#idk I was just thinking about how I keep reading books and yet my tbr keeps growing | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

sixofravens-reads · 5 months

Text

some vague reading goals for 2024:

first, an anti-goal: I won't make any goals about how many books I want to read. I want to get into more of my other hobbies in 2024 which means less reading time, so I can't have the pressure of a numerical goal that demands I spend all my free time reading or feeling bad for not reading. I will probably still use the storygraph reading challenge thing because I like using it to track what I read in the year, but the "goal" I set will be completely arbitrary.

reread a bunch of things! i love rereading but have been so laser-focused on reducing my TBR books the past couple years that I haven't done very much of it.

on that note, a few years ago I had an idea for a blog series called "nostalgia rereads" where I reread a book from my childhood/teen years and compare what I remember of it to my adult experience. I read one (1) book for that and then got distracted, but I have been buying a lot of those older books so I'd like to finally do that series.

start a reread of my Tamora Pierce books (though idk if I can finish it in one year, there are 32 of them now including anthologies, and I don't have my childhood stamina for reading a ton of one author's works at once lol)

read more nonfiction. i have a ton of really interesting books on my library list that i just haven't gotten to.

also, use the library more and buy fewer books (i have an overall goal to spend less money in general). I'd like to buy under 70 books next year (I know that still sounds like a lot, but I bought over 100 this year, so...baby steps)

keep my "books i own and haven't read" shelf to under 30 books so i don't get overwhelmed by it again (currently there's 43 books on it, most of them short, so this isn't a Huge reading goal)

read more translated books. I've got Flights by Olga Tokarczuk and There's No Such Thing as an Easy Job by Kikuko Tsumura on my shelf, and a bunch more on my library list.

stop forgetting about my comics and manga, and try and read more of them consistently instead of buying a bunch and forgetting them (hopefully not having a numerical reading goal or novel-specific goal will help with this, because I always feel like I'm "cheating" when I read comics and count them towards a numerical goal, and that's why I don't pick them up.)

on that note, read (reread?) Death Note, as I got the box set at the comic expo this year (I tried to read this series as a teenager but someone had massacred my library's copies and cut out all the pages with violence, sexy stuff, etc.)

read at least 1 Stephen King and 1 Agatha Christie novel, been meaning to get into those authors for years and somehow haven't done it yet.

start keeping notes on each book (probably on my phone) so it's easier to remember what I thought of them. at the end of the year when I make my top 10 or whatever list, I always have a hard time remembering what my true favourite books were bc I can't reference what I was thinking in the moment.

annnnd resurrect my Librarything account. I will need to do this early in the year, preferably after I finish weeding out all the books I want to get rid of. I only use Librarything to keep tabs on what books I own, what editions, etc, so reviews and such will still be on storygraph. There's a not-insignificant chance that the current housing crisis/skyrocketing rent might make me move back in with my parents for a bit, which means almost all my books will be in boxes and I'll need a digital catalog of some sort.

#been chewing on this post for the past few weeks

6 notes · View notes

andsalttheearthbehindyou · 5 months

Text

November reading wrapup

hmmm pretty good month for quantity but hit or miss for quality, i either loved or hated almost all of these. 💆🏻‍♀️

1. the lover, marguerite duras — tumblr girl classic, ur fav web weaving posts almost definitely feature a snippet of this. like woah 😭 ok very timeless very vivid and real. I did cry.

2. icebreaker, hannah grace — this is EMBARASSINGGGGGG i was going to a hockey game and was like woah let me get into this mindset... into this world… THIS BOOK WAS MISLEADING i thought itd be equal parts hockey world ice skater world equal parts romance and no.. it was nothing of the sort... this was just tooooo porny like WAY too much, even for me. AND I USED TO WRITE SM- *gunshot*

3. throne of glass, sarah j mass — does anyone have any good fantasy series recs that arent this?? like this is what years without winds of winter will do to a woman. im settling for this subpar garbage. but i am gonna keep reading it bc what else do i have, george???

4. mickey7, edward ashton — been on my tbr since rob pattinson was announced to be the lead in this in the bong joon-ho movie… i feel like with the creatives behind it thisll end up being one of those rare bones and all situations where the adaptation is wayyyyy better than the book. but idk. book itself was whatever good concept but didnt even really go anywhere. i thought that i had guessed a twist lie 3 quarters of the way thru but there was no twist literally nothing happened. therefore MID

5. blood meridian, cormac mccarthy — the only other time i had like a visceral tummy churning reaction to a book like this was when i read theons chapters in a dance with dragons 😭😭😭 anyway i like the lack of quotation marks and i also find it easier to write without them SHOOT ME

6. death valley, melissa broder — im really endeared to broder as a writer because i feel like she can only do one thing really well and shes very self aware of that.. which i respect.. also what the protag is going thru here at the start of the book is something ive also gone thru and it felt very strangely accurate and bizarre as a real person reading about a fake person going thru it. and literally within the book the protag references how writers poorly portray their characters accurately 'going thru it' (i keep saying going thru it bcoz im trying not to spoil even tho no ones gonna read my recs ALTHO this one deserves to be read i think) so that was cray and meta but umm what im trying to say is.. melissa i wanted to go to ur book signing i literally had my day cleared in my planner for u. why did u have to cancel the event.

7. indelicacy, amina cain — public announcement i guess but hey girl @noumenongirl i think you would love this one i dont know why but the whole time i was reading i was just like woah she’d love this😭 i liked it a lot

8. the penelopiad, margaret atwood — this is what circe by madeline miller wanted and tried to be but failed tremendously at.....

9. crown of midnight, sarah j mass — was better than throne of glass in the beginning actually but then they halfway thru lost me again..

10. the assassins blade, sarah j mass — im just hate reading at this point like i dont have anything else to do. Celaena youll never be daenerys girl like stop

11. elvis and me, priscilla beaulieu presley — ohhhh…. :,(((( my fav celeb memoir yet i think.....

+ bonus — im gonna add this to my december list but im like 75% of the way with fourth wing rn, good fawking heavens i wishthat grrm could trademark copyright the concept of dragons like i dont think anyone should be allowed to write about DRAGONS only him. like mini spoilers for fourth wing SORRY but WHY DO THE DRAGONS SPEAK ENGLISH, WHY DO THEY EVEN SPEAK AT ALL....cringe. but better than throne of glass at least😭 but it doesnt take much to be better than throne of glass to be fair. OK reading wrapup over.

#technically read lover at the end of october SORRRYY... SORRY FOR CHEATING.... but had to mention it bc it was the best of the lot imo #and if u have any recs lmk😸!#booklr

2 notes · View notes

cosettepontmercys · 7 months

Note

hello love!!!

i know i could just send this in a message, but i think asks are much more romantic <3

i have a friend from out of province visiting, and we’ve visited a few bookstores!! i was able to find my dark vanessa, atonement, and the haunting of hill house all second hand!!! my dark vanessa is one of my favourite reads of the year, so i’m glad i was able to find it, and the others are on my tbr!!! i was also able to get the roughest draft (by emily wibberly), the seven year slip, and a thousand ships (a feminist greek-classic spin, helen of troy i believe? something like that)

i know on goodreads the roughest draft has mid reviews, but it was second hand and i recognized the author as i know she’s adored (im planning on reading do i know you soon, before the end of the year for sure - i didn’t like what’s not to love but i’m gonna go in with a fresh mind)

i’m also excited to read the seven year slip, everyone seems to be loving it! i think i’ll add it onto my new septembers readathon challenge - idk if i’m truly in the mood for a rom com at the moment, i just finished business or pleasure and i found it quite … mid. not horrendous, but it didn’t have the same spark i found with rls other books.

