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isfjmel-phleg · 16 days

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March 2024 Books

Norby, the Mixed-Up Robot by Janet and Isaac Asimov

This one was a lot of fun! I should track down the rest of the series.

The World's Greatest Detective by Caroline Carlson

I was very confused about what era this world was mimicking (are they Victorian? 1920s/30s?), but it was a fun story and I enjoyed the dynamic between the protagonists.

A Dig in Time by Peni R. Griffin

I remember liking this one, but it feels like I read it years ago and I can't remember everything. Time travel with a family emphasis.

The Promise by Monica Hughes

Like Sandwriter, which this is a sequel to, I initially wasn't so sure that I liked this one, and then it went in an unexpected direction that took the themes in a more complex place, and I appreciated that.

The Yellow Fairy Book by Andrew Lang

I generally like fairy tales well enough, but this one was rather a slog to get through, and I ended up skimming a lot of it. There were some familiar favorites, but a lot of the tales were of the variety that consist of an interesting set-up followed by a seemingly incoherent series of events, and I regret I don't have enough interest in folklore to get much out of that.

The Romance of a Shop by Amy Levy

Interesting from a historic perspective mostly, but I didn't connect much with the story.

The Secret Garden of Yanagi Inn by Amber A. Logan (reread)

Reread so it would be fresh in my mind before the presentation. You already know how I feel about this one.

The Humming Room by Ellen Potter (reread)

Same as above. I have a post in drafts with some thoughts on this one that may eventually see daylight.

The Making of May by Gwyneth Rees (reread)

Already discussed this one.

A Bit of Earth by Karuna Riazi (reread)

Beautifully written and very readable and develops its themes well. Does fall into the trap of making the story about grief (Maria's late parents were frequently absent from her life, and she resents this, but she did have relationships with them in ways that her counterpart in the original book never did with her parents, so it's a completely different dynamic). I found this Colin to be somewhat underdeveloped, but I did appreciate the concept of his being fearful about failing to live up to family expectation, which is a reasonable translation of the original character's source of shame.

Charley by Joan G. Robinson

I don't remember much of this one. Didn't have any problems, just didn't have as much impact as other books by this author have for me.

Greenwild by Pari Thomson

A very derivative example of the Child Learns That They Are Magical And Special And Enters A Fantastical World Where They Must Take On The Villain sort of story. I wanted to enjoy it, but everything felt trite.

Doctor Who: A Brief History of Time Lords by Steve Tribe

This was a gift from my brother. I am a very casual DW fan and haven't really engaged with the show in quite a while (really should rewatch and catch up on new stuff but that's a pretty big time commitment right now). I think I would have got a lot more out of this if I were more than passingly familiar with Classic Who and all the lore in general.

Not Quite a Ghost by Anne Ursu

I was interested in this one because it's a retelling of "The Yellow Wallpaper," and the concept of comparing the difficulties of getting difficult-to-trace chronic illnesses taken seriously and diagnosed in today's world to the mishandling of women's medical and psychological conditions in the late nineteenth century intrigued me. However, this book didn't really know what it wanted to be. The young protagonist's struggles with her mystery chronic illness took up most of the book, but there was also a plot about a literal ghost in the wallpaper of her new attic bedroom that needs to be defeated in the end, and neither of these things fitted well together. One or the other of them would have been fine, but the combination left me confused about the nature of this fictional world and the themes of the book in general.

Comics/Graphic Novels

Benevolent Sisters of Charity (Over the Garden Wall)

This is the only one of the OTGW comics that I wasn't able to buy before it went out of print, so I ILLed it and realized that it was for the better that I hadn't. The story was incoherent and pointless and the characters were OOC. The art was much better than the story deserved.

Wayne Family Adventures Vol. 3

I've read these as a webcomic already but wanted it in book form too. These are entertaining; you just have to go into it aware that this is The Fluffy World version of everybody and they are characterized accordingly.

The Flash by Grant Morrison & Mark Millar

Not on a level with Waid's work, of course, but the highlight of this one was the storyline in which Linda dies and Wally manages to bring her back (some good Bart content here) and a delightfully meta short story in which Mark Millar meets up with Wally to figure out what story about him to tell next...and Wally is given a co-writing credit in the end.

The Flash by Mark Waid Books Seven and Eight

An effective end to this run. Waid points out in his Afterword that he's still got another story on reserve, so...anytime he wants to give that to us, that would be great. I'll be waiting.

The Secret Garden on 81st Street: A Modern Retelling of the Secret Garden by Ivy Noelle Weir (reread)

You know how I feel about this one. (I whipped it out at the convention to show somebody who was talking to me about CEN in the present day through leaving one's child to technology that that concept was used in this retelling, and somebody nearby oohed about what a diverse retelling it was as I flipped through pages. Which is, you know, more important than effective storytelling. It should have done both! We could have had both!)

Stephen McCranie's Space Boy Omnibus Volume 5

I've read this in webcomic form already, but it's a pleasure to have a physical copy of the latest omnibus.

Sinister Sons #1-2 plus additional material establishing the backgrounds of Lor-Zod and Sinson

A sort of response to the series Super Sons (which featured Jon Kent at his proper age and Damian Wayne), by the same author. This is going to be about a teamup of Lor-Zod (son of General Zod, was Chris Kent in another continuity, has apparently been Zukoed in this incarnation) and Sinson (a young, apparently orphaned thief who believes that his father must be Sinestro, the Green Lantern's arch-nemesis). So far the boys haven't done much more than fight, but I'm interested to see where this is going. (#3 is in the mail now!)

Lor is a horrid little piece of work, but his parents' recent treatment of him puts him in a more sympathetic situation, and I am hoping he'll get a redemption arc that would move him closer to his original version. Sinson is no angel either, but he's just a child who really, really wants a family and is clinging to the only hope for one that he has--and if that means he's a supervillain's son, then he's ready to follow in those footsteps to gain acceptance.

(Also he drew a mustache on himself with a black marker to look more like his alleged father, and that's so ridiculous and kind of endearing.)

#random personal stuff #it's been a weird month for reading but I'm hoping for both more time and more motivation this month #I'm at a point where I have plenty of unread books but don't feel particularly inclined to pick up any of them #and I need to get out of that

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pinkiepiebones · 6 months

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Exciting Job Opportunities in Your Area!

Missing film reels. Written for the prompt " '31 Dracfield"

--Long Ago--

Robert Montague Renfield had arrived at Castle Dracula a real estate lawyer. His office had received a letter of inquiry regarding available land in London, and Robert, he jumped at the opportunity for the assignment as soon as he heard that title- Count. A count! A foreign fellow, yes, but surely a noble foreigner. A wealthy, noble foreigner, one would be led to believe.

Robert scoured the paperwork regarding available parcels and sent the notations and descriptions and sketches and floor layouts and history and chain of ownership and prices to the Count in Transylvania and even paid for expedited post.

A week later, a letter addressed "For the eyes of Mr. RM Renfield only" arrived on his desk. Robert did his best to temper his excitement but a giggle escaped his lips as he cracked the blood-red wax seal- God, how quaint!- and found that the Count had kindly returned all the paperwork and had inscribed in flowing, elegant handwriting, that Carfax Abbey would suit his needs perfectly. Bundled with the note was partial payment for the place (a blighted spit of godforsaken marsh nestled next to a madhouse! Ah, how the wealthy spend their exorbitant sums) and... Oh.

Robert squinted at the cursive. For a foreigner, the Count wrote in excellent English. But this- it was instructions. Addressed to Robert himself.

His heart sped up as he read.

"Mr. Renfield,

I wish to discuss with you, in person, the purchase of Carfax Abbey in London. I am unable to travel at this time; however, I will at once see to it that your travel to my home is paid for in full, should you respond in the affirmative and agree to follow my instruction. I await your reply, Mister Renfield.

Your friend, Dracula"

Your friend.

Robert did not discuss it with his wife or with his fellow solicitors. He tucked the letter inside his suitcoat, pressed firmly against his heart, and sent his response in secret. He felt as though he was to soon embark on an incredible journey.

The Count's response came within days. Robert ran his fingertips over the wax seal- this time, stamped not with a plain sort of stamp, but with what was undoubtably the design of the Count's family crest- and carefully shattered it. Inside were joyous salutations, a boarding pass for a ship leaving from London, a train ticket, a beautifully etched map, and instructions.

