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possibly-in-wonderland · 1 year ago

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some modern girl falls into middle earth concepts (the hobbit & lotr)

reader has a gold tooth or two, obvs the company is interested but what happens when thorin gets that gold sickness lmfao

reader has hella tattoos/piercings/body mods (tatted eyeballs, pointed ears, split tongue, fangs, etc) and explains the process to the company (maybe dwalin gets the hots). this is, of course, after the company finds out reader is in fact human and not some odd race they've never heard of

black or native american reader (bc u know how dwarves & elves are with hair)

reader who speaks norwegian and has studied norwegian history (bc why not) and likes to draw comparisons between scandinavian culture and dwarven culture (idk why lmao)

italian reader (bc food)

reader with dai yueqin-length hair (aka if its not up its a tripping hazard to everyone)

reader who's a part of the sca

deaf!reader (maybe bifur's sign language is similar to asl and they end up becoming friends)

blind!reader (reader likes touching faces, im just imagining reader touching one of the dwarves' faces and being like "oh wow ur very handsome", maybe reader likes bigger noses, bigger ears, longer hair, and beards bc they feel interesting as opposed to a clean-shaven face and smaller features)

reader with a beard fetish (*everyone looks at nori and his glorious beard*)

stoner reader who, after falling into middle earth, found themselves constantly stoned stupid due to eating a brownie before the fall (and by some weird magical thing, their body is now "glitched").

alternatively, stoner reader who had seeds on them before they fell.

metalhead reader (specifically eddie munson-style...so thrasher obsessed with dnd).

crackfic idea: introducing the dwarves to diggy hole (lmao)

reader, who's obsessed with stories, tells the company a different story from their home world each night (like a story about a young viking managing to train the most ferocious dragon (how to train your dragon)). later, reader ends up retelling snow white and the seven dwarves.

some sort of bl2 x hobbit crossover (reader's a siren but not from the borderlands universe, and in this case their magic is more like pony magic from mlp friendship is magic or bonnies magic from vampire diaries). they dont get any markings or anything until they "leech" the gold sickness from thorin (which, in turn, affects the reader by making their powers more awesome). obvs there's some limitations (they lose the ability to fully control their limbs and are pretty much wheelchair-bound for a few months). reader is pretty much a demigod (probably just as powerful if not maybe a little less powerful than gandalf).

reader fell into middle earth a couple thousand years ago but due to some weird aging thing and middle earth time working differently than modern earth time they age differently. they've become some minor witch or wizard.

reader "scent marks/chins" to show love (like a rabbit)

reader whos part of modern royalty from our world (and enjoys middle earth more than anything bc they don't have to be "propper" all the time, maybe their more of a princess diana royal)

speaking of princess diana: reader gushes over princess diana

post botfa: fem!reader flirts with dis (lol)

reader pretends to by psychic (like in psych) but in reality they've read every book part of the lotr/hobbit universe and know everything (maybe they understand some of their languages as well, not enough to be fluent but enough to pick out certain words)

reader grew up DEEP in the mountains of west virginia (and likes to sing country roads at random points, though they change some of the lyrics bc they don't have the crayons nor willpower to explain a radio)

reader knows "big bad john" and "the cajun queen" by jimmy dean by heart

reader quietly singing jolene after the events of mirkwood

reader lives life by the kenny rogers song "the gambler"

most of the songs the reader knows are either by dolly parton or kenny rogers (or any other artist similar like reba)

reader casually talks about the horrors of our world like its the most normal thing (ww2, systematic racism, the truth of thanksgiving, climate change, 2020, the patriarchy and how they treat women, etc)...everyone looks horrified

reader writes hozier-style songs

reader is the biggest fucking flirt (but by that, i mean they'll flirt with trees...not just ents, no, trees...and rocks)

reader, a seemingly innocent-looking woman, was a deathmetal vocalist in our world

reader has a thing for watching blacksmiths and metalsmiths (i used to like watching forged in fire until i realized they were a bunch of sexists)

reader has the deepest southern accent-

reader is a little insecure only to find out that everything society deems gross and unsightly in our world is hella attractive to dwarves (body hair, extra weight, etc)

reader has abandonment issues and is terrified the company or fellowship are gonna abandon them at any point

reader introduces the company/fellowship to truth or dare, reader get's dared to tell the group their biggest secret, they pull out their childhood stuffed animal from their bag and introduce the group to said stuffed animal. reader thinks the group will laugh at them. the fellowship finds it endearing. the company also finds it endearing (esp dori, bifur, and bofur).

reader goes on a tangent about frontal lobes for a solid 15 minutes straight with no stopping bc of that one hyperfixation they had a few years back.

