#Monthly book round-up

[thundercrack]

ok joining the club... February reading report! I'm mostly just mouthing off... Read at your own risk!

Dune by Frank Herbert

The Friend by Sigrid Nunez

Look, I'm a sucker for a classic. I'd been vaguely meaning to read this since I saw the Timmy Chalemet movie...and I generally have a tolerance for fairly long scifi/fantasy. I enjoyed the first maybe third of this book...and then I got bored (needless to say I will not be reading the next four Dune books although I did finish). Don't get me wrong -- I'm glad I read it. In many ways, Dune still culturally relevant, both within the world of genre fiction, and (especially because of the new film) in debates about orientalism, the Cold War, humanity, etc, etc. I found Herbert's explorations on this future version of Islam and future version of Arabic pretty interesting, but by the end of the book, I was really annoyed by the main character. There's a lot of really interesting discussion and criticism around this book, so I'm glad to be able to understand a little more of those conversations as well. Also, now I retrospectively sort of know what was happening in the movie!

I was too young to read this book. It was good; it was not for me. Revisit in thirty-five years.

Utopia Avenue by David Mitchell

Lincoln In The Bardo by George Saunders

Why did I read this? I've never read any other David Mitchell. This book was an exercise in 1960s musical fantasy, where nothing goes wrong and the truest joy is from celebrity encounters, powered by the author's love for the era, rather than having anything to say. This was a book about a rock band going straight to the top, without any real interrogation into the cultural forces and pitfalls of the 1960s, weak characterization, random tie-ins with his larger universe, and next to no tension. I'll probably still read Cloud Atlas at some point, but this one is a hard pass.

This was one of my old roommates favorite books that I gave another go after DNFing in maybe, 2018? Again, I think this might be a book I'd like more if I were older. I thought the structure and format was well-done (I especially liked the history excerpts, of course); the story itself, I was maybe luke-warm on. I thought the prose was good (especially the dialogue) and the characters were interesting. I'm not entirely sure what's making me luke-warm on it, but I liked it enough to be glad I read it.

Human Acts by Han Kang (trans. Deborah Smith)

This was the best book I read this month, hands down. Maybe this year as well. Kang masterfully weaves together a number of stories around the Gwangju massacre of pro-democracy demonstrators. This book was at times, extremely brutal to read (and I would say I have a fairly high tolerance in text). It was clearly well-researched, well-lived, and well-considered. The topics it tackled were both grains of sand and the meaning of humanity itself. I really, really, enjoyed this book; I highly recommend it, and I definitely look forward to reading The Vegetarian in the future. Bonus reading: Han Kang and the Complexity of Translation

All The President's Men by Woodward and Bernstein

I constantly get this one mixed up with All The Kings Men by Robert Penn Warren (also good). One of my college friends had just read this and sent me a number of random updates throughout their reading, mostly focused on Woodward and Bernstein's....tense relationship. Like most Americans, I've been vaguely aware of Watergate my whole life (I even saw that movie The Post!), and I think this book really did a good job laying out the reveal of the story as well as sort of the in-house tensions that were going on. My copy (from the library) was the original 1974 edition, and I sort of wish that I had a more recent version with a little bit more distance on the events, but it's kind of fun to have been "right in there." I generally do like this style of expanded-reportage book (see Ronan Farrow's books, or in another genre, Jon Krakauer), and Watergate still looms so large in the American political imagination, so I'm glad I read this one too.

Beyond Babylon by Igiaba Scego (trans. Aaron Robertson)

This is a book I would have really liked to enjoy. I didn't. I kept saying to myself -- well, maybe it's just the translation that didn't work for me (the whole book was a bit clunky to read). There are a lot of really interesting themes in this novel (fluid identity, colonization, language, coincidence, politics, choice and nature, etc), interesting characters, play with language, a sweep of history that could have been fascinating. However, in practice, it didn't work for me. The different storylines sometimes were confusing, the plot at times eluding me, seemingly unnecessary tangents taking me nowhere. It was a slow read. There was just a lot here (and maybe it's just through my background that I was missing pieces)...and none of it quite fit together.

Murder by the Book by Claire Harman

Totally random book I picked up at the library. It's not really a topic or like...an era (the metropolitan center of Victorian Britain??) that I care about, but I was like, hey, cool cover, I want an easy read this week, etc. I thought it was well written and well researched, and I definitely learned some stuff about the literary scene of the era. It was also amusing how some of the debates around "base literature" are...pretty much the same today as they were in the 1830s.

Beasts of a Little Land by Juhea Kim

Look, you ever read a book and you can just tell it was written by a Harvard/Yale/Princeton grad? Well, this was one. This book was extremely readable. It's got decent characters who are fairly easy to get invested in and a structure that pulls you through the text, all while set across a complex, divided, and rapidly changing backdrop of early 20th-c Korea. However, the narrative itself rung flat, and the book's promised complexity disappeared before I got through the second chapter -- it's almost a completely sanitized view of two very complex worlds: that of high-class courtesans, and that of orphans/gangs who become politically involved. Narratively things go wrong, but it's almost never because the characters make bad decisions -- except perhaps in love -- which collapses the once-promising characters. Also, it jumps from 1945 to 1964 at the end...not very successfully (the opening/closing of the book was extremely trite and not terribly well-done). This book was almost disappointing because it promised more than it could deliver, falling straight into the chasm of mediocre novels by diverse graduates of elite institutions. I didn't do it any favors by reading it so soon after Human Acts either, although they're very different novels.

The Thousand Crimes of Ming by Tsu Tom Lin

The advertising around this book does it poorly (do not go in expecting anything Cormac McCarthy-like LOL). Don't get me wrong, I liked this book -- I do enjoy a modern Western and I think Lin does a great job highlighting the role of Chinese workers on the expansion of the railroad, as well as the curiosities of the era through a fantastical magic troupe. The NPR review of this book highlights how each character plays with genre, which was true and definitely one interesting part of the novel. Thematically, I thought this book was interesting if a bit restrained, and the characters were neat. Unfortunately, though I enjoyed giving this one a read, at the end of the day, it's all a bit forgettable.

Dumb Luck by Vu Trong Phung (trans. Nyuyen Nguyet Cam and Peter Zinoman)

Tumblr bookclub read! Like I said to A and Rhu, I found the introduction "Vu Trong Phung's Dumb Luck and the Nature of Vietnamese Modernism" by Peter Zinoman more interesting than the text itself, but overall, I'm glad I read the book. It's always really interesting to read these sort of big, foundational texts -- even in fairly recent translation. I haven't read a lot of satire and really don't know that much about Vietnam before American involvement, but the thrust of the text was definitely quite interesting (and brutal -- one review described all the characters as antagonists) even if I didn't fully understand all the conversations, it was taking part in.

Heart of Darkness (3rd Norton Critical Edition) by Joseph Conrad (ed. Robert Kimbrough)

Confession: I think I'd read this before and almost entirely forgotten it. I didn't particularly enjoy the book and literarily, I'm not sure that I got what quality elevates it to a "great novel." I especially enjoyed the back-and-forth among several scholars (especially around Achebe) about its relationship to colonialism, inclusion in the canon, and European self-definition against Africa as a "primitive other." I'm glad I read it mostly because I feel like it gives me a better sense of the larger conversation around Leopold in the Congo and the literary/related discourses around the scramble for Africa. So, thematically, glad I read it; literarily, whatever.

The Last King of Scotland by Giles Foden

The end :) maybe I'll do this again someday!

Another confession: I pick a lot of books by wandering around the library and just grabbing one that looked interesting. I did read Heart of Darkness before this for a reason. I quite liked reading this one -- I thought the narration was really interesting and the narrator's complicity in the brutality of Idi Amin's rule was neat. Certain scenes were very brutal (and the book was certainly well-researched). I felt like at times, the time-skips didn't quite work, but the general disconnect between Garrigan, his identity, and what was happening around him was interesting. I think I had to watch the film that was a loose adaptation of the book in class in high school. I think I could probably have some more interesting thematic and political comments on this one if I sat on it a little longer, but I'm kind of getting tired of writing this and also I finished it like, twelve and a half hours ago or something.

#Monthly book round-up #<- look a tag #On reading #I'm realizing now I didn't put my like... Number reviews... Oh well

[raindropsonroses123]

June/July Reads

Fiction

At the Mountains of Madness by H.P. Lovecraft

The Duke and I by Julia Quinn

Down Comes the Night by Allison Saft

Storm Front by Jim Butcher

The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo

The Maze Runner by James Dashner

Comics

Detective Comics (1937) #546-560

Batman (1940) #380-394

#mine #monthly round up #books #to be remembered

[kazz-brekker]

i am doomed to be a fan of fantasy books that barely anyone else on the internet seems to have heard of

#maybe i should do a monthly round up of the books i read or something #or some posts about fave obscure books. just so i am not yelling about them on my own #pie says stuff #pie reads

[themoonlightarchive]

In January, I read 7 books - a total of 2,202 pages! ✨

The Empty Grave (Jonathan Stroud)

The Deal (Elle Kennedy)

Sorcery of Thorns (Margaret Rogerson)

Mysteries of Thorn Manor (Margaret Rogerson)

I'm Glad My Mom Died (Jennette McCurdy)

letters from medea (Salma Deera)

Scout's Honor (Lily Anderson)

You can find my ratings and thoughts on these books below the cut!

