“
At your next book club meeting, picture me sitting quietly in the corner, taking notes on your preferences. Imagine the next day you get an email from me trying to sell you a new grill — or a book — or accessories for your Glock. That's the Amazon/Goodreads deal. It's appalling. But everywhere in the press, you'll read about the genius of Amazon."
(Michael Herrmann and the booksellers of Gibson's)
”
”
G.R. Reader (Off-Topic: The Story of an Internet Revolt)
“
To: lostphoebe@theacademy.gr
From: gblake@theacademy.gr
Subject: If I could do it over...
...I wouldn't treat you so badly.
I'm sorry.
Today wasn't about the bet.
Give me another chance.
G
Just like him: brief, cryptic, and full of crap.
”
”
Tera Lynn Childs (Oh. My. Gods. (Oh. My. Gods., #1))
“
By deciding what is, and is not, allowed to be discussed in a review, by removing discussion of social context, and saying that only the words on the page count, Goodreads is ignoring fifty years of development of literary criticism, and is engaging in censorship.
”
”
G.R. Reader (Off-Topic: The Story of an Internet Revolt)
“
…et puis on recommence encore le lendemain
avec seulement la même règle que la veille
et qui est d'éviter les grandes joies barbares
de même que les gr-andes douleurs
comme un crapaud contourne une pierre sur son chemin…
”
”
Charles Cros
“
This is a forum for readers. Authors walk these halls at their own risk. I’ve been to the Coliseum in Rome. GR is just that. Books are gladiators. Readers are ravenous citizens awaiting their next bite of entertainment, all Caesars with thumbs readied for judgement. Even champions fall prey to sword now and then. And you know what they say about the pen and the sword…the analogy is a bit muddled, but it’s in there somewhere.
”
”
Willow Madison
“
One noteworthy study suggests that people who suppress negative emotions tend to leak those emotions later in unexpected ways. The psychologist Judith Grob asked people to hide their emotions when she showed them disgusting images. She even had them hold pens in their mouths to prevent them from frowning. She found that this group reported feeling less disgusted by the pictures than did those who'd been allowed to react naturally. Later, however, the people who hid their emotions suffered side effects. Their memory was impaired, and the negative emotions they'd suppressed seemed to color their outlook. When Grob had them fill in the missing letter to the word "gr_ss", for example, they were more likely than others to offer "gross" rather than "grass". "People who tend to [suppress their negative emotions] regularly," concludes Grob, "might start to see their world in a more negative light." p. 223
”
”
Susan Cain (Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking)
“
If people wrote their reviews on paper and put them into a real, physical library, I am sure that the Goodreads administrators would be very reluctant to pull them down from shelves and burn them. When you can get rid of a piece of writing just by clicking on a few links, there’s a temptation to believe that it’s less serious. But it isn’t. It’s just less clear what you’ve done.
”
”
G.R. Reader (Off-Topic: The Story of an Internet Revolt)
“
You want me to be truthful.. for your convenience.. but in turn.. you consider to be mendacious for your own convenience.. !! Gr8..!!
”
”
Abhijeet Sawant
“
It is somehow painful when you can lay your life down for them, But they won't be there for you, Even when you need them the most - Goals Rider
”
”
Goals Rider
“
The Internet is transient. Information can be removed with a couple of mouse-clicks; it is an Orwellian dream. We have been advised, by people who claim to know about these things, that there is no point in protesting against a social network. Whoever owns the network will run it as they see fit, normally to maximize their profit margin. Members who dispute the rules will simply be thrown out. The Terms of Use are written so as not to allow them any recourse.
”
”
G.R. Reader (Off-Topic: The Story of an Internet Revolt)
“
And that's the most horrible thing about censorship: To avoid falling afoul of the censors, we question ourselves and censor ourselves and make a big deal out of things in our heads. We do the work of the control freaks for them, out of a desire to avoid them.
”
”
G.R. Reader (Off-Topic: The Story of an Internet Revolt)
“
You may wish to spend a moment thinking about whether this person is an asset or a liability to your company
”
”
G.R. Reader (Off-Topic: The Story of an Internet Revolt)
“
Stubborness isn't a choice, it's a way of life.
