#I'm reading Nona now it's amazing

[loniscera]

[mikichko]

141 x latina reader recs? 👉🏼👈🏼

Hi cariñoooo!!!

First of all, very excited to see another (hopefully?) latine in the cod fandom! It makes me so happy to see y'all here :) It's like finding shiny pokemon

Second, I must apologize in advance because my god is the 141 x latina tag BARE !!! There's such a huge gap and hopefully, we'll see it close in the future.

Regardless! Here are some of the few recs I adore:

🍃 Everything that comes out Xavi's (@buttdumplin) magical fingers! He has such an amazing way of capturing the latine cultural experience in his works! It genuinely makes me feel like I'm there with the boys because of how he writes scenes and locations that are familiar to all of us. Some of my faves however are:

In Dub In Dub is Xavi's first piece and I all but squealed and giggled my way through this fic. Full of the boys talking Spanish, the amazing poly dynamic, and just generally good vibes. I reread this piece constantly.

Sharing Cultural Food - Kyle Focus This one is one of his most recent pieces and it just makes me feel soo many things!!! When I tell you that I've been in this exact same scenario and literally saw myself in this piece? Yeah, it was marvelous.

Meeting the Family - John Price This is not a poly piece BUT I do in fact adore it. Again, I have lived through similar scenarios of introducing friends or coworkers to family and I just, Xavi does a phenomenal job capturing it.

Now, cariño, I know you said you wanted poly recs but let me just throw you a few other pieces that I feel are tailored towards latine/hispanic readers.

🍃 Retirement Party by @sentientcave (Price x Reader)

OKAY! I know this is a controversial take, Charlie might even disagree, but to me Charlie's Dalisay reads very latina/hispanic! It might just be me projecting honestly but the touch of her Nona speaking spanish and highlighting how John spoke accented spanish too??? Yeah idk that scratched my brain just right Dark fic so mind the tags

🍃 All Works by @pricesugarwife (All in Spanish) (Multiple x Reader)

Griss's writing style is amazing! Even me, someone who probably has an eight grade reading level in Spanish, can read her work and appreciate how well written and paced it is. Naturally because it's all in Spanish and Griss is Latina herself, all of her work reads as latina reader to me! Definitely check out her work! Some of my faves are: Fearless - Johnny x Reader Derritiendo los glaciares de su corazón - Simon Riley x Reader

🍃 Gunslinger by @the-californicationist (Price x Reader)

Recommended by @/madstronaut this is a lengthy and completed piece!! I haven't completed this yet but I can tell you based on the first chapter that this is another amazing work provided to us by Cali's amazing mind. I will be putting aside all my Sunday plans to read through this whole thing.

Hope you enjoy these pieces mi amor! If I spot anything else I'll update this list!

[arendaes]

My October reads! I went horror themed this month for spooky season. I'm a bit bummed I only made it through three books and have no one to blame but myself (I was lazy and didn't read anything the week I was off work.)

Thoughts are going behind a cut because spoilers.

Mexican Gothic - I went into this one with high expectations, and unfortunately it didn't quite live up to them. Silvia Moreno-Garcia's writing is really good, and I enjoyed Noemi as a main character. But I felt like everything set up at the beginning of the book regarding her ambitions was thrown out the window in favor of a bland nothingburger of a romance about halfway through. I'm also still not exactly sold on parts of the horror element - sure, a racist old geezer using toxic fungus to prolong his life and control his family was an interesting twist. But the fact that the control was quite literal in some circumstances...that strained my suspension of disbelief, I'm sorry. Overall I gave it a 3.5 out of 5 because I liked Noemi and there were parts that were enjoyable, but it wasn't really what I was hoping it would be.

The Only Good Indians - Ooh boy this book. I was a bit apprehensive to read it, as I'd heard it's very gory and gore is something I have to be careful with. But my interest in it outweighed my reservations and I'm glad they did. This book was so good. Stephen Graham Jones writing is evocative without ever being heavy-handed about it, effortless spinning this tale of a vengeful spirit enacting bloody revenge that had me on the edge of my seat. I did have a few very minor things that made me scratch my head, but ultimately the final act stayed with me so long that I realized those misgivings were very minor. 5 out of 5, extremely well-done, I'll be thinking about this one for a long time, and I do plan to read some of his other horror novels.

Ring Shout - I've been wanting to read this since I read A Master of Djinn back in January. I love P. Djèlí Clark's writing - he's a master of the craft, spinning these really compelling plotlines led along by characters you can't help but love and root for. This novella was also just amazing and had definitely solidified him as one of my favorite authors. I gave it a 4.75 out of 5, only knocking it down because I really wanted more time with these characters. Which, considering how it ends, I think we'll probably get at some point.

October was another really good reading month, and I'm hoping the streak continues. I'm reading Nona the Ninth right now, have a nonfiction book lined up after that, and I'm also really excited for the rest of the books I have on hold from my library. I'm also only three books away from my goal for this year!

[fandomsandfeminism]

The Nebula Awards are tomorrow (5/14)

Nebula Award for Novel

Legends & Lattes, Travis Baldree (Cryptid; Tor)

Spear, Nicola Griffith (Tordotcom)

Nettle and Bone, T. Kingfisher (Tor; Titan UK)

Babel, R.F. Kuang (Harper Voyager US; Harper Voyager UK)

Nona the Ninth, Tamsyn Muir (Tordotcom)

The Mountain in the Sea, Ray Nayler (MCD; Weidenfeld & Nicolson)

I'm frantically trying to finish The Mountain and the Sea right now. It's excellent. Still, I'm putting my money on Babel. It was incredibly good and haunting. (Though I would not be upset if any of them won.)

