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borgialucrezia · 7 months ago

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okay i know you've mentioned/answered this a million times but i would love to get your top recommendations for borgias published books and content.

i haven't really ventured into those selections but i really want to take the leap into that realm and buy/borrow some books and read them..!

(also i'm curious if you read many fanfictions for the borgias, and if so do you have any good recs?)

💞

hi <33! no worries at all! i love being asked questions about everything related to the borgias, as i get very enthusiastic about them. now, let's start with my favorite borgias biographies:

maria bellonci's 'lucrezia borgia' because i'm very obsessed with accuracy and avoiding cliché biased narratives. it's such a solid read really! it also portrays lucrezia in a way that i've always believed she was—a completely misunderstood woman who is a pawn in the power and ambition games of her father and brother. but deep down, she's just a silly, pretty poetry lover who's guilty by association. this book also debunks cesare's supposed "jealousy" towards juan as the shows how much he loves him (based on the letters to each other) and that rodrigo has always loved his children equally, which is a cherry on top lol.

emma lucas's 'lucrezia borgia.' while it's not entirely accurate because it satisfies my beloved (but not accurate) 'lucrezia is a femme fatale and not saintly' narrative (which i love, by the way), i'm fascinated by how it unexpectedly delves deep into her family, especially rodrigo, cesare, and juan. it also provides great anecdotes about the characters so there's that. despite having negative reviews, the biography is actually very well-written and highly entertaining! fuck the gossip!

christopher hibbert's 'the borgias and their enemies.' for some reason, i keep forgetting to recommend this book to my friends. i tend to get easily investedwith any borgia book that focuses on the pope and his children, providing narratives without forcing you to choose what to believe. the author obviously conducted extensive research before publishing it because when reading a biography (not historical fiction), i prefer to avoid biased perspectives that can be heavily misleading. i also appreciate the fact that machiavelli (and other important figures) plays an important role in this biography because i'm always excited about him.

ferdinand gregorovius' 'lucretia borgia according to original documents and correspondence of her day'. it's also a very unbiased excellent piece of history that is full of validated source. and i just adore how the author is pro-lucrezia as well.

samantha morris' 'cesare and lucrezia: brother and sister of history's most vilified family' is also well documented and well researched! while cesare was given more depth than lucrezia, still, lucrezia's character in this biography is more colorful. obviously the most popular narrative for the borgia family is them being incestuous, corrupt and violent, a family to be feared, but the author suggests otherwise as she sets out to prove this is not the full story and she does make a good argument! as she detailed how they've been portrayed by mainstream media as well as detailing what happened to their descendants.

sarah bradford's 'lucrezia borgia.' okay, so this one isn't a favorite of mine, but i'd recommend it to you or anyone who's a huge fan of ceslu. it's written like a love story biography exclusively about them. while i like how she wrote about ceslu, i heavily dislike how she wrote about juan and rodrigo and how she portrayed them based on narratives from the family's enemies. the author also manipulated a letter about the envoy boccaccio, which is supposed to praise both brothers. but instead, the author just one-upped him with cesare by dunking on him, which i personally find lame and intensely inaccurate since juan borgia was pretty much loved by his wife, his family, and his friends based on the retrieved documents and letters. that being said, i do enjoy the ceslu parts, of course, and i believe any fan of showtime's 'the borgias' who ships ceslu would enjoy this book and its fluent writing and can easily ignore the negatively inaccurate narratives about the other members of the family.

that's all for the biography books! now let's start with historical fiction:

sarah dunant's 'blood and beauty'. one thing about me is that i'm never gonna stop praising this book because it is absolutely my favorite historical fiction book about this extraordinary family! again, i get so invested in any book when the author does extensive research. also, if you're looking for a book about this family that reads like an episode of showtime's 'the borgias,' then this book is your go-to! full of interesting dynamics, and yes, cesare is as cruel and megalomaniacal as history and machiavelli portrayed him, lucrezia as a victim of her father and brother's political ambitions game, and juan as the flawed kid who was eventually sunk deep when he got dragged into his father's ambitions game. while the book doesn't provide a deeper exploration of the characters' psyche, it's more focused on the story by making it very engaging and sheds light on their complex relationships and their rise to power. and every character is highly sympathetic as the author brilliantly humanizes them. in short, it is emotionally intriguing and a must-read for the borgias enjoyers.

mario puzo's 'the family'. you know, i wasn't even surprised a bit that this book's writing and story being groundbreaking because after all, it is written by the author of 'the godfather'. the family is such a compelling book, such tender writing when it comes to lucrezia and cesare. the story becomes intriguing the more you read. i also loved puzo's portrayal of rodrigo as this family man who deeply loves his children yet he uses them as pawns (which is also similar to jeremy irons' portrayal). while i gotta criticize that the characters have no depth and his version of lucrezia as this damsel angel for her father and brother is, uhhh… quite boring. i like her when she's multilayered lol. i also think the way he tried to present cesare and give him the "from zero to hero" trope in order to make him relatable is also lame because cesare's success as a historical figure is because he was calculating and wicked, and definitely not a bitter loser. i mean, i could absolutely ignore the bitterness part, but at least françois arnaud's cesare added so many layers and swag in the characters, therefore you could ignore it. but i can overlook all that when there's an engaging story and great writing, no matter what the characterizations are like. so overall, it's impressive and entertaining, and you will definitely enjoy it.

regarding fanfiction; i'm sorry but i never read any because i feel quite satisfied by all 'the borgias' show canon that we have and all these historical books. i wish i could help with recommending fics :/

thank you very much for the question, and i hope this post answers it. have a great day 💕🫶

#silvermars 💌#loved answering this one!#book recommendations #the borgias #biography #historical drama #historical fiction #historical figures #renaissance #house of borgia #lucrezia borgia #cesare borgia #juan borgia #rodrigo borgia #mario puzo #sarah bradford #text post

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fullscoreshenanigans · 24 days ago

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Something that I think is underrated in the fandom is the concept of the cattle children making friends their age in the human world post-canon. I like to think that the younger kids would have an easier time socializing while the older kids may be more withdrawn (especially with the adults), but get better with time.

Do you have any headcanons about their interactions with the human world? And where in the world do you think they settled down at? I’m guessing that snowy area Alex lived at may be what was formerly Russia/East Europe because of his last name, but idk.

I also find it odd that Shirai never told us what Emma’s ‘new’ name was (that becomes her middle name). Have any in mind?

I don't know if I'd say underrated? If asked I think a lot of fans are open to it/enjoy it, myself included.

Underexplored though, definitely, but I think this stems from how hard it can be to sell original characters in fanfiction the closer in proximity and importance they are to the main characters. This is also part of the reason I believe Matilda is Norman's biological mother and Sienna is Emma's biological mother are decently popular theories: it offers people the convenience of already having a minor canon character with a design and foundations of personality and history that can be referenced with greater recognition among other fans to project headcanons onto.

But if we're just talking about alluding to it happening in the background, one of my favorite Rayemma fanfics, She Loves Me, She Loves Me Not by groundedreamer, touches upon it in almost the exact way you describe:

I didn't even realize it was a Rayemma fic at first (or a Hanahaki AU; I usually don't read those) because I zeroed in on it being in the Jemima tag with the entire first chapter being dedicated to Ray & Jemima bonding.

Highly recommend if one's open to RE.

Do you have any headcanons about their interactions with the human world?

This is very broad and we could be here for a while, but all the cattle children aware of the truth before crossing over to the human world, including the Grace Field children who didn't escape but saw Isabella being murdered, have PTSD. This initially makes it rough for the older children to accept help from healthcare professionals and to navigate the best way to handle things for the younger children.

I'm always going to advocate for Norman and Ray going antiquing or to junk shops for items they can fix up and potentially gift to people, especially if they end up finding a duplicate of the music box Isabella gave Emma on her sixth birthday.

(Mystic Code Book Chapter 1 Q&A | Questionnaire Translation Source)

I also talk about my preferred career paths for the trio here since I'm not fond of the path Shirai took with Norman and Ray, even if I understand why he did it. (I am 100% behind Nat becoming a famous pianist though.)

And where in the world do you think they settled down at? I’m guessing that snowy area Alex lived at may be what was formerly Russia/East Europe because of his last name, but idk.

I agree given that they start out in former New York City that the demon god would send her to the opposite side of the globe. And while Alex is fluent in English, I think it's sweet if the kids learn Russian to speak with him as he becomes integrated into the family as a father/grandfather figure.

I also find it odd that Shirai never told us what Emma’s ‘new’ name was (that becomes her middle name). Have any in mind?

With how cagey he was about confirming what a number of people had already suspected about Ray's bait note because he wanted to leave the door open for multiple possibilities prior to his health deteriorating, this doesn't really surprise me kfjdgvkj

I default to Wendy because of the Peter Pan connection, but I also gravitate a bit to Alice, Charlotte, or Jane.

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kaledya · 5 months ago

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I LOVE dark fantasy, (vamp/creepy gods) deep political drama and families and the steampunk vibe on it. The cherry on the top ! I'm probably more of a Edwardian era girly that Victorian era girly but love both of them.

For your story, its a nice start for the differences in social hierarchy, it's a classic. I am not familiar of Brandon Sanderson's (did I write the name right?) Books because they're not really well translated in my language, in my opinion. But I can help with some refs if you want !