”
”
G.R. Matthews (Nothing Is Ever Simple (Corin Hayes, #2))
“
No, I have never had a problem finding books to read. But I have had a problem finding people who understand what it's like to really LOVE reading. Maybe even need it. People who associate periods of their life with the kinds of things they were reading then, whether in school or in dusty old rooms of a house in Holland. The kind of people who take personal journeys into books and write responses that are part review, part stories in themselves. This is what Goodreads has always given me.
”
”
G.R. Reader (Off-Topic: The Story of an Internet Revolt)
“
In the beginning of a relationship, you see what you want to see. You fall in love with qualities you want in partner, not necessarily qualities your partner actually has. Then, over time, you begin to realise that no, the man in front of you is not the same person you felt in love with, because the person you felt in love with was a spectre, something of your own invention. Now you're left with a real flesh-and-blood human, and he isn't perfect, and now you have to deal with that. It's a stark time. It's not easy to come to grips with these things, but you can't go your whole life pretending this man is everything you built him up to be in your mind.
”
”
G.R. Richards (The Long Way Home)
“
Here is a rewriting of the British national anthem, by 'Camille, Australia'. It is, she explains, chiefly for the benefit of Microsoft Word and Outlook Express users:
Gd CTRL-S r gr8sh Qun.
Long liv r nobl Qun.
Gd CTRL-S the. Qun!
ALT-S hr vktrES,
HpE & glrES,
Lng 2 rain ovR S
Gd CTRL-S th. Qun!
”
”
David Crystal (Txtng: The Gr8 Db8)
“
You won’t believe this. 99% of reviews on GoodBetterBestReads are written by less than one percent of the members.
Did you hear that? 99%! Let’s repeat it. 99%. Let’s repeat it. 99%.
Now, the thing is, we thought that by getting one percent to do all the writing, we could sell to the 100%.
We placed a lot of trust in the one percent. Can you see our dilemma?
A lot of people’s welfare depended on the one percent.
What would happen to our cocktails and our cars and our condos, if the one percent staged a strike?
”
”
G.R. Reader (Off-Topic: The Story of an Internet Revolt)
“
It was already 12, sorry love <3
”
”
hanna and her beef with gr
“
I am not Amish enough to emigrate when my way of life is threatened.
”
”
G.R. Reader (Off-Topic: The Story of an Internet Revolt)
“
The GR site has acquired its market value through the work of its community.
”
”
G.R. Reader (Off-Topic: The Story of an Internet Revolt)
“
An information panel was helpfully flashing the word "Emergency". I couldn't fault its grasp of the situation.
”
”
G.R. Matthews (Nothing Is Ever Simple (Corin Hayes, #2))
“
Finally, if you attempt to read this without working through a significant number of exercises (see §0.0.1), I will come to your house and pummel you with [Gr-EGA] until you beg for mercy. It is important to not just have a vague sense of what is true, but to be able to actually get your hands dirty. As Mark Kisin has said, “You can wave your hands all you want, but it still won’t make you fly.
”
”
Ravi Vakil (Foundations of Algebraic Geometry)
“
How many millennia had she witnessed? Watching people, loved ons, be bron, live, grow and die was at once a thought of wonder and infinite sadness.
”
”
G.R. Matthews (The Red Plains (The Forbidden List, #3))
“
The reality, Haung knew, would be something quite different. From a distance, civilisation looks clean and desirable. Up close, the shine is dulled by self-interest and tarnished by greed.
”
”
G.R. Matthews (The Red Plains (The Forbidden List, #3))
“
I urge you strongly not to give Stop the Goodreads Bullies traffic. Their initial postings were all doxings of reviewers. ... There are a lot of arguments on the legitimacy of doxing, but I think most reasonable people would agree that the response to a negative - not even libelous - review should not be the open posting of a reviewer's address. That's not the counter of speech by more speech, but with an implicit threat. It's not that you're wrong, and here's why; it's that I know where you live.
”
”
G.R. Reader (Off-Topic: The Story of an Internet Revolt)
“
The fear receded. It didn't disappear. It lurked in the shadows, its claws hooking into passing thoughts and twisting them, turning them from their purpose to its own. He held it back. It was the hardest fight of his life.
”
”
G.R. Matthews (The Red Plains (The Forbidden List, #3))
“
And then they started deleting the protest reviews.