"Tell no soul where it is you are heading. Not friend nor lover. Your travel and arrival to my home must be bathed in the utmost secrecy."

Robert idly traced the word 'lover.' How peculiar of the Count to not say 'wife.' Surely he had mentioned Elizabeth in previous correspondence. What sort of family man didn't mention his family in the work hours? A married father makes more money than a confirmed bachelor. Right?

Robert brought the letter close and breathed deep. The paper was perfumed, just barely so, but he could smell something enchanting on it.

He borrowed books from the library and read all he could concerning Transylvania, so as to not look or sound foolish in his travels. He told his wife he would be going on a business trip two days before the ship was set to sail.

"Where to?"

"Ah, well, my client wishes me to keep that private."

Elizabeth looked at him from the vanity. This was how a great deal of their conversations took place now, her at the vanity in her nightgown, brushing her hair, he sitting on the edge of their bed in his pajamas. Dinner conversation (whenever Robert was present in the house and not working late) was focused mostly on their daughter and her schoolyard exploits.

"You can't tell me where you'll be going?"

"No, dear."

"What if something happens to Lillian? How would I get word to you?"

Robert looked down at his hands.

"And how long will you be gone?"

Robert fought the urge to simply shrug and said "my client wishes to discuss his purchase, and I'm to bring paperwork for him to sign. It shouldn't have me away for more than a week, maybe two if the weather turns."

Elizabeth stood and crossed the space between them. Her expression was unreadable, as was the case most of the time these days. Robert took her hand in his and looked up at her, eyes pleading.

"Elizabeth, I don't mean to be crass, but he's rich. He is nobility. This is my chance to get the life I- we, the life we deserve. The life Lillian deserves." He gently squeezed her hand, her wedding ring pressing into his palm.

Elizabeth sighed. "You'll go whether or not I support you going. So go." She took her hand from his and got in bed. "I will make up a story for Lillian," she said. "Because Lillian will ask where you've gone."

Robert approached his side of the bed.

"I- I'm going to take you and Lillian with me to London. She'll see me board the ship." He chuckled. "So, your story will start with a little sea faring."

Catherine was quiet.

Robert slept and dreamed of being consumed by shadows.

- Robert Montague Renfield had arrived at Castle Dracula a real estate lawyer. He had followed the Count's instructions implicitly, telling no soul of his final destination. The castle was shockingly dilapidated, but Robert pressed on, hoping, perhaps, that the disrepair and decay of the castle simply belied how miserly the Count has become with his vast fortunes; maybe the Count elected to hoard his wealth like a dragon instead of purchasing materials and labour for the upkeep of the stonework and such.

Robert gladly accepted drink from the Count and noticed the Count poured nothing for himself.

"I never drink... wine," the Count said with a smile that exposed sharp, sharp teeth.

The wine or something in it sent Robert to the floor. He woke, barely, to the sensation of fingernails stroking his face. He could have sworn he had heard women's voices before opening his eyes. Odd.

Dracula was crouched over him, staring. Robert swallowed, Adam's apple bobbing.

"The wine is strong for you," Dracula said, grinning. Robert was blushing. He knew he was.

"Um, y-yes, I think so."

Dracula's fingers ghosted over the exposed skin of Robert's neck and Robert gasped at the cool touch that set a fire in him.

"Your heart is so loud, Mister Renfield," Dracula chuckled.

Robert whimpered. He felt, suddenly, incredibly exposed, as though the Count's gaze had penetrated the depths of his soul, where he hid his truest self.

Dracula leaned down and kissed him. Robert's eyes fluttered closed and his arms, sluggishly, raised, fingers grasping at the Count's shoulders.

Robert whined when the Count broke the kiss. He sat up, dizzy still.

"You have had to hide yourself for so long," the Count cooed, stroking Robert's hair. "No use trying to hide from me."

Robert felt tears rolling down his face. Too many conflicting feelings and the wine and the lips and the crucifix, gone, torn away, a millstone unmoored from his neck.

"I am alone here," Dracula purred, still petting the bewildered lawyer. "You will stay here, with me, being my assistant."

"I... I will?"

Dracula smiled, eyes shining.

"You will make a very good assistant, Mister Renfield."

Dracula tilted Robert's chin up and leaned so close Robert could feel the Count's lips on his neck.

"I - yes. Yes, I will."

The Count sank his teeth into Robert's flesh.

"Yes-!"

#renfield #dracfield #Elizabeth Catherine Renfield loved Robert in her own quiet way okay #dracfield week

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blurredcolour · 2 years

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The Hunter's Moon | Part Three

The Hunter's Moon Masterlist

Summary: Your new neighbour becomes an ally against the town thugs, on more than one occasion.

Pairing: Werewolf!Austin Butler x Gender Neutral Reader

Warnings: Language, Street Harassment, Discussions of Violence, Mentions of Alcohol, Suspense, Threatening Situations, Discussions of Fear, Cycling Accident, Wounds, Blood, Pain, Supernatural Themes, Suggestion of Mature/Explicit Themes - 18 + Only

GIF Credit: @karamelcoveredolicity

Author's Note: Inspired by the headcannons of @sassy-ahsoka-tano, written with her blessing. Stuff gets pretty spooky in this one, I hope you like it!

Song suggestion: Paranoia by NEONI, MUTINY by NEONI

Word Count: 3461

—☽•✧•◐•✧•◯•✧•◑•✧•☾—

Early September

You did not see much of your new neighbour over the next week. You had chalked it up to his preoccupation with unpacking, settling into his new home. The first Monday in September brought no break to the heat. The library was closed Sundays, as were most things in the town, and Mondays. This left you with only one option for running errands, so you had driven into town Monday afternoon to stock up on essentials and some extras.

You had parked on Main Street, grabbing some reusable shopping bags to take with you. Pausing at the corner to check for traffic, you had tensed as you heard the sound of a motorcycle approaching.

“Not today, please…” You had muttered to yourself, but your eyes had widened as the rider that came into view was not the one you were dreading.

A tall, slender, yet powerful man astride a beautifully engineered motorcycle – it somehow evoked old Hollywood. You stood rooted to the spot, watching him roll past you toward the hardware store a few blocks down. The slice of the tanned skin of his neck between his helmet and a leather jacket, the glint of the gold chain peeking from under the collar of his white shirt, the long slender fingers covered in black leather and wrapped around the handlebars, the tight jeans that seemed almost painted onto the muscles of his long legs.

Those jeans…You stared after the rider as he turned a corner and swallowed. That very well might have been Austin, but you had no proof of it. You jumped as a car honked and snapped your head to look at the worn silver Oldsmobile, sweet Mrs. Parkinson waiting patiently, waving you to cross before she drove on.

You offered her a wave, cheeks flushing as you had most definitely been caught staring, hurrying across the road and into the bakery. Leaving the shop fifteen minutes later, however, your fears had come true. Three Harley choppers driven by three over-grown frat boys pulled up to the curb in front of you. Your blood ran cold despite the heat of the day as Toby Anderson, local mechanic and town thug, climbed off his bike grinning at you.

He was not a tall man, but what he lacked in height he had tried to compensate for with muscle. He was built like an ox; thick neck, broad shoulders, bulging muscles. His dark hair was coarse and cropped short. You drove your feet forward, walking quickly, hoping against hope that he had not seen you. You were not so lucky.

“Well, well, well if it isn’t Lannet’s Falls finest piece of ass.”

Your shoulders went up defensively, head bowed to try and somehow become less visible. But you could hear Toby, flanked by his loyal followers Chad and Lincoln, following you toward your next stop. You could hear their heavy books clomping along the pavement.

“Today might just be the day, boys. The day when this fine thing lets me treat them to the fucking they deserve. Show them all they’ve been missing.”

You propelled yourself into the liquor store, knowing the owner was not a fan of the pack of brutes. You had been able to waste a good thirty minutes in there, leaving with a few more bottles than intended, but from your vantage point it looked as though they had found something else to do with the excessive amount of time they seemed to have on their hands.

Once again you were mistaken. You stepped out of the shop to a taunting wolf-whistle to your right.

“Looking for a party, hmmm? Why don’t we take all that alcohol back to my place and have the best time of your life?”