For exemple, if you are new in writing this type of worlds, I would recommend "soft worbuilding and big on vibes". With visuals (anime) : Violet Evergarden, Howl's Moving Castle. Both are fantasy soft steampunk-y. You can see on the concept art, props, machinery that are not too complicated to make and design. Jules Verne's works/drawings are a basic for the steampunk theme! Of course.

Then If you want something more deeper for the construction of society, Arcane (the show) is a very good dichotomy of rich and poor. If you want to have nice victorian clothes searching, you have the manga EMMA from Kaoru Mori (beautiful drawings!)

I know steampunk fantasy books but I don't know if they are translate in foreign languages ??

ANYWAY ! I need to stop! Because this message will be longer than any human life spend ever ahah!

___

Also yes I have started my own AU before I know your art. Just "how would I have written Hazbin Hotel ?" I did a full redesign of mostly all the characters, have OCs and deeper lore on Eve/Roo/Lilith part of the story and a ALL deeper lore on Alastor, Alastor's backstory. Its the focus of it.

Its very demonical hierarchy, bureaucratic kind of vibe ? Like :

Character : "I will postponed my duel. We need that information... and this file?" Other character : "Let me call this president... yes. I need a new weapon for... what do you mean half of my legion is fucking dead ?! WHO is training them ?! I need an advocate." (Hell have presidents) Character 3 : "What the hell is the Order of the Flies ? What do you mean Satan had a revolution in mind ? I need a coffee. No. Kill me."

I just think its so funny that demons have a human hierarchy, makings calls and just dying under paperwork. Its chaotic. For exemple, Charlie has brother and sister, one just left Hell to chill in Earth, the other is kinda married to her uncle ? Its just wild. But demons !

I paused it to write fully Arencha Amendable! At the beginning, It was HARD for me to remember that your prince of Hell (Constantine) for exemple, is not my prince of Hell (In my AU) or the fact Alastor as a daughter too in my AU who is NOT like Serenity at all ahah. So I really work on knowing your SS AU to be great at it !

I would be happy to show it to you but not in public.🌸🌸🌸 In case I want to write it on ao3 one day, in another timeline or something ahah

____

I forgot to say that I love Lackadaisy too ! My favorite character is the Cajun cat girl... Sérafine ? Mordecai and the 3 main. The others characters are adorable! What's yours ?

___

Yes I just love your art. Stop making me cry damn it *take gently my hamster back* thank you 🌸🌸

___

Berserk is very great manga. I understand! When you said you have a t-shirt Berserk I look at mine and I was like (its a pastel t-shirt with a white cute bunnyon it) "slay !"

___

And yes of course the beginning of Constantine and Serenity friendship is difficult ! And slow ! Like Hell is not a good place to have friend at all, and then Constantine is really not approachable for Sinners normaly and Serenity even if she is kind of a show girl (a greatest actor!) She is also someone discreet in her ways of doing things. I think ? Trust is complicated to built !

I'm happy you liked the Constantine/Verdelet little short story ! Your little dialogue was SO FUNNY ! Because that's a good resume :

V : "come on..." C : "I will not have sexual intercourse..." V : "Lesson time !! Look at this fleshy heart !"

I reread it just to laugh again at your dialogue ahah.

___

Ahaha ! And I'm so ready for the Con and Lolicia fanarts ! 😭 all if your drawings. But don't worry if you don't have a lot of time to do it now.

Remember. I'm not going anywhere. Your studies/exams first🌸🌸

___

I'm glad you like Abaddon !! And the short stories with Azrael and him !

AND I TRIED FOR DRAWING AZRAEL ! he was more complicated than I expected?!

And thank you for blessing mine eyes!!! What do you mean ? Ahah.

Have a great day too 🌸🌸

Yes, these themes are seriously awesome! I'm so glad to hear YOU loved it TOO!

And the Edwardian Era is also a very interesting Era, and its aesthetics are very beautiful.

And yes, you pronounced the name correctly, and don't worry, I just read the 1st book of Mistborn in English because they did not translate it well into my language too! (I had a headache from translating it).

I'm also thinking of reading the book called The Way of the King. I often see Sanderson being praised for his universe building! Inspiration is inspiration.

----

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS And seriously, I have always loved the art design and environmental design of Violet Evergarden, it was also an anime that I loved in terms of story factors.

And YES! I definitely get a lot of inspiration from Arcane. In general, the Runterra universe is a universe that inspires me a lot.

Thank you again for your advice and resource suggestions, I will look into them all! Information is information!

The length of the message is really not a problem, I love reading what you write!

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WHATTTTTT!!! Luckily, I would really like to see your design for the characters and the lore you have in mind for the characters! And your version reminded me of the politics-based structure of the first 4 seasons of GOT Series where this type of dialogue dominates are truly perfect for me. And I think that the hierarchy of hell is a really important and interesting topic, and it's really nice to include these parts in the story.

And Yes lmao Imagine, there are papers lined up like mountains in front of the important figures in hell, and they have to read and deal with them one by one.

____

Lmao I would 100/100 be the brother who goes to the world and has fun. Paperworks wastes people's lives.

And I really understand, after watching House of Dragons, I started to dont judge(dont think about so much) such events in such fictions And yes, it is hell, anything can happen there!

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I seriously find your AU interesting and if you come back to write it one day I look forward to reading it! And I was really happy to learn that we were considering similar concepts for AU snow!

And how is your AU prince and alastor's daughter's personality and story on ice! I'm seriously curious about your perfection!

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And lackdaisy is seriously amazing, I'm still surprised when I see the drawing quality of the comic, the illustrator is a very talented person!

Cajun Cat? I can't remember exactly, but I choose Mordecai and the main trio, they all have unique personalities. And I love that although Mordecia is shown as the most grumpy person, on the otherwise is the one whose facial expression you see the most.

My favorite? Hmm I guess my fav is Zib, the depressive musician cat who is fed up with life.🤌

Yes, but it's still your decision whether to add this friendship factor to the story or not. You can do whatever you want, I'm okay with both options.

And I seriously love the interactions between Verdelet and Constantine, they are two fun people to read! And I'm so glad you liked the little dialogue I wrote!

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And thank you so much for being patient and understanding!I'm really excited to draw them both together!!

-- And of course I will love Abbadon, I really loved his design and personality and I say again, your fanarts are really beautiful!

-----Episodes comments--

First of all, I read it up to date and I liked all the chapters you posted. The activities to unite the team were really well thought out, Sir Pentious warming up to the team. Trust activity after he arrived

In general, the activity held among the hotel residents was really great, everything was thought out in detail, I really loved it!It was really nice to have the team interact with each other or to read Lolicia's reactions to some events. Alastor's dialogues are also really fun to read.

In the short stories, the vee's stories were really nice, reading all of them was both fun and I think it gave the reader a different perspective, it was a really smart decision and in those short stories...introduced OCs caught my attention, I'm already curious if we'll see them again in the future!

And I wasn't expecting to see the Constantine cut at the end of the Vee episodes. It was a really nice surprise and I really loved the way you showed him in the story. Again, it's a very Epic shot.

And your drawings were great, as was the short with Verdelet. The design of the succubuses in Story was very nice, and the designs of the other versions of Abaddon were very good. I really like your designs!

And The fanart you drew of Verdeletand Constantine in the past was VERY BEAUTIFUL, THANK YOU SO MUCH, MY EYES ARE BLESSED AND THE YOU DRAW CLOTHES ARE VERY BEAUTIFUL. (Verdelet gives me the material girl Vibe💅)

Thank you again for the fanart.

AND WE SEE A SECTION OF LOLICIA'S PAST. WHAT DOES THAT SCENE MEAN? WHAT HAPPENED TO HER? MANY QUESTIONS BUT NO ANSWERS!

*starts hanging pins and clues on the wall*

AND ABBADON AND THE ROO/EVE SCENE I REALLY DIDN'T EXPECT THIS WHATTTTTT????

But the way the scene was written and described was really great. I really loved the way you handled Eve and Roo. I already loved Abaddon. I can't wait to see more about him now.

I'm seriously curious about what route the story will take after the warm-up arcs are over!!

And PRIDE MONTH FARANT I seriously think you drew the characters very cute and beautifully, they all looked great, I really liked them, thank you for bleesing my eyes again!

I hope I haven't forgotten any detail, if there is, please let me know, I don't want to miss anything!

And I apologize for the late reply. I haven't been on Tumblr for a long time and the my ınbox was really full. I saw your message recently!

