#I pretty much only watch this one booktuber

[harrysfolklore]

misunderstood hero with a heart of gold - mv1

summary: max verstappen has never been one to read books, but everything changes when he comes across a pretty booktuber who describes him better than anyone else did before

word count: 8.2k + social media posts

folkie radio: another one of my babies finally sees the light of day 🥹 this fic is really special and i was lowkey gatekeeping it but i feel ready to share it, plss take care of it <3 i hope you like it

MASTERLIST | MY PATREON

Max Verstappen was bored.

It was late and he was alone in his hotel room. He had a race the following day and he knew better than staying up late. His team was already on his ass for sim racing at ungodly hours of the night when he had a race, but nevertheless, he was bored and not sleepy yet.

He scrolled through his phone, not really paying attention to what popped up on his Instagram feed, Tiktok for you page or Twitter timeline.

After a few minutes, his finger landed on the YouTube app, one that he barely used if he was completely honest, but for some reason he never deleted it.

A bunch of videos showed up on his main page, most of them about F1, gaming, fitness or cats. He scrolled through the thumbnails absentmindedly until one title caught his eye: "Formula 1 Drivers as Romance Book Character Tropes."

Max had no idea how that video ended up in his suggestions page. He wasn't much of a reader—he had only read two books in his entire life, for crying out loud— but curiosity got the better of him. He clicked on the video.

The screen shifted to a bright and lively setup, where a young woman with vibrant energy and a contagious smile greeted her viewers. "Hey everyone! Welcome back to my channel. Today, we have a fun video where I'll be pairing Formula 1 drivers with romance book tropes!"

Max found himself smiling for some reason, he thought she was really engaging and funny — and really pretty—. He leaned back against his pillows, more intrigued by the second.

"As some of you might already know, books are not my only passion, I'm also a huge Formula 1 fan since I was a little kid thanks to my dad, so I thought it would be fun to do a little crossover of my two obsessions."

Max grinned again, finding himself oddly invested in this unexpected combination of romance literature and Formula 1. Or maybe just mesmerized by the pretty girl who was talking on his screen.

"Let's begin with Mercedes," she said, clapping her hands together, "Lewis Hamilton is definitely our 'Charming Prince Charming.' He's got the looks, the talent, and that air of royalty about him."

Max chuckled, thinking it was a fitting description for his rival.

"Now for George Russell," she continued, "I'm going with 'The Boy Next Door Who Grew Up Hot.' I mean, have you seen his glow-up?"

Max chuckled again, nodding in agreement. George had indeed transformed quite a bit since his Williams days.

"Moving on to Ferrari," she continued enthusiastically. Max wondered if that was her favorite team on the grid, "Charles Leclerc is our classic 'Childhood Best Friend You've Always Had a Crush On.' He's got that sweet, familiar charm, but with a spark that makes your heart race every time you see him."

Max raised an eyebrow, surprised by the change in description. He had to admit, it fit Charles quite well.

"And for Carlos Sainz," she paused dramatically, "he's either our 'Older Brother's Best Friend' or the 'Bad Guy Who's Mean to Everyone but His Sweetheart', just think about it, he's got that rugged exterior, but you just know he's a total sweetheart deep down."

Max laughed, realizing she had Carlos pegged perfectly. He watched with growing interest as she continued.

"Now, let's talk about McLaren," she said with a sparkle in her eye. "Lando Norris is our 'Adorkable Comedian Who Steals Your Heart.' He's funny, relatable, and has a way of making you fall for him before you even realize it," Max grinned at the description of his good friend, "And Oscar Piastri... he's 'The Shy Genius.' Quiet, reserved, but incredibly talented and intelligent. He might not be the loudest in the room, but he's someone you'd definitely want on your side."

Max nodded in agreement, thinking of how Oscar had impressed everyone since joining McLaren. She continued pairing each driver with a character trope, she described Daniel as the "Life of the Party with a Sensitive Soul," highlighting his infectious energy and hidden depths. Pierre was dubbed the "Resilient Underdog," emphasizing his ability to bounce back from setbacks. Yuki was described as the "Fiery Spitfire with a Soft Center" and Logan was labeled the "Rookie with Untapped Potential," suggesting a character arc of growth and discovery.

With each driver's description, Max's anticipation grew. He found himself eagerly awaiting his own characterization, both curious and slightly apprehensive about how the pretty girl with an obsession with books and Formula 1 would describe him.

When she finally got to Red Bull, he sat up a little straighter, his interest piqued.

"Now for Sergio Perez," she said, "he's our 'Loyal Wingman Who Deserves His Own Happy Ending.' Always there to support, but with a story of his own waiting to be told."

Max nodded, thinking it was a pretty accurate description of his teammate.

"And finally, saved the best for last," she said, her eyes twinkling, "we have Max Verstappen."

Max held his breath, oddly nervous about how this stranger would categorize him.

"Max is our 'Misunderstood Hero with a Heart of Gold,'" she said with a warm smile. "Often perceived as cold or distant, but actually deeply caring and protective of those close to him. He's the type who shows his love through actions rather than words."

Max felt his cheeks warm significantly. This description caught him completely off guard. It wasn't the usual 'aggressive driver' or 'arrogant champion' narrative he was used to hearing. Instead, it felt... true. Uncomfortably true. He wasn't sure how to feel about being seen so accurately by a stranger.

As the video ended after she said her goodbyes, Max found himself staring at his phone screen, replaying her words in his mind, his thumb hovering over the comment section. He had never left a comment on a YouTube video before, but something about this one compelled him to break that habit.

After a moment's hesitation, he tapped the comment box and began typing, Once he was done, he paused, reading over his words. It felt strange, almost vulnerable, to acknowledge her characterization of him. But there was also something liberating about it. He added a thumbs-up emoji at the end and hit 'Post' before he could second-guess himself.

As Max set his phone down and settled into bed, a small smile played on his lips. He had a important race the following day, but all he wanted to think and dream about was the pretty stranger who had somehow seen through his carefully crafted public persona.

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liked by username1, username2 and 10,725 others

f1gossip “I went to bed early last night. Just listened to the team’s orders, you know?”

Max Verstappen for media day today, however he left a comment on a YouTube video around 2:46 am 😭

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username1 HES SOOOOO

username2 the fact that he left a comment on a BOOKTUBER’S channel MAX VERSTAPPEN YOU DONT EVEN READ BOOKS 😭

username3 he looks so pretty tho

username4 MAX WE ALL SAW YOU

username5 max was actually checking which romance trope is him according to booktubers

username6 HES SO RANDOM

username7 max’s search history: lestappen as fictional couples

liked by username1, username2 and 102,438 others

ynreadsbooks in honor of max verstappen x3 world champion commenting on my latest video (which is insane to say out loud wtf) should i do another f1 themed video?? any suggestions?

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username1 YES QUEEN

username2 that max comment was so random but so real

username3 max verstappen, the man who has read two books in 27 years watching booktubers was not on my bingo card

username4 @/maxverstappen1 you favorite youtuber will do another video about you

username5 BOOKS WITH RACING THEMES

username6 books inspired by f1 circuits would be fun

username7 @/maxverstappen drop a suggestion

maxverstappen1 started following ynreadsbooks

liked by username1, username2 and 15,836 others

f1gossip Max Verstappen was seen outside of a bookshop in Monaco today !

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username1 BABYYYY

username2 max ??? bookshop ????

username3 WHAT SHIFTED

username4 he thought it was jimmyz

username5 HEELPP what is he doing there

username6 hello i work there. he arrived with a list of books in hand that he wanted, he bought around 15 action and fantasy books

↳ username1 FOR REAL???

↳ username2 max said book girl summer

↳ username3 this is so random

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If someone had told Max that this year he would spend his summer break reading, he would've laughed at their faces. Yet here he was, lounging by the pool in his Monaco house, a book in his hands and a smile on his face.

As he turned the page of "The Martian," the latest sci-fi recommendation from YN, Max couldn't help but reflect on how different this summer break was.

Usually, his days off were filled with lavish yacht parties, exclusive clubs, or intense training sessions and hours of sim racing to stay sharp for the second half of the season. But now, he found himself eagerly devouring books and spending hours chatting with YN about plots, characters, and everything in between.

As the weeks passed, Max found himself growing increasingly close to YN, despite never having met her in person. Their text conversations flowed effortlessly, ranging from in-depth discussions about the books they were reading to playful banter about racing and life in general.

Max was surprised by how much he enjoyed her company, even in this digital form. Her wit, intelligence, and genuine interest in his thoughts beyond his racing persona were refreshing. He found himself sharing things he rarely discussed with others, and looking forward to her messages became a highlight of his day.

He also thought she was absolutely gorgeous.

As if on cue, his phone buzzed with a new message from her.

Max chuckled, about to reply when he heard the doorbell. He remembered Lando and Daniel were coming over for dinner. As he got up to let them in, he quickly typed a response, telling her that he would talk to her later.

"Well, well, well," Daniel's voice boomed as Max opened the door. "If it isn't the newly minted bookworm of Formula 1!"

Lando peered around Daniel's shoulder, "I half expected to find you wearing glasses and a sweater vest, mate."

"Very funny, guys. Come in," Max rolled his eyes as he stepped away from the door.

Ever since his friends noticed his brand new habit, they took it upon themselves to tease him whenever they could. As they made their way to the backyard, Daniel spotted the book on the lounger.

"The Martian?" he read, picking it up. "Isn't this a bit advanced for your reading level, Maxy?"

"Ha ha," Max deadpanned, snatching the book back. "It's actually really good. It's about this astronaut who gets stranded on Mars and has to use science and engineering to survive-"

"Whoa, whoa," Lando interrupted, holding up his hands. "Who are you and what have you done with Max Verstappen?"

Daniel draped an arm around Max's shoulders. "I think our boy here is trying to impress a certain bookish YouTuber. What was her name again? YN?"

Max felt his cheeks warm. "It's not like that. We just... talk about books and stuff."

"And stuff," Daniel repeated, wiggling his eyebrows. "Is that what the kids are calling it these days?"

Max rolled his eyes, trying to brush off their teasing. "Seriously, it's not like that. We just have a lot in common."

Daniel and Lando exchanged knowing glances before bursting into laughter.

"Sure, mate," Daniel said, patting Max on the back. "Whatever you say."

They settled by the pool, beers in hand, and started chatting about the upcoming races and their plans for the rest of the summer. Despite the playful ribbing, Max found himself genuinely enjoying their company. He hadn’t realized how much he’d missed his friends.

As the evening wore on, the conversation eventually circled back to Max's books and his little friend on his phone.

"So, Max," Lando started, a mischievous glint in his eye, "have you color-coded your bookshelf yet? Or are you more of a chronological order kind of guy?"

"Nah, mate. I bet he organizes them by how many times YN has mentioned them," Daniel chimed in, "Top shelf is probably her favorites, right Maxy?"

Max felt his cheeks flush, but he couldn't help grinning. "You two are impossible."

"When are you finally going to meet her in person anyway?" Lando said, sipping from his beer.

Max shrugged nonchalantly, trying to hide the slight flutter in his chest. "I don't know. That's not something I've really thought about,"

He lied. In truth, the thought of meeting YN had crossed his mind countless times. The idea of finally seeing the girl who had captivated him with her intelligence, humor, and beauty made his heart race. He'd catch himself daydreaming about her smile, wondering if it was as warm and infectious in person as it seemed in her videos. But he wasn't ready to admit that to his friends just yet.

Lando and Daniel exchanged a look, clearly not buying Max's nonchalant act.

"Oh come on," Lando scoffed, rolling his eyes dramatically. "You expect us to believe that? You've been glued to your phone for weeks, mate."

"I bet he's already planned their first date," Daniel leaned in, "What'll it be, Max? A romantic book reading by candlelight? Or maybe a visit to the library?"

Max felt his cheeks heating up again. "It's not like that, guys. We're just friends."

"Friends who talk every day and have you blushing like a schoolgirl," Lando teased, nudging Max with his elbow.

"I do not blush like a schoolgirl," Max protested, knowing full well that his face was probably bright red by now.

"Sure, sure," Daniel said with a wink. "Just friends. So, have you at least thought about inviting her to a race? You know, show her what you do when you're not reading about Mars?"

"Why would I invite her to a race, that would be weird," Max protested again, "And she already knows what I do, she's a fan of the sport."

