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nerdynatreads · 1 year

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book review || Don’t Fear the Reaper by Stephen Graham Jones

video review || ARC Reading Vlog -- The Black Queen by Jumata Emill & Don't Fear the Reaper by Stephen Graham Jones

~Thanks to Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of Don’t Fear the Reaper in exchange for an honest review. ~

Happy release date!!

Alright, so I’m not SUPER surprised that I ended up really liking this, but after feeling like My Heart is a Chainsaw was pretty middle of the road, I was surprised. Every time I was reading, this book was so unsettling and creepy, the blizzard atmosphere never letting up. We bounce back and forth between whether events happening in the story are due to something supernatural and not, but by the climax, there are some fantastically done twists that I had to go back and reread to ensure I knew what happened. The final girls were really the center of attention, which really made this book feel true to the many slasher movies it was referencing. All of the pop culture references were clever and well incorporated into the story as well as the writing.

I felt sort of ambivalent about Jade in the first book, but she, and Letha, really won me over in this one. I couldn’t help cheering for them to survive after everything they’d been through, especially with all the growth Jade has had from where we meet her in the first book. When we see them against the big bad I was on the edge of my seat, hearing that final girl scream echoing in my ears. We have a far bigger cast of characters in this book, some of which I wasn’t sure why we were seeing from their perspectives but were utilized in a way to build suspense perfectly. Every character we see from, Jones perfectly shows us their personality and very quickly, too. And while the big cast could have been a good thing when protecting some characters and taking down the antagonist, it also meant there were plenty of people on the chopping block, which did make me nervous throughout.

The horror truly spanned the entire book. There are some particularly stomach-churning scenes that I had to pause and try to bleach out of my brain (spoiler: that did not work and those images are haunting me for the rest of my life.) It was impressive though, that every horrific moment stood out to the rest. None of them felt as normal and easy as a gunshot wound or a stabbing, no that’d be too easy. Instead, Jones matches the over-the-top campiness of horror movies in the graphic deaths that we watch or find in the aftermath.

A great follow up and I’m pretty intrigued to see where the last book will go.

4 / 5 stars

#book review #don't fear the reaper #don't fear the reaper by stephen graham jones #the lake witch trilogy #the lake witch trilogy by stephen graham jones #horror book recs #horror book recommendations #horror book recommendation #horror books #bookblr #booklr #book tumblr #booktube #booktuber #book youtube #studyblr

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thehorrormoviechick · 9 months

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My Ultimate Found Footage Horror Movie List:

The Taking of Deborah Logan (2014)

Be My Cat: A Film For Anne (2015)

The Tunnel (2011)

The Visit (2015)

Cloverfield (2008)

Unfriended: Dark Web (2018)

The Blair Witch Project (1999)

Creep (2014)

Creep 2 (2017)

The Dirties (2013)

Rec (2007)

Rec 2 (2009)

V/H/S Anthology

Butterfly Kisses (2018)

Willow Creek (2013)

The Sacrament (2013)

Lake Mungo (2008)

Apollo 18 (2011)

The Fourth Kind (2009)

The Den (2013)

Exhibit A (2007)

The Bay (2012)

As Above So Below (2014)

Jeruzalem (2015)

Megan is Missing (2011)

The Possession of Michael King (2014)

The Houses October Built (2014)

The Devil Inside (2012)

Unfriended (2014)

Horror in The High Desert (2021)

Horror in The High Desert 2: Minerva (2023)

Hell House Trilogy

Behind The Sightings (2017)

Bigfoot: The Lost Coast Tapes

Grave Encounters (2011)

Grave Encounters 2 (2012)

The Last Broadcast (1998)

The Atticus Institute (2015)

Curse of Aurore (2020)

The Last Exorcism (2010)

The Poughkeepsie Tapes (2007)

Afflicted (2013)

Paranormal Activity 1-4

Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones (2014)

Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension (2015)

Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin (2021)

Descent Into Darkness: My European Nightmare (2013)

Amber Alert (2012)

Exists (2014)

Incantation (2022)

#horror #horror movies #horror movie #found footage horror #found footage #movies #movie recommendation #recommend #what to watch #watch list #watch later #hell house #grave encounters #paranormal activity

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tomionefinds · 7 months

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can yall share some tomione fics that youre currently reading/following? or even maybe an updated list of favorites?? thanks!