Thank you again for taking the time to write this fanfic and draw fanart. It makes me so happy to read your fanfic! But please don't tire yourself out and get plenty of rest, you deserve it! ❤️❤️🫂🫂🫂🫂

#hazbin hotel au #HazbinHotelSSAU

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the-forest-library · 7 months ago

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March 2024 Reads

The Mystery Guest - Nita Prose

A Love Song for Ricki Wilde - Tia Williams

This is How You Fall in Love - Anika Hussain

The Getaway List - Emma Lord

Cancelled - Farrah Penn

Friends Don't Fall in Love - Erin Hahn

The Someday Daughter - Ellen O'Clover

We Got the Beat - Jenna Miller

This Day Changes Everything - Edward Underhill

A Tale of Two Princes - Eric Geron

Once a Queen - Sarah Arthur

The Magicians of Caprona - Dianna Wynne Jones

The Wicker King - K. Antrum

The Eyes and the Impossible - Dave Eggers

A First Time for Everything - Dan Santat

60 Songs That Explain the 90s - Rob Harvilla

Welcome to the O.C. - Alan Sepinwall

Mother Hunger - Kelly McDaniel

All in Her Head - Elizabeth Come

How to Be the Love You Seek - Nicole LaPera

Your Pocket Therapist - Annie Zimmerman

And How Does That Make You Feel? - Joshua Fletcher

How to ADHD - Jessica McCabe

This Book May Save Your Life - Karan Rajan

Women Food and Hormones - Sara Gottfried

Practical Optimism - Sue Varma

Languishing - Corey Keyes

Private Equity - Carrie Sun

The World Deserves My Children - Natasha Leggero

Big Bites - Kat Ashmore

Bold = Highly Recommend Italics = Worth It Crossed out = Nope

Thoughts:

The Eyes and the Impossible was, by far, the standout of the month. Told from the point of view of Johannes, a free dog living in an urban park (a thinly veiled Golden Gate Park in San Fransisco), who keeps the other animals in the park updated on the ongoings in the park. Featuring birds, and woodland creatures, and bison, and goats, and humans who change everything.

Dave Eggers wrote one of my all-time favorite books, A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, and I have avoided reading any of his subsequent works for fear that they would be disappointing. I took a chance on this one since it's middle grade and quite a departure from his other works, and I'm so glad I did.

Goodreads Goal: 108/200

2022 Reads | 2023 Reads | 2024 Reads

#2024 reads #book reviews #book recommendations #books #booklr #reading #bookish #bibliophile #tflo

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jojotichakorn · 4 months ago

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Ok now I need to know, what are your favorite straight rom-coms. I'm always looking for more things for my neverending watchlist

hehe 😌 thanks for asking!

i'm gonna be using the term romcom loosely, but (in no particular order):

love & basketball (such a sweet little friends to lovers)

always be my maybe (i feel like this one isn't very well-known, but i adore it! it's about childhood friends who had crushes on each other meeting up years later as adults after losing contact. and the soundtrack is absolutely fire, including the songs by the fictional band 'hello peril')

clueless (literally my beloved! and it's a modern day adaptation of emma by jane austen, executed flawlessly btw)

10 things i hate about you (yet another flawless modern day adaption of a classic, this time shakespeare - everyone must certainly watch it in preparation for the heart killers)

kuch kuch hota hai (really stretching the definition of romcom here, cause i sobbed 2/3 of that movie when i first watched it, but i love it so much, so i must mention it)

legally blonde (this one isn't particularly focused on romance, but the whole plot is just iconic, and - for what it's worth - the love interest is absolutely lovely)

to all the boys i've loved before (i only really liked the first one, but that first one was a really great fake dating situation)

the princess bride (it is such an endearing classic, i adore it)

set it up (one of the best newer romcoms out there for sure)

the proposal (this one is a classic and for a good reason)

when harry met sally (ultimate friends to lovers, what can ya do)

flipped (a cute little story about kids falling in love)

love, rosie (once again, not really a comedy, but such a juicy plot)

the wedding singer (this one is very 90s but also 90s adam sandler is kinda hot?)

the duff (this one is kind of a guilty pleasure but idk, i enjoy rewatching it every once in a while regardless)

also, again, not romcoms, but when we speak of straight romance i cannot neglect to mention jane austen my beloved! in this case, the adaptations of her books. specifically, emma. (2020), pride & prejudice (both 1995 and 2005), northanger abbey (2007), and - with a slightly heavier heart, as it is my favourite novel and i am not entirely pleased with either of the adaptations, but they are still quite good - persuasion (both 1995 and 2007).

i have seen all of these at least five times throughout my life jfkdjfkdjkd so definitely recommend 🫡

#see guys i didn't lie #almayver tag #archer responds

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greenerteacups · 2 months ago

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I think you're the first person I see that points out Emma's "eyebrow heavy performance" without making fun of her lol It's easy to take it for granted now, but I honestly think she did a good enough job with Hermione. The eyebrow thing does get excessive sometimes, especially in OoTP, but I like how expressive it makes Hermione. That girl cannot be subtle, bless her.

I used to think she was better at portraying Hermione in the earlier movies than the later ones and my opinion only changed when I rewatched them with my younger brother recently. I was like 11 when DH movie released and of course that dummy (affectionate) would not appreciate the more subtle work of portraying traumatized teenagers who were being hunted in a freaking war. 18yo seemeed sooooo grown up to me at the time lol. The only movie I don't really like is HBP. I hate that yellow filter and everything was so awkward, but not in the fun way.

Anyway I just dumped an unsolicited rant on you. Sorry. Here's a question tho: what's your favorite and least favorite HP book? And favorite/ least favorite HP movie?

YELLOW HALF-BLOOD PRINCE I LOVE YOU YELLOW HALF-BLOOD PRINCE... they saw everyone complaining about the blue-grey 2000's color grading of GOF and OOTP and they said "fine. FINE. you want a warm filter? we'll GIVE you a warm filter. now everything looks like a tennis ball. are you happy?"

I sympathize completely with Watson's job in the middle-films, because charting the course from "precocious nerd child" to "battle-hardened soldier steering her friends through a war" is (no shit) kind of hard. So Watson plays her as very direct and earnest. That works as one of many interpretations you could make of Hermione's character. There's not really any darkness in Watson's Hermione, but that suits Radcliffe's Harry and Grint's Ron — Grint is, I think, the actor who's trying hardest to bring a realistic Edge to some of these war-hardened teenagers, and I love him for that — but in general, the movie's Golden Trio are very soft babies, and it's sweet.

My favorite book is Goblet of Fire (tournament arc I love youuuuuu tournament arc), and my least favorite is a toss-up between Deathly Hallows and Philosopher's Stone. The latter for reasons that are not its fault, it's just much more of a children's book than any of the others. Great children's book! That shit went crazy hard when I was a child. But nowadays, not my cuppa. Put it this way: I would rather read DH than PS, but in terms of antipathy, I also have a lot more beef with DH as a text.

My favorite movie is Prisoner of Azkaban. It's fucking gorgeous and it's a crime they let Cuarón after he delivered something Like That. it actually feels like an enchanted setting — the camera lavishes attention on all these little details that make Hogwarts and Hogsmeade feel lived-in. It's the only film that I'd recommend to someone who wasn't a Harry Potter fan, and I mean that.

#I don't really have a least favorite movie I s'pose DH1 is pretty boring #splitting those movies in two was pointless considering where 1 ends #is about 3 chapters out from the final battle #like of ALL the books where you could trim the fat... lmao

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mermaidsirennikita · 10 months ago

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Any recs with reallly great dirty talk? Like pearl clutching water gushing dirty talk?

Yesss I love a dirty talking book.

Sierra Simone is, as with most things in erotic romance, one of the best in the business. The Thornchapel serise has some reeeeeally filthy dirty talk, especially from God's favorite idiot, Auden Guest. There's one scene in the third book where he's like... talking his partner through it... And another scene where there's a "hey let's talk through a ritualistic sacrifice but instead of killing we fuck and I talk you through what we'd do" scene, though this time someone's talking to Auden. The series is MMF and FF, and must be read in order.

Obviously, I'll always recommend New Camelot (MMF), which has excellent dirty talk. There's Ash's weird mindfuckery approach to domination, Embry's rough "MINE MINE MINE" shit. WHY NOT BOTH?

And then that'll lead you into Lyonesse, with Salt in the Wound and Salt Kiss. All around excellent dirty talk in those. (I've talked about this before, and I'll talk about it again lol--there's an extra Salt Kiss scene where Mark casually calls Tristan "puppy" and it is one of my favorite dialogue choices EVER.) Mark is like... really good at it. I just opened Salt in the Wound to refresh my memory, and he really went off towards the end there.

….. yeah.

(FWIW, Tristan also dirty talks great. He calls Isolde “honey” a lot, which shouldn’t work for me but occurs in such dirty contexts that I’m like oh right yeah I get it now.)

Priest, naturally, has a lot of sacrilegious dirty talk which is excellent. With holy oil and everything. Sinner and Saint have it too, Sinner of the corruption variety and Saint of the "I'm a monk and you're making me break my vows" variety".

So yes. Sierra Simone. Do it.

I actually just read Kristen Callihan's The Friend Zone, which is a football college romance (well, college is really like over at that point) and the rare friends to lovers that works for me. In part because they have spontaneous phone sex while she's really horny and talking about what she'd want someone to do to her (at his encouragement). It's SO GOOD. (This is also one we can add to the "heroine fingers his ass" list, and he LOOOOOVES it.) Managed, her "uptight rock band manager meets wild girl" book has some good dirty talk too, from what I remember. Perhaps in the scene where he pushes his cum back in her after he comes inside? Always a lovely moment.

Act Your Age by Eve Dangerfield has EXCELLENT DD/lg role play dirty talk, if you are... into that. The heroine likes to call the hero daddy, and he likes to pretend (with her consent, it's all very discussed and planned) that he's a dirty stepfather type who's Corrupting Her. It's filthy but also a surprisingly emotional book with realistic issues to confront?

