Rae 🐌

Yep, and only 6 months warranty on it too

Hahahahahahahahahahaha
Kill me

Already on to the third.
Took it to a third mechanic today who referred me to a transmission specialist who confirmed I need a new one.
My car has a CVT so even second hand I'm looking at a minimum of $7.5k plus GST

Upwards of 7k apparently.

Yepppppppp.

Still 8th in line for the throne though

I hate that this is your first season watching though. That wasn't enjoyable or entertaining to watch. It was just putrid.

Nope, because I used a different mechanic from the one who diagnosed.

So now they're fighting over who's responsible.
The one who did it today says he was just providing the repair that was booked, the one from yesterday says it was new guys responsibility to check it first.

Love having over $1200 worth of car repairs completed only to be immediately told that the OG mechanic who diagnosed the car issue was wrong, the repairs just completed were unnecessary, and the noises are coming from the transmission which will cost me god knows what.

Good day, good day.

Why the fuck would we “socially cohere” for monsters?  - The Shot Yesterday, the gulf between the will of the Australian people and the actions of the Australian government revealed itself to...

Here's me. "Why the fuck would we 'socially cohere' for monsters?"

The Priory of the Orange Tree Samantha Shannon An international bestseller 'Epic' - Guardian 'Majestic' - Daily Mail

'Escapism at it's finest - Shannon, we salute you' Stylist.co.uk 'One of the most exciting and innovative fantasy writers alive today' Melinda Salisbury A WORLD DIVIDED. A QUEEN DOM WITHOUT AN HEIR. AN ANCIENT ENEMY AWAKENS. 'The next generation of hit fantasy fiction... A feminist Lord of the Rings' Sunday Times 'Blending politics with high adventure and the epic with the intimate, the narrative builds like a tidal wave before sweeping towards an awesome, climactic finale' Daily Mail 'One of those rare novels that captures your imagination so completely you will read it over and over, until the cover cracks and the spine breaks' Kami Garcia, #1 new York Times bestselling co author of Beautiful Creatures and author of Unbreakable

3. The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon

Dragons, magic, pirates, politics, religion, lesbians and more dragons written across 4 POVs.

I reallly liked this book hey. The middle third had me struggling to put it down, though the ending did feel a smidge rushed.

#booksky

The Priory of the Orange Tree Samantha Shannon An international bestseller 'Epic' - Guardian 'Majestic' - Daily Mail

'Escapism at it's finest - Shannon, we salute you' Stylist.co.uk 'One of the most exciting and innovative fantasy writers alive today' Melinda Salisbury A WORLD DIVIDED. A QUEEN DOM WITHOUT AN HEIR. AN ANCIENT ENEMY AWAKENS. 'The next generation of hit fantasy fiction... A feminist Lord of the Rings' Sunday Times 'Blending politics with high adventure and the epic with the intimate, the narrative builds like a tidal wave before sweeping towards an awesome, climactic finale' Daily Mail 'One of those rare novels that captures your imagination so completely you will read it over and over, until the cover cracks and the spine breaks' Kami Garcia, #1 new York Times bestselling co author of Beautiful Creatures and author of Unbreakable

3. The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon

Dragons, magic, pirates, politics, religion, lesbians and more dragons written across 4 POVs.

I reallly liked this book hey. The middle third had me struggling to put it down, though the ending did feel a smidge rushed.

#booksky

I mean they still could, and only have shown limited footage from the bachelor/ette nights this far, especially as they're making a big deal of her saying she doesn't know what their gender will be.

I feel like her match will be a man, simply because previous years when they've had same sex couples they split them for bachelor/ette evenings grouping the more masc personality with the men, and this year there were no women at the bachelors evening.

I saw last night's but haven't seen the previous episode so I have a little catching up to do too hahahha

It gets to a point after the weddings where the only 2 episodes worth watching are the dinner parties and commitment ceremonies. They replay the unhinged moments multiple times anyway

Oh absolutely.
This is a hate watching journey.
You get to sit back and judge and not feel bad about it because they've decided to showcase their shitty personalities to us all.
Strap in for a wild ride!

