)
Kaikeyi is only briefly in the Hindu epic The Ramayana, but her “wicked stepmother” action sets the plot of it in motion. In this novel, she is given a voice and a backstory and a complex world she must navigate as a woman who wants more independence not only for herself, but for all the women of her country. The relationship building in the latter half is one of the highlights of this book. It’s helped by some magic, but Kaikeyi puts in the work to build bonds of love and mutual respect in the royal household where she is youngest of three wives. Rama (her step-son) is the main character in the original epic (a god incarnated to vanquish evil forces), and so the reader is clued in early that disaster will befall the family because of a conflict between Kaikeyi and her husband and Rama; the threat of that tragedy seeps into even the happy parts of the story. Kaikeyi is a champion of early feminism in this telling, but she’s still human with plenty of flaws and struggles and imperfect vision. I found this book to be a bit of a slow build to connect with characters, but by the end I was absolutely tearing up. A powerful telling.
Malice by Heather Walter (Shapeshifters, HM)
In this Sleeping Beauty re-telling (perhaps prequel), the villain is not yet the villain – though society certainly treats her as an outcast – and a forbidden love is blooming. This is a coming of age story for an already young adult character. Alice wants to be accepted (and loved), proving she’s not the evil pariah society thinks she is, but she also wants to escape the role she’s forced into. The build-up of tension between her warring desires is well done. As she discovers her true powers (spoilers since I used it for the shapeshifting square!) she’s put even more at odds with the establishment, and yet her growing love for Princess Aurora gives her hope for a more idyllic outcome than the escape she’s trying to plan. This was another enjoyable but not necessarily a stand-out read for me. Excellent character work for the protagonist and a slower pacing, but never felt like it was dragging. I will definitely read book 2 since this one ends with a bang.
Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust (No Ifs, Ands, or Buts, HM)
This book mushes up elements from Sleeping Beauty, Rapunzel, Beauty and the Beast, and probably others, and spins a whole new story with Persian flair. A poisonous princess is kept hidden away, but when knowledge of her curse comes from a demon, her decisions will have far-reaching consequences for her whole family and the question of who to trust becomes thorny. This was another one where the protagonist is striving to be a good person, caring for her family, and yet she understandably wants to escape her curse and is maybe willing to do some questionable things to make it happen. It’s hard to keep being good when, even though you are loved, you can’t touch anyone and have to live in a gilded cage. This story took a lot of twists and turns, including betrayals of all kinds. The romance elements were laced with emotional tension, but kept sexual feelings to a bare minimum. I felt this could have used a bit of plot streamlining, but I liked the Persian-inspired world, the overall arc of the story, and I felt it wrapped up well for a complex stand-alone.
For the Wolf by Hannah Whitten (Family Matters)
I thought this would be primarily Little Red Riding Hood, but it’s got a huge helping of Beauty and the Beast and a dose of fairy tale sisters tropes as well. Red is the sister that will be sacrificed to the Wolf in the Wilderwood in hopes of the gods’ return. Turns out, that whole Wolf and Wilderwood thing is really complicated. This has a lot of elements that I tend to look favorably on – a broody love interest, a magical forest, sibling bonds – but it didn’t quite pull together for me in this book. Both characters in the romance got good development and their choices did make sense for who they were, but it was a very frustrating one to read and caused a lot of drag in the middle. The sibling relationship was much better and the sister who gets to become queen has a wonderfully tragic arc in the name of saving her lost sister. The forest itself and the religion/magic that goes with it don’t get a ton of satisfying explanation, but that’s partly due to everyone actually struggling to figure out how it works. It gets an A+ for creepy atmosphere, though! Imagery from Grimm’s more grim tales abounds and I appreciated the slight edge of horror that creeps in. Not super likely to pick up book 2.
I’ve done a terrible job being concise here, so I’ll try to do a really quick run-down on the short stories. I just listed the first collection on my official bingo turn-in to make it easy, but I like being able to fill in all the slots in my spreadsheet, so there are five things here. Hopefully someone has made it this far down – if so, thank you for reading!
The Bloody Chamber & Other Stories by Angela Carter (collection)
The titular story is one of the better ones – a re-telling of Bluebeard. Covering the classics of western European fairy tales, this collection features a lot of liberated sex with a 70s feminist lean (publication date: 1979). Girls and beasts are the big theme. There were a few excellent ones and several that left me going “but why?”
The Bride of the Blue Wind by Victoria Goddard
Closer to a novelette, but that gave this story room to get some solid world-building in. Bluebeard again, but with Bluebeard being a djinn sort of character. I loved the trader communities and desert setting and the family dynamic with the wife’s sisters.
Tales of Old Gods & New by Kate MacLeod (collection)
This collection had two specific re-tellings: another “Norse gods in the far future” re-telling which was also a sci-fi survival story, and an African inspired goddess trying to escape the cycle of her story. These were two solid ones, some of the other in the collection I felt were unfinished scribbling thoughts for novel-sized stories.
Hunting Monsters series by S.L. Huang (2 short stories, one novella)
This collection mashed up eastern and western settings and stories, including Red Riding Hood, Beauty & the Beast, the Legend of the White Snake, and Hou Yi the Archer. The main characters of the novella are middle-aged women long past the prime in which their original stories took place and I liked that take a lot. The short stories focus on a daughter and deal with culture clashes and parent-child tensions.
A Cathedral of Myth & Bone by Kat Howard (collection)
The feature in this collection is a novelette of the King Arthur story set on a college campus with grad students who are themselves studying the mythos of King Arthur. Most of the other stories in the collection take inspiration from saints’ lives or myth and folk tale tropes (or the concept of storytelling itself) and play with them in new settings. I found a lot more hits than misses in this collection.
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