You had somehow managed to look both ways before jaywalking across the street. Just one errand left – the order waiting for you at the butcher shop. The local butcher was of the highest calibre, specializing in meats and plant-based alternatives alike. You had almost reached the door when it was suddenly blocked by Toby’s solid bulk. You took an immediate step back, heart racing, frozen quite like prey that had just come face-to-face with a predator.

You had been on the verge of giving up, of using your lunch break tomorrow to close the library and run over to pick up your order, when someone called your name from further up the block. Someone with a warm, sweet, rich voice. All eyes, including your own, had turned to look at Austin as he jogged over.

—☽•◐•◯•◑•☾—

Austin had seen you. Well, more accurately, had smelled you as soon as he rolled into town on his Triumph Bonneville – made famous by the likes of Steve McQueen, Bob Dylan, Keith Richards, Clint Eastwood and of course, Elvis. The silhouette was iconic, and the long lean lines and vintage flare suited his style better than an over-powered Harley Davidson.

The way your eyes had caressed every inch of his body had set his heart racing. He’d parked a few blocks out of sight, trying to focus on taking deep breaths, trying to regain control. His head had snapped up when Toby’s disgusting comments echoed down the street, jaw clenching as he felt fury at the idea of anyone addressing you in such a way.

He had watched that man and his idiotic friends hound you, feeling a sense of pride at the way you had stubbornly gone about your errands despite their harassment. He had been loathe to announce his presence to them, to you. He had been avoiding you, filled with dread at what might happen if he let his attraction to you get the best of his ability to reason.

But when that meathead had blocked your path, and his friends had blocked your escape from behind, simply watching over you was no longer an option. He had shrugged out of his leather jacket, holding it over his left shoulder hooked onto the index and middle fingers of his left hand. He had stepped onto the sidewalk, calling your name, as he jogged over at a human pace.

“I’m so sorry I am late, thank you again for agreeing to come shopping with me.” He came to stand at your side, correcting his posture to his full height, ignoring the glares of Chad and Lincoln. He looked down at Toby. He was calm and cold.

“Excuse us, we have some shopping to do.” He spoke with crisp civility.

Toby had jutted his jaw forward, eyes burning as he looked up at him obstinately. The unspoken challenge, the silent threats; the air grew thick with tension, with the possibility for violence.

Everyone jumped as the door to the butcher shop swung inward, the bell chiming, as the butcher had grown tired of the showdown outside his shop.

“Are any of you intending to make a purchase from me today?” He’d asked tersely and you had bolted into the shop through the gap made as Toby turned to look at him.

Austin followed you, shoulder bumping into Toby’s as he forced his way past him. The butcher let the door shut and walked around behind the counter to serve the two of you. Austin glanced at you frequently, jaw unclenching as your heart rate slowed and the scent of fear stopped rolling off you in bitter waves.

—☽•◐•◯•◑•☾—

Austin had appeared, just when you really needed him, and stood beside you. Once the two of you were finally safe inside the store, you had been able to take some deep breaths, asking the butcher for the order you’d called in last week.

As Austin perused the butcher’s products in the display case, you had let out one final sigh of relief as you saw Toby’s pack drive off toward the highway. He had looked to you at the sound, offering a small smile.

“Thank you” you said quickly, shifting the bags on your arm as you finally registered the way the handles of your overloaded liquor bag dug into the skin. You set it down on the ground carefully to give yourself a break.

He had shaken his head in response. “Just glad I was there. So, what would you recommend here?” He asked, fingers stroking his jaw.

You smiled softly and stepped closer, pointing out a few things in the case. The butcher rang up your order and you paid, waiting while Austin picked up a few things. He smoothly assumed the burden of the heavy bag without you noticing until the two of you turned to leave.

“You don’t have to do that…I’m just over there” You pointed to your car, and he simply held the door open for you in reply, carrying it over for you to load it in. “Did…did you want me to take your bag in the car? I saw you…come in on your motorcycle.” You blushed a little as you recalled the way you had looked at him.

He grinned smoothly and held it out to you. “I would appreciate that, actually.”

You beamed in triumph and added it to the cooler you had brought to fight the effects of the heat wave. He had parted ways with you then, claiming to have more errands to run in town. You had swallowed, confused by his abrupt departure. It proved to be a habit as he’d left just has quickly after picking up his shopping bag from you later than evening.

You had attributed the enigma of your neighbour to his celebrity status; he probably was just fiercely protective of his privacy and free time. However, the warm glow left by him coming to your aid in front of the butcher shop took up permanent residence in your chest. It was a memory that frequently replayed in your mind’s eye, queued up and ready any time you let your mind wander.

The persistent summer-like temperatures had allowed you to continue commuting to work by bike. The uphill climb in the morning was bracing, woke you up. The downhill glide was a treat at the end of the day. You had been coming home later and later each night that week, dirty from the dust and grime of the basement. Since arriving you had managed to clear out the old holding cell. In its former life, the building that now housed the library and small museum had been a sheriff’s office. Once the gold rush had passed, and the town had shrunk, policing had been based out of Placerville.

Opening up a particularly decrepit banker’s box Saturday night, you had found a leather-bound journal, pages yellowed and curled with age. In dainty cursive on the first page, it read:

Diary of Udolhpia Nerissa Lannet – 1856

“Holy shit” You had muttered to yourself. If this was authentic, if, this could be the journal of the town founder’s wife.

You had settled onto the stone floor, back pressed against the brick foundation wall, reading the faded ink of the meticulous journal. She had written an entry every day, though the length of her accounts varied. As the building of their homestead on the shore of the lake progressed, the entries grew notably darker.

“…The howling of the wolves has infected his mind, infected our home…”

There had been attacks on the settlers higher up the valley, above the falls. Udolphia didn’t spare any of the grisly details, writing of torn limbs, gored entrails. The behaviour of her husband, Reuben Lannet had become increasingly erratic and troubling, until the entry in the spring of 1857.

“…He has fallen, our fearless leader, my Reuben. Fallen in search of that cursed queen of poisons…We will simply have to forbear life without him…Rely upon my young Rhett to hold this group together against the forces of evil in the woods.”

It was the final entry. There were still empty pages in the diary, but her unbroken record of daily life came to that abrupt end. The sound of your unsteady breaths echoed off the brick walls of the basement. The unsettling words had put you on edge and you swallowed dryly. You shifted stiffly to stand, groaning at the discomfort in your butt from sitting on the floor so long. You pulled out your phone to check just how long it had been and swore thickly to see it was just after nine o'clock.

“God what a nerd, staying late at work on my Friday.” You muttered bitterly to yourself, trying to break the silence with inane chatter. Heading back upstairs, you had put the journal into the safe under the counter. You would catalogue the entries next week before sending it out for verification by an expert.

You shook your head, trying to dispel the fog of wolves, death, gore, and evil from your brain. The hyper-religious revivalist missionaries had a remarkable taste for the overly dramatic. There was no need to get wrapped up in it. You stepped out of the library into the full dark of night, locking the door with hands that wanted to shake despite your best efforts. You grabbed your bike, unlocking it from the streetlight, before sitting astride it. You turned on your headlight and took a steadying breath.

“Twenty-three minutes. An easy glide down hill” You spoke to yourself encouragingly in the deserted street.

You pedaled toward the bridge, tensing as the light of the full moon was disappearing behind infiltrating clouds, the darkness of the night deepening without its luminescence. The rumble of thunder ricocheted off the surrounding mountains, tightening your grip on your handlebars as you turned right onto the road home, letting gravity pull you lower into the valley.

“It’s just a creepy night, you’re just overreacting from creeping fucking Udolphia’s journal.” You chided yourself, clenching your teeth as the low cloud rolled across the road. Trees to the left, a sheer drop into the river to your right.

But the howl, the chorus of howls, drew a whimper from your lips. Your feet pedaled impotently, the incline of the road already had you speeding downhill as fast as the bike could manage. But the agency of doing something soothed your fear a little. The sound of your terrified breathing filled your ears until…until you thought you could hear the scrape of claws on the pavement behind you, the huffing of exertion as something ran after you. Several somethings.

You broke into a cold sweat, willing the bike to go faster, forcing yourself to look ahead.

“Don’t look back, don’t look back…” You chanted under your breath.

If you didn’t look back it couldn’t be real. The evil in Udolphia Lannet’s trees could not be here, now. The howls of her wolves could not infect your mind.

