#I'm SO excited guess what I'm rereading in the new year

[hualian]

Finally picked up the last volume of TGCF 😭🦋

[levisjinchuriki]

forever yours - chapter 5

summary: gojo invites you on your first outing alone together

warning: light fluff

word count: 2k

a/n: thank you everyone for all the love recently for this fic!! i'm so inspired to write for you guys, and because of that there will be a double upload tonight!! ch 6 coming v soon :) woot!!! <3

hey, there's a new café that just opened up downtown. i was thinking it might be nice to check it out together sometime. what do you think? 

you stare at your phone, nerves immediately consuming you. it’s such a simple suggestion, but the weight of what it represents feels immense. it’ll be your first time spending time with him without the presence of your son. and this…date will serve as your real first step into rediscovering the dynamic between the two of you. 

each time you reread the message, your heart races a little faster. it’s not just the idea of the café that’s making you anxious—it’s the significance of the outing itself. 

your hands tremble slightly as you type your reply. 

sounds great. what time works for you?

as you wait for his answer, the nervousness creeps in and settles deep in your stomach. it’s the kind of feeling that makes you second-guess every detail. it reminds you of how you felt before your first date with gojo years ago.

when you receive his message, your heart flutters at his thoughtfulness. 

i have a break between training tomorrow. meet around noon?

it means a lot that he’s finding time to fit you into his busy schedule. it’s a gesture that speaks volumes, especially given that his work commitments were a major issue during your marriage. the fact that he’s making an effort to carve out time for you, despite his demanding responsibilities, means so much.

a small smile tugs at your lips as you reply. it’s a simple suggestion, but it represents a big step towards normalcy, a chance to reconnect without the weight of past conflicts hanging over you.

noon works for me. see you then

—

you’re surprised to see utahime holding a bouquet of fresh flowers at your doorstep that afternoon. she has a bright, cheerful smile on her face as she greets you. although you’re happy to see her, you question her about the unexpected visit.

“you’ve had so much on your plate lately. it’s time you treated yourself a little” she says happily. 

you take the flowers as she continues. “i’ve booked you an appointment for some much-needed pampering. you’ll get a fresh wash, trim, and style. and, just to top it off, i’ve also scheduled a foot massage for you”. utahime had always been a generous friend, but this is far too kind.

your eyes widen in surprise. you had been cooped up putting much effort into your appearance in a while. you hadn’t realized just how much you needed this—some time to focus on yourself, to breathe, to reset. the thought of a relaxing day and a fresh new look sounds perfect.

“i… i don’t know what to say,” you finally manage. “this is so thoughtful of you”

utahime waves off your thanks with a casual flick of her hand. “you deserve it. i know you’ve been going through a lot, and it’s important to take care of yourself” she reasons. utahime’s enthusiasm is infectious, and you find yourself swept up in her excitement. you quickly put the flowers in a vase with some water before grabbing your bag and heading out.

as you drive to the salon, utahime chatters away, making light conversation and sharing snippets of her own experiences with self-care and pampering. her company is warm and you appreciate her support.

the staff are warm and welcoming as you enter the salon. utahime gives them her name and you both are brought over to two stylists waiting for you. as you settle into the chair, you can’t help but feel a little self-conscious. it’s been a while since you had any sort of professional grooming, and the idea of seeing yourself with a fresh new look feels both exciting and intimidating. 

you discuss your preferences with the stylist, a bit apprehensive about the transformation. the stylist is reassuring, promising you a great outcome. she starts with a fresh wash, the warm water flowing over your hair as she massages your scalp with soothing shampoo. the gentle kneading helps to ease some of the tension you've been carrying, and the aromatic scent of the shampoo adds a relaxing touch.

next comes the trim. as she snips away, you feel the weight of your old style falling away, along with some of the stress and uncertainty that have been weighing on you. each step of the process is soothing and therapeutic, a chance for you to let go of stress and embrace something new.

by the time you’re done, you’re pleasantly surprised at your reflection. the precise cuts reshape your hair, adding a fresh, vibrant look that feels both rejuvenating and empowering. the new style feels like a perfect blend of fresh and familiar, enhancing your features in a way that feels both flattering and comfortable. the change in your appearance feels like a small but important step toward embracing this new phase in your life. 

the appointment doesn’t end there. soon, you and utahime migrate to the other side of the salon, where a soothing foot massage awaits you. you sink into the plush chair and let out a sigh of relief as the therapist’s skilled hands work out the knots and tension in your feet. you get the works- lotions, essential oils, a hot towel… it’s a small luxury that feels wonderfully indulgent, and you find yourself relaxing more deeply than you have in months.

as the massage progresses, you can’t help but reflect on the gesture. it’s more than just a makeover; it’s a reminder that you’re supported and cared for, even when things seem overwhelming. utahime’s thoughtful surprise brings a genuine smile to your face, and you reach over to give her hand a grateful squeeze. 

by the time the day comes to a close, you feel rejuvenated and uplifted. the outing has not only refreshed your appearance but has also provided a much-needed boost to your spirits. you thank utahime profusely for her generosity as she drops you back home. like always, she waves it off with a smile. 

“it’s all for you. you deserve to feel good about yourself”. you give her a big hug, promising to hang out again soon before heading inside.

with your new look and a refreshed sense of self, you temporarily feel like yourself again. you feel lighter than you have in months. the day feels like a turning point, a step toward something new and hopeful.

—

as you prepare to meet gojo at the café, the butterflies in your stomach feel unusually intense. you’ve always been confident with gojo, but today feels different. not only are you anxious about the first time alone with him, but your recent changes and the effort you put into your appearance bring a new layer of vulnerability. it’s not just the usual nerves; there’s something more profound about showing off your new look to him.

the fresh haircut and style symbolize not just a physical transformation but a deeper one—a step towards reclaiming a sense of self after everything you’ve been through.

you check your hair once more as you look in the rearview mirror. it’s just as perfect as it looked yesterday, but you still find ways to pick at it for a moment. 

when you finally spot gojo outside the café, waiting for you, your heart skips a beat. his eyes light up as he sees you approach, and for a moment, his surprise is palpable. he looks over you in your nice top and jeans. the weather is getting warmer as spring is taking its full effect, and you’re happy that the cold days are behind you, both figuratively and literally. 

“hi” gojo says as he smiles sweetly at you. you blush under his gaze, your nerves for an abundance of reasons heating your cheeks. 

“hi” you say nervously. gojo notices you fidget with your fingers, a telltale sign you’re feeling uneasy. 

“you look very nice” he says honestly, his eyes taking in your new appearance with an appreciative warmth. your heart jumps at the sincerity in his compliment. 

“thank you. i just got it done. it’s a bit of a change” you respond, a small smile playing on your lips. the new style feels different—nice, but something that will take some getting used to.

he grins, pleased by your reaction. “it suits you” he adds, his tone gentle but genuine. his words are both flattering and sincere, and they make you feel a little more at ease. It’s a small, thoughtful gesture that adds to the positive feelings of the day. the way he looks at you, as if you’re the most important person in the room, makes you feel both flattered and slightly bashful.

you both stand there for a moment, sensing the subtle shift in the atmosphere. it’s been a long time since you’ve seen that particular light in his eyes, the one that used to make your heart skip a beat. the moment feels intimate, like the first step towards something new, and it fills you with a quiet, cautious hope.

gojo holds the door open for you. the nervousness you felt earlier begins to ease, replaced by a tentative excitement. this outing is new territory for both of you, but you can’t deny that it feels… nice.

the café is cozy and inviting, with soft lighting and warm tones that create a relaxed atmosphere. the scent of freshly brewed coffee and baked goods fills the air, making the space feel even more comforting. you both scan the menu, considering your options in comfortable silence.

gojo lets you order first. when you start to pull your wallet out to pay, he steps next to you, smoothly adding his order to yours and handing his card to the cashier before you can react. the act is so seamless that you barely have time to protest.

“thank you for paying. you didn’t have to,” you say kindly, feeling a little flustered.

he gives you a look that reads don’t be silly. “i always pay for you” he says. his tone is light, but the meaning behind it is deeper. since you’ve been with gojo you’ve never had to pay for a bill. he had more than enough money from his upbringing to cover whatever you needed. it's a simple thing, but it reminds you of the way things used to be—before life got complicated. you smile, touched by his gesture as you both take a seat by the window.

as your time together officially begins, you notice how easy it is to talk to him again. gojo listens intently as you speak, his eyes never straying from yours. for the first time in a long while, you feel like you have his full attention. there's no rush, no tension—just a gentle rhythm of words and laughter that feels comforting and familiar. it's a reminder of what drew you to him in the first place, a glimpse of the bond you once had, now being slowly rekindled.

gojo looks at you for a moment without speaking, his gaze lingering as if he's seeing you for the first time. the intensity in his eyes makes you blush, a warmth spreading across your cheeks.

"what?" you ask.

he smiles, a small, genuine smile that reaches his eyes. "nothing," he says, shaking his head slightly. “just thinking” he says quietly. you tilt your head slightly, curiosity getting the better of you. 

“about what?" you try to read his expression. gojo’s smile widens a bit. 

“about us”, he admits, his voice soft but sincere. “i’ve missed this. just spending time with you, without any distractions”. your heart skips a beat as your words resonate within you. you fail trying to hide the smile tugging at your lips.

“i’ve missed it too” you confess, your gaze meeting his. the vulnerability in your admission feels like a small victory. there’s a comfort in being with him, a sense of familiarity that feels like coming home after a long, exhausting journey.

as you sip your coffee, you reflect on how far you’ve come already. this moment, this shared space, is a testament to the progress you’ve made together. 

the date, filled with light laughter and shared memories, eventually comes to an end. by the time you leave the café you feel a sense of peace. it’s a small, but important step towards finding your way back to each other. it’s still a long road ahead, but you feel a glimmer of hope.