That was my line. When they started to stamp out dissent, actually to make it disappear with virtually no excuse for doing so...that’s not neglect. That’s not an overwhelmed person or people trying to figure it out. That’s an entity that has decided that they do not care, that they have moved on from the issue, do not see it as an issue, and is trying to avoid bad press. Or they are too far down the line to backtrack on what they’ve been doing and save face. They’re content with their wildly inconsistent policy enough to no longer care what effect it is having on their user base.
If you try to silence dissent, then something is very, very wrong.
”
”
G.R. Reader (Off-Topic: The Story of an Internet Revolt)
“
. . . I can see how the issue of exercising corporate control over users content is truly enraging here, on a site significantly made by these contributors. It’s unavoidable that we come to this, in my opinion (corporations always do), and GR/Amazon has all keys to the kingdom, but I can see why it’s so disappointing and enraging.
Your content is theirs to do with as they please, their software works as they want, your choices are take it or leave it.
The Internet is no longer for sharing (nor for porn!), it’s for corporations to exercise their control over users.
”
”
G.R. Reader (Off-Topic: The Story of an Internet Revolt)
“
Everyone has the talent to succeed as long as they maintain the perseverance to never give up.
”
”
G.R. Paskoff
“
The young woman didn't move or acknowledge my presence, but when you've lost the back half of your skull I'd imagine that the appearance of a man as handsome as me was low on your list of priorities.
”
”
G.R. Matthews (Nothing Is Ever Simple (Corin Hayes, #2))
“
I believe that any form of writing exercise is good for you. I also believe that any form of tuition which helps develop your awareness of the different properties, styles, and effects of writing is good for you. It helps you become a better reader, more sensitive to nuance, and a better writer, more sensitive to audience. Texting language is no different from other innovative forms of written expression that have emerged in the past. It is a type of language whose communicative strengths and weaknesses need to be appreciated.
”
”
David Crystal (Txtng: The Gr8 Db8)
GR Tester (Testy's First Best Book)
Manual GR Tester 1 (mrf sachin s tendulakar)
“
Zach is like the more I think about it the more I think y ruin a gr8 friendship? I still think tiny's awesome tho.
”
”
John Green (Will Grayson, Will Grayson)
“
Υπάρχουν πολλαπλοί κβαντικοί κόσμοι
https://itunes.apple.com/gr/book/mesa...
”
”
Dina Sarakinou (Μέσα σου, μόνο)
“
Itulah untungnya jadi lelaki. Engkau selalu dibekali antena gaib untuk menangkap sinyal-sinyal tak terduga. Psikolog karbitan menyebutnya dengan istilah dua huruf. GR.
”
”
Fauzan Mukrim (Mencari Tepi Langit)
“
What the Motorcycle Said
Br-r-r-am-m-m, rackerty-am-m, OM, AM:
All-r-r-room, r-r-ram, ala-bas-ter-
Am, the world’s my oyster.
I hate plastic, wear it black and slick,
hate hardhats, wear one on my head,
That’s what the motorcycle said.
Passed phonies in Fords, knockede down billboards, landed
On the other side of The Gap, and Whee,
bypassed history.
When I was born (The Past), baby knew best.
They shook when I bawled, took Freud’s path,
threw away their wrath.
R-r-rackety-am-m. Am. War, rhyme,
soap, meat, marriage, the Phantom Jet
are sh*t, and like that.
Hate pompousness, punishment, patience, am into Love,
hate middle-class moneymakers, live on Dad,
that’s what the motorcycle said.
Br-r-r-am-m-m. It’s Nowsville, man. Passed Oldies, Uglies,
Straighties, Honkies. I’ll never be
mean, tired, or unsexy.
Passed cigarette suckers, souses, mother-fuckers,
losers, went back to Nature and found
how to get VD, stoned.
Passed a cow, too fast to hear her moo, “I rolled
our leaves of grass into one ball.
I am the grassy All.”
Br-r-r-am-m-m, rackety-am-m, OM, Am:
All-gr-r-rin, oooohgah, gl-l-utton-
Am, the world’s my smilebutton.
”
”
Mona van Duyn
“
This book is irrelevant to Goodreads because you can’t buy it on Amazon. Also it talks about oppression, censorship etc. and no one really likes reading about that because it’s boring. Yet, let me tell you anyway.
