#I’ve started my deathless reread

[goblins-riddles-or-frocks]

After that, Marya Morevna understood that she belonged to her secret and it belonged to her. They had struck a bloody bargain between them. Keep me and obey me, the secret said to her, for I am your husband and I can destroy you.

— Catherynne M. Valente (Deathless)

[cabeswaterdrowned]

Top 5 fairytale remakes!

•Blanca & Roja by Anna-Marie Mclemore I highly reccomend all the books I’ve read by them, When The Moon Was Ours and Wild Beauty aren’t directly inspired by any one fairytale as far as I know but are fairytale-esque magical realism tales and Dark and Deepest Red is a retelling of  Hans Anderson’s “The Red Shoes”. I also did just start reading Lakelore but it was a library book and my flight to move back to college is tomorrow so I had to return it. But I love all the books I’ve read by theknand this is my favorite one it’s a Snow White and the Red Rose retelling. I absolutely loved the two sisters and how their dynamic was written and explored, the writing is gorgeous to me. 

•Deathless by Catherine M. Valente I read this book in high school and at the time it was a challenge so I definitely need to reread it however despite me maybe not being mature enough at that point to grasp everything in the story what I loved about it, specifically the main heroine Marya Morevna and how much I adored her and her arc really stuck with me. And again, beautiful writing style I need to read more by this author (I did read her book Refrigerator Monologues but it didn’t land for me in the same way and other sff things she’s written look more my speed so I should get on that ). it’s a Koschei and the Deathless retelling and I would say out of the death and the maiden related stuff I’ve read it’s one I’d recommend above others. 

•The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer hard pivot xd, these are very popular so I’m sure you’ve heard of them sci-fi futuristic fairytale retellings of Cinderella, Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel and Snow White primarily. It’s been literal ages since I read these (I remember anticipating the release of Winter in 8th grade and then lending it to my irl friend after I was done with it that long) but at the time I was so into them. I would definitely want to reread these before the animated series comes out (which I hope is successful not just because I’m fond of tlc and would like to see it adapted well but in a long-game sense I think more ya series adaptations should be animated series. More specific long game the tlc series doing well is how I eventually get a faithful Daughter of Smoke and Bone animated adaptation (delusionalcoded). Also, want to state for the record I thought Fairest slapped. 

•Girls Made of Snow and Glass by Melissa Bashardoust I remember really enjoying it’s a Snow White retelling. I remember picking it up because I heard it was wlw Snow White but it was the Queen and the Princess character’s fucked up mother-daughter dynamic that made an impression on me over anything else in the book, and I remember they made me cry in a scene towards the end.

•When Water Sang Fire from The Language of Thorns by Leigh Bardugo. This was a collection of grishaverse fairytales she wrote and most of the stories I read and forgot about but this is the last one in the collection and it’s lived rent free in my mind since I’m not joking, I think the anthology is worth reading (if you like the grishaverse) solely for this one story. It’s inspired by The Little Mermaid and the character it’s most focused on is the Ursula character Ulla Morozova (yes Morozova as in half-sister to the Darkling) who is a song-caster/siren of sorts and it’s about her codependent homoerotic best friendship with another mermaid that ends tragically and is her villain origin story it had no right to make me feel as many things as it did, again after the previous stories were relatively mid (Leigh’s my bestie so I can slander her works that aren’t as good as what she’s capable of I have a right <3)  I was so caught off guard by how good it was. 

Tysm for asking <3

(ask me top 5/10 of anything)

[rotworld]

i hope the new year has been kind to you !! please don’t feel pressure to write. take time to rest well. i go back and reread old pieces of yours all the time! i admire your writing a lot and wanted to ask if you had any more advice about writing .. am excited for whatever you post, whenever it is you post it ^__^ your sandman fic is so evocative and interesting.. the prose is so .. thick in a glutinous dough kind of way.. i don’t know where it’ll go.. thank you again!

thank you and happy new year! so far so good lol i’m with family and very happy. i appreciate your patience and understanding. while i am working on stuff again, i’m also sort of stranded away from home until the later part of this month lol so my schedule is a bit strange.

as for writing advice, here are some exercises to try!

.

.

.

->rewrite a classic: china mieville wrote four final orpheuses, a short story which explores four different reasons why orpheus failed in his quest to bring eurydice back from the underworld. these range from a moment of weakness to simple human error and tell radically different stories about their relationship and his state of mind in just a few brief snippets. 

find a story like a classic myth or fairy tale and rewrite it in ways that resonate with you. change the ending, reinterpret the characters, or focus on a different perspective. if you’re not sure what to do, try coming up with questions you want answered or alternate possibilities: how did marya morevna first defeat and capture koschei the deathless? what does the sea witch get up to when mermaids aren’t pestering her to see the surface world? hope is the last thing in the box pandora opens; what does it look like, and what does she do with it?

->imitate another writer’s style: i made a post one time about voice and said you shouldn’t feel pressure to change it, but i also think going out of your way to emulate another writer for an exercise can be fun and useful. for the sandman fic, i tried to imitate the “feel” and structure of gaiman’s writing. when i first read the comic, i was really amazed by how many plot threads he would juggle each arc, and how those threads would weave together in the finale, so i wanted to use that along with the more dreamy, surreal prose and absurd humor. 

find a writer or specific work that you enjoy and wouldn't mind imitating stylistically. study their voice (the aforementioned post has specific examples of what to look for) as well as how the work is structured. you could write fanfiction or something original with this exercise, but i think it’s easiest to stay in the same genre and use similar themes or aesthetics as the work you’re using for reference. 

->if you get stuck, time travel: recently i read a book on revisions (unfortunately can’t remember the title/author, i skimmed it at the star but didn't buy it) that gave advice along the lines of “if you suddenly get stuck and can’t figure out why, the problem is several sentences ago.” the thinking here is that we sometimes write ourselves into a corner without realizing it, and you need to back out of the corner by retracing your steps. you might’ve gotten bored or lost focus and that made the last few sentences really rough or go in a direction that’s hard to work with. go back a paragraph or two and reexamine what you have, cutting it entirely if need be. 

alternatively, i’ve found that if i get stuck at the very start of a piece, then the problem is where i’m choosing to start. i’ve been working on something about certain characters involved in certain illicit businesses and wanted to open with a party at a fancy venue. i was hellbent on opening with some scene-setting narration/exposition on the venue itself as the reader travels there, and i wasn't getting past the first sentence. so eventually i shifted forward. instead, the reader would have just arrived at the venue and the opening would introduce one of the characters at the party. this also just didn't work, so i moved forward even further. everyone's at the venue, the party has been going on for a while, and it starts with the reader considering the reasons they should not be at this party. what ended up working was cutting my initial, slow-paced plan and starting closer to the action, and i think that's a good idea in most situations. 

[sheikah]

Do u have any book series recommendations? Or standalone books? Preferably fantasy w good romance

I do! I am not as well-read in fantasy or romance books as I'd like to be. I read a lot in my youth, completely abandoned "reading for pleasure" throughout college and grad school because I was working the whole time, and then for the first few years of teaching was too overwhelmed with grading to read on the side. I'm FINALLY getting back into it. But here are some book recs I've checked out recently that have fantasy, romance, or both :)

I feel like if you're on my blog at all that you're at least aware of Leigh Bardugo's work and the Grishaverse, so I won't recommend those. But I will be comparing some of the pairings to Darklina, so I hope you have that frame of reference. And of course, if you haven't read those, get on it!

First off is the Ember in the Ashes series by Sabaa Tahir. It's a fantasy that follows three main characters--Laia, Elias, and Helene--and the war they're involved in. It's got lots of high fantasy goodies and at least two really good ships. I loved it and cried many times reading it. It hasn't even been a year since I finished and I'm already considering a reread. Definitely my favorite thing I've read in the last couple years!