"Man, you're so stubborn sometimes," Lando rolled his eyes at him, "If you like this girl, why don't you invite her to a race? It could be a great way to finally meet in person."

"And who said that I liked her," once again, Max's defensive self came through.

Daniel and Lando shared an exasperated look before turning back to Max.

"Come on, mate," Daniel said, his tone gentler now. "It's pretty obvious. We've never seen you this invested in someone before. Not to mention, you're reading books voluntarily for the first time since... well, ever."

"It's written all over your face," Lando said, shaking his head. "You like her, and there's no shame in that. You light up every time your phone buzzes. It's kind of adorable, actually."

Max sighed, running a hand through his hair. He knew his friends were right, but admitting it out loud felt like a big step. "Okay, fine. Maybe I do like her. But it's complicated, you know? We've never even met in person."

"That's exactly why you should invite her to a race," Lando insisted. "It's the perfect opportunity. She gets to see you in your element, and you get to finally meet face-to-face."

"Plus," Daniel added with a mischievous grin, "if things go well, you can always show her your trophy collection. I hear that's a great way to impress the ladies."

Max couldn't help but laugh at that. "You're ridiculous, you know that?"

"Maybe," Daniel shrugged, "but I'm also right. What have you got to lose?"

Max pondered this for a moment. The idea of meeting YN in person both thrilled and terrified him. What if they didn't click in real life the way they did over text? But then again, what if they did?

"I'll think about it," Max finally conceded.

Lando and Daniel exchanged triumphant grins.

"That's our boy," Lando said, patting his back.

After a few more beers and food, Lando and Daniel left.

As the night deepened, Max found himself lying in bed, staring at the ceiling. The conversation with Lando and Daniel kept replaying in his mind. His phone sat on the nightstand, silent but somehow still demanding his attention.

Max's thoughts raced. Should he text YN? Invite her to Zandvoort? The idea made his heart beat faster. He imagined seeing her in person for the first time, wondering if her smile would be as pretty as it was in her videos. But doubt crept in too. What if things were awkward? What if the chemistry they had online didn't translate to real life?

He rolled onto his side, eyeing his phone. The urge to reach out to her was strong, as it always was. Max realized that Lando and Daniel were right - he did like her. A lot. The thought of meeting her filled him with equal parts excitement and nervousness.

Taking a deep breath, Max grabbed his phone. Before he could overthink it, he started typing.

Hey YN, hope I'm not messaging too late. I was wondering if you'd like to come to the Dutch GP at Zandvoort? It's the first race after the summer break, and my home race. Thought it might be fun if you could make it.

He hit send before he could second-guess himself. The wait for her response felt eternal. When his phone finally buzzed, Max's heart leapt.

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liked by maxverstappen1, redbullracing and 286,375 others

ynreadsbooks this week’s video will be delayed for some ~personal reasons ☺️

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username1 GIRL

username2 ARE YOU GOING WHERE I THINK YOU’RE GOING

username3 f1 x books this is literally me

username4 hot girls support max verstappen

username5 ahh if she’s going to the gp i’ll be so happy bc she’s a huge fan

username6 the way roles reversed and now max is his fan 😭

redbullracing We can’t wait 💙

↳ username1 REDBULL???

↳ username2 AHHH THEY PROBABLY INVITED HER

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As Max headed to Zandvoort Circuit for the Dutch Grand Prix, he felt the familiar weight of expectations settling on his shoulders.

The second half of the season loomed ahead, and the pressure to maintain his championship lead was on. He knew the team was counting on him to deliver strong results, especially at his home race where the orange-clad fans would be out in full force.

But amidst the pressure and responsibility, there was another emotion bubbling up inside him - a giddy excitement that he couldn't quite contain.

The thought of finally meeting YN in person after months of texts, calls, and shared book recommendations made his heart race in a way that had nothing to do with driving at a car at a very fast speed.

As he drove to the track, Max found himself smiling at random moments, his mind drifting to imagine what it would be like to see her smile in person, to hear her laugh without the filter of a phone call.

Max realized that for the first time in a long while, he was looking forward to a race weekend for reasons that extended beyond the track.

Unfortunately, his busy schedule kept them from meeting right away. Media commitments, team briefings, and practice sessions consumed his time, leaving him feeling frustrated and guilty for not being able to see her sooner. He sent her a quick message apologizing for the delay, promising they'd meet after qualifying.

As he made his way to the garage, a familiar voice called out behind him.

"Oi, Max! Ready for the big day?"

Max turned to see Daniel jogging up to him, his trademark grin in place.

"Yeah, should be a good quali," Max replied, trying to sound nonchalant.

Daniel raised an eyebrow. "I wasn't talking about qualifying, mate. Your special guest arrives today, right?"

Max felt his cheeks warm. "How did you even remember that?"

"Please," Daniel scoffed. "It's all you've been talking about for weeks. So, have you met her yet?"

"No, my schedule's been packed. We're supposed to meet after quali."

"Ah, saving the best for last, eh?" Daniel's grin widened, "Smart move. Nothing like the adrenaline of a good qualifying session to make a great first impression."

"Or to completely mess it up," Max muttered.

"Hey, none of that," Daniel clapped him on the shoulder. "You'll be fine. Just be yourself. She already likes you for who you are, remember?"

Max nodded, feeling a bit reassured. "Thanks, Dan."

With a deep breath, Max headed into the garage, Daniel's words echoing in his mind.

Qualifying went smoothly, with Max securing a front row start to the delight of the Dutch fans. The cheers of the home crowd were deafening as he climbed out of the car, but his mind was elsewhere.

After the post-qualifying interviews, Max sent YN a quick text letting her know that he was free now and she let him know that she was around the hospitality area.

As he walked towards there, Max spotted YN standing near one of the motorhomes, looking around with wide eyes. She hadn't seen him yet, and for a moment, Max just watched her, taking in the sight of the girl who had been on his mind for months now.

She was even more gorgeous in person than he had imagined.

Her eyes sparkled with excitement as she took in the bustling paddock around her. The way the sunlight caught her hair, the gentle curve of her smile as she observed everything with wonder - it all took Max's breath away.

He noticed little details he couldn't have seen through a screen: the way her eyes sparkled, the subtle freckles across her nose, the graceful way she moved as she looked around.

Taking a deep breath, Max walked over, his heart pounding. "YN?"

She turned, her face lighting up with a radiant smile that made Max's breath catch. "Max! Finally!"

They moved toward each other, and without hesitation, Max pulled her into a hug. The embrace felt natural, as if they'd done this a hundred times before. He was aware of how perfectly she fit in his arms, the subtle scent of her perfume, and the warmth of her body against his.

"It's so good to finally meet you," he murmured into her hair. "I'm so sorry it took so long, this weekend's been crazy."

She pulled back slightly, looking up at him with understanding in her eyes. "It's okay, Max. That qualifying was amazing! I've never experienced anything like it."

"I'm glad you enjoyed it. Come on, let me show you around."

He took her hand and he was struck by how natural it felt. Her fingers intertwined with his perfectly, and a warm sensation spread from their joined hands throughout his body.

They strolled through the paddock, Max pointing out the various team motorhomes, the garages, and the media center. YN was all wide-eyed fascination, asking questions and soaking in every detail. As they walked, Max found himself relaxing more and more, his previous nerves about their chemistry being gone fading away.

As they rounded a corner, they nearly bumped into Lando Norris. Who couldn't help but smirk at the sight of their hands intertwined.

"You guys met already!" he cheerfully said, "You must be YN."

Her cheeks flushed, clearly surprised that Max had mentioned her to his friends. Max felt a warmth spread through his chest at her reaction.

"Yeah, this is YN," Max said, unable to keep the smile off his face, "Meet Lando, the perpetual pain in my ass."

"Nice to finally meet the girl who's got Max reading," YN laughed, and Lando extended his hand, "Quite the accomplishment."

"Nice to meet you too, Lando," YN said, shaking his hand. "I've enjoyed watching you race, I'm a big fan. Congrats on the pole position."

"Cheers," Lando replied, then turned to Max with a mischievous glint in his eye. "So, has he bored you with car talk yet, or has he actually remembered how to discuss books?"

Max rolled his eyes good-naturedly. "Shouldn't you be preparing for tomorrow, Lando?"

"Alright, alright, I can take a hint," Lando chuckled. "Enjoy your tour, lovebirds!"

As Lando walked away, Max felt a mix of embarrassment and pleasure. He glanced at YN, relieved to see her smiling.

"Sorry about him," Max said, shaking his head with a chuckle. "Lando has a way of making everything awkward."

YN laughed softly, her eyes twinkling. "It's fine. He seems like fun."

They continued their walk, finally making their way to the rooftop terrace of the Red Bull hospitality area. The view was stunning, offering a panoramic look at the circuit and the sea of orange-clad fans below.

"This is incredible," YN said, leaning against the railing and taking it all in. "Thank you for showing me around, Max."

"Of course," Max said, standing beside her. "I'm really glad you could come."

They stood there for a moment, enjoying the view and each other's company. Max felt a sense of contentment wash over him, the stress of the weekend melting away in her presence.

"Max," YN said softly, turning to face him. "I know this weekend is important for you, and I don't want to be a distraction. But I'm really happy to be here and to finally meet you."

"You're not a distraction," Max replied, reaching out to take her hand again. "You're the best part of this weekend, honestly."

They shared a smile, Max was well aware of the butterflies that fluttered on his stomach and the high school girl blush his friends teased him about, but he didn't care. He felt happy with the pretty girl who had been his source of comfort for months, finally face to face.

"You know," YN said softly, "when I made that video calling you a misunderstood hero with a heart of gold, I never imagined I'd get to see it firsthand. But being here, seeing how you are with your team, with the fans… I was right about you, Max Verstappen."

Max felt a warmth spread through his chest at her words. He had always been guarded about his public image, but hearing her perspective meant more than he could ever imagine.

"I'm glad you think so," he said softly, his voice filled with sincerity. "You know, that video... it changed things for me. Not just because it led to us talking, but because it made me reflect on a lot of things."

"Who would've thought," YN said with a smile, "When I recorded that video, I never thought you would ever see it, let alone have an impact on you and let alone lead us to talking and me being here."

"Everything happens for a reason, right?"

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liked by maxverstappen1, danielricciardo and 301,257 others

ynreadsbooks best experience ever. thank you, thank you, THANK YOU 🥺💙

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username1 OMFGGGG

username2 no one deserved this more than her for real

username3 SHE MET MAX TOO?? DESERVED

redbullracing Come back soon! 😉

username4 red bull finally inviting people who actually love the sport

username5 GIRL WE NEED A VLOGGGG

username6 omg how did this happen spiiiill

↳ ynreadsbooks let's say i got invited by the world champion

↳ username1 WTF

↳ username2 so MAX invited her not redbull help he really did become a fan after that video

danielricciardo Hope to see you around soon, love ! 👀

↳ username3 how do i sign up for this

username7 THAT PIC OF MAX IS SO BOYFRIEND CODED

maxversteppen1 Thank you so much for coming and making this day special ☺️

↳ username1 OMG MAX

↳ username2 i'd be screaming if i was her

liked by charles_leclerc, ynreadsbooks and 1,028,479 others

maxverstappen1 Enjoyed every moment in Zandvoort with this amazing atmosphere and the best company 🧡

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username1 KIIING

username2 how can a man be so babygirl

username3 all smiles even tho he finished p2

danielricciardo 🦁🦁

landonorris Simply lovely

↳ username1 menace

username4 bro who got you smiling like that

ynreadsbooks ❤️

↳ username2 biggest max girlie

↳ username3 WE NEED THAT VLOG

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When it came time for YN to leave the Netherlands, Max insisted on driving her to the airport himself. The car ride was filled with comfortable silence and soft conversation, both of them trying to stretch out their remaining time together.

Despite their short time together, Max found himself completely smitten, captivated by YN's intelligence, humor, and the way her eyes lit up when she talked about books or reacted to the thrill of the race.

He didn't want to admit it to himself, but he was head over heels for her.

As they stood in the departure terminal, Max felt an overwhelming urge to kiss her. He hesitated, his heart racing, but ultimately settled for a long, warm hug, breathing in her scent and committing it to memory. As he watched her walk through security, he already found himself missing her presence.