The Empty Grave

Storygraph

My Rating: 5/5 ⭐

My Thoughts: great ending that left the world open for future additions. really wish there had been less comments about george’s weight.

The Deal

Storygraph

My Rating: 5/5 ⭐

My Thoughts: third re-read. loved it just as much as the last two times. even with all of it’s cheesy bits.

Sorcery of Thorns

Storygraph

My Rating: 3.5/5 ⭐

My Thoughts: really enjoyed the prose (especially in regards to the library), character growth, magic system, and world-building. had very mixed feelings about elisabeth’s age though.

Mysteries of Thorn Manor

Storygraph

My Rating: 4.5/5 ⭐

My Thoughts: the fact that in this world, books and libraries and houses are sentient beings because of all of the magic laid into them for centuries is one of the reasons i enjoyed it. seeing more of that in this novella was wonderful. also i have to make this known: silas is my favourite character.

I'm Glad My Mom Died

Storygraph

My Rating: 5/5 ⭐

My Thoughts: seeing the truth behind something that brought me joy and that i genuinely think shaped me, my personality, and my sense of humor was rough. i hate that something that was like this for me was like that for the actors that i looked up to when i was younger. jennette’s journey to healing was poignant and beautiful.

letters from medea

Storygraph

My Rating: 3/5 ⭐

My Thoughts: i was really looking forward to this collection but i was honestly a little disappointed by it. there were some parts that were really good, like hit you in the face, make your chest ache good. the rest were just okay. maybe i built it up too much in my head.

Scout's Honor

Storygraph

My Rating: 3/5 ⭐

My Thoughts: the whole girl-scout-meets-monster-slayer aspect was amazing, really drew me in and kept me hooked. the monsters were gross and creepy, the characters (mostly) loveable and relatable. i felt like there were some similarities to buffy the vampire slayer, mostly in the whole “why are young girls responsible for this?” aspect of it all. really great read!

You can read the full thread of my 2024 reads on Twitter!

#monthly round up #2024 reads #january 2024 #* #reviews #booklr #book blog #book tumblr #book blogger #yearly reads

[aworldinpages]

March 2023

As the third month of 2023 comes to an end, we wanted to discuss what we have been loving this month.

Click here to see our full post!

#booklr #bookblr #studyblr #bookaholic #bookworm #booklover #bookish #bibliophile #bookaddict #book photography #monthly favorites #monthly round up #March favourites #March round up #March 2023

[meeshnut]

Another month of reading, BAM:

#meeshreads #books #i’m kinda impressed with myself honestly #meeshisdumb #booksbooksbooks #monthly round up #round up #must love books

[wxxpingangxls]

Dirty Diana

+synposis; once again, your husband is too busy for your 16th annerversary, and to add to your dismay, your pipes have bursts. so now you have to call the local plumber to help fix your leaky pipes...

+content/warnings; black reader but no explicit description, age gap( Gojo is 26, reader is 47), whiny Gojo, needy reader, teasing, multiple rounds, creampie, reader is a MILF, Gojo's divorced, slight power play, reader is more on the dom side, Gojo is smitten over reader, oral - fem receiving-, cowgirl

+pairings; Firefighter!Gojo x MILF!black fem reader

being married to a business man who was constanlty at work was fun at first. with yearly strips to ski resorts and monthly weekends away to the smiling and tropical coast. but after your two children had gone away to college and your third and fourth were in the last years of highschool, you became lonely.

"i know i know, i promised but you have to understand that the meeting was pushed back and we still don't have the arrangements for the business trip. i promise i'll-" you cut off the phone before he could make another empty promise. you huffed, groaning as you faced the cold dinner you'd made for the two of you. it was the first meal you ever made for him when you guys first moved in together and unsurprisingly his favourite.

you walked back into the kitchen to pour yourself more of that special wine you saved for this day. you stared at the sink for a bit, letting your mind drift off, the empty night sky bringing tranquility to your mind. however, amoung hearing the sound of rushing water, you looked down to see water from the bottom of the sink rushing to your feet.

you quickly scurried to the far side of the room, silently cursing under your breath. Your house slippers were soaked. you grabbed your landline to phone your local plumber. much to your dismay, he was all booked out for tonight and you couldn't wait until the morning, however he mentioned something about phoning in the local fire station as most of the men were trained to deal with plumbing issues.

you placed your full wine glass down upon hearing the door bell ring. you checked yourself in the mirror hanging on the wall, running your hands through your hair and wiping the lip stik off the side of your cheek, making sure you were decent.

"uh…ms Y/N?" the tired man asks, his eyes hanging low as his peered at your appearance. to say you were an attractive woman was an understatement. your hair hung in loose curls that framed your face and your light blue nightgown accentuated your body shape. your baby blue silk robe seemed to flow and shift in elegance and grace. "this is she, are you gojo?"

"yeah... satoru gojo. i heard you've got a leaky pipe." he gestured towards the toolbox he carried with him. he shlyly followed your lead into the kitchen occasionally leering down watching your ass through the light fabric of the robe, his own shoes thumping to the beat of your own, matching house slippers clicking against the tiled floors.

"just what i thought, a loose pipe." he said grunting as he reached for his wrench. "you want sum' to drink, gojo?" you asked shoving the half empty wine bottle in his face. you were bored, alone and borderline drunk.

he chuckled before shaking his head. "drink on the job? nah, no thank you," he sat up before he looked down and huffed. "oh come on, it's terrible drinking alone," you whine, slightly slurring your words, trying to convince the sexy young man to say a little longer. his sunken blue eyes bore into yours suspiciously. "you're alone? i thought i saw to dinner plates on the dining table," a sour expression immediately replaced your hopeful one.

"oh right. it's my anniversary, but my husband got 'caught up' at work again," you huffed out annoyed.

"you're married?"

"why are you surprised?"

"m'not...just asking," he shurgged.

gojo thought for a while. ever since his divorce, he hadn't come home to a freshly made meal. however he was here strictly for business and he needed to remember that. "well, if your husband isn't here, why let the food go to waste?" he smiled cheekily at you. your eyes lit up. it had been months since you'd ate with someone else. he smiled to himself as he watched you grab the dinner plate and popped it in the microwave. "and about that wine, why don't you pour me a glass to go with it,"

"my eldest was an easy baby. look, she didn't even cry when we pierced her ears," you pointed to the old picture of your daughter as gojo reached over to see your child in her infant years.

"wish i could say the same. last time i saw my girl, she was always crying," he laughed light-heartedly before becoming silent as he saw your puzzled expression. "divorce. my wife got full custody," he shrugged, running his fingers through his hair white hair.

“you’re divorced? you’re pretty young…what age did you get married?” you asked inquiringly.

“i was 19, between me and you, i didn't know what i was thinking," he replied.

you didn't pry further. you moved over to his side, rubbing his shoulders as you bent over, silently reasaurring him. "i'll get more wine. here lemme take your plate," you whispered, taking the empty glass from his hand, your breath lingering around the back of his ear.

as you scrubbed the plate clean, you felt hot breath fan against your neck. "gojo, what are you doing?" you gasped as he wrapped his strong arms around your waist.

"don't act like your legs weren't rubbing agaisnt each other the minute we sat down," his lips moved up and down your neck sensually, moving in a rhythm that had you dripping through your laced panties as he groaned in response. "gojo, we shouldn't, its not right..." you protested, however you made no attempt to get away from his grasp, even as his grip tightened. "i'm a married woman,"

"married to a man who doesn't love you enough,"

"what do you know about my relationship?" you questioned hastly.

"well, for one, you never mentioned a husband yet your all dressed up waiting for company of some kind,"

"hmm, your smart for such a young person," you giggled, feeling caught out.

