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lumosatnight · 5 months

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23 Fic Recs 2023!

This year has definitely been a year. I've devoured so many wonderful fics by so many amazing authors. Thank you @hprecfest for the super fun rec categories and for some fic inspiration! Here are 23 fics that I read and loved in 2023 (although some are quite a few years older) ordered by ship.

🌼 - fluff | 💔 - angst | 🔥 - smut

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💫 DRARRY 💫

1. A post-canon fic

The Discreet Gentleman's Connection by pluto (gayrights420) [Drarry, E, 80.4k] 🌼🔥 I had the absolute pleasure of beta-ing for this fic, so when I say it is amazing, it truly is just that. Fast burn on the smut via Floo sex, slow burn on the in-person falling in love. Satisfying in all the best possible ways.

2. A fic that made me laugh

AITA for being "obsessed" with my childhood nemesis? by @rainstormradish [Drarry, M, 4.3k] 🌼📲 Draco on a reddit forum is hilarious just on its own, but the banter and formatting really bring this fic to life. Amazingly creative, had me in stitches!

3. A comfort fic

The Eighth Tale by @letteredlettered [Drarry, E, 12.0k] 💔⏳ An oldie but a goodie. I constantly find myself coming back to this fic and having my mind blown every single time. Time travel timey-wimey angst.

4. A fic with art

Dating Draco - A Visual Game by @itsphantasmagoria [Drarry, M, Video Game] 🌼🎮 This is a fic in video game form!! Amazing art and lovely story where YOU get to make the choices for Drarry's happily ever after.

5. A favorite series

The Journal of Dreadful Things by @lilbeanz [Drarry, G, 112k, WIP] 🌼📖 Hilarious, witty, AND COMES WITH ART!! Lilbeanz draws and writes a wonderfully delightful series starting from Draco's First Year. His characterization had me in hysterics. Book 4 is starting soon!

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💫 COMMON SHIPS 💫

6. Fic with the hottest smut

Moonstruck by @prettyremus [Wolfstar, E, 3.8k] 🔥🐺 Found this gem while scrolling through the werewolf smut tag (don't judge me). I love the switch in dynamic with Sirius taming Remus's wolf through, ahem, rough sex.

7. An unreliable narrator fic

Sea of White by @dividawrites [Harrymort, E, 8.6k] 🔥🤍 Deliciously hot, creepy, and strangely sweet. Love their dynamic here, the unrestrained lust. Harrymort "die" and lose their memories, so, of course, then they bang.

8. A fic that made me cry

Far Apart, Far Away by @unmistakablyoatmeal [Hinny, minor Drarry, T, 1.6k] 💔💍 Infidelity angst has never been this good. I love the layers of emotion in this fic. Quick punchy sections that really pulled me in.

9. A Muggle(?) AU fic

Pleasant Hope by @ac1d6urn, @sinick [Snarry, E, 41.6k] 💔⛪️ Pastor Severus!! The angst, pining, and self-discovery in this fic is superb! I love the interwoven magic and detailed world-building of this little town.

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💫 RARE PAIRS 💫

10. A fav amongst faves

The Last Trial of Peter Pettigrew by @sleepstxtic [Prongstail, M, 20.8k] 💔 🐀 Holy moly, this fic!!!! Is this my new favorite fic?? Possibly. The concept is brilliant, so creative and nuanced. The Peter character study using outsider perspectives is genius. Seamlessly balances canon and new scenes.

11. A pre-canon fic

Careless by @tax-onomic [Luther, E, 1.5k] 🔥🪞 Lucius/Arthur my beloved rare pair!! I am captain of the Luther ship, and Tax's fic hits all the right spots. The pining, the sniping, the prickly personalities with emotional vulnerability underneath! And all in the middle of a hot smut scene. Perfect.

12. A canon-compliant fic

Scottish by thepadfoots [Chedric, G, 749] 💔🌟 Lovely Cho character study focused around her Asian identity and the boy she loved.

13. A fic rated G (more like T though)

Lion-Hearted Girl by MinnieQuill (odainath) [Minmione, G, 4.5k] 💔🦁 I know the large age gap might scare some, but their relationship feels very organic in this fic. The setting is grim, but there is always hope in the darkness!

14. A fic rated T

You're So Vane by @patriceavril [Romelina, T, 6.8k] 🌼💄Romilda is so delightfully characterized, I was smiling through the entire fic. Angelina is the perfect foil (and love interest) to Romilda's attentions.

15. A rare pair fic (less than 2000 fics on AO3)

Snakeskin by @cntrl15 [Bellastoria, E, 3.7k] 🔥👠 Talk about a rare pair! Astoria/Bellatrix only has 2 tagged fics on AO3: this fic and the drabble I wrote based on it. But read this fic, and you'll see why I felt the need to write more in this universe.

16. A fest fic

Master of None by @nanneramma [Snormac, G, 5.5k] 🌼🧘 Severus is so wonderfully cranky, and Cormac is fine AF. The surprise pairing of 2023 that I never knew I needed and now I'm obsessed with!