Right now I'm reading Uprooted by Naomi Novik. It's a standalone fantasy where a young girl is sent to live with an immortal sorcerer as payment for his protection of her village. A fun fantasy atmosphere and slow-burn enemies-to-lovers romance. I'm absolutely loving it. The ship really reminds me of Darklina so I'm completely sold.

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by VE Schwab. This is a standalone fantasy about a woman who is cursed to be forgotten by everyone she meets. It has a dark romance in it and is a really fun and original concept. I liked this book but did find it really slowed down after the opening. Give it time, though! I think the author's style is really beautiful and when I was put on the spot to recommend a book to Ben Barnes, I picked this one lmao.

Normal People by Sally Rooney is not a fantasy but IS a really realistic and heartfelt romance that just enthralled me and broke my heart. I read it in a day and instantly binged the Hulu series. Highly recommend.

From Blood and Ash by Jennifer Armentrout. Ok so my recommendation of this one has some caveats. I'm absolutely obsessed with the first book. Like it's just amazing and so addictive and sexy. The second book is also good. But by the third book I've found her writing to be unbearably repetitive. I haven't been able to finish the third book and it's planned as a six-book series. Idk how to feel about that. But her characters and world are really interesting and the smut is delicious. The first book at least is absolutely worth a read.

The Folk of the Air series by Holly Black. Another fun fantasy romance with enemies-to-lovers goodness. It's set in a faerie world and combines the modern world with a fantasy world, which is a trope I really like. The characters are great--especially the POV heroine--and the romance is really cute and intriguing.

A Thousand Pieces of You by Claudia Gray. This one is definitely more of a teen/YA (though a few others on this list are, too. This one just really FEELS like it) but I really liked it. It's not fantasy so much as sci-fi, with an enemies-to-lovers romance. The MC's parents develop the technology to jump between different dimensions. When her parents are murdered, she has to chase the suspect from dimension to dimension but along the way she starts to see him differently and fall in love with him. It's a trilogy. I'm also gonna tell you what I have on my TBR because these are things that have been highly recommended to me by people whose taste I trust haha. Every one of these is either a fantasy or sci-fi romance series or standalone:

The Winternight Trilogy by Katherine Arden (this is what I'm reading next. Came highly recommended when I asked for something like Darklina but with a better ending haha).

The Winner's Trilogy by Marie Rutkowski

Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik (standalone)

These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong (currently two books are out)

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern (standalone)

Defy the Stars by Claudia Gray (trilogy)

Blood Heir by Amélie Wen Zhao (currently two books are out, will be a trilogy)

Deathless by Catherynne Valente (standalone)

Hope you like some of these!

[smalltownfae]

Top 5 Books To Read This Year

Tagged by @xserpx (thank you :D)

I have this weird thing where I prioritize authors I haven’t read yet in order to find out if they are a new favourite. This happens because I already know I can count on the books I have left to read from authors I really like. That means this list doesn’t have any Octavia E. Butler, Patricia A. McKillip, Kazuo Ishiguro, etc, even though of course I am always excited to read their books that I have left to read.

1. “The Curse of Chalion” by Lois McMaster Bujold - This was sold to me by @beeblackburn as a more optimistic Hobb and from the two chapters I’ve read already I did notice some similarities in characters and feel, but the writing isn’t as pretty. I put it on hold because I am reading “Imago” in order to finish the Xenogenesis trilogy and those two are ebooks. I am trying to stick to 1 ebook at a time. If I read more than one book at once it will have to be a different format. Currently I am also listening to “The Last Unicorn” audiobook and I started “Station Eleven” on paperback, for example. Also, I have been more in a scifi mood, but Peter S. Beagle is changing that a little and pulling me back into fantasy again.

2. “The Traitor Baru Cormorant” by Seth Dickinson - This book has so much hype around it and people keep saying how good it is and how the ending destroyed them. I too want to be emotionally crushed by a book again. I started this book last year actually, but I put it on hold to do some reading challenges and then ended up reading books with similar themes. However, I decided to read it again from the beginning this year and I did love the chapters I read of Baru’s childhood so it will not be a problem to reread them at all. My only fear is that I might want to read the other books immediately and the series isn’t finished yet.

3. "Jade City” by Fonda Lee - I can’t stand people hyping these books so much and me not being a part of it. I keep hearing how great the characters are and how much the 3rd book made them cry and once again I also want to be obliterated by a book. I need to know. I am not aiming super high for character work because I know how hyped books work, but I expect “The Poppy War” level at least. I am a bit in doubt about this one because I don’t like mafia movies and such, but I heard someone put “Jade Legacy” along with “Fool’s Fate” as books that made them cry so now I got to know (if I ever get there). Points for being a complete trilogy.

4. "A Wizard of Earthsea” by Ursula K. Le Guin - Storytime: I tried this book before and was not into it. I started it on ebook and wasn’t feeling it then I listened to half of the audiobook and my mind wandered so much I missed most of the story and I was so bored. HOWEVER, I had the wrong expectations going into it. I was expecting something similar to how Hobb approaches story in Realm of the Elderlings since so much in it seems to have been inspired by this book. Turns out that was the wrong approach so I tried reading it again recently keeping in mind that this would be closer to a Patricia A. McKillip book and... it went much better. It really gave me the same feeling as “The Riddle-Master of Hed”, which is an unusual McKillip work because it’s more traditional fantasy and less fairytale-esque, but I still enjoy. I already asked a friend to let me borrow his book that includes the first 4 in this series so if he remembers I will get it tomorrow. Reading it will happen eventually.

5. “Deathless” by Catherynne M. Valente - Look, you people really need to stop posting quotes from this author around because they are really beautiful and I am so tempted all the time. I don’t even remember what the book is about. All I remember is that every time I read quotes from it I am like “wow that’s really pretty” and yet I still haven’t read it! That will hopefully end this year. I will at least try this book out.

6. (because I’m a cheater) “Lonely Castle in the Mirror” by Mizuki Tsujimura - The concept of this book is magnificent and have you seen the cover? It really seems like it would be my thing. Plus, storygraph says this is emotional and mysterious. Two of my favourite moods. I got to read it.

Tagging: @whatevsbla @monpetitrenard @electropeach @vydumaj @alloysius-g @logarithmicpanda @garnetrena

[elusivemellifluence]

Mid Year Book Freak Out Tag

Stolen from @ninja-muse

How many books have you read so far?

81, including 5 rereads, and currently reading 2.

What genres have you read?

Fantasy (38), science fiction (15), historical (9), contemporary (8), nonfiction (6), mystery (5), horror (4), thriller (3) and magic realism (1)

Best books you’ve read so far in 2021:

Harrow the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir (lesbian necromancers in space, pov fuckery, memory wiping, self-styled God-Emperor quoting memes)

Deathless Divide by Justina Ireland (bisexual and aroace Black girls fighting zombies, becoming outlaws and adopting kids in the Old West)

Amari and the Night Brothers by B.B. Alston (12 year old recruited by Bureau of Supernatural Affairs, has delightful adventures, searches for missing brother)

The Route of Ice and Salt by José Luis Zárate (the tragic gay story of a background character from Dracula)

All the Girls I’ve Been by Tess Sharpe (unputdownable thriller, reformed teenage conartist channels all her skills to save girlfriend and ex-boyfriend from bank robbery gone wrong)

Space Opera by Catherine M. Valente (The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy shaken vigorously, drenched in body glitter and shoved on stage for intergalactic Eurovision)

A Desolation Called Peace by Arkady Martine (mind-sharing friends, first contact with aliens, learning/inventing a whole new form of communication in order to ask said aliens ‘please stop killing us’ before the military starts blowing up planets, political intrigue in space empire, cute lesbian romance with ‘will she ever really, truly see me as fully human and equal’ angst)

When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain by Nghi Vo (story about stories, clan of tiger shapeshifters are pissed off that humans are telling the story of the lady scholar who married the tiger queen all wrong, damn it)

The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells (grumpy, anxious cyborg learns what it means to have free will and be cared for)

Warrior Moon by K. Arsenault Rivera (third in trilogy about epic sapphic love reshaping the world in fantasy China/Japan/Mongolia)

I’m 2/3 through The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal but I’m already pretty sure it belongs on this list

Best sequel you’ve read so far in 2021:

A lot of the ones of my previous list - Harrow the Ninth, Deathless Divide, A Desolation Called Peace, When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain and Warrior Moon are sequels. Out of those, I think probably A Desolation Called Peace was the best book (it’s beautiful, though-provoking science fiction that I can’t wait to vote for in next year’s Hugo awards) and Harrow the Ninth was the best sequel (the way it interacts with the previous book, adshfk).

