#I really dislike when people try to write nonfiction books so that they read like a conversation or ted talk

[servuscallidus]

Book on gender written in the most annoying way ever and it gets worse the further you go on. Stop trying to be quirky and funny just write the info

[cherokeegal1975]

The Complete Al's Baby

I discovered this comic in one of my deeply bored out of my mind internet searches because sometimes I go to weird places just to find something entertaining. Rarely does searches pan out with something even vaguely interesting but on rarest of rare occasions something odd pops up that catches my attention. This comic is one of them. I have never let anyone know I have this comic on my bookshelf and it remains hidden between some nonfiction tutorial books on drawing and crafting. I did have it hidden in a cabinet but one of the cats sprayed it and the pee went inside it and damaged my book a little bit. I had to peel apart several pages very carefully because of it. So it hides higher up. Fortunately no one bothers my books… though I sometimes wish they would because I want to share most of them.

Anyway this supposed to be comedy that doesn’t make me laugh is by the same authors who wrote Judge Dredd. A character I’m only familiar with through the movies that I never got to watch so have no opinion on them.

I don’t usually like gangster stories, but I took exception to this one because I was very bored and curious enough to try it. Keeping in mind that I think that the majority of mpregs are awful and this one isn’t too bad. So my compliment really means something. P.S. - Check out Noonibean here on DeviantART for her work and writing. I like her story though I haven’t gotten around to reading more than the first chapter and I don’t know why I haven’t. But I keep her writing in mind so I’ll eventually come back to it.

Anyway when I read this comic I can “hear “ the voices of the characters. Low, gruff any gravely for Al. High and nasal for Sal. Wheezy for their boss.

Al’s wife is a horrible singer and the one scene I really dislike in the book is the panels featuring a cat committing suicide with a gun because Velma was singing on stage. I am fond of cats and never want one to come to harm for any reason.

Now the plot is basically Al wants to be Godfather and will do anything to get the job. The current Godfather who is in poor health wands a grandson to secure the line and will grant Al’s wish to take over his mob if he has one. Velma refuses to be the one to have the baby and suggests the Al have it instead. Velma is even more ferocious than her mobster husband and since the Godfather threatens to end Al’s life if he doesn’t produce an heir, he has no choice but to undergo a procedure that will enable him to carry his baby to term. This isn’t the end of the story, there’s two more parts to it. But I’ll leave it here.

Normally I wouldn’t recommend a book like this but, I am doing it now. It’s surprisingly a good story. The artwork is great if a bit gory at times. I’m never going to be happy about the poor cat, even though I am aware that those panels are symbolically demonstrating just how awful Velma is on stage with her singing. This book is supposed to be a comedy, but it never made me laugh. But to be fair, it takes a lot for something to strike me as funny in a story. It’s a weird adventure with mob wars, one fearsome guy with ambitions enough to do anything to get what he wants. Literally anything, even having a baby himself…twice. So, check it out see what you think, buy it and hide it in your bookshelf too. Because unfortunately it doesn’t come in anything other than a large paperback book. A nice one, but I do wish it came in Kindle too. Or at least find a neutral dust jacket to cover up the cover art. It certainly gets attention, but if the people in my household ever find out I have this book, I can get a lot of grief about it.

[veliseraptor]

out of curiosity, what’s your personal five-star rating system for books?

oh this is a fun one to try to articulate when 90% of the time the answer is "just vibes." but to try and pin down some of the vibes I guess

no rating - I feel like my response to this book doesn't fit in a 1-5 star rating scale, or I didn't finish it but didn't hate it enough to care to rate it

★ - I actively disliked this book. I thought it was bad, or I found some element offensive, or (if nonfiction) I think the conclusions drawn were baseless and/or incorrect.

★★ - I was annoyed by some elements but didn't completely hate it. The writing style or characters grated on me but I liked something else about it. There were some good ideas in here but they got buried in a bunch of nonsense. I disliked this book but I can still recognize how somebody else might feel differently; for instance, if I feel like I am responding poorly to a book solely because I expected it to be something else, it's likely to end up here.

★★★ - The middle ground. It was good but I'm not super excited about it. If someone asked if I recommended it I'd probably go "ehhh" with a wiggly hand gesture. The "it was fine but I'm not going to reread it" category, or (for nonfiction) the "it was fine but I didn't really learn anything because the analysis was shallow and familiar ground" category.

★★★★ - This is maybe the hardest one for me? It's a notch about three stars but not quite five, is all I can figure, so it's mostly defined by me holding a book to one of those and being like "well okay it doesn't quite suit either one so I guess four stars it is." I guess this is the "I really liked it, thought it was very good, but it didn't blow me away" level of things. I'm pretty stingy with my five star ratings, on the whole. A book really has to kick me in the face to earn one; otherwise it's going to land here, which unfortunately means that this level of stars covers a lot of ground, from "books I will enthusiastically recommend to people" to "books I enjoyed but won't revisit in the future and probably stop thinking about shortly after reading."

★★★★★ - Books that kicked me in the face. Something that really blows me away, shows me something new, leaves me with the breathless "holy shit" feeling that's such a joy to experience. Nonfiction books that make me rethink something, or understand a new angle on a subject. Books that I feel like I would go back and reread in the future, and that I will obnoxiously recommend to anybody who asks.

Five stars is also for books that make me cry, which is, I decided at some point, an auto-five star criterion, even if otherwise the book may be a three or four. If it made me cry it gets five stars. Those are the rules.

[firstdivisiongirl]

Hii <33 I'd love to request a perfect matchup, if you don't mind 🫶

I'm female and use she/her pronouns, I'd like to be matched with a male from Tokyo revengers. <3

I'm about 5ft5in tall, have brown curly hair, freckles and brown eyes. I'm an INFJ and introverted as I love recharging by spending time alone <3 I've been described as kind, quiet, calm, smart and helpful by many people and I'd agree with those adjectives haha I'm also quite ambitious as I've got an academic dream I'm working towards pretty hard.

My hobbies are playing the guitar, listening to music, reading (mostly classics/nonfictions), writing and studying/going in walks. There are lots of things I like, for example cats, books and bookstores, foods (almost all kinds except spicy things) and snow. I dislike parties and lots of social interactions as I'm not very talkative when you first meet me and I also have social anxiety :,)

Another passion I have is philosophy although I'm a religious person I LOVE talking and thinking about the meaning of our existence, the different philosophies of our mind and consciousness. My favourite books in this genre are by Nietzsche, Plato, Camus and Orwell because I really like society criticising arts as well <33 (whether that's a book, play or painting)

I try to be always polite and friendly, although I do struggle with empathy for others that I'm not close to and I can be quite selfish and calculating at times as well.

For a matchup I'd love a guy who understands me and loves me unconditionally, even if he knows about my "dark" side and bad/illegal things I've done. (For the record I never killed someone but stole a few things </3)

I think mutual understanding and support are the most important things in a relationship.I think that was about it haha <33

I really hope this wasn't too much/too complicated. Thanks in advance and have a great day 🫶🫶

Hello. This wasn't too complicated at all. I think I know the perfect person for you.

You Got...

Kakucho Hitto!!!!

We know he loves snow (let's all just take a minute to think about little Kakucho and Izana, so cute.)

He may not know how to play the guitar, but I think he would love to listen to you and maybe even ask you to teach him

Seem like the guy who would enjoy a good philosophical discussion. You have seen some of the people he deals with. He could use one from time to time.

Would help you achieve your dreams. Would be your biggest fan, but also help you with whatever you need

He is very understanding and would never hate you. He's friends with Izana....

He is buying you books and talking you on bookstore dates!

Loves that you are calm and quiet. He can get tired of loudness *side eyes Sanzu*

Will make sure you feel okay before worrying about anything else. If you feel the slightest bit uncomfortable or anxious, you two are out of there and somewhere quieter.

Will love long walks. It's good exercise and the boy loves that

I hope you enjoy!

Please do not copy, modify, translate or repost my writing on other platforms. Comments, reblogs and likes are highly appreciated!

[lizziestudieshistory]

Books of 2023 - January

I'm trying something new and writing vague thoughts on the books I've read this month as I've finished them. So if I repeat myself or I ramble (more than usual) then I apologise. Not that anyone reads these anyway 😅

The Winter's Tale by William Shakespeare - pleasantly surprised! I remember not getting on with The Winter's Tale when I first read the play as I found it disjointed. However, this time I really got into the themes and Shakespeare's examination of age/corruption/irrational passions vs. youth/rejuvenation/constancy in love. It's a WEIRD play and it definitely has a confusing plot, however, I did enjoy myself.

Rhythm of War by Brandon Sanderson - an underwhelming reread. Rhythm of War wasn't my favourite to start with and this reread really showed how formulaic sections of this book were (mainly ALL the stuff in Urithiru). I really didn't need another Kaladin fight scene after part one and that's sort of half the book... I did enjoy elements, such as looking at Kaladin's depression and Raboniel, but the vast majority was disappointing.

On the Knocking on the Gate in Macbeth by Thomas de Quincey (essay) - interesting essay I read randomly whilst on a break in the library at uni, it discusses act 2 of Macbeth and how Shakespeare creates an emotional response from the audience with a knock. I don't have much to say tbh...

Shakespearean: On Life and Language in Times of Distress by Robert McCrum - a pointless vanity project that shouldn't have been published. I only continued with this because I bought it and I NEVER buy nonfiction - clearly a rule I need to stick to! The points of interest came from McCrum pulling from other people's work (and citing it badly!!!) either by paraphrasing or directly quoting. I still don't really know what McCrum had to say for himself on the subject of what makes Shakespeare "Shakespeare" or "Shakespearean"... So what was the point? I also found myself disliking McCrum on a personal level, he came across like that unpleasant public schoolboy in your uni class who thinks he's smarter than everyone else, and is slightly sexist... Not a great impression.

Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare - a reread of an old favourite. I found this read very different to my previous experiences, this isn't to say that I didn't enjoy it but I found myself bored with the "B" plotline with Malvolio and Sir Toby Belch... And Olivia wasn't as dazzling as usual... However, I did really enjoy discovering how fabulous Viola is and thinking about late Elizabethan/early Jacobean gender norms and identity. So swings and roundabouts.

A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin - I really wasn't expecting to like Earthsea, I'm not sure why but I had a feeling it wasn't going to be for me... I was so wrong! I had a lovely time with this first book. I don't think it's going to be a new all-time favourite series, but it is one I'm going to enjoy picking up every now and again as the mood takes me. Le Guin is a beautiful writer, her prose is lyrical and captivating in a way we rarely see in fantasy. It's simple, elegant, and layered - a child could read Earthsea and yet there is a rich thematic lining to this story that I loved pondering as I read through. The characters and narrative distance did mean I couldn't lose myself in the story as I would with someone like Robin Hobb, but I loved A Wizard of Earthsea in a different way. I'd highly recommend giving it a go if you're interested in classic fantasy!

The Poems by William Shakespeare - I've never tried Shakespeare's poetry before, at least not seriously, you can't go through the British education system without reading sonnet 18 at some point. Poetry usually isn't my thing and I only enjoy epic and narrative poetry...and this is still the case, as this collection proved. I enjoyed Venus and Adonis, and The Rape of Lucrece much more than The Phoenix and Turtle or The Passionate Pilgrim. Both of the longer narrative poems gave me something to think about, usually surrounding the themes of each poem and its historical context. The shorter works I found myself largely indifferent - although The Phoenix and Turtle is very beautiful.

[eddie-rifff]

happy new years! 🍾🎉 tagged by @girlinthebrightbluejeans <3

what book are you currently reading? The Beasts of Never by Georgess McHargue. its a nonfiction book about the origins of mythical creatures- im interested in the part about unicorns of course.

what’s your favorite movie you saw in theaters this past year? i actually really dislike going to movie theatres and seeing new movies lol i prefer things you'll see on mst3k or nothing at all. i kind of dont like movies which i know is an insane thing to say but its tru

what do you usually wear? lots of black, ripped jeans, white adidas sneakers. 70s looking things too- i go back and forth between goth and retro

how tall are you? 5'9 >:)

what’s your Star Sign? do you share a birthday with a celebrity or a historical event? aquarius! and i just so happen to share a birthday with one alice cooper!

do you go by your name or nickname? trying to get more people to call me twig but generally just my birth name

did you grow up to become what you wanted to be when you were a child? not at all! i wanted to work at an animal sanctuary or as a psychologist. and i ended up being a copy editor...

are you in a relationship? if not who is your crush if you have one? nope. im talking to a few fellows tho. my crushes are peter hammill, andy mackay, and bill bruford :~)

what’s something you’re good at vs something you’re bad at? very good at very little imo. uh i guess having 70s prog knowledge? bad at most other things. lets say math to be specific

dogs or cats? CATS

If you draw/write, or create in any way, what’s your favorite picture/favorite line/favorite etc. from something you created this past year? i mainly just sketched and worked on that 50+ page fanfic and i am not sharing a single line from that thing- CERTAINLY not my favorite

what’s something you would like to create content for? i want to make custom ceramics! i mean i do that anyway, but i wanna do it more frequently and market myself to the public

what’s something you’re currently obsessed with? peter hammill's solo albums from the 80s! and unicorns!

What’s something you were excited about that turned out to be disappointing this past year? my entire job situation

what’s a hidden talent of yours? like i said. im not really good at any one thing. i guess being hypermobile is something?

are you religious? nope

whats something you wish to have at this moment? a full time copy editing job lol

tagging @wanderinstar @keyed-up-allthetime @yesterdaysanswers @jazzsbingoparty no pressure tho!!

[explodingsilver]

2022 book recap

(Based solely on books I’ve actually finished, not ones that are in progress)

Favorites (in the order that I finished them):

Tehanu by Ursula K. Le Guin

Now this is how you have a series mature alongside its reader, and not just in the sense that Earthsea actually acknowledges that interesting things happen to adults as well. It’s probably the most grounded book in the series, showing what life is like for normal people in a fantasy world, while still managing to have an actual plot and conflict, plus themes that aren’t dumbed down. You know Le Guin’s quote about disliking the cult of women’s knowledge? This book is kind of like a novel-length exploration of that concept. (She even says in the afterword, written years later, that she finds it funny how people always quote one particular character talking about how women are more in tune with mysticism and never include the protagonist’s reply that she used to be surrounded by that mysticism and it’s actually a terrible way to live.)

Raptor Red by Robert T. Bakker

This was written by an actual paleontologist and was originally meant to be a sort of educational novel, but isn’t really useful for that anymore, as a lot of the information is now outdated. You should read it anyway, because it made me cry over a dinosaur. Despite this book containing no dialogue because it takes place in the Cretaceous, the characters all have unique personalities and even the ones that show up for only one chapter are incredibly lovable.

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Much like Foucault’s Pendulum, I read this to acquire a bit of culture and was surprised by how funny it is. Austen understood obnoxious personalities in a way that few other people do. As for the actual romance, given how uncomfortable I am when people try to play matchmaker with me, I loved the fact that absolutely no one was rooting for the main couple to get together.

This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone

I read this one in one sitting, and the moment I finished I felt the need to immediately reread it. The writing style is more poetic than a lot of actual poetry, and the plot comes together beautifully. It’s also one of those books where the world actually feels much bigger than what is shown on page.

Off to Be the Wizard by Scott Meyer

This one ended up on the list by the sheer force of how fun it is. I mean, the central concept is “reality is a computer simulation; programmers exploit this to become actual wizards”. Kind of scratches a similar nerd itch as Ready Player One but is actually good. And if you like Chekhov’s Gun as a trope, this book has an entire Chekhov’s Arsenal.

The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco

Eco was so damn smart that reading his books makes me feel stupid in comparison, but I’m too busy being fascinated by his knowledge to mind. Ostensibly a murder mystery, but the theology and history are what really shine here. Plus, the ending made me feel like I needed to just sit down in the backyard and stare off into the distance for a few hours. And as I’ve said before, the postscript convinced me that I really need to read Eco’s nonfiction stuff.

Nona the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

The only book I read this year that was actually release this year. Definitely the odd one out in the series, but having a story that shows what life is like for regular people outside the Nine Houses is something that I didn’t realize the series needed until I read it, plus the flashbacks to pre-Resurrection Earth provided some much-needed context for why Jod is like that.

Fevre Dream by George R. R. Martin

Kind of a shame that you only really see this book recommended in the context of “spooky vampire books for Halloween!” and even then it often gets overlooked. I’m someone who can usually keep my emotions level while reading (my reaction to a lot of notoriously heartbreaking moments in books is usually “yeah, that’s pretty sad” said with a blank face), but this book actually gave me adrenaline rushes at certain points. I was guessing all the way up until the end whether it was going to have a happy ending or not. (I also suspect that Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure, Vampire: the Masquerade, and The Dresden Files all took inspiration from this book, but I don’t think I can prove any of that.) If A Song of Ice and Fire is written like this, I can see why it got so popular.

The Age of Darkness series by Katy Rose Pool

I mentally describe this series as “YA fantasy that subverts the genre by being good instead of bad”. Which is needlessly inflammatory, but it really is nice to read a YA series that goes out of its way to avoid all of the things I dislike about the genre (ex. the second book contains the setup for a love triangle, and then the author just makes it a non-issue). Also, and this will surprise no one, I appreciate how apostatic it gets in the third book.

Worst of the year: I read all of Onision’s books. Do not do this. (I did so in a way that did not involve giving him money, for the record.)

Did not finish: On Beauty by Zadie Smith. To be honest, it’s now my go-to example of “good as in well-constructed, bad as in I hate it” (though hate might be a bit too strong of a word for it). It really is well-written, but about halfway through I realized that this is the least I’ve ever cared about a book’s plot. (I still plan to read something else by the author in the future).

Goals for 2023:

5 nonfiction

3 books that were originally written in a language other than English

3 books that I’ve been meaning to read since middle school

[norcani]

3, 9 and 16 for the book ask?

answers under the cut

3. What were your top five books of the year? Oh man , I'm gonna only include novels in this, since I have a hard time ranking them along with short story collections or nonfiction.

Hangsaman by Shirley Jackson I honestly am so afraid of when I will run out of novels by her. Each one has been a new fave and I wouldn't even be rank them amongst themselves. Hangasaman is a really weird book and I don't know that I understand the intentions behind it, but even so just on a sentence by sentence base it's so cleverly written. I'm surprised that this book hasn't risen to prominence again with the popularity of crazy women literature, but perhaps it's too vague and depressing? Tipping the Velvet by Sarah Waters Another author I don't wish to be out of novels to read of! Although in this case she is allegedly still writing. I was not particularly looking forward to this one as I had watched the bbc miniseries long ago, and while I enjoyed it at the time it seemed a straightforward enough story that I didn't think the novel would add much beyond Sarah Waters' beautiful writing. Well apparently they completely changed the last third of the book which I had disliked in the series but now I read the book, the book version is my favorite bit by far! It ties everything up beautifully, and honestly Nan's arc just doesn't work without it. You can't cut the conclusion from a coming of age narrative! I imagine it was changed because of how political it is.

