#2021 reads

[elektramouthed]

 I told him it was about meaning, and he suggested, very politely, that might be a kind of psychosis.  ‘You think meaning is psychosis?’  ‘An obsession with meaning, at the expense of the ordinary shape of life, might be understood as psychosis, yes.’  ‘I do not accept that life has an ordinary shape, or that there is anything ordinary about life at all. We make it ordinary, but it is not.'  [...] I said, ‘How would you define psychosis?’  He wrote on a piece of paper with his pencil:  Psychosis: out of touch with reality.  Since then, I have been trying to find out what reality is, so that I can touch it.

Jeanette Winterson, from Lighthousekeeping

#jeanette winterson #lighthousekeeping #fiction #prose #novels #2021 reads

[ram-reads]

Blue Flag was the perfect book to end the year on. The manga follows a third year high schooler named Taichi Ichinose. One day he decides to help the shy girl from his class, Futaba Kuze, even though he doesn’t like her because she reminds him of himself. That leads to him finding out she has a crush on the popular guy in school, Toma Mita, who happens to be his childhood best friend that he is no longer close with. After seeing how determined she is, Taichi agrees to help her and as he helps her he starts to fall for her. Unbeknownst to both of them though is that Toma actually has a crush on Taichi and Futaba’s best friend, Masumi Itachi, has a crush on her. I absolutely loved this story. I was invested from beginning to end. All of the characters were so lovable. Taichi was a great protagonist. He’s a little pessimistic, but I like seeing negative people become more positive. Futaba was so adorable. Her eagerness to grow and achieve her goal was inspiring. Toma was a sweetheart. Watching him try so hard to continue to be friends with Taichi, who believes they live in two different worlds, made my heart ache. He has such a good heart for a jock. Masumi was admittedly kind of a jerk, but I still ended up liking her because of how protective she is of Futaba. I hope she’s as prominent in the story as the other three. For someone who doesn’t like love triangles I’m enjoying this one so far. It helps that it’s not obnoxious and that I like all the characters. The way I would prefer it to go is Taichi ending up with Toma (that bus scene!) and Futaba ending up with Masumi (I’m a sucker for protective characters). I would love to see two queer couples be the main relationships in a shoujo manga. I’m gonna keep my expectations low though because I’m sure with Taichi already falling for Futaba they’ll end up together. Both of them are great too, so if they are endgame I won’t be too salty. The art was great. I liked how most of the character designs felt original. After reading a lot of shoujo manga it starts to seem like there are many similarities between the main characters of each, but this manga managed to avoid that. Both Futaba and Taichi were such little cuties. Futaba was often compared to a hamster and it definitely worked. I loved the height difference between them and Toma because he is a giant. I’m glad this was the last book I read in 2021 because it had everything I wanted. I want to read volume 2 right away but only if I can get my hands on a physical copy. Why am I only reading manga that my store doesn’t have volume 2 of? This is the second one this month. Why am I doing this to myself? I definitely plan on snatching it up as soon as it comes in though.

#book review #book reviews #manga review #manga reviews #diverse books #blue flag #viz manga #booklr #book recs #manga recs #book recommendations #manga recommendations #lgbt+ books #diverse reads #2021 reads #5 stars #my reviews #*casually leaves this review from 2021 and disappears again*

[thoughtfulfangirling]

I didn't expect to read more this year than I did last, but so far, I'm way ahead of schedule for reading more books than I did last year. Granted though, I know I've had some shorter books. I've done mroe nonfiction this year, and those tend to seem to run 300 or less pages.

Let's see some actual stats hmm.

2021: 62 books read, 34% books were <300 pages, 56% 300-499 pages, and 10% 500+ pages read

2022: 60 boos read (so far): 33% <300 pages, 57% 300-499 pages, 10% 500+ pages.

Huh, very similar stats. Okay yeah, just reading a fair amount more this year. I'm pleased.