Nebula Award for Novella

A Prayer for the Crown-Shy, Becky Chambers (Tordotcom)

“Bishop’s Opening”, R.S.A. Garcia (Clarkesworld 1/22)

I Never Liked You Anyway, Jordan Kurella (Vernacular)

Even Though I Knew the End, C.L. Polk (Tordotcom)

High Times in the Low Parliament, Kelly Robson (Tordotcom)

I have read all the novellas.I'm torn between Prayer for the Crown shy and Even Though I Knew the End. Both were amazing.

Unfortunately I didn't get to any of the YA books this year. (Or novellettes or short stories) If I finish Mountsin and the Sea, I'll try to at least read some of the short stories.

Ray Bradbury Nebula Award for Outstanding Dramatic Presentation

Andor: “One Way Out”,

Everything Everywhere All at Once

Nope

Our Flag Means Death

The Sandman: Season 1,

Severance

Ok, I have seen EEAAO, Our Flag Means Death, and Sandman. From those, EEAAO seems like the obvious choice.

https://nebulas.sfwa.org/58th-nebula-awards-finalists/

[eorzeanflowers]

10 Fandoms, 10 Characters, 10 tags

Basic rules: choose 10 fandoms that you are part of/support, and choose a favorite character from each of those. Then, tag ten folks!

Tagged by: @miqojak Ty for the tag!!! Sorry it took a hot minute.

Tagging: Uhhhhh, @terminuspride, @fair-fae, @alannah-corvaine, @voidsentprinces, @healerstail, @ahollowgrave, @alicelufenia, @starrysnowdrop, @briar-ffxiv, @driftward

Now to the list! In no real particular order cause I really just drift from thing to thing.

Penny Polendina (RWBY)

I love my quirky little robot girl. She's the absolute best, a brilliant fighter and very emotionally intelligent. She is such a cheerful ideal, someone who tries to see the best in people. She knows when they've gone too far and isn't afraid to stand up for what she wants! Which is the whole core of her little arc. Being a weapon given a soul and all. It is a beautiful story of a little girl who cares so much and wishes to be able to just... be that cheerful little girl without the weight of the world. Its just so sweet.

Honorable mentions: Ruby, Weiss, Blake, Yang, Oscar, Neo

2. Kafka (Star Rail)

In all honesty she's the reason I'm even playing Star Rail. She is such a mysterious character, with a voice to die for. Yes, Hoyoverse characters tend to be rather shallow (that's a gacha game for ya), but Kafka just hits everything I love in a character. Her character short when she was fully released is... *chef's kiss* just amazing. I will admit, every time she does her ult in game I join her in saying "Boom." ^_^;

Honorable Mentions: March 7th, Stelle (Trailblazer F), Seele, Bronya, Jingliu

3. Lyse (FFXIV)

Shocker, the leading lady of Stormblood is still my favorite? Honestly, all three of the ladies from Stormblood are the trifecta of favorites. (Lyse, Fordola and Yotsuyu) The various storylines that cause them to interact is such a delight. I wasn't too bothered by the whole "Yda was my sister" thing, cause well, Yda was barely in the game post ARR... And like, it was always Yda and Papalymo. Never just one or the other. So when Lyse got the chance to shine and actually take center stage, I was smitten. She's tough, gentle, sassy, collected, brilliant, a bit silly, and more. Such a well written character. I'm still upset she left the scions tbh. Could've added a little hair color diversity by a little bit. :P

Honorable mentions: Aymeric, Hilda, Erenville, Zero, Y'shtola, Thancred, Ryne, Gaia, Minfillia

4. Gideon Nav (The Locked Tomb)

Ok, seriously, this series grabbed me by the throat and would not let me go. Gideon is such a lovely first viewpoint (and I adore all the viewpoint characters). She takes no shit, talks a lotta shit, and can fight a whole heck more shit. The way she interacts with Harrow at first, then the other Necromancers and their Cavaliers is such a delight. Sure you hate Harrowhark so much Gideon, why are you obeying her command to not speak a single word to literally anyone else, hmmmmmmmmmmm?????? Also the gay panic that Gideon seems to have on the regular is just. Great. I don't want to speak too much more on Gideon, cause this series is just great and you should read it.

Honorable mentions: Harrowhark Nonagesimus, Nona, Camilla Hect, Ianthe Tridentarius, Coronabeth Tridentarius.

5. Raiden Ei (Genshin Impact)

Last time it was Eula, now it is Raiden Ei. It is always a toss up between them, if I'm being honest. Ei is just... such a sad puppy? XD Its the best way to describe her. So trapped in her own past and trying to do what would best preserve her sister's memory... She's just SAD guys. Yeah, she may not be the best governing force for her nation, and she indirectly killed a lotta people with her retreating away and leaving a puppet behind, but we the Traveler showed up and fixed things! Also she gets two amazing boss fights, I honestly wish I could do the story one again but I ain't working through Mondstat and Liyue again. >.>;

Honorable mentions: Eula, Alhaithem, Deya, Kamisato Ayaka, Zhongli, Nahida, Navia, the Wanderer, Wriothsley

6. Karlach (Baldur's Gate 3)

KARLACH IS THE BEST AND SHE IS SO SWEET AND LOVELY AND SHOULD NOT HAVE TO GO BACK TO HELL OR DIE OR [redacted]. She is such a lovely goofball that even shows platonic love if you don't romance her and I really think that is great! Her arc tying into Gortash was delightful, bringing her much more into the story instead of just a bystander like a couple of them. (Like out of all the origin companions Astarion barely has any connection to any of the major players in the story, he's pretty self contained tbh.) Her sweetness, the way she says she's gonna eat dirt if you leave her camp, and her cheerful demeanor are just.... Amazing. I'm really running out of words for Karlach cause she is my favorite. I'm gonna have to start BG3 up again and actually play my romance run of her soon.

