Podcasts about iron widow

Narrator Rong Fu returns in the next audiobook in the Iron Widow series. Zetian has awakened Qin Zheng, legendary emperor of Huaxia from centuries past. He desires a complete overhaul of Huaxia to eliminate corruption and misogyny, but despite a common goal, it is still one Zetian is forced into. AudioFile's Alex Richey and host Jo Reed discuss how Rong Fu skillfully adjusts her accent when voicing Qin Zheng, using a British accent most of the time, and switching to a different accent as he changes dialects. Her depictions of old and new characters are easily distinguishable. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this VERY SPECIAL episode, we are honoured to welcome author, icon, and history genius Xiran Jay Zhao!!! Xiran and the girls go over the reign of Wu Zetian- the first and only female emperor of China AND the inspiration for the Iron Widow series. They also introduce the term "Gigachad" to the pod- frankly life-changing...We also, of course, have a quick detour into the French revolution...AS YOU DO!!!!Thank you so much for listening we love you!!

Full Video Series at Mary Wollstonecraft goes off on Rousseau, hoisting him with his own Petard, as it were.* 00:00 Opening 00:57 I Have Notes 06:26 CHAPTER 3 06:44 Introduction to Bodily Strength and Gender 07:34 Misconceptions About Genius and Health 10:21 The Superiority Debate: Men vs. Women 11:43 ROUSSEAU Footnote: Why Women Can't ________ 17:38 Education and Female Virtue 19:01 EXTENSIVE   FOOTNOTE from Mr. Day's "Sandford and Merton", Vol III 22:30  Critique of Rousseau's Views on Women 27:11 ROUSSEAU Quote re Girls & Dolls & Coquettes 30:39 ROUSSEAU Footnote on Girl Writing the Letter "O" 36:30 The Consequences of Female Subjugation 38:05 The Call for Rational Education 40:51 The Corruption of Power and Female Dignity 41:24 Revolutionizing Female Manners 44:55 The Nature of Worship and Rational Conduct 47:20 The Role of Women in Society 51:53 The Consequences of Dependence 54:36 ROUSSEAU Footnote: Men Have All The Good Qualities (sorry ladies!) 01:02:06 ROUSSEAU Footnote - "How Lovely is Her Ignorance" 01:07:13 Summing Up: The Call for Rational Virtues 01:10:53 Outro • Xiran Jay Zhao, Author of "Iron Widow" has an amazing Channel chock full of things you never knew you needed to learn—but you do.    /   • If you've never read Anne Brontë, please take a listen to CraftLit's "The Tenant of Wildfell Hall" (starts with episode 516—). She's the most shocking, most modern, and arguably the best of the Brontë writers. You likely missed her b/c Charlotte didn't like this book's 'sensibilities' and did what she could to ghost it after Anne's death. Bad Charlotte! *The phrase's meaning is that a bomb-maker is blown ("hoist", the past tense of "hoise") off the ground by his own bomb ("petard"), and indicates an ironic reversal or poetic justice. []

This time we discussed Heavenly Tyrant, book two of the Iron Widow series, written by Xiran Jay Zhao and narrated by Rong Fu. Thank you to Libro.fm ALC Program and Penguin Random House Canada for providing audio review copies of Heavenly Tyrant for today's episode. Heavenly Tyrant [Libro.fm] Iron Widow [Libro.fm] Everfair [Libro.fm] Kinning [Libro.fm]

Kelly and Erica discuss some of the YA books out in December that they're the most excited for. Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. To get even more YA news and recommendations, sign up for our What's Up in YA newsletter! At Tailored Book Recommendations, we've recommended over 150,000 books to readers of every type. And we've got good news— TBR makes a novel gift for the book lover on your list! All your gift recipient has to do is fill out a survey about their reading likes and dislikes, and our expert bibliologists will use their bookish knowledge to round up three personalized recommendations for reads we think they'll love. Whether they're a mystery maven, a historical fiction fanatic, or a contemporary connoisseur, we've got the chops to match the book lover in your life with their next favorite read. And it only takes a few clicks to gift TBR! Simply head to mytbr.co/gift to get started. You can even schedule the delivery of the welcome email, which means no more waiting on gifts to arrive last minute. This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. News Kelly's mega list roundup of the best YA books of 2024 Books Discussed The Life and Crimes of Hoodie Rosen by Isaac Blum Dust by Alison Stine My Fairy God Somebody by Charlene Allen Far From The Tree by Robin Benway  We Deserve Monuments by Jas Hammonds Visitations by Corey Egbert When The Mapou Sings by Nadine Pinede Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston Ex Marks the Spot by Gloria Chao What the Woods Took by Courtney Gould A Cruel Thirst by Angela Montoya Heavenly Tyrant and Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao  Imagination: A Manifesto by Ruha Benjamin  The Davenports: More Than This by Krystal Marquis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we're talking about mechs, feminism, disability representation, and more in the novel Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao. Proprietor's Pick: A Song to Drown Rivers by Ann Liang Intro and outro music: "The Tavern" by Michael Ghelfi Visit the Tavern: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Discord⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Access bonus content and support us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠ Support Haneen's family in Gaza

Ever wondered why blank pages can make you cry? Join Chanel, Stacey, and Ashley from Fiction Fanatics as we walk down memory lane, revisiting the emotional chaos of Edward leaving Bella in "New Moon." Stacy shares the joy and chaos of her return from maternity leave, complete with her baby's adorable podcast debut. The laughs keep coming with Chanel's late-night binge-texting escapades and our collective need to lighten the mood after watching Zac Efron's intense performance in "The Iron Claw."Get ready for a thrilling ride as we reveal our Book of the Month, "Butcher and Blackbird" by Bryn Weaver. This dark, twisted love story between two serial killers has us hooked, especially with its unique trigger warnings and captivating Irish narration in the audiobook. We're buzzing with excitement for the sequels that promise more dark romance adventures with Rowan's brothers. Whether you're into true crime, dark humor, or just love a good thriller, this book is a must-read, and we can't wait to hear your thoughts!Finally, we get real about dark romance tropes and our favorite themes in fan fiction. From the possessiveness in Hannibal and Will Graham stories to the problematic "therapist I can fix him" trope, we dive into the complexities that make these narratives so compelling. We reminisce about iconic works like "Iron Widow" and explore the allure of complex characters like Draco Malfoy. With a mix of humor and heartfelt reflections, we celebrate the intense and diverse world of dark romance literature, leaving you with plenty of recommendations to add to your reading list.***Produced by Jen Hardin***

This time our episode is on part one of Iron Widow, a book that reminds us: when you set out on a journey of revenge, dig a shitload of graves, because you're killing way more than two people. Mechs discussed: Nine-Tailed Fox Headless Warrior White Tiger Vermillion Bird Moon Rabbit Black Tortoise Other images: on our website. On the Shoulders of Giants is hosted by Alice (she/her), Brian (he/they), and Niko (she/her). You can find OSG on Twitter at @osg_pod, Instagram at @osg_pod, TikTok at @osg_pod, YouTube at @osg_pod, Cohost at @osgpod, and Tumblr @osg-pod. Visit our website at osgpod.com and send pilot queries (and other questions/feedback) to questions@osgpod.com. Content warnings for this episode, from the book's preface: this book contains scenes of violence and abuse, suicide ideation, discussion and references to sexual assault (though no on-page depictions), alcohol addiction, and torture. Additional content warnings: gendered violence specifically, domestic abuse, and body horror. Our theme is “She Loves Your Fusion” by PartyFactor on Pixabay. Other sound effects also sourced from Pixabay. Any and all clips of copyrighted media are included for transformative use or commentary, and On the Shoulders of Giants makes no claim of ownership on the sampled audio. If you've read this far, please consider leaving us a 5-star review on your podcatcher of choice. It really means a lot!

ACOFAE Podcast Presents: The Phoenix King: "Then die." You know how Laura Marie loves it when 'the thing" in a story happens? WELL buckle up because all the things are happening in Aparna Verma's The Phoenix King, previously The Boy with Fire. Politics, plot twists, religious fervor, and a red herring that took ACOFAE by surprise, The Phoenix King is a rich tapestry of new and old traditions. Technology and tradition are woven together to create a world where the gods might exist, magic might exist, but power and vengeance DO exist no question. When the old king bends to tradition and his daughter is set to take the throne, old enemies and old gods use the opportunity to make themselves known and cause the ultimate chaos. Filled with a ruthless heroine, mythical creatures, and a love story that is very sweet, The Phoenix King swept ACOFAE away. AUDIO ISSUES in this episode Please note when Jessica says 'Anastasia' she meant 'Fantasia' TW / CW: none to our awareness For additional TW/CW information for your future reads, head to this site for more: https://triggerwarningdatabase.com/ Spoilers: The Phoenix King Mentions: The City of Brass (Daevabad Trilogy, Star Wars, Firefly, Iron Widow, The FIrst Omen, Legendborn, The Vampire Diaries, Aladdin, The Mortal Instruments, The Battle of Songsbirds and Snakes, Planes Trains and Automobiles. *Thank you for listening to us! Please subscribe and leave a 5-star review and follow us on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/acofaepodcast/) at @ACOFAEpodcast and on our TikToks! TikTok: ACOFAELaura : Laura Marie (https://www.tiktok.com/@acofaelaura?) ( https://www.tiktok.com/@acofaelaura) ACOFAEJessica : Jessica Marie (https://www.tiktok.com/@acofaejessica?) (https://www.tiktok.com/@acofaejessica) Instagram: @ACOFAEpodcast (https://www.instagram.com/acofaepodcast/) https://www.instagram.com/acofaepodcast/ @ACOFAELaura (https://www.instagram.com/acofaelaura/) https://www.instagram.com/acofaelaura/

Esta semana la mesa NO SE REUNE… bueno, más o menos, uno de los invitados no alcanza a llegar por esos malvado saboteadores del metro así que el enano tiene que cambiar el tema del programa sobre la marcha, sacando LA VIEJA CONFIABLE: EL SHISHME. Kate Middleton desaparecida, la carita de Kiernan Shipka recupero sus cachetitos, el eclipse y mucho mas en este programa relámpago de chismes. Ademas, el enano vuelve a hablar de Wayward Children con Sofia que ya leyó bastante. Sofia nos platica sobre Iron Widow, y el Enano le recomienda Best Served Cold. FICHA TECNICA: Axel “No llego” Alonso, Sofia “Wu Zetian” PerSal  y Cesar “La Familia Real Es Una Bola de Babosos” Castañon. ESTRENO: Jueves 18 de Abril 2024 PODCAST/REDES: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Alejandro “nunca me invitan” Garcia.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ "Covacheando" es un podcast de la familia Covacha, donde los rucazos hablamos del tema de moda... si fueran los 90. Reseñamos productos de cultura pop como películas, cómics, novelas, series y todo lo relacionado con la vida ñoña, para la gente que no tiene tiempo de ser nerd. ©La Covacha 2023. Síguenos en X (antes Twitter), Facebook, YouTube y Twitch. ¡Conviértete en miembro del canal de YouTube desde $9 al mes, y ayúdanos a seguir creando contenido: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://tinyurl.com/ycknd2n8⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Suscríbete al Podcast de La Covacha en - Spotify: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://spoti.fi/2XJDQq2 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - Apple: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://apple.co/2KkWpOb ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - Amazon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://amzn.to/3qjUUzm ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - Google: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://bit.ly/3idg5zW ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - Anchor: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/3hfzLom⁠⁠⁠ ACERCA DE LA COVACHA Proyecto colectivo de fans para fans en el que hablamos de cómics, series, películas, y todo lo relacionado con la vida ñoña. Comenzamos a ñoñear en 2006. Abrimos el sitio en febrero de 2007, pero no hemos parado desde entonces. Bueno sí, un rato en 2015, pero aquí andamos de nuevo. Todos somos fans.

This time our episode is on part one of Iron Widow, a book that reminds us: when you set out on a journey of revenge, dig a shitload of graves, because you're killing way more than two people. Mechs discussed: Nine-Tailed Fox (Click through for all Mecha) Headless Warrior White Tiger Vermillion Bird] Moon Rabbit] Black Tortoise] Other images: on our website. On the Shoulders of Giants is hosted by Alice (she/her), Brian (he/they), and Niko (she/her). You can find OSG on Twitter at @osg_pod, Instagram at @osg_pod, TikTok at @osg_pod, YouTube at @osg_pod, Cohost at @osgpod, and Tumblr @osg-pod. Visit our website at osgpod.com and send pilot queries (and other questions/feedback) to questions@osgpod.com. Content warnings for this episode, from the book's preface: this book contains scenes of violence and abuse, suicide ideation, discussion and references to sexual assault (though no on-page depictions), alcohol addiction, and torture. Additional content warnings: gendered violence specifically, domestic abuse, and body horror. Our theme is “She Loves Your Fusion” by PartyFactor on Pixabay. Other sound effects also sourced from Pixabay. Any and all clips of copyrighted media are included for transformative use or commentary, and On the Shoulders of Giants makes no claim of ownership on the sampled audio. If you've read this far, please consider leaving us a 5-star review on your podcatcher of choice. It really means a lot!

The Nebula Award nominees are out! Should we re-read Neuromancer? Veronica explains Type I, II, and III fun. The truth behind Cordelia's Honor. And our final thoughts on Iron Widow.