Hey Anon,

Sorry for the wait was checking if our other admins had more to add. As always there's our Admin Favs list here for anyone who wants to peruse everything on there. Apparently we've hit the threshhold for max links you can have in a post on Tumblr so we can't keep adding there.

Here's a few new fics I've been reading/following, as always I'm sure they're will be more to come in future ask me again in another year. Can't stop, won't stop. <3

I'd love to get more recs from people reading new works too! Please drop them in our comments or use our Submit feature to make a post! -JD

Altered State by Ginnyruin

E/Ma | WIP | 219k

Six years after the Battle of Hogwarts, Auror Hermione Granger activated a mysterious dark object, which unexpectedly sent her decades into the past.

Tom Riddle, now known as Voldemort, returned to British wizarding society in 1966 after a decade-long absence. Under the guise of interviewing for the DADA teaching position, he went to Hogwarts to conceal one of his Horcruxes, Ravenclaw’s Diadem. However, the coveted position had been stolen a week before his arrival by an intriguing witch.

As manipulative schemes emerged, tension built into a ruinous obsession.

Art Trilogy by WildKitsune

E/Ma | WIP

Art of Genius- Three years after the Battle of Hogwarts, Hermione is working on a team of healers to help find a cure to a new wizarding disease. An imprisoned Lord Voldemort offers the help of his considerable genius but only if Hermione consents to be his handler.

Art of Charm- Even though Voldemort seems to be keeping his word to Harry and living within the laws of wizarding society, Hermione isn’t convinced her mate is as reformed as he seems. She becomes overwhelmed, knowing she can’t trust the one person she needs most in the world.

Art of Magic- A new player has entered the game between Hermione and the Dark Lord. What will it mean now that their bond has been broken? And what sort of powers does the mysterious Mr. Lake wield?

atelophobia by natasharomanhoffs

M | WIP | 107k

Sure enough, not five seconds later, the door cracked open, and a tall boy with green lining on his robes strode into the Hospital Wing. Hermione absent-mindedly noticed his attractive face, but she was more focussed on his uniform.

Lord, that looks stuffy, was her first thought.

At least he knows how to tie a proper Windsor knot, was her second.

Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by Perhentian.en

M | Complete | 252k

Hermione had grown quite used to help Harry each time her friend managed to end up in some impossible situation, and this even if the war with Voldemort had been over for a long time. But when Harry, faced with the destruction of the magical world, decides to throw his friends back in time, Hermione is appalled. And what about this reckless plan of his to somehow use Voldemort?

Dark Lord Who by Naidhe

E/Ma | WIP | 35k

Bellatrix Lestrange uses dark, sacrificial magic to bring the Dark Lord back to life after Harry Potter has given his life to defeat him. However, asking for a "Dark Lord" turns out to be a tad bit too ambiguous. Baba Yaga is having fun, Godelot is a sadistic bastard, Herpo the Foul brags about his horcrux, Tom Riddle is unimpressed. (Dark)

The Department of Magical Law Enforcement by devdevlin

E/Ma | WIP | 14k

Harry's got a wild theory, and naturally, it's become her problem.

In which Voldemort fled the Battle of Hogwarts and seven years later, Hermione is appointed to lead the team tasked with tracking him down. *this is a rewrite

The Diary by LittleMulattoKitten, weestarmeggie

M | WIP | 127k

Hermione was suspicious when she found an old journal amongst her things.

Tom was intrigued the night someone else's handwriting appeared in his diary.

Lord Riddle watches his past unfold from Hermione's side of the timeline to make sure history repeats itself without Albus's interference.

Endless Night by cassidyblackwrites

E/Ma | WIP | 41k

The one in which Hermione is Abraxas Malfoy’s step-sister. 1940s - 1950s AU. No time travel.