Now, a week later, Max was in Monza for the Italian Grand Prix. The day had been busy with media commitments and team meetings. Finally back in the quiet of his motorhome, Max flopped onto the couch, feeling drained but content. Without thinking, he reached for his phone and hit the FaceTime button next to YN's name.

Her smiling face appeared on the screen, and Max felt an immediate surge of warmth.

"Hey, you," she said, her voice soft and welcoming even through the phone's speakers.

"Hey," Max replied, unable to keep the grin off his face. "How's your day been?"

"Oh, you know, the usual. Editing videos, reading, missing the excitement of the paddock," YN teased. "How about you? Surviving the media circus?"

"Barely," Max groaned dramatically, "I swear, if I have to answer one more question about RedBull and their big mess, I might go mad."

YN laughed, the sound making Max's heart skip a beat. "Poor Max. Whatever shall we do to take your mind off your beloved team?"

"Well," Max said, shifting to get more comfortable, "I've been reading that new sci-fi book you recommended. 'The Martian-like Odyssey to Titan,' or whatever it's called."

"'Project Hail Mary,'" she corrected, "And? What do you think so far?"

"It's incredible!" Max's eyes lit up, "I mean, the science is fascinating, and the way the main character problem-solves is just... I don't know, it reminds me a bit of what we do in racing, you know? Constantly adapting, finding solutions on the fly."

"That's exactly why I thought you'd like it! The way Andy Weir writes about scientific problem-solving is so engaging."

They dove into an animated discussion about the book, Max marveling at how easily conversation flowed between them, how YN's passion for books was infectious. As they talked, a thought that had been brewing in Max's mind for days suddenly surfaced.

"YN," Max said, his voice softer than before. "There's actually something I've been wanting to ask you."

"Oh? What is it, Max?" she tilted her head, curiosity evident in her expression.

Max took a deep breath, suddenly feeling like he was about to qualify for a crucial race. "Well, I was wondering... have you ever been to Monaco?"

"No, actually, I haven't," YN's eyebrows raised in surprise, "It's always been on my travel wish list, though. Why do you ask?"

Max felt his heart rate pick up. He'd rehearsed this moment in his head countless times over the past few days, but now that it was here, he found himself fumbling for words.

"Well, you see, I have a two-week break coming up before the Baku GP, and I was thinking... maybe... if you're free, of course, and if you'd like to... you could come visit me in Monaco?"

The words tumbled out faster than he intended, and Max felt a blush creeping up his neck. He watched YN's face carefully, trying to gauge her reaction. His mind raced with possibilities - what if she said no? What if this was too forward?

YN's eyes widened, and for a moment, she seemed at a loss for words. "Oh, Max, that's... wow. That's really sweet of you to offer."

Max, sensing a hint of hesitation, quickly added, "You could stay at my place. I have plenty of room, and it would be great to have you around. Plus I have two adorable cats that I'm sure you'd love."

YN's expression softened, a mix of excitement and uncertainty in her eyes. "That sounds amazing, Max. But… are you sure? I wouldn't want to impose on your personal space or your time off."

Truth was, Max wanted to spent every free moment he had with her, but he wasn't sure how to let her know without sounding too forward or like a creep, so he just pressed on.

"You wouldn't be imposing at all, I promise. I really want us to spend more time together, away from the craziness of the race weekends. And I'd love to show you around Monaco."

He watched as YN bit her lip, considering his offer. The silence stretched for a moment, and Max found himself holding his breath.

"If you're not comfortable staying at my place," he added quickly, "I could book you a hotel room, or there are some great Airbnbs with amazing views of the harbor. Whatever makes you feel most at ease. I just… I really want to see you again."

As he spoke, Max realized just how true his words were. The thought of having YN in his space, sharing meals, exploring the city together - it filled him with a warmth he couldn't quite describe. It was more than just attraction; there was a comfort in her presence that he craved.

YN smiled, a warm look in her eyes. "You really mean that, don't you?"

"I do. Look, I know it might seem like a big ask, but I just... I can't stop thinking about how much fun we have together. And Monaco is beautiful this time of year. We could go for drives along the coast, have dinner at some amazing restaurants, or just relax by the pool if you prefer. No pressure, just... us. And well, the cats."

Max held his breath, waiting for her response. The thought of having YN in Monaco, of being able to spend uninterrupted time with her away from the pressures of the race weekend, made his heart soar. He imagined showing her his favorite spots in the city, maybe taking her out on his boat, or just lounging by the pool and talking for hours.

"Alright, Verstappen, you've convinced me. But I have one condition."

"Name it." Max grinned, relief and excitement washing over him.

"If I'm staying at your place, you have to let me cook my infamous waffles for breakfast. They're a secret family recipe, and I guarantee they'll be the best you've ever tasted."

"Deal," Max's smile widened, a burst of joy exploding in his chest. "But I warn you, I take my waffles very seriously. They better live up to the hype."

"Oh, they will. And I can't wait to meet the cats."

As they continued to chat and make plans for YN's visit, Max felt a warmth spreading through his chest. The prospect of having YN in his home, of waking up and knowing she was just in the next room, of being able to spend lazy mornings together over homemade waffles - it all seemed almost too good to be true.

He found himself imagining what it would be like to have her there. Would she curl up on his couch with a book? Would they watch the sunset from his terrace? Would he finally get the courage to kiss her?

The thought made his heart race. He remembered the moment at the airport when he had wanted so badly to kiss her goodbye. This time, he promised himself, he wouldn't let the opportunity pass by.

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maxverstappen1 replied to your story

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The day of YN's arrival in Monaco had finally come, and Max felt like a giddy teenager preparing for his first date.

In the days leading up to YN's visit, Max had found himself unusually preoccupied with preparations. He wanted everything to be perfect for YN's stay. He'd bought new sheets for the guest bedroom, making sure they were the softest he could find. He'd stocked the fridge with an array of foods, unsure of her preferences but making sure to have options. He'd even gone so far as to buy a small collection of books he thought she might enjoy, arranging them carefully on the nightstand in her room.

The morning of her arrival, Max woke up early, his stomach a knot of excitement and nerves. He double-checked everything one last time - fresh towels in the bathroom, extra toiletries in case she forgot anything, a vase of fresh flowers on the kitchen counter to brighten up the space. He felt almost silly with how much effort he was putting in, but he couldn't help himself. He wanted everything to be perfect for the girl he was smitten with.

As the time to leave for the airport approached, Max found himself pacing, checking his watch every few minutes. He'd planned the route to the airport meticulously, factoring in potential traffic to make sure he'd be there in plenty of time. Just as he was about to grab his keys and head out, the doorbell rang.

Confused, Max paused. He wasn't expecting anyone - he'd made sure to clear his schedule completely for YN's visit. Frowning slightly, he opened the door to find Lando standing there, a wide grin on his face.

"Lando? What are you doing here?" Max asked, glancing at his watch.

"What, can't a mate drop by for a visit?" Lando replied, trying to peer past Max into the apartment. "Thought we could hang out, maybe play some FIFA."

Max shifted awkwardly, blocking the doorway. "Lando, mate, I'm actually just about to head out. I can't hang out right now."

"Oh, come on," Lando's grin faltered slightly, "Just for a bit? We haven't had a proper catch-up in ages."

"I'm sorry, I really can't," Max insisted, glancing at his watch nervously. "I have to pick up a friend from the airport."

Lando's eyes narrowed suspiciously, a mischievous glint appearing. "A friend, huh? Is it that your book dream girl? You're flying her out over here?"

Max felt his face heat up, a blush creeping up his neck. He tried to deny it, but his reaction gave him away.

"It is! Oh man, this is brilliant," Lando's eyes widened in delight, "Max Verstappen, blushing like a schoolboy over a girl."

"Shut up," Max grumbled, but there was no real annoyance in his voice. He couldn't help but smile.

"So, YN is finally gracing Monaco with her presence," Lando teased. "No wonder you've been so distracted lately. When do I get to hang out with her?"

"You don't," Max rolled his eyes, "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go."

"Alright, alright," Lando stepped aside, still grinning. "But I want details later, yeah? And tell YN I said hi."

Max waved him off, hurrying to his car. Despite Lando's teasing, he couldn't wipe the smile off his face. The excitement was bubbling up inside him again as he drove to the airport.

As he parked and made his way to the arrivals area, Max felt his nerves almost making him want to throw up. He found himself fidgeting, alternating between pacing and sitting, his eyes glued to the arrivals board.

Finally, he saw that YN's flight had landed. His heart rate picked up as he watched the doors, scanning the crowd for her familiar face. And then, suddenly, there she was.

YN emerged from the arrivals gate, looking a bit tired from the journey but still radiant. Her eyes scanned the crowd, and when they landed on Max, her face lit up with a brilliant smile.

Max felt his breath catch in his throat. He raised his hand in a small wave, a grin spreading across his face as he walked towards her.

"Hey, Max," she said as she reached him, her voice warm and slightly breathless.

"Hey," he replied, suddenly feeling shy. "How was your flight?"

Without thinking, he pulled her into a hug. As he wrapped his arms around her, breathing in the scent of her hair, he felt a sense of rightness wash over him. It was as if all the pieces were falling into place.

"It was good, just long," she hugged him back tightly. "I'm so glad to be here though."

As they pulled apart, Max found himself reluctant to let go completely. He kept one hand on her back as he reached for her suitcase with the other. "Here, let me get that for you."

"Always the gentleman," YN teased, but her smile was soft and appreciative.

As they walked towards the exit, Max found himself stealing glances at her, still hardly believing she was really here. "So, um, I thought we could grab some lunch if you're hungry? Or if you're tired, we can head straight to my place so you can rest."

YN considered for a moment. "Lunch sounds great, actually. I'm starving, and I'm too excited to sleep just yet. I want to see Monaco."

Max chuckled, feeling a warmth spread through his chest at her enthusiasm. "Lunch it is then. I know just the place – it has a great view of the harbor."

As they made their way to Max's car, chatting easily about YN's flight and Max's plans for her visit, Max felt a sense of contentment he hadn't experienced in a long time. The nervousness from earlier had melted away, replaced by pure happiness.

Loading YN's suitcase into the trunk, Max caught her eye and smiled. "I'm really glad you're here, YN."

She returned his smile, her eyes sparkling. "Me too, Max. Me too."

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ynreadsbooks roomates for the week 🥺

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username1 AWEEE

username2 those are cute kittens

username3 those look like max verstappen's cats

username4 JIMMY AND SASSY VERSTAPPEN??

↳ username1 how CRAZY would it be

danielricciardo Don't hesitate to shout if he's much trouble

↳ username2 HOLD ON??

↳ ynreadsbooks he's just fine don't worry 😅

↳ username3 IS SHE REALLY WITH MAX??

↳ maxverstappen1 I'm not trouble...

↳ username1 OMFGGG

↳ username4 THIS PLOT TWIST

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Three days had passed since YN's arrival in Monaco, and Max couldn't remember a time when he'd been happier.

True to her word, YN had cooked her infamous waffles for breakfast on the second morning of her stay. As Max had taken his first bite, his eyes had widened in surprise and delight. The waffles were light and crispy on the outside, yet fluffy on the inside, with a perfect balance of sweetness and a hint of vanilla. He'd declared them the best he'd ever tasted, earning a proud smile from her.

The days that followed had been filled with laughter, conversation, and exploration. They'd spent hours by Max's pool, talking about everything and nothing. YN would often bring a book, reading aloud passages that she found particularly interesting or amusing, while Max listened, content to hear her voice and watch the way her eyes lit up when she spoke about something she loved.

They'd explored Monaco together, with Max showing YN his favorite spots and discovering new ones together. He'd taken her to the Monte Carlo Casino, where they'd marveled at the architecture and people-watched. They'd strolled through the streets of Monaco-Ville, the old town, where YN had been enchanted by the colorful buildings. They'd even spent an afternoon at the Oceanographic Museum, where YN's enthusiasm for learning had been infectious, and Max had found himself just as excited as she was about the marine life exhibits.

Throughout it all, Max felt himself falling deeper for her. It wasn't just her beauty or her intelligence that captivated him, but the way she saw the world. Her curiosity, her kindness, her ability to find joy in the smallest things - it all made Max see his surroundings through new eyes. He found himself noticing details he'd never paid attention to before, appreciating moments he might have otherwise overlooked.

What struck Max most was how easy and right it all felt. There was no pressure, no awkwardness. Being with YN was as natural as breathing. They could talk for hours without running out of things to say, but they were also comfortable in silence, simply enjoying each other's presence.