I really liked the 'let people choose books for me to read' thing I did this year. It was nice to try some stuff I normally wouldn't touch. I'm wondering if maybe next year I might once again steal ideas off Doc and see if there are any people who would actually like to pitch me books and I can make every so many books be one of those reads (unless I have a theme for a month like spooks for October). Just wondering if anyone would actually send me stuff XD

#tf reads #books #2021 reads #2022 reads #2023 reads #la de da #just musings #tfgoc

[imusuallysweet]

2021: Top 25 Reads

#2021 reads #top 25 reads #2021 #talia hibbert #ella maise #kristen callihan #runyx #danielle lori #mariana zapata #megan goldin #mark edwards #angie hockman #elena armas #elizabeth o’roark #vi keeland #penelope ward #helena hunting #for my info

[twilight-trackss]

my beloved divorcees

#brutalia #talia al ghul #bruce wayne #damian wayne #batman #robin #dc #dcu #dc comics #i read robin (2021) a while back and their whole bizarre custody battle is genuinely the funniest thing ever. what is wrong with them

[welcometogrouchland]

[ID in ALT] I've made posts before about Talia/Dick co-parenting Damian moments (will never happen but let me dream) and this came to me in a vision. Took me ages to finish for some reason 😭 and then even longer to post

#dc comics #dc #damian wayne #dick grayson #talia al ghul #batfamily #dc robin #nightwing #anyway. yes im a self-indulgent ''dick as damians secret third parent'' truther #like i DO think it's way more complex and nuanced than the schmoopy affectionate fan portrayal of it #they're brothers they're father and son they're partners they're the dynamic duo except only in past tense etc etc #but consider! I'm not immune to schmoopy affection in fanworks. it compells me despite itself #anyway it's technically not that crazy when it comes to dick and damian. they hug! often! at least they did #it's not as big a leap to these types of scenarios #also talia ''somewhat absent for complex reasons on both her and damians part but very loving and loved by her son'' al ghul #you will always be famous to me #son of the demon origin...bwahhh #anyway. someone made a comic kind of like this/like a post i made abt this topic #but way funnier bc dick and talia starting trying to beat each other up #so go look at that as well #anyway. it's been a somewhat difficult few weeks so I'm. desperately trying to take it easy #i got some reading with me (first vol of kevin smiths GA run that i found second hand and jaimes BB run vol 2!) #so we'll see how far i get through those. considering there's demons in my head telling me to re-read things (LET ME OUT!!!) #when i finish GA and BB i do plan on rereading robin 2021. as a treat to myself #it's a run I've really warmed up to as time went on #I'm keeping up w/ the current b&r run even though it is. admittedly very slow w/ some weird dialogue #i read it for the damian content more than anything. also nikas back so that's neat :] #idk I have a feeling that after absolute power shakes out we might get some more creative team switch ups #so if anyone at dc is interested in taking over the reigns on b&r...that could be very neat #(it's me they should hire me. please DC i have ideas listen to my red hood pitch PLEASE-)

[artemistics]

Paul swallowed. The figure in front of him turned into the moon's path and he saw an elfin face, black pits of eyes. The familiarity of that face, the features out of numberless visions in his earliest prescience, shocked Paul to stillness. He remembered the angry bravado with which he had once described this face-from-a-dream, telling the Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam: "I will meet her." And here was the face, but in no meeting he had ever dreamed.

#dune #dune part one #dune part 1 #dune 2021 #paul atreides #chani kynes #chani #paul x chani #paulchani #denis villeneuve #filmedit #literatureedit #zendaya #timothée chalamet #timothee chamalet #duneedit #palegifs #paletmblr #blackandwhiteedit #mine #i cannot wait until i get my hands on the bluray of dune 2 and an onlinehd version so i can gif it #gonna read messiah bc i am going thru dune withdrawls already! #frank herbert

[thefallingdownthebookhole]

Ten Lords A Leaping Blogmas 2022

🎶 Ten Lords A Leaping Book Tag 🎶 What books do you associate with some of the holiday classics? #blogmas #booktag

I ‘ve been doing this tag over the last few years and figured might as well keep the tradition alive and complete the Ten Lords A Leaping Blogmas 2022 since I skipped it last year! I originally saw this tag posted over on Book Hooked Nook where Sarah created this Christmas Book Tag! Check out my post from two years ago Ten Lords a Leaping Book Tag 2020 . I am going to base this book tag off all…

View On WordPress

#2021 reads #blogmas #blogmas 2021 #book tag #ten lords a leaping book tag

[jiiyawns]

based off the new sonic pict mistranslation but also bc why not. new shoes for him that remind him of someone always