Exitus Acta Probat by JellyBellys

M | Complete | 466k

After a series of catastrophic events, Hermione decides to go to the past to stop Tom Riddle. Story includes timetravel, Slytherins that aren't evil, romance, betrayal, death, angst, and some comedy thrown in. AU after OoTP.

Forever Means Forever by cocoartist

T+ | Complete | 7k

If she ever saw Unspeakable Number 37 again she would kill him with her bare hands: Hermione's research into the Veil has an unexpected side-effect. COMPLETE.

Gryffindor Red by foolishlywandwaving

NR | WIP | 37k

"How - how dare you?" She stammers, pushing him away with both hands. Riddle backs away as though she is brandishing a hot poker, a horrible little smile on his face. Her thighs burn white hot from where his hands have been trailing up. Hermione yanks her dress down and continues, finding her voice through the fog of insanity that has clouded her judgement. "How dare you just show up to my house and threaten me, then kiss me!"

Hermione Granger And The Journal’s Riddle by Little_Seraphim

E/Ma | WIP | 104k

‘I want to open it,’ Hermione thought nearly opening the book before stopping herself. “You cheeky book.” She tapped its cover. “Compulsion? Really?” Rolling her eyes at how stupid whatever magic the book had upon it was, she put it away in her school things and began sorting through ways of blocking magic. The new project had her eager and before long, she’d forgotten her boredom. Whatever the book was, it wasn’t common and it could influence the minds of those nearby.

‘I’ll get to the bottom of you.’ Hermione thought giving the book a grin.

Icarus by MarbleGlove

T | Complete | 16k

Some successes are only measured in how long you last before falling. Hermione writes a letter and begins a relationship. Complete

I of the Storm by Ardentlyadmired

E/Ma | One Shot | 6k

Her mind is still racing as she flees between the trees. Each bite and sting of the landscape feels like it’s fighting to keep her, hold her here. Even in the slick rainfall branches scratch at her face, drawing blood, snarling and pulling at her hair. Leaving pieces of herself in her wake.

She can smell the damp. Petrichor and dirt. Rot. The blood on her cheek, the sweat on her skin that melts into the rain. The acrid scent of fear. It reminds her that she is alive. Almost there. Almost free.

Infinite Spin by seollem

E/Ma | WIP | 24k

All the screens flashed black and white simultaneously, scoreboards blinking excitedly, the same glorious name at the top of each list.

Invictus by greyana

E/Ma | WIP | 319k

Voldemort intended the object to be used by his most loyal follower in the event that his horcruxes were destroyed, but it ended up in Hermione’s possession instead.

It sent her back to a time when he was much less the monster that she’d always known him to be. Dumbledore’s description of him couldn’t have prepared her for the intelligence and charm of Tom Riddle.

He isn’t who she thought he was.

Hermione discovers that it’s a dark descent into the madness of the man she should hate, but can’t… a descent she will never emerge from.

LordVoldemort.

Lady Selwyn by matchapuff

E/Ma | WIP | 88k

The discovery of an old Selwyn family photo sends Hermione back to 1952. At the heart of her journey is a silver crown.

Miðgarðsormr by xXAonoNYmouSPXx

M | WIP | 163k

Tom watched as the mother and son stop at a spot by the fountain. The witch whom he's never met before in his life, with bushy brown hair atop a heart-shaped face, and the boy who looked exactly like him when he was at that age.

Pink by yuwoo

E/Ma | WIP | 10k

If Tom had any say, he would not be here, but he has only just gained the Gaunt Seat. It is aberrant for one of his status to not possess a Thrall.

A Pound of Flesh by Thomas M Riddle sequel: Ill Met by Moonlight

M | Complete | 20k

AU: In her sixth year, Hermione engineers a way to reawaken Tom Riddle's diary. But forbidden magic has its risks, and she finds herself locked in a deadly battle of wits with the most dangerous teenaged Dark Wizard of all time. A game where the only way to win may be to prove the Sorting Hat's decision to put her in Gryffindor wrong. TW: Torture (some sexualized)

the price of water by peppershark

E/Ma | WIP | 34k

After a mishap in the Room of Hidden Things, Hermione finds herself in a barren, post-apocalyptic future where witches are all but extinct.