Today we are discussing Our Flag Means Death season 2, episode 7, “Man on Fire.”You can get your “Be Gay Do Crime” sticker here! Find this episode's image roundup hereThe Patreon version of this episode contains a TON of bonus content, including: the Lost Girls series by Alan Moore, the types of alcohol that your hosts have *feelings* about, Iron Widow and throuple representation (and Jessie's cat's feelings about it!), goth kiddos, and flight anxiety.Here's the cocktail recipe for our next episode!-1.5 oz jalapeño tequila (OR 1 oz jalapeño simple syrup for na version)-3 oz Pineapple juice-lime juice to taste (you'll need more for the na version to balance the sweetness)Blend with ice and serve with a spicy salt rimInterested in a portrait by Lark? You can commission one either through our shop or by joining our Patreon for a full year! Here's the instagram post with details as well. Find all of our shows and information about everything we do on our website, hashtagruthless.com Find all the ways you can support our work here!Follow us on Instagram for memes and updates

Today Brittney and Joshua talk sharks, giant robots and main characters with a disability!Brittney's pick:Shark Heart: A Love Story by Emily Habek | GoodreadsJoshua's pick:Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao | GoodreadsFind us at:Podcast Website: https://swordsstarships.buzzsprout.comInstagram: Brittney and Joshua (@swordsnstarships) • Instagram photos and videosEmail: Starships@coosbaylibrary.orgOur Library's Facebook Page: Coos Bay Public Library | FacebookCoos Bay Public Library's Instagram: CoosBayLibrary (@coosbaylibrary) • Instagram photos and videos

T.02 Choixpitre 27 - Après avoir mis le pied dans Choixpitre via les épisodes spéciaux du 8 mars, Mielou a pris son micro toute seule pour vous parler de son roman préféré.

We check in on who's winning the tournament. A vikings kids book! Where it's stabbing time! We talk a little bit about Iron Widow, and wrap up Shadow of the Gods.

"A riot is the language of the unheard" - Martin Luther King Jr. Books mentioned in this episode: Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi  I Feed Her to the Beast and the Beast is ME by Jamison Shea Blood Debts by Terry J. Benton-Walker The Last White Man by Mohsin Hamid Open Water by Caleb Azumah Nelson Booktube Videos: Readers & authors— your silence on Palestine speaks volumes Palestinian book recommendations (fiction, romance, plays/poetry) imuRgency Black Queer Romance Is Dead... Mina Reads 10 spicy romance book recs to keep you warm this winter Perpetual Pages January Wrap-Up || 2024 Libro.fm Libro.fm is an employee-owned social purpose corporation that shares profits from your audiobook purchases with your chosen bookstore, giving you the power to keep money within your local economy. It's also a great alternative to Audible, which is an audiobook platform owned by Amazon. If you would like to gift me an audiobook from my wishlist to support me the link is here:  https://libro.fm/wishlist/1228430 Bookshop.org Bookshop.org works to connect readers with independent booksellers all over the world. ‍We believe local bookstores are essential community hubs that foster culture, curiosity, and a love of reading, and we're committed to helping them thrive. Every purchase on the site financially supports independent bookstores. Our platform gives independent bookstores tools to compete online and financial support to help them maintain their presence in local communities. If you would like to gift me a book from bookshop.org, here is the link:  https://bookshop.org/wishlists/89c2b233c4293884fbe0b77cb955c86378c22f28 I also have curated a shop on Bookshop.org of the books I enjoy:  https://bookshop.org/shop/Litbaepod Pango Books PangoBooks is a social marketplace for readers to buy and sell books and connect with one another. Our app for iPhone and Android devices makes it super easy for anyone to list books for sale, and the process for shipping and getting paid is as simple as can be. It's like opening your own little bookshop. Here is a link to my Pango Books shop: https://pangobooks.com/bookstore/litbaepod Libby App Libby is a free app where you can enjoy ebooks, digital audiobooks, and magazines from your public library. You can stream titles with Wi-Fi or mobile data, or download them for offline use and read anytime, anywhere. All you need to get started is a library card. Hoopla hoopla is the digital service of Midwest Tape, a leading provider of entertainment media products and services: DVDs, CDs, audiobooks and shelf-ready solutions, to public libraries across North America for over a quarter of a century. Our purpose has always been to partner with libraries in delivering the best content to patrons in the most streamlined manner possible. Through the years, we've cultivated a growing passion for the evolving public library. hoopla Digital builds on that passion by providing public libraries of all sizes the ability to offer patrons an enormous selection of digital video (movies and TV shows), music, audiobooks, Ebooks and comics to their patrons. For these libraries, we've pioneered a unique model that allows patrons to borrow content immediately, removing artificial availability constraints and maximizing the power of digital content and Internet distribution. Technologically, we focus on the latest browser, phone, tablet, and TV products to deliver the best possible experience to our user – our passion – the public library patron. The Storygraph We'll help you track your reading and choose your next book based on your mood and your favorite topics and themes. An excellent alternative to Good Reads, which is owned by Amazon.  https://www.thestorygraph.com/

In this episode Jennifer discusses Xiran Jay Zhao's young adult science fiction title Iron Widow. Offering herself up as a concubine-pilot to assassinate the man responsible for her sister's death, 18-year-old Zetian discovers her true destiny as an Iron Widow and must use her strength to force her society to stop failing its women and girls. Find this title in the FVRL catalogue: https://fvrl.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S21C1850224

Outrageously gorgeous blue aliens, electric football, and a heroine with a massive chip on her shoulder are the main components of Jordan's pick of the week: "Blade Dancer" by S.L. Viehl. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/127740110-blade-dancer-by-s-l-viehl?ref=nav_sb_ss_1_20 This is sci-fi (romance) in all of its tropey, laser-gun glory, but there's also an assassin school, a tragic family history, and enough emotional conflict to keep the relationship building until the very end. Similar Books: "Scout's Progress" by Sharon Lee and Steve Millerhttps://www.goodreads.com/book/show/288768.Scout_s_Progress?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=JxPQBEAmde&rank=1 "Iron Widow" by Xiran Jay Zhouhttps://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52459864-iron-widow?ref=nav_sb_ss_1_10"Daughter of No Worlds" by Carissa Broadbent https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49826643-daughter-of-no-worlds?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=d3JZwaVEr4&rank=1 Want to sneak a look at upcoming content? Check out our YouTube channel or follow us on Instagram @notanotherheroine

A very quick conversation about Katie's pick this week, "This Vicious Grace" by Emily Thiede, and a slightly longer conversation about changes in the publishing game, and hopes to not find ourselves on an Amazon hitlist (the bad kind).https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/58957873 "Belladonna" by Adalyn Gracehttps://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59227936-belladonna"The Young Elites" by Marie Luhttps://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/20821111"Iron Widow" by Xiran Jay Zhaohttps://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/52459864"The Burning Sky" by Sherry Thomashttps://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/17332556

Recording of Off the Shelf Radio Show from WDLR with co-hosts Molly Meyers LaBadie and Nicole Fowles. This week we chat with Brande Urban and Kelsey Fox from United Way of Delaware County. We speak with them about the Supplies for Scholars Event.   Recommendations include Book Lovers by Emily Henry, Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao, Serpent & Dove series by Shelby Mahurin, and Normal Family by Chrysta Bilton Read more about today's episode here. Listen live every Friday morning at 9 AM https://wdlrradio.com/program-schedule/off-the-shelf/  This episode originally aired on July 28, 2023

Sci-fi? Bloodthirsty heroine? An equilateral love triangle? Katie wanted to love "Iron Widow" by Xiran Jay Zhaou but it kind of flopped at the 40 percent mark. A little bit too much messaging and not enough character development. This author has got a lot going on though, check out their stuff here: http://xiranjayzhao.com/ https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52459864-iron-widow Want to sneak a look at upcoming content? Check out our YouTube channel or follow us on Instagram @notanotherheroine

Cohosts Amber and Cas discuss Xiran Jay Zhao's Iron Widow, the first of their YA SF duology. A curious mashup of historical fiction and mecha SF that's perhaps best known for its true love triangle, Iron Widow tells the tale of Wu Zetian, a mecha pilot who starts out seeking revenge for the death of her sister and ends up changing her country in the process. Topics discussed include: accuracy in depicting disability, the societal factors of misogyny, and of course, that love triangle. If you're interested in reading Iron Widow after listening to this episode, consider borrowing it from your local library or purchasing it from an independent bookstore!

In this week's bonus episode, Lucia is joined by a very special guest - Tatyana, the host of The Bookish Banter Podcast - to discuss Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao. Tune in for our thoughts on sci-fi dystopia, similarities to the Hunger Games and the short-sightedness of Y. A. protagonists. Episode Timepoints: 00:00 - Intro 00:10 - Introduction to Tatyana 07:50 - Introduction to the author 10:35 - The blurb Spoilers for the entire book from this point 11:30 - Our discussion of Iron Widow 01:20:25 - Outro Other Books Mentioned: Exes and O's by Amy Lea The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins Best Men by Sidney Karger A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas Light Bringer by Pierce Brown Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard Links: Xiran Jay Zhao on Goodreads Reading Materials on Goodreads Lucia on Goodreads Corrie on Goodreads Reading Materials on Instagram

ACOFAE Podcast Presents: Iron Widow: "Welcome to your nightmare!" When was the last time you went into a book completely blind? Did you love it? When did you realize you loved it? Right away? Laura Marie and Jessica Marie both went into Iron Widow blind, and when they say they loved it, believe them. When they say this book has everything they've ever wanted, believe them. And when they say "WHY CHOOSE?!" Believe them. Iron Widow blew the socks off of ACOFAE in the best way possible and left them screaming for more. Down with the Patriarchy! Down with the bullshit! Down with everything! TW / CW: sexual assault, patriarchy For additional TW/CW information for your future reads, head to this site for more: https://triggerwarningdatabase.com/ Spoilers: none to our awareness Mentions: The Handmaid's Tale, Pacific Rim, Everything Everywhere All At Once, The Hunger Games, Pokemon, Gladiator, The Little Mermaid, The Kricket with a K series, The Virgin Suicides *Thank you for listening to us! Please subscribe and leave a 5 star review and follow us on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/acofaepodcast/) at @ACOFAEpodcast and on our TikToks! TikTok: ACOFAELaura : Laura Marie (https://www.tiktok.com/@acofaelaura?) ( https://www.tiktok.com/@acofaelaura) ACOFAEJessica : Jessica Marie (https://www.tiktok.com/@acofaejessica?) (https://www.tiktok.com/@acofaejessica) Instagram: @ACOFAEpodcast (https://www.instagram.com/acofaepodcast/) https://www.instagram.com/acofaepodcast/ @ACOFAELaura (https://www.instagram.com/acofaelaura/) https://www.instagram.com/acofaelaura/