New release you haven’t read yet, but want to:

So many!

The River Has Teeth by Erica Waters (Southern gothic, angry sapphic witches, the mystery of a missing sister)

She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan (queer fantasy about the founding of the Ming dynasty, described as “Mulan meets The Song of Achilles”)

Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim (retelling of The Swan Princes with a Chinese twist)

Eat Your Heart Out by Kelly deVos (zombies attack a weight loss camp, pissed off teens fight back, has snark, horror and body positivity)

A War of Swallowed Stars by Sangu Mandanna (third in a series about the Mahabarata in space)

The Witness for the Dead by Katherine Addison (sequel to the lovely The Goblin Emperor, kindness and decency and solving murders)

The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri (princess and handmaiden/priestess holding knives to each other’s ribs, kissing under a waterfall and reshaping an empire)

The Queer Principles of Kit Webb by Cat Sebastian (former highwayman teaches a nobleman how to do a heist, with sexy results)

One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston (sapphic time travel romance)

Most anticipated release for the second half of the year:

The Sisters of Reckoning by Charlotte Nicole Davis (sequel to the story of indentured sex workers escaping the ‘welcome house’ and striking out across the desert to make a new life, I’m told the rivals-to-friends dynamic I adored is gonna add -to-lovers)

Redemptor by Jordan Ifueko (sequel to epic African fantasy about empires and free will and telepathic harems)

No Gods, No Monsters by Cadwell Turnbull (monsters reveal themselves to the world, chaos and hate crimes ensue)

The All Consuming World by Cassandra Khaw (all girl team of broken, bitter former criminals get back together for one last mission)

Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao (giant robots, mind melds and polyamory)

Noor by Nnedi Okorafor (disability, biotechnology, Nigerian science fiction)

Skin of the Sea by Natasha Bowen (The Little Mermaid story with West African mythology)

The Nobleman’s Guide to Scandal and Shipwrecks by Mackenzi Lee (much-anticipated third in a trilogy about queer disaster siblings in slightly magical 18th century Europe)

Biggest disappointment:

One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. A supposed classic that disgusted and infuriated me. I tried to read it for book club but rage quit 120 pages in, and reading up on the rest of the story made me so very glad I did.

Biggest surprise:

Daughters of Frankenstein: Lesbian Mad Scientists! by Steve Berman. A fantastic array of sapphic science fiction that gave me surprise after surprise as I encountered a Scooby Doo parody, a Jeeves and Wooster parody, a Pgymalion and Galatea love story between a scientist and her robot wife, psychological horror about wildly unethical experiments, lesbian outlaws building armoured getaway vehicles to rob banks, middle-aged wives fightng ice weasels and adopting a kid, chaotic genius invents hot new drug and accidentally starts the zombie apocalypse ...

Favorite new author (debut or new to you):

Martha Wells - I read the first five Murderbot books and fell head over heels in love

Underrated gems:

The Myriad Carnival by Matthew Bright (dark and delightful anthology of queer stories revolving around a magical carnival, has only 12 ratings on goodreads) and Stone and Steel by Eboni J. Dunbar (African fantasy novella with sapphic soldiers and queens that manages to feel both epic and satisfying despite being only 92 pages long, has only 100 ratings on goodreads)

Newest fictional crush:

Guet Imm from The Order of the Pure Moon Reflected in Water by Zen Cho - a female Chirrut Imwe type who leaves her nunnery and cheerfully forces her way into a group of bandits. Sunnily chaotic weirdos are most definitely my type. Though considering the way she responded to a guy hitting on her with a pleasant “Oh, sure, we could sleep together, but I’m very religious so I’d have to make sacrifice after” (Tet Sang translates: “She’s not agreeing, you fool, she’s threatening you, when she says ‘make sacrifice’ she means ‘cut your dick off’”), perhaps it’s best to just Look Respectfully.

And perhaps also Iktan from Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse. Xe’s the spymaster, protector and ex-lover of one of the protagonists. Sure, xe may be ruthless, amoral and more than a little terrifying, but it’s in a really hot way.

Newest favorite characters:

Murderbot and all its friends

Book that made you cry:

None have actually made me cry (my tears are difficult to provoke, I can only name like five books that have ever had me actually crying), but the closest I came was probably The Old Lie by Claire G. Coleman. It’s science fiction where Earth gets caught up in a war between alien powers, and humans join the army to fight in a horrific war for a Federation that doesn’t even consider them citizens, get their children kidnapped to become servants and pets for wealthy alien families, and have their homes destroyed in weapons testing. All these things echo the real history of how white people have treated Indigenous Australians, and it both is and is not a metaphor, since the protagonists are all Aboriginal and very aware of the paralells.

Book that made you happy:

Amari and the Night Brothers is a warmhearted delight.

Most beautiful book cover of a book you’ve read so far this year:

Either The Winter Duke by Claire Eliza Bartlett or The Citadel of Weeping Pearls by Aliette de Bodard

How are you doing with your year’s goals?

81/100 books

going strong with ‘two authors of colour for each white author’ 

doing good with ‘read from a wider variety of contries’ (so far I’ve read authors from 20 different countries)

doing good with ‘I don’t want straight protagonists to be the majority’ (41 queer or indeterminate protagonists versus 31 straight ones)

doing OK with ‘include some translated books’ (6 books originally written in other languages)

could do better with ‘read some books that aren’t from the last two decades’ (I’ve read one from the 1990s, one from the 1970s and one from the 1960s, but that’s not a lot - I used to read books from centuries ago)

could do better with ‘more trans authors’ too - I’ve read three nonbinary authors and no binary trans folks so far, but I do have several on my to-read list

What books do you need to read by the end of the year?

The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter and Love and Other Thought Experiments by Sophie Ward, because they’re my book club’s picks for August and September

Not tagging anyone because I wasn’t officially tagged myself, but if you see this and want to do it, go ahead, and tag me!

[personagf-moved]

MARY do u read™️ if so do u have any favs?

LKJFLSKDJFKSD do i read i— YES lmao

god rose this is such a LOADED question tho i don’t even know where to start dsfkj

ok well tbh i haven’t been reading much lately as i used to BUT recently i’ve read and enjoyed:

sharp objects by gillian flynn (just a warning in advance tho idk how u feel about first person pov but i suffered thru it for gillian sdklfj the story is amazing tho)

birdbox by josh malerman 

IT by stephen king

and i havent read any of these recently but some of my favorite books i’ve ever ever read are:

deathless by catherynne valente 

east of eden by john steinbeck 

girl, interrupted by susanna kaysen 

battle royale by koushun takami 

jane eyre by charlotte brontë

and idk if ur just limiting it to books but i uhhhhhhhHhhh i read a lot of poetry lmfao and my favorite poet is W.H. Auden if u ever wanna check out his work 🤧 i’ve recently been rereading his poem book the sea and the mirror, which was like based off of shakespeare’s the Tempest (also if we’re taking shakespeare my favorites from him are the tempest and macbeth sdklfjsdkf) BUT YEAH i have his other poetry book too and i usually read those whenever i just need Something™️ to read lol 

[reluming]

Hi Cynthia. I'm about 3/4 of the way through the traitor baru cormorant based on your rec and I'm adoring it, so thank you for blessing me with it. I've also added the broken earth series to my tbr based on your love of it. Your taste in books is excellent/aligns a lot with mine, so I wanted to ask if you have any more recs? Stuff you're enjoying now, all time faves, w/e. I'm interested in anything you've enjoyed. Thanks :)

Hi anon!! :D YES I love books and I love talking about books!!

