#My Beloved World Audiobook

[aroaessidhe]

2023 reads // twitter thread  

The World We Make

Conclusion to the Great Cities duology

the avatars of the boroughs of New York have to stop the cosmic reality-bending entity from destroying their city & possibly the universe once and for all

while a new far right candidate for mayor is fueling its power

amazing audiobook production i love this duology a lot

queer as hell

[fictionadventurer]

Top ten fairytale retelling novels/novellas you've read.

I've already answered my top 10, so here's my shot at listing 11-20.

11. A Long, Long Sleep by Anna Sheehan: Would probably be higher on the list if I'd remembered it in time. Sci-fi story that's a very loose retelling of "Sleeping Beauty", but so rich and emotionally devastating.

12. Maid and Minstrel and The Beggar Prince by Kate Stradling: Putting both of her short "King Thrushbeard" retellings in one entry. The first is more of a "Beauty and the Beast" tale that makes both leads decent people caught up in a misunderstanding, but I appreciated how it (probably accidentally) made me see the Christ-imagery inherent in the original. The second gives King Thrushbeard some character flaws and a good arc, and has an excellent explanation for why the princess didn't want to marry any of her suitors.

13. Fairest by Gail Carson Levine: Snow White retelling set in the world of Ella Enchanted, and retains that book's creativity in adapting the fairy tale elements. Has an excellent full-cast audiobook.

14. The Stepsister and the Slipper by Nina Clare: Georgette-Heyer-esque Cinderella retelling. Very rushed ending, and not the kind of romance I'd advise anyone to pursue in real life, but very fun.

15. Soot and Slipper by Kate Stradling: Cinderella retelling with an excellent twist, adorable characters, and a convoluted ending.

16. Before Midnight by Cameron Dokey: Short and basic Cinderella retelling that gets on the list because I have extremely fond autumnal associations with this book.

17. Unseen Beauty by Amity Thompson: A "Beauty and the Beast" retelling from the point-of-view of one of the invisible servants. Since I'd had that idea for years before finding this, I was thrilled to find that this story does a pretty good job with it.

18. Exile by Loren G. Warnemuende: The first book in a trilogy that retells "Maid Maleen". I haven't finished the series yet, so maybe it's unfair to put it on here, but I loved the section of the story that takes place in the tower, so I couldn't leave it off the list.

19. The Seventh Raven by David Elliot: A retelling of "The Seven Ravens" that does a decent job of retelling the fairy tale, but I mostly love it as a very well-structured novel-in-verse that structures each POV character's poems with their own poetic form.

20. The Tales of Ambia by Allison Tebo: Fun, slightly Wodehouse-ish retellings that are a breath of fresh air in the romantasy-dominated world of indie retellings

Honorable Mentions:

The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer: Objectively as stories, these should be pretty high up on the list. It had great characters and adapted the fairy tale elements in some amazing ways. But I'm not a fan of a lot of the worldbuilding elements here, so I couldn't bring myself to rank it above some of my beloved, but more-flawed indie retellings.

With Blossoms Gold by Hayden Wand and Sweet Remembrance by Emily Ann Putzke: Both contained in Once: Six Historical Fairy Tale Retellings. The first is "Rapunzel" set in Renaissance Italy with an agoraphobic Rapunzel, and the second is a beautifully devastating retelling of "The Little Match Girl" set during WWII. I haven't read these in a long time, but I remember them both being very good.

Masque by W.R. Gingell: An excellent "Beauty and the Beast" retelling with a very lively Beauty, a Beast who works as a police detective instead of brooding in a castle, and some clever adaptations of the fairy tale elements. Unfortunately, I've decided a couple elements of the magic go beyond what I'm comfortable with, so I couldn't put it on the list, but I had to give it credit.

[notebookqueenofnarnia]

Okay Demigods

now that Season 2 has been confirmed (!!!!!!!!!!) I am here to make my official appeal that you ALL read the books. and yes...i mean ALL the books. Because here is what you are missing if you don't:

(mostly spoiler free. mostly vibes and chaotic no context)

OG PERCY JACKSON

Percy's INCREDIBLE sarcasm

Lots of chaotic Mr. D moments

Percy's unending absolute obliviousness when it comes to: his own abilities/powers, his own feelings towards a certain daughter of Athena, and EVERYONE'S feelings towards him

the full list of Percy's felonies (it's longer than you think!)

how much Percy thinks about Annabeth, especially in the third book

The Hunters of Artemis (everyone's like 'which godly parent would you have?' but im like ??? who cares??? I'm running off with the girls to immortal to hunt men i mean monsters)

soooooooooo much Sally Jackson is the Best Mom (to everyone who walks through her door) content

BLACKJACK. TRANS ICON BLACKJACK THE PEGASUS.

Rachel. Elizabeth. Dare. (this is how the audiobook says her name every single time)

Paul Blofis

Sally Jackson, author

Poseidon: Blowfish?

HEROES OF OLYMPUS

If you don't read these books you are missing out on some of the coolest female characters Rick has created: PIPER (an iconic), HAZEL (unintentionally hilarious), REYNA (beautiful character arc), and ANNABETH's point of view will have you loving her on a whole other level, trust me

Also: COACH HEDGE

Leo

All The Ladies Love Leo

the audiobooks are INSANE. It felt like a full cast read the book, but no. it was just one insanely talented narrator.

FESTUSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS (im a dragon girlie)

Personally, I spent a lot of time reading the OG 5 wondering about how Roman mythology plays into Percy's world. Uncle Rick answered my questions and answered them SO WELL

Hazel the horse girl

Frank the horsebirddolphinman

Frank, gentle himbo, my beloved son

MY FAVORITE SCENE WHICH INVOLVES PERCY NOT KNOWING HOW TO DRIVE, A HARPY, FRANK, AND HAZEL AND THEYRE ALL SCREAMING AND IM PRETTY SURE STUFF IS ON FIRE

Forced Proximity for 7 teenagers and one chaotically violent satyr (that's Coach Hedge)

Eros/Cupid being one the most genius things Rick's ever written

Percy's hate of Ares transcending god magic

(also his love of Annabeth, but that's like obvious)

PercabethPercabethPercabethPercabethPercabethPercabethPercabethPercabethPercabethPercabethPercabethPercabethPercabethPercabethPercabethPercabethPercabethPercabethPercabethPercabethPercabethPercabethPercabethPercabethPercabethPercabe

weird barely gnome things

this one giant whose name is definitely not pronounced like female anatomy

everyone thinking Percy and Annabeth are constantly getting up to the hanky panky

a statue made me cry

Gay Grumpy/Sunshine (or should that be Death/Sunshine) origins!!

