#andersons bookshop

[somekindofalyx]

2014 Book Tour at Anderson's Bookshop, Part 1.

[happy-mokka]

I really need to stop buying more books...

...

...or maybe not.

📚 💕

[lgbtqreads]

Shopper's Delight: Independent Bookstore Day (Tomorrow!)

In honor of Independent Bookstore Day tomorrow (April 29th), here are some of our favorite indies along with some handy links to special, signed (including bookplated), and/or personalized editions that can ship right to you! (Stores are listed alphabetically by state.) Please note that some of these are preorders, and some are already published titles.  Note: Make sure you request the copy be…

[flapperdame16]

Andrew Morton signed both my books

Firstly his newest book called The Queen

And secondly

My 1997 copy of Diana her true story. The 1997 edition was the first edition to confirm to the public Diana herself participated in the book

Mr. Morton was marvellous and so generous to sign both for me! I thanked him so very much!!!

Nov 21 2022

North central college

Sponsored by anderson's bookshop

[fuckyeahgoodomens]

The Season 2 Poster Details

From top to bottom :)

This is a Buddy Holly song Everyday which was originally supposed to be the Good Omens theme :)

Neil talks about it in the Introduction to the Script Book: “In the scripts, Buddy Holly’s song ‘Every Day’ runs through the whole like a thread. It was something that Terry had suggested in 1991, and it was there in the edit. Our composer, David Arnold, created several different versions of ‘Every Day’ to run over the end credits. And then he sent us his Good Omens theme, and it was the Good Omens theme. Then Peter Anderson made the most remarkable animated opening credits to the Good Omens theme, and we realised that ‘Every Day’ didn’t really make any sense any longer, and, reluctantly, let it go. It’s here, though. You can hum it.”

And there is also the Buddy Holly Everyday record! :)

Book The Crow Road by Iain Banks. The novel describes Prentice McHoan's preoccupation with death, sex, his relationship with his father, unrequited love, sibling rivalry, a missing uncle, cars, alcohol and other intoxicants, and God, against the background of the Scottish landscape

Book Lord Jim by Joseph Conrad. An early and primary event in the story is the abandonment of a passenger ship in distress by its crew, including a young British seaman named Jim. He is publicly censured for this action and the novel follows his later attempts at coming to terms with himself and his past and seeking redemption and acceptance.

Important themes in Lord Jim include the consequences of a single, poor decision, the indifference of the universe, and the inability to know oneself or others.

There is book The Body Snatcher by Robert Louis Stevenson. Its characters were based on criminals in the employ of real-life surgeon Robert Knox (1791–1862) around the time of the notorious Burke and Hare murders (1828). Neil said: Oddly enough, episode 3 will take us to a little stint of body snatching in the era.

There is Catch-22 book by Joseph Heller that coined the term Catch-22: situation from which an individual cannot escape because of contradictory rules or limitations.

Is there only one hand or are there two? :) EIther 6 ;), or 6:30 :).

Through the window we can see the coffeeshop Give Me Coffe or Give Me Death where Nina works! :)

Azi is wearing his nifty glasses :).

Crowley is wearing his new glasses, they are RIGARDS X UMA WANG - THE STONE ECLIPSE (VINTAGE BLACK/BLACK STONES) - $435

There is the Holy Bible Aziraphale used in Season 1 :)

There seems to be a broken phone :).

The cakes behind Aziraphale are Eccles cakes :).

Azi is reading A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens published in 1859, set in London and Paris before and during the French Revolution. The novel tells the story of the French Doctor Manette, his 18-year-long imprisonment in the Bastille in Paris, and his release to live in London with his daughter Lucie whom he had never met. The story is set against the conditions that led up to the French Revolution and the Reign of Terror. 

Another book there is Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen - Neil said said that we will learn a lot about Jane Austin we didn’t know before.

And finally the Treasure Island book by - again :) - Robert Louis Stevenson, an adventure novel with pirates.

There are three geckos cuties. Who are they? Pets? Is Ligur haunting the bookshop? Who knows :).

A mysterious pamphlet, 'The Resurrectionists’ leaflet. (unofficial spoiler :)).

Also there is an old camera... mmm 🤔 Did Azi made some photos (of what? Him and Crowley, ducks? :)) Will we see them? :)

Their positions is an homage to the book covers! :)(x)

Will update this as fandom discovers new things! :)❤

[whovio]

Michael about playing Aziraphale:

“I had conversations with Neil and Douglas about the story and the character, and so it starts to develop a little bit. Some things Neil would have a definite opinion on, and then there were others where he didn’t want to be too prescriptive because he wanted me to bring what I thought to it as well. Then I had conversations with the costume designer, Claire Anderson, and she brings her character sketches and we start to collaborate, and the same occurs about hair and make-up. We’re talking about the look of the character here, and still playing around with ideas, and then suddenly I’m sitting there next to David at the table read-through and you have to just open your mouth. That’s when you get a feel for who this person really is. You also have a gut response to the character beside you. So, my version of Aziraphale starts to get a bit more flesh on his bones in response to what David is doing. But until I actually stand there in custom, next to him, on set, and they say “Action” , I’m never really sure what’s going to come out. And then I have to let go. All that stuff I’ve just described, all those conversations, the costume fittings and readings, the drawings of what my bookshop will look like, the pictures, ideas and feelings - those will turn into something and as an actor, you just let that happen.

It’s not conscious. What tends to happen is that I get an instinctive response to the character and the tone of the piece, but I don’t think too much about how that will express itself in the performance.

For me, it’s about keeping a rich and imaginative world going on in your head while you are in the character, and keeping that alive and vivid. It’s about being responsive to that, and not thinking too much about how it’s coming across. So the story gets expressed through the character, and the character expresses itself through me.”