"you're so under appreciated in your own home. if i were your husband, you'd never feel alone again," he sighed in your ear before planting a kiss behind it. you whined as you subconsciously rubbed against his throbbing bulge. "goj-"

"call me satoru, please," he spun you around with one hand to face him.

his chiselled face moved closer to yours and for the first time you could smell his cologne. hints of sandalwood, spice and jasmine tickled your nose in the most sensual way. your eyes locked for a moment, before you looked away. it had been so long since you'd felt the touch of your husband let alone a man. the sexual tension increased with every second you guys took staring into each others eyes.

he soft lips brushed against yours as he looked you in your eyes, your foreheads touching. "if you don't want this, just say the words. say the words and i'll leave right now. this would be our little secret," he whispered. you searched his eyes, but all you saw was a sparkle. a certain sparkle he hadn't had in years. a certain sparkle you haven't seen in years.

his warm tongue swirled in your mouth as his hand cupped your aching cunt. his other hand was at the back of your head as the two of you sloppily made out. your hands cupped his face, caressing it in your soft hands. you groaned into the kiss as he pressed a finger against your clothes clit. "m'gonna make you feel s'good," he whined as he broke the kiss, moving down to your neck. you whined as he pulled his hand from your underwear. he took of his jacket revealing his broad shoulders and wide chest hidden beneath a white wife beater. his veins popping out with every movement he made. "come here," he whispered eagerly holding out his arms for you to jump in. he lifted you onto the counter, his tender lips somehow making their way back to yours again.

you watched eagerly as he lowered himself, face to face with your dripping hole. "look at you. she hasn't been fucked in weeks, has she?" he sniggered as he watched your face drop. he'd gone from a well mannered service provider to a man with a fucking filthy mouth. maybe you'll keep him around longer.

your thoughts were interrupted by a warm and wet tongue lapping against your clothed cunt. "gojo...!" you squealed instinctively reaching to grab on his hair and shut your legs around his head. he laughed at your reaction, the vibrations stimulating your cunt further. he simply just ripped your legs apart with his big strong arms. "keep still f'me," he demanded. you whined but nonetheless followed his instructions.

his mouth reattached itself to your sopping pussy as he continued lapping. he made sure to suck and nibble on your throbbing clit even through your lacey blue panties. you groaned as his fingers moved to play around and rub your slit. you huffed, your sensitive pussy twitching around an empty space. your legs started to twitch as he moved his fingers towards your clit, rubbing firm circles. "wow, you close already? so filthy..." he whispered condescendingly. "satoru...!" you pulled harder at his hair as his fingered moved faster.

your legs began shaking as it became too much too quickly. "what is it, baby? you gonna come for me, yeah?" he watches as you gasp and attempt to close your legs around his hand. but he was just too strong. you gasped as he moved his hand, leaving on the edge of your orgasm.

"what the hell?" you shot up from the counter. "be patient. i said i'd make you feel good, didn't i?" he raised a brow whilst unbuckling his cargo pants and dropping his drawls. they fell to the floor as his hot bulge made your pussy leak even more. "fuck..." he sighed, finally getting his dick free. curly white pubes dusted his pelvis. he pumped his cock a few times, smearing the pre-cum all over.

he pulled your panties off, slick sticking to your foiled panties. his thumb and index pulled your lips apart, watching as your stringing arousal stuck them together and your hole clench around the cool air. "how long since you been eaten out, babe?" he asks.

"what?" you sigh, too cock hungry to register his question. your whining gave him all he needed to know. he clicked his tongue before wrapping his lips around the sore bud. his large hands held your thighs open, as wide as they could go. you squealed as his tongue lapped against your cunt.

the only time he broke away was to spit on your filthy hole, watching as it dripped down to your clenching asshole. he was sloppy. and messy. and loud. he groaned in encouragement, making sure to make a mess out of your sopping cunt. "yes satoru! just like that... m'fuck! you're so good for me..."you cried out in ecstasy as he brought his mouth to your clit again, this time making sure to suck hard. he shook his head from side to side, eliciting a high pitched moan from your mouth. "satoru!" you moaned out loud at the stranger in your home from the sensitivity of it all.

"fuck...sator- m'so close" he groaned his response as your brows furrowed and your eyes glossed over in bliss. your hips buckled against his mouth despite him trying to hold you still. "stop squirming, pretty lady," he grumbled. "look at the way she's talking to me. she's just begging to cum," he squinted before bringing you right into his mouth again and holding you there. "come on baby," he spat on your cunt before diving in further. "wait- wait- sat-oru..." you wailed, attempting to push his head away.

your cunt wasn't used to the stimulation of being sloppily eaten. the sensitivity was getting to you fast. tears brimmed in the corners of your eyes as you began sniffing. his grip tightened on you as you squirmed harder. your legs shook and twitched around his head.

"gojo! slow down, please!" he smiled as he watched you writhe in his tight hold. your stomach tightened and your breathe hitched. your toes started curling as you arched your back and pulled his hair for dear life. your held your breath as you came all over his face. "yeah...that's it, just like that," he watched as your legs spasmed and your eyes rolled back and your tongue lolled mindlessly out of your mouth. "fuck..." you slurred slowly coming back to your senses. he pulled away and closely watched you come down from your high as he slowly rubbed on your sore clit.

"hah...that was s'good..." you breathed.

"i told you i'd make you feel good," he whispered as he took your hand in his and took your shaky figure into the living room. his large hand wrapped around your waist. he sat upright on the sofa beckoning you towards his lap. you sat in between his open legs. "ride me baby, show me how much you've missed having a dick inside of you," he leered at your figure towering over him. you discarded the silk robe and kneeled over his stiff cock.

"now, baby, you ever been ridden so good, you're holding back tears?" you stare into his eyes for a bit. he smirked before rubbing your back. he saw the determination in your eyes, his face dropping at the realisation. "no..." he finally huffed out.

"well you know what they say. there's a first time for everything," you took his hefty cock in your hands, pumping it a few times before sinking down.

you winced in unison, your tight walls squeezing on his throbbing dick. he was thick and girthy. hitting you in all the right places. he had you drooling already. he tapped you thigh, breaking you from your dicked hungry state. "wow, you really haven't been fucked in a while," he chuckled cheekly.

"you know, for someone who can't handle me, you really are mouthy. you know what happens to mouthy boys?" you snickered.

"what..?" he replied, his lips pursing in anxiety and trepidation.

"they get punished, for having a sharp mouth," as you were speaking, you could feel his hips slowing shifting, trying to gain some friction inside your warm walls. "uh-uh, i'm not done with you," you grabbed his face, squeezing his cheeks together.

"please...i'll-i'll be good, i'll shut up!" he pleaded.

his negotiations were pathetic to say the least. you hummed in acknowledgement, your own juices leaking down in eagerness.

you started grinding your hips, experimenting with different paces. his hand remained on your hips, before you started to bounce up and down. "thank you..." he sighed, watching your body move up and down, fucking yourself on his aching cock. "you like that, yeah?" you asked, steadying yourself by holding his shoulders. his hand moved down to your ass before landing a heavy handed smack. he rubbed on the sore skin, before squeezing it in his hands. "fuck yeah, i love it," he whined, his hips buckling.

you laughed breathlessly however your pace never faltered. his grip tightened as you began to gain in speed. your gummy walls gripped on his eager dick, clenching tightly. you gasped upon feeling his cock meet your hips. your wet cunt made it easy for kento to thrust up into you and he made sure you knew.

"hah...fuck satoru..." you cried looking down at him. his eyes were glossed over in a cloud of lust and hunger. "you feel so good, thank you!" his fingers moved towards your clit, rubbing firm circles on the bud. he noticed the shift in your pace as your legs started trembling slightly.

"keep going, come on," he huffed sexily moving the hair from his face, with his free hand. you winced as his pace quickened. "fuck, keep squeezing me like that," he whined, throwing his head back. "fuck Y/N..." his fingers continued to play with your clit while his other hand landed another sharp slap onto your ass.

your eyes rolled into your skull as his hips angled towards the spongey spot deep in your cunt. "fuck!" you whine. your legs buckle as he watches you fall. "oh you like that?" he chuckles lowly, visibly taken aback.

"yes yes yes! fuck satoru!" your eyes roll back as his pace quickens. he fucks himself into you hissing every time you clench down on him.

"gojo, m'close!" you gasped, your grip on his shoulders tightening. he watched from below as your face contorted into that of bliss as he kept hitting that same spot. "just like that," your cunt squelched with every thrust he had to give you. your tummy churned as his dick pummelled your gummy walls. your slick was running down your leg as you let out babbles and moans of pure nonsense. you legs began to spasm as you started drooling. "whose pussy is making you feel good?" you said through breaths.

"huh?" he whined too pussy whipped to comprehend anything. you grabbed his face in your hands so his eyes were on you and no one else, "whose. pussy. is. making. you. feel. this. good?" you said firmly in between breaths.

"yours Y/N, your pussy makes me feel so good." he wailed loud enough for neighbours to hear. "there's a good boy," his large arm wrapped around your waist, holding you still against his hips.

your babbles increased in pitch and your legs grew limp. "you close baby?" you asked raising a brow.

he nodded eagerly. "use you words f'me. tell me how bad you wanna cum,"

"uh huh, uh huh, want it so bad ms Y/N!"

your toes curled and uncurled as gojo kept his hips at the angle that had you coming undone. "yes fuck, there's a good boy...!" you babble out nodding your head, tears stinging in your eyes.

"fuck, you're too tight, loosen up f'me," he whined, his hips were stuttering as he tried to move but you were just too tight. you were too fucked out on his hefty cock to even acknowledge his comment. "Y/N, you need to relax.." his voice became higher in pitch as he continued to thrust into your tight hole.

his thrust became sloppy and inconsistant as his legs started to spasm. "m'gonna cum," he huffed, thick cock throbbing inside of you. "do it inside pretty boy!" you instructed.

"inside? you want it inside? what if you get pregnant?" he stammered.