The title of this book is The Image of Everyday Life in Press during the Martial Law, which is a little bit ridiculous because what could be read in Press those days when it was so heavily censored?
”
”
G.R. Reader (Off-Topic: The Story of an Internet Revolt)
“
There was something so unutterably ridiculous about the sight of a US company deleting posts accusing it of censorship that many other people began to protest.
”
”
G.R. Reader (Off-Topic: The Story of an Internet Revolt)
“
It may seem strange, but I have an aversion to people trying to kill me. It sparks this almost unconscious desire to do something about it. It also sets fire to my desire to survive.
”
”
G.R. Matthews (Nothing Is Ever Simple (Corin Hayes, #2))
“
Also, the whole concept of "Off-topic" is silly beyond discussion. If you start removing off-topic reviews from this site, most of them will disappear. So "off-topic" for GR means: "something which we don't like." This is again censorship in its vilest form.
”
”
Nandakishore Varma
“
Getting lost in the ocean was a sure way to get yourself killed. Back in the academy, they’d spent weeks teaching us the formulae, tips and tricks. The exams had been a special sort of hell that accounted for almost as many drop outs as the first lungful of Oxyquid. And now, out in the endless expanse of the ocean, I used a computer program that did it all for me. Education; never a waste of time.
”
”
G.R. Matthews (Three Times The Trouble (Corin Hayes, #3))
GR Tester (test book of the illiach new)
“
Information is a weapon as much as a sword.
”
”
G.R. Matthews (Seven Deaths of an Empire)
“
Is it possible for g.r to put the g.r page back into my computer because I lost the data.
”
”
Vincent Collins (No Points)
“
Hhh, beginikah nasib mereka yang jatuh cinta. Mencoba menerka-nerka sesuatu yang mungkin sama sekali tidak ada artinya. (270)
”
”
Asma Nadia (Assalamualaikum, Beijing!)
“
The power of the metaphor is that in a single flash the entire idea is revealed.
”
”
G.R. Gopinath (Simply Fly: A Deccan Odyssey)
“
We can try to run,” he said. “But one day we must all face our past.
”
”
G.R. Mannering (Roses (The Tales Trilogy, #1))
“
Για να πεθάνεις πρέπει να έχεις όλες τις λέξεις διαθέσιμες.
”
”
Ευγένιος Αρανίτσης
GR Tester (Testy's First Best Book)
“
The image of Jiao’s face when she was told he had been drowned with a half-naked woman tied to his body made him giggle and he realised he was close to panicking.
”
”
G.R. Matthews (The Red Plains (The Forbidden List, #3))
“
Only the last gasp of evening served to illuminate the stone floor.
”
”
G.R. Matthews (The Red Plains (The Forbidden List, #3))
“
☆Again, gr being STUPID, SO LOVE YOU DAD, WITH MY HEART, MORE THAN YOU KNOW IT ☆
”
”
☆Nozomi ☆
“
Really surprised not able to find a listing for "மரப்பாலம்" by Karan Karki here in GR. Have just started reading. Already am captivated by the initial pages.
”
”
Karan Karki
“
Hey GR, for the others that feel alone. I think you will find comfort in knowing that:
Everybody's Somebody's Everything. I know I'm right.
”
”
Trelas A Dyson IV
“
dismenorrea (De dis-2, el gr. μήν, μηνός, mes, y -rrea). f. Med. Menstruación dolorosa o difícil.
”
”
Real Academia Española (Diccionario de la lengua española)
“
I love the new GR.com
”
”
Vamsee Larry
“
Fhtagn Nor’Farm Cthulhu Gr’der’si di ia! Ph’nglui ya mglw’nafh Cthulhu R’lyeh wgah’nagl fhtagn!
”
”
Serra Elinsen (Awoken (Viridian Saga, #1))
“
AS: Methinks the lady doth protest too much.
GR: Wait, did you just call me a lady?
AS: That was Shakespeare, son. Come on, now. Didn't you go to school?
”
”
Emily St. John Mandel (Sea of Tranquility)
“
…et puis on recommence encore le lendemain
avec seulement la même règle que la veille
et qui est d'éviter les grandes joies barbares
de même que les gr-andes douleurs
comme un crapaud contourne une pierre sur son chemin…
When I first read in translation these verses by Guy-Charles Cros, I blushed until my face burned.
The toad.
