#also young Duncan is wonderful already tbh I love him

[etdraconis]

( me: I’m gonna finished The Familiar first, and then I’m going to read the Calling since DA has consumed me once more

Also me: *stares at the Calling for several days before giving in, with the Familiar only half-read* whoops… )

[bigskydreaming]

Young Justice Season Three spoilers

YJ Producers: We have a Muslim superhero this season, look how great she is and how progressive we are!

Actual YJ episodes: Okay so Muslim superhero might be a bit of a stretch since well, if you wanna get technical, she’s actually a sentient piece of alien technology whose soul went into the body of a dead Muslim girl when her original alien tech got smushed. But even though she continually insists that she is not Gabrielle Daou, the Muslim girl whose body this was originally, and that’s the entire reason she chose a new name for herself, she is a completely different person aka a non Muslim, not even human person - she still wears a hijab! Totally counts!

YJ Producers: We always wanted to portray LGBTQ+ superheroes, we’ve actually had one the whole time and you just didn’t know it because mean old Cartoon Network wouldn’t let us show it, now that we’re on our own we can and will be showing LGBTQ+ characters this season!

Actual YJ episodes thirteen episodes into the season: Error 404 Content Not Found

YJ Producers: We’re finally gonna include Cyborg! Victor Stone is in the house, we love and appreciate that character so much, we really wanted to wait until we could do his story justice!

Actual YJ episodes: So see, after getting gruesomely almost-deaded after a huge blowout fight in which we showed Vic has a lot of rage cuz Black Teenage Boys Are Just Like That, that was all aimed at his dad for not showing any interest in his life and for never showing his son he cared until now cuz Black Dads Are Just Like That, well okay, yeah that sucks, but what happened NEXT is really cool - so his dad saved his life, right? Even if it was by using alien tech that every single person he came in contact with kept telling him wasn’t like normal tech, it was sentient and thus yes COULD be bad, which was further demonstrated through the fact that said life-saving tech kept like...hijacking Vic’s own body and turning him into a rage-monster that we could totally show being a Stereotype of Black Teenage Boy Aggression as he remorselessly hunted a terrified Violet but it wasn’t his fault, he was totally powerless to control his own actions cuz of the Evil Alien Tech in his body and like wait, whats bad about that, I forget the question??? Oh right! But stop WORRYING, its all good, see, as long as he stayed around Violet and never went too far from her ever, the woman of color had magic rage-pacifying skills that existed solely to calm down the Stereotypical Angry Black Teen when he couldn’t control himself because Reasons. LOL WHY ARE YOU UPSET, WHAT’S WRONG WITH THAT, THIS IS A GOOD VICTOR STORY, ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED???

YJ Producers: We love and value our characters of color and would never hurt them, we’ve actually taken steps to make sure of that!

Actual YJ Episodes: Violet and Vic are both practically unkillable, see? As proof, watch us violently murder Violet in every single episode in new and creatively gruesome ways, with bonus Vic near-death experiences that allow us to show him just utterly wrecked in ways we’ve never shown a single white character, even in this season when we’re all about showing off how much creative freedom we have now without CENSORSHIP! 

YJ Producers: This season is also going to focus on the stress and mental health issues that go along with life as a superhero, and who better to demonstrate this by suffering from superhero-related PTSD than Jefferson Pierce? The guy whose divorce already showed the stress and relationship issues that go along with life as a superhero (since all our white heroes in relationships are still going strong)!

Actual YJ Episodes: Oh, nothing say about this one huh, PUNK? That’s right, we actually did exactly what we said we’d do, see? Just look at how much time we spend talking about how traumatized Jefferson is and how miserable he is after killing a kid, and that’s nothing we’ve ever done (or would ever do - SHH THEY DONT NEED TO KNOW THAT) to a white hero! PLUS, like, he’s definitely getting better though, thanks to the support of the much younger character he’s surrounded by, instead of y’know, turning to his established friends and colleagues his own age for support! AND AND AND don’t forget about his growing relationship with the white doctor lady who is definitely NOT super creepy and NOT likely to betray him and break his heart and/or force him to make painful decisions when choosing between her and the kids he’s vowed to protect at some climactic point later in the season that all of that is super clearly not building towards!

YJ Producers: And don’t forget about Jaime Reyes and Virgil Hawkins and Mal Duncan and Raquel and Karen! They’re all still here too!

Actual YJ Episodes: We’ve definitely forgotten that Jaime Reyes and Virgil Hawkins and Mal Duncan and Raquel and Karen are all still here too.

YJ Producers: Major life events have happened to these heroes offscreen in the time we’ve been away from them, stuff that’s really shaped who they are and who they’ve become by now. All this stuff really matters, its how we’re different from other shows, we don’t pretend these characters stop existing the second they’re off your screens! Looks, Barbara Gordon is in a wheelchair! She’s Oracle now!

