#anyway i'm reading the graphic novel now and really enjoying it

[ravenkings]

i really wish v for vendetta (both the movie and the graphic novel) hadn't become associated with deeply irritating (and often reactionary) online political subcultures bc it really does slap so fucking hard

[bogkeep]

[now entering: the OPINION ZONE]

the way i feel about Booktok(tm), as a phenomenon, or maybe more as a weird miasma that is seeping through every bookstore i enter, is that we don't see eye to eye. i'm sure it's got a lot more variation and diversity than whatever weird takes bubble up to the surface for my tiktok-less self to stumble upon - mostly i just feel like my motivation for reading books is different than theirs. there is the occasional overlap in the Books I Enjoy / Big On Booktok venn diagram (which makes me feel very weird about those books but that's for me to sort out), but i cannot personally Trust a booktok recommendation, if that makes sense. either way, it's none of my business what other people like to read, and i think me and booktok can peacefully coexist in each our own spheres. (if all of this is completely incomprehensible to you i salute you and envy your peace of mind.)

anyway, a very fascinating discussion that keeps showing up recently is the phenomenon where popular booktok influencers admit to skipping paragraphs that are too long, or only reading the dialogue of a book, or performing shock at a printed book containing Too Many Words Per Page. what fascinates me is not so much that it is happening (though it DOES fascinate me), but how much people reacting to this struggle to explain exactly Why it's so aggravating.

like, i feel like the obvious takeaway is that these people are monetizing their alleged joy of reading, and then... don't? even like to read? that the consumerist aesthetic of Being A Reader is more profitable on a video platform than doing the due diligence of reviewing books properly? that the content machine marches on and if you're too slow you'll fall behind??

INSTEAD the discussion seems to center around the good old "oohh nooo people read BAD BOOKS instead of GOOD BOOKS and IT'S IMPORTANT TO CHALLENGE YOUR BRAINNN or else the MEDIA LITERACY....." and i'm sorry but i think this has been a moral panic for as long as we've had literature. media literacy has never had a golden age that i'm aware of. there's always been trashy romances that authors pump out on the monthly for easy consumption. capitalism is gonna value profit over quality for as long as it's in charge. people who read for fun are gonna read what they're gonna read, and they're gonna read it in the way they enjoy reading. i agree that reading Good Books is deeply fulfilling! but that is my personal and subjective experience that not everyone is going to share.

i think the reason i feel weird about the insistence that you Must, at least occasionally, Challenge Yourself while reading is that... i'm exhausted in my brain. too exhausted to challenge myself for fun. maybe it's a burnout thing. i really really get looking at a paragraph and finding it simply too much to absorb right now. my main method of getting through books these days is in audio format, even if i would personally prefer to read them visually (they'd stick to my brain better, i would see how names are spelled, sudden POV switches between paragraphs would be less confusing). but reading a book in text form is taking me weeks at best - unless it's a special kind of book that i can't help but devour immediately, sleep schedule be damned (which is another toll to pay). some books are just too complex and need too much focus for me to enjoy right now, so i keep having to goldilock my way to what feels Just Right. some books, i'm sure i'll get back to later. some i've made my peace with never picking up despite the fact that they feel Obligatory (my apologies to lord of the rings. i've Tried and i just can't do it). so like i GET IT. sometimes reading is too much.

what i Wish the discussion was more about, was instead finding ways to read that's enjoyable for you. there is literature and screen plays that are Only Dialogue. there's graphic novels. there's audiobooks and e-readers that let you change the font sizes. there's lots and lots and lots of fanfiction that's literally just banter and smut. there's no shame in reading what you enjoy! there's no shame in spending months on the same book! but i suppose it's not as ~Aesthetic~ as purchasing 10 editions of the same book series on amazon dot hell!!!!

[abyssalzones]

What's your comic writing process like? I'm starting to get into making my own comics and I really admire your work!!! Any advice?

Ah, intrepid traveler, you've done well to journey to this secluded mountaintop spire, in search of the answers you seek. I indeed can provide such forbidden comicmancy knowledge... at the cost of your mortal soul...

coughs. anyway, I'm going to warn you immediately that what works for me does not work for everyone else, and in my experience the way I do things can prove very slow and discouraging for anyone who is more interested in the actual "drawing the damn comic" part of the process. I only do it this way because I enjoy weaving a narrative web that feels not only fully contained but re-readable, but my projects are often so long and my memory so shitty that I can't just keep all of it in my head! It would spill all over the place and make a really embarrassing mess of brain-juice. Not ideal.

but as for my own process, uhh... I suppose a comic would be fitting, right?

a little choppy but you get the idea.

as for turning words into art, I've been experimenting with figuring out the best way to do that for a little while now. Originally what I was doing for something like Ad Astra Per Aspera was to take my "script" and sketch it out on paper very loosely, before transposing that onto my canvas and working from there:

...but, I've found that can make it kind of difficult to space everything around on your standard page-size, and the thing I'm having the most problems with currently seems to be finding the sweet spot of panel-size proportions. So, I've taken to printing out standard thumbnail templates (you can just find these on google) and sketching very tiny panels in those, which seems to give me a slightly better sense of scale... (mild chapter 5 spoilers, sorry ad astra fans)

but I have yet to totally pull through on this, so who knows, maybe I'll try something else in the future!

As for advice, this is probably most applicable to me, but as a disabled artist I have a very hard time managing my workload without literally working myself into injury. I don't think I talked about this publicly but when I was working on that ten year anniversary comic I was literally drawing every single day for 3 solid months. Sometimes, in my case, I really can't bring myself to stop once I've latched onto an idea, and sometimes I find the most rewarding thing I can do with my time is to draw- but I seriously cannot overstate: Do not fucking do this.

You will fuck up your wrist, your back, your neck, your eyes, and probably your mental health. It's a well-known fact that mangaka have a lower life expectancy than the average japanese person due to the intense workload imposed on them by deadlines and personal expectations. Comics are a very demanding artform, and even though I'm not on any sort of mandated schedule there are times where I've toiled away at something when I likely should have been exercising or taking vision-breaks. Therefore the best advice I can give you is to chill the hell out.