You almost had yourself convinced. Almost. Until something collided with your back tire. The scream tore so savagely from your throat, you would not have been surprised if you had tasted blood. In your nearly hysterical state, you overcompensated, losing your balance, and slammed down onto the road. The unforgiving asphalt chewed up your palms and the exposed skin of your arms and legs.

Momentum rolled you into the ditch, adrenaline drove you to scramble to your feet, evolution screamed at you to run. The searing pain in your flesh drew your focus and you took a moment to breathe. Wolves would outrun you any day…climb! You looked up to the trees and lurched forward, crying out in agony but still making progress towards the nearest tree. You grasped at a low hanging branch and wailed in frustration as it snapped off the trunk in your grasp.

The sounds of snarls and snapping jaws closing in behind you made the hair on the back of your neck stand up. Flight had failed. Fight was the only option left to you. You grasped the broken branch in your wounded hand tightly and turned to face your fear at last. Your back pressed against the tree tightly, facing the three wolves, their teeth bared, hackles up. The one in the centre, the black one, was the largest. It was flanked by two grey wolves. You held out the branch threatening, shaking.

“Fuck…” You whispered to yourself. The situation looked quite hopeless.

—☽•◐•◯•◑•☾—

Austin had done all he could to reinforce the wall anchors for the chains, to strengthen the lock on the secure room. He still had his doubts, not entirely confident in his own work, but he was out of time. The Harvest Moon would be rising in a few hours. He had stripped off his clothes, locked himself in the room, and secured the collar around his neck.

The shift had flowed over him like water, much easier when he didn’t fight the inevitable. First order of business was to indulge in the raw T-bone steak he’d bought with you at the butcher shop. He had gnawed it right down to the bone before settling onto the plush mattress, licking his chops. His eyes had been about to droop contentedly when a scream…your scream…ripped through the peace of the night. He was immediately driven to his feet, growling and struggling against the chains. Despite his fears about the strength of the wall anchors, it was actually the chain that failed, links warping and snapping under the violent pull of his wolf form.

He slammed his body into the door, driven wild with the need to find you, to get to you, to protect you. One last collision with his frame and the door swung open. His claws dug into the treads of the stairs as he scrabbled out of the basement. Flinging his body through the plate glass window in the dining room, he landed on the back porch before bursting into a run.

The air was electric, full of the violent potential of the gathering storm, of the wolf pack cornering the human on the road. Your scent led him straight to you. He charged down the hillside behind you, launching the rest of the way to land firmly between you and the trio of thugs. He recognized them immediately…was mentally accosting himself for not recognizing their true nature sooner.

His fur stood on end as he stood firmly planted in front of you, teeth bared defensively. The black wolf, Toby, stopped sniffing at you and growled menacingly, pacing back and forth, trying to find a way to get to its prey. To you. Austin’s eyes never left him, never broke eye contact, never backed down. He lunged forward, snarling and barking, taunting Austin to attack, to break the stalemate.

Austin planted himself at your feet, partially sitting on them, clearly stating his intention to protect you. He would not be drawn into anything reckless that would leave you exposed to the others in the pack. Headlights flashed on the road, making him wince a little at the sudden brightness, but he stayed rooted to the spot in front of you.

An old, beat-up pickup truck careened down the road, excessively loud banjo music blaring from the open windows as Jonah Lannet drove recklessly down the highway. The pack scattered, too visible to the road. They raced off through the trees, back towards town. Jonah noticed nothing, not even your bike as he ran it over, speeding along into the night.

—☽•◐•◯•◑•☾—

You made a noise of utter defeat as the universe had seen fit to add insult to injury by destroying your bike. But…it had sent you help. You looked down to the excessively large wolf sitting at, and on, your feet. Sandy fur that looked remarkably soft for a wild animal. It would have been described as blonde if it were a human.

It looked back to you at your exclamation, and you had gasped involuntarily at the startling blue of its eyes...the intelligence that seemed to lay behind him. If emotion could be attributed to animals, which you firmly believed it could, you would have described this one as sad. It moved to stand sniffing at the wind before looking back at you once more. It took off then, scattering the debris on the forest floor as it disappeared back up the hillside from where it had come.

You ambled forward, wincing as the pain in your limbs was vibrant now that the immediate danger had passed. Staggering to the road, you grabbed the warped remnants of your bike as the clouds burst into a full-blown thunderstorm.

“Great. Just fucking great.” You snarled to yourself and hobbled the rest of the way home.

—☽•✧•◐•✧•◯•✧•◑•✧•☾—

Read Part Four

The Hunter's Moon Masterlist

Tag List: @karamelcoveredolicity, @mymamalife, @thatonemoviefan, @bxxbxy, @lumosllwyni

#austin butler x reader #austin butler x you #austin butler fic #austin butler imagine #austin butler x gn reader #gn!reader #werewolf austin #werewolf aus #werewolf au #werewolf!austin #austin butler x y/n #thehuntersmoon #austin butler #blurredcolour

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13eyond13 · 1 month

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1,2 and 6 for bookish asks?

thank you for asking!

1. What book did you last finish? When was that?

According to Goodreads I've finished 3 new books in the past week, so I'll just list them all here:

(1) And Then She Fell by Alicia Elliott [finished March 18th]

Somebody picked this one for my book club! Still haven't discussed it yet. Kind of a Rosemary's Baby-ish story told from an Indigenous Canadian woman's POV.

(2) The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin [finished March 16th]

A sci-fi classic that takes place on a fictional ice-covered world where the inhabitants are normally genderless and only have a gender temporarily whenever they're in heat for reproduction purposes, basically. It was both tedious and confusing to get into and also somewhat interesting and memorable and unique? A fairly divisive pick someone chose for my book club, haha. I didn't hate it like some people did, but I didn't absolutely love it either!

(3) Heartstopper Vol. 1 by Alice Oseman [finished on March 15th]

It was just alright to me - cute, but basically just exactly what you might expect from watching the movie trailer for it, and nothing more?

2. What are you currently reading?

(1) The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien

I've been picking away at this one slowly the last several weeks! Enjoying it quite a bit. I've always loved the LOTR movie trilogy, but never got around to actually reading the books until now.

(2) Fingersmith by Sarah Waters

Lesbian Dickens or something? Only about 1/4 of the way through this one so far! I saw the movie The Handmaiden that's based on it a while back, so I feel like I already might know the gist of the plot a bit. So far it's been pretty entertaining to read.

(3) Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens

Reading Fingersmith put me in the mood for some actual Dickens! It's basically exactly what I expected or knew it was going to be. One thing about Dickens that I appreciate is I often lol when I read his stuff. Some of the more cartoonishly asshole adult characters and the dry way the narration points out their awful personalities just gets me every time

(4) Lapvona by Ottessa Moshfegh

I've barely started this one! Somebody sparked my curiosity about it by saying it was super gross... I feel like I'm probably going to regret reading it, but unfortunately I'm an idiot and also I was in the mood for a dark medieval story at the time, hahaha

6. Which book was the last one you really, really loved?

Hmm... One that really pleasantly surprised me when I read it recently was:

Rabbit, Run by John Updike

I went into it expecting it to be infuriatingly misogynistic and ended up finding it moving and pretty beautifully written. On the surface level the plot SOUNDS like it's just going to be exactly that kind of thing and nothing more (a 1960s story about an egotistical and disenchanted young married man who suddenly abandons his wife and kids to go frig off and sleep around and such). But I was pleasantly surprised by how much complexity and personality and sympathy the women were written with too, and even when I didn't like or relate to the characters all that much I still always found it well-written and interesting to read. I also ended up crying over it at some point! I don't know how the entire series goes or if I'll eventually read the rest of the books, but the first one made me feel a lot more emotions than I went into it expecting to, for sure.

[bookish asks]

#ask #anon #p #reccs #book recs

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redgoldsparks · 1 year

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December reading and reviews by Maia Kobabe

I post my reviews throughout the month on Storygraph and Goodreads, and do roundups here and on patreon.

The Savage Beard of She Dwarf by Kyle Latino

She Dwarf might be the last of her kind, but this only fuels her desire for adventure, danger, and travel. Her famous warrior mother died before she could lead She Dwarf though the final coming of age trials, so our hero is on a quest to find the lost kingdom of Dwarves to see what knowledge she can gain from the ruins. A long the way she battles and befriends a whimsical cast of misfits who end up tagging along for the journey for reasons of their own. This story is action packed, fun, beautifully drawn and extremely aesthetically queer though there are no outright discussions of anyone's gender or sexuality. I highly recommend this comic for fantasy comic fans of all ages, it was released during covid and never got the promotion or attention it deserved. Buy this book for someone for the holidays!

