#I have... like... 1-3 stories that I might remember that I'd like to reread since they are the ones that gave me the most feelings

[tapakah0]

Okay... it's... It's already in January huh... So I DID miss a war, a warning for war if to be more precise The comic, as how it feels for me, takes a more calmer pace of story since everyone is saved now and *chuckles* who the heck can harm these huge retired mutants pfff? and there feels like not so much of a plots to explain and show So... I try not to expect anything and enjoy because it feels like a finish line for me and I really am intrigued what you're planning for 12th

Cass do you

Do you have something special planned for the 12th of January? Since its the special day ever yknow?

I do actually, yes. But I feel..you all gonna have very mixed feelings about that

[reflections-in-a-critical-eye]

10 Jikook Fanfictions Part 1

I said I'd make a list before the end of the year and I kept my promise. Now, it's difficult to choose, especially when I have more than 300 bookmarks and unfortunately I also started doing that some year and a half ago. Safe to say, there's probably plenty of good fics I read that are now lost. Anyway, enough with the boring chit chat, here's 10 random jikook fics in no particular order and most likely, several other parts will follow, probably next year 😉

1. Dead in the Water

It's been a couple of years since I read this and honestly, I barely remember much, but what I do know it's that it had an impact on me. Usually fics that have death as a central theme end up resonating with me, but perhaps it's because I've always been attracted to more darker fiction. This one is gritty and there's a lot of pain and I must have cried a lot (those tend to stick in my head)

2. we're holding hands beneath the silver screen

I think this story is taking place in the 90s (you'll see that a lot of the fics I recommend are taking place in the past). I think I ended up reading everything ChimneyCricket wrote, but this one remained a favorite. Coming of age during a summer in Jeju in the 90s. Apart from the theme, it's the writing that made me stick with it.

I'm not the biggest fan of young adult stories. Or better yet, it's not something that I'd go to as a preference. When I do, it's more of an indulgence and thankfully, I found some writers (like this one) who can do a really good job with the genre.

3. Stockwell

Another writer that I've become a big fan of after reading one fic of theirs. And I think it might have been Stockwell that did it for me. I like that it's fanfiction with adult themes for an adult audience. And I also resonate with a lot of the cultural references and themes. I will also admit that this fic leaning into the enemies to lovers trope was a selling point because I'm a sucker for it. I can't help myself.

4. Burn for You

This is a complete self indulgence for me and I embrace it. Just like watching Bridgerton is a guilty pleasure for which I don't actually feel guilty (and the inspo for this fic). This story has everything and I must say the combination of lust, fear of revealing feelings, rumors, proper behavior and hidden romance is a lethal combination!

5. Light of a century

I might have recommended this story before, but it being inspired by Up on Poppy Hill is not just due to the plot, but the writing is able to evoke that studio Ghibli mood. This fic is to be read on a hot weekend afternoon.

6. Map of the Soul

This might be one of the most complex fanfictions I read due to the amount of research needed, but also in the depiction of political contexts and identity politics. Most of all, I like it because as much as relationships are a vital part of the story, there is an entire world surrounding the main characters. Events and other people that have also room to develop and not just remain props that advance the story.

7. Proceed with Caution

I don't know what snatchim did with this fic, but it's the only one I ever reread multiple times and I'll probably do it again in the future. I don't even reread books from my library, let alone fanfics. But Proceed with Caution did it for me. Perhaps it's because of the process of Jungkook inevitably falling for Jimin and even though it's a bad thing considering the context, it's so good. Maybe it's the image of Jimin with a bellybutton ring or maybe because the picture of hot Californian days in the 70s is so vivid, it feels like a nostalgic Paul Thomas Anderson movie.

8. Dishwater World They Said Was Lemonade

The description does not do this story justice because it's so much more than that. It's a canon compliant thriller with really complicated and complex characters and once again, a story meant for adults who understand that it's fiction. Unfortunately, judging by the comment section, a lot of people cannot distinguish betweem real people and characters. For those of you who might be fans of Korean thrillers, this story might be the one for you. It's also one of my favorite jikook fics as well.

9. souvlaki

Need I say more, considering the description? This is a self indulgence as well, but of a different kind. If I happily read tropey fics, I also like the ones that can sound like a uni course. Set during the 1997 FMI crisis in SK, any reader will get familiar with a socioeconomic and political perspective of that time through the eyes of the main characters. If you're only looking for romance, this one is not for you.

10. you wouldn't remember

I think littleflumes might be currently my favorite writer of canon compliant jikook. I think the author really captured their dynamic in its essence and the room left for fiction perfectly fills in the holes left in the last 2 years and up until the present. But what did it for me, not only with this story, but the others in the series as well, is that it's concentrated almost entirely on the two main characters, almost living in a bubble of their own in which their relationship can be explored.

[cultivating-wildflowers]

Books of 2025 - June

1) I completed a book I've been reading since January, 2) I finally read my first nonfiction of the year, and 3) I completed a series. All in all: so refreshing, especially considering how May went.

Total books: 6  |  New reads: 5   |  2025 TBR completed: 3 (0 DNF) / 5/18 total   |   Total books read this year: 33

May | July

#1 - Within the Sanctuary of Wings by Marie Brennan - 4/5 stars (audio)

I am so conflicted about this book.

In terms of quality compared to the rest of the series, I'd say it held up. It followed the same general order as its prequels, the pacing was as good as ever, the world-building continued to meet expectations, the ending was solid--but overall the story fell flat for me.

I don't think I was ever as invested in the whole "who were the ancient draconics?" question as readers are meant to be. (My apologies to Suhail.) Cool ancient civilization? Fine, good, that's a great under-girding for a story about naturalists and archaeologists. But somehow I missed the hint that our eventual goal was answering the question of just who those people were. Maybe I just wasn't paying attention....

I'm pretty confident a lot of it is down to personal taste, though. SPOILER> I've never been a fan of dragon stories where one off-shoot dragon species is sentient and humanoid. It's weird how often that comes up.... And every time, I go, "Ok...? Meh?" It's just weird to me. <SPOILER As always, I loved Isabella as a character, and I even loved the discussions of comparative mythology. Usually that's my jam!

So now I'm just vaguely frustrated. Content (this is not The Other Wind all over again) but frustrated.

#2 - Stand Still, Stay Silent, vol 3 by Minna Sundberg - 4/5 stars (reread)

Soooooo it turns out I got much much further into this story than I thought when I was reading the webcomic. There is one event in the story that I clearly remembered and it didn't happen until the end of this volume. Here I was thinking I'd only ever got about halfway through the story.

(The rest of the story remains such a haze that I might as well be reading it all for the first time.)

Onni remains my favorite, poor boy, but I think I most relate to Mikkel (because of course I most relate to the cook).

The ending didn't pack quite the punch that it did the first time, probably because I spent the entire book braced for it. The rest feels somewhat transitory. I'm fairly certain most of the final volume is officially new material, though, and I definitely don't know how it ends.

#3 - Maskerade by Terry Pratchett - 4/5 stars

It's Granny and Nanny and Greebo. Of course I had fun.

AND I figured out the twist pretty early, so I'm proud about that.

#4 - Idylls* of the King by Alfred Tennyson - 4/5 stars ('25 TBR, audio)

First of all, the narrator for this audiobook had the perfect voice: rich and deep and epic. So so good.

As for the story itself, I predictably struggled to follow some of the finer points, and I'm confident most of that would have been fixed by actually reading the words (perhaps in tandem with the narration). It only took me part of the first chapter to catch my stride with the language and tone. However, once I found my footing I loved the narrative style. Definitely one I would love to revisit and linger over a little more.

(Admittedly, I lost the plot at several points, including "Merlin and Vivien" and "The Last Tournament". Also I'm still ticked at Arthur. You aren't the epitome of all that is pure and blameless and good in my book if you can't manage your own household, you moron.)

* the narrator pronounces it "id-dill", and I'm pretty sure it's pronounced like "idle". but whatever.

#5 - Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea by Barbara Demick - 5/5 stars ('25 TBR, audio)

In a change from In Order to Live and Escape from Camp 14, Nothing to Envy takes a wide-lens look at general life in North Korea from the 80's/90's through to the early 2000's (this book was published in 2009). Rather than following a single person's life story, Demick focuses on one city and six different people who lived there, including a medical doctor, a school teacher, and a mother. Demick's ability to lay out a narrative and draw together all of the threads is excellent; the picture she paints horrifyingly vivid. This one has been on my list for years and I'm glad I finally got to it.

(Barbara Demick has written several other books that I am now considering adding to my list.)