reader with chronic pain. they never talk about it but something goes wrong, reader and (we'll say dwalin) switch bodies. the pain is so bad dwalin is keeling over and after they get switched back everyone has a little more respect for reader than before. ("what do you mean tHIS IS NORMAL EVERYDAY PAIN? YOU MEAN TO TELL ME THIS FLARES UP AND GETS WORSE??? THIS ISNT EVEN THE WORST OF IT???" reader shrugs "eh u get used to it after living with it for ur entire life")

reader doesn't like wearing shoes, but has feet as strong as a hobbits so its fine

everyone's explaining what folktale they tell children in different cultures when asked where babies come from. the dwarves talk about being born of rocks, hobbits talk about being born in gardens, the human reader tells the story of the stork

idk i kinda wanna mix some of these together

#original post #lotr #thorins company #the hobbit

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cover-art-showdown · 24 hours ago

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Round One, Match CXXXVI

Bloody Rose (Nicholas Eames), Orbit 2018. Cover by Richard Anderson.

Matilda (Roald Dahl), Viking Books for Young Readers 2013. Cover by Daniela Jaglenka Terrazzini.

#book cover tournament

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richincolor · 1 year ago

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Mid-Autumn and Mooncakes

With the Mid-Autumn Festival coming up at the end of September, mooncakes have been on my mind. Several conversations have revolved around the festival and food in my real life and on social media so I started wondering if there were YA books for that. And yes indeed, here are a few books featuring the moon or mooncakes that I've read or have on my TBR.

Retellings Related to the Moon

An Arrow to the Moon by Emily X.R. Pan Little, Brown Books For Young Readers

Hunter Yee has perfect aim with a bow and arrow, but all else in his life veers wrong. He’s sick of being haunted by his family’s past mistakes. The only things keeping him from running away are his little brother, a supernatural wind, and the bewitching girl at his new high school.

Luna Chang dreads the future. Graduation looms ahead, and her parents’ expectations are stifling. When she begins to break the rules, she finds her life upended by the strange new boy in her class, the arrival of unearthly fireflies, and an ominous crack spreading across the town of Fairbridge.

As Hunter and Luna navigate their families’ enmity and secrets, everything around them begins to fall apart. All they can depend on is their love… but time is running out, and fate will have its way.

Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan Harper Voyager

Growing up on the moon, Xingyin is accustomed to solitude, unaware that she is being hidden from the feared Celestial Emperor who exiled her mother for stealing his elixir of immortality. But when Xingyin’s magic flares and her existence is discovered, she is forced to flee her home, leaving her mother behind.

Alone, powerless, and afraid, she makes her way to the Celestial Kingdom, a land of wonder and secrets. Disguising her identity, she seizes an opportunity to learn alongside the emperor's son, mastering archery and magic, even as passion flames between her and the prince.

To save her mother, Xingyin embarks on a perilous quest, confronting legendary creatures and vicious enemies across the earth and skies. But when treachery looms and forbidden magic threatens the kingdom, she must challenge the ruthless Celestial Emperor for her dream—striking a dangerous bargain in which she is torn between losing all she loves or plunging the realm into chaos.

A captivating debut fantasy inspired by the legend of Chang'e, the Chinese moon goddess, in which a young woman’s quest to free her mother pits her against the most powerful immortal in the realm. Daughter of the Moon Goddess begins an enchanting, romantic duology which weaves ancient Chinese mythology into a sweeping adventure of immortals and magic—where love vies with honor, dreams are fraught with betrayal, and hope emerges triumphant.

Mooncakes

Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker and Wendy Xu Oni Press [Jessica's Review]

A story of love and demons, family and witchcraft.

Nova Huang knows more about magic than your average teen witch. She works at her grandmothers' bookshop, where she helps them loan out spell books and investigate any supernatural occurrences in their New England town.

One fateful night, she follows reports of a white wolf into the woods, and she comes across the unexpected: her childhood crush, Tam Lang, battling a horse demon in the woods. As a werewolf, Tam has been wandering from place to place for years, unable to call any town home.

Pursued by dark forces eager to claim the magic of wolves and out of options, Tam turns to Nova for help. Their latent feelings are rekindled against the backdrop of witchcraft, untested magic, occult rituals, and family ties both new and old in this enchanting tale of self-discovery.

When You Wish Upon a Lantern by Gloria Chao Viking

Liya and Kai had been best friends since they were little kids, but all that changed when a humiliating incident sparked The Biggest Misunderstanding Of All Time—and they haven’t spoken since.

Then Liya discovers her family's wishing lantern store is struggling, and she decides to resume a tradition she had with her beloved late grandmother: secretly fulfilling the wishes people write on the lanterns they send into the sky. It may boost sales and save the store, but she can't do it alone . . . and Kai is the only one who cares enough to help.

While working on their covert missions, Liya and Kai rekindle their friendship—and maybe more. But when their feuding families and their changing futures threaten to tear them apart again, can they find a way to make their own wishes come true?

Fake Dates and Mooncakes by Sher Lee Underlined

Dylan Tang wants to win a Mid-Autumn Festival mooncake-making competition for teen chefs—in memory of his mom, and to bring much-needed publicity to his aunt’s struggling Chinese takeout in Brooklyn.