TRIALS OF APOLLO

Apollo, vain himbo of godly proportions is forced to live as Lester Papadopoulos

Percy: why

a very chaotic twelve year old daughter of Demeter

she commands Apollo around

plant magic

terrible great haikus at the start of every chapter

Sally Jackson being the best mom to everyone who comes to her door

magic shoes

a sassy magic prophetic arrow that talks in Shakespearean English

so much gay grumpydeath/sunshine content

also yes sunshine's dad is Apollo

Apollo sings

Grover! Piper! Reyna! Hazel! All the friends! Everyone

Jason! (also im sorry)

what if there were some trees who were an elite squad of warriors who also answer to the chaotic twelve year old

gay moms of the midwest

unicorns

in the last book, chiron takes the campers on a 'field trip' to help take down the big baddie and he shows up dressed as a warrior soccer mom with granola bars, water bottles, and extra swords attached to his fanny pack

a different chaotic twelve year old while fighting to the death in a building that's on fire: "CAN WE GO ON FIELD TRIPS EVERY WEEK?"

chiron: "ROSE DEAR RAISE YOUR SWORD A LITTLE HIGHER!"

okay im not going to spoil it but in the last book there is also this extremely horrifyingly violent moment that Uncle Rick somehow turns into one of the most hilarious things i've ever read

Piper in the epilogue

CHALICE OF THE GODS

more insanely funny percy first person narration

Grover, Percy, Annabeth reunite ("the gang is back together!" "The three musketeers!" "Shrek, Fiona, and Donkey!" "Excuse me?")

have you met the god of himbos? (Percy has)

SO

MANY

EASTER

EGGS

for Season one. you can totally see how Uncle Rick worked on the script and chalice together

if you liked Annabeth shoving Percy into the water....this one is for you

Percy, supreme god of snakes

the cutest cutest cutest cutest Percabeth content you will ever read

hippie gods (yes more than one)

Percy is literally obsessed with Annabeth

Annabeth already being the Jackson daughter in law

Sally Jackson and Paul and

For the record: You CAN read Chalice of the Gods without reading the other series, but please please please read all these books. The audiobooks are phenomenal.

[oklotea]

EAH notebook sketches :]

In order i've got my beloved chase redford design and a headshot of him, humphrey, low effort raven queen, and LIZZIEEEE!!!!!! I drew her while listening to an audiobook of wonderlandiful world

[ofliterarynature]

AUGUST 2024 WRAP UP

[loved liked ok nope DNF (bookclub) reread*]

True Grit • A Sorceress Comes to Call • (Fit for the Gods) • A Short Walk Through a Wide World • The Chestnut King* • Where the Drowned Girls Go • The Hollow Boy* • The Philosopher's Flight • The Whispering Skull* • Death by Silver • Grandma Gatewood's Walk • Across the Green Grass Fields • Tales from the Hinterland • The Screaming Staircase* • Ascension • Running Close to the Wind • August Kitko and the Mechas from Space

* * * * * *

Lockwood & Co - time for a reread! I really like the idea of ghost books but struggle to find ones that I like, but these are perfect! The worldbuilding and story structure is somehow just what I want - just enough rules to give them the confidence to be bad ass AND tension for when they royally screw up, and a fantastic, case-book type narrative where the characters are going about their lives, fighting ghosts, and not actually getting to the titular case until halfway through the book. Love it! I need more like that actually. (I recommend The Angel of the Crows)

Tales from the Hinterland -since I finally read The Language of Thorns I figured I should get around to this too. I didn't like the related novels all that much but WAS interested in the stories, but it's been so long I've mostly forgotten their context. I didn't mind it, and I think Albert has a better grasp on the language and form of fairy tales than Bardugo, but the inescapable grimness of the stories quickly became repetitive and boring.

Across the Green Grass Fields - it took me a bit to warm up to this one, but once we went through the door I had a good time! I think this is probably my favorite of the individual door stories so far. On the other hand, I usually like the ensemble books, but Where the Drowned Girls Go didn't quite work for me this time, but it might be one that just needs a second read.

Grandma Gatewood's Walk - I've seen this one around (most recently at a Hocking Hills gift shop) and finally picked it up since my library had it on audiobook. Unfortunately it was doing a lot of things that annoy me about certain nonfiction and while it was readable and interesting, I wouldn't say I enjoyed it or would recommend it.

Death by Silver - a gaslamp mystery/gay romance that was fun! If you like a mystery that is, the "romance" coasts along on the "old school friends/hookup buddies" line and doesn't really get any development (or steaminess), but things do keep moving and it was a nice enough read that I'd maybe try some of the author's other work (but maybe not the sequel)

The Philosopher's Flight - I don't even know. It *was* a good read that moved along well, BUT... I don't want to lay everything at the feet of "it was written by a man," but it definitely had its effects. Stories about girls and women going into a man's world and showing them all up are pretty common and catnip to me (Keladry my beloved), but something about a man doing it in a women's organization that exists in a patriarchal society WITH a heavy political-unrest plot going on as well, and despite the abundance of female characters none of them are well developed? And the main character is just a bland-ass dude? It really didn't sit well with me, and I do not want to read the sequel.

The Chestnut King - I'm glad to be done with this series reread. They're honesty just a perfectly middling MG fantasy series, slightly dated but charmingly midwestern in many ways. Kids would probably enjoy it more, but there's not much for an older reader.