#6 - Kristin Lavransdatter: The Wreath by Sigrid Undset, tr. Tiina Nunnally - 4/5 stars ('25 TBR, Top 5 Anticipated Read)

I have no justification for why this took me a full six months to finish, and that only the first book in the set.

I had originally planned to treat this as one book because that's how I had access to it, but I realized partway through that it made more sense to treat it like the LOTR trilogy. Which took some of the pressure off. Not all of it, of course; because while I enjoyed my reading when I made myself sit down and read--and I got through sections pretty quickly when I had the time--this was not a book I ever felt myself craving to return to.

The setting is splendid. It truly is a historical epic in the romantic style. The cast of characters are so rich and their lives so colorful that I loved those aspects wholly. The language is simple but evocative, and I understand this is a better and more faithful translation than previous attempts, which I appreciate.

Kristin herself is complicated. I found myself comparing her story to Gone With the Wind for some reason, even though I hate that movie and remember almost none of the details.... She frustrated me, I suppose. It's not entirely her fault: coddled and adored by her father, neglected by her mother, thrown out into the world with little guidance or protection and preyed upon by the wolves there. I wouldn't call her willfully ignorant or foolish, and yet there's something about her that irritated me. Hence the Gone With the Wind comparison.

In all, I can see why this is considered a classic, if an oft-overlooked one. I can see why the people who love it love it so fervently. And I suspect that will only become more evident in the sequels. Once I find the wherewithal to dig into those.

As a side note, there is some content in this story that certain readers probably wouldn't appreciate. It's not graphic or gratuitous but it is there. Weirdly (perhaps naively) I was not expecting it.

Also now I need a new book to fulfill the "K" title in my alphabet titles challenge....

Currently Reading:

Moira's Pen by Megan Whalen Turner - Still picking my way through this one. I'll probably have it finished by the end of July.

Frontier Wolf by Rosemary Sutcliff - I only started this a couple of days ago, but it's not drawing me in like the previous books in this series did. Possibly a slow read ahead.

Note: I had Pawn in Frankincense listed in my "currently reading" last month, but I literally read eleven pages at the tail end of May and nothing since. So I put it on hold. When I get back to it, I'm just going to start over.

[sebadztian]

Hello. My condolences to you, author. I understand how hard it is to lose a loved one, especially a grandfather and/or grandmother.1. Do you have any favorite headcanons about SebaCiel? If so, what are they?2. In your opinion, how will the manga/anime end? I would like it to have a happy ending.3. What do you think about the possibility of our Ciel becoming a demon in the finale of the manga/anime and leaving England with Sebastian? How do you feel about that? Would you want such an ending? Honestly, I would love for our Ciel to be happy with someone (Sebastian) he trusts and who would never betray him.4. Do you think Yana has left any hints in the manga suggesting that our Ciel might become a demon? For example, the real Ciel's outfit resembles/is identical to the outfit of Demon Ciel from Season 2.

Hello, anon!

First of all, thank you very much!

And now, let's answer your questions...

1. Yes! I have many HCs. Here are some of them:

> Demons cannot truly sleep unless they feel safe. So, Sebastian can only fall asleep when he's with Ciel and when he knows that they're both safe. I even wrote a short story about this.

> Since Sebas is a demon who doesn't eat, dinner dates are out of the question. So, they like to play chess, go stargazing (on top of a skyscraper or going to a planetarium), or cozy up together in front of the fireplace and Sebas would read to Ciel.

> Some demons are fated to have a soulmate and Sebastian found his when he met Ciel. And demons can only fall in love once in their life, and only with their soulmate.

2. I too would like a happy ending, although it looks like the manga would end in a tragedy. Sebastian would take Ciel's soul and then he'd be a lonely demon, somehing that he'd never felt in his long life because in three short years, Ciel has managed to make this demon more human.

But let's talk about happy ending! Which leads me to your next question...

3. Yes, if there's a 'happy ending', then this would be it! While I'm not really a fan of S2 (because of Claude & Hannah), I think the ending is great. This way, Ciel gets to live forever. But in my own version of HEA, Sebastian would be the one who turned Ciel into a demon and take him as a mate and they'd leave England and travel and see the world, get married/bonded, and be together forever. You're right in saying that Sebastian would never betray Ciel. And I'd love to see their relationship grows to the point that the demon would never betray Ciel out of his own will, not because of the contract term, if you know what I mean.

4. Hm... This one is a very interesting question! I haven't noticed anything so far, but I'll be sure to keep this question in mind when I do my reread. As far as I can remember, there's no such thing. But then again, I've never really looked at the manga from this particular angle.

Thank you again for your ask and your kind words about my grandfather. I really appreciate it!

[jade-of-mourning]

sooooo I’ve recently stopped being dead to the world

I had to backtrack and reread down to your answer to my last ask (which,,, thoughts,, when you manage to beat them into submission pls pls pls pls share everything) because I haven’t touched tumblr in a hot second but then I saw your post about lok s1 (and specifically s1 korra) and,,,

okay so this is me and my dumb hyperfixation talking but how do you think the rest of tlok would’ve gone if makorra wasn’t ruined. like just in general, what do you think would’ve changed?? if anything??

keeping this short but like. brain worms are munching. cuz the way their characters developed and how they each influenced each other. how would that have ended like. romantically. like what if korra burned bright and bright and bright and offered her soul and her strength and every one of her fingernails in love and mako bit his lip hard enough to offer blood in a kiss. what if they were a little bit insane by the end of everything.

sorry that doesn’t make any sense!

love

🐌

hey snailon!!! i've missed you <3 i've been hella busy myself (cough i have four ap tests in a row next week) but it's always lovely to see you around haha

hmm there are definitely a fair share of really well written meta regarding a not-slanderized makorra, but i don't really have any specific links on me rn. i'll just give you my sparknotes version of what i'd imagine, which might end up combined with stuff i've read from other people that i don't remember reading

i'd probably postpone them more than the series did — which, granted, they did write it with one season in mind, so i'll give them that. (i would argue that it's still a valid explanation for certain writing choices, because even though the books were commissioned before the release of their predecessors, it's not like the writers get to just rewrite the ending spontaneously bc episodes aren't constructed chronologically lol) okay ignoring that tangent

i'm okay with the love triangle in season 1 as it is because even though it's insane, it also checks out on all parts for korra, asami, and mako in terms of backstory and personality at this point in the story. korra is socially unaware because she never interacted with people her age or really Society, asami is desperately lonely and values good intent above all else, and mako is also impressively socially stunted and has the pressure of financial concerns as well. (if it were up to me, i would either just commit to korrasami or makorra from the start and add in the third if going in the throuple direction. i'm going off on a tangent again)

i have conflicting feelings about endgame. on one hand, makorra is so full circle by concluding the way they do here — mako's first encounter with korra he treats her like he doesn't give a shit that she's the avatar, the first person to ever do so; yet, by the end when korra's absolutely devastated and believes her only value was as the avatar, mako tells her straight up that he doesn't care if she's the avatar or not, as he has all along. it's genuinely so cute and i could honestly write so many more words about it than i did. but at the same time, i just would like to think that after the shitshow love triangle, they would put off getting together, perhaps as an overcompensation upon recognizing how they hurt asami.

since the latter route is the au i've decided to follow, so be it. in endgame, korra and mako still have their full circle moment and spinny-hug, but instead of kissing in front of naga they just longingly pine into one another's eyes. excessively so the viewers know. okay cut

season 2 they are rekindling their friendships with asami and asami is tired of watching them dance around their feelings for one another and also maybe pining just a little bit for korra but huh what. i would actually have to rewrite the entirety of lok to shift s2 into a readable mess. korra is still amazing as always and saves the world as always. oh also throw in some korrasami with the family betrayal theme. yeah i don't want to think too hard about this

see the struggle is that i love krew!friendship in season 3 so much but at the same time i feel like end of season 2 is the perfect time for a makorra get-together instead of a makorra breakup, seeing that korra has literally changed the entire world all by herself because she is so amazing. so alas, we'll go with end of season 2. mako no longer lives under his desk to hide from korrasami and in the two weeks between s2 and s3 they are done with their honeymoon phase so they'll just be as they are through s3 tbh. honestly there was so much makorra shipteasing throughout canon s3 that i don't really think there'd need to be too much rewriting. they're still the level-head/kick-the-door-down-subtlety duo within the krew dynamics and they're still clearly very important to each other specifically. the makorra hug before korra goes up to face zaheer might be drawn out even more and maybe something sweet couples say idk. (i have so much rizz i know wht i'm saying)

korra gets even more trauma for a lifetime (again), and three years pass. korra writes to asami once as in canon because by the time she feels human enough to pick up a pen, she doesn't even know how to talk to mako, let alone try to address the guilt of ignoring the guy who devoted himself to her so thoroughly. asami understands what it is to lose. mako (& bolin) has lost more than anyone else once perhaps but i think that the trauma repression means that that was never processed and he would be terrible to talk to about any of this. he's been there, but he doesn't understand it, if that makes sense.

okay so korra comes back, makorrasami dinner (ig the shitling that canon wu is is there also), makorrasami train fight, then we have remembrances and beyond the wilds — y'know, the korrasami/makorra episodes respectively. korra is now experiencing feelings for both of them Oh Fuck. by default i would say that masami has been hooking up through these three years but since makorra was a thing through s3 then i retract that; however, their friendship has rekindled very deeply as the only two members of the krew left in the city. and mako & korra have not discussed what they were or what they want to be at all, just been adamantly dancing around the subject.

blah blah kuvira blah blah city blows up then the wedding then bam!!!! mako's love confession to korra is actually a love confession to korra (wdym "i'll follow you into battle no matter how crazy things get; i've got your back and i always will" ISN'T a confession of love). korra is joined by both mako and asami after tenzin leaves, asami grieves, and the three of them have a moment together that has very heavy implications for throuple-ism. then bolin pulls up very devastated that he has missed the final krew party. cue the laughter, cue korra's final delivery of "i'll always try to restore balance" bc it should've been here instead as the three of them stare at the changed city before them, and cut.