(That is what I was - a toad. It was not a question of whether or not society tolerated me, whether or not it ostracized me. I was an animal lower than a dog, lower than a cat. A toad. I sluggishly moved - that's all.)
”
”
Osamu Dazai (No Longer Human)
“
…et puis on recommence encore le lendemain
avec seulement la même règle que la veille
et qui est d'éviter les grandes joies barbares
de même que les gr-andes douleurs
comme un crapaud contourne une pierre sur son chemin. Mais toi, pour que tu vives, il te faut conquérir chaque jour à nouveau la vie rétive, la vie qui piafîe et qui renâcle, qui ne veut pas être asservie, dont seul un perpétuel miracle peut te li^T•er la crinière sauvage, les flancs humides et battants et les larges naseaux qui fument.
— Toi, il faut que ta vie soit un acte d'amour,
”
”
Charles Cros
“
When you start something you cannot give yourself a time-frame for success. You can't say: if it doesn't work out in six-months I will give up. Your only task is to keep doing whatever it takes to achieve the goal.
”
”
G.R. Gopinath (Simply Fly: A Deccan Odyssey)
“
The often heard lament, “I have so little time,” gives the lie to the delusion that the daily is of little significance. Everyone has exactly the same amount of time, the same twenty—four hours in which many a weary voice has uttered the gospel truth: “Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof” (Mt 6:34, KJV). But most of us, most of the time, take for granted what is closest to us and is most universal. The daily round of sunrise and sunset, for example, that marks the coming and passing of each day, is no longer a symbol of human hopes, or of God’s majesty, but a grind, something we must grit our teeth to endure. Our busy schedules, and even urban architecture, which all too often deprives us of a sense of the sky, has diminished our capacity to marvel with the psalmist in the passage of time as an expression of God’s love for us and for all creation: It was God who made the great lights, whose love endures forever; the sun to rule in the day, whose love endures forever; the moon and stars in the night, whose love endures forever. (Ps 136: 7—9, GR) When
”
”
Kathleen Norris (The Quotidian Mysteries: Laundry, Liturgy and "Women's Work")
“
You and the spirit are no different, there is no separation. You are the spirit and the spirit is you. It has always been this way. Where there are no spirits, there are no people. This is what we must awaken in people.
”
”
G.R. Matthews (The Stone Road (The Forbidden List, #1))
“
One noteworthy study suggests that people who suppress negative emotions tend to leak those emotions later in unexpected ways. The psychologist Judith Grob asked people to hide their emotions as she showed them disgusting images. She even had them hold pens in their mouths to prevent them from frowning. She found that this group reported feeling less disgusted by the pictures than did those who’d been allowed to react naturally. Later, however, the people who hid their emotions suffered side effects. Their memory was impaired, and the negative emotions they’d suppressed seemed to color their outlook. When Grob had them fill in the missing letter to the word “gr_ss,” for example, they were more likely than others to offer “gross” rather than “grass.” “People who tend to [suppress their negative emotions] regularly,” concludes Grob, “might start to see the world in a more negative light.
”
”
Susan Cain (Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking)
“
The moment froze. Soldiers passing by stopped and looked, confused. Zhou could taste the moment on his tongue. The wrong move by anyone, from soldier to magician, and the fear would give way to anger, anger to violence and then to death.
”
”
G.R. Matthews (The Blue Mountain (The Forbidden List, #2))
“
As the voices fall silent, the individuals who make up the amorphous and always changing community must decide for themselves, as they always have. I can’t write a coda because I can’t speak for others. I can only and ever speak for myself.
”
”
G.R. Reader
“
Sword fighting is not a dance, not in battle. You save all that showing off for the duels if you want to. In battle, when you kill, kill quickly, and be ready for the next enemy to come at you. One strike should be all it takes. It’s all you’ll get
”
”
G.R. Matthews (The Stone Road (The Forbidden List, #1))
“
****NOTE 6-30-2015 --Something weird is going on w/my GR profile. This one isn't attached to INTO THE DIM any more, and the one that is by INTO THE DIM doesn't have any of my friends/comments/info. Not to worry, GR is working on it!! In the meantime...CUPCAKES FOR ALL!!****
”
”
Janet B. Taylor
“
There is something weird about facing a dripping wet, semi-naked man across a padded practice mat when you're wearing nothing but your own skin tight underwear and that's covered in a slippery, oily gel. If this got any more homoerotic, I'd have to think about introducing him to my parents.