As they returned from another long day of exploring the city, both Max and YN retreated to their respective rooms to change into more comfortable clothing. Max opted for a soft t-shirt and sweatpants, relishing the feeling of being relaxed and at ease in his own home.

When he emerged from his room, he found YN already settled on his couch, her legs tucked under her, a book in her hands and one of his cats curling beside her. She was wearing one the t-shirt she picked the night she arrived when she realized she forgot to pack pajamas. It was too big for her frame but Max felt like melting knowing she was wearing his shirt.

The sight made Max's heart skip a beat. There was something so intimate and domestic about the scene - YN looking completely at home in his space, in his clothes, absorbed in a book as if she'd always been there.

Max couldn't help but smile, a warmth spreading through his chest. He found himself wanting this view in his life every day - coming home to find YN there, comfortable and content. The thought both thrilled and terrified him. He'd never felt this way about anyone before, never wanted to intertwine his life so completely with another person's.

YN looked up from her book, catching Max's gaze. Her lips curved into a soft smile. "Hey. Want to join me?"

Without hesitation, Max crossed the room. Instead of sitting next to her, he surprised both of them by lying down on the couch and resting his head in her lap. He looked up at her, his eyes vulnerable. "Would you read to me?"

YN's expression softened, her eyes twinkling with affection. "Of course," she said, her free hand moving to gently run her fingers through his hair.

Max closed his eyes, reveling in the sensation. He felt her shift slightly, getting comfortable, and then her voice filled the air, soft and melodious as she began to read.

Max's lips curved into a smile. "Emma," he murmured. "I remember you mentioning it was one of your favorites."

YN paused her reading, looking down at him with surprise and pleasure. "You remembered that?"

"Of course," Max opened his eyes, meeting her gaze. "I remember everything you tell me."

A huge grin appeared in YN's face, and she bent down to press a soft kiss to Max's forehead. The gesture was so natural, so tender, that it made Max's heart flutter.

As she continued to read, her fingers still combing through his hair, Max found himself only half-listening to the words. Instead, he was acutely aware of every point of contact between them - the warmth of her lap under his head, the gentle touch of her fingers, the soft cadence of her voice washing over him.

In that moment, Max realized with startling clarity that this was what he wanted for the rest of his life. Not just the glamour of racing or the thrill of victory, but this - quiet moments of intimacy, the comfort of being with someone who understood him, who made him want to be better.

He reached up, gently taking YN's free hand in his own, intertwining their fingers. She paused in her reading, looking down at him with a question in her eyes.

"YN," Max said softly, his voice filled with emotion. "I'm really glad you're here."

She squeezed his hand, her smile radiant. "So am I, Max. So am I."

As she resumed reading, her voice mixing with the soft sound of the Mediterranean breeze outside, Max closed his eyes again, a sense of peace settling over him. Whatever the future held, he knew that this moment, this feeling, was something he'd cherish forever.

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ynreadsbooks monaco you're the dream 🤍

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username1 GIRL

username2 THIS ESCALATED QUICKLY

username3 how do you go from max randomly commenting one of your videos to this

username4 girl we can tell that's max dw 😭😭

username5 YOU OWE US A TWO HOUR STORYTIME VIDEO

username6 anything you want to tell us best friend?

username7 she just had a book and a dream fr

landonorris Has he bored you yet?

↳ username1 IM DYING

↳ username2 she really masterminded her way into the f1 circle

↳ ynreadsbooks he's nice, makes good smoothies 😉

↳ maxverstappen1 Good to know that ❤️

↳ landonorris I'm disgusted

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As the final day of YN's stay in Monaco dawned, Max found himself feeling so many bittersweet emotions. The past week had been nothing short of magical, and the thought of it coming to an end left a hollow feeling in his chest. She hadn't even left yet, and already he missed her.

For their final day, Max had decided to take YN out on his yacht. He wanted their last hours together to be special, just the two of them away from the bustling streets of Monaco. As they prepared for the day, packing a picnic and gathering sunscreen and towels, Max couldn't help but reflect on the past week.

Daniel and Lando had teased him mercilessly about his sudden disappearance from their usual hangouts. They'd made jokes about Max being "whipped" and how he'd fallen hard for his "YouTube dream girl." But Max didn't care. He was too happy, too caught up in the bubble of joy that surrounded him and YN.

As they boarded the yacht, the Mediterranean stretching out before them in shades of turquoise, Max felt a pang in his chest. This perfect week was coming to an end, and he wasn't sure he was ready to face reality again.

Once they were out on the open water. YN leaned over the railing, a look of wonder on her face.

"This is incredible, Max," she said, turning to him with a dazzling smile. "I can't believe I'm here, experiencing all of this."

Max moved to stand beside her, their shoulders brushing. "I'm going to miss you," he said softly, "This week has been… I don't even have words for it."

"I'm going to miss you too, Max. So much. But you know I have to go back home. I have videos to make for my channel, work stuff to catch up on…"

Max nodded, understanding but not liking it. "Maybe you could make a video about 'A Week with an F1 Driver'? I'm sure your subscribers would love that."

YN laughed, playfully shoving his shoulder. "Oh yes, I'm sure that would go over well. 'Day 3: Watched Max eat his bodyweight in pasta. Day 5: Learned that F1 drivers are actually big babies when they lose at Mario Kart.'"

"I am not a baby!" Max gasped in mock offense. "I'm just… competitive."

"Uh-huh, sure," she teased, her eyes twinkling. "Is that why you pouted for an hour after I beat you?"

"I did not pout," Max protested, but he was grinning.

"You know, it's still surreal to me that a random video I published got us here. If someone had told me a year ago that I'd be spending a week in Monaco with Max Verstappen, I would have laughed in their face."

Max reached out, caressing her cheek softly. "I'm glad you made that video," he said softly. "I'm glad I stumbled across it. I can't imagine not knowing you now."

As they stood together on the boat, the gentle rocking of the waves mirroring the tumultuous emotions within them, Max found his gaze drawn to YN's lips. They were slightly parted, soft and inviting. His heart raced as he lifted his eyes to meet hers, a silent question in his gaze.

YN's eyes, warm and full of affection, met his. A small, knowing smile played at the corners of her mouth, and in that moment, it was all the permission Max needed.

With a gentle tug, he pulled her closer, one hand coming to rest on the small of her back while the other cupped her cheek. Time seemed to slow as he leaned in, their breaths mingling in the space between them. And then, finally, their lips met.

The kiss was tender at first, a soft exploration. But as YN's arms wrapped around his neck, her fingers threading through his hair, it deepened into something more passionate. Max poured all of his pent-up emotions into the kiss - his joy, his longing, his hope for what they could be.

When they finally parted, YN's eyes were sparkling. "You know," she said, a playful tone to her voice, "I've been waiting for you to do that all week."

Max couldn't help but laugh, a mixture of relief and happiness bubbling up inside him. "Really? All week, huh?"

"Mmhmm," she nodded, her smile widening. "I was starting to think I'd have to make the first move myself."

"Well," Max said, his voice low and teasing, "allow me to make up for lost time."

With that, he pulled her in for another kiss. This one was different from the first - more confident, more passionate. His hands roamed her back, pulling her flush against him as her fingers tangled in his hair. The world around them faded away until there was nothing but the two of them, the taste of salt on their lips, and the warmth of the setting sun on their skin.

When they broke apart this time, both were slightly dazed. Max rested his forehead against YN's, unwilling to put any distance between them.

"I really like you," he said softly, his voice thick with emotion. "More than I've ever liked anyone before. This week with you… it's been incredible. I don't want it to end."

YN's hand came up to cup his cheek, her thumb gently stroking his skin. "I really like you too, Max," she replied, her voice equally soft. "These past few days have been like a dream."

Max pulled back slightly, just enough to meet her eyes. "I know you have to go back, but… I want to make this work. Us, I mean. If that's something you want too."

"I do want that. Very much. It might not be easy with our schedules and the distance, but I think you're worth it."

"We'll figure it out," he said, determination clear in his voice. "I'll come visit you when I can, and you can come to some of my races. We'll make time for video calls, and I'll text you so much you'll get sick of me."

YN laughed, the sound like music to Max's ears. "I don't think I could ever get sick of you," she said, her eyes twinkling. "But I'm holding you to that promise about the races. I expect VIP treatment, Mr. Verstappen."

Max grinned, pulling her close again. "For you? Always," he murmured, before capturing her lips in another kiss.

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ynreadsbooks has added to their stories

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The month following YN's stay in Monaco had been blissful happiness for both YN and Max. Their parting at the airport had been bittersweet, filled with lingering kisses and tight embraces. They had spent a good hour cuddling in Max's car in the airport parking lot, neither wanting to let go.

"I'm going to miss you so much," YN had whispered, her face buried in the crook of Max's neck.

Max had tightened his arms around her, breathing in her scent. "I'll miss you too. But we'll see each other soon, I promise."

When they finally managed to separate, their goodbye kiss had been passionate and filled with promise. As Max watched her disappear into the airport, he already felt a piece of his heart leaving with her.

In the weeks that followed, they took every opportunity to be together. Max would fly to YN's home during his breaks between races, often arriving exhausted but immediately revitalized by her presence.

Their reunions were always intense, filled with desperate kisses and roaming hands as they made up for lost time. But it was the quiet moments that Max treasured most - waking up with YN in his arms, her sleepy smile the first thing he saw; cooking breakfast together, stealing kisses between flipping pancakes; or simply sitting in comfortable silence, each lost in their own tasks but finding comfort in the other's presence.

Now, as they walked hand in hand through the paddock in Austin for the USA Grand Prix, Max felt a sense of pride and joy unlike anything he'd experienced before. Having YN by his side at a race weekend, this time as more than just a friend, felt right in a way he couldn't fully express.

"This is incredible, Max," YN breathed, squeezing his hand. "I don't think I'll ever get used to it."

Max grinned, his heart swelling with affection. He loved seeing the paddock through her eyes, rediscovering the magic that he sometimes took for granted.

"Wait until you see the track," he said, pulling her closer. "And the sound when all the cars start up… there's nothing like it."

They paused for a moment, watching as a group of mechanics wheeled a set of tires past them. Max took the opportunity to really look at his girl. She was radiant in the sunlight, her hair catching the light and her eyes sparkling with excitement. He couldn't resist leaning in to place a soft kiss on her cheek.

YN turned to him, a playful smile on her lips. "What was that for?"

"Do I need a reason to kiss my girl?" Max replied, his voice low and teasing.

She laughed, the sound music to his ears. "I suppose not. But maybe save some for later? We are in public, after all."

"You're killing me," Max groaned dramatically. "How am I supposed to focus on racing when you look like that?"

"Oh, I'm sure you'll manage," YN teased, patting his chest. "After all, I hear you're quite good at this driving thing."

Their playful banter was interrupted by a familiar voice calling out. "Oi, Verstappen! Finally decided to grace us with your presence?"

Max turned to see Daniel approaching, his trademark grin in place. Lando was close behind, an equally mischievous look on his face.

"Hey guys," Max greeted, unconsciously pulling YN closer. "You remember YN, right?"

"Ah yes," Daniel's grin widened. "Nice to see you again, love."

"It's great to see you too, Daniel," she smiled warmly. "And you, Lando."

Lando's eyes darted between Max and YN, a knowing smirk playing on his lips. "So, Max, finally managed to seal the deal, huh?"

Max felt his cheeks heat up, but before he could respond, YN jumped in.

"Oh, he did more than that," she said, her tone light but with a hint of something that made Max's pulse quicken. "He's been quite… impressive."

Daniel let out a low whistle while Lando burst into laughter. Max couldn't help but join in, marveling at how effortlessly YN fit into his world.

As they chatted, Max couldn't keep his hands off YN. He found himself constantly touching her - a hand on the small of her back, playing with her fingers, rubbing her arm softly. Each touch was like a spark, reminding him of their passionate reunions over the past month.

He thought back to their last meeting, just a week ago. He had flown to her place straight after he was done with some meetings in Monaco, exhausted but desperate to see her. The moment he stepped through her door, all fatigue had vanished. They had barely made it to the bedroom, leaving a trail of clothes in their wake. The memory of her skin against his, the taste of her lips, the sound of her gasps and moans… it was enough to make him want to whisk her away to his motorhome right now.