(yes krew should've had the final scene together. i've said it before that i don't think korrasami was particularly well written, but i still like them and the ending is still very sweet. however, i hate that they completely disregarded the rest of the cast for the final episode instead of giving them a scene together, even if not the very last one, bc of how that translated over into the entire fandom… i mean what. and the spirit world vacation is a sweet sentiment but also i feel that korra would never immediately go leave on a vacation immediately after everything that just happened and her declarations of duty. i don't think i articulated that very well. but yes.)

[grey-eyed-gemini]

The Library Project: Part 2

Ok so maybe I was a little ambitious to think I'd be done with the next two shelves by May. In my defense... there is no defense I literally just kept getting sidetracked by books at my library;; also I may have. Broken a few of my own rules here a Lil but it was for good reasons I promise. (Also this is my project so I can do what I want so there)

Anyways! Shelves 3 and 4 are complete, meaning this bookshelf (bar the oversized books on the top) is finished. And, bonus, every book that was loose in the living room or stacked elsewhere is now on a shelf! (excluding Nona the Ninth cause obviously she needs to be with the other two, and we're not at that shelf yet)

So, without further ado, the shelves! And again, spoilers for basically every book discussed.

As we can see, definite improvement.

The Dark is Rising Sequence by Susan Cooper: TOSS

I remember reading The Dark is Rising when I was younger, and it is an excellent spooky Christmas tale, and will is an excellent protag. However. That's book 2. The other main characters, the ones from book 1? Gods I really could not like them i found them so dull to follow. Which made their book dull. And not only are they the leads in book 1, but they show up in books 3-5 as well! As an overall story the series is very good, but i just. Can not see past them. I might get a pretty copy of The Dark is Rising at some point, since it can stand alone, but since this was a matched set, out it goes.

His Dark Materials by Phillip Pullaman: KEEP/TOSS

I love his dark materials. I love Lyra, who is such a brat yet has such a strong moral compass. I love the world building and the suspense and I absolutely adore the heartbreak of being separated by universes. Ugh so good. But. While I do love his dark materials. It's not like The Old Kingdom where I want multiple copies. I really dont need an omnibus AND a set. So I kept the omnibus and tossed the set.

Lyra's Oxford and Serpentine by Phillip Pullman: KEEP/TOSS

Two of the novellas related to his dark materials. Lyras Oxford is a nice, quick story set right after Amber Spyglass, and expands Oxford nicely, so kept that. Serpentine, however. I found to be basically pointless. It has the bare whisper of a plot, and was mainly just set dressing for a morality debate between Lyra and Pan. It wasn't what I want in a story. So tossed that out like the little poison cube it is.

The Book of Dust by Phillip Pullman: TOSS

I honestly liked La Belle Sauvage. I liked seeing where Lyras story began, and was excited by the implied fae woman and world that we encountered. I wanted to see how this beginning tied into what happened after Ambwr Spyglass. And then. I DNFed Secret Commonwealth three seperate times, at basically the same spot (This was one of the books stacked elsewhere so is not in the photo). I just. Could not see the Lyra we knew and loved in the woman we met in Commonwealth. And her constant fighting with Pan! I just had to keep checking that this was in fact the follow-up to His Dark Materials. I also found myself a little squicked out by the news that Lyra and Malcolm apparently have a relationship? He changed her fucking diapers wtf. Anyway. So yeah. Just did not enjoy it so tossed both. And ironically the next book was announced two days later. Like Pullman knew. Bastard.

The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor: TOSS

This was one of the books that really inspired me to write. When I first read it, it sucked me in and my mind was blown by the idea you could take characters made by others and play with them like dolls (hello intro to fanfic) and I just really enjoyed them. However. On reread. Gods they are terrible and just cringe. DNFed book 1 when Alyss got to London then promptly waffled over it because. It did inspire me. I had loved it. I had met the author and had it signed! But in the end, it was just gonna waste away on my shelves, taking up space. So I tossed it.

Mask of Shadows duology by Linsey Miller: KEEP

These are just a fun time. Nothing crazy, nothing groundbreaking or revolutionary, but i highly enjoy them. Plus nonbinary main which i love because representation for me. Easy keep.

The Fifth World by Rebecca Roanhorse: KEEP

I'm a sucker for stories set in Arizona/the southwest. So a magical post-apocalyptic story set on the Diné reservation is right up my alley. Ngl, I enjoyed book 2 over book 1- it had a stronger plot, and we weren't having as much moping over her demigod ex. I really hope Roanhorse writes a book 3, especially after the cliffhanger of said ex being released from his magical bonds.

Monk and Robot by Becky Chambers: KEEP

I'm usually not a cozy fantasy/sci fi reader. I tend to prefer bigger, more bombastic stories. But these really did wiggle into my brain and after finishing each I just. Sat there and stared at the wall for an hour. They are simple and yet really touch on what it means to live and be human, as cliche as that sounds. 10/10 would recommend

The Fox's Tower and other Tales by Yoon Ha Lee: TOSS

I'm a big fan of Lee's Machineries of Empire series (which is on a different shelf), so decided to try their short stories. Except. They're not short stories. They're story fragments that are all vibes no substance. Easy toss.

The Hollow Kingdom by Clare B Dunkle: TOSS

This was always a bit of a guilty pleasure read. Goblins kidnapping brides and the drama that ensues is usually not of interest to me. But the world building Dunkle did with the goblins is really unique, and reminds me of Labyrinth. But I just can't get over the time skip. We go from the wedding, to a year later, with very little insight in what happened between, which really undermines the impact of Marak's abduction and what it means for the female lead. While I enjoy the world, I just can't see rereading it within the year. So out it goes.

Life of Pi by Yann Martel: KEEP

I read Life of Pi for IB Lang-Lit in high school, and it really affected me. So much so that after my presentation on it, my teacher gave me her classroom copy. Rereading it now, it still holds up, and while I know it can be divisive, I still adore the ambiguity of which story is real, and how belief is what makes one story true over another.

Princess Academy by Shannon Hale: TOSS

This was a nostalgia book. I loved the story when I was younger, and enjoyed it now, but I couldn't see rereading it within a year. And it is one that is considered a modern classic, so I could easily get my hands on it again. With all that in mind, I am tossing it, but I do recommend reading it if you haven't.

The Golem and the Jinni/The Hidden Palace by Helene Wecker: KEEP/TOSS

Golem and the Jinni is a great story. It has a strong plot with a good conflict and excellent messaging and parallels to the immigrant experience. And I liked how the two were close friends and found their place in the community. Which leads into why I did not like The Hidden Palace (also a book from the stacks, so not in the photo). I was ok at first with the idea of the two leads in a romantic relationship, up until it turned bitter, broke up, and they promptly spent the rest of the book not speaking. It felt like a slap in the face after book 1. I also felt the new golem and female Jinni were underutilized and rather extraneous characters. The only parts i really liked were Sophie's travels, but even that was undermined by the shoehorning of historical events in. So, overall, a really not great book for me. And the more I dwell on it the more I think it would be a good book to rant post about.

Uprooted by Naomi Novik: KEEP

I love how this is both a love letter to fairy tales, but also absolutely turns them on their head. There's a dragon who steals maidens, but he's actually just a wizard in a tower. The wood is dangerous, not because there is magic or wolves, but because people have corrupted it. A prince and princess run away together, but its not a happy ever after. Just. Ugh it's such an engaging read. And I really enjoy how no character is truly good or evil- they all have a bit of both, which is refreshing.

Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik: TOSS

Spinning Silver starts out so strong, it really does. But gods the middle drags. And I'm not a major fan of introducing new POVs halfway through the story, especially when they aren't differentiated so you read til you realize who's speaking and then have to backtrack to truly get the context. Like, I like POV fuckery when it advances the story, but here, it was just so frustrating. And I really think that's what made it unenjoyable for me. The story is a nice one, but i dont want to be frustrated by a book that I'm reading for pleasure.

Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman: TOSS

Even before everything came out, Gaiman wasn't a must read author for me. I like his stuff, but i didn't love it. So I just tossed this without reading it, because honestly, the story now feels a bit tainted. This is also where I broke a rule, as I skipped ahead to my paperback shelves and unhauled Stardust as well. While I liked Stardust, I actually prefer the movie version much more. The movie feels like Gaimans work via Pratchett, so maybe I'm a fan of Pratchett not Gaiman. We'll see for sure when I get to Good Omens I guess.

The Archive Undying by Emma Mieko Candon: KEEP

You want ai gods? You want middle aged gay disasters? You want giant mechs who eat people and spit them out? You want POV fuckery to the max????? Read this gods please read this Sinai is a Lil sad immortal meow wow and I love him. I've read it twice and still dont know half of what is going on and I dont care. Emma Mieko Candon please announce the sequel already I'm beGGING-

The Raven Tower by Ann Leckie: KEEP

Ok I love recommending this to people because it really is "Hamlet retelling where the narrator is a rock" which is such an easy hook. And at the same time. It's so so good if you haven't read this either I'm begging you to because I need Ann Leckie to do more fantasy. She has very easily become a must-read author for me.

The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke

An absolute classic in the magical realism genre. It is both gentle and yet has high stakes and despite having little actual magic ( just the carousel, really) it is a magical story. It was nice to revisit this one.

Dragon Rider by Cornelia Funke: STORE

Ok new category. This was one of my all time favorites as a kid- i read it every day for over a year straight. As an adult, I do see the flaws and it has its slow moments and bits that dont age the greatest, but it still gives me warm fuzzies. As such, I'm going to put it in my book storage, which is mainly children's books that I loved too much to part with, but can't see reading as an adult.

Inkheart series by Cornelia Funke: TOSS

I remember loving Inkheart as a kid, and I enjoyed it when I read it for this project. However, I only got a chapter or two into Inkspell, and promptly went and read 2 1/2 other books. Which. Feels like solid DNF territory, even if it wasnt meant to be. It really just did not grab me.

And now. My confession. I did not read all of my nonfiction books, which is what the last section of shelf four is. As for why: I only started really reading nonfiction recently, with my revival of reading. You see, I read a lot as a kid/preteen, quite a bit as a teen, but once I hit college/my first job I just. Stopped. It was only after I started my current job 3 years ago that I really began reading in earnest again. And thats when I started nonfiction. So all of those I kept i read recently enough that I think i can make a decision off of that. I hope that makes sense. Anyways this explanation is already way too long so let's move on-

Thesaurus: TOSS

Considering our modern technology, dont really need a physical one. Plus its pretty out of date.

Sketches of Japanese Crafts by Patricia Massy: KEEP

A wonderful little reference about all of the crafts of Japan, both fantastical and every day. Massy discusses history, techniques, major areas where the craft is practiced, and provides sketches of the craft in question and sometimes the artist. I love Japanese art and craft, so this is right up my alley.

Rocks, Minerals, and Gemstones: TOSS

While I love rocks, I have only cracked this open once. It's just organized in a way that doesn't work for my information seeking.

Reading like a Writer by Francine Pose: TOSS

This was the text book for my creative writing class. While it was helpful and insightful at the time, I have no intention of ever rereading it.

The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown: KEEP

I reas this after seeing the film, and, as usual, it was better than the film. Not only does it touch far more on the struggles of the rowers, but it also has a parallel storyline covering the work of the Nazi propaganda branch that is working to use the 1936 Olympics to convince the world that nothing is amiss in Germany. So while the success of the US men's eight is far greater in writing, it is more tempered by the bleak fact that the Nazi propaganda machine did its work.

Food in the Air and Space by Richard Foss: KEEP

I love food, and I love space and space travel, so this was almost written for me. It details the many trials and tribulations of making and eating food at high altitude, and the good, the bad, and the bizarre food stuffs that have been served across the decades. It's a little light, but it is quite fun. And I know there's a version for trains and one for boats, which I'd like to read at some point.

Pushing our Limits by Mark Nelson: KEEP

Biosphere 2 is one of the most incredible man-made places I've been. This book covers the events of the original experiment for which it was built, from one of the men who was there. I liked how it cut through some of the sensationalism of the press and other accounts (one of the female biospherics literally opened her book with gossip about who was banging who) and really focused on the group's experiments and challenges and how they relate to today's earth studies.

White Sands National Monument: KEEP

If Biosphere 2 is one of the most incredible man-made places I've been, White Sands is one of the most incredible natural places I've been. It is my favorite national park/monument I've been to so far, so I just to pick up the history of the park. It's a quick read, and i love all of the photos from throughout the years.

Food in History by Reay Tannahill: TOSS

A rather dry essay of food history from 10,000 feet. While it has good information, it's just not a fun read. I know that seems silly, but i read nonfiction, not just to gain information, but for enjoyment. You could have a fascinating subject (like this one), but if the writing is bad. Well. Instant snoozefest. And unfortunately, this one falls into that.

Blood, Sweat, and Chrome by Kyle Buchanan: KEEP

WITNESS!!! Ok if you love Mad Max: Fury Road you have to read this. It's a series of interviews that discusses the wild road to getting our fav film green lit, off the ground, shipped against orders to Nigeria, filmed, and released. It's a fantastic ride and I love it.

As You Wish by Cary Elwes: KEEP

Also behind the scenes movie related, As You Wish discusses the making of Princess Bride as seen by Cary Elwes. He's a very good narrator with the right mix of silly and soft and poignant. A good look at behind the curtain of one of the great cult classics.

Book and Dagger by Elyse Graham: KEEP

Ok this was one of the books i just received for my birthday, but i had previously gotten it out from the library. It covers the very start of American spywork during WW2 and how the greatest spies were often librarians or book keepers or teachers. The author discusses their work, and also how that work under the Nazi regime can be related to working against totalitarian governments in our modern times.

What Einstein Told his Cook volume 1 and 2 by Robert Wolke: KEEP

Robert Wolke wrote a food science advice column for many years, and these two books are a compilation of the many answers he has given. A really really good entry to the basics of food science, I have recommended these to coworkers who found themselves being cooks without the knowledge of *why* things do what they do. There's information I knew, but far more i didn't, including the various levels of classification for processed cheese. (Its kinda gross, ngl, but fascinating)

Kimono: Fashioning Culture by Liza Dalby: KEEP

Ok cards on the table I've not read this one BUT I love kimono and this is considered one of the bibles of the history and art of kimono and its influence so getting rid of it seems so damn dumb.

English Dictionary: TOSS

The Arts of the Hausa by David Heathcote: KEEP

I bought this after finding a reference to Hausa pants in a fashion history book and I was intrigued. As an exhibit catalogue it has excellent photos of the various Hausa arts, including pants. While i have no plan at the moment to make them, I dont plan on ditching this fun little book yet.

Like the thesaurus, this has been replaced with the technology at our fingertips.

ASL Dictionary: TOSS

ASL is best learned either in person or through video. Text is ok, but a lot of nuance and specificity is lost by relying on still images. If I pick ASL up again, I'll be using video dictionaries.

German to English Dictionary: KEEP

German is my second language, and most online German 'dictionaries' are. Not good. So I feel better keeping around a solid paper one, even if I dont use it too often.

And thus we close the door on shelves 3 and 4. These were really rough- putting all my standalones and small series together was not My Best Plan. Neither was all the nonfiction together. But I do feel accomplished with everything I've let go. At this point I'm gonna take a small break, finish the rest of the books i got for birthday, and then i think ill start on the second bookshelf and shelves 5 and 6. This is mainly paperbacks and small books with several big series, so should hopefully go quite fast. After that Ill do the rest of the bookshelf, then my oversized books. And then, in the far future, I'll catelogue everything in Libib and rearrange to make better use of space. But again, that's a long fucking ways off.

Thank you once again to all who read this nonsense, I hope you enjoyed, hope you found new reads, and definitely hope i haven't ticked anyone off by slagging a favorite book.

[snowbellewells]

1-6, 22, 42&43, and finally 50 for the Fanfic Authors Game. Thank you, ma’am!!