Actual YJ Episodes: Why would we bother to explain when or how this happened with even a single line of dialogue when The Killing Joke exists and is available on our streaming service? You sound dumb.

YJ Producers: Kaldur is our proof of how important our characters are to our over-all universe, look how far he’s come! He’s not Aqualad anymore, he’s AquaMAN, he’s one of the co-chairs of the Justice League, right up there with Wonder Woman who he definitely doesn’t need to turn to for approval or oversight of his actual decisions!

Actual YJ Episodes: We’re pretty sure we covered all this in the two minutes of screen time Kaldur’s had all season!

YJ Producers: Look, bottom line, this season, being away from Cartoon Network really allowed us to stretch our wings and flex creatively, we’re doing a lot of stuff with this story that just wouldn’t have been possible before, when we were on a network like CN and had overseers restricting our every move! This season gets a lot darker, a lot more mature, a lot more everything cuz freedom of speech baby! That’s what its all about!

Actual YJ Episodes: In support of our thesis, watch us up the graphically violent content of every single episode and kill lots of people instead of just cartoonishly knocking them out and carting them away to jail! That’s it, that’s everything we wanted to do that CN wouldn’t let us, that now we have total freedom to prove in a myriad of ways! What do you mean, what about *looks at smudged writing on hand* LGB - look we can’t be expected to read what that says when we have graphic violence to depict, fuck yeah!

YJ Producers: Besides, in happier news, its not all doom and gloom this season! Connor and M’Gann got engaged! Now that we’ve completely moved past all the stuff M’Gann did in S2 and don’t consider it worth mentioning, Superboy and Miss Martian are back together, and SB is totally gonna marry the woman who betrayed him in the one highly specific way that goes back to the very source of every trust issue he has and reason he has so many walls pushing people away!

Actual YJ Episodes: Yeah this is definitely happening. Suck my dick, Connor fans and fans who relate to and identify with SB and his story and think its maybe just not the healthiest to wave a wand and go “Happily ever after!” With, y’know, the guy whose greatest canon fear and paranoia is the sanctity of his mind being violated and being unable to trust that his own thoughts are really his and not just being spoon fed to him in a pod at Project Cadmus or by his telepathic girlfriend when she doesn’t like his opinion or his criticism of her actions and just doesn’t want to fight about it anymore. Look, she said she was sorry, get over it. What more do you want? For Connor to move on and have a healthy romantic relationship with someone who he doesn’t ever have to wonder if his trust in her and second chance is real and valid and not just her making him say and do what she wanted, like the way she definitely has before? For him and M’Gann to rebuild their trust over time, gradually, as friends, with the understanding they can be close again but romantic intimacy between them specifically probably isn’t in the best interests of the guy who will always have to wonder now if his thoughts are really his, no matter whether or not that’s true? Yeah, no, that sounds like a lot of work tbh, and really, we just like Miss Martian and Superboy together, they’re just cute, you know? Sides, we killed Wally and we don’t actually wanna talk about why Barbara’s paralyzed now and like, focus on her as a character, so what other longterm pairings do we really have? WHAT DO YOU MEAN THESE ARE ALL OUR OWN CHOICES AND IF WE WANT BETTER FOUNDATIONS FOR OUR CHARACTER DYNAMICS WE SHOULD MAKE BETTER CHOICES? UGH GET OFF MY BALLS, MAN.

YJ Producers: We’ve got Terra this season, and we’re doing some really cool, brand new things there.

Actual YJ Episodes: Slade’s Apprentice arc from Teen Titans the show and The Judas Contract in the comics, but really aren’t they the same thing? If you think about it, is it even possible to do that in a new way? Look, its not like we could do anything MORE original than that, like what, did you want us to have Tara genuinely be the good and loving sister she was when she reunited with her brother and expressed how traumatized she was by the things she did when she was supposedly being mind-controlled, actually invested in saving other trafficked meta-kids from being used and hurt the way she had been? Like, the way it seemed she was being written before we revealed it was a fake-out and she was actually working for Slade exactly like those other times we swore we were gonna be more original than that? Ugh why are you so unrealistic, dude, you have such weird expectations.

Me: Like dear YJ, you’ve still got me watching, because like a) I’m weak and I need this, b) nostalgia, c) Dick, Artemis, Connor, Jefferson and the chance of Jason and also Violet, Brion and Vic are all still enjoyable as characters even though your treatment of them and your narrative choices are all extremely suspect and also craptastic and also I really wanna punch you for a lot of this.

But goddamn, this was NOT your best work, and after years of waiting only to get this? Like.....so not crash, dudes. Not even a little bit.