Max was pulled from his thoughts by the approach of another familiar face. Charles Leclerc was walking towards them, his trademark charming smile in place.

"Max! Good to see you, man," Charles said, clapping Max on the shoulder before turning his attention to YN. "And who might this lovely lady be?"

Without hesitation, the words tumbled from Max's lips: "This is YN, my girlfriend."

He felt the girl stiffen slightly beside him, and for a moment, panic flared in his chest. Had he overstepped? They hadn't explicitly discussed labels yet. But when he glanced at YN, she was smiling warmly at Charles, her hand still firmly in Max's.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Charles," YN said, shaking his hand.

Charles raised an eyebrow at Max, a hint of surprise in his expression. "The pleasure is all mine. I hope you're enjoying your time in the paddock."

After exchanging a few more pleasantries, they parted ways. Max led YN towards his driver's room. Once inside the relative privacy of the small space, YN turned to him, a playful glint in her eye.

"Girlfriend, huh?" she said, her tone light but with an undercurrent of something Max couldn't quite identify.

Max felt a flutter of nervousness in his stomach. "I… yeah. I mean, if that's okay? I know we haven't really talked about it, but…"

YN stepped closer, her fingers playing with the collar of his shirt. "It's more than okay, Max. I was just surprised. We've been in this beautiful bubble, and hearing you say it out loud… it made it feel real in a way it hasn't before."

Max let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. His hands found their way to YN's waist, pulling her closer. "It is real," he said softly. "I've never felt this way about anyone before. Feels like you're everything."

Her eyes softened, her hand coming up to cup his cheek. "You're everything to me too, Max. I love you."

The words hung in the air between them for a moment, both realizing it was the first time either had said it. Then Max surged forward, capturing YN's lips in a kiss that was equal parts tender and passionate.

When they broke apart. Max rested his forehead against YN's, his eyes closed as he savored the moment.

"I love you too," he whispered. "God, YN, I love you so much."

YN's answering smile was radiant and she pulled him in for another kiss.

"So," he said, his voice husky, "ready to watch your boyfriend win a race?"

YN laughed, the sound filling the small space and Max's heart. "Always," she replied. "My misunderstood hero with a heart of gold."

[books-and-strawberry-tea]

I don’t normally comment about booktube here. But I’ve just seen a video and I have to get some comments off my chest.

This video was about e-readers. And while the person has a huge collection of books behind them, goes on to explain that e-readers are so unnecessary, cause they are expensive. And if you are going to buy an e-reader, just buy an iPad cause they are similar in price��.

I’m sorry but in what world is an iPad and an e-reader the same price?? (Or yk other tablets of a similar nature).

This person goes on to talk about how e-readers can’t install apps like Libby etc…are we just going to ignore the e-readers that run on android?? That function like a regular phone just with an e-ink screen??

I honestly gave up watching this video cause this person just sounded like they were pretty single minded on the topic. So here’s my two cents.

Pro’s for an ereader: (at least in my case)

1. E-reader’s are amazing for portability. Physical books can get very heavy, and although I love them, I hate taking physical books out with me cause I’m terrified of damaging them.

2. Books in my country, are incredibly expensive. You can go to the bookstore, and end up spending $50 AUD and get 1-2 books depending on what you get. Hard covers are usually $40+! Paperbacks can range between $17-$40 also. And if it doesn’t get printed in Australia?? Good luck. The only way I could get Hunting Adeline was to pay $65. Because whenever I ordered it from Amazon at $35, from America, it would come absolutely obliterated because they don’t package it in anything but a basic plastic mailer bag. No protection at all.

3. E-readers are much better for your eyes and don’t have constant distracting notifications and people trying to ring you. I have weak eye muscles. Always have. I wear glasses for this. And I used to read on my phone cause it’s what I have with me while I was out. But once I got an e-reader, I realised just how bad my eye strain was from my phone. E-readers have seriously improved my reading stamina especially since mine has the orange light feature. It’s not like we all don’t have an internet or phone addiction anyway. At least according to statistics I’ve seen in the past. Majority of us are trying to spend less time on our phones and more time doing what we love. And e-readers absolutely help with that. (Much better for my ADHD too honestly.)

4. I live with roommates, I have very limited space. So big book collections is just not something that’s possible for me. I’d love to, but again, space and money.

5. E-readers have given me the opportunity to read books that I’d never be able to get. Because of space reasons, money reasons, and the fact that Australia just does not get the wide selection of books that other countries do. We miss out so much. Some books, we have to wait YEARS for, while everyone else gets them on release dates. My e-reader has been such a huge investment for me, as well as an opportunity maker to give me the option to read books I’d never be able to get other wise.

I will clarify this by saying yes, I do have an iPad. But that was a gift. I didn’t buy it for myself. My mother very graciously bought it for me with her inheritance money. She went out of her way to make sure I had a good working device for university. That iPad was over $2,000 aud. My e-reader?? $250!!! HUGE price difference. And it has helped me save so much money in the process. Cause if I read the ebook, and don’t like it, that’s okay, refund. If I do??? Then I can absolutely go out and hopefully track down a physical copy. If that’s not possible?? I still have the digital version. That I can enjoy over and over.

No, I’m not ignoring the cons to do with DRM, and companies censoring ebooks, not at all. But I feel like either way there is still more pros then what this person was giving e-readers credit for. She sounded privileged honestly, she may not have a use for e-readers. But to be saying that you don’t need one, and that they are completely unnecessary….its just incorrect.

I haven’t even touched on how e-readers help others with disabilities to be able to access books. I have a friend for example that has been very unwell for many years now. And because of this, she has fatigue and strength issues. She at one stage could barely hold a book. But once she got her kindle, she was so over joyed cause she could finally enjoy books again. Kindles are so light, they have stands etc. It honestly reminds me of the people that say audiobooks arnt counted as reading and you shouldn’t do it. Sure, let’s just alienate all the people that can’t read or have vision impairment right? (For clarity, I’m being sarcastic.) Or how about all the cultures that past on the culture, history, legends etc all by word of mouth?? For centuries, way before anyone invented written script. But that’s a whole other tangent I can go off about later.

If e-readers arnt for you, that’s totally fine. But to say no one has a need for them, because physical books exist, is just closed minded. Just because you have the privilege of a huge book library and may not have use of an e-reader, doesn’t not mean that other people don’t have a great use for them.

Anyway, that’s my rant. I don’t like ranting online. But this just frustrated me so much. No hate to this person personally, I just think they weren’t open to the possibilities of how these devices are used and fulfil needs for other people that live differently.

If you read this, cool! I hope you have a good day. And enjoy reading what you are currently 💝

[steelycunt]

hii ridi, hope you’re drinking so much tea + that you feel better soon!! 4, 16, and 21 please <3

hii darling thank you so much!!

4. did you discover any new authors that you love this year?

for sure from the top of my head umm eva baltasar, eliza clark, patrick radden keefe as a non fiction writer.. : ^ )

16. what is the most over-hyped book you read this year?

ooh there were quite a few i really didnt like this year but i think in terms of being overhyped the worst had to be on the savage side by tiffany mcdaniel...also just one of the worst books ive ever read in my life it was so bad ive got personal beef with tiffany mcdaniel after it. i can only think the 'dark' themes combined with the pseudo poetic fake pretentious language was a hit with the rupi kaur crowd or something because i know mcdaniel is a really highly regarded author but i genuinely cannot think of a single nice thing to say about that book it wasnt worth the paper it was printed on. absolute garbage im so serious

21. did you participate in or watch any booklr, booktube, or book twitter drama?

participate absolutely not and tbh i cant recall any major drama outside of booktokers being booktokers as usual like that girl saying when shes reading if theres a long paragraph she skips it and everyone suddenly being shocked that a booktok crowd that seems to enjoy almost exclusively daddydom romances was full of trump supporters. did however get kinda sucked into that lauren oyler takedown drama where ann manov wrote an absolutely scathing review of her essay collection which i found pretty funny. because oyler seems insufferable. so there was that

end of year book asks!!

[bigcats-birds-and-books]

Book Asks - any one of the below that sounds fun. (Also,sorry the numbers are off... cut and paste is being weird)

What was your most anticipated release? Did it meet your expectations?

Did you participate in or watch any booklr, booktube, or book twitter drama?

Did you DNF anything? Why?

What reading goals do you have for next year?

hi there!! thanks for asking!! referencing this post (open offer til end of year!) i'm renumbering for bookkeeping purposes sorry don't mind me

20. What was your most anticipated release? Did it meet your expectations?

i think i've been running a year behind on Releases. i usually do B&N preorder sales, but this year i preordered almost exclusively paperbacks (which had hardback releases earlier). i was really hyped for TRANSLATION STATE in paperback and GRAVEYARD SHIFT in hardback, and those were both delightful!! TRANSLATION STATE was a smidge disappointing to me for aroace reasons, but overall i did so love the Translators and enjoyed Most Of The Book, and GRAVEYARD was an excellent little nocturnal romp that knew what it had space for and did a great job in those constraints.

21. Did you participate in or watch any booklr, booktube, or book twitter drama?

i'm much more of a "popcorn muncher and lurker," when it comes to book drama--my group chat popped off a couple times about various and sundry illumicrate nonsenses and we also roasted some Bad Author Takes (we love a good Safe Space), but honestly i had a lot going on this year and was less attentive in the popcorn munching bleachers than i have been in years prior haha.

24. Did you DNF anything? Why?

so one of my toxic reading traits is that i do not, in fact, tend to DNF anything, because A.) i can read very quickly, so it's almost never a huge time sink and B.) at a certain level of Ugh, i flip from "reading this as a Reader to Enjoy It" to "reading this as a Writer to Tear It To Shreds for Craft Reasons." i am not sure that this is a particularly healthy reading strategy, but it has served me well thus far! love a good hate read every once in a while.

looking at my shelves after the fact, the only two things i maybe could've DNF'd were GHOST STATION and ORDINARY MONSTERS, which both had a lot of potential and COULD have been up my alley but were, in fact, Bad™. oh, and DAEMON VOICES was kind of a slog, too. i'm pretty sure i blogged more thoroughly about all three of those at time time--if you're interested in Rants, search those titles in my tags haha.

25. What reading goals do you have for next year?

oooh great question, i have Several! i've really been enjoying the "2x in 202x" type goals list, so i have one of those put together for 2025 (cries that doesn't feel like a real year). i'm also doing a nature writing subscription box, and i'd like to stay semi-on-top of reading those as they come to me. and i would also REALLY like to start actually reading some of the russian poetry i acquired in the....spring.....of this year.....so i'll probably put that on the Goals Radar, too.

thanks again for asking!! this was fun :)

[arctic-hands]

You know what? Between the adblock wars, the throttling of Firefox, google's massive overreach, and the censoring of Palestinian videos and documentation, I'm only ever watching youtube when uBlock is winning the war and I'm only watching it on my (firefox) browser and no longer on the roku TV app. and you know what? I think my spare time life is getting better for it. Instead of mindlessly paying attention different ArtTubers review the same product or do the same "challenge" as everyone else that week, or watching historical "fact" videos that I'm not sure are being cited properly, or a BookTuber just list how many books they've read this month, or watch some vlogger I align with in politics just read reddit posts, I'm actually doing shit. I've read more in the last week than I have in months. I'm writing a story, even if it's just a few sentences at a time. I'm watching actual documentaries from the PBS app, and movies from other free apps. I'm still physically disabled and unable to do a lot of shit like go for a walk outside and "touch grass" as often as I would like, but I'm not just filling myself with the same repeated content in my idle time, even as background noise and be constantly bombarded by ads and shills. Hell I don't even need yt to play music in the background, I have access to radio stations both from an actual radio but also from Radio Garden and even the sites of the specific radio stations themselves, there's music on the Internet Archive, and I have already amassed a small collection of CDs and MP3s anyway.

Pretty much the only thing I can think of I need from YouTube rn is wood whittling tutorials, and maybe that one amateur documentarian who makes loving twenty-minute videos going into the beauty of the deep sea ocean life.

Thank you youtube/google, for making me see the light that it's entirely possible to ignore you <3

[thesoulprophecies]

Twenty Things Only Book-Lovers Can Relate To…

August 16, 2023 Caitlin Lynagh

Spending all your left over income on books. After all the household bills have been taken care of any surplus is obviously book money, I mean who needs food, right?