Enter Theo Somers: charming, wealthy, with a smile that makes Dylan’s stomach do backflips. AKA a distraction. Their worlds are sun-and-moon apart, but Theo keeps showing up. He even convinces Dylan to be his fake date at a family wedding in the Hamptons.

In Theo’s glittering world of pomp, privilege, and crazy rich drama, their romance is supposed to be just pretend . . . but Dylan finds himself falling for Theo. For real. Then Theo’s relatives reveal their true colors—but with the mooncake contest looming, Dylan can’t risk being sidetracked by rich-people problems.

Can Dylan save his family’s business and follow his heart—or will he fail to do both?

#mid autumn festival #mooncakes #young adult books

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kate-graphicdesigner · 11 months ago

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Pie-Rats! by Lisa Frenkel Riddiough and David Mottram

Viking Books for Young Readers, 2024

Art direction by me, design by Lucia Baez

#mypicbooks

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darth-memes · 6 months ago

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High republic books? Where does one start? Thankyou.

Ok so this is a long long answer.

Basically there were a group of Star Wars Authors who got together to make a project that has already lasted years and Lucasfilms seems to be betting strong in this era.

The name of the project is Project Luminous and it spans several books, comics and audiobooks at this time. The story is set 200 years before Episode I and about a 100 (if I'm not mistaken) before the Acolyte. And it's about the Jedi Order at it's peak fighting a new foe, the Nihil, who I can best define as a space biker gang of vikings (they are great).

Due to the sheer volume of material it's divided in three phases and each phase is divided in waves. There is usually three books in each wave (adult, young adult and middle grade), a main comic run, a second comic run called High Republic Adventures (personally, my favourite) and then there are usually audiobooks, short stories and shorter comic runs.

What I usually do is read all the books in a wave (I'm a terribly slow reader, so it takes me a while) and when I catch up to that I read all the comic books unless I saw that it was reccomended otherwise.

I found this list about the reading order for Phase I that is pretty comprehensive. It's just missing the audiobook Tempest Runner by Cavan Scott, that would go between Wave 2 and 3.

But whatever you do you should start with Light of the Jedi by Charles Soule. Not only is a really enjoyable read, it's the beginning of everything that happens later.

I know that the sheer volume of books and comics can be intimidating. But they are all really good and a lot of them connect with each other. Many of the main characters of books and comics appear in other books and such. Or some of them have shown up in the Acolyte like Vernestra Rwoh who is the main character in four of the books (A test of courage by Justina Ireland is one of my favourites).

However if you think it's too much or don't have much time I would recommend that for Phase I you read the Adult novels (Light of the Jedi, The Rising Storm and the Fallen Star) and for Phase II you read Path of of Deceit, The Battle of Jedha (audiobook) and Path of Vengeance. Phase III is still going on and I still have to catch up, so I can't say right now what is essential to read and what not.

As a personal recommendation, my favourite book so far has been Midnight Horizon by Daniel José Older, who also writes The High Republic Adventures comic run which I also love. If you find yourself liking this era but again you are unsure where to continue reading, I really reccomend these two stories. They also have some of my favourite moments in the whole of Star Wars.

One last recomendation. DON'T READ IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER. Phase II does a jump to the past explaining the origin of certain things. And I have seen reading lists that put these books before the ones in Phase I. Don't start there. Light of the Jedi is the first thing you should be reading.

I hope this helped!

#star wars #not memes #the high republic #the acolyte #light of the jedi #midnight horizon #the high republic adventures

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dora-papp · 1 year ago

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Two years ago in January I was working on a book about a Hungarian neopagan "viking" guy's adventures in Europe, when I heard that something terrifying was boiling in Russia and in Ukraine.

I stopped writing for a while.

And realized that I wanted to write about the invasion.

Not specifically about the invasion of Ukraine, rather about its effects that rippled through the youth of Europe. I was extremely angry with the reaction of Hungary, meaning our government. They do NOT represent how all Hungarian people feel about the war in Ukraine.

I was torn for days whether to even start the rewrite, for this subject had to be approached very carefully. I wanted to show how young people of the EU became part of the fight through social media. I made the Hungarian protagonist living in Berlin one of the leaders in this fight.

I felt like I had to do my part, and my part as an author was to explode from the grief and shock and guilt I felt. I wanted to assure my younger readers that their confusion and sadness was valid, and that the trauma they have seen on social media needed to be processed.

Norbi, the protagonist of Rúnatánc (Runedance) has the Tiwaz rune tattooed on him, which, in his Germanic neopagan faith, represents Tyr, the god of war, justice and courage. The story is about his internal struggle caused by the anti-vax movement, the war, and his reappearing ex.

I guess I had to write these things down at last in English. Norbi wouldn't have gone far without his English knowledge and his international friends. And he is partly of me.

Photo credit

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the-doctor-3000 · 1 year ago

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HOLD UP!!!

