#<- hes not so tiny anymore horray

[feelo-fick]

[[ ROUGH TRANSCRIBED TRANSLATION OF RECORDED TRANSACTION BETWEEN TWO ENTITIES ]]

"You know, you're a lot smaller than I remember!Did you change something?"

"I believe you're the one changing here."

+ other doodles :D ahem, [[ TRANSLATIONS AND ORIGINAL DIALOGUE INCLUDED ]]

[skellebonez]

The prompt you wrote with baby MK was extremely cute, but it also gave me an idea that wouldn't leave my brain: Imagine that same situation, but with Mei and Macaque. This is an open prompt, you can do with this whatever you like!

MK isn’t the only one who gets to have this kind of curse/ailment anymore! And I can’t resist putting this in the Cursed AU specifically, simply because I love the idea of this Macaque being confronted face first with the fact he actually cares. Even if it happens 200 times.

"What in the absolute hell are we supposed to do now?" Macaque groaned out, looking around the both of them for any indication of an escape that didn't involve him leaving Mei behind. Which was looking slimmer and slimmer if he didn’t want her to be in more physical danger than she already was. So. Stranded it was.

"I can still help!" Mei insisted, crossing her arms and standing her ground with a wide smirk. "I'm not powerless you know!"

"Never said you were, Jade," Macaque acknowledged instantly, tensing for a half moment when he realized how much he had to be attached to say something like that so fast. He forced himself to relax once again, no point in adding more fuel to the fire of worry that laid between them. "This just makes things complicated."

Oh yeah... complicated, that was one way to put it, definitely. If Macaque was being generous. And ignoring the fact that Mei wasn’t even 4 feet tall... and 4 years old. Physically.

Macaque was supposed to be on official mystic monkey business alone. Or at least that’s what he told Mei and MK to hopefully keep them out of his fur, but apparently Mei had other ideas. Like sneaking onto the private boat he had paid for to be taken to this secluded island far out into the ocean undetected, much farther than Mount Huaguo was. How she managed to sneak past security he may never know, now would he know how she managed to stay hidden for their 7 hour journey, and he would never admit that he was genuinely impressed.

He genuinely had not known she joined him until after the boat left, leaving them both stranded for at least the next 24 hours.

Horray.

Things had actually been going pretty ok, for the most part, after she had made herself known. In actuality Macaque was here to hunt down a specific item of his he had left behind on the island years ago, nothing really world shattering just... important to him. He knew that it would be safe here when he left it, the island as uninhabited and out of the way for humans to come to as it was.

But he also knew many powerful demons occasionally used this island as a hiding ground for when they were injured or planning something, against the owner’s wishes. And unfortunately one such demon just happened to be there on the one day of the while year he planned on coming.

That demon was deader than anything else on this island at the moment. Macaque hadn’t tried to kill him, not really, but they had lobbed something at him that Mei jumped in front of and he reacted on instinct.

If the thing had hit him in the first place they would probably be just fine. A decade and a half off his life span was nothing, unless it was set to a specific age in which... well, he was already able to do most of what he could do as a child so they still probably would have been ok. And hopefully she would be, if his memory served this particular demon was talented only in making temporary cursed and potions... mostly.

He hoped.

“Are you certain using your powers won’t hurt you?” Macaque asked, staring down at the short girl before him.

“I don’t think so?” Mei said with a shrug. “I mean, I’ve kinda had them for as long as I remember so... probably not.”

“Let’s not take that chance,” Macaque said with a sigh, looking around the beach. There was nothing for him to use, no emergency radio or boat. The best they had found on their entire search was a dinky little shelter. “It looks like our best bet would be to hunker down in that building and wait until mid day tomorrow for the boat to return. Provided there aren’t any more demons around we should be fine...”

“I can build a fire!” Mei proclaimed, running off before Macaque could even hope to catch her.

Something pulled in his chest, a protective thrum that he hadn’t felt since... since his journey with MK, but was becoming increasingly common the more time he spent training Mei. And he hadn’t felt that for so long he had forgotten what it felt like when it happened then, so unfamiliar with the desire to protect his old home and monkey friends of Mount Huaguo.

He would never admit even to himself that that feeling was “caring”. At least not yet.

“Jade, get back here!” Macaque yelled, moving to rush off after her before she came barreling back herself with armfuls of sticks and pine cones.

“I got everything we need!” She laughed and threw everything down in front of the building, looking around. “Did you see any rocks?”