A Short Walk Through a Wide World - going in I knew this was being pitched as sort of cozy, and being comp'd to Addie Larue (which I didn't like in execution). Fairly accurate on both counts tbh, and I thought the curse in this one worked much better - the problem with Addie was that the inability for anyone to remember her didn't allow for any connections to make things interesting, whereas A Short Walk's not being able to stay longer than a few days or ever return offers *just* enough to be heartbreaking. Unfortunately there just wasn't much of a shape to the overall story and I was so bored I almost DNF'd. If you're more into the books being marketed as "cozy fantasy" you might have a better time of it than me.

Fit for the Gods - aka "Greek Mythology Reimagined," which feels self explanatory. Anthologies are always a bit of a mixed bag, but I really liked this! Especially compared to the previous anthology (Sword Stone Table), there was only one story I didn't really like, but otherwise really vibed with everything else! I also learned that most of my myth knowledge that's stuck around is from Percy Jackson, lol. (Not to mention the reincarnation story that mentioned Percy Jackson! I cackled XD)

A Sorceress Comes to Call - LOVED!!! Regency house party, magic, murder, mystery is so so SO up my alley. I've seen people call this a stressful book, and I get it, the mother is awful and things are definitely tense, but something was telling me that things would turn out ok for the main characters and I was able to enjoy myself lol. It also helped that it became quickly obvious that the mother was very full of herself and overconfident, even if she was terrifying. I think this is tied with Thornhedge for my favorite Kingfisher so far, though I might rate this a little lower on quality. If you liked this I really recommend checking out the Greenwing & Dart series by Victoria Goddard!

True Grit - meh. Picked this up through a combination of podcast rec/book sale find/needed to read another classic. The kid's got spunk, but that's all I've really got to say. Came very close to dnf'ing, but at least it was short.

DNF

Ascension - 25%. I was really looking forward to making a "if I had a nickle for every book about a mountain mysteriously appearing somewhere it shouldn't, I'd have two nickles" joke, but alas. This started off pretty good, going with the classic "I found these papers among my brother's affects after a long mysterious life" that I was REALLY excited about. Then we actually got to the story and the main character was just Most Special Genius Science Boy, and the way his ex-wife was being written was absolutely bleh. I looked a bit closer at the reviews and decided to dump it. (Other mountain book is My Volcano and you should read it!!!! It's so weird!!)

Running Close to the Wind - 11%. Was this funny? Yes. Was this super horny? Yes. Was this funny and super horny? Super yes. I can really appreciate what was happening here, it's just unfortunately not a style I can consume in anything larger than small bites. I decided to part ways before my feelings really soured.

August Kitko and the Mechas from Space - 41%. I honestly did like what I read, it just wasn't speaking to me? I can see this being a great book for someone, I just had other things I wanted to read more.

[myloveforhergoeson]

ash's september 2024 reading round up

find all the books and fics i read (or didn't read...) this month under the cut with a link to the synopsis and my reviews/ratings attached :)

this is just for fun! i'm not a professional, i just like to read <3

booklist:

Summer Reading by Jenn McKinlay(18+!)

• review: this was a solid read. nothing incredible, but definitely better than some of the other crap i've read this year lol. i enjoyed the dynamic between the fmc - a dyslexic chef named sam - and the mmc - a librarian named ben - and the interesting relationship between someone who hates to read and someone who's life revolves around books. honestly i was really interested to see how this played out between the two of them, but like one week into them fooling around he begins to read a book aloud to her and the conflict is magically solved. sam just loves audiobooks now and i wish the author had done more with that. both sam and ben have goals they're striving to reach and i love that ben is able to see his through to the end, but the reader is kind of left wondering about sam's and i would have loved for that threat to have been tied up, but overall this was a cute read. my only real issue with this story was the quality of writing. there were some parts that were super cringe and were clearly written by a millennial emulating the 'how do you do fellow kids' meme that i could've gone without... anyway. i really enjoyed the relationship exploration between sam and her budding teenager brother. after not being in each others lives for a bit, i thought their bonding over the summer was adorable :) would've loved to read a book just about them tbh. neither of the main characters were the kinds of characters to write home about, but overall i did enjoy the progression of their relationship. just kind of a middle-ground novel.

• rating: 3/5 seasons of the bear that taught me all i know about cooking

fic list:

assorted works of @ceruleanmusings <3

look around your world, pretty baby

Blood Diamond; Year Four

i could always write literal essays on your work i swear to god but these two works this month really got to me as per usual. the first mickames one shot for james canon bday was so freaking adorable. i had literal butterflies in my stomach like i was there on the date with them... despite the urgency of the time crunch, which you did exellent in making it seem like it was somehow slow and fast at the same time, god i read this like three times over. mickey and james are just my favorite ;-;!! and blood diamond always hitting in the feels of course... this one in particular really got to me though. the combination of brooke's annoyance with james the last few chapters really came to a head here at the hair salon. he's just a kiddo!! let him play in peace!! and then her figuring out a way to potentially exploit his singing talent... i'll wring her neck i swear. as always tysm for sharing and tagging me in your works 😭 i could read them forever and ever and ever <3

2. assorted works of @partiallypearl/ @praetoravila <3

it's nowhere close to closing time

all over again

be my weekend lover (but don't be my friend)

can i have this dance?

lolive kissssss

you got me paralyzed

you know all my deep dish

this is such a STACKED LINE UP AUGH!! from the beginning with it's nowhere close to closing time... kogan... save me.... i love the first chapter introduction to both the characters and the setting. it's been so exciting theorizing how the story will play out from here and i can't wait to read more!! and of course... all over again with olive my beloved... i just can't get enough of logan and olive and their fucked up little relationship. jo's party chapter literally had me shitting my pants ngl and you already know im thinking of lolive on a daily basis. they're my roman empire i stg... the other three lolive on shots had me by the neck too - from the conversation with kendall 👀 to the quinceañera chapter to their KISS augh im too obsessed for my own good... and saylors introduction one shot!!! ahh!!!! you always have such interesting and well-rounded ocs i'm so jealous!!! i can't wait to learn more about saylor and their relationship with both kendall and lucy :)) macie's story too... she and katie are so adorable. i love the dynamic you've set up between the two of them as they both navigate hollywood!! obsessed as always. im up in your dms literally every single day gushing and i wouldn't have it any other way!!!!!!! <3