Kresley Cole's dirty talk is OTT for me but I LOOOOVE it. The heroes are always like "YOU'RE STEALING MY CUM!!!!" which again, not for everyone, but I DON'T GIVE A FUCK. They narrate everything that's happening. I really like the werewolf IAD books for this because the werewolves are always like, beasting out but also like "YOU ARE A GODDESS DIVINE, CAN'T BELIEVE THIS IS HAPPENING TO ME, WILL NEVER TAKE LIFE 4 GRANTED".

In regards to her Russian mafia books, I think The Master has some really good dirty talk. Like, deranged, but really good.

Kings of Italy has some of my favorite dirty talk ever, lol. There is some Italian, which Mila did use a translator for. There is always some stuff that's not going to translate perfectly, but (and take this with a grain of salt as I'm not a native speaker and am extremely rusty) but I enjoy it lol. But yeah, dude, those heroes are always talking super dirty throughout a sex scene. And tbh? The heroines often do too, especially Gia and Emma. We love reciprocation!

Sara Cate writes really good dirty talk. The hero in Eyes On Me is a voyeur, which means he talks the heroine through it a loooot. Give Me More has a lot of dirty talk, as again it's super focused on the watching element, which I think almost always contributes to a great dirty talk moment.

One Good Earl Deserves a Lover by Sarah MacLean is super famous for its dirty talk scene, where the hero talks the heroine through touching herself for the first time. It's great.

The Duke Gets Even by Joanna Shupe has his amazing moment where Nellie is like "you're so proper that you don't even use dirty words" and Lockwood is like so do you want me to touch your pussy, your quim, your cunt, whatever I can go on. And she's like *GASP*.

Grace Callaway writes a really good dirty talker in a historical romance. Olivia and The Masked Duke and Pippa and The Prince of Secrets are great choices on this front.

I love the way Mac talks to Isabella in Lady Isabella's Scandalous Marriage because it's both deeply dirty and deeply fond, because like. They're married lol. He knows her.

Any Duchess Will Do is good for this, particularly because of the "recite my courtesy titles while I fuck you" scene lol. When a Scot Ties the Knot has some hot dirty talk too.

I remember Joss and The Countess by S.M. LaVolette having some very intense "THAT'S HOW YOU LIKE IT HUH?" Dirty talk.

Oooh American Royalty by Tracey Livesay has some good dirty talk, annnnnd it's of the "British prince talking filth" variety.

Kennedy Ryan's The Kingmaker has some good dirty talk, AAAND one of my favorite romance scenes in which Maxim puts his head under Lennix's sweatshirt to suck on her nipples while all their friends and coworkers are on the other side of the door.

Deep by Kylie Scott has some good dirty talk, of the "I'm going to take care of this pussy and nobody else is allowed to do it" variety. Which is something I love lol. For context, the heroine is the hero's bandmate's sister in law, and the hero broke the bro code by fucking her in a one night stand, and then they sort of fall apart immediately after. But actions! Have consequences! And she ends up pregnant. And horny. And nobody can take care of it but him!!!!

Bound to the Battle God by Ruby Dixon has a great fantasy romance dirty talk scene, in which the hero is like, spanking her pussy and is all "WHOSE IS THIS?" (her: FOR SURE YOURS) before they actually make it Official, and immediately after she realizes that everyone in their little band of miscreants heard them talking. And also heard the smacks.

Ooooh Preferential Treatment by Heather Guerre has some amazing femdom dirty talk. The hero is a billionaire who asks the heroine to become his domme, and she certainly does make him crawl.

Minx by Sophie Lark has some dirty talk by way of pet play--the heroine is an escort hired by the hero, and he enjoys some pet play. And by some, I mean her wearing a catsuit and ears and gloves with claws and a collar and him being all "good girl, Minx" lmao.

#romance novel blogging #romance novels #book recs

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choicesficwriterscreations · 2 years ago

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CFWC's Writer of the Month:

Lucy-268

Each month CFWC highlights one of our talented fanfic writers, and this month’s writer of the month is CFWC's very own, @lucy-268! We hope you will enjoy learning more about her and her work below! The writer is selected at random. More info can be found on the navigation page.

Quick Links:

Tumblr Blog: lucy-268 Blog Masterlist

1- When did you start playing Choices? What was the first book you played?

During the COVID quarantine in 2020. I played Bloodbound and Bloodbound 2. Then High School Story. I finally got tired of PB/Choices asking me if I wanted to try Open Heart.

2- When and why did you join Choices fandom?

Because Facebook keeps track of things you search for, it asked me if I wanted to join a Choices group. There was a post about Open Heart fanfics on Tumblr. So I dusted off my old Tumblr account.

3- How did you pick your blog name?

I am a cat person, but Lucy was the best dog ever. She was my Mom’s dog that mom brought with her when I moved here from PA to VA to save me from having to drive back home every other weekend.

4- Pull up the first post in your archive, and tell us about it!

I am an introvert. A lot of people around me overwhelm me and I had an aunt who always made comments like, glad you decided to join us. Similar to this post.

5- How long have you been writing fanfiction?

For choices, since 2020. In a previous life, I wrote Harry Potter fics. I wrote Hinny stories that are still available on fanfiction.net and Livejournal. But with few exceptions I won’t tell anyone the username I used then.

6- What is your favorite Choices book, and what is your favorite Choices book to write about?

Open Heart.

7- Share the first fanfic you wrote with us. Do you still like it, or would you change it if you were writing it today?

This is the first fic I posted. I had an HC for Charley’s backstory and the brother she was close to, along with some of the brother’s friends. I think I brought the friend back in one other fic. At one point, I thought about bringing him in as an LI for Sienna. I would probably change it.

8- What is your favorite fic that you’ve written?

I Would Not Change a Thing. It’s personal to me because I know a couple of people who have semi colon tattoos. After I posted the fic, someone who has since left the fandom shared with me that she got the same tattoo that I gave Charley.

9- Do you have a fic that you didn’t expect to be well received, but it was? What about one you expected to be but found could use a little more love?

My first one was well received. The fandom was more robust then, and I felt welcomed into the community.

I think some of my Tobias/Samantha fics are better than others I’ve written, but because of the size of the fandom and the pairing (not Ethan), they aren’t well-read.

10- If you could write only angst, fluff, or smut for the rest of your writing life, which would it be and why?

I don’t often write smut, so we can eliminate that. I generally get more ideas for fluff, but I'd hate to not be able to write angst when the mood strikes.

11- Do you ever recognize yourself in any of your MCs or in your writing?

Yes, There are a few pieces of Charley, Samantha, and especially Maggie (I even used my grandmother’s name there). Even a little bit of Emma from TNA.

12- What element of writing do you struggle with most?

The ideas for fics. And dialogue. And time.

13- Do you have any neglected work you really want to finish?

Did you look in my google docs folder? I have about 100 docs in there. Some are saved in files labeled Sunday Six that I need to go through and pull ideas from save fics together. I have three artworks I either commissioned or won that I need to write fics for, including a cat T/S adopted, a winter fic for T/S, and E/C’s wedding.

14- If someone you know in real life (who isn’t involved in fandoms) asked to read your work, would you let them? If yes, what would you recommend they read first?

Nope.

15 - Are there any writers (published authors and/or fanfic writers) who influenced your writing?

They aren’t active in the Choices fandom much, but two who were very welcoming to me when I started writing were @openheart12 (who asked to be tagged even though she had never read anything I wrote!) and @anothermansjeans (formerly oofchoices), who did some of my first moodboards. Thank you both for the kindness you showed me.

@jamespotterthefirst - Your fics were some of the first I read, and I was so happy when you started to read my works. You are a true friend, and I feel blessed to have you in my my life.

@jerzwriter - You are my go-to person when I need someone to talk to. I love your ideas, and I wouldn’t want to run CFWC with anyone else.

@genevievemd - You always find the best David Gandy photos. I admire your dedication to completing two series of Smiles. And did it daily.

@liaromancewriter - You are always willing to help with everything. Your Ethan x Cassie is great, but I love Maxenna. (And I still need to finish your original!)

@potionsprefect - I love Victoria as an MC. I admire how you have developed the personalities of your twins (and I’m jealous that I don’t think I have accomplished that yet.

@bex-la-get - It took me a while to find you, and I miss you now that you are on a hiatus. But I love your bookstagram accounts. I can’t forget to mention your cat videos of Percy and Odin.

@danijimenezv - Thank you for giving me the story idea for I Scream, You Scream. Thank you for sharing your stories of your vet internship.

@writer-ish - You always pop up with just the perfect comment or gif. I just wish you’d do it more often.

@a-crepusculo - Another fellow cat person. One of my favorite fics is your When It Rains. I love the idea of Ethan being free enough to stop and dance in the rain.

@storyofmychoices - Thank you for all you do for the fandom in general. Your writing inspired me to read both Mother of the Year and Save the Date.

@burnsoslow - See the above comment. Your Drake and Alyssa inspired me to read The Royal Romance, at least the first one. I was avoiding it because Choices kept trying to make me read it. I miss wackydrabbles, even though there are plenty of fic prompts around.

I am sure there are so many others I should mention, and I’m sorry for anyone I forgot.

16- Which one of your stories would you most like to see as a movie/series?

I would not change a thing; see question 8 above.

17- Do you write original fiction?

I have some stories started.

18 - What other hobbies do you have?

Reading, cooking, baking, and playing with my cats.

19 - What’s your favorite emoji?

