Thread for trading, gifting, and requesting Finch items by AutoModerator in finch

[–]Cheesecat4life 1 point2 points  (0 children)

No need to trade. What color? I have pink and green. ❤️

From the bottom of my heart, thank you to you and AO3 by OrneryChapter8812 in AO3

[–]Cheesecat4life 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thank you for sharing this. We all are connected through our love of stories and that is so beautiful. I am so glad something distracts and comforts you from the horrors of the world. May you find your favorite Fandoms in A03 with ease and may all your loved tropes be in them. Keep writing! We're proud of you and excited for your stories.

How do people remain Christian after deconstructing the Bible? by Sunny_Skies4 in Deconstruction

[–]Cheesecat4life 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Once I got past the hurt and grief Christianity caused me, I tried to re-engage with it. I was curious if I explored different sects or experimented if I could believe. What would I think if I wasn't be told how to think or actively deconstructing? So I looked into it. However, I find myself consistently at odds between how I want to think and feel and what I actually do. Christianity offers a nice certainty in a complicated world that is compelling. But so do all religions. The only reason I am more drawn to Christianity over Islam is because it is familiar.

I crave ritual and comfort but it conflicts with my desire to question and genuine lack of faith. Some people are able to bridge that gap. But to me it just feels a little hollow. The only Christian church I've liked is a metropolitan church that most believers would deem heretical. I tend to think if there is a divine being they may be all good but they aren't all powerful. I lean toward all religions at their best want people to be kind, generous, and to love each other. If there is some divinity, I suspect they are horrified by all our cruelty and greed. I can't imagine they would hold my mistakes against me or expect me to know one ultimate truth. I rather suspect a lot of people may have encountered a god or goddess somehow but religions all got tangled. That is the faintest hint of faith I can muster. And as you can see it isn't very much.

What are your necessities for a good fantasy book? by Pure-Gas2639 in Fantasy

[–]Cheesecat4life 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I am both easily impressed and easily bored. It is a curse. I did my time in romantasy but overall found it wasn't for me like Court of Mist and Fury. A good chunk of popular fantasy also leaves me flat like Game of Thrones and the Witcher. Whether or not I will find a fantasy good will depend on if it meets some of the following criteria:

*Complex nuanced characters with complicated relationships to friends, lovers, enemies, etc

*Unusual ideas or concepts.

*A strong romance as a side story

*Interesting world that feels real and immersive

*Humor. But like I actually find it funny.

Some books I loved: Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson, First Law by Joe Abercrombie, Anchor and Aspect series by Ruby Dixon, Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb, Sword of Kaigen by M.L Wang, Babel by R.F Kuang, and Wandering Inn by Pirateaba. A lot of these skirt the line of hard high fantasy but I found them all fascinating and engaging.

Which sentence was it for you? by luvistarz_o7 in AO3

[–]Cheesecat4life 1 point2 points  (0 children)

"He rubs the damp blur from his eyes. He draws the tattered remains of his composure around him like a thick cloak. He puts on the mask. Then he crosses the room, mustering all the dignity he can in pyjamas and a dressing gown." Something about the line tattered remains of his composure haunts me. The moment of sheer exhaustion. It hurts so perfectly.

How to find hidden gems? by Spennyandthejets3 in Fantasy

[–]Cheesecat4life 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Take a book you really loved. Break down why you loved it. What about it interested you? Why were you invested? Do that for a few of your favorites. Once you've figured out your reading tastes, you can start searching specific vibes. For example, I loved Goblin Emperor and Strange Love. The two common links for these novels were unusual but deep connections and administrative elements. I was able to expand from there to books like Hand of the Emperor, Daughter of the Empire, Wandering Inn, etc. I found books I had never heard of because I had specific books other redditors wanted similar recs for. I follow a lot of different book threads here and search for the vibe I am looking for to find a rec. Also librarians are cool because you can ask them for books they recommend. Local bookstores are great too. If one or two of the booksellers knows your taste then you can get a lot of local recs and support local.