3. assorted works of @selangkir <3

mrs. knight one shot

girl time rush (anniversary reread🙏)

iconic work as ALWAYS!!!!!! i truly think your character interptetations of btr/side characters/ocs are so unique and bring such a fresh perspective to the story! the mrs. knight one shot, on top of being hilarious, began to expand on her pretty one dimensional characterization in such a short story and it blew me away. unmatched creativity!! lord knows she needed the j anyway if im being COMPLETELY honest. and i cannot believe gtr turned one year old this month what the fuck!! what the actual fuck!! i swear i've read all three chapters about a bazillion times. ty for being so accepting of roxy and using her as a vessel to tell your story too <3 i'd be lying if i said i wasn't so inspired by sabrina carpenter rn i already have another chapter draft of my own cooking in the google docs..... <33

4. assorted works of @inkameswetrust <3

the windowsill pt. 4

the windowsill pt. 5

oh LORD such incredible updates to this sweet story. these chapters always pack such a punch! i expect nothing less from kames fan #1... im obsessed with the continued relationship between katie and kendall in pt 4. btrtv lacks so heavy on their sibling-ness so i always love seeing it expanded on in fic! and JAMES AND KENDALL GOING OFFICIAL AOAJFOBOBGA i had knots in my stomach! you've also so clearly set up stakes and kendall's future fears it's so genuine and just real it hits so hard. pt 5 with brooke had me almost throwing my phone at the wall if im being honest. the way she spoke to kendall was bonechilling and i'm nervous yet excited for their future together <3 never stop kamesing the world needs it so so sos sooo bad !!!

5. assorted works of @naquey / @ithinkyouhealedmyheart

ghostwriter chapter 1

ghostwriter chapter 2

hi <3 welcome to the reading round up! i love your story sm i'm so grateful to be here for the very beginning of kenonnie and their sweet relationship. ronnie is such a cool character! there is so much depth and dimension to them and i love that every single chapter we learn something new about her!! from her relationship with addy and callie (who i also ADORE and can't wait to learn more about) to his struggles with his father's health... god... the amount of thought you put in is clear and i'm just astounded! the second chapter was also super cool too; i love how you took existing characters and tweaked their relationship so we could learn more about how you view the two of them. i'd never thought to write something with just kelly and rebecca - it's so inventive, just like the (spoliers lol) other chapters you've published since <3 tysm for sharing your writing with us, i'm so excited to see ronnie's journey progress!!!

[eatmangoesnekkid]

My new work-- print books, audiobooks, kindle, online school/temple and future blog will not be for any woman or female-bodied person living in active-trauma. I have been there before, I know that sometimes in life, your nervous system and other systems can't handle the challenge. Some addictions have to cleared. Some relationships have to be resolved. And to know your capacity is incredibly power. In this work of love, you must be able to hold and tend to yourself as you read and be activated and expanded in your cells and tissues as a result, I promise. In my online school/temple, I will be your openhearted guide and able to witness you deeper, but you also have to be ready to open up and meet the trapped stories living in specific parts of your body in order for your energy to start to flow again optimally. Freedom of Heart, Freedom of Regeneration, Freedom of Time, Freedom of Diagnoses, Freedom of Nervous System, Freedom of Desire, Freedom of Energy, Freedom of Biology, and Freedom of Living Adventure Real life is what we are up to but a lot of unlearning is on the menu. We have to unlearn ourselves (our cells) and unlearn the behaviors and conditioned responses taught to us by the world. We have to rebuild our foundations from the ground floor as well. While I'm a deeply loving "Lila" woman to my core (meaning -a divinely playful woman as referred to in Hinduism), I also traverse blindfolded into murky rivers--often doing things in life that feel uncomfortable which is the key to being masterful and unstoppable. The average person does not play this game to win. They stay comfortable in their little boxes, traumas, and socializations that keep them in perceptions of safety. While my work is full of undeniable love and expansion, all that juicy gooey intimacy, softness and sweetness, it also carries a charge of shameless blood splatter that runs cervically deep. You must to want to play this game properly, if not, you tend to repeat old never-ending cycles. I'm tired of seeing women in the same cycles as our Beloved foremothers year after year, lifetime after lifetime, story after story, diagnosis after diagnosis. As Audre Lorde brilliantly channeled "I'm not free while any woman is unfree even if her shackles are different than my own." For many of us, it is time for some real truthful cycle-breaking and pattern-disrupting which means that sometimes you will be triggered. The world makes us so timid and weak (of course, not written to shame illness) with all of its coddling and fears while we low-key pretend and tell lies to ourselves about how powerful we are when we actually don't believe it. "Being triggered" and meeting your patterns with delight are mature essences of one who wants to create new narratives. And what's also true is that you don't have to ready for any of it yet or ever and if so, my work, Beloved, is not for you. This melody of love work is ultimately an intimate love story about the potency of female body from the lens of a Lover-Warrior. Polarity is how the human soul masterfully creates. Never forget that, loved ones. If you remember nothing else from me, never forget that. As I will say many times throughout the series"bring love but also bring a machete." One Loveliness... --India Ame'ye, Author

[jack-doohan]

If I may yap about Nascar, I really like a lot of voices these guys have. Carson with the world's softest voice and has the second cutest voice (first goes to my blorbo Cbell), Chase's Georgian accent ily so much, Me and Joey having similar accents due to being from Northeastern states, Bubba sounding like my step grandma etc. And there's also the comms!!!! The Southern accents of the Nascar comms my beloved <3333. Anyway yeah so many of these guys have such nice voices and they should record an audiobook or something because I can listen to them forever

HONESTLY PAIGE YOU ARE SO RIGHT ABOUT THIS….the driver’s accents and voices are honestly appealing. Like maybe it’s because i have no real accent and it’s interesting to hear various accents from the drivers since they’re all from different places, but I honestly find it so intriguing!!! And YES I am in love with Carson’s voice….him and Cbell def have the most adorable voices…like you mean this guy who is almost 30 but doesn’t look it and this tall ass 21 year old both have soft voices? Yes, yes they do!!!!