💚😻🤦🏼‍♀️

#cfwc writer of the month #lucy-268 #open heart #the nanny affair #choices fanfic #choices fic writers creations #playchoices

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aurorawest · 3 months ago

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Summer Reading Update (part 2)

Fall for You by AJ Truman - 3.75/5 stars

Should have read this in the fall since it's fall themed.

By Any Other Name by Erin Cotter - 2.5/5 stars

In His Sights by KC Wells - 4/5 stars

The Bell in the Fog by Lev AC Rosen - 5/5 stars

LOVED this one. I enjoyed the first in the series as well but this one was much better IMO—just a tighter mystery. I actually gasped at one of the reveals.

Lightning Strike Blues by Gayleen Froese - 5/5 stars

I was really pleasantly surprised by how good this book was. It looks like a superhero book but the vibe was more Fringe to me. Fringe meets Letterkenny. And it was really well written! Another book with a good twist. I highly recommend this one.

A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid - DNF at pg 108

The Misfit Mage and His Dashing Devil - DNF at pg 8

In Plain Sight by KC Wells - 3.75/5 stars

Planetfall by Emma Newman - 4/5 stars

Before All the World by Moriel Rothman-Zecher

I didn't know how to rate this one, so I didn't. It was pretty experimental, and I just didn't think I could rate it fairly. Its Storygraph average is 4.2/5 and it's definitely an interesting read.

Somewhere in the Gray Area - DNF at pg 32

Kit & Basie by Tess Carletta - 4/5 stars

Fence Vol 6: Redemption by CS Pacat and Johanna the Mad - 5/5 stars

The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White - 4.75/5 stars

I haven't had good luck with Rainbow Crate books, to the point that after I canceled my subscription, I went through all the ones still in my TBR, read the first page, and got rid of most of them. I kept this one because it's highly praised, and I ended up loving it. It probably would have been a 5 star read, except I thought the epilogue really undercut the effectiveness of the rest of the book.

Time to Shine by Rachel Reid - 5/5 stars

I think Rachel Reid was the first m/m hockey romance author I read, and I still think she writes some of the best.

Paladin's Hope by T Kingfisher - 4/5 stars

One Wicked Night by Colette Rivera - DNF at pg 136

10 Things That Never Happened by Alexis Hall - 5/5 stars

I was really apprehensive about this book. A few years ago I LOVED Alexis Hall, but I haven't enjoyed several of his new releases. I'm so glad I gave this one a chance because it's probably my favorite of all his books now. It's hilarious and cringey (good cringey) and romantic.

After the Forest by Kell Woods - DNF at pg 63

Lord Garrington's Vessel by S Rodman - DNF at pg 5

Alike as Two Bees by Elin Gregory - 4.25/5 stars

Dragged to the Wedding by Andrew Grey - 3.75/5 stars

His Lordship's Master by Samantha SoRelle - 4.5/5 stars

Fire from the Sky by Moa Backe Åstot (translated by Eva Apelqvist) - 5/5 stars

Gorgeous YA book about a Sami teenage boy who's struggling to reconcile the fact that he's gay and in love with his best friend with the fact that he doesn't want to leave his town and reindeer herding, even though he'd find more acceptance in a city. Also the translator lives in Minnesota.

#the bell in the fog #lev ac rosen #evander mills #lightning strike blues #gayleen froese #the spirit bares its teeth #andrew joseph white #time to shine #rachel reid #10 things that never happened #alexis hall #fire from the sky #moa backe åstot #reading tag

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finitefall · 2 years ago

Note

https://variety.com/2022/tv/news/house-of-the-dragon-female-gaze-sex-scenes-queer-rhaenyra-1235462483/

They are writing their own book at this point, I’ve read better fanfics on twitter. The whole interview is completely brainsick. Thinking of Fire and Blood with a 15 years old Alicent and a 6 years old Rhaenyra and seeing this is just laughable. Who the hell are these characters ???

Dear God, there’s so much bullshit here... I’m only gonna mention Rhaenicent with the quotes from Emma, Olivia and Sara.

“I can definitely understand that it's hot watching complex female characters who have agency and who are trying to navigate the world and understand themselves. Like, that is hot. And is very different from, I suppose, more two-dimensional portrayals of female sexuality.”

Emma, you seem to be a good person, but you’ve already talked about the “erotic energy” between Alicent and Rhaenyra and now you’re like “it’s hot, it’s hot, it’s so hot”. Where? And where have you seen Alicent and Rhaenyra being complex female characters with agency? Alicent is Queen but reduced to a victim of men, Rhaenyra is crying over the page her former BFF kept for 20 years like that’s more interesting than her reaction to her daughter’s death and to the Greens’ treason.

“I guess what’s alluring, and quite scintillating, is that they all live in quite close proximity to each other. Stealing these loaded looks with someone that you fancy and that’s forbidden, that’s hot. It’s all hot.”

Again with “it’s hot, it’s all hot”, where? There’s nothing, Olivia.

“There’s an element of queerness to it. Whether you see it that way or as just the unbelievably passionate friendships that women have with each other at that age. I think understanding that element of it sort of informs the entire rest of their relationship… Even though they’re driven apart by all these societal, systemic elements and pressures and happenings, at the core of it, they knew each other as children, and they loved each other and that doesn’t go away.”

Sara Hess with her wisdom, again. Love can definitely go away, especially when one of the two commited treason against the other.

“Olivia has told me she believes — and this is her headcanon — that they at some point kissed or made out or had some kind of physical interaction that Alicent’s mother found out about and forbade. And that was Olivia’s head story, ‘Oh, I can’t do that. That’s not right.’ And that’s the background for her in their relationship going forward. I would be 100% down with that.”

This is absolutely ridiculous. I kissed friends too, get over it. But wait: they’re both 14 in the first episode. Alicent’ mother was dead. They had both forgotten about any physical interaction apparently, so what, they made out when they were 10?! No wonder Alicent’s mother wouldn’t like it, Faith of the Seven or not.

“I happen to be a queer woman, but I know straight women who had ‘Heavenly Creatures’-esque, romantic friendship with their best friend at that age. That’s something that I think, probably — I don’t want to stereotype anybody – but it seems to be more a phenomenon with young women than it is with men, probably because whether you’re queer or not, society cares less if you’re physically intimate with each other or hugging or touching each other. You can have sleepovers and sleep in the same bed and nobody cares.”

Heavenly Creatures is an amazing movie, based on a true story, and one of my favorite movies with Kate Winslet. I highly recommend it if you haven’t watched it. You’ll also be able to see that there’s absolutely no reason to mention it in an interview about this show. Now, it’s true that society cares less with young girls that young boys, but nobody cares? Not true at all.

I totally understand that as a queer woman Sara Hess would want to have wlw representation. But there was already one heavily implied in the book, between Rhaenyra and Laena. Also, instead of making up queer ships, write a new one in another show. We want to see this (well, perhaps not written by Hess). I want another f/f ship, a new one, no queerbait, no fanon: a new, original canon f/f ship between two women who are actually complex characters. Give us that, not Rhaenicent. We don’t want it because you’re just rewriting what happened and totally missing the point of the Dance here, not because we don’t want a f/f ship.

#HOTD #anti hotd #anti rhaenicent #answered

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thatonebirdwrites · 8 months ago

Note

🎉📓🥺

(pls substitute any year of your choice for 2021! or, like, of all time, whatever works! :D)

I'll do the ones I haven't been asked yet. :)

🎉 favorite release of 2021? give your top three 2021 releases if you can’t choose just one!

So I already covered A Psalm of Wild Built, so I'll look at a different 2021 releases that I really enjoyed:

Light from Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki is one I recommend EVERYONE read. HOLY SHIT is this book good. (It has supercorp feels too.) Shizuka, a violin teacher, needs one more soul to escape from her deal with the devil, and she finds it in an homeless trans teen, Katrina. Except, Katrina pulls at Shizuka's heartstrings more than she anticipated, but the real kicker is when Shizuka mets Lan Tran a donut shop owner who is an alien mother of four. Shizuka doesn't have time to fall in love, and yet she can't stay away from Lan Tran. Can these three women defeat the devil at his own game?

Read and find out! And yes everyone is gay or trans in this book. Its prose is so fucking good. I have read it over and over because it's just so good! The words make the music in these pages come alive.

As a side note, during my last re-read, it hit me how Shizuka has Lena Luthor energy and Lan Tran has Kara energy. Not that I need more AU's...

___

Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro is a book about an android who is chosen by a young girl, Josie, whose health is deteriorating due to too much genetic tinkering to improve her intellect. Klara becomes obsessed with Josie, and tries to find a way to repair and help Josie. It's a breathtaking story of pain and loss told through the eyes of an android (known as "artificial friends"). Sure, it starts out like an exploration of A.I., but in the end becomes more of a dreamy fable. ishiguro really knocked it out of the park honestly.

____

📓 do you read classic literature? if so, what’s your favorite classic? give your top 3 if you can’t choose just one!

Emma by Jane Austen was a favorite, mostly because Emma never wanted to marry and loved to meddle in other people's romantic lives, until some of her plans unravel in unexpected ways. Sure it turns into a romance eventually, but Emma is an intelligent, witty, and sometimes petty protagonist that I just had so much fun reading.