.. You like Gargoyles!?!? 😭 I love that cartoon!

I’d like to sell my soul for an Angst Gargoyles oneshot~ with a half-Human half-Gargoyle fem reader who was adopted by Demona, but ended up trapped in a cursed mirror by a vengeful wizard as a young child, forced to do nothing but watch as her mother become more and more bloodthirsty and cruel towards Humans, as Demona blamed them for Reader’s sudden disappearance… the trapped child always crying and begging her mother to stop..

but Demona couldn never hear her.. eventually when she’s finally set free.. she can’t even look at the woman she once loved and called her mother.. no matter how much Demona tries to speak to her.. Despite reader being free of the mirror, she’s now trapped in the Castle Demona once called home.. with no hope of escape. (Like Repunzal, but more depressing)

Demona in desperate denial that her sweet innocence child truly did see everything she’d done during those bloodstained centuries they were apart..

A/n: I think I overdid it a little with the angst. I'm sorry if this isn't what you had in mind 😅 Also I'm sorry but I used 2nd POV for this one.

Warning: ANGST, no happy ending

You remember the first time you met her. You were barely five years old but you still could remember the day you met Demona. How could you forget? She had adopted you, took care of you when no one else did.

Not even your biological mother cared as much as she did. Your mother and every human called you an abomination for being a hybrid. Half-human and half-gargoyle. They had never seen something as such and they were already not so fond of gargoyles. You were shunned by everyone in the realm. One day you decided to leave Castle Wyvern only for some human children to come and pick a fight. Just as one of them was about to get too violent, a female gargoyle jumped in front of you and growled at the children. Scared for their lives, they fled, leaving you alone with her.

She turned to face you and you had a better perspective of her appearance. She had a shock of red hair and pale blue skin and, like every gargroyle, wings. She knelt down to meet your eyes.

"Are you alright, little one?" She asked you. This was the first time someone did something nice for you, that someone cared and asked you about your well-being. You ran to her and hugged her tightly, hiding your face in her shoulder. She was taken aback by your sudden action but she hugged you back and she could tell that you were not treated with any kindness. "I'll take care of you, child. I promise no harm shall ever come to you."

For the first time in your life, you were happy. She raised you like her own child and loved you despite being a crossbreed. The clan did not mind her having you since you were bringing an even better side of her. You'd always stuck to her side like glue and when she had to leave for a mission, you'd stay awake and wait for her to return and tuck you to sleep.

Everything seemed perfect until... Seven years later, you were exploring the forest nearby the castle. You were supposed to be with the clan but your curiosity got the better of you and left without telling them. You stopped when you noticed a camp and hid when you recognized them as the Vikings. There was a man with them. His clothes looked regal, made of a green expensive silk while his hair was black with a few grey streaks. He was saying something that you could not understand. You leaned closer in order to listen. They were planning on having the man using magic in order to take over the castle. He was trying to learn the spell to do so.

Your eyes widened. Sure the humans did not treat you with any kind of courtesy but that didn't mean that you wanted to see them all killed. You scanned the area, trying to find the man's book of spells. You thought that by taking his book would give your mother and the others some time to come up with a plan to prevent that from happening. You stayed hidden in the bushes, your eyes never left the man's figure. When he set the book down and he was out of sight, after making sure that everyone else was asleep, you got out of your hiding spot and grabbed the book.

Before he could come back, you turned away and returned to the castle. You were shaking and you were holding the book close to your chest. Demona came to you, running and hugged you tightly.

"My darling, never do that again!" She said, shaking a little bit. "I thought something terrible happened to you."

"Mama!" You said as you showed her the book. "We have to inform the others! The Vikings plan to attack! They have a scary-looking guy with them who knows magic! So I took the book!"

Her eyes widened in shock but softened as she gently rubbed your head. "You're very brave, my sweet daughter. Now... Let me take this book to Goliath and tell the clan what you told me."

You gave it to her without second guesses. Little did you know was that it would be the last time you would see her in person. A few days later, the castle was under attack by the Vikings and you couldn't find your mother anywhere. As you were running down the spiral staircase, a hand grabbed you forcefully and brought you up to meet the person's gaze. It was the wizard. His eyes were burning with anger, his lip curled up a little into a sneer.

"You-- You think I wouldn't notice?" He said and you tried to get out of his grasp.

"Let me go!" You shouted, hoping that anyone from the clan would hear you.

"No one steals from me, little thief! No one!" He yelled in your face. "But... since you are but a brat, I suppose killing you would be too much." You didn't like it where this was going. With a swift movement of his hand, a mirror appeared beside him. "Naughty children ought to be punished, though."

"Ezra! Stop!" You recognized that voice, you turned to see your mother but the man did not budge and through you into the mirror. When you tried to leave, you couldn't go through as it was now solid. You could see your mother's eyes glow red as she growled. "What have you done!? That wasn't what the captain and I---"

"As you said, Demona, what you and the captain agreed." The man, Ezra, said expressionless. "I never made such a foolish oath. Even if I did, you must know that I do not take it kindly to those who steal from me!"