Oh Krystal @kmomof4 this took me a minute, but I'm so glad you sent asks - I haven't done any ask games for a while, and I always find them fun. Thanks for your interest (and I'll be sending some back your way! ;p)

1- What was your first fic and could you stand to reread it today?

My first fic was probably a PaceyxJoey revamp/divergence of the Dawson's Creek Season 1 finale. I had only recently even discovered that fanfiction existed, and everyone else I knew was convinced that I was crazy for thinking Pacey and Joey had the romantic chemistry rather than Dawson and Joey. Anyway, the fic was largely a way for me to vent my frustration and play out my vision of things. I'm not even sure there is still an existing copy of it today there, whether I would want to read it or not!

2 - What's your most recent fic and how far do you think you've come?

My most recent fic is my second entry for the @cssns24 event "For All Life and For All Time" (a Dracula AU). I'd really like to think that I've come a fair way in dramatic and atmospheric writing, as well as just writing a cute little love story for smiles. Though there is nothing wrong with fluff, I've been labeled as sweet for quite some time, so trying to add a bit more edge or danger and darkness to my works is a continual growing process, and one that I hope shows in this newest one as I go along.

3 - In your opinion, what's your best fic?

Goodness, I feel like that is a really hard question, K! I don't tend to feel like I really have a "best of" the way some of my favorite writers do. (For some reason it feels presumptuous when speaking of my own work) I do have ones I am more attached to or was more emotionally invested in writing, but I don't know if that makes them the "best" or not. I guess I might say "Tasting Forever" if pressed. It had such an incredible response when I first posted it - so far beyond what I had expected, and I am pretty proud of it when I look back at it.

4 - In your opinion and without looking at any numbers, what's your most popular fic?

Without looking to make sure, I would say probably "Tasting Forever" (see above) is one of the most popular, if not the most. It was at one time, at any rate. Before that one was written/posted, it was probably the two part "Under the Weather" which I wrote around the season three timeframe in the show, and was basically an excuse to have Emma take care of a sick Killian and hurry up and admit her feelings as well. The only other contender would be my first true CS/OuaT MC "I'd Know You Anywhere" which had Emma as a witness to a murder and Killian and Ruby as FBI agent partners assigned to protect her and Henry.

5 - Is there any fic that makes you super happy to reread and remember you wrote that?

I realize that this fic is incredibly niche and not many will ever read it, because it is not strictly CS (though they are supporting characters) and it's not even about a popular side pairing, but my BellexLiam short MC "Looking for a Heart (that's not Walking Away)" is one that I still read and smile about. I had a lot of fun imagining how I should characterize both Belle and Liam more fully and with the storyline itself. I am still really pleased with how it turned out and it's close to my heart, and the ending makes me grin happily whenever I reread it. I love it even more since @hollyethecurious created cover art for it as well.

I also feel that way about "A Year in the Court of Misthaven" (especially the first chapter with the Yule Ball) It just makes me grin imagining it. :)

6 - Is there any fic that makes you super embarrassed to reread and remember you wrote that?

Weirdly, since it's one of my more popular fics with other people, I have some embarrassment over "I'd Know You Anywhere". There are parts of it that I like and feel as though they turned out quite well, but there are also parts that seem rushed to me in hindsight, or plot holes, anomalies, and deadends that don't make sense. Maybe I'm being overly self-critical, but I feel like I could do a better job of it now than I did then.

22- Has there ever been anyone who's made you freak out because they read your work and followed/favorited/reviewed?

Oh yes, for sure! I won't try to list too many specific names, because I feel like I'd be bound to leave someone out, and I wouldn't want anyone to feel like their kind words and love weren't appreciated. Every single reblog, like, or comment is such a boost and huge compliment to me!! I will say though, that whenever someone 2who I regularly read and whose writing I admire takes the time to read something of mine, I am incredibly gratified and flattered.

And I doubt anyone who has received them would deny that your (yes, you, K!) real-time flails as you read are some of the best mood lifters and ego boosters in the world!!

42- How many views has your most popular fic gotten?

I'm going to guess this means on AO3? Are "Hits" the same thing as "Views"? Since that seems the most likely, that's what I'm going with here - Hits on AO3, in which case the one with the most is "A Cottage by the Sea" with 1,767 hits.

43 - Your least popular?

That would be my Ruby-centric OuaT one shot "Always Running" with just 46 hits (or views?)

50 - Has writing fanfic had a significant impact on your life? Would you say it's entirely positive?

Other than the amount of stress I put on myself when I can't update as quickly as I like or fear people may not like my newest post or addition, yes, I would say fanfic has been almost an entirely positive experience.

It's had a huge impact on me: it's kept me writing even as I've become an adult and had to get a "real job" to pay the bills. It's kept alive a show I adored, even though it's been off the air for someone six or seven years. Most of all, it has brought me some of the best friends in fellow fic writers that I have ever had! That last one in itself is one of the most incredible blessings I could imagine!!

[rickmoya]

the books I read in 2024

Mrs. Dalloway, Virginia Woolf (1)

Digital Cosmopolitans, Ethan Zuckerman

Speak, Laurie Halse Anderson (2)

How To Take Over the World, Ryan North

To Hate Like This Is To Be Happy Forever, Will Blythe

Hark! A Vagrant/Step Aside, Pops, Kate Beaton (3)

Making a Point: The Persnickety Story of English Punctuation, David Crystal

Ducks, Kate Beaton

Operation Do-Over, Gordon Korman

Fight Club 2: The Tranquility Gambit, Chuck Palahniuk and Cameron Stewart (4)

The Fort, Gordon Korman

Romeo and/or Juliet, Ryan North

Turning Japanese, MariNaomi

Abroad in Japan, Chris Broad

Ready Player Two, Ernest Cline (5)

Interesting Stories for Curious People, Bill O'Neill (6)

Hell of a Hat: The Rise of '90s Ska and Swing, Kenneth Partridge

Swamp Story, Dave Barry

The Secret to Superhuman Strength, Alison Bechdel

Blood, Bones and Butter, Gabrielle Hamilton

Flavorama, Arielle Johnson

Welcome to St. Hell, Lewis Hancox

Peasprout Chen: Future Legend of Skate and Sword, Henry Lien (7)

The City of Ember, Jeanne DuPrau

Crying in H Mart, Michelle Zauner

Out Of My Mind, Sharon M. Draper

italics: read it before struck: unfinished

Maybe I just suck at reading now that I'm past 40? I don't know. The last few years I've been making excuses and padding out my list with rereads, but at some point you have to acknowledge the trends. My trend is fewer books. This might be the lowest number I've hit in any year since birth.

I also read ten years each of the webcomics Schlock Mercenary and Sluggy Freelance. Got to a point I hadn't read before, but not finished with either.

I did rotate some stock off my TBR shelf, at least. Not that you'd know to look at it — the shelf is as full as ever. Then again, at least four books up there are rereads, and three others are juv/YA. Maybe I'll make more progress in 2025.

Goals:

Ding 40. (I originally put 50, but, like, come on. Trend.)

At least 40% authors who are not white men. (I did OK there this year: 12/26, not counting the trans guy who is technically a white man.)

At least 10 books off the TBR.

----------------------------------------------

So. I've had this book on my TBR since college. (The first time.) I took a modernist English lit course where we read Ulysses and To the Lighthouse, and Mrs. Dalloway was one of the comparative important links, but after Joyce I wasn't gonna do it right away. I found my copy at a mega library sale around the time I graduated. Opened it several times over the last 25 years, but the stream-of-consciousness/internal-monologue style meant (for me) that I couldn't set it down and come back and remember what was going on. So finally I had a free day and read the whole thing in almost one go. (I technically didn't do this until July, but I attempted to do it during a day off in January, which is why it's first.)

Substitute teaching exposes me to a lot of teacher libraries. Sometimes during a prep period I can read stuff from them. For this book (which I'd heard of but never opened) I was covering a classroom that was empty for nearly four hours.

I started poring through Beaton's comics on her archived website. When I realized my library had two books of it in print, I checked those out for easier reading. This entry encompasses all of it.

It's a graphic novel! It's totally unnecessary! It gets way too meta (to the point that it acknowledges IN TEXT that it's too meta)!

If you feel like you need to read this, ask yourself: have I already read Ready Player One? If so, then ask: was my favorite part the constant Family Guy-style "memba this?" references. Because this is that, just with different fandoms.

My niece got me this one. It's like a book full of factoids or the beginnings of stories. Not immersive, but good for while waiting through piano lesson.

Another substituting library selection, about an alternate-universe Taiwan where the predominant mode of transportation/self-defense is ice skating. I had a prep, thought this is a stupid book and then read half of it before the day was over. So endearingly stupid, I checked it out of the public library to finish.