---

ch 6>

⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆ thank you for reading!! everyone is welcome to leave feedback and requests in my inbox!! please let me know if you want to be added to my taglist! ⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆

(tagging some people who liked the previous chapter. plz lmk if you want to be removed <3)

@tardis-23 @clearlysworld @sloppynatoppy @shaytoru @concealedeuphoria @svt-backup @padmaaaa @gojosatorumyoneandonly @satoru2716 @eldweiss @luvuyuuji @dark-agate @gojolovrrrr @wysefyre @s-x-m-m-y @jeankirsteinwh3re @funkyotaku7 @um-no-ok @ghostlymilkshakeglitter @domilovestoru @pepperyduck @celestialgojo @smolpotatosstuff @sanriovin @himi009 @yourpalheapass @scgsposts @gojoswaterbottle @sasukun @meforpr3sident @lady-of-blossoms @readingfan @pastelchan94 @luns-exlipse @devils-blackrose @gallifreyansunsets @ekaterinatepes @kkshahrewar @megumisthirdog @cherryblossomfox @kalopsia-flaneur  @mangomagiii @junslay @bokuatsubro @toujours-black @xmendi @kalopsia-flaneur @rohann-s @paleprofessorbatdragon @shaytoru @lunaauroraheart21 @purehearttt @urmoonlightbebe

[bonesandthebees]

Selfishly, the thing I hate the most (besides what Wilbur actually did to Shubble and others) is the loss of a good chunk of the fanfiction/fanfiction authors in this community. Like, do you know how hard it is to find platonic content? It’s almost all exclusively romance! And don’t get me wrong, romance is fine everyone once in a while. But it’s literally just everywhere’s you look. This was the one place I could come to find platonic found family content, and now so many of the authors have just discontinued their works. The discord servers I’m a part of to follow authors for updates are opening up for romance/NSFW content. And I know, I know this was going to happen eventually. People had slowly been loosing interest in the dsmp anyways and it was bound to happen. But this just sped that process up. I just hate it. It’s sad to say, but this online space is the only safe space I had left and now it feels like it’s disappearing. I scrambled at the beginning of the announcement to download as many of my favorite fics as I possibly could before they got deleted. And it’s valid as hell that people don’t want to be associated with this fandom or Wilbur anymore. But like damn. Damn. Im so angry about this. Is it that hard not to be just a terrible fucking human being? I’ve already had abusers steal so many good things from me in the past, and now it just feels like it’s happening all over again. It’s just frustrating. Anyways, selfish rant over I guess. Feel free to just ignore this if it’s too much or whatever. For what it’s worth, thank you for what you did write for this fandom. “The stars and their children”, and “through a glass divine” are especially favorites of mine. I remember being so excited every time I saw new updates for them. Thank you for the good memories.

yeah believe me this was one of the things that hit me really hard. as a writer I've found so much inspiration from c!wilbur as a character for so many years now, and I've loved reading crimeboys fics for so long. the dsmp fanfiction community left such a lasting impact on the fandom as a whole and I'm so honored that I was able to make my mark on it while it was around. but yeah, while I myself had been shifting towards wanting to write romance again, I genuinely had grown to love writing found family so much and it really sucks that we're likely never going to see a fandom so heavily built around found family like that again

overall, yeah, the fandom was already dying. I've been aware of that for a long time and knew it was inevitable. but it feels cruel to watching the dying community crawling along on the ground get shot point blank in the head like this

I also get feeling selfish for feeling this way. I do too. but we're allowed to be upset, and I truly mourn all the wonderful stories that have been deleted because of this. I fully believe it's within the authors rights to do what they want with the story, it just sucks that they were so hurt by this that they felt they had to completely erase something they put so much love and effort into

I'm so glad I was able to provide good memories here, and like I said, I'm honored I was able to leave a mark on things. I won't delete my fics as I've said, so at least anyone who wants to reread them will be able to go back and revisit those memories

[allaboutthedrama]

I know that I'm pretty late to the conversation, but I've just reread all of Vampire Academy and Bloodlines (possibly for The Untitled Jill Project) and it's the first time I've reread the VA series in years.

I'm just thinking about how, in my opinion, the quality of the VA series improved as we got into the last few books, and with Bloodlines, I think the reverse sort of happened. Spoilers for both series ahead. (Yeah, the last book came out nine years ago, but you never know.)

I think I hadn't realized how cohesive the ending of Last Sacrifice was. Details from as far back as the first book came up and were very relevant. The political plotline came together in a really tight way, Sonya Karp turned out the be Chekov's spirit user, we got more world-building details, the antagonists had complex and convoluted motivations, and even when there were plot threads left dangling, those actually served a purpose. I loved the part where Adrian pointed out to Rose that her actions had consequences and even though she had gotten what she wanted, not everything else was resolved, so people like Eddie and Sydney and Jill were left in bad situations, and she was partly responsible. It created a little more moral ambiguity, which I really enjoyed, especially since YA tends to like the very neat endings where everything winds up happily ever after.

The Vampire Academy books improved the deeper into the series you got. And, although I love Bloodlines, I do think that the first three books are much stronger than the last three. Which is a shame, because the series has so much potential.

I think Mead is at her best when she's writing something of a mystery. Last Sacrifice obviously comes to mind (they're solving a murder mystery, after all). Bloodlines had that, with the tattoos, Lee, and Keith being shady all building up to a really exciting climax. The Golden Lily wasn't quite as much of one, but the clues leading up to the reveal of the Warriors were well-placed. Indigo Spell went straight back into mystery territory, trying to find Jackie's sister. And then The Fiery Heart is where, in my opinion, things start to falter. There's a lot of interesting worldbuilding information introduced, with the new details about spirit and magic coming up, and it was fun to get into Adrian's head, but it definitely felt like this supernatural romance was shifting to become a lot more romance and a lot less concerned with the supernatural. But that's not such a big deal. It's the middle of the series, we're building tension, Re-Education has been a threat hanging over Sydney since page one of Bloodlines and we're finally seeing that fear pay off.

But then we get to Silver Shadows, and while I guess figuring out where Sydney is could be a mystery, it doesn't really resonate the way 'who killed the queen' does, in my opinion. Sydney's arc in Re-Education is great, and I do like the way the books deal with Adrian's mental health issues, but some of Adrian's chapters felt more like filler. And a bigger issue, imo, was that this was when we really started to lose the side characters. Some of my favorite parts of the first few books were characters like Jill, Eddie, Trey, and Angeline, and then the ensemble atmosphere was largely gone, because Sydney was in Re-Education and Adrian left Palm Springs. The final fight and flight sequence was really good, though, so I had high hopes going into The Ruby Circle.

The Ruby Circle is probably my least favorite of the books between both of the series, and I think that's a shame, since it's the finale. We'd just had a 'kidnapped character' arc, so I think there was less emphasis on describing everyone's reactions. We saw the biggest reaction from Eddie, but as a result, he got kind of flattened out from the really well-rounded character he'd been from the back half of the VA books and the first part of Bloodlines.

The Ruby Circle could have been a really good mystery, with lots of twists that tied up a lot of the lingering questions from the series. Except that a lot of threads from the rest of the series were dropped and didn't resurface. They never caught whoever was behind the assassination attempt on Jill. I don't think we even got an official resolution on whether Lissa managed to change the quorum law. The political plots that were integral to VA weren't significant in Bloodlines, despite it all starting because of a politically motivated assassination. We also never got a resolution on the rogue spirit user who turned Lee back from being Strigoi, or the spirit users who had been sent to the psychiatric facility in Tarasov (the prison from Spirit Bound). We never found Robert Duro. The bond itself was somewhat discarded, too, whenever it wasn't immediately useful for a plot point. Instead, we just got a scavenger hunt across the country, a few fight scenes where the protagonists were pretty much guaranteed to win, and a final showdown with a magic barrier that, as we learn after, would have dropped down on its own in a few hours for them to bring Jill food, anyways.

I obviously still like the series, since I'm rereading it and talking about it nine years after the fact. But I think that there were a lot of opportunities to continue plots from VA that were lost, even when they should have been brought back into the story.

If anyone has made it this far, I suppose I should throw in a pitch for The Untitled Jill Project, which will be my attempt to rewrite the Bloodlines series from Jill's perspective, because I think there's still a lot more story to be told. I haven't got it all mapped out, but I intend to at least tie up some of the narrative loose ends I mentioned that bothered me about the series in that story. I might write up another post here soon about how Jill's characterization also suffered as Bloodlines went on, if anyone's interested.

Anyways, if anyone has any strong opinions on what I said (agreeing or disagreeing) please let me know! I'd love to talk about the series with people, since no one in my real life has read it, and I'm curious to know what the rest of the fandom thinks about how the narrative progressed in Bloodlines.

[bienmoreau]

Can you tell me abt sunshine court? I see a new book came recently and I've gathered it's a book series and I could just look it up but I have not. It's books? About foxes? I guess it's not about foxes. I like foxes tho. When I see it on your blog I think abt foxes which is nice.

Boy CAN I!!

The Sunshine Court is a spin-off of the All For The Game trilogy by Nora Sakavic! It follows my absolute favourite character from the trilogy the one and only Jean Moreau! (And my 2nd favourite Jeremy Knox)!! BUT! TSC is going to make next to no sense unless you've read AFTG!

So what is AFTG?

; A trilogy consisting of the books The Foxhole Court, The Raven King and The Kings Men.

Shortest answer is: a truly wild collegiate sport drama with an extra flavour of trying to escape from the mafia and shed loads of trauma!

Slightly longer answer is that the books are about Neil Josten a boy on the run for his life from his dad who's obsessed with a fictional sport called Exy. Against all better judgement he is convinced to sign with a college team. And against all odds doing so is probably long-term what saves his life. Tho not for many a close call when his past and his present collide with more fallout than even he could have anticipated. Thankfully he has the 'psychotic midget' Andrew Minyard at his back and maybe they can make a future together out of this mess.

Longer/other answers can be found in this tag here #wtf is tfc

And also please mind there are a heap of trigger warnings for these books if you do plan to read them! More info on each book here!

But yeh. These books mean a lot to me. A friend got me to read them in 2015 and a group of us spent a couple months building a fandom and promoting the heck out of them and that fandom is now bigger than I ever could have imagined back then and most of the old crowd aren't really in it anymore but the love from that time hasn't gone anywhere and then last year Nora messaged me to say she was writing TSC (incredibly exciting madness since she went offline YEARS ago!) so I've been dipping my toes back in a bit since then, mostly just for tsc & jerejean again, but the OG 3 books still mean so much to me and I'm rereading them rn and still absolutely adore Nora's writing and the story she is telling with these books!! So with all that (sorry got a little tangential there) if you are interested and wanna know more feel free to ask me anything abt them!