Namely, find parts of the process you can be lazy about, and embrace the laziness! You don't like digitally sketching? Don't do it! Skip it, or maybe find a way to traditionally sketch things out in advance like I do. Hate lineart? Don't fucking do it. You really don't feel like wasting your time writing 72k words of comic scripts? ...then, don't be like me. skip that part. I'm a flawed human being and what works for me might not work for you.

The second most important piece of advice I could give is to read comics. Of all kinds. The reason for this is pretty self explanatory: In order to figure out your own comic-making style, you should first pick out bits and pieces from the artist's buffet to add to your plate. Manga, graphic novels, american comics, european comics, weird niche little webcomics, funny papers, anything and everything. This advice rings true of pretty much any art form, but I find it to be essential to honing comic-making skills because so many things you feel will just come intuitively often don't. and that's okay! nobody is born knowing how to leave space for speech bubbles or shape their panels in a way that imitates stretches of time. The best way to figure out stuff like this, in my experience, is to study the "masters", and then after becoming well accustomed to the basics, figure out what rules you want to bend or break to create your own style.

I consider myself to be in equal parts a writer and an artist, which lends itself well to making narrative comics, but maybe you're a bit more of an artist and want to focus on panel-by-panel visual storytelling. Or, conversely, maybe your talents lean closer towards writing, and the art itself is more of a secondary skill. Regardless of your unique blend of talents you can and should make a comic, you should just also be aware of your strengths and try to hone in on those- there will always be opportunities to build up skills you lack, but focusing on what you do best will always lead you in the right direction.

Anyway, that being said, here are some recommendations in no particular order:

Monster, Naoki Urasawa (!!)

Bone, Jeff Smith

Witch Hat Atelier, Kamome Shirahama

The first IDW run of Transformers comics (namely More Than Meets the Eye and Lost Light)

Persepolis, Marjane Satrapi (!!)

Through the Woods, Emily Carroll (really any Emily Carroll comics)

Kill Six Billion Demons (webcomic) (!!)

Akira, Katsuhiro Otomo

The Third Person, Emma Grove

Tintin, Hergé (can be super racist please be wary)

Dungeon Meshi, Ryoko Kui

Calvin & Hobbes, Bill Watterson

Maus, Art Spiegelman

Cucumber Quest (webcomic)

Jellyfish Princess, Akiko Higashimura

Golden Kamuy, Satoru Noda (!!)

Note that I did not grow up with manga so I am seriously behind on a lot of extremely influential japanese comics such as Dragon Ball, One Piece, basically any of the original Shonen Jump comics, but they're widely considered building blocks of the genre so if you love the artform I think you should give them a try! Same goes for classic non-shonen manga genres like various Shoujo, Josei, Yuri, Gekiga, ETC.

same as above applies to a lot of classic DC and Marvel works, I unfortunately am just not a big fan of superhero comics... but I'm sure there's good stuff in there. a couple of my mutuals talk about booster gold and the blue beetle all the time so I'm assuming there has to be something worthwhile.

...and many, many, many more that I'm forgetting! I noticed as I made this list that, to my knowledge, hardly any of these are made by black or just non-japanese-mangaka BIPOC artists, which makes me sad about the gaps in my own comic collection. Therefore, anyone is welcome to add their own recommendations in the replies!

now go forth, and combine images with text!!!!!!!!!!!

[warabidakihime]

Lost in Paradise

★ characters: uzui tengen x reader X sanemi shinazugawa | modern au

★ plot summary: what happens when two people are left alone in a deserted island with no way of communicating with the outside world? they fall in love, of course.

★ fic playlist: TBA

★ content warnings : smut, profanity, implied adultery/cheating, slightly graphic.

a/n: this was just an idea that came up to me randomly and i immediately want to write it, so here it is. i know i have a lot of fics uploaded at the moment and i'm so behind on updates, but i can't help it. i also miss writing for tengen, but don't worry, once things have finally calmed down, i will get back to writing. i also really don't want to force myself to write as it will affect the quality of the story so i opted to write only when i'm in the mood.

anyway! i hope you enjoy this one the way you enjoyed parallel lines and invisible strings! also, speaking of tengen, the epilogue for invisible strings is currently underway so keep an eye on that too.

as always! comments and feed backs are highly appreciated! <3

--

“Good afternoon, passengers. This is the pre-boarding announcement for flight 89B to Rome. We are now inviting those passengers with small children and any passengers requiring special assistance to begin boarding at this time. Please have your boarding pass and identification ready. Regular boarding will begin in approximately ten minutes. Thank you.”

"That's our cue. Let's go, babe." You looked up from the book you were reading, still a bit dazed as you were so deep into the novel you were reading. Still, you held out your hand to your fiance, to which Sanemi gladly intertwined your fingers as you walked and boarded the plane.

He looked over to you with a loving smile on his face and said, "Let me guess, you want to sit by the window?"

You giggled, "You know me so well."

"I learned my lesson the last time I took the window seat." Sanemi chuckled

It was during your first anniversary trip to Peru when your fiance took the window seat. You said you didn't mind, but it was written all over your face that you were slightly upset at that time. Since then, Sanemi has let you sit by the window on your succeeding trips.

Window seats are universally loved by nearly everyone, but you have a very specific reason as to why you prefer to sit there than anywhere else. You're a writer yourself, and when you travel, you like to look around as much as possible in hopes of finding your next inspiration for your next novel. It can be something as miniscule as a street sign or something grandiose like witnessing someone get proposed to.

Your last novel was inspired by a woman jogging with her golden retriever, and as usual, your book was a success and was hailed as your best-selling piece. You won multiple awards, held multiple book signings both locally and internationally, and guested on multiple interviews. Just a few years ago, your debut novel was turned into a movie, and it was a blockbuster hit.

"And that's why you're the best fiance ever." you said as you gave him a smooch on the cheeks after settling down on your seat.