Under a Sugar Sky by Seanan McGuire, read by Michelle Dockrey

This third book is the series is more whimsical and light than the first two, which I suppose makes sense as it takes place primarily in a nonsense world. It introduces a few new characters, as well as bringing back Christopher and Kane from book 1. A group of these teens sets out together on a quest, but not all of them return to Earth at the end of it. I'm definitely planning to continue with the audio books of this series.

Batcat by Meggie Ramm

This magical, brightly-colored tale follows Batcat, a creature of comfort, who is driven out of their cozy home by an annoyingly friendly ghost. On their quest, Batcat is forced to face some of their deepest fears (the dark, being eaten) and some of their biggest questions: are they more a bat, or more a cat? Readers of all ages who have wondered about their own place in a world keen on dividing things into categories will relate to this quandary, and delight in the playful ways that Batcat defines themself outside of the binary. I got to read an advanced copy of this adorable book because it was written by a dear friend. Yes, I am biased, but I loved this story and highly recommend people check it out when it is released in March of 2023, or preorder it now!

Funny Planet: How Comedy Ruined Everything by Ken Jennings

This is a conversational, light, easy to read nonfiction that traces the way comedy and humor have spread their roots into almost every aspect of American life. Advertisements are now expected to be funny, as are politicians, the news, the modern art world and some types of avant-garde fashion and food. Also, social media, particularly twitter, which (even in its crumbling perhaps final days) is a near constant stream of jokes and jibes at every current happening, large or small, including very horrific tragedies that probably shouldn't be made light of. And things that were already funny, like sitcoms, have nearly doubled their joke density in the past 50 years. The author explores the historical development of comedy in these different fields, and also wonders what it is doing to our brains to be fed such a constant stream of jokes. I missed a lot of the references by virtue of having seen almost none of the TV shows or comedy specials the author was referring to, yet still found this a quick and lively read.

¡Ay, Mija!: My Bilingual Summer in Mexico by Christine Suggs

Suggs' debut memoir is a complete delight. The themes of language, translation, family, queerness, fatness, and being biracial are beautifully woven together into a rich and authentic whole. Nothing is overstated, simply presented as it was lived, and illustrated in a lovely palette of warm browns, bright golds, and smoothing blues. I loved the tiny avatar of the author's internal thoughts and how it interacted with the text and images on the page. This book uses all of the visual tools of comics to tell a wonderful coming of age story and the result is as sweet as pan dulce. I had the chance to read this book ahead of it's review and I can't recommend it more! Pre-order it now or look for it on shelves in April 2023.

The Box In The Woods by Maureen Johnson read by Kate Rudd

This fourth book in the Truly Devious YA murder mystery series introduces a new cold case for anxious teen detective Stevie Bell to bang her head against. This one, a quadruple murder from 1978 which took place in the woods outside a summer camp, was mishandled from the beginning. Dubbed 'The Box in the Woods' murders, the police at the time initially thought it was a drug deal gone wrong, then thought it might be the work of a contemporary serial killer. Stevie is hired by the new owner of the summer camp, who wants to make a podcast about the crime. Stevie doesn't care about the podcast, but she does love getting to bring her friends with her to a camp and getting her hands on a difficult case. This book continues to develop Stevie's friendships and romantic relationship in satisfying ways. I remain very delighted by and impressed with this series, and I'm excited there's a fifth book coming out before the end of the year!

Buzzing by Samuel Sattin and Rye Hickman

]The power of a supportive role playing group can't fix everything, but it goes a long way. Isaac is a teen with OCD, who suffers from near constant intrusive thoughts, cleverly visualized here as bees with mean voices. Over the story he builds confidence and community by leaning into his love of fantasy and drawing; as a former fellow misfit teen artist, it was wonderful to watch him grow. This is a nuanced and diverse coming of age story, I'm so excited for all of the readers who will discover it and see themselves in it. The art is excellent, both in the real world day to day parts of the story and the D&D fantasy parts of the story. I had the pleasure of reading an advanced copy of this book because I am friends with both of the authors- pre order it now, or look for it on shelves in July 2023!

Falcon written and read by Helen Macdonald

This was my second book this year by Helen MacDonald. Shorter and more traditionally nonfiction that H is for Hawk, this book is a collection of facts and anecdotes about the relationship of falcons and humans across many centuries and cultures. Human have long anthropomorphized falcons, attributing to them traits such as nobility, cunning, and martial prowess. Humans have been training and hunting with falcons for at least 3,000 years; lately, we have driven many species to near extinction, and created involved and wide ranging programs to try and rehabilitate the dwindling populations. I listened to this entire four hour audiobook during one long car ride and was well entertained the whole time.

Mimosa by Archie Bongiovanni

Chris, Jo, Elise, and Alex bonded over being the only queer waiters at a restaurant, but their friendship long outlasted their stint at the job. Ten years on, the crew, now in their mid and late thirties, face a whole slew of new challenges: parenting, vying for promotions, balancing partying and work, being judged by baby gays at the club, and scariest of all, drifting apart. Fans of Bongiovanni's Grease Bats will enjoy the familiar flavors of a messy, horny, queer and trans friend squad but paired with a more nuanced slice-of-life narrative. These characters are trying to stay true to themselves, invest in their communities, get laid, and support each other. But it's not so easy to balance all of those conflicting needs, and they frequently fall short. I was left hoping that the characters could forgive each other's deeply human failings. I had the pleasure of reading an advanced copy of the book- it's available for pre-order now, or check it out when it's released in March 2023!

She Who Became The Sun by Shelley Parker Chan

What a wonderful book to end the year with! This one came highly recommended by many friends and did not disappoint. Epic in scale, with fantasy rooted in Chinese history, this story is set in an alternate mid-1300s with Mongols attempting to control all of mainland China, but resisted by a rebel force. The book opens with Zhu, the only daughter of a peasant family struggling to survive during a famine. A fortune teller predicted a great destiny for Zhu's one brother, and nothing for her. But when her brother dies, Zhu decides she will inhabit his destiny instead. She disguises herself as a boy to seek shelter and education in a monastery, a story trope I have always enjoyed, but especially here because this book takes the narrative in a explicitly trans/genderqueer direction by the end. Elsewhere in the story, a eunuch general in the Mongol army hides a bitter desire for revenge from his dearest friend; the rebel leaders battle each other for power, doing nearly as much damage to their cause as they do to their enemies; and a daughter of a rebel commander despairs over the constant bloodshed and death of the seemingly endless war. This is a complicated conflict, in which neither side is morally superior to the other; I was equally compelled by the personalities on each side and also certain that all of them were on a path towards destruction that they could not escape.

#reading #book reviews #comic book reviews #books #audiobooks

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zgongjin · 1 year

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The year is coming to an end, and over the past few months I read two history books on the Wei-Jin periods from Japanese scholars. Both books were excellent, but unfortunately I wasn’t able to find English translated versions, so both books are only available in Chinese (both simplified and traditional) and Japanese. Sharing my thoughts on them here:

三国志の世界後漢三国時代 (The world of SGZ, Later Han Three Kingdoms era)

Amazon Japan, Traditional,Simplified

This is written by a Japanese scholar who specialises in Chinese culture and literature, so the first few chapters on the history bits were quite brief and short, merely giving overviews of what happened and proposing some ideas/reasons without going into too much detail.

However, the following chapters on the society during the Later Han Three Kingdoms era were really detailed and beautifully written. The author, with each chapter, took the readers into the realms of diplomacy, literature, religion and so on, and in particular, discussed how technological advancements may have contributed to developments in literature. On many occassions these details were also often linked with the novel, as the author compared and contrasted history and novel, and sometimes proposed possible reasons for the differences.

Because of his Japanese backgrounds, the author also dedicated a whole chapter on the relationships between ancient China and her East Asian neighbours. A hunge chunk of the chapter is dedicated to exploring Wei-Japan relations, which was a very interesting read. Generally this perspective of other powers were often not explored when talking about this period, so I found this addition quite fascinating.

The book ended of with a discussion of legitimacy and how the period might have had profund impacts lasting into modern times, which I thought was quite a refreshing perspective of things as well.