[gerardwayissexah]

Fic writer asks

See below the cut for my answers! :) Also, I did away with the numbering because formatting numbered lists is a pain in the butt.

How old were you when you started writing fic?

I was 12-13 when I first started typing them out and posting them online. When I discovered the world of fanfiction, something just...clicked for me. I've liked imagining scenarios for my favorite characters and worlds since I can remember having conscious thoughts. So, I was like: wow, there's an actual word for that imagination thing I do! And I'm not the only one who does it!

Where did you first post your fics?

Fanfiction.net.

What was your first fandom?

The Hunger Games.

What fandoms have you written for?

A bunch that I can't immediately recall, but here's an abbreviated list: Naruto, Harry Potter, Avatar: The Last Airbender, Attack on Titan, Percy Jackson, Kung Fu Panda, Kane Chronicles, The Hunger Games

Romantic or gen?

I enjoy writing romance more, and that's what I tend to gravitate toward as a reader of fics. But I can still appreciate an emotional family drama or a worldbuilding-centric fic. I'd say around 1/3 of my fics are gen.

Fluff or angst?

Angst with a fluff chaser. Otherwise, the fluff feels unearned. Without any fluffiness, the angst gets too heavy.

A fic of yours you think is underrated?

I totally understand why the audience for this fic is limited, but I'd submit my Hiashi Hyuga x Kurenai fic for consideration here. If that makes you curious, here's a link: Wildflowers for Hinata

What's the best summary you've come up with?

Hm, I have trouble deciding on one. I do like the summary I ultimately settled on for Bird in a Gilded Cage, after I went through a few iterations. Naruto was full of lies. Yet Neji wanted to believe him. And for years, he did. Desperate to marry Ten-ten, Neji discovers one bar in his cage will never bend - Hyuga only marry their own. Forced into loveless marriage with a stranger, he fights to free himself from the clan's gilded cage. But Neji learns people remain caged for a reason - because the price of freedom is often too high to pay.

What's the best title you've come up with?

Neji needs glasses - it's concise, and direct. The fic is about...Neji needing glasses but being a stubborn asshole who won't admit it.

Do you read your own fics for fun?

For sure! I've gotten so attached to some of my characters that I can't help revisiting their stories again and again. I think one mark of my improvement as a writer is that I willingly reread my work again and again, rather than avoiding it out of fear that I'll cringe.

What's an idea for a fic you've had that you'll probably never write?

Sasuke Uchiha and Arya Stark helping one another on their quests for vengeance and power. The parallels between these characters is so interesting to me, and calls out for exploration. Not by me, though. I don't have enough confidence in my Song of Ice and Fire knowledge to flesh this one out.

Post a sentence from your current WIP

This one's from the final chapter of Freefall:

The edge in Neji’s voice didn’t appear to faze Tenten, who rolled her brown eyes sidelong. Brown eyes that were the color of chocolate and just as intoxicating, bittersweet and forbidden. Strange – he’d never noticed that similarity before.

Do you post WIPs or wait until you're finished writing to post?

I lean toward waiting until I'm almost finished - around 80% through a first draft if it's a longer multichapter fic. I value having completed stories for my personal satisfaction, and for the sake of any readers who might get invested in one of my fics.

One-shots or chaptered fic?

Both! I've written both, and think each one offers its own rewards. I do have more oneshots posted, though - just because they're faster to write and complete.

What are some of your favorite tropes to write?

Forbidden love, arranged marriage, dysfunctional family, love triangles, infidelity, accidental baby acquisition, secret lovechild

What are you favorite characters to write?

Neji, Tenten, Rock Lee, Chiyo, my OCs - Risa Hyuga (branch Hyuga) and Jiro Sato (Neji/Tenten's child)

Have you ever or would you ever write a fic in first person POV?

I think it's odd that first person gets a bad rap in fanfic circles when so much original fiction is in first person. I enjoy reading first person and third person about equally, and I've written first person in fics. Second person, too, because the source material was written in second person.

Is there some headcanon you've included in more than one fic?

More than I can write out here, that's for sure! A short list: Hyuga clan only marries the extended family in most cases, Tenten hates radish pickles, Tenten's parents own a grocery store, Suna has cisterns carved in the cliffs to store water, the average branch Hyuga is loyal not only out of fear - but out of sincere conviction or love of family

What's the longest fic you've written?

Bird in a Gilded Cage - A Neji x Branch Hyuga OC fanfic with a Neji x Tenten vs. Neji x OC love triangle. Clocked in at 167k words including the three epilogue chapters.

What's the shortest fic you've written?

Hm, probably my first one, about Foxface from the Hunger Games reflecting on her death. I thought it was a novel at the time, when the entire thing was less than 300 words.

Do you have an abandoned WIP?

I have a bunch of fics in the graveyard on my Fanfiction.net profile. Younger me was terrible about following through on all the awesome fics I wanted to write, and most of my old multichapter fics never made it past a few chapters if that.

Pick out a random line from a fic you're really proud of

From Bird in a Gilded Cage:

A promise passed between them. Amaya would live with her head unbowed, free of the gilded bars that bound generations of Hyugas. So would her long-suffering mother and father.

What's the most personal fic you've ever written?

Tough question. I'd say Your Heart Beats On, because of the subject matter and emotional intensity.

What's the cringiest (affectionate) fic you've ever written?

My first fic, honestly. I was so proud of that thing, too.

What's your most popular fic?

Depends on how you define popularity. Bird in a Gilded Cage has the greatest number of kudos, views, comments and bookmarks. But it's also 50+ chapters, and is twice as long as my next longest fic. I think looking at raw numbers hardly offers a fair comparison to my other fics. My most viewed oneshot is Rising Waters - a Hunger Games smut fic written years after I'd last been active in the fandom as a teenager. Last I checked, my most kudosed oneshot was Walk You Home, a genin-era SasuSaku fic.

What fic are you proudest of?

Definitely Bird in a Gilded Cage. It was my first completed longfic, and the most challenging fic I've managed to finish.

Fic writer asks

How old were you when you started writing fic?

Where did you first post your fics?

What was your first fandom?

What fandoms have you written for?

Romantic or gen?

Fluff or angst?

A fic of yours you think is underrated?

What's the best summary you've come up with?

What's the best title you've come up with?

Do you read your own fics for fun?

What's an idea for a fic you've had that you'll probably never write?

Post a sentence from your current WIP

Do you post WIPs or wait until you're finished writing to post?

One-shots or chaptered fic?

What are some of your favorite tropes to write?

What are you favorite characters to write?

Have you ever or would you ever write a fic in first person POV?

Is there some headcanon you've included in more than one fic?

What's the longest fic you've written?

What's the shortest fic you've written?

Do you have an abandoned WIP?

Pick out a random line from a fic you're really proud of

What's the most personal fic you've ever written?

What's the cringiest (affectionate) fic you've ever written?

What's your most popular fic?

What fic are you proudest of?

[iviarellereads]

Wheel of Time full series spoiler thoughts on EOTW Prologue through chapter 4

A probably semi-regular weekly bonus to my reread blog, since sometimes you realize things on reread that just make you need to yell in a full spoiler space. (Check out my project explainers here and here)

Gotta say, didn't expect to see the Song allusion in the prologue. This is probably my tenth time reading EOTW, my paperback is so battered, even though a lot of those rereads I quit a few books in. And even now, there's always, always some new detail. I love the story of the Song with the Tuatha'an, and how tragic it is that they're searching for something misinterpreted through several generations of storytelling.

Ishy already using the True Power in the prologue, another thing I never noticed before, or if I did, I'd forgotten since then.

MAT AND THE BADGER! I still can't believe Sanderson (or was it RJ, in the notes?) brought this back in book fucking 13.

The irony of Mat thinking the fade might have been Aginor is not lost on me.

And not just the badger, the ghost hounds! My goodness, the setup starts at page 1 and never stops in these books.

Do we believe that Moiraine was using a little Compulsion to get them to keep their coins? I mean, I know, our fave would NEVER, but… wouldn't she though?

Gotta admit, my line about Perrin's fans in chapter 3 is absolutely a reference to how much you have to love him to make it all the way through to Malden without wanting to throw him in the sea. Faile deserves better than a man with no empathy ethics, but she loves him so he can stay.

The layers, the LAYERS in accusing the Aes Sedai of breaking the world. In one way it's true, all the men were Aes Sedai. And, in some ways, it's absolutely true that the White Tower's meddling and power plays have left the world worse off. Yet in other ways, they were all that stopped it from being worse.