Good Omens TV Companion

[drchucktingle]

ILLINOIS BRINGING THE BUCKAROO NOISE thank you andersons bookshop buds and stacey kade for trotting with me and proving LOVE IS REAL

[taylorswiftstyle]

📕⭕️ TAYLOR SWIFT STYLE BOOK TOUR ⭕️📕

10 cities for 10 albums.

Taylor Swift Style is a love letter.  To fashion, of course.  To Taylor and her music, naturally.  But also to YOU as a community for making this highly niche topic something that a publisher realised people would have an appetite for. 

There is no TSS without you. TSSers who are kind, thoughtful, insightful, curious, excited, and unafraid of the deep dive. You want more from conversations and connection and emotions. You crave intensity and thoroughness and thoughtfulness. You want to magnify the small because it’s those tiny microscopic details that make up the shattered mosaic of our hearts. It’s why we’re Taylor Swift fans, right? I so hope that at least one of you sees a bookstore that you love and have fond memories of on this list. And I’m so excited at the chance to make new ones together on this tour. 

*RSVPing is highly encouraged and free! Some events will require free registration beforehand* 

**Ticketed events require a ticket purchase beforehand. This applies only to Naperville, IL**

💚 Tuesday, Oct 8 | 7PM PT || Third Place Books (Seward Park) in Seattle, WA. UPDATE: SOLD OUT.

💛 Wednesday, Oct 9 | 7PM PT || Bookshop in Santa Cruz, CA. RSVP HERE.

💜 Thursday, Oct 10 | 7PM CT || Andersons Bookshop in Naperville, IL in conversation with Kate Kennedy. UPDATE: SOLD OUT.

❤️ Saturday, Oct 12 | 11:15AM CT || Heartland Book Fest in Kansas City, MO in conversation with Melody Rowell. RSVP HERE.

🩵 Tuesday, Oct 15 | 6:30PM ET || Barnes & Noble (Atlantic Ave) in Brooklyn, NY in conversation with Olivia Muenter. INFO HERE.

🖤 Thursday, Oct 17 | 6PM PT || Black Bond Books (Broadway) in Vancouver, Canada. INFO HERE.

🩷 Saturday, Oct 19 | 3PM PT || Annabelle's Book Club in Studio City, LA in conversation with Elizabeth Holmes. PURCHASE TICKETS HERE.

🩶 Monday, Oct 28 | 6:30PM CT || Parnassus Books in Nashville, TN in conversation with Bryan West. UPDATE: SOLD OUT. WAITLIST HERE.

🤎 Wednesday, Oct 30 | 7PM ET || Kramers in Washington, D.C.. RSVP HERE.

💙 Friday, Nov 1 | 7PM ET || Brookline Booksmith in Brookline, MA. UPDATE: SOLD OUT.

And as Taylor would say 🔜🇨🇦😘

If you haven't yet, Taylor Swift Style is available to pre-order at a number of major retailers HERE.

Pre-orders mean everything in the world of book publishing. Pre-orders determine how many copies a bookstore orders, how a book is displayed in stores, and they largely determine best seller lists. How incredible would that be if TSS were on one? (There's a particular one I have in mind ... which is perhaps dreaming impossible things). All that to say, if you were thinking of waiting for release that a pre-order would mean so much!

With love, Sarah

[youryurigoddess]

The biggest Easter egg yet

I’ve been meaning to address this for a while now, but @camdenleisurepirates gave me the final push after reading my piece on Gabriel’s cross. Huge thanks for that morsel of motivation, my ADHD brain loves you.

This is going to be yet another long read, although not as extensive as my bookshop statues meta. Still, better get yourself some hot chocolate or another drink of your choice and make sure you’re comfortable!

Now, remember the X-Ray interview with Peter Anderson on Easter Eggs in the opening animation he created for the second season? Forget red herrings, apparently our fandom has a literal red phone box! I’m convinced that this whole scene is a one big — the biggest, actually — Easter Egg, and I’ll explain why step-by-step.

The red phone box Crowley used to warn Aziraphale about the Antichrist and the following Armageddon in S1, the exact one where he left change for an emergency call, seems important enough in terms of the future S3 plot, but there’s so much more going on in this frame. Not only the lift.

The angels

At the very start of this sequence we can see a fragment of an elaborate bridge guarded by cherubs sitting on two columns, maybe globes, leading to a distant structure built over a literal mountain of trash — all elements of the S1 and S2 openings which were consciously picked out by the animators and put together in a very ominous pile.

Ready for some scavenging?

In the Gabriel’s cross meta, I already mentioned the importance of Ponte Sant’Angelo in relation to the ex-Archangel’s statue. Now it’s time to widen our perspective and focus on the full picture — quite literally. Apparently the bridge from the opening sequence has ten statues of angels, exactly as the Italian historical monument.

First things first though: the two big cherubs guarding the entry to the bridge might seem familiar to some of you. While they’re obviously not copies of the same statue, a very similar pair of brass cherubs is placed in Aziraphale’s bookshop to symbolize Aziraphale and Crowley. And looking at the screenshot above and the way they sleep or sulk with their backs turned on each other, they are most certainly not talking. The addition of more than one set of eyes is a lovely reference to biblically accurate angel memes though.

If we assume the traditional left-right positioning of the characters, Aziraphale is on the left and Crowley is on the right. Directly behind Aziraphale we can see a ship named “Good Traits”, but in reverse — kinda sorta confirmed by the animator Peter Anderson to be connected to the concept of the seven deadly sins on Twitter. Same that was mentioned recently by Neil in one of his asks.

The presence of Gabriel — a renegade Archangel wielding a broken cross — on the right, Crowley’s side, seems to match this theory. It could also support one of the possible interpretations of the very last bookshop shot in the S2 finale.

Out of all ten statues, Angel Carrying the Cross by Ercole Ferrata is considered inferior to the others on the bridge in that it appears to be a two-dimensional relief sculpture rather than an unbounded three-dimensional artwork, which seems to match Gabriel’s first impression as a character.