[heathtrash]

When you're working on TWW fanfic, how do you get like new inspiration or even just the motivation to keep going?

(p.s. thank you for keeping the fandom alive!!)

inspiration/ideas are something i almost never have a problem with. i come up with new scenarios for these gays almost constantly and it's everything in me to not just constantly begin new wips and crossovers and aus that have never been explored! and there's so much media to draw from with tww with all eight books, the shows, the movie, the spinoffs - idk but even like vanilla 2017 or 1998 stuff is always giving me life, maybe because i'm an insatiable multishipper with no chill and an adoration of rarepairs.

i also make sure i "read around" tww. i watch things or listen to audiobooks with a related genre or vibe, especially if i'm exploring au or want to go for a specific tone. keeping your brain active and making connections like this helps so much with inspiration and plot. it's like going on a silly little mental health walk, but instead of nature or whatever, you're opening your brain up to new possibilities. even something completely unrelated can spark something! it makes the worlds you write feel a bit richer as you're writing them.

motivation is something different, because i struggle with a lot of self-confidence in my own writing (lol, cptsd. i'm in therapy). comments on my works do really help with that. but these days people seem to feel weird about leaving comments on works that aren't like a week old??? bruh people still talk about books that are decades or centuries old. and we have some lovely people still in the fandom who are willing to read some of my work, and that is amazing to me!!

but of course, there are fics i've started that i am not sure will ever see the light of day because i feel like they're not good enough, or works that i've put up that very few people were interested in (rip to pippa university years my beloved. never escaped single digits on the kudos for 10k of fic). those embarrassments and failures hold me back so much because they confirm my own negative thoughts about my writing and make me not want to put my energy into this. i have a full plan of chapter 13 of a clock with no hands, but i keep giving myself imposter syndrome over my ability to write it well enough. idk. rationally, i know that the types of story i write are sometimes not what people want to read. i think it's important to talk about (please i am NOT fishing) because i'm sure there are many people who feel the same way. some people even look up to me as a writer?? but i cannot emphasise enough that it's a miracle that anything goes online with my mental health being how it is.

anyway, enough about me! mostly i try to think primarily of the fandom and what's best for us right now. that's why i'm running the drabble exchange, which i think will be a really fun way to get little sparks of inspiration going for everyone, as well as hopefully providing a chance for new writers to dip their toe into whatever ship they like! please sign up to join in - this is the last weekend before i close sign-ups!

i'm certainly not solely responsible for keeping the fandom alive though!!! there are some incredible artists who are doing a much better job of that than me with the recent influx of art - as well as all those who are writing new fics that are providing after the slump we had with the conclusion of the 2017 series. it was really hard to recover the fandom after s3, and i know i've had a small part to play in that with the twitter group chat evolving into reviving the discord. but i couldn't have done any of that if no one else was around to join in!

(also side note - general invitation extended to anyone who wants to join the discord!)

[blysse-and-blunder]

in lieu of a reading week

11pm, tuesday, feb 20, 2024

hello beloveds. just wrote two increasingly passionate paragraphs about what social media and my use of it over the years has done to benefit my life, and got so genuinely moved that i had to come talk to you about it.

reading really wild mix of reading material of late. surprisingly high amount of YA, because people keep recommending me things and i keep going 'sure, let's try it!' so i'll use that as an organizing principle and save discussing some of the others for a future post. in order of completion:

firekeeper's daughter, angeline boulley, read by isabella lablanc. finished in a rush, very engaged in the last three-four hours. i was never prepared for the next thing this plot threw at me, though in retrospect saw how it all made sense. i didn't know a thing about it going in, which i think actually enriched the experience a lot, but for a novel set in michigan's UP and sugar island, it resonated with a lot of things i associate with ontario after living here for five+ years. the hockey, the ojibwe /anishinaabe names and cultural connections, the murdered and missing indigenous women. but it also mixes in elements reminiscent of, like, braiding sweetgrass (and tangentially mexican gothic) and various fan fiction tropes i recognized in their shape if not their execution. highly recommend the audiobook-- they cast the audiobook's narrator very carefully, and she does a superb job juggling the mix of scientific jargon, teen narrator unreliable/dramatic narrator (loving), and Anishinaabemowin.

castle in the clouds, kerstin gier, translated by romy fursland. maybe 33% through. it's giving grand budapest hotel and somehow also the princess diaries? it's also reminding me somehow of, like, the kind of novel i wanted to write as a second or third grader, which means eva ibbotson, and a particular flavor of plucky, intelligent heroine. i was hooked by the first page+ but have yet to see a ton more of the same high action and suspense, and have let this one slip a little further onto the back burner. it's cute escapism at the moment, though that may change.

fourth wing, by rebecca yarros, read by rebecca soler (and apparently also teddy hamilton, although i haven't gotten to him yet?) about 25% through. trying desperately to give us a gritty, hardcore, new and dangerous and fun take on dragons and their human riders, while also trying to be idk divergent? the hunger games? there's a love triangle, the protagonist has naturally ombre hair, the premise of the novel is brutal training where young adults are all dying in improbable droves due to how cutthroat and brutal it is. a testament to the narrator that i am, despite myself, having a great time. there are a few too many supporting characters who want our main girl straight up dead for me to really find the threats believable, but i'm intrigued by the prospect of alternate versions of this world's history than what she has learned and a potential for discovering how their kingdom has? manipulated them? could be asking too much.