17. An under-rated fic

Sun, Shadow, Shade by @naomijameston [Snuna, G, 700] 🌼☀️ Post-war fluff. Sunshine Luna is the perfect match for sullen Snape. A short and sweet fic for this underrated ship.

18. A canon-divergent fic

but somebody's gotta do it by nocturn [Pangulus, T, 920] 😄🧟‍♂️ This fic will make you say WTF but also huh, okay that totally works. The concept is WILD but Lyra executes it wonderfully. Pansy drags Regulus out of the inferi lake and they flirt a little while he gets de-corpsified lol.

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💫 POLY SHIPS 💫

19. A dark fic

In his embrace by @loneamaryllis [Snarrymort, het!Snarry, E, 48k] ⚡️👀 Dark and dirty but so so good. A Voldemort Wins AU where fem!Harry is taken as prisoner. Snape's mindset as he tries to save her (and is forced to rape her) is so twisted and mesmerizing. Mind the tags!

20. A thought-provoking fic

Icarus by @thistlecatfics [Millvansy, M, 20.0k] 💔🍾 War trauma, addiction, codependency! This fic is messy with emotions but has a strong, beating heart underneath. I am in love with Parvati as she deals with Pansy's addiction and Millicent's denial — three beautiful, imperfect girls.

21. A holiday fic

A Time, Dark and Divine by @moonflower-rose [Dronarry, E, 17.0k] 🔥⛱ HOLY FREAKING FUCK!! The sexual tension in this fic is off the freaking charts. Drarry seducing Ron while on vacation in Portugal. Sign me the fuck up!

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💫 GEN 💫

22. A favorite fic under 5k

The Scrunchie by @saintsenara [Lightning Era Girls, G, 4.5k] 💖👭 Such a lovely look into some of the female background characters, all following the path of a single scrunchie. Lisa, Padma, Parvati, Hannah, Sally-Anne.

23. A fic with an ending I can't stop thinking about

Through the Middlegame by @sandervansunshine [Astoria & Peter, T, 6.6k] 💔♜ Devastating, heart-wrenching, tragic. 10000% would recommend. Kylee has already heard me screaming in the servers about this fic. If I could get a fic tattooed straight onto my brain, this would be it.

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💫 BONUS RECS! 💫

A podfic

Plenitude by @wilfriede, written by eldritcher [Amelmione, M, 14 min] 💔🥀 Amazing voices, amazing music, amazing ambience. Wilfriede really brings one of my fav Hermione/Amelia Bones fics to life in this podfic!

A comic

War Prize by @mrviran [Snegulus, Reggiemort, M, Comic, WIP] ☠️🐍 The panels are awe-inspiring. I am HOOKED on this comic. The murder and the TENSION. Ughhhhh so good. I am so invested in Severus's arc!!

A self-rec (completely self-indulgent)

For I Have Found Salvation by @lumosatnight [Snarry, E, 7.1k] 🔥✝ My first time writing Snarry! Priest Kink, church sex, and blasphemous religious imagery. Priest Severus is oh-so-tempted by Teen Harry. So fun to write and even more fun to go back and read as a guilty pleasure.

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⚡️ Want more fics to read? ⚡️

Try my rec tag: #lumosinthelibrary

Year in Reading, b-day oneshots, WLW Library

#2023 fic recs #hprecfest2023 #year in reading #hp rec list #drarry #wolfstar #harrymort #hinny #snarry #prongstail #minmione #snuna #dronarry #lumosinthelibrary #2023

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mccoppinscrapyard · 4 months

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My top books of the year and Honorable Mentions

#books #booklr #read in 2023 #year in reading #in my own moccasins #the weary blues #she gets the girl #swimming in the dark #clap when you land #maus #bi #an island princess starts a scandal #home is not a country #the secret lives of church ladies

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alsamara · 4 months

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Not too shabby….

#goodreads #bookish #book review #books and reading #bookworm #bookism #year in review #year in reading

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pintsizeddeepthoughts · 1 year

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My Top 10 Books of the Year

Mill Town, Kerri Arsenault

Part memoir, part expose of the paper industry in Rumford, Maine, you could spend weeks mulling this onion of a book without reading the center

Death Comes for the Archbishop, Willa Cather

Pastoral and meandering, in this classic nothing happens and everything happens. It’s a story about small kindnesses (and big kindnesses) that add up to a life well lived.

Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay, Elena Ferrante

The Story of the Lost Child, Elena Ferrante

A two for one deal here as these are the back half of Ferrante’s masterful Neapolitan Quartet. The entire time you’re in awe of a genius at work.

Matrix, Lauren Groff

Literary and willfully subversive. Set in a medieval French abbey, it offers a glimpse of a world that could have been if only there’d existed a woman with the heroine’s force of will.

The Once and Future Witches, Alix E. Harrow

The more well versed in history you are, the better this blend of historical fiction and fantasy is. It’s still a helluva fun ride even if you’re aren’t well versed.

Galatea, Madeline Miller

A feminist retelling of the Pygmalion myth from my favorite working author as I eagerly await her next novel (foot tapping).