Collecting multiple free bookmarks. If a bookmark is being given away for free, you can guarantee a book-lover will happily accept one or three.

Using any bit of scrap paper as a bookmark. This may include greeting cards, receipts, railway tickets, letters, etc.

Buying more shelves so you can buy more books. Space is always the problem for bibliophiles, if there is space for more bookshelves then there is space for more books.

Reading the book before watching the movie. This is a rule that all book-lovers follow, and if they don’t, they will definitely read the book after watching the movie.

Falling in love with fictional characters. Book-lovers will definitely feeling a stronger sense of connection and understanding with fictional characters over real people.

Having a growing TBR pile by the bed. There are just too many good books out there and our piles just continue to grow.

Loving all book-themed accessories and apparel. Books on a bag, t-shirt, or pencil case? Yes please.

Buying a book just because it’s pretty. Some books are just so marvellous on their own that you have to buy them so they can sit proudly on your shelves.

Loving the smell of books and bookshops. There’s a comfort and familiarity when walking into a bookshop or opening a new book for the first time. You will hear readers exclaim out loud how they love the smell of books!

Getting excited over super old books. Old books are amazing. The time and effort required to make books by hand is just incredible.

Buying multiple copies of your favourite books. I am definitely guilty of this one. Sometimes you just need more than one copy, one to read, one to write in, one to keep in pristine condition, one with a fancy cover, etc.

Wishing you could own and run your own bookshop. What book-lover doesn’t dream of being surrounded by books all day and earning a living from it?

Possessively protecting dust-jackets. Dust-jackets are works of art nowadays that no one would want to destroy, but old dust-jackets on early editions can significantly increase the value of a book.

Decorating your home with book-related art. If you can’t have the bookshop then you can definitely have the art all around your home, from framed pictures, to cushion covers, blankets and more.

Spending hours in bookshops. If you’re out with a book-lover and they see a bookshop, expect to be waiting for them for a while.

Collecting multiple notebooks. We don’t even write in them, we just like having them, as many as possible.

Wanting to stay in book-themed Hotels or B&B’s. A room themed around books, where you can stay for a few days, is a book-lover’s dream holiday.

Watching booktuber’s and reading book blogs. We must consult other book-lovers opinions, how else will we decide what books to buy and when?

Writing honest and heart-felt book reviews about the books you love. If we love a book we will take the time to tell the world how much we loved it.

[cangrellesteponme]

Who are your favorite YouTubers (in any genre)?

okay I'll try (heavy emphasis on try) to stick to youtubers and not things I watch on youtube bc I already talk about CR too often

in the gaming genre (which is what I watch the most):

rintaichou: aaaaa my fave. brings me much joy. so much so that I'm occasionally on twitch watching her streams. anyway: mostly genshin, she's a very impressive and dedicated amber main. the editing on her vids is always very nice.

tuonto: I literally only watch his horror playthroughs on the second channel. they're amazing and this guy's "ok bro ig" energy makes everything not scary at all.

on booktube:

the reading leo: always so pleasant to listen to. her videos are my favourite lunch background noise (but I actually listen lmao) and it's always all very pretty.

cari can read: I'm sorry I'm here for the acotar vids and the chaotic reading vlogs. she's hilarious and her vids are fun.

idk how to name this. normal people:

kenniejd: her bad movies and a beat series has such a grip on me it's unreal. especially with movies I've seen. (also good movies and a glam is very nice. loved watching her gush about the menu bc me too girl.)

dan howell: I'm just your average sad homosexual ofc course I like him.

art corner:

abd illustrates: I'm an artsy dnd-loving homosexual... of course I love him. anyway his art is beautiful, the vids are amazing, he has been a huge motivation for me to keep studying anatomy and shit.

as for music (barely counts, I know):

sunsetdreams: these playlists are lifesavers and I've never worked faster than with the assignment speedrun ones. also the roadtrip playlist is so good. overall just good shit.

meltberry/meltycube: my favourite. pretty voice. nice lyrics. also good with vocaloid. i. good music, man.

[vitanostrabrevisest]

How many books did you read this year? 19!!!!! ( that's a lot considering I've been languishing for the past......... Decade? We're talking one book or at most a few in a series per year, and almost always something I had read before)

Maze runner series (maze runner in 2022), Babel, Vita nostra, Fire and blood, To sleep in a sea of stars, Project hail Mary, Semiosis, HP 4-7 (don't @ me), Fahrenheit 451, His dark materials, Lilith's brood (I have 1 book but I guess technically there are 3 novels in it so I could up my # to 21)

Did you reread anything? What? Yes. Those which must not be named 4-7, fahrenheit 451 and his dark materials

What were your top five books of the year? Project hail Mary (favorite by far), Babel, and I'm gonna say his dark materials even though it was a reread

Did you discover any new authors that you love this year? I wouldn't say love but I'm going to look into Octavia Butler more. Also he's not a new discovery but my appreciation for Andy weir grew immensely (I LOVED the Martian)

What genre did you read the most of? Science fiction I guess

Was there anything you meant to read, but never got to? Yes a lot

Did you meet any of your reading goals? Pretty much my only goal was to read. So yes

Did you get into any new genres? Not really

Any books that disappointed you? I wanted to like vita nostra more (hence the blog name 😂) but I didn't really feel satisfied with the ending

What were your least favorite books of the year? Nothing I really didn't like but vita nostra I guess

What books do you want to finish before the year is over? No more! It's now new years eve eve and I just finished Lilith's brood so I'm done

Did any books surprise you with how good they were? Babel by rf kuang. It wasn't what I expected but it was really good and it made me cry a lot

How many books did you buy? A lot. I wanted to make sure I always had another book I wanted to read after I finished one so I wouldn't stall

Did you use your library? No, I would like to but I never got around to it

What was your most anticipated release? Did it meet your expectations? Right now I'm waiting for alecto the ninth and it's not out yet so......

Did you participate in or watch any booklr, booktube, or book twitter drama? Absolutely not lol

What’s the longest book you read? That's gotta be fire and blood

What’s the fastest time it took you to read a book? One day

Did you DNF anything? Why? I guess I started dragonflight and didn't get very far but I didn't have anything this year that I decided I wasn't going to finish. I'm still planning on reading it at some point

What reading goals do you have for next year? If I can read a book a month that will be a success for me! (That was low key my goal for this year but I didn't want to pressure mysef) I need to go shopping lol

end-of-year book ask

How many books did you read this year?

Did you reread anything? What?

What were your top five books of the year?

Did you discover any new authors that you love this year?

What genre did you read the most of?

Was there anything you meant to read, but never got to?

What was your average Goodreads rating? Does it seem accurate?

Did you meet any of your reading goals? Which ones?

Did you get into any new genres?

What was your favorite new release of the year?

What was your favorite book that has been out for a while, but you just now read?

Any books that disappointed you?

What were your least favorite books of the year?

What books do you want to finish before the year is over?

Did you read any books that were nominated for or won awards this year (Booker, Women’s Prize, National Book Award, Pulitzer, Hugo, etc.)? What did you think of them?

What is the most over-hyped book you read this year?

Did any books surprise you with how good they were?

How many books did you buy?

Did you use your library?

What was your most anticipated release? Did it meet your expectations?

Did you participate in or watch any booklr, booktube, or book twitter drama?

What’s the longest book you read?

What’s the fastest time it took you to read a book?

Did you DNF anything? Why?

What reading goals do you have for next year?

[seekerreads]

2025 reading journal set-up ✨

i've decided to keep a digital reading journal for next year because i've watched a ton of videos of booktubers keeping pretty journals with lovely spreads and trackers and i wanted to do it myself! i'm keeping it digital because i have terrible handwriting and because i'm very nitpicky about how things are decorated so a digital medium gives me as much freedom to tweak things as i want. i thought i'd walk through all of the set-up spreads i've made so far because i'm just really proud of them!

first up is my cover page, which i guess i don't really need since this is a digital journal, but i wanted to make one anyway just for aesthetics!! i put in a little quote for deco and added in my rating system just for posterity. i really love this spread, it might be my favorite of the whole lot!

here's my series tracker! kept this one simple so i could have room to add more i might want to include as the year goes on, and i limited myself to series i know for SURE i'm going to finish, not ones i'm only considering finishing. i only left off one series because it's long and the reading order is a bit confusing (the Nine Worlds by Victoria Goddard) but this is what i'm working with!

my anticipated releases spread! not too many books here and they're almost all parts of the series listed in my tracker because i don't normally fully anticipate books i don't know if i'll like. the only exception is Sunrise on the Reaping because OBVIOUSLY i'm reading that lol. i left some stickers at the bottom that i can easily delete if i want to add new ones as the year goes on and more books get announced.

monthly favorites spread! this one is definitely my most simple and yet somehow my most elegant design? i just really like what i did with this one. the colors, the borders, the font, i really like it all! i'm just planning on putting pics of book covers here, maybe captions if the title is hard to make out in the pic.

tried to keep my Books Read spread as compact as possible to leave as much room as i could, because i'm for sure going to have to make at least another page after this one to be able to list all the books i read, maybe even more after that. truly depends on length of the titles i pick up. again, not much deco so i can have as much room as possible.

purely an aesthetic spread to demarcate my tracker/stats spreads and my individual book spreads, which i obviously don't have any to put in yet. i just thought it'd be a cool little marker to separate sections! i might make another one at the end of the year to bookend the section before my last two stats pages.

someone else did this spread and i just HAD to make one of my own. i saw the words 'DNF Graveyard' and knew it was a wonderful opportunity to make a little halloween/spooky-themed spread. kept it simple and left a lot of room because, while i don't DNF too often (because i try not to read books i don't think i'll have a strong chance of liking at least enough to finish), i'm planning to just put in pics of book covers here.

and my end-of-year stats spread! this one's pretty customizable since i've seen plenty of people do it but i only included the stats i, myself, would personally be interested in. storygraph generates all this info for you so i'm planning to just plug it in at the end of the year!

and that's a wrap for that! i plan on making individual spreads for each book i read if i can (i already made a test one with my last read and it was super fun so i hope i can do many more) and i'll probably post them here when i finish them! for anyone interested, i'm making this on canva using presentation mode! you could probably make it on any of the other modes, i just like the wide space a presentation gave and how easy it is to flip through the pages. can't wait to start using this for real next year!

[liesmyth]

how do you find all these great books? do you watch booktubers or something? everything youve recced ive read and loved!

ty!!! I'm a book nerd so this is very flattering

I'm on goodreads and it can be useful for help finding new books, based on 1) previous ones I liked and 2) reviews from people I follow whose tastes align with mine. The downside is that GR pushes very hard for some authors I know I don't vibe with and the reviews can be very inflated; I pretty much only look at the summary + reviews from people I follow + 2-stars reviews from people who didn't like the book (I find them way more useful than 5 stars reviews full of reaction gifs and just squee)

Not to make it obvious that I go to FFA but... FFA. It's an anon-only comm on dreamwidth (and like all anon communities an occasional haven of wank BUT!) the regular book thread is a goldmine source of quality book recs

Other word-of-mouth online hangouts! ONTD @ livejournal has a weekly new book releases post and their comment section doesn't 100% align with my tastes but when it does it's great. The myanonamouse forums too. Very, very occasionally reddit.

[isabellahawkes]

Defending 5 Tropes Everyone Hates In Fiction

Today  I’m going to defend the tropes in fiction that everyone hates. I’ve  been watching Authortube and Booktube for several years, and over a  period of time I’ve realized that certain tropes get more blind hate  than they deserve. So I’ll be talking about the five tropes everyone  hates — or, so they claim to — and explain why they’re really not that  bad.

1) The Self-Insert: People make fun of self-inserts because they, in theory, drag the quality of the story down. But what exactly is a self-insert? Well, it’s supposed to be a character that resembles a more perfect version of the author, typically the main character. This character is hot and can do no wrong, and defeats all of their enemies easily.

However…what is actually a self-insert? The main character. Of any novel. Especially if it’s written by a woman.  Women authors are more often than not accused of writing self-inserts,  especially if the main character is also a woman, and bonus points if  they have the same hair color. Because brown is such an uncommon hair  color. Self-inserts are typically also referred to as Mary-Sues. Here’s a  tip: Go in the opposite direction from anyone who uses that term today  unironically.

