#and I’ve reread the comics like 5 times

[crismakesstuff]

waiting patiently for s2 to hopefully start seeing invincible get a proper fandom bc im stuck with all these dumb little thoughts

[malenjoyer]

Good morning 🙏🏼

I want to thank everyone their support with reblogging my stuff over the years and reblogging some of the context of the situation.

Tumblr and Instagram is filled with the most supportive people I’ve ever had the chance of meeting. The last time something like this happened, I didn’t have much support, not even from people I thought were close to me. It took me a year or two to be okay with being perceived again in fandoms. So I’m very grateful for everything.

I just wanted to post that I appreciate all of the asks and I’ve been reading all of them. I actually get anxious I’m spamming everyone too much so I probably won’t reply to everything. Please don’t feel pressured to support me financially, there’s is a free option on patreon to follow. I’ll post future project plans and occasional updates because I still love comics and I still love DC/Marvel. I do enjoy having people following along for my art/reading journey so I would always be okay with people just following for free. My brain is telling me this post is too long now so I will go 🙏🏼😭

[revelboo]

An idea for the Metroplex x reader fics in the long term, it’d be interesting to consider the reader finding a way to merge with him sometime down the line! It might be difficult to explain with a human reader, but a little plot convenience never hurt anyone.

If you haven’t read the Windblade comics, merging is where a regular cybertronian connects with a titan, sharing one mind and also having access to their entire frame. It’s cool stuff. When Windblade does it, she does see a vision of Metroplex (relatively regular sized) holding out his hand to her.

I’ve been thinking about titans a lot and I think while merged Metroplex would be able to feel as if he’s being held like a normal bot, even if that’s not really happening. I ramble on. The Windblade comics are so good I recommend them to everyone, that is my message. Thank you for delivering us top tier fics with lightning speed 🫡

Looks they’ve pulled the IDW TF comics from Kindle aside from what I already own. I need to track down a copy of the Windblade series and drag the bulk of my physical comics out to reread.

I Can Feel You Pt 5

Metroplex x Reader

• It’s a slow process. One word at a time. Repeating yourself until he slowly, painstakingly responds. Simple things since that’s all you’re really capable of with the limited phrases in the educational files, writing a question and repeating it out loud for the massive Autobot. Then quickly copying down his response to try and translate it. You spend all night that way, stretched out on the floor, the aching in your back and shoulders distant as you focus on Metroplex. On talking to him, needing to let him know you see him. He’s not alone or forgotten.

• Centering himself with the feel of your heartbeat, he watches over you as you sleep, cheek on your outstretched arm where you’d fallen asleep waiting on him to form a response as day broke. All night speaking to him, that knowledge spreads warm through his spark even as exhaustion drags at him. Making such small things, detailed things, so difficult, sapping his energy and ability to focus. But to be able to talk to you, it’s worth it. Do you understand how much the effort means to him? That you’d tried at all when no one else bothers?

• It’s mid afternoon when you wake up, body aching from laying on the hard floor. Pushing yourself upright, you lean back against your berth. Reluctantly pulling yourself to your feet, your sleepy mind almost doesn’t notice the dark rectangle of missing floor in a corner. Moving closer, you peer into the darkness below, seeing stairs winding down and as you look, biolights flare, running like circuitry in the walls. Did he want you to go down there? He must, but your nerves jangle as you lay a hand against the wall, faintly uneasy at the claustrophobic space and darkness. He can’t know how much you hate small spaces, but he’s reaching out again. You can’t just ignore him. “Okay,” you whisper, skin prickling as you start down the stairs. Realizing he’s leading you into his massive frame and unsure how you feel about that.

• Your palm slides along him as you move slowly down the stairs and he can feel you trembling faintly. Afraid? Why now? Flaring biolights for you as you keep going, he’s aware of the way you keep looking up toward the rectangle of light, of the way your breathing is becoming less steady. Trusting him enough to keep going, though. But so silent. He’s so used to you talking to him constantly that he’s very aware that you’re not talking. Just a little further, though. Deeper inside the labyrinth of his frame. He’s not even sure if this will work, but wants to try. Needs to know.

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[blogthebooklover]

30 Things I Learned As An Adult

In honor of me turning 30 in January, I’ve decided to write out a list of 30 things I learned as an adult.  Now, some of these worked for me through trial and error, while others did not.

1. Self Care Is Important

I cannot stress this enough.  We all need to practice self care, to take time for ourselves.  It takes baby steps to find a good self-care routine, and there’s plenty of online resources to find one to your tastes.  Remember it is all about trial and error, and don’t worry about perfecting it right away.  Research some different self care routines online as a starting point.

2. Read Books, Not Fanfiction

Okay, don’t get me wrong, I do love reading some good ole fanfiction, and current events.  However, definitely pick up a book once in a while.  Whether it’s a graphic novel, comics, manga, please develop a reading habit.  It definitely helped me out a lot as a former college dropout, there are reading lists on sites like Goodreads, here on Tumblr, even colleges have lists what books students are required to read.  And it does help with expanding your knowledge and vocabulary.  As I’ve previously said, I’m a former college dropout who’s currently back in school, however, developing a healthy reading habit is what kept me grounded.  If you need a starting point, I recommend reading a fiction book, preferably in the SciFi/Fantasy genre; or reread a book from your childhood.  Also, PLEASE GET A LIBRARY CARD!  You’ll definitely be saving a lot of money, and we need to support our public libraries now more than ever.

3. Say “No” More Often

If you don’t feel comfortable going out, or if your manager calls and asks to cover a shift, just say “no.”  Remember, you have the power to set boundaries, especially with family, friends, and work.  This correlates to number 1 on my list, self care is super important, and you cannot put your health at risk for anyone.  I’m going to repeat that last part: SELF CARE IS SUPER IMPORTANT, AND YOU CANNOT PUT YOUR HEALTH AT RISK FOR ANYONE!

4. Register To Vote, And Vote In Every Election

With politics being so polarized and divisive in the past decade, and the upcoming 2024 US Presidential Election, please register to vote.  And voter suppression has been very rampant in the past two, arguably three, decades.  To anyone about to turn 18 here in the US, please register to vote ASAP!  And vote in every goddamn election, both national and local.  I seriously cannot stress this enough.

5. Eat Healthy, No Seriously

I love some fast food once in a while now, however, please take some time to learn about healthy eating.  It will catch up with you in the future, and our US healthcare system is already fucked as all hell.  I know the rising costs of everything, including food, is insane right now; but please keep informed about how to prepare good healthy food.

6. Take Breaks From Current Events, Social Media, and the Internet

This also correlates with number one.  While it is very important to stay informed with what is happening in the world/country of origin; especially with the US Presidential Election year.  Remember, it’s okay to take breaks from reading too much news, and scrolling through social media feeds.  It really does have an effect on your mental health, and unfortunately too many people tend to fall down the conspiracy theory rabbit hole on all sides of the political spectrum.  To the teenagers and young adults, take breaks and focus on your mental health and well-being.  To the adults, read the previous sentence.  With everything so polarizing, take care of yourself first.  

7. High School Friends DO NOT LAST!

My friends from high school and early college years were definitely the “ride and die” type of  friends, metaphorically speaking.  If you have that one friend who was/is the “give the shirt off their back” type, check in on them once in a while.  However, with the former, just move on.  The friends I had in high school definitely had a lot of childhood trauma, and in one aspect, I’m glad that they were honest about it; it was/is a way to heal.  However, any “friend” who just doesn’t want to better themselves and use you for any convenience, DUMP THEM AND CUT OFF ALL CONTACT!  Remember just as you set boundaries with your toxic family members, and even for your job, you should do the same with friends.

8. Change Jobs, ASAP!

This is a very important one.  I didn’t really have a job as a teenager, I wanted to enjoy being a kid for a little longer, however, I did have an occasional babysitting job.  At 23 years old, I got a job at a fast food place.  While I do appreciate part of the experience, like how to use the “customer service” voice, however, any red flags that pop up in your head, change jobs, ASAP!  It was toxic, too political (for some weird reason) and a lot of drama (and not from the teenagers).  The grocery store I work at now does have its busy times, however, it’s much more calmer, and I don’t see too many “Karen” types. 