"I used to love being called the best boyfriend ever, but being called the best fiance is better."

"Wait til I call you the best husband ever after we get married." You said with a chuckle.

"Oh, I would love that. Can't wait to see you walk down that aisle; just thinking about it brings tears to my eyes." Sanemi confessed as he sported a dreamy look on his face, to which you responded by giving him another kiss, but on his lips this time.

"Me too, baby."

“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome onboard Flight 89B with service from Tokyo to Rome. We are currently third in line for takeoff and are expected to be in the air in approximately fourteen hours time. We ask that you please fasten your seatbelts at this time and secure all baggage underneath your seat or in the overhead compartments. We also ask that your seats and table trays be in the upright position for takeoff. Please turn off all personal electronic devices, including laptops and cell phones. Smoking is prohibited for the duration of the flight. Thank you for choosing  Japan Airlines. Enjoy your flight.”

You met Sanemi through a mutual friend when he tagged along on your trip to Okinawa. He was the best friend of your best friend's boyfriend. You didn't like him at first because he was so grouchy when you first met, but as you got to know him more over the trip, you realized he was just as soft as he was gruff; it's just not his style to be upfront about his emotions.

Sanemi was the first to confess.

After your trip to Okinawa, you gave each other's phone numbers and social media profiles and have kept in touch ever since. You're not one to spend ungodly hours on your phone, but after meeting him, you would check your phone for any notifications from him. It came to a point where you would check your phone first thing in the morning after waking up.

Sanemi fell first, but you definitely fell harder.

Mitsuri, your best friend showed no mercy in teasing you when you first opened up about your budding infatuation towards his friend because you really did dislike him when you first met him.

You were so hellbent on not associating yourself with Sanemi ever again, but here you are, three years later, happily engaged to him.

Love truly moves in mysterious ways.

Sanemi kissed you back, "I love you so much. Thank you for saying yes."

Feeling your own tears well up in your eyes, you tried to brush it off by giggling, "I love you too, Sanemi."

*

Three hours into your flight from Tokyo to Rome, your book had been forgotten, and you were now snuggled close to Sanemi, who was reading the newest reports about his favorite basketball team on his tablet. He was also doing some extra work to kill time. 

You don't know shit about basketball or sports in general, but you don't mind listening to him babble on about his hobbies the way he would listen to you fangirl about the novels you've been reading.

While he watched the video, he had one arm comfortably wrapped around your shoulders, lulling you to sleep as he urged you to take a nap because you wouldn't be able to reach your destination for another eleven hours or so.

You were finally sound asleep when the pilot's voice broke out across the plane, his voice clearly tinged with urgency.

"Good day, everyone. I'm sorry to interrupt your peaceful trip, but I'd like to let everyone know that we will be experiencing some hard turbulence, but don't worry, we will do our best to keep everyone safe. Make sure your seatbelts are properly fastened—"

Everything unfolded so quickly.

You were about to turn to face Sanemi when he seized you in his arms, and everything went black in an instant.

*

“Y/N!!!”

You screamed as you bolted awake from your deep slumber

"Oh, you're finally awake."

--

taglist: @milkyybuns trishiepo0 @babygirl-panda19 @hypnocountrymusicfunnyfan @exodarkwolf16 @qdreamueen @vesta-ro

--

Next Chapter

--

Read my other Tengen Fics:

Parallel Lines

Invisible Strings (Parallel Lines Sequel)

[clioseeker]

Chill Reviews : Do not take this cat home or the fear of being alone (spoiler-free version)

TW : this game has heavy topics that may not are suitable for everyone ! The content warnings of the dev are literally longer than my future. If you're uncomfortable and get triggered about abusive relationships, all forms of violence, heavy horror elements, animal cruelty, mental health related subjects or certain phobias please consider not playing this game. There's also flashing lights, imags and loud noises. Stay safe people, and take care of yourself <3

But if you're still curious, the dev put the entire list of warnings on the downloads, so you can take a peak yourself.

Soooooo, that an heavy one. Today I'm talking about a game that was quite a strange experience, Do not take this cat home. It's an horror visual novel created by Pixeliminal in 2023, it starts with a very simple premice : you (yes, you the player) is walking home on a rainy day, and you find a cute cat in a dark alley. Poor little thing is alone in a cardboard. After this, you have the choice to take it home... Or not.

Isn't that little fella cute ?

Why would you leave it outside ?

I'm not making a classic review with the qualities and the flaws, but more of an essay in fact. This is the type of game that feel more like a unique experiment more than actual gameplay when you turn your brain off and just enjoy. This post is spoiler-free, but the next won't be. If you want to read the second part anyway, I invite you to play or watch the game before.

---{ Graphics }--- ☐ You forget what reality is ☐ Beautiful ☑ Good ☐ Decent ☐ Bad ☐ Don‘t look too long at it ☐ MS-DOS

The graphics seems to be hand-made, it gives a unique look and atmosphere to the game. It's a simple style, cute and looking absolutely innocent. Like the cat is veeeery cute and I personnally want to hug and play with for days. It's a personal opinion but I rather so much 2D games over 3D realist games. The game can't really be dated and that's what it's so charming. It's unique and won't burn your eyes after a few years :3

---{ Gameplay }--- ☐ Very good ☐ Good ☑ It's just gameplay ☐ Mehh ☐ Watch paint dry instead ☐ Just don't

I don't have much to say about it. It's a visual novel, you just have to click dialogue options. You have different choices of dialogue or actions and it'll have a direct impact on the ending you'll get. Just a quick surprise at the last ending, your choices are timed.

---{ Audio }--- ☐ Eargasm ☐ Very good ☑ Good ☐ Not too bad ☐ Bad ☐ I'm now deaf

Dialogues aren't dubbed and the soundtrack is not that remarkable, but it's not bad to listen. In fact, the music perfectly blended with the atmosphere, I mostly keep impressions of cute musics mixed with creepy melodies which stressed me a bit.