Episode Show Notes In this episode we cover:  Why accessibility is important What is assistive technology Easy ways to make our content more accessible How to use alt text The four main principles of accessibility This week's question is: Tell me something interesting you've learned this year. Recommendation of the week is: Guava Flavored Lies by JJ Arias Apple Kobo Amazon UK Amazon USA ***this show uses affiliate links Find out more about Jeff, Michele and accessible content: Content For Everyone Buy the Book Here Color Contrast Checker Rebel of the Week is: Angel Ackerman If you'd like to be a Rebel of the week please do send in your story, it can be any kind of rebellion. You can email your rebel story to rebelauthorpodcast@gmail.com 1 new patron this week, welcome and thank you to Wendy Karas. A big thank you to my existing patrons as well. If you'd like to support the show, and get early access to all the episodes as well as bonus content you can from as little as $2 a month by visiting: www.patreon.com/sachablack   Transcript: Sacha: This is The Rebel Author Podcast, where we talk about books, business and occasionally bad words. Hello rebels, and welcome to episode 180. Today, I'm talking to Jeff and Michele all about accessible content and making our books, our social media, our websites more accessible for more readers. But first to last week's question, which was: what book has gotten you out of a reading slump? Carrie says, "I'm still in a slump. I'm always so tired by the time I have time to read that I can read a few pages before I shut down. I think I need an audible subscription again." Heather says, "The book that recently got me out of reading slump was the rage read that was Iron Widow, and it was just what I needed." Claire said, "Another Stupid Love Song by Miranda McLeod and Em Stevens. Last summer, I was racially abused on my way home and followed to the train station by a group of white man." I'm already fucking livid reading this. "It was really traumatic, and I fell into a deep depression afterwards. Stopped going out, stopped writing and reading." I hate reading this. I'm so sorry. "But then I saw Miranda mention that she had a new age gap romance. And the part of me that felt curious about stories began to wake up when I started reading the straightforward writing style, fast pacing and promise of a happily ever after made a good book to start with." I seriously don't know what the fuck is wrong with people. Like, I'm not going to get into a whole load of politics and opinions right now, but just know that reading that made me really crass, and I'm really sorry that you experienced that. I'm really really glad that reading and story and happy ever afters have helped you to at least heal a little bit from that experience. This week's question is: tell me something interesting that you've learned this year. We are heading towards the end of the first quarter. What the fuck? And so I want to know, what have you learned this year? It could be something small. It could be something not at all about writing. It could be anything really. So yeah, it can be about yourself as well. Let me know what you have learned about something this year. Okay, the book recommendation of the week this week is Guava Flavored Lies by JJ Arias. JJ is a fuckin master of bickering. This is the same JJ who interviewed me in the Ruby Roe launch episode. And JJ is coming on the show. We are literally just in the process of booking a date. Oh my god, I had the pleasure of reading Guava Flavored Lies in audio, and it was so good. It was the breath of fresh air that I needed. And okay, so let me tell you about it instead of just keep fucking ranting about how good it is. It's a contemporary romance, sapphic romance, contemporary sapphic romance with two Cuban families rowing. They've got a shit ton of like history, familial history, and like generational arguments between them. They're both pastry chef families and they own like pastry shops. The bickering went back to school girl days, and I've just never read anything where the bickering was so real and so funny and so brilliant. And I just like I literally laughed, and I don't know, I don't know. I think it actually will go down as my favorite contemporary romance that I've ever read. I loved it that much. It's kind of rivals to lovers as well. Yeah, enemies to lovers, rivals to lovers. Probably rivals to lovers, I would say. Just because there are no like stabbing knives. But it is just fantastic. So if you are looking for an example of dialogue that is sharp as fuck, and bickering that is just fantastic between two love interests, this is the story for you. I highly, highly recommend this book. Of course, links will be in the show notes. So in personal news and updates, I'm sick again. Literally can't fucking believe it. Woke up a couple of days ago feeling like rough as a dog, and I just honestly, I really want this to be a positive episode. I hate being whiny, you know what I'm like, I like to charge forward at 1000 miles per hour all of the time, and always look to the goal, to the future, to the whatever. I just, I'm struggling this week. It is a struggle. I am exhausted again. And I genuinely don't think it's any one thing in my life particularly, I just think it is the fact that it's all combined. And I really need to fucking slow down or like, not slow down, but just like take something off my plate before I crash and burn, because I sort of feel like this is a mini physical burnout. I have decided to reduce boot camps slightly. Instead of going five times a week, I'm gonna go three times a week for now. And I'm going to move one of those to the weekend so that I get a little bit more time in the week during the working days so that I can, you know, not work in the evenings so much. But yeah, I'm really over being sick this year. It is alarm bells to me. I am acutely aware that this is a problem and that I need to have a holiday or take some time off. The problem is I'm really shit at taking time off at home because my office is at home. So, you know, that's why I like to travel because then the office isn't here, the temptation isn't here. It's probably a very privileged thing to say. But you know, I do struggle to take time off at home. It just is what it is. It's a fact. So that's kind of where I'm at. Yeah, I don't feel well, and I would like to not be working today, if I'm honest. But there are things that need doing and things that have deadlines. So on I go. In terms of what I've been working on, I have started The Villains Journey. I'm super excited. I have been trying Rachel's method, which I know you guys will have heard about last week on The Black Herron. Oh, no, no. So for those listening on the podcast, you won't have heard about this yet. But for those on Patreon, you will have heard about it. So in the coming episode, Rachel and I discussed the fact that she started writing 500 new words a day on anything. They can be any project. And I was like, oh, that's amazing. And basically, if you do it every single day of the year, I think it's about 182,000 words a year. That's like three books, or more if you write nonfiction and shorter word counts. And I'm not going to do it every single day, I'm just trying to do it every working day. And so yeah, I have started The Villains Journey, and I'm already 3000 words in. I know that doesn't sound like a lot, but I'm not supposed to start writing this until May, you know, and at this rate, I can go to May with about 20k in the bag. So feels like a lot to me. I'm very, very happy. I'm about 19,000 words into the second Girl Games book. This is the one that I already had 30k in, but no, as you know, I more or less scrapped it. I have salvage some of the stuff from the first version, and so yeah, I'm 19,000 words into the book. I've been doing about 5000-word days, which is great. And using a write to sprint in the morning, and that's really been helping. So yeah, I feel pretty good about the writing projects. And it's really nice to be writing words. I find that I get to a point where I'm exhausted and don't want to write anymore, probably because I burned so hard, and then I like get very sick and tired of doing the marketing or the entity or whatever it is, and want to go back to doing the drafting. So it's a good schedule to have to be able to switch between the two. So when you hear this, it will be my birthday week. And I am considering, given that I'm not feeling very well, that I might take a couple of days off. I don't know, we'll see. I would like to go down to London and go to the Big Waterstones and like spend some time in there, but we'll see. I don't know whether or not I'll actually get to do that. But it would be nice to, so we'll see. You know, given that I'm not feeling very well, I think that is probably everything that I'm going to update you with this week. So the rebel of the week this week is, and I have to say, I did pause for a second and have to reread the name, It's Angel Ackerman, which when you write it and you read quickly, very much read as Angela Ackerman. Not Angela Ackerman, ladies and gentlemen, it's definitely Angel Ackerman. So let me read Angel's story to you. "I work in the Stitch Fix warehouse in Pennsylvania folding clothes for eight hours a day. I'm a former journalist and needed a low stress job that could allow me time and energy to pursue my own creative interests. At the warehouse, which Stitch Fix refers to as Hizzies, with cute names for each, we are the Buzzy Hizzy, but there is also the breezy, the hoozy, the dizzy, and the fizzy. I'm allowed to listen to podcasts, and so as a writer, I discovered The Rebel Author podcast and many others in the industry. "I have racked my brain trying to capture a rebel story from memory and suddenly I realized my whole creative side hustle is rebellion. I founded Parisian Phoenix Publishing in 2021 as the brand behind my paranormal women's fiction series, Fashion and Fiends, debuting with the first volume, Manipulations, in September of that year. "One of my best friends is a graphic designer with an obsession with typography. In her first job as a graphic design professor had invented the name and logo for the company and a complete boxset of the novels in 2008, just to have something to submit for the faculty art show. At the time, I was shopping my novels to traditional publishers and agents, attending conferences and serving on the board of my local writers group. Motherhood prevented me from giving proper effort to that, and the book industry was changing so much in the aughts. "When the pandemic happened, I thought it would be fun and rebellious to self-publish preserve these stories for my now teen daughter. But the project barrel rolled into a full-fledged craft press as more people asked me to publish their books. I asked fellow writers and artists for help with projects being proposed because linking creative communities is one of our goals. "As of 2023 Parisian Phoenix has nine published books ranging from an anthology of marginalized voices, LGBTQ disability, mental health, body image, ethnicity, etc., to a romantic comedy with original photographs, a devotional focusing on how to protect yourself in a violent modern world without violating your Christian values in production, and an 11th book of short stories in the editing phase. Not to mention, poetry, a holocaust memoir, and nostalgic fiction. "Each book seems to host its own rebellion. Our tagline is: publishing unique voices and diverse perspectives. And many of our staff members and peer review board members have disabilities. I have cerebral palsy. My assistant editor has been blind since birth. And we have primarily women on board." This is an awesome, awesome rebellion. And yeah, look up Parisian Phoenix if you are interested in finding out more about them. I think this is such a cool rebellion, and the fact that you are creating communities and collecting people and helping to bring diverse voices into the world is just fantastic. So I absofuckinglutely love that rebellion. And also thank you for listening. If you would like to be a rebel of the week, please do send in your story. It can be any kind of rebellion, something big, something small, or something in between. You can email your rebel story to Becca over on rebelauthorpodcast@gmail.com. A huge welcome and a warm thank you to new patron Wendy Karis. And of course, a gigantic thank you to all of my existing patrons. You guys help keep the show running. You make me feel like what I do is worthwhile and having a wonderful impact, so I really, really appreciate each and every single one of you. If you would like to support the show and get early access to all of the episodes, as well as a ton of bonus content, then you can from as little as $2 a month by visiting patreon.com/sachablack. Okay, that's it from me this week. Let's get on with the episode. Hello, and welcome to The Rebel Author Podcast. We are in for a special treat today because we have not one, but two guests on the show. First, we have Jeff Adams. Jeff is a creative entrepreneur, as an author of both queer romances and young adult fiction, as well as the co-host of The Big Gay Fiction Podcast. In his day job, Jeff's a certified professional and accessibility core competencies by the International Association of Accessibility Professionals. As the Accessibility Operations Director for UsableNet, a company focused on making the digital world more accessible and usable, he consults with clients around the world about digital accessibility. Next up we have Michele Lucchini. Michele is the Vice President of Delivery and Accessibility Operations for UsableNet and overseas the teams responsible for ensuring client success in their digital accessibility program. Michele's background is rooted in software development first, and moving to team and operation management later. Thanks to experience gathered in over two decades, Michele is an expert at helping companies from the largest to the smallest, making their digital experiences accessible. Hello, and welcome. Jeff: Thanks for having us, Sacha. It's great to be here. Sacha: So Jeff, you were first on the show back in episode 55, which I can't actually believe because that was October 2020. Jeff: It feels like a year ago, like years and years and years ago. Sacha: I know. I know. I mean, honestly, time is a lie. I was texting one of my friends this evening who was talking about the movie, Everything Everywhere... Jeff: Everything Everywhere All at Once, I think. Sacha: Yes, that one. And I was like, "Oh yeah, yeah, that was out like three years ago." And she was like, "Oh, actually, no, it's up for the Oscars now." And I was like, "Wait, what? No, no, no. It could not possibly have been out last year." Though it was. Yeah, time is a lie. It's weird. So normally I ask people like what their journey is, how they came to writing the book. But I'm gonna ask you first of all, like, what have you been up to since then? Because obviously, we know like your journey from the first episode, which I'll link in the show notes. Jeff: It's interesting as I went back to look at 55, and like what was going on in October of 2020. Like, within the month before you dropped that episode, so between the time we talked for that interview and you dropped the episode, we actually ended The Big Gay Author Podcast, which is one of the things we were talking about on that show. Mostly, because with pandemic and other things that were going on, like some of our priorities shifted, and it's like, we weren't sure that show was really relevant anymore. So as it's so popular, now, we learned how to say no and learned when to end something, and put that aside. Big Gay Fiction Podcast continues on. It went into its eighth year last November, so we're 400+ episodes now there. So that's been exciting. I've written the book we're about to talk about. And the neat thing about that, I think, is writing this nonfiction book, I think has resparked my fiction side a little bit, because I've been really stagnant over the last couple of years. I've done some rereleases of some things I got the rights back on, but writing new stuff has really been a struggle. So my fingers crossed, that the nonfiction kind of broke that kind of cloud over my head, if you will, and I'm gonna be able to hopefully get some new fiction out this year. Sacha: I always find nonfiction is a real palate cleanser. Like I adore fiction, but I definitely need to also write nonfiction, because it gets me excited to go back to the fiction. Otherwise, I do tend to find it's a bit of a burn. So Michele, have you written other books? Or is this your first one? Or? Michele: That's the very first one. Sacha: That's exciting. Michele: The last thing I wrote was my thesis at the university. And that was far from exciting. Well, actually, it was in home automation, so it was actually an interesting topic. But I've always loved writing, but I never dedicated myself enough to call myself like a producer or a writer of a proper book. Sacha: So before we dive into the questions like about the book, then how did you find writing, and writing together? Like what was the experience like for you? Michele: Well, let's also consider that it's not my mother language, right. So it was an extremely interesting experience. So I had the opportunity to learn on many different threads. So one is the challenge of transferring something that is my daily job knowledge, and the knowledge that has been built across 22 years, that I would use the word dedicate to this topic. Plus, learning the ability to put in words for somebody who is not an expert. One of the limits that I realize I have is that sometimes when you gather so much experience, you can lose the ability to explain and translate it in easy terms. I think that Jeff has experienced the same. I remember the first iteration of our review process, we were asking ourselves, does it make any sense for somebody if it's their first time approaching the topic of accessibility? So it was an interesting learning curve, but it was what made all the project extremely interesting for me. Sacha: Well, you both absolutely smashed it because it's the most meta book possible. For a book on accessibility, it's extremely accessible for someone who knows nothing about it. So you absolutely smashed it out of the park. So well done, both of you. And that is what we're here to talk about. And your new book is called Content for Everyone. And it focuses on the topic of accessibility. So before we dive into some more technical, practical tips and tricks, like why accessibility? What made you want to write a book on this topic? And why is it so important, particularly for the authors and writers listening? Jeff: The whole thing kind of became this big smashing together of my day job in accessibility. But the things that I do on the creative side, so even before the book was kind of a seed in my head to do, I was trying to make sure that my sites, my email, my social media, were as accessible as I could make them. You know, because I'm not technical. Knowing what you need to do and actually being able to do it can be two different things, you know. So, moving through this, and as I talked about content accessibility all the time, it's one of the things I trained UsableNet clients about, is that very topic. It's so in my brain, I can't not see issues almost everywhere I go on the net. No alt text on Facebook, bad color combinations here, things that don't work with keyboard. You know, all these things just keep being in front of me. And I know that nobody sets out to do that. You know, nobody sets out to make inaccessible content that can exclude, potentially, a lot of people. They just don't know what to do. And they don't know what the topic is. So it's like, why don't I try to create something that distills what you can work on, and also to a degree, things to watch out for, because there are things in the book that are--and keyboard navigation is a great example of this, and we'll probably talk about a little bit more about that piece of it later. But you're not going to fix your own keyboard navigation issues, but if you know you have them, you might get a new template or do something to start to mitigate those problems. And so that's kind of where it started. And then one day, as I was talking with Michele, as we do all the time, I was like, I'm gonna write this book. And he was interested, so we decided to kind of tackle it together. Sacha: I love this so much. And like, I think it was such a humbling experience for me to read as well, because my stepfather is disabled, and he uses a wheelchair. And so I have a reasonable amount of knowledge about accessibility in terms of like mobility and physical issues. And so I kind of went into the book thinking, oh, yeah, like, I'm gonna understand. Holy moly, I was so ignorant of digital issues. Like all of the bits and bobs, like on social media. Like just things that I wouldn't even have thought would be an issue. And that's what I love so much about this book is I genuinely feel like every single person listening to this podcast will go away having learned something. So I think it's really important that listeners do go and educate themselves, and buy your book, I read your book, because it's fucking brilliant. So in your book, one of the things that you talk about are the four main types of disability. And I think it'd be helpful for listeners to understand what they are to give some context to the rest of the podcast. And I don't know if you are able just to give some like references to a couple of the numbers, which were really quite significant. And I was quite shocked when I read it and saw some of those stats. You know, and by that, I mean, sort of how many people are affected by disability. So yeah, because this is an important topic. Michele: Yeah, it is. And numbers are shocking. And I think that we can identify four main categories of disabilities, which is mobility. And this is the largest group, so over 13%, almost 14%, of US population as some mobility impairment. So translated into a digital experience, it could be something preventing the user to use emails, or a regular pointing device. The second category is the cognitive disability. And here we are talking about over 10% of the US population. Any cognitive disorder, it could be learning difficulties, dyslexia, and I'm not just talking about very, very bad disabilities, but just simple conditions that are not preventing an individual to conduct a normal life. The third category is the auditory ability. The count is around 6% of the population. And the auditory disability is any form of hearing loss. And last but not least, is the visual disability. Here we are around 5% of the population. So within the visual disability, of course, we include the blind individual categories, but we might have any kind of low vision, color blindness, contrast deficits, and all impairments that are preventing a user to be able to see colors or transfer the content as the mainstream, which is a word I hate and a concept I hate, will experience on this side. There is one more, in my opinion, a shocking number. Beside the fact that with easy math, we are seeing that 20% of the population as a sort of disability. 20% of your audience, your customers potentially have a sort of visibility. But in these 20%, we're not counting all the temporary impairments. So somebody that broke his arm, somebody that is using his mobile phone under the sunlight, and the sun is hitting the screen and he's not able to see as well as he'd be able to see the screen in the dark. We are now also considering that the age of the digital population is increasing year after a year. I always use an example, so my dad is 74. He is active, smart, quick. His expectation is to keep interacting with his mobile phone, for example, as it is right now. Why should he accept that as his sight is becoming a little bit lower, as his precision with the movements might degredate. In the course of the years, he won't be able to use his phone, he won't be able to do what he's doing with his computer. So that becomes a basic expectation. So we need to take that in consideration. So that 20%, actually, is much, much more if we are considering all the, let's call them disability induced by the context of use. Or simply the population getting older. Sacha: I think one of the things that I found enlightening is the term assistive technology and what that captures. Because I think many of us are actually using some of these technologies without even realizing that actually, they are tools that help those people who do have accessibility issues. I know I certainly was like, oh, you know, I was just using this because this is a handy thing. And actually, they're integral to ensure that our content is accessible for everybody. So I wondered if you could talk about what assistive technology is and give some like examples, just to put it into context. Jeff: Yeah, absolutely. It's something that, as you noted, we use it every day and don't even think about it. You and I are wearing assistive technology right now, Sacha, because we're both in glasses. Think about what you would not be able to see if you didn't have your glasses on. Sacha: I really couldn't. Jeff: You know, it'd be a mess. Using speech to text technology, I think we use it all the time. Authors certainly use it a lot to dictate their manuscripts. You know, if you're dictating a text to your phone, and then sending it that way, or interacting with any home assistant, that's part of it. But also for some people who maybe are restricted in the mobility area, they may use speech to text of that kind to literally navigate the web. And that would be what they'd use in place of a mouse is speaking to the computer. The keyboard itself is a big assistive tool for some people, because theoretically, you know, by the rules of accessibility, you should be able to interact with the site completely on your keyboard, without interacting with the mouse at all. So things like that, you know, are some of the high level things. But then each of our computers, if we're on any kind of, you know, modern Mac or Windows machine, or if we're using Android or iOS phones and tablets, all of those have a huge array of accessibility things built right into them. Whether it's a screen reader, Zoom technology, more around voice to text, a whole bunch of things. And I would really encourage people to look in their settings for their computer and their devices just to see the long list of things that are present that people could use to be interacting with their digital content. Sacha: So like what is the consequence of this to authors if they don't engage with making their content accessible? Michele: I think that the easiest to perceive consequence is they may leave out of the door a good portion of a potential audience or potential customers. But besides the numbers, beside the, let's say, business aspect, I like to think about the impact on potential reputation. Michele: The impact on the idea that the audience, the customer, might have on just ignoring categories of people. So we need to, I think that it is time for us to all get sensitized on the fact that we need to build a more inclusive world. I mean, it is everyone's responsibility, it is not Jeff's, it is not Michele's, it is not Sacha's responsibility only. It is not an expert's responsibility only. Everyone