9. Declutter More Often

This is also a definite must as you get older.  Whatever you don’t need anymore, donate them.  Whatever is completely broken, throw it away!  Whatever it is that is in good condition, sell it or maybe give it to someone as a birthday/holiday present.  Any old makeup, throw it away!  It’ll help reduce the amount of clutter and mess.  If you need a starting point, I suggest the KonMari method.  It really did help me out a lot.

10.  Use A Planner

This is a life-and-time saver.  Write down any appointments, cleaning days, paydays, bill charges, etc.; into a physical planner.  If you’re in college, please use one!  And write down any assignments to work on/turn in BEFORE the deadline.  Also, anything important, put into your calendar app on your phone and laptop as a reminder.

11.  Have A Skin Care Routine

Okay, I know having a skin care routine isn’t for everyone, and we all have different reactions to skin care products; however, don’t be afraid to experiment with a good skin care routine.  In my early teen years, I used Proactiv skin care for my acne, and it helped out a lot.  Remember: cleanse, tone, any serum of your choice, and moisturize.  This also helps out if you don’t feel like jumping into the shower.  Also, use sunscreen, seriously.

12.  Don’t Get Married, Until You’re Ready

This is coming from someone who is single, lol.  If you plan on getting married to your romantic partner, I’m proud of you! Marriage is about communication, being honest, and doing equal amount of work (finances, household chores, etc.)  Save money if you’re planning for a wedding, or go to your local courthouse to get a marriage license if you don’t want the big, fancy reception.  

13.  Don’t Have Kids, Until You’re Ready

Again, this is coming from someone who is single and childless, lol.  Having kids is a lot of work: physically, mentally, emotionally, and financially.  Not everyone is capable of being a parent, and I have read PLENTY of posts on here and other websites about toxic parents/parenting styles.  Take time and think about if you’re ready to become a parent.

14.  Learn How To Budget Your Money

This is for anyone of any age out there.  Please learn how to budget your spending.  Look for stuff on sale or clearance, or cut back on certain types of spending. I know most people have no idea where to start, but there is! There’s some great websites and YouTube channels on how to budget your money. Another great tool to use are spreadsheets like Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets. I use a Google Sheet template to help track my spending and budget my finances. Also, if you have gift cards from your birthday/holidays/etc; definitely use them, you won't be breaking your bank account :). Also, definitely have some paper cash in your wallet for emergency use.     

15.  Open A Savings/Emergency Funds Account, ASAP!

This is a huge one to have as an adult, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.  Anything left over from paying the bills, from a side hustle, or from your tax returns, put that into savings.  Certain banks will also have the option of creating “financial goals” in savings accounts; so I highly recommend using that as well.  This also correlates with number 14.  If you’re interested, open two or three savings accounts, the last one should only be for emergency funds.

16.  Get A Physical Hobby, AKA Exercise!

It doesn’t matter what type of exercise you do, please do it!  And for anyone who is physically disabled, there are modified options provided on YouTube.  We do lose certain motor functions as we age, so definitely pick an exercise that’s right for you, as they say. Even if it's just going outside for a walk for 30 minutes, please do some type of exercise.   

17.  Learn How To Meal Prep

It doesn’t have to be for every meal of every day, pick a meal you want to make and prepare ahead of time.  And prepare that meal the day before, so it will be on hand when you leave your house. There are some great videos on YouTube, and some ideas from Pinterest if you need a starting point.

18.  If You’re Able To, Go To The Dentist!

Seriously though, try and go for a checkup/teeth cleaning.  You’re only given one set of teeth after all your baby teeth fall out, and you need to take good care of them.  If you’re able to, or live near to one, local colleges have free cleanings through their dental training programs.   

19.  If Your Job Offers a 401K, GET ON IT NOW!

My old job at a fast food restaurant didn’t have retirement benefits, but my current grocery store job does.  I jumped on it right away, even if it’s not the job I want right now.  And it’s a good starting point to have some money saved up for retirement. If you leave the job that has a 401k, you can do what's called a rollover. This will put the money that was set into the first retirement fund into another one; you can do this with your bank or if your new job has a 401k.

20.  If You Don’t Have Health Insurance, Sign Up With The State, or Through Your Job.

In my experience, I have insurance through the state at the moment.  If your job offers health insurance as well, jump on it right away, even if it’s not the job you want, it’ll be a starting point that correlates with number 19.

21.  It’s Okay To Not Go To College

This is coming from someone who was a college dropout at 19, and currently back in school.  If you don’t feel ready to go to college, that’s okay too.  College is very expensive, especially here in the US, and not everyone can get a scholarship, even if they did apply for a lot of them.  Maybe get a part-time job or two (for some income), explore some hobbies you enjoy, and take some time to think about some goals.     

22. If You’re In College, It’s Okay To Stay At Home

Again, coming from a former college dropout, I stayed at home while attending a nearby community college in another state.  However, out-of-state tuition and housing is also very expensive.  If you have a good relationship with your parents, and if you’re going to school in-state, talk to them about staying home while going to school.  If you don’t, then talk to a trusted friend or family member about getting an apartment together that isn’t on-site housing while you’re attending school.

23. Watch Non-English Language Movies

If you’re a movie lover like me, take some time to watch some foreign language films once in a while; and I know we anime fans do, lol.  To be honest, it does get very boring watching English language films all the time, whether from the States, England, or Canada.  Watching foreign language movies will definitely help you to understand the world a lot better, if you don’t have the means for traveling yet; and they will help you to understand that no matter where we live, we all have similar issues, hopes, dreams, etc.  If you need a starting point, I recommend any of the Studio Ghibli movies, I would start with Kiki’s Delivery Service; or Guillermo del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth.  

24. SET BOUNDARIES

Remember: toxic family members and friends are not worth it.  You are worthy and valid for love and respect.  This correlates to number 7.  This is also very useful in the workplace.  

25. Express Yourself Through Fashion

Like everyone else, I feel most comfortable in jeans and a t-shirt myself; however sometimes I like to dress up just for fun, or to build up my self esteem and image.  This also helps when learning to pair an accessory with an outfit.  Play around with different color palettes and clothing styles, and find the one you feel the most “you.”  For example, I’ve always looked my best in jewel tones and a cooler color palette.  Read some fashion articles or watch some YouTube videos about how to pick out an outfit.

26. It Is Not Selfish To Prioritize Yourself

This correlates with number 3.  I have noticed it’s mostly a Western/American/Christian culture norm, we’re always told to take care of others before taking care of ourselves; or we’re selfish for prioritizing ourselves over others. It is not selfish, it is part of self care. Again, this is tied in with number 24.

27.   Failing and Making Mistakes Is Part of Growing

There is so much societal pressure on trying to be successful in life and work, especially in the Western/American hemisphere. However, making mistakes and failing at something is part of growing, and learning as an individual.

28. It's Okay to Not Have a Label to Define Yourself

Hear me out. I understand the use of labels in society and culture in general; everyone wants to belong somewhere and feel accepted. However, it is okay to not have a label to define who you are, and who you want/choose to be. Take all the time you need to figure out what's best for you. And sometimes people don't realize a label will fit them until they are much older in life. Or they couldn't at the time.

29. Don't Compare, You'll Get There

We are human, and we all have the tendency to compare ourselves to others. Unfortunately, this doesn't end after high school and college. And that needs to seriously change, especially in the Western/American hemisphere. Simply writing down "don't compare, you'll get there" is a great reminder to have for yourself. Everyone learns and grows at their own pace.

30. It Really Is The Little Things That Keep Us Going

When life seems to get too hard, it really is the little things that keep us going. Whether it is something as simple as someone holding a door open for you, or someone complimenting* you on your outfit or your work ethic; those moments are the ones that matter the most. Remember those moments, hold on to them.