"Why you little treacherous---" She roared and went to attack him but he disappeared into green smoke. She turned to face you, you had tears in your eyes and were shouting something at her but she could not hear you. Her eyes turned back to normal and she placed her forehead against the mirror. "My darling daughter.... I promise that I'll make them pay. I'll make them all pay."

You stopped for a moment, trying to comprehent what she just said and then you started hitting the mirror from your side. "No! No! Ma, please don't it!"

With tears in her eyes, Demona left the castle with the mirror still there. You shouted after her to not do something that she would end up regretting but she couldn't hear you. You stepped back to have a look at your surrounding; a dark dimension, the only light that shone was through the looking glasses that were randomly placed around the dimension. From those were able to look at your mother. Every time she did anything vile or was about to do, you'd cry and beg her to stop.

Days turned to months, months to years and years to centuries. Yet you were still were twelve. One day, as you were looking around all those mirrors, you saw a familiar face. Goliath. He was talking to the clan and a strange woman. You reluctantly stepped closer and started banging on it with one hand as you shouted and shook your other hand in order to get their attention. Even though they too did not seem to hear you, they could feel something or someone looking at them.

"Is that... y/n?" Brooklyn, as he was now called, asked in shock.

"But how?" Goliath asked as he approached. He put his hand on the mirror. "Who did this to you, little one?" You knew talking to him would do no good since only you could listen. An idea sparked into your mind and breathed onto the glass then wrote down a word 'Wizard' and then you added 'Get me out!' with a distressed look. "We'll do whatever we can. Just wait a little longer."

You nodded in response. You trusted them. You didn't care how long it would take for them to find a way to get you out, just that you'd finally be free from your mirror prison. You were so sick and tired of always watching the person you once called mother turning into a merciless monster.

A few weeks went by and the clan had found it. You watched anxiously and when you were able to step out of the mirror, you stretched your little wings and looked at your family. Tears welled up in your eyes and hugged everyone there, even the human woman, Eliza Maza. You were free. It felt like a joke. You never actually thought that you'd see the day that you'd be out of that prison of yours.

"Thank you! Thank you!" You cried as you hugged them, afraid to let go.

For the past few days you were happy. During night Eliza would take you out to see how much the world changed but also help you adjust to this new time period.

At first it was hard, but you managed just fine thanks to Eliza's help as well as the clan's.

But of course, nothing good ever lasts forever. You and your family were sitting peacefully on a roof until some strangers, to you, attacked. You recognized one of them. Demona.

Her eyes opened wide in surprise but softened as she tried to touch you. "My sweet. Is it really you?"

Flashbacks of the time back to the castle came to your mind and you slapped her hands away angrily with a sneer. "Don't touch me!"

"My darling, it's me. Your mama."

"You're not my ma! You hurt innocent humans!"

Her lip curled a bit upward but tried to restrain herself as she said. "There are no innocents! All of these filthy humans are the same! Treacherous and deceitful!"

"Then you are no different!" You shouted at her, shocking her. You turned to leave and glared at her over your shoulder. "Don't you ever try to speak to me. I don't know you anymore."

Your words struck her. After this little argument, she tried to approach and talk to you but you'd always turn away from her until one day... she had enough.

When the clan was away, she snuck inside and took you away. You screamed, kicked, shouted and called her names but she didn't budge. Soon you found yourself once again inside a prison. This time it was a different one. It was a tower. A tower of a castle.

No matter how many times you tried to escape, Demona would always find you and put you into your tower.

She refused to let you go. She refused to believe that you had seen what she had done. She looked at her hands and balled them into fists. She growled and punched a mirror.

#gargoyles #gargoyles disney #demona x reader #platonic #gargoyles x reader #child reader #demona x child reader #demona x daughter reader #daughter reader

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ash-and-books · 26 days ago

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Rating: 2/5

Book Blurb:

A swoony rivals-to-lovers romance . . . Family secrets that can't stay buried . . . A globe-spanning treasure hunt with puzzles to solve . . . This latest YA novel by acclaimed writer Gloria Chao takes readers on a soaring adventure through love, loss, and the lively streets of Taiwan.

For Gemma's whole life, it has always been her and her mom against the world. As far as she knew, all her grandparents—and thus her ties to Taiwanese culture—were dead. Until one day when a mysterious man shows up at her door with two shocking things: the news that her grandfather has just recently passed, and the first clue to a treasure hunt that Gemma hopes will lead to her inheritance.

There's just one major problem: to complete the hunt, she has to go to her grandfather's home in Taiwan. And the only way Gemma can get there is by asking her ex and biggest high-school rival, Xander, for help. But after swallowing her pride, she finds herself halfway across the world, ready to unearth her life-changing prize. Soon Gemma discovers that the treasure hunt is about much more than money—it's about finally learning about her family, her cultural roots, and maybe even finding true love.