"dammit gojo, just cum inside me!"

he nodded feverishly, sniffling as tears from over sensitivity started to sting in his eyes. his hips stuttered one last time before he came in your sore cunt.

his eyes rolled back as he huffed. his arm around your waist tightened as he began to pull out. your cunt oozed with a mixture of your slick, cum and his cum. "yeah, that's it...look at that. i'm just leaking,"your filthy mouth was back at work as the creampie ran down your leg.

he slid his tip between your folds smearing the mess everywhere. his thick cock left your aching hole gaping as he kissed your forehead. as you leaned in to kiss all over his face, the landline rung. "i'll go get the phone," you sighed that such a sensual moment was being ruined.

"hello?"

"hey honey, how would you feel about a trip to a resort in Bali for a week?" your husband suggested as an apology for missing your anniversary. you thought for a moment before facing the firefighter in your home. he lay on the sofa, smiling goofily to himself, with one hand placed behind his head.

"sure, why not."

"and again, i'm sorry i missed our anniversary, i won't happen again." he chuckled from the other side of the phone. you did start to feel guilty about sleeping with another man when you have a hard working husband, but then again, your own husband was out having his own escapades with various other women you weren't aware about. "i'm sure i won't," you replied slyly before hanging up the landline.

you walked over to the nasty fireman before sitting back in his lap.

"round 2?"

"i thought you'd never ask..."

#jjk smut #jjk x black reader #jujutsu kaisen #aot x black reader #jjk gojo #gojo smut #satoru gojo #gojo satoru #gojo x reader #jujutsu gojo #jjk x reader #jjk x black y/n #jjk x you #jujustu kaisen

[focsle]

It’s that time again and commissions are open! Very excited to get back to drawing all of your characters.

If you’re interested, please read my Terms and Conditions [here], and then fill out my commission request form [here]. It’s not first come first serve. If you don’t get a slot this round, I can also put you on my waiting list.

Prices listed here the base rate for one character and are in $USD. For more complex requests, a quote will be provided in my follow up email based on the information provided on the form.

If you’d like to support my work but can’t swing a commission, I also have a patreon that operates on a pay-what-you-wish monthly subscription, and a ko-fi for a one-time tip jar. Or a book I wrote about an evil house you could buy.

Thank you kindly for all of your support! Signal boosts appreciated, as well.

#id love to do some hatching ones...that's a new offering #commissions

[breelandwalker]

Now Open!

Welcome, witches! I'm pleased to announce that the newly-remodeled Willow Wings Witch Shop is now open for business!

There's lots to see, so make sure you have a look through the catalog:

Books - All three of my published titles: Grovedaughter Witchery, The Sisters Grimmoire, and Pestlework. (Books ship worldwide!)

Magical Powders - A selection of homemade homebrews from my own practice, from the tried-and-true Bree's Banishing Powder to brand new recipes like Inspiration Salt.

Enchanted Items - Delightful bottle charms and spell jars, prepared with care and just a little touch of magic, ready to aid you in all your witchy workings.

Spell Kits - Small, simple kits containing those hard-to-find ingredients for certain spells and the instructions to go with them. The first round includes two entries from The Sisters Grimmoire, with more to come. Witch Web Kits are also back in vibrant new colors, including specialty options like glow-in-the-dark!

Podcast Merch - Vinyl stickers and pinback buttons for showing your witchy flair or your support of my show, Hex Positive.

There's lots more waiting in the wings, so make sure you sign up for the email list to get the monthly newsletter with announcements, merch drops, and seasonal discount codes!

Thank you all for your support during the building and development process and your never-ending encouragement on the socials. I hope you all enjoy the shop and I look forward to bringing you lots of new and exciting items in the coming months.

Happy Witching!

#witchcraft #witchblr #witch community #witchy things #witch shop #pagan #witches of tumblr #witch #witchy #witchcore

[multific]

Wanted and Needed

Deckard Shaw x Reader

Warnings: mention of smut, pregnancy 

Summary: It was only meant to be one night. But of course, it is never that easy.

The way he looked at you always sent shivers down your spine. He made you feel so good about yourself.

And then, during a race, he stepped over to you and whispered into your ear.

"I will win for you." he said before getting into his car.

You could only blink and watch as he indeed, won.

Being a long member of the team, you had your opinions on Deckard in the beginning but you were quickly smitten by his looks and charm. 

He looked too good in his suit.

He won and he took you home that same evening.

That night changed your entire life.

It was truly meant to be a fling.

A nice fuck and done.

He made you feel incredible, you never felt so good with anyone ever.

But when the morning came, he was gone. Even the bed was cold.

And so, you knew that your hopes for a round two in the morning were ruined.

But as you found out soon, during your monthly doctor's check-up, Deckard Shaw might have left a bit more than just his necktie in your place.

"Congratulations, you are pregnant."

All you could do is let out a long sigh.

Pregnant.

Because of fucking course.

Why not?

Like, you were totally ready to be a mom... IF you wanted to be one to begin with.

And now... you are going to have a baby because Deckard Shaw was too handsome so you lied about being on pills... great you were going to be a mother while being this stupid.

Awesome.

First things first, you decided not to tell Deckard. The others also didn't know, you told them you are moving for a fresh start.

Which was kind of true. Dom was the only one who saw right through you and the only one who knew about the baby.

He, of course, supported you in every way he could.

You moved to a new town into a small house. It was perfect for you and your baby.

Perfect for you to freak out 24/7 about how you are going to be a bad mom, trying to read books while throwing up.

Fun.

Buying stuff for the baby, trying not to cry at every cute little sock you see.

Being pregnant was extremely challenging. 

Who knew?!

According to your new doctor, everything was going very well with your baby, you even learned that you will be having a little girl, so now, you were full-on princess mode.

But your worry never stopped.

And as your belly grew, so did your worries.

Deep down you also knew that you shouldn't worry, it wasn't good for the baby, but you couldn't help it.

You let out a long sigh, and finally, during the last two months you decided that you are going to be the best mom, you for sure will try.

You promised yourself that you will be good. Then you promised your baby that you will be good.

When you went into labour, you let your instincts take over instead of panic.

Giving birth was an entirely new level of pain. But you kept reminding yourself to just push and breathe. 

It will be all worth it.

And it did.

Your daughter was born perfect.

Healthy and beautiful.

You gave her a beautiful name, Olivia.

Olivia looked much like her father, her eyes were a dead telltale sign. She couldn't even deny even if she wanted to that she was indeed Deckard Shaw's little girl.

You often wondered what Deckard was doing... probably a blonde. Dom often gave you calls to check up on you, which you appreciated, you even sent him photos of Liv.

Liv was a rather fussy baby. She liked things her way, not yours. But she loved to sleep.

Even with her crib in your room, she barely woke up.

Her fussy period ended in her third week. From then on, he became an extremely interested little girl. Everything and anything in your house had to be at least licked once. But she caused you so much happiness.

Dom wanted to come over and meet the newest addition to the family, he promised it would be only him.

"Look, Livie! It's Uncle Dom." Olivia was at first a bit taken aback by the stranger but she soon got used to him. "She mainly eats and sleeps, but she is very interested in everything," you told to Dom as he had her in his arms.

"She is beautiful," he said and you could sense in his voice, he wanted to say more but decided against it. "Deckard was looking for you. I heard he asked the others about you, he even called Luke."

"Dom..."

"I know, I know why you did what you did. But don't you think he deserves to know that he has a daughter?"

"When I found out, I tried to call him. But he never called back. To me, that was clear, he didn't want anything to do with me. And I'm okay with that. I have her now." Dom nodded. 

At the end of the day, Dom left waving you goodbye.

It was honestly amazing to see him, he talked a lot about the others and how they miss you.

You knew that one day you will have to face them, not yet, but someday.

Liv was sleeping in her room, it was midafternoon when the doorbell rang.

You headed to open it.

As soon as you locked eyes with him, your heart stopped.

You immediately closed the door in his face.

He knocked again.

"Sweetheart, open the door please." he said.

"Just a moment!"

Just what in the fuck was Deckard doing here? Did Dom tell him? No. He had to find out on his own. You tried your best to hide any evidence about your baby, hiding the toys and the pictures.

When you opened the door again, and let him in, you were panicking.

"I've been looking for you, could have used your skills for a mission."

Ah, of course. You were rather disappointed.

"I don't work, Deckard."

"I know, everyone keeps telling me that you retired."

"I did."

"Why?"

"I was tired of it." what a lie. How could you ever get tired of being a badass?

There was a moment of silence. You watched him think before he spoke up.

"You disappeared... the only way I could find you was through Dom."

"You tracked his car?"

"Of course, I have been looking for you for almost a year and a half now. 14 months."

"I had my reasons. And you left the next day, so I don't see why you would care where I went after."

"I'm not good with this... emotions and whatnot."

"Right. Thank you for the visit." you said pointing at your door and to your surprise, he left without any fuss.

"If you need help, I put my number into your phone."

"I won't." you closed and locked the door behind him, finally letting out a sigh. 

This was bad. Very bad.

You couldn't move again, it would only be a matter of time for him to find you.

You thought long and hard. So he hacked Dom's phone and didn't check his messages? He didn't know about Olivia? What was happening?

You needed some fresh air, so when Liv woke up from her nap, you decided to take a walk with her in the neighbourhood, heading to the park. You could also use the fresh air and the time to think.