[cupcakeslushie]

Hello again! It's been a while since I popped in your ask box! Going back and rereading you separated AU made me cry my eyes out! So we'll done with that, I also have a few questions

1. So, in another ask, you said bishop might be in EW (is that correct)? I'm just wondering, are you gonna take a version of Bishop or fully turn him into something original

2. What is you separated AU called as I just call it separated AU (I know, me reading it and idk what it's called)

3. Did you know a red eared sliders have bad hearing and amazing eyesight, does that count for leo in this separated AU

4. Wait- leo gets put in the dark armor? What did I miss?

5. Timothy was threes friend before back in threes past, follow up, how did Timothy not die, I thought he was krangified (kraangified)

6. Not a question more of a statement bit I love Timothy and donnies relationship so much, it fills me with joy.

I think that's all the questions I had, or I just forgot about some. Please remember to stay hydrated and take breaks!

Hello!

1. I’ve been thinking Bishop for EW might be sillier than he is in the current Feral Leo comic. I’m really wanting him to have Professor Membrane vibes. Like this scene but instead of sharks it’s turtles. Idk. He’s not gonna show up for a while so I’m workshopping him.

2. It’s called Empyrean Weeping or EW for short!

3. I did not know that! lol just the image of EW Leo not hearing something and just going “hn” all stoic, but his ass did not catch that.

4. It’s only been referenced and shown in little snippets. Nothing in the main storyline so far! You haven’t missed anything! It’s gonna be a while yet!

5. He wasn’t krangified. Draxum just mutated him! He considered him a failure and thought Timothy had died, but his body just needed time to reform after being googleyfied

6. Me too! Love them!!

[nonetoon]

✨ Big Comic Recommendation List! ✨

I’ve been wanting to compile some of my favorite comics into one big list in no particular order for a while. Again, I just want to reiterate that I’m in no way any sort of comic critic and all of these are just books that I personally enjoy, and if they seem up your alley I hope you’ll enjoy them too!

I also want to state that these are definitely more adult oriented books and not for kids. A lot of these stories have pretty graphic violence and tackle more adult topics like sexual or physical assault, so I’ll also be putting content warnings for where it applies.

1. Afternoon at McBurger’s by Ana Galvañ

Afternoon at McBurger’s takes place in a bright, colorful future where a group of young girls finally have the opportunity to participate in the Once Party provided by McBurger’s, a fast food restaurant. The Once Party offers a fantastical opportunity for anyone who turns eleven years old: the chance to visit themselves in the future!

The limited color palette of pink, teal, and yellow make for a very nice aesthetic that lends itself to the strange, futuristic world you get just a glimpse into. For such a short story there is a lot to keep track of that makes rereading fun and I felt like I discovered something new every time I went through it again.

CW: physical abuse

2. No One Else by R. Kikuo Johnson

Another short one but is definitely one of the more impactful. No One Else is about a woman (a nurse and full time caretaker for her elderly father) and her brother (a musician who has a much more strained relationship with their father) trying to process the sudden, accidental death of their father while also looking after her son. A very honest, holds-no-punches look at family, abuse, and neglect as each character struggles to cope with this sudden situation they find themselves in.

The artwork is beautifully done and the use of blues with a splash of orange makes for a great visual impact. I’m a big fan of character driven stories, and this book provides an interesting and messy glimpse into these characters lives. Very down to earth, very honest, and nicely tied together.

CW: physical abuse

3. Birds of Maine by Michael DeForge

A fun and meandering story about a society of birds that migrated to the moon to form their own world, away from human involvement. Birds of Maine follows both a group of young birds trying to find their place in this giant, complex world as well as gives glimpses of the many different facets of bird society and how they function.

This comic gives a very funny, matter-of-fact look into the absurd world of birds! It’s overall a great read if you like world building, and it’s presented with beautiful line work, bright pops of color, and abstract shapes that make up the bustling world and characters. The story overall feels like a stroll: it generally follows along a specific story with certain characters, but isn’t afraid to wander off to other points of interest.

4. Coyote Doggirl by Lisa Hanawalt

Set in the wild west, Coyote Doggirl follows said character as she tries to escape a group of bandits after she kills their leader’s brother. Along the way she meets new allies and has to decide to confront the past she is trying desperately to get away from or keep on running. It’s a funny yet honest book set in the beauty of the desert.

The story and characters in Coyote Doggirl are both hilarious and crude, which makes the more serious and genuine moments even more impactful. The loose style of the watercolors throughout this comic perfectly match the beautiful colors of the desert landscape. This comic also has probably one of my favorite endings (which I’m not going to spoil here).

CW: nudity, sexual assault, graphic violence

5. Eight-Lane Runaways by Henry McCausland

Eight-Lane Runaways follows a group of runners participating in a marathon through a fantastical and lively world. Each have their own motivations and desires for entering the race, and we get to see how each resolves as the race goes on.

The quirky and oddball characters and their ever-changing, winding landscape go perfectly hand-in-hand. It’s always amusing when clearly bizarre fantasy worlds, characters, and events are treated very plainly within the story. The characters are simple but fun to follow along with, from a character who is a frog, to a character who follows the instructions of a magical coat, to a character simply looking for two missing cats. Along with the beautifully done artwork and sprawling pages of landscapes, it feels as though you are only getting the smallest look into this big, wild world you want to learn more about.

6. The Book Tour by Andi Watson

The Book Tour follows a rather unlucky new author as, not only is his debut book not selling well, but a string of murders is following his exact tour route, leaving all signs pointing at him as the culprit.

It’s a very dry but still incredibly entertaining and suspenseful story. It’s hilarious, quaint, and baffling to watch the poor man get hit with bad luck after bad luck, only for him to be very proper, if not completely lost, about the whole ordeal. There are also many moving parts and details going on in the background that make for a great murder mystery story, definitely deserving of a reread to connect all the pieces that might have been missed on the first read through (I know I definitely did).

7. Heaven No Hell by Michael DeForge

A collection of 17 amazing short stories looking at a variety of characters and concepts. Everything from a woman pretending to be a surgeon, a karaoke party, a family killed in a car crash, and the creation of a hypothetical child.

My favorite stories of the bunch are “One Of My Students Is A Murderer… But Which?”, “Surprise Party”, “Album”, “Road Trip”, and “Soap Opera.” All of the stories in this comic are perfectly bite-sized looks into a variety of interesting visuals and concepts that keep you engaged from segment to segment.

CW: mild nudity

8. Flavor Girls by Loïc Locatelli-Kournwsky and Angel De Santiago

In Flavor Girls, a mysterious alien ship appears in Earth’s orbit, and its passengers cause death and destruction for life on earth. Luckily, a group of women dubbed “Flavor Girls” by their fans are gifted magical, fruit themed powers that aid them in fighting off the alien army. The newest, unexpected member of the group, however, is having trouble catching up.

By far one of the most visually stunning comics I have ever read. Very, very reminiscent of Sailor Moon in its characters, aesthetic, and story. This comic has some of my favorite character designs, the alien designs in particular are extremely fun to look at. Unlike the other comics on this list, it is not a complete story but at least it gives you something to look forward to!

CW: mild graphic violence

9. Beautiful Darkness by Fabien Vehlmann and Kerascoët

Last but absolutely not least, Beautiful Darkness is a surprisingly horrifying and violent story about cute and fun looking fairy-like characters trying to survive out in the woods. The less you know going in to this comic, the better.

The incredible beauty and meticulous detail of the environment in this comic lends itself well as a stark contrast to the horrific deaths littered throughout this story. It is bizarre watching how unfeeling and unbothered these cutesy fairytale creatures are with their friends dropping around them like flies, but it’s impossible to look away. Seeing how all of it shapes and warps the genuinely kind main character, Aurora, and the darker implications going on in the background make this a must read. By far one of the best openings to any comic I have ever read.

CW: gore, body horror

(That’s all I have for now! Hope to recommend more in the future ✌️)

[tomb-of-madeline]

Hiiii!! I really enjoyed the bird daughters comic. I think its very creative and very neat but i also feel like theres a depth to it that i cant quite reach. I hope i dont sound too cliche or too stupid, but i really do want to know. What was the meaning behind it? What is the purpose of the message? For what reason did u create it? Its just a very unique kind of story, i think, and id like to know what inspired u and what are the hidden themes and motifs of it. Thank u!!