Also shoutout to nan for genuinely thinking she invented being a butch lesbian for most of the book. Harrow the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir Yes well I got converted.... You see enough about this on your dash I got nothing to say. Turning the Storm by Naomi Kritzer This duology is incredible and it's as if no one knows of it. This is the 2nd book in it, I read both this year but I liked the 2nd one better because the first one has a somwhat slow beginning. People will ask for revolutionary fantasy, fantasy with lesbian leads, fantasy with butch leads , but here it is! It's here! It exists! has since 2003 apparently! The way these books are unknown is insane to me. The Thousand Eyes by A.K. Larkwood Another duology, this one is more recent and more well known, but not enough really. I think a lot of people were turned off because the mc is an orc? I remember early reviews saying it was bad because there was no point of the mc being an orc. Well to this I say there is no point of being a book reviewer if that's your issue. She's cool, her gf is cool, getting possessed by malevolent gods is cool. I love the world in this and I hope the author will return to the setting even if the mcs story is completed.

9 Did you get into any new genres? I already answered before that I started reading more short fiction which was already a reach. I'm trying really hard to think of a 2nd answer. Oh, I read a biography, which I don't think I ever read before. It wasn't even a pop science-y one, more academic (the pdf I read had notes scribbled..) so I was surprised what an easy and fun read it was: Wu Zhao: China's Only Woman Emperor by N. Harry Rothschild, Peter N. Stearns By now I don't remember what inspired me to pick this up, but it was fun! I didn't read any other biographies afterwards though so probably not really getting into a new genre.

16. What is the most over-hyped book you read this year? I'm in Love with the Villainess by inori oh my god, I didn't even dislike this, it was fun enough and I did read the 3 volume main story. But I dunno what others have read because this was not worthy of all that praise l saw. I know it's a light novel but that's not an excuse, plenty light novels have decent writing, or failing that, writing that reads like a coherent narrative instead of a rough placeholder draft. And people who praise the trans rep in this are beyond me, like its nice trans characters exist at all in a yuri story (even though its convoluted magic trans stuff instead of a character just being trans but lets set that aside), but the way people talk over it youd think theyre actual characters with personalities, no the weird straight incest siblings get more lines than the trans character, come on.

I still enjoyed it, it was a fun turn your brain off kinda story, but nothing more. It likely will work better as an anime. The reactions TO the books though make no sense.

[talesfromaurea]

Writerly Question Tag

I saw this on my dash and decided to yoink it. Consider this an open tag if you wanna do it too!

About You

When did you start writing?

I wrote my first book when I was around 6 years old. It was a picture book (illustrated by yours truly) about a dog going on a walk lmao

Are the genres/themes you enjoy reading different from the ones you write?

My favorite books to read are nonfiction and I write fantasy. In the realm of other fiction genres though, I enjoy reading sci-fi, historical fiction, and thrillers

Is there an author (or just a fellow writer!) you want to emulate, or one to whom you’re often compared?

I don't think anyone has ever compared my writing to someone else's. There are many authors I admire but none that I consciously try to emulate or look up to specifically.

Can you tell me a little about your writing space(s)?

The couch in my living room tbh. If I'm feeling fancy, I'll put on a wax melt.

What’s your most effective way to muster up some muse?

Music

Did the place(s) you grew up in influence the people and places you write about?

Maybe in the sense that I was stuck in boring suburbia so I was always dreaming of fantastical adventures 😅

Are there any recurring themes in your writing, and if so, do they surprise you at all?

Groups of misfits becoming friends, shape shifting and/or monstrous aspects of the self are probably the two big ones. And no they don't surprise me at all haha

Your Characters

Would you please tell me about your current favorite character? (Current WIP, past WIP, never used, etc.)

I love all my babies equally (but it's Sakrattars - my know-it-all dickhead elf who falls into an anxious spiral)

Which of your characters would you be friends with in real life?

Maybe Kaja, since she's so easy to get along with? Otherwise probably none of them tbh...

Which characters would you dislike the most if you met them?

Probably Sakrattars lmao we're too similar and I think it would Cause Problems

Tell me about the process of coming up with your characters?

Honestly they just kind of kick down the door in my head and introduce themselves. And when I come up with new ideas about them, they will absolutely let me know whether it suits them or not

Do you notice any reoccurring themes/traits in your characters?

Loneliness (that eventually becomes friendship!)

How do you picture your characters?

Your Writing

What’s your reason for writing?

I am plagued by visions

Is there a specific comment or type of comment you find particularly motivating coming from your readers?

I love when people tell me how they felt reading certain scenes or passages. But really any type of comment is a good comment (unless you're just being rude)

How do you want to be thought of by those who read your work?

Do not perceive me please 😅 I just want to tell you a story

What do you feel is your greatest strength as a writer?

Characters and dialogue. Luckily my partner's strengths are world-building and plotting so it turns out ✌

What have you been frequently told your greatest writing strength is by others?

Characters, dialogue, descriptions

How do you feel about your own writing?

There's always room for growth, but it suits me fine

If you were the last person on earth and knew your writing would never be read by another human, would you still write?

Probably, like 80% of my writing has never seen another pair of eyeballs before so yeah lol

When you write, are you influenced by what others might enjoy reading, or do you write purely what you enjoy?

I write for me lmfao. Y'all can read it too sometimes, but my target audience is definitely me

[infernallegaycy]

Writing Psychotic Characters

Hi! I’ve seen a few of these writing things pop up recently (and in the past), but I haven’t seen any on psychotic characters—which, judging from the current state of portrayals of psychosis in media, is something I think many people* need. And as a psychotic person who complains about how badly psychosis tends to be represented in media, I thought I’d share a bit of information and suggestions!

A lot of this isn’t necessarily specifically writing advice but information about psychosis, how it presents, and how it affects daily life. This is partially purposeful—I feel that a large part of poor psychotic representation stems from a lack of understanding about psychosis, and while I’m not usually in an educating mood, context and understanding are crucial to posts like this. A lot of this also relates to writing psychosis in a modern-day setting, simply because that’s where bad psychotic representation tends to mostly occur (and it’s the only experience I’ve had, obviously), but please don’t shy away from applying this advice to psychotic characters in sci-fi/fantasy/historical fiction/etc. Psychosis is not a wholly modern phenomenon, nor would speculative fiction feel truly escapist without being able to see yourself reflected in it.

Please also note that I am not a medical professional nor an expert in psychology. I simply speak from my personal experiences, research, and what I’ve read of others’ experiences. I also do not speak for all psychotic people, and more than welcome any alternative perspectives to my own.

*These people, in all honesty, aren’t likely to be the ones willingly reading this. But there are people who are willing to learn, so here’s your opportunity.

(Warnings: Mentions of institutionalization/hospitalization, including forced institutionalization; ableism/saneism; and brief descriptions of delusions and hallucinations. Also, it’s a pretty long post!)

Up front, some terminology notes: “Unpsychotic” refers to people who are not psychotic. This includes other mentally ill and neurodivergent people. Please try to avoid terminology like “non-[identity],” as much of it is co-opted from “nonblack.”

Also, “psychotic” and “delusional” will not be, and should not be, used to refer to anything but respectively someone who experiences psychosis and someone who experiences delusions. Remove these words as insults and negative descriptors for anyone you dislike from your vocabulary.

In addition, I generally use adjectives rather than person-first language because that is the language I, and the seeming majority of other neurodivergent and mentally ill people, prefer. Others might describe themselves differently (as “people with psychosis,” for instance). Don’t assume either way—I’d generally suggest you say “psychotic person” first, and then correct yourself if the person in question prefers different terminology.

1) Psychosis is a symptom, not a disorder.

As a term, “psychosis” describes any number of symptoms that indicate a break with reality, such as delusions and hallucinations (I’ll go into more detail about this in a bit). It commonly occurs as part of several mental and neurological disorders, including but not limited to:

Schizophrenia

Schizophreniform disorder (same symptoms as schizophrenia, but for a shorter period of time than 6 months)

Schizoaffective disorder (combined symptoms of psychosis and a mood disorder, but not enough to completely fill the diagnostic criteria for either)

Bipolar disorder (typically as part of manic episodes, but it can also occur in unipolar depression and depressive episodes)

Personality disorders, including borderline personality disorder (for which transient paranoia under stress is part of the diagnostic criteria), paranoid personality disorder, and schizoid personality disorder

Post-traumatic stress disorder

Obsessive-compulsive disorder

Dissociative disorders (though psychosis =/= dissociative identity disorder; if you want further information on the latter, which I do not have, please seek out another post!)

Psychosis can also occur with forms of epilepsy, sleep disorders, metabolic disorders, and autoimmune disorders. It tends to be a major part of neurodegenerative disorders like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. In addition, it can occur when not related to a chronic health condition; things like sleep deprivation and stress can induce temporary psychosis, as can drug use and medication.

This isn’t to say you necessarily need to define a disorder for a psychotic character, as some psychotic people (including myself) primarily just describe ourselves as “psychotic,” and some aren’t diagnosed with anything specific. However, if your psychotic character is a main/perspective character, I definitely recommend it. Chances are, someone with that disorder is reading/watching, and I’m sure they’d love to see a bit of direct representation. In general, you probably should at least have something in mind, because psychotic symptoms and severity/onset can differ greatly.

Some psychotic disorders’ diagnostic criteria explicitly exclude others (someone cannot be diagnosed with both schizophrenia and schizophreniform disorder at the same time, for instance, though the latter can develop into the former), but comorbidity is possible—and often common—among certain disorders and other neurological/mental conditions. Rates vary, so definitely research this, but in short, it is very much possible for psychotic people to have multiple disorders, including disorders that don’t include psychotic symptoms. (Personally speaking: I’m autistic, ADHD, and OCD in addition to being psychotic, and I’m physically disabled as well.)

I’m not here to do all the research for you—if you want to know more about specific psychotic disorders, then by all means, look them up! Go beyond Wikipedia and Mayo Clinic articles, too. Talk to people who have them. Seek out blogs and YouTube channels run by people with them. Read books about psychosis by psychotic people**. Pay attention to how we describe ourselves and our disorders.