Overall, I think this is a great book if one wishes to learn more about the society and culture during the Later Han Three Kingdoms era, but not so useful if one wishes to go deeper into historical events or progressions.

失われた古代帝国の秩序 (The Disintegrated Ancient Imperial Orders)

Amazon Japan, Traditional

This book is a compilation of discussions written by various historians on both East Asian and European history, with the last 2 chapters of the book focused on the Wei-Jin N/S Dynasties periods, one on the North, and one on the South.

The discussion on the North followed the perspectives of first Former Qin and then Northern Wei, and analysed how the battle of Feishui was a turning point -- a juncture that marked the collpase of an old order and rise of a new order, true to the book's name.

The discussion on the South followed a similar trajectory of old order vs new order, as the author examined the rise of the South from Qin-Han, to the Six Dynasties. In particular, there was some exploration on the idea of a new order that is centered on a Southern hinterland as opposed to the traditional Central Plains.

Because of the theme as a conflict between old and new orders, there wasn't a lot of specific details on how the orders came about or the period in general. Instead, the chapters focused on exploring and defining the "old" and "new", and attemped to look at this period from the viewpoint of "old" and "new" clashes, through their differences in beliefs, ideologies and so on.

All in all, a good book that provides a perhaps different perspective into things in the era, but not the kind of introductory or analytical source that scrutinises historical details.

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bullshit-bulltrue · 11 months

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ok i was going to send u this a little while ago but i completely forgot so im doing it now :D

mae’s reasons why lee should watch (and possibly definitely read) lockwood and co: a list

the tropes are iMMACULATE and theyre done very well. the found family. the characters. all the plot lines. ITS AMAZING.

the characters are all amazingly fleshed out and beautifully written, with flaws and full ins and outs. the character relationships are also amazing, with wonderfully written friendships and relationship developments, not to mention the ships, leading me to…

LOCKLYLE. yes, this deserves its own bullet. the ship between anthony lockwood and lucy carlyle is truly my favorite thing ever. on earth. as im sure you are aware, they are the sole purpose of my being, my one true otp. i cant even put into words how much i love them.

the books and shows both deal with mental health, depression, and su1c1d3 in an amazingly healthy and well written way. they ALSO deal with anxiety and stuff like that, which is very nice to see in current media.

its faithful to the books. yes, there were some changes, but everything feels perfect. idek how to explain it but its just. perfect.

the vibes. the vibes man. lee, the vibesss.

ok as you can tell this started as me being coherent and neat with a nice little organized list and turned into a chaotic mess but if theres one takeaway i want u to have from this, it is

dip your toe into the lnco fandom. you wont regret it :))

mae ilysm and will definitely watch it during summer break!!

i love heavy topics discussed and portrayed in a healthy way<3

i've also seen locklyle shitposts and their vibes are immaculate

and ur always welcome to flood my inbox with incoherent lnco fangirling<3

#mae 🪩#lee's asks

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missmusiclove · 1 year

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“I take a longer look at the words on her headstone. Brave, kind, loyal, sweet, loving, graceful, strong, thoughtful, funny, genuine, hopeful, playful, insightful, and on and on… Was she, though? Was she any of those things? The words make me angry. I can’t look at them any longer. Why do we romanticize the dead? Why can’t we be honest about them?” ✨⚱️✨ Jennette McCurdy’s memoir I’m Glad My Mom Died is a deeply hard hitting read that talked about McCurdy’s complicated relationship with her mother. The way that McCurdy discussed her thoughts, feelings and issues relating to her mother was wholly honest and insightful, and there were times where the book was incredibly witty. McCurdy didn’t shy away from sharing the details oh her life, and I admired her for it. The book was well written and put together, and the chapters flowed into each other beautifully. I found this book to be incredibly relatable in some ways, as I also have a complicated relationship with my mother. I loved that McCurdy decided to be completely transparent in what she went through, as it can be extremely hard to discuss. There were so many issues discussed in this book, and some of them were extremely confronting, and I’d highly recommend checking the trigger warnings before diving in. ✨⚱️✨ I’m Glad My Mom Died is book 15 for 2023. #bookstragram #books #booksofinstagram #booklover #bookphoto #reading #aussieswhoread #avidreader #bookwhore #aussiereader #reader #readersofig #booksofig #bookcommunity #bookish #bibliophile #readersofinstagram #bookstagrammer #booklife #bookaddict #girlswhoread #readinggoals2023 #auskiwibooksta #bookquote #imgladmymomdied #jenettemccurdy #memior #checktriggerwarnings #pinkandyellow #hardhittingreads https://www.instagram.com/p/CppQ2eDLGvl/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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mariacallous · 2 years

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M. E. Sarotte, a leading expert on foreign policy, has won the annual Pushkin House Book Prize of £10,000 for Not One Inch: America, Russia, and The Making of Post-Cold War Stalemate (YALE UNIVERSITY PRESS).

Not One Inch: America, Russia, and the Making of Post-Cold War Stalemate is a revealing account of America’s relations with the new post-Cold War democracies of East and Central Europe, with its older European allies, and, in particular with Russia – a relationship that went so badly awry and sowed the seeds of the tensions that shape today's world.

The judges praised all the shortlisted works and especially highly commended Maria Stepanova, author of In Memory of Memory, a beautifully written reflection on the Soviet experience of individual families, powerfully translated by Sasha Dugdale.

The tenth anniversary year of the Pushkin House Book Prize takes place at a time of seismic shifts that have changed attitudes in and towards Russia. The Prize was created to highlight, reward and encourage public understanding and intelligent writing about history, societal developments and culture within and beyond Russia.

Pushkin House feels that it is our responsibility to support all thinkers and creatives who are able to contribute to our shared understanding of the world in which we have found ourselves after 24 February 2022.

To mark the Prize this year, and recognising the importance of the valuable insights that research and academics offer to study Russia at this pivotal moment in history, the judges exceptionally shortlisted ten books rather than the usual six. The decision reflects on the importance of discussion around all the complexities and contradictions of Russia’s complicated history and culture.

The 2022 shortlisted titles were:

In Memory of Memory by Maria Stepanova, translated by Sasha Dugdale

On the Edge: Life Along the Russia-China Border by Franck Billé and Caroline Humphrey

Navalny: Putin’s Nemesis, Russia’s Future? by Jan Matti Dollbaum, Morvan Lallouet and Ben Noble

Weak Strongman: The Limits of Power in Putin’s Russia by Timothy Frye

Klimat: Russia in the Age of Climate Change by Thane Gustafson

Not One Inch: America, Russia, and the Making of Post-Cold War Stalemate by M. E. Sarotte

Stalin’s Architect: Power and Survival in Moscow by Deyan Sudjic

The Empress and the English Doctor: How Catherine the Great Defied a Deadly Virus by Lucy Ward

Playing with Fire: The Story of Maria Yudina, Pianist in Stalin’s Russia by Elizabeth Wilson

Collapse: The Fall of the Soviet Union by Vladislav Zubok

Ekaterina Schulmann, spokesperson for the 2022 judges, said: "Mary Sarotte's book presents an in-depth documentation and compelling narrative of East-West diplomacy and relationships. The story that she tells is at once historically significant and uncomfortably near. In 2022, it sometimes reads like one of those works that describe the events preceding World War I. Sarotte bravely underlines possible key historical figures and moments when history might have evolved towards another reality. The significance of Sarotte's voice and her careful analysis gives us, readers, an opportunity to at least begin to understand how we got to where we find ourselves now."

Marc Polonsky, managing trustee of The Polonsky Foundation, co-funder of the prize, said: “At this time, a deep understanding and proper analysis of Russia in all its complexity – both its past and present – are more crucial than ever. The Pushkin House Book Prize has again brought to the fore books that shed important light on this. Congratulations to the worthy winner selected from such a competitive field."

Douglas Smith, who with his wife Stephanie Ellis-Smith, helps fund the prize, said: “Mary Sarotte’s Not One Inch is not only the book for our turbulent times, but will be long read by everyone seeking to understand the origins of the post-Cold War world. It's irreplaceable work.”

Andrew Jack, founder of the prize, said “Never in the history of the prize has high quality writing to understand Russia been more important – or better supplied than in this year’s offerings.”