Ruination by VittoriaRenoir

M | WIP | 33k

Tom Riddle shows up on Hepzibah Smith's door in search of Slytherin's locket. Unfortunately, Hepzibah's daughter, Hermione, doesn't seem to like him much. Meanwhile, Hermione plots revenge.

She Rises by giraffelove92

M | WIP | 341k

"He watched as the air around her crackled with her magic, and it was so aggressive, so electrifying, that he wondered how this beautiful creature had ever managed to evade his notice â€“ how he'd so foolishly underestimated her from the start." Darkfic.

Shopkeeper by Ciule

E/Ma | One Shot | 6k

A strange impulse rose - as if he wanted to have a conversation with her, maybe find out what she needed the fae teeth for - and he Summoned his trench coat, shrugging into it.

“Let’s have dinner.” It came out as a command, not as an invitation, and the girl looked as if she had seen a flying Merman.

A Sin To Know by EchoPhoenix

M | WIP | 81k

Tom allowed a genuine smile past his bloody lips as he raised his slender fingers to his gaze. Miss Granger really ought to curb such a self destructive habit, digging her fingernails into her palm like a reprimanded child?

stars never fade by no_halo

E/Ma | Complete | 9k

Almost a decade later, Tom finds her in Paris. She's still up to the same scheme, hoping to stop him and his rise to power.

Trials by nauticalparamour

M | Complete | 51k

A happenstance meeting between Tom and a mysterious witch named Hermione in Borgin and Burkes sends the pair of them on a tangled path to get what they want - Tom, ultimate power over the wizarding world, and Hermione, to bring down the dangerous wizard at the edges of her mind. Will their magnetic connection help or hinder them in their ultimate goals? Time travel AU.

Venenum by Koryanderi

E/Ma | WIP | 145k

Hermione travels for the year 1943. All she wants is to return to her friends, but her evasive attitude and behavior that breaks the standards of time, ends up arousing interest of Tom Riddle that soon turns into an obsession.

Verso by virennia

E/Ma | WIP | 25k

Hermione met him when she was twelve.

Tom Riddle, the most handsome boy in school.

when sunsets look like blood (hold me till the stars appear) by justprompts

T+ | WIP | 37k

"I - I'm really sorry, I've had a kind of portkey issue - " the girl begins, her voice carefully controlled - as Tom smirks at her.

"Really?" he says, pointedly raising an eyebrow at the offending object around her neck. "Wouldn't you rather say you've had issues with time?"

There's a long pause, as the girl's eyes widen and she looks down at the exposed chain of the Time Turner. She mutters a curse, before sighing and saying, "So, what year is it?"

Or alternatively

The one in which Hermione Granger accidentally time travels into Abraxas Malfoy’s bed in the middle of the night.

Who Are We? by BareWithMeHoney

E/Ma | WIP | 28k

The year is 2004. Voldemort has hidden his Horcruxes in the past and the Order is fighting against impossible odds to find and destroy them.

But when Time itself begins to unravel, a new kind of sacrifice must be made before the world comes to an end.

#tomione #admin favs #more admin favs #current tomione reads #admin favs: part 2

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liesmyth · 3 months

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Happy end of January! here are all the books I read this month

Black AF History: The Un-Whitewashed Story of America by Michael Harriot.

Exactly what it says on the tin! Very good pop history book, tremendously well researched; actually very funny. I HIGHKEY recommend the audiobook if you can get it. Favourite book of 2024 so far.

Benjamin January mysteries by Barbara Hambly. I've read three of them this month because they're excellent. (A Free Man of Color, Fever Season, Graveyard Dust.)