“I know how to build a fire,” Macaque said softly, crossing his arms and shaking his head. “We probably don’t even need one.”

“Aw, but this is like a camping trip now!” Mei said, flailing her arms in the direction of the sticks. “I’ve even got marshmallows in my backpack!”

“Why did you bring m-never mind,” Macaque groaned, rubbing his face and sighing deeply. “OK. We’ll build a fire.”

~

It had gone better than hoped, actually. Macaque was able to start the fire with ease and Mei had apparently thought ahead enough that she’s brought the ingredients to make something called s’mores. Macaque had never seen them before, either they were new or they were a foreign treat, but MK had mentioned them to him on their journey and he had to admit... they were nice.

He just wished the gooey marshmallow didn’t stick to his fur so bad.

“And then MK did something that made the clone glow gold and explode into a bazillion pieces of hair!” Mei said, sweeping her arms out as she finisher her story. “And that’s how MK created and saved me from Porty Clone.”

“Sound like MK’s clones had quite the variety to them,” Macaque said with a smile. He’d relaxed over the evening, the normal sounds of the island confirming to him that it was just the two of them now and that at the very least they were safe from attack for the moment. “No wonder he’s careful not to overuse them.”

“Yeah, but Porty was pretty fun until he went overboard,” Mei replied, words cutting off with a yawn and a shiver as the wind picked up. “What time is it?”

Macaque looked up, watching the moon and the stars. “Late enough that it would be best to get some rest. We don’t want to miss the boat after all.”

“Hey, you only paid them half so they better come looking for you if you don’t show up!” She laughed out, making her way into the building as Macaque dumped sand on the fire to douse it. Just in case, don’t need the island catching fire with the wind. “ So uh... what are you going to tell them about... me?”

“That I came here looking for you,” he said plainly, shutting the door behind them. The moonlight shone through the windows of the shelter, giving them just enough light to see the one sad little cot it housed, right next to the massive stock of canned food they had also raided for dinner. He pulled the blanket on the cot back, grimacing at the dust on the blanket but satisfied with the condition of everything under it. He went outside to shake it out and make it usable again. “They know I was looking for something and that’s all they need to know.”

“What were you looking for anyway, Hot Topic?” Mei asked after a moment, watching Macaque make the bed again. “And how do you... know about this place?”

“... it’s mine, actually,” he said quietly, looking around the sad shelter. Unfurnished, cold and empty, with only the island itself and non-perishable food for survival. “I haven’t been back in a long time and most know to stay away, but sometimes demons don’t care. I was looking for something... unimportant.”

“It must have been important if you came all this way to find it,” Mei said, yawning again and rubbing her eyes.

“Ok, that’s enough of that!” Macaque exclaimed, hoping his glamor was hiding the embarrassed flush of his ears at her accusation. “Time for sleep!”

Without giving her a second to protest Macaque grabbed her around the waist with his tail and deposited her under the now clean enough blanket before forcibly tucking her in.

“Hey!” She protested, scowling at him once her arms were free. “I can’t sleep yet!”

“Why not?” Macaque chanced, wondering if he was going to regret this.

“You never told me a story.”

“... huh?”

“At the camp fire!” Mei insisted, leaning over the bed to grab her backpack and hold it to herself like it was a stuffed animal (which wasn’t hard since it was... basically a hollow stuffed dragon anyway). “I told you a bunch of stories about me and MK and Piggy and Tangy and Sandy and you didn’t tell me anything about you and the Monkey King! So spill one, I’m not going to sleep until you do!”

Macaque wanted to say no, wanted to glare at Mei until she just went to sleep through sheer exhaustion, wanted to walk out of the building and just stand guard at the door instead... but he kept looking into her teeny tiny 4 year old glower and he couldn’t help but sigh in defeat.

“Fine...” He said after a moment, moving to sit at the head of the bed. He watched as Mei smiled widely, making herself comfortable. “Let’s see... where should we begin... How about the time Wukong thought it would be a good idea to challenge the whole island to 1 on 1 combat for the title of king because he was bored, long before his proper training?”

“That sounds like him,” Mei said, smiling into her backpack with another yawn as she closed her eyes. “Yeah... tell that one.”

“OK, so this was only a little while after he jumped through the waterfall...”

And Macaque went on and on, giving much more detail than necessary, watching as Mei slowly relaxed until she eventually nodded off before the story even got close to the ending.

Which was... probably good for Macaque, to be honest.