Little Fires Everywhere, Celeste Ng

What happens when two women with incompatible world views collide in a suburban Ohio? I think the title says it all.

The Underground Railroad, Colson Whitehead

Again the more you know your history the better this novel is. Regardless, if it doesn’t make you angry on at least six different levels there’s something wrong with you.

The Lobster Coast, Colin Woodward

The history of Maine as told through its most visible export, written in a lively style and grounded in well researched chapters? Yes, please!

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the--art--of--reading · 1 year

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Goodreads Year in Books 2022!

https://www.goodreads.com/user/year_in_books/2022/116415680

Here it is! The good, the bad, the long, the short. 2022 was a great year for reading and I found some new favorites will revisiting some cherished classics. Here’s to a wonderful year of reading in 2023!

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vrgosunbby · 1 year

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2023 is full of some many awesome books already!!!!! So excited!

#art #booknerd #bookaholic #books books books #booklr #bookstagram #books and reading #bookshelf #books #booksbooksbooks #bookboost #year in reading #reading #long reads #reading 2023

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greywolfheirs · 1 year

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So I was a little disappointed in my year in review on Goodreads this year. I didn't reach my goal and although I read more books than some years, the page count was lower.

Anyway, then I remembered how much fanfic I read last year so out of curiosity I checked AO3. Keeping in mind I've stopped reading fic less than 3k words and that AO3 pages have 20 fics per page in your history... I have 43 pages for 2022. That's over 800 fics 😳

And when I went to go get actual word counts, at least one fic I read was 141k words. That's nearly 3 novels in 1 fic! So I haven't crunched the numbers officially but on first glance, I've read somewhere between 50 and 200 novels worth of fic this year.

And that makes me feel a lot better about my Goodreads numbers lmao.

Bonus: I might come back and do some actual number crunching later but for now, here's the 12 books I read

#bookblr #year in fic #year in reading

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hogblock · 1 year

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Read List of 2022

To all the Cryptids and Humanoids of the World--

I come to you with my tail between my legs.

With the dawn on January, I told myself that I would use this blog throughout the year to better catalogue my thoughts on what I read. My Goodreads account was only a month old and I’ve never been comfortable or crazy about the layout of that website. But as all New Years Resolutions do, my reading blog fell to the way side.

So, I come to you in December, mere days before the New Year, with a list of gorgeous, heart-breaking, clever, and truly life-changing novels.

Last time around, I read 19 books. This year, I read 22. As a younger person I was always hell-bent on expanding that number each year but 2022 was an entirely unique beast. For me, this was the first trip around the sun since the pandemic began that felt like a real year, complete with the same amount of work, heartbreak, pain, and joy. I had to reconcile that I wasn’t going to hit my goal of 50 books (because I read 48 in 2020. What else were we doing in quarantine).

However small this list may seem, I was enchanted. From this collection of Read Books I’ve latched onto some of my all-time favorites. I laughed, fought goosebumps, wept, and was forever changed by many of the heavy hitters on this list. All in all, I’d consider that a success.

Just like last time, I have included the genre of each novel as well as a 1 out of 5 star rating. They are listed in no particular order.

Happy New Year and Happy Reading!

1. What Just Happened: Notes on a Long Year, by Charles Finch : Memoir : 4 out of 5 stars

Starting my year with a memoir that is, at is root, journals kept by the author during the pandemic, was not a wise choice. Battling seasonal depression all while living through act three of the very same pandemic that is examined in this book was difficult, to say the least. Nevertheless, I was still incredibly moved by the perspectives immortalized here. Finch made me laugh more times than I can count and cry until I was hollow, but he didn’t leave me that way. Mostly, I walked away from this book with hope. It’s gorgeous and forty years down the line, children will be reading it in schools, remembering those who were lost.

2. Tin Man, by Sarah Winman : Romance, Slice of Life : 5 out of 5 stars

This book absolutely destroyed me. Sad LGBTQIA+ romance is my favorite genre, and Tin Man has to top the list of books I’ve read no only in that category, but overall. My dear friend Lisa sent me a copy in late January, and I devoured the entire thing in a matter of hours. It’s gorgeous. The story between the two main lovers and their journey from childhood friends, through their torrid love affair in the summer of 1960, to their vicious breakup and the subsequent marriage of the main character to a girl they both knew from school and, finally, the deep, unconditional friendship between the three of them that surpasses grief, loss, death, and heartbreak--this novel is everything, EVERYTHING, to me. Read it.

3. What It Means When a Man Falls from the Sky, by Lesley Nineka Arimah : Short Story Anthology, Slice of Life : 3.5 out of 5 stars

Gorgeous prose and breathtaking African Mythology wrapped in a cloak of familial expectations that the author ultimately sheds to take flight into her own becoming. So great, so powerful, amazing.

4. Diary of an Oxygen Thief, by Anonymous : Slice of Life : 1.5 out of 5 stars

This was one of my least favorite books this year. Imagine Holden Caufield with a college degree and more money than he knows what to do with. In my opinion, there’s room for one Holden Caufield in literature. It was incredibly repetitive and I lost interest pretty early on.