how is your annotation for les mis going? i just finished my reread and goodness the brick can be a drudge but isn’t it SO good???? the themes the motifs the characters the symbolism - WHAT FUCKING BRAINROT AMIRIGHT??

i’ve read a few biographies this year (the only non fiction i’ll entertain lol), and i’ve thoroughly enjoyed them all!!! i most recently read crying in h mart by michelle zauner, and i didn’t know at first that she was japanese breakfast!! the book is so raw and intimate, and i listened to a couple of her albums and i really enjoyed her <3

as you know, i just started painted devils and vanja and emeric are everrryythinngg to me i truly need to buy the books - can’t wait to make an order from indigo i’m thinking of preordering emily henry’s new book 👀

anyways i think that’s all i wanted to share haha, hope your week is going well 🥰🥰 i’m hoping of changing my theme soon (have been wanting to for a while) but i never know what to change it to, the struggle of a girlblogger i swear

hi friend!!! i always love getting messages from you, whether they're an ask or a message! 🤍 i haven't done a nice bookstore visit in a while (i went in briefly to grab seven year slip for annotating/traveling book club a bit ago, but aside from that i haven't gone to a bookstore in a while just to meander and pick up books (not that i need to, i've got ... dozens of unread books just sitting here waiting for me to read them). i didn't loveeeee the roughest draft but i really, REALLY loved do i know you? — i went in thinking that the roughest draft would fill my emily henry void, though, so i had higher expectations for it. i also didn't love what's not to love, but i love never vacation with your ex, always never yours, if i'm still being honest, and with and without you! and i'm really excited for the breakup tour (i think it comes out in 2024?).

i really really loved the seven year slip; it's by no means perfect, but i really resonated with how it talks about grief and other things! it just spoke to me! i'm including the trigger warnings for it under the cut, just in case 🤍 i think it's not as "comedic" but it is a romance and i would wait till you're in the right mindset for it. i also found business or pleasure to be kind of mid; i think my ranking of RLS' adult books are ex talk → business or pleasure / weather girl, and then YA is we can't keep meeting like this → t3 → see you yesterday (haven't read her non rom coms)! it's just kind of been a dull year for me in terms of reading (but especially with romance).

i am ... behind on my les mis annotations! i've been doing a volume a month, so i should be done with marius this month but i haven't even picked it up yet! hopefully i'll feel better enough to tackle it this weekend / next week 🤍 but YES it's just sooooo !! we're coming up to my favorite bits of the book so i'm super excited!

i really liked crying in h mart! and was bummed to miss japanese breakfast on tour earlier this year but just had too much going on! and i am SO SO glad you're liking little thieves + painted devils! just such a good series; i need the third book immediately. i preordered emily henry's new book, and i think the only other preorder i have right now is the new beth o'leary which comes out next week (!!!!!!)

excited to see your new theme! hope you're doing well 🤍 i've been toying with changing my url to a seven year slip one, but also think i'll change it for 1989 so i think i'll hold off for a bit 🤍

#post: answered #mutual: lindsay

2 notes · View notes

learning-to-think · 1 year

Text

@moonshinemagpie made a 2023 reading questions post so I'm just going to go ahead and answer the questions to which I've got an answer :D

What are 2-5 already published fiction books you think you want to read in 2023? Guards! Guards! by Sir Terry Pratchett, Persuasion by Jane Austen, A study in Scarlet by Sir Conan Doyle, The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller and The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman

What are 2-5 already published nonfiction books you think you want to read in 2023? H*ly Sh!t by Mohr, and the rest I'm going to read for uni so it's not really that I want to read them :')

Any poetry on your TBR? Not yet! Although I've got a textbook on West Indies Poetry to read for uni.

Do you plan to read any genres you haven't read much before? I haven't read much detective stories, but I'm planning to read Sherlock Holmes. As for subgenres, I've never read comic fantasy, so Discworld will be a first. I've also never read a tragedy I think, so Macbeth will be a first there too. and I don't think comics is a genre, or then novel and novella should be two genres too? Idk, but I've never read comics, and I want to read Sandman!

What 2023 new releases are you most looking forward to? I haven't got the faintest idea what's coming out this year!

What languages do you plan to read in? Do you want to read anything in translation? I plan to read in English, French (mother tongue), German, Occitan, and hopefully Korean. There are some books on my list that were translated to French from English.

How do you plan to keep track of your reading? E.g., goodreads, bullet journal, tumblr, etc. StoryGraph! I don't really use the social aspect of the app, I just track my books (those I own and those I want to read)

What's your 2023 stance on rating/reviewing books? I only do it when I think about it

Do you plan to mostly buy or borrow your books? (Or be the unicorn who reads the books they already own?) I'm a unicooorn! As for the books I don't already own, I plan to borrow as many as I can, except for a couple (I'd like to read L'Immortel Nicholas Flamel, but I'm missing the 4th volume + I've got to buy two books for uni)

#thinking there #books

2 notes · View notes

makingshortstorieslong · 2 years

Photo

I was tagged (quite a while ago lol) by @lovelaceisntdead to post 9 books I want to read this year! I am taking this to mean ‘within the next calendar year’ lol. This was actually pretty difficult because although I think I read a lot, and I do keep a ‘to read’ list, a lot of what I read is not exactly planned out in advance, and I know that when and if I get to my various tbr books depends on library availability/legal pdf availability/my own spending money and willingness to spend it as well as my mood and also whether that’s actually a book I’m interested in or just one someone I like was reading. I’m sure this is true for many people.

Anyway, all that aside, I am actually moving, and I don’t expect to have great library access or second hand bookstore access after I do. It’s looking like all ebooks, all the time. So I really don’t know which of the books featured above will be available to me within the next year. But I did pick the books that I actually DO plan to read...one of these days. When I get a hold of them. I’m sure I forgot some. (EDIT: I DID. I just looked at @lovelaceisntdead ‘s list and HOW did I forget I’ve been wanting to read Annihilation? anyway I’m writing that on my actual tbr list now I have wanted to read that for a long time).

The top row here are books I already have - one I did actually buy just recently (Doors of January), because a little independent bookstore has opened up in a town near mine and it makes me so happy, I wish it had been there while I was growing up - one pdf I downloaded like a few months ago and swear I’m going to get to soon, and one that I pre-ordered with my blood money (giftcard they gave me for donating blood :) )

The next row are things that have been on my tbr for a long time.

The last row are books that I have reasons to read but also expect I really might set down halfway through or sooner. A lot of Ada sounds really interesting, but it also follows an incestuous relationship and that just reallllllly grosses me out so, idk. Evernight I am reading basically to make fun of. And I have seen Loveless talked about for so long, I actually asked about it in said independent bookstore and the person behind the counter said they thought the store should order more of Oseman’s works (Heartstopper was all over that place) but they hadn’t yet. And anyway I don’t think it’s like, a book I will be super interested in, but also, aro main character, you know?

anyway, thanks lovelace for the tag! thanks to anyone who read all my explaining too lol. I’m tagging @daarchini (who I believe is the person who first posted about and made me really want to read Time War? I think?) @suhaylahs @chadoldoenjangjjigae @imaud @franklloydweft @nameofkale @jeffbeckley and @icannotreadcursive

#if anyone sees this who I didn't tag wants to do it please do!#jeff I don't really expect you to do the tag challenge but also idk i feel like you could make #a 3 x 3 grid of books covers that go with your blog aesthetic. if you so chose #people who were tagged in general i think you know this lol but its for fun i don't mind if you don't do it

4 notes · View notes

drunkjaked · 2 years

Note

hiii sax I’m back w book recs since you’re the only person I know that likes them 😻