And if you want to write characters with those disorders, especially if you’re writing from their perspectives, then please for the love of God, hire a sensitivity reader. For authenticity, I would recommend seeking out someone with the same disorder, not just anyone psychotic.

**If you want a fiction recommendation: I don’t actually know if the author is schizophrenic like the main character, but I really enjoyed and related to The Drowning Girl by Caitlín R. Kiernan. Content warnings include, but might not be limited to—it’s been a while since I read it—unreality, self-harm, suicide, abuse, and mentions of transphobia. I haven’t personally read any autobiographies/memoirs/essays yet, so I don’t have any to offer, and quite a few that came up through a cursory search seemed only to focus on being an inspiration to neurotypical people or were from a perspective other than that of the psychotic person in question. If anyone (preferably psychotic people) has any more recommendations, fiction or nonfiction, let me know!

2) Not every psychotic person has the same symptoms.

As mentioned, psychosis consists of symptoms that involve separation with reality, which can present as positive or negative symptoms. Every person’s experiences with these are different, but some generalizations can be made. I definitely recommend reading studies and articles (especially directly by psychotic people) describing experiences and presentation!

I’ll start with positive symptoms, which refer to the presence of symptoms unpsychotic people don’t have, and can include hallucinations, delusions, and disorganized thoughts, speech, and behavior.

You probably know what hallucinations are (perceptions of sensory information that is not really present), but you might not know the specifics. Types of hallucinations include:

Auditory (which tend to be the most common, and are probably the form everyone is most familiar with, primarily as “hearing voices”)

Visual

Olfactory

Tactile/haptic

Gustatory (taste)

Somatic

Some types with regards to bodily sensations get a little muddled from here, but some forms of hallucinations you might not have heard of include thermic (hot/cold), hygric (fluids), kinesthetic (bodily movements), and visceral (inner organs).

(Note: Hypnagogic/hypnopompic hallucinations, which occur when falling asleep or waking up, are not related to psychosis and can occur in anyone.)

As mentioned, there are some forms of hallucinations that are more common, but that is not to say that everyone has the same hallucinations. A lot of us have auditory and/or visual hallucinations, but not everyone does. Some have tactile, olfactory, or gustatory hallucinations instead of or in addition to more common forms (hi! Auditory hallucinations are pretty rare for me, but I constantly feel bugs/spiders crawling on me). If you write a psychotic character that experiences hallucinations, then you should definitely do further research on these types and manifestations of them.

You’re likely also familiar with delusions (a belief that contradicts reality), though again, you might not know the specifics. Delusions can be classified as bizarre (implausible, not shared or understood by peers of the same culture) or non-bizarre (false, but technically possible). They can relate to one’s mood or not.

Some people only experience delusions and no other significant psychotic symptoms (this occurs in delusional disorder). Delusions differ between people and tend to be heavily influenced by environment, but there are some common themes, such as:

Persecution

Guilt, punishment, or sin

Mind reading

Thought insertion

Jealousy

Control

Reference (coincidences having meaning)

Grandeur

Certain types of delusions are more common in certain cultures/backgrounds or certain disorders. I can’t really go into details about specific delusions, because I try not to read many examples (for a reason I’m about to mention), but if you plan on writing a character who experiences delusions, I definitely recommend heavily researching delusions and how it feels to experience them.

I would like to note: I’m not sure how common it is, but I’ve noticed that I personally have a tendency to pick up delusions that I see other psychotic people talking about having. Just kind of, like, an “oh shit what if” feeling creeps up on me, and before I know it, that delusion has wormed its way into my life. Just in case you want some idea of how psychotic people can interact amongst ourselves!

Another quick note: Delusions, by definition, are untrue beliefs; this does not mean that anyone who has ever been delusional is inherently untrustworthy.

Disorganization of thoughts/speech and behavior is more self-explanatory. Problems with thinking and speaking tend to be one of the most common psychotic symptoms, sometimes considered even more so than delusions and hallucinations. There are a lot of ways thought processes can be disrupted, and I honestly think it would be kind of difficult to portray this if you haven’t experienced it, but some common manifestations are:

Derailment

Tangents (which you might notice me doing sometimes in this very post)

Getting distracted mid-sentence/thought

Incoherence/“word salad”

Thought blocking (sudden stops in thoughts/speech)

Repetition of words/phrases

Pressured speech (rapid, urgent speech)

Use of invented words

Poverty of speech/content of speech

(Note that thought/speech disturbances aren’t necessarily exclusive to psychotic disorders. They tend to be common in ADHD and autism as well, though symptoms can be more severe when they occur in, for example, schizophrenia.)

Behavioral abnormalities can include catatonia, which presents in a number of ways, such as mutism, echolalia, agitation, stupor, catalepsy, posturing, and more. Episodes of catatonia last for hours and sometimes longer, which usually requires hospitalization and/or medication. This tends to overlap heavily with symptoms of autism spectrum disorders, which can be comorbid with conditions like schizophrenia.

Negative symptoms, on the other hand, refer to the absence of certain experiences. It can include flat affect (lack of or limited emotional reactions), generally altered emotional responses, a decrease in speech, and low motivation. Most of these speak for themselves, and I’m not honestly sure how to describe them to someone who’s never experienced them in a way that isn’t very metaphorical and therefore kind of unhelpful. If any other psychotic people have suggestions, feel free to add on/message me!

Not every psychotic disorder involves or requires both positive and negative symptoms (to my knowledge, manic episodes of bipolar disorder mostly only include positive symptoms), but many psychotic people experience both. And, as expressed multiple times—and I really can’t stress it enough—every person’s experience with psychosis is different.

If you interview two psychotic people at random, chances are they aren’t going to have the same combination of symptoms. Chances are they won’t even have the same disorder. Therefore, if you write multiple psychotic characters, they shouldn’t be identical in terms of personality or psychosis.

There are also some qualities of psychotic disorders that may not necessarily be diagnostic criteria but are prominent in people with these conditions. These also vary between disorders, but cognitive impairments and similar traits are fairly common.

3) In a similar vein, daily experiences can vary greatly. Psychosis can be a major part of psychotic people’s lives, but it doesn’t always affect daily life.

For some people, psychosis occurs in episodes, not 24/7; you may have heard the term “psychotic break,” which tends to refer to a first episode of psychosis. This is especially true of disorders where psychotic symptoms occur under stress or during mood episodes.

For other people, psychosis is a near-constant. It can wax and wane, but it never completely goes away. These people might be more likely to invest in medication or long-term therapy and other treatment methods.

Psychosis’s impact on everyday life can also be affected by insight (how well the person can tell they’re having psychotic symptoms). There’s not a ton of accessible research—or research at all—into insight and how it affects psychotic people, and I’m not a big fan of describing people as having high/low insight because I think it has the potential to be used like functioning labels (which, for the record, are bad; plenty of other autistic people have written at length about this), but just something to keep in mind. It’s a sliding scale; at different points in time, the same person might have limited or significant awareness of their symptoms. Both greater and poorer insight have been linked to decreased quality of life, so neither one is really a positive.

Just something to be aware of: Yes, sometimes we do realize how “crazy” we seem. Yes, sometimes we don’t. No, it doesn’t really make things any better to know that what we’re seeing/thinking/etc isn’t real. No, people with low insight shouldn’t be blamed or mocked for this.

As such, the diagnostic process can vary greatly. Psychotic people aware of their symptoms or how their lives are being impacted may directly ask for a diagnosis or seek out information on their own. Other times, family or friends might notice symptoms and bring them up to a mental health professional, or someone might be forcibly institutionalized and diagnosed that way.

My professional diagnostic processes have been pretty boring: Over time, I just gradually brought up different diagnoses I thought might fit me to my therapist, whom I started seeing for anxiety (which I no longer strongly identify with, on account of my anxiety mostly stemming from me being autistic, OCD, and psychotic). I filled out checklists and talked about my symptoms. We moved on with the treatment processes I was already undergoing and incorporated more coping mechanisms and stuff like that into therapy sessions. Hardly the tearful scenes of denial you’re used to seeing or reading about.

Other people might have very different experiences, or very similar ones! It all depends! I generally don’t really like reading scenes of people being diagnosed (it’s just exposition and maybe some realization on the PoV character’s part, but it’s usually somewhat inaccurate in that regard), so you can probably steer away from that sort of thing, but you might find it useful to note how your character was identified somewhere? I don’t really have any strong opinions on this.

I’d also like to note: Everything I publicly speak about having, I’ve discussed in a professional therapy setting, just because of my personal complexes. However, I do fully support self-diagnosis. Bigotry and money are huge obstacles against getting professional diagnoses, and if someone identifies with a certain disorder and seeks out treatment mechanisms for it, there’s no real harm being done. If someone is genuinely struggling and they benefit from coping mechanisms intended for a disorder they might not have, then I think that’s better than if they shied away because they weren’t professionally diagnosed with it, and therefore didn’t get help they needed. With proper research, self-diagnosis is fully ethical and reasonable.

I do not want to debate this, and any attempts to force me into a discussion about professional versus self-diagnosis will be ignored.

Anyway! I can’t really identify any specific daily experiences with psychosis you might want to include, because as mentioned, everyone has different symptoms and ways they cope with them.

Some psychotic people might not experience symptoms outside of an episode, which can be brought on by any number of things; some might experience symptoms only under general stress; some might have consistent symptoms. The content of hallucinations and delusions can also shift over time.

Psychosis can also affect anyone—there are certain demographics certain disorders are more likely to occur in, but this could just as easily be due to biases in diagnostic criteria or professionals themselves as it could be due to an actual statistical correlation. If you want to figure out how a psychotic character behaves on a day-to-day basis, then you’re better off shaping who they are as a person beyond their psychosis first, then incorporating their psychosis into things.

(A note about this: I consider my psychosis a major part of me, and I firmly believe that I would be a very different person without it; that’s why I refer to myself as a “psychotic person” rather than “a person with psychosis.” However, there is a difference between that and unpsychotic people making psychotic characters’ only trait their psychosis.)