5. At Swim, Two Boys, by Jamie O’Neill : Romance, Historical Fiction : 3 out of 5 stars

HEARTBREAKING. Two childhood friends in Ireland at the height of the first World War fall in love and decide to swim the English Channel before the draft tears them apart. The vernacular explored in this novel made it hard for me to get into at first but once I did, it ruined me. Go read it!

6. The Lost Causes of Bleak Creek, by Rett and Link : Horror : 2.5 out of 5 stars

This one was a blast, exploring the whimsy of childhood and what happens when corrupt adults expect children to grow up too fast. Children deserve to have their angst and their pain. I wasn’t expecting such a good read for the GMM boys but here we are!

7. Filth, by Irvine Welsh : Slice of Life : 2 out of 5 stars

Horrifying. A disgusting cop abuses his power, his wife, and himself. This was another one that took me a while to orient to, but it was fun. More than a couple of scenes still make me sick to my stomach.

8. Breakfast of Champions, by Kurt Vonnegut : Fiction : 4.5 out of 5 stars

Ah, the adventures of Kilgore Trout. Breakfast of Champions was first book my friend Jarin had me read for our book club and is often described as a must on the debate of Free Will. I loved this one so much. Vonnegut was one that we read in school, specifically Slaughterhouse Five, and he’s a classic American Existentialist writer who asks his audience to examine the world through the lens of people who are already insane or who are on their way. It was very enjoyable, and incredibly moving.

9. Ender’s Game, by Orson Scott Card : 4.5 out of 5 stars

Another book Jarin had me read. I’m much more of a Science Fiction person, and this classic dystopian novel combined all the things I love; corrupt institutions, hyper-intelligent children saving the world, and a morally gray antagonist. A true American Classic that paved the way for series like The Hunger Games.

10. Stay and Fight, by Madeline Finch : Slice of Life, LGBTQ+ : 5 out of 5 stars

At its root, this book is about community, compassion, and survival. Two lesbians and a recently single woman decide to build a house together and live off the land. When the women decide to raise a child together, they must determine if it’s more important to live off the land, or keep their family afloat. SO good, I read this by flashlight during my two-week excursion in Yellowstone and it was the perfect read. I cried, I laughed, I was permanently changed.

11. Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café, by Fannie Flagg : Romance, Slice of Life, LGBTQ+ : 3.5 out of 5 stars

A CLASSIC. Anyone who was a child of the 1990s knows the film and I had never read the book so this year, Jarin and I read it together for book club. It says so much about womanhood, right and wrong, and what it means to be young. I love this book so much.

12. Gone to See the River Man, by Kristopher Triana : Horror, Splatter Punk : 4.5 out of 5 stars

This book is perhaps the most disturbing thing I read all year. A woman ventures into the woods with her sister in search of the River Man, who is known to grant wishes. If you’re looking for a fast paced, fucked up, nightmare-inducing adventure, Gone to See the River Man, might be the one for you!

13. Counting by 7′s, by Holly Goldberg Sloan : Slice of Life : 2.5 out of 5 stars

A young, autistic girl loses her parents and must find a new home. know this book is beloved by many people, but it was hard to get through for me. Maybe it’s because the protagonists story is too close to my own. But it was lovely writing.

14. A Certain Hunger, by Chelsea Summers : Horror : 1.5 out of 5 stars

Book club read! A world renowned food critic starts killing and eating men. I hated this book (oops!). Jarin and I read it for book club and something about the writing was so bland and one note. The main character, Dorothy, was evil for the sake of being evil and there was nothing interesting about her that compelled me to continue reading. Disappointing because this novel was incredibly popular this year.

15. The Haunting of Hill House, by Shirley Jackson : Horror : 4.5 out of 5 stars

A woman is invited to the infamous Hill House to aid in an experiment that aims to prove the existence of ghosts and slowly loses her mind in the process. ANOTHER CLASSIC! I absolutely love Jackson’s writing. The way she was able to craft such a truly chilling tale that provides no real answers or conclusion, that absolutely leaves the reader feeling like they’ve just walked off the edge of a cliff, is so masterful. Her other classic, We Have Always Lived in the Castle, is one I read a few years ago and I still think about it.

16. Any Man, by Amber Tamblyn : Horror : 4.5 out of 5 stars

Six men from six distinct walks of life all encounter the same rapist and have the course of their lives altered forever. GORGEOUS. It’s told in various mediums from texts, to instant messages, poetry, stream of consciousness, and journal entries. I’m not usually one to love that method of storytelling, but it just WORKS here. Any Man is another one that I read in a matter of hours. So, so good.

17. Theme Music, by T. Marie Vandelly : Horror : 3.5 out of 5 stars

A woman returns to the home where, twenty years earlies, her father murdered her entire family on Thanksgiving morning. This was so camp. Hilarious, dark, and witty, fans of Scream will enjoy this. Such a fun time.

18. Bettyville, by George Hodgman : Memoir : 2.5 out of 5 stars

A gay man returns home to take care of his mother, who is in the final stages of her battle with dementia. Heartbreaking, a true testament to the relationships people have with one another and all the promises they can’t keep.

