I often see TWSBI fountain pens recommended to new fountain pen users as a good,
inexpensive pen. Many are sold with silicone grease and a wrench, all have
instructions for filling and cleaning, and they have a number of nib options.
The ink capacity is large, and TWSBI offers warranty support. Which many users
discover that they need.
The pens are constructed of a fairly heavy, brittle plastic. The tool and
instructions imply that you can open the pen and service it, but for many it is
too easy to over tighten and break a pen. You won’t service your own pen? Even
so, your pen may still develop cracks.
I’ve owned three TWSBI Diamond 540/580 pens, and all three developed cracks at
one point or another. Mine were on the cap or section, and I found that a
redesigned pen or warranty repair parts were just as likely to crack as not.
Against my better judgment I purchased a TWSBI mini, and time will tell how that
fares. But in general, I recommend folks reconsider TWSBI pens and look for
something more reliable.
Nausicaä is lost to the world, believing that she died with the Ohmu. But she
must face a darkness in her mind before she can be free. Meanwhile her
companions and friends race to find her before another war starts.
What I enjoy most about Nausicaä as a character is that she is powerful because
she is caring. Her strength is derived from listening to plants, people, and
creatures; and helping each to the extent that she can, often at great risk to
herself.
I feel that Miyazaki does great credit in depicting Nausicaä as strong using her
innate feminine-coded traits. That is, Miyazaki doesn’t fall into depicting
Nausicaä as strong in spite of her caring nature; he avoids her adopting
masculine traits on her journey.
I find that is very compelling for depicting the heroine’s journey.
Inti is in Scotland to reintroduce wolves. A run-in with a neighbor convinces
Inti that the neighbor is abusing his wife. Later, when she discovers his dead
body, she’s determined to find the killer before the wolves that she protects
are harmed.
A mystery that also delves into the long-lasting effects of domestic abuse.
Recommended.
Nausicaä heads to the spot where three giant molds will converge to await the
Ohmu. Yupa tries to prevent escalating war, and discovers that more horrors may
yet be unleashed.
My Pelikan m205 is a bit drab. I purchased a taupe-colored pen on sale; in
retrospect, it’s nice for it’s understated, non-flashy appeal. And, honestly, I
was happy to get the pen for less than its usual cost.
Aside from looks, I have a love-hate relationship with the pen. As my first
big-purchase pen, I had high hopes that it would amaze and delight. I enjoyed
it’s bouncy nature, and I wanted to love it. But it felt scratchy, as if it were
digging into the paper, so I set it aside for a long while.
I’ve come back to it with knowledge on checking tine alignment and performing
minor adjustments, and I feel that today it is a decent writer. I enjoy that it
has an ink window, that it isn’t ostentatious, and I appreciate its rather
understated design. However, I don’t enjoy its small grip. And no matter how
much I write with it, I can’t get out of my head that it once was a scratchy
writer; I keep waiting for it to dig into my paper again.
As far as pens go, I like how it looks, even if it appears drab. I appreciate
that it isn’t flashy, and that if I wanted to, I can find many other colors
available in the m205 line. It features a nib and feed that are easy to swap,
very similar to bygone Esterbrook model J pens, with a nib and feed unit that
you unscrew to remove from the pen.
On the other hand, I admit that I regularly reach for less-expensive pens
without bouncy nibs. A first among many lessons, this pen helped me understand
that a more expensive pen doesn’t necessarily mean a more enjoyable pen.
Amanda Briars is a spinster novelist that hires a prostitute to finally figure
out what all of the fuss is about. Unbeknownst to her, the person that shows up
is Jack Devlin, a notorious London publisher. They seem to develop a
relationship until their last expected parting Jack essentially rapes Amanda,
impregnating her.
I don’t feel that there was much chemistry between Amanda and Jack, and the more
forceful encounters or Jack assuring Amanda that she likes what he’s doing don’t
sell their relationship for me.
Three childhood friends make a pact and a bond as sisters to discover their
futures. Learning that they are linked and that one of the three clouds all of
their futures is more than any of them bargained for.
Intrigue, drama, and twists throughout this book. I enjoyed it and highly
recommend it!
Chad briefly covers the history of pinball development and its early challenges
before covering its contemporary challenges and resurgence.
An entertaining history!
Nausicaä uncovers a plot to modify spores that spread incredibly fast. Realizing
that a bad situation is about become more dire, Nausicaä makes an escape in an
attempt to stave off certain disaster.
Full of intrigue, this series continues to deliver fast-paced action and
adventure.
Authors: Nagle, Giovannini, Foster, Buenaventura, Temofonte
Rating: 5-star
Publisher: Kymera Press
Leon is an engineered cat: highly intelligent, talkative, with opposable
thumbs. As an undercover security agent, he must be careful who he speaks
around. As a cat, no one suspects that he’s an agent.
I enjoyed the stories in this volume, Leon’s investigative work, and how he gets
himself into sticky situations.
I recommend it!