He reached into his pocket, pulling out the item he had come here to find. It was simple, all things considered. A little carved crown, made from wood and preserved carefully through the years, far too small for his head and more of a bracelet. Wukong had made it for him when their own duel, the final one of the whole island, ended in a draw all those centuries ago. A show of how they could, maybe, rule the mountain together one day. He’d left it here so long ago that he worried it would have been destroyed or fallen apart over time.

Apparently Wukong knew a little something about what he was doing back then after all.

Macaque smiled, slipping it back into his pocket as he slid off the bed to sit against it, all six ears fluttering out to listen to the island around them. Just in case.

Mei slept mostly soundly behind him and if she started to whine in the beginnings of a nightmare and he turned around to soothe her and whisper that he was there and she was alright well... that would be something to talk about if she remembered it.

[ihavetoomanyocs]

Pregnant?

My second prompt received by my second request! Oh, this is so exciting! Finally a new story in canon era, so it serves as a sequel to Strike! In a way.

This has been written by the request of @carry-onmy-wayward-destiel hope you like it, my dear!

#8. Does he know about the baby?

 Skye DaSilva rocked backwards and forwards on her heels as she waited for someone to answer the door. Her mind was reeling, and she felt nauseous, and like a thousand things were trying to fly through her head all at once. She knocked again, and this time the door opened within a few seconds.

 Jack Kelly stood on the other side of the door. Upon seeing his old friend, he smiled widely. “Skye! I haven’t seen you since your wedding!” he exclaimed, opening his arms to hug her.

 “Hey, Jack,” Skye said quietly, accepting his hug. “Is Katherine here?” she asked.

 Jack shook his head, “Nah, she’s at the Sun, doing her reportin’ duties,” he said. “Why, what’s wrong?” he asked.

 “Nothing, I just, uh… Wanted to talk to her,” Skye backed away, as if to leave. “I’ll… I’ll come back later.”

 “Skye,” Jack said, stopping her in tracks. “Elise. What’s wrong?”

 Skye looked up, meeting Jack’s hazel eyes. They had never been all that close. His best friend had been Crutchie, er, Andrew, and hers had been Race. Anthony. Whatever. Now that they were older, most of them were going by their actual names; nicknames were only really used when the old group was together.  This rarely happened, however. None of them lived at the lodging house, anymore. Jack was now married to Katherine, and, at nineteen years old, Skye was married to Albert. Most surprising was Race’s secret relationship with Spot. Their relationship was illegal, but they loved each other, and none of them could bare to see them separated.

 Skye sighed, “I’m pregnant,” she finally said.

 Jack grinned, “Skye, that’s amazing!” he exclaimed. And then he caught site of her face, of the look in her eyes. She seemed scared. “Why do you look so scared? You both have good jobs, you’re not unmarried, no one will talk about this,” he said.

 “I know,” Skye said, “But we’re only nineteen! I know we got married young, and everything, but I thought that we’d have a few years before we started having kids! You and Katherine have been married an entire year longer than Albert and I, and you guys don’t have a baby yet!” she exclaimed. “I’m only nineteen…” she broke off, backing up against a wall and sliding down it.

 “Hey, hey, hey! What’s this all about?” Jack asked, coming over to sit next to her. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, bringing her into his side. He’d always seen his only girl newsy as his little sister; seeing her go to the refuge back during the strike was an image that still haunted him.

 “I don’t know! Hormones, I think? I don’t know, the doctor just told me that while I’m pregnant, my emotions will be all messed up,” she said, sniffing.

 “Skye, this is still a good thing. You’re pregnant! You’re bringing a new life into this world!” Jack was obviously more excited than she was. “Albert must be so excited!”

 Skye didn’t answer him. Jack narrowed his eyes at her.

 “Skye,” he said, a warning tone in his voice, “Does he know about the baby?” he asked.

 Skye shook her head.

 “You have to tell him, Skye,” Jack said gently.

 “I know I do,” she answered. “I’m just scared that he won’t want this baby. We’ve never talked about it, before.”

 “Why wouldn’t he want the baby? Albert’s great with kids! Don’t you remember, just a few months before I left the lodging house, Romeo brought in that little five-year-old? Albert practically adopted that kid,” Jack said. The child he spoke of was little Stickers. His parents had both died in a fire, leaving him an orphan with nothing but a little packet of stickers he’d been playing with when the fire started.

 “I’m still surprised that he didn’t actually adopt him when we got married,” Skye said, sniffling. “But Stickers was five; a child. This is a baby. And he’s going to have to deal with seven and a half months of me being hormonal, and then he’s going to have to deal with a newborn and crying and diapers, it’s completely different!”