🦊xx

[veliseraptor]

December Reading Recap

Burning Girls and Other Stories by Veronica Schanoes. As is typical with me and short story collections, I really liked some of the stories in this one and found myself less impressed with several of the others. I did really appreciate the explicit Jewishness of the collection as a whole, and I feel like I'm going to be watching this author to see what she does in the future. I think my favorite story was the titular one ("Burning Girls"); some of the others got a little abstract for me. I did also like what she did with "Emma Goldman Takes Tea with the Baba Yaga" - in general I think Schanoes's strength is in the interweaving of folklore and history, and that's what I enjoyed most in her stories.

Heaven Official's Blessing: vol. 8 by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu. It's over!! by which I mean my, what, fourth reread of this book? This time in a new translation, so I guess that kind of makes it different (?). This was my first time reading a lot of the extras, specifically the amnesia one, which was both very good and rather upsetting. My only critique about it was that it could've been even more upsetting. No surprises here, of course (again, fourth reread) but it was a good reminder how much I love this one.

Children of Memory by Adrian Tchaikovsky. Adrian Tchaikovsky's imaginative worldbuilding and sheer creativity continues to blow me away. This is probably my least favorite of the three Children of Time books, corvids notwithstanding, but that's sort of like saying that The Hobbit is my least favorite Tolkien book. It's a ranking, but it's not actually a negative. And again, corvids, and what Tchaikovsky does with a society of corvids is as compelling as what he did with a society of octopuses, or spiders.

I think you have to have a certain amount of faith in Tchaikovsky for this one because, at least for me, I spent a lot of it not knowing what was going on and just trusting that it would make sense in the end, but by the time you get to this point in the series I feel like he's earned that faith.

The Husky and His White Cat Shizun: vol. 4 by Rou Bao Bu Chi Rou. I wonder if this is going to be the horniest single volume of this translation, because truly the arc it covers is one of the horniest arcs of the whole novel (at least, in my recollection). It's not my favorite section but it's a lot of fun, and Chu Wanning's desperation to be defiled alongside Mo Ran's desperation to be a good disciple is very entertaining. And meanwhile they're both incredibly horny for each other. I just happen to be here for the angst more than anything else, and there's less of the angst in this arc than there will be to come.

I genuinely wonder how they decide where to divide these volumes, by the by. It seems kind of random.

Die: vol. 4 by Kieron Gillen and Stephanie Hans. I liked the front half of this series better than the back half, and I felt like the conclusion was weaker than I would've expected from a usually incredibly strong storyteller. It continued to be breathtakingly beautiful throughout (thanks, Stephanie Hans!) but I felt like thematically and in terms of narrative it lagged a little toward the end compared to how it began.

The Odyssey trans. by Emily Wilson. I haven't read the Odyssey in many, many years (since my freshman year of college) and it was really fun to go back and reread it with fresh eyes and in fresh language. I don't have a whole lot of intelligent commentary to make, but I loved reading Wilson's introduction and translator's notes - definitely brought out new angles to me and made me alert to different things than I might have been otherwise. I was particularly a fan of the choice to translate in relatively plain language but in iambic pentameter. Also deeply impressed by the choice to translate in iambic pentameter, because boy does that seem like it'd be a challenge. Excited to read Wilson's translation of the Iliad when it comes out in paperback.

The Underworld: Journeys to the Depths of the Ocean by Susan Casey. I wanted this book to be a little more about the depths of the ocean and a little less about deep ocean exploration/the author's personal journey toward deep ocean exploration, but it was still an enjoyable read. I liked her other book (about rogue waves/surfing) more, despite the fact that this is a subject I find generally fascinating, but again, still pretty readable. Which I recognize is damning with faint praise but, like, if you're interested in the subject I wouldn't say you shouldn't check it out.

The chapter about deep sea mining was profoundly depressing, though. In an important-feeling kind of way.

Indigenous Continent: The Epic Contest for North America by Pekka Hamalainen. This book was such a good study on the way that teleological approaches to history can obscure/miss a lot of things, in terms of how it takes the common narrative of Native "loss" over the course of colonization and shows how in fact the story was a lot more complicated and uneven than that - that a lot of colonial "victories" were in fact rearguard actions, and for much of the 17th-19th centuries, despite colonial maps, North America remained a continent controlled by Native Americans. Really well done on the whole and I learned a hell of a lot. I'd generally recommend it for anyone looking for a solid broad-spectrum Indigenous history of North America.

At the same time sometimes the author was hammering so hard on his point that it started to annoy me. Annoying me isn't a crime, exactly, but sometimes when I feel like an author is straying into polemic I start to get suspicious of their scholarship - which I'm not, in this case, I actually trust that Hamaleinen did the work and the research, but it is something that comes up for me sometimes when I'm reading books that have a clear ideological motivation, even one I agree with.

The Carrow Haunt by Darcy Coates. After a couple big wins, my last couple Darcy Coates have been a little more disappointing. Still good, still satisfyingly spooky, but less stand-out "would recommend broadly" horror novels. Or maybe I've just gotten pickier, that's also possible. On the other hand, I still read this one in a day, so I can't be that critical.

Mistakenly Saving the Villain by Feng Yu Nie. This one was a bit of a disappointment to me, alas. I enjoyed it, still, but I think I wanted it to be more fucked up than it was. The twist at the end did genuinely surprise me, though, so it gets points for that.

--

I'm currently reading Conspirituality: How New Age Conspiracies Became a Health Threat by Derek Beres, Matthew Remski, and Julian Walker, alongside Faraway Wanderers by priest.

As far as what comes next when I finish one/both of those, I have a long list of want-to-reads I'm kind of jumbling around in deciding on. Among the likely candidates are Lords of Uncreation by Adrian Tchaikovsky, Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh, and Too Like the Lightning by Ada Palmer. On the nonfiction side I'm looking at In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado, An Intellectual History of Cannibalism by Cătălin Avramescu, and Spin Dictators by Sergei Guriev and Daniel Treisman.

[magpiefngrl]

mid-year book tag

Thanks for tagging me, @bloody-wonder! It's become a fun tradition to do this every year and I've been eagerly anticipating it :)

This hasn't been as prolific a year for me as the last several years have been. I've read 34 books by end of June, so about 10-20 less than I used to, and a lot of these have been rereads. The past couple of months have been super busy and I read a lot of fic, but struggled to finish novels. Fingers crossed for a better reading summer.

1. Best Book You’ve Read So Far in 2024?  I haven't read a book that blew me away so far. I've mentioned some of my faves here. I did enjoy most of my reads this year, but there isn't one book that stands out. (a fic, does, though. More on that later)

2. Best Sequel You’ve Read So Far in 2024? Dark Heir by Pacat. I was very invested, went back to read it again a week later, and it's made me very excited about the last novel.

3. New Release You Haven’t Read Yet, But Want To? The Brides of High Hill by Nghi Vo is definitely on my list (this will wait for 2025). There's also a new fantasy novel called Foul Days by a Bulgarian author that I'm curious about. Finally, Rebecca Roanhorse's Mirrored Heavens comes out soon but I still haven't read the second one in the series, so it'll also have to wait.

4. Most Anticipated Release For Second Half of 2024? Like you, KJ Charles's The Duke at Hazard is the one I'm most eagerly waiting.

5. Biggest Disappointment? I've been reading The Master and Margarita for two months now, forcibly stopping myself from DNFing it these days, because I don't actually hate it, it's just I can't bring myself to read it. But I also want to have read it, to be done with it. Idk why I'm struggling so much. Perhaps I'm not in the mood for it and would appreciate it at a later date. Based on the title and the positive reviews, I expected something more fascinating.

6. Biggest Surprise? The above, I guess.

7. Favourite New Author? Somehow, the only new authors I've read this year are Aliette de Bodard and Lois McMaster Bujold, and Bujold is the better one of the two. (The rest of the authors were people I've read before and I knew what their writing was like.)

8. Newest Favourite Character? Miles Vorkosigan, for his cleverness and his ability to always get in trouble and then to get creatively out of it.

9. Newest Fictional Crush? Not quite a crush, but my latest obsession is Bucky Barnes, entirely because of the fic I mentioned above (Out of the Dead Land, orphaned) which gave me the worst fic hangover. It's a stucky fic, a ship that never interested me, and it gave me feral feels about Bucky; it made me go back and rewatch a few Marvel films (and I had to torrent them since I'd ended my disney subscription; in other words, I had to go to some trouble); and it was a fic I kept thinking for days after I finished it. I'm actively stopping myself from rewatching Winter Soldier again today. And yes, not a book character, but the obsession is based on a fic and he's fictional so I say he counts :)

💕Best Ship💕 I loved Asmodeus and Thuan in de Bodard's Dominion of the Fallen series. Asmodeus is a Fallen Angel who likes stabbing and torture, Thuan is a dragon prince who tries to temper down his stabby husband. Will and James from Dark Rise are also a ship I enjoyed, though I'm more interested in their past selves.

10. Book That Made You Cry? There hasn't been one this year so far. And I cry easily, and I consider books that make me cry Superior. This tells you how mid the year has been.

12. Favourite Book Adaptation You Saw This Year? I really liked Dune II but haven't read the book yet so don't know if it was a good adaptation. It was definitely a great film.

13. Favourite Review You’ve Written This Year? Have written a couple of longer reviews on GR but nothing that stands out as more creative or unique. I've been thinking about posting reviews on my website and I'd like to figure out a unique or unusual or at least a me way to do them.

14. Most Beautiful Cover? I read almost exclusively on my Kobo and pay scant attention to covers.

15. What Books Do You Need To Read By The End of The Year? Many!

The Master and Margarita! hahah sobs :((

Finish a Lymond reread

reread tgcf now that I got all the novels

Harrow the Ninth

Some more Vorkosigan novels

Vita Nostra, which I've just begun

a couple of novels I bought YEARS ago and still haven't finished

and if I can read at least one of my 60-odd unread physical books I'll consider it a triumph

Tagging anyone who wants to do this! Perhaps @skeptiquex @hoko-onchi-writes @wolfpants @lettersbyelise and @gracerene might want to get the ball rolling?

2022 mid year post

2023 mid year post

[letters-from-dekarios]

(GAAAAHH I was so excited when I saw your response on my feed. You write Gale so well, I am so flattered to hear my little writings were entertaining <33 I have returned right away because I am whipped for this nerdy wizard. Thank you for indulging me. <33)

{Around a month after Gale had sent his letter, he finds himself letting out a breath of anticipation he hadn't known he'd been holding in when he catches the familiar name on the newly arrived letter.}

⚝─⭒⭑⭒─⚝

Warm Greetings, Gale Dekarios

Would you believe me if I told you I could hear your voice in my head as I read your letter? I've been rereading it quite a bit.