Thankfully Liv was in a great mood. She loved being outdoors. You stopped by a bench and sat down, having her in her stroller, she was sitting, looking around with big bright eyes, taking in the pigeons and the trees.

No matter how many times you were in the park, she always looked so excited and interested, even in the things she had seen many many times before.

She then motioned for you, asking to be picked up. She cooed as her hands made grabbing motions. 

You smiled and picked her up.

Bounding her a little you smiled as she grabbed your necklace, pulling on it.

How could she be so strong?!

She then pointed at the pigeons.

"Pigeon." you told her as she cooed once more. You thought this was too cute. It was as if she was trying to say pigeon but couldn't. Then she pointed at a figure. "That's a man." you said as she was focused on the man.

Then you looked up, finally realizing who the man was.

Deckard.

Fuck.

Shit.

Without a word, you stood up and tried to walk away. Liv was rather confused you could tell but she didn't mind the sudden change in pace too much.

Then suddenly he was in front of you, you pulled Liv to your chest, your other hand tightening around the handle of the stroller. 

"Deckard..."

"You have a child." he sounded way too calm.

"I-I do." you watched as his eyes roamed all over your daughter, particularly her face. There was no denying the fact that she was his.

"Who's the father?" you felt so powerless. You have not felt like this in a very long time.

"Deckard..." you tried to collect your thoughts. Thoughts you have been telling yourself for two years now. "You left. The next morning, you were gone."

"Jesus, Lass. And you think what? That I don't want to know about my daughter?" 

"You didn't want me, why would you want her?"

"I woke up to make breakfast but got a call-" you put your hand up.

"I tried to call you, you didn't call me back."

"I have no excuse. I fucked that up. But I deserve to know that I have a child."

"You treated me like shit. I got the message, you didn't want anything from me but a quick time. I don't see why you would care about Liv."

"I do." he said with a calm voice. "I care. I spent all this time, trying to find you. I asked the others, no one knew. But I soon realized that you and Dom were closer, so you must have told him. I tracked his phone and... I came here to find you but I could have never imagined... her."

It was hard for you to believe that he cared. But he looked genuine. 

It wasn't until Olivia broke the silence with a small whine when you looked at her, again, she was pointing at something.

"It's a dog, Love." then you looked back at Deckard. "Look, I really don't need... your money. It's okay, truly. I just... You left."

"I did. And I regret not leaving at least a text message. I regret it every day."

"I-Come by tomorrow. We will talk while she naps." Deckard nodded before he watched you leave.

---

Little did you know that Deckard basically slept in his car to make sure you wouldn't run off.

And you didn't.

In the early afternoon, he once again stood at the door, he could hear the cries coming from inside.

Deckard knocked, he watched the door open to ajar.

"Come in!" you said as he headed in, closing and locking the door behind himself. "She just won't settle. I'll take her to her room, I'll be back."

"Can I help?" he asked as you let out a huff. 

"Oh, I don't think. Sometimes she is just like this." you said as you walked to the back of the house into her room. Deckard followed you, watching as you cried to calm her.

It did work a little, but now Olivia was watching the stranger in her room. 

She motioned for Deckard as if she wanted to be held by him.

"I don't think he wants to hold you baby."

"I do." his reply came in so fast it almost scared you.

"Okay." you headed over to him.

"I want to but how do I?" you showed him just how to hold her as you watched her reaction. As soon as she was in his arms, she stopped fussing, gripping his shirt, she closed her eyes. "When she falls asleep, put her to her bed." you said as you pointed at the small bed. "And the blanket over her." Deckard nodded.

You decided to leave them alone, as you were leaving you stopped in the doorway.

"If you run off with her... Nothing will stop me."

"I'm not going to kidnap her from you." he said, rolling his eyes. You nodded once before leaving and having some lunch finally. 

Deckard could only watch this tiny human in his arms. Was a beauty she was. She looked exactly like her mother, but she did have his eyes. 

He did as you asked him, put her into her bed and put her pink blanket over her.

Deckard watched her for a couple of minutes but soon left her room, letting the little girl sleep. 

"She is almost five months old." you said as he appeared, you just finished your lunch. "A true gift."

"She looks like you."

"I think she looks more like you."

"How was the... pregnancy?"

"Challenging. I was sick very often so they had to give me meds. Then she decided to come early. I was terrified."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be silly, you didn't know."

"But now, I'm here."

"I left because I was scared. So scared. First I wanted to tell you. I truly did. But I got scared that you would tell me to... leave her. I will be honest I wasn't ready to be a mother, I am still trying to figure out how I should go about this but... if you are willing to try, I-I want to give you a chance so you could see her."

Deckard didn't even need to think. The moment he saw the little girl in your arms in the park, he knew.

"I want to be a part of her life. I want you to move to London to live with me. That way we can raise her together."

"You know I always wanted to live there..."

"I do know. I hope my offer will tempt you enough so you say yes."

That sly little bastard. But you let out a long sigh.

"I appreciate it Deckard, I truly do, and I'm happy that you want to be a part of our daughter's life. But... it's not like... it's not like we were in a relationship or something. I don't think us moving in together would be a good idea. You are welcome to visit her anytime."

Deckard was rather taken aback, he thought you might jump into the opportunity. 

"I understand." he said and he truly did. He was only hoping you would. "I will come visit tomorrow," he said as he headed for the door, you waved him goodbye.

That night, you couldn't sleep.

You kept thinking about what Deckard said. While living with him didn't sound terrible and you could use the help with Liv. 

It was now your stubbornness and fear holding you back.

You loved Deckard too much. Which one could argue with, given how you ran away with a baby, but it was the truth.

You didn't want to disappoint him, you didn't want for him to live a life which he might regret later. 

But you were ready to give him a chance, you were ready for him to decide what he wanted.

The next morning, he arrived early. You were in the middle of feeding when there was a knock.

"You are early," you said as you let him in. "I'm feeding her, wait here." he sat down on your couch, but after a minute, he couldn't sit any longer.

He walked to your room, and he found you, back to the door as you breastfed your daughter. 

As if you felt his presence, you turned and saw him. His eyes never left you, and he started to walk into the room.

You felt exposed, but you didn't mind it. He ran his hand over Olivia's head. He sat down next to you on the bed.

"The doctor said babies are supposed to be chubby. She often said that Liv is very healthy. She will get her vaccines once I stop breastfeeding. But you see, I just have so much milk... The doctor said I can donate it. Which is like super weird to me, but she said some mother's can't produce milk so... oh sorry, you probably don't want to hear any of that."

"I want to know everything." you looked into his eyes, but he was watching Liv.

"Okay, ummm, she was born three weeks earlier than she should have. She spent time in the hospital after. But she is all good now. She loves the outdoors and animals. She is very interested. Dom once said he will buy a dog for her once she is old enough." Deckard made a face at that, the thought of another man giving things to his daughter, things he should.

"And how was the... birth?"

"Oh, terrible, thank you for asking. I had to drive to the hospital, it was awful, I was bleeding and in pain. I was... very scared." Deckard looked at you. "I thought I lost her." he could see the tears in your eyes.

"But you didn't." he said to comfort you.

"I didn't."

"I like her name, where did you get it from?" 

"It was in a children's book that I got for her while I was pregnant. I really liked the name so... do you really like it?" he nodded. For that moment you felt at ease. You looked down at your daughter as Deckard pulled you closer to his side, arms moving around you as he pulled you to his chest, his head on your shoulder, he placed a kiss on your skin.

Soon, Olivia stopped eating and you grabbed a cloth. you made a face.

"Why are you in a suit?" you asked Deckard who looked down at his attire.

"I wanted to look good for my girls."

"Well, then get ready to have saliva all over it." you said as you placed the cloth on his shoulder, then you handed him Liv. "Wait until she burps, then place her into her bed, I'll make breakfast, I'm starving." 

You weren't sure what just happened. The way he held you was so delicate.

You tried to tell yourself that he only did it for Liv, but he didn't.

You know he didn't.

You just finished breakfast when Deckard came to join you.

"She's sleeping." he said.

"I have this." you said as you handed him an album. "All of her ultrasound pictures, pictures a day after she was born are in there. It's the only one I have but if you want, you can keep one picture of her."

"I want you both to live with me. It would be the safest. I know what you said. And I cannot help but think about what would have happened if that day I left a note or never left at all. I keep thinking about it."

You stood up and headed to the living room when Deckard spoke up, making you stop in the hallway.

"It would have been different. But we will never know. We have to focus on now. You want us to live close to you, and I want you to have a relationship with her." he joined you in the hallway, standing so close you could barely think.

"The very first thing you told me is that I didn't want you so why would I want her, but Y/N, I wanted you for so long. Long before we even went to that race. Long before that night. I wanted you for so long now. I still want you. Not because of Olivia, but because of you. And how could I not want her? She is my daughter, our daughter." he took a step closer to you, closing the distance as his hand came to rest on your cheek.

"Deckard, I always had a huge crush on you. But... I'm done with this whole dancing around one another. You want us and we need you. Livie needs you, I need you. We will move to London." you saw his eyes shine as he leaned down to give you a kiss.