Since The Traitor Baru Cormorant and The Broken Earth are both adult fantasy, here are some more adult fantasy book recs:

The Watchmaker of Filigree Street and The Bedlam Stacks by Natasha Pulley: literary historical fantasy with steampunk-y elements and very soft, quiet, slow-burn m/m romance! (standalone books with different main characters, but set in the same universe)

Death by Silver and its sequel Death at the Dionysus Club by Melissa Scott and Amy Griswold: magical murder mysteries set in Victorian London with m/m romance, think Holmes/Watson but magic and canon gay!

The Rivers of London series by Ben Aaronovitch: more magical murder mysteries, this time in modern-day London, with a mixed race police officer MC and his v old wizard mentor who survived WW1. Very diverse and loveable cast of characters and just some really enjoyable mysteries

Anything that Catherynne M. Valente has ever written. She’s my fave author, hands down. If you’ve never read any of her books, here’s a guide to some of my faves to help you decide where to start:

Radiance: noir mystery set in space Hollywood, about the disappearance of a female filmmaker, ft. space whales

The Habitation of the Blessed and its sequel The Folded World: medieval fantasy, monsters, angels, Christianity, translation, trees that bear books as their fruit

The Refrigerator Monologues: female characters in superhero comics who’ve been fridged, telling their stories in the afterlife!

Deathless: her most popular one but I read this years ago so I need a reread, but it’s based on Russian folklore & history

Discworld books by Terry Pratchett are forever faves - I’ve not read them all but my fave ones are the books about the Watch because, as you may have discerned from the above, I really love mysteries…

I just finished reading Kushiel’s Dart by Jacqueline Carey and it’s the first book of a trilogy but in the same universe there are three trilogies. So I can’t say about the rest of the series yet, but I really enjoyed Kushiel’s Dart. Definitely not for everyone as it’s set in a place with a formal system where some children receive an education from a young age to become sex workers (although they don’t begin the actual sex work until they come of age). The main character is a sex worker who is basically magically destined to find pleasure in pain/be the most masochist of masochists and there’s some hardcore BDSM, but like. If you’re into that, f/f, political intrigue, and sprawling epic fantasy with voyages and battles, definitely check it out.

Adult books that aren’t fantasy:

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt: a coming-of-age novel about grief and art that many readers have complained about being boring but I somehow found so engrossing that I once not only MISSED MY STOP on a train while reading it but ended up LITERALLY RIGHT BACK AT THE STOP WHERE I STARTED (i.e. I was on that train for double the time that I should’ve and I didn’t even fucking notice)

Days Without End by Sebastian Barry: a queer love story during the Indian wars and the Civil War in 19th-century America, incredibly moving and a prose style that takes some getting used to but then once you’ve got used to it will repeatedly stab you in the heart with its sharp, devastating beauty

I also read a fair bit of YA, so if you’re interested in YA, here’s some fantasy/fantasy-adjacent stuff:

The Conqueror’s Saga trilogy by Kiersten White: I made a rec post for this recently, it’s historical fiction about if Vlad the Impaler was female, and it’s surprisingly queer! (Maybe less of a surprise if you know more about that bit of history but I knew nothing going in, and nobody really talks about this series as a queer series, so…)

The Skyscraper Throne trilogy by Tom Pollock: urban fantasy set in London, one of the main characters is a brown Muslim lesbian who gets a lovely romance and a really powerful narrative about overcoming trauma

In Other Lands by Sarah Rees Brennan: if you read a lot of novel-length fanfics you’ll probably love this novel, a very heartfelt and funny slow burn m/m fantasy with an extremely prickly bi MC, it’s wonderful and joyful and snarky and the banter is incredible, and it will have you shrieking in delight constantly, also BEST TRIO since the Golden Trio in the HP books *draws sparkly hearts*

I also have recs for (queer) contemporary realistic YA so if anyone wants those, please hmu! That seemed quite different to what you might be interested in and this post is already quite long so I’m not going to mention them here.

[gwimgwim]

Shout out to FF writers!

WARNING: ME GUSHING ABOUT MY FAVORITE AUTHORS. VERY LONG. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. 

//YOU CAN SKIP THIS PART. This is just me explaining why I felt that I needed to say thank you.//

This weekend was a very sad event for me. I decided to read some stories, when I got a notification about one of the stories I follow. I was so excited to have a little happiness this weekend. I figured I would make a giant post on some of the authors I stalk follow. 

Here it goes! This list is so long. So very long. I’m sorry but I couldn’t control myself. There’s so many stories that I love! As I was skimming for errors, I found myself adding more, and more, and more stories and authors. ;-; So very sorry for how long this is. I keep saying it’s long... 

All of these author’s are amazing writers and I’ve noticed how friendly they are with their followers. So this is my thank you. Thank you for writing. Thank you for escaping from our lives for a few minutes, hours, days... You are appreciated.

@anoceaninthesun - Her story A Stitch In Time - Rated T. (Sakura and The founders) It’s not finished yet but that shouldn’t stop you from reading it. The wait is worth it when the upload does happen. I honestly haven’t something like this yet. Time travel yes, but how it happens and the..I can’t spoil it. Just read it!

@shyyynobi - You Are My Fate - Rated M. (MadaraxSakura and some TobixSakura) Honestly one of my favorites. It’s something I haven’t read before. The story starts off with Sakura and Madara in a warring states type era. By the next chapter we see our lovelies in the future. Each chapter is dedicated to each era. I love personally love it, and it makes it easier to understand which era they’re in. I can reread it over and over while waiting for the update. Her chapters are long which makes the wait even better! (Plus, I love her version of Madara. Also, the author is a total doll.)

[Lust for Life] Rated M. Angst/Romance. (TobiSaku). Summary from FF. “They both knew this would end.  They both knew the reality of what they were doing. Yet, they couldn’t stop it from happening - because bearing the weight of  your pain alone can be too much.” This is a Teacher/Student story. Don’t worry, Sakura is in college and is the legal age. You all need to read this! Only three chapters out so far. But no rush. Never rush! 

@astroaves - 

[Uchiha MC] - Rated M. For very good reasons! -coughlotsofdirtysmutcough- (MadaraxSakura) Another favorite of mine. Her take on the MC is wonderful and I love the smut. The pure smut. It’s almost every chapter and I love it. The chapters are so well written that you can feel like you’re there. 

[Homeward] - Rated M. - (MadaraxSakura) I really love this one. The story starts off where Sasuke was fighting Danzo on the bridge. Sakura gets shot back in time and has to find her way home. You get to see Sakura as a total BAMF. A very sassy Izuna and a sassy Madara. Beware of Sakura’s baby hands!

[Never Have I Ever] - Rated M. SUPER MATURE. SO MUCH SMUT. BRING SOME NAPKINS, ‘CAUSE YOU GONNA BE SWEATING. Romance. (MadaSaku.) It has smut. Lots of it. You go in thinking it’s going to be a cute story. You come out feeling absolutely filthy. 

