How do you get out of the labyrinth of suffering?

Just a 17 year old girl exploring the world and her inner self. I have a passion for books and studying. Always ready for an adventure.

[severamagia]

↳ dva ♡

[odysseyi]

Currently reading: Homo Deus by Yuval Noah Harari ― “Humans are rarely satisfied with what they already have. The most common reaction of the human mind to achievement is not satisfaction, but craving for more.”

[biopsychs]

Book Recommendations

Here is a massive list of books that I have enjoyed over the years. Some of these books I read when I was a young teenager – they may not be as amazing to me now but they deserve a spot on this list if they have some impact on me years later. Remember to read critically but also for enjoyment :)

Published: September 2, 2018. I will update this post as I read more so check back for an updated version.

FICTION

Note: If a book is part of a series, only the first book in the series is named.

1984 - George Orwell

A Court of Thorns and Roses - Sarah J. Maas

A Game of Thrones - George R.R. Martin

A Prayer for Owen Meany - John Irving

A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini

All the Light We Cannot See - Anthony Doerr

American Gods - Neil Gaiman

Angels and Demons - Dan Brown

Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe - Benjamin Alire Saenz

The Art of Racing in the Rain - Garth Stein

Bloodlines - Richelle Mead

The Book Thief - Markus Zusak

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas - John Boyne

Cider House Rules - John Irving

Circe - Madeline Miller

City of Bones - Cassandra Clare

Clockwork Angel - Cassandra Clare

The Color Purple - Alice Walker

The Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas

Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky

Dark Places - Gillian Flynn

Death of a Salesman - Arthur Miller

Eleanor and Park - Rainbow Rowell

Every Day - David Levithan

The Fault in Our Stars - John Green

Far From the Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy

Frankenstein - Mary Shelley

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - Stieg Larsson

The Goldfinch - Donna Tartt

Gone Girl - Gillian Flynn

The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society - Mary Shaffer, Annie Barrows

The Handmaid’s Tale - Margaret Atwood

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone - J.K. Rowling

The Help - Kathryn Stockett

The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins

I Am the Messenger - Markus Zusak

The Iliad - Homer

The Importance of Being Earnest - Oscar Wilde

Invisble Man - Ralph Ellison

It’s Kind of a Funny Story- Ned Vizzini

Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte

The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini

The Lightning Thief - Rick Riordan

Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov

Looking For Alaska - John Green

The Lost Hero - Rick Riordan

The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold

Macbeth - William Shakespeare

The Martian - Andy Weir

The Maze Runner - James Dashner

Me Before You - Jojo Moyes

My Sister’s Keeper - Jodi Picoult

Native Son - Richard Wright

The Night Circus - Erin Morgenstern

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest - Ken Kesey

Othello - William Shakespeare

Outlander - Diana Gabaldon

The Outsiders - S. E. Hinton

The Perks of Being a Wallflower - Stephen Chbosky

The Picture of Dorian Gray - Oscar Wilde

Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen

The Raven Boys - Maggie Stiefvater

Romeo and Juliet - William Shakespeare

Room - Emma Donoghue

The Secret History - Donna Tartt

Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen

Sharp Objects - Gillian Flynn

Slaughterhouse-Five - Kurt Vonnegut

Still Alice - Lisa Genova

The Song of Achilles - Madeline Miller

The Tempest - William Shakespeare

Throne of Glass - Sarah J. Maas

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before - Jenny Han

To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee

Vampire Academy - Richelle Mead

Will Grayson, Will Graysyon - John Green, David Levithan

Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte

NONFICTION

The Anatomy of Violence: The Biological Roots of Crime - Adrian Raine

Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End - Atul Gawande

Better: A Surgeon’s Notes on Performance - Atul Gawande

The Body Remembers: The Psychophysiology of Trauma and Trauma Treatment - Babette Rothschild

The Boy Who Was Raised as a Dog: And Other Stories From a Child Psychiatrist’s Notebook - Bruce Perry

The Brain That Changes Itself: Stories of Personal Triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science - Norman Doidge