Filled with ingenious puzzles, a vibrant Taipei setting, and a delicious romance, Ex Marks the Spot is an exciting adventure by award-winning writer Gloria Chao, perfect for fans of Loveboat Taipei, The Inheritance Games, and Thirteen Little Blue Envelopes.

Review:

Academic rivals and exes have to work together to uncover a secret treasure that connects both their families... that is if they can even stand to be near each other, but if working together means finally facing what went wrong in their relationship, maybe there is more at the end of this treasure hunt than a treasure. Gemma's entire life has been about her and her mother against the world, her mother has hidden her past and refuses to tell her about anything relating to her grandparents or her dad, in fact she refuses to tell her anything about her ties to taiwanese culture. Yet when a mysterious man shows up at Gemma's door telling her that her grandfather whom her mother had told her had died, is recently passed and leaves her map of his things, Gemma is determined to get her inheritance. One problem: in order to complete said hunt she has to go to Taiwan... and that means asking for help from her ex and her academic rival, Xander. Gemma and Xander can barely stand to be in a room together yet to her surprise he helps her... and when she discovers more clues she realizes she needs more of Xander's help because the clues include to him and his family..... now Gemma and Xander must run around Taiwan and find the clues to find the truth about how their families are related and why their families hate each other.... while facing their own feelings for one another. This was definitely a unique YA story about your own cultural roots, relationships, and family relations. It definitely focuses on the journey of Gemma as she wrestles with her difficult family relationships and discovering herself. The romance is extremely light and doesn't really happen until 70% into the book. Overall if you are looking for a YA book that focuses on family secrets and discovering your cultural roots, give this a go.

Release Date: December 31,2024

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group | Viking Books for Young Readers for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

#book review #bookish #ex marks the spot

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literaticat · 7 months ago

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Hi Jenn - I was wondering whether there is any discernible difference between being published by a big 5 imprint that has the same name as the overall house (ex. the Random House imprint itself), vs an imprint under the same house but with a different name? Are you more likely to be a lead title and get more marketing support if you are being published by the former? Is there more implied prestige? Thank you <3

Short answer: no.

But since you probably want a longer answer:

In case you don't know it, most publishers, particularly large and VERY large publishers, are broken up into "groups" and "imprints" -- that is, different brands all under the umbrella publisher. This goes for ALL the big publishers, but I'll focus on PRH since that was your example:

Penguin Random House is broken up into multiple "groups" and within those groups are multiple imprints. << (that link shows all the groups and their imprints!)****

The two groups you mostly would be familiar with on the kids side are Penguin Young Readers Group and Random House Children's Books. But WITHIN those, on the Penguin side, there is Viking, Dutton, Philomel, Putnam, Kokila, Penguin Workshop, Rocky Pond, etc etc. And on the RH side, there's Random House Books for Young Readers, Delacorte, Knopf, Crown, Labyrinth Road, Make Me a World, etc etc.

They are ALL part of PRH. There is no imprint just called "Penguin" on the kid's side -- you have to go to one of the imprints. There IS an imprint called RH BYR -- but there is no special perk or prestige to being published by that imprint vs Knopf, or whatever other RH imprint. Individual imprints may be different sizes or have different specialities, missions, or "vibes" -- but they are all PRH, none of them are particularly "better" or "worse". (They might be better or worse for YOUR book, but they aren't better or worse to the general public or anything like that!)

For example: Rocky Pond is pretty much one main editor, and it has a specific mission: Kids books for all ages that focus on mental health and social/emotional learning. Kokila has several editors, and a specific mission: Kids books for all ages that center marginalized voices/experiences. Rise has two editors, and a specific mission: "To engage, empower, and evolve the youngest readers (ages 0-5) with authentic, relevant, and elegant books." -- you get the picture, right? Different vibes! So if YOUR book was appropriate for one of those imprints, maybe that's the best imprint for it. You'd still be "published by Penguin Random House" -- you'd be a "Penguin author" -- you'd just be at one of the smaller imprints that specializes in that kind of book. (And in the case of Penguin, since there literally IS NO IMPRINT just called "Penguin" -- well, you are gonna be at a differently named imprint!)

(The RH side is more difficult to discern from that link because the RH imprints don't have their "mission statements" listed like that, so I'll just tell you -- Delacorte is mostly highly commercial YA & MG fare, Knopf is books for all ages that are more "literary", RH BYR tends to be commercial middle grade, chapter books, series, etc, RH Graphic = Graphic novels, Joy Revolution is basically diverse romances by and about BIPOC characters, Labyrinth Road I'd think of for MG adventure/fantasy series, etc. There's crossover, of course, but essentially: Different vibes for different kinds of books! If your book is a commercial chapter book series, it's probably gonna be RH BYR -- if it is a lyrical and literary picture book, it probably WON'T be -- and that's fine!)