The inscription on the statue reads, “Dominion rests on his shoulders" — that is the weight of the cross that Christ was forced to carry through Jerusalem before being crucified. Even though Gabriel’s burden partially disappeared, the whole bridge and its environment is covered with crosses. It’s clear that we’re looking at a direct parallel of Via Crucis, the Way of Sorrows.

Towering over the Italian bridge, at the very top of Castel Sant’Angelo, is a statue of Archangel Michael, seen as the golden angel on the top left part of the trash pile. Aziraphale’s side, perhaps as his assistant, perhaps a rival? Legends of the Jews mention Michael as the chief of a band of angels who questioned God's decision to create man on Earth. The entire band of angels, except for Michael, was condemned to Fall — which could explain why they have such a good access to the Grapevine That Obviously Doesn’t Exist. And whatever’s going on between Michael and Dagon, perhaps.

In Roman Catholic teachings, Michael has four main roles or offices. Their first role is the leader of the Army of God and the leader of Heaven's forces in the final triumph over the powers of Hell. Viewed as the angelic model for the virtues of the spiritual warrior, their conflict with evil taken as the battle within. The second and third roles of Michael deal with death. Their second role is that of an angel of death, carrying the souls of Christians to Heaven. Michael descends at the hour of death and gives each soul the chance to redeem itself before passing; thus throwing the devil and his minions into consternation. In their third role, Michael weights souls on perfectly balanced scales they are often depicted with as their attribute. In their fourth role, Michael appears as the guardian of the Church. Might be the reason why they’re the closest to the building on top of the mountain.

It looks like Michael lost their sword though, just like Gabriel lost a part of the cross he was supposed to carry. The sword in question was supposed to be used to slay the dragon — Satan, the Adversary — according to John of Patmos and his Book of Revelations.

Speak of the devil: interestingly, there are two copies of an anonymous variation of the Angel of Light statue appearing twice on both sides of the bridge. Both the title as well as the statue itself seem like obvious references to one (former) angel literally called the Lightbringer, Lucifer. Perhaps one of them is representing his son, the Antichrist, instead, with the both of them helping out the Ineffables on two opposing — or perhaps only parallel — sides of the bridge?

The light carried by Lucifer appears to be green, a color used in the series as a visual representation of Hell, but on the intertextual level might also serve as a reference to F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic novel The Great Gatsby and the green light at the end of the Daisy’s dock symbolizing the undying love, desperation, and longing for an unattainable dream. In the story, the color represents the limitations of power and money. Not surprisingly, the novel appears on Jim’s bookshelf and is part of the Good Omens book club — a list of personal recommendations from Neil Gaiman and Douglas Mackinnon for the fans to catch up on before the next series.

Last but not least, the possible connection to Libertas as the inspiration for the Statue of Liberty, shown multiple times in S2 as a foreshadowing of our character’s trip to America in S3. The related quote of Patrick Henry “Give me liberty or give me death” becomes even more relevant if we consider how the motto of the French Revolution was sometimes written as Liberté, égalité, fraternité ou la mort (“Liberty, equality, fraternity or death”). A lesson surely learnt by a certain angel back in 1793, when he was held prisoner for the last time before being forcefully taken Upstairs in the Final Fifteen.

The bridge and the castle

Okay, these are the basic observations. Now a brief historical overview and we will reach the fun bit in a jiffy.

Have you ever wondered about the meaning of this whole complex? It wasn’t always angelic, but named after a Roman noble dynasty. The Aelian bridge was built by the Emperor Hadrian in 134 AD to span River Tiber from the city center to his mausoleum. With time, the remains of more emperors were put to rest in there, until it was plundered and destroyed in a war. Then the remaining structure was transformed into a military fortress and a castle serving as the papal residence in times of war.

The Papal State also used Sant'Angelo as a prison; the Renaissance philosopher Giordano Bruno was imprisoned there for six years. Executions of the inmates were performed in the small inner courtyard, but they weren’t the only deaths in the area. On the other side of the bridge, in the adjoining Piazza del Ponte, under the watchful eyes of the stone likenesses of two saints, the public executions were held, and the heads of the criminals were brought onto the bridge and exposed to public view there.

As a prison, the former mausoleum is also the setting for the third act of Giacomo Puccini's 1900 opera Tosca. Long story short, the eponymous heroine convinces her lover to feign death so that they can flee together. Unfortunately, they are betrayed and the firing squad shoots at him with real bullets instead of blanks. Tosca believes in the quality of his acting performance rather than the truth, and when the realization hits her, she leaps to her death from the Castel’s ramparts.

After Nero’s bridge was destroyed, the travelers were forced to cross this bridge as the only direct route to the Vatican and St Peter’s Basilica, earning it the nickname “the bridge of Saint Peter”. That’s why in the 16th century Pope Clement VII erected statues of Saints Peter and Paul at the ends of the bridge, guarding it as they are supposed to protect the entry to Heaven.

In 1688 the bridge was embellished with ten angel statues, five on each side of the bridge, carrying Arma Christi, the Instruments of the Passion. The Good Omens characters represented by those statues in the opening sequence might be other instruments of Christ’s suffering as parts of the system that needs to be overthrown or replaced.

One angel appears particularly important in the context of both the bridge and the Second Coming — Saint Michael the Archangel.

Legend holds that the Archangel Michael appeared atop Hadrian’s mausoleum, sheathing their sword as a sign of the end of the plague of 590, thus lending the castle its present name. A less charitable yet more apt elaboration of the legend, given the militant disposition of this particular Archangel, was heard by the 15th-century traveler who saw an angel statue on the castle roof. He recounts that during a prolonged season of the plague, Pope Gregory I heard that the populace, even Christians, had begun revering a pagan idol at the church of Santa Agata in Suburra. A vision urged the Pope to lead a procession to the church. Upon arriving, the idol miraculously fell apart with a clap of thunder. Returning to St Peter's by the Aelian Bridge, the Pope had another vision of an angel atop the castle, wiping the blood from his sword on his mantle, and then sheathing it. While the Pope interpreted this as a sign that God was appeased, this did not prevent Gregory from destroying more sites of pagan worship in Rome. In honor of the vision and Michael, the bridge was renamed in their name.