 “But it’ll be your child,” Jack said. “You saw how he was with a random child; he’ll be amazing when it’s his. You need to tell him, Skye. Today.”

 “I know,” Skye said quietly. “I just… I had been sick, and then I went to the doctor today, and… and, I panicked. I thought Katherine could tell me what to do.”

 “Albert loves you, Elise. I’m pretty sure I’ve never seen a man love his wife more than he loves you. And I got to watch it happen in front of me, from when you guys were twelve years old,” Jack said. “I’d be willing to bet money that he’s going to be so excited about this baby. And he’ll be even more excited because it’s a life that you and he made together. You don’t need to be scared of his reaction, Skye. I’m sure of it.”

 Skye nodded her head and took a deep breath. “You’re right,” she finally said. She stood up, Jack standing with her. “Guess I should be getting home, tell Albert the news. Tell Katherine I said hi, yeah?”

 “I will,” Jack agreed. He pulled the younger girl into his arms, “Congratulations, Skye. Albert’s going to be so excited.”

 Skye returned the hug before pulling away, “I hope so.” She paused at the door. “Thank you, Jack.”

 Jack just sent a single nod to her, a smile pulling his lips up and his eyes warm.

 Only ten minutes later, Skye stepped into her apartment. It was small, only two bedrooms, a bathroom, and a tiny living room and kitchen area. It was small, but Albert and Skye loved it; it was their first home together, purchased with money that they’d been saving for months. And now it was about to house one more person.

 “Skye? That you?” Albert called from the bedroom.

 “Yeah!” Skye called back, “Can you come out here? I have to tell you something!”

 “Yeah, hang on!” Skye sighed at sat at their dinner table. It was small, only holding four people, but for now it would work. “Alright, what’s up?” Albert appeared out of their bedroom, his tie no longer on, and his shirt untucked from his pants.

 Skye took a deep breath, “Albert, I know we never talked about it, but, how do you feel about having kids?” she asked.

 Albert shrugged, “Never really thought about it,” he admitted, sitting down next to her. “Figured we’d wait a few years, though, before we really started thinking about it. Why?”

 Skye suddenly became scared again. Oh God, what if Jack was wrong? Swallowing thickly, Skye said, “I’m pregnant.”

 Albert’s eyes widened. “You… pregnant?”

 Skye nodded, not meeting his eyes. “I went to the doctor today, because I’ve been so sick lately, and he said that I’m about a month and a half along,” she said.

 When Albert remained silent, Skye finally looked up. Albert was staring at her, love and adoration in his brown eyes. His mouth was open in a wide smile.

 “Seriously? You’re seriously pregnant?” he asked. “We’re going to have a baby?!”

 “We’re going to have a baby,” Skye confirmed, watching him wearily.

 “Oh my God, Skye! That’s amazing! We’re going to be parents!” Albert exclaimed. The redhead wrapped his arms around his wife, pulling her tightly into him. His hand went flat against her still-flat stomach. “There’s a life in there!”

 Skye let out a laugh, “You… You’re not mad?”

 “Why would I be mad about this? Skye, this is great news!” Albert looked at her, excited but confused. “This is a good thing! Isn’t it?”

 “I just thought… We’re only nineteen. I thought you wouldn’t want a baby this young,” Skye explained.

 Albert’s eyebrows furrowed, “Yeah, we’re young, but, Skye, we’re married. We’ve been together since we were sixteen; I think your grandfather’s just happy that we didn’t have a kid before we got married!” he exclaimed, “Besides, this is our baby. Just because we didn’t plan this doesn’t mean that it isn’t a good thing. This kid is going to be so loved. Okay?” he prompted.

 Skye nodded, unsure, “Okay.”

 “Good,” Albert smiled, “Come on, we need to celebrate!” Albert pulled up his laughing wife, and spun her around before spinning her back into his arms. She giggled, “We’re having a baby, Skye. And it’s going to be the cutest baby in New York. No! The cutest baby in the world.”

 Skye just giggled.

 Horray for completed requests. Finals are upon me, dear readers. But hopefully I’ll still be able to get some writing done. The good thing about being a web design major is that there’s no tests. The bad thing is that instead, I get projects that take up a lot of my time. Ugh. Hope you all liked this!