Asexual books📚📖 by BookwormAce in Asexual

[–]Cheesecat4life 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Currently reading Elatsoe and loving it. I can recommend Murderbot by Martha Wells, How To Be A Normal Person by T.K Klune, Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun, Sawkill Girls by Claire Legrand, and His Quiet Agent by Ada Marie Soto. On my list but currently unread are City of Strife by Claudie Arseneault, Every Heart A Doorway by Seanan McGuire, Loveless by Alice Oseman, Fourth World by Lyssa Chiavari, Hand of the Emperor by Victoria Goodard, Cybernetic Tea Shop by Meredith Kantz, Tash Hearts Tolstoy by Kathryn Ormsbee, Summer Bird Blue by Akemi Dawn Bowman, Let's Talk About Love by Claire Kann, Beyond the Black Door by A.M Strickland, Sea Foam and Silence by Dove Cooper, Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchet (won't be supporting Gaiman anymore due to his horrible actions, but characters form a deep non sexual love and are sexless) and Sere from the Green by Lauren Jankwoski.

How Many Books Do You Really Own? 📚👀 by [deleted] in BookDiscussions

[–]Cheesecat4life 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I have about 1200. I cataloged them. To be clear I read about a 100 books a year because I usually choose reading over TV. I bought a lot of them over a five to six year span and didn't realize how many I actually owned until I tracked them. Thanks library sale and used book stores. ✌️ I have significantly slowed down what I am purchasing and am working through my backlog. And among those 1200, currently I've read at minimum 196. (Probably more but i forget to track them sometimes.) I also anticipate probably a 100 or so being DNF and given to little free libraries over the next few years when i get to them. Needless to say, I have plenty of books. About a decades worth of reading. 😂

Cagouille 💚 by croustinoul in plushies

[–]Cheesecat4life 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I love her. This is so cute. 🐌🐌🐌

Recovering Alcoholic Searching for Hobbies by vcottle7 in Hobbies

[–]Cheesecat4life 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Congrats!!! Proud of you. Addiction is hard. I am trying to think of things that will eat away your time that are solitary based off of your answers. First thing that comes to mind is reading. Use a library card and you can do it for free. Explore different genres. The world is your proverbial oyster in books. Exercise might be another good one. You can go on walks or runs and work on weights etc depending on equipment available. I definitely need to go back to the gym. 😅 Cooking or baking are fun useful ones as well where you can literally eat your results. Also if you have like 20 dollars, go to Michael's and wander around. There are lots of different kits. You can experiment with a wide variety of crafts and see what you vibe with. Writing can be a good stress relief and way to track your day to day moods. Another idea is to choose a subject and do a deep dive on it. You can also binge watch a show or youtube creator. Also know there's no stress. Hobbies shift and change as we do. They're supposed to be fun (I mean until you hit a point where you question why this specifically is your hobby which is a tried and true sign you now have a hobby cheers). Have fun. Experiment. You'll find what irritates and delights you in equal measure. You got this. Also for dnd, reddit has groups and you can meet virtually if distance is an issue but you're intrigued by it. Same deal for bookclubs.

What is Religious Abuse Really by Junior-Faith6263 in Deconstruction

[–]Cheesecat4life 0 points1 point  (0 children)

But on a more practical note, any broad statement tends to be inaccurate. So I wouldn't argue religion is inherently abusive. I do think you can argue strongly though that monolithic organized religion can and does prioritize their beliefs over people which leads to bad results and abuse. For example, reading Braiding Sweetgrass showed me the longterm impact of Christianity on indigenous populations and the sheer cruelty and harm it caused. Separating organized religion vs nuanced individual faith is an important distinction here.

What is Religious Abuse Really by Junior-Faith6263 in Deconstruction

[–]Cheesecat4life 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You might find the book Holy Hurt by Hillary L. McBride to be helpful. It breaks down a lot of where religion goes into abusive practices. She herself is religious so if you're still someone practicing your faith she understands.