Thank you for reading and thinking about my comic! I am sure you are capable of understanding Bird Daughters and I value your thoughts and interpretations.

I’ll talk a little bit about what I was thinking while making this comic. Sometimes, my process is imagining a horrible little guy and then thinking about how she lives and what she does. That is the inspiration for Tern, the conflict of her monstrosity and her desires. Her ability to imagine the life she wants and her passivity about actually changing. I imagine her father as isolated and paranoid and surrounded only by his daughters. Daughters who have only passing interest in understanding the realities of their father’s subjects. I am thinking about a very lonely woman who fantasizes about having a boyfriend. I also wanted to make something with sex and violence after working on kids books for 5 years... I also like to draw monster women tormenting men...

My inspiration comes for a lot of sources, but more specifically I was doing a reread of wolf hall that was started after a reread of a place of greater safety. Which began after reading Rose of Versailles for the first time. I was also reading through the book of the new sun, and how can you not read that and want to make up your own horrible little guy.

Anyway, thank you for reading my ramblings, I will go get my MFA and return in a few years and be better at talking about themes and stuff. I’ve been very pleased by the response to this comic on here. It’s heartening to know that after all the years there are still a lot of people on tumblr who read and enjoy comics.

[docholligay]

What western novels do you recommend? I don’t think I’ve ever read one and was hoping to give it a try!

I LOVE Westerns. I love them even when they aren't particularly good. Whenever people accuse me of hating genre fiction, I'm like, "I think my collection of Westerns begs to differ. I just have DIFFERENT bad taste." (My collection of horror books too)

OKAY SO, MUCH OF THIS DEPENDS ON WHAT YOU'D LIKE TO FIND IN A WESTERN NOVEL.

Perhaps the best Western Novel ever written: Lovesome Dove, by Larry McMurtry.

It's not just me that would say this of Lonesome Dove, I think you can find this on lists of the world's greatest Westerns, it's fairly largely acknowledged as a great American Novel, many books have TRIED to be Lonesome Dove and are not. This book was one of the things Jill and I talked for HOURS about on our first date. We almost mutually changed our last names to McCrae instead of her taking Holligay. She walked down the aisle to the theme from the miniseries.

To MASSIVELY OVERSIMPLIFY, this is the story of a cattle drive from Texas to Montana. But it's about relationships, and dedication, and doing everything right and losing anyhow, sometimes. It's about finding connections. It's about dreams and failures. It contains one of the greatest versions of "the grumpy one is soft for the sunshine one" in platonic form. Also the idea that a friend, who is never anything romantic, can be the love of your life.

A fun revival Western: The Shootist by Glendon Swartout

I actually just reread this! So in the 80s and 90s, Westerns became 'grittier' sort of like comic book movies did in the 00s. This is not an altogether bad thing, and it certainly wasn't all the way to 'gritty' until we get to, movie wise, things like 3:10 to Yuma, which actually is incredible. ANYWAY, so The Shootist breaks from a lot of the molds of 60 and 70s Westerns (upstanding law officer, gang of mustache twirling villains, etc) and is about the last great shootist--what a gunfighter would have been actually called in the 1800s--who is dying of cancer.

I know that does not make it sound fun, but it is, actually, and it is an easy read. Lots of fun Western colloquialisms and there IS depth there if you want to go looking for it, but it's totally extraneous to the enjoyment of the book and also might be half made up in my head.

A great classic Western: Riders of the Purple Sage by Zane Grey

Riders of the Purple Sage is actually responsible for helping form a lot of what we understand as being the Western genre today. This puppy has it all: Gunfights, cattle rustling, the moral code of one's own pride, falling in love with a lonely little woman hell bent to make it on her own.

There are so many things in this novel that will come to define the genre, but because it is a little pre-genre, at least in a strong and stratified way that separates itself from the dimestore novels, it's not as formulaic as you might expect and borrows heavily from early 1900s literature wrought large.

A WESTERN Western: Literally anything by Louis L'amour

Am I here to defend Louis L'amour? No I am not. Do I love Louis L'Amour? Yes absolutely. I am not even so much suggesting that you actually read a L'amour book because I think you really have to love the genre to get into them, but boy are they GENRE. Love them. There's like 5 or 6 plotlines between them. I read them in the tub all the time. I don't even count them toward my books read they are such popcorn. Delightful. I gave them away as favors at my wedding.

A modern Western: All The Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy

Now we're getting into the weeds a bit because there are some people who would argue that a lot of what modern Western literary fiction is, isn't really "Westerns" and I know what they're saying but I don't think I agree. There can be great novels of any genre that break genre, and I think this is just one of those. It has all the hallmarks of a Western.

Anyway, anyone who tells you The Road is Cormac McCarthy's best novel is out of their fucking minds and also probably very boring and controversially either doesn't read much or doesn't read much serious stuff. All of McCarthy's border novels are better than The Road, All the Pretty Horses just happens to be my favorite.

A Western that is probably more fairly slotted into Historical Fiction: Doc: A Novel, by Mary Doria Russell.

This book made me stop writing my Doc Holliday historical novel because I can't do a better job than this.

[bestangelofall]

HI hope you are well! sorry if you’ve already done something like this and i’ve missed it, but i was wondering if you had any recommendations for people who want to get into black widow comics? i have very little marvel comic knowledge but your posts have made me want to read about black widow and i’m not sure where to start

Hi @strangesickness!! I am great :D and I hope you are well too :)

Also, hi anon who asked the same thing! I hope you're well too! I'll answer everything here.

Sorry for taking so long to reply to this... I was doing some reading and rereading of my own before making this post.

For a completionist reading list, I will refer to this link, which was recommended by someone here (I don't remember who, and I can't find my own post now 😭).

Note: I haven't read everything in that list, but I am randomly making my way through it. Also, I can speak more about Natasha's solos, so my rec list is mostly based on those.

In terms of personal preference and what I also consider important, I'd highlight the following: The Name of the Rose, Black Widow (2014) and Black Widow (2004).

The Name of the Rose

I think the last time I answered this question here, I recommended The Name of the Rose (Black Widow (2010) - #1-5, by Marjorie Liu) as a starting point, and I mostly still stand by that, in that if it's the only BW comic you'll ever read, read that one. I started with that one coming from the MCU, and I think it has everything that I like about Natasha: her protectiveness, ruthlessness, competence, and how much she *cares* about people and how that guides her actions. The art by Daniel Acuña is good too (though not my favorite, it serves the story well), but apart from the good characterization, what really shines is the prose itself. Some parts are very poetic, and I simply love the way Liu arranges words, I suppose.

This is my favorite comic book ever, and my only complaint is that Liu only wrote 5 issues of Black Widow and then never again... please bring her back!!!!

Note: BW2010 has another three issues and they are completely mid. Read them if you want, but I just want to make it clear that it's jarring to go from issues #1-5 to the rest of it lol, and i personally wouldn't recommend xD

Black Widow (2014)

If my complaint about The Name of the Rose is that it's too short, with Black Widow (2014) by Nathan Edmondson that is not an issue. This run is 20 issues long, and all of them are excellent! The characterization is spot-on, and once again, everything I love about Natasha is present here. Personally I think this is the run that goes deeper into her ethics, and the way Edmondson approaches the tragedy of her character and all the heartbreak and fucked-up-ness is very tasteful. Also, Liho (her cat) is in this run, and in a way that adds to her lore and characterization in a way that may be unexpected. Phil Noto's art is simply stunning (he's my favorite Natasha artist *by far*).

Personally, I consider The Name of the Rose and BW2014 *the* Black Widow comics, in terms of them being important and also good, but in a close third place comes Black Widow (2004).

Black Widow (2004)

Black Widow (2004) by Richard K. Morgan has some pretty important things of her lore appearing for the first time (I believe, anyone reading this please feel free to correct me) (like mind manipulation, more details about the Red Room, and interestingly, the pheromone thing from the BW movie comes from this comic too). I love the art style of Bill Sienkiewicz which is more artsy. Characterization-wise, what really shines here is the discussion of sexism. Defense of women is a huge thing for Natasha (you'll see that in The Name of the Rose and BW2014), but it's never as deeply discussed as it is here.