4) Treatment for psychosis differs from person to person. The same things don’t work for everyone.

Some people are on antipsychotics; others aren’t. Medication is a personal choice and not a necessity—no one should be judged either for being on medication or for not being on medication. There are many reasons behind either option. Please do not ask psychotic people about their medication/lack thereof unprompted.

If you want to depict a psychotic character on medication, then research different forms of antipsychotics and how they affect psychotic people. I’ve never been on medication and don’t really plan to be (though if I ever do, I’m definitely taking a note from Phasmophobia’s book and calling them “Sanity Pills.” Just to clarify, I don’t want unpsychotic people repeating this joke, but if you want some insight on how some of us regard our health…), so you’re better off looking elsewhere for this sort of information!

I’m not going to get into my personal opinions on institutionalization and the psychiatry industry in general now, but institutionalization is, while common, also not necessary, and many psychotic people—and mentally ill and neurodivergent people in general—have faced harm and trauma due to institutionalization. Again, I can’t offer direct personal experience, but I recommend steering clear of plotlines directly related to psychiatric hospitals.

I would also like to emphasis the word treatment. Psychosis has no cure. It is possible for psychosis to only last a single episode (whether because it’s only due to stress/another outside factor or because it is treated early), or for symptoms to be greatly reduced over time and with treatment, but for the most part, psychotic people are psychotic for life.

However, with proper support networks and coping skills, many psychotic people are able to lead (quote unquote) “normal” lives. What coping mechanisms work for what people differs, but some psychosis-specific coping mechanisms might be:

Taping webcams for delusions of persecution/surveillance (which is honestly also just something everyone should do with webcams that aren’t in use)

Covering/closing windows for similar reasons

Using phone cameras/audio recordings to distinguish visual and auditory hallucinations from reality (most of the time, a hallucination won’t show up on camera, though it’s possible for people to hallucinate something on a camera screen too)

Similarly, removing glasses/contact lenses to check a visual hallucination

Asking people you trust (because of stigma and delusions, this might not be a long list) to check for symptoms of an oncoming episode

Avoiding possible triggers for psychosis (for example, I don’t engage with horror media often because a lot of it -- both psychological horror and slasher-type things -- can trigger delusions and hallucinations)

I’d also like to mention that treatment isn’t a clean, one-way process; especially with certain disorders, it’s normal to go up and down over time. I’d honestly be really uncomfortable with a psychotic character whose symptoms don’t affect their life whatsoever. There are ways you can write how psychosis affects someone that are… weird, which I’ll touch on, but overall, I think it’s better to actually depict a psychotic person whose symptoms have a clear impact on their life (even if that impact is, say, they’re on medication that negates some of their symptoms).

Just to reiterate: I am not a medical professional and cannot offer real-life advice regarding treatment, especially medication. Please do not ask me too detailed questions regarding this.

5) There are a lot of stereotypes and stigma surrounding psychosis.

The way psychosis is perceived both by general society and the field of psychology has changed a lot over the years, but even now, it still remains highly stigmatized and misunderstood. Wall of text incoming, but it’s important stuff.

Typical media portrayal of psychosis tends to fall into specific categories: The scary, violent psychotic person, or the psychotic person who is so crazy you can’t help but laugh. There are other bad depictions, but these are generally the ways I see psychotic people regarded and represented the most, so I want to address them directly.

Let’s talk about psychosis in horror first. Psychosis is often stereotyped as making people aggressive and violent. You’ve all seen the “psychotic killer” trope and depictions of people who are made violent and evil by their psychosis, even if it’s not explicitly named as the case. You’ve all seen “psychotic” used as a negative adjective, used synonymously to murderous, evil, harmful, violent, manipulative, etc—maybe you’ve even used it that way in the past. There’s no denying that the way society regards psychotic people is overwhelmingly negative, and that leaks into media.

If you are considering giving a violent, irredeemable antagonist psychosis, consider this: Don’t. More or less every psychotic person hates this trope. It’s inaccurate and, needless to say, rooted in ableism.

There are racialized aspects to this as well. People of color, especially Black and Latine people, are already stereotyped as being aggressive, violent, and scary; there’s also a history of overdiagnosis (and often misdiagnosis) of schizophrenia in Black people, especially civil rights activists. White and white-passing people will only be singled out if someone notices us exhibiting psychotic symptoms, but Black and brown people are already under scrutiny. Be extra cautious about how you write psychotic characters of color.

I’m not saying you can never give a psychotic person, say, a temper; in some cases, it might even make sense. Spells of uncontrollable anger are part of the diagnostic criteria for BPD, for example, and irritability is a common trait of manic episodes. Some delusions and hallucinations can affect aggression (emphasis on can—it would be inaccurate to imply that this is always the case. Once again, each person has a different experience with their psychotic symptoms).

But when the only psychotic or psychotic-coded characters you write are angry and violent, even when the situation doesn’t call for it, then there’s a problem. When you want to write a schizophrenic character, but only in a situation where they’re going on a killing spree, there’s a problem.

Studies have shown that no substantial link exists between psychosis and violence. There is a small association, but I think it would be reasonable to say this is partially because of the stigma surrounding psychosis and various other overlapping factors; no violence or crime exists in a vacuum. In addition, though I can’t find any exact statistics on this, psychotic people are susceptible to being victims of violence (likely because of this very stereotype).

On this note, don’t use mental hospitals as a setting for horror, especially if you plan on depicting the mentally ill patients there as antagonistic and unhinged. As mentioned earlier, institutionalization is a huge trigger for many psychotic people. True, psychiatric hospitals have definitely served as a source of trauma and pain for many in the past, but mentally ill and neurodivergent people have been (and are) the victims in those situations.

Also, don’t do the “what if it was all a delusion” thing. I know this is most common in ~edgy~ theories about children’s series, but… yikes.

In the same vein that you should avoid depictions of psychotic people that are ripped straight from a bad horror movie, don’t push it too far into comedy either. You’ve heard “psych ward” jokes, you’ve seen “I put the hot in psychotic” jokes (a supposedly humorous instance of that psychotic as a negative descriptor thing), you’ve heard people say “I have anxiety/depression, but I’m not crazy!”

Even other mentally ill and neurodivergent people constantly throw us under the bus, as can be seen in that last one. We’re the butt of plenty of jokes—we see things that aren’t there, we talk to ourselves, we believe things that are just so wacky you can’t believe anyone would think that way. (Even when we don’t.)

If you have to write another character laughing at a psychotic character for their symptoms, then have it swiftly criticized in the text, and try not to imply the reader should find psychosis funny either. Treat psychotic characters’ symptoms with sympathy and understanding, not ridicule.

Psychotic people literally cannot help our delusions/hallucinations/other symptoms. If something we think/say seems “crazy” to you, chances are it does to us as well.

(We’re talking about portraying psychosis in fiction, but this applies to real-life treatment of psychotic people, too!)

Also, I’d like to note—all of this is about the way unpsychotic people view psychotic people. If you see a psychotic person laughing at themself or viewing their symptoms as scary, then that is not an invitation for you to laugh along or go beyond symptoms and think the person is scary for being psychotic. That’s the thing about gallows humor; you have to be the one on the gallows.

Moving on! In romance, there is often a presumption that love can cure psychosis. This is false. No matter how much you love (whether romantically or platonically) and want to help a psychotic person, that alone will not “heal” their psychosis. Please do not depict a psychotic person having to be cured to be happy or in love. It doesn’t work that way.

This doesn’t mean you should stray away from romance in general—I personally would definitely like to see more portrayals of psychotic people being loved and supported, especially in romantic relationships. I’d prefer it not be in spite of their psychosis, either; it would be weird if someone loved a person because of their psychosis, but I don’t think you can really love someone whom you disregard such a large part of either.

Point-blank: Psychotic people are worthy of love and affection, and I think this should show in media as well.

In relation to relationships, I’d also strongly advise steering away from writing family members and friends who see someone’s psychosis as harder on them than for the psychotic person, unless you want to explicitly disavow this behavior. Sure, it probably is difficult for other people to witness my psychotic symptoms. But it’s harder for me to have them.

I’m not sure if this is a widely-held belief, but some people also seem to think psychosis is less common than it is. Psychotic people are all around you, and if you read that as a threat or anything like that, you might need to do some self-evaluating. We exist, online and in person, and we can see and read and hear the things you say about us!

Specifically: By the NIMH’s statistics, roughly 3% of people (3 out of every 100) in the United States will experience psychosis at some point in their lives. Around 100,000 people experience their first episode a year.

This also means that it’s possible unpsychotic people reading this will end up developing a form of psychosis at some point in your life as well. Yes, even without a genetic basis; yes, even as a full-grown adult (see how common psychosis is in neurodegenerative disorders). Now this one is intended as a threat (/hj).

Also, you can’t always tell who is psychotic and who is not. I imagine there are a lot of people who wouldn’t know I’m psychotic without me explicitly saying so. Set aside any notions you might have of being able to identify psychotic people, because they will definitely influence how you might go into writing a psychotic character, and they will definitely end up pissing off a psychotic person in your life. Because… you probably know at least one!

People often regard psychosis as a worst-case scenario—which, again, is something that occurs even by people and in works that uplift mental health in general (something I’ve mentioned before is The Bright Sessions, in which a telepath is misdiagnosed as schizophrenic and has an “I’m not crazy!” outburst). I’ve talked about treatment already, but I just thought I’d say this: Psychosis is not a death sentence nor a “fate worse than death.” It may be difficult for unpsychotic people to understand and handle; it is harder to live with. But being psychotic is not an inherently bad thing, and psychotic people should not be expected to act like our lives are constantly awful and hopeless on account of stigma.