Historical fiction + murder mystery set in 1830s New Orleans, and I love the atmosphere as much as I do the characters. You know those books where the city is its own character? THAT. Excellent vibes, very thoughtfully researched, and the character dynamics are excellent. (CW for period typical racism all over the place as the main character is a dark-skinned Black man in 1830s New Orleans; no gratuitous edginess)

Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky

THIS BOOK HAS SPIDERS IN IT. Just putting it out there because I very much missed it, and the spiders are a big deal. Scific, space opera. 10/10 would rec unless you're violently arachnophobic, then proceed with caution.

Don't Fear the Reaper by Stephen Graham Jones

Second book of the Indian Lake Witch trilogy. Unfortunately not as cool as the first but I'm hype for the third book coming out! If you like poetically described gore, and badass horror ladies, read the first book first. This one isn't quite on that level but there IS death and destruction <3

Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman

I can't believe I 1) finished a self-help book and 2) I'm really out here recommending it to people, but I really found it useful. Will wonders ever cease?

Nineteen Claws and a Black Bird by Agustina Bazterrica

Horror short stories collection. A couple were bangers, a few were absolute duds.

Take My Hand by Dolen Perkins-Valdez

Do yourself a favour and don't read this. Allegedly historical fiction; in practice, the "fiction" part is extremely dull and the book doesn't have anything going for it except the ripped-from-the-headline case of the Relf sister. The cover is pretty, I guess.

Unwell Women: Misdiagnosis and Myth in a Man-Made World by Elinor Cleghorn

Tremendous read. Medical misogyny through the ages, with an eye to intersectionality; I have some nitpicks about the tone of the writing but I'm still going to recommend it to everyone. (link goes to my GR & we should be friends)

Vendetta ai Mondiali by Paolo Foschi

This is a prize for a few elects (Italian speakers). Italian sports-themed detective novel except the grizzly detective is gay... I feel like this was written for ME personally.

The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett

Unfortunately, I'm running out of new-to-me Discworld novels! This made me very happy but also very emo.

#book talk

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brightbeautifulthings · 1 year

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From the killer she killed. Because she's Jade fucking Daniels. And a thousand men like you can't even reach up to touch her combat boots.

Stephen Graham Jones, Don't Fear the Reaper

#stephen graham jones #don't fear the reaper #the lake witch trilogy #jade daniels #final girls #horror #horror fiction #book quotes #books #Q:

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candlelightkissess · 6 months

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horror subgenres that sunny cappuccino would love

in celebration of spooky season and my obsession with horror movies.

✰ MIMURA: The classics. ↠ FAVES: Frankenstein, Freaks, Night of the Living Dead Not exactly a subgenre, but as a filmmaker, Mimura is quite fond of the earlier works of horror. He's particularly interested in the ways in which the genre has developed, from cinematography, tropes, to scare factors. He definitely wrote a 5000-word deep dive essay dissecting that.

✰ FUWA: 80s slashers. ↠ FAVES: Sleepaway Camp, Friday the 13th, The Slumber Party Massacre It's a guilty pleasure. She calls it fast food horror. Fuwa's well accustomed to the tropes of this genre now, and paired with how clever she already is, her predictions of what's going to happen are always right. Her friends don't like watching these with her because she always unintentionally spoils it along the way.

✰ NAKAMURA: Self-aware horror comedy. ↠ FAVES: Scream, Cabin in the Woods Oh she is a super fan of the Scream franchise. I'm talking dedicated follower, owns every movie and probably has a merch collection somewhere. These types of movies just scratches her brain in all the best ways. You will definitely catch her writing paragraphs upon paragraphs explaining her theories too.

✰ CHIBA: Monster movies and supernatural. ↠ FAVES: Fear Street trilogy, It, The Thing If there's one thing Chiba loves in horror movies, it's the explanations of a complex lore of unexplainable beings. These movies tap into the otherworldly and usually have coming-of-age themes mingled within, which is right up his alley.

✰ SUGAYA: Found footage. ↠ FAVES: The Blair Witch Project, Lake Mungo, Noroi: The Curse There is just something so raw about found footage movies, and it is this very aspect that makes Sugaya so fond of them. He views it as a form of art that is very flexible. It can portray just about anyone and anything and still feel real. He considers that the magic of it all.