What if the procession from the opening sequence was meant to imitate the procession led by the Pope from the legend? What if Aziraphale, now officially a Supreme Archangel, Commander of the Heavenly Host, is the one actually leading it, with Crowley finally at his side as his partner and second in command, just like it was proposed by him in the Final Fifteen?*

What if by some reason, maybe personal ambition, maybe just a tragic coincidence or situational necessity, there really was an impostor in Heaven, and Metatron — the so called Voice of God who seemingly doesn’t speak up for Herself since Job’s test — has been playing a winged version of the Wizard of Oz all along?

It would make just the perfect sense if not for one tiny detail. The procession we see on the bridge is actually led by Crowley, which doesn’t fit the parallel at all — unless it’s actually a proof of an ongoing body swap, as the mismatched names of the actors could also suggest?

The mountain of trash and the bookshop

The symbolic mountain of trash we can see Aziraphale and Crowley climb is a reference in itself. To an actual mount called Zion, believed to be the place where Yahweh, the God of Israel, dwells (Isaiah 8:18; Psalm 74:2), the place where God is king (Isaiah 24:23) and where God has installed king David on his throne (Psalm 2:6).

In a literal sense, it’s a hill in Jerusalem, although the sources refer to three different locations in different contexts — although for the purpose of this meta the Upper Eastern Hill (Temple Mount) makes the most sense. Its highest part became the site of Solomon's Temple. The same King Solomon the rituals in Freemasonry refer to. Masonic buildings, where lodges and their members meet, are sometimes called "temples" specifically as an allegoric reference to King Solomon's Temple, not actual places of worship. And Aziraphale’s bookshop is built around Solomon’s Magic Circle.

In a metaphysical sense, and especially in the context of the Christian New Testament, it is also believed to be a part of Heaven — the heavenly Jerusalem, God's Holy, eternal city. Christians are said to have “(…) come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven” (Hebrews 12:22-23 cf. Revelation 14:1). Just like the procession were following in the opening sequence.

There’s been some speculation whether the lift on top of the mountain could symbolize Aziraphale’s bookshop, or, more specifically, the oculus in its centre. If you look closely at the enhanced screenshot, you can see that the dome isn’t made of glass and that it looks like a tower (a church’s bell tower, perhaps) more than a whole building.

And there is an actual doorway in there — not like the modern lift doors — opening up towards the source of that white, heavenly light. And what kind of enlightenment can you usually find up in the skies or heavens?

We’re welcomed to crack open the doors to the Heavenly Sanctuary — the Most Holy place, Sanctum Sanctorum, the Holy of Holies — to undraw the final curtain and finally stand eye to eye with God. Who knows, maybe even ask some questions or listen to some answers.

Or, at the very least, to meet one of Her forms known as Jesus Christ. Because that’s precisely where he serves as our (humanity’s) Mediator and the Holy Priest after his Ascension to Heaven. The structure at the top reminds of some temple architecture seen in Antiquity and Christianity.

The Catholic Church considers the Church tabernacle or its location (traditionally at the rear of the sanctuary) as the symbolic equivalent of the Holy of Holies, due to the storage of consecrated hosts in that vessel and their meaning as the Body of Christ. Tabernacle is commonly marked with a red light turned on and off depending on His presence or lack if it.

Looks like He’s already in the area, one way or another, keeping eye on some things.

Are we following a procession of believers happy to embrace their one and true Savior? Or are they actually protesters on their way to dethrone the authority and the system?

Guess we will have to wait and see.

[hilarydiary]

14 years ago today, Hilary Duff at her "Elixir" Book Signing Event at Anderson's Bookshop in Chicago (October 16, 2010)

[meetinginsamarra]

My fave Sherlock BBC tropes: Enemies to Friends to Lovers

Around mid-month I’ll do a fic rec list with my fave AU genres or tropes. Summaries are taken from OP on AO3.

Enemy Number One by lookupkate

When Anderson finally crosses a line and gets fired a new pathologist takes his place. Sherlock isn't happy to find that the new doctor is almost as good at his job as Sherlock is. Said new doctor, John Watson, wants to woo the genius until he finds out what a prick he can be. Then he's just amused. And maybe a bit fond. And kind of smitten. Then he falls in love with the prick. Bloody hell.

Oscillation by lookupkate

John and Mary have been together for two years and John thinks they should probably settle down. John is happy with Mary. It's the only way their situation makes sense, so it must be happiness. Sherlock sees a flaw in that logic. What does John do then, when the strange man brings parts of his life into question and refuses to just bloody go away? Well, fall in love with him, of course.

Roommates are for little people by alexxphoenix42 @alexxphoenix42

John was looking forward to seeing his friends back at uni, but a new year brings new complications, not the least of which is a dorm room with only one bed, and a stroppy roommate with an utterly spectacular arse. God, John doesn't need the headache.

Mistletoe and Misdemeanours by Robottko

When Victor Trevor backs out of the Holmes family Christmas at the last minute, Sherlock panics because he has no way to impress his parents. Thankfully there is a handsome army doctor with nowhere to go in his coffee shop, though it would be more helpful if he were a bit more willing.

An Everlasting Inferno by thatawkwardfriend

Sherlock and John are both men who operate outside the law. John works for Mary and her hitmen in order to keep a roof over his head. Sherlock does anything his drug dealer asks of him in exchange for free drugs and housing.