Now, there are other books that I liked, and that are solid, but that I simply don't find as good as the top tier books discussed above.

Black Widow (2016)

Black Widow (2016), by Chris Samnee and Mark Waid, is a fun run that has decent characterization but a somewhat repetitive plot (Natasha is on the run and all that, which I think both The Name of the Rose and BW2014 just do better... but then again, that's like, more than half her comics so it's not a completely fair complaint, I suppose). It has some Red Room lore, and I always love that. Samnee's art is really pretty to look at, too (some of the prettiest Nat is in this book, ngl). I definitely recommend it, because it's a solid run.

No Restraints Play (Black Widow 2019)

I recently read No Restraints Play, by Jen and Sylvia Soska, and I liked it a lot. I'd say it has a lot about what I love about Natasha that I already mentioned previously, but she's mentally less stable in this one, so compared to the rest of the recs here, she does more unhinged shit in this book (but not by much tbh... I think it's just the tone that gives that impression). I read it before reading Secret Empire and Tales of Suspense (discussed in more detail below), and I think that I didn't miss that much context that technically would be needed from those books.

Now, there's the section of "I like it because I ship Buckynat".

Captain America (2005)

Captain America (2005), by Ed Brubaker, is the book where Bucky comes back™. Natasha only appears from issue #27 onwards, so this is definitely a rec if are interested in the ship (although it is a very good run on its own, and obviously essential if you are interested in Bucky at all).

Winter Soldier (2012)

Winter Soldier (2012), by Ed Brubaker, features Natasha heavily, and while I don't love some of thing it does to her, I enjoy it for the ship and for the angst (it is also somewhat relevant for Natasha going forward, for example, the thing™ that happens here is referenced in Natasha's solos such as BW2014, but it isn't anything that you will be lost if you just google what happened if you want to skip this).

Moreover, books already mentioned previously, such as The Name of the Rose, BW2014 and BW2016 also have Buckynat content, but it's minor.

Apart from the three recs above, there are other comics that I really liked, though I can't say that all of them are exactly good.

Black Widow (1999) and Black Widow (2001)

So, are BW1999 and BW2001, by Devin Grayson, good? Ehhh. No. Specially in the case of BW1999 (the art of this one is also atrocious). Do they compel me? Immensely. I like these two because there's content of Natasha and Yelena being weird about each other. That's it. When I read them years ago I thought they were really mid *at best* (though I like the art style of BW2001 a lot), but on a reread a few months ago I got bitten by the Yelenat bug and developed a new appreciation for these minis.

Note: BW1999 is also Natasha's first solo, but in terms of characterization and lore it doesn't really establish a lot...

Secret Empire and Tales of Suspense

The gist is: Natasha dies in Secret Empire and then gets revived in tales of Suspense #103-104

I know most people hate Secret Empire. To be honest, I don't know a lot of Marvel beyond Natasha and some Bucky and Steve to hate on this properly, but the common complaint appears to be that everyone is OoC... except for Natasha.

I'm not gonna lie, I blorbo-read this one, asking "where is she" whenever Natasha wasn't in the panels xD (and I also read it because I want to write a meta-post and it seemed important for the theme I have in mind). All that being said, I think it has some *fantastic* Natasha moments... so make of that what you will.

Tales of Suspense #103-104 are incredibly fun, and I think it drops some incredibly fucked up bits of lore (that will likely never be explored to their full potential 😭), but it's not essential or anything...

And lastly, thing that I don't like but that might be important:

Black Widow: Deadly Origin

I personally don't like Black Widow: Deadly Origin, by Paul Cornell, but some people consider it to be important, as it does go into more detail about the Red Room and her backstory. It's not even that I dislike *what* happens in this book, but more that I don't think it was tastefully done (it's the misogyny). I think it all could have been handled better by another writer without even changing the events themselves. The art also doesn't help tbh. I would still recommend reading it for those Red Room bits and pieces, just maybe not as a priority.

Aaand that's all I have to recommend for now! I hope this is helpful and can make you take the dive into Black Widow comics, because Natasha is a fascinating character!

[obstinaterixatrix]

also went on a paddle boat with sister, it was fun I haven’t done it in like 7 years. we stopped by a book store, and

1) there’s a physical copy of A Hero in the Demon King’s Castle which was surprising to me because syohei(/inutoki)’s got really off-beat style so I’ve figured they’d be too niche to be licensed, plus it had a dust jacket WITH author/artist bio AND the extra comics on the actual cover… I didn’t get it because I’m not quite ride or die for it, but I am reconsidering because syohei’s art is just really fun. plus it’s just a well-printed book, how often do you see manga printed in eng with dust jackets? I’ll probably reread it and see if I Really Do Want It. if anyone wants a bit of a wacky read with interesting art, give it a look. I actually… really like inutoki & syohei’s other anthology more because I really like the love interest of the main oneshot but it also has one oneshot that’s pretty vicious to the point I’m not sure I’d actually get a physical copy lol

2) speaking of pretty vicious, a physical copy of one of asada nemui’s works was there which I think is pretty cool, her art is sooo interesting to look at. it’s not as crazy as syohei’s, but it just feels… direct? impactful? just an appealing style. I wouldn’t buy a physical copy of that one, but I’d get one of sleeping dead… I’d consider getting the anthology but she really paired two of my favorite oneshots while having the main story have My Hardline Exclusion Criteria 😞 I’d get the other anthology tho, no hard no’s in that one. where was I going with this? well, if you like strange morose rancid toxic romances, definitely look up asada nemui and also a list of content warnings

3) on that note, it made sense to list manga alphabetically by title back when it’d take up a single shelf max, but I think book stores really need to rethink manga shelving, especially since more bl with smut/het with smut/yuri with smut is getting licensed and distributed

3a) by the way there were quite a few yuri titles, which is a cool change! I already had the one I liked

3b) buy ‘5 seconds before a witch falls in love’ it’s so good. I LOVE the main story. I am lukewarm on the other oneshot. the main story is SOOOO fun, zeniko sumiya has kind of a more shounen-esque art style and she usually draws bl so you need to treasure her fun & dumb witch/witch hunter shenanigans

3c) I mistyped shenanigans as shenanigals lmao that kinda fits still

3a) and the other ~15 I’ve read and dropped because I wasn’t interested in them (I showed sister the cover of SHWD—like, I also want muscular women but I cannot get over some of the anatomy, those are beach balls attached to her chest? like it’s not the aesthetic of Anime Titty Jiggle Physics but I really cannot get over it) but I’m glad there’s more yuri. mostly. I hate that the gamer one is there, the art and writing is so weirdly uncomfortably… H for something that is a SFW slice of life, and I didn’t like a few of the other series that sister pointed out because they were really. too long with not enough sense of direction/momentum to have satisfying character/relationship progression. BUT IT’S GOOD THAT MORE YURI IS BEING LICENSED.

3) anyway I was thinking that there should probably be more a delineation between either genres or age of audience, but at the same time, that’s tricky—having an 18+ section could make it uncomfortable for folks who enjoy being able to browse without a glaring neon sign that indicates they’re looking at smut, dividing by genre can make it tough for folks who want to take a look at gay romances/lgbtq autobio more surreptitiously,

3d) well, I would imagine it’s less of a huge deal now than it was ~15 years ago, but homophobia still is a thing

3) so in the end I have no defined conclusion to my thoughts on manga shelving in english-speaking countries

4) I saw several copies of nagisa furuya’s works! I might go back for number call, that was the first one of hers I’ve read and it’s really cute. I was telling sister, this might sound bad but I like how… standard her art & writing is, it’s very clean and pleasant, her low(ish)-stakes slice of life fluff is really good. also nice to have sfw options for introducing folks to bl

5) this is completely unrelated to this bookstore trip but a couple of weeks ago I saw an m/f romance and was like. do I know this artist from bl??? but I looked up the artist and didn’t see anything I would recognize, it’s just… the way older men is drawn is so…

5) like I know I’m stupid biased because I read an inadvisable amount of bl but he looks like a guy straight out of my miserable office worker bls. I feel like I should know him from bl. I guess I just forget that m/f fans also like older men because all the josei romances I’m involuntarily exposed to are very (…) Like That

5a) mangaplanet REALLY needs to reorganize its genre divisions. hardcore josei smut shouldn’t be lumped with shoujo. hentai should not be lumped with shounen. guys what is going on there

5) but I’ve been thinking of reading it because even by style alone it looks like it’ll at least be unique m/f (though, if I’m gonna read m/f, my preference would be for a miserable older office lady and kinda punk-ish younger guy, but oh well…) it’s just, the cognitive dissonance of squinting at this guy and being like. you belong in a bl.