I think that’s all I have to say, so thank you so much for reading, especially if you’re not psychotic! I hope you’ve learned something from this, and once again, fellow psychotic people are more than welcome to add on more information if they’re willing.

[fairy-writes]

Hello, I hope you've had a lovely day 😊

I'd like to request a male romantic matchup for bnha, jjk and bsd - my pronouns are she/her and I'm straight

I usually am able to take an interest in a lot of topics (except for Science lol, I hate maths) but I especially like literature and (fantasy) books. I used to be an avid reader when I was younger but these days I can rarely bring myself to actually pick up a book. Even though I'm trying to get back into it.

I also love coming up with stories and characters myself and writing stories. In the future I hope to publish a book myself but who knows 🤷‍♀️

Other interests of mine include psychology, astrology, mbti (basically everything that helps you figure out your personality lol).

In addition I like learning foreign languages and about all kinds of different cultures. They are really fascinating to me. Maybe I'll move abroad in the future

Wow, I've just now realized I haven't said anything about my personality yet 😅

Well, I am a proud Ravenclaw and according to my friends that could be a personality trait in itself 🤣

They also say I'm smart, funny and kind.

But I can also be really impatient, competitive, sensitive and a perfectionist.

I dislike ignorant and hateful people who go out of their way to hurt others or just be a shitty human being overall (like e.g. racists, etc). Usually I also don't get along with those who aren't understanding of others at all and need to be right above everything else.

This is getting a bit very long so I'll be leaving now haha

Thank you very much in advance for your time and effort, I hope it wasn't too much and that I didn't waste your time 😅😅

love you ❤💕

- 🌠 anon

Hello lovely! You didn’t waste my time at all! I hope you like your matchups!

Bungou Stray Dogs Matchup: I pair you with… Dazai Osamu!

Dazai really only reads one book (you know the one), so helping you get out of your reading slump could help him branch out and discover more genres! He’s also super big into psychology, so the two of you can bond over that!

I see Dazai as being fluent in multiple languages! He mostly picked up on it in the Port Mafia, and it makes him a valuable asset when going on international missions for the ADA! The two of you constantly prank the ADA by speaking in other languages, and Fukuzawa and Yosano are the only ones who can understand you, lol.

I see Dazai as a Slytherin! The two of you make the most fearsome power couple in Hogwarts! He loves how intelligent and funny you are! You never fail to bring a smile to his face and lighten his mood whenever you walk in the room!

My Hero Academia Matchup: I pair you with… Aizawa Shouta!

Aizawa is a teacher and therefore kind of required to be interested in a lot of topics. But the two of you bond over literature and going to cat cafés! He doesn’t read a whole lot; he is usually busy reading hero reports and grading his class’s homework. He also pushes you to publish your own book! He knows you can do it!

Another thing Aizawa is really good at is reading people. His skills in psychology are excellent, and he recommends books for you to read and people to talk to if you want to know more! He’s really only fluent in Japanese but knows a little English (enough to get by) and likes to talk to you about cultures and languages all the time when he’s not working!

I envision Aizawa as Gryffindor! The two of you make a welcoming couple that others can come to with their problems or for advice! He loves how kind and funny you are because that’s the exact opposite of him. He’s grumpy and cross, but he loves you anyway!

Jujutsu Kaisen Matchup: I pair you with… Nanami Kento!

You and Nanami bond over literature! He reads mainly nonfiction and biographies while you read fantasy! He recommends books he thinks will get you out of your reading slump, and you recommend books to get him to expand his horizons! He also offers to read your writing and gives you any tips he thinks might help!

I see Nanami as being fluent in a multitude of languages! You never know where Jujutsu Sorcery will take you, so he likes to be prepared. I also see him as a Gryffindor! Another Gryffindor! He loves your intelligence and how kind you are. He doesn’t mind your impatient and competitive side, either. And he’s a bit of a perfectionist, too, so you two are similar in that regard!

[existingispetty]

Hiii! Can I have an Kakeguri or Tokyo ghoul matchup please (do whichever you feel like writing) matchup please 🖤

She/her,pan I'm 5'6 and look like this

Personality: I am very empathetic, always trying to keep the people around me happy (even if I'm not in the end) I hate disappointing people so I can over work myself sometimes. Mostly I am kind and polite, but a I get very sassy moments (I can also be very sarcastic). Im also kind of reserved when I first meet someone and it can take me awhile to show my fun, goofy, happy side to them.

Aquarius, infjI like reading books, writing, listening to music (mostly kpop). I also like to go exploring like in the forest or even abandoned places I also love cooking and baking (more so baking tbh) sometimes I stop in the middle of talking because I think I talk to much (I've been told many times that I do so I just try not to really talk in a way)

My favorite movie is spirited away or nightmare on elm Street

my favorite songs at the moment are, as it was (harry styles), middle of the night(elley duhe), and charmer (start kids)

i play with my hands a lot, I have a really high pitched (idk sorta cute?) sneeze, I can be very clumsy (I literally tripped on air once😂) when I do something scary my hands shaky after I've done the scary thing (if that makes any sense) Also thank you for taking your time to make this, I absolutely love arcane and you're the first one to do a matchup for me with it so thank you🖤I hope you have a good day/night

Hi hi! Thanks for the second request! I hope you enjoy I did both! 

Have a good day/night! 

Your matchups are… (insert aggressive drumroll*)

Rei Batsubami

Rei can’t deal with those that have no empathy. She has so much empathy for someone someone that  did a little act of kindness towards her. Rei will and can overwork herself but she will always worry over those that overwork themselves. Rei can be quite shy when you first meet her but as she gets more comfortable around you she will be  a little sassy mixed  with genuinely kind. Rei will dislike anyone that immediately gets all Buddy buddy and comedic with her so just be who you are, be on your Guard at first! After getting to know you Rei would adore your sense of comedy so make sure you get to know her!

We all know Rei is secretly a big nerd books consume a large majority of her free time. Rei enjoys writing love poems to her partner. Rei would like k-pop songs but only slow ones to be specific. Rei would enjoy an exploration every once and a while but she had to make sure your both safe. Rei loves cooking she especially loves creating  Spicy food and adding her own spice combinations. If you ever stoped talking mid conversation she would encourage you lightly to continue on.  Rei would enjoy watching spirited away with you for sure! Rei enjoys both as it was  and middle of the night a lot!

Rei thinks that you cute sneezes make the world a better place as a whole. Rei can also be a little clumsy but you are her main consurn so she will try to save you from any of the consequences your clumsiness has. 

Akira Mado

Empathy is something important to her. She appreciates anyone that can be empathetic while their ghouls running around. Akira completely understand urge to overwork yourself. After her father died all she wanted to do was drown in something and work was a strong possibility. Akira is normally pretty polite and professional but once you get to know her she’ll let up a little and become sassy and just a little  it’s very important to her that she gets to know someone before she actually lets her Guard down.  She needs someone goofy to cheer her up  after a hard day of work. 

Akira enjoys readings books in her free time of course, she need to keep her knowledge up to date! She only writes small nonfiction peace’s on ghouls from time to time.  Although she does work a good amount of time she will accompany you on any adventure to make sure your safe and happy. Akira doesn’t enjoy cooking much but she does enjoy baking cakes! Akira would just stare at you in expectance if you were to stop talking mid-sentence it gets so awkward she kinda forced you to talk.  

Akira would enjoy horror movies every once and awhile but all the gore gets to her if she watches to many. Akira would definitely enjoy charmer surprisingly she finds the beat addicting.  She thinks both you clumsiness and your high pitched sneezes are the reason she was put on earth. 

+++++++++++++++++++++++++

 So sorry this took so long I’m really tired today!  

[gideonthefirst]

1, 2, 11, and 19 for the books asks!

book you’ve reread the most times?

answered already, but removing the category of "books i was into in elementary and middle school" and "the plays i wrote my thesis on" as options i'll throw tom stoppard's arcadia in there. i've read that play maybe....4? 5? times? and then i also will occasionally just open it and read a random scene or two just to feel something when i miss math a lot. i really love. how stoppard writes. and i really love math. and i really love art. and i really love art about Decay. and i really love that they dance at the end.

2. top 5 books of all time?

of ALL TIME?

not in order, because i think i can't do that: william goldman's the princess bride, tom stoppard's arcadia, thomas kyd's the spanish tragedy. mmm. i can't remember any other books i've ever read. man i really love a lot of books but top 5 feels like such an insanely high Declaration....fun home by alison bechdel feels sooo obvious but genuinely. man is that a masterfully constructed piece of work. also i think night watch by terry pratchett gets to go on here actually.

11. what non-fiction books do you like if any?

this is an insane question. i'm just supposed to list All Non-Fiction That I Like? i'll go with category instead i think. the main nonfiction i tend to read are a) lesbian and butch/fem history and memoir and b) literary theory

19. most disliked popular books?

answered with my most beloathed already but. okay i literally don't know if this counts as "popular" but it won a pulitzer and also a tony for best play so. whatever. proof by david auburn is one of my least favorite things i've ever read. hate it hate it hate it. i think men should have to interact with at least one woman before doing art i think people who don't know anything about math should have to do Research before making ~art~ about it i think this play had no idea what it was trying to do and i think the prof who i told all this to (and more because i had more specifics right after i Read it) and who told me that it won a pulitzer and that she'd be sure to tell her friend david [auburn] what i thought should have followed through when i said i'd LOVE to talk to her friend david about what i thought about his terrible awful shitty uninspired boring play.

[makenzie-rush]

Ok, Bestie, Writing Ask Time! genre, narrator, backstory, time-lapse, characterization, carnegie, faulkner, o’connor, notepad, parchment, trope, critic, mifflin >D

Bestie I thought you loved me 😭

Genre: What genre do you prefer to write in?

Realistic fiction with the occasional fantasy thrown in there somewhere

Narrator: What POV do you like writing in best?