I’m  not saying that self-inserts don’t exist in fiction, or that people  don’t write “Mary Sues”. But let’s be honest, this is just another way  to dig at a woman author for not writing the just perfect and acceptable  representation of a woman. The character is likable? Self-insert. The  character is unlikable? Self-insert. The character is good at most  things? This is wish fulfillment. The character is completely  incompetent? She’s so pathetic…so she must be a self-insert.

Aside from this primarily being directed at women — even  though some of the most renowned male authors have never had trouble  expressing their own self-inserts (Leo Tolstoy, Victor Hugo, Stephen  King, etc)— self-inserts by themselves aren’t even a bad thing.  Writing a character that has the same traits as the author doesn’t mean  the quality of the story will be less than. If anything, the author  will know how their character would realistically react to any  situation.

To  be clear, I’m also not saying you should just write characters that are  exactly like you. But it’s pretty impossible to write a character that  is exactly like you as you keep writing your story. As you develop your  character, they become a separate entity from you. It’s possible that by  the end of writing your manuscript, your “self-insert” only has a few  traits in common with you. And that’s the strange thing about people  critiquing self-inserts — this is you assuming you know the author. And 9  cases out of 10, you don’t. Not even if they’re a YouTuber. So really,  it’s kind of a creepy accusation. A better critique of a main character  would be that they excelled in everything too easily, or they were so  “perfect” it was annoying…you don’t need to drag the author’s perceived  personality into the mix. Also, make sure the character is actually too  perfect, rather than you don’t expect a woman to be capable of doing  anything.

2) Flashbacks:  I’ve seen a lot of people who hate flashbacks, and honestly this is one  on the list that I can see why people do. However, I’ve seen a lot of  hate being thrown its way…and I personally love flashbacks. When they’re  necessary. I love multiple timelines, when done well. I love a  nonlinear story structure. Flashbacks tend to get hate because sometimes  the flashbacks are placed in awkward times in the story, or they don’t  seem to add much, or they just confuse the audience. These are totally  valid criticisms, but I think like with self-inserts, they’re not always  done horribly.

A  common piece of writing advice is to start your story where the story  starts, otherwise known as the inciting incident. The inciting incident is not always where a flashback takes place in the main character’s  story. Perhaps the most well-known example of this is the show  Lost. For one thing, Lost has a big cast, but it would’ve been annoying  to follow these random characters with family issues that seemingly  don’t have much of a connection until they crash on an island, probably,  what, in the third season? Sometimes a story starts with a catastrophic  event that brings up memories for the main character. It wouldn’t be  effective storytelling to start off with Jack ruining his alcoholic  dad’s reputation and then crashing on an island…that’s some out of  nowhere twist.

Also, sometimes a story needs flashbacks, typically in the mystery and  thriller genres. Maybe readers who don’t like flashbacks don’t enjoy  those kinds of stories, but I just think the flashback hate would  actually ruin a lot of cool stories.

3) The “Chosen One”:  I honestly think that people who hate the “Chosen One” storyline don’t  actually read many chosen one stories. That’s because their complaints  are bizarre oversimplifications about what the chosen one could be…but  never is. I’ve heard people say that the chosen one is randomly chosen  for no clear purpose or reason. The three most popular examples are Harry in Harry Potter, Frodo in Lord of the Rings, and Katniss in The Hunger Games is brought up a lot for some reason.  Critics of this trope act like these characters were just randomly  chosen by some all-knowing being to save the world…and that’s just not  true. All three of these examples weren’t “chosen”, they were victims of  life circumstances, as are all of us.

Harry’s parents were murdered and a protection spell was placed on him, and it was all because of Voldemort. He  made the decision to go after Harry because he heard of a prophecy that  Harry could be his undoing. It also could’ve been Neville. The point  is, this wasn’t some grand design from God, it was circumstances that  led to Harry being the chosen one. In Lord of the Rings, Frodo  inherited the ring. Gandalf and Frodo even have a discussion about how  it didn’t have to be Frodo…but that’s too damn bad, it is. And Katniss  became a symbol for the rebellion in Panem because she was the first  person in a long time to actively show some resistance against the  Capitol. Again, this was due to life circumstances.

The point of the Chosen One is never to show how incredible these everyday heroes are…in fact, it’s the opposite. The  point is that random things happen that lead these heroes down  extraordinary circumstances…and they never want it to, but it’s too damn  bad. I just think people who critique this trope aren’t  actually even talking about the trope when it’s used, they’re just  borrowing jokes from CinemaSins.

4) Teenage Heroes/Super Soldiers:  When people complain about this trope, I get really confused. For one  thing, teenager heroes are typically in young adult books…which you’d  think would be obvious. But a lot of adult YA readers don’t actually  seem to like teenagers at all…so why are you reading about them? I also  get confused when people complain about this trope because they say it’s  not realistic…meaning, it doesn’t reflect real life…they don’t buy that  young people are targeted by any particular industries because they’re  young…

Not  only does the military target high schoolers because that’s when  they’re most physically fit, their minds are also more impressionable.  Universities do the same thing. Every industry  targets the youth to mold into a good soldier, a good student, a good  worker bee, another cog in the machine, if you will. But each person  targeted feels special, kind of like a hero. Sure, it might  sound weird to have an army made of up of 13 year olds because of the  kids you see around you. But back in the day, that was the norm, it’s  only unusual sounding by today’s standards. Just Google the age of King  Tut and you’ll be surprised how wrong you are.

5) One-Dimensional Villains:  For a time, we hated seeing villains that were just evil, for seemingly  no reason. We wanted something different. We wanted villains who felt  real like we do. We wanted funny villains. We wanted quirky villains. We  wanted to see ourselves in villains. Because we wanted to feel  challenged by our material. We didn’t want the good guy to always be  right. We wanted to understand the villain’s point. So…we got a ton of  villains with tragic backstories and redemption arcs. Not one of them  can stay evil unless they’re the last season baddy. That guy’s just Satan. It’s literally Satan most of the time now.

Every  villain’s gotta have a point, or at least a sob story. It’s totally  fine for a villain to have a point, and a sob story. But it’s gotten out  of hand. We’ve gotten to a tricky place where  many writers are unintentionally trying to justify their villains’  actions through their explanations of how a villain got to be the way  that they are. Or, if you’re a writer on YouTube, let’s be  honest, you’re gonna pretend that all of your characters are  three-dimensional people…because you’re the one writing them.

But  not every reader is going to think of your character chart. So, when  you don’t have these tragic backstory reveals, or understand why the  villain is committing genocide, the reader is just going to think, “this  is a one-dimensional villain.”

And that’s okay.

Why  do we need to justify genocide anyway? When we think of some of the  real world’s most evil people, we don’t see their complexity as a human  being…we see a monster. And honestly, I don’t see why every fictional  villain needs to be humanized in every fictional story. It all depends  on the story you’re trying to tell, and your themes. But your story  definitely doesn’t need to give your villain redemptive attributes.

Those are the five tropes I’ve seen get a lot of crap about, even from people  who use these tropes. And I don’t think they’re that bad, they’ve just  been oversimplified. Most any trope can be done well in fiction, they  just need to be utilized in an effective emotional way. And if you still  hate these tropes, well, that’s okay too. Just keeping an open mind is  one of the most efficient ways to improve your writing and expand your horizons.

Also published here on my website, and here on Medium. :)

[ryttu3k]

End of the year book asks! Which I'm just... going to fill out. Original post here.

1. How many books did you read this year?

As of posting this on December 15th, it's 36, with a note that I am including zines over 100 pages. Will update at the end of the year! Edit: 38!

2. Did you reread anything? What?

Reread Gideon and Harrow the Ninth in preparation for Nona's release!

3. What were your top five books of the year?

Okay. I am going to categorise.

Favourite novel: Tamsyn Muir - Nona the Ninth

Favourite novella: Becky Chambers - A Prayer for the Crown-Shy

Favourite series: Seanan McGuire - Wayward Children

Favourite anthology: Xenocultivars - Stories of Queer Growth

Favourite zine: Archive of the Odd (available here, only read issue 1 so far but I have issue 2 purchased and ready to go!)

Favourite unexpected addition to my reading list: Bram Stoker - Dracula

Other favourites of note: Travis Baldree - Legends & Lattes, RoAnna Sylver - Stake Sauce 2 and Life Within Parole vol 2, Freydis Moon - Exodus 20:3

4. Did you discover any new authors that you love this year?

Read the Wayward Children series, would be quite happy to look into more of Seanan McGuire's writing!

5. What genre did you read the most of?

I am sitting comfortably in my SFF hole, thank you.

6. Was there anything you meant to read, but never got to?

*laughs in excessively long TBR*

7. What was your average Goodreads Storygraph rating? Does it seem accurate?

4.32, which seems pretty solid!

8. Did you meet any of your reading goals? Which ones?

I did, averaging three new reads a month!

9. Did you get into any new genres?

Is 'gothic horror that is actually all about The Power Of Friendship' a genre?

10. What was your favorite new release of the year?

Nona the Ninth Nona the Ninth I cannot reiterate how much I goddamn adore Nona the Ninth. Sob.

11. What was your favorite book that has been out for a while, but you just now read?

Dracula has been out for. A while lmao

12. Any books that disappointed you? 13. What were your least favorite books of the year?

Mm. I don't like naming names because I can totally see people enjoying it, but there was one novel in particular that I felt didn't quite stick the landing. I gave it a 6/10 rating.

14. What books do you want to finish before the year is over?

I'd like to get in Where The Drowned Girls Go (the last Wayward Children book currently out, the next one is due in January!), which will be easy enough because it's a novella, and probably one other. Edit, 16th December: Done!

15. Did you read any books that were nominated for or won awards this year? What did you think of them?

I got into the Wayward Children series, most of those either won or were nominated for the Best Novella nebulas, and which won this year's Best Series. This Is How You Lose The Time War won that category for the Hugos, Nebulas, and Locus in 2020; Binti: Home and Night Masquerade were also nominated for Hugos.

Also I feel Dracula's probably won a few awards. Probably.

16. What is the most over-hyped book you read this year?

Oh, hm! I don't know, most felt like a suitable level of hype.

17. Did any books surprise you with how good they were?

Dracula. Dracula. I expected to read it as like, a pivotal vampire/horror novel that I felt lowkey obligated to get through but I fucking loved it. At least part of that was the Dracula Daily experience but damn, I really liked that book.

18. How many books did you buy?

.......significantly more than I actually read. Awkward laughter at my Kobo account.

19. Did you use your library?

I did!

20. What was your most anticipated release? Did it meet your expectations?

Nona the Ninth, and it absolutely did. I knew I would be goddamn deceased after it and I very much!! was!!

21. Did you participate in or watch any booklr, booktube, or book twitter drama?

No drama here!

22. What's the longest book you read?

The Harrow reread is the only one that tops 500 pages, although both the Gideon reread and Nona are in the 400s.

23. What's the fastest time it took you to read a book?

I mean I can knock out a novella in an hour?

24. Did you DNF anything? Why?

Nope!

25. What reading goals do you have for next year?

Read more novels. I read a lot of novellas and anthologies this year!