They meet one night in a darkened garage to negotiate a deal. But they soon find out that neither of their bosses are being entirely honest with them about their goals or motives. With a little poking around, they stumble upon something much bigger than themselves and discover that perhaps, it might be in their best interests to work together.

(Loosely inspired by StartUp and Little Favour)

The Key to Castles in the Air by LadyKailitha

John is a clerk (and writing a book on the side) at a bookshop run by Mrs Hudson. The one downside to this perfect job is Sherlock Darling, Mrs Hudson's friend who loves to rile John up. About everything.

All that changes when they are forced to spend a week together in the country when bad weather hits. Sherlock's got secrets. What will John do once he finds them out?

Pencil Through My Heart by elwinglyre @elwinglyre

What’s worse? Sharing a byline with an arrogant consulting reporter or falling for him? Seasoned section editor John Watson faces this impossible choice. But first John must find him. Of course Holmes is out chasing the story of the century without him! In the process, Watson must reassess who and what he is, and even worse, admit he cares.

Aim for the Head by Breath4Soul

Sometimes you don't really find yourself until everything has ended. A fic about finding love, healing, and purpose after everything has gone to hell.

As if the doctor can read Sherlock's thoughts, he holds out a protein bar in the space between them. Sherlock’s eyes narrow on the man and flick to the bar with an expression of disgust. “You're at least one stone underweight,” the soldier states matter-of-factly, confirming for Sherlock, in yet another way, that he is a doctor. “Eating slows me down,” Sherlock grumbles. “No, fainting does.” The army doctor smiles kindly, patiently. Sherlock looks at him with confusion. “What do you care?” Sherlock snaps. The soldier’s smile deepens and he gives a casual shrug, turning his eyes to the road a moment. “You faint; we crash.” The soldier’s eyes slide back to Sherlock with their placid expression.

A Further Sea by i_ship_an_armada, ShinySherlock @ishipanarmada

(also on pirate and mermaid AU rec list)

Here be a tale of adventure for both body and soul, but beware if ye be not of stout heart, for this be piratelock, ya savvy? Luckless ship's surgeon John Watson takes a chance, and finds himself eye to eye with The Ghost, the scourge of the seven seas and a definite thorn in the side of the blaggard, James Moriarty. But when John finds there's more to this most cunning pirate than be meetin' the eye, he has to choose--is it a pirate's life for him?

Dive by FinAmour @finamour

It’s John’s third year of studying abroad at Harvard, and he’s still struggling to fit in. On a cold night in December, he finds his girlfriend with another man—and meets a tall, gorgeous bartender with horrible manners that he can’t stop thinking about. Just as John falls for him, madly, swiftly, deeply—the bartender disappears, and the bar unexpectedly shuts down. Unexplained occurrences begin to happen to John and his friends, and he slowly discovers the truth about the one he loves. Will he find him in time to tell him how he feels, and more importantly—can he keep him safe?

Synchronicity by Calais_Reno @calaisreno

Excerpt: John is just muttering some nonsense about bit different from my day when they enter the lab. A tall fellow with dark, curly hair is using a pipette to drop some liquid into a Petri dish. Hearing John’s voice, he looks up. Sherlock Holmes. They both freeze for a moment. He stares into those grey eyes that haven’t changed, still seeing every detail. Holmes gives a tiny smirk. “Afghanistan or Iraq?” It’s been years, and he is surprised at how much it still hurts. Realising that he’s staring, he clears his throat, shuffles his feet, and mumbles something about an appointment he’s forgotten.

OR: John and Sherlock meet again, years after they were school boys together. John hasn't forgotten why he still hates Sherlock Holmes.

The Company He Keeps by wibblywobblytimeywimeystuff

At his lowest point, John Watson met Sherlock Holmes. And Sherlock saved him. At Sherlock's lowest point, he met Greg Lestrade. And they saved each other. This is how Greg met Sherlock, how he met Mycroft, and how he became important to them both.

Toe to Toe by standbygo @blogstandbygo

(also on soldier and spy AU rec list)

Sherlock Holmes is an international ballet star. After a favour for his brother goes south, he finds himself trapped in a foreign country, with a man named John Watson who could be an enemy... or an ally. A crossover of sorts with White Nights, the 1985 film with Mikhail Baryshnikov and Gregory Hines.

If Baker Street Could Talk by a_different_equation @adifferentequation​

There is a thin wall between 221b and 221c. As if by fate, it has separated two sitting rooms that now are almost morphing back into one. One of the sitting rooms belongs to Sherlock Holmes (43), a pianist, while the other one belongs to Dr John H. Watson (45), whatever he might be after everything. John is a war hero, an ex-surgeon and a widower; John tells everyone that he is developing a game that might take a lifetime. There might be a wall between them, but Sherlock Holmes and John Watson cannot be separated.

[somekindofalyx]

2014 Book Tour at Anderson's Bookshop, Part 2.

[colferpics]

Chris Colfer | Roswell Johnson Saves the World! Book Signing | Anderson's Bookshop, Naperville, IL | June 6, 2024 [X]

[iamsherlocked1479]

I have a Sherlock request if you’re happy to do it!

I’d love it if you could write something friends-to-lovers / idiots-in-love like where Y/N is on a case with Sherlock + John and she starts saying how romantic the place is so Sherlock takes her back there later and confesses his love to her 🥹

I love your writing!❤️

All I wanted to say

Sherlock x fem reader

Fluff only no warnings

Word count: 3.1K

Exactly as asked Sherlock has a crush and wants to confess. Hope you enjoy :)

“Are you sure I should be coming with you?” you say being pushed into the back of the cab by your unusual flat mate.

“Oh yes you’re perfectly qualified.” he smiled as he hurried along the cab driver.

“Sherlock, I own a bookshop.” you reply with a tone of irritance in your voice.