[star-light-child]

I was tagged by the lovely @love-family-whatever-it-is Thank you!! 💕

1. How long have you been a fan of Outlander?

July or August 2017. Well, I’ve heard about it for longer than that because my mom was watching it since 2015, I think. She was always telling me how incredible the story is and how much she loves the characters, especially Jamie. I also kept seeing gifs on Tumblr and I thought I’d give it a go. One of the best choices I ever made. 💙

2. Have you read the books? If so, which ones?

I’ve only read the first four so far, but I do have the rest, apart from “An Echo in the Bone” (planning on soon aquiring it). Also got a couple of novellas.

3. Which is your favourite secondary character?

Books : So far, it’s Young Ian. Not only do I relate to him in a couple of aspects, but also everything he does is simultaneously adorable and sweet.

Show : Murtagh. I have to mention that I’ve watched the show before reading the books and I was a bit dissapointed that he’s not such a big part of the story as he is in the TV series. I absolutely loved how Duncan Lacroix portrayed him as a lovable, grumpy father figure.

4. What is your least favourite storyline?

Hmm, not gonna lie, I wasn’t a fan of the whole Paris situation in the show; thought it was a bit boring and unnecessary the first time ‘round. But I have recently rewatched season 2 (after reading the second book) and I was pleaseantly surprised by the plot.

5. Favourite episode(s)?

It’s a close call for the all-time favourite title between “The Devil’s Mark” and “Dragonfly in Amber”.

Other favourites chosen in a random order: “Lallybroch”, “To Ransom a Man’s Soul”, “A. Malcolm”, “Je Suis Prest”, “Sassenach”, “The Wedding”, “La Dame Blanche”; I’m sure I forgot a couple 😅

6. The episode(s) you skip?

Uff, “Dragonfly in Amber” and “Wentworth Prison”. They both carry so much emotional weight that’s too much for me.

7. Be honest, how many times have you watched “The Wedding”?

Only 2 times. Maybe it’s time for a 3rd rewatch? 🤔

8. Finish the sentence: Frank Randall is_________.

Book Frank: a jerk. I felt sorry for him at first but stopped quite early on.

Show Frank: also a jerk. Maybe a little bit better than book Frank, but still a jerk.

9. What’s your Outlander watching ritual?

I must always clutch my favourite pillow (for sobbing purposes) and the lights have to be off, 2 or 3 days after the episode is out.

10. Are you into shipping?

Um....YES!!! For real tho, it’s not a good day if I haven’t reblogged a gif of Jamie/Claire. My followers who don’t watch the show must hate me :)

11. Do you read Outlander fanfiction? If so, what’s your favourite?

If I read Outlander fanfiction, you ask. More like I obssess over it and desperately seek new ones every night. No, really, it’s a whole part of my routine.

I honestly have so many but I’ll write a couple here: The Beserker- @suhailauniverse, The Ripple Effect- @whiskynottea, Loss, Act II- @missclairebelle, McTavish & Beauchamp- @curlsgetdemgurls, One-Sided Conversations- @thatsoccercoach Thank you, talented darlings, for blessing us with your wonderful creations!! 💖

12. What Outlander merchandise do you own?

Unfortunately, none. But God, how I wish I had Claire’s ring.

13. Which was your favourite: Rupert or Angus?

They were both utter idiots, but they were our idiots 😔 I think Rupert, solely for the fact the he remained loyal to Jamie till the end. I’m still not over Angus’ death/plot twist btw.

14. True or False: Lt. Jeremy Foster is a delicious cinnamon bun.

Oh God, I don’t know who he is!! Haven’t got to him yet.

15. If you were to attend a “fucking bar-b-que” with Geillis Duncan what would you order?

Cheeseburger with a large side of fries.

16. What areas of interest has Outlander sparked for you?

I’ve become much more curious about Scotland’s history. I didn’t really knew much about the country (apart from whisky, tartans and bagpipes) before the show. Now I find their traditions, customs, Gaelic and overall embodyment of resillience fascinating.

17. Biggest plot hole in the show? Hmm... can’t think of any right now. I suppose Jamie’s ghost in the first episode, but that will be explained eventually...hopefully.

Also, good point, @love-family-whatever-it-is What’s up with the stones??

18. Bree and Roger: Yay or Nay?

Yay all the way 😍

19. Which JAMMF habit do you find endearing?

Books: the finger tap agains his thigh, love how that’s Claire’s way of knowing when Jamie’s nervous.

Show: the raised eyebrow and the way he’s looking at Claire.

20. Finish the sentence: Claire Fraser is _______________.

Badass. Survivor. Healer. Queen. Wise woman. Take your pick.