I flip flop between first person and third person all the fucking time and it gets mildly annoying

Backstory: How did you come to love writing?

It's gonna sound a little conceded, but when I realized I was good at it. I already liked it because it gave my ADHD brain an outlet and I could imagine anything. When a classmate I didn't know very well asked to read some of my literary doodles, she came back encouraging me to continue because she was "hooked". I really began to love it after that.

Time-lapse: How long have you been writing for?

Middle school I think. Like I said, writing gave my ADHD brain an outlet and I got bored in middle school a lot.

Characterization: Describe your favorite character(s) you've written.

I know you're not supposed to have favorite children, but I'd be lying if I said War and Tig from my current project weren't my two favorites. War is the reaper of souls lost to war and is known as a founding reaper (he's basically been in existence since war has been a thing). He doesn't have a formal name and refuses to be named, but answers to War if someone is addressing him. He's...a complicated individual and I admittedly struggle with him sometimes. Tig, however, is a lesser reaper and the only person who can actively bully War and get away with it. She's outspoken, blunt, confident, and everything I want to be like.

Carnegie: What authors and/or books/stories have inspired you to write or influenced your work?

I feel like Kristin Cashore and Ernest Hemmingway definitely were the two biggest influences. Kristin Cashore's Graceling Series can easily be my favorite book series, with Fire probably being my favorite book. I'm really not a huge fantasy/magic system fan, but the way she world builds in the Graceling series is something I find myself modeling if I'm working with magic. Ernest Hemmingway has a very simple style that I love. He doesn't drag out descriptions for 3 or 4 pages, but rather a couple of sentences. He doesn't use a whole lot of description which I feel like engages the reader a lot more.

Faulkner: What tropes do you LOVE writing? Which ones are your guilty pleasure?

Found Family mostly with some "Someone will die""Of fun!" pairings. Guilty pleasures are "We're stuck together; may as well fall in love", "And they were roommates", and other romance tropes I'm bad at writing.

O'Conner: What tropes/genres do you dislike writing?

Love triangles/harem situations, pointless miscommunication, sci-fi (I'm just generally bad at sci-fi), horror, nonfiction

Notepad: Can you write anywhere or do you have to be in a specific place and mood to write?

Yes and no. I make a point to always have a notebook and pen on me in case I want to write, but I have to be in a certain mood to write certain things.

Parchment: How often do you or your personal life influence your writing?

Rarely. I don't really live an exciting life, so I borrow from the amazing people around me. If I include anything, it's usually experiences dealing with a sibling or ADHD experiences as part of characterization.

Trope: What's a pet peeve you have about writing?

You do not have to use flowery words or phrases for descriptive works. Do not try to be George RR Martin or Tolkien. There is no fucking reason to go on for 3 pages on how TREES fucking look if it isn't relevant.

Critic: What's the best piece of advice you've received about writing?

Even if you think it's junk or irrelevant to what you're working on, write it down. Put it in a scraps column and use it layer.

Mifflin: What do you feel is your strong suit in writing?

Dialogue. I'm really good at writing conversations between characters and I am confident in that. One of the most consistent pieces of praise I got from teachers in school was I had a good ear for dialogue.

[queenxxxsupreme]

Heyo! So I heard that you’d write for Regis and I thought of something: what about Regis being with a really curious Fem! Reader and she likes to casually ask questions about being a vampire? Stuff like “do different types of blood taste different to you?” “Is it difficult to eat some foods because of your sharp teeth?” Or even “what was the dumbest or craziest thing you did when you were young and realized that you can pretty much do anything because you’re immortal?” Only if you want to tho!❤️

A/N: OMG SEND MORE REGIS FLUFF

You brushed your fingers over the silky material on your stomach. You wore a new chemise, one you’d bought a shop in town earlier in the day. It was soft pink with pretty lace trim around the hem. 

You moved through your home, humming a quiet tune as you pushed the door to your bedroom open.

Unsurprisingly, Regis didn’t acknowledge that you had entered the room. He didn’t do it on purpose, but sometimes he became so enveloped in a book or whatever it was that had his attention that he just didn’t realize you were there. 

The Higher Vampire sat on his side of the bed against the headboard, ankles crossed as he held a book in his hands. 

You closed the door, making sure the click was loud enough to startle him. He lifted his head, smiling at the sight of you. 

“Hello, darling. Is that a new nightgown?”

“I bought it earlier today.” You spun lightly on your toes, showing off the cute chemise. “Do you like it?”

“Of course I do. Pink is a fantastic color on you. Very radiant and alluring.”

You smiled, climbing up onto the bed. You moved his hands, taking the book from him and placing it aside so you could rest your head in his lap. 

Regis placed his hand on your head, gently brushing his fingers through your hair. Using his free hand, he picked up his book to carry on reading.

“Regis?”

“Yes, my love?”

“Does having sharp teeth make eating difficult? Eating human food?”

Regis chuckled a little from deep within his chest. 

“No, darling. I can enjoy human foods just as much as you.”

“Oh, okay.” You closed your eyes, nuzzling your cheek against his thigh a little. “Do vampires like human food?”

“Well that’s quite a silly question. You’ve seen me eat human food plenty of times, my love.”

“Yes, but I wasn’t sure if you did it to be respectful or because it’s just a human habit you’ve picked up.”

“I like human foods.” He chuckled softly. “Well, some human foods.”

You turned over on to your back so you could look up at him. You frowned when you realized he had that damned book again.

“Regis.”

“Yes, my love?” He raised his brows but didn’t look away from the book. 

You reached up to grab it but he pulled away, holding it just out of your reach. 

“Regis, pay attention to me!” You whined softly.

“I am, darling.” He finally looked down at you, placing one hand on your cheek. “You forget that I am an excellent multitasker.”

“I know you are, love, but this is one of those rare nights I get with you.” You pouted just a little, trying to look more sad than you really were. “Dettlaff isn’t here. Geralt and his brothers are finally gone, not that I dislike their company. But I finally get you all to myself.”

Regis closed the book and put it aside, bringing his hand down to your stomach. 

“You have my complete and undivided attention.”

You smiled, content that you’d won.

“Do different types of blood taste different to you?” You asked him, eyes falling to his lips. 

“Each individual has their own…. taste. But I don’t believe the taste correlates with blood types. More or less, it has to do with what an individual consumes.”

“Hmm.” You hummed, reaching up to caress his cheek. Your fingers were warm against his skin, tender and careful. You trailed along his jaw to his chin, then up to his lips. “Do vampires mate for life?”

“If one is lucky enough.” He kissed the pad of your index finger. 

“Are mates just…. just other vampires?” You asked, timid and hesitant. 

He took your hand, pulling it from his face so he could hold you, lacing your fingers between his. 

“Depends. I’ve heard of a few who found their mates in humans, but it is a rarity. Why do you ask?”

“Just curious.” You sat up, brushing your hair over one shoulder. “Do you lose your teeth when you are young? Like human children do?”

“No.” Regis shook his head softly, watching you turn around to face him. “We are born with all of our teeth which we keep throughout our lives.”

“Have you ever lost a tooth?”

“Not that I recall, no. But if I were to lose one, I’d imagine it would grow back, regenerate just as an arm or a finger would.”

You clambered into his lap, tucking your knees beneath his arms so you could sit comfortably without completely wrapping your legs around him. 

“Geralt always mentioned that you were a punk when you were younger.”

Regis chuckled.

“Ah, yes.”

“What does that mean? What did you do?” You brought your hands to his shoulders then trailed up to his cheeks. 

“If you would like to know, then I will tell you. I want to keep nothing from you.” Regis took your hands from his face once more, feeling more comfortable holding your hands. “But my past is nothing I am proud of.”

“Nor is mine.” You looked up at him through your lashes. “I think the best people come from difficult pasts.”

He said nothing, admiring the way your eyes shined just a little from the candlelight. 

“But we don’t have to talk about it. I don’t want to talk about anything upsetting tonight, not when we have the house to ourselves.” You leaned forward to steal a kiss from him, soft and chaste. “I have more questions.”

“Of course you do.” Regis watched you lay back along his legs. He smiled at the sight of you. It was clear you were somewhat bored. He was more than happy to keep you occupied with answering whatever questions your mind could create. 

“Do you remember everything? Everything that’s ever happened to you? Or just important things?”

“I could probably remember everything if I were to try to keep all of that information in my head. But things get…. fuzzy when there is too much up there.” He tapped his temple and then brought his hands to rest on the outside of your thighs. 

You shivered at how cold he was to the touch. 

“I try to remember only the important things.”

“Like what?” Your eyes trailed all across the ceiling, searching for something to study. 

“Like…. When I met my friends. Geralt and Dettlaff. Jaskier….”

“Me?” You lifted your head to look at him.

“Oh, I could never forget the first time I laid eyes on the most beautiful and stunning being I have ever come across.” He took your hands and pulled you back up into a sitting position, wrapping his arms around you.

You slipped your arms around his neck, nuzzling your nose into his collarbone. His hugs were always the best, always warm and comforting, and they made you feel safe. 

“When did you first see me?” You asked, your voice quiet.

“At the library in Oxenfurt. You were sitting on the floor between two bookshelves with dozens of books around you.”

“I couldn’t pick which ones I wanted.” You smiled shyly.

“You looked absolutely breathtaking.”

“You came over and asked me if I needed help finding the right book. So generous of you.” 

His chest vibrated with a chuckle. 

“I expected to find fiction books among your piles, but they were all nonfiction ranging from medical texts to things about monsters and creatures that live all across the Continent.”

“I like learning.” You lifted your head from his collarbone to kiss his neck. “I like knowing more than others. That way when obnoxious men try to act like they know more than me, I can prove them wrong and make them look like fools.”

“That’s my girl.” Regis rubbed your back and kissed your head. “Your presence then had an effect on me - just as it does now. My very being was influenced by you, just as the tide is influenced by the moon.”