19. Loveless, by Alice Oseman : Romance, LGBTQ+, YA fiction : 4.5 out of 5 stars

The journey of self-acceptance that one asexual girl must take in order to be happy. In addition to serving as a poignant reminder that not every LGBTQ+ person is surrounded by allies or people like them, this novel was so sweet, it felt like licking the frosting from a cupcake. A must read.

20. Honey Girl, by Morgan Rogers : Romance, LGBTQ+ : 2.5 out of 5 stars

Recently graduated with a PHd in Astronomy, Grace and her two friends travel to Las Vegas and Grace marries a woman she just met. The relationships between the protagonist and her friends was beautiful, and the writing had many strengths and high points. These victories only made the plot’s shortcomings more obvious.

22. The Town of Babylon, by Alejandro Verela : Slice of Life, LGBTQ+ : 3 out of 5 stars

Andres is a public health worker married to a surgeon, Marco, when he returns home to his unnamed suburban hamlet to care for his ailing father in the midst of his own relationship challenges with Marco. It explores themes of change, queerness, and what it’s like to be the only brown face in a sea of white people. It was heartfelt and lovely.

21. The Cabin at the End of the World, by Paul Tremblay : Horror, LGBTQ+ : 5 out of 5 stars

Wen and her parents Eric and Andrew travel to a remote cabin in New Hampshire for Spring Break, only to be held prisoner by four reluctant captives who claim that the end of the world is coming, and only Wen’s parents and the sacrifice they make can stop it. I cried. The relationships in this novel, the use of violence and horror as a vehicle for INCREDIBLE, GROUNDBREAKING storytelling--go read it. Just do it!

What I’m reading now: The Stranger, by Albert Camus

For next Year: A Series of Unfortunate Events, by Lemony Snicket, Sometimes I lie, by Alice Feeny, Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield, and others...

UNTIL NEXT YEAR <3

#book review #what i read this year #year in reading #passivenovember

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readreadbookblog · 1 year

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Books that I’ve Read

Here is all the new movies that I consumed in the year of 2022. I only put here the new items that I previously never have experienced before. Listed in the order that I saw them in. Lets hope that 2023’s list is greater.

Books

Empire of Mud: The Secret History of Washington, DC by J.D. Dickey REVIEW

Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata REVIEW

Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee: An Indian History of the American West by Dee Brown REVIEW

The Incredible Shrinking Man by Richard Matheson REVIEW

To Hell and Back by Audie Murphy REVIEW

The China Mission: George Marshall’s Unfinished War, 1945-1947 by Daniel Kurtz-Phelan REVIEW

When Books Went to War by Molly Guptill Manning REVIEW

A Cool Breeze on the Underground by Don Winslow REVIEW

Nights of the Living Dead Anthology edited by Jonathan Maberry and George A. Romero REVIEW

Goosebumps Slappyworld The Dummy Meets the Mummy by R.L. Stine REVIEW

Dutch Girl: Audrey Hepburn and World War II by Robert Matzen REVIEW

The Long Affair: Thomas Jefferson and the French Revolution, 1785-1800 by Conor Cruise O’Brien REVIEW

Killing a King: The Assassination of Yitzhak Rabin and the Remaking of Israel by Dan Ephron REVIEW

My Best Friend’s Exorcism by Grady Hendrix REVIEW

63 Documents the Government Doesn’t Want You to Read by Jess Ventura and Dick Russell REVIEW

Follow Me Down by Shelby Foote REVIEW

Negro President: Jefferson and the Slave Power by Garry Wills REVIEW

Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power by Jon Meacham REVIEW

I Am Legend by Richard Matheson REVIEW

Trotsky in New York 1917 by Kenneth D. Ackerman REVIEW

Out of the Silent Planet by C.S. Lewis REVIEW

Perelandra by C.S. Lewis REVIEW

That Hideous Strength by C.S. Lewis

The Burning Edge: Travels Through Irradiated Belarus by Arthur Chichester REVIEW

Paperbacks from Hell by Grady Hendrix REVIEW

Kingfish: The Reign of Huey P. Long by Richard D. White Jr. REVIEW

Best Movie Year Ever: How 1999 Blew Up the Big Screen by Brian Raftery REVIEW

Lost in a Good Game: Why We Play Video Games and What They Can Do for Us by Pete Etchells

Conquistadors by Michael Wood

Humanity: How Jimmy Carter Lost an Election and Transformed the Post-Presidency by Jordan Michael Smith

The Captured: A True Story of Abduction of Indians on the Texas Frontier by Scott Zesch REVIEW

Jaws by Peter Benchley

Pimp: The Story of My Life by Iceberg Slim REVIEW

1920: The Year That Made The Decade Roar by Eric Burns REVIEW

The Other Hollywood: The Uncensored Oral History of the Porn Film Industry by Legs McNeil and Jennifer Osborne REVIEW

Black Cop’s Kid: An Essay by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar REVIEW

The Awkward Thoughts of W. Kamau Bell by W. Kamau Bell REVIEW

Maestro Mario: How Nintendo Transformed Videogame Music into an Art by Andrew Schartmann REVIEW

The Story of Jane: The Legendary Underground Feminist Abortion Service by Laura Kaplan REVIEW

The Last Conversation by Paul Tremblay REVIEW

#2022 #year in review #year in reading

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lumosatnight · 1 year

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22 FIC RECS 2022!