21. Marry/Fuck/Kill: Dougal, Black Jack, Geneva.

Ummm... I would kill all of them tbh. But Black Jack the most.

22. If you could change one thing about the show version of Outlander, what would it be? A couple more extra episodes. Though they did a brilliant job of compressing so much information into the episodes, my heart wants a bit more content. (yes, I mean Jamie/Claire cuddly scenes :)

23. Using one word for each, describe Season 1, Season 2, and Season 3:

Youth. Partnership. Love.

24. What are some of your other favourite shows/movies?

Shows: Supernatural, Doctor Who and Sherlock are the Holy Trinity. But also Reign, The Vampire Diaries (only the first 3 seasons), and the most recent one-A Discovery of Witches. Movies: “The Book Thief”, “La La Land”, “Mamma Mia”, Marvel

25. Where are you from?

Romania. Bet you didn’t expect that :)

Tag, you’re it: @curlsgetdemgurls , @ecampbellsoup , @snowwhite1116 @prodigiousreblogger , @avasetocallmyown @whenfrasermetbeauchamp (if you haven’t done it already) and everyone else is welcome to join! 🤗

[wafflesetc]

Please write an AU where Jamie and Claire meet on a flight where either or both are flight attendants.

YES! I chose to do the latter because @gotham-ruaidh‘s Modern Glasgow AU they met on a plane and TBH I just can’t top that, but I can get behind flight attendant AU. Also, Jamie’s a pilot because I couldn’t see our Jamie being a flight attendant. He could totally be a pilot though. Also, if I saw him in a captain’s uniform– I would want to fling him to the floor and commit ravishment. 

J is going to be clean shaven as pilots can’t have beards because of the oxygen masks if something goes wrong the facial hair can get in the way. This is partially a total crack fic idea, but to fun to say no to! Still, I hope you enjoy.

And lastly, people feel safer when their pilots are Scots. See here’s proof. Science says so.

I was so, so, so very late. Glancing quickly down to my phone it read 3:47AM. My sign in time was 4:30, I had a twenty minute drive to the airport. I would just be making it. I said a silent prayer as I put my jacket on that the Starbucks line behind security wasn’t going to be too long, either. I’d be much more tolerant with a cup of coffee in me.

I ordered my Uber and made my way to the airport. I hated 4 day trips- but Frank and I were supposed to be heading to France next week on a mini-vacation. The only way I got the days off to align with Frank’s week off from the university was to swap my high time 3 day trip with Geillis Duncan’s 4 day trip. I had looked at the rotation and cringed, 4 days of flying with 3 legs each day, and all short layovers. Geillis was junior to me so I shouldn’t have been surprised, but at least I got the days off. 

I breathlessly rolled into the flight attendant lounge with a coffee in hand at 4:28. Two freaking minutes to spare. 

I signed in for my trip on my tablet, printed the rotation, and sat in the chairs waiting to meet with the rest of the crew. 

“Lady Jane, what are you doing here?” I heard from behind me, a warm familiar voice spreading a smile across my face for the first time this morning. 

“Joe!” I yelped, rising to my feet and giving my friend a hug. “A four day trip. I swapped with Geillis so that I had time off to take Frank to France for a few days.” 

“4 days trip, with a short MSY, MDT and PIT layovers?” Joe asked as I watched a grin spread from ear to ear on his face.

I nodded at him, shaking my still wet curls and tossing it into a bun. 

“You’re with me then! I’m the lead on this trip and we’re flying with Mary Hawkins too, should be a great crew for a horrible trip!” 

I laughed at Joe’s statement. Joe was now a commuter, so 4 day trips were great for him, he could fly 2 a month and get all his hours in. I lived closer to base, so I preferred turns and two days because I loved my bed a little too much. We went through training together and became fast friends and since he moved away from base we rarely saw each other any more. My spirits warmed a bit as to be flying with two friends, maybe this trip was not going to be as bad as it looked on paper. 

“Well, we’re leaving out of gate A6. Pilots overnighted here, they’re Detroit based and will meet us at the plane. Mary’s getting coffee, why don’t we walk to the gate and meet her there?” Joe asked as he straightened his tie and grabbed his suitcase. 

“Sounds good to me.” I said, rolling my suitcase behind me as we walked to the gate. 

“Claire, I thought Geillis was on this trip!” Mary said as we rounded the ticketing counter. 

“She was, we swapped last minute so I can take Frank to France next week!” I said taking my badge and scanning on to the computer.

 “You are still with him! How is it going?” Mary asked as she scanned on right after me. “I thought you guys took a break or maybe that’s in my head?” 

“She needs to get rid of him that’s what she needs to do!” Joe chimed in from behind us. 