OK I know you said you liked myorar and awhile ago I read bunny by mona awad and found that she had a similar writing style to otessa moshfegh and I think you would enjoy it… the book is CRAZY we’re talking like cults and bunnies that talk and mocking Ivy League schools and I loved it sm I def recommend 😫 (also on the topic of otessa moshfegh I did read her book eileen and did not enjoy it lol so I do not recommend that one)

speaking of bunnies I’m just finishing up watership down by richard adams and 🥲 it’s literally just about a group of bunnies but it’s so good and so heart breaking I have cried multiple times while reading it but I def recommend

next on my list is nightbitch by rachel yodder and breasts and eggs by mieko kawakami I’ll let you know how they are!! how’s your sally rooney book? and keep me posted on your thoughts on gone girl when you’re reading it!!

love ya 😽💗

Skyyyyyyy, hiiiiiiiiiii <333

Man.. the Sally Rooney book was very.. I really love her but this book was just okay idk like I loved EVERYTHING after page 140 😭 .. anyways, I read Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid after that and I really enjoyed it!!! My tbr rn is Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto and then Beloved by Toni Morrison then Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi and THEN Gone Girl.. but I’m looking forward to it!! I’ve heard good things about Bunny so I’ll def check it out asap especially because your little sum up has enticed me 🙏

This YouTuber I watched mentioned that she enjoyed Brests and Eggs so I’ve been meaning to read it, I look forward to hearing ur thoughts on both books though 🫶 Have u gotten the chance to finish Watership Down yet? And yes of course I’ll be running to ur ask box as soon as I put it down <3333

Ty for chatting w me, Sky, love u back 🤍

#sky 😽#saxophonist 💌🫀#sax reads

2 notes · View notes

quartzified · 2 years

Note

3, 8, 22 for the ask game?

3. what’s a book you were pleasantly surprised by?

im going to assume this yr... i dont think there was much? like i was def pleased reading some but idk if i would say surprised. or surprised but disappointed instead? the one thing i can think of is maybe lesser known monsters of the 21st century bc while i didnt place the author when i borrowed it from the library, i read the author’s the lost girls of camp forevermore a few years ago for english class and didnt care for it. but this one was largely p good! so that was a pleasant surprise, i guess.

8. what’s a book you want to read by the end of the year?

i guess ill answer this more in 22, but i dont really plan a specific order of books to read?? so i guess i wanna finish what im currently reading, since i wont be reading much once school starts. but im also not really feeling the books im reading rn, so i might just dnf them lol. maybe wuthering heights? ive been meaning to read that forever (and almost bought it the other day lmfaoo) but never got around to it.

22. do you plan your reading? do you just pick up whatever book sounds nice at the moment? how do you go about choosing what books to read?

ahahah as much as i like to keep my “next 5 books to read” or whatever it is on storygraph full, i never use it. oops. i normally keep an eye out for books to read -- what i see people (typically whose tastes i trust or am interested in trying) talking about, or just a cool cover in a bookstore, or sometimes the “recommended books” section on storygraph -- and add it to my tbr, which then i just uselessly scroll thru forever until i decide to place a hold on it. if the library has it. sometimes its a bit of a method of what genre i wanna read (like, i sought out horror books cause i wanted to try horror, i read the ghost bride bc i wanted to read smth more romance-esque), but also sometimes its just picking a cover or title at random from my tbr. if the library doesnt have it, i normally go to z-library and download a copy, but that also doesnt mean i necessarily read it right away; i normally only read the stuff ive downloaded on my phone if i have to kill time. back when everything was shut down i read a lot more on my phone, but ive mostly stopped doing that bc physical books are a bit easier to read. if im reading on my phone and its not smth i just got, i normally go w whatever i downloaded last and havent yet read, bc theyre all in the same mental category of “i thought this would be good to read at some point, but i havent read it yet so i must not have cared too much” lol. do u have any particular way of picking what to read next? :0 theres gotta be a better way of doing it, but also too much structure makes the books feel boring and/or a chore and/or too hyped up??

thanks for the ask!!

#qtalks #i had an ask tag at some point but whatever its fine

1 note · View note

austennerdita2533 · 3 years

Note

Hey!

I love Penelope Douglas for sure check her out! She writes some of the best smut tbh. I’m working my way through her devils night series right now-I’m on book 2. It’s good so far, definitely dark though. I’m interested to see how she goes about a redemption arc for the character Damon right now I don’t think he deserves one but I hear such good things about his book, Killswitch, but that’s book 3 so I will see how it goes. I definitely recommend Birthday Girl from her though I loved it and the couple from it are my favorite age gap could I’ve ever read. I find myself still re reading some of their best moments.

I am slightly embarrassed by Credence though so I hope it doesn’t bother you too much if you read it. Just so you know before going into it, it is about her and her step uncle/cousins. To be fair they are not blood related and very distance to the point she didn’t even know about them. But she does call him Uncle Jake during a sex scene, and the two others call her cousin during one too. There’s also a MMF scene with her two cousins. But on top of that there is a sexual assault scene (it does get stopped but the intent is there)-personally I wasn’t a fan of how she inwardly dealt with that scenario it felt like she was blaming herself for it instead of holding the other character accountable. Uncle Jake also does kiss her when she is still 17. So if any of that makes you uncomfortable don’t read it.

I’m so happy you liked the atlas six as much as I did. I can’t believe we have to wait until next year for the sequel to see what happens. It’s too long!! I also liked Callum the least, I still appreciated his character though and what he brings to the story I just wasn’t a fan of his, probably because of his problems with Libby/Parisa. Plus his powers terrify me-as someone who likes to have full control of my emotions the fact that someone could just change everything scares me. I also loved Nico he is my typical character that I love the whole I’m an asshole but soft and caring for the people I love gets me every time. Parisa is my queen though I’m obsessed with her. Like I’m literally in love with her, I wish she was real so she could be with me instead. Not that she would because I’m broke have 0 magic or power to give to her, but still. But I have a thing for power hungry women so I was gone the second I met her. But anyway if she was real she could destroy me or do anything she wanted to me and I would say thank you. Reina I also love and agree she could destroy the whole planet and one day probably will. I just love how she is there and wants all that knowledge but also doesn’t give a fuck about anyone else. Tristan also grew on me I’m still not completely sure how much I like or don’t like him yet he gets annoying sometimes because he is constantly in his mind about his alliances but I also love how loyal and caring he is. Libby is my girl!! I also relate to her as well since I was an outcast and battled inadequacy and all that (you and I must have some stuff in common!) Out of all the characters I relate to her the most and am rooting for her so hard-also because the author made her from Pittsburgh and I’m also from the area so I felt personally attached. But Olivie just did an interview and said Libby is getting a corruption arc and I am so excited about it!!

Okay ships- so I will be honest and I think it’s an unpopular opinion but oh well-I am a nicolibby stan. They have every single dynamic that I love in a ship and they could potentially be my favorite book couple of all time if that is the road they are being taken. Honestly I was obsessed with them from their first interaction so i have it bad for them. Obviously I know they were not romantic in this book but the potential (at least for me) was there especially in some of their quotes in the end. I fully believe they are soulmates though-even the author said they were born on the same day and feel like their other half is missing in an interview once-whether that will be platonic soulmates or romantic soulmates I have no idea and I could see either happening. My heart will break if it is platonic but it’s okay I can just live in my own little head about their potential.

But I get the idea and also like both libbytristan and NicoGideon and could see those happening instead of nicolibby too. I wouldn’t say I would be mad about it either-I do like both just to me the potential of nicolibby works more for me! My only thing about libbytristan though is I’m not sure how much of their tension/feelings are real (like did any of it exist before Parisa put the idea of the other person in their thoughts to lead to all the feelings.)