@beyondthemoor - She has tons of stories out that I love. I can’t just pick a favorite! I do really like her tipsy series. It’s a series of one shots that follow Sakura as a BAMF and a over medicated Madara (honestly, it came out when Obito was calling himself Madara). You’ll see our favorite Uchiha brothers, Itachi and Sasuke, and the rest of the gang. Her FanFic account is [here]. She’s usually on tumblr though! Tipsy and Tipsy II: Drunk are rated T. Tipsy III, IV, V, and VI are all rated M. For good reasons. ;)

[Tipsy] [Tipsy II: Drunk] [Tipsy III: Forget] [Tipsy IV: Confessions] [Tipsy V: Mistakes ][Tipsy VI: The Morning After] 

@sariasprincy - Saria has a ton of good stories out! There are tons of ItaSaku, MadaSaku, and some other Saku ships. They’re all pretty spicy! 

One of my favorites is [Blurred Lines]. It is a MadaSaku one. I really like how Madara is international criminal, but is also a sweet person towards Sakura. Even though she hated the attention at first and wanted nothing to slap some cuffs on him. This is a must read!

I’m also suggesting [Brand], [Branded], [Cat and Mouse], [The Choices We Make], [Battle of Wits], [In a Past Life], [Is There Somewhere], and [The Firm].

Brand (MadaSaku. One shot), Branded (MadaSaku. One shot), Cat and Mouse (MadaSaku. One shot), Is There Somewhere (MadaSakuTobi. One Shot), The Choices We Make (MadaSaku. 5 chapters). The Firm (ItaSaku. One shot) are all rated M! 

Battle of Wits (MadaSaku. One shot) - Rating T. Based in the Pokemon Universe. Really good one shot! Go read it!! In a Past Life (MadaSaku. One shot) - Rating T. This one is a Soulmate AU. It’s a quick oneshot but worth the read! ACTUALLY, GO READ ALL THE STORIES! THERE IS TOO MANY TO PICK! 

@vesperlionheart - How do I say this...? Uh, VESPER IS AN AMAZING WRITER. You don’t want to stop reading her stories once you start. Every story I start to read, I just get sucked in. I feel like I’m there in the story. All her stories are amazing. I could sit here and gush about them all day and night, but let them link some of my favorites.

[Obelisk: Kingdom of Man] (Sakura, Sasori, Sai, Akatsuki. T. One shot. Romance/Adventure. ), [Obelisk: Kingdom of Beasts] (3 chapters. T. Sakura. Romance/Adventure.) , [Obelisk: Kingdom of Monsters] (14 chapters. T. Sakura. Adventure/Romance), and [Obelisk: Kingdom of Gods] (21 chapters. T. Sakura, Gaara, and Sasori. Romance/Adventure.) Guess what?! They’re all completed! Yes! I loved them all. It was something I have never read before.

[Red King] - Rated T. Adventure/Romance. (Sakura, Itachi, Shisui, and Madara) Okay, okay. This story is a one shot. It’s a very long a whole 65k words! I started reading this one night and I could not stop till I knew what happened. Once again, she amazes me with her ability to pull you. The world, the scenes, everything in my opinion are so well written. You seriously need to read this one!

[Her Favorite Criminal] - Rated T. Romance. (MadaSaku) This is where Madara is Sakura’s favorite criminal. Currently there is only 4 chapters. I know, I know..I’m sad too. It’s a good read with the current chapters out so far. 

[Under the Rabbit’s Moon] - Rated T. Romance. (SakuraxFounders. Also has the cute younger brothers.) WARNING: SAKURA IS A COMPLETE AND UTTER BAMF IN THIS! This story is still uncompleted, but that’s okay. It’s worth the wait. Trust me. In this story Sakura didn’t get her happy ending. Her friends are dead and the only thing she wants at the start is vengeance upon the person who took them away. Sakura is sent back to the past. This is not your normal time travel story. In this one, Sakura is “gifted” God like powers. Only...Kaguya is hiding in Sakura’s mind. I’m pretty sure it’s her mind. Anyways, be prepared for a very cute Izuna (Overly jealous, but I do love me some izzy <3) , Kawarama (needs to be protected at all costs), and Itama (precious baby)!

[Nightmarish] - Rated T. One shot. Romance/Supernatural. (SakuraxMulti.) Okay, seriously go read this one. After go read Nightmarish Dawn. Like now!

[Nightmarish Dawn] - Rated T. One shot. Romance/Adventure. BAMF Sakura. Sequel to Nightmarish.  (Sakura, Itachi, Shisui, Madara, and Sasuke.) A very interesting story. Totally worth the read. I haven’t read something like it before.

[Forever is an Awfully Long Time] - Rated T. One shot. Romance/Hurt/Comfort. (MadaSaku) Ugh, my heart, it hurts. I loved this. I’m just going to post the summery, because otherwise, I don’t know how to explain this. “He was too dark to be her Peter Pan and she was too shrewd to be his Wendy Darling, but somehow they found their way to Neverland together.” Prepare to be punched in the heart.

[The Deathless One] - Rated K. One shot. Romance/Humor. (MadaSaku). Sakura being a naughty girl and using ancient ninja- arts, dun dun dun BLACK MAGIC! Very cute one shot. Please go read.

@stormears - So it seems l had added you to my favorites long, long, long ago. In fact.. FF isn’t even telling me when I added you! The horror! According to FF, I added you, uh... 00-00-0000 years ago. I’m glad I randomly found you on tumblr. Because when I went to add you to my favorites, you were already there! 

[Chasm] - Rated M. WAY M. Suspense/Romance. Ongoing. (MadaSaku). So this is a very interesting start to a multi-chapter story. Right now there is only one chapter. Get this, though. The first chapter is nearly 28k words. You heard that right! Nearly 28k! Right now we are waiting on chapter 2. We have to be patient though. Good writing takes time. I highly suggest this! It’s the start to something great.

 Summary from FF. “When she was a child, Sakura held Ino’s hand. And then she held weights and a gun and a steel bat. Then she killed a monster with her bare hands. One of the beasts saw her that day, with blood up to her elbows and it began to follow her. For days. For years.”

[Lack of Sleep] - Rated T. Romance/Humor. (MadaSaku.) This is pure fluff. Go read it.

@radiantelle - Currently has one story uploaded to FF. [Shades] - Rated M. Romance/Drama. Ongoing. (Madara, Sakura, Tobirama, and Izuna.) BAMF Sakura. Time travel. Precious Uchiha brothers (especially Izzy. <3) Old man Tobirama and the lovable Hashirama. Go.Read.This.Now. I love it. You’ll love it. My cat loves it. 

@rhearenee-magane - She is a very sweet person. I love that you took the time to reply to my review. <3 Anyways, on to the stories! 

[Evil Knockin’ at My Door] Rated T. Supernatural/Humor. Ongoing. (MadaSaku.) So honestly, I haven’t read something like this before. Which is good. Because I love finding new stuff to read. Summary from FF. “She should have known that meddling with an unknown kinjutsu would have it’s consequences. She should have kept her feelings in check and should have known entering a power play with one of the most powerful shinobi of all time wouldn’t end well. But dammit, she won’t let him have the last word.” In this, Madara is a ghoooost! Sakura did an unknown kinjutsu and boom! Ghosty Madara appears. This story has a very unique plot. I honestly haven’t found something like it before. Which is good. Be ready for a tricky Madara, Sakura maybe catching feelings, and some nice, steamy kisses. This story only has 16 reviews, which blows my mind with how good it is! Go read it! 

[Forward Thinking] - Rated T. Adventure/Romance. Ongoing. (MadaSaku). This one is a time travel story, but it has a twist! It’s Madara who get’s sent through time! Madara finds himself in the future. He has no idea what his future self has done. Sakura and Madara are both very sassy in the first chapter. Only one chapter out right now. But that’s okay. Good things take time!

@silverfootstepswrites - Is the author of Eastern Suns. Go read it. Now. 