“Joe.” I said sternly. “We got in a bit of a fight over me doing this job and going to nursing school. I think he’s coming around though, we are taking it slow and seeing where it goes.” 

“Oh! I see.” Mary said, taking a small sip of her coffee. “Are the pilots here?” 

“I don’t thi-” I started but was stopped as I felt the presence of people coming up behind me. 

“Aye, we are.” A soft voice said, in an accent I hadn’t heard very often. 

“I’m James Fraser, the captain for this trip. That’s Murtagh, the first officer.” The captain said as he came into my eye sight. 

He was so beautiful, I almost spit my coffee out. For a captain too, was remarkably young. He had auburn red hair, high viking-like cheekbones, deep blue eyes, and the nicest jaw bone I had ever seen. He was obviously very charismatic because I was blushing like a love stricken fifth grader with her middle school. And I’d be damned, he looked good in that captain’s suit… A four striped pilot had never looked so good to me, in my entire flying career. 

“I… Uh…..” I said trying to find my words.

“That’s Claire Beauchamp, I’m Mary Hawkins, and that’s Joe Abernathy.” Mary laughed as she did my introduction for me. 

“I’m sorry, I’m not usually like this, but this early morning sign in has me a bit out of sorts today.” I said sheepishly as I felt the flush in my cheeks brighten even more red. 

“Dinna fash, Claire.” The captain said as he stuck his hand out to shake mine. I reached my hand out and took it, shaking it in return. Our hands stayed linked for what must have been more than socially acceptable as the gate agent told us the plane was at the gate and Jamie pulled his hand out of mine so fast and looking away. His cheeks flushing a small shade of red as he walked down the jet bridge. 

I felt the temperature in my face return to normal, as Mary bumped my side with her elbow. 

“The captain is dashing…” She said, as she started to walk down the jet bridge me trailing a few steps behind. “And he totally thinks you’re pretty. He couldn’t take his eyes off of you.” 

“Yeah, Lady Jane, he didn’t even take time to introduce himself to me. He only had eyes for you.” Joe laughed from the bottom of the top of the jet bridge.

“You two, are so full of it. Plus, you both very well know I have a thing against pilots.” I huffed as I walked onto the airplane. 

We put our bags up, checked our equipment, and then boarded the airplane. For a flight from NY to ATL there were five too many kids and 12C was already complaining about her connection, I was not having it. 

Walking up to the front galley, I took a deep breath, escaping to behind the wall where no passengers could see me. 

I was standing by the open boarding door, trying to take in as much fresh air as I could before we closed the door. I felt a hand on my shoulder that sent chills down my spine as a the soft voice spoke right behind my ear. 

“Sassenach, we are ready to go.I have the final paperwork and the gate agent is comin’ down to shut the door.”  Captain Fraser said as I turned around to look at him. 

We were almost eye-level, as the plane gave me a few extra inches of height. His blue eyes looked right at me, like he was searching for something- what that something was, I didn’t know. 

“Oh, right!” I said, turning to the side, giving him space to walk onto the airplane. 

As he stepped in front of me, I became just aware at how large Captain Fraser was and let out a small chuckle. 

“What’s so amusing?” the captain asked as he stood in the doorway to the flight deck.

“Don’t take this the wrong way, but -” I was stopped as the gate agent appeared. 

“Are we good to go?” Susan the gate agent asked. I nodded, saying “Cabin is secure!” and felt the rush of air as she closed the forward boarding door. Jamie still stood, smiling, waiting for me to finish my statement. 

“And?” He asked, leaning against the door, crossing his arms giving me a dubious look. 

“Well, it’s just that you are rather quite large and that particular flight deck is small. I was just wondering how you actually fit up there, that’s all.” 

“Och. I ken it’s small, ye should see the bruises on my knees sometimes!” Captain Fraser laughed as he disappeared into the flight deck. 

I picked up the intercom and using my best PA voice, spoke over the phone. “Ladies and gentlemen, the forward boarding door is now closed, feel free to use your mobile devices as long as they are set to airplane mode. But before this aircraft can move everyone must be seated with their seat belts fastened, carryon items and tray tables stowed and aisle arm rests lowered. Flight attendants, doors for departure.” 

I hung up, armed my doors and called to the back.  “Mary, 1L and 1R are armed and cross checked.” 

“2L and 2R are armed and cross checked! Joe’s finishing closing the bins and will be up there in just a minute!” Mary answered. She disappeared off the line. I walked to the entry to the flight deck and knocked, getting their attention.

“Ok guys, last call before we close the door, do you want anything?” I asked, sticking my head in. 

“Nay, we’re good.” Murtagh said as the captain finished a conversation with the tower. 

“No, Sassenach, we’re good. Thank ye kindly for asking us, though.” 