Weirdly enough since they probably my least favorite characters I also adore Tristan and Callum together. Their dynamic just works for me.

And I love Parisa and Dalton too and I’m so interested in how that relationship pans out because they have some stuff to figure out. But they work well together and honestly they are just so sexy together so I’m down for it. Although I do ship myself with Parisa more than her and Dalton but I’m biased.

Honestly though all the ships are wide open though so I’m curious to see what ends up being endgame. But omg yes the twist I was not expecting it-I’m so excited for the rest of this trilogy!!!

In other news though I finished up the ravenhood series. I know you said you either read it or it was on your tbr. But god I loved it. That series broke me and then put back all the pieces. If you haven’t read it and want to feel both heartbreak and happiness I highly recommend it!

Oh and don’t apologize for babbling as you can tell I also babble!!

-ACOTAR anon

Hiiiii sweets!

I've been sifting through a bunch of summaries of Penelope Doulgas' work on Goodreads and there's a bunch of stuff there I think I'd enjoy. I'm all about good smut. I didn't realize she had that many books. I'm excited! Thanks so much for the rec! I love dark romances/erotica every now and again so I'm also going to have to dive into the Devil's Night series at some point.

Oh, and idk if you know about it/read it but a couple of my friends told me about the Crossfire series by Sylvia Day a while back. It's BDSM, like Fifty Shades, but supposedly loads better. I don't know if you're into that but I figured I'd just throw it out there anyway. The smut is supposed to be steamy. I haven't read it yet but I do have the first four novels on my Kindle (where they've been sitting, unread, for about 2 years now)...so that's something haha.

And please don't be embarrassed about Credence. Seriously, the most wonderful thing about reading is you can go wherever tf you want in your imagination. No one can stop you. There are no rules. No restrictions. You can be whomever or whatever you want to be for a while, morality notwithstanding. One of my favorite things about books is that I can experience the most bonkers, outlandish out-of-this-world stuff that I'd never dream of wanting/liking in real life. It's liberating!

Thank you for the trigger warnings, though. I appreciate that. None of them sound off-putting enough to keep me from reading it. (Tbh, I want to read it more now.) I've read loads of books where characters marry or have sex with their cousins or siblings *waves at ASOIAF, the Secret History* so it doesn't bother me. I've also read most of Lolita and all of My Dark Vanessa by Kate Russell, which both romanticize pedophilia in disturbing degrees, so it takes a lot to put me off. If curiosity could kill then I'd be long dead by now. Hell, sometimes I will purposely read things I know will upset me to my core. What can I say? I'm a weirdo. 🙃

I DON'T WANT TO WAIT A YEAR FOR BOOK 2 OF THE ATLAS SERIES, EITHER. AHHHHH. How am I going to make it that long? It seems so far away!

Callum is the most terrifying of them all right now, imo. I think that's why I disliked him the most. Like you, it shook me to my core to imagine someone like him being able to toy with my emotions. I have a tendency to detach, to keep my emotions pressed close to my chest so that I can't be manipulated or hurt, and the idea that someone could have power over them, over me in that way is...no freaking thank you! I would put as much space between him and me as possible. Most of the Atlas crew had the right idea there. He does bring a lot to the story, though, like you said. I have a feeling he's going to be one of those characters I "love to hate" as the series progress. I might even grow to "hate to love" him, idk. He's just such a shady bastard! And so judgmental/mean to the girls.

I'm with you on Parisa, by the way. She's the kind of conniving, ambitious siren of a woman I can get behind. She has a similar vibe as Katherine Pierce on TVD. I mean, there's nothing in her arsenal she won't use and I love how she weaponizes her beauty. It's delicius. She's unpredictable. Definitely the type of character who inspires "scared and aroused" energy any time she walks into a room. Like, she could choke you and instead of crying you'd just ask her to do it again...harder lol.

Reina has the same kind of "no fucks given" attitude I have because I genuinely don't care what people think of me, either. I'm just here to do my thing. Be nerdy. Learn. Whatever. And Nico is my fave for the same reason as you--the asshole who only has soft edges for those who matter to him. *heart eyes*

Omg, Libby is going to have a corrupted arc? AHHHHH. That's going to be amazing, I cannot stinking wait! I was sort of hoping she'd go dark so now that it's confirmed I'm even more pumped. Also, I think you and I have more in common than either of us realized. I'm from the Pittsburgh area, too! How wild is that? Maybe there's something in the water here and that's why, like Libby, we've both felt inadequate and like outcasts at different points in our lives? Olivie might be onto something here...🤔

The thing that's been so cool for me about this series so far is that there are a bunch of potential pairings I could get behind. And I kind of like that it's not clear cut right now. Most series I know who I want together or who will be together like halfway through book 1. I like that I don't know have firm preferences and am still open. That's novel. Not to mention fun!

I don't blame you for shipping Nicolibby so hard, though. They're definitely one of my top contenders for a romantic pairing. They have that enemies-to-lovers element with witty banter that I always gravitate toward. And you're right about Libby/Tristan. I don't know how much of their connection was manufactured because Parisa intervened, either. That'll be fun to puzzle out moving forward. And Callum/Tristan should NOT be a ship I like but they have a palpable something that I can't put my finger on. I've got my eye on them, for sure.

The Ravenhood series is still on my tbr. I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed it so much, though! It's rare to read something that just ticks all your boxes. The next time I'm the mood to binge a series I'm gonna have to pick that one up. :-D

I've been trying to clear out my backlog of ARCs lately. (Not possible because I'm getting more on the regular - as in constantly haha - but I'm trying.) I just finished Wish You Were Here by Jodi Picoult, which has a Sliding Doors premise that is set during the pandemic where the main character has a parallel life experience (one, where she's in the Galapagos Islands on vacation when the shutdown hits so she's stuck there with strangers, alone, not speaking the language; the other, where she's in Manhattan with her surgeon boyfriend and recovering from COVID). It's intense but so, SO good! Picoult is such a good writer. Anything I've read by her has been moving, with rounded and real characters. I haven't been disappointed yet. I so recommend her.

Oh, and if you're into nonfiction/biographies at all I finished The Splendid and the Vile by Erik Larson not long ago, which is about Winston Churchill as well as those around him, and it was fantastic! Read more like fiction. I loved it. I am no longer surprised it was on all the BEST lists for 2020.

#anonymous #darling acotar anon #replies #the loveliest of lovely people #ashlee bree talks books

10 notes · View notes

lothloriien · 4 years

Text

reasons to stay alive

there are so many animals you haven’t seen yet

you have to see the finale of that new show you’ve been watching

if you don’t read all the books on your tbr list, who will?

yknow when there’s a thunderstorm and you’re inside and listening to the rain hammering your window and you’re all toasty warm watching the lightning flashes?

and after the storm, when you go out and the whole world smells so clean and fresh and pretty?

when you take a shower and you come out and your skin feels so soft and your hair feels so smooth it’s like you might be a mermaid

those super fudgy chocolate brownies you know the kind im talking about

think of all the dogs you haven’t petted! all the kittens you haven’t cuddled! what about them?

there’s so many new styles and aesthetics you haven’t even considered yet

all these awesome clothes that you haven’t worn enough and are just hanging in your closet waiting for their chance

who’s gonna keep the little succulent on your side table alive?