can provide a contribution. So, in my opinion, the impact on the reputation is probably getting to be the most prominent one. And this is what my advice is. Jeff: If you think about the whole idea that not doing this excludes people, and of course, I think all of us creatives really want to be about inclusion. We talk in the book, we talked to four different people in the book who have different disabilities, and in some cases, different multiple disabilities. And one of the things that struck me was speaking to one of my fellow authors in the queer romance space. They were trying to interact with courses, you know, there's a whole array of courses available to independent authors for ads, and for marketing here, and marketing there, and writing craft and all these things. And repeatedly, they are not finding courses where like the live courses don't have live captions through whatever venue it is. And certainly Zoom is really good at live captions for any call that you're doing there. But even in the replays, captions or transcripts weren't available. So they either, you know, don't get to interact with the training at all because they're deaf and hard of hearing. I mean, they've got hearing aids, but those only give them about 30 - 40% of the full picture. So they either strain to hear that content, and try to work on it, which of course is taxing and tiring, or they abandon it all together. And they really feel like they're not getting information that other authors get because, you know, they're not included in that experience. Sacha: Yeah, transcripts is a real sticking point for me, because when I first started the podcast, I used to do transcripts for the show. But at moment, I only have school working hours, and you know, each transcript for an episode is a two hour job. You know, when you do four a month, that's a whole lot. That's more than one working day, and I just can't afford the time. But it is something that I provide for courses. And I do try to make sure I do video audio transcript, and you know, all of that stuff. It's very frustrating for me because I would like to have the sort of AI transcription software be more accurate because I can't just transcribe and leave it and put it up because there are things still that don't make sense. It's not accurate enough. And obviously, outsourcing, it's costly. So that's one of the things for me that I know that I could change, and I would really like to change. But obviously, it's a costly exercise one way or the or another. So we know that it's important to make sure our books and websites and social media are accessible to everyone. So what are some easy wins that people could take away from this episode? Anything practical that we could do to make our content more accessible? Jeff: You kind of hit on one of the things there in what you just said around auto generated. Auto generated anything doesn't make it accessible. Auto generated transcripts or captions are just riddled with mistakes. They come close, they're about 95% of the way there, and they're a great point to start the editing process, but they're not complete. And they will leave your audience feeling the same way, like if you just put out a first draft of a book without any copy editing and without any fixes to it. That's also true for alternative text because Facebook and Instagram, for example, will put alt text on anything you upload to it, and it's horrible. It'll be like, "might be one person standing outside with a beard," because they've got a beard on their face. And they'll just kind of tag that on the end. And it'll also try to read any text that's actually in the image. And if you think about those very popular book promo graphics right now with the book in the middle and all the little arrows pointing with like tropes and plot points and stuff. Sacha: I posted one of those today. Jeff: The AI will actually read left to right, trying to read each line of that, including the book title and the bylines, and present that. That's what Facebook offers. So you need to make sure on social that you're cleaning up the alt text that's present there so that it's not just some real garbage that's sitting there. Then another key I would give, knowing how everybody loves to use emojis, really limit the use of them. Like put them at the end to like finish the punctuation on a post or a sentence or something. Don't start with them, because especially for screen readers, each emoji has its own thing that it reads out, that may not be the context that you want it to be. Don't put emojis between the words for the same reason. Also you think about cognitively disabled people and emojis as well. The context and the way you want those to be perceived, if somebody is already having to parse the words you're putting in there because maybe they're dyslexic and they need a very clean line of text, or some other cognitive disability, you're just making it that much harder for them to get the message that you're trying to give because you're trying to add some visual sparkle with the emojis. So I would say that those are my three quick hits on some things that can start to make the content more accessible. Sacha: Yeah, I still remember the first time somebody asked me to put captions on my stories. And as far as I'm aware, they have no accessibility issues, but they used to watch my stories at work, and they couldn't watch them with sound on. I was like, "oh," and I was like, "yeah, sure, I can do that." And then, obviously, there were other comments from other people who were like, "Oh, actually, now I can like watch your story, like watch/read your stories." And like, that was a real eye opener. I just think so much of this is just pure, like, what's the word? Not nefarious, but it is still ignorance. You know, it's just accidental ignorance in a way. But the emojis, I definitely do far too many emojis and I am going to make an effort to make sure they're at the end instead. I definitely start with emojis, I put them in the middle, you don't even think about it. So yeah, now I will be thinking about it going forward. Okay, so you've just mentioned alt text there. But I wondered if you could give me an example of what good alt text is because I do some freelance work managing a blog, and I know that when we have pictures, we're supposed to put alt text on there. I never really know what it is I am supposed to be describing or what I'm supposed to be putting into the alt text sections. So like, how do I know where I'm supposed to use it and when it's not actually needed? And how do I know what a good sentence is to put in there? Michele: Somebody says that finding the right alt text is like an art. And I actually agree with that. There is no magic recipe to define a good alternative text. We always recommend it is important to understand what role an image plays within the context. The context of what? It could be the context of the page, the context of the message we are communicating. So in the case an image is purely decorative, you're just using an image as a sort of placeholder, an extremely nice placeholder, but it's only conveying a decorative meaning, in that case, your alternative tags should be empty. It does not mean that you don't have to put the alt attribute, because if you don't, assistive technology will read the file name of the image, making it very difficult to understand for the final user. But setting the alternative tax as an empty, the assistive technology will know that that image will need to be ignored. So it won't be read. Instead, if the image is conveying a message, an important message, you should describe it with the right message. I mean it was funny for us, not in the context that we found the issue, it was the classic search icon, the magnifier lens, and so the site we were reviewing had, as an alternative text of the magnifier lengths, magnifier length. Instead, there was supposed to be search, because the function of the image was search, it was not magnifying something. So you can just imagine how confusing would have been the experience of a blind user using a screen reader that was hearing that there was an input text field on the page, so maybe that is what I can use to search something, and then magnifier lens. When you experience that, people with disabilities now have a bad website. With very little effort, you can fix it, you can make your site more accessible and more meaningful to everyone. Sacha: Yeah, that's so interesting, because obviously, you derive meaning from seeing the image, but actually, it's the function of the image that's the important bit. I think that's a fantastic bit of learning for everybody to take away. One of the other things you talk about in the book are the four main principles of accessibility on a website. And I think these are things that authors should be aware of. So I wondered if you could just briefly go over them. Michele: Yeah, sure. The web content accessibility guideline, which is the sort of Bible to determine whether a digital property is accessible or not, are four. And actually, those four principles also apply to everyday object accessibility. So the first one is perceivable. It means that any user must be able to perceive the content and the interface of your website. So we just did the example around the alternative text, that falls under the perceivable principle. The second principle is operable. So it requires to provide the ability for all users, independently by their abilities, to operate with user interface. The classic example is, let's consider a motor impairment, and it prevents the user to interact with the mouse. So the site must provide the ability for the user to use just the keyboard to interact and browse the site. The third principle is understandable, which probably is the easiest to understand. So the interface and the content must be understandable to the user. This actually, on some of these success criteria, it becomes extremely interesting because it also covers cultural disabilities. So the use of an easy language and all these aspects are, I think, extremely interesting for authors. And last but not least, is the final principle, which is the robust. It is probably the most technical principle that is included into the guideline, but it is all about respecting the standards, and respecting the core compatibility. One of the things that we always have to remember is that users with disabilities are massively relying on their system. So they are probably not upgrading them 30 seconds after the operative system notifies us that there is an upgrade ready to be installed. They don't do that because the risk of losing the ability to, for example, have the system working as it was working before, it might generate a big problem. Imagine a blind user that relies on his computer or any screen reader to order the food, to book the train ticket, to book a taxi. If after the upgrade, it won't work anymore or won't work as it was working before, considering that learning how to use a screen reader is probably a multiyear experience. Sacha: I find that so interesting. Actually, that's going to make me slightly more empathetic, I think. So with my stepdad, we often help like change bills over and do things like internet swap over, but there's a lot of resistance to like upgrading. And I was like, you need better internet, like you need it. And, you know, I wasn't particularly empathetic about it, but actually I get it now. I get it. Yeah, I can understand because so much is reliant on the existing system. And I'm just like, yeah, well, we can change it and upgrade it and make it better. But actually, when there are so many systems, you know, phone systems and call systems and nurse systems that are based on it, I can understand why there's that resistance and reluctance to change it. And so yeah, thank you for that. Now, I'm not very empathetic person, but I'm going to try very hard now to be better. Yeah, thank you. I've read the book and learned so much and I'm still learning even more. This is a fantastic interview. Thank you, guys. One of the things, speaking of, that I learned was that using color to differentiate isn't always helpful, which blew my mind because I am an extremely visual person, and I actually rely on color to learn. Like when I was studying at university, I would put my psychology studies in certain colors, so that I could close my eyes and picture like my big brainstorm thing, like with all the different colors on it, and then I'd remember the numbers and the words and the authors and things. And so that helps me to categorize and it's how I find books on my bookshelf. And I was ignorant of, obviously, the fact that that's a huge problem for people who are colorblind. So what are some of the things that those of us who are able bodied take for granted that you wish that we would change? Michele: Yeah, relying on color to convey information is probably one of those. Just the color is not enough, you should use something else. Let's do an easy example. So imagine that the style that you have on your website highlights the links only with the color. Let's also make sure the links are underlined, which is the standard, let's say link style, because otherwise, people might not be able to perceive the difference between the link and the plain text. The same when you are providing instructions on how to do something. Recently, I've seen a sign that was suggesting to use the red button. But what if I'm using my interface only on a scale of gray? I will not be able to perceive what is the red button, and I will not be able to distinguish between the other buttons. So again, it is not necessarily a hyper technical aspect, it is the ability to start understanding which are the difficulties. And these are difficulties that you might be able to perceive, not just on the web, but on the everyday life. So this is, I think, one of the nicest thing around accessibility, that when you start learning, and Sacha, you confirmed that before, right? When you start learning it on a field, then you naturally apply it to a number of different fields. And the use of colors is a classic one that you can find on books, guides, instructions, websites, on Facebook post. It is a very popular mistake. Sacha: I think it's so natural for so many of us to, you know, we go through the world with our own rose tinted spectacles on. We go through the world with our own experience. And so often we take that for granted that that's everybody's experience. And it's not. And that's why this is so important because none of us are perfect. We all have things to learn. And I think as long as we are open to being humble, and to putting our hands up and say, "Actually, yeah, I had no idea. I'm going to change that now." I think that's one of the magical things about your book is that you say throughout it that nobody's expecting you to do everything in this book immediately. You can do one little thing this month, another thing next month, you know. And I think that's what's so encouraging because I actually left the book very motivated to try and fix some of these things. Jeff: The thing to remember, and you kind of touched on it there, that we tell you, you don't have to do everything, but it's also a mindset of progress over perfection. It's one of the big things talked about among all the advocates in this space, because you can't do everything all at once. And especially for who we're talking to here, which is really creative entrepreneurs, probably little to no technical experience, working with little to no budget, you know, maybe if they're lucky, a PA who helps with this stuff. But to know you can choose to do nothing on your existing content and always do better going forward, those little things add up. You don't want this to feel like a crushing like, oh god, now I've got two thousand other things to go do. Baby steps, parse out what you're gonna do, what you think the most important thing is, and just do something. Yeah. Sacha: And like, speaking of doing something, I think one of the things that authors spend a lot of their marketing time on is social media. So what are some of the things that we can do to be more inclusive and accessible on social media? Jeff: Really think about that emoji use. I mean, I will tie back to that, because emojis is one of the places that I think most people, if they're going to abuse emojis, it's abuse on social. Put them at the end of the post, don't bury them in the middle of it, so that your message comes through. And that's really what I look at in every instance when I'm thinking about social. It's let's make sure the message you're giving actually comes through. Instagram stories and TikTok, when you can add your own text to those, make sure you're using text that's actually big enough to read. Those stories, you can't pinch and zoom and do all that stuff. And there's so many Instagrams, people type these big, long missives on their Instagram stories, and it's really teeny, tiny text, and I'm like, I have no idea. And if I am not reading it with my glasses on, it's like, yeah, you're gonna lower your interaction with that. Make it bigger text, more screens, whatever that takes to get that across. The same thing when you're doing caption fonts, like I love your caption fonts when you're doing your stories. It's good, big text. I think I could read that with my glasses off, perhaps, which is great. Think about how you're using images and what you're doing with them. Images of text are used a lot, and you know, they're catchy, like those graphics we talked about with all the arrows pointing to the books. But make sure that that message is coming out into the post itself. Because, you know, we talked about using alt text, which is great, but there are people with low vision, who aren't going to use the screen reader to get to the alt text. So for that book example, all of those little pop points that are running around the outside of the book, make that part of the post in a sentence format. You know, "this book features these things," so that it's equivalent information presented. That comes back to the perceivable principle that Michele mentioned. Different people perceive in different ways, so make sure the content is available in all those different perceivable ways. Sacha: So I got halfway there with that trope's post because I put the tropes in the caption, but then I put a tick emoji by each one. I was so close. Michele: You need to read the book again. Sacha: Clearly, I do. Okay, last sort of major question then. Talk to me about font. You've mentioned font, about having it large in captions, but also there are things that we should know about choosing font for our websites or for our books or social media where possible. Jeff: I would say this is less about books and book covers because that's going to the brand and the feel of the book, and that kind of thing. And the book cover itself is really art. And yes, there are certain things you could do, but you don't want to like take away from the feel of your cover for that. When you're promoting the book, you want the text around that art to be properly accessible and stuff. You can't really adjust the font on aspects of social. You've got some font choices on stories and areas like that. But if you're gonna look at font families, for example, like Tahoma, Times New Roman, Verdana, and to a large degree, Arial, Calibri, Helvetica, those are generally well accessible fonts because the things that you're looking for are easily distinguishable letters. So a font where a lowercase L and an uppercase I and the numeral one, don't all look the same. Because then you're gonna start having people having difficulty parsing the letters if they're visually interacting with them. And then, of course, it's a good font size. So you know, well 14 size font on websites and in emails and stuff. Think about are you using on your emails, for example, a mobile friendly template so that somebody doesn't have to pinch and zoom even if you're using a big font, because it's not reformatting in the mobile window well. And if you're doing tiny text, don't go too tiny. Even if you're doing like rules for something, somebody's trying to read that. So you know, be considered about that as well. Very thin fonts, things with big flourishes in them, be wary of those. Those will be much harder for people with cognitive disabilities, potentially, to parse and low vision to parse out what those are. Coming back to like images of text and that promo graphic, if you do have swirly stuff in there because it's part of the brand feel of the book, just make sure you're getting that message in the post and in the alt text so that it's all considerable. Two other things I'll throw out about fonts, and one of these ties back to color, is color contrast. So beyond the use of color that Michele mentioned, think about the color contrast and the ability to discern what's in the background versus the foreground. So if you're thinking about text, does the text pop enough off of the background color to be readable. And I'll send you for the show notes a link to a color contrast checker that's available, you just put in the hex codes for your foreground and your background, and it's gonna tell you if it passes color contrast. It nice little sliders on it so you can darken and lighten text to find the right balance to ensure that those visually interacting can see and discern the color appropriately and not have to like work too hard on it. The last thing I'll mention around text is the alignment of the text. Centering text, especially large blocks of text, we're not talking like headlines, but large chunks of text, very cognitively draining to read because your eye is always have to find where the start of the line is. Same thing with justification because there's inconsistent spacing between words. Left justify it so that I can follow, you know, not so much with the indents because indentations are expected, but you know, start left align copy so that it's just a straight line. It makes for the easiest readability. Sacha: Yeah, do you know I've always hated center justified text and I've never really know known why. And it is actually exhausting to read it. Yeah, that's so interesting. Thank you both so, so much because I think this is a really, really important topic. And I hope that listeners, even if they're only got to go and do one thing, please do go and take one action after listening to this podcast. Well, two actions. One, read the book, and then two, take a take a practical action. But this is The Rebel Author Podcast, so tell everyone about a time you unleashed your inner rebel. And I don't mind who goes first. Jeff: I will say that I prepared better this time than the first time that we did this because I know Will I found this question to be like, oh my god, what is this even mean? I have one for this though. And I challenge everybody after they read the book to start doing this kind of same thing. And it's gently educating people about accessibility. As you learn it, pass it on. Like, even before I wrote the book, every now and then I would talk to an author colleague, a podcaster colleague, about newsletters or things that I saw that just very clearly popped out to me because of this work that I do. Like maybe think about doing this thing different than this thing, to spread the word. And I'm even more kind of out there with it now. Whether it's a colleague, or a business that I that I work with. You know, I use maybe widgets and plugins on my websites to get to make certain things happen. I'll either go look for new ones, or be like, hey, this is bad, can you do something about this place? It's all about gently. It's not about aggressively coming out of the gate and be like, oh, my God, why aren't you doing this. It's like, you may not know this, but XYZ. And that way, accessibility becomes something that we all start to think about a little more. So it's a little rebellion and it takes a little courage to just know you're gonna go reach out to somebody go, can I just give you some unsolicited advice about this? But it's all about trying to make everything more inclusive. Sacha: Yeah, absolutely. Exactly. And the more welcoming we can be, the better our community becomes, and the more, what's the word, the more appreciated our readers feel. So I love that rebellion. Michele, what about you? You've got to have a rebellion, too. Michele: I do, I do. It might be considered close to Jeff's one, but the message I want to convey is that we live in a world that relies on accessory to use something that has been just purely designed. And we need to stop. The concept of an assistive technology, or even worse, an alternative, it needs to stop. So the fact that the product that you are designing, often we see the main actor as the designer, not the user, is what causes the majority of the accessibility issues. So we need to invest something that is not necessarily related to the technology only, but in the way we speak. And I include myself, I mean, this is a message that I send to myself as well. So to be more inclusive, but in a way that we think we will learn, which could be all the difficulties, all the possible different abilities of our audience, and we try to be more inclusive, but in a way that we don't just consider that if he's not able to use my website, for sure, she will have an accessory that will make her able to. Well, it's not always like that. We can design better, we can write better, we can produce better products to be available for a wider audience. Sacha: Yeah, I love that. And I think the best marketers who are authors keep the end user being the reader at the fore of their design of their books and their marketing campaigns. And you know, they're the ones who are the most effective at this. And so I think that's an amazing rebellion. Okay, tell everyone where they can find out more about you, your book, and anything else you would like to add? Jeff: Absolutely. So you can find all about Content for Everyone at contentforeveryone.info. Information where you can get the book, we're also going to be putting up routine blog posts there to talk about examples that we've seen, news that would be of interest to creatives. So we'll start to have you know that be kind of an ongoing resource to help share even more around the book. And Content for Everyone is available everywhere, eBook, paperback, large print paperback and audiobook. And you should find that anywhere you want to pick up a book, or pick up an audio, it should be there. Sacha: Are you narrating? Jeff: I am actually, yes. Sacha: I love it. I love it. Jeff: If you want more about me, JeffAdamsWrites.com for the fiction, and BigGayFictionPodcast.com for the podcast. Sacha: Excellent. Thank you very much. Okay, well, thank you so much for your time today, and of course a gigantic thank you to all of the show's listeners and all of the show's patrons. If you'd like to get early access to all of the episodes, you can do so by visiting patreon.com/sachablack. I'm Sacha Black, you are listening to Jeff Adams and Michele Lucchini, and this was The Rebel Author Podcast. Next week I am joined by one of my fav humans, Ines Johnson, and we are going to be talking about business, processes, efficiency, and basically how she is a fucking badass author. So join me next week for that. Don't forget to tune in and subscribe on your podcatcher. And when you have a moment, please leave a review.  