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kathleenmarymulligan · 1 year

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Fake It 'til You Make It

As I shared recently with my dear friend Claire: as a Fulbrighter, one is often asked to do things one is completely unqualified to do. There’s really nothing for it but to say “yes” and dive in. My most recent example of this: I was invited by Preeti Gill, the founder of Majha House here in Amritsar, to moderate a discussion about two books on Partition for a literary festival held this past weekend focused on the 75th anniversary of Indian independence. (Majha House is a new cultural center here in Amritsar that sponsors lectures, performances,and exhibits in a beautifully renovated home.) I’m a passionate reader, but I was intimidated by this task. Claire, who has lots of experience both as an interviewer and interviewee, gave me some pointers, and calmed my anxiety.I plunged into the books: the first two parts of a Partition trilogy written by Manreet Sodhi Singh. The books are deeply researched historical fictions. The first, “Lahore” explores the time leading up to Partition in that city and in Delhi, where the departing British government and the newly formed Indian government tried unsuccessfully to avoid impending disaster. The second book, “Hyderabad”, deals with a chapter of the subcontinent’s history I knew nothing about: the struggles and terrible violence that surrounded the fate of that city in the months after independence. I enjoyed both books very much: both for the historical detail and the compelling human stories that Manreet wove into each. I can’t wait for the final book of the trilogy, “Kashmir”, to be released in September. We attended a lovely kick-off dinner for the festival at Majha House on Saturday evening and met many interesting international writers, scholars, and lovers of the arts. The next morning, the festival was held at Hindu University (one of the oldest colleges in the city.) The opening lecture was by renowned journalist Palagummi Sainath. The lecture lasted nearly an hour, and we were thoroughly captivated from beginning to end. This guy didn’t pull any punches, and it was refreshing to hear such an honest assessment of Indian and global politics. He started the lecture by reminding us that everything we would talk about that day traces back to the colonization of India by the British. He shared that recently he’s been troubled by some Indians who say “Oh, the British weren’t that bad.”—comparing them to other colonizers that might have been worse. His response: “Choosing between colonizers is like the chicken choosing which sauce it wants to be cooked in.” (I found myself thinking about the Americans who, only two years later, remark that January 6 was not really that big a deal.) My session came next, and while I was nervous and overprepared—it went off just fine. This was due in large part to the author, Manreet, who was warm, generous, funny, and needed little prompting to talk about her books and the history of Partition. David and I finished the day with a stack of books and some new friends that we hope we’ll see more of in the future. While people here have been very nice and welcoming to us—we crave social interaction and conversation with someone besides each other!

Above: I got a gorgeous hand-embroidered scarf in the deal!

Lunch on the grounds of Hindu University.

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mytly4 · 2 years

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After the crapfest that was Game of Thrones seasons 5–8, I initially had no intention of watching House of the Dragon. I took no interest in all the hype leading up to its release and had only the vaguest idea about the casting and other such behind-the-scenes stuff, and that too, I learnt only passively, i.e. because I followed people on tumblr who posted about such stuff. But once the show started airing, I found myself flooded with a whole bunch of discussions, gifs, and metas on social media, and most of what I saw seemed overwhelmingly positive. So I decided to check it out … and was pleasantly surprised. Like, really surprised! It’s not just ‘not bad’, it’s actually good!!

HotD is one of those extremely rare beasts: a book-to-screen adaptation that actually improves on the source material! Ok, so some of that is because the source material is sort of lacking. One of GRRM’s main strengths as a writer in ASOIAF is his command over the limited-third-person-POV style that allows him to get into the heads of such a vastly different range of characters. But the story of the Dance of the Dragons (in all its iterations, i.e. in The Princess and the Queen + The Rogue Prince, The World of Ice and Fire, and Fire and Blood) is not in this style. It’s in the pseudo-historical style, written by biased masters writing centuries after the fact – a style that does no favours to the characters (even when the fictional authors try to paint certain characters in a good light). So it was really great to see HotD giving considerable depth to characters like Alicent, Rhaenyra, Viserys I, etc. who are mainly two-dimensional in the source, despite being some of the main characters. It’s also nice to see relationships being given more depth, such as Rhaenyra and Alicent starting off as friends and then slowly becoming enemies as their personal lives and political alliances pull them apart. Changes such as this – or another of my favourites, the depth given to Rhaenyra and Laenor’s relationship and the much better ending Laenor gets – are excellent examples of how a screen adaptation can improve the source material enormously with just a few tweaks.

Apart from the improvements to the source material, it’s great to see just how much better this show is even than GoT seasons 1–4*, in terms of visual worldbuilding. Sure, some of this is undeniably because HotD is working with a much larger budget than at least the first couple of seasons of GoT (i.e. before it became a media juggernaut). But a lot of it is just because the people working on HotD – from writers and directors to set and costume designers – seem to be much more interested in portraying how the people and places in a medievalesque court would look and how the people would spend their time. The beautifully embroidered clothes, the rich brocades (in a variety of colours! – something that GoT somehow never managed to depict), the gorgeous wall paintings and tapestries, the unusual objects in Corlys Velaryon’s hall… visually, this show is a delight. (The lighting still leaves a lot to be desired, though… *sigh*.) People actually do ordinary, daily stuff, like read in their bedroom (or in the godswood), hang out with their kids, indulge in their own hobbies, entertain guests, dance at a party, and so on. It’s such simple stuff, but it makes the characters seem like actual human beings, who have lives beyond what we see of them onscreen.

*(I refuse to consider GoT seasons 5–8 as serious attempts at making a TV show. The last season, in particular, was literally just a naked attempt at raking in as much money as possible while getting away with as little work as possible on the part of the showrunners/writers. Even the people with actual talent, i.e. the actors, the set and costume designers, etc. were just phoning it in by that point.)

Of course, all of this praise doesn’t mean that HotD is above criticism. In one way, it seems to have doubled down on GoT’s flaws, with every episode so far showing people being injured and/or killed in horribly gruesome ways (IMO, Vaemond Velaryon and Joffrey Lonmouth’s deaths are tied for the prize of ‘most horrifying onscreen death ever’). At least GoT managed to space out its gore a bit. And unfortunately, HotD is going to only get worse, once the actual war starts.

Then there are the deaths in childbirth, GRRM’s favourite misogynistic trope, dialled up to eleven, with Aemma Arryn’s horrifying C-section in the first episode, to Laena Velaryon’s death by dragonfire during childbirth (something that I wouldn’t have even thought possible). I get that these deaths were necessary plotwise, but couldn’t they have been done less viscerally? While Aemma’s death in childbirth makes sense in terms of the overarching themes of the show, there was no reason for Laena to die in childbirth. Why not change her death to something else entirely? If she needed a ‘dragon rider’s death’, why not have her die fighting on dragonback?

Oh well, despite these issues, I am cautiously optimistic about this show. It’s excellent so far in terms of characterization and visual storytelling, and the casting seems to be pretty good. I assume by now (i.e. season 1, episode 8) we’ve met all the actors who’ll be playing the final version of the main characters (except presumably Aegon III and Viserys II – they seem to be too young so far to play any role, so presumably they, or at least Aegon III, will be played by older kids later on).

A few random thoughts:

I guess Daeron the Daring has been left out of the show? I’m not particularly bothered – there are already a lot of characters, and he’s the most expendable one from among the younger generation.

How many seasons is this show going to be anyway? I assume around 3–4 seasons, going by the speed of the narrative so far. But that depends on what endpoint they choose. I guess the Hour of the Wolf is the most logical endpoint, though it’s possible they may stretch out the story (or change the order of the events) all the way till the end of Aegon III’s regency, or at least till Alicent’s death.

Ramin Djawadi’s music is always a delight, but I do wish the theme song had been changed at least slightly, instead of being the exact same as GoT’s theme song. It’s not the same show – why use the same theme song?

#house of the dragon #anti game of thrones #fire & blood spoilers #hotd #hotd review

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bookswithsav · 2 months

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The Institution

Book Information

Title : The Institution

Author : Helen Fields

Rating

Was the story engaging?

The Institution was an incredible read, as it kept the audience engaged from the very beginning to the very end of the novel. The environment that the story is taking place in, the characters that are involved, and the risks that are introduced right up front all give a sense of suspense that sticks with the reader, causing one thing to lead to another and keep the audience turning pages frantically to see what happens next.

Rating: 5/5

Were the characters enjoyable/developed well?