You will be relieved to hear that the pigeon that delivered your words is very much alive and well, she's a lovely little creature named Biscuit - I'm sure you could guess why.

I'm glad to hear from you. Very much so. As often as I repeated that I wasn't awaiting a reply from you, hope still flickered away like the candles in the corner of my room after a prolonged reading session.

Thank you so much for taking the time to respond to each of my writings, even that drunken slip-up that should've stayed in the confines of my desk. It means a lot to me.

Be sure to extend my dearest of wishes to Tara as well. I always loved to hear about what kind of shenanigans she'd been up to whenever we talked - or for whatever reason she scolded you every other time. I'd be curious to know how much she remembers of me. I'm prone to leaving rather scant impressions.

I assure you that you have nothing to apologize for. Secluding yourself from the world to safe them the spectacle of your own deterioration is a notion I am all too familiar with, which you might have figured by now.

In similar fashion I apologize for not replying to you right away either. The last few weeks have been rather cruel to me. Not to worry - better days will come. They always do.

I'm so sorry to hear what you have been through at that time. Being shunned by the very goddess that had guided you for so long in your life, and a subsequent year of isolation would take a toll on anyone, even the strongest of minds as I've known you to be. Which only makes it that much more gratifying to hear that you are doing well and are planning on keeping it that way. I'm very glad. I'd love to meet the new Gale Dekarios one day, should the opportunity arise. You've always been someone I had looked up to in the trials of perseverance, Gale.

As for myself - I suppose all I can say without dampening the mood too much is that I've been better. I realize that our interactions died down without as much as a word from me. For that I am very sorry. At the time, what was happening to me was all still quite new and I wasn't coping well. It felt like my world was crashing down on me and I didn't have a clue as to why. By now I have found my footing again. There are bad days, sometimes even weeks, but I always know a good day will follow just as the sun rises each and every morning to greet us.

I feel the need to explain myself at least a little bit, even if you might immediately tell me I don't owe you anything at all. (Yes, I know that, don't worry.)

The tamest way to describe it is that I have been afflicted with a case of chronic fatigue, not to mention the mental burden that would follow. Each task takes great might to complete and the worst days are spent in bed, usually. But treatment is a stable crutch of mine to rely on, the small community of friends I have been graced with being the other to complete my pair. I am faring well for the most part.

Though this unfortunately means that meeting each other face to face would be quite a challenge. Assuming you would have the time to visit Secomber or I the strength to traverse to Waterdeep. Perhaps we could meet in the middle - you are quite the inspiration for me to take on a few challenges myself.

My pupils are most forgiving, thankfully, and when I find myself too weak to be tutoring, (depending on the severity of the flare-up) I will take the time to work more on my other profession, which is analyzing and translating old scriptures for our modern, curious minds. I've always had a knack for those old, dusty tomes.

And I've never given up on magic either, though wielding it is only a venture I dare to take on when I've had plenty of sleep and a promising day ahead of me. It remains a treasured passion nonetheless.

Never you mind, as I said, my circles are quite caught up on the happenings along the Coast and you were always a topic I was looking quite forward for. Your success was occasionally a source of envy, but most of the time it only sparked more reverence in me for your dedication to your craft.

I would be most content to keep our correspondence a frequent occurrence if you could spare me the time. I'm not exactly sure what someone like you does nowadays after saving all of Faerun. Though I hope you haven't stopped writing. Your little poems and philosophical musing were a small delight in the usually stressful life at the Academy.

I wonder what your life entails now, as a hero and as a better man. How are Tara and your mother? Any recent ambitions you are itching to achieve? Made new friends, enemies or partner(s)? I fall into thought so easily. Concentration spells were always the trickiest ones to maintain.

Here I am, rambling on as well. I'll be sure to request a heftier pigeon to carry the bulk of my words. Once again, I was very pleased to hear from you. To learn that you are doing well. I'm glad to know I've been, and am, of importance to you. I'm glad to have the privilege of calling you a friend of mine, still.

I don't believe someone as bright and supportive as you could ever not be cared for. Be sure to remember it.

~ Dearest regards, Theo Rivershade

{though the pages were thoroughly filled out, the half-elf still found a way to cramp a small notation in the corner of it.}

"Having everything, yet nothing at all."

You truly know how to hit the nail on the head, dear friend. As much as life had turned upside down for me, that quote tumbled right along.

Now I'd describe it as having nothing, yet everything all at once. In a positive way, of course. I am at times basically impotent, and yet every corner allows me to meander through my troubles still. I am blessed with luck. I'll try to send some of it over to you for good measure.

⚝─⭒⭑⭒─⚝

(hugs !! <33)

Dearest Theo,

I would be as much of a fool as any if I did not admit I could hear your voice as clear as day upon reading all your letters. That is something one cannot simply forget about another.

Pay no mind to the tales of my past! My rambling on about former issues serves me no greatness. I share the story only to not lead your mind to wander. You deserve to know as much as any good friend, though lost to the perils of unanswered communication, why I had been dormant. It is not a past I look upon with great pleasure, but with an understanding of how it shaped me into who I am today. It is often said the perils of a man will mould him into fine pottery. While I’m sure I am still in the moulding stage, at least I am no longer a block of unused clay.

Enough of me, I have already spoken too much of myself. You might begin to think I’ve got an ego.

If we were sat having tea, I would tell you just the same that an explanation is not at all owed. You still know me well enough to note that. Though, I do appreciate your openness. It’s never easy to share those parts of yourself, I understand that from personal experience.

Despite your ailment, it sounds as though you are doing well for yourself. You can’t imagine how glad that makes me feel. I was often worried about you, where you had gone, what you had become, but it seems those worries were unwarranted. Though it pains me to hear of your fatigue, and how it afflicts you, it is comforting to hear despite that, you are pushing ever forward. You always had a knack for making it through difficulties with an optimistic outlook. While you claim I was your source of inspiration, I can only attune my eagerness towards your attitude you had with life. While I was a spry student, your optimism led me ever forward. In a way, I looked up to you, too.

Believe me, friend, my success was not easily earned! I’m still not quite sure if I would have preferred endless isolation or a Mindflayer tadpole with the chance of transformation, for all it’s worth. Neither affliction would be worth the penny toll it took on me had I not had the company I did. Without those around me, I fear I may have lost myself to myself.

Ah, here I go, taking the conversation and directing it towards me! I shall speak no more of my greatness, the lips of Gale Dekarios are sealed! Metaphorically, of course, you know I can’t help but chatter. I will, however, answer your other questions with as much humility as one can bring to the table.

Tara, bless the Tressym’s soul, is doing well! Though I scared her quite a bit with my sudden disappearance, then re-appearance with a tadpole within my mind, she has since calmed and returned to her ever-overbearing nature. Her purpose has shifted quite a bit now that we need not worry of the orb’s sudden explosion, and she has taken a liking to cozying up by the fire once more.

My mother, on the other hand, is also doing well. You’ll be happy to know she was waiting to scold me for my arrogance, though she quickly followed it up with her warm embrace once her son got past being humbled. If we get the chance to meet soon, I will bring some of her baked goods with me. She has been spoiling me rotten since I returned, I don’t know how much more I can consume on my own!

As far as achievements or plans for the future, I aim to resume my professorship in a few weeks at Blackstaff Academy. From there, we shall see where the tides of life take me. Hopefully not on another Nautiloid, I can only handle that trip once. I will be working in the illusory department, isn’t that exciting?

Friends, enemies, partners… where to begin? In my journey, I did meet a fair number of companions I can now safely call my friends. Though we had rocky starts, I am content with where my relationships stand with each of them. Imagine, two humans (one with a pact with a Devil, the other with a ticking magical time bomb embedded in his chest), a half-elf (originally sworn to Shar and now finding out the secrets of her past), an elf (with a vampiric plague of his own), a githyanki (just now coming to the realization her people do not have her best interests at heart), and a tiefling (once sworn and sold to Zariel from the now-deceased Archduke himself), all stacked in a single wagon… I kid, of course. Our journey was entirely on foot (I’m still recovering from that, mind you.). While we made quite the sightly group of adventurers, I have each of them to thank for our success. Enemies… well, I am sure we made plenty of those when it came to the hard-hitting decisions we made. Eviscerating a goblin camp, defying Gods and Goddesses, breaking Devil’s pacts and destroying their homes… the list could go on, I’m sure, but it was all for a good cause.

As far as partners go, while there were a few flitting moments of romance after victory, I have come out of our battle the same way I had gone in, as single a man as ever. I’m sure you’d joke and claim that, no, in fact, I’m married to my work, but even that does not fill my heart the way a significant other does. Every now and then I look, here and there, but it’s hard to find someone with whom I can connect with on such a level. It often makes me think of our relationship back when we were younger, in a way. I wouldn’t have wanted that with anyone else, no, as it was… sui generis; of its own kind. Inimitable. Bespoke. I hope the picture is painted clearly enough.

I cannot simply gain a romantic relationship without a foundation, first. I don’t believe that’s how this mind of mine likes to work. Either way, the answer in short is no, I do not have a romantic partner. But there is no need to be sad about it! I’m sure I’ll find that foundation somewhere. Perhaps it is closer than I think.

You’ve done well in tricking me into speaking more of myself, dear Theo. I swore I would not, and now here I am. I may have to bring this scroll to you myself.

I can spare as much time as you’d like to continue our correspondence. It is not something I am willing to take for granted now that my perspective of the world has changed so drastically. Faerún help us all when my idiotic ramblings are historical evidence of all my trials and are being taught as an example to the next generation. I’m not sure what I’ll do then.

You will be happy to know that I have resumed writing my poetry. My journey has given me much to think of and write about. I hope you’ve continued doing the same, especially with your annotations in literature. I always enjoyed seeing those in our studies.

I shall not burden you with traversing the unruly terrain on the way to this city. Even if only halfway, I can consider myself a gentleman in allowing you to stay put while I come to you. Besides, travel sigils are a man’s best friend nowadays! It’d do me well to come and visit you, anyway, do not take the strain in trying to make the journey. If you do, I won’t like the stern talking-to I’ll have to give you for not caring for yourself when I could have saved you the trouble.