Anything by Mary Shelley, who I will call the grandmother of science fiction and horror. No one can convince me otherwise. She has a few novels, though Frankenstein is her most well known. All tackle complex and creepy as fuck subjects. Definitely one of the few "classics" I enjoyed reading.

The only author that predates her in the realm of science fiction is Margaret Cavendish, Duchess of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, whose book The Blazing World was published in the 1600s and dealt with someone going to an alien planet. So one can claim the first science fiction writer ever was Margaret Cavendish, a woman. The second one was Mary Shelley. :D ____

🥺 I covered in this post.

Thank you so much for asking! This was fun.

#books #fantasy books #science fiction books #classic literature #Ryka Aoki #Kazuo Ishiguro #Jane Austen #Mary Shelley #margaret cavendish

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searchingwardrobes · 2 years ago

Text

No Wives, No Mothers, No Lovers: 4/7

Two months since the last update is actually not that bad for me, haha. Thank you to everyone who is sticking with this fic. And Marta, I have a little surprise for you in this chapter. I hope you like the character I introduce here - she should sound familiar ;)

Summary: He must be hallucinating. Because Emma Swan is supposed to be in Miami, Florida where he left her. Emma Swan isn’t supposed to be on this rocky stretch of beach, completely drenched, and wearing a ball gown of all things. A Lieutenant Duckling AU (sort of) in which Emma is a siren who isn’t supposed to fall in love with a human.

Length: about 3k in this chapter

Rated: T

Previous Chapters: One | Two | Three

Also on Ao3

Tagging (please let me know if you would like to be added or removed): @teamhook @kmomof4 @jrob64 @xhookswenchx @winterbythesea @thisonesatellite @welllpthisishappening @spartanguard @ohmakemeahercules @tiganasummertree @sparlecorn93 @sals86 @pirateprincessofpizza @xarandomdreamx @zaharadessert @huntressandlioness1 @jamif @undercaffinatednightmare @onceratheart18 @sparlecorn93 @sals86 @pirateprincessofpizza @xarandomdreamx @zaharadessert @huntressandlioness1 @iverna @jonesfandomfanatic @whimsicallyenchantedrose

Emma and Killian dance to a string of fifties rock and roll songs as rain pelts the roof of the studio. She accepts the slow dances easily now, tucked against him with her cheek against his shoulder. The rain begins to slow as they sway to “Earth Angel.”

“Emma,” Killian says softly against her hair.

She lifts her gaze to his, her expression tender and relaxed.

“There’s somewhere else I wanted to take you, if that’s okay. The rain’s not so bad now.”

She smiles at him as she nods her head. He turns off the music, pockets his phone, and then the two of them gather up the remains of their lunch. Killian finds an abandoned umbrella in a dusty corner, and he exits the studio with Emma on his arm. She leans in close to keep herself out of the rain. It’s still coming down steadily, but the wind has died down.

Their destination is only two storefronts away from the dance studio. Killian opens the door for Emma, and a bell jingles as she dashes in out of the rain. Killian follows, shaking the raindrops from the umbrella. The bookstore is cozy and warm, and the proprietress comes towards them with an eager smile.

“Killian Jones, what a pleasure on such a gloomy day.”

“Marta,” Killian greets her, “I’m showing my friend here around Storybrooke. No tour is complete without visiting Once Upon a Time.”

Marta blushes and waves away his compliment. “That’s very sweet of you.” Then she turns to Emma. “Introduce me to your friend.”

“Marta, this is Emma, a friend from college. Emma, this is Marta, owner of the best bookstore in the world. She was the first friend I made when I came to this town as a lonely little boy. She introduced me to Neverland, Narnia, Middle Earth, and a dozen other magical realms.”

A beaming smile fills Marta’s face. “Killian devoured books as quickly as I could recommend them. Are you a fellow book lover, Emma?”

Emma scribbles on her notepad, and Killian explains to Marta that she is mute but can still hear. The woman takes it in stride as she reads what Emma has jotted down.

“You met Killian at the library?” Marta laughs. “Well, that definitely is a good sign.” Then she leans conspiratorially towards Killian. “I wouldn’t let her go if I were you.”

Killian clears his throat awkwardly as he feels his face warm. “Well, um, I wanted to show Emma some of my favorite spots in the store.”

“Sure, sure, go right ahead. I’ll be around if you need me.”

“Thank you, Marta.”

The woman returns behind the counter, and Killian leads Emma to the back of the store with a gentle hand to the small of her back. It’s the children’s section, and one corner of it is filled with a giant wooden tree covered in fabric leaves. A hole is cut in the base of the tree, and inside are piles of pillows. Fairy lights are strung inside to provide light for reading. He motions for Emma to crouch down with him and crawl inside. It’s a tighter fit than it was for him as a child, and he and Emma’s feet stick out of the hole.

“I spent hours here when we first moved to Storybrooke,” he explains. “I was small for my age, a bit of a nerd, and an outsider on top of everything else. I ran away from some bullies one day on my walk home from school and hid from them inside this tree. When I dared to peek out, Marta was there with a copy of Peter Pan and assurances that no one would bother me.”

Emma jots quickly on her notepad. How old were you?

“Seven. My mother left my father with nothing but the shirts on our backs. My grandfather told her not to run off with Brennan Jones, that he couldn’t be trusted, but she did it anyway. So when she brought us to Storybrooke, her hometown, she wasn’t sure my grandfather would let us stay. But he did.”

What was he like?

“A man of few words, a bit gruff, but kind. He’s the one who taught Liam and I to sail and to fish. Losing him was my first experience with real grief. I was twelve.”

I’m so sorry.

Killian lowers his gaze to his lap for a moment, unsure how to receive Emma’s sincere gaze and scribbled sentiments. Then he inhales, runs a hand through his hair, and exhales. He flashes Emma his most charming grin.

“But enough about me, Swan. I want to hear all about you. Tell me a story - about yourself.”

Emma’s brow furrows as she makes a sweeping gesture towards her notepad. Killian gently takes it from, as well as the pen, and sets it aside.

“I want you to speak freely. I realize I only know a random word here and there in ASL, but I want to hear you. Tell me a story, Emma, please?”

She rolls her eyes at his pleading but begins to sign anyway. She’s hesitant at first, but then she seems to lose herself in the story she’s telling. Her hands move rapidly, and her face is expressive. Sometimes her movements are harsh and jerking, sometimes rapid and exuberant, and other times flowing and melancholy. Her eyes at times sparkle with joy, then other times flood with the deepest sadness. At the end she points at him, and a peaceful smile lifts the corners of her mouth. Then she drops her arms to her sides and shrugs a bit sheepishly.

“That was beautiful,” he whispers. “I had no idea what you were saying, and yet I could feel the ups and downs of your emotions.”

A single tear slips down Emma’s cheek, and he reaches up gently to wipe it away with his thumb. His hand lingers there, tracing the line of her jaw. Emma gently grasps his wrist in both her hands and leans into his touch. The moment stretches, filled with a deep sense of peace even as Killian’s heart pounds in his chest. She takes the hand cupping her cheek and presses it to where her own heart beats a steady rhythm. He isn’t sure how, but he understands completely. She’s thanking him for seeing her, for hearing her in a way that goes beyond words. He feels as if he’s tethered to her, a thin yet strong cord binding his heart to hers. It’s so overwhelming, he has to break the tension. He waggles his eyebrows at her teasingly.

“And I also think you said something about me there at the end? How I’m devastatingly handsome?”

Emma shakes her head, but her smile is teasing. She releases his hand and leans back against the pillows.

“So, Swan? Are you ready to have the best clam chowder in the entire state of Maine?”

***********************************************************

“What do you mean you’ve never had seafood?” Killian can’t keep the incredulity out of

his voice as he leans back in a booth at Smee’s Seafood Shack. “You lived in Miami for two years, didn’t you?”

Emma shrugs, her arms crossed atop the laminated menu.

Killian shakes his head. “You can’t live in a coastal town for any length of time and not have seafood Swan.” Then he frowns. “Wait, you’re not allergic are you?”

Emma shakes her head then scribbles on her notepad.

I guess it would affect my friendship with a fisherman if I was allergic to seafood, wouldn’t it?

“Of course not,” Killian assures, “but, uh . . . it would make this a really bad choice for dinner.”

Not allergic. It just felt - Emma pauses, chewing on her bottom lip in a very distracting way - weird. I guess?

“Why would it be weird?”

Because they swim, I guess. And aren’t sea creatures rubbery? And salty?

Killian laughs, at the swimming comment at least. The rubbery and salty thing he’s heard before.

“As to the texture, it depends on what seafood you eat. As for the salt, I think that has more to do with how it’s cooked.”

I’m willing to try something new. You choose.

Since he isn’t sure what type of fish Emma, as a novice, will enjoy, he gets an assortment: clam chowder and crab cakes for appetizers, and fried cod filets and grilled salmon for the main course. Along with the sides, it's a lot of food, but Killian has barely spent a dime since coming home, and Smee always gives the Jones brothers a discount anyway, since they supply most of his “catches of the day.”

To Killian’s delight, Emma tries all of it, and the look on her face says she finds it all delicious, too. The clam chowder is definitely her favorite, while - according to the note she scribbles - the salmon is just “okay.” They share a slice of cheesecake to end the meal, and Emma leans back in her chair with a look of sleepy satisfaction.

“Told you,” he can’t help saying with a wink.

The napkin she throws at him is worth it.