Honorable mentions: Shadowheart, Wyll, Astarion, Lae'zel, Dammon, Orin, Jaheira, Minthara, Isobel, Aylin

7. The Doctor (Doctor Who)

Ok, a bit of a cop out since, you know, they are the star of the show. BUT COME ON. The Doctor in their various iterations have been so enjoyable. My personal favorite is Tennet's 10, but Capaldi's 12 is a strong second. Its just a good show to binge at times. There are a lottta good episodes, a few really bad ones, but overall its a good time. The scene at the end of the special where they rescue Gallifrey is still one of my favorite scenes in the whole franchise. And hell, the Archeologist is based (loosely) on them, so how can I not include them?

Honorable mentions: DONNA NOBLE, Rose Tyler, Clara Oswald, Bill Potts, Me, Strax

8. Xion (Kingdom Hearts)

Have I mentioned I love tragic characters? Xion is literally the definition of tragedy, with all the problems with her just existing lol. Her presence in 358/2 Days really made the game for me. Roxas was kinda bland and having someone that was similar in age (like Sora, Riku and Kairi were) to interact with made it all that much better. AND SHE GETS THE HAPPY ENDING. Eventually. Boy is it a long road, but that's Kingdom Hearts for ya.

Honorable Mentions: Kairi, Namine, Riku, Sora, Aqua, Terra, Master Xehanort, Isa, Lea

8. Lucina (Fire Emblem)

I really wanna pick someone else in all honesty, but Fire Emblem has a worse problem than Hoyoverse games in their bit characters. :/ Lucina is a strong character that really delighted me when I played Awakening. She's such a surprise that it really helps make that Fire Emblem my favorite. She's got a good supporting cast too, with Robin and her dad Chrom, but Awakening was really her game. Chrom was kinda there just to be her dad lol

Honorable mentions: Robin, Chrom, Ike, Mist, Soren, Sumia, Erika, Marisa, Lyon, Elincia

9. Trevor Belmont (Castlevania)

Full disclosure, I have not played his game, in fact the only two castlevania's I have played both feature non Belmont's as the lead players (Portrait of Ruin and Order of Ecclasia). But the way Trevor is in the show, OH BOY. He is rough, he is blunt, he is smart, he is SOOOO dumb, he is loyal, he is a fighter, he never gives up, HE IS JUST GREAT. He's also one of my biggest Bi panics when he shows how much of a badass he is in episode, I think, 4 or 5 or later? Its been a hot minute since I watched that series. When he first uses the flail weapon that I forget the name of.

Honorable mentions: Shanoa, Jonathan Morris, Charlotte Aulin, Sypha Belnades, Alucard, Dracula

10. Aigis (Persona)

Aigis is a super cutie and I love her interactions with the female protagonist. I really wish P3 wasn't such a long game and Aigis actually showed up a little earlier. She's just a doll! I do need to try and find a copy (or emulate) FES to play the storyline with her as the lead singer. Its just so rough to get thru P3 I just lose motivation. T.T I've made it to the vacation part with the female lead, like, three times and no further cause my motivation tanks. WHICH IS WEIRD CAUSE THAT'S WHEN YOU MEET AIGIS. Its just too long for me I guess. XD

Honorable mentions: Teddie, Female lead P3, Male lead P4, Yukari Takeba, Mitsuru Kirijo, Akihiko Sanada, Fuuka Yamagishi, Shinji Aragaki, Junpei Iori, Chidori Yoshino, Elizabeth, Theodore

Not gonna lie, kinda struggled to find a full 10 franchises to pull a character from. My mind just goes blank when asked my favorite character from X place. Names escape me and everything. XD But as you can see, I love robot girls, strong girls, mysterious girls, tragic girls, a fail man, and traveling weirdo.

[docholligay]

"I want to put her in the blender" is such an Ianthe-based mood. She made all the stuff with Harrow so much more fun for me, because like I said, she's just a good balance.

And yes! I feel like her voice totally undercuts some really beautiful things, or things that could be beautiful, because she's got to sound himbo-y or whatever. It is my literary cilantro--I can concieve of the idea that people like it, but I do not understand how the taste of soap isn't ruining the entire dish for them.

I actually very likely won't read Nona. I read the "Gideon will be back in Nona the Ninth" and I will be so annoyed if, after doing all this really lovely stuff about letting go, and how Gideon died and you have to let her die, it's going to be me opening a book to read, "Our blood ran red, and together--you know, sort of like in a children's hospital! Fuck yeah! I'm wearing aviators" and then I will be mad on at least two levels.

Thank you so much! I was nervous about doing it because believe it or not, I don't actually like being an insufferable hater. ("Why am I constantly painted as the critical one, came the inevitable critique")

I LOVED that. I read it like three times in a row, just, amazing. I loved her whole "Apologize, tell me you loved her, tell me you would never have hurt her, and now I'm going to fucking DISMANTLE you." Loved Mercymorn. God. Top tier character. And not just because I'm like #relatable but I think both she and Augustine are this really clever way of showing that thing I was talking about when I posted the whole Mercymorn quote, about working together with people you can't fucking stand, and both she and he are annoying and constantly pick at each other, but they CAN work for a better good, and they both are tragic figures in their way. I do like Mercymorn more because I GET her more, but I think Augustine is also great.