[vitaevictoria]

Every Book I Read in 2018: Part 1 https://ift.tt/2QsaJ9y

I haven't posted in 3 months but who cares! (I wrote this intro back when I hadn't posted in 3 months, but I've posted twice since working on this post! Horray for improvement!) Maybe I should post about my 4.5 month backpacking trip around Europe where I went to some cool ass countries and met some really bombass people and had a great time. But why talk about any of that on my travel blog when I just tell you about every book I read and give you my unwarranted opinions about them? I'll tell you where I was when I was reading them to keeping things ~spicy~ and ~travel related~. And no there are no affiliate links because I'm too lazy for that and I don't care anymore anyways. Back when my original reading goal was 50 books, I was just going to make this one long post. But since I've been home I've been reading a shitton (to give you a general idea of how much a "shitton" is: I read 20 books in a little over a month of being home) and right now I'm at 61 books and that's just TOO MUCH for anyone to read. So here are the first 35 books I read in 2018, and Part 2 will follow in the coming weeks. Also, be my friend on Goodreads! 1. Tiny Beautiful Things by Cheryl Strayed Read on my mom's couch after my wisdom teeth removal surgery. High on opioids and pissed off at the world because my FACE HURT. This book made me cry so hard and I highlighted so many quotes. I'd like to attribute the crying to the drugs and the mouth pain but honestly, it's probably because I'm a little bitch baby that cries easily at everything. 2. How Did You Get This Number by Sloane Crosley Also read on my mom's couch. Not impressive. Move along. 3. Leia: Princess of Alderaan by Claudia Gray Since I was doing all this reading on my mom's couch I felt like a 9-year-old again and decided to regress into my Star Wars phase. Except now I'm older and more Star Wars exists so there are more stories to read! How fun! They have Star Wars YA now! This was my second Claudia Gray book and it was enjoyable. 4. What Happened by Hillary Rodham Clinton [AUDIOBOOK] Listened to in my car over winter break. I listened to most of this at the end of 2017 but it is VERY LONG and I only listened to it while in the car (because I'm an old lady that borrows audiobook CDs from the library) so I finished it in 2018. All you need to know is that I cried at many parts while listening to this book, dreaming of what we could have had. 5. Call Me By Your Name by Andre Aciman Read in my college dorm, winter. I read this because I saw the movie and it rocked my world. I read the book so slowly because every sentence is beautiful and I didn't want it to end because I knew I'd never be able to read this book for the first time ever again. 6. Everything Everything by Nicole Yoon Borrow from my friend Shannon, god bless her. I don't remember much about this book so that tells you all you need to know. 7. Committed by Elizabeth Gilbert Mainly read on my couch in my dorm. SOOOOOOOOOOOO good! The institution of marriage is fascinating and scary. 8. A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams Read for my Southern American Literature course. Very gay and southern. Loved it. 9. All the Single Ladies by Rebecca Traister Read in my bed. Committed put me in a very feministy-nonfiction mood. It dragged at points but had so many good facts you should definitely read it. 10. Where'd You Go Bernadette by Maria Semple Read on the beach in Grenada (the island in the Carribean, not Spain) because I'm fancy sometimes. Very good and very smart, I'd like to read more like this. 11. Slouching Towards Bethlehem by Joan Didion Started to read in Grenada, finished in Virginia. I liked it but Didion is too smart for me. 12. Brokeback Mountain by Annie Proulx Read in bed at home after graduation. I cried! Shocker! 13. William Shakespeare: The World as Stage by Bill Bryson [AUDIOBOOK] Mainly listened to while cleaning my room. I learned lots of things but can't remember any of it. 14. Dress Codes for Small Towns by Courtney C. Stevens Read in my room (don't worry soon I will be traveling and my reading locations with be a lot more fun). It's about teens in youth group in a small southern town and there's stuff about sexuality and growing up and Christianity and I LOVED it. 15. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie Read in one day on the porch of my grandparent's river house. It was good and important but should be read in middle school or early high school. 16. Dear Ijeawele, or a Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie Also read in one day on the porch of my grandparent's river house. Would be a good gift to a teenager or a new mom (if you know she's into that kind of stuff, of course). 17. The Idiot by Elif Batuman Started reading in Grenada, read more in my dorm room, finished in my room after I moved back home. It took me so long to read because I didn't want it to end! It's one of those books that doesn't have an OBVIOUS point but I loved it. I want more books about smart girls traveling and making mistakes and not really learning from them. 18. Love Warrior by Glennon Doyle Melton [AUDIOBOOK] Listened to in my room as I cleaned everything out in preparation for my Europe trip. Didn't enjoy much about this audiobook, but I like how honest she is. And man, she is honest. 19. A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson [AUDIOBOOK] Listened to driving up and down I-95 to go to my in-class portion of my TEFL course. I've decided that I'm never going to walk the whole of the AT (Appalachian Trail) so I might as well listen to the accounts of people that tried. Bill Bryson is easy to listen to and knows how to weave a story, except there was this whole portion where he talked smack about a solo female hiker for no reason. She has more balls than you do, Bill. 20. Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng [AUDIOBOOK] Finally, my books and I are in Europe! Listened to while cleaning the kitchen of the hostel I worked at in Slovakia. For some reason, I thought this would be a fun YA book with a dash of murder, but it's way more serious than that. A good look at race and family dynamics. 21. Carol (Price of Salt) by Patricia Highsmith [AUDIOBOOK] Listened to while cleaning the kitchen and just sitting in my room, taking a break from socializing. It's read by the same narrator as Everything I Never Told You and I liked her voice. A bit slow for an audiobook but the writing is beautiful. 22. Hunger: A Memoir of My Body by Roxane Gay [AUDIOBOOK] Listening while trying to hold my bladder on really bumpy minivan rides in Moldova. Gay narrates this herself and it is very good and important and everyone should read it. 23. The Garden Party and Other Stories by Katherine Mansfield Read in Romania. As far as "classics" go Mansfield is a bit easier to read, although I have to be in a particular mood for her. Which is why it took me so long to read such a slim book! Passed it on to an English guy from Bradford. 24. An Appeal to the World: The Way to Peace in a Time of Division by Dalai Lama XIV Read on a park bench in Varna, Bulgaria. I've never read the Dalai Lama before but man is he quotable. 25.  Living History by Hillary Rodham Clinton [AUDIOBOOK] Listened to while walking around Bulgarian towns. This was the perfect book to read since Clinton was the First Lady while the Clinton Administration was involved with eastern Europe and the former Yugoslavia region, which happened to be where I was traveling. 26. Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason by Helen Fielding Bought from a secondhand bookshop in Varna, run by a kind and scatterbrained American lady. I love the Bridget Jones series so much and if I ever get a PhD in Literature I can easily write a whole paper on how genius Bridget Jones is. You may think it's a fun bit of Pride & Prejudice fluff, but think a lil bit harder. 27. Origin by Dan Brown Read in Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria. A quick read. Dan Brown is alright. 28. Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi Started in Plovdiv, finished by the time I reached Sofia. The fun thing about hostel bookshelves is that all of the books that were big last year trickle their way into circulation. I loved this one so much. I love a well-done generational story. This one really helps you realize how trauma can be passed down from generation to generation. 29. Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows by Balli Kaur Jaswal [AUDIOBOOK]