6) I need to get back out of the habit of reading bls to pass out at 2am 😔 for a while I finally dragged myself back to sleeping at 1am with my baby leash (screen lock) but I’m back in my bad habits. I could at least look at the unhinged horror m/f racher’s been begging me to read just to diversify what I’m pouring into my brain. oh, also sister gave me night is short walk on girl to read and the writer really did deserve all his awards, his character voice is extremely arresting

[sisididis]

I won’t lie. Rereading “We’ll Meet Again” by George deValier after so many years was quite the experience. Particularly now that I’m older than George’s Arthur.

Out of the entire Veraverse, I still believe that “We’ll Meet Again” was George’s best.

It’s the story of a young and overly-optimistic American fighter pilot and a lonely, “know-better-than” British pub owner picking up the pieces of their lives in the wake of war and their loss of innocence.

War brings them together then wrests them apart, only for their love to bring them together again.

If I remember correctly, George’s portrayal of Alfred and Arthur in WMA was one of the reasons why my teenager-self started shipping them in the first place (in addition to General Kitty Girl and StarDropDream’s fics). There was also the Rockets comic by Hakuku and Ronbinrocks, but that story is for another time.

A single paragraph of George’s packs the action of a short novel. Their narration is dynamic, fast-paced and “jumpy.” George was so good at scattering seemingly unimportant details that later clicked and fell into place. Or how they orchestrated situations that enabled characters which belonged to different fics to meet and save each other. One of my favorite examples of this is Ludwig’s capture in chapter 5, which binds the plots of WMA and “Auf Wiedersehen Sweetheart” together.

There are some lines in WMA that I will never forget, like:

(1) “Hey, Arthur. If we’re dreaming… let’s not wake up.”

(2) “I was in a good mood that night. I’d just fallen in love.”

(3) “I like that,” said Alfred, staring at Arthur.

“What?” asked Arthur huffily. How bloody irritating that he could not even control his facial expressions around the American. “When you smile.”

*punches pillow*

The friendship between Alfred and Francis is so heartwarming to read every time. The scene where they race in their wheelchairs in the hospital ward never fails to make me smile.

Also, the innuendos at the beginning of the third chapter…George definitely knew what they were doing!

I wouldn’t say that the rest of the Veraverse fics made an impression on me, but I do wish they’d have finished writing “Lily of the Lamplight” at least. The first chapter sounded so promising.

And with this I promise I finish — something that I’ve noticed during my extensive time in the fandom is that most people can write Alfred fairly well from the start.

Yes, some fan writers only scratch the surface and limit his character to this boisterous young man with a hero complex, but I think most of them do a fairly good job.

I like to call him the trial and error character. He’s enjoyable and less intimidating to write.

[transgirl-gaming-thoughts]

Hey Alex 👋

What are some movies you’ve really enjoyed in your life?

My cousin actually asked me yesterday what I though the “greatest film of all time” was, and I said I am not qualified to make claims on that level… but movies I enjoy, now THAT’S something I can do!

The Mitchels vs. The Machines - I think this was a Netflix Original, but it’s an animated film produced by Sony, and has so much life and love in it! Just a fun family film about a robot apocalypse with quirky characters and very relatable family struggles, but in the end a very sweet resolution that makes me envious 🥺 10/10

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World - I’m noticing a pattern with these movie titles so far… anyways, while the comics were better overall (and I need to finish them) the Scott Pilgrim movie was pretty great! I highly recommend it to people curious about Scott Pilgrim to get essentially a crash course in Scott Pilgrim, and then read the comics if you want more.

Monty Python and the Holy Grail - While I’m ashamed to say that this is the only Monty Python media I’ve interacted with directly, The Holy Grail is such a great movie and very much my style of humor in a lot of ways XD

I have to give a shout out to the original live-action Diary of a Wimpy Kid movies, especially the second one. I have a lot of great memories of watching these with friends, and every now and then I still rewatch the second one if I want a dose of nostalgia 👌

The Hobbit Trilogy are so so so so so good, for a long time I didn’t realize there were people who disliked them compared to the book? As someone who has read and reread The Hobbit religiously over the years, the movies are pretty damn good! Some parts aren’t quite up to snuff with the book, but some parts I think do a better job of explaining the course of events than in the book (and especially Gandalf’s travels being viewed as part of the film lends itself incredibly well to preceding the Lord of the Rings trilogy). Sure the dwarf/elf romance may have been unnecessary, but it was kinda cute and has some good poetic quotes about it. All in all, some of my favorite movies right here, but especially the first one.

your name. (Kimi no na wa) - I adore Makoto Shinkai films, 5 Centimeters per Second was one of the first anime films I ever watched. your name. is just one of the greatest movies ever made, such a beautiful love story, animated brilliantly, and the funniest part is that Makoto Shinkai considers it INCOMPLETE because he had to rush the ending to meet deadlines… and it’s still a masterpiece! I recommend watching the sub version if you can, because there’s a lot of intricacies involving the Japanese language and things that gets a little lost in localization and dubbing. Honestly might be my favorite movie of all time.

The Spiderverse films by Sony are some of the most spectacular animated movies of the decade, at least! I grew up as a Spider-Man fan, and especially loved the Andrew Garfield movies, and these movies scratch that same itch, while also featuring sooo many variants of Spider-people from different comics and crossovers. Both Into and Across were fantastic, can’t wait for Beyond!

Growing up a big Star Wars nerd, I might be expected to name an original trilogy film, but actually I think Rogue One is my favorite Star Wars film ever! It’s got all the makings of a fantastic sci-fi thriller, set in the Star Wars universe, about a famous line from the original movies: “Rebel spies managed to steal secret plans to the Empire's ultimate weapon, the DEATH STAR…” (this might also be the only good thing Disney has done for Star Wars movies idk)

To a much lesser extent, The LEGO Movie actually holds up quite well in my mind! Always love revisiting a fun family film like that :3

There we go! Is this more than you asked for? Probably, but you get it anyway! X3 Thanks for the ask~!

[karioke13]

Who are your top ten favorite Thor characters? Why are they your faves?

Hello 👋🏼😄 and wow what an interesting question! I’m going to based the Thor characters based on the comics and the movies as well!

1. Jane Foster -When I first was in middle school, my school had a book about all the comic heroes and she was on there. And something about her story really stuck with me. I thought “wow this character is so cool! I think she’s my favorite superhero” Then of course I watched Thor and I figured out that Jane Foster was played by none other than the fantastic Natalie Portman who I knew because before being a Marvel fan I was a huge Star Wars fan and I thought Padmé was so cool. And over time as I started watching more movies with Jane and finally last year getting most of the Mighty Thor comics, she is by far my favorite superhero and character in Marvel. She represents what a hero should be in my opinion.

2. Thor - Now when I watched Thor I was really fond of him. I loved how he saved the people of Jane’s town despite knowing them for about a couple days. I really loved MCU Thor mostly. Chris Hensworth did a fantastic job as Thor. No one could have done it better. I love Thors kind and compassionate heart and his need to help others. His backstory as well is so interesting! To this day, Thor remains one me of my favorite Avenger!

3. Darcy - I know she’s not part of the comics but one of the best parts of the first and second Thor movies for me was Darcy’s humor and how sassy she was. And I love how she became a doctor like Jane in Wandavision. Overall she was such a fun and relatable character that kept me laughing!

