#I haven't gotten through a book this fast (without it being an audiobook) in so long

[tidepoolalgae]

Highlights from the winter soldier book:

Bucky losing his shoe to a mop bucket, deciding to take both his shoes and socks off and just walking/running around barefoot for a day

Hiding in a phone booth hoping not to get spotted and totally getting spotted

Bucky genuinely being shocked and disgusted with the sight of death/blood/violence and not really knowing how to fight, compared to his actions later as V

Ginny talking about the frogs that freeze solid for the winter

Code words that unlock secrets implanted in Ginny's memories! (and her being the one to connect the dots in the end rather than Bucky)

The flock of Janes that try their best to be clones of each other and are queens of discretion and have access to infinite resources to do anything? Since we learn more about it later it really elevates when Bucky first calls the emergency number and is transferred from "Jane" to "Jane"

Bucky going off to save Ginny on a motorcycle that he barely knows how to drive vs. V grabbing a motorcycle to go after Mr. Yesterday when he doesn't remember ever driving one

When Bucky kind of teasingly doesn't give Ginny the pill bottle right away and she just attacks him and they get into an actual, physical scuffle. Bucky finally gives her the bottle when she pretends to cry.

Bucky compares Steve's eyes to flames that he's drawn to?? truly a metaphor that makes me wanna bite, especially given the theme of cold/references to Bucky being frozen (even though that comes later)

How the relationship between Bucky-as-V and Rostova, his handler, is depicted. Tender in ways and it seems clear she cares about him maybe more than others around since she protects him in some ways but also still definitely abusive as hell. I liked that there seemed to be some actual understanding between them in the end. Rest in pieces Masha

Bucky actually getting the surgical scissors into his hand in the last few pages because everyone is distracted but it's still no use. Genuinely painful to read