”
”
G.R. Matthews (Nothing Is Ever Simple (Corin Hayes, #2))
“
―Esta es tu casa. Nosotros somos tu familia, ¿es que no lo ves? ―Toma aire y su garganta se mueve al tragar saliva con fuerza―. Quiero que te quedes conmigo. ―¿Por qué? ―inquiero confusa. Esboza una sonrisa nerviosa y se encoge de hombros. ―¿De verdad tengo que decirlo? Estoy loco por ti. Te quiero, Mía.
”
”
Jess G.R. (Zarco (Clan Z, #1))
“
Call out to the soldiers, order them to save him, and they would. Enough would, he knew, but some would not, and the war would begin. Hundreds would die. Cities and towns would burn. The Empire would tear itself to pieces. All that he worked for, all that service and duty, would be ground into dust beneath his feet.
”
”
G.R. Matthews (Seven Deaths of an Empire)
“
You must be ready to change and be aware when things are changing. For instance, even now, outside the door is something that will change today's lesson. You must learn to listen between the rain drops. A change, when it comes, will step lightly before it kicks like thunder. Hear the light steps and be ready for the thunder.
”
”
G.R. Matthews (The Stone Road (The Forbidden List, #1))
“
Zhou fell in behind an administrator carrying a wooden box full of scrolls. His own arms were laden down with scrolls and a scholar's robe covered the dark clothes, the unfortunate previous owner would wake in a few hours with a large bruise and a headache to match. He kept his head down as they approached the guarded door to the keep.
”
”
G.R. Matthews (The Stone Road (The Forbidden List, #1))
“
The life of a Wu is to raise, protect and nurture that spirit. The spirit has been gifted to us, to understand it, to commune with it. We are the fathers and mothers of the spirit. Everything we do must be to honour that gift. We can harm the spirit, abuse it, treat it as a slave, we can even kill it though we would die too, but this is not our way.
”
”
G.R. Matthews (The Stone Road (The Forbidden List, #1))
“
nice life good health
”
”
GR Tester (Testy's First Best Book)
GR Tester (Testing Dynasty)
“
Even two steps back, I could feel the heat of his anger. If I'd had some bread, I could have stuck it on a fork and toasted it. Least that way I'd have got something to eat.
”
”
G.R. Matthews (Nothing Is Ever Simple (Corin Hayes, #2))
“
Authors should support each other as colleagues, not the competition.
”
”
G.R. Thomas
“
Courage is the counterpoint of fear. Courage appears when in war or business, one is indeed scared.
”
”
G.R. Gopinath
“
Successful business people became successful because they took risks. The biggest risk is that once successful, they stop taking risks.
”
”
G.R. Gopinath
“
Where others saw gloom, I saw light or lit a candle.
”
”
G.R. Gopinath
“
There be a thin line between the work of evil and the work of good,” he said. “Some folks misunderstand the good, for a good must be magnificent if it is to win against evil.
”
”
G.R. Mannering (Roses (The Tales Trilogy, #1))
Manual GR Tester 1 (Test Book)
“
I applaud your bravery,” Astenius said, “but your stupidity astounds me.”
“Life is disappointment,” the man said.
”
”
G.R. Matthews (Seven Deaths of an Empire)
“
―Lo que quiero es follarte como nunca nadie lo ha hecho, Mía. Quiero enterrarme tan dentro de ti que sea imposible saber dónde termina mi cuerpo y empieza el tuyo, eso es lo que quiero.
”
”
Jess G.R. (Zarco (Clan Z, #1))
“
But I must set that aside for now,” she said, her tone turning as cold as the ache in his chest and as practical as the dagger on his hip. She smoothed her dress. “Where is the Amulet of the Empire?
”
”
G.R. Matthews (Seven Deaths of an Empire)
“
There are men, and women, Haung, who are possessed of skills beyond the ordinary. Some of these men can seem to be invisible, some to pass through walls, some are assassins of incredible skill, some swordsmen of incomparable greatness, some wise and peaceful. But each is special and I have ensured that each duke knows who they are and where they are. I am content to let these men live in peace, and to go about their business without any undue interference. There are times, in the past, and there may be again in the near future, when I will call upon them to do the Empire a service. I expect them to come and serve with all duty and honour. I have never been let down by them. In return, they are free to live and to be outside, within reason, the law of the Empire. This is the list of forbidden men, Haung.