My hand grows tired with my continued writing. I must save my words to continue this conversation, but I do swear we shall keep in touch. How is your family? What have you been up to besides tutoring and transcribing? Have you taken up any hobbies lately?

I hope to hear from you soon, Theo. I will wait eagerly for your reply, only to bore my quill to death with my own excitement as I write back to you once more.

Take care of yourself in the meantime. I will corroborate with my calendar as to when I’ll be able to come and visit you in person and include that within my next letter.

Wishing you all the best,

𝑮𝒂𝒍𝒆 𝑫𝒆𝒌𝒂𝒓𝒊𝒐𝒔

P.S. I need as much luck as one can get nowadays. I fear whatever luck I did have has now come to pass, wearing off for the time being. I’m glad you can find solace in my confusion. You were always the best interpreter of my foolish philosophies. I may need to employ you for the school year if my students have difficulty understanding me. Would you be interested in a profession as a translator? Only kidding, of course.

[after flipping the last page over, theo would find the back half scribbled with words crossed out and overlapping. it was clear gale had attempted to scribe several poems that were now unreadable, though a section stood out from all the rest, in gale’s neatest handwriting. the sonnet read as follows;

In darkness deep, my heart did ache and bleed./Each day a battle, each night a groan./With courage each trial was faced, though I plead,/No solace found in sorrow's heavy moan.

I searched for light to guide me through the night,/But shadows chased away each fleeting hope./A beacon shining in the dimmest plight,/Brought back the courage I needed to cope.

In the midst of victory, a voice did call,/A friend long-lost but never really gone./Letters quick to write in a hasty scrawl,/I inscribed to bring ease of mind upon.

With joy does reading your letters overflow,/ I thank you for all your love, dearest Theo.]

text reads: gale dekarios

i will admit i did use multiple sources to write that sonnet (my google search is filled with ‘what rhymes with [insert word]) but it was 100% worth it. theo is so [gremlin noises]. i LOVE him. i love this letter. this is so cute i’m going to go cry now. ~kore

[springlock-suits]

Um. *twirls my hair* For this day I wanted to draw Funtime Foxy and or Ballora as real/showbiz inspired animatronics but then I realized I didn't. Want to. And might not have the time to depending on how the inspiration hits and if I'm going to add Baby to be a proper ladies night. So. I wrote a fic one-shot 👉👈

Bear in mind, I am an artist first. And failed English class on multiple occasions. So have fun with this I guess

Fnaf-tober | Day 4: Ladies Night

Fnaf-tober by miiilowo

Content: Willry if you squint, mostly in the form of Henry's thoughts. Gender.

This is about 1000 words, so one of my more lengthy fics, if not the new record holder

-----

Henry reread the design notes in front of him again. He scratched his beard a bit in concentration. The ginger man was currently looking over William's work on some circus themed animatronics, they were only concepts right now, silly little doodles made by a man who happened to enjoy the aesthetic clowns and the like. However... he couldn't help but notice a small, inconcensistent detail. Had William made a mistake? Maybe he should call him to make sure he's reading this right.

No... he can't do that.

Henry sighed and took a sip of the tea on his desk, perfectly sweet, though unfortunately has long since become room temperature. Henry huffed a laugh as he took another sip, William always called Henry's tea "hummingbird nectar". Always scrunching his nose in that cute way of his when he saw Henry drinking a cup of a sugary concoction. Henry shook his head, focus, what was he doing again? He looked back down, right, William's notes. Calling him. Can't do that. Henry sighed again, William had taken a break from work this week to take care of his kids while Bella was away on a camping trip with her girl friends. William would be back for work this Friday, and correcting a detail on some concept work truly wasn't that important. Especially since the "funtimes" won't see the light of days for years, if ever.

Henry nibbled on his pen, and looked up at the time. 1pm. Would William be busy? Michael was at school, but little Evan and Elizabeth were home. Maybe they were taking an after lunch nap at this very moment and William was just as bored as he was and wanted to talk about his animatronics some more. Henry rapidly tapped his pen on the desk, thinking. Charlotte was still at school. His little Button had mentioned recently that she wanted to see Uncle Will and her siblings again. He remembered how he tried once to explain to her that William is not her uncle, and even if he was his children wouldn't be considered her siblings, she just puffed up and crossed her arms, stating that she obviously knew that, but she had adopted them, so they're family now. William had laughed and ruffled her hair, saying he couldn't argue with that logic, and Charlie had absolutely beamed at that. Henry smiled at the memory.

He shook his head, getting distracted again, what was he...? Henry jolts up when he remembers. Right, of course, Charlie wanted a play date. He should call William to ask him about it. And if the conversation happens to steer towards other things, well, that'd be convenient, just some light chatter between friends. Henry holds the phone to his ear, having quickly dialed the number.

Ringing...

"Hello?" comes the sweet sound of William's voice. Henry realizes that he's been silent on the phone to the point of becoming uncomfortable. "William! I ah, hope I'm not being a bother right now- I was just uh wondering if you were free at some point this week. And your kids. For a play date. Charlotte wants a playdate." Henry quickly rambles out, embarrassed. William chuckles on the other end of the line, and Henry hears the faint whispering of Elizabeth, excited at the thought of playdate. "You're not bothering me Henry, Evan just went to bed, and Lizzie here is practicing her makeup skills on me. Of course they can have a playdate later, how does after school sound? Or after Charlie finishes with her homework I suppose."

Henry doesn't even take a moment to think, "Yes yes that's perfect, my little Button will be excited to hear the news." Henry paused. "Practicing her makeup skill on you?" William chuckled, and Elizabeth seemingly shoved her face right in front of the phone as she now loudly spoke. "I'm making Daddy pretty! We're having uh,, um,,, a." The toddler struggled to remember a word. "A LADIES NIGHT!!" she shouted triumphantly, proud of herself. William quietly told her not to be so loud, as she might wake Evan or hurt poor Uncle Henry's ears. Henry hummed. "You and William and having a ladies night Lizzie?" Elizabeth nodded, and then gave a quick "Yeah!" when she remembered Henry couldn't see her. "Me and Daddy are having a ladies night, because we're the only ones in the house right now other than Evan and Evan is sleeping." She shushed the phone for emphasis. "And we're both ladies so we're having a ladies night!"

"I see," replied Henry, not seeing. "That reminds me of something actually, could you hand the phone back to your father, dear?" Elizabeth nods and William gently takes the offered phone from her, and watches as she quickly becomes distracted with rummaging in her mother's makeup kit again. William smiles as he puts the phone back up to his ear. "Was there something else you needed Henry?"

Henry quickly shuffles through William's notes again. "Oh yes, um, I was just looking through your notes and wondering about... the funtime fox character? It looks like you switch between using he or she for. uh... the fox.".William hums, "Did I? I suppose I didn't notice." he chuckles. Henry nods, "Right then, so I was just wondering what you meant to use for the character, so I can correct it." William smiles, "There's no need for that Henry, he and she both sound correct to me for the fox. He is above all else a performer after all, I imagine she simply finds it easier to use whatever fits best at the moment, and whatever fits best for the performance." Henry paused for a moment. "Like... your Springbonnie?" William beamed, "Yes yes like Springbonnie! Though not exactly, Springbonnie entirely doesn't care for such things." William paused, "Say I've been thinking of a new funtime character too! A fox like the other one, their name is Lolbit... "

Henry smiled as he listened to William ramble on about his latest idea, he ended the call quite some time later when Charlotte excitedly bounced up to him after getting off the school bus, talking about how she finished her homework while on the bus and proudly displaying her work. She was, as expected, very excited to visit Uncle Will's house when he told her about the playdate.

When they arrived. Henry couldn't help but notice that William had yet to wash off the makeup his daughter had put on him.

[cartoonfangirl1218]

Dork Diaries 15 Thoughts

Alright so I read the latest dork diaries, and while it’s cute. I’m left with more questions than answers. 

When I rereading the series last year, I wrote that I felt by the 10th book, Russell was dragging it out and had lost sense of its original charm. Or I lost my nostalgia. Either way, it is dragging on and this case was no exception. 

There is a minor incident that Nikki overdramatically feels like it’s her fault when it really isn’t a big deal except for the requisite Mackenzie blackmail plot device. Which is never brought up again. 

Nikki and her friends don’t actually go to the titular Paris until halfway through the book as Russell fills it up with other minor incidents and overdramatic airport chaos hysterics.

Paris is great except Mackenzie trying to steal Nikki’s place in the photo-shoot and Brandon-Andre-Nikki love triangle miscommunication. The former is annoying, the latter was predictable but not too bad. The best parts was Nikki’s mistranslation mishap, and she and Mackenzie getting lost in the catacombs. I do like how Russell managed to fit in info of major Parisian sights so kids can learn about how tres chic and amazing it is. I also liked the art style shift in some drawings as Nikki experiments with fashion illustration. 

Now for my questions, and slight disappointments. I feel like the continuity is getting glossed over. Theo who was by far the nerdiest and dorkiest of the band originally (remember Nikki drew him as the human equivalent to Spongebob?), well now he has a glow-up and isn’t it basketball instead of wizarding. Okay, I guess people can change over the year but it feels so sudden in the art and the personality. 

Also the Chloe, Zoey, Theo and Marcus pairings are completely gone. I guess they got over their crushes to each other even though them asking each other out to the Valentines Day dance was so sweet. But nope.

I just miss it, and them being librarian volunteers and Nikki's excitment over Tyra Banks or her advice column and other stuff that made this series feel grounded.

Also I'm just so tired of Mackenzie popping up as an obstacle like her trying to sabotoge Nikki to get a spot in the photoshoot. It makes no sense. Even if Nikki wasn't there, they would replace her with Mackenzie because she's NOT IN THE BAND. It's totally implausible. I know she's rich and gets away with stuff but it's becoming so unrealistic and annoying.

And remember the big secret of Brandon’s parents and his past? I remember it being brought up in books 4 & 5 and it was implied there was a reason that Brandon was so good at french relating to that. This would have been an excellent chance to have some of that mysterious past revealed but nope. Not a word. I actually wonder if Russell forgot about it? 

In fact the whole Brandon and Nikki situation is the most drawn out ever and I’m starting to think that Russell is retconning it to the beginning. Nikki is still wondering if they’re friends or MORE than friends when after being kissed by him, going to the dance with him, his obvious jealousy of Andre, and going on actual dates, I think this position is quite clear. But Russell hits them squarely with the friends phrasing and minor interactions that make me feel she is holding them back. They’ve gone through such big moments and now it feels like they’re regressing, not progressing. 