The Brain’s Way of Healing: Remarkable Discoveries and Recoveries from the Frontiers of Neuroplasticity - Norman Doidge

Brainwashed: The Seductive Appeal of Mindless Neuroscience - Sally Satel

The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right - Atul Gawande

Complications: A Surgeon’s Notes on an Imperfect Science - Atul Gawande

Crazy Like Us: The Globalization of the American Psyche - Ethan Watters

Delusions of Gender: How Our Minds, Society, and Neurosexism Create the Difference - Cordelia Fine

Do No Harm: Stories of Life, Death and Brain Surgery - Henry Marsh

The Emperor of All Maladies - Siddhartha Mukherjee

The Emperor’s New Drugs: Exploding the Antidepressant Myth - Irving Kirsch

Every Patient Tells a Story: Medical Mysteries and the Art of Diagnosis - Lisa Sanders

Final Exam: A Surgeon’s Reflections on Mortality - Pauline Chen

First, Do No Harm - Lisa Belkin

The Gene: An Intimate History - Siddhartha Mukherjee

The Glass Castle - Jeannette Walls

How Doctors Think - Jerome Groopman

How Emotions Are Made: The Secret Life of the Brain - Lisa Barrett

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks - Rebecca Skloot

Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead - Sheryl Sandberg

The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat and Other Clinical Tales - Oliver Sacks

Milk and Honey - Rupi Kaur

The Mind’s Eye - Oliver Sacks

Missing Microbes: How the Overuse of Antibiotics is Fueling Our Modern Plagues - Martin Blaser

Neurotribes: The Legacy of Autism and the Future of Neurodiversity - Steve Silberman

The Night Shift: Real Life in the Heart of the ER - Brain Goldman

Outliers: The Story of Success - Malcolm Gladwell

Pandemic: Tracking Contagions, from Cholera to Ebola and Beyond - Sonia Shah

The Princess Saves Herself In This One - Amanda Lovelace

The Real Doctor Will See You Shortly: A Physician’s First Year - Matt McCarthy

The River of Consciousness - Oliver Sacks

Saving Normal: An Insider’s Revolt Against Out-of-Control Psychiatric Diagnosis, DSM-5, Big Pharma, and the Medicalization of Ordinary Life - Allen Frances

The Sun and Her Flowers - Rupi Kaur

The Tale of Dueling Neurosurgeons - Sam Kean

Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption - Laura Hillenbrand

When Breath Becomes Air - Paul Kalanithi

Where the Sidewalk Ends - Shel Silverstein

The Women Who Changed Her Brain: And Other Inspiring Stories of Pioneering Brain Transformation - Barbara Arrowsmith-Young

Check out my other posts here.

[avi-why]

every writing tip article and their mother: dont ever use adverbs ever!

me, shoveling more adverbs onto the page because i do what i want: just you fucking try and stop me

[quarter0master]

May I add something, because I will never shut up about this book (Writing Tools by Roy Peter Clark):

[jackironsides]

Finally, some good fucking advice

[deercatcher]

[the-bibrarian]

The Definitive Guide to Swearing in French

WARNING: really bad language ahead (obv)! Please stay away if it offends you!!

(So I looked around the internet to check if I wasn’t forgetting anything, and got a little overwhelmed by the sheer number of “bad” words we use. I decided to concentrate on the more common ones, and their (numerous) variations, and to provide examples so you can all go forth and curse with proper correct grammar.)

This is for @lovelybluepanda Enjoy! (?)

Putain (aka the one we use for punctuation, basically)

French people use “putain” the way english speakers use fuck. It’s very versatile, and can be used either at the beginning or end of a sentence, to express shock, surprise, disgust, amazement, strong agreement, strong disagreement, etc. Basically any kind of strong-ish emotion.  In conjunction with a noun, “putain de N” has a similar function to “fucking N” (although it’s probably more often positive than fucking is). For added emphasis, add to another swear word.

Originally meant “whore” but has lost all associated meaning.