“Well nobody’s perfect but that's not what i mean.” he says keeping his eyes to the window

“I know, you mean John is busy with Mary and you need somebody to show off too.” you roll your eyes.

“Well, no. I don’t show off, we’ve discussed this.” he adds

“When?! When did we discuss this, I called you out on it last week.”

“Exactly and i told you i wasn’t showing off i was in fact you stating the obvious.” he says finally turning to you.

“No you didn't, you just stared at me.” you huff

“Did I?” he fixed his eyes elsewhere

“Uh huh.” you say crossing your arms like an unhappy toddler. “Where are we going?”

“Apollo victoria theatre. Lead to one of their most popular shows was murdered” he says texting away on his phone.

“No way” you brow raises in excitement

“What?” He looked confused. “It was murder, usually only I am excited over these things.” a small smile began forming at the corner of his mouth.

“No it’s just the history in that building and the shows, god what i’d give to see one.” your eyes lit up.

“Oh, right. One has to understand when they’re different I see.” his smile dispersed. His heart fluttered as he watched you watch the streets as you grew closer to the destination. He couldn’t understand it, he did actually bring you along to the case as you were useful, but he needed time. He needed time to study you more, he was going to eventually tell you his findings, just how he would explain it after watching you cry to countless romance movies and going on about relationships where for small minded people. But for you, he would be small minded.

You followed him out the cab in awe, the way his mood changed when he got to the crime scene was almost instantaneous like the flick of a switch, you enjoyed watching Anderson’s face drop as Sherlock entered the building. You followed him through the halls past the police giving you, a civilian, strange looks. You shouldn't be here but you were with him and that sugar coated the whole thing, but it’s not like he could ever know that, he was your friend and a good one that is. You couldn’t risk losing that he needed a friend and you needed him. For one he makes sure the crime story you’re writing is factually correct, whether you like it or not, but you did appreciate the time he spent with you. You’d take anything at this point, you were starting to become desperate and it stupid. But here you are following him through the place you’d always wanted to visit to look at a dead body, how romantic.

“I got here as soon as you called.” John appeared from the hallway as you walk down the aisles and rows of chairs towards the stage where a woman laid in the centre of the stage face down and a pool of blood leaking from her head.

“Have you examined her yet?” Sherlock commanded pulling rubber gloves down his wrists

“I thought John was busy?” you question

“Why would I be busy? This is my job?” john asked confused as you both look at sherlock who looked up from the body

“You didn’t answer my call. And i needed her.” he nodded to you who began to lose it

“Why would you possibly need me? I had to close the book shop I'm already behind on rent.” you pace as you lecture. You were stopped by his tall frame gripping your shoulders.

“Shh.” he says the taste of latex edging your lips as his finger covers them. “I need you to rule out the possibility of suicide. When was the building built?”

“1930.” you mumble “Did you just touch a body and then put your hands on my mouth?” you say pulling away

“Uh, maybe.” he holds his arms behind his back looking up to the ceiling “when was it last refurbished?”

“1981, why?”

“Look at that, your history degree is finally coming into use.” he says running backstage.

“Wow, I'm so happy about that.” you sigh sarcastically. You shuffle about the stage for a moment taking in the room, it was amazing the rows of velvet red seats climbing their way to the seats. The golden patterns on the railing, the way the dust trickled to the floor.

Dust? No that's not right, you look up to see Sherlock boxing on the railing above the stage that technicians would use to lower props.

“Sherlock, get down from there!” John yelled as sherlock stepped out closer to the edge.

“This plank, its broken.” he shouted back down

“Its an old building” john replied

“I’m coming back down. I know what happened.” the sounds of footsteps eagerly coming towards you echoed through the halls as he worked his way down.

“That was fast.” you say impressed

“Usually it doesn't take him this long, he seems a bit distracted.” John smiled

“Yeah, he hasn’t seen you in a while.” you add to his statement

“That's not what i meant.” he said still smiling

“Then what did you mean?”

“Suicide” sherlock interupted you

“But all the evidence leads to the backup lead.” john replies

“Just because the lead and the backup argue does not mean the backup would kill the lead. No, the lead was stressed, you can tell by the amount of loose hairs around her head. Probably because she was behind on her rent obviously doesn’t pay well in the west end, dark circles around her eyes and pale skin add to that conclusion, malnourishment, come on john you're a doctor after all. No my friend she couldn't handle her life anymore the pressure from the backup obviously wasn’t helping either but they are completely innocent.'' He turned to you and winked as he walked away correcting the collar of his coat.

You stood in awe. He really was impressive, but as you reminded yourself time after time he wasn’t interested. No matter how many times he would appear in the corner of the bookshop because he was, as he claimed, bored, no matter how many times you could have sworn you felt him watching you as he played his violin. He never really would be yours, all you could do was hold on to what you had.

Sherlock hoped that his quick conclusion would entice you to join him on more adventures. He smiled to himself as he approached the theatre owner, remembering the look of awe on your pretty little face, the way your hair followed the neat shape of your jawline, oh sherlock, he was becoming flustered. He hated how no matter how many times he tried to tell you nothing would come out. He would wait until the shop was empty and appear looking through the rows of books just so he could watch the way you made the young children smile with your stories or help a stressed student find their textbook. His favourite would be when a husband comes in looking for the best “i forgot our anniversary book” the way you would approach the confused men in the romance section and hand them the most popular romcom at the time, always worked. He just loved being around you, he just loved you, and he was never one for keeping things to himself. And he wasn’t going to let this be the only thing he would keep to himself. The one thing you might want him to say.

“Mr holmes?” the owner stood with his hand out towards him

“Huh? Yes?” Sherlock snapped back into existence, how long was he gone for?

“I said thankyou for solving the case, so glad it’s not going to be too much paperwork, i asked if you would like some tickets, as a thankyou i mean?” he still held out his hand waiting for Sherlock to shake it.