**** ETA: If you want to know more, this info is out there and available online for all the publishers, it's not secret information. I always suggest, when you read a book, make a note of the publisher/imprint, because you will start to see patterns -- that's the best way to get the "vibe" of a given imprint, and can help you find comps, figure out where YOUR book belongs, etc etc.

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musingsofmonica · 3 months ago

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April 2024 Diverse Reads

April 2024 Diverse Reads:

•”All We Were Promised” by Ashton Lattimore, April 2, Ballantine Books, Historical/Saga/African American & Black/Women

•”Real Americans” by Rachel Khong, April 30, Knopf Publishing Group, Contemporary/Family Life/Cultural Heritage/Asian American

•”The Cemetery of Untold Stories” by Julia Alvarez l, April 2, Algonquin Books, Literary/Fantasy/Magical Realism/Cultural Heritage/Hispanic & Latino/World Literature/Caribbean & West Indies

•”The Stone Home” by Crystal Hana Kim, April 2, William Morrow & Company, Literary/Historical/Saga/Psychological/World Literature/Korea/Multiple Timelines

•”Indian Burial Ground” by Nick Medina, April 16, Berkley Books, April 2, Horror/Thriller/Supernatural/Cultural Heritage/Native American & Aboriginal

•”A Magical Girl Retires” by Park Seolyeon, translated by Anton Hur, April 30, Harpervia, Contemporary/Fantasy/Feminist/World Literature/Korea

•”Bite by Bite: Nourishments and Jamborees” by

Aimee Nezhukumatathil, April 30, Ecco Press, Essays/Short Essays/Essay Collection/Memoir in Essay

•”Disability Intimacy: Essays on Love, Care, and Desire” by Alice Wong, April 30, Vintage, Essays/Short Essays/Essay Collection/People with Disabilities/Love & Romance/Human Sexuality/Social Science

•”The Backyard Bird Chronicles” by Amy Tan, April 23, Knopf Publishing Group, Personal Memoir/Personal Memoir in Journal/Animals - Birds/Motivational & Inspirational/Illustration

•”Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder” by Salman Rushdie, April 16, Random House, Personal Memoir/Literary Figure/Survival/Cultural, Ethnic & Regional/Discrimination & Race Relations/Social Justice

•”Just for the Summer” by Abby Jimenez, April 02, Forever, Contemporary/Romance/Romantic Comedy/Women/Small Town & Rural

•”How to End a Love Story” by Yulin Kuang, April 09, Avon Books, Contemporary/Romance/Romantic Comedy/Multicultural & Interracial/Diversity & Multicultural/Cultural Heritage Asian American/Workplace/Family Life/Siblings/Women

•”When I Think of You” by Myah Arie, April 16, Berkley Books, Contemporary/Romance/Romantic Comedy/Women/Hollywood/Workplace/Diversity & Multicultural

•”Canto Contigo” by Jonny Garza Villa, April 09, Wednesday Books, Contemporary/Romance/Culwtural Heritage/Hispanic & Latino/LGBTQ

•”Table for One: Stories” by Ko-Eun Yun, translated by Lizzie Buehler, April 09, Columbia University Press, Literary/Short Stories/Women/World Literature/Korea

•”One of Us Knows” by Alyssa Cole, April 16, William Morrow & Company, Thriller/Suspense/Psychological/Mystery & Detective/Women Sleuths/Women

•”Ocean's Godori” by Elaine U. Cho, April 23, Zando - Hillman Grad Books, Science Fiction/Space Opera/Romance/Asian American/LGBTQ

•”Kill Her Twice” by Stacey Lee, April 23, G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers, YA/Historical/20th Century/Mysteries & Detective/Women Sleuths/Women/Culwtural Heritage/Asian American

•”You Know What You Did” by K. T. Nguyen, April 16, Dutton, Thriller/Psychological/Culwtural Heritage/Asian American

•”The Spoiled Heart” by Sunjeev Sahota, April 16, Viking, Contemporary/Political/Family Life/World Literature/England

#books #bookworm #bookish #bibliophile #book lover #bookaddict #reading #book #booklr #bookaholic #books and reading #bookblr #reading list #to read #reader #read diverse books #diverse authors #diverse books #diverse reads

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alexsfictionaddiction · 11 months ago

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The Women's Prize for Non-Fiction 2024 Longlist is here!

I'm sure that long time readers of my blog or followers of my Instagram will know that I have been following the Women's Prize for Fiction very closely for the last few years. I was really excited to discover that they were launching a sister prize celebrating non-fiction written by women (because it definitely tends to get lost in the very male-dominant sphere that is non-fiction). I am not a big non-fiction reader but as I get older, I have found myself becoming more interested in it. I think I'll always be a much bigger fiction reader but there are some genres within non-fiction that I am fascinated by, so it made sense for me to take a look at what the inaugural Women's Prize for Non-Fiction longlist had to offer.