In questa puntata parleremo di Iron Widow, opera prima di Xiran Jay Zhao, edita in Italia da Rizzoli. A metà tra il fantasy e la fantascienza, l'opera può essere descritta come un misto tra Pacific Rim e Il racconto dell'ancella, il tutto shakerato in un'ambientazione cinese medioevale. Link Amazon: https://www.amazon.it/Iron-widow-Xiran-Jay-Zhao/dp/8817160857 Canale Telegram: https://t.me/blablafantas Pagina Instagram https://www.instagram.com/bla.blafantasy/ Pagina Facebook https://www.facebook.com/blablafantasy/ Youtube: https://youtu.be/btiiR1HJY_c Un ringraziamento a Riccardo per la traccia musicale in sottofondo https://campsite.bio/spinaaqm https://www.fiverr.com/riccardos17?source=gig_cards&referrer_gig_slug=do-an-amazing-and-chill-lo-fi-soundtrack-for-your-video&ref_ctx_id=6ed784fb0bae92f95938a321774d6e9d --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/blablafantasy/message

Growing up, reading was one of my favorite things to do. As an adult I've lost that wonder and excitement for books but I definitely want it back. So this episode is extra special! I got to speak with Emily and Rachel, owners of Golden May Book Coaching. They help fiction writers level up their stories, grow their skills and create a community of like minded people. Both Emily and Rachel bring in their unique backgrounds and skills to become a great team. On the podcast we talk about their background. They have an interesting story of how they met on Twitter and have only met in person a handful of times. We talk alot about mindset and how much we all overthink. If you want to start a business, personal growth is the best thing you can do! So go listen wherever you hear podcasts! Connect with Emily and Rachel!Website: https://goldenmayediting.com/Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/goldenmayedit/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/goldenmayedit/Rachel Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bookcoachrachel/Emily Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emilygoldenedits/Resources Mentioned in this EpisodeJoyful Marketing: https://www.simonegraceseol.com/joyfulmarketingBook Recommendations Circe,  The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, All The Rage, Iron Widow, The Witch Collector, Caraval Legendary Finale Stories, Spells For Forgetting, The Scorpio Races, A Clash of SteelYou can connect with me as well! Website: https://www.jennextdoorpodcast.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennextdoorpodcastFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/jennextdoorpodcastFind a coach who will support you in taking your business to the next level! And Just Write! 

This week Declan and Edward talk about what they are looking forward to with the upcoming adaptation of Xiran Jay Zhao's Iron Widow.

Join us as we close out 2022 and welcome new guest host Amy Kalmbach with a discussion of Xiran Jay Zhao's debut novel, Iron Widow; a feminist sci-fi story inspired by the rise of Wu Zetian, the only female emperor in Chinese history. Listen in as we question why the two top shelves on Goodreads for this book are 'fantasy' and 'young adult', we discuss whether or not the book’s commentary on gender roles within a patriarchal society was successful, and in true geek fashion, Jason compares elements of this story to both Power Rangers and DC Comics' Green Lantern Corps. We hope you enjoy the episode and see you in 2023! Guest Host:Amy (she/her) is a full-time humanitarian worker and cat parent with overflowing collections of succulents on her porch and books on her Libby app. A self-described "book vacuum", Amy will (and does) read anything, but most enjoys romance, mystery, and reflective non-fiction. In addition to reading books, Amy enjoys exploring new places, hiking and rock climbing, and smashing the kyriarchy. Connect with SWR: Instagram | Twitter | TikTok | Facebook | WebsiteRequest transcripts on our website: shitweveread.com/contact Shit We've Read is hosted by Laura Benson, Jason Rico, and Bella Romero, with music by Joshua Chilton and editing by Jason Rico. This podcast is part of the BYLO Network. Visit BYLONetwork.com for more great geeky podcasts. Ablation Suite by Hayden Folker | https://soundcloud.com/hayden-folkerMusic promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.comCreative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licensehttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US

PAGES the Reading Group presents "Volume VII".In this episode, we host a Twitter Space where talk about, the book "Iron Widow".  Would you recommend Iron Widow to a friend? What are the book's connections with non-monogamy? What do you make of the symbolism around bound feet? Join us  in this episode as we address these questions and more.Follow us across our social media channels:Ig- @PagestrgTwitter- @PagestrgTikTok- @PagesthereadinggroupWebsite- www.Pagestrg.com

On this week's episode of Story n Things, Yajaira and Cheli discuss Xiran Jay Zhao's debut novel, Iron Widow. This is a futuristic reimagining of Medieval China where the main character may or may not commit a few war crimes. Join the best friends as they discuss the controversial main character, the love triangle, and the twist that we didn't see coming! *this ep will not have a video version* 

Iron Widow Film Adaptation, Rise of the Ronin, Reservation Dogs Renewed For Season 3, Thunderbolts Film Casting. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Harry gets a lot of mail all at once. Email us at restrictedsectionpod@gmail.com to tell us what you thought of A Peck of Owls or even what you think of us! We'd love to read your email on the show. Be sure to subscribe to know right away about new episodes, and rate and review! SUPPORT US ON OUR PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/therestrictedsection THANK YOU LOVE YOU BUY OUR MERCH: https://www.teepublic.com/user/restricted-section-podcast THANK YOU LOVE YOU IG: https://www.instagram.com/restrictedsectionpod/ TW: https://twitter.com/restrictedpod FB: https://www.facebook.com/groups/rspoddetentioncrew/   Check out our other amazing Deus Ex Media podcasts! www.deusexmedia.org   This episode featured: Zach from My Cabbages! https://www.deusexmedia.org/mycabbages Zach plugged Nope (2022) https://www.nope.movie/ Then he cheated and also plugged Cult of the Lamb https://www.cultofthelamb.com/ Rory plugged Rio (2011) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1436562/ Christina Kann https://linktr.ee/christinakann Christina plugged Only Murders in the Building https://www.hulu.com/series/only-murders-in-the-building Mary-Peyton Crook IG @richmondreads https://www.instagram.com/richmondreads/ TW @crookmp https://twitter.com/crookmp Mary-Peyton plugged Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao https://bookshop.org/a/65495/9780735269934

Join Sam, Tessa, and Lozy as they run down all of this year's Hugo Awards nominees! In part two of this series, we break down down the nominations for Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form, the Lodestar Award for Best Young Adult Book, and Best Novelette. 00:00 - Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form 32:52 - the Lodestar Award for Best Young Adult Book 58:45 - Best Novelette Come back on Wednesday for the conclusion of our three part series on the Hugo Awards nominees!