“No thanks not really my-'' wait that's it, your face lit up when you saw the theatre he could take you. It could be a date? Sherlock on a date, god if Mycroft where to find out he’d think sherlock had gone insane. “Yes uh, any shows tonight?”unlikely he thought, suicide and all.

“Yes, once we get the stage cleaned up, we have wicked if that's your thing?”

“None of it is but I know someone who would love it.” he smiled shaking the man's hand

“Great, I'll tell the office you’ll be joining us tonight, with a guest I assume?” he smiled

“Uh yes”

He walked away feeling accomplished, his plan was perfect, all he had to do was not freeze.

…………………………….

It was around 4:30pm when you finally managed to get back to the bookshop. There were only two hours left of your usual hours, but being behind on rent meant every minute the bookshop was open counted.

“Thanks for visiting.” you smile at one of your usuals, a ginger haired english student from the local university. You often found her sitting in the corner of the shop studying until just before closing time. It didn’t bother you that she rarely purchased anything you were just glad she had somewhere to lay low.

“y/n?” Sherlock cleared his throat from behind you, causing you to almost drop the books in your hand with his sudden appearance. “Erm sorry i didn’t mean to-”

“It's fine.” you laughed it off “What can i help you with?” you smile placing the pile of books in his hand for him to hold why you find their places on the shelves.

“I uh was wondering if- of course if you’re not busy i-” he stuttered his words as you turned to him tucking you hair behind your ears

“Are you okay there?” you ask, taking a book, your hand slightly tracing over him.

Oh god did you, you did. You touched his finger, whether you meant it or not he couldn’t tell. It was hard enough when you turned around giving him a good look of your emerald green eyes, and the slightly too low neckline of your sweatshirt, but as a gentleman should, he never looked too much. At least he tried to. But your touch burned his skin, he needed more, he needed you. Why was he here again? Oh right.

“Theatre.” he suddenly blurted out

“Pardon?” you say confused at his sudden outburst

“The owner gave me two tickets for tonight's show, wicked, I believe and I was wondering if you weren’t too busy would you go with me? I saw how excited you were and-” he paused realising he was rambling.

“You want to go out with me? Like a date?” your eyes widened slightly, maybe all this time the feeling was mutual.

“A date?”

“Well two people go out, they enjoy each other's company and do something fun.”

“Isn’t romance usually part of it?” he asks leaning on the shelf

“It can be, but friends can have dates too.” you smile warmly

That word left him confused, friends? Is that all you saw the pair of you as? Was it even worth asking? He couldn’t change the plans now, you love the theatre and even if you didn’t reciprocate the feelings, he would still get to see you smile. Sherlock Holmes was never one to back down because he was afraid of the outcome. And he wasn’t about to do it now.

He stood pacing in the living room of baker street, wearing his usual smart attire. Black dress trousers and a purple shirt. He paused as you came down the stairs looking a lot smarter than earlier, it was the theatre after all, he admired your outfit, a denim dress accompanied by black tights and your favourite pair of doc martins someone in your financial situation definitely shouldn’t own.

You moved in with Sherlock when John moved out after being friends for nearly two years, with you knowing him as the detective above the shop you figured having someone to help you pay rent wouldn’t cause you any problems. Only just leading to having a crush on the only man in London who didn’t seek out a relationship. People often seemed surprised when you told them you owned a bookshop, in the politest way girls who look like you don’t usually ever pick up a book after the age of five.

“Ready to go?” you smile picking up your coat. He stood silently observing you, his eyes tracing up and down your body. “Is everything okay? Is it too much?” you ask, becoming insecure.

“No, you look fine. Apologies for staring just, wow.” he smiled picking up his coat.

“Are you sure?” you ask as he ushered you out the door.

“Positive.” he smiled, this smile was real. Finally just you and him, he couldn’t wait for the show to be over, so he could tell you.

You gripped his arm as you entered the theatre heading to the ticket office, admiring the building in its true glory. The golden archways and marble floors are traced with a red carpet, leading to the box office. You were like a kid in a candy shop, it was amazing.

“Are you okay?” sherlock asked with a smile

“Better than okay.” you exclaim

“Two please, for Mr Holmes. Mr Thompson said i could get in on him.” he asked the booth worker

“Of course, we’ve been expecting you Mr Holmes.” she smiled and handed him a set of tickets.

The look on your face was what brought Sherlock to pause in his mind. She had never looked this fascinated with any case that he had brought her to before and… was she holding his hand? It must be awkward both holding arm and hand but… what could it mean? For one, Sherlock Holmes couldn’t find an answer.

The two of you walked to your assigned seats and found that the owner had given you some of the best seats in the house. Sherlock watched your eyes light up even more as you sat down and looked out over the other seats and the stage to fully take in what was happening.

“Thank you for this, Sherlock,” you looked over at him with a smile and watched as he tensed up, awkwardly looking for an answer under your gaze.

Awkwardly clearing his throat, Sherlock nodded to you and gave you a gracious smile before replying, “you’re welcome.”

“Doesn’t it look amazing?” You smile admiring the mechanical dragon hanging above the stage.

“Yes, one would say even intriguing.” He smiled, keeping his eyes on you. He sighed as he watched the grip you had on his hand tightened as the lights dimmed. Maybe this show would be the best thing he’d seen in a while.

The show itself was more amazing than you could have ever imagined. The voices of the actors were amazing along with the choreography they had paired with the songs. You watched as even Sherlock seemed to enjoy it, smiling every time you looked over at him. You finally concluded that defining gravity was your new favourite song and just as quick as it started the show was over.

“Oh my god that was amazing, maybe the wicked witch wasn’t so wicked after all.” You beamed

“Perhaps she wasn’t.” Sherlock laughed at your excitement, his chest tightening as you once again looped your arm with his.