“Absolutely… Well, that’s it, cabin’s ready for push back then. If you guys need a break in a bit, you know how to reach us!” I said as I stepped out, and started to shut the door. 

“Aye, will do.” I heard Captain Fraser say as I watched the huge smile he was giving disappear as the flight deck door was shut. 

I turned around, to find Joe standing with his back to the aisle and arms crossed. 

“Claire you’ve enchanted a pilot.” He said, as he laughed, turning the safety demo on. 

I just shook my head, turning the cabin lights off and sitting in my jumpseat. 

Maybe, just maybe, I’d be interested in a pilot one day, if that pilot was Captain Fraser. 

[dalishious]

So my main Warden and the Warden I first played through DAO with is a Tabris and because of what goes down in that Origin and how Duncan's reaction is seemingly to just give a couple of nice young untrained Elven Lads a sword and send them to the slaughter like "sorry bro wish I could help" I understand the whole Wardens shouldn't get involved spiel, but considering how DAO and Awakening is the PC getting all kinds of involved with everything..It left a sour taste in my mouth? (p1)

(p2) He just seemed really unsympathetic throughout the whole Origin and I've always felt he kinda sent Sorris and Nelaros to their deaths and that as far as he was concerned there was no way either of them would make it out of there alive...Even though he's gr8 in the other origins, I'm still bitter about his treatment of Tabris and Co and I kinda hate him because of it tbh. I know you love Duncan so I was just wondering what your perspective on his actions in the city elf origin is? Thanks

If you play as a male Tabris and it’s you that is doing the infiltration, he also says “I fear I cannot. Trust me when I say my intervention would cause you more trouble than it would solve” when you ask why he can’t come with you. I think it’s important to remember that the Grey Wardens are still on very thin ice in Ferelden. It was not all that long ago that they were finally permitted to return to the country; just 20 years ago in 9:10 Dragon, and are still looked down upon by most humans, especially nobles. And he also says that Arl Urien is already “no friend to the Grey Wardens.”While in his youth, Duncan probably would have said “lol fuck the rules” and gone in with them, here he was probably considering the fact that getting caught assaulting the Arl of Denerim’s palace may have had extreme repercussions for his order, even if it was in actuality the right thing to do... and the last thing they needed would be having the Grey Wardens exiled yet again during a Blight that no one else yet believes is a Blight.

[inloveandwords]

This post was inspired by Ally’s series (which was inspired by Lia at Lost in a Story).

It works like this

Go to your Goodreads to-read shelf.

Order on ascending date added.

Take the first 5 (or 10 (or even more!) if you’re feeling adventurous) books

Read the synopsis of the books

Decide: keep it or should it go?

    The Book of Love (Magdalene Line Trilogy #2) by Kathleen McGowan

Maureen Paschal thought she might rest and work on her book after discovering the gospel written by Mary Magdalene that revealed Jesus and Mary Magdalene were married. The truth of their story rocked the world and made Maureen a target of those who did not like her discovery and a heroine to those who did. Then Maureen receives a strange package containing what looks like an ancient letter written in Latin and signed with a symbol. She discovers that its author is an extraordinary woman whom history has overlooked — or covered up — Countess Matilda of Tuscany, and in the letter Matilda demands the return of her “most precious books and documents.” Maureen soon finds herself in a race across Italy and France, where hidden dangers await her and her lover, Berenger, as they begin to realize that they are on the trail of another explosive discovery: the Book of Love, the Gospel written in Jesus’ own hand. As Maureen learns more about Matilda, an eleventhcentury warrior countess who was secretly married to a pope, she begins to see the eerie connections between herself and Matilda, connections she must trace to their source if she is to stop the wrong people from finding the Book of Love and hiding it forever. Weaving together Matilda’s little-known true story and Maureen’s thrilling search, “The Book of Love” follows two amazing heroines as their stories intertwine through time. Maureen is immersed in the mysteries of the labyrinth, the beautiful poetry of the Song of Songs, the world’s greatest art and architecture, and Matilda’s amazing legacy…until a potentially fatal encounter reveals the Book of Love to Maureen — and to the reader.

Date added to TBR: Jun 27, 2011 Keep or Ditch? Ditch Comments: Dear me from June 27, 2011… y tho?

The Six Rules of Maybe by Deb Caletti

Scarlet spends most of her time worrying about other people. Some are her friends, others are practically strangers, and then there are the ones no else even notices. Trying to fix their lives comes naturally to her. And pushing her own needs to the side is part of the deal. So when her older sister comes home unexpectedly married and pregnant, Scarlet has a new person to worry about. But all of her good intentions are shattered when the unthinkable happens: she falls for her sister’s husband. For the first time in a long time, Scarlet’s not fixing a problem, she’s at the center of one. And ignoring her feelings doesn’t seem to be an option…

Date added to TBR: Jun 27, 2011 Keep or Ditch? Keep Comments: It is my personal mission to read every Deb Caletti book ever written. Also, I own this book already.