Another compilation episode just for you! Yes you, the person reading this right now. Nate made this only for you.Support the show

If you were fascinated to see the human breast might, kind of, sort of look like a flower, then you will LOVE this book. Really. That is the vibe. The Emperor is new and fervently religious. The Princess is rebellious and loves her country. Men are in power. Men make decisions. Men have decided the Princess is to be exiled. Men cannot tame the power of the land and its people, even though they are trying. Princess Malini is out of options and her new maidservant, Priya, is a breath of new life. Politics are front and central here as the story of a conquered people, religion, and the unexpected loyalty of the land move in tandem with Emperor Chandra's horrific plans: Purify the women. Burn the women. How about they rise up instead?! TW / CW: Child abuse, PTSD, trauma, violence, massacre/war, trauma, violence, colorism For additional TW/CW information for your future reads, head to this site for more: https://triggerwarningdatabase.com/ Spoilers: ACOWAR Mentions: Priory of the Orange Tree, These Violent Delights, Our Violent Ends, The Black Witch Chronicles, Annihilation, Everything Everywhere All At Once, The Book of Azrael, The Poppy Wars, She Who Became the Sun, The Cruel Prince, Iron Widow, Curse of the Golden Flower *Thank you for listening to us! Please subscribe and leave a 5 star review and follow us on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/acofaepodcast/) and on our TikToks! TikTok: ACOFAELaura : Laura Marie (https://www.tiktok.com/@acofaelaura?) ACOFAEJessica : Jessica Marie (https://www.tiktok.com/@acofaejessica?)

Ben describes Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao to Nate. The boys are burnt out from House of Leaves, so Ben decides to regale us with a tale of a YA book he read recently. It's described as The Handmaid's Tale meets Pacific Rim. Does it deliver on that promise? Can Ben remember any of the terminology? Will Nate stop saying "polycule?" Find out all this and more on this week's episode of Words About Books!Support the show

Amberlee, Sarah, and Kim discuss science fiction, Chinese culture, and women's bodily autonomy.

In which we examine some really pressing questions about Goblet of Fire like "Do you think Neville and Ginny could have been good together?" Email us at restrictedsectionpod@gmail.com to tell us what you thought of The Goblet of Fire or even what you think of us! We'd love to read your email on the show. Be sure to subscribe to know right away about new episodes, and rate and review! SUPPORT US ON OUR PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/therestrictedsection THANK YOU LOVE YOU BUY OUR MERCH: https://www.bonfire.com/store/restrictedsectionpod/ THANK YOU LOVE YOU IG: https://www.instagram.com/restrictedsectionpod/ TW: https://twitter.com/restrictedpod FB: https://www.facebook.com/groups/rspoddetentioncrew/   Check out our other amazing Movie Night Crew Network podcasts! www.movienightcrewnetwork.com/   This episode featured: Christina Kann https://linktr.ee/christinakann Lelia Hilton IG @leelz4realz http://instagram.com/leelz4realz TW @leelz4realz https://twitter.com/leelz4realz Lelia plugged Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Jhao https://bookshop.org/a/65495/9780735269934 Brooke Matherly IG @passion_for_parks https://www.instagram.com/passion_for_parks/ TW @grumpybrooke https://twitter.com/grumpyBrooke Brooke plugged chips and queso. Haley Simpkiss TW @TheWrit_toWit https://twitter.com/TheWrit_toWit Haley plugged Dracula Daily https://draculadaily.substack.com/

Loveland Public Library Teen department librarians Becca and Anna join Daniel to discuss the YA fantasy book “Six of Crows” by Leigh Bardugo. To join the Summer Learning Fun, use this link. Here is the link to sign up to be a Teen volunteer. This link will take you to Six of Crows in the Loveland Public Library catalog.  See the reading order for the Grishaverse books. Take a look at Anna's book recommendation: Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao Music: Joy Jumping by Richard Myhill

The April Geex Book club read "Iron Widow" by Xiran Jay Zhao. It's AMAZING! For May the book is "Convenience Store Woman" by Sayaka Murata. Join the discussion the last Tuesday of the month at discord.gg/feliciaday. Check out the #geex-info channel on how to join Geex!

Edward and Declan finish off Iron Widow with a bang.  Breaking down characters and some of the running themes in this fantastic book.

t is that time again for some new ways to diversify your life! Join Victoria, Kiara, and Katalyn as they discuss the history behind Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month and Canadian Asian Heritage Month along with some excellent recs to add to your life. Please be sure to check for any trigger warnings you may have with the recommendations made. Here are the links to the recs made during the episode:Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52459864-iron-widow?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=RE07UFNQyC&rank=1 These Violent Delights/Our Violent Ends by Chloe Gong https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50892212-these-violent-delights?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=bYWZvOEsZW&rank=1 Dating Dr. Dil by Nisha Sharma https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57007401-dating-dr-dil?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=8cG0vSTbuD&rank=1 Asian American Girl Club on Instagram @asianamericangirlclub Joanne Lee Molinaro website https://thekoreanvegan.com/about Kiara's book from class - https://tupress.temple.edu/book/0993#:~:text=%22Chang%20and%20Eng%20Reconnected%20is%20the%20most%20comprehensive,in%20which%20disability%20and%20race%2Fethnicity%20are%20mutually%20constitutive Drew Afualo on TikTok @drewafualoCalpak https://www.calpaktravel.com Faceted Beauty https://www.facetedbeauty.com Cadence https://keepyourcadence.com Em Cosmetics https://www.emcosmetics.com Mount Lai https://www.mountlai.com Nguyen Coffee Supply https://nguyencoffeesupply.com Mikaele Oloa on TikTok @maugamu Here are the links to do further research:https://asianpacificheritage.gov https://www.aiisf.org https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/campaigns/asian-heritage-month/about.html Join us every Thirsty Thursday for a new episode and be sure to follow us on our socials Tiktok: thethirstycollectiveInstagram: the.thirstycollectiveTwitter: TheThirstyCollective (thirsty_co) Or join the conversation in our discord!

The Girls meet to talk again about comics - no, wait, PROSE! Jess finally convinced Erin to read Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao but for fun! She meant for it to just be a good read, but then Erin was all like "this shit is good, can we talk about it?" and Jess was like "YES PLEASE!" So we talk feminism, murder and how Iron Widow not only delivers us a power fantasy, but a compassionate look at all of those who are impacted by the institutional sexism of Huaxia. In a war-bound world, girls and boys are marched to the frontlines to serve their country using two brains to power mechas used to fight an invading alien force - but not all pilots survive. Why is it that women are sent to die and boys are sent for glory? What is it about the systems in place that justify this violence? Well, that's what we talk about. Give a listen!

It's that time of the year where Marvel releases seem to be one after the other. Katalyn is finally caught up with Marvel (we know took her long enough) and a recap is necessary to prepare for the slated releases this year. Join Victoria, Kiara, and Katalyn and special guest Melissa as they discuss theories, favorites, what brought them to the Marvel universe and clarify some confusion (but not really for Katalyn - she is perpetually lost). Nox and Luna's Instagram for the Ruhn'd crewneck @shopnoxandluna. The Thirsty Collective's monthly book club is reading Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao in May, join us in the discord to join the discussion! Please be sure to check for any trigger warnings you may have with the recommendations made. Join us every Thirsty Thursday for a new episode and be sure to follow us on our socials Tiktok: thethirstycollectiveInstagram: the.thirstycollectiveTwitter: TheThirstyCollective (thirsty_co)

Declan and Edward talk about the last part of Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao, the Way of the Dragon.  Join them for the pain and joy that this chapter puts them through.

This week, Aaron and Leyla remember that sexism is cartoonishly bad with Xiran Jay Zhao's "Iron Widow." We revisit our love of mechs, celebrate an anarchist polycule, and Leyla loses her mind a little bit because she remembers how she also Snapped one day and is also now an "unhinged bitch."   ---   Twitter: @MortifiedPod Hosts' Twitters: @aaronsxl / @leylses Hotline: ‪(775) 573-8882 Sign up for our monthly newsletter, which has additional takes and our personal recs. Our theme song is "Obsolete" by Keshco, from the album "Filmmaker's Reference Kit Volume 2." Our other projects: Aaron's TTRPGs The Bible Boys Aaron's TTRPG Reviews Astral Heart

 Declan and Edward go through Part 3- Way of the Snake of Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao and we get some feels in this part. 

For March Felicia and Bonnie Burton discuss Charlie Jane Anders' "All the Birds in the Sky"! FYI for April, we are reading "Iron Widow" by Xiran Jay Zhao. The Geex Book Club holds a live recording on the last Tuesday of the month at 6:30pm PST here: discord.gg/feliciaday Love for you to join us live! To do so check out the instructions here: https://discord.gg/QybjUPfnhS Episodes of this, and all the other GEEX hangouts are downloadable on the GEEX area of the Discord. Or you can feel free to listen here! I will be uploading the backlog of Geex Book Club episodes, there are 6 old ones, over the next month. oxox Felicia    

Voldy's besties come to greet him, and he punishes them with a monologue. Email us at restrictedsectionpod@gmail.com to tell us what you thought of The Death Eaters or even what you think of us! We'd love to read your email on the show. Be sure to subscribe to know right away about new episodes, and rate and review! SUPPORT US ON OUR PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/therestrictedsection THANK YOU LOVE YOU BUY OUR MERCH: https://www.bonfire.com/store/restrictedsectionpod/ THANK YOU LOVE YOU IG: https://www.instagram.com/restrictedsectionpod/ TW: https://twitter.com/restrictedpod FB: https://www.facebook.com/groups/rspoddetentioncrew/   Check out our other amazing Movie Night Crew Network podcasts! www.movienightcrewnetwork.com/   This episode featured: Special guest Radio Mike! TW @itsradiomike https://twitter.com/itsradiomike IG @radio.mike https://www.instagram.com/radio.mike/ Check out Mike's podcast Harry Potter and the Boys https://www.radiomike.com.au/harry-potter-and-the-boys Mike plugged Celeste http://www.celestegame.com/ Christina Kann https://linktr.ee/christinakann Christina plugged The House on the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune https://bookshop.org/a/65495/9781250217318 also Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson https://bookshop.org/a/65495/9781250318541 also Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Jhao https://bookshop.org/a/65495/9780735269934 Mary Clay Watt IG @mcturndownforwatt https://www.instagram.com/mcturndownforwatt/ TW  @mcwattsup https://twitter.com/mcwattsup Check out That's What I'm Tolkien About every Tuesday wherever you get your podcasts https://tolkienaboutpod.podbean.com/ MC plugged Only Murders in the Building https://www.hulu.com/series/only-murders-in-the-building

Declan and Edward go through Part 2- Way of the Bird of Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao and we get some feels in this part.

In This Episode: Void & BJ discuss Kirby and the Forgotten Land as well as wrapping up some thoughts on Elden Ring. Geekery includes match-3 games, Mario Tennis, The Emperor's New Groove, 1Q84, Iron Widow, Turning Red, and Book of Boba Fett. Subscribe to Our Patreon You can go to geektogeekmedia.com/patreon to support the Geek to Geek Network. We are always looking to add new value for Geek to Geek Patrons, so if there's something you would like to see, let us know! Join Our Community! Discord: discord.geektogeekmedia.com Slack: slack.geektogeekmedia.com Other Geek to Geek Media Original Content We have expanded the original content on the Geek to Geek Media website. We now have video game reviews, movie lookbacks, geeky toy rundowns, and all sorts of original blogs and livestreams. Not to mention the slate of fantastic podcasts that you know and love. Head over to geektogeekmedia.com to check it all out. Subscribe Apple Podcasts | Overcast | Pocket Casts | Spotify | RSS Feed Music by CarboHydroM --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/geektogeekcast/support

Join Declan and Edward as they open up a new book with Xiran Jay Zhao's Iron Widow. Starting with the Way of the Fox we hope you join us in reading this spectacular book. 

Airdate March 28, 2022 - Lisa Merback of Victron Printing joins us to discuss the "Sunflowers for Ukraine" support project, plus baby cold remedies, bees, family traditions, and more! www.victronprinting.com www.victronprinting.com/sunflowersukraine Books: An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green, Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao, Excellence Wins by Horst Schulze, The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin Movie: "Turning Red" by Disney/Pixar Don't forget to follow and "Like" us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter as @onlineinspired #teleteachers #podcast #sunflowers #ukraine #bees #education #familytradition #books #liveinspired #turningred #foods #coldseason #parenthood #motherhood #teched #educationtechnology #fyp #weekly

This episode's genre: chinese futurism/sci-fi/young adult Welcome to a Paper Quest ‘Side Quest'! During a side-quest episode, one of us gives a short, spoiler-free review of one of our solo reads that we have been venturing through in our quest through the infinite library! Consider supporting us on Patreon for only $1 a month! This also grants access to all episodes two days earlier than the normal drop! https://www.patreon.com/paperquest Our podcast is available wherever you prefer to listen! Our full upcoming release schedule is pinned on our Facebook! Check us out on: YouTube: Paper Quest: A Book Review Podcast https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHYJ6Qs54YEBCmdP-MeHc3w Facebook: Paper Quest Podcast https://www.facebook.com/PaperQuestPodcast Instagram: @paperquestpodcast https://www.instagram.com/paperquestpodcast/ Feel free to email us at paperquestpod@gmail.com for any questions, comments, thoughts, recommendations, and more! All feedback is welcome.