---{ Audience }--- ☐ Kids ☐ Teens ☑ Adults ☐ Grandma

Like said above, the game's subjects are a bit tough to handle depending of your past experiences, your fears or your triggers. The horror is there, mostly psychological or body horror. Some endings gave me the itches because of that.

---{ PC Requirements }--- ☐ Check if you can run paint ☑ Potato ☐ Decent ☐ Fast ☐ Rich boi ☐ Ask NASA if they have a spare computer

---{ Game Size }--- ☐ Floppy Disk ☑ Old Fashioned ☐ Workable ☐ Big ☐ Will eat 10% of your 1TB hard drive ☐ You will want an entire hard drive to hold it ☐ You will need to invest in a black hole to hold all the data

---{ Difficulty }--- ☑ Just press 'W' ☐ Easy ☐ Easy to learn / Hard to master ☐ Significant brain usage ☐ Difficult ☐ Dark Souls

---{ Grind }--- ☑ Nothing to grind ☐ Only if u care about leaderboards/ranks ☐ Isn't necessary to progress ☐ Average grind level ☐ Too much grind ☐ You'll need a second life for grinding

---{ Story }--- ☐ No Story ☐ Some lore ☐ Average ☑ Good ☐ Lovely ☐ It'll replace your life

---{ Game Time }--- ☐ Long enough for a cup of coffee ☑ Short ☐ Average ☐ Long ☐ To infinity and beyond

My advice is take an evening or an afternoon when you're fully into into it, the game can me completed in 3-4 hours.

---{ Price }--- ☑ It's free! ☐ Worth the price ☐ If it's on sale ☐ If u have some spare money left ☐ Not recommended ☐ You could also just burn your money

I would even say it's cheaper than free x)

---{ Bugs }--- ☑ Never heard of ☐ Minor bugs ☐ Can get annoying ☐ ARK: Survival Evolved ☐ The game itself is a big terrarium for bugs

---{ ? / 10 }--- ☐ 1 ☐ 2 ☐ 3 ☐ 4 ☐ 5 ☐ 6 ☐ 7 ☑ 8 ☐ 9 ☐ 10

---{ Author }--- ☑ https://vojtastruhar.github.io/steam-review-template

Detailed and spoiler-free opinion : Do not take this cat home is an entertaining game at first, but the first impression of cuteness quickly gives his place to an eerie atmosphere. Strange events were happening to the MC and I was mixed between affection for the cat and curiosity for what were happening to our character. Then let's just say my opinion on my new fluffy friend changed after a few runs. If you're looking for an new whole horror experience, without jumpscares, the game may be for you. I find it excellent and it's definitely a 'must play' in the genre of horror free games.

[archivalofsins]

I'm about to complain about something that's been bugging me more since I started writing theories, and it's gonna be phrased harshly. People hate the art of storytelling. They hate the act of reading words on a screen with no visual stimulus.

They can say I love reading all they want but most of the time, it comes with bells and whistles attached. It always does. I've been writing since I was a kid. Since I was in the fourth grade honestly and the only time my writing has been genuinely enjoyed or appreciated by others was back then writing horror stories for school assignments having classmates pass it around and point out what part they liked and say why.

It wasn't a matter of the stories being good or more fun to write than what I write now. I always enjoy myself writing. No it wad.the fact that I had an audience that took my art for what it was. When they passed it around there weren't comments like oh this would ve so cool to seen drawn our, animated, or dramatically read aloud. It was just taking for the art form it was.

I went to an arts high school the only schools in the city I grew up in while I was a kid were technical high schools. If you wanted to go to a school and you were born in the city and didn't magically spawn into existence at high school age well fuck you- You've now got to lie about your address and go to a charter school a town over and hope they don't find out or the staff was cool about it.

All the high schools were mostly for people who lived outside of the city and wanted a place that looked good on college applications. My first choice wasn't an art school either. I put writing to the side going into high school. I actually went through the entrance exam of a technical high school with a focus on robotics because I had an interest in robotics with a focus on its medical applications. But through multiple things out of my control I ended up in an arts high-school going to three selerate high schools throughout my high school years and graduation from this one.

I majored in graphic design there a subsection of the visual arts department. That consisted of traditional arts, radio and television, and graphic design. I learned later that they had a writing program there was a journalism major but ya know that's nit art anymore so by the tine I got there guess where that was exactly where traditional art is now it was cut. The only remnant of a writing program being the radio and television major, the main focus of the major was mostly on directing and editing but it went over script writing as well.

Where'd traditional art go probably integrated into the graphic design major given how tech heavy making art is now a days. They deemed it too old-fashioned, and by the time my junior graduated, our art teacher (the only one who hadn't quitl was teaching history. The majors were pretty conjoined anyway graphic design majors did have traditional art classes as well. Not many took it seriously to some graphic design majors tradition art was very much beneath them and they didn't want to be lumped into the same department as those weird traditional artists with their comics and manga scripts. The major was underfunded and you were expected to buy your own supplies to build a portfolio and restock on them when needed.

There wasn't paint or easels or all that good stuff one year an old hot glue gun literally caught the classroom on fire and we had to do art classes from the science room for two months. While also fundraising fir repairs to the art room. You'd think students that at the bottom of the barrel would probably have more respect for overlooked art forms. But not really I wrote rough drafts of novels in high school and when speaking about without fail,

"Huh you think someone's actually going to read all that in this age comics and manga are the onky things that can sell."

This was in 2010. I honestly don't expect anyone to read all this. Because I haven't put in some large words, or pictures or made an obligatory meme like

Art school students be like

Can another person even imagine the hoops I have to jump through to keep writing engaging for an audience- Oh wait you don't have to you can literally see the evolution of it through the posts I made here. Every time I mention writing their are so many people who either draw or don't who will say things like that'd be cool to see drawn or in any other medium than the one you're doing it in. That doesn't seem like a love of storytelling to me. That doesn't seem like an appreciation of writing to me.

I've entered writing competitions the first step explain all this in threw sentences, one, if you had to describe it in three words what would they be, alright give me the elevator pitch. Make it shorter, so I know if it's worth reading, we have a lot of applicants if the description isn't engaging enough I'll just skim it write some feedback and move on, if you can't even do this much are you even a writer. To even get a book selling we writers basically have to be social media influencers or their own marketing team now a days.