#there was a second completely separate sketch i had with this before i just #shadow the hedgehog #this was supposed to be a doodle idk man ...... whatever...................look at him #sonic the hedgehog #sonic #sth #READ THE SONIC CHANNEL STORY TOO ESP THE 2021 ONE ... MISSION STREET HAS A PERFECT VIEW OF THE ARK JUST ONCE A YEAR.... #fanart #draw

[duu-kiwi]

I bet aziraphale wrote about the day the universe was made, about the angel whose voice recited the words that created the stars, about how bright they shone, and still shine, in those angel eyes✨🪐

Here you have some detailss and a cropped version with just!! them!!!

edit: prints link !

#Good Omens #good omens fanart #good omens season 2 #there is something something abt the diary(?) that aziraphale writes #that theyve might wrote abt that time too #and i also thought abt the possibility that crowley will found and read them someday #i had like three separate pieces that make this concept a bit more linear? im really excited because i had a really fun time making this #it was challenging but oh so regarding to make a full piece since 2021 #anyways i really love them and they have inspired me to push myself a little further so im really grateful for that #also FOR THIS SECOND SEASON THAT NO ONE HAD THE RIGHT TO MAJE IT THST GUTGRENCHING AND FUNNY AND GOOD?!?! #aziraphale #crowley #ineffable husbands #fanart #art #aziracrow #angel crowley my beloved #i hope i nailed the love at first sight eyes on aziraphale bc that was what happened there right? #artists on tumblr #good omens 2 #angel crowley #myart

[oneshotprincess]

damian wayne reading shoujo manga is something that can be so personal...(to me)

#how can ppl be mean to him he is just?? babie?? #damian wayne #robin #batfam #batman #damian al ghul #robin 2021 #princess reads comics #mine

[elektramouthed]

 Because the light is not something you see, exactly. You don’t look at it, or breathe, you feel a pressure but you don’t look. It is like being in the same room as a man you love. Other people are in the room. He may be smoking a cigarette. And you know you are not strong enough to look at him (yet) although the fact that he is there, silent and absent beside a thin wisp of cigarette smoke, hammers you. You rest your chin on your hand, like a saint on a pillar. Moments elongate and drop. A radiance is hitting your skin from somewhere, every nerve begins to burn outward through the surface, your lungs float in a substance like rage, sweet as rage, no!—don’t look. Something falling from your mouth like bits of rust.

Anne Carson, from Plainwater: Essays and Poetry

#anne carson #plainwater: essays and poetry #nonfiction #poetry #2021 reads

[ram-reads]

Blue Period follows Yatora Yaguchi, a high schooler who has no passions and is just going through the motions. His only goal in life is to get into a good college and pursue a career where he’ll earn a lot of money, but that goal is just to keep his parents happy. He holds absolutely no interest in art until one day his art teacher motivates him to use his art as a way to communicate how he feels. When he does that he ends up loving how it makes him feel and for the first time in his life he becomes passionate about something. So begins his life of increasing his skills in the art club to prepare for the entrance exams for the Tokyo University of the Arts, the most competitive art school in Japan. I ended up liking this manga a lot more than I thought I would. I was immediately drawn in by Yaguchi’s predicament. I believe everyone always feels the pressure in high school of choosing a career path that is typically deemed as “successful”. Art is usually not one of those paths. I remember hearing from many of my teachers that any sort of art degree is worthless. That really isn’t true though, and I appreciated how this manga shows that art is a valid career. I especially liked it when it pointed out that there is no guarantee that you’ll get a job no matter what you study in college, so why not choose a career path that follows your passions? I used to draw all the time when I first started college, but I haven’t felt motivated in years. This manga has helped inspire me though. It’s also surprisingly informative and has shown me that there’s a lot I don’t know about art, but if I put in the time and study I can get better. I’m actually jealous of Yaguchi because I wish I had his art teacher in high school. She teaches her students important art concepts in a way that makes sense, she actually critiques their work and gives advice so they can improve, and she challenges her students. This is everything I’ve always wanted from an art teacher, but I’ve never gotten it. I wish I could manifest her into the real world so she could teach me too! Another reason I enjoyed this manga is because of the characters. Yaguchi was a great protagonist. I liked how he was presented as a delinquent and he is one, but at the same time he’s also really smart and kind to others. The other character I really liked was Yuka-chan, a crossdressing classmate who butts heads with Yaguchi a lot. I liked their dynamic and I’m curious to learn more about Yuka-chan’s background. There were other characters too and I liked all of them. The art club Yaguchi joins consists of a diverse group of people, and I’m glad none of them got stereotyped. There’s one character, Umino, who is an otaku that likes to draw manga but they’re actually taken seriously and not made out to be weird. I was glad to see that for once. For a manga about art the art style is as good as you would expect. The character designs all felt different from each other so each character stood out in their own way. My favorite part was their facial expressions. What stood out the most to me though was that the mangaka uses other artist’s work within the story to represent each character’s art styles. This makes sense because if the mangaka drew each character’s art pieces they would probably all look similar. The mangaka does credit each artist by the panel their work appears in and again at the end of the manga. Blue Period did everything right in my book. It had a plot that spoke to me, interesting and diverse characters that I quickly grew attached to, and beautiful art. I wish my bookstore had the next volume so I could read it right away!