I just need, bodies hitting the floor. Don't get me wrong, I actually loved what this did with grief and loss and ghosts. No quarrel even a little bit with how they used "dead" people in this book, and y'all know me THAT IS A FUCKING COMPLIMENT. It wsn't even a case of "I'm choosing to let this go" which I sometimes must do, it was a case of 'This feels so correct and organic and not like an asspull at all" that I didn't even feel annoyed MILDLY.

But, if after those last chapters, Gideon is back, I am going to feel cheated. I do not like being emotionally screwed with. You want me to feel grief, and sadness, you had better be prepared to live without that character.

[ladytauria]

tauria!! 9, 14, 21, 74, 80, 84, 104, 122 from the book rec ask game please <33

ahhh thank you maya!

9. your favourite book of 2020

ahh, i'm actually going to answer this for---last year, because i remember it and also bc i hit my reading goal last year!!

so my actual answer would be nona the ninth, but as i have already rec'd gideon to bean and mentioned harrow in this list, i shan't count it.

s o.

i think i'm gonna go with The Midnight Lie by Marie Rutkoski, which is part one of a duology. the first is a retelling of cinderella, the second of sleeping beauty.

the first, to me, was much more enjoyable than the second, although i deeply enjoyed both. the first is singular pov, the second is split (i liked the LI's more!)

the book takes place on an island which is segregated into three classes / rings, each of which enjoys a vastly different quality of life than the other. the protagonist lives in the lowest class, where, if you're charged with a crime, no matter the severity, the guards can take any tribute they ask---from a few strands of hair to some blood to an eye, etc. she works with her guardian to help sneak people out of the lower ring and into the upper rings, and has always yearned for a taste of them hersellf. after spending a night in prison, she meets an outsider--the first on the island in many years--who helps her achieve just that.

also the plot twist in this book is. amazing.

14. a book that made you trip on literary acid

like. in the most positive way possible.

Harrow the Ninth.

look. i wasn't going to rec sequels. i wasn't.

but oh my god.

i walked away from this book with a headache and i said thank you ms. muir <3

(runner up answer would be the stars are legion, bc. oof. that book was a mind-fuck. again? best way possible. but also. damn.)

21. a book with a red cover

literally the first book that came to mind was Eldest, of the Inheritance Cycle.

(i was going to answer with "witches of ash & ruin by e. latimer" but my kindle cover is now blue -.- and uglier, imo. whatever.)

but, uh. The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett!! i started the discworld series with the tiffany aching series, and i highly recommend <3 the nac mac feegles make me giggle so much <3

also i deeply love tiffany and all of the things that pterry conveys through her <3

74. your favourite love triangle

i didn’t forget to answer this before i clicked post wdym

this is hard!!! ngl i actively avoid love triangles in books after being so inundated with them during some of my peak reading years lmao

ahhh but

i actually didn’t mind how the love triangle was handled in the early throne of glass books!

i don’t necessarily recommend those but i was. obsessed with them for a time xD

80. a book that reminds you of a loved one

i technically answered this on bean's! that would be "a girl of the limberlost" or "the secret garden" bc they both remind me of my mom.

also almost any murder mystery will remind me of her, as those were her favorite genre.

u h m. but to name a different book; i think of my brother every time i see a riordanverse book, particularly the Percy Jackson <3 i let him borrow my copies (i've. mostly forgiven him for their now beat up / falling apart state) and watching him develop his first otp / devour them was so sweet <3

104. a fluffy, sweet read

so i didn't technically rec it on bean's list, i just mentioned it.

Legends And Lattes - Travis Baldree! cozy, slice of life fantasy with a sapphic romance. an orc retires from adventuring to open a coffee shop in a city that's never heard of coffee. (its a gnomish thing.) has a lot of dnd-like setting things and so much found family <3

also it made me hungry, so like. have ur favorite warm drink & pastries on hand when you read it bc you may also end up wanting them <3

122. your favourite winter read

hmmm.

okay so first! um. when i think winter / autumn / summer / spring read i don't necessarily think about season in the book itself, but rather like... how i feel during those seasons. so! autumnal reads i prefer spookier vibes; summer i want lighter books i don't have to focus too much on bc the heat has melted my brain; and for winter i want books that are good for spending a long time under blankets, so. chunkier the better. (i don't know what a spring read is to me.)

i am going to answer this one with two books!

the first i have not actually read -- The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon, which is a fucking beast of a book. i am... about 20%? through it? i think? but i had to put it down bc i couldn't give it the full attention it deserved. however, i think, due to its size, it would be a lovely book to devour over a handful of snowy days, curled up in blankets <33

the second i have read, and i actually wouldn't call this one chunky, but. i dunno. it's made for a nice evening read, i think. anyway! The Forgotten Beasts of Eld by Patricia A McKilip.

[ book rec ask game ]

[wordingg]

Harrow the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

I read Harrow the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir last week, the sequel to Gideon the Ninth and second in the Locked Tomb series. I read Gideon the Ninth last year and, like Bookshops & Bonedust, finally scrounged around and found a used copy of the sequel so that I could continue with the series.

And, holy shit, this book CONSUMED every bit of brain space I had to spare. I started this book as a way to tell myself, "Come on, stop reading ebooks. Read a physical book, okay? You liked the first one!" I was hoping it would hook me enough to keep me from picking up my ereader. Boy, did it ever.

This book is so incredibly different from the first book. It's also almost impossible to talk about the second book without spoiling the ending of the first book, so I'm going to put the rest of my review under the cut.