”
”
G.R. Matthews
“
Anger had its place in battle. It blanketed your fears, overcame your nerves, and drove many a soldier to a feat of bravery or sacrifice which could turn the tide. In the front line, controlled, contained, and well-utilised anger was as much a weapon as a spear or sword.
In a leader, it was nothing but a hindrance. Anger clouded thoughts, narrowed vision, and blinded you to the truth by overwhelming you with lies and your greatest fears.
”
”
G.R. Matthews (Seven Deaths of an Empire)
“
If you've ever taken a sub, you'll know they have available every luxury item the weary traveller could ever wish to purchase. Drinks, food, perfumes, clothes, blankets, anything. These compartments weren't empty, but I doubt the weary traveller was really in the market for a selection of low and high powered pistols, assault rifles, armour piercing rounds and the variety of explosive devices on offer. Unless they were on the way to a Christmas family get-together.
”
”
G.R. Matthews (Nothing Is Ever Simple (Corin Hayes, #2))
“
Zhou,” Biyu said, when Sabaa paused, “before the Jade Emperor, humans were just like the beasts in the field. We ate, lived and reproduced, but we were going nowhere. The universe is order in all its perfection, stagnant and unchanging. The wars set us free. Free to change, to learn, to adapt, to become more than we were. To do that, we sacrificed order for a measure of chaos, of challenge. It let some people, men and women, do evil, but even that inspired many more to do good. Medicines, writing, music, architecture, all the accomplishments of your Empire came at a high price, but it was worth paying. Tonight we reaffirm that fact. Without the power we grant the Jade Emperor from the realms we represent, we would lose all that we have gained. The universe would reassert its control. Over the years, order would take charge once more and progress would end. Given time, our race would slide back into the beasts we were once. It is something we could not survive.
”
”
G.R. Matthews (The Red Plains (The Forbidden List, #3))
“
There was a scream from inside.
Drawing his sword, Haung crept up to the door and slid inside, merging with the shadows. The source of the scream was illuminated by the conjured light-ball in the centre of the room. Haung took in the scene and felt all strength flee from muscles. His arms fell limp by his side and the tip of his sword struck the tiled floor with a bright clink. From the rafters, two small bodies hung, rope tight round their necks, blackened tongues swelling from their mouths and sightless eyes staring into the void. Below the bodies of the two children, a naked woman, bruised body and bloody face sat staring at him. Blood pooled from between her knees and it was clear to Haung what had happened to her, and to her young children. She screamed again and again. Her eyes were desperate and disbelieving. Her claw fingered hands tore at her cheeks again and again. Ragged lines of blood dripped down her face, tears of madness and grief. Haung stared at her, unable to move.
”
”
G.R. Matthews (The Stone Road (The Forbidden List, #1))
“
Life is a fragile thing. You hold it in your hand for but a moment. Each heartbeat is a victory over death’s questing fingers and an escape from his skeletal grip. I’d felt him a time or two run a frozen finger down my back or across my cheek, a seductive caresses promising surcease from the pain of life. I’d welcomed him with open arms on occasion over the past few years, but he always teased me, toyed with me, moving on with the promise to return another day. Other times I’d fought him off, clinging onto the last vestiges of life with ripped fingernails.
”
”
G.R. Matthews (Three Times The Trouble (Corin Hayes, #3))
“
His conjured shield above their heads their only protection. Every mote of magic he could draw to him, he added to the shield, and knew it would not be enough. His mind sped along the lines of his construct, strengthening bonds, twisting complicated knots which could resist the falling blocks, and knew he would fail.
”
”
G.R. Matthews (Seven Deaths of an Empire)
“
Visions of a pitched battle in the docks flashed through my mind. Innocent bystanders torn apart by gunfire and explosions. Children wailing and parents, wild eyed and stunned, stumbling round in search of their lost ones, turning over twisted bodies to gaze into the dead eyes and shredded skin of someone’s shattered dream.