Examples:

“Putain, j’en ai marre de ses conneries!” Fuck, I’m so sick of his bullshit!

“Il pleut encore, putain!” It’s raining again, fuck!

“J’étais à la plage hier soir, y’avait un putain de coucher du soleil!” I was at the beach yesterday evening, there was a fucking (nice) sunset!

“Putain de merde!” Fucking shit!

Merde (aka the one you already knew about)

Literally means “shit”, and has a similar usage: exclamation of disgust/dismay, qualifier (for things of poor quality or unfortunate events), insult, etc.

Unlike putain, which is always used as is, it has spawned a LOT of variations:

merder (v.) = to fuck up

emmerder (v.) = to bother, to annoy (but much more vulgar)

emmerdeur (n.m.), emmerdeuse (n.f.) = annoying person (but much more vulgar)

emmerdant (adj.) = annoying, troubling (but, you know, vulgar)

être dans la merde (jusqu’au cou) (exp.) = to be (up to your neck) in deep shit

merde noire (exp.) = lit: black shit, means a very difficult situation/position

avoir de la merde dans les yeux (exp.) lit: to have shit in the eyes, means not seeing something obvious (literally or figuratively)

chercher la merde (exp.) = lit: to look for shit, means looking for trouble

(se) démerder (v.) = to make do, to manage (to) (but more… just– assume everything is really vulgar)

foutre la merde (exp.) = to stir shit, to make trouble

merdeux (adj. ou n.m), merdeuse (adj. ou n.f.) = covered in shit, brat

oui ou merde? (exp.) = lit: yes or shit?, means yes or no, make a decision already!

chacun sa merde (exp.) = to each his own shit (self-explanatory, right?)

etc.

Additionally, “merde” can be used to wish good luck, like “break a leg!”

Examples:

“Meeeeerde!” Shiiiiiiit!

“Pays de merde” Shit country (aka france)

“T’as pas fini de m’emmerder avec tes commentaire de merde?” Are you done bothering me with your shit commentary?

“Ha… C’est emmerdant ça.” Oh well, that’s fucking annoying.

“Merde pour ton examen!” Good luck on your exam!

Chier (aka the one you use to complain)

“Chier” literally means “to shit/to take a dump,” but is often used to talk about things or people that are bothering you. Can also mean “being bored/really boring.” Like any other verb, you have to conjugate it to use it.

Examples:

“Arrête, tu me fais chier!” Stop it, you’re fucking annoying me!

“Il est chiant avec ses idées à la con.” He’s so fucking annoying with his dumb ideas.

“Le film dure trois heures et il est super chiant.” The movie lasts three hours, and it’s really fucking boring.”

Con (aka the dumb one)

A long, long time ago, “con” meant “cunt,” but nowadays it has come to mean “really dumb.” If you use it with friends, it can have an almost affectionate connotation.

Examples:

“T’es con!” (feminine: “t’es conne”) You’re so stupid! (but I love you?)

“Ils sont trop cons! Ils ont oublié le dossier!” They’re so fucking dumb! They forgot the file!

“C’est con, si j’avais su que tu venais, je t’aurais ramené ton livre.” It’s too bad, if I’d known you were coming, I’d have brought your book.

Bordel (aka the angry one)

“Bordel” originally meant “brothel,” but like the others on this list, the modern meaning has little to do with the etymology. “Bordel” is used as an angry exclamation, or to mean a big (fucking) mess (literal or figurative).

Examples:

“C’est quoi ce bordel??” What the fuck is going on??

“Mais tu vas la fermer, bordel?!”  Are you going to shut the fuck up?!

“C’est toujours le bordel dans ta chambre.” Your room is always a big fucking mess.

“Putain de bordel de merde! Fucking shit fuck! (for when you’re really angry or you, you know, stubbed your toe)

This is getting long, so in closing, a list of a few other common swear words and insults, with a few examples thrown in (most insults don’t really warrant them, if you call someone that you’re being offensive, there’s not much more to it):

Trou-du-cul (n.m.) = lit.: asshole  ex: “Jean-pierre est un trou-du-cul.” Jean-Pierre is an asshole.