Dead Beautiful (Dead Beautiful #1)by Yvonne Woon

On the morning of her sixteenth birthday, Renée Winters was still an ordinary girl. She spent her summers at the beach, had the perfect best friend, and had just started dating the cutest guy at school. No one she’d ever known had died. But all that changes when she finds her parents dead in the Redwood Forest, in what appears to be a strange double murder.

After the funeral Renée’s wealthy grandfather sends her to Gottfried Academy, a remote and mysterious boarding school in Maine, where she finds herself studying subjects like Philosophy, Latin, and the “Crude Sciences.”

It’s there that she meets Dante Berlin, a handsome and elusive boy to whom she feels inexplicably drawn. As they grow closer, unexplainable things begin to happen, but Renée can’t stop herself from falling in love. It’s only when she discovers a dark tragedy in Gottfried’s past that she begins to wonder if the Academy is everything it seems.

Little does she know, Dante is the one hiding a dangerous secret, one that has him fearing for her life.

Dead Beautiful is both a compelling romance and thought-provoking read, bringing shocking new meaning to life, death, love, and the nature of the soul.

Date added to TBR: Jun 27, 2011 Keep or Ditch? Keep Comments: This is already on my bookshelf. I don’t plan on unhauling it just yet 🙂

Juliet, Naked by Nick Hornby

Annie loves Duncan — or thinks she does. Duncan loves Annie, but then, all of a sudden, he doesn’t. Duncan really loves Tucker Crowe, a reclusive Dylanish singer-songwriter who stopped making music ten years ago. Annie stops loving Duncan, and starts getting her own life.

In doing so, she initiates an e-mail correspondence with Tucker, and a connection is forged between two lonely people who are looking for more out of what they’ve got. Tucker’s been languishing (and he’s unnervingly aware of it), living in rural Pennsylvania with what he sees as his one hope for redemption amid a life of emotional and artistic ruin — his young son, Jackson. But then there’s also the new material he’s about to release to the world: an acoustic, stripped-down version of his greatest album, Juliet — entitled, Juliet, Naked.

What happens when a washed-up musician looks for another chance? And miles away, a restless, childless woman looks for a change? Juliet, Naked is a powerfully engrossing, humblingly humorous novel about music, love, loneliness, and the struggle to live up to one’s promise.

Date added to TBR: Jun 27, 2011 Keep or Ditch? Ditch Comments: This had been on my bookshelf for a long time, but I actually recently sold it back to Books a Million since my sister forced me to watch the movie. I didn’t love the movie, so I don’t plan on reading the book either.

Secrets of Eden by Chris Bohjalian

From the bestselling author of The Double Bind, Midwives, and Skeletons at the Feast comes a novel of shattered faith, intimate secrets, and the delicate nature of sacrifice.

“There,” says Alice Hayward to Reverend Stephen Drew, just after her baptism, and just before going home to the husband who will kill her that evening and then shoot himself. Drew, tortured by the cryptic finality of that short utterance, feels his faith in God slipping away and is saved from despair only by a meeting with Heather Laurent, the author of wildly successful, inspirational books about . . . angels.

Heather survived a childhood that culminated in her own parents’ murder-suicide, so she identifies deeply with Alice’s daughter, Katie, offering herself as a mentor to the girl and a shoulder for Stephen – who flees the pulpit to be with Heather and see if there is anything to be salvaged from the spiritual wreckage around him. But then the State’s Attorney begins to suspect that Alice’s husband may not have killed himself. . .and finds out that Alice had secrets only her minister knew.

Secrets of Eden is both a haunting literary thriller and a deeply evocative testament to the inner complexities that mark all of our lives. Once again Chris Bohjalian has given us a riveting page-turner in which nothing is precisely what it seems. As one character remarks, “Believe no one. Trust no one. Assume all of our stories are suspect.”

Date added to TBR: Jun 27, 2011 Keep or Ditch? Ditch Comments: This is on my bookshelf, but I honestly don’t plan on reading it. Time to unhaul it!

Midnight Bayou by Nora Roberts

Declan Fitzgerald had always been the family maverick, but even he couldn’t understand his impulse to buy a dilapidated mansion on the outskirts of New Orleans. All he knew was that ever since he first saw Manet Hall, he’d been enchanted-and obsessed-with it. So when the opportunity to buy the house comes up, Declan jumps at the chance to live out a dream.