that fic you’ve been working on but haven’t updated in two months? it’s someone’s favourite and they love you for writing it

when you go to the countryside and the air smells so fresh and warm and clean

or when you go to the city and it’s so big and you feel so small and everyone is just going about their own lives and it’s just beautiful

that fuzzy feeling in your heart when you do something nice for others, like drop some change in a homeless persons’ cup, or pay for the person behind you in the drive thru, or give a little kid leftover arcade tickets and watch them light up

your favourite character would be devastated to think you could hate yourself and your life that much

the smell when you walk past a cinnabon, bonus points when you actually get to buy one and enjoy it after a really yummy dinner

there are so many bookstores you haven’t visited yet!!

the people who you game with online or talk to online will be devastated to hear it, especially because they won’t even get the closure of a funeral

some day, someone will love you so much and give you everything you wanted to the point where you’ll wonder why you even considered not being around to see it

the feeling when you turn to the last page of a book you’ve enjoyed reading so much

all those cool cities you’ve never traveled to!!

all the museums and bookstores and art museums that you haven’t seen yet!

that feeling you get when someone leaves a kudos or comment on your fic

the smell of your favourite soap mmm

the ice cream you get from that one parlour downtown

the owner of that used bookstore who recognizes you and knows you and is always so friendly to you

dancing in the rain. even if you’re alone and in your yard and nobody can see you

coming home to your favourite food after a long day

that new hobby you’ve always wanted to try but just never got around to

you know that feeling when you guess the plot twist of a movie and you get to watch your predictions come true? real fun

or when you guess whodunnit on a mystery show?

when you treat yourself to a nice purchase that you usually wouldn’t but it just feels so good

taking a nice walk to your friends’ house when the weather is just right and you guys have a blast

driving late at night and blasting your favourite songs

when your favourite song comes on the radio and you go “!!!”

sunflowers!! they’re so pretty!

melted chocolate? it’s perfect

when you fall asleep after a really good cry and you wake up and feel so much lighter and stronger

when you climb into bed after a long, exhausting day and you feel safe and warm and maybe not happy, but you feel a little less sad

i’m going through a pretty rough patch right now, and i started thinking in the shower how much simpler things would be if i really did just end it all. and then i remembered my favourite sitcom, and the brownies my mom wanted to make with me tomorrow, and the bag of chips next to my bed, and the new friend i just made, and i feel a little better now. these are fairly self-indulgent, idk how much they’ll help anyone else, but they’re helping me

#elf help #self care #suicide #depression #anxiety #mental health #pirate ramblings

139 notes · View notes

mando-abs · 3 years

Text

Dream Time with Abs

On this episode: First Dream with a young modern rebel Din Djarin

Context: I recently added the Session series by @mandocrasis on my TBR list and my brain said “Alright, bet.” and ran with the idea of it. So, I guess this dream is inspired by the series???? I don’t know. I haven’t read it yet. But, this dream was too good not to share.

Also 18+ warning - some sexual themes are mentioned in this dream but never actually put into motion.

The Story:

No idea why my dreams have been involving schools with varying age ranges lately but HERE WE GO.

It all started out with me in a gym class. I was talking to a group of chatty girls, and they started gossiping about the rebel Din Djarin. One girl, we’ll call her Stacy, mentioned how she wanted to quote “get in his pants.” I rolled my eyes at Stacy, and she got really defensive over it. To appease the Stacy, the girls decided that they would pass a note onto Din about which girl, me or Stacy, he would rather hook up with. (It’s so teenage lunchroom-esque. I love it)

I wasn’t too worried about it since I’m practically a nobody, but it still bothered me that they would send such a crude letter to him. But also, my brain really wanted to see this plot through, so I allowed it. The girls came back by the end of the day with huge grins on their faces. As it turns out, Din was more interested in me than Stacy. In fact, he had his eye set out for me anyways.

Now, I start panicking internally. Like, what? All I’ve heard are whispers about the guy and how popular he was (or unpopular, it’s never really discussed why he was the talk of the school). Why would he agree to hook up with a nerd like me? (Spoiler alert: that isn’t explained in this dream either, sorry)

Regardless, the girls were really excited for me and decided to help a girl out. They scouted the perfect classroom for me to stakeout in. It was currently being held by a class full of children (what kind of a school is this???), but, eventually, it would be empty, giving me the best opportunity to get my freak on. They even tried giving me pointers (in shushed voices of course) on how to, for lack of better terms, stick it in there in a classroom setting. Then, they just leave me there.

So there I was, sitting in this classroom full of children, waiting for Din to come do whatever with me. I was so incredibly nervous, constantly shifting in my seat. What was I even doing? But in my mind, to keep the dream going, I was like…

After waiting for a few minutes, Mr. Din Djarin finally walked into the classroom.

And when I tell you that this boy was so fine, that this boy was so scrum-dilly-icous… Let me paint you a picture of him. Din was much younger than he is typically. He was not like the man he is rn, he was a boy (still my age of course, but not aged like the fine wine he is in Mandalorian).

The best way to describe him is Pedro Pascal as he looked in Hermanas, but with a white t-shirt and leather jacket over it.

Wooooooo. Okay. Well, now I was trying to play it off cool to match his sick rebel vibes while simultaneously going into meltdown mode on the inside. He pulled up a seat next to me, placed his bag on the floor, and sat down.

“Hey,” he said all nonchalantly.

“Hey,” I said not so collected back at him.

“Looks like we’re going to be here a while.”

“Yeah… Got any homework you need to do?” 🤦🏻Nice one, nerd. God.

Din laughed, but not condescendingly so. It’s almost like he was actually relieved I was more concerned about his grades than having sex with him.

“Yeah, actually. I’ve got a quiz coming up.”

“Well, good then.”

So he got out his binder and started studying for some unknown quiz.

Now…this was the part I remembered the most because it felt so real. While we were sitting there as he was studying (and I nosily looking over his shoulder to see what he was studying), I got brave enough and held his hand. I physically felt his hand. I will not be able to forget his touch for a while. And all of you writers out there like to write Din and Pedro characters alike with large calloused hands (and respectfully so, most of his characters are hard workers). His hand was soft. It easily enveloped mine still, but they were gentle. I think he smiled out of the corner of his mouth, but I didn’t look at him as hard out of nervousness.

So we sat and sat, and sat some more with our hands locked like this. All the kids left, but the teacher still hung around. By that point, I was frustrated and really wanted the teacher to get lost. But, knowing Ms. Goody Two-Shoes me, I wouldn’t do that. I was more concerned about my parents not knowing where the hell I was.

I got to thinking. I whispered to Din. “You know, we don’t have to do this here. Maybe we can go somewhere away from here, away from student hangouts?”

“Well, I’ve got a truck. You wanna head out?” (Btw, I imagined rebel Din’s truck as Bella Swan’s old red Chevy truck…if that’s any interest to you…)

“Sure. Lemme just…” I got out my phone and texted one of my parents.

Hey! Going to get a bite with a buddy. Be home soon.

We headed out, hands still interlocked, with Din leading the way.

Now, this is the part we’re things get interesting. On our way out, I stopped dead in my tracks in front of one classroom door and made Din flip around due to the suddenness of it.

He looked confused at me. “What?”

“I’m sorry. It’s just… I heard there was a baby in art room class.”

Din raised his hands up like he was saying, “And?”

“Well, this is the art room.” I shuffled my feet. “And, I kinda want to see it.” I flashed a smile at him. But I didn’t even wait for his response, I just went in the classroom.

Din stood at the doorway confused for a moment. He straightened his jacket and acted like this was all a part of his plan. “I know my way around this place.” He didn’t.

When we both were in the room, we looked around to find the baby with a small cluster of students ogling at and playing with. And, to no surprise, it was Grogu. Grogu did not change his appearance in the dream AT ALL. We just all accepted the green skinned, bug eyed, pointy eared baby.