Know what else is regressing? Even though the whole series is about Nikki’s eighth grade year at school, and this book takes us to the end of Aug, there is absolutely no mention of high school. Unless NY schools work differently, 9th grade should be high school and then this series would be out of items reading demographic and thus an excellent time to finish the series. 

But Nikki only says they’re returning to school, no pressure or worrying about big bad high school. Just school.

So is Russell retconning this too? In her a acknowledgements she says she's excited to introduce a new generation to Nikki's dork dairies so is she going to be an eternal eight grader?

Also Nikki in general has regressed and I feel she has learned nothing about appreciating what she has or freaking communication in general.

Yeah I think I have definately aged out of this since I'm so focused on these questions instead of enjoying it for what it is.

[fireinmywoods]

hi i just want to say that i am on my first re-read of palimpsest and i am still absolutely in awe of this fic!!! i keep texting my friend who recommended it about how cool you are every time i read a chapter’s end notes. anyway you are very cool and i am absolutely loving seeing this fic with new eyes on a reread ❤️❤️

fdajskfdhafhdla it has been a while since I've been accused of being cool (let's just say I do a lot of work with adolescents and leave it at that), so thank you for that.

Inane and fully unasked-for rambling with very vague spoilers for palimpsest under the cut:

It's hard to describe how it feels to hear from people reading or rereading palimpsest (or any of my fics, though especially the longfics). Amazing. Rewarding. Validating. Encouraging. Inspiring. All true, but not quite doing justice to the fact that I vividly remember how scared I was to publish the final chapter - so much more nervous that I'd expected before I started posting and people started reading and commenting and speculating and anticipating and I suddenly went: ...uh oh. I dragged my feet and reread and reread and reread that last chapter even more obsessively than I normally do in my polishing phase, and after finally posting it I slammed my laptop closed and went out to the movies so I wouldn't be tempted to refresh and refresh and refresh and refresh until the first comment told me whether or not I could breathe.

It's been (lord have mercy) nearly 6 years since then, and a lot of people have read the completed fic and most of them have liked it okay, and yet I still get butterflies in my stomach when I hear from someone starting it for the first time. What about this time? Is it going to work for this person? Sometimes comments on older fic can come across almost apologetic, like, sorry to bother you, I'm sure you have better things to do these days, and I guess I can only speak for myself and not every writer out there but on behalf of myself let me just say: I care SO MUCH about your experience reading my stories!!! I cared back then! I care now! I care on your first read and on your tenth! Thank you for giving me the gift of your time spent visiting this goofy little world I made!

Anyway, this is all to say that I was SO excited to see this ask from you, telling me that you were enjoying the fic. (Also, high five to your friend who recommended it.) It truly, truly does mean so much to me. 💛💙

[alfvaen]

Summer's ended, not for the first time. I guess I can see that it was not as ridiculously hot and smoky as some of the other recent summers around here, but still not great. Also ended is another month, which means it's time for me to ramble about books and stuff.

Possible spoilers for Kim Stanley Robinson's "Science In The Capital" series, Terry Pratchett's Tiffany Aching books, C.L. Polk's Kingston Cycle, and, for the last time for a while, Lois McMaster Bujold's Vorkosigan Saga.

Lois McMaster Bujold: Gentleman Jole And The Red Queen, completed September 4

Here I come at last to the end of my latest Vorkosigan Saga reread. And my first reread of this book at all. It came out after I reached the end of the series in my reread blog in 2015, which was probably the last time I did a full reread of the series up to that point. I did read a number of books in the series to my sons when they got old enough, but I was unable to persuade them to go much past A Civil Campaign with my lukewarm assessments of the later books.

My primary impression of my first read of the series is that nothing happens. Which I'm sure is not a fair assessment, but, basically, it does not reach the level of excitement of any of the previous books in the series whatsoever. I kept catching what I thought where clues about where the plot was really going to go when it picked up, and then every single time it turned out to be a false alarm and the plot continued to not pick up. It's a fairly gentle book, and I found that excruciatingly annoying.

Sure, we return to Cordelia, we return to Sergyar, we revisit some of the landmarks (literally) from Shards of Honour. See, the surprise ending of Cryoburn (which I am now spoiling for you all) is the death of Aral Vorkosigan, and all that we get to deal with it is five drabbles (100-word snippets from the point of view of Miles, Cordelia, Ivan, Gregor and Mark). For this book, it's three years later, and Cordelia, now sole Vicereine of Sergyar, is contemplating changing her life in two ways: by resigning as Vicereine…and starting some embryos of new children of hers and Aral's from his frozen seed.

We also get to really meet Admiral Oliver Jole, who's in charge of the fleet around Sergyar. Previously I only remember him as one of Aral's staff officers back in The Vor Game. And it is gradually revealed (perhaps a spoiler, but I don't really care) that that whole time, he was Aral's lover. In fact, Aral, Cordelia and Jole were a secret throuple. It makes a kind of sense, since, by Cordelia's assessment, Aral is bisexual but more attracted to men, particularly military men. He probably wants to be monogamous, to be a good Barrayaran, but Cordelia's from Beta Colony and they have far fewer sexual hangups, so she wouldn't care, and so he gets to have his same-sex relationship as well.

Cordelia tells Jole that out of her frozen eggs, some of them weren't viable, but they can do a thing where they can remove the nucleus and replace it with genetic material from another cell. Including a sperm cell. So she offers him the chance to create his own embryos with his and Aral's DNA. Which he accepts. And so now they're both gestating some children in uterine replicators…and then they end up starting their own affair. It sounded like they had had their own sexual encounters before, but only with Aral also participating; now they're trying a relationship with just the two of them, sub rosa at first.

About halfway through the book, we get Miles and his family coming to visit, which is nice to see (though it still doesn't lead to anything exciting happening), including all six of their kids. Miles is in the loop on his mother's plans for new children, but not about Jole.

There's also a few subplots--Jole's assistant who ends up dating a ghem-lord from the Cetagandan embassy, plans to build a new facility so they can relocate the capital away from its current too-close-to-a-volcano location that keep going awry, and bored teenagers getting into trouble (which provides one of the few moments of tension). One explosion near the end which provides one of the others.

When I think of similarly low-excitement stories from elsewhere in the saga, I mostly end up with novellas--"Winterfair Gifts", perhaps, which is maybe principally a romance; "The Mountains of Mourning", which was a mystery, and still had attempted horse-murder and firebombing, and infanticide, so it packs way more of a punch; and "The Flowers of Vashnoi", which still has a little drama in it. This one is attempting to be an entire novel and it feels like it doesn't have enough steam. It also kind of reminds me of Ursula Le Guin's Tehanu, which I recall being equally dull for large chunks of it, and even that had some excitement at the end. This one just feels like waving a languid goodbye.

Goodbye, Vorkosigan Saga. We'll always have Memory. We'll probably never get to see stories with Miles's children (or Cordelia and Jole's children, or Ivan's or Gregor's) growing up, outside of fanfic. Lois isn't being mean to the characters any more, they can have their happily ever after.

Jenn Lyons: The Ruin of Kings, completed September 11

It was time to try a new author again, a female author. But considering the last two books were SF and urban fantasy, probably not one of those, which was a bit of a quandary because many of the one I was interested in were one of those. But I browsed the epic fantasy books on my shelf and decided to go with Jenn Lyons. I've heard good things about it, and my wife recommended it (and has read the whole series), so I guess. It seems thick, but it's actually not even 600 pages in the copy I've got, and I'm not worried about long books putting me behind on my Goodreads challenge any more anyway. (Since I changed my goal from 100 to 90, then added those two short humorous library books, I've been consistently ahead. I might be able to fit in a Neal Stephenson before the end of the year.)

The book is oddly structured. In the first part, our main character, Kihrin, is in jail and being watched over a being named Talon who seems to have absorbed the memories of a lot of other people. They pass back and forth a "recording stone" and tell Kihrin's story at different points (Kihrin started later than Talon thought he should so she takes it upon herself to fill in the backstory). This happens over alternating chapters (labelled with who's doing the telling), fairly short, Kihrin's in first person and Talon's in third, and often from different POVs. Oh, and this is also being annotated by a different character that we don't even meet until half to two-thirds of the way through the book, who puts in footnotes that I'm not sure even add much value.

I'm not entirely sure it all works. There's the disorientation of the rapid timeline shifts, the confusion of when the further-forward timeline mentions something that hasn't happened in the backstory timeline, the fact that due to body-swapping magic I started to lose track of who was who and who was whose child/parent and who was dead and who was alive… Sometimes information was dropped that seemed irrelevant, and so I didn't retain it, until it turned out that hey, that god was going to be an actual character and things that happened centuries ago are actually relevant. It feels like a book I'm going to have to reread, and not because "it was just that good" but because there's so much that I missed the first time through. (For instance, it's got icons at the beginnings of chapters, which I missed about 95% of on my way through, even after I first noticed them.) I also belatedly noticed the family tree at the back, which might have been helpful earlier (or perhaps spoilery), and it's confusingly annotated because of the body-swap thing mentioned above. And yeah, a lot of godlike characters with weird relationships to each other and Kihrin. (I do actually kind of like Talon, who is an interesting and dangerously amoral character mostly being used a tool by others.) Plus a significant item which seemed to just randomly appear to the main character during the climax? That could have been done better with a little bit of foreshadowing and/or lampshading to explain why it was more than just a horrendous coincidence.

It reminded me in bits of other series. The backstory structure reminded me a little bit of the Kingkiller Chronicles, some of the characters and worldbuilding reminded me of the Eli Monpress series, and the mostly nasty noble characters made me think of Pierce Brown's Red Rising. I will doubtless continue reading the series, but it hasn't fully won me over.

Mark Twain: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, completed September 15

I definitely wanted a palate-cleanser after the Jenn Lyons, something that wasn't fantasy. And maybe not even speculative fiction at all. And, because of my schedule, with a male author. And Huckleberry Finn has been sitting there for a while…and sometimes even gets some discussion on Tumblr, mostly to do with people claiming it's a bad book because Huck uses the n-word, and other people rebutting that that's part of the whole point, having it examine Huck's learned racism, or something. So it's still being talked about, is the thing, more often than, say, Madame Bovary.