************************************************************************

The rain is long gone as Killian and Emma stroll down the boardwalk away from the restaurant. Their hands brush as they walk, and he isn’t sure who moved first, but soon their fingers are laced together. Emma steps closer, loops her other arm through his, and rests her head on his shoulder. He turns to brush his lips across her temple.

“There’s one more place I want to take you, Emma.”

Their destination is just outside of town, and the two of them fall into comfortable silence as they walk. That’s one thing he’s always enjoyed about being around Emma: quiet isn’t awkward. It’s not just her muteness, either. It’s a sense of belonging, as odd as that seems.

“Here it is,” Killian says softly into the night.

He turns her to face the blue, beach-side Victorian. The moon is full, the stars are a bright splash across the dark blue sky, and moonbeams reflect off the surf behind the house. All of it make the house look as if it were lit up; dazzling to behold. Emma lets go of his arm and steps forward, running her hand along the white picket fence in front and gazing up at the house in wonder.

“It was my grandfather’s,” Killian explains. “This was where we lived when I first moved to Storybrooke.”

He guides her through the low front gate and up the porch steps. Emma’s eyes widen as he takes a key from his pocket.

“The house is mine and Liam’s now,” he explains to her. “He left it to my mother when he passed, and now she’s left it to us.”

Killian unlocks and opens the front door, then guides Emma inside. The house is completely furnished, including a telescope set up in front of the living room’s bay window.

“It’s an Airbnb right now,” Killian explains, “while we figure out what to do with the place. The memories are just too painful right now to live in it.”

He isn’t sure what Emma is thinking as she slowly walks through the dark and silent living room, her hands ghosting along the furniture. He flips on a lamp, giving them a bit more light, but anything more somehow feels wrong. It’s as if they’re both holding their breath in a sacred space.

Killian shows her the kitchen, then the upstairs with an impressive four bedrooms and three bathrooms. The master is the most jaw-dropping with its own set of bay windows. They take the narrow stairs up to the finished attic as well, and Emma drops onto the window seat of the one bedroom with a smile of delight.

“I don’t know if you noticed from outside,” he tells her, “but this is an actual turret. Like a castle for a princess or something. As a matter of fact, this was my mother’s room as a teenager. They finished it for her.”

Killian guides Emma back downstairs to the ground floor, and then out the back to the wrap-around porch. The sea is only a short pebbled path away, and he guides her down the steps and down to the end of the path. They’re still standing just at the edge of the beach where the sea grass tickles their ankles when Killian turns her gently to face him, taking both her hands in his.

“Emma, there’s a reason I brought you here tonight. I know communicating isn’t easy, but I feel like you and I still understand one another. I may not know where you come from, who you are, or . . . what you are . . .”

That last bit was a gamble, he knows. The way Emma’s head snaps up and her eyes widen in shock tells him that his suspicions are correct. She pulls away a little, but he holds more tightly to her hands.

“And I won’t ask you to tell me, Emma, don’t worry. But I can see that you’re sad. You’re scared too, aren’t you?”

She lowers her gaze to the sea grass, and he has to gently lift her chin so their eyes meet once again.

“Whatever you’re afraid of, Emma, I want you to have a safe place to run to. That’s why I brought you here. I get the feeling you have to go soon, but this place is here whenever you need a haven. No questions asked. Come and go as you please.”

Emma’s mouth opens in a silent gasp, and she blinks at a sudden moisture in her eyes. He steps forward and cups her face in his hands.

“We’re connected, Emma. Can’t you feel it? But I won’t expect of you what you can’t give. So this house is yours. I’ll take it off Airbnb. No one will be here to bother you, I promise.” His thumbs caress her cheeks as a smile lifts his lips. “Though I do hope you’ll let me know whenever you’re in town.”

The tears finally spill onto her cheeks, and Killian can no longer resist the pull he feels towards her. He lowers his face and presses his lips to hers. Emma slides her hands up his chest and around his neck as she tilts her head and parts her lips for him. The kiss is both tender and deep with an edge of hunger. Killian buries his fingers in her soft hair as he swipes his tongue against hers. She responds with eagerness, and Killian kisses her more aggressively, drinking her deeply, though he can never get enough of her.

When they finally part, lips swollen and hair mussed, Emma breathes out one word: “Wow.”

His mind has barely registered that Emma actually spoke when it’s taken over completely by the melody of Emma’s voice. It’s the most enchanting sound he’s ever heard, leaving an ache in his heart for only one thing: the sea.

He turns toward the crashing waves and begins walking towards them. If he doesn’t reach the water, he’ll die, he’s sure of it. He hears Emma’s voice again beside him, her hands yanking at him frantically.

“Killian! Killian, wake up! Stop, Killian! No! No, please no!”

Her words are nonsensical to him, though. All he can hear is her music. Calling, calling, calling him out to sea. He knows she’s crying and begging, but he doesn’t understand why. He needs the ocean more than his next breath.

“I’m sorry, Killian, please, please snap out of it! Don’t go, please don’t go!”

It’s driving him mad now, the way she’s trying to stop him. Why would she? The sea is what he wants, what he desperately needs. He shrugs Emma off, and she falls to her backside in the sand. The surf is crashing against his knees now, but it isn’t enough. The ocean wants to embrace him completely, and he has no desire to fight it.

He plunges beneath the cold waves. The tide is strong, and it sucks him under. Something is dragging him down, down, into the depths. From the dark recesses of his mind, something primal fights back. He doesn’t want to die.

Then Emma is there, wrapping her arms around him and trying to pull him up to the surface. Funny, he can hear her perfectly even though they’re underwater. She’s crying and begging, but she isn’t begging Killian anymore.

“Save him,” she pleads, “save him, and I’ll do anything.”

He isn’t sure who she’s talking to, but he swears he feels something powerful and angry swirl around him.

I don’t want to die, he thinks again. But the ocean is no longer embracing him; it’s crushing him. Then everything goes black.

#cs ff #cs fanfic #captain swan fanfic #captain swan ff #lieutenant duckling #sort of #they're younger but still have trauma #modern fantasy #sirens #emma as a siren #au of siren by kiera cass

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flowersandfashion · 7 months ago

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Eloise,

I just wanted to say thank you for your blog. This is going to sound insane but the pipeline to finding your account went like this:

I've been struggling with lots of stuff ranging from my girlfriend of a few years breaking up with me to me heavily struggling with being sexualized by people close to me. All in all, I was looking for posts about womanhood and the like but as a femme sapphic woman, I felt so connected to your account. The aesthetics of it just really made me feel at ease and happy.

I was just curious, do you have any favorite pieces of media like books or movies you really love? I'm just trying to surround myself with stuff like that to help me feel better.

Sorry for all of that, just wanted to spread some love and appreciation. :))

- 🪻

Hello you gorgeous soul, thank you so much for taking the time to write this, you've made my day 💖 This blog is truly just me compiling pretty things that bring me joy, so it's lovely to think that it can have a similar effect on others.

I'm sorry you're having a rough time, in addition to sending you virtual hugs and kisses (xoxoxo), I have no shortage of media recommendations (especially with themes of sapphic womanhood) to offer you:

Anne with an E (2017-2019)

This is my go-to whenever I'm feeling anxious. Not only are the aesthetics absolutely gorgeous, but I adore the way it focuses on female friendships and finding your own identity. It's not afraid to address dark topics but always has an overall message of love and acceptance. I especially love how this adaptation represents queer identity too (Anne and Diana are girlfriends to me. and god bless Cole and Josephine).

I highly recommend the original novel Anne of Green Gables too! The show definitely captures the vibes perfectly so if you like one, you'll like the other.

A League of Their Own (2022)

I couldn't care less about baseball but I do love queer found family and women solidarity, and this has it in spades. All the characters are so loveable and it's just a nice heartwarming story (and very sad at points, but definitely uplifting as a whole).

Heartstopper (2022–)

Truly the ultimate queer comfort show. I don't have any particular thoughts about it that haven't been expressed by other people more eloquently. But my opinions can be summarised simply as: it's good, it's really good, it's so wholesome, the characters are so loveable, I love it.

Emma (2020)

This film is so goddamn pretty. I could watch it on mute and still have a great time just from all the beautiful costumes and cinematography. But the plot is delightful too. Dare I say that this film captures Jane Austen's wit and satire better than any other adaptation. I love how all of her novels portray women finding their way in the world and navigating relationships with friends and family, but I think Emma is especially great in this regard. (Also, Emma and Harriet are girlfriends to me).

Again, I would also recommend the novel Emma. It's quite a challenging read if you're not used to the writing style, but delightful once you get into it. And if we're talking Jane Austen novels, Persuasion is also a favourite of mine (definitely don't watch that film though).

Dating Amber (2020)

This is a tragically underappreciated Irish, queer, coming of age indie film. It's basically about a gay guy and lesbian who pretend to date each other in high school in 1990s Ireland. It's very funny (also sad at times) but ultimately very heartwarming.

Because I'm a sucker for a gay/lesbian beards found family trope, I also recommend these book: The Inverts (1920s lavender marriage, very funny, Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo vibes) and Gwen & Art Are Not in Love (Arthurian legend beard relationship, also very funny and camp, BBC Merlin vibes [if you get me]).