I just want to take a moment to appreciate the deliciousness of butter.
How fucking good is butter

Keep using AI guys, maybe we can get to 55°c next Summer!

Reading tracker for January ✅

#booksky

Really enjoying it!
It's only the second book of hers I've read. I started with the standalone prequel to this book which made it easier to get into. I often struggle with the world-building that goes along with fantasies, and this one is 800+ pages, so starting with the prequel helped a lot!

I'm just over 300 pages deep into the Priory of the Orange Tree

I'm very fucking tired, actually.

It's been rough going for sleeping, but all things considered I think we've been pretty lucky.
A bunch of people in the suburbs surrounding us lost power so just grateful we kept ours!

Keep using AI guys, maybe we can get to 55°c next Summer!

This one was a gift so I'm not sure how much extra, but they're typically sold as special edition hard backs and do come with a higher price tag.

'No one enthralls me like Samantha Shannon' - R. F. Kuang Among the Burning Flowers Samantha Shannon Internationally best selling author of The Priory of the Orange Tree

It has been centuries since the Draconic army took wing, almost extinguishing humankind. Marosa Vetalda is a prisoner in her own home, controlled by her cold father, King Sigoso. Over the mountains her betrothed, Aubrecht Lievelyn, rules Mentendon in all but name. Together, they intend to usher in a better world. A better world seems impossibly distant to Estina Melaugo, who hunts the draconic beasts that have slept across the world for centuries. But now the great wyrm Fyredel is stirring and Yscalin, land of sunshine and lavender, will soon be ablaze... A story of human resilience in the face of dire circumstance, Among the Burning Flowers leads readers through the gripping and tragic events that pave the way for the opening of the million copy bestseller the Priory of the Orange Tree. Take your first steps into the epic.

2. Among the Burning Flowers by Samantha Shannon

(A moment to appreciate the sprayed edges)

This standalone prequel was a great way to be introduced to a fantasy world without feeling lost.

The Priory of the Orange Tree is a whopping 804pgs so this makes me feel less intimidated going in
#booksky

From Below Darcy Coates USA today bestselling author

No light. No air. No escape. Hundreds of feet beneath the ocean's surface, a graveyard waits... Years ago during a routine voyage, the SS Arcadia vanished without a trace. Though a strange, garbled emergency message was broadcast, neither the ship nor any of its crew could be found. 60 years later it's wreck is finally been discovered more than 300 miles from its intended course... a silent graveyard deep beneath the ocean's surface eagerly waiting for the first sign of life. Cove and her dive team have been granted permission to explore the arcadia's rusting hull. Their purpose is straightforward: examine the wreck film everything, and, if possible, uncover how and why the supposedly unsinkable ship vanished. But the Arcadia has not yet had its fill of death, and something dark and hungry watches from below. With limited oxygen and the ship slowly closing in around them, Cove and her team will have to fight their way free of the unspeakable horror now desperate to claim them. Because once they're trapped beneath the ocean's waves, there's no going back.

2025's total was 24 books, averaging 2 a month. Will I read more or less this year?

1: From Below by Darcy Coates.
A deep sea horror.

I finished this one 13/1 and enjoyed it. I liked how it flicked between the time of the ship sinking, and the exploration of the newly found wreck

#booksky

Controversial opinion: life is strange is the most overhyped video game.

Max's headspace was such a negative one to live in, and her friendship with Chloe was toxic and manipulative.
I truly don't understand the love for the franchise.

I got an el cheapo from Kmart years ago and it's still going.

I was in the middle of Eileen by Otessa Moshfegh but it was just moving too slowly for me and decided to use the new year as an excuse to DNF. I might come back to it later.. mayyyybe.

From Below By Darcy Coates USA today bestselling author

What's your first read for 2026?

I'm thinking I'll start with some deep sea horror.

#booksky