Finally, you two were together, finally, you had what you always wanted. Finally, your daughter had her father.

---

"A view of the Big Ben." you said as you stood in front of the window, looking out with your daughter on your hip.

"Yes, the view in this apartment is great, it is truly royal if I might say." the woman said as she joined you, but of course she would say these things, she had to sell the place.

The view was nice, but something about the windows made you feel exposed. Could be because they were from the floor up to the ceiling.

"What do you think?" Deckard joined you and the woman left to give you some time. You made a face and Deckard knew. "We looked at eight apartments, you didn't like any..."

"It's not that they are not good. It's just... off."

"Okay, then we will look until we find the one."

"Can we... maybe we could look at houses a bit out of London? Like a cottage?" he looked at you confused.

"Cottage?" then he realized perhaps you want a house similar to the one you had before you moved in with him. "Okay, I think I know what you want." he said as he turned to the lady.

---

Your eyes were shining from the moment you closed the car's door. You even forgot to get Olivia from the backseat, you felt like you were in a dream.

"Decks..."

"This house, while from the outside it is more traditional, on the inside it just had been renovated and renewed. It has solar panels built into the roof, it has a garden in the back as well as in the front. It is a bit more secluded but it does have neighbours. Come on in I will show you around." the lady continued the tour. "Fire bedrooms, two office rooms, a lovely spacious living room and a kitchen. The back garden might need a bit of terraforming but the space is given for any flowers or trees. Perfect place for your little one to run around and have her friends over for a birthday party perhaps."

You loved it, and Deckard knew you loved it.

"This is the one." you said when you finally looked at him, coming back from your dream. "Perfect for us and if we want more kids, we have the room. You can have a gym even and I can have an office to work from. This is just perfect, do you like it?"

Deckard smiled, deciding to not bring it up that you just in fact mentioned more children.

"I love it." he said and you didn't even waste time, you signed the papers.

---

One morning you sat out on the balcony, enjoying the morning sun as Deckard and Livie were asleep.

You truly loved this house. It was different from your previous house and Deckard's apartment, but at the same time, it looked like both.

You heard the door open and as you saw Deckard walk out with his coffee in hand you pointed at a part of the garden.

"I want to put a flowerbed there. And some hydrangeas over there."

"Sounds good to me."

"And we could get an inflatable pool for Livie, for the summer. I'm sure she will love it."

"Perfect." you looked at him as he smiled at you.

"What?" you asked.

"You look happy. It makes me happy."

"It's just... feels nice to be wanted." 

"I think it's more need. Like you said Livie needs me, and I need the two of you." you reached out to him as he held your hand. "I love you."

"I love you too," you said as you caught a glimpse of the beautiful diamond on your finger.

He was all you ever wanted and needed.

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~Masterlist~

ˇAO3ˇ

DO NOT STEAL, REPOST OR TRANSLATE ANY OF MY WORKS

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[thundercrack]

March book round-up! I ended up reading more than I anticipated - busy month!

The Last Taxi Driver by Lee Durkee

Random pick. Just wanted something easy and quick. Honestly, I hardly remember what happened in this book, so that isn't very high praise. His taxi was a real piece of garbage.

Dead Astronauts by Jeff Vandermeer

Vandermeer is more famous for his Southern Reach trilogy -- of which I literally own the first and haven't yet read it -- but I definitely see why he's considered...interesting. This book was...weird. But I liked it!!!!! Strange and shifting and at times deeply unclear, Vandermeer creates a like, weird collage of an apocalyptic corporate future mixed with ecological experimentation and connection. Very neat!

A Ballet of Lepers: A Novel and Stories by Leonard Cohen

Well, I can see why these didn't get published before. Prior to this, I hadn't actually read any of Leonard Cohen's published works, but I have read Matters of Vital Interest: A Forty-Year Friendship with Leonard Cohen by Eric Werner which I didn't think was very good or very interesting. I just grabbed this off the new books display though, so it was fun to run into. I found it pretty interesting though to see Cohen explore some of the same themes he does in his albums in these early writings. I liked the novel more than any of the short stories. At times he is a very compelling writer, but the characters often were quite flat. Kind of fun to read! If I run into Beautiful Losers, I'd probably read it. But I'll be sticking most closely to his 1967-74 run of albums.

Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke

I read Clarke's books backwards -- I really liked Piranesi, so I tracked back and read this one, though I think it's the more famous of her two novels. It was also WAY longer than I expected (to its own detriment, I think). I'm not a huge fan of historical fiction, but I did really enjoy her sort-of mimic of 19th c. writing styles (and all the footnotes. I love a book with some fun footnotes). To some degree, I think I was missing some of the ideas she was playing off of, especially with regards to the North and South of England and what they represent. I did enjoy the system of magic she was playing with, but I thought, despite the heavy focus on past-and-plot, it kind of fell a little short for me at the end. I also thought it was unfortunate that in this book, which has a pretty heavy focus at times on the Napoleonic Wars in France, Britain as an Empire goes fairly unmentioned. Honestly, though I mostly enjoyed it and she's a good enough writer, I think I liked it less than Piranesi and I ended it vaguely dissatisfied. I didn't think about it at all after finishing.

The Tatami Galaxy by Tomohiko Morimi (trans. Emily Balistrieri)

There's an anime based off this book, but I haven't watched the anime (I don't have anything against it, I just hardly watch TV!). I just picked this up off the "New Books" rack at my library. Well, the book isn't new, but the translation is. I really enjoy these sort of parallel-universe stories, especially when they play with the idea of convergence rather than divergence. I really liked the more fantastical elements, such as the narrator finding himself in a labyrinth of 4-1/2 tatami mat rooms. The New York Times review ends with the line "There is no time loop quite like self-pity." Ha! I liked it, anyhow!

Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward

If I liked the last book, I really liked this one! I think it's almost difficult to say why other than it was a very good, very well-written book. She really captures the setting and the family and just...everything. The main character, Esch, thinks about Medea a lot. I think I read Ward's memoir Men We Reaped several years ago, which I also liked. I feel like I should have more to say here, and maybe I do, but mostly I thought this was a great book and I was texting my friends telling them to read it, which is rare.

Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata (trans. Ginny Tapley Takemori)

We're on a roll here! I liked this one too; I read it for my book club. I found the main character, Keiko, who has worked in a convenience store since college and feels it is the only place, she fits in. She's almost one with the store! A lot of the reviews focused on how odd Keiko was, but I didn't really get that. In her attempt to get everyone off her back, she takes this horrible man as a lodger. They both are trying to escape society in different ways (but man is that guy awful). It's sort of interesting how the book -- and Keiko -- play with ideas of exploitation, of fitting in, of misogyny, and so on. I really liked this book and translation. There was a really seducing rhythm to it. I quite enjoyed this interview with the author as well.

The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi

Another book I liked?? What has come over me! Set in southern Nigeria, Emezi weaves the story of the death of Vivek Oji in with all of the different ways he has been loved. How Vivek died only comes out at the end of the book, but it didn't particularly read like a traditional mystery or crime novel which is probably part of why I liked it. The book also deals with self-identity and the stigma of being gay/gender non-conforming in Nigeria. Just a very good, very interesting book!

The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco (trans. William Weaver)

Okay, back to being a hater. Read this for my book club. Did NOT enjoy. There are a few reasons here, mostly just related to my categorical taste (Don't like mystery/detective stories, don't like historical fiction...). There definitely was a LOT here....some of which probably went 1,000ft over my head. Some of the conversations and little theological debates were fun to read, and I did like the ending well-enough....but not enough to ever feel any urge to read another Eco book. I guess I'm glad I read it, at the very least so that I never feel the urge to read it again.

The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead

Wowwww this book was really good!! I more-recently (like, last week recently) read The Underground Railroad, which was also really good. I really liked the twist at the end. I don't know -- this book was interesting and brutal and very felt. The way it played back and forth between past-and-present was interesting, and the ideas the different boys represent....yeah. Based off a real story about a Florida state-run school for boys that only ended in 2011....the past is the present. Books that make me question how on earth Less by Andrew Sean Greer won a fiction Pulitzer. I thought it was good but not good like either of Whitehead's Pulitzer winning books are good.

Satantango by Lazlo Krasznahorkai (trans. George Szirtes)

You might be getting the sense that sometimes I just pick up books because I like the cover....and you would be correct. This one was cool and funky!!!!!!!!! I always think it's interesting when a book has no paragraph breaks, and it worked well here. I will say I sort of didn't know what was going on. It was set in an unclearly situated village in which all the residents give up...everything to follow (a possible con-man and/or religious leader?) Irmias. There were some very visceral moments like when this little girl kills her cat. It was pretty interesting, and also weird, and also a bit freaky at times.