✰ HAYAMI: Vengeful spirits. ↠ FAVES: Shutter, The Ring, Sinister Bonus points if it takes place in a haunted house. Hayami believes that the sole purpose, the very heart and soul, of watching horror movies is to get scared. So that's exactly the type of movies she seeks out when she's in the mood for horror. Rather than intensity and gore, she best enjoys horror movies when they're built on suspense and unease.

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rachelbethhines · 5 months

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Speed-running Doctor Who - 12th Doctor

A quick and dirty guide for those who want to get into the show, but don't want to watch everything from the beginning.

For Those Who Just Wanna Get An Idea of the Era

Under the Lake/Before the Flood - S35E3&E4

The most Moffat episode to ever Moffat. All of his tropes and tricks are on display here. Some think it's stale, others believe its polished to perfection; either way it'll give you a good idea of what to expect during this era of the series.

Plot Important Episodes

Entrances, Exits, Enemies, Lore Drops, and Character Development

Deep Breath - S34E1 (first story to feature the Twelfth Doctor and Gomez's Master, the return of the clockwork monsters, and the last story to feature the Paternoster Gang)

Into the Dalek - S34E2 (character development for the Twelfth Doctor and kicks off his "Am I a good man?" arc, Danny Pink also makes his first appearance)

Listen - S34E4 (more back story for the Doctor and we are introduced to Orson Pink... who may be Danny Pink's ancestor or a reincarnated clone of Danny himself)

The Caretaker - S34E6 (The Doctor and Danny officially meet)

Kill the Moon - S34E7 (The Doctor and Clara have a falling out)

Mummy on the Orient Express - S34E8 (resolves the argument from the last episode and features more character development for the Doctor)

Flatline - S34E9 (We're introduced to Rigsy and we get character development for Clara)

Dark Water/Death in Heaven - S34E11&E12 (the Gomez Master returns, and everyone dies... or at least Osgood, Danny Pink, and the Brigadier does)

Last Christmas - 2014 Xmas Special (Clara is still getting over Danny's death)

The Magician's Apprentice/The Witch's Familiar - S35E1&E2 (character development for Gomez's Master)

The Girl Who Died - S35E5 (we meet Ashildr, kick off the hybrid arc, and get some more character development for the Doctor)

The Woman Who Lived - S35E6 (second part of the hybrid arc)

The Zygon Invasion/The Zygon Inversion - S35E7&E8 (a squeal to the 50th anniversary and we find out that Osgood still lives.. sort of)

Face the Raven - S35E10 (Rigsy and Ashildr return, the Doctor is imprisoned by the Time Lords, and Clara dies)

Heaven Sent - S35E11 (character development for the Doctor)

Hell Bent - S35E12 (Gallifrey is restored, and the Doctor saves Clara from death but loses his memories of her as a consequence. A now immortal Clara steals a tardis and travels the universe with Ashildr)

The Husbands of River Song - 2015 Xmas Special (River Song's last appearance and we meet Nardole for the first time)

The Return of Doctor Mysterio - 2016 Xmas Special (it's revealed that Nardole now travels with the Doctor)

The Pilot - S36E1 (Bill's first episode)

Smile - S36E2 (Bill's first trip in the Tardis)

Knock Knock - S36E4 (it's revealed that the Doctor and Nardole are keeping someone prisoner in a vault, but the Doctor is friendly to them)

Oxygen - S36E5 (The Doctor loses his eyesight for a time)

Extremis - S36E6 (kicks off the Monk arc and reveals that the Gomez Master is the Doctor's mysterious prisoner)

The Pyramid at the End of the World - S36E7 (second part of the Monk trilogy and the end of the Doctor is blind mini arc)

The Lie of the Land - S36E8 (the end of the Monk arc)

Empress of Mars - S36E9 and/or The Eaters of Light E36E10 (both feature character development for Gomez's Master, but each reinstates the same points so it's okay to skip one or the other)