There have been some fantastic fics this year. Out of the hundreds that I've read (yes, hundreds) here are some of my favorites! These are all fics that I've read and loved in 2022, although some of them are quite a few years older. Here's to another year in the wonderful HP fandom! 22 fics ordered by ship!

🌼 - fluff | 💔 - angst | 🔥 - smut

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💫 Drarry 💫

1. help yourself and refuse to be buried by Ingi [Drarry, G, 3k] 💔 🍰 A heartfelt story about food and magical cooking! Master of Death Harry connects with his family and his Indian heritage after the war (and also with Draco ahem).

2. Romp and Circumstance by @wolfpants [Drarry, E, 36k] 🌼 🔥 If you enjoy slag Harry with a heart of gold trying to woo his way into Draco's pants, then this fic is for you. Did I mention it's regency era?

3. facedown on my bed (thinking of you) by @onbeinganangel [fem!Drarry, M, 10k] 🌼 💅 A super sweet college AU fic in which Drarry end up being unlikely roommates. They still remain in character while being genderswapped!

4. Good Boy by @lqtraintracks [Drarry, E, 15k] 🔥 🐺 HOT WEREWOLF SMUT!!! Everything you could possibly want with a fic like this. Size kink, breeding kink, scenting, knotting.... um, hell yeah!!

5. An Emerald In The Sky by @corvuscrowned [Drarry, M, 7k] 💔 ⏳ Gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous. Time travel fuck buddies to lovers with Unspeakable Harry. A love story for the ages. Crow, you continue to amaze me with your fics.

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💫 Common Ships 💫

6. Industry by charlolwut [Wolfstar, G, 22k] 🌼 📷 Sirius Black is a Muggle TV producer. Remus is his editor. Secrets, misunderstandings, and hilarity ensue!

7. oops I did it again by Anonymous [Jily, E, 16k] 🌼 🔥 College AU where James and Lily are accidental fuck buddies and Lily is confused about it. Their dynamic is flirty and combative! I love James so much in this.

8. The funny thing about grief and time by @etalice [Snarry, E, 44k] 💔 🫂 This fic is flipping fantastic! The angst is glorious, the setting is gorgeous, the interactions are beautiful. Time travel and loneliness wrapped into one amazing story!

9. a mass of fools and knaves by @displayheartcode [slash!Romione, T, 2.6k] 🌼 📖 Short but sweet. Male Hermione is instantly drawn to Ron and how they grow together throughout the years. You'll be rooting for them the whole time!

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💫 Rare Pairs 💫

10. Growing Teeth by @earlybloomingparentheses [Flonks, E, 2.6k] 💔 🔥 This is a story about growth and recovery and fucking. This is also a story about hair and cutting it all off to finally feel free. Fantastic characterization!

11. Crown Enterprises by @storyof-eden [Cissamione, E, 3k] 💔 🔥 I cannot get over this fic!! Mob boss Narcissa and assassin Hermione are the murder lesbians of my dreams.

12. Little Old Witch by @anxiousgoat-blog [Aragusta, G, 12k] 🌼 👶 This is an AU I can get behind 1000%! Augusta Longbottom finds out Harry is being abused and raises him herself. With the help of the friendly neighborhood squib :)

13. Extraordinarily Ordinary by starstruck1986 [Sirron, E, 9k] 💔 🔥 This ship came out of nowhere, but once I read this fic I couldn't unsee it. Ron is just the right amount of innocent and insecure to be taken in by Sirius's charms.

14. Courtship Rituals by @impishtubist [Cedrarry, T, 4k] 🌼 🌹 Cedric tries to court Harry, but of course he's oblivious. This is cute and hilarious!

15. Yes, Minister by iamisaac [Kingco, E, 1.5k] 🔥 👔 This is pure filthy smut between Draco and his minister boyfriend. Hop aboard the Kingsley/Draco ship where there's mind-blowing sex and that sweet sweet age difference!

16. Gyre and Gimble by eldritcher [Drarity, M, 3k] 💔 ☀️ A stunning fic from one of my hands-down favorite authors! Draco is drawn to the prisoner in the manor's basement. Charity is perhaps a little mad.

—

💫 Poly Ships 💫

17. A Life Worth Remembering by @writcraft [Snarryaco, E, 23k] 💔 🔥 Memory loss, de-aged Severus Snape, and established Drarry pulling him into the fold. This fic is such a wonderful dive into polyamory and relationships.

18. Terms and Conditions by @maraudersaffair [Linnansy, E, 8k] 🌼 🔥 Pansy can't get over her ex (Ginny) and is stuck on a trip with Ginny's new girlfriend (Luna). This fic made me laugh, swear, and sweat all in one sitting.