The people judging writing don't even seem to enjoy reading. I make the fact that I don't like drawing in any capacity it doesn't fill me with enjoyment very clear. I would shout from the tables rooftop with the largest megaphone,

"I HATE DRAWING I DON'T WANT TO DO IT EVER IT FILLS ME WITH NO JOY I THINK DOING IT SUCKS!"

If could so tell me why someone despite me telling them this upon seeing my ocgram went,

"I know you don't like drawing but minigrams for this would be so cool."

This was someone who actually enjoys drawing by the way. Like, man, I wonder what would make that possible outside of suggesting I pick up a pen and do something you admit to knowing I don't like. You think I haven't heard this before- you think I haven't been told a billion times that my art form would be better if it just wasn't my art form. If I just phrased things a little better or coddled readers more. You think this feedback is unique this is a Tuesday for me. You wouldn't tell a visual artist they should open up word and write a summary on every piece they draw to go alongside it. Hell, most don't even put image description for the visually impaired to make it accessible when they post their art most of the time but others do it for them.

That's the difference in expectation between writers and visual artists that's the gap. If a writer wants to write they're told to draw if an artist wants to dabble in writing, though they're so cool actually and can do no wrong it's just for fun and the arts great as usual. Because writing is just appetizers that people pretend in the entree now. No one even cares to talk about the plot of anything.

It's not like writing matters, and if it goes against viewers' expectations, they're more likely to dismiss it and say it was written wrong. That's how little value it holds to the modern consumer, and I have every right to be pissed about it. Because it's fucking annoying.

[f1-stuff]

Hi :D I'm such a big fan of your writing! I've reread so many of your fics, all of them but in for a penny, in for a pound and the my enemy my ally series (oh and My Girl) recently. The way you write Charlos, and the worlds you build are just such a pleasure to read (the historical, the contemporary, canon!) You're such a versatile writer. The way you take their characters in completely different settings and yet they still retain that charlos-ness (?) I'm just endlessly in awe (sorry I basically just explained fanfiction but you do it so well!) I'm always a bit of a lurker, but I wanted to say a big thank you for all your contributions to the fandom (the gifs, the posts, the fics, all of it!). It's such a pleasure to see you on my dash and in my inbox with an ao3 update <3

Also I was wondering if you have any book recs? I just enjoy your writing so much I wondered if there are any books you really love and rec <3

I hope you have a lovely rest of your day <3

Hiii! Thank you so much for all the nice words 🥹 Honestly, I feel like most of my book recs would be a little basic 😂 but my favorite series of all time is The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater (also I haven’t reread them but the sequel Dreamer series made me cry) - she has such a distinct style and flare to her writing that I don’t think gets enough credit, partially bc up to now her books have been classified as YA. But I believe she’s branching out of YA for her next book. Anyway, check her out if you haven’t!

Other than that, I’ve read and enjoyed a lot of popular fiction- Six of Crows, Red White & Royal Blue, Song of Achilles, Simon Snow, Shades of Magic, Gideon the Ninth, Captive Prince. Last year, I read Priory of the Orange Tree and was blown away! Also, The Martian was a favorite of mine in college. And I read a lot of graphic novels, which could warrant their own post lmao, but Heartstopper and Check, Please! are beloved favorites.

[tio-trile]

Good Omens fan since 2011 here! First of all just wanna say that you're one of my fav GO artists ever and your fanart of The Sacred and The Profane is still so important to me actually <3

Anyway, I'm a book fan through and through and when they first announced the TV Show I have to admit I was a bit hesitant but overall have made peace to the fact that it won't be 1:1. No adaption ever does but as long as the core stays there I'm good with it.

And while there are some parts I'm not a big fan of (The Dove being one but also how Crowley ask Aziraphale to ran away with him. I just can never see him asking that like he's the first one asking Aziraphale to work with him in stopping the Armageddon. And he's deep down is an optimist. So I can never see him asking Aziraphale to ran away regardless how desperate he is. Like on one hand I was like 'oh that's sweet' in shipping glasses but at the same time it's a 'he would not say that' moment to me 😔) but otherwise it was a good fun!

When S2 was announced, it took me off guard bc like. Do we *really* need this? I don't see why we need a S2?? I think biggest part is bc I've made peace over how we'd never getting a sequel. I'm at peace that those can just be explored in fan sphere 637382992 ways. I never see the necessity of needing a S2 or even S3. And while a part of me still a bit curious on what S2 is like, the response from the book fans I trust hasn't been .... good. So I think I'll sit this one out for now and maybe revisit it at some point in the future lol.

Silver lining I guess is the graphic novel! I'm really excited about that!! Curious how the book will translate as a comic :)

Anyway, sorry if this isn't really structured but I guess I just wanna say I've been enjoying reading your replies and asks from other folks as well! But also the one ask about GO could be the next SPN experience killed me point blank <3

Omg hi!! Wow, you've been in the fandom longer than I have...and THANK YOU for your kind words!! 🥺

And yes to all you said. S1 wasn't perfect, but I find myself overlooking the imperfections because overall it was a pretty faithful and good adaptation. And totally agree on the "run away" thing -- we bring up the dove a lot but that is honestly another "he would not say that" moment as you said. I was just talking with my friend about how book!Crowley is an optimist -- see how after he was sure that Aziraphale had disincorporated and the bookshop is aflame, Crowley still decided to drive down to the airfield to help the humans with nothing to lose or gain for him anymore, simply because he loves Earth too.

I talked about it briefly in a previous ask but I too was very sure that we wouldn't get season 2, because Neil Gaiman wouldn't ditch his dear dead friend to write more Good Omens on his own, right?......until he did. And like you said, we don't need a S2. The book fandom has been around for 30 years and still going strong. I guess the party that needed S2 the most is Amazon, and it just all comes down to money in the end.