#book review #book reviews #manga review #manga reviews #blue period #kodansha manga #booklr #book recs #book recommendations #manga recs #manga recommendations #2021 reads #5 stars #my reviews

[yutaan]

Papercraft Ed! I had the sketch for this one finished a while ago, but for whatever reason didn’t feel quite happy with it. Eventually I tried flipping it to face the opposite way - meaning his automail arm was now facing the viewer and could be shown via rips in his clothes and gloves - and then BAM, I liked how it looked after all! Sometimes it’s the simplest things that make all the difference.

#fullmetal alchemist #edward elric #papercraft #papercutting #paper art #my art #I didn't actually read or watch FMA until 2021 and somehow never had any idea whatsoever what it was actually about #just that it was Good and beloved by many #and like! I was looking forward to it! But buying the whole manga would be pretty expensive #so I kept putting it off #UNTIL! #USED BOOKSTORE TO THE RESCUE ONCE AGAIN!!! #they had the ENTIRE SERIES for a STEAL and I straight-up gasped aloud in the manga aisle #carried everything up to the counter at once like I was weightlifting because WHAT IF I left a volume behind and someone else snagged it #TOO RISKY #and then read the whole series in two days #and. Dear readers you were ALL correct #fma fucking SLAPS

[rotomicity]

TGCF art from 2021 which were very experimental and very much something out of my comfort zone but am still so satisfied with

(gonna ramble more under the cut 👉 )

My main inspiration for these were definitely classic storybook illustration styles and the watercolor-like illustrations included inside the tgcf books which depict hualian's daily slice of life routines as seen below

I wanted to capture that feeling of warmth i got from reading but i also went with the storybook look because their relationship (and by extension broad strokes of the entire plot) really did feel like something out of actual myth or legend; i'm chinese indonesian and was raised surrounded by chinese culture + values so tgcf felt VERY familiar to me, it threw me back to my childhood reading or listening to tales about chinese deities, i'd say the storybook image definitely came into my mind pretty quickly bc of this

I find this style somewhat hard to replicate now but if i could or have the time to, i really want to continue the 'companion pieces to chapter titles ' concept i did with the last 2 pieces (which are of the same chapter title but i was just indecisive 😭😭), i even had 3 more planned based on my favorite titles before burning out back then

#tgcf #tian guan ci fu #heaven official's blessing #hualian #hua cheng #xie lian #mxtx #danmei #rotomic does artz #IF YOU READ THROUGH ALL OF MY RAMBLING THANK YOU VERY MUCH #as you can see i am Very Normal about this book :) #(said like a liar) #what was 2021 me cooking....like why did they go so hard on these #also bonus hozier in there bc i associate hualian with like real people do a lot #tbh a lot of hozier songs would work for them #i REALLY want to do a companion piece for chapter 243's title bc wowee #it still gets me to this day. i remember it n suddenly im like what the fuck (fond and sad)

[zroem]

3 VR drawing commissions for LeoMinimus, ArpeggiosMelody, and battle_xo on twitter (listed in order of the turn-y videos at the end)

3D models | twitter | instagram

#except it took me almost two years to post them these are from 2021 before I got super busy with work #vr art #my art #dnd #commissions are probably full/closed when you read this but I will post when I open them up again!