[Eastern Suns] - Rated M. Crime. Complete. (ItaSakuTobi.) “Gritty streets of Hong Kong. A golden gun. Haruno Sakura is the last person you want to cross in this city. A lady doesn’t get to be a triad without a few tricks up her sleeves.” This story was a wild ride from start to finish. It was so good. You get drawn in and you never want to leave. 

Okay sooooo, this is getting super long. I’m sorry, but I couldn’t help myself. I’ll just start linking the remaining stories and their authors! 

[Saudade by flosculous](Rated M. MadaSaku. Ongoing.) / [Dying Embers by Rise of The blossom](Rated M. Main ShishuixSakura. Itachi. Ongoing.) / [Kozetsu by gummiwummi-chan](Rated M. One-sided SasorixSakura. Ongoing.) / [Flames that Burn by Myem04](Rated M. Complete. ItachixSakura.) /

These are dark: [Modus Opernadi] [Why The Caged Bird Sings] [Her Madara] [Bloody Kisses -SasSaku] These all are by @ofhealinglove. All of them are lovely. She updates when she can. No rushing! [Euphoria] by [AliceWolffe] - Her FanFic account.)

[bookofmirth]

LESLIE HELP ME. I am drowning in my TBR. Here it is: The Language of Thorns, The Winner's Curse, A Darker Shade of Magic, Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda, The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet (have you read that one? I know that Harry once made an ACOTAR fic called The Long Way to a Small Angry Hellhole and tagged it "spacegays"), The Raven Boys, and I'm probably forgetting at least one other book. I loved Far from the Tree and Little Fires Everywhere, which were both your recommendations, 1/2

2/2 (Sorry if the last sentence is cut off, I’m writing part 2 some time after part 1 and I forgot where I let off.) I even bought Deathless by Catherynne M. Valente! The part of it that I read was good, jbut sadly I left it halfway through because I started two new books, Six of Crows (which I loved, and which was also your rec) and A Thousand Splendid Suns (which made me cry about 5 times and you should also read). So please can you pick 2 out of my TBR which you think I should read first? :D

Everything you have listed is so good! I’ve read all of them, and I can tell you you have an amazing set of books. I’ll put them in the order I think you should read them, and then reasons why the other ones are good too:

1) Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda - because it is like reading a super cute fluff fanfic and you will not be able to stop smiling while you read it. Plus, you’ll know what everyone is talking about.

2) This was so tough, but I’m gonna go with A Darker Shade of Magic. That series is so amazing. It’s fun, it will break your heart, you will love the characters, the world-building is top-notch, just everything. The villains are actually well-developed too? I love to hate them, and then I love to be like wait… maybe I Get You now… And now I need to reread it…

3) My other pick for #2 was The Winner’s Curse, but I like to mix up my genres and so I didn’t want to pick two YA books. But it has probably the loveliest prose of any YA book I’ve read, the characters are so complex and well-developed, but also the plot is fast-paced and like ~DRAMA~

4) The Long Way to A Small Angry Planet. This is sci-fi, but character-driven sci-fi. I don’t read a lot of that genre because I give fewer than zero shits about the technology and science explanations that can come along with it (e.g. The Martian, ew), but TLWTASAP is… so wonderful. So heartwarming. There are different species in it and it’s fun imagining how they look, and their different cultures force you to think about human culture.

5) The Raven Boys is also v good, v creepy, not really what I was expecting when I picked it up. Unpopular opinion, but I didn’t like the second one that much, mostly because of Ronan. I really didn’t like him until the fourth book.

6) The Language of Thorns is my least favorite of these. I adored the last story in the collection, but the others were… just ok. If you are looking for other short story collections, I can recommend a few!

7) I know you started reading Deathless but that one you have to be in the right mood for. It takes a lot of effort and attention. I’ve found most of Valente’s writing to be that way. High effort, but high reward.

I hope you like these! Honestly you couldn’t have picked a better bunch of books to put on your TBR.

[illusionsofdreaming]

I was tagged by sweet @ahonoriag​ here (mentions of gore/suicide in their post!)! First time being tagged :O so let’s do this!

Warning: It may be GIF heavy! Yes, I’m that type of person.

Rule: Answer these questions and come up with 5 of your own.

1. What accent is your favorite? (like Irish accents, British accents, etc.)

Funny thing is, I’m terrible at differentiating accents. I can hear ‘accents’ per se but I won’t be able to go ‘oh yeah, that’s a Scottish accent’ or ‘yeah, that’s Australian’. All I can say is, ‘yeah, that’s a different way of saying tomato’. To be honest, if you’re speaking English, 80% of the time I won’t even notice accent differences. Unless it’s really pronounced. I use to find differentiating American and British accents hard too - but after what, four years in London now, I think I know what British accents sound like. I think. 

Fun fact: People use to say I speak with a Canadian American accent but I’m always so confused because I can’t hear it. What even is a Canadian American accent? Are you saying my English sounds different from yours? I don’t hear it.

tl;dr I suck at accents. Therefore. I dare not claim to like any one accent more than another. They all sound the same to me.

2. Who is your least favorite main character from a book you’ve read or a movie you watched, etc.?

Ooo. That’s. Cruel. Testing my memory skills like that. To be fair, if I don’t like the main character from a book/movie I wouldn’t read/watch it because it would be quite agonising to finish a novel with a character you can’t connect with. But I’m thinking of in terms of extreme dislike so maybe there are main protagonists/antagonists from books/movies that I disliked but still read/watch - however nothing really comes to mind at the moment, I feel like I have to go back to reread some of my favorites to jog my memory. But, if we’re talking about recent ones.. hmm...

I’ve recently started watching The Ancient Magus’ Bride and while I find the art and the world beautiful I find myself developing a complicated love-hate relationship for Chise, the main protagonist. (BEWARE SPOILERS AHEAD)

I have a thing against protagonists that are ‘loved by all’ and it doesn’t help that such protagonists are often these frail, meek, innocent like things. Chise does not actually fall into the innocent category perfectly, although the meek helplessness thing does get old quite quickly for me. I appreciate that they do address her lamblike attachment to her caregiver and the explanation does appease the cringe that’s developing in my chest. Still, maybe I’m just impatient but I am definitely not fond of watching characters that are 80% sickly and needs saving every time after every tiny casted spell.  Especially since she’s introduced as this supremely rare ‘WOOOOA MAGICAL CONDUIT HUMAN BEING THING’ (not to mention they keep bringing it up every episode, you know, just in case you forgot she’s a Sleigh Beggy within twenty minutes) it gets awkwardly disappointing that she’s laid flat for days after every magic show. Also, the fact that ALL the bad things that can possibly happen, happens to her gets a bit grating. One curse. Two curse. ALL THE CURSES. JUST SLAP IT ON HER. 

Her strong attachment to Elias was developed from Ep.1, literally her swearing her loyalty to a mage who bought her on a slave market. Later as the story progresses we understand why she’s so attached to Elias, the one only who has treated her like ‘family’ (debatable), but the point I’m getting to is while the writer tries to portray Chise as an apathetic teenager moulded by the events from her traumatic past, I find it strange that she would grow so fond of Elias so quickly, considering that she’s been passed around from relative to relative all her life and - arguably - should not trust others this easily. Nope, it just went from human marketing, to ‘oh he fed me and clothed me, must be nice, he’s my family’. 

That being said, her character backstory does reveal a lot about human nature and psychology, and it is especially rewarding to watch Chise grow and develop out of her suicidal thoughts and apathy. From her history, we see an ugly side of humanity. It explored the different ways humans can crack under constant fear and pressure and the result was definitely damaging and heartbreaking. I’ve always been a sucker for stories/reveals that explore the grey side of human nature unfortunately, I only get this kind of excitement from her backstory/family more than Chise, the actual character - which is why again, she’s not my favorite. As a character in general, I find her extremely bland and lacklustre and her character development is unfortunately stunted by her being saved and coddled by everyone around her.