I preordered the graphic novel and I'm curious how they'll adapt the book too! Season 2 has hurt me a little too much that I feel hesitant to say I look forward to any adaptations now......😂 but I am still curious about it! Again, thank you for your kind words! I think Good Omens is looking to be the next SuperWhoLock all by itself.

[artfulacrostic]

book ask 5 and 11?

ooooo good ones anon.

5. What genre did you read the most of?

definitely fantasy. i made my way through a bunch of discworld books during the summer, which was wonderful (and i highly rec any of sir terry pratchett's books but especially the night watch ones). i also did a nice re-read of tamora pierce's song of the lioness and protector of the small books. i'm a sucker for those two series out of all the tortall books, they're just too good. and the first book of protector of the small is out as a graphic novel now, and i read that, which was AWESOME. and a lotttt of other miscellaneous fantasy reads! one of my faves was under the whispering door, by tj klune, the author of the house in the cerulean sea, and it had me WRECKED (in a good way). and i'm about to start the sequel to priory of the orange tree and am thrilled! we'll see if i finish before the new year though. in 2024 fantasy def won in terms of quantity lol

11. What was your favorite book that has been out for a while, but you just now read?

mmmmMMMM probably the wild robot, by peter brown. it came out in 2016, and was recently adapted into an animated film. i hadn't been able to get my hands on a copy at my work (a library) because it's so insanely popular with the middle grade audience, but i finally managed to corral a copy for one day and read it in one fell swoop. it's a lovely story about perseverance and discovering and understanding of self that i bet makes the protagonist, a robot who crashes onto an isolated island, feel relatable to a lot of kids. i also think the way it doesn't condescend to them about nature and the circle of life probably has a kind of subconscious appeal, because many books would bend the laws of nature in order to make sure that none of the animal characters die and "traumatize" the young audience. it presents those topics really mindfully and realistically, and even adds a sense of humor, but doesn't make it feel taboo, which i would argue it shouldn't, because that is how nature actually works. stylistically, it def appeals more to a middle grade audience than an adult one, but i really enjoyed it anyway and can definitely see why it's so popular. the movie was great too but kind of re-cushioned the circle-of-life stuff again which i found to be my only disappointment. it was beautiful though, and if you've read the book and liked it i definitely do recommend it!!!

thanks for the ask anon!!! 🥰

[semper-legens]

125. Tales from the Inner City, by Shaun Tan

Owned: No, library Page count: 221 My summary: There are frogs in the boardroom, and crocodiles on the floor below. A moonfish swims through the air, to the delight of the fishermen on the rooftops. A lost cat brings together dozens of families. In this city, the animals walk the streets, and the human folk watch and wonder at what they mean. Because in this city, the animals mean everything. My rating: 5/5

Holy shit. I haven't read a Shaun Tan book in a while - I had the Arrival years and years ago, and I absolutely loved Tan's moody visuals and sense of space from that. I picked this up in the graphic novels section, which is now that I think about it a little weird for a book that consists of text and illustrations but isn't in a comic style format. Anyway, this was incredible. I'm really into Tan's subtle worldbuilding and the surreal sense of strangeness that emanates from every page here. I love the absolute lack of desire to explain itself, to be understood as anything other than what it is. There's a lot going on here, and I'm not going able to describe most of it, but believe me when I say that this is an incredible book and I really, really enjoyed it.

Where to even begin? Each of these entries was a short story based around a different animal, all of which are in this urban, city environment. And none of which belong in this environment. They appeared mysteriously, they are acting strangely, they are somehow more than they should be. Even the cats and dogs are more than household pets, they're something else entirely. Among my favourite of the stories were the one about cats, where a family whose cat dies discovers that the cat had belonged to many families, and they all come together to mourn him. It's a sweet, sad little reflection of just how much a cat can mean to a family. Another was the moonfish - the moonfish that is meant to be the making of the family who catch it, but turns out to be so transient that the money they gain is a pittance, and who scatter the roe to the sky to form other moonfish, and the whirlwind of emotions they go through on the journey. It was, again, melancholy and sweet and beautiful all at once. That's this whole collection, really. Melancholy and beautiful and sad and intriguing. I want to step into this book and live there forever. And really, isn't that all you want from something like this?

Next up, ancient Rome, and this time we're checking out what women are up to!

[turoce]

template under read more + musings

TF2: so. TF2 huh. got into it last year. i kinda lost interest because of a tf2 discord server that i ended up leaving in bad terms + no content updates + i didn't do jackshit in the fandom. i made my robot oc blog but unfortunately that one died along with my fixation! oops.

Papa Louie: the ultimate killer of my tf2 fixation. the increasing amount of "Papa Louie lore is CRAZY!" videos in my recommended feed and the eventual release of Freezeria Deluxe drawing in streamers, and then Jerma, was what finally got me to crack and give the games a go. i don't regret it, because i finally joined a fandom that i actively (? the fandom's kiiiiinda dead aha;;) participate it, after like 2 years of wandering around! it kinda faltered around July~August, but after downloading Flashpoint, it came back double the force.

Scott Pilgrim: got the books for my birthday. read them. the graphic novels haunted me for a while because it was so.... different! from what i've read up to that point. i buried it into my subconciousness but the show dug it up again. i'm not thaaaat into it though. it's a background thought thing.

Good Omens: season 2 babyyyyyy, i wasn't as into it as i was in like.... 2021? i mean, back then i read like, a shitton of GO fanfics. i think that fandom is still my most bookmarked fandom within my fic folder. season 2 was great! heartbreaking even. but as i said, i already blew my steam back in like, 2021. i didn't really have Good Omens people to talk with anyways, not that i'm confident enough to find any.

Madness Combat: was around for the 2021 boom, but my fixation came back because of the Makeship plushie thing, fight meh ok. i wonder a little if they were worth it over the Papa Louie plushie when my fixation didn't last as long (it kiiiinda does sting i had to give him up? it would be nice to own official Papa Louie merch ;;) but whateves. they're in my arms. they're very cuddly. i'm getting off-point, anyways i love these freaks, love the action in the animations, i wanna play the game but at the same time i'm not sure how well i'm gonna be able to handle the guns and the killing. eh, i'll manage, i'll live. i guess i kinda stopped being fixated because like i said, nobody to talk to since i'm a little wary about the fandom... uh, i'm sure there are a lot of nice people, but i've had peeks at what arguments people have been having and that made me decide to just lurk.