The first of so many "he couldn't talk to women, not like [other guy in the trio]" lines. I saw someone, somewhere, once observe that they drop off after the lads start actually having semi-serious relationships. I wonder if this is something I'll remember to track, or if it's already done been tracked somewhere I just haven't seen yet.

[divorceblogger]

Mid-Year Book Freakout 2023

Thank you for the tag @kazz-brekker! 🌻

1. Best book you’ve read so far this year

This is a hard one but I'm going to rule out the various re-reads I did this year (three!) and pick Rebecca.

2. Best sequel you’ve read so far this year

It's easily Dune Messiah - I don't think it's perfect, but I think I discovered lots of nuances in the series after re-reading the first book and dissecting Dune Messiah in that context has been really fun. The sequel also picks up the thread of the gothic atmosphere the first book was cultivating and continues to delve into that with greater detail which is probably why I grew fond it very quickly. Also Frank Herbert really got his shit together for it and committed to the criticism of empire that he was only really hinting at in the first book without forgetting to care for the characters and sympathise with them which I think really did something for me.

The series has a very TLT-esque balance of narrating the story, now that I think of it, in the sense that there are larger events happening in the universe around the characters while the narrative chooses to zero in on the personal tragedies of a select cast of characters in order to effectively convey the themes that it’s dealing with.

3. New release you haven’t read yet

I haven't really been keeping track of new releases much since I didn't care for a lot of the queer fiction Tor was marketing lately - but Our Wives Under the Sea has been on my radar for a while and it's the latest release I can think of at the moment because the rest of my tbr fully dips into books published pre-2000. I did read A Day of Fallen Night recently though, and it was published in Feb 2023, iirc.

4. Most anticipated release for the second half of the year

I'm going to cheat and say Alecto the Ninth although Tamsyn Muir said that release was probably going to be delayed. The only other release I'm looking forward to is The Bone Season #5 coming out next year-ish? (probably 2025 tbh).

5. Biggest disappointment

Books #2 and #3 in the Southern Reach trilogy were rather poorly done. I don't think Jeff Vandermeer is a very good storyteller, but instead has a lot to say about sci-fi and horror as genres - and those things are interesting but I'm not certain they can act as stand-ins for the actual act of storytelling.

I did still enjoy my reread of Annihilation though, but it was probably just nostalgia.

6. Biggest surprise

Wuthering Heights, although I'm not quite certain why. I think I didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I did.

7. Favorite new author (debut or new to you)

Daphne du Maurier - I'd tried to read and finish Rebecca before, but I really got around to finishing the book this year and it was very, very good. I enjoyed Rebecca so much that I kind of wanted to started My Cousin Rachel immediately; but I might have to put that off for a while because my tbr is very long at the moment.

8. Newest fictional crush/newest favorite character

I'm in Alia Atreides hell currently and I'm uncertain that there's any cure for it.

9. Book that made you cry

Harrow the Ninth! Books rarely make me cry and this was a reread but I still felt plenty emotional.

10. Book that made you happy

Solaris :) I distinctly remember smiling very broadly while I was reading the last couple paragraphs of the book. I think more people should read Solaris and also watch the film that Andrei Tarkovsky made based off of the book. It falls roughly under a category that I like to refer to as sci-fi horror, but it's also very Nona-esque, in the sense that it discusses the human condition of love with brutal honesty (I think basically all the sci-fi books I’ve read this year have dealt with very similar themes, especially with respect to their criticisms of imperial hegemony and environmentalism).

uhh tagging @phantomxblood @jaqobis @jelli-ace @wishesofeternity @honey-and-hibiscus-kingdom @iliyanaofcasimir and anybody else who might be interested in doing the game!

[newsom]

hello!!! i'd like to preemptively state that this might be long and/or largely incoherent but i hope you don't mind that much. darklands has been very close to my heart ever since i first read it, so you can imagine the shriek my inside voice let out when i got the update email. i'd been thinking of rereading the whole thing, so, the first free day i had (today), i lined up four or five records and did exactly that. and man… it still hits so hard!!!!! like fuck. wow. i could go ab it for many many words if you let me, but i'll just focus on the most important stuff:

1) chapter nine!!! cHAPTer NINe!!!! i'm yelling!!! god tier stuff, seriously, by which i mean that it has been in my mind, without fail, at least once per week for the past however months. like, obsession level thoughts. it deserves them. the narrative technique is absolutely fitting/engaging/fucking incredible for the pacing and you executed it flawlessly. it's like, the orgasmic cultivation of a epistolary-based story.

2) your use of music! (nothing more needs to be said, other than the fact that EVERY. SINGLE. TIME i listen to wuthering heights i think of the cat (now lola!) my beloved) (also can't listen to the jesus and mary chain album like a normal person anymore)

2) i think another thing that made me routinely come back to darklands, which i came to understand in this second read, are your descriptions, generally, but most specifically of granada. while i've never been (i really want to!!!) i've grown up and live in the mediterrenean and i have to say, wow! like, i know every place is unique, but i'm talking about a specific essence that, of course, is vastly different than the scottish and welsh countryside or the bustling city of london that you often see described in marauders fics. and it appeared so surprisingly familiar to me that it created an dare i say comfortable atmosphere (what comes to mind now is your description of the terracotta stairs and roofs!! like!!! yes that's it!! or like. the stray cats lol) i also appreciate the fact that you describe different parts of the world (spain, los angeles, now wales) with equal degrees of detail and perfection. my little geography/literature lover brain is getting its serotonin :)

3) your writing generally stayed with me the past months (from your other fics too, that i will definitely reread the following days lol) but this one specific line has superglued itself to the front of my brain, and i have it better memorised than most of the poems i consider beloved: "At nineteen they were overripe with desire and spilling over with more love than they knew how to give or take; they poured each other overflowing goblets of the stuff and drank too deeply. Ecstatic, decadent love, laughing and delirious and always sweet." i also remember, but can't locate right now, a line about how summer was overgenerous one year and its rays had spilled into september and it made remus selfish . ouf.

man i needed to let that out. in short; i absolutely love love love darklands, and am always ready to soak up your words. i'll go listen to the playlist now and think about those lovely idiots. cheers!

🥺😢😭😫💖💖💖💖💖💖💖

I hope it’s ok to publish this, I didn’t want it to be lost forever by answering privately bc this is a dream of a comment and I want to be able to read it over and over LOL. thank you so much for taking the time to write, it means so much 💗 really glad you’re enjoying the story!!!

[spicler-man]

thanks for the tag!!!

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

75

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

214,434

3. What fandoms do you write for?

oh jeez. we'll stick to just what ive got posted bc otherwise this list will crash my computer. mcu, obviously, but there's also stranger things, gravity falls, danny phantom, miraculous ladybug, random kids movie called the little vampire that i got obsessed with, atla, my old mcyt fics, mia and me, phineas and ferb, my old sanders sides fics, stardew valley, exactly 1 undertale fic, and mha. i refuse to make pseuds or new profiles if you subscribe to me you WILL see all my works.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

i think they're all irondad? nobody knows like a waterfall System Error: Reboot i’ll always come back mr. dad❤️🔧 yep. all irondad

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

i try to! but i have bad adhd and completely forget most of the time. trust me, i see it and i love it and then i forget to answer it

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

probably The Phantom Menace just because it's short and there's no closure. one of my earliest irondad works, if not my earliest

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

good question!! most of mine are pretty happy or at least hopeful, i'd say mr. dad❤️🔧 just because there's little to no angst throughout the entire thing

8. Do you get hate on fics?

yep! as previously mentioned, i have horrid adhd, so sometimes ill get stuck in a little echo chamber of my own brain, and ideas that make sense in my head, with all the surrounding details i've come up with, the full thing won't make it into the story so it makes little to no sense.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

i've never written a smut fic, i tried my hand at writing smut (with ocs) when i turned 18 just to see if i could. however i sincerely doubt it'll exit the specially made password-locked document i made for it

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?

i don't, not really, so i guess i'll have to say my pnf and irondad crossover, which is less crazy when you remember phineas and ferb already did that.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

nope! no one wants 'em

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

also no

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

i've been a supportive cheerleader on the sidelines for a couple of my friends fics, as well as an idea generator that they've been like "ooh thats good i want to use that" but never a co-writer

14. What’s your all time favourite ship?

i might have to go with my stupid little elf polycule from mia and me. its my all time favorite because if i don't love them, who else will?? and i can never get tired of content from them bc there is none.

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

oh god. ive never finished a multichapter. did you all know that about me?? i've never made it all the way through. the final chapter of silent spidey has been complete since november 2022. but i haven't made it there yet. and now i doubt i ever will.