You wandered the streets before eventually stopping at a chip shop Sherlock had insisted you eat from instead of the closest shop you could find.

“These better be worth the blisters these boots are giving me.” You sighed as you slumped into the bench.

“Believe me it's one of the very few things I enjoy in this life.” He sat next to you, moving the chips in your direction allowing you to share.

“Okay, these are pretty good.” You smile as you push a chip into your hungry mouth.

“I told you so.” He smiled, the knot in his stomach tightened again as you knee touched his, the feeling he had come to find an answer too becoming more prominent than it ever had been. “Y/n I- there’s something I wanted to talk to you about.” He put the chips aside and turned to you.

“Okay then.” You watched as his baby blues were now fixed in your pupils, dilating as your gazes met. You looked away trying not to bring too much attention to yourself as you felt the heat of your blush appearing on your face, all because he looked at you.

“I uh, erm. As you know or as I explained in my speech at john's wedding, if you remember.” He shuffled in his seat and cleared his throat. “Relationships are a strange thing to me, the way humans feel the desire to find a specific partner to spend every moment with repulses me.”

“Oh” you sigh, looking away again, “I know that.”

“But that was before i met you, before i too found myself feeling that I didn’t function properly without you and I still don’t understand it, i find myself thinking about you constantly hoping you notice everything i do. I hope that I never disappoint you or cause you harm and i- well. I don't understand these emotions I'm feeling, but I know that I can't imagine my life without you. You make me feel things that I never thought possible, and I want you to know that I care about you more than anything and-“ he wasn’t able to finish the speech he had prepared before your lips where on his, a surge of electricity flowed through your bodies only being satisfied when he wrapped his arms around you pulling you in as close as possible you let out a small hum as his tongue pushed into your mouth, dancing with your own before finally pulling away to catch a breath.

“I uh, sorry i cut you off i just wanted to-�� you laugh tucking a loose strand of hair behind your ear.

“No, no it uh it pretty much had everything i wanted to say.” He smiled, taking your hand into his. “It was all I wanted to say.” He repeated before pulling you in again

[idiopathicsmile]

If you live in Chicago and have a car OR just a willingness to take the Metra, quick reminder that my final book event (queer sci-fi YA mystery) is at Anderson's Bookshop in Naperville this upcoming Thursday, (July 27 2023) at 7 pm CST. I'll play some songs inspired by the book, I'll do a reading, and also we'll have an audience Q&A. Register here ahead of time for tickets!

[ailichi]

reading since around august (selected)

Antigone, Jean Anouilh - French play based on the ancient Greek play by Sophocles, from 1944. loved it. I always love Anouilh's stuff.

Coal Dark Mornings, Brett Anderson - first autobiography of Brett Anderson, taking you up to the time when he formed Suede. I think you could read this even if you weren't into his music, it's well-written and gives a very good description of the time and place he grew up in while still being very quick to read.

The Coffee-House of Surat, Leo Tolstoy - short story by Tolstoy because I guess I'm trying to 100% his work.

Prophet Song, Paul Lynch - it's alright! it gets better and better very steadily as it goes along; I liked it much more on page 250 than on page 150, that kind of book. it seems to be out on the display tables of bookshops across Europe - not sure it's that much of a sensation really. but it takes like 2 days to read, not a waste of time.

Everyone Loves You When You’re Dead, Neil Strauss - I read most of these interviews and they're good but the book exists to record the Liam Gallagher one for me.

Getting High: The Adventures of Oasis, Paolo Hewitt - it's good!! I think I already posted a quick review but if you're a fan and want to read One book about Oasis, it's the perfect choice.

Shout!: The Beatles, Their Life and Times, Philip Norman - dear Lord, is this comprehensive. and it continues after 1970 - post-Beatles stuff is like half the book. I did enjoy it, but especially the first few hundred pages (yes), where he talks about each member before they joined, the other people in that Merseyside scene, etc.

Supersonic: The Uncut Interviews, Simon Halfton - interesting to see how they edited the band interviews for the documentary.

Remembering, Sinéad O’Connor - she can really write, wow. obviously parts of this book are very heavy, and it did make me cry. I'm glad I read it though.

Hadji Murad, Leo Tolstoy* - I'd read this before and apparently forgotten large swathes of it. it's fine, nothing crazy good, very much hampered by the noble-Oriental thing he's got going on. every day I realise I am the world's most unenthusiastic Tolstoy fan. like I'll read it but Jesus Christ.

The Horse, The Wheel, and Language, David W. Anthony DNF - if this is the intellectual standard expected of US undergrads, that's shocking. forget student debt cancellation, they should be giving them money back with interest. lmfao

Ulysses, James Joyce - it's Ulysses, it's great. but there were bits I subjectively didn't like (predictably, the grimy sex scenes, all that tackle). um. a masterpiece, clever, etc., didn't exactly have me weeping. it IS brilliant and very enjoyable to read on a pure prose level.

Do You Believe in the Power of Rock and Roll? John Robb - good interviews :)

Solenoid, Mircea Cărtărescu - been reading this on and off since the translation came out in 2022. interestingly weird until it's weirdly not interesting. probably excellent for someone, but not for me. which was really disappointing, because I was excited for it.

Regenade, Mark E. Smith - absolute masterclass of an "autobiography". I loved it. is there a lot of 'information' about his life story? of course not. can you necessarily believe that things happened as he writes? not really. (but then, the way the story is told is telling in itself). starts in media res. essentially the only story he tells from his childhood is Japanese Prison Camp, and yk? I'm pretty sure we used to play something like that too. obviously the whole book is hysterically witty. so good at having opinions, it's outrageous. made me laugh at jokes at the expense of Noel Gallagher, so it really is that charming as a book (don’t even think those anecdotes happened. like. at all. except maybe the one about him sneaking a look at his shirts in a hotel room. lol). "charming" in the slightly sinister fairy-tale sense. MES o7