4. Freya/Frigga - One of the things I loved about reading the Thor comics was whenever Thors mother Freya was on. She is such a fascinating character. She’s intelligent, a good queen and mother and overall a badass! I always loved her relationship with Thor and I feel like we never got enough of that in the Thor franchise. And side note I also loved her friendship with jane and how they are always there for each other! I really wished we had more of Freya in the movies because she’s just so amazing

5. Heimdall - I love Heimdall in the movies and in the comics. I loved the bond that he and Thor shared throughout the movies and comics. And I love how he was sort of like a second father to Thor and Loki. What makes me sad is that both versions end up dying (rip Heimdall) I hope we do see more of him though!

6. Roz Solomon - Roz Solomon is so underrated in the comics! She’s an amazing SHIELD agent who’s such a badass! I loved the relationship she and Jane had especially! It just felt so natural and they greatly respected each other! One of my favorite parts in the comics is when Jane tells her she’s Thor showing how she trusts her and Roz goes “can everyone stop turning into things now” Overall such a sassy, awesome character! I was sad when we didn’t see much of her in the Valkyrie series!

7. Fandral - I remember reading both the comics and watching the first Thor I never really payed attention to the warrior three. But recently I watched the dark world thanks to @beheworthy 😄 and Fandral kept making me laugh the whole time. And I love Zachary Levi too so that made it even better! And then I reread some of my thor comics he was briefly in and he was great in that too. He’s just an overall funny character!

8. Volstagg - Out of all the warriors three, in my opinion, Volstagg had the kindest heart. He would help Jane being senator in the Congress of Worlds as well as just being a good friend! The saddest moment he had is when he picked up the War Hammer and was becoming rage full. It made me so sad that kind Volstagg was the War Thor. And he was great in the movies too! Rest in peace Ray Stevenson 😢

9. Sif - I’ve recently been loving Sif! She’s such an amazing warrior as well as protective of Asgard in the movies and in the comics. I love how in the comics they made her the new gatekeeper to replace heimdall. I thought that greatly suited her. She’s truly a fierce fighter!

10. Valkyrie (Brunhilde) - Valkyrie’s death killed me in war of the realms. I was not expecting her to die so horribly in War of the Realms. I also really enjoyed Valkyrie in the Marvels! She was really funny and her dynamic with Carol was adorable!

Those are all my favorite characters in the Thor franchise. I also decided to make a list of characters I liked the least in the Thor franchise

1. Odin - I HATE HIM SO MUCH! I am not even kidding you I despise Odin I could write a whole essay on why I hate him (perhaps another time) but my blog is an Odin hate blog. He’s at the top of the list for a variety of reasons I won’t list right now.

2. Loki - I’m only putting Loki on here because I love to hate him. Loki was never really one of my favorites when I first became a marvel fan but I just love to hate him. That’s the only reason why im putting him on here.

But thank you so much @zndr315-blog for asking me this! I’ve never really gotten to list my favorite Thor characters so thank you! 😄🙌🏼

[stellewriites]

questions about books! thanks for the tag @mikichko @pricegouge 🫂

1. the last book I read

i’m glad my mom died by jennette mccurdy

so fucking tough but i really enjoyed it

2. a book I recommend

the martian by andy weir

i’d previously struggled with first person in books and i was never into science but this changed my whole view on both,, mark is so funny and down to earth (badum tss!) you can’t help but get invested and the science is so easily explained - also i liked that a lot of it could genuinely be done except the initial sandstorm like it wasn’t bullshit for the plot. if you’ve seen the film then still give the book a go bc it goes a different way and it’s worth it imo

3. a book I couldn't put down

the book thief by markus zusak

it’s been a fair few years since i read this (ten i think? shit) but i remember coming back from college and reading it every day as soon as i got home and absolutely bawling all the way through. it’s on my reread list

4. a book l've read twice or more

despite watching things over and over i struggle reading things twice even when i really want to - but!! if graphic novels/comics count then ive read the watchmen a few times

5. a book on my tbr

my family and other animals by gerald durrell

one my grandma recommended years ago that i never got around to but im determined to read at some point. only short but it’s meant to be funny

6. a book l've put down

the first harry potter - tried before all of the author’s bullshit but i really struggled to enjoy it as much as people said i would. didnt even get halfway

8. a favorite book from childhood

a lot of these have been from my childhood lmao that’s when i did most of my reading but ill go further back into my niche zombie phase as a young teen and say world war z by max brooks (also loved his zombie survival guide,, it was like a special interest pls don’t ask)

9. a book I would give to a friend

i don’t really read anything similar to my friends? they either like practical craft books or band biographies,, i recced im glad my mom died to a co worker if that counts?

10. a fiction book I own

my best friend’s exorcism - i couldn’t tell you if it’s any good, ive not yet read it. a lot of my books are bought for me and it takes me like at least five years to get around to them

11. a nonfiction book I own

battersea’s a cat a day

a book where this pet charity has put together 365 tiny true stories about different cats to read every day 🥲🥲 it’s very cute

12. what I am currently reading

none atm - need to get on one i’ve been recommended soon

13. what l am planning on reading next

the one i’ve been recommended as mentioned above! it’s a romcom so a lil new to me for books,, i usually stick to fics for this type of thing and go more sci-fi/horror in published books but i think ill enjoy it

14. my shelfie

not an accurate shelfie on the left because it’s about 5 years old but i wanted to include my cat here

the covers are so sun bleached now in comparison on the right ahsjajkls - got maybe three shelves for books and one for art books/comics?

no pressure tags: @jackrabbitem @sentientcave @madstronaut @valkyri @boolger @noicedog @w00lgathering @xxdrixx @ohlawdthebirds

[frankenfossil]

13 books

What’s up readers?! How about a little show and tell? Answer these 13 questions, tag 13 lucky readers and if you’re feeling extra bookish add a shelfie! Let’s Go!

Tagged by @quarkscooljacket

This is perfect because I had an extremely slow start to the year in terms of reading and then SUDDENLY in the last few weeks I got my library card un-blocked and then maxed out my reservations and am now reading a bunch of books!!!!!!!

1) The Last book I read:

Question 7 by Richard Flanagan! I extremely liked it! Very contemplative novel/nonfic/memoir mishmash threading through such things as the way scifi writers & physicists prefigured & led to & failed to prevent the bombing of Hiroshima, his father being a POW in Japan who almost certainly would not have survived (and had him!) if the bombs had not been dropped, the history of Tasmania, his own near drowning while kayaking in the Franklin river, and the way history and memory shapes us and is eternally carried forward with us while also being forgotten/rewritten/impossible to pin down for certain. At least, that's my best go of describing this book.

2) A book I recommend:

This is... so open-ended... if you want to identify native trees in Victoria and nearby areas I would recommend Leon Costerman's Native Trees and Shrubs of South-Eastern Australia lmao. I really like The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker, a historical fiction/urban fantasy book about a golem and a jinni living in immigrant communities in New York in the early 1900s, and also the sequel.

3) A book that I couldn’t put down:

Not a book per se but one of the webcomics I got into relatively recently is What happens next https://whathappensnext.webcomic.ws/ which reminds me a bit of Nevada by Imogen Binnie except if all of the characters were youtubers and/or tumblrinas and either involved in a murder or just big into true crime (in universe, fictional). It's very gripping. Of course now that I'm caught up there's the usual wait for updates but such is life.

I also read The Wicked + the Divine last week, since I'd never previously read the final 2 volumes, and that was good. I'm glad to find out I liked the ending. Comics are always a quick read but nevertheless some are more action-packed and fast paced than others lmao, and I just ripped through these in every spare second.

4) A book I’ve read twice (or more):

Naomi Novik is probably my most read author because I've read most of her books twice or more... So far I've read Spinning Silver & His Majesty's Dragon three times each; those are 2 of my absolute favourites. I've read most of the rest of the Temeraire series 2 or 3 times too but few of them grab me quite as much as the first one, & I read the first Scholomance book twice. I feel like I should reread Uprooted because that's the only one of her books I've not liked (though some of the duller Temeraire books get a bit of a leg-up from being in a series with other books I really like lol); since I only remember vague impressions of it now, which might not be accurate, I would like to see if my feelings have changed, or if not, figure out more specifically what I didn't like about it.