fairest, gail carson levine. finished in a long saturday morning spent reading in bed. i was such an intense and dedicated fan of the original ella enchanted novel that i couldn't read most of levine's other books (exceptions for her short stories made grudgingly) because they weren't sequels and weren't the same and wouldn't be as good. in fairness, reading this now as a much-older-than-the-intended audience, perhaps i was too harsh-- but i think little-me was right to be a little suspicious. it's a snow white retelling, and again i think largely successful in building a more detailed plot in which the elements of the retold fairy tale are embedded, but where the focus in ella was on language and obedience and free will, here we're trying to articulate things about beauty and body image, and it's harder to say that it really succeeds? i like that we gave the Wicked Queen more nuance, positive and negative qualities, moments of sympathy, a name and a precarious political position. i was not nearly as charmed by the romance (fine, fine, it's not ella and char but it couldn't be, it's fine). i still love the use of unfamiliar / fairy-tale languages and how levine puts them on the page in such fun spellings. probably aimed at the youngest audience, of the four titles here, but treats its reader as almost more intelligent than fourth wing, possibly? YA from ~twenty years ago was a different world.

listening graded like twenty quizzes today with just a mess of random panic at the disco bumping in my headphones. it's a hell of a feeling, etc. i'm halfway through this particular round of grading, and they're doing so well, so it's mainly a quick check to make sure they got the basics right and i can jam while doing so.

watching spent a very pleasant ~2 hours yesterday watching as much as we could of the film amadeus with @hematiterings, @pep-squad-lizzie, and @dimir-charmer. love a film that isn't afraid to lean into all its sensory indulgences, and to be a little heavy-handed with its symbolism (the chocolate is about repression!) and to, just generally, spend money on costumes, locations, hiring lots of extras, and so many wigs. there's a live event performance of this film with orchestra + choir being advertised all over our subway right now, so it does very much feel like we're being followed by this guy:

...but what's sticking in my head right now is the costumes.

playing 41+ hours into hollow knight. i have opened half of my stag stations! i have the dream nail, surprisingly early i think! i have saved bretta! i have somehow missed the mantis lords, i think, but have made it to the city, the resting grounds, and have now been throwing myself fruitlessly against the crystal guardian and a soul warrior in alternation. i am...not good at combat. current plan is to grind to get quick focus, and i'm close! also, @spoonierbard stepped in and gave me a much needed morale boost by winning me the final mask shard necessary to get increased lives, which has helped tremendously, and the grubs rewarded me with the grub song charm which has helped tremendously.

making many potential projects, none executed (or even really attempted). soon, hopefully. fallow section for now. does music count? music counts, right? i joined a second choir! enticed by the chance to perform mozart's requiem in full with an orchestra, and finally fulfill the broken promise of 2020. that's my hobby right now. oh i also just cleaned out a ton of storage in my phone + icloud, which felt generative in its own way. besides backing things up better than i have in a while.

working on submitted the travel money application i've been thinking and dithering about since...this time last year? no real expectation of getting it, but it did actually help me consider some next steps in the diss, so that's nice. now prepping to take my class on two fun on-campus field trips next week, one to the manuscript library and one to the medieval collection in our little hidden art museum! i need to write some notes up for the TAs and docents to use, and finish organizing my list of desired manuscripts, like, yesterday. midterm grades posted today, a little late but hopefully not too bad, still well before the drop date. the aforementioned quizzes (i have like 28 more to grade, but they're reasonably painless). plus i was going to work on my fucking dissertation this week, and prep to teach the next few lectures in advance so i'm not scrambling monday nights, plus send a bunch of emails, design a CFP poster, put in some RAship hours so i can speak intelligently in my meeting tomorrow, and....prep for the guest lecture i'm giving on the 28th! it's a reskin of the conference paper i gave this summer, freshly edited, but i need to expand the intro bits to include a useful overview, since these students aren't a conference of celticists.

weirdly at peace with how my work-life balance is balancing right now, though. it's the extra sleep and the increased sunshine, and the little cat who is being so so whiny right now. i must conclude these lines and feed Herself.

[rogerclarkaudiobooks]

Red Dead's History: A Video Game, an Obsession, and America's Violent Past

Author: Tore C. Olsson Narrator: Roger Clark Audiobook Release Date: August 6, 2024 Length: 10 hours, 28 minutes

👇 Care to listen to a sample of this audiobook? Click on the media player below 👇

Publisher's Summary:

This program is read by Roger Clark, the iconic and award-winning full performance-capture actor of Red Dead Redemption 2's Arthur Morgan, who returns to the wildly dramatic and gritty world of the American frontier in this audiobook edition of Red Dead's History. It also features a prologue and epilogue read by the author. A pathbreaking new way to examine US history, through the lens of a bestselling video game Red Dead Redemption and Red Dead Redemption II, set in 1911 and 1899, are the most-played American history video games since The Oregon Trail. Beloved by millions, they’ve been widely acclaimed for their realism and attention to detail. But how do they fare as re-creations of history? In this engaging audiobook, award-winning American history professor Tore Olsson takes up that question and more. Weaving the games’ plots and characters into an exploration of American violence between 1870 and 1920, Olsson shows that it was more often disputes over capitalism and race, not just poker games and bank robberies, that fueled the bloodshed of these turbulent years. As such, this era has much to teach us today. From the West to the Deep South to Appalachia, Olsson reveals the gritty and brutal world that inspired the games, but sometimes lacks context and complexity on the digital screen. Colorful, fast-paced, and dramatic, Red Dead’s History sheds light on dark corners of the American past for gamers and history buffs alike. A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin’s Press. ©2024 Tore C. Olsson (P)2024 Macmillan Audio

Red Dead's History is available from: Apple Books ✰ Audible ✰ Audiobooks.com ✰ AudiobooksNow.com ✰ AudiobookStore.com ✰ Barnes & Noble ✰ Binge Books ✰ Books-A-Million*✰ Chirp Books ✰ Everand ✰ Downpour ✰ Google Play ✰ Hoopla ✰ Libro.fm ✰ McMillan Publishers ✰ Overdrive + Libby ✰ Rakuten Kobo ✰

TIP: If you want to find more audiobooks from Roger, you can click on the "Roger's Audiobooks" tag, or you can also check out my pinned post 😉 Happy Listening!

[tam-and-her-bullcraps]

~ Introduction/Masterpost ~

Hello- My name is Tam but I also go by Rua! I'm an artist and I also enjoy writing. I'm a big ol' fantasy and basically anything mythical or creative lover- This blog is literally just the wish version of my main blog @tamaruaart

Yeah that's all lol don't expect good posts just reblogs/srbs, doodles, rambles or writing thingies.