After Din and I spent a few moments cooing and making wiggly fingers at the baby, we went to go talk to the teacher about how cute the kid is and how proud he must be.

But the teacher was like, “Oh no. That’s not my baby. I’m just babysitting for a few days. That baby is on it’s way to back to be reunited with his cult.”

Din and I looked at the man like he was crazy. We then looked at each other a bit uneasy over it. This didn’t sit well with the two of us.

So instead of heading out to his truck, we went to go research more about this mysterious cult (I’m guessing at the library??? idk) As it turns out, this cult is notorious for stealing family’s’ babies, and adopts them into their own weird cult stuff.

Din and I looked up from the book we were reading in and stared at each other. We didn’t speak a single word to one another, but I knew we had one goal in common -

We were going to steal back a baby that night.

__________________________________________

And that’s it! That’s the dream! I hoped you enjoyed it. Uh, I wouldn’t expect an update dream as my dreams are very unpredictable and highly unstable. Hopefully I’ll get to see rebel Din again, and we go steal babies to bring back to their families. Maybe hold hands again, maybe have sex? Who knows! Cause I don’t 😀

#din djarin #the mandalorian #mandalorian #mando #mandalorian au #the mandalorian au #dream #inspired dream #pedro pascal #josé pedro balmaceda pascal #this took way too long to write but I wanted it on record #this dream was way too elaborate not to write down

4 notes · View notes

splendid-teeth · 4 years

Text

sjm and crescent city and misogyny

so i finished house of earth and blood and i have some Thoughts. i didn’t think i’d like it and actively hated it as i read so clearly there are still some lessons to be learned in how useless hate reading a book is. and i’m still personally trying to figure out how to like something while also criticizing it/ acknowledging flaws (to be clear this is not about hoeab because i straight hated it but i do like parts of acotar). this isn’t gonna be a review cause this ain’t goodreads but here we go

why are all of sjm’s worlds so misogynistic? like i genuinely don’t get it. the amount of times cunt/ whore/ slut was said in hoeab was absolutely ridiculous (i know there’s widespread complaints about the amount of cussing and maybe it ties to that idk). maybe i don’t have enough sworn enemies or whatever but i literally never hear people say those words without it being a Big Fucking Deal and yet sjm is like the goddamn salt bae meme with them. she couldn’t figure out one other reason to make Amelie and Bryce enemies besides being jealous over a dude. in acotar the sexism inherent to the Illyrians, the lack of high ladies when not only does it add nothing to your narrative besides making your characters seem super duper for not being sexist, it actively makes no sense as there are plenty of powerful women so why wouldn’t they be leaders??? by force if nothing else. i know there’s other examples in throne of glass it has just been a hot sec since i read them. idk if these all seem small and petty but there’s just a pervasive misogyny to all of her worlds and it’s difficult to put my finger to how it shows/ how to address it.

and i don’t think sjm is fantastic at characterization in general but something really rubs me the wrong way with her female villains. it’s not that women are villains because i’m all about that. it’s the female villains have no personality beyond evil/ lusting after whatever love interest, being utterable unable to root for them (i liked micah, i was all about that but sandriel ehh) and just being 2d as hell. and the fact that sjm is willing to redeem anyone and everyone but no women. at all. i do think sjm is not good at writing actual morally gray characters or villains that make you root for them cause she either takes the literal worst would eat babies if they could route or they are secretly a good person you cannot hold their sins against them or the i say they’re complex and morally gray but they’re actually a marshmallow route. so maybe someone else can tell me what i’m picking up on with her female villains cause i’m just rambling.

she’s creating an actual made up fantasy world where everything is created by her. and it’s one thing if you’re making your world sexist on purpose and are then saying something about it/ addressing it but she just treats it like the default?? why tho. i know this is a widespread issue so i don’t mean to hold up sjm as some peak misogynist or something but she’s an author who has mostly female MCs and seems to be trying to make them strong and well rounded (we can argue about the effectiveness but there’s an effort) and so for her to have sexism as the default flavoring for everything. i’m just tired.

minor aside for LGBTQ+ rep which we all know she is the WOAT at (i hate acowar with such a passion but beyond the slaughtering of mor’s character and resultantly their friend group i’m not sure i remember another thing i hated that much ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ ). idk who told sjm that all queer people feel the need to keep it a desperate secret but that is a blatant lie and most queer people i know never shut the fuck up about it. and while some queer people are in the closet and are still coming to terms with it, the secrecy to your closest friend group just tells me as a queer person that the friend group isn’t close full stop.

i know the fact that sjm creates sexist books and is bad at diversity in terms of LGBTQ+ rep and characters of color (i spoke on the first two because that is my expertise as a white bi women but i don’t mean to diminish the racism inherent to her worlds too) is not new info. and i also think she’s average at best at characterization, relationships, world building, and pacing so it just irks me to see how popular and recommended her books are and i know at some point i just need to get the fuck over the fact that things i think are awful will sometimes be wildly popular. and this is a very negative post about an author that has written some characters and scenes i truly adore (lol just look at my posts) but i’m just tired of how little care is put into propagating sexism, racism, and homophobia into fantasy worlds and how low the bar can be for books (i promise i know good books and don’t need recs and am just a bit of an idiot in terms of picking the worst books of my tbr list)

#anti sjm #anti hoeab

80 notes · View notes

loverofallthingssmart · 3 years

Note

hii bestie <333 can i have bookrecs maybe my tbr is ??? going empty ??? wh how??? but yeah mwah<333

omg hiiiiiii bestie <33 and KABVAGSJEB valid okay okay here we go !! i’ll rec 5 and disclaimer: most of these are going to also be on my tbr LMAO whoops bc i haven’t read in so long so 😭

1. the empress of salt and fortune

this is just??? so good??? like first off they/them protagonist !! and it’s so !!!! like the first two chapters make you go huh? but once it get through that it becomes so interesting !!! it feels like you’re being told a story bc you are!!! and it’s so <333 like wowwwwww it’s just. great like the story is everything even though there’s no technical ‘plot’ like you think. also this one scene in the book with her seer…like uh. empress?? you got something you want to tell us?? 👁👁

overall id rate it 4/5 points taken off purely bc the writing style is everything i love it !! but it’s not quite memorable like certain lines don’t just stick to you after you read it like how six of crows did… yk?

2. and then there were none

i. i uh. haven’t read this yet ADSHFSHSVSHD but everyone’s telling me it’s wonderful and amazing and also mysteries are just like?? so fun especially with agatha christie writing it and it’s just. very wild i can just feel it can’t wait to read it !!!