And if you like Dating Amber, you'll probably also like Handsome Devil. Another Irish, queer, coming of age indie film (but mlm-centric). It stars the same actor as Dating Amber (Fionn O'Shea), alongside a baby-faced Nicholas Galitzine and Andrew Scott. Imagine Dead Poets Society vibes, except instead of being about Romantic poetry, it's about New Romantic music. And explicitly gay and with a happier ending. (Sorry, this is like four recommendations in one).

The House in the Cerulean Sea

This book is described on the cover as 'like being wrapped up in a big gay blanket', and that is a very accurate description. Imagine Good Omens except it's Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (I'm half convinced it's ineffable husbands fanfic tbh). This book made me cry happy tears, it's so incredibly heartwarming and uplifting. Top-notch found family and agonisingly slow-burn pining.

Other honourable mentions:

Please Like Me (2013-2016)

One Day at a Time (2017-2020)

Gentleman Jack (2019-2022)

Little Women (2019)

Pride (2014)

Ladybird (2018)

#if anyone has other recommendations feel free to leave them in the replies xx #film recommendations #tv recommendations #book recommendations #anne with an e #a league of their own #heartstopper #emma 2020 #dating amber #the house in the cerulean sea

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queenlucythevaliant · 2 years ago

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An Autobiography in Books

We made a list, my mom and I, of all the picture books we loved best

All the Places to Love, which made my mom and my aunt cry together on a summer day once and I didn't understand why

Miss Rumphius

Miss Fanny's Hats

Doctor Suess's books - all of them. We used to have Suess-a-thons on snow days, all curled up together under covers in my parent's bed.

The Best Place, which was probably our favorite

(I would still like to have a screen porch someday, like the Old Wolf)

We had only just moved when we listened to Mr. Revere and I in the car on cassette tape. My parents had to pause it every few chapters to answer our questions, but after we finished with it I played Sons of Liberty with my dolls for years.

And over the years, my parents must have read the Laura and Mary books (so I called them) aloud to me twenty or thirty times. Silver Lake was my favorite. I didn't much mind which parent read them to me, except for Farmer Boy. That book belonged exclusively to my dad.

Pages and pages. I'm in my pajamas with a glass of chocolate milk. My mom or my dad sits on the edge of my bed. Ramona and Avonlea and Where the Red Fern Grows.

My first grade teacher read us a picture book that had a witch in it. I told my mom when I got home. "Can you write me a note to sit out?" I asked, thinking of the previous year's Halloween party.

"What was the book called?" my mom asked me.

"The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe."

My mom laughed. "That's a Christian book," she said. "There's a longer version. We can read it together."

My mom's copy of Little Women had gilt pages and the most beautiful painted illustrations. Sometimes, I would open the book up and flip through it, just to look at the pictures and feel the paper on my hands.

I still dream about running away to live in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, like Claudia in From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler.

There was a book called For Freedom, which almost no one else seems to have heard of.

It was about a teenage girl training to be an opera singer in occupied France.

She was a spy who carried coded messages in the hollowed out heel of her shoe.

In the end, her voice gave out while singing Carmen, which to me seemed a fate worse than death.

She- the girl in the book- would pray: "God, make me brave. Make me brave and make me sing. Protect my family. Make me brave."

I won a Hunger Games trivia contest at my library before Mockingjay was released.

In sixth grade, my friends and I all read Shannon Hale's The Books of Bayern together. There were four of us and four female heroines. We each chose one and we played pretend: Elizabeth was Isi, Lauren was Dasha, Morgan was Rin, and I was Enna

(And then!)

My whole world blossomed into color when I read Gone with the Wind. I had never known such books existed! I remember a kind of frenetic eagerness. A thousand pages in less than a week, and I came away with a fierce, joyful love for messy antiheroines, sprawling epics, and bittersweet endings.

"Recommend me some more of your favorites!" I begged my mother. She handed me Jane Austen, Edith Wharton, the Brontes.

Jane Eyre was a challenge. I was forever flipping to the footnotes in the back of the book, translating the French dialogue and making note of all the words I didn't know. My reading pace was like frozen molasses and I remember several times thinking "Why is this so much harder than Gone with the Wind?"

But by the end, I saw myself in Jane. I was quiet, like her, and I hoped I could capture some of her integrity.

I read Kristin Cashore's Fire right in the middle of my forray into Jane Austen: Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility before, Emma and Persuasion after. For that reason, my mind insists on erroneously filing Fire with Austen's work, a sort of forbidden sixth novel. It does feature

a beautiful, clever heroine who plays an instrument and wanders through the forest,

a romance with a stern but kind young military man,

and issues of class, wealth, and family,

so maybe it's an okay thing if it stays.

Anna Karenina was magic, pure and simple. I couldn't shut up about it. Eventually, my friends begged me to stop quoting. "I think you're even more into Anna Karenina than Narnia nowadays!" This assertion offended me; Narnia will always be my favorite.

(Here, I started high school.)

How to describe the first experience I had with The Age of Innocence?

I read it sitting in a sunbeam over several summer afternoons.

When I was finished, I flipped it back over and read it again.

I think I mostly wanted to embrace Ellen and tell her she was very brave.

I wanted to tell Archer that he wasn't, but that he should be.

My dad gave me a copy of The Story of Earth by Robert Hazen. It was a secular history of Earth's geology and biology, but it had just the slimmest glimmer of theism around the edges. I think this book has set the course of my life more directly than any other.

I read War and Peace and Atlas Shrugged back to back the same summer I read The Story of Earth. What a summer of ideas that was.

More needs be said about War and Peace: I set out to read it because I wanted to conquer it, but then I read Natasha and Sonya gazing at the lovely moon with Andrei below. I was still in my sundress and gold eyeliner from church, and reading Natasha's "Oh, how lovely," I felt positively celestial.

So it was that conquest became a love affair.

The Killer Angels came in the first full year of my battle with chronic illness. It was hopeful, brave and sad; it made me proud to be an American and equally proud to be fighting my own small battle. I wondered if I had any hope of winning.

On the mornings when I didn't have migraines, I sat on a certain bench outside the gym complex with a book until 7:59. I ignored everyone who spoke to me.

I didn't like The Lord of the Rings the first time I read it. I was dreadfully disappointed because I expected to find Narnia. Yet in the pages of The Return of the King, I found no Aslan, only Aragorn.

(Here, I began college.)

The Far Pavilions was just the epic I needed my first year. The migraines were bad; I was alone and in pain and my thoughts were muddled, but whenever Ash thought how unfair his lot was, I felt a little better in mine.

After considerable peer-pressure, I re-read The Lord of the Rings- on it's own terms this time- and at last I loved it.

Then I read The Silmarillion and made all the same mistakes.

It took me four attempts to finally understand the glory of Tolkien's writings.

I read most of The Gulag Archipelago crammed in the back of a van on a road trip to Florida. It was too loud - people talking over one another, radio cranked up high - and I could barely move my legs from where they were pinned to the seat in front of me. My shoulders spasmed and ached. I felt that book in some small yet visceral way. My physical discomfort made the suffering more immediate, which allowed the Solzhenitsyn's knife-words to cut me deeper than they could have otherwise.

Solzhenitsyn got some stuff wrong, my dad says. He just didn't have access to the best information. Try Anne Applebaum, if you really want to know about the gulags. But how can I replicate the experience of reading The Gulag Archipelago in the back of that van?

I was reading Nicolas and Alexandra the next-to last-time I saw my grandfather alive. We sat in the cafeteria in his nursing home and I recounted the most interesting bits for him.

I wasn't finished reading it by the time I left. I'm glad I was reading history that trip; my granddad already knew the ending.

Villette was a book about loneliness and Protestantism. It made me feel less lonely and more Protestant, which is exactly what I look for in a new favorite book.

(Okay fine, I do quite like Wuthering Heights actually, though I wouldn't call it a favorite. Are you happy?)

I picked up The October Horse for quite a shallow reason: because I learned that Julius Caesar was an epileptic, and epilepsy is quite closely related to migraine.

Julius Caesar and Ulysses S. Grant, those were my guys. However, I'd read Grant's memoir all the way back in fifth grade, so Caesar it was.

The rich velvet of Colleen McCullough 's writing came as a delightful surprise, and The Thorn Birds (soon to be another favorite) soon followed.

(It's getting harder to write this now. It's harder to write about more recent history, even indirectly.)

The Master and Margarita was strange and fascinating and I couldn't look away. I have spoken and written hundreds and thousands of words trying to explain it's appeal. I have evangelized on behalf of this book, but ultimately all I can say is: Go read it. Read it right now.

The Sparrow made me weep more times than I would like to admit. Like Emilio Sandoz, in reading it I felt naked before God. How horrible and how lovely a thing it was.

Which of this year's books will I carry with me into the future? This Too Shall Last for practical advice? Dead Souls for justice, Pyrenesi for joy, Deathless for beautiful prose? The Queen of Attolia for friendship, perhaps, or Six of Crows for my sister? Only time will tell which shapes me most.

#this is super self indulgent #but i think anyone who reads it will understand /me/ on a very deep level #if anyone else would be interested in writing a piece similar to this i would be super super interested in reading it!#i think 'here are the books that have mattered to me' is one of the best glimpses of anyone's heart that there is #because (say it with me):#literature makes us more human #that said it ended up way longer than expected (and I still left out a LOT of favorites) so congrats to you if you read it #i did very much have an audience of me when i wrote it #pontifications and creations

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