Pute (n.f.) = whore, hoe, but neither dated nor playful

Salaud (n.m.) = asshole, bastard

Salope (n.f.) = hoe, bitch

Pétasse (n.f.) = bitch

Bâtard (n.m.) = bastard

Ta gueule ! (exp.) = shut up! ex: “Ferme bien ta putain de gueule.” Kindly shut the fuck up.

Bite (n.f.) = penis, dick

Connard (n.m.), connasse (n.f.) = asshole, bastard (very common) ex: “Non mais quel connard!” What an asshole!

Va te faire foutre! = Go fuck yourself!

J’en ai rien à foutre. = I don’t give a fuck.

Enculé (n.m.) = lit.: someone who takes it up the arse. Means asshole. In some places used to express amazement. ex: ”Non?! Enculééééééé!” No?! Get the fuck out!!

Fils de pute (exp.m.) = lit. son of a whore

Enfoiré (n.m.) = asshole, bastard

Pédé (n.m.) = lit.: pederast, from the Greek παιδεραστής, the French equivalent to faggot (very offensive)

Baiser (v.) = to fuck, either literally or figuratively ex: “Tu t’es fait baisé.” You got fucked.

etc., etc.

Notes: 

1) Most French people will let a few of the most common ones (the ones at the beginning, with their own sections) escape from time to time (or every other sentence), and if you spend time in France, chances are you’ll get there too.

2) The ones in the list at the bottom are a bit less common and much more offensive, so I would avoid using them unless you’re sure that they won’t be taken seriously (or you’re prepared to handle the consequences). 

3) This was slightly horrifying to write, tbh.

(via Gif merde putain chiotte les visiteurs)

[lovelybluepanda]

Thank you for making this post! ^^

[afternaomi]

incoming university freshers?📚

make the most of your university experience and student discounts from the start!! with myunidays, you can get access to student discounts instore and online at ASOS, Urban Outfitters, Canon, Apple Music, Spotify, and more!

if you’re studying in the UK, Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, or Germany, you can sign up here today 🌞🍑 get ahead of the game while you’re here!!

[lindsay-irene-deactivated201704]

[gay-renae]

Pip the otter going into the water for the first time!

[runner-kat]

Some days I forget how fortunate and privileged I am. And some days I meet a young patient with opiate addiction who tells me they would do anything if they could be where I am.

[redowlkitchen]

Night Flight from Mary and the Witch’s Flower- May 2018

I’m so proud of this piece because I put it together by ear, and it’s a song I’m really excited about.–You don’t hear dulcimers featured that often in music! Also, enjoy a cameo from my cat, Izumiko, in the background.

[pianorchestra]

hammered dulcimers are my secret obsession. this is beautiful!!

[studyblr]

lazy mornings, open windows, foreign languages, used books, small cafés, excited text messages, art galleries, sundresses, cobbled streets, fresh air, filled notebooks, feeling completely at ease, content smiles

[a-zzurra-deactivated20180518]

boys complimenting me:

me: :// 

my teacher leaving an ‘excellent work!!!’ on my essay: 

me, holding a wall for support: bro i’m just…..bro i’m just really teary i’m ghjdgfsdhjfjsdhf i’m hgjggjkhfkdjgj wow thank you idk what to say….bro idk why i’m fjhdsfkjdfg crying right now 

[lunarfoxes]

Golden sunlight is the purest form of happiness✨

[thefeelingmoveson]

6.28 the MCAT? taking over MY life? more likely than you think!

[violentwavesofemotion-deactivat]

“And when the sun had gone down and the shutters had been raised she paced the balcony dressed in thin white muslin. She loved to sit there looking, listening, watching the people in the street.”

— Virginia Woolf, from The Complete Works; “Flush,” written c. 1933 (edited)

[sickpage]

[cowboyemojis]

“She had a nostalgia for a life she had never lived.”

— Nancy Lemann, The Fiery Pantheon (via herekitty)