3. the ghost bride

another one i haven’t read but isa loved it and i trust isa so yeah <3 basically this post should cover why it’s amazing and so i’m also very excited to start this next month

4. i’ll be the one

listen this is. it’s a fun cute little read if you’re bored bc this was so nice i had to pause to squeal a bit a LOT like the mc is so !!!!! she’s fat and she’s not like insecure about it like she has her moments thats so normal but she’s confident and it’s just !!! she’s basically trying to be an idol and addresses the fat phobia in the kpop industry with a healthy smacking of white girl bashing (white girl obsessed with korean culture to be specific), asians gfs as background relationships, and complicated mother daughter relationships that aren’t just ‘omg i forgive you and then we love each other’ no the resolution between them is 100% realistic and i just :’) and then !!! and then bi4bi main couple!!! CANONLY!!!! THEYRE BOTH SAID THEYRE BI IN THE BOOK LIKE !!!! they’re both korean too like <3

it’s rated 3/5 bc the writing is juvenile at time (and ngl im fine with it!! the author has written children’s books with an asian protag so the whole YA thing is new to her and it’s rlly good for her foray into this genre honestly!!!!) and also the harry potter and bts references were -_- i know the bts was going to be a thing but the hp??? when the book was made in 2020??? like in this day and age??? no thank you keep that away. there are like uhh less than 10 so a blessing ig

sorry i talked too much about this one i just have many thoughts bc this was THE book that got me out of my slump and it’s nice !! best listened to with kpop playing on low in the background <3

5. finally, the lunar chronicles

this is a nice series !!!!!! the way all the male characters are side characters and each book surrounds the girl yeah <3 the third book is kind of :/ bc there’s a relationship with a 16 yr old and a 22-23? year old i think idk but basically she’s isolated and idolized him and he’s… idk it’s weird but if you just keep in mind that ajd try and ignore how that’s the driving factor for a lot of this it’s fine !!! the plot is nice !! but yeah the rest of them are <33333 and the plot is so !!!! each book is a sci-fi retelling of a fairytale and they all blend into each other seamlessly its just so !!!! the characters are everything as well i don’t care for like half of the men ensemble but the women. aaaaah beloveds 3/5 mainly bc it’s been SUCH a long time i don’t think i can accurately judge it so we’ll stick with a decent rating yk?

also! read heartless by the same author it’s like her retelling of how the queen of hearts became the queen of hearts it’s rlly good !!! cant for the love of me rmbr most of the plot nor can reread it bc it hurts but still. rlly good !!!! 4/5 definitely

ALSO FUCKING WAIT LAST ONE

read xiran ray zhao’s book i don’t remember what it’s called but it’s coming out september 21st and it’s gonna be so fucking good like. i just know it so yeah <3

okay that’s it have fun reading <3

#this was done entirely on my phone of theres something screwed that why #BESTIE BESTIE come back august for more i’ll have like 6 more books read by then to rec to u LMAO #i was gonna rec soc duology b4 i rmbred u alrwady read it LMAO #i miss reccing books wooo #anyway ily !!!!!!! and ty for coming to me omg :’)#abi tag #ask me anything #2 am ramblings #book rec

2 notes · View notes

virareve · 4 years

Text

Jaime x Brienne Fic Exchange Recommendations

The time to cram has come! T-minus 12 or so hours until the author reveals so I thought I’d make a little plug for some stories I enjoyed that came out of the @jaime-brienne-fic-exchange

First off, I am VERY behind on reading the collection. I received a concussion around the time that the fics came out so my reading has been limited first by the light sensitivity, then the work catch-up in week 2 ( I had to take off work due to the concussion), and now me on short weekend vacation (yay!). I’ve perhaps touched thirty fics at this point (I still have to get to my gift fic which was posted today :D ) so this is by no means a whole evaluation of what’s been put out. The whole collection has been extremely high quality and I hope to come back later and post some more recs. I thank the mods for taking the time to wrangle with keeping this so organized. It’s been a blast.

Modern AU:

Man With a Heartbeat You’ve likely seen this story come up in recs a million times but it’s Just. That. Good. With a unique writing style, and a cast of characters that includes some cameos by some personal book faves (minor as they are), this one is sure to sweep you off your feet with it’s very different take. I mean...antique dealers? I don’t think I’ve ever seen a fanfic touch on this before and I was 100% here for this. Also Brienne was highly relatable lol. Lesson Learned: ALWAYS plan your proposals or at least make sure the desire for marriage is clearly communicated and understood between both parties. #rip

To a Distant Stranger Jaime is super hot rocker who runs into Brienne again and again and again, despite her attempts to create distance between them after their implied (crazy off the charts, soul-mate inducing chemistry) hook-ups. Eventually he drops his rocker life and takes up as a bartender and true lurvvvveeee blossoms. :D Lesson Learned: No bartender experience is needed when the course of true love doesn’t run smooth.

all these people think love’s for show (but I would die for you in secret) The author wouldn’t know this but the majority of my first bookmarked fics on AO3 were spy AUs. This sexy piece hit a very weak point for me since spies and schmexyness makes me go weak in the knees. (Also this title is prob my fave line from my fave TS song, did Author have to go so hard at me like that? It was a double whammy T.T) Jaime and Brienne are BRIMMING with sexual tension and from the first meeting I was already sitting on the edge of my seating thinking “Now kiss!” The author makes it worth it with some very bonding, emotional adventures that make the payoff feel so worth it.

if one thing had been different (would everything be different?) I just adore the premise that Jaime is Brienne’s landlord here. Lots of sexiness going on and feels where Jaime’s been nursing a crush for one LONG hot minute (read: several years) on B and our girl is sure he’s been bullying her FOREVER (tbr Jaime’s flirting isn’t as clear cut as the boy would like to believe)

Just as Sweet (just as thorny) OOOHHH this had me feeling many things because I just wanted Jaime and Brienne to be in love but man, many feelings having to be sorted out since Jaime and Brienne met and developed feelings under the cover of Jaime’s fake persona. Selwyn Tarth also makes a fun cameo that helps Jaime’s chance at making it with his girl and Brienne’s life at the end of the story is on the up and up (romantic relationship aside. Did I mentioned I love spy AUs? This read is a MUST.

My Best Friend’s Wedding Brienne hires a professional party date who is (of course) our man JamLan. I have a huge weakness for fake relationships so this just knocked me down after all the spy AUs I read from the exchange. It’s all the parts you love about the movie The Wedding Date and more. The fic also gave me a lot of feelings about one of my favorite places in the world Mackinac island which I was delighted to find out in the AN actually served as a source of inspiration for this fic. :D

Backpfeifengesicht I know you’ve seen this recc-ed before so I’m going to say that what everyone says is accurate. It’s funny, it’s sexy and the friendships are top notch. I’m personally rather proud that I posited a question about the type of table mentioned in this fic and sparking a discussion that descended into who the author might be based on height of various authors around the fandom. Yes, I will take credit for that madness XD

The Knight and the Thief Cat Burglar AU. There’s a bunch of sneaking around here that hit’s me the same way as it does with Spy AUs. Of course Jaime wins the day with his biggest steal yet, one sapphire-eyed wench.

The One That Got Away Jaime and Brienne meet in College after knowing each other in high school. Reading Jaime try and fail to convince Brienne of his affection was a humorous trial and half. Favorite line in this fic: “You’re not just the one that got away. You’re the one. Period.” A very swoon worthy story that builds up perfectly. 100% worth the read!

Jaime, Brienne, and the Bachelor Party on Wheels Having attended uni in a college town where partying was the main event, seeing these bicycle drinking carts was a common occurrence and I knew as soon as I saw the title, this fic was going to be a must read for me. Jaime and Ygritte as good friends was the friendship I didn’t know I needed and I am totally taking notes now to put it in fic at some point. There’s a lot of rowing references I wasn’t familiar with but all the innuendos were very clear in their intentions. ;)

Book Canon AU:

A Matter of Honor Oh man this one is sexy as hell. This fic delves into ‘what if the Tarth’s were the wealthy noble house with royal favor and the Lannisters were the disrupted, down-on-their-luck Lords Paramount?’ A lot of fun is involved in this battle of wills, whether it’s Brienne, deciding to stick by her vow to marry despite her reservations about her husband-to-be, Selwyn Tarth, trying to convince to break her betrothal, or Jaime, trying to decide if maybe he actually is into his potential new wife. There is so much fun and sexiness here that I couldn’t get enough. I may have also read this three times...XD

A Wench’s Kiss Have I ever mentioned how much I love a clearly communicated sex scene where both parties involved know each other’s needs? Well you do now! While the roles here are clearly defined as to who is who in this Dom&Sub role-play dynamic, it is very clear that every action done is done as communicated by the partners preferences and needs.