That being said, The Ancient Magus’ Bride is still airing so who knows, maybe future episodes will change my mind on Chise as a character. It is definitely worth watching because of its unique setting and characters (ALSO MYTHOLOGICAL CAMEOS) and aside my iffiness against Chise, the other characters are better developed and have more complex personalities. Interesting characters include Elias Ainsworth and Lindel. I’ll also always have a soft spot for Ruth as well.

3. What’s your favorite sad song?

Fun fact: I don’t really listen to music often because I find myself getting distracted way too easily. I can’t write with music playing - the only time I can be productive with music playing is when I’m in my studios making art. 

But back to the question. Hmm.. Sad songs. I have hard times making decisions so I guess I’ll give a list of several favorite sad songs that I’ve been listening to ‘recently’ (AKA these few years LMAO).

If I Die Young - by The Band Perry 

I Know I’m a Wolf - by Young Heretics

Dancing on My Own (Cover) - by Calum Scott

What are Words - by Chris Medina

Echo - by Jason Walker

Unsteady - by X Ambassadors

Little Do You Know - by Alex & Sierra

... I have too many favorite sad songs (a whole playlist oops) but I’ll just leave it at these few for now lol

4. What superpower would you not want to have?

Undying immortality - the Deadpool type AKA nothing kills me. With all the struggles I have, immortality would be the most painful, mentally and physically. Mentally I probably wouldn’t survive past even one day if that happened. Give me Mindreading abilities that can’t be turned off, give me terrible Future-sight, give me X-ray vision that can’t be switched off or sensitive ears that hurt - ANYTHING but regenerative/cyclical/deathless immortality.

5.  What is your favorite holiday-related song? Does this double as a ‘what’s your favorite holiday’ question?  Hands down it’s Chinese New Year. Yep, call me proud. But nothing gets me more excited than Chinese New Year. The festive colors the dances, the food. Definitely the food. But perhaps the main reason why I enjoy CNY so much is because it’s the only time I get to see my extended family all gathered in one place and its like. WOA. I DIDN’T KNOW OUR FAMILY WAS THIS BIG. It’s nice to know how many uncles, aunties, twice or thrice removed you have. It’s so loud and festive but it’s fun. I also like all the red colors. song wise, I always feel so giddy when I hear this festive CNY song that you’ll hear being played everywhere - it’s basically a song that celebrates the arrival of the fortune God - it’s just so peppy I can’t help but hum alongside it and dance a little.

LETS NOT FORGET RED PACKETS

PHEW! That took long, now I think I’m supposed to tag someone? IF I HAD FRIENDS MAYBE. but uh yeah. I’ll just list my questions down here and whoever wants to answer them do it! Do tag me if you do them! 1. What kinds of non-fiction do you read? What’s your favorite?

2. If you can direct/reproduce a Disney live-action movie which fairytale would you recreate and why?

3. If you can only eat one dish and only that dish for the rest of your life starting today, which dish would it be?

4. Breakfast, lunch or dinner?

5. What’s your favorite game genre? (ex. rpg, mmo, fps)

[midnightghostwriter]

Fic Writer Appreciation Day

It's that time of year again! No, not back to school season, though I hear that's happening too. But it's time once again to show some love and shout out our favorite fanfic writers!

In all honesty, I applaud each and every person who takes the time to write, because I know how hard it is to craft a story, put it out there for the viewing and critique of strangers, and hope to everything good in the universe it's well-received. It can be stressful, disheartening, and exhausting to produce content for people to enjoy, and yet y'all do it anyway.

Unfortunately, I can't list every single one of you (believe me I wish I could), but I do feel like I should shout out some of my all-time faves. So there's a list under the cut!

Note: Not all of these are kpop/khh because I believe this day belongs to all writers, and I want to shout out to stories that have stuck with me over the years just as much as my more recent favorites. I did my best to tag people if I know their Tumblr, but some of these came off AO3 and idk who they are on here. ^^

Flight of a Hawk, Return of a Wolf by RedHawkeRevolver (AO3) - Dragon Age | AU (kind of?) | FenHawke (Fenris/Marion Hawke) | I'm a huge DA fan, and an even bigger hoe for FenHawke in all forms and this is one of my favorite fics of all-time. The way it's written is so believable I think I actually messaged the author once to ask if something happened in-game or not. xD

Immortality of the Deathless by MiladyDragon (AO3) - Torchwood/Doctor Who | Medieval/Magick/Fantasy AU | John Harkness/Ianto Jones | I've always been a Whovian, and extremely picky with fics because of it, but this one and its sequel have stuck with me since they were originally posted on FF.Net and are definitely worth the read.

Of Clueless Mates and Stupid Best Friends by chihiro (AO3) - BTS/Bangtan | Wolf/Fae/School AU | Taekook and Yoonmin | I'm a sucker for fantasy/magickal au things, and this is one of the cutest and fluffiest ones out there imo. I don't know if it's finished or not, but it's still worth reading.

Post Blue by dirtyretro / @dirtyretrowrites​ - BTS/Bangtan | School AU | Multi-Pairing | Warning: for highly explicit content | I adoooooore everything this girl touches, and this is a classic part of her fic repertoire. It is definitely not for the faint of heart or blushing prude, but it is well worth the read. Megan is also one of the people who has encouraged me most in writing, so please show her some love and support!!

Icarus by @jungkxook​ - BTS/Bangtan | University AU | Tae/Reader | Warning: for explicit content | OKAY BUT I LOVE EVERYTHING ALYSSA WRITES this was just one of the first stories of hers I ever read and to this day I still go back and reread it regularly. I would list all the ones I love, but you might as well just look at her masterlist.

Sleepy Eyes and Sighs by @xhixtape - BTS/Bangtan | University AU | Hobi/Reader | This is tied in my heart for Melted and a number of other fics by Lila, but this one never fails to get my heart hurting in the sweetest way. I think it even made me cry once. xD

Those Meddling Rappers! And That Meddling Gray Too! by @idolized-scenarios - KHH/AOMG | Jay Park/Reader | Warning: for explicit content | I cannot begin to emphasize how many times I have read this scenario. I think I lost count. Kat is such a stellar author, and the khh works she's known for are always my favorite. In fact, she's the reason I ever started writing khh stuff myself, so please show her some love!! I also recommend her scenario Right Idea. Just sayin.

A Tardy Fate by @dom-joonie - BTS/Bangtan | University AU | Namjoon/Reader | Warning: for explicit content | Lauren is a gem, and I love her Namjoon scenarios to bits (though a certain Hobi one called Hot and Cold is how I first found her and I also reread that one a lot). Whether it's fluff or smut, everything she writes is a good read.

The Take-Home Test by @versigny - BTS/Bangtan | University AU | Namjoon/Reader | Warning: for explicit content | Okay look, if you call yourself a Namjoon stan and you haven't read this, its sequel stuff, or Kappy's other Namjoon fic Your Wish Is My Command, you are doing yourself a disservice. Just... go read everything she's ever written okay, you need it.

He Knows Me Best by @markmywordswithsong - Got7 | AU | Mark/Reader | Warning: some explicit content | Cat, my dearest writing mentor and veritable older sister, is a fabulous writer of both reader scenarios and member fics, and definitely deserves love for this masterpiece. I wouldn't be where I am in writing without her, and I'm so happy to be able to give her a lil shoutout. ^^

(heart) stealer by deuxoiseaux (AO3) - BTS/Bangtan | University AU | Yoonseok | This was one of the first x member fics I read that I really loved because of the unique style it was written in and the absolutely adorably in character plot of the story.

[astraveler]

Wait for It (Zeno)

When I finished rereading/watching the Zeno arc from the (quite wonderful) manga Akatsuki no Yona, I couldn’t help but write this. (Wait for It is a song from Hamilton: an American Musical - definitely listen to the original!)