“You’re such a charmer.” You leaned back, still draping your arms around his neck. “I’m already yours, Regis. You don’t need to woo me.”

“Woo you?” He repeated, a playful grin crossing his lips. “My darling, I’m not wooing you. I am simply telling you of the effect you have on me.”

Your eyes fluttered shut as he leaned in to kiss your neck. 

“Regis?”

“Yes, my love?” His breath was warm against your neck, making a shiver travel along your spine. 

“Do you believe you’ve ever met your mate?”

Regis pulled away from you, eyes finding yours. His brows furrowed together softly. 

You couldn’t hold his gaze for long, taking his silence as your answer. 

Your chin fell to your chest, eyes closing as you cursed at yourself for bringing it up.

But Regis wouldn’t let you hang your head for long. His index and middle fingers hooked beneath your chin, tilting your head up and making you look at him. 

“I know I have.” He murmured, tender and sweet. “And she is the one I have the privilege of sharing a bed with, of calling my own.”

Your heart raced inside your ribs and butterflies fluttered in your stomach.

“Tell me more about her.”

He grinned, leaning forward to kiss your cheek. 

“She has a dazzling smile, one that always steals my breath. And she’s brilliant. One of the smartest people I’ve ever met in my entire life.”

“Oh, you are too sweet.” You couldn’t hide the blush that rose to your cheeks. “I’m sure she thinks the world of you.”

Regis was quiet for a few moments, eyes staying on you. 

“I know she does. I can see it in her eyes when she looks at me.”

Your lips parted and you smiled. 

“Good.” You kissed his lips once more. “Because you’re too good a man for her to let you think otherwise.”

Taglist: @pressedinthepages @MishaFaye  @whitewolfandthefox @ayamenimthiriel @c-a-v-a-l-r-y @wolfyland07  @belalugosisdead @persephonehemingway @romancebibliophilia @keira-hulmaster @dinonuggs69 @greatestauthorofmygeneration @shadow-hunters-lover @dancingwith-thesunflowers @tedi-fach-las @thecomfortofoldstorries @raspberrydreamclouds @natkowaa @disasteren @weathervanes-my-oneandlonely @onlyhenrys @crazybutconfidentaf @wackylurker @criminaly-supernatural  @Magpie343 @permanently-exhausted-witcher @hina-chans-stuff @the-space-between-heartbeats @havenoffandoms @carriebee1 @ger-bearofrivia @naominami @thefirelordm @writingawaymylife @reaganjenelle @badassspaceprincess @theawkwardpedestrian @scarlettwitcher @runawayolives @badassspaceprincess @just-a-sad-donut @summersong69 @an--actual--human--disaster @she-wolfoftheinquisition

[gonewiddershins]

i have time to kill  and a brain that needs to be distracted from the looming void of the pointlessness of life so here is an ENTIRE ask meme (part 1)

What book are you currently reading?

A bunch of them, as always. I’ve been dragging myself chapter by chapter through little women for like a couple of months now (i really like the prose, i’m less than convinced by about half of the subject matter and I know Louisa May Alcott likely had the same opinion), There’s a bullet journal guide that I’m forever putting on hold because sigh there are reasons why I need a bullet journal. I’m re-reading The Scum VIllain’s Self Saving System, mostly because the donghua was excellent and gave me cravings. I’m about a third of the way through a halloween anthology and i wasn’t into the latest story so its been like that for a while. I’ve read a couple of chapters and pages each of The Queen of the Tearling and Evensong’s heir respectively and I haven’t gotten back to them but I also don’t want to drop them because they are fine so far. I;m halfway through mexican gothic and I like it but it’s a bit slow-moving so I’m getting twitchy. I’m also about halfway through this segregated magic system urban fantasy thing which would be really good if 90% of the dialogue wasn’t exposition and I have some critique notes for the author about that.

What book did you recently finish?

Another danmei webnovel. And another transmigration novel. This one was both. There was some interesting worldbuilidng and character stuff in the beginning and then it dropped most of the plotlines and devolved into sex scenes I now know how Shen Yuan felt when he was reading proud Immortal Demon Way because SO MANY dropped plot points guys so many.

What’s a book that’s been on your to-read list for a long time? 

Rhythm of War? Hopefully I don’t approach this with excitement that fizzles out before I actually start on it like with Oathbringer. I don’t think that’s gonna be the case but I cannot predict the vagaries of my mood reading.

What’s the next book you’re hoping to read?

Eh. Probably RoW again. I do want to read Dawnshard before I read RoW but I’m not entirely sure if that’s going to be possible. RoW takes priority as of now.

Is there a book you own, but aren’t planning on reading?

*gestures vaguely at shelf full of classic novels I am probably never actually going to finish* People keep getting me these things because I “like reading more than anything else” and reading clearly means reading classics.

What was your favourite series as a kid? Would you still read it now? 

Animorphs! And yes. I periodically re-read random books from the series for kicks. Not all of it holds up well but enough does to make it a fairly enjoyable experience.

What’s your favourite series now? 

I don’t actually do favourites anymore because I’m indecisive and there are way too many metrics to calculate and sometimes I like different books for very different reasons. 

Fantasy or sci-fi? 

I like both, but I generally prefer fantasy. That said I’m more interested in the applications of weird magic/tech and social consequences than I am in anything else; which means I adore sci-fi like say- The Vorkosigan Saga and Imperial Radch while disliking more standardized/hero-focused fantasy like The Faithful and the Fallen (I STILL DON’T KNOW HOW PEOPLE LIKE IT). It’s a spectrum.

I think someone once mentioned on this very site that they liked fantasy which took a scientific approach to magic and sci-fi which took a magical approach to science and you know what I kinda feel that statement.

What’s a book you want to buy? 

Fence: Disarmed. There are disaster gays everywhere.

Have you ever judged a book by its cover? 

I've definitely decided to read a book purely because of the cover. Sometimes it works out and sometimes it doesn’t. Same with book titles.

Have you ever bought a book because of who the author was? 

I have a small list of auto-buy authors I scream about all the time so Yes. Is Horror not generally my genre but is T. Kingfisher writing some weird horror shit? I’ll take it thank you very much.

If I do find an author I like I generally go through their entire backlist because while quality may vary between earlier and later books (*coughSANDERSONcough*) there are repetitive motifs/tropes I really enjoy which i think the author also enjoys.

Have you ever read a celebrity memoir? If so, whose was it? 

Nah. I’ve probably tried to read a couple marketed as funny but I didn’t find them very funny so I gave up. I do have Know My Name by Chanel Miller on my to-do list but I don’t think that qualifies as a celebrity memoir. Oh, and I suppose I’ll get around to reading Trevor Noah’s memoir eventually. Or Bassem Youssef’s.

Are you a fan of autobiographies? 

I think that probably depends on the autobiography in question. I remember reading the first part of Gandhi’s autobiography and thinking “wow you are hella judgemental, dude” before I got anywhere hear the Independence movement stuff. I remember starting Booker T Washington’s Up From Slavery with every expectation of giving up halfway through and then powering through it in like a day because it was that good. So. //shrugs

Fiction or non-fiction? 

Fiction for long-form stuff and non-fiction for short form stuff. I struggle with short stories, but I can breeze through essays and articles. On the other hand, give me a non fiction book and I’ll brood over it for seven years like I’m trying to hatch a basilisk.

Favourite fiction genre? 

I usually say fantasy but a more accurate term would be speculative fiction because I like “how does X change affect society” stories a LOT.

Favourite non-fiction genre? 

History (caveat: no biographies, please- just more anthropology-like history) and science. And I do mean science, not technology.

Historical fiction: yea or nay? 

generally yea but it really depends on the author and the subject matter. I’m not all that invested in monarchy-based historical fiction (monarchy based fantasy fiction i’ll take), for example. And I really like survivalist fiction so historical survival is a big win in my book.

Do you read the book or watch the movie first? 

Ha. Watch a movie? What do you take me for a philistine? (I will however, quite possibly watch a animated series before reading the book it’s a thing.)

Paperback or hardcover? 

Paperback. I’m hell on hardcovers. The state of my copy of Goblet of Fire would make anyone with an ounce of sympathy for books weep.

Do you read e-books? 

Almost exclusively, at this point.

How many bookshelves do you have? 

Physically, not that many. Just two? Everything is crammed in two layers deep though.

How do you organize your books?

Author (Firstname, Lastname) > Series > Series Position. Nonfiction is sorted either by Topic (I HAVE NOT ORGANIZED THIS SUBSECTON WELL ENOUGH IT PREYS ON ME CONSTANTLY), author names I recognize, or books in a series.

Do you prefer borrowing books from friends, borrowing books from a library, or buying them?  How willing are you to lend your books to other people?

I guess buying them if I really like the books? I’m a compulsive re-reader. I don’t really like borrowing books from people because I get stressed about forgetting to give them back. I do like lending books to people though. If I have a backup copy in ebook format, anyway.

I don’t really have any libraries I can borrow non-Classics fiction from alas.

In what condition do you keep your books? 

“it’s Okay I guess” to Poor. A couple are in “WHAT MANNER OF HIDEOUS BEAST RAVAGED YOU” territory. I need to cover books or I inevitably start wearing down on the corners it’s like i exude an aura of non-lethal but constantly-eroding destruction that affects everything I come into contact with I thank my electronics from the bottom of my heart for their service.

What’s the biggest book you’ve ever read, and how many pages did it have? 

I’m reasonably sure it’s this webnovel called Rebirth of the Malicious Empress of Military Lineage because DEAR GOD IT TOOK ME WEEKS even when i was near-constantly reading I think it was even longer than Tian Guan Ci Fu/Heaven’s Official Blessing but idk how long bc webnovel and the pagecount (for the whole novel) is not listed on Goodreads.