Other AU

Brienne Tarth and the Quest for the Lost Swords Brienne is Indiana Jones and Jaime is the Nazi lady from movie three with a better heart and better intentions (in the end). Fortunately, the end for these two is much better then it was for Indy and his doomed lady love (Jk I was always team Marion but stillll).

#Jaime x Brienne fic exchange #reading rec #jaime x brienne #braime

35 notes · View notes

rollingthunderpouringrain · 3 years

Note

(first off, will respond to your message soon <3!) but for the ask game, #'s 2, 3, 6, and 13!

Aah, yay :) (and pls don’t stress about it!! <3 :)) Thank you!

2. First quote that comes to mind.

I watched “The Devil All The Time” yesterday and Sebastian Stan’s character said “Some people are born just so they can be buried.” at one point, which stuck with me. It’s not a happy quote but I dig it XD

3. Last book that left you thinking about it for days

Hmm... hard to say. Gonna cheat... There were several that come to mind right now. There was “How To Be An Antiracist” by Ibram Kendi, but also a book in the historical fiction genre by Melanie Metzenthin called “Als wir wieder Hoffnung hatten” [”When we had hope again”]. It was dope.

Also - I read it in 2019 and still think about it sometimes: “Baba Dunjas letzte Liebe” [”Baba Dunja’s last love”] by Alina Bronsky which is a story about Baba Dunja and her experiences after the Tschernobyl disaster, where she is returning to her home (which is in Tschernobyl). Good stuff!

6. A book you keep meaning to read?

My whole TBR pile which is around 160 books To be honest, I’ve been reading a book in the the Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare for several months now and I love it but I’m just not in the right mind set right now. I want to finish this series though, because I love it and want to read the other books by Clare. Also, the Raven Cycle books. For some reason I stopped reading the first part in that series and I enjoyed it very much. Idk why I stopped. Also, lots of classic literature...! Especially German classic literature. There’s a lot I haven’ read yet and it hurts my pride somehow lmao.

13. How far do you think you could run right now?

Not far at all because I’m tipsy. Or maybe very far, because I’m tipsy...

Thanks!! :D

#onemoresoultothecall #:D #about me #asks #books

2 notes · View notes

what-eats-owls · 5 years

Text

THE MERCIFUL CROW Master Post!

GUYS. JUST LOOK AT THIS COVER. GUYYYYYS. GUYYYYYYYYYSSSSS!!!!!

I have been screaming about this A LOT, but I wanted to consolidate some info in one handy post for y’all. So I will be updating this with new info as it comes in, and as always, you can check my #themercifulcrow tag for things like art and excerpts that aren’t included here.

SO. Let’s start with the big one: preorders. The neat thing is that preorders count towards the numbers for the NYT Bestseller list! I’m not gonna lie........... I really wanna be on that list. AND I THINK WE CAN MAKE IT HAPPEN.

So here are links to preorder from major retailers: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Indigo Books, Books-A-Million, IndieBound

Can’t preorder but still want to help out? (or you want to do both because you’re a rad human being?) YOU DEFINITELY CAN, AND HERE’S HOW:

Request The Merciful Crow at your local library. Most library websites let you request a purchase, and that’s HUGE. Look for links like “Suggest a Purchase”, “Ask the library to buy a book”, etc - sometimes it’s under the Contact page, sometimes under Services, but it’s always free for you! They’ll want to know the book title (The Merciful Crow), the author (Margaret Owen! That’s me!) and the ISBN (1250191920).

Add it to your TBR on Goodreads! For better or worse, the Goodreads stats can be an indicator of how interested readers are in the book. All you have to do is follow this link, find the drop-down menu beneath the cover thumbnail on the left, and select “Want to Read.”

Honestly, just talk about it??? Word of mouth remains the most effective form of marketing, and yet also the most low-commitment way to do it?? Literally just tagging stuff on instagram or dropping a link in the groupchat??? idk it’s witchcraft y’all but it works somehow

Those are all the key ways to support the book right now! The Merciful Crow comes out on July 30th, 2019, so we’ve got plenty of time to really make a difference.

Now, below the cut: a bit about the book itself.

SOME QUICK STATS:

The Merciful Crow is a Dark Young Adult Fantasy. It releases July 30, 2019. It’s being published by Henry Holt Books for Young Readers, a division of the Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group. For bookstagram folks, bloggers, reviewers, etc: it is a Fierce Reads title, so you’ll want to reach out to them for publicity-related things like Advance Copies (though you can submit a direct request through my Google form here or keep an eye out on Edelweiss and NetGalley for e-ARCs.)

THE OFFICIAL SUMMARY:

A future chieftain Fie abides by one rule: look after your own. Her Crow caste of undertakers and mercy-killers takes more abuse than coin, but when they’re called to collect royal dead, she’s hoping they’ll find the payout of a lifetime. A fugitive prince When Crown Prince Jasimir turns out to have faked his death, Fie’s ready to cut her losses—and perhaps his throat. But he offers a wager that she can’t refuse: protect him from a ruthless queen, and he’ll protect the Crows when he reigns. A too-cunning bodyguard Hawk warrior Tavin has always put Jas’s life before his, magically assuming the prince’s appearance and shadowing his every step. But what happens when Tavin begins to want something to call his own?

CONTENT WARNINGS:

The story deals with enormous differences in privilege and power. I wanted to be honest about what that looks like without being harmful to readers who have first-hand experience with marginalization, but I still want to provide a list of content warnings to let readers decide that for themselves. The story involves the following:

Discussion of violence and harassment targeted at the main character’s specific caste

Depictions of violence and harassment targeted at the main character’s specific caste

Brief threat of a sexual assault, and discussion of the societal implications

Mention of past child abuse

Mention of past sexual assault

A scene involving a cat in a significant and distressing amount of danger

General gore and body horror... like, guys, I didn’t mean to write a body horror book but I sure did. The main character cuts throats for a living and, as you may have seen me joke, the big bag of human teeth is not the most upsetting thing in the story, not by a long shot. I have no time or patience for torture porn, so the body horror is more in the Uncanny Valley range of nightmarish (less Zombieland, more Coraline) but it’s meant to be very unsettling nonetheless.

LGBTQ+ REPRESENTATION

I got this question on twitter, so I’ll basically rehash my answer here! The short version is yes, there are LGBTQ+ characters, but their specific experiences and relationships are not explored much.

The longer version is this: I think writing inclusively is the bare minimum we can expect from authors, especially YA authors, in the year of our lord 2018. As such, of the main trio, the prince is explicitly coded as gay, and the love interest is coded as pansexual; one of the secondary characters uses they/them pronouns; another is a woman with multiple spouses; I try to avoid gender-binary language or language that ties gender to genitalia; there are casual references to same-sex relationships and marriages. I am also VERY aware of the Bury Your Gays trope and I am avoiding it like the plague.

That said, I currently identify as your garden-variety cisgender straight woman, so I don’t think it’s appropriate for me to occupy space on the bookshelf that is better served by LGBTQ+ authors writing much-needed stories about their experiences and relationships. (Nor do I think I’m qualified to write those stories, tbh.) So there’s a whole array of folks present and identified on the page, but the main romantic relationship that is developed and explored is between a cisgender pansexual boy and a cisgender straight girl.

PREORDER CAMPAIGN

If you do preorder the book or place a request with your library, take a screencap and/or hold onto the receipt! I’ll be putting together some fun things to mail y’all as a thank-you once we’re closer to the release date.

That’s all I got right now, but please hit up my inbox if you have any questions!

#my books #the merciful crow #master post #you guys if I debut on the NYT list I am gonna be so smug #so so so so smug

89 notes · View notes