[ruby-whistler]

a complete list of my writing and analysis

[ updated: 29/08/2021 ]

PSA's and the like:

- therapy vs. emotional support - on excusing c!tommy's actions because of ptsd - static vs. dynamic characters on the dream smp (outdated) - important things to keep in mind during analysis and discussions - characters aren't synonymous with their past actions - the dehumanization of c!dream in the dsmp fandom - tag your positive posts! / tag your crit! - welcome to dreblr - the unofficial guide

memes and joke posts:

- what freaks out the dream smp fandom - c!karl & c!dream my beloveds <3 - dream apologist vibes - scratch that no vibes send help - the "i'm you" c!ranboo bit is beginning to make a lot more sense - "fighting with words" and "talking with violence" on the smp - the fandom's both biased and hypocritical apparently - *casually hates on l'manberg again* - "why are you a dream apologist?" - "c!dream and techno are imminent threats" yeah sure- - the five stages of grief ft. ruby (3rd life smp ending) - hermits' vibes by ruby; the only trustworthy source of information /j - l'manberg weren't pacifists nor the victims in the war - ...so c!wilbur said c!dream apologists are partially right - it's "l'manberg" and i take no criticism - why are we here, just to suffer - why friend isn't in wilbur's limbo - look, i don't excuse c!dream's actions. ok maybe some of them- - c!everyone apologists are the best at analysis - apparently we have the most angst and hurt/comfort fanfic. Why - meme through the pain i want him back pls - dream apologists are an unstoppable force of nature - this is how endersmile happened, right - the only valid dsmp citizen meme - oh look i still follow booktubers - i want you all to suffer as much as i suffer dealing with you - i like c!dream for being horrible. fight me. // genuinely love him too - the l'manberg anti salt post - healing fics that remove a character's core trait are not good

creative essays and objective analysis:

- on villains, heroes, and the metanarrative of the dream smp - my perception of the dream smp story and the characters in it - putting ghostbur's death into context - an analysis of c!dream's motivation during the l'manberg war - on l'manberg and c!wilbur's "death of the author" - dehumanization and victim blaming of c!dream part one - please let people have feelings about minecraft rp - dehumanization and victim blaming of c!dream part two - the reasons for the dehumanization of c!dream - c!wilbur was sure as hell gonna be ambitious - c!dream cares about people so much he won't let them care back - why c!dream should (and probably will be) redeemed: an essay - short semi-factual analysis of the prison death scene - there's no redemption before healing - what happened to c!techno wasn't "peer pressure" (best post!) - a scene-by-scene analysis of the original disc war - on blaming characters for c!dream's neglect and abandonment - add-on to the previous point by me and @/simplepotatofarmer - l’manberg was nothing but something to sacrifice for [v. 2.0!] - metaphor on the nature of redemption in narratives - statement on c!dream, justification and sympathy - c!dream's actions aren't based on beliefs; they stem from mindsets - c!tommy didn't deserve exile and c!dream didn't deserve the prison - (c!)dream is afraid of death; a speculative essay - c!dream isn't selfish - c!dream cares even if it hurts him - saying c!dream / c!techno should've left l'manberg alone is naive - with c!techno, c!dream is allowed to be a person, above all else - c!dream isn't the "main villain" and he hasn't "hurt everyone" - saying c!dream never cared is a mischaracterization (by anon) - c!dream isn't manipulating c!ranboo, actually (collab post) - c!dream is very clearly hurt - his trauma isn't loud, but it's there - l'manberg was, without question, built on xenophobia - please listen to the writers of the story about the characters - roleplay is supposed to be collaborative, not pre-written - the dream smp also doesn't need a "lead writer" - the common misinterpretations of c!dream and why no one is right - final disc war analysis and why it makes no sense (by anon) - why i am so attached the c!dream's character - on healing, redemption, and forgiveness - c!dream killed c!tommy to prove he was worth keeping alive - the duel is an example of actions that speak louder than words - the themes of the story line up with c!techno's narrative - c!sam hurts c!dream out of hatred stemming from fear - c!dream in season one was an anti-hero - c!sapnap is a bad friend // and acts like a bad person // + el rapids - yes, morality is a sliding scale! ...they're still all in the grey area! - a c!dream redemption'd fit incredibly well with the story's themes - a pretty long list of loose ends in the dream smp's story - c!dream wasn't owed being cared about, but he was still alone - i love c!dream. he's important to me. and that's okay. - scar is so funny and entertaining and amazing i love watching him - there's a difference between "unrealiable narrator" and "liar" - don't cut the sharp edges off of characters - people have a "minecraft persona", which c!dream used to be - on c!dream's alleged obsession with c!tommy - colour coding in dsmp analysis - by coffee anon!

[hetalia-headcanons-and-scenarios]

Do you think could could make general headcannons for the Baltics?

Yessss no prob I love them so muchhh

I hope you enjoy them

Lithuania - Toris Laurinaitis 

- bisexual icon 

- 19 years old 

- freshman at college, he is studying to become a nurse 

- very stressed man 

- give him a break, please 

- he has the ability to sleep anywhere 

- like ANYWHERE 

- drinks a lot of coffee and energy drinks 

- has a little notebook to write his thoughts 

- it’s not a diary, don’t ask him if it is 

- it is definitely NOT a diary 

- also likes to doodle 

- get’s flustered very easily 

- is really pessimistic 

- likes optimistic people, because people that are like him only depress him more 

- has run out of fucks to give 

- loves mystery novels 

- doesn’t like shows, he just doesn’t have the time to get into something so long (and in his perspective pointless)  

- loves old movies, especially silent ones  

- very good at reading people 

- mom 

Latvia - Raivis Galante 

- that one straight friend 

- 15 years old 

- student

- he is short because he has scoliosis

- I don’t like him being 1,40m (4′5ft) so I think that 1,65m (5′4ft if my calculations are correct) 

- hopeless romantic 

- loves reading 

- watches booktube 

- wants to be a booktuber, but he believes he is too awkward to record himself and for it to look good

- poor guy is really insecure 

- he loves tall girls, even with him being short he always ends up crushing on the tallest girls in school 

- has had many crushes but has never gotten the courage to tell them 

- he is very shy and introverted

- he is brutally honest and pretty impulsive 

- so he doesn’t have many friends

- he also almost always ends up being the punching bag of the group 

- shakes a lot due to his anxiety 

- don’t worry he is going to therapy 

- very accepting and a sweetheart 

- he is a lovely person so you should definitely become his friend

Estonia - Eduard Von Bock 

- repressed bisexual 

- 17 years old 

- student 

- is a computer nerd 

- and a gamer 

- plays LOL 

- will shame you for playing the sims, but he also plays them so ????

- straight-A student 

- he will get cocky about it 

- he is cocky about everything tho 

- believes that he is straight 

- but will check out guys all the time 

- no homo kinda vibe 

- he is shyer with women so (like he won’t blatantly check a girl out) 

- a very pleasant guy 

- cares a lot about his appearance

- controls his habits a little too much

- is a perfectionist and will get stressed out if things don't go as planned  

- he isn't really popular because he has a tendency to keep relationships really professional

- that's also why he hasn't had a partner

[meyhew]

hi, i'm the anon who asked if u had seen withcindy's video on addie larue. wanted to wait until you'd finished bc the title of the video kinda gets straight to the point and you mentioned you were avoiding all content until after you'd read the book! here's the link, hopefully it works!

https:// youtu.be/6BmdcNOBSNo

ok so, hi! thank u for coming back and so sorry it took me this long but anywayyyy. i’ll preface this by saying i don’t care for booktubers and on the rare occasion i see a video, i tend to not agree with it. that being said, i watched the video and i think cindy sort of answered her own questions with the counterarguments she provides. i don’t think the question is really “could schwab have included more characters of color?” but rather “should she have” and i think the answer is no. a writer should not have to do anything. every story is different and not to sound like a white person but not every story is about poc. and sometimes that’s a good thing

cindy goes on and on about how addie larue is about a woman forgotten by history and it’s really tone deaf for that woman to be white bc, more often than not, white women actively contribute to erasing woc from history. and that last bit is true but addie larue is not a book about Women Forgotten By History. it’s a story about A Woman who makes a deal with the devil because she doesn’t want to get married and spend her whole life chained to the same place. and i’ll be honest, that’s a very white premise. some of addie’s feelings may resonate with all sorts of people but a lot of her experiences are… very white. cindy’s counteraguments are sort of where i stand on the whole thing. addie larue IS very personal to schwab and if writing about a white girl is how she chose to tell the story that was inside her, then so be it. she could not have told her story through a brown or black girl. i’d rather read about authentic white characters than have forced, botched attempts at poc written by white folks. leigh bardugo tried to represents all races in her grishaverse novels and she failed spectacularly in some aspects so i’d rather just… not have that. schwab didn’t set out to write about All Women. she’s just telling us the story of this one girl and one boy and that’s ok. and there’s only So Much you can fit into one book and still do the story justice.

one thing that i don’t think cindy had a justification or counterargument for was when she critiqued schwab for having addie meet only famous white men throughout the years—sinatra, voltaire, beethoven, etc. because they’ve made their own deals with the devil. and on the surface i get the criticism because people of color did exist at the time and were doing incredible things but get this: people of color have superstitions for a reason. they would not be making deals with the devil. addie is warned not to do it, too, but still she strikes that deal. if my mom tells me not to sweep at night i’m not gonna do it but i know some white kid will. so addie never seeing any poc losing their souls to the devil is actually pretty accurate to me, even tho i don’t think that was schwab’s intention. i think she really just did not want to touch race, and tbh that’s fair, but still i don’t have complaints. addie larue is about a girl with stars on her face and sometimes that’s enough! vibes only !

[ditsyreads]

A Look In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado

I don’t rate books in the Non-Fiction genre. I used to rate all the books in the world once upon a time ago. However, I was watching one of my favorite BookTuber’s Noelle Gallagher talk about how she doesn’t rate memoirs or any book in the Non-Fiction genre because it is a genre that is telling either someone’s story or going over a subject that is both broad and  speculative. I understood that consensus enough to change my own ways when rating literature, especially Non-Fiction works. Therefore, for this review, there is no rating. 

“Here is a story I learned from a bear: There was a queen, and she was lonely again.”

In the Dream House tells an emotional and gripping story about writer Carmen Maria Machado’s time in a queer abusive relationship. Machado examines the abusive relationship she was in through chapters that are different genres and tropes. Machado also critiques how lesbian relationships are seen throughout the world and how queer relationships have been viewed in terms of abuse throughout other literary works and history. 

The essays were emotional and impactful. I am not at all in a queer relationship. I have never been. I am not queer. So, reading what I haven’t ever thought about before or even seen or heard about from my friends who are apart of the LGBTQIA+ community, I got to understand. I also found myself relating to a lot when it came to the abusive relationship Machado was in having been in one myself (which is what led me to the book). There was a lot of heart and soul in Machado’s writing that made the story easy to follow. Reading I was able to laugh, cry, and sigh in relief. There was a lot of edge to this book that it felt truly horrifying and gothic. I think that was the intention. It is a dark story that no one ever wants to hear whether queer or straight, but it is a story that should to be heard because, to me, hearing evokes and brings about change. A necessary change. 

I believe I first heard about this book in 2019 from another BookTuber, Kat at paperbackdreams. I’m not entirely sure if she was the one I first heard about the book from, but I am pretty sure it was her channel that first introduced the book to me. As you can clearly tell, hearing about it in 2019 I did not pick it up until the end of 2021 into 2022. 

“…you can be hurt by people who look just like you. Not only can it happen, it probably will, because the world is full of hurt people who hurt people.”

I was fresh out of my own abusive relationship and I was looking for so many resources to understand and grapple with what I had gone through. I was googling some books one day and this book came up along with some self-help books. I started reading this one, and saw a little bit of myself and my struggle. There was this veil that was over my eyes before I started reading, and then having finished the book that veil lifted. I was able to understand another layer of life that I don’t think I can clearly explain myself. It was like a light switch that flipped on after being blinded by complete darkness. It was a marvelous and refreshing feeling to get to the end because it made me feel better about the direction that I am going after everything. It’s a hopeful feeling.

“Sometimes you have to tell a story, and somewhere, you have to stop.”

Overall, this was a really impactful book that told a much needed story. Do I think this book is for a certain audience? I am honestly unsure of how to answer that. I wouldn’t particularly say so, but I also don’t believe that is up to me to debate or conclude on. This book gave me a lot of insight and relatability. I felt alone in the situation that I was in, but having read this book, I found that there are others who have gone and are going through an abusive situation. Yes, that is a hard pill to swallow, but it is also the world we live in today. 

I think that if I read this book in 2019 when I first heard about it, I wouldn’t have been able to grasp and truly understand the reality that was being told. I still had a veil over my eyes. A much different veil, but still a veil nonetheless. I have gained a much broader understanding of the real world and the situations within that I was able to truly show respect to Machado’s story. 

So, having said that, this story has a particular audience, and that is definitely a much more mature audience. I’m sure there are a lot of people who know that and recognize that already especially with the stories being told within. Anyone can relate to this story. I’m sure there are people who would disagree with me on that considering the book follows a queer relationship, and I am open to hear those remarks and comments because I do want to know the best audience since I am not apart of the LGBTQIA+ community. 

To end, I do want to say that I will definitely be reading more from Machado. I fell in love with the rawness and openness of her personality that she put into this book along with the edges and fallen shards of her heart from the relationship she was in. I’m sure her other works will have the same patience and self awareness because that does seem to be her writing style, and it is truly beautiful. 

Pictured: Andrew Wyeth Christina’s World