19. Slice of Pleasure by @misdemeanor1331 [Bleonsy, E, 5k] 🔥 🔪 Theo is obsessed with knives, Pansy is obsessed with Theo, and Blaise is just there for a good time. Knife kink and hot smut. Like very hot. Very very hot. But also sweet.

—

💫 Gen 💫

20. Nine Hundred and Twelve by @cannibalschism [Fred & George, T, 5k] 💔 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 This fic is filled to the brim with metaphors, friendship, and life lessons. I absolutely loved this take on time travel and the journey that George takes. Percy is the real MVP!

21. Where You Belong by blue_string_pudding [Severus, T, 6k] 💔 🐀 This is probably the creepiest, most unsettling thing I've ever read. I completely ADORE it. But I was definitely checking around corners after reading it.

22. Family Legacy by @thistlecatfics [The Tonks, T, 2k] 🌼 💔 Following Ted, Nymphadora, and Teddy as they navigate life and queer identity. This is a fic that is so wonderfully poignant, it leaves you in awe of all that it accomplished.

—

💫 Bonus fics! 💫

Here's a WIP I'm excited about for 2023!

One More to Love by @krethes, @theresthesnitch [Wolfstarbucks, E, 94k, WIP] 🌼 🔥 Omegaverse and surprise pregnancy! The sexual chemistry between the three is off the charts! I'm not usually into WIPs, but for this I am (im)patiently waiting for every update.

Also a cheeky self-rec because why not?

What is this, fucking Jeopardy? by @lumosatnight [Drarry, E, 20k] 🌼 ❓Cursed Draco meets Curse-Breaker Harry. Lots of misunderstandings, humor, oblivious boys in love, and talking in circles. Will Draco ever be cured? Was the author in hysterics while writing this?

—

Want more fics to read?

Try my rec tag: #lumosinthelibrary

My 2021 list, b-day oneshots, WLW Library

#2022 fic recs #year in reading #hp rec list #drarry #wolfstar #jily #snarry #romione #flonks #cissamione #cedrarry #lumosinthelibrary #2022

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take-me-to-valhalla · 1 year

Text

The 2022 Big Book Review

Books read in 2022

Absolutely non-exhaustive. I dropped Goodreads and can’t keep track of anything I don’t write down. Also not counting the children’s books and other quite short stuff I read in 5 minutes so I can tell customers what it’s about.

All in all : it’s a CLASSIC year lads. And I’ll be screaming about Marguerite Yourcenar to everyone forever.

Total (minus comics): 60 books

Total (including everything): 168 books

I organized them loosely, but it won’t be very consistent. Tried to add some comment but this won’t be a literary review

Classics

Mémoires d’Hadrien – So good omg. One of the books ever. Words fail me to say how much this book is amazing. Made me visit the Villa Adriana when I went to Rome. Indirectly responsible for a tendinitis in my left foot. Madeline Miller WISHES she were Yourcenar.

Miss Pettigrew lives for a day - A cute one! Recommended by my sister

La guerre de Troie n’aura pas lieu - found in an old edition in a tiny free library. Very good & depressing

La vie de Monsieur de Molière, Boulgakov - If I had a nickel each time I read a book by a beloved author written by another beloved author, I’ll have two nickels.

Balzac, le roman de sa vie, Zweig – See above

Mille et un fantômes, Dumas - a Russian-doll-type-set of stories, but I have no recollection of them

Lorenzaccio - my sister recommended it to me in 2010. Finally got around to it.

Little House in the Big Woods - Cottagecore before it was cool. Also devoid of the unfortunate racism of the sequel

Le Vicomte de Bragelonne 1 & 2 - I’ll finish it next year for sure

Balzac et la petite tailleuse chinoise - loved the book, hated the ending

Pauline, Dumas - it was okay, I guess

La fin de Satan, Hugo - “Les soleils étaient loin, mais ils brillaient encore”. Hugo always goes HARD

Balzac :

Here’s an extract from a June entry in my diary : « because of a tumblr post, I started reading Le père Goriot, and it’s quite good, which I find irritating ». And now look here we are.

Le père Goriot - So Good. So good I keep jokingly (?) recommending it to customers when they don’t know what book to buy

Le Code des Gens honnêtes - a fun read. Serves as documentation for 19th century life, too

Illusions Perdues - It’s like watching a car crash for 800 pages. In other words, excellent. Also did not expect the ending.

Splendeurs et misères des courtisanes - Come for the story, stay for the harsh commentary on capitalists that Marx wishes he wrote. Horrible, and a masterpiece.

Ferragus - only read it because of the “there’s a secret society in La Comédie Humaine” premice.

La Duchesse de Langeais - funnier once you learn exactly why Balzac wrote it

La Fille aux yeux d’or - Marsay is a dick and I love it

Le Colonel Chabert - SO. GOOD.

La peau de chagrin - This year’s mandatory reading for highschoolers. I pity them.

La Rabouilleuse - Ft the most punchable asshole you’ll ever read in your life

La maison du chat qui pelote – which does not mean, as I initially thought « the house of the cat who plays with a ball of yarn »

Mémoires de deux jeunes mariées - Both very good and quite sad, I couldn’t say why

Le Curé de Tours - Beware the Old Maids, they’ll ruin your life if you don’t treat them well. Pettiness is not a crime, except when it is.