Current hyperfixations:

-Greek Mythology (Hades, EPIC: The Musical, Paris: The Musical, The Odyssey and Iliad in general and just Greek myth in general!)

-Lego Monkie Kid (Jin and Yin mean the world to me- I'm also very interested in OSP's JTTW series.)

-The Prince of Egypt (One of my favorite movies man)

-The Great Comet of 1812 (I would die for Sonya and Pierre-)

-Wolfwalkers (It's so underrated please watch wolfwalkers)

-Hamilton ( 🎶 ~ No one else was in the room where it happened, the room where it happened ~ 🎶)

-Blood Meridian (The kid ,,, I just wanna take him to a carnival and give him hot chocolate >:'( Fuck you judge. All my homies hate the judge.)

-Dante's Inferno (I think it's really interesting, I'm planning on listening to the audiobook soon!)

-Cookie Run Kingdom (Star Coral Cookie, Sherbet Cookie and HollyBerry Cookie my beloveds...)

Other Stuff:

I don't have many rules besides don't bring up topics/irl issues non relevant to what I post- Also no homophobia, transphobia, sexism (That includes sexism against men and trans men too) and racism.

Of course dark humor is allowed just don't go too far-

You can go to my main blog to see more rules but in short just don't be a dick. I speak both English and Croatian (ĐE STE HRVATI MOJI!? WOOOO) and I'm a demigirl (She/They), Asexual and bicurious.

THIS IS A SAFE SPACE! WE SUPPORT OUR QUEER BRETHREN!

Also I'm a minor so no weridoes please thanks-

Favorite Ships (I know this is random but let me have this-):

ODYPENODYPENODYPENODYPENODYPENODYPENODYPEN

Also CTIMENE AND EURYLOCHUS CTIMENE AND EURYLOCHUS CTIMENE AND EURYLOCHUS

and and and ANDROMACHE HECTOR ANDROMACHE HECTOR

AND AND AND AND PATROCHILLES PATROCHILLESSSSS PATROCHILLES

ALSO NAUSIKAA AND TELEMACHUS ARE CUTE I LOVE THEM

Also EPIC!Perimedes x EPIC!Elpenor are kinda cute ,,, Just saying ,,, cough

AND and AND AND AND MENELAUS AND HELEN MENELAUS AND HELEN MENELAUS AND HELEN (Paris, ily, but fuck off)

FELLOW TELEGONUS AND TELEGONY HATERS RAISE YOUR HANDS 🙋‍♀️🙋‍♀️🙋‍♀️

Bro tried to be a Neoptolemus tragic ass character so bad and fumbled.

And you're telling me Penelope marries this kid?? NOT ON MY WATCH BESTIE- Also Kirke and Telemachus? Falling in love? No <3

I won't be posting much of my Lego Monkie OCs here. But if you'd like to see them you can check out my main blog :D

They consist of a Celestial Witch named Zhaoyan "Zhao" (My favorite child), an Anxious Flower Spirit named Quanshui/Quánshuǐ and a rather carefree Jade Messenger and Moon Spirit named Yueliang "Yue"~ If you'd like to know more about these sillies I frequently post about them on my main blog!

And yeah, that's all- Feel free to stick by if you want to! :D Live Laugh Hermes <33

(I love every iteration of this man istg it's a problem)

[monstrousproductions]

Happy Audio Drama Sunday, friends! Very quiet listening week for me as I'm still on my Murderbot audiobook relisten (don't even say the word "Skarsgard" to me 🤢) but I did get a couple of eps under my belt!

First up @the-mistholme-museum my beloved. Loved the latest ep and especially the gorgeous visuals of the umbrella story. plus there's really nothing like a little bit of rich-kid endangerment to brighten up your week 😍

i also caught up on Modes of Thought in Anterran Literature (who I don't believe are on Tumblr - shout if you know otherwise!) it's such a brilliant, immersive show, with fabulous naturalistic performances from everyone involved.

and finally i got chance to the last two episodes of @eelerschoice! a bittersweet but fundamentally hopeful end to the season, and i can't get enough of the world-building and the magic system. also, spartina sawbones is my soulmate 🦈🔥

[aworldforastage]

quick reading/watching recap of my faves from May/June 2024

(Audiodrama cover for Professional Body Double, and audiobook covers for Nivarna in Fire and Bu Tiang Gang)

This post will talk about:

My Stand In (2024 Thai Drama)

职业替身/"Professional Body Double" by Shui Qian Cheng

琅琊榜/"Nirvana In Fire" by Hai Yan

步天纲/"Bu Tian Gang" by Meng Xi Shi

心上人来看我的坟头草/ "My Love Comes to See the Grass on my Grave" by Chang Yan

唐案无名 by 远宁

My Stand In (2024 Thai Drama from IQIYI)

Thai adaption of Professional Body Double by Shui Qian Cheng

Progress: 11/12 episodes

Personal rating: 8/10 -- recommend, but be warned parts of the show (and the gifs in its tumblr tag) are NSFW

The actors are fantastic and overall the show is just really well-done imo. My main complaints are removing the political aspects of Ming's family background, and making P'Wut notably older than Joe; it really changes the context of what the two main character are like socially before their relationship. But I also love some of the changes, like the back and forth between Joe and Ming in their final confrontation before the accident, and the funeral + crematorium sequence, which is so brutal and effective I'm not even mad they trimmed down one of most iconic scenes in the novel to make room for it in the episode.

Although WTF EP11??? You put the wrong person in the ICU!

职业替身/Professional Body Double by 水千丞

Modern romance, scum gong crematorium (188 Boys Club)

Progress: complete/reread

Personal rating: 8/10 -- guilty pleasure personal fave in the genre

I have been going through this novel with a fine comb after I got into the Thai drama adaptation. Is this a healthy wholesome relationship? No. But it is living in my head rent-free because there's something so raw about seeing Zhou Xiang's love for Yan Mingxiu, with all its flaws and hopes and vulnerability, finally blossoming into this devoted and loyal relationship that he has wanted his entire life. Anything for you, Xiang-ge.