16. What are your writing strengths?

dialogue. i like to think ive got a good handle on dialogue. also spelling and grammar are fun for me so none of those pesky little errors

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

my willingness to sacrifice important plot points for a joke i found marginally funny. looking at you, stranger things wips.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

depends!! i'm bilingual, so if it's a language i've got a handle on then yeah, why not? if i gotta translate it, i'll probably include the translation in there somewhere with an html code

19. First fandom you wrote for?

miraculous ladybug, back on wattpad. if you find my old unfinished fic on wattpad with no clues from me ill give you five bucks

20. Favourite fic you’ve written?

i really like to be a bit of warmth for you. it was fun to write and i can still reread it without cringing so i count that as a win!

no pressure tags: @creative-girl @multifandomforthemostpart @call-me-coley @ironfidus

(under the read more is the blank questions for everyone)

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

3. What fandoms do you write for?

oh jeez. mcu, obviously, but there's also

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

8. Do you get hate on fics?

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

14. What’s your all time favourite ship?

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

16. What are your writing strengths?

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

19. First fandom you wrote for?

20. Favourite fic you’ve written?

20 Questions for Fic Writers

thank's for the tag @waitingondaisies

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

- 180

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

- 1,701,826 (Holy Crap!)

3. What fandoms do you write for?

- All of my fics are MCU, predominantly Irondad but there are a few Spiceychell fics mixed in there too.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

- A Parent Apparent (528,718 words, 7,349 kudos) A really freaking long slow burn Irondad co-parenting with May fic.

- So Many Things to Say (82,998 words, 3,914 kudos) A electivly mute, foster child Peter fic. This is the first part of an extended series.

- What I Really Need is You (18,520 words, 3,581 kudos) A fluffy 5+1 of Peter needing things from Tony.

- Distracted by a Dime (56,169 words, 2,476 kudos) A homeless Peter AU- Stony AU. This is the first part of a series.

- Suspended (3,607 words, 2,177 kudos) A One-shot about Pter getting suspended and Tony picking him up from school.

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

I try really hard to reply to every comment!

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

I don't really do angsty endings... So Maybe this one? Breathe, Kid (You're Not Alone) (4,086 words) Ned Dies and Peter feels responsible. Tony is there to help him pick up the pieces. The ending is hopeful and comforting- but there is no instant fix.

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Oh geez. You want me to pick one??? Uh... Let's go with this one because it has some sweet Christmassy vibes. Secret Sugarplum Spiderling (27,923 words) Peter is a ballet dancer and he doesn't want Tony to know- yet. Lots of super sweet fluff.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Sometimes. Usually, it's someone who has decided that my fictional story filled with fictional characters who have fictional superpowers isn't 'realistic enough.'

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

I have written exactly ONE smut fic- but it has NEVER been posted. 😘

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?

One- by request. It was a mini-fic about Pokemon trainer Peter and Pokemon Professor Tony. Rotom Roundup (979 words)

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Nope. My art, despite emailing them several times, is still up on a 'coloring sheets' website though. Which mostly annoys me because what they nagged was a draft. I would have happily sent them the clean line art.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

No. I had someone offer once and gave full permission but I don't htink it ever happened.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Yes! I have co-written a few fics. And I have one in the works with @waitingondaisies

14. What’s your all time favourite ship?

Most of my fics are platonic relationships. But I often have background relationships in them; usually Stony or Pepperony. Some spideycelle and once, Ned/Peter.

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

I hope I eventually finish all of them! But there is one I found that I am not even sure where it was going. All I have written is 800 words of Kraven the Hunter confronting Peter.

16. What are your writing strengths?

I think I am pretty good at dialogue.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

I am still learning a lot about POV depth, visceral details, and deep introspection.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

I don't use it much, if at all. But it doesn't bother me.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Irondad

20. Favourite fic you’ve written?

Oh! It's a tie!! So Many Things to Say will always me towards the top of my favorites lit. But my newest fic, The Hoax, is starting to creep into 'favorite fic of all time' territory.

I am going to tag (If they are interested) @spicler-manie @cajun-fangirl @asyouleft @thwip--thwip @justme--emily and @kubabergen

[terrm9]

Ok, Terezka😘 Give me your best💚 1.✨ @starrystarrytrouble✨ bc I simply love and adore everything what that brilliant mind of hers creates😍 2. ✨@utterlyinevitable✨ Dom was the first person I started to follow and the one whose entire masterlist I'd read through even before being part of this community. She and 3.✨ @alwaysmychoices✨ and their works were actually the reason why I decided to join the Tumblr. So I'd like to know your opinion on these exceptionally talented ladies😍 and their work🌻

ohmygod Petra you have chosen masters and I spent a good amount of time picking just one (and as a cheater, I might have added some more)

Send me the names of three (3) fic authors and I’ll share my favorite stories by each them

@starrystarrytrouble ❤❤❤ this was hard af because I regularly go through your masterlist and read everything. I have your fics downloaded in PDF ever since discovering the option on ao3.

My most favourite would be Hideaway, I remember the first time I read about Ethan standing by the window and watching Eve outside and until this day that scene is something I think of more than I should probably. (as a cheater, I also have to mention Fight and New Year's Eve).

@utterlyinevitable another gem❤❤ I think I already stated this once, but Make Believe resonated with me so deeply and I remember how I found it the night before the most important exam and it didn't stop me from reading it. (But also Carnival and Special Edition. Lol who am I kidding, Dom I am sure I would love to read my school papers if they were written by you)

@alwaysmychoices ❤- The Fifth Call. I cried when reading it for the first time and I just cried rereading it now. The emotions pouring from all your works are overwhelming (in the best way possible!) but in this one, it just hit differently. (But like... when I discovered Weekend With Dr. Ramsey & With and Without, all my basic needs were forgotten. I didn't sleep, I didn't eat, I just needed to finish it)

[kasuna-kotonoha]

Since I like to think I'm pretty good at debating/arguing with people on the internet, I've decided to post tips. These are just things I've found that help keep internet arguments civil and constructive.

1. Actively acknowledge the other persons' arguments.

I find that a lot of internet discourse, and even in real life, comes because people don't think their points are being heard. I don't mean you have to agree with them, but actively restating their points before/while you make your own means they'll feel heard, despite the difference in view.

2. Try to avoid making the point of the argument about changing the other's mind as much as possible.

The sad reality is that you likely aren't going to change their mind, no matter how right you feel you are. And that's okay. You have your opinion and they have theirs. And the chances are, the more you try to change their mind, the more likely they are to dig their heels into their opinion.

3. Be willing to concede on certain points.

By this, I don't mean giving into the other person. What I mean is acknowledging when the other party actually has a good point. It's okay to admit you were wrong about a specific point. No one party is going to be right about everything.

4. Refrain from all caps and swearing.

I'm mostly talking about all caps here, because that comes off as extremely aggressive, which only aggravates the situation. It's akin to screaming. I'd avoid swearing too, since it can seem kind of unprofessional, and can make people a little less inclined to take you seriously.

5. Remain calm

Remember that this is the internet. You can step away for an hour or two and no one will think anything of it. This allows you to form more coherent and less emotionally charged responses. Take a breather, get something to eat/drink, and come back when you aren't as likely to say something you'll regret.

6. Take the time to carefully structure your response

Like in tip six, remember that this is the internet. You don't need to respond immediately. You have the ability to reread both your own response and review the points the other party has made. This means you can make sure your ideas and points get across as clearly as possible,

7. Be willing to elaborate or explain

The thing with internet, unfortunately, is that a lot of tone and meaning can get lost. If asked, or you think it didn't come across clearly enough, be prepared to further explain your viewpoint. And sometimes, no matter how hard you try, it can still be difficult sometimes to get a point across. That's okay.

8. Remember that the other party probably thinks they're just as right as you think you're right

We're the heroes/protagonists of our own stories. The other party has the same perspective as you, that being "I'm right and they're wrong." This is the mindset that causes most arguments, I think, whether it's philosophical, political, or something else.

9. Sources/Research

I say this mostly because it makes you more look more credible. It's always a good thing when you have other sources backing you up. Of course, this also means doing research on the topic you're debating on. You want to be well informed, and not just rehashing things you read somewhere, from a source that might not even be credible.

10. Know when to walk away

I'd almost say this is the most important tip I can give you. Knowing when to cut off a debate is key. If it feels like you're getting nowhere, making the same points over and over, or you feel the other person simply isn't listening, cut it off. You can either just stop engaging, or make one final comment/post/whatever making your final statements before ending with the fact that you will no longer be engaging in debate with the other party.

And that's that. At the end of the day, we're all human, with unique experiences that shape our opinions and thought processes, and we need to remember that. Respect is something that needs to be present in all online activities. That being said, I hope these tips can help you engage in constructive debates both online and in the real world

-Kasuna_Kotonoha