There’s a couple of things that you have to keep in mind when reading The Institution: many of the characters are written to disgust you, and anyone is capable of anything. Due to the story that is being told in this novel, the characterizations of every character that you meet as a reader has to be doubted to a certain level, and Helen Fields does a wonderful job at making you forget that. Each character that is encountered within The Institution is beautifully (and sometimes scarily) unique in their characterization, creating this collage of characters that makes the mystery itself become more twisted as time goes on.

Rating: 5/5

Was the plot developed well?

The plot found within The Institution was brilliant. Helen Fields uses the characters and their interactions within the story to help propel the plot itself forwards most of the time, leading to a unique experience of plot progression for readers. As a mystery book, The Institution holds a beautiful amount of suspense in correlation to the overall mystery, and paints a dangerous picture in the most gorgeous colors.

Rating: 5/5

Was the audience kept in mind?

Something that can be very dangerous when writing books that I like to consider ‘spooky’ (mystery, horror, ghost, suspense, etc.) is piecing everything together. Most of the time, the piecing together of the puzzle leads to further excitement in the plot, meaning that a decent amount of chaos is being introduced to the plot along with some very important information. The reason why this can be dangerous is because the story runs the risk of losing the audience in one way or another - more specifically, readers may lose track of some of the information, putting their understanding of the story at a disadvantage. The Institution did not fall to this error, providing all information that could have been needed for understanding in a manner that is both alluding and straightforward. From the beginning to the end, everything can be considered important in the protagonist’s investigation, and Helen Fields does a brilliant job at approaching this concept in a way that is easily palatable to the audience.

Rating: 5/5

Would I recommend the book?

I would absolutely recommend The Institution. Although I wasn’t 100% happy with the end of the novel (which I’ll detail in the Review portion, but there will be spoilers, so read at your own risk), what happened fit in incredibly well with the characters that the audience has come to know through the course of the story. I was fully intrigued in this story from the very beginning, with its straightforward nature in explaining the dangers and risks that were at stake while also twisting a story into a horribly plausible tale. This was the first book in quite a while that I read and did not see the plot twist coming, and it was quite something. If you can handle suspense and decently horrendous acts, I would recommend that you read this as soon as you can.

Rating: 5/5

Overall Rating: 5/5

Review

Warning: Spoilers!

Before I really start into this portion of the rating/review, I want to talk about the process that I typically try to set for myself. Could this be its own standalone post? Absolutely, but it does relate to how this review specifically is going to go, so I’m going to discuss it a little bit here.

I typically try to review books that I haven’t read before within the next two days of completing the story. I don’t like to go through and rate and review them the same day that I’ve finished them so that I can give myself some time to go through and reflect on everything - I need to think through the different emotions that I felt and everything to further consider the book and the story as a whole. However, I was not able to go ahead and do that with this novel (even though I would have liked to). I was not able to really sit down and work on this rating/review until about five days after I had completed the book due to the holidays. The reason why I’m mentioning this is because this gap may impact the quality of this review section, even though I will 100% do my best to continue with the quality of work that I desire to put out.

Now let’s talk about it! The Institution is an absolute attention-grabber of a story, as Connie, a forensic profiler, works to identify those who were involved in the murder of Tara and the kidnapping of her unborn daughter. Going undercover as a psychologist at a mental institution that is commonly called ‘The Institution’ - a standalone fortress in the countryside that has been converted into housing for the mentally ill and criminally insane. Tara’s job had been a nurse within the most high-risk ward The Institution housed, which holds five different serial killers, each posing a great physical threat to anyone who has to become involved with them. As Connie goes undercover to try and understand what happened the night Tara was murdered, she uncovers some of the darker secrets that The Institution holds within its walls, all while the time is ticking on saving Aurora, Tara’s premature baby.

The Institution was an absolute rollercoaster of a read, and I honestly believe that it’s because of the characters that are introduced. From the very beginning of the story, we as the audience know that there are going to be some… eccentric characters that we’re going to be introduced to due to Connie’s undercover role. As a ‘psychologist’ on the ward, Connie has access to interview all of the patients - prisoners - who have become suspects in the crime, and these characters are not mild by any means. Each killer that Connie interviews has a completely unique personality and a completely unique story of how they got there, creating this horrible (and wonderful, from a writer’s standpoint) mosaic of characters. There’s absolutely no blending between these characters, allowing each of them to be their own unique and horrible threat in their own unique and horrible ways. Looking at the rest of those who have to be within the ward, the workers themselves are also not the most mild of characters. Having the upper hand (most of the time) over the prisoners there, the nurses, doctors, and security team frequently engage in malpractice with the prisoners, stating their ‘intent to help’ as a cover for their actions. Both Connie and the audience quickly realize that anyone on the ward could be guilty of Tara’s murder, and honestly, it could be more of a toss-up than had been previously thought.

When Patient B, or Baarda, Connie’s partner in (solving) crime, arrives undercover, the situation continues to spiral. Going undercover as a prisoner, Baarda is arguably in more physical danger than Connie is on a regular basis, as he is constantly at risk of the malpractice exercised within the ward - and he doesn’t always escape. There are times when the prisoners at The Institution seem to be more mild-mannered than the people who watch over them, furthering the suspicion that has to be applied to every character involved. This is where Helen Sarah Fields’ writing really truthfully shines, as she creates this horribly twisted and complicated situation where no one is to be trusted, but also no one can be really ruled out. At The Institution, absolutely no one is innocent and you have to remember that to survive.

Speaking of which, huge spoiler warning ahead. This is one of the first novels in a very very long time where I was truthfully blind sighted by the twist. Reading a lot of mystery books growing up, I worry sometimes that I accidentally spoiled the ‘shock factor’ of mystery and thriller novels, as I can frequently see what’s coming up ahead. This was not the case for The Institution, and boy oh boy was I excited about it. Throughout the course of the novel, Boy is one of the only people that Connie interacts with on a regular basis that seems to be a genuinely nice person, although he’s been put into the unfortunate situation of working at The Institution. Connie frequently looks out for Boy, sitting with him at dinner when she can and talking with him when she has a split second away from the investigation. This is where the whole ‘absolutely no one is innocent and you have to remember that to survive’ thing comes in, which Connie (and also me and hopefully most of the audience) did not apply to Boy, who was a key player in most of what was going on regarding strange happenings during Connie’s investigation. While Boy does seem to be a product of his environment, being influenced by his mother and her desire to get him within a better environment regardless of the cost, he turns into a completely different person when Connie realized his involvement, mirroring the change in personality (although not as drastic) that the audience had currently seen within Benny Rubio when he also revealed his involvement. It was a wonderful twist on all levels, as it made the previous characterizations that had been built begin to crumble with the shocking truth.

The one thing that I did have issues with was Connie’s decisions at the very end of the novel - but wait wait wait, let me explain why it makes sense. At the very end of the novel, Connie opens her voicemail to find a message from her mother, who is distraught as she informs her that her father has died during her time undercover. Throughout The Institution, Connie has fleeting worries about her parents and the amount, or lack, or time that she has spent with them recently, as she frequently puts her job before her family. Once Connie finds out that her father has died, she quickly begins to think through the different actions that she should take to better support and interact with her family, regretting the times that she chose to prioritize her work over her parents. This moment is incredibly brief though, as Connie quickly returns to her work when she receives a call with a new investigation, leaving her previous thoughts of supporting her mother as soon as possible behind. This seemed off to me initially, considering the thoughts that Connie had had throughout her time at The Institution regarding her relationship with her parents, but thinking through it further, I realized that this was incredibly on-brand for the characterization that we had been previously given. Due to Connie’s time at a mental institution herself when she was younger and the malpractice that she was subjected to, it’s revealed that she suffers from PTSD - however, it’s also stated that she doesn’t really consider her own mental health despite her deep knowledge in psychology. Taking this into consideration, along with the fact that her parents were the ones who signed off on her stay at a mental institution and the malpractice that she was a victim of, it makes sense that Connie would continue to avoid interacting with any feelings regarding her parents, even if she had been previously considering the consequences of doing so.

The Institution is an absolutely riveting read, and I had a wonderful time reading it. Full of suspense, the ticking of time with the danger of the environment that Connie faces creates a wonderfully terrible sense of suspense within the audience, as they desperately hope for both her success and safety.

#book review #book rating #the institution #bookblr

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