AVA/AVM: my friend was watching it and they got into it, so i got curious and i looked into it as well. they're cute little ibbly babbles, those sticks. big fan of the Animator vs Animation series especially because awoo.... it advances so much in style in each episode. V and VI especially blow shit out of the water. love it. love it. didn't really bother to get into the fandom though. i didn't see a place to sit down, so i just walked through the merchant hall and moved on. i stare at the wares every now and then though.

HLVRAI: watched it recently. it's nice. not.... really enjoyable enough for me to be a full-blown fan, but whateves. i kinda don't know why that happened to be the thing that all my mutuals were obsessed with throughout 2021 but the only reason i didn't get into it either was because i didn't finish Hal-Life 1 and i wanted to get into the game blind due to hearing that it was "the best game ever that influenced the gaming industry forever". i wonder, that if i wasn't such a wuss, would i have watched HLVRAI earlier and enjoyed it more? we'll have to see with HL2VRAI. i haven't finished HL2 either btw... sigh.

[ijustkindalikebooks]

October was an interesting month my friends, but now the good stuff is coming, Halloween, Guy Fawkes, Christmas, New Year, My birthday and then Galentines, like that's a whole stream of good things (well you don't have to celebrate my birthday, that would be weird but it's there) and also I hope that we will see the first women president, no matter how disheartening it is to see how close the race is, if you are in a swing state please vote, if you're not please vote, your democratic voice is essential.

How to vote guide here.

These are my favourite books of this month, there's a manga in here, there's a graphic novel, there's a novella and there's a novel sort of, it's a novel but short stories that tie together, but I loved it anyway and I hope you can find something here that you will enjoy here too, I hope you had an amazing October and a November full of hope. please, give me some hope.

The Girl From The Other Side by Nagabe (vol. 9) - I've now completed this series of twelve books, and though the end does for me leave so much unanswered about what goes on, I really did enjoy some of the volumes that made up this series. The story of Shiva and Teacher and insiders and outsiders, this series makes you emotionally invest in these characters, which are brought to life by beautiful artwork throughout the whole series, I would recommend it highly.

Mammoths At The Gates by Nghi Vo - part of the Singing Hills Series, Mammoths At The Gates can be read alone, but I highly recommend this whole series. Following Cleric Chi as they return back to their monastery after a long journey, finding mammoths at the gates owned by the daughters of the head monk who, well I don't wanna say too much. The characters are so richly written in a world built so well considering how few pages these books are. I loved this book and can't wait to read more from Nghi Vo.

What You Are Looking For Is In The Library by Michiko Aoyama - I don't know still how I feel about how sometimes the body of the librarian behind the desk is described sometimes, so heads up for fatphobia but I would still say this book is excellent. Beautiful stories that bring growth to people in a way that doesn't include ghosts but a very smart librarian, I loved this book because the people were so tenderly written, it felt like a love letter for hope and humanity. I would recommend this to anyone who needs a little comfort read.

The Girl From The Sea by Molly Knox Ostertag - A beautiful graphic novel about a girl who meets a selkie, this graphic novel is a beautiful story that's told through stunning art but also a very real tale of growing up and figuring out the person you are. I really enjoyed this story and I'm so glad more stories like this are being told. All young people should be able to find books that they can see themselves in and I just found this one delightful.

these were my favourite books! What were yours? I'd love to know.

Vee xo.

[readingoals]

Mid Year Book Freak Out Tag (2024)

I know I'm a bit late with this but I figured I might as well still do it 🤷‍♀️I wasn't tagged but hey if you also haven't done it and want to consider this a tag, feel free lmao

This is hard to narrow down because I've read some absolute crackers and nothing is like super standing out from the rest. Maybe The Next Big Thing by James Colley just for how fun and Aussie it was, or maybe Dumb Witness by Agatha Christie because it was a clever mystery with some really great Poirot/Hastings banter.

Another toughie because though I've not read many sequels, the ones I have picked up have all be great. Recently I caught up on the last two The Adventure Zone graphic novels and god I just love that series so much. I loved the podcast and I think they're done a great job of adapting them.

Also right up there are Everyone on this Train is a Suspect by Benjamin Stevenson and The Kiss Curse by Erin Sterling, both of which I adored.

I've surprisingly not re-read all that many books this year (yet anyway, there's a couple I wouldn't mind getting to). So I think it has to be The Shadow of the Wind. That's been one of my fave books for years now and it had been a while since I last picked it up so it was so great to revisit it again.

As it has been for the last few years, the genre I've been reading most is mystery. Most of those are Agatha Christie's since I try and read one a month.

Oh theres a few of these. A Botanical Daughter was probably my most anticipated release of the year but it took aaaggggesss for me to get my hands on a copy because the place i pre-ordered it from went into voluntary administration so my copy was never shipped. I mean I probably wasn't going to read it until October anyway but while waiting for it to arrive I also read some reviews that said it kind of missed the mark so I'm a little less excited now. The other book I still havent got around to picking up is Kill Your Husband by Jack Heath even though I was really excited for it too. And then there's also Clairmont by Lesley McDowell which I hadn't known was coming out but I saw in store and immediately bought and then also didn't read it.

Definitely Graveyard Shift by M.L. Rio. I think Ben Aaranovitch also has something new coming around September but I'll admit I'm a little behind on all of the rivers of london novellas and stuff. The Benjamin Stevenson has a Christmas book coming and I think the next book in the Ex Hex series is also due out and I'll probably pick it up pretty quick.

Hopeless Aromantic. Huge disappointment. I was really interested in a queer nonfic book that focused on aromanticism rather than asexuality and it just missed the mark by so much. It was poorly researched and cobbled together and frankly not worth anyone's time.