World Enough and Time/The Doctor Falls - S36E11&RE12 (The return of the Simm Master and the original Tenth Planet Cybermen; last story for Bill, Nardole, and Gomez 's Master, the Doctor is morally injured at the end and starts to reintegrate)

Twice Upon a Time - 2017 Xmas Special (fifth multi-doctor story, and the 12th Doctor reintegrates, he also regains his memories of Clara at the end,.... and the entire story may or may not be a reintegration induced hallucination)

Personal Favorite and Least Favorite Stories

Because one man's trash is another man's treasure and vice versa

Favorite: Robot of Sherwood - S34E3

Least Favorite: Thin Ice - S36E3

(disclaimer: no spin-offs or extended universe stuff was considered when making this list)

Up Next: 13th Doctor and the Fugitive Doctor

#doctor who #nuwho #new who #twelfth doctor #peter capaldi #bill pots #clara oswald #danny pink #kate stewart #nardole #missy

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wormwoodandhoney · 10 months

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As a follow up to my favorite books of the first quarter of the year, here are some of my favorites from April, May, June! In no particular order, just in the order I read them.

The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty is a fun, pirate fantasy adventure featuring one of my recently realized favorite tropes: getting the band back together. A retired female pirate just wants to live a quiet life raising her young daughter, when she is recruited to rescue the child of a former crewmate. She must reunite with her old crew and save the day. Killer cover, fun story.

Chlorine by Jade Song is a coming of age body horror novel about a teenaged girl who will do anything to become a mermaid. Slow burn- you know what will happen from the beginning, but it's a deep dive into the mind of this queer young swimmer to watch her get there.

Malice by Keigo Higashino is a Japanese novel translated by Alexander O. Smith about a detective determined to uncover the motive behind the murder of a famous novelist. Loved this why-done-it.

We See Each Other: A Black, Trans Journey Through TV and Film by Tre'vell Anderson is a nonfiction exploration of Black trans representation in pop culture and history, as well as moments from the author's own life. Looks at everything To Wong Foo to Pose to Survivor.

Don't Fear the Reaper by Stephen Graham Jones is the second book in the Indian Lake Trilogy. SGJ is my favorite horror author but his work and ESPECIALLY these books are not for everyone. People either love or hate this series and what can I say? I get it. Graphic here.

VenCo by Cherie Dimaline is about a young Indigenous woman who has to go on an adventure with her unusual and elderly grandmother after she discovers that she's one of seven witches to usher in a new era of power.

Madame Restell by Jennifer Wright is a nonfiction book about a famous abortionist in pre-Gilded Age New York. I found it fascinating, if not incredibly depressing, with how much we recycle the same arguments over and over again. Great read. Trigger warnings for this one, from childbirth to abortion to racism to misogyny.

Clytemnestra by Costanza Casati is a Greek mythology retelling on the titular murderer. As a Clytemnestra apologist, I really liked this. I kind of think so many of Greek retellings these days are all very similar, in writing style & theme so I feel like if you've read one of these recent retellings you've read them all, but I liked it!

Hamra & the Jungle of Memories by Hanna Alkaf is a Little Red Riding Hood retelling set in modern Malaysia, where a girl in a red hijab must help a tiger return to his human form. Really a beautiful story about humanity, grief, and what it means to make mistakes. Also just a fun adventure. Loved it. Graphic here.

You're Not Supposed to Die Tonight by Kalynn Bayron is another final girl horror novel. Look, I'm gonna read all of them and I'm gonna love all of them! You give me a final girl and I'm gonna eat it up. You give me a queer Black final girl trying to survive the night at her camp recreating a famous (fictional) horror movie while trying to protect her girlfriend? Yum, yum, yum.

Honorable mentions: Ayoade on Top is Richard Ayoade's definitive tome on the Gwenyth Paltrow film View From the Top. Get the audiobook for this one for sure! The Three Dahlias is a fun cozy mystery, and Saint Juniper's Folly is a fun queer modern fantasy adventure.

#books #long post #sorry it's long it was work to narrow it down to just ten!

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