As you may have gathered, the vast majority of my reading is science fiction or fantasy, and very little of it is what anyone might call "literature". (My wife and I had a disagreement recently about whether or not Sherlock Holmes stories count as "literature". I think that they're detective stories and thus still kind of genre, like the Dick Francis books are thrillers. But it's a fine distinction.) I read very little mainstream until I was in university, when I decided to branch out a bit. I actually liked Thomas Hardy's The Return of The Native, so I went out and read some more on my own initiative (mostly I liked them except for Jude The Obscure), and I also liked Dickens and Twain and Victor Hugo, and to some extent George Eliot and Jane Austen. But most of it just doesn't scratch that itch and give me what I want in a read.

I am already somewhat familiar with the Tom Sawyer/Huckleberry Finn milieu. Which is to say, I had a tape of the soundtrack of a Tom Sawyer musical when I was a kid (lost decades ago, I couldn't even hum any of the songs, but I remember the bit about the fence whitewashing and the confrontation with "Inj*n Joe" at the end), and I had the Classic Comics version of Huckleberry Finn so in theory I know basically how it goes. I read the actual Twain version of Tom Sawyer a few years ago, but I haven't read this one yet.

So, is it the greatest American novel ever written? Chyeah, right. I mean, it was fine, I guess. It had its moments. It was very episodic as they went down the river (and, as was lampshaded in the text, why would you head south down the river, apart from the obvious answer of "it's hard to go upstream", when you're trying to help a runaway slave get to free states)? It was entertaining in parts, when Huck was coming up with regular off-the-cuff entire fictional backstories. Constant use of the n-word, which I was expecting, though perhaps not quite that much. But it's first-person POV so I guess it's just Huck's vernacular. Still, I can see that it would be off-putting.

The most annoying parts of the book, I'd say, were the parts actually involving Tom Sawyer. Tom apparently has a mental disorder where he reads a lot of bad books and absorbs their clichés and then insists that all of the clichés have to be present every time or else you're not doing it right. We see it near the beginning of the book where he's trying to set up the local boys as bandits or something (though grudgingly he admits that it's all really pretend), but it also dominates the last quarter of the book. Due to outlandish coincidence, Huck is staying with Tom's uncle and aunt who think that he's Tom, and when Tom actually shows up he has to pretend to be his own brother Sid. But Jim has also been captured as a runaway slave and Huck wants to free him. And Tom insists that Jim has to do all of the prisoner clichés and make the actual rescue 1000% harder, to the point of having to spend days digging a tunnel, warning the household in anonymous notes, getting a grindstone for him to scratch messages on (which they have to actually let Jim out to help them do), giving him random animal companions, and I was not there for it. It was trying to be funny but mostly it just came across as stupid.

And the reason Jim got captured in the first place was because of these two con artists they'd been traveling with, who were generally referred to as "the duke" and "the king" because of their respective claims to alleged nobility. They are nasty pieces of work (well, not so bad as Huck's actually-abusive father that he fakes his own death to get away from in the early part of the book, but highly distasteful) that at least do manage to get themselves tarred and feathered by the end, but I didn't enjoy most of the time we spent with them. So if we take the other third of the book without them or Tom Sawyer, it was pretty enjoyable. The rest of the time it was mostly just tolerable.

Kim Stanley Robinson: Sixty Days And Counting, completed September 21

After the laugh-fest that was Huckleberry Finn, I didn't want something too light-hearted, and I was still feeling a little off fantasy, so I went through my male-author books looking for something else, like maybe some science fiction. It had been more than a year (my usual "long-enough" criterion for continuing in a series) since I read the last book in Kim Stanley Robinson's "Science In The Capital" series, so I thought it might be a good choice.

I'm not always the biggest Kim Stanley Robinson fan. His Orange County trilogy was middling, and while I did enjoy the Green Mars trilogy, some parts were a bit of a slog. But, to my surprise, this series has been pretty readable. It focuses on a group of people in and around the National Science Foundation in what is presumably a near-future or, by this time, possibly-alternate-near-past. (The books were published during the second Bush administration.) We have the Quibler family--Charlie and Anna, and their kids Nick and Joe, and then we have Frank Vanderwal. Frank starts out in San Diego but comes to Washington to work for the NSF, Anna also works there, and Charlie was an assistant for Senator Phil Chase. In the first book, Forty Signs of Rain, there's a big rainstorm and the capital floods; in the second, Fifty Degrees Below, there's a very cold winter and the Gulf Stream starts shutting down. Because the series is primarily about climate change.

Frank seems to have the most interesting plotlines--he meets a mysterious woman mamed Caroline during the flood, whose husband seems to be into some shady dealings such as election tampering, and they have an affair, and during the second book he starts sleeping rough in his van and in a treehouse in a local park; he may also have gotten a brain injury that affects his decision-making processes. Meanwhile, Senator Phil Chase ends up running for president (spoilers: he wins) and somehow manages to commit to trying to deal with climate problems (which is how you can tell this is actually science fiction).

There's also a subplot about a group of climate refugees from a fictionalized place called Khembalung in alternate-Tibet, who were displaced onto islands in the Indian Ocean which are now disappearing as ocean levels rise. Charlie deals with parenting young Joe (who some Khembali suspect might be a reincarnation of a Dalai Lama-type figure) while his job for Phil Chase becomes more important.

I guess the nature of the plot (and the fact that it's supposed to be mostly realistic) means that, without a large timeskip to the future, we can't have a strong resolution that ties up all the climate loose ends. We deal with the Caroline plot, and there is progress made on the climate problems, but the rest mostly seems to just…end at a point. Plus there are plenty of scenes which are just there for theme or atmosphere or something (did we really need to see so much of Charlie and Frank hiking the Sierra Nevada with some of Charlie's friends?) It didn't gel for me, and it's gotten to the point where it feels like alternate history more than extrapolation. I'm sure it won't be the last Kim Stanley Robinson I read, but I liked the other books in the series better.

Terry Pratchett: A Hat Full of Sky, completed September 24

Reread time again, and now that I've finished the Vorkosigan reread, what's next? Well, some of the series I've been rereading have been longer ones, but I couldn't settle on another one of those. I kept thinking of shorter series to reread instead. And when I did the Katherine Kurtz Deryni series in four trilogies, I found it was nice to stick my interstitial rereads one at a time in the middle of the series rather than put them all at the end, and that's also what I did during the Vorkosigan reread. So this time I am going to be doing three shorter series rereads, and my four interstitial rereads before and after each one.

Among the "interstitials" is my slower Discworld series reread. I elected not to reread the whole thing all at once, because that's like 40 books, that would have taken too long, so instead I've been doing one book per other series reread. In fact, I started the reread before I got into doing all the series rereads, apparently, way back in like 2005, before Unseen Academicals was even out, which explains how I've managed to get this far into the series at this pace. One or two a year, and it kind of adds up. (In the interim I did read a lot of the series to my daughter as well, from Mort through to where we bogged down and abandoned The Fifth Elephant) My wife, who had fallen behind in the Discworld series apart from Amazing Maurice and the Tiffany Aching books, elected to read the books she'd missed just fast enough to stay ahead of me. (And now that I'm actually reached the Tiffany Aching rereads she may end up pulling even further ahead.)

When I first read The Wee Free Men I had no idea that there would be more Tiffany Aching books (and I don't know if Terry Pratchett did, either). I don't recall that it made a huge impression on me at the time, then. It was definitely aimed at younger readers, with a young protagonist and the Nac Mac Feegles for comic relief (and tiny but sort-of-adult reinforcements), and I, at the time, was not a younger reader. But I did like later books featuring Tiffany, and so this is the one where things do start to pick up a bit.

Now she's no longer trying to do everything on her own, she's being taken into the witching apprenticeship track, such as it is, which is a bit of an adjustment. And this ain't no Harry Potter. This is more like, say, the first part of A Wizard of Earthsea, before Ged goes to the wizard's college on Roke and is still studying with Ogion on Gont. Or maybe Tehanu, which I haven't read nearly as much and don't remember as clearly. But we also have a spooky creature, like Ged's shadow, for Tiffany to confront.

Apparently when I first read this I was kind of meh on it, since I only gave it three stars on Goodreads, but this time around I liked it better, and I'll bump it up to four. The Nac Mac Feegle scenes no longer strike me as gratuitous comedic pandering, and the book does a good job of showing Granny Weatherwax's power as a witch, as well as Tiffany's burgeoning powers. (And one has to wonder if Lois McMaster Bujold read this before "Penric's Demon" or if it's just a coincidence.)

C.L. Polk: Soulstar, completed September 28

"Female diversity" slot time again. (Anyone else getting tired of hearing me call it that? The more I repeat it the worse it sounds. How about "non-white non-male"?) Last time around I snuck in another Michelle Sagara, and perhaps I should be trying one of the new authors I have piling up for this slot, but I did kind of want to finish this C.L. Polk series first. She(/they) is a person of colour from the Calgary area, though I've never managed to see her in person.

This book is the third in the Kingston Cycle, set in a kind of analog of Britain, where they use magic to keep huge storms from devastating them. The only trouble is, having magic is illegal unless you're part of the existing group of magic families, who guard their prerogatives jealously, and illegal witches are locked up (to secretly power the weather magic). The first two books concern two siblings, Miles and Grace, from one of these families, one of whom was hiding his identity after undergoing experiences likely to get him locked away, and the other trying to use her political power for good ends. For the third book, though, we switch to an unrelated side character, Robin Thorpe, who was one of these hidden witches, but the political landscape has now changed and they can come out of hiding--and need to, to save their country. Robin is heavily involved with an anti-monarchist group who wants a full democracy in the country; with all the upheaval, is it the right or wrong time to move forward?

The books also have romance subplots, which are…well, let's just say none of them are heterosexual. In this one, Robin is reunited with her nonbinary spouse who has been a captive for decades, so it's a renewal of relationship rather than a new relationship, but still with a romance feel to it.

There were times in the book where I was just seething at some of the horrible things the (generally rich and arrogant) antagonists were able to get away with, but in the end they got their come-uppances. It's a kind of a short book, actually, and at the end I did feel like I wouldn't have minded more of some plot threads, but overall it did feel like a satisfactory conclusion to the trilogy. We also have Polk's The Midnight Bargain and clearly that will have to go on my shelf.