Determined to restore Manet Hall to its former splendor, Declan begins the daunting renovation room by room, relying on his own labor and skills. But the days spent in total isolation in the empty house take a toll. He is seeing visions of days from a century past, and experiencing sensations of terror and nearly unbearable grief-sensations not his own, but those of a stranger. Local legend has it that the house is haunted, and with every passing day Declan’s belief in the ghostly presence grows.

Only the companionship of alluring Angelina Simone can distract him from the mysterious happenings in the house, but Angelina too has her own surprising connection to Manet Hall-a connection that will help Declan uncover a secret that’s been buried for a hundred years.

Date added to TBR: Jun 27, 2011 Keep or Ditch? Keep Comments: I have two shelves full of Nora Roberts books right now and I’ve only ever read one series by her. While I enjoyed it, the only reason why I own so many of her books is because I inherited them from a friend. TBH I don’t know that I’m ever going to get to reading most of them. I hate reading mass market paperbacks and 99% of them are in that format. At some point, when I gather enough books, I’m planning on getting rid of most of my mass market paperbacks. For now, though, I’ll hang on to this.

The Letter (The Christmas Box Trilogy #3) by Richard Paul Evans

Nineteen years after the death of their young daughter, an estranged couple finds a letter at the base of the girl’s gravestone. Feeling in his heart that the letter is from the mother who abandoned him as a child, the husband embarks on a poignant journey of self-discovery and renewed love. The bestselling author of THE CHRISTMAS BOX brings another universal message of hope and love to Spanish-speaking readers.

Date added to TBR: Jun 27, 2011 Keep or Ditch? Ditch Comments: It’s part of a series I haven’t read yet!

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

“Come to me–come to me entirely now,” said he. “Make my happiness–I will make yours.”

Born into a poor family and raised by an oppressive aunt, young Jane Eyre becomes the governess at Thornfield Manor to escape the confines of her life. There her fiery independence clashes with the brooding and mysterious nature of her employer, Mr. Rochester. But what begins as outright loathing slowly evolves into a passionate romance. When a terrible secret from Rochester’s past threatens to tear the two apart, Jane must make an impossible choice: Should she follow her heart or walk away and lose her love forever?

Unabashedly romantic and utterly enthralling, Jane Eyre endures as one of the greatest love stories of all time. This must-have edition of a timeless classic is beautifully presented for a modern teen audience.

Date added to TBR: Jun 27, 2011 Keep or Ditch? Keep Comments: MUST. READ.

The Taking by Dean Koontz

On the morning that will mark the end of the world they have known, Molly and Niel Sloan awaken to the drumbeat of rain on their roof. It has haunted their sleep, invaded their dreams, and now they rise to find a luminous silvery downpour drenching their small California mountain town. A strange scent hangs faintly in the air, and the young couple cannot shake the sense of something wrong.

As hours pass and the rain continues to fall, Molly and Niel listen to disturbing news of extreme weather phenomena across the globe. Before evening, their little town loses television and radio reception. Then telephone and the Internet are gone. With the ceaseless rain now comes an obscuring fog that transforms the once-friendly village into a ghostly labyrinth. By nightfall the Sloans have gathered with some of their neighbors to deal with community damage… but also because they feel the need to band together against some unknown threat, some enemy they cannot identify or even imagine.

In the night, strange noises arise, and at a distance, in the rain and the mist, mysterious lights are seen drifting among the trees. The rain diminishes with the dawn, but a moody gray-purple twilight prevails. Soon Molly, Niel, and their small band of friends will be forced to draw on reserves of strength, courage, and humanity they never knew they had. For within the misty gloom they will encounter something that reveals in a terrifying instant what is happening to their world – something that is hunting them with ruthless efficiency.

Date added to TBR: Jun 27, 2011 Keep or Ditch? Ditch Comments: This is 100% not my thing. Why did I add it?

Called Out of Darkness: A Spiritual Confession by Anne Rice

Autobiographical spiritual memoir providing an account of how the author rediscovered and fully embraced her Catholic faith after decadesas a self-proclaimed atheist. Begins with her childhood in NewOrleans, when she seriously considered entering a convent. As she grewinto a young adult she delved into concerns about faith, God, and theCatholic Church that led her away from religion. The author finallyreclaimed her Catholic faith in the late 1990s, realizing howmuch she desired to surrender her being, including herwriting talent, to God.

Date added to TBR: Jun 27, 2011 Keep or Ditch? Ditch Comments: This is the second book in a series. I got a little excited over the name, apparently.

  Here are the stats

Previous Total TBR Count: 1896

Updated Total TBR Count: 1951

Total Ditched Today: 6

Total Kept Today: 4

  Bye-Bye Books: Decluttering my TBR March 2019 This post was inspired by Ally’s series (which was inspired by Lia at Lost in a Story…