#Monthly book round-up #I also got to read a book my college advisor translated but I didn't include it here lol #This month will be a bad reading month I think #Anyway thank u to A for posting hers and reminding me

[raindropsonroses123]

January Reads

Fiction

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas-2/5-fantasy romance; was hoping for a fun guilty pleasure given all the hype but was never able to get into it :/

How to Speak Dragonese by Cressida Cowell-5/5-children’s fantasy; listening to these excellent childhood favorites on audiobooks, David Tennant narrates, absolutely perfect

The Diviners by Libba Bray-4/5-magical realism 1920s NYC; strong prose and some very strong characters, found other characters/plot beats a little annoying, fun setting

The Project by Courtney Summers-3/5-cult mystery; well-written but didn’t get very invested until the end

How to Twist a Dragon’s Tale by Cressida Cowell-5/5

Nonfiction

Capitalism, Socialism, and Democracy by Joseph A Schumpeter-4/5-economics; a little difficult for an amateur to get through but brilliant insights, great prose, some incredibly stupid ideas

Comics

Batman: A Death in the Family

Batman (1940) #357-367

Detective Comics (1937) #524-533

can you tell I'm in my Jason Todd era

#mine #to be remembered #monthly round up #books

[chaenniz]

cookie - pham hanni x reader

A/N ;; felt the urge to write this fic bc of this lol,, i'll try to finish reqs once im done w school stuff ‼️‼️

genre ;; fluff

wc ;; 2.2k

day after day you’d find that there would be a sweet surprise waiting for you in your locker before first period, cookies.

today was no different, you opened your locker to find the familiar sight of round chocolate-chip cookies in a clear bag and wrapped with a light blue star-patterned ribbon sitting in the cubbyhole your locker had.

you reached for the small folded sticky note that always accompanied the gift.

‘i tried making the cookies softer this time! hopefully these give you a boost of energy throughout the day! - your secret admirer <3’

you smiled softly to yourself, chuckling. you already knew who had been sending you all these cookies and notes, in fact you figured it out the next day after the first time you received the sugary treats in your locker.

being hanni’s childhood friend and best friend meant that you could read her like a book. this was especially apparent when you noticed how much her writing resembled the note’s writing in your hand.

you jolted awake from your nap in the library as you felt a hand smack against your shoulder, accompanied soon after with a high-pitched voice.

"do you really have to abuse my shoulder each time you see me, hanni? you groan. "i swear, i'm gonna get uneven shoulders by the time we graduate"

hanni playfully rolls her eyes at you, ""i didn't even hit you that hard, you big baby." she grabs your wrist, "now hurry up and get your stuff, the others are waiting for us."

"yeah, yeah. i got it" you reply sleepily, gathering your things. this had always been your routine. you'd pay back some of your sleep debt in the library just before lunch period until hanni came to wake you from your sleep.

haphazardly stuffing your schoolwork into your bag, you deemed everything packed and ready to go. giving a thumbs up to hanni, she takes the lead as she heads towards where the other four girls were.

finally reaching the rooftop of the school, you laid your bag down tiredly. the girls look at your direction and giggle at your exhaustion.

"we come up here everyday, y/n. how are you not used to it yet?" minji asks as she moves your bag towards the rest of their belongings.

you just shrug, not really knowing the answer yourself, you weren't the most athletic student, but you certainly weren't lazy either. you take a seat in between haerin and hanni.

“so, are we still going to hanni’s tomorrow for the sleepover?” danielle asks. nods and hums of approval came as a response to the question.

right, it’s been a little over a month since your monthly sleepover with the girls. you and your friends always slept over at each other’s houses every month, it seems this month you’d all be staying at the pham residence.

you turn to face hanni, “does mrs. pham know we’re coming over?” your face much closer to hers than you had intended, startling the both of you. the other girls just snickered at your flustered states.

hanni breaks her eye contact with you, suddenly finding that the shapes of the clouds in the skies much more interesting. “erm- yeah. she says she’s excited to have you- all of you guys over.”

hyein raises a brow at this, a small playful smirk appearing on her face seconds later. “did my ears deceive me or did you say something else at first?”

hanni denied vehemently at hyein’s playful remark, the other girls soon joining in and ganging up on the vietnamese girl. you smile at the sight of your friends playful teasing.

that is, until haerin nudges you with her elbow harder than she’d intended to. you let out a small groan, turning towards the cat-eyed girl, “am i just today’s punching bag or what?”

haerin waves her hands up in apology, laughing, “sorry, sorry- look i just wanted to ask how long you’re gonna make hanni keep doing this.” she says in a hushed manner.

your lips curl upwards in amusement, “i have no idea what you’re talking about, haerin.”

she sends you a dumbfounded look, the smirk on your face unwavering. “i know you figured it out already so why not just confess? i see how you look at her.”

that comment made you double back. sure, hanni was a bit obvious with her slight crush on you, but you didn’t realize others could see your growing infatuation as well.

you throw your head back, “soon ‘rin, i’m just waiting for the perfect time.” it wasn’t a lie, you wanted yours and hanni’s confession to be special, and confessing anywhere around or in the school just didn’t meet your expectations.

unknown to you and haerin though, a certain 5’4 vietnamese girl was looking at the interaction you two had, deeming your closeness as anything but platonic.

you arrive at school the next day expecting to see round, sugary delicacies waiting for you in your locker. however, today seemed to be a different case.

your locker was completely empty, save for the few textbooks and polaroid pictures of you and the other girls that you put up.

you dejected a bit at the thought of hanni no longer giving you her ‘secret admirer’ cookies, but you shook it off, thinking maybe that she was just busy today.

it was now lunch period and you were waiting around like a lost puppy for hanni to come and pick you up. you didn’t fall asleep in the library this time since you couldn’t help but overthink about the cookie situation this morning.

a thud sounded onto the table, snapping you out of your thoughts, you look up to find haerin instead.

you tilt your head in confusion, why was haerin picking you up instead of hanni?

haerin notices your confused demeanor, “hanni asked me to pick you up.”

“thank you, is hanni busy?” you question.

haerin shrugs and you take that as your cue to get up and pack.

as if the entire first half of your day wasn’t weird enough, lunch was definitely the cherry on top. every time you tried to initiate some sort of interaction with hanni, she’d just awkwardly reply with a one-word answer or nod.

the girls definitely noticed the weird tension between you two, and just hoped that this doesn’t affect the sleepover that was going to happen later today.

you arrived at hanni’s address with danielle and haerin. as you step out of your car, you see minji’s car parked not too far from yours, meaning that the other three girls were inside already.

danielle rang the doorbell, the sound of footsteps slowly getting louder. as. the door opened to reveal hanni herself. she greeted you guys and ushered the three of you inside.

“where’s minji and hyein? and mrs. pham?” haerin asks, taking her shoes off.

“they’re just in the living room, we were waiting for you guys.” hanni answers, leaning against the wall of her hallway. “oh, and my parents aren’t here right now because of a sudden business trip, they really wanted to see you guys though.”

the three of you finished taking off your shoes, now placing it neatly against the others for an organized look.

“sorry if we were a bit late, we decided to go get some snacks for the sleepover” danielle grins as she holds up the bag filled with chips, soda, and candy.

hanni waves her hand dismissively and grins, “thank you, and you guys aren’t even close to late so don’t worry about it.”

hanni leads you three to the living room. where you see minji and hyein lounging on the couch, both deeply immersed in the k-drama that was playing as if their lives depended on it.

you let out a snicker at the sight, causing minji and hyein to turn towards you guys.

“you guys are here!” hyein squeals, “we can get started now!”

it made you happy to see the younger girl so excited to spend time with her unnies.

danielle set down the bag of snacks for everyone to see, “we got snacks as well, but we’re still going to bake and cook later right?”

a mixture of nods, hums, and yes’s of approval came from the six of you.

“well, let’s get started with a movie then?” hanni asks.

“just after this episode, hanni-unnie!” hyein objects, which caused the six of you laugh.

it was nearing 7 p.m. and the girls decided that it would be best if they started on the cooking and baking now.

you all decided on making bibimbap as your main course, and cookies as a dessert since they were easy to make. there would also be two groups: the bibimbap team, and the cookie team.

you expected an even split between the two groups, since there was six people. however, hyein was insistent that the groups were 4:2, saying that bibimbap is harder to make than cookies.

“we’ll let you guys go first, just so we don’t have to wait for the actual cookies to bake.” minji says before hurrying the other girls out of the kitchen.

that's how you and hanni ended up making cookies alone, but you swear that the other girls had mischief on their mind when they put the groups together.

“let’s get started?” you ask hanni, she only nods in response.

hanni was in charge of the wet ingredients, while you with the dry ingredients. the entire time you two were making the cookie dough, it was dead silent, except for when you’d ask the occasional question here and there, to which hanni replied with full answers.

“can you go grab the chocolate-chip cookies in the pantry?” hanni broke the silence, asking you instead since she was preoccupied with mixing the batter.

you did as you were asked. you looked around the pantry for the chocolate-chip cookies hanni requested, your eyes locking on to a familiar light blue star-patterned ribbon instead.

your lips curl upwards as you grab the ribbon, soon after finding the item hanni requested.