5) A book on my TBR:

Praiseworthy by Alexis Wright also happens to be one of the books I borrowed!! It was mentioned on a podcast along with Question 7 and Search History (currently reading, q12) so that is how I found out about these 3 books and was compelled to reserve them. However, currently I am daunted by how fat it is (700+ pages) so it's just sitting on my bedside table and I am... reading the shorter books first lmao.

I will also leave the blurb copypasted from @quarkscooljacket's answer:

Praiseworthy is an epic set in the north of Australia, told with the richness of language and scale of imagery for which Alexis Wright has become renowned. In a small town dominated by a haze cloud, which heralds both an ecological catastrophe and a gathering of the ancestors, a crazed visionary seeks out donkeys as the solution to the global climate crisis and the economic dependency of the Aboriginal people. His wife seeks solace from his madness in following the dance of butterflies and scouring the internet to find out how she can seek repatriation for her Aboriginal/Chinese family to China. One of their sons, called Aboriginal Sovereignty, is determined to commit suicide. The other, Tommyhawk, wishes his brother dead so that he can pursue his dream of becoming white and powerful. This is a novel which pushes allegory and language to its limits, a cry of outrage against oppression and disadvantage, and a fable for the end of days.

6) A book I’ve put down:

The most recent book I decided I did not want to finish is The Female Man by Joanna Russ. It sounded conceptually cool but I was just finding it way too hard to follow or care about. Too many sections where I couldn't figure out which character/s' perspective it was or whatever. I'm sure there's other books I didn't finish before they became overdue and I had to return them but can't remember, I usually want to finish them eventually. Whether I will get around to it is another matter.

7) A book on my wish list:

I don't normally buy books these days, but nevertheless tempted by A Vast, Pointless Gyration of Radioactive Rocks and Gas in Which You Happen to Occur, edited by the Daniels. It looks extremely interesting and also extremely pretty...

8) A favorite book from childhood:

Hmmmm. I guess I did choose my name from The Wind on Fire trilogy by William Nicholson. Definitely up there among my favourite childhood books.

9) A book you would give to a friend:

Another very open ended one...... this depends so much????? what friend... what occasion... idk... there are books I do kind of want to give people but either I haven't decided or it's supposed to be a surprise and they may see this. although recently I have been incepting Lauren with my impeccable borrowing tastes, reading my library books after me is surely the same thing right??

10) A book of poetry or lyrics that you own

Ismene's Survivable Resistance by Claire Gaskin... she is one of my favourite poets, and I rly like the concept of this book, and I saw her do a reading of some of the poems! However I think my favourite poems by her are ones that are not in this book.

11) A nonfiction book you own:

Hmm... Evolution's Rainbow by Joan Roughgarden is an interesting book published in 2004 about the diversity of sexual and gender variation in the world. The first section is about other animals, and especially about the ways human biologists have imposed ideological frameworks in classifying them; the middle section is about human intersex variation and biology; and the third section is about human cultural sex and gender roles throughout history.

12) What are you currently reading:

Search History by Amy Taylor. About the dating life of a classic mildly messy millennial woman. In this case she goes through the facebook profile of the most recent guy she starts dating and then finds out that his ex girlfriend died, and then goes through the accounts and photos of the ex girlfriend and gets a bit obsessed with her, but has to not let on to the new guy that she has done this deep dive. It's okay! Enjoyable, pretty fast to read, some funny bits and observations and whatnot, but not particularly a stand out read. She is not as much of a freak as I expected she would be when I started reading it, which is both a relief and also a disappointment. So far everyone seems to just be normal mildly flawed people doing overall reasonable things imperfectly, and the conflict is just navigating life's complexity (there's a lot about everyday sexism though). Mostly I just keep thinking how glad I am to not be a heterosexual woman or ever had to attempt online dating/app dating, which are both quite boring and excessively smug things to feel, however, I am simply a bit boring and smug. Anyway I'm only halfway through, I'm expecting/hoping there'll be some twists or something. Maybe about the boyfriend...?

update: was talking to some friends about it this arvo and they said not only that it does get crazier, but ALSO that supposedly it's a modern telling of Rebecca, which I have not read but have now reserved lmao

13) What are you planning on reading next?

I have borrowed all of Delicious in Dungeon and am very excited to start them! Also the next books I have to read for my book clubs are Marlo by Jay Carmichael, which I'd better get onto as it is in less than 2 weeks, and Hijab Butch Blues by Lamya H, which was one of the ones I put on the list myself and am very excited to read (I previously started it and got too busy to finish it but was rly enjoying it so keen to get further), but I actually still have over a month for that one since I can't make this month's meeting for that book club.

As for a shelfie... well here is a photo of all the plant reference books in my desk drawer for quick reference while working (though there's really only 4 I use very often, plus the australian standards on the side there):

Tagging (with ZERO pressure or obligation): @thesleepybabesclub @depthchargeforcutie @petricorrosion @andilovethisnovemberlife @dogelectedmayor @aesterea @commander-diomika @auntytim @zinjanthropusboisei @red-thorn

[dyradoodles]

Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Spread the self-love ❤

ONLY FIVE oh no LMAO To be honest I really love rereading my own stuff (it’s tailored to all my hyper-specific interests, after all! 🤣), so just picking 5 is hard, but I’ll try.

Redux Hero (FF7, Zack & Sephiroth, M) for sure! It’s a rewrite of the first fic I ever published online, and this time I finished it lmao FF7 has been such a big part of my life, so getting to be super indulgent with my headcanons in a big adventure story with my all-time favorite characters was such a joy to write. Plus I ended up with absolutely wonderful people hyping me up while I was working on it! And it helped me with processing some of my own personal shit. I could write a whole other book about how happy writing this one made me lol

Poster Boy (FF7, Zack/Seph or Zack & Seph, G) - This was my first Seph & Zack fic where I really felt like they matched my headcanon versions of them, to the point that if I’m having a bit of trouble with new fics, I like to reread this one to kinda get back into the right mindset. Like a voice actor having a key phrase to get into character, I guess lol Plus it’s just short and cute, so it’s a nice, quick, pick me up if I’m having a rough time writing.

What Lies Beyond the Lily of the Valley (FF7, Zack & Seph, T) - this one is close to my heart, since it acts as somewhat of an homage to the old FF7 fics I used to read as a kid Namely, “Lily Valley” by LuckyLadybug. That fic (and a lot of her other fics tbh!) really inspired a huge, huge love of Sephiroth and Zack just going on missions together. No big catastrophic, world-ending threat; just the job. Being friends. Uncovering horrible secrets and organizations that aren't Shinra. Or, as is the case with my fic, the two of them uncovering a whole undiscovered realm that, by the end of, they want absolutely nothing to do with LOL I had so much fun with the fae shenanigans. 

FFS, I Believe in You (Breath of the Wild, Sidlink, T) - MY FIRST FINISHED FANFIC LOL and also just the goofiest thing from start to finish (minus the Angst, there is definitely also Angst). I feel like this one really helped me learn how to make notes and actually construct a whole multichapter. It also forced me to learn how to write in iambic pentameter, which. Is that useful? Idk. Is it funny to me personally? Extremely so, yes. I didn’t really participate much in fandom before this fic, so it also ended up being an amazing opportunity to meet some incredible people, and coaxed me out of my lurker shell a bit lol (Also I don’t think I’ll ever beat this one in kudos, with any other story, which is just gonna make me laugh forever because SHAKESPEAREAN LIZALFOS??? THAT’S the most popular one I’ve written?? Understandable, I wouldn’t have it any other way LMAO)

Out of My Head (Venom (Marvel Comics), SymbiOT3, M) - I really let loose with this one and ended up using a lot of writing techniques that I still use in my writing today. Most especially, not feeling guilty about shorter chapters lol It’s at the top of my list for revisiting if I can ever get my brain to fixate on Venom again, because dammit I had two other arcs planned aaaaaaaaAAAAA— hopefully someday. RH did get a rewrite after uh, 9 years, after all;;;;;;;

This was fun, thank you Holly!! 

(also meant to add: my favorite thing about All the fics I've written to date is all the awesome friends I've made through them 💖 it's so cool to me how writing silly stories about my blorbos has helped me meet some of my favorite people ever)