This book follows Harrowhark, picking up immediately from the conclusion of the first book. She is mentally devastated from losing Gideon in the way she did, haunting the med bay of God's spaceship like a vengeful ghost. She's hallucinating constantly, hearing thing that aren't there, feeling sensations that aren't real, and especially seeing Gideon or some sort of shade of her haunting her steps. Despite all this, God needs her to step into her role as a Lyctor and start learning how to support him. Because all this time, God has been fighting a secret battle of his own. He needs more Lyctors to help him, which is why he put out the call to all the nine houses in the first place. Now, Harrow needs to struggle against not just her own fractured mind and failing body, but against her fellow Lyctors and their web of cruel lies and assassination attempts.

This book is so dark, guys. But, it's also so much fun. This is the kind of book that makes you constantly question what is real and what isn't. Harrowhark is an unreliable narrator in such an amazing way. While we, the reader, may question whether what she's seeing and hearing is real, so is she! You're on the journey of the mystery with her, but you have the context of the first book to work from, while she does not. It has a small cast, but they feel very dense. The other Lyctors have been alive for 10,000 years, and they all have these laundry lists of problems with each other, while also having a sort of fatalistic affection for one another. Even though the cast and setting are relatively small, it has a similar theme of distrust weaved together with a desperation for survival.

I would recommend that if you're squeamish to look up a list of trigger warnings for this one, especially if you're sensitive to blood and gore or mind games. Or, feel free to ask me and I can put one together. But, if that stuff sounds more enticing than off-putting, I think you should definitely dive into this one. It won't make sense without reading the first book, but I thought it was such a great sequel. I immediately bought the third book, so I'll be reading Nona the Ninth soon. I'm looking forward to it!

[wondereads]

Monthly Reading Wrap-Up

Reviews and thoughts under the cut

Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor (8/10)

It's been a while since I read a male main character, and Lazlo is a really strong one to start with. The characters are really the strong part of this book. I loved both Lazlo and Sarai; they're easy to empathize with and genuinely good people. Their romance is also well-written and quite passionate, probably my favorite part. The plot isn't amazing, but it's still good; I like that there's this history of war and gods and monsters but the main conflict forgoes that in favor of the very human conflict of hate and prejudice. However, I did find a lot of a the middle of this book dragged quite a bit. It was good I enjoyed the romance as much as I did because it was most of what kept me going.

Immortal Longings by Chloe Gong (6/10)

I've read all of Chloe Gong's previous novels and loved them, but I don't think her foray into adult fantasy turned out all that well. This book is very info-dumpy, and as a result I am only loosely attached to the characters. A lot of this story is based on things that happened before it actually starts, and instead of getting flashbacks or characters confiding in each other, they just kind of say what happened in the narration. There were some good twists in here, enough to make me want to read the next book when it comes out, but especially compared to her other books this one is lacking.

Harrow the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir (10/10)

This book was so batshit insane and astonishingly wonderful. As is par for the course for The Locked Tomb, it was incredibly confusing but also stunningly executed. The work with POV in this book is great, using third, second, and first person in a way that hints at some situations revealed towards the end, and also making Harrow an unreliable narrator, making the reader doubt even the things that would usually be taken as fact. The mysteries of Lyctorhood are far from revealed, and the revelations in the latter third of this book completely blew me away. Looking back, a good majority of this new information is foreshadowed, and it's just so well-written. If I hadn't promised myself I'd be alternating between this and The Poppy War trilogy, I'd be picking up Nona the Ninth right now.

Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim (7/10)

This was certainly a fun read, and it helps that it's based on one of my favorite fairy tales. I think Shiori has good growth throughout the book, and I liked that the villain was not all she seemed. Although the reasoning was a little stretched, she was given a lot more depth than I initially thought she would. The romance was sweet but not nearly as developed as I would like (and I was kind of rooting for the other option). Unfortunately, this book feels very rushed; each scene felt a little too quick, and it didn't make the emotional beats hit as hard as they should. I'm undecided as to whether I'll read the sequel.

Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick (4/10)

I went into this book knowing it would be trash, but I was not prepared for just how horrendously written it would be. Not only is this book an almost identical copy of Twilight (just replace 'vampire' with 'fallen angel') it is also just aggravating to read. There was genuine potential in the creepier parts of this book, especially with Nora being dismissed by everyone and coming to doubt her own memory and sanity, but the incessant focus on the romance over all else just ruined the tone. Everyone in this book acts like a total creep and yet Nora just brushes it all aside, instead preferring to focus on the love interest's dark eyes and windswept hair than the very obvious red flags he is vigorously waving. The absolute worst part of this book was Vee, Nora's 'friend' who is inappropriate at best and a victim-blamer at worst after she waves off someone literally physically assaulting her best friend with excuses of...he wasn't feeling well? Anyway, this book wasn't even enjoyable as a lighter, trashy romance read.

Island of Fire by Lisa McMann (9/10)

I think these books get better and better as they go along. Entering the third book of this series, there is a noticeable complexity that doesn't really appear much in middle grade. Our main character, Alex, is dealing with quite a bit in this book, from grief to his newfound authority in Artime, and there's a lot of nuance. Not to mention some complicated feelings concerning the romantic plotlines, which are usually quite straightforward in middle grade. The worldbuilding is also getting more and more interesting, especially concerning the ending of this book. My one major issue is that although this series jumps from perspective to perspective quite often, Aaron's POV kind of dropped off the face of the earth about halfway through, and for such a major character (who's going through a rather intense breakdown), I wish we'd gotten to see him more.

Call Down the Hawk by Maggie Stiefvater (9/10)

It is truly remarkable that despite the characters beings older and with a mostly new cast how similar the tone and writing is in this book to The Raven Cycle. It's really interesting to read a Ronan-focused story since even though he was a major character in TRC, this provides so much more insight into him. I really like Jordan, she's probably my favorite new character, my opinion of Declan has improved exponentially, and I'm hesitant about Hennessey. I'm not as enthralled as I was with TRC, but I'm definitely interested.

Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint Vol. 1 by Sing Shong (10/10)

This book took me almost a year to read, and it was worth it. It seems like a typical fantasy webnovel with a completely overpowered protagonist, but there is so much more to this story. Kim Dokja has to be one of the most unreliable narrators I've ever read. He goes to extreme lengths to hide his plans and feelings, not just from the other characters but also the reader. There are so many strong themes throughout this book, and the side characters are extremely well characterized. I find Dokja's relationship with his mother particularly interesting. Then, of course, there's him and Yoo Joonghyuk, who are supposedly platonic, but they're "companions in life and death" and ridiculously in tune with one another and guess who kills Dokja (don't worry, he dies on the regular) when he's supposed to be killed by the person he loves most. I'm kind of obsessed with them.

[infinitelystrangemachinex]

2, 11, 17 for books asks?

2. Did you reread anything? What?

I reread some of my favorites this year! I made it through A Game of Thrones again, which was even better than ever upon reread. I'm in the middle of A Clash of Kings now, but I mainly read it on public transit so it's slow going, but that's on purpose so I can savor this series more, lol.

I also reread Gideon the Ninth and Harrow the Ninth to prepare for Nona's release. And omg those rereads were amazing. The Locked Tomb and ASOIAF have absolutely nothing in common, but they ARE deep and twisty reads, and the rereads are extremely rewarding.

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

I had been wanting to read The Dragon's Path by Daniel Abraham for AGES, but it just kept getting pushed down in my list somehow. I think I was just waiting until I finished The Expanse. It was released in 2011 which isn't very old, but it's still an interesting time capsule of epic high fantasy. The Game of Thrones TV show started around then, A Dance with Dragons came out that year (and Abraham is ABSOLUTELY using plot points that are implied in ASOIAF's worldbuilding which is even MORE interesting), Joe Abercrombie had just started releasing his first trilogy, and I think it's an interesting look at what was normal in high fantasy then and what some authors were trying to subvert or change about the genre.

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

I was shocked at how good Nona the Ninth was! I spent the month after I finished it on the Reddit page going over all the plot threads that came together and all the themes and symbols in the writing, it was a ton of fun.

[kimium]

Hey friend, I love you so much and thank you for supporting me when my anxiety tries to take over. What are some book recs from what you’ve been reading lately?

Hi friend! You're welcome! I'm always here to be your support! Love you tons too!

Book recommendations! I am super excited to talk about those! Some maybe books I've talked about before. Sadly, even though I have a ton of books on my shelf, I haven't had time to read them.

Book Recommendations in no particular order

-The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

If you have not read this book, go read it now. Easily my favourite book in recent times, the retelling of the myth of Achilles and Patroclus is breath taking. The care, passion, and knowledge of Greek myths woven into the book is excellent. Achilles and Patroclus's love for one another, even if it is doomed, will keep pulling me back to the book.

This book has some of the most breath-taking, heart-wrenching lines ever. Seriously, so many sentences live rent-free in my brain.

(Also, every time someone uses a quote from this book for Satosugu my heart leaps twice in size.)

-The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

First, the entire premise of two magicians with actual magic performing magic and pretending they don't is amazing. Next, the imagery in this book is so beautiful. The scenery and magic is described is so vividly crafted and the enchanting element to a circus is captured well within the pages.

-The King of Infinite Space by Lyndsay Faye

Look, it's a modern day retelling of Hamlet where everything is the same except Hamlet (renamed Ben) is suffering the loss of his Broadway baron theatre father, Horatio and Ben 100% hooked up, and Ophelia has more of a role along with three sisters adding a Macbeth reference. What more could I want? I love this book and I highly recommend it, even if Shakespeare isn't your thing.

-The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

I always love stories where the main premise is a character exploring the endless alternate dimensions where they can see how one decision altered their reality. Also love this as a story telling device for people to explore themselves and who they are as a person.

-The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton

A murder mystery novel where it's a time loop and each reset of the loop the detective finds himself in the body of another character within the mansion? Sign me up. I Love this book so much.

-Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman

Yeah, I know most people recommend Good Omens, but this is my first Neil Gaiman book that I ever read, so it has a special place in my heart. (Not the first of his stories though: that was Stardust and Coraline.) Anyways, I love this book and the radio play is amazing too.

-Gideon the Ninth/Harrow the Ninth/Nona the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

It's lesbian necromancers in space with a sci-fi magic system that breaks my brain and a narrator in 2/3 of the series that also breaks my brain. I ended Nona the Ninth going "OH NO" and also "My brain needs an 8 hour break NOW".

-The Raven Cycle series by Maggie Stiefavter

I love the characters and I love the story. I love the magic in this series too. I highly recommend this series to everyone and its sequel with Ronan as the narrator.

[mellifloraa]

i got tagged by @honrupi thanks a lot ya gay nerd >:3c

three ships: TITANIC OLYMPIC BRITANNIC. ummm mae x bea from nitw, zelda x link (one of my favorite pairings tbh), and kyoko x sayaka from madoka magica UwU

first ever ship: kataang. i remember posting in the avatar forums when i was like. eight and seeing kataang and zutara literally every other post but i chose not to accept that zutara is even slightly likely to be canon~

last song: garden in the bones by periphery!!! great song i like it a lot bc of the funky kickdrum work :3

last movie: men in black from 1997 holy shit i fuckin love that movie it's wacky as shit

currently reading: nona the ninth!!! i've been putting it off bc i wanted to bring it with me to jury duty in case i had to be called in and wait for super long so i lost my momentum in reading it but i'll finish it one of these days cx

currently watching: the harley quinn show on hbo max!!! i've never seen the whole thing so i'm trying to work my way through it and i'm enjoying it quite a lot!

currently consuming: ummmm idk i had a chicken quesadilla for dinner which was nice and now i'm just playing celeste and drinking water so. water? i guess? lmao

currently craving: boneless bbq wings sound fucking amazing rn tbqh

i tag @spacey-daydreams, @faerie-lights, and @ferrn-draws UwU

[brigdh]

39 for the book ask?