Listened to while walking around Plovdiv, Bulgaria. I 100% recommend that you only listen to this as an audiobook. The voice actor does such a great job and this is the first fiction audiobook that I was actually excited to listen to every day.

30. The Roanoke Girls by Amy Engel Found on a bus in Scotland, read in London. It was very twisted and not well written but it was a quick read. Could've been great if written by someone else. 31. The Vegetarian by Han Kang Read in Marusici, Croatia. Very literary and probably too smart for me. It was interesting but I couldn't figure out the purpose of it all. 32. Exit West by Mohsin Hamid Picked up in Trebinje, Bosnia, I think. Honestly can't remember where I was when I read this. I can see why lots of people like this book but I really do not like Hamid's writing style. 33. The Wrong Knickers: A Decade of Chaos by Byrony Gordon Read on the bus in Albania. A fun book title for people to see you reading in public! I enjoy women writing about their lives, no matter how privileged and whiny their life can be, but ugh. This one could've been good but ends with a dude saving her at the end. Gag me with a spoon. 34. Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch Read in Tirana, Albania. Really loved this one! Aaronovitch has an interesting voice and there's a lot of actual history in this book. My only problem is that his female characters are really flat and only seen as a pair of tits to the main character. I'll see if this improves in his later books. 35. Leah on the Offbeat by Becky Albertalli Read in Himare, Albania. I didn't read the book Simon vs. the Homospaien Agenda but I saw the movie Love, Simon and loved it and this was the only book on the hostel shelf in English so I gave it a whirl. It was GREAT! The characters aren't perfect and they make mistakes and it's just a fun YA read! And there you have it! Stay tuned for Part 2 to find out what books I ended by 4.5 month backpacking trip with and see what I've read since I've been home. Have a good day, and go read a book!