Alex

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they/he, il. Wikipedian and book reader, mostly. Localization and sociology enthusiast.

Grande Boucle de la forêt de Ouareau

Liked Grande Boucle de la forêt de Ouareau by David Larlet (larlet.fr)

Je suis bien content d’avoir pris mon plus gros duvet car j’apprends que le thermomètre de ma montre s’arrête de fonctionner à partir de -20°C. Et il n’est que 7 h du soir. Le passage du foyer au duvet est toujours un moment assez critique. Je découvre que les chaufferettes permettent de récupérer des pieds gelés plus rapidement (j’avais fait l’erreur de ne prendre que des bouteilles isotherme). Je prends soin de donner une forme enfilable à mes chaussures avec la bonne position des lacets qui vont geler aussi.

Coup de cœur pour la visite en deux jours de la Grande Boucle de la forêt de Ouareau, avec nuit en bivouac par moins vingt degrés.

Natural Beauty

Read Natural beauty : a novel by Ling Ling Huang

Our narrator is the youngest student at the Conservatory. She produces a sound from the piano no one else does, employing a special technique she learned from her parents-also stunningly talented musicians-who fled China in the wake of the Cultural Revolution. But when an accident leaves her parents debilitated, she abandons her future as a pianist and accepts a job at a high-end beauty and wellness store in New York City. Holistik is known for its remarkable products and outrageous procedures: remoras that suck cheap Botox from the body, eyelash extensions made of spider silk, emotional support ducklings bred to imprint on their owners. Every product is ethically sourced and made with nothing but the highest quality ingredients. Our narrator’s new job is a coveted one among New York’s beauty-obsessed, and it affords her entry into a new world of privilege. She becomes transfixed by Helen-a model, and the niece of Holistik’s charismatic owner-and the two strike up a close friendship that hazily veers into more. All the while, Holistik plies our narrator with products that slim her thighs, smooth her skin, lighten her hair, and change her eye color. But beneath these fancy creams and tinctures lies a terrible truth that threatens to consume her. After all, beauty is nothing without ugliness.

Natural Beauty has stayed with me for a few weeks. I wasn’t going to write about it here, because I didn’t find it significant or likeable enough. And here I am a month later, still browsing through the list and feeling… something, when I scroll past the name of this book. I say « something…

Rana Joon and the One and Only Now

Read Rana Joon and the One and Only Now by Shideh Etaat

Perfect Iranian girls are straight A students, always polite, and grow up to marry respectable Iranian boys. But it’s the San Fernando Valley in 1996, and Rana Joon is far from perfect—she smokes weed and loves Tupac, and she has a secret: she likes girls.

As if that weren’t enough, her best friend, Louie—the one who knew her secret and encouraged her to live in the moment—died almost a year ago, and she’s still having trouble processing her grief. To honor him, Rana enters the rap battle he dreamed of competing in, even though she’s terrified of public speaking.

Rana Joon and the One and Only Now is a novel about grief. As many novels about grief are, it is also about hope. Rana needs to build a place for herself, and since the death of her best friend Louie a year ago − a death that she does not believe was an accident,…

Rue Caroline

Liked La rue Caroline by Mon Paris Alphabétique (Piaille)

Attaché : 4 images

La rue Caroline, #paris17 débute rue Darcet et se termine rue des Batignolles.
Elle porte le prénom de la femme d’un des anciens propriétaires.

Mon Paris Alphabétique continue à explorer les voies de Paris (et en est déjà à la lettre C, je me souviens de ses débuts, pfiou !), avec des jolies photos et des belles explications. J’essaie de partager de temps en temps (comme aujourd’hui).

To name the bigger lie

Read To Name the Bigger Lie: A Memoir in Two Stories by Sarah Viren

Sarah’s story begins as she’s researching what she believes will be a book about her high school philosophy teacher, a charismatic instructor who taught her and her classmates to question everything—in the end, even the reality of historical atrocities. As she digs into the effects of his teachings, her life takes a turn into the fantastical when her wife, Marta, is notified that she’s been investigated for sexual misconduct at the university where they both teach.

Sarah Viren examines the nature of lies and conspiracies and how we build our Truth. When the author started writing this memoir, it was about her high school philosophy teacher in an European-inspired magnet programme where philosophy exists (i love this). In freshman year, it was an amazing class where the teacher encouraged everyone to…

« I Quit Mastodon Again »

Liked I Quit Mastodon Again by Matthew Graybosch (matthewgraybosch.org)

My problem with Mastodon is that while I’m not vain enough to think Danko Jones was writing about me, I can’t handle moderation either. I can’t seem to only use platforms like this for an hour on Saturday night. So it’s better for me to not use it at all.

I had other reasons for quitting, but the explanation became a bit of a rant (with tangents). Read at your own risk.

relatable.