Pathologie de la vie sociale - no recollection of it

History

Les bas-fonds, naissance d’un imaginaire - Very good! Required reading if you love 19th century (and early 20th) literature

La vie quotidienne des religieux au Moyen-âge - Read for documentation purposes

La vie quotidienne des templiers - ditto

La vie quotidienne sous le Directoire - ditto. Quite interesting!

La vie quotidienne des français sous Napoléon, Tulard - I had to hunt it down, but it was worth it. Tulard knows his stuff.

La vie quotidienne à Florence au temps de Dante - Read in Florence, of course.

La vie quotidienne en Italie au temps de Machiavel - To carry on after the previous one.

Yeah, I own quite a lot of these books.

Les jours sans : l’alimentation en temps de guerre - Read it before, but worth it. It’s always good to see history from the side of everyday life.

Pour vous mesdames ! La mode en temps de guerre - Disappointing.

Les Douze heures noires, la nuit à Paris au XIXè siècle - SO GOOD. But I said this before.

Le monde du crime sous Napoléon - Jean Tulard again. Still knows his stuff, but it’s more trivia than a real historical study

Manga

I have to read quite a lot of them for my work. It’s hard, I know. I read the whole series, unless specified

Thermae Romae - still a favourite

Vinland Saga - everyone should read Vinland Saga. Everyone.

Angel Sanctuary 1-20 - Sadly does not hold up today.

Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun - One of my favourite new series. I laud it (and sell it) every chance I can.

Look Back - are you an artist? Read this.

Nonnonbâ, Mizuki Shigeru - a very sweet story. But then I love Mizuki’s work.

Berserk 1-4 - good art, but I’m not sold on the story. I’ll try again, I think.

Spy x Family - For once, a series that is both popular and good enough for me to sell to parents who don’t know anything about manga

The Apothicary’s diaries, 1-5 - Not bad, maybe even good, but I don’t get the hype around it

Atelier of Witch Hat, 10 - read this series. That is all.

Kitchen of Witch Hat - Exactly what I want: short, slice of life stories in a fantasy world, centered around food.

Heaven’s Design team 1 - Not bad.

Beastars 21&22 - Good ending to a great series

DanDaDan - the other of my favourite new series. Highly recommended if you’re not allergic to absurd stuff.

Chouchin X 1&2 - Can’t get behind this, sorry. And yet I loved Tokyo Ghoul.

Comics

Not much to say about this section, I’m afraid.

Three Joker

The Joker : 80 years

I, Joker (yeah, it was a Joker binge)

Batman : Year one

Beasts of Burden

The Ex-People - a nice indie comic ft an immortal horse (among others)

The entire Calvin & Hobbes series - as often

Franco-belgian comics

Les cahiers d’Esther 3 – 7

Journal d’un ingénu 3 - 4

Le Projet Jules Verne

E.C. Jacobs, le rêveur d’apocalypse

La Marque jaune - directly linked to the one above.

Jours de sable - an indie comic about the Dustbowl. Both excellent and depressing

L’arabe du futur 6 - READ IT

Mystery & Thrillers

Messieurs les hommes, S. Antonio - San Antonio is (was?) a big name in the roman de gare genre. The language used is worth bearing the sexism of the MC (in par for the course for a novel written in the 50s, but still)

La Daronne - a very fun read

The Cuckoo’s Call

Career of Evil

Lethal White

Troubled Blood - All of these are good, but I especially loved this one + Career of Evil (bc BÖC)

The Shawshanks Redemption

Du plomb dans la tête – Absolutely bad. Doesn’t help that it was supposed to be a revenge story, and instead I got a badly written pseudo-shocking thriller. Blah.

Which strenghtens my theory that women just write better thrillers than men.

Contemporary, fantasy & YA

Game Changer, N. Shusterman

A Deathly Education – Why don’t I see anything about this series anywhere ? It’s so good.

The Invisible Life of Addie Larue, V. Schwab - aka I think one of the only YA writers worth reading past 25

Legends and Lattes – The best coffeshop slice of life fantasy I had the pleasure of reading. The only one in existence, which is a crying shame

Gideon the Ninth - no need to say anything about it. Tumblr knows it’s a masterpiece

Âge Tendre, C. Beauvais - A sweet read, and cleverly written, too

Les petites reines, C. Beauvais

Vampyria 3, V. Dixen – See my comment about Deathly Education. We’ve got a dystopian YA series where Louis XIV is a vampire and no one talks about this ?

Hogfather

Equal Rites

Mort

The Truth - Yeah, I re-read a bit of Discworld. Whenever I find myself in a reading slump, Pratchett’s always got my back.

Others :

Vers la sobriété heureuse, P. Rabbi

L’humanité en péril 2, Vargas

Tried reading more books about ecology and sobriey but it’s quite depressing.

#books #year in reading #2022 reads #ramblings #next year's gonna be a classic one too I think #still so many Zola Dumas and Hugo books to read

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