This time on the book club, we take a look at the runaway bestseller that is too angry to die

This week, Lindsay and Halle revisit the 1994 absolute delight: The Pagemaster. Between the always iconic Christopher Lloyd, our first introduction to classic stories, and some hidden literary nods, there's a lot to obsess over. Plus, stay for the end of the episode where Lindsay and Halle share their current obsessions: Peacemaker (Lindsay) and Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao (Halle).  - Follow us on Instagram here. - Rent The Pagemaster here.  - Check out Iron Widow on Goodreads here. As the Pagemaster would say... Look to the books!  - Stream Peacemaker on HBO max here.

Welcome back dear listeners to BLB, a monthly conversational podcast about two bibliophiles who like to have lively discussions about books.   In this month's Big Little Books Book Club episode, we are diving deep into the world of Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao, initially released on September 21, 2021 by Penguin Teen. It is a sci-fi/ fantasy reimaging of China's only female emperor, Wu Zetian, featuring giant mechas. As per usual with Book Club episodes, SPOILERS AHEAD. To start, we immediately dive into the story that blends ancient Chinese history and futuristic science fiction. Our discussion is about the story itself and the world building, but it also delves deeper into topics of gender, feminism, and the fact that this book is marketed as YA, something that is becoming more and more difficult to define. We had a lot of fun buddy reading this book via https://www.thestorygraph.com/, and hope you enjoy this discussion! Want to know what BLB's Book Club pick for February is? Tune in to the end of this episode (ideally after… you know, listening to entire episode first) to find out! If you think you might like to add some book club questions to the discussion, or join us in reading February's pick, send us an email at biglittlebookspod@gmail.com or DM us on Instagram @biglittlebookspod. We would love to hear from you! EXTRA NOTES CW – You might want to check out the author's content warning on their website. Even though this book is marketed as YA, it includes scenes of violence, sexual assault, torture, etc. Pronunciation – Prior to recording this episode, we practiced pronouncing the names of the characters. That said, our pronunciation is still rough at times! If you want to hear the proper pronounciation directly from Zhao, check out their YouTube video called Iron Widow – Meet the Characters. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5eW_huLBLA) It is short and sweet; a great book tease!

Laura and her friend Abbie K. (Tiktok's @Polyanarchy) talk about a variety of fiction they've read that contains CNM &polyamorous relationships, trends they see in polyamorous literature, and favorite books with polyam relationships. When Abbie (she/they) isn't writing, reading or creating content for TikTok(@Polyanarchy), she hangs out with her polycule and her two crazy dogs or helps with direct action in her community. They have been polyamorous for 4 years and practice non-hierarchical Kitchen Table Polyamory. Laura's post on Polyam in Fiction: https://www.readyforpolyamory.com/post/polyamory-in-fiction Laura's review of I am My Beloveds: https://www.readyforpolyamory.com/post/book-review-i-am-my-beloveds Laura's review of Iron Widow: https://www.readyforpolyamory.com/post/iron-widow-book-review Post including Abbie's Polyam Reading List: https://www.readyforpolyamory.com/post/podcast-season-4-episode-9-polyamory-in-fiction Links to upcoming classes and events Laura is teaching at: https://www.readyforpolyamory.com/events Links to support the podcast and blog financially, find merch, and the link to buy the book: linktr.ee/readyforpolyamory Special Guest: Abbie K.

Det är dags för en helt ny säsong av Medis Radio. För första gången på evigheter så har vi ALLA i panelen på plats och det blir massor av snack om precis allt möjligt. Martin har sett på bra film och spelat dåliga spel, Panos har äntligen spelat klart Assassin's Creed: Valhalla, Julia har läst en bok, Johan har tittat på anime, Ronya har spelat indiespel och de flesta har sett trevlig film på Netflix. Den här säsongen börjar i full fart! Lyssna på avsnittet på Spotify, Soundcloud eller där du hittar dina podcasts. Har DU något att säga till oss? Tips på något att prata om, åsikter om något vi sagt eller vill kanske bara säga hej? Skriv till oss på Facebook, följ oss på Instagram @medisradio och mejla till oss på medisradio@gmail.com Musik: Pontus Ljung

Apologies for the formatting and other issues. I had problems with the audio.  Join Dawn and Ashley as we discuss Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao  The beginning is spoiler free. Spoilers begin around 50:00

This week on the Handsell, Amanda recommends Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao. Follow the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Stitcher. This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This fortnight we're discussing “IRON WIDOW” by Xiran Jay Zhao. This is book one of a planned series. Wu Zetian wants to assassinate her sister's murderer, but finds herself in a string of mech battles working alongside Li Shimin, the strongest pilot in Huaxia. Told in Third Person with Single POV. TITLE: Iron Widow AUTHOR: Xiran Jay Zhao PUBLISHER: Penguin Teen YEAR: 2021 LENGTH: 400 pages AGE: Young Adult GENRE: Science Fiction RECOMMENDED: Highly Book TW for grief, misogyny (graphic), sexual content, alcohol, alcoholism (graphic), medical content, injury description, pregnancy (backstory), blood (graphic), vomit, suicidal thoughts, domestic abuse, child abuse, violence (graphic), torture (graphic), murder (graphic), parental death (backstory), major character death (graphic), death (graphic). Topic 1: Forced Alcoholism. Begins at (1:35), CW for alcoholism, torture, death. Topic 2: Death Machine. Begins at (10:00), CW for sexism, misogyny, death. Topic 3: Invasion. Begins at (21:15), CW for death. Promo for RMC vs CG; Spoiler-free wrap-up and ratings: Begins at (31:25). --- If you'd like to make a monthly donation, please check us out on Patreon. To make a one-time donation please support us on Ko-Fi. For fortnightly news and updates, as well as links to recent written reviews, subscribe to our newsletter. You can check out Robin's written review of the book at Reviews That Burn.  Find all our links on our Carrd. Music provided by HeartBeatArt and is used with permission. Members of the Certain Point of View network of podcasts.

Welcome back to Big Little Books, and cheers to the New Year! Hot of the press, it's our last BLB episode of 2021. This past year wasn't the greatest, looking a lot like 2020, but it was a great year for books. Published one year ago today, Firekeeper's Daughter is a memorable YA thriller about an indigenous teen seeking to root out corruption in her community. This debut novel from author Angeline Boulley was selected for November book club, and we've included a few snippets from last month's Book Bangers discussion. This is a powerful book most of us breezed through, and it gave us lots to talk about. So much so that we decided to centre an entire BLB episode around it. We hope you enjoy the occasional dog barking and crackling outdoor fire sounds throughout this episode. Evidently, there's still plenty for us to learn about recording in the year ahead! Special thanks to Book Bangers for letting us record our book club discussion with scarce warning. BLB has an exciting lineup for 2022! With YA still on our minds, our next episode features Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao, something you'll most definitely want to tune in for. We are especially excited to share something we've been working on for the pod, set to be released this Friday on Instagram @biglittlebookspod! Want to know what's coming ASAP? Somewhere around the end of this episode, we spill the beans. Happy reading! Email us: biglittlebookspod@gmail.com

NYT bestselling YA author Xiran Jay Zhao (@XiranJayZhao) joins me to talk about her new book, Iron Widow, a Pacific Rim meets Handmaiden's tale sci-fi retelling of the story of Wu Zetian. Co-hosting is ChinaTalk's editor Callan Quinn (@quinnishvili).We discuss:Chinese history Easter eggs in Iron WidowGoing viral and Youtube China contentHow censorship is stifling creativity in C-dramasWhy Xiran thinks Confucius was an arseholeLink to Iron Widow:https://www.amazon.com/Iron-Widow-Xiran-Jay-Zhao/dp/0735269939Rhodium' careers site: https://rhg.com/careers/Outtro Music: Lexie Liu's Manta: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fvUnPl5_BA Get bonus content on Patreon See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

NYT bestselling YA author Xiran Jay Zhao (@XiranJayZhao) joins me to talk about her new book, Iron Widow, a Pacific Rim meets Handmaiden's tale sci-fi retelling of the story of Wu Zetian. Co-hosting is ChinaTalk's editor Callan Quinn (@quinnishvili).We discuss:Chinese history Easter eggs in Iron WidowGoing viral and Youtube China contentHow censorship is stifling creativity in C-dramasWhy Xiran thinks Confucius was an arseholeLink to Iron Widow:https://www.amazon.com/Iron-Widow-Xiran-Jay-Zhao/dp/0735269939Rhodium' careers site: https://rhg.com/careers/Outtro Music: Lexie Liu's Manta: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fvUnPl5_BA Get bonus content on Patreon See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

NYT bestselling YA author Xiran Jay Zhao (@XiranJayZhao) joins me to talk about her new book, Iron Widow, a Pacific Rim meets Handmaiden's tale sci-fi retelling of the story of Wu Zetian. Co-hosting is ChinaTalk's editor Callan Quinn (@quinnishvili).We discuss:Chinese history Easter eggs in Iron WidowGoing viral and Youtube China contentHow censorship is stifling creativity in C-dramasWhy Xiran thinks Confucius was an arseholeLink to Iron Widow:https://www.amazon.com/Iron-Widow-Xiran-Jay-Zhao/dp/0735269939Rhodium' careers site: https://rhg.com/careers/Outtro Music: Lexie Liu's Manta: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fvUnPl5_BA Get bonus content on Patreon See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

NYT bestselling YA author Xiran Jay Zhao (@XiranJayZhao) joins me to talk about her new book, Iron Widow, a Pacific Rim meets Handmaiden's tale sci-fi retelling of the story of Wu Zetian. Co-hosting is ChinaTalk's editor Callan Quinn (@quinnishvili).We discuss:Chinese history Easter eggs in Iron WidowGoing viral and Youtube China contentHow censorship is stifling creativity in C-dramasWhy Xiran thinks Confucius was an arseholeLink to Iron Widow:https://www.amazon.com/Iron-Widow-Xiran-Jay-Zhao/dp/0735269939Rhodium' careers site: https://rhg.com/careers/Outtro Music: Lexie Liu's Manta: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fvUnPl5_BA Get bonus content on Patreon See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this episode, we have the chance to sit down with Xiran Jay Zhao, author of the instant #1 New York Times Bestseller, Iron Widow! This interview is SPOILER-FREE, although we definitely recommend checking out Iron Widow. Our Special Guest: Xiran Jay Zhao (@xiranjayzhao on Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube) For more information about Xiran visit: https://xiranjayzhao.com/ Check out Iron Widow: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52459864-iron-widow?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=MYPA2akJbU&rank=1 All about Iron Widow: Pacific Rim meets The Handmaid's Tale in this blend of Chinese history and mecha science fiction for YA readers. Iron Widow follows 18-year-old Wu Zetian who offers herself up as a concubine-pilot, not to earn her family some money but to avenge the pilot responsible for her sister's death. She knows anyone signing up is essentially signing their death warrant and has made her peace with it— vengeance over survival. Follow us on Instagram: Pooji (@pa.readers) & Maya (@maya.reads.too.much) For more information visit : https://linktr.ee/EnchantedPagesPod

Here we go, people of the podcast - the books and their links. I've linked through Blackwells, because I used to love Heffers (part of the same chain) when I was in Cambridge.  Do obviously feel free to support your local bookshop. KSR: The Ministry for the Futurehttps://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/product/The-Ministry-for-the-Future-by-Kim-Stanley-Robinson/9780356508863/Cory Doctorow - Walkawayhttps://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/product/Walkaway-by-Cory-Doctorow/978178669307/Victoria Goddard The Hands of the Emperor https://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/product/The-Hands-of-the-Emperor-by-Goddard-Victoria/9781988908144Mick Herron SLOUGH HOUSE - 7th Jackson Lamb thrillerhttps://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/product/Slough-House-by-Mick-Herron/9781529378665/Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao https://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/product/Iron-Widow-by-Xiran-Jay-Zhao/9780861542093Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff https://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/product/Fates-and-Furies-by-Lauren-Groff/9780099592532NON-FICTION Davids Graeber and Wengrow - THE DAWN OF EVERYTHING : a new history of Humanity https://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/product/The-Dawn-of-Everything-by-David-Graeber-D-Wengrow/9780241402429/TAMSIN OMOND: Do/Earth: Healing strategies for humankindhttps://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/product/Do-Earth-by-Tamsin-Omond/9781914168000/All We Can Save, edited by Ayana Elizabeth Johnson and Katherine K Wilkinson https://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/product/All-We-Can-Save-by-Ayana-Elizabeth-Johnson-editor-Katharine-K-Wilkinson-editor/9780593237083Finding the Mother Tree https://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/product/Finding-the-Mother-Tree-by-S-Simard/9780241389348/Tomorrow is too late - Grace Maddrell https://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/product/Tomorrow-Is-Too-Late-by-Grace-Maddrell/9781911648321/The Future Earth - Eric Holthaushttps://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/product/The-Future-Earth-by-Eric-Holthaus/9780062883162/Recapture the Rapture - Jamie Whealhttps://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/product/Recapture-the-Rapture-by-Jamie-Wheal/9780062905468/Mariana Mazzucato Mission Economy https://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/product/Mission-Economy-by-Mariana-Mazzucato/9780241419731PODCASTSThe Hive: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-hive-podcast/id1387510537/Upstream: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/upstream/id1082594532/Emerge: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/emerge-making-sense-of-whats-next/id1057220344/Frontiers of Commoning: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/frontiers-of-commoning-with-david-bollier/id1501085005/Outrage and Optimism: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/outrage-optimism/id1459416461/What Could Possibly Go Right: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/what-could-possibly-go-right/id1520465627/Your Undivided Attention: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/your-undivided-attention/id1460030305/EcoCiv : https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-ecociv-podcast/id1511996189/Farmerama: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/farmerama/id1031542491/Farm Gate: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/farm-gate/id1490590788/The Lodge Cast: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-lodge-cast/id1530950902/Reasons to be Cheerful: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/reasons-to-be-cheerful-with-ed-miliband-and-geoff-lloyd/id1287081706/Tom and Thelma Look Left: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/thelma-and-tom-look-left/id1553737688/