琅琊榜/Nirvana In Fire by 海宴

Historical political intrigue, not Danmei/No CP

Progress: ~95%

Personal rating: 8/10

The source material behind one of the most beloved CDrama of the last decade, or, a compendium of parties ruined by the most epic quest for revenge. I think the drama is better at showing the action and political schemes that the protagonist doesn't participate in personally (which is most of them) but the characters have more depth and richness in the novel. I love Yan Yujin and Xia Dong so much more now!

步天纲/Bu Tian Gang by 梦溪石

Modern urban fantasy

Progess: ~30%

Personal rating: 7/10 -- generally good but ...

Protagonist joins the Department of Exorcism because its leader is a really hot guy with a sword (which is, you know, fair). I really like the action-focused plot about fighting demons in the modern world, but it can feel a bit jingoistic at times. The protagonist is a bit of a Mary Sue who is simply talented, handsome, likeable and has no substantial flaws, but it hasn't really gotten in the way of making the plot entertaining (so far).

心上人来看我的坟头草/ My Love Comes to See the Grass on my Grave by 长烟

Historical political intrigue, but actually a crack comedy

Progress: ~40%

Personal rating: 7/10

The protagonist is on a secret mission to avenge his wrongfully-executed family. The main love interest is the Crown Prince trying to take back his kingdom. They share the same enemies, which are the traitors at court who are colluding with foreigners for political gain. But despite that premise, the the novel is actually a crack comedy that's hilarious to read.

唐案无名 by 远宁

Roughly translated: "The Nameless Cases from the Tang Dynasty"

Historical mystery/procedural, no CP/ not danmei

Progress: complete (all four volumes expect for like two cases, and it took me around 8 months)

Personal rating: 7/10

The protagonist is a genius detective, who starts out as a local official and works on a series of independent cases. The protagonist dislikes the backstabbing in elite politics, and I really like that he actually commits to staying out of it. He never even meets the emperor even though he is solving important cases in the Capital! However, it is a bit episodic, and ... do we really need to have that many cases about the revenge of women scorned?

[temporalhiccup]

Welcome to your Cozy Town, what will your year be like as you spend the seasons with friends? Check out the game on itchio!

Cozy Town is a lovely and sweet way to pass the time with friends and would be friends. Use a deck of normal playing cards and map making materials to play with others (or by yourself!) and create a town of lovely inhabitants!

You can play out an entire year of this town, across sweet spring, sunny summer, soft autumn, and snuggled down winter. Together you’ll explore what makes people, and the communities they’re in, feel safe and cozy!

I wrote Cozy Town as a way to explore gentle games that don't depend on high stakes, lack, and conflict as a means of play. It's a simple game that values your creativity and intuition, that encourages free form collaboration and an open imagination.

Each season comes with 23 prompts, inspired by my experience as a tarot reader. I'm going to be honest here, that prompt writing was some of the hardest in my life! I wrote Cozy Town early in my game design career and it was hard coming up with almost 100 wholesome prompts that didn't depend on drama or angst, haha! (the rest of my work can be VERY dramatic and VERY angsty)

When you create your town, you have pick lists to inspire features, celebrations, and more! In the final version of the game, I got to work with other designers to create more pick lists and event card oracles for you to enjoy.

The whole game is bursting at the seams with a chill vibe and lovely illustrations! Cozy Town started out as a humble game using font art (and laid out in Libre Office Writer!). But! In the years since, Cozy Town has become such a beloved game. I wanted to create the a shiny version of the game!

I put together a sweet 90s inspired PC layout and A.G. Reeder created truly lovely art. Alex did so much to create the amazing energy of the game, with very little direction from me. Cozy Town became an entirely new game thanks to his work!!

Over the years, I've heard so many lovely stories of folks playing with family, friends, classmates, and by themselves. I've seen the most fun maps and heard wonderful stories. I'm honored that the game has touched so many hearts.

I'm so proud of this game, and I owe much its design framework to Avery Alder's The Quiet Year and Dream Askew (one of my favorite descriptions from folks about Cozy Town is "The Quiet Year, but not depressing and, really happy, actually." hah!)

Cozy Town is a great way to introduce folks to the wonderful world of TTRPGs, but it's also just a fun game to play when you want to chill and have a good time.

You can find the game on itchio at the link below! The itch page has recordings of Cozy Town being played on stream, and at the bottom of the page there's a video from Dicebreaker where the game was featured!

I'm really grateful for the folks who talked about the game and enjoyed it. The support over the years and the successful itchfunding meant I could afford to work with other creatives to work on the final version!

My health has finally improved enough that I can add the last pieces of art from Alex, so the FINAL (???!!!) version of the PDF should be up soon. (I mean, the version you can get now is 99.999% there haha)

There's an audiobook version that's coming out in 2023, and maybe a few more surprises? Who knows! I hope you check out the game and tell folks about it!

Indie TTRPGs are full of varied experiences that celebrate different ways of playing. If Cozy Town isn't your cup of tea, I hope you check out another indie TTRPG, play it, and tell people about it!

[flyinghome-againstthewind]

9 Fandom Peeps to Get to Know Better

Tagged by my beloved @frasers-of-my-heart 💜

3 ships you like: Jamie/Claire, Avalance, and even though I'm not super into the fandom anymore, Castle/Beckett were a formative ship for me

First ship ever: I'm not sure exactly if this was first but Sully x Dr. Mike was one of the first for sure

Last song that you heard: i've been vibing with Too Sweet by Hozier lately

Favourite childhood book: probably the Kit Kittredge books, the American Girl books in general were my gateway into historical fiction at an early age lol

Currently reading: I have not been able to read much lately, but I'm partway through an ACOMAF reread and I'm partway through the audiobook/buddy read of He Who Drowned the World that libby just yoinked back from me 😭

Currently watching: I'm in the middle of a Once Upon a Time rewatch

Currently consuming: an orange creamsicle

Currently craving: a vacation and no more brain fog 😭

tagging @walkinginland and anyone else who wants to play!