The Women's Prize for Non-Fiction is open to non-fiction books written by women in English and published between 1st April 2023 and 31st March 2024. I believe it follows the same rules as the Fiction prize, in that books have to follow a narrative and that translated books are not eligible.

So, here are the 16 books on the first ever Women's Prize for Non-Fiction longlist!

Intervals by Marianne Brooker. Published by Fitzcarraldo Editions on 28th February 2024.

Thunderclap by Laura Cumming. Published by Chatto & Windus on 6th July 2023.

Shadows at Noon by Joya Chatterji. Published by Bodley Head on 13th July 2023.

Wifedom: Mrs Orwell's Invisible Life by Anna Funder. Published by Viking on 17th August 2023.

Matrescence by Lucy Jones. Published by Allen Lane on 22nd June 2023.

How To Say Babylon by Safiya Sinclair. Published by 4th Estate on 3rd October 2023.

Some People Need Killing by Patricia Evangelista. Published by Grove Press on 2nd November 2023.

Code Dependent: Living in the Shadow of AI by Madhumita Murgia. Published by Picador on 28th March 2024.

Eve: How the Female Body Drove 200 Million Years of Human Evolution by Cat Bohannon. Published by Hutchinson Heinemann on 12th October 2023.

The Britannias: An Island Quest by Alice Albinia. Published by Allen Lane on 19th October 2023.

All That She Carried: The Journey of Ashley's Sack, A Black Family Keepsake by Tiya Miles. Published by Profile Books on 13th July 2023.

The Dictionary People: The Unsung Heroes Who Created the Oxford English Dictionary by Sarah Ogilvie. Published by Chatto & Windus on 7th September 2023.

Doppelganger: A Trip Into the Mirror World by Naomi Klein. Published by Allen Lane on 12th September 2023.

Vulture Capitalism: Corporate Crimes, Backdoor Bailouts and the Death of Freedom by Grace Blakeley. Published by Bloomsbury on 14th March 2024.

A Flat Place by Noreen Masud. Published by Hamish Hamilton on 27th April 2023.

Young Queens: Three Renaissance Women and the Price of Power by Leah Redmond Chang. Published by Bloomsbury on 11th May 2023.

So, there's the longlist. There is a good mixture in terms of theme and I'm sure a lot of people will be excited about that. I'm afraid that for me, I'm really not very interested in many of them. I have copies of Eve and Some People Need Killing, so I'll be reading them. I am also interested in Doppelganger and Wifedom but they're both very expensive in all formats at the moment, so I'll see if I can get library copies. However, almost all of the others just aren't speaking to me!

The shortlist will be announced on 27th March and the winner will be announced on 13th June, which is the same date as the winner of the Fiction Prize. So, I imagine the award ceremony will be a very big celebration of women's writing, which is always an exciting event.

What do you think of the longlist? Will you be reading any? Have you read any? Should I pick up any that I don't think I'm interested in? Let me know!

#women's prize for non-fiction #women's prize #longlist #books #bookworm

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eggcatsreads · 1 year ago

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𝕋𝕠𝕘𝕖𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕣 𝕎𝕖 ℝ𝕠𝕥 by Skyla Arndt

🖤🌿🖤🌿🖤/5

Pub Date: August 29th, 2023

There’s so many different aspects of this book that I’m just a sucker for - spooky forests, town cults, romance with a monster - all combined in a horror/romance novel? Sign me up.

If you liked Hannah Whitten's The Wilderwood duology, I believe you’ll like this story. The romance while becoming a monster connected to a (potentially) sinister woods between Wil and Elwood reminded me (if only in vibes, which is always the most important aspect, obviously) of Red and Eammon. If you wanted a little more horror in your romance, then this is the novel for you.

The implicit horror of the town and the explicit horror of the monster that Elwood is transforming into, combined with the romance was fantastic. I LOVE "horromance" and I will eat up “they're becoming more of a monster, and can you love them when they’re more monster than person” EVERY TIME. That is my jam. And boy does this book deliver!

The tension building is great, and you can really feel the slowly tightening of the noose on all the characters as the danger rises and their ability to escape dries up. They’re trapped in this town, and surrounded by a forest that may or may not be sinister (and filled with people who absolutely are), and you can absolutely feel it.

Also the bittersweet ending made me cry. I don’t know how the author would be able to create a full second book to this, as it ends almost perfectly - but I would NOT be against a bonus chapter or novella of Wil and Elwood.

I cannot wait to get my hands on my signed physical copy!

(Also there’s a preorder campaign, so if you were thinking At All about snagging this book don’t hesitate to purchase it! Believe me, it’s worth it!)

A huge thank you to the author, NetGalley, and Penguin Young Readers Group/Viking Books for Young Readers for providing this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Also posted on Goodreads and Instagram.]

#together We rot #romance books #books #book review #book recommendations #horror #horror books #horror fiction #booklr #arc #arc review #advanced reader copy #netgalley #eggcats reviews

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