Are you ready for Bookstacked's final book club discussion of the year? Xiran Jay Zhao's debut novel, Iron Widow, rocked the YA book world at the beginning of the fall season which gave us plenty of reason to choose it as our third book club pick for 2021. An exciting sci-fi fantasy, this book challenges readers' expectations by adding exciting twists to tired YA tropes while challenging the problematic aspects of today's society, especially where patriarchal systems and misogyny are concerned. This episode is sponsored by Libro.fm. Buy audiobooks while supporting your local bookstore. Libro.fm has a special offer for Bookstacked readers. Get TWO audiobooks for the price of one with your first month of membership when using the code Bookstacked. Click here to get started. Related Links: YA book tropes are lame — but not really Get In Touch: Let your voice be heard! There are several ways you can get in touch with us and interact with the show. Your messages might be included in a future episode! Record and send us a voice message! Follow and talk to us through Twitter! Send us an old-fashioned email! Follow the hosts: Saul Marquez: @SAULMARQ Spencer Miller: @SpencerBMiller (Twitter), @yacanadabooks (Instagram) Kristy Mauna: @krissssm (Twitter), @krissssm (Instagram)

This week we watched episode 4 of Doom At Your Service with special guest Micha from Below Freezing. Robby searches in vain for Kirsten Dunst, Michael is living and dying in this beauty mark, and Micha didn't google him and look at his face a lot. Check out Micha's recommendation: Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao https://xiranjayzhao.com/index.php/iron-widow-free-pdf-sample/ K-BAE is part of the Frolic Podcast Network. You can find more outstanding podcasts to subscribe to at Frolic.media/podcasts!

We're closing out the year with a final book club pick: Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao. As with all our book club picks, we're focusing on books that highlight underrepresented authors, characters and issues. We've already read two powerful books in 2021: Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas and Legendborn by Tracy Deonn. We're excited to continue with this science-fiction YA novel from a debut author. About Iron Widow: The boys of Huaxia dream of pairing up with girls to pilot Chrysalises, giant transforming robots that can battle the mecha aliens that lurk beyond the Great Wall. It doesn't matter that the girls often die from the mental strain. When 18-year-old Zetian offers herself up as a concubine-pilot, it's to assassinate the ace male pilot responsible for her sister's death. But she gets her vengeance in a way nobody expected—she kills him through the psychic link between pilots and emerges from the cockpit unscathed. She is labeled an Iron Widow, a much-feared and much-silenced kind of female pilot who can sacrifice boys to power up Chrysalises instead.​ To tame her unnerving yet invaluable mental strength, she is paired up with Li Shimin, the strongest and most controversial male pilot in Huaxia​. But now that Zetian has had a taste of power, she will not cower so easily. She will miss no opportunity to leverage their combined might and infamy to survive attempt after attempt on her life, until she can figure out exactly why the pilot system works in its misogynist way—and stop more girls from being sacrificed.

A rising star of British photography, Kemka Ajoku talks about how his English and Nigerian roots have shaped his outlook. He tells us why he focuses on telling Black British stories and how he handles racist responses to his work. Linton Kwesi Johnson's unflinching political poems about police brutality, social injustice and protest have made him an inspiration for a generation of poets. But whose words inspired him as a young writer? Linton shares with us how the work of Martin Carter fired his imagination and his passion for poetry. Xiran Jay Zhao's New York Times best-selling debut novel Iron Widow has been described as Pacific Rim meets The Handmaid's Tale. It tells the story of 18-year-old Zetian, the pilot of a giant robot, who is battling both an insidious patriarchy and menacing alien beings that lurk beyond the Great Wall of China. Xiran reveals how their experiences as a first generation Chinese immigrant and as a non-binary writer have influenced their work. Presented by Megha Mohan. (Photo: 'Gestural Greetings' by Kemka Ajoku. Credit: Kemka Ajoku)

On this episode, we chat with debut author Xiran Jay Zhao about their debut novel Iron Widow, a Sci-Fi/Fantasy re-imagining of Chinese Empress Wu Zetian's rise to power in an Asian inspired world with giant monsters and fantastical mechas. Pitched as Pacific Rim meets The Handmaid's Tale, Iron WIdow tells the story of how a driven and rage-filled girl from the sticks rises through the ranks as a giant robot pilot and takes on the space patriarchy. We chat with Xiran about their journey to becoming a published author, their inspirations for writing Iron Widow, and what is up with that cow onesie?Follow Xiran on twitter at @xiranjayzhao and check out their book Iron Widow on sale now!*Buy the book & support the podcast at our bookshop *---Books and Boba Merch is on sale not! Check out our official apparel & tote bags at: https://www.bonfire.com/store/booksandboba/Pre-orders for this first run close on October 21.---Follow our hosts:Reera Yoo (@reeraboo)Marvin Yueh (@marvinyueh)Follow us:FacebookTwitterGoodreads GroupThe Books & Boba October 2021 pick is The Inugami Curse by Seishi YokomizoThis podcast is part of Potluck: An Asian American Podcast Collective

Iron Widow By Xiran Jay Zhao | Book Review Podcast Website: https://gobookmart.com/blog/ Buy Now: https://amzn.to/3FDWgxe "[An] incredible novel, fun and exciting, sometimes horrible to read, but in all the ways that make you fall in love with a character." —Tor.com "Like its ferocious heroine, Iron Widow is brutal, bloodthirsty, and full of rage. Zetian's fight to shatter patriarchal definitions of power makes for a truly thrilling read." —Julie C. Dao, author of Forest of a Thousand Lanterns "A primal scream of a book, Iron Widow delivers on all that fury and more, combining meticulous pacing and brilliant world building to make a truly epic read." —E.K. Johnston, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Aetherbound “Zetian is the take-no-prisoners heroine you'll love to cheer on as she crushes everyone who tries to bring her down.” —Rebecca Schaeffer, author of Not Even Bones "A bold and brash story that will grab you by the throat from page one. Zhao expertly weaves a story that polishes off classic sci-fi themes and re-imagines them in a lush futuristic world inspired by Ancient China. With an unapologetic heroine who pushes so far beyond the boundaries of expectations, the reader will go on a journey of twists and turns that will make them gasp with each page turn. Thrilling, heart-wrenching, and epic!” —Kat Cho, internationally bestselling author of Vicious Spirits "In Iron Widow, Zhao crafts a thrilling, brutal tale with jaw-dropping action and a fierce and unyielding heroine. Zetian is unstoppable, and I dare you not to cheer her on." —Elizabeth Lim, bestselling author of Spin the Dawn "Iron Widow is a gut punch from the very first pages. The action is riveting. The story relentless. The heroine ruthless and unapologetic. Zetian is here to set the world on fire, and her pursuit of vengeance is thrilling and empowering to behold. Sit back and enjoy the show—and stay the hell out of her way." —Nicki Pau Preto, author of Crown of Feathers "A searing, cinematic, gut-punch of a tale, Iron Widow is both wickedly fun and brutally incisive when it comes to the Chinese history and culture it draws inspiration from. There's no resisting Wu Zetian; once she sinks her claws in you, you'll be racing alongside her to a shocking, subversive end." —Joan He, New York Times–bestselling author of The Ones We're Meant to Find "Absolutely epic. This is the historical-inspired, futuristic sci-fi mash-up of my wildest dreams. Iron Widow charges headfirst into a world of giant mechas and uncompromising characters. The brutal beauty of Xiran Jay Zhao's writing kept me glued to the page from start to finish." —Chloe Gong, New York Times–bestselling author of These Violent Delights --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/gobookmart-review/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/gobookmart-review/support

Iron Widow is Pacific Rim meeting The Handmaid's Tale. It's also a deeply flawed book that people seem to love. We break down the dichotomy.

Today we're discussing Iron Widow, a futuristic novel that brings to life one of China's most empowering figures, Wu Zetian. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/cyns-workshop/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/cyns-workshop/support

Travis interviews author Xiran Jay Zhao about their debut novel, Iron Widow. Pacific Rim meets The Handmaid's Tale in this science fantasy reimagining of the only female emperor in Chinese history. Iron Widow releases September 21 from Penguin Teen! Xiran and Travis discuss the book's anime inspiration, Chinese history and mythology, and Batman's dietary preferences. Xiran Jay Zhao Recommends: The First Sister by Linden A. Lewis Jade Fire Gold by June CL Tan Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan About Xiran Jay Zhao: Xiran Jay Zhao is a first-gen immigrant from small-town China who was raised by the Internet. A recent graduate of Vancouver's Simon Fraser University, they wrote science fiction and fantasy while they probably should have been studying more about biochemical pathways. You can find them on Twitter for memes, Instagram for cosplays and fancy outfits, and YouTube for long videos about Chinese history and culture. Iron Widow is their first novel. Their website is xiranjayzhao.com. Find Us Online: Blog Discord Twitter Instagram Support Us: Become a Patron Buy Us a Coffee Music: Intro: "The Legend of Iya" courtesy of https://philter.no Outro: "A Quest Unfolds" courtesy of https://philter.no This episode of The Fantasy Inn podcast was recorded in the unceded territory of the S'atsoyaha (Yuchi) and ᏣᎳᎫᏪᏘᏱ Tsalaguwetiyi (Eastern Cherokee Band) peoples. Some of the links included in these show notes are affiliate links and support the podcast at no additional cost to you. If it's an option for you, we encourage you to support your local bookstores! The blog post accompanying this episode can be found at https://thefantasyinn.com, along with fantasy book reviews, author interviews, and more fantasy content.

We continue our preview show of books we are excited to read this Fall, and we talk about our reading goals for the rest of the year. Books mentioned in this episode: Nice Girl by Catherine Dang, Aristotle and Dante Dive Into the Waters of the World by Benjamin Alire Sáenz, Win Me Something by Kyle Lucia Wu, The Corpse Queen by Heather Herrman, Chronicles from the Land of the Happiest People on Earth by Wole Soyinka, The Death of Jane Lawrence by Caitlin Starling, Hunting by Stars by Cherie Dimaline, Our Violent Ends by Chloe Gong, Among Thieves by M.J. Kuhn, and Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/keepitfictional/message

“Lightning strikes, you fear; rainbow appears, you are amazed; the sun rises, you relax; flood comes, you run away! Nature is like an amazing actor that exists to give you all kinds of emotions!” ― Mehmet Murat ildan Welcome to our Science Moment this week! We're about to get.. ELECTRIFYING. Today we are going to be talking about LIGHTNING! This is a pretty complicated topic but I did my best trying to break it down for you. J. Daae is going to break down what is electricity, how does an atom become negatively or positively charged, how does lightning form in clouds, how thunder works, the different types of lightning out there and how to avoid being struck! On every episode J & Lesly feature something they’re loving right now called a Double Feature. We call it our DOUBLE FEATURE because there's two of us and we wanna feature some sh*t. ☺ It can be a podcast, tv show, music, book or anything! Our Double Feature for this episode is Shea Couleé's new podcast called Wanna Be On Top? and buy her merch!, and the chinese author Xiran Jay Zhao and her new book Iron Widow (based on the only female emperor of China) and her youtube page! We hope you enjoy this solo science episode because there’s nothing I love more than talking about science. Thank you do much to those of you who stick around and listen to J rant about his science interests. Lep dan ti želim !! —————————————————— Did we mention we made a Spotify Playlist? Check it out! New playlist every month! FOLLOW US on INSTAGRAM @HomoInTraining Show us some LOVE on Facebook! LIKE & FOLLOW our page! EMAIL us what science facts you wanna learn: HomoInTrainingPodcast@gmail.com —————————————————— Lightning Youtube Videos: Into the Ordinary: What is electricity? Electricity Explained, Pecos Hank: HOW LIGHTNING WORKS - Weird World of Lightning, Mr. DeMaio: Thunder and Lightning Explained, ABC Australia: Blue jets, Sprites and Elves, Pecos Hank: Red Sprites and Blue Jets Explained and SciShow: Sprites, Jets, and Glowing Balls: The Science of Lightning —————————————————— Audio Credit: ANTM - Wanna Be On Top audio Futurama - Zapp vs the Neutrals Music Credit: Purple Planet - Time to Dream —————————————————— --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/homointraining/message

The CDB Crew is back! Yes it's only been a week, but what a week it's been. Darci chose Waves by Ingrid Chabbert, Carole Maurel, Edward Gauvin, and Deron Bennett (BOOM/Archaia) for our main subject, and yes there is a content warning for anything that has to do with pregnancy and childbirth. It's a great conversation overall and we hope you enjoy. Other books talked about this week: Swim Team by Johnnie Christmas (Harper Alley); The Stone King by Kel McDonald and Tyler Crook (Comixology); Miss Quinces by Kat Fajardo (Scoolastic); Adora and the Distance by Marc Benardin, Ariela Kristantina Bryan Valenza and Bernardo Brice (Comixology); Grim #1 by Stephanie Phillips, Flaviano, Rico Renzi, Tom Napolitano (BOOM); Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao; and Good Luck #1 by Matthew Erman, Stefano Simeone, and Mike Florentino (Boom! Studios)Comics Deserve Better is a weekly podcast hosted by Brian, Carrie, Darci and Richard which covers the world of Independent Comics. For a list of episodes, socials and emails, and to request a topic for a future episode please visit comicsdeservebetter.wordpress.com.(Episode Art by Carole Maurel and Intro Music provided by https://www.bensound.com/)