I also read a few more comics from April 1994 on Marvel Unlimited (and a handful of back issues, now that they've started putting those in again), and then I started reading the Ed Yong book An Immense World that I believe I got for my birthday a couple of months ago. It's about the senses that various animals and other living beings use to experience the world. My progress has been kind of fitful, depending on how my fiction book reading progresses in a day and whether I feel like just doing puzzles or games or something, but I can often manage a few pages near the end of the day.

[saintzenni]

Hey have been asking enterprise writers these questions from the fanfic asks going around, feel free to answer or not! (I just like hearing how people write). 🖖

What’s your favourite line you’ve written in a fic? 

What is your ideal writing set up? 

What is your favourite fic you’ve written and why?

Any advice for writers working through writers block or burnout? 

oooo first ask!!! this is so exciting hehehe

what is your favourite line you've written in a fic?

that is a very good question. i think probably this one:

“Captain Reed was sombre, never speaking more than he needed to, and he carried himself with a martial erectness that made his eyes alert and watchful, as if he was concerned that one of the women in their satins and leg-of-mutton sleeves would suddenly draw a bayonet on him; his collar was crisp and unwieldy on his neck and the pin on his cravat was simple, just a tear-drop pearl.”

from “Danse Macabre” or this one:

“Garak doesn’t answer, instead watching the slow march of the stars like arachnids across the windowpane.”

from “Cobwebs on the Windowpane,” but it’s really hard to choose!! i have a few others i constantly re-use lol, which i guess are kind of my favourites in a different way? for example, i say “clavicle” an ungodly amount, lol.

what is your ideal writing setup?

i’m pretty low-maintenance when it comes to my writing setup. usually i like to write sitting in my bed (because it’s warm and comfy). i always prefer to have a big glass of water with me and a snack nearby so i don’t have to get up while i’m in the zone lol. i tend to slouch real bad over my laptop oops

i use word on my laptop almost exclusively (times new roman, 12pt font, 8pt spacing between indented paragraphs. i am begging ao3 to let us indent our paragraphs PLEASE). i barely ever write on my phone except to record small notes for ideas that come to me during the day.

what is your favourite fic you've written and why?

this is really tough because i go through phases with almost all of my stories where i intermittently think they’re the best thing i’ve ever written and then i hate them. i think right now i love rereading “Sing Me Lullabies in Form of Your Catcalls” probably the most out of any of my stories. i'm really like “Daydreams (Are a Mild Form of Dissociation)” because it’s the longest thing i’ve written in years and i’m really proud of myself for sticking with it even when i felt like giving up. i think “Danse Macabre” is also up there for me because it’s so out of my comfort zone but i don’t think it can be at the top yet because i’ve only written one chapter of the story, haha. and of course i loved collaborating with @glitter-and-metal on “You and Me”! it was really neat seeing how other people work :)

any advice for writers working through writer's block or burnout?

when i’m having a period of writer’s block, i tend to try to do other things that don’t involve writing. i go out with friends, focus on schoolwork, and try to enjoy myself. sometimes, in the process of living my life, ideas will come to me and i’m inspired to write them down! also i find taking a long ass shower and just thinking helps. watching the show i’m writing for inspires me when i’m stuck on stuff like dialogue or characterization. but sometimes, all i can do is sit down and pound something out, sod how good it is. that works best i find when i’m really in a funk, because at least then when i come back to it, i’ll have something to work off of.

thanks so much for asking me!! it’s really nice of you <33 i hope i answered your questions well enough and i wasn’t too verbose lmfao

[keroppri]

Happy New Year🎍🎆 ! 1, 3, 14, and 19 please from the end of year asks :D

ahh Days!! thank you so much !!! 🥰❤️💕

1. favorite fic you wrote this year

i wrote about .. three? this year and obviously 'thus a silenced memory' continues onto the next year lol but it was my favorite!

a super passion project spurred from my love of Persuasion~ 💕💕💕 i never thought i'd make day dreams come true ;u; but its also so funny when i look over my notes for TASM like how i gauged what scenes would appear in what chapter and it would be like "oh this scene will be ch. 5 :)" and then it turned into chapter 11 … like babe ,, that was not the case lol so its been an adventure !! i'm excited to see where it will take me this year as well :D!!

3. favorite line/scene you wrote this year

oHhhhhh ok ok so, there's one line from 'thus a silenced memory' chapter 9 that im thinking of that i just .. it ate , IT ATE!! that's all i can say really and every time i reread over it , im like OH! ,, oh Yeah!!!!!

"I think so…" Hinata nodded listlessly. "But r-really, I'm fine. You don't have to worry about me—" She suddenly stopped, lowering her eyes away from him. "I'm fine…" "...It's not that easy; I'm always worried." She stayed silent for an unbearable amount of time. He couldn't see her reaction but his heart was hammering against his chest. Oopsies, right?

OH YEAH!!!!!!!!!! 🤟❤️‍🔥🤟❤️‍🔥

14. a fic you didn’t expect to write

all my last minute one-shots LMAO ! i wrote them all in a day in a deadline crunch way but they were really enjoyable!! i guess if i had to pick one tho, it would be the maid cafe au , Welcome Home, Master! , that i did for NHmonth fest!! maid Hinata was a dream to write hehe 💜💕

19. any new fics to start next year

none at the moment!! my brain is still filled with TASM like 24/7 lol but im hoping that during my little hiatus break , i might be inspired to write something else so we'll see !!! :D

i appreciate the ask!! thank you!! and happy new year !!!! ❤️❤️❤️

[sophielovesbooks]

I was tagged by @dauen for the mid-year book freakout tag, and I was genuinely so excited because I had been meaning to do it, but then I wondered if anybody even cared. So yes, thank you so much! <3 And let's gooo ~

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

Birnam Wood. Hands down. Everybody go read Birnam Wood.

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

This question made me realise I don't read a lot of sequels. The ONLY one I've read so far this year is Hell Bent (the sequel to "Ninth House"). And it was kind of fun. But I didn't love it.

3. New release you haven’t read yet

Hm... I suppose I don't keep up with new releases like I used to. Though Carrie Soto Is Back comes to mind, if that counts as a new release. And Sea of Tranquility from last year. (I accidentally just mispelled that as "Transquility" lol)

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

Okay, so this is super niche and a bit weird, but it might be The Otherworld by Abbie Emmons. I've never actually read anything by her and I'm not sure if it'll be good, but I know her from YouTube and I'm curious. Has anybody else on here read any of her books?

5. Biggest disappointment

Probably The Midnight Library. I had seen so many people raving about this book online, but I HATED it. Genuinely the most amateurish writing I have come across in years. And so, so preachy. Not trying to be mean here. But yeah, it wasn't for me.

Oh, and Kill All Your Darlings by David Bell was also bad, sadly.

6. Biggest surprise

Hm. Birnam Wood was the biggest surprise regarding how much I loved it. And also regarding the ending. And Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney had one of the coolest plot twists I came across this year.

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

100% ELEANOR CATTON WHO WROTE BIRNAM WOOD IT WAS SO GOOD OMG!

Also Victoria Gosling? I am currently reading Before The Ruins by her and it's quite good as well. Beautiful writing. Kind of entrancing. I feel like fans of The Secret History would be into it?

8. Newest fictional crush/newest favourite character

Hmm, I don't really get fictional crushes. But if I did, I would have to say Mira or Tony from, you guessed it, Birnam Wood. (Oh, and maybe David from Before the Ruins. Also quite cute.)

9. Book that made you cry

Hehe. What do you think. You have one guess. Oh, you said Birnam Wood? Correct. Why have I only read one great book this year so far lmao

10. Book that made you happy

Ummm... All of this is forcing me to face the fact that my reading year so far has NOT been that good. I reread If We Were Villains and that made me happy. For non-fiction I read Undrowned and that made me happy at times. But other passages were really sad and emotional.

11. Favourite Adaptation

Heartstopper! And I'm really excited for Red, White & Royal Blue! <3

12. Prettiest Cover

Though disappointing overall, Kill All Your Darlings did have a lovely cover:

13. A book you need to read before the end of the year

Gosh, so many! From a quick glance at my shelves: The Rehearsal, The Initial Insult, Outliers, Shadow of the Lions, Weapons of Math Destruction... and so many more. That I know I won't get to. So some are on my 2024 TBR.

Tagging @hrimceald @books-and-cookies @b1uetrees @jay-avian @yoongsea @r-osehips @minyardcva if you want to. Curious to hear about your reading years so far :)

[taegularities]

hello rid!! <33, been a while and been a silent reader for your updates since my accident :( sorry tho :(

happy to say that i am mainly recover now, although i still need to be careful with my ankle!

i did find my "dream job", my coworkers are so nice and i do like what i do, i can finally say that all sacrifices were paid off!!

i did read entertainer, this was so good! and didn’t expect at all the end 😳 but if i reread, of how sus they both were especially oc, i, maybe, might guessed the ending (iamlyinglol). true to say that it’s another "genre" that you wrote but you kill it! (i miss your angst stories, those taehyung ones are still driving me insane)

tbh i am so deprived and so excited for the coming back of my cmi babies!!! arghh they coming really soon, hoping so bad that oc will drop the L word back ahhhhhhhhhhhh

i saw that you are more wiling to write and to share your stories with us, so happy that you are still here on tumblr! and will forever be here to support your works! it’s been almost 2 years that i constantly check your account and in general tumblr, and let say that i’ll stay here for as long as bts are in my head ;)

take care always!!!! love love!!! :*

hi axelleeeee, i missed you!! it's okay, i get it :( i was very worried since your last ask, but i'm so happy you feel better aaand have found a job you like, as well. please take care of yourself 🥺

hehe entertainer was quite a ride, huh :') "didn't expect the end" is the most said thing about this fic, which i'm very proud of lmao. it was definitely something entirely new for me, but i'm relieved that you think i wrote it well… i'll always try my hardest <3 (and yes i know ugh manifesting more angst and tae soon 🤞🏼 the fifth summer is on its way, too, so… heh)

cmi couple's return is long overdue 😭 they're coming back extremely soon.. i can't wait to see everyone's reactions <3 oc dropping the L word? we'll see 🤭 yeah!! i am definitely still willing to write bc i do love it. i'll just wait and see if it's going to still be the series and other stuff or just the oneshots.. still gauging interest :] ty for sticking around for so long and for supporting me. i really do loveee you 🤍