39. Five books you absolutely want to read next year?

A hard question! Mainly because I'm visiting my parents right now, and my (physical) TBR list is at my own house. But some I can think of off the top of my head:

Nona the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

Translation State by Ann Leckie. New Imperial Radch book! :DDD

The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix. Horror by a fave author

Kaikeyi by Vaishnavi Patel. Retelling of the Ramayana from the perspective of the female villain – sounds amazing.

The Oleander Sword by Tasha Suri. Sequel to a really fantastic f/f fantasy set in vaguely medieval India. The first book was great, and I'm excited to see what happens next

Thank you for the questions! <3

[kazz-brekker]

for the end-of-the-year book ask ! 4, 10, 17, 24 !

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

Not a huge amount, honestly, I mostly read books by authors I already knew this year. I did really enjoy the 2 urban fantasy romance books I read by Lana Harper and definitely want to check out her YA books published as Lana Popovic, though.

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

Definitely Nona the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir! It was a long wait between books 2 and 2 of The Locked Tomb but it was well worth it and I'm impressed that it managed to be totally different from the preceding novels but still amazing.

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

I've read and enjoyed some stuff by Courtney Milan in the past but I read The Duke Who Didn't and it's now absolutely one of my all-time favorite romance novels. Also, I had a pretty good time reading Jane Eyre for one of my classes–guess classics are considered classics for as reason.

24. Did you DNF anything? Why?

I DNF'd A History of Wild Places by Shea Earnshaw because a book about a cult seemed interesting but I wasn't really into it (also I flipped to the end and the plot twist was really silly)

[corvuscorona]

my wife just came upstairs to talk to me for like 45 minutes about things that are fucked up about these books so i completely lost whatever thread i was on here but it's fine just roll with me for a second

unfortunately i'm an expert. about this. the THING about this AUTHOR is that she has experienced Too Much Body Loneliness and hasn't found a non-writing way to process it yet. i know this because the thing in htn about harrow just like casually having the body show up to literally hold her like it's this familiar matter-of-fact occurrence slapped me in the face so hard i spun around like a cartoon AND because every bizarre tangent she writes abt palamedes and camilla is so (gestures) i'm becoming more insane. these books make me insane.

of course her perfect newborn embodiment of ??some kind of idealized Earth-ness is obsessed with physicality and touch and EXPLICITLY ASKS how the other, non-perfect not-newborn-embodiment characters can go without it to the extent that they do; she has this. IDEA in her head about. i mean it isn't an IDEA it's a collection of obsessive thoughts orbiting the UNDERSTANDABLE HUMAN NEED FOR RELIABLE AFFECTIONATE TOUCH, that she writes SO WELL and so un-shut-uppably about that i can't POSSIBLY believe she's, like, personally gotten over her own chronic struggle with not having it met.

i like ianthe because she's evil and insane. i don't like gideon much because she feels like a cardboard caricature of something tamsyn heard someone on twitter say abt Strong Women Or Maybe ? Useless Lesbians But Some Wires Got Crossed one time but that's more like a personal problem i have. it didnt impede my enjoyment of the first book, which had great pacing after the first hundred pages and was A Story, right.

but the thing about the first book was that even though it had a great cast of characters. with varied interpersonal relationships with each other. and stuff. there was this NOTABLE shortage of

believable affectionate gestures

and believable like. positive? thought? patterns? eg. from gideon's internal monologue / narration About harrow - the book tells me they're. in sasunaru with each other but i don't believe it at the beginning and i don't believe it throughout canaan house and i'm like sitting there reading the Pool Scene, arms crossed, bogos binted because it DOES NOT FEEL.

so i start to wonder what the fuck is going on. & speculate about it during Household Philosophy Hour for a bit and then harrow the FUCKING ninth comes out

and i read it and i go OHHHHHH. OH. OH I SEE because where the first book was a fun danganronpa murder mystery Clue novel story narrative, the second book is

1. NOTABLY self-indulgent (she reverts to 2nd person, of homestuck fame, and seems to find the inside of harrow's head a more natural place to operate from)

2. paced like shit and

3. PARTLY AS A RESULT OF THE PACING, an AMAZING evocation of fucking. TRAUMA BRAIN

& harrow's trauma is about MISSING someone she can't allow herself to remember (weird hole-in-the-heart. ache of unknown origin. weakness of character; unfixable; where would you even start?) but it's also about DESPERATELY WANTING something [embodied by . The Body] that she HASN'T EVER HAD.

so now i have her clocked. i enjoy the second book for this + other reasons. (after having finished the rest of this Post: now editing in the requisite Mercymorn Mention. Press F on your keyboards at home for a real one.) then the third book comes out and it's all

- nona (embodiment of a !!! Lost Thing !!!) has this FIXATION on tactile physical stuff and body language

- the only 2 convincingly In Love characters can't interact with each other VERBALLY except in writing, let alone physically