<><><><>

ZENO

Memories of Hiryuu haunt me every day,

The price of immortality’s almost too much to pay.

When the dragons left the castle,  

Somehow I brought myself to say goodbye.

I never went back to Guen.

But I could feel my brothers die.

Love doesn't discriminate

between the deathless

and the slain,

it takes and it takes and it takes,

But I keep loving anyway.

Kaya laughs, and I try

To pretend that I’m fine, that I’ll die,

And if there's a reason I'm by her side

When there’s something that I must always hide,

then I'm willing to wait for it.

I'm willing to wait for it.

The Hakuryuu knew that we were brothers from the start,

He loved the crimson dragon to the bottom of his heart.

Ryokuryuu was a hothead,

The Seiryuu commanded respect.

Before they died, they had no instructions.

But Hiryuu’s legacy to protect.  

Death doesn't discriminate;

It exhibits no restraint,

Only I’m left alive through this age

But time keeps passing anyway.

Hiryuu Castle stands tall,

Though I break

Torn in half with heartache.

And if there's a reason I'm still alive

when everyone who loves me has died

I'm willing to wait for it.

I'm willing to wait for it.

MEMORIES OF ORIGINAL DRAGONS

Wait for it . . . 

Wait for it . . . 

Wait for it . . . 

Wait for it . . . 

ZENO

Hiryuu will come back, at least that’s what I believe.

MEMORIES OF ORIGINAL DRAGONS

Wait for it . . .

Wait for it . . . 

Wait for it . . . 

Wait for it . . . 

ZENO

I am just a thread in the tapestry his story weaves.

MEMORIES OF ORIGINAL DRAGONS

Wait for it . . . 

Wait for it . . . 

Wait for it . . . 

Wait for it . . .

ZENO

It’s hard to stop myself from losing faith,

MEMORIES OF ORIGINAL DRAGONS

Wait for it . . . 

Wait for it . . . 

Wait for it . . . 

Wait for it . . . 

ZENO

But I won’t give up just yet -

I’m determined to wait.

MEMORIES OF ORIGINAL DRAGONS

Wait . . . 

Wait . . . 

Wait . . . 

ZENO

The red dragon shall restore the dawn at last.

MEMORIES OF ORIGINAL DRAGONS

Last . . .

Last . . . 

Last . . . 

ZENO

When the new king is born,

The future shall meet the past.

MEMORIES OF ORIGINAL DRAGONS

Past . . . 

Past . . . 

Past . . . 

ZENO

Hiryuu’s kingdom is withstanding

The tests of time.

MEMORIES OF ORIGINAL DRAGONS

Time . . . 

Time . . . 

Time . . . 

ZENO

It’s been so long since I’ve seen him . . .

Hiryuu didn’t hesitate.  

To help the people; when he came,

Good or evil, he loved them the same.

And he turned human anyway,

For the good of his kingdom,

He stayed, and yet he was betrayed.

And ‘cause I’m the reason

Hiryuu survived when he nearly died,

then dammit -  

(MEMORIES OF ORIGINAL DRAGONS are the echo/chorus - in parentheses)

I'm willing to wait for it. (I’m willing to wait for it.)

 I’m willing to wait for it. . .  (I’m willing to - )

Life doesn't discriminate (Life doesn’t discriminate)                                              

between the deathless and the slain, (between the dragons and the saints,)

it takes and it takes and it takes (it takes and it takes and it takes)

but I can still laugh anyway, (We rise.)

Mocking death and despair, all the (We fall.)

Pain that I face 

and Hiryuu’s the reason I'm still alive (And Hiryuu’s the reason our legacy thrives) 

when so many around me have died, (when so many have died,)

So I'm willing' to- (So I’m willing to- )

ZENO

Wait for it...

ABI/SHUTEN

Wait for it...

GUEN/HIRYUU      

Wait for it...

ZENO

Wait for it...

ABI/SHUTEN

Wait for it...

KIJA/HIRYUU

Wait for it...

SHIN-AH/SHUTEN

Wait for it...

KIJA/HIRYUU

Wait for it...

SHIN-AH/JAE-HA

Wait for it...

KIJA/HIRYUU

Wait for it...

SHIN-AH/JAE-HA

Wait for it...

SHIN-AH/JAE-HA/KIJA/YONA

Wait...

[ivory-in-rapture]

2, 3, 14 ! 💕

Hi! Thanks for the questions! This is lovely.

2.Album of the year?

For me, this definitely has to be Hozier’s new album? Like I’d obviously listened to his songs before but I’d never actually heard his first album all the way through and I totally missed its hype back in the day so I’d heard his songs but I wasn’t too invested. Then “wasteland, baby!” was released and I loved every song and I went back and listened to his first album and it was perfect so I have to say...this was a very Hozier year!

3. Favorite musical artist / group you started listening to this year?

Like a new person? hmm...I started listening to this German band AnnenMayKantereit. Their music is really good. So they were my break out band of the year. my favorite of their music is a song called “Weiße Wand”. And Orville Peck will be my new artist of the year. 

14. Favorite book you read this year?

I read some really good books this year! I can be a little shit and say The Dream thieves, my reread, was the best and...well it is the best book ever so there’s that! But I also read Deathless and Circe and they’re two of the best books I’ve ever read. And I’m reading The Goldfinch right now, this is a hard question! So I’ll go Deathless by Catherynne M. Valente. 

Thanks for the questions

Ask me more!

[bookofmirth]

what I read in January

I’m going to start doing a wrap-up of what I have read each month, with a super-quick review. Because, contrary to what it may seem, I don’t just spend my time rereading TOG and ACOTAR constantly. Nor do I even stick to YA fantasy. In fact, I read quite a bit of literary fiction. Add this to the fact that I’ve published 35k words on AO3 this month, and I’ve been a busy, busy girl. So, without further ado, what I read in January:

1) The Natural Way of Things, Charlotte Wood (literary fiction). 1/5. Didn’t like. Would not recommend. Didn’t make sense.

2) Daughter of Smoke & Bone, Laini Taylor (YA fantasy). 4/5. Started off strong, liked it. Shipped Karou and Akiva. Witty bff & dialogue.

3) Days of Blood & Starlight, Laini Taylor (YA fantasy). 3/5. Kinda losing interest, but remained persistent.

4) Dreams of Gods & Monsters, Laini Taylor (YA fantasy). DNF around 200 pages. Completely lost interest. I rarely DNF things. Oh well.

5) The Bird and the Sword, Amy Harmon (adult fantasy). 5/5 Holy crap. Loved it. Reminded me of the movie Ladyhawke. Need to reread ASAP.

6) Swimming Lessons, Claire Fuller (literary fiction). 5/5 Wow, so sad. So poignant. The author kept liking my posts on social media and freaking me out. Pls leave me alone authors, you make me paranoid when I realize you are paying attention to me reading your book. (Will be published Feb 7th)

7) Cruel Beauty, Rosamund Hodge (YA fantasy) 4/5. Lovely. Like Deathless Lite™. Only an unwilling bride, this time. Unwilling at first, of course.

8) Wintersong, S. Jae-Jones (YA fantasy). 3/5. I’m getting tired of this fairy tale thing now. Maybe I’d like it more if I had read it before Cruel Beauty or Deathless. (Will be published Feb. 7th)

9) Pond, Claire-Louise Bennett (literary fiction). 4.5/5. Love this! Very little happens but the narrator is hilarious while also having Very Profound Thoughts. Exemplary literary fiction/prose. So good.

10) Windwitch, Susan Dennard (YA fantasy) 3/5. I dunno. I liked it. Some surprises. I think I liked Truthwitch better.

I’m kinda hard on books, so 3/5 is decent, for me. 5/5 is pretty rare. My goal for the year is to read 100 books, so I’m on my way. (Last year I read 170-something.)