“so, you were my secret admirer this entire time?” you ask, grinning.

you set the two items in front of hanni, causing her to look up at you in slight terror.

hanni stops mixing, tilting her head down to the batter while sighing softly. “yes.. but it’s ok! i know you and haerin have something going on, i don’t wanna intrude-”

you cut hanni off immediately as she said that, “there’s nothing between me and haerin.”

hanni looks up at you again with wide eyes, “but i thought?”

your familiar eye smile graces your face, “no, i like you too, hanni. and i sort of knew you were my secret admirer since the beginning”

hanni’s eyes get impossibly bigger, “you do? and you knew?”

“i do,” you sigh out chuckling, “i was going to confess to you this weekend, but any later and i was scared you were going to ignore me.”

"it also isn't that hard to tell your handwriting apart, hanni." you add on.

hanni malfunctions for a good several seconds. y/n, her long-time best friend and the person she’s been crushing on for a year now, just confessed that she liked her back.

“erm- hanni?” you call for her name, causing her to come back to reality.

“y-yes?” hanni stutters a little.

you begin to fidget with the ribbon in your hands, “i know this isn’t the best way to ask you out, but i have to do it now or i might never get the confidence to do it again..”

you take a deep breath, “pham hanni, will you let me be your girlfriend?” you ask with a hopeful smile.

hanni doesn’t know how long she’s been waiting to hear those words. she gives you a smile that reaches her eyes in return, “of course i’ll let you be my girlfriend.”

you try to initiate the kiss first, but hanni beats you to it. she gives you a soft, chaste kiss on the lips, one that you happily return.

“usually i don’t let anybody kiss me until a few dates in, but i’ll make an exception for you” hanni teases as she pulls away.

you grin back at her, kissing her forehead. “i guess i’m really lucky then, huh?”

you and hanni hear a creak, causing the two of you to face the doorway into the kitchen.

there revealed the other four who have been spying on the two of you for god knows how long.

“how long have you guys been there?” you ask, a little dumbfounded at your friends.

“not too long, don’t worry” minji replies, a smirk on her face.

“we’ll get going now, we just wanted to check in.” danielle follows up after, leading the quartet back into the living room.

“you two better pay up! me and minji-unnie won that bet fair and square” hyein grins.

danielle sighs, pulling out a 5000 won bill from her wallet, “i’m happy for them, but i didn’t think y/n would confess today of all days.”

haerin pulls out a 5000 won bill as well, “she said something about waiting for the perfect time and making it special, i guess this was unique in its own way.”

“you two just needed more faith in y/n” minji smirks, taking two 5000 won bills and giving one to hyein.

a/n ;; wrote this one sitting and it’s not proofread, sorry for any grammatical errors or inconsistencies in the writing!

#hanni x reader #pham hanni x reader #newjeans x reader #newjeans #fluff #wlw #kpop #fiction #pham hanni #chaenniz

[librarycards]

hello everyone, and welcome to the final installment of my quarterly favorite books of 2023! this fall has been interesting in terms of reading: my attempt to balance the sheer, necessary pain of keeping up with current events with a desire to continue enjoying transportive fiction, especially as I make my final rounds of edits to my forthcoming novel. it's been me exploring the influence both of thematic and random texts on my dissertation-in-progress. this has resulted in a somewhat unusual final quarter for me: of the above texts, only two are fiction. no straight-up poetry made the cut, either. a weird (but wonderful) round-up for a weird time in my life and history, I guess.

as you likely have time off school or work this month and into the new year, consider picking up a book or five to carry you into 2024. you can view my other recommendations for this year here: 1 / 2 / 3. I very specifically recommend Atef Abu Saif's The Drone Eats With Me of my list this year, given the ongoing genocide in Palestine.

if you like these lists, check out my substack, where i write a free monthly list of media recs, as well as my book rec tag (linked above). and with that, here are my top nine books between Sept. and Dec. 2023!

Bonaventure Soh Bejeng Ndikung, Pidginization as Curatorial Method: Messing with Languages and Praxes of Curating

Atef Abu Saif, The Drone Eats With Me: A Gaza Diary

Mairead Case, Tiny

Shelley Parker-Chan, She Who Became the Sun

Stephen Kuusisto, Planet of the Blind

Lynda Barry, Syllabus

Lamya H., Hijab Butch Blues

Virginia Woolf, Three Guineas

Micha Frazer-Carroll, Mad World: The Politics of Mental Health

tagging people below to share their faves. No pressure, and if you're not tagged and want tot share yours, please!! tag me in your posts, mutuals or not. I love reading them.

@heavenlyyshecomes @sawasawako @capricornpropaganda @stephen-deadalus @discworldwitches @sadhoc @materialisnt @punkkwix @tirragen @xxxjarchiexxx @passerea @metamatar @myalgias @felgueirosa @secretcircuit @aldieb @bioethicists @trans-axolotl @oddmerit @boykeats @artuhmes @oatsmilk @feypact @campgender @fatehbaz @handweavers @abstractlesbian @closet-keys @querxus @pf2e @probablymoons @osmanthusoolong @ghostzvne @poipolycule; my beloved @gwenderqueer AND anyone else who wants to!!!

#book rec #my description #described #id in alt text #mine

[somefanficrecomendations]

December Monthly Roundup

Here's December's fic round up!

DC/BATMAN

Worlds Saddest Breakfast Club by motleyfam   (gen)7k, Hurt/Comfort, Jason Todd-Centric Following a couple of Very Bad Weeks™ (which may or may not have involved being kidnapped and mildly tortured), Jason decides the best way to cheer himself up is to break into the Manor for a 3 a.m. snack. Turns out he isn’t the only one awake.

Batstream by RandomReader13 (gen), 6k, Bats on social media, Humor   “I want it on record that I think this is a terrible idea and I’m only doing this to mitigate the damage." AKA Red Robin decides it's a great idea to livestream patrol while Batman's off-world. It goes about as well as you'd expect.

cards on the table by wesslan (gen) 67k, WIP, Fortune Teller AU, Tim Drake-Centric  Tim's parents faked their deaths and fled the country years ago, but neglected to take him with them. He spent some time on the streets, and now at 16, he makes a living as a fortune teller, stalking and hustling the shit out of Gotham's elite by telling them eerily accurate fortunes based on the information he gathers about them.  His life is peculiar but he wouldn't change a thing. When he gets booked for the big Wayne Halloween party, however, he finds himself getting all tangled up with the Waynes, and the more fortunes he tells, the tighter the snare becomes.  or: Tim just wanted to scam Gotham's elite, not end up on the Batfamily's watchlist. But it seems they just won't leave him alone..

(a not so) lonesome town by wesslan   (gen), 10k, 2-part series, Sentient Gotham, Jazz music. Two works in which Gotham City is sentient and adopts enough kids to rival Batman himself (Batman is one of them).

Banshee in a Well by liverobinreaction (bugbee) (gen), 43k, Meta Tim, Resurrection Powers   Tim is five years old when he drowns in his parents' pool. He dies quietly, waiting for parents who love him, but will never be there, to realise that something is wrong. They never show up, and he sinks into oblivion.  When he wakes up and claws his way out of the water, the sun has set, and the lights of his house are on. He is cold and wet and his lungs burn.  But most of all, Tim is alone.  (If you die and no-one is there to see it, were you ever alive in the first place?)

HUNGER GAMES

right here in the old therebefore by californianNostalgia (Katniss/Peeta) 14k, Canon Divergence, Ghosts There’s a ghost at the Hanging Tree. Katniss sees him first when she’s six, her hair in braids, the song about the growing gallows fresh in her mind. This changes nothing. This changes some things. (In which Lucy Gray killed Coriolanus at the lake.)

How Rue Became the Mockingjay by aimmyarrowshigh (multi) 5k, Different 74th Victors AU Katniss Everdeen and the girl from Eleven are ruining their best-laid plans – the Capitol’s and the Rebels’. So Caesar, they say. Announce the change. An alternate chronology for The Hunger Games.

CROSSOVERS

Annabeth and the Nine Step Career Plan by feeling_the_aster_9145 (Annabeth/Percy), 76k, PJO x DCU, Annabeth gets Lex Luthor arrested, BAMF Annabeth. Annabeth Chase does not accept limitations. Everyone knows that. If she wants something, no matter how impossible, she will find a way to make it happen. Though, perhaps she will allow Bruce Wayne and his ridiculous paranoia-induced company restrictions a small portion of the credit. Actually… now that she thinks about it, the man may have had a point in his worries. Wayne Technologies does not accept college interns. Annabeth always has a plan B.

A Lesson in Superiority by Nation-Ustria (gen), 96k, WIP, Batfam x Harry Potter, Damian Wayne is Harry Potter, Wizarding Politics “The good news is, he’s not cursed,” Constantine says. “And the bad news?” Dick asks sharply. Constantine squints. “I wouldn’t call it bad news so much as, er, news.” He turns to Damian with something like a grimace. “You’re a wizard, kid.” “...I’m a what?”

#batfam fic rec #hunger games fic #percy jackson fic rec #harry potter fic recs #fanfiction #Tim Drake #Jason Todd #katniss everdeen #batfamily #damian wayne #Batman #monthly roundup

[meeshnut]

Oh this is a bit late but:

#january #books and reading #i read these #🥹 #StoryGraph #meeshisdumb #booksbooksbooks #round up #monthly reading