”
”
G.R. Matthews (Three Times The Trouble (Corin Hayes, #3))
“
The Bible is full of evidence that God’s attention is indeed fixed on the little things. But this is not because God is a Great Cosmic Cop, eager to catch us in minor transgressions, but simply because God loves us—loves us so much that the divine presence is revealed even in the meaningless workings of daily life. It is in the ordinary, the here—and—now, that God asks us to recognize that the creation is indeed refreshed like dew—laden grass that is “renewed in the morning” (Ps 90:5), or to put it in more personal and also theological terms, “our inner nature is being renewed every day” (2 Cor 4:16). Seen in this light, what strikes many modern readers as the ludicrous attention to detail in the book of Leviticus, involving God in the minutiae of daily life—all the cooking and cleaning of a people’s domestic life—might be revisioned as the very love of God. A God who cares so much as to desire to be present to us in everything we do. It is this God who speaks to us through the psalmist as he wakes from sleep, amazed, to declare, “I will bless you, Lord, you give me counsel, and even at night direct my heart” (Ps 16:7, GR). It is this God who speaks to us through the prophets, reminding us that by meeting the daily needs of the poor and vulnerable, characterized in the scriptures as the widows and orphans, we prepare the way of the Lord and make our own hearts ready for the day of salvation. When it comes to the nitty—gritty, what ties these threads of biblical narrative together into a revelation of God’s love is that God has commanded us to refrain from grumbling about the dailiness of life. Instead we are meant to accept it gratefully, as a reality that humbles us even as it gives us cause for praise. The rhythm of sunrise and sunset marks a passage of time that makes each day rich with the possibility of salvation, a concept that is beautifully summed up in an ancient saying from the monastic tradition: “Abba Poeman said concerning Abba Pior that every day he made a new beginning.
”
”
Kathleen Norris (The Quotidian Mysteries: Laundry, Liturgy and "Women's Work")
“
An axe rising into the air, the sun’s light scattering from its chipped edge. A whisper of air and a cry of effort as a shield met the blow and shattered. Splinters pinwheeling through the air and sudden lack of weight on his arm. Gladius stabbing forward, driven by training and instinct.A gap opening in the line ahead. A soldier falling and stumbling over the injured man, desperate to keep his shield high and sword in tight. Moving into the gap and slamming the shield forward to create room, peering over the top, wary of an attack. Heavy armour and biting pain at the base of your neck where the helmet’s rim met flesh. Sweat pouring down your face, under the cheek guards, and hot breath burning lungs as each precious gasp powered you forward.
”
”
G.R. Matthews (Seven Deaths of an Empire)
“
MUYERN TRUST HACKER: Reliable and Discreet Digital Asset Recovery Services
If a fraudulent crypto trading platform has scammed you and are looking to recover your lost funds, I highly recommend reaching out to MUYERN TRUST HACKER. ( ht tps: //muyerntrusthacker .org/ ) They are a professional crypto recovery service that helped me recover nearly $80,000 after I was scammed by a platform called Effortsity.com how it happened: I was introduced to Effortsity by a Telegram channel called “Pip Investments.” Effortsity claimed that more deposits were necessary to execute trades and ensure success. But soon, I realized I couldn’t withdraw any of my funds. When I tried to contact Effortsity’s support team, I received no response. Days turned into weeks, and the website completely disappeared. I was left with nothing but a significant financial loss and no way to recover my funds. That’s when I turned to MUYERN TRUST HACKER, They specialize in helping victims of crypto scams and fraudulent platforms like Effortsity. After working with their professional team, I was able to recover nearly $80,000 of the funds I had lost. If you’ve been scammed or find yourself in a similar situation, don’t give up hope. Contacting a legitimate recovery service like MUYERN TRUST HACKER can help you get back what’s rightfully yours. ( Tele gr am at muyerntrusthackertech ) for faster response. They have the expertise and resources to trace and recover lost crypto assets, even if the platform you trusted has disappeared, Don’t let a scam define your financial future.
”
”
Shel Silverstein (Where the Sidewalk Ends)
“
I am no human, merely an existence of flesh and bone, sentient at will, a small part of a bigger picture. In other words, I am nothing and everything, yin and yang, life and death, balance. Yet I am willing, to partake in the complicated simplicity of the universe, of song, of dance. Two halves make a whole, but a whole in itself is a different matter, whether life and death or chaos and tranquility, we are one, we are divided, we are I, for I, am a whole.
”
”
Gr33nB34n