- i can't. describe. in words how VISCERAL that part was about nona kissing cam on the hand & camilla going and sitting in the empty bathtub in the dark for like an hour I HAVE NOT IN THIS LIFE ENCOUNTERED EVIDENCE that a person can WRITE something like that without DIRECT PERSONAL EXPERIENCE in the realm of NOT BEING OKAY, THAT THEY ARE ALSO OBSESSED WITH AND NOT OVER.

tamsyn muir got platonic-married to a guy she met via homestuck fandom activities online. dedicated nona the ninth to him AS. HER. MOIRAIL (HOMESTUCK TERMINOLOGY FOR 'PLATONIC SOULMATE WHO MAKES ME NOT MURDEROUSLY INSANE'). and she WROTE that. she's not just horny about this subject she's CONSUMED WITH A LUST THAT IS INSEPERABLE FROM AN EQUALLY ALL-CONSUMING GRIEF

which is why i mostly find the shit pacing of the third book

1. anthropologically fascinating

2. To Be A Serious Indictment Of Not Only Her Editor But In Fact Her Entire Social Circle and also

3. funny sorry it's really funny she got LOST in self-fanfiction hell on the way to the end of this grand sweeping plot about how a mediocre guy became god and ruined the whole universe, which she BARELY bothers to stop and worldbuild about, STILL, w/ his mediocrity because she CAN'T

STOP

TELLING ON HERSELF and NOBODY told her "please keep it together for one (1) last book. tamsyn. pleas e"

listened to 1/3 of nona the ninth today and YES tamsyn muir still needs to be dragged OUT of her own stupid head to get therapy. and more life experiences

[funsizedshark]

your griddlehark was such a funny and cute reading! and i was wondering if you have any griddlehark recs on ao3? thank you!!

hi anon! first of all thank you so much, i'm so glad u enjoyed it hehe and second of all!! i absolutely do :] i wouldn't call myself an expert but ive been going through the tag and i definitely have a few favorites that i need to comment on because i really loved these fics a lot. all of these are currently complete! i hope you enjoy them and if you want im always up for discussing great works hehe

here we go: not enough to ruin me by autumntales: 29k, the handmaiden au set on the ninth. showstopping amazing incredible if you havent seen the handmaiden i think id recommend you watch the movie first because knowing the plot twist is coming makes it even sexier but! theres no movie knowledge required. excellent work.

its a long road (losing all you own) by greekphilosophress: 5k, library au, harrow thinks shes being haunted and antagonized by gideon. honestly whats new. harrow's internal monologue on the brink of a nervous breakdown is what rlly makes this fantastic

the things that befall cavaliers by ThatAloneOne: 1k, short and sweet in that rip your heart out way. gideon and harrow from the end of gtn are time-looped back to the beginning of the events while theyre still on the ninth. i wanna read a 40k fic with this premise now

Midnight at the Mithraeum by zoicite; 66k, harrow is the manager of a speakeasy, gideon works at a casino, they hate each other and wake up married. literally what more could you ask for. i love realistic relationship development and even though they are very stupid and bad at communicating i adore them

Cake by the Ocean by zoicite: 15k, same author!! gideon bargains her voice for human legs after she saves harrow from drowning. it goes just about as well as you imagine it would go but its hilarious

The Furnace of You by Cypseloides: 67k, post htn (not nona compliant) where harrow, gideon and cam(and pal) end up escaping from the mithraeum. the summary reads angst. dramatiques. kissing. and theyre right its all of that but theres also camilla being incredible. palamedes being just as great. and most importantly, gideon getting some LOVIN

blue gray green lavender by smolranger: 29k, harrow and gideon are forced to work together to participate in a sailing race. this made me want to learn how to sail, which is the highest possible compliment i can pay a fic-you made me wanna learn something. thats incredible. i love it. the amount of detail in it is so good to read and the griddlehark is just. chef's kiss. excellent work

raise the gates, love by syntheseas: 3k hades (the videogame) au where gideon is zagreus and harrow is thanatos. if uve ever played the game youre gonna love this, its so good and the premise is PERFECT like are you kidding. thats Them

trust/fall by strangehunger; 4k, piercer harrowhark lets tattoo artist gideon tattoo her. anon u dont know me but tattoos are IT for me so this really checked all the boxes for me personally

we've got a good thing goin' by sinshine: 14k, nebulously post htn, team 69 find a safe house and its. the tern family vacation home. its hilarious. griddlehark try and fail to figure their shit out until they get it right. i love it

beat your swords into ploughshares (and your spears into pruning hooks) by NotAFicWriter: 18k, post-war, harrowhark goes cottagecore and avoids everyone. she plants tomatoes instead. little butch farmer harrow was everything i never knew i needed but this fic DELIVERED. i was yearning for a butch farmer wife like ten words in

eyes and words so icy, oh but she burns by groundedsaucer (coasterchild): 47k, harrow is a figure skater, gideon is a hockey player. obviously they end up pair skating together for a competition. obviously they hate each other at the beginning. i went into this with high expectation and finished it with the delight i usually associate with good sports anime. loved it

nothing safe is worth the drive by saltwaterconfessions (rosesandcinnamon): 4k, modern au with out besties on a road trip, the pining is incredible. hit a little bit too close to home ! the lesbian yearning is strong in this one !

let’s drink to feelings of temptation by overnights: 25k, bartender colleagues au, extremely fun because i love them being antagonistic. it fuels me.

memories of darkness undone by the light by corpsesoldier: 5k, not nona compliant post htn, if these two just TALKED TO EACH OTHER............ i swear to god. also an excellent example of lesbian miscommunication and yearning. really good

i hope u have fun reading! make sure to also check out other fics by these same authors and send them some love :] i might update this list in the future as i read my way through the tag. have a nice day!