The Mysterious Mr Quin by Agatha Christie. I've read a few of her short story collections before so I went in expecting the usual sort of thing and it definitely felt like it was going along similar lines to start. But it got weird. In a good way. It feels as if the stories flirt with fantasy elements, and the last one even crosses over maybe? almost? Mr Harley Quin came off as kind of creepy too. It was definitely not quite like her usual stuff and I really really enjoyed it.

I've read from I think 9 or 10 authors that were new to me and yet I'm not really sure how to answer this, no one super stands out. Maybe Erin Sterling? I've read two of her romances this year (tho does she really count since it's the pen name for rachel hawkins and i've read one of her mysteries?), the book I read from James Colley was also really good and I'd probably pick up whatever he wrote next, so maybe him? From a nonfic author, Carnage by Mark Dapin (an Aussie true crime book) was very interesting and I liked he way he handled such difficult topics, so maybe him?

Probably Alex Easton from the T Kingfisher novellas?

I don't think anything I've read this year has really made me cry. I thought Loveless might but it didn't this time around. I guess I did get a bit blurry eyed during The Adventure Zone: Eleventh Hour graphic novel and same with Carnage, but not full tears.

Oh, so many lmao. The TAZ graphic novels, Ghosts: The Button House Archives, The Thread That Binds, Everyone On This Train is a Suspect, Cain's Jawbone (happy that I got it solved though I never got confirmation I was right lmao).

Okay this one is easy. My Folio Society edition of The Shadow of the Wind. Also, since I answered this last year I've also got the Folio Society edition of Frankenstein and I know I got it last year but I couldn't not mention it.

I also found some of Georgette Heyer's mysteries in a great edition at the lifeline book fest

I have 6 more Agatha Christie books to read (I'm partway through one of them now). Then there's also the copy of Northanger Abbey that Lauren annotated for Christmas last year, that'll be coming up soon, and whatever book we decide to annotate and swap for this years present. I'd like to spend October reading at least a couple of Frankenstein/Mary Shelley inspired books so I'll probs try and get to A Botanical Daughter then, maybe Clairmont and maybe Chicano Frankenstein or any of the others I have. I'd also really like to get to Every Time I Go On Vacation Someone Dies but I'm saving it for like the end of the year when it's summer.

[talonslockau]

Hi! As a fellow Warriors fan and animal lover, what did you think about the graphic novel adaptation of the first Warriors books?

Hi there! :D

As a fan of the series: I really liked it! I was very confused my first read about 'that random black cat that keeps showing up' until I re-read again and realized it was Mousefur, but I'm told that's a me problem xD The graphic novel had great art and I think the format definitely glossed over a lot of my problems with the early books (namely, pacing) as a reader. Also, I'm a Yellowfang x Bluestar truther, and I'm very pleased with the hints that they've given us so far.

As a rewriter: Overall, I quite liked the changes they made - none of it really affects the story outcomes, but it does make things fall into place a little better. Princess being there at the beginning (and being the one Firepaw talks to instead of Smudge) makes a lot more sense to develop their bond. I'm not expecting any significant changes that truly affect how the story plays out - though I'd certainly welcome it.

I know there was some discourse on Whiteclaw's death being removed, but I'm just gonna say it here - I also removed his death. The prophecy was correct in that it was a truly unnecessary death that didn't do anything for the plot. I saw arguments that Whiteclaw's death is the reason Leopardfur hates Graystripe so much, but honestly? She already hated Thunderclan anyways. Hell, she tries to kill Fireheart mostly because she can?? I don't recall if she knew whether or not he was Graystripe's friend at that point. There's also the argument that she drove Graystripe into Silverstream's arms, but there's other ways to do that.

I'm truly intrigued by the change to Frostfur's kits - originally Cinder, Bracken, Thorn and Bright, now Cinder, Bracken, Swift, and ???. I think it's Thorn, but I've also heard debate that it might be Mistle, who we know ends up dying. Either way, it's not Bright, who I'm guessing they moved to a different family to avoid some of the in-breeding issues that plague later books. I'm very curious to see what exactly they've done there, though of course we won't know until at least the second, if not the third.

I'm cautiously optimistic about future books, but I think that's ultimately going to be what makes or breaks my opinion of the graphic novels. There's Cinderpaw's injury, Snowkit's death, Silverstream's death... I'm fairly certain Cinderpaw is going to end up being a medicine cat, based on the scene with Yellowfang and the yarrow, but I hope that it's because she WANTS to be a meddy, not because she HAS to be one. Snowkit's death doesn't end up being consequential to the story, except for Speckletail's retirement, so I'm really hoping that they either omit him entirely (I think in this case, no representation is better than bad representation), or that he just dies some other way, like greencough. I've already stated my opinion on how he died, namely that it's not realistic and that it shouldn't have happened (and changed my story accordingly). I highly doubt they're going to un-fridge Silverstream, since her death is so integral to the plot, and I don't inherently mind that, since they still probably have to follow the general plot of the books. Still, this is as close to an official rewrite as we're going to get, and I hope that the authors are able to consider and change problematic elements as they come across them - especially considering they've already done so by changing Bright's parents.

Thank you for the question, I hope you enjoy the answer!

[queersociologist]

I'm doing @queerliblib 's reading challenge bingo on Storygraph and trying to keep up with it here, too. Last year I read exclusively queer lit for pride month (not a challenge for me, it's pretty much all I read anyway) and it is fun to do it a bit more socially this year. Original bingo card on the left, my fill so far on the right.

Sci-Fi Fantasy - Beneath the Sugar Sky by Seanan McGuire (This whole series, "Every Heart a Doorway" is very cozy for me right now, I'm burning through them. I don't usually love 'youth' fiction, but I've really been enjoying these)

Genderqueer or Genderfluid MC - Walking Practice by Dolki Min (EXCELLENT, very gory, inherently queer. Quick read. Could also have gone under AAPI MC, or scifi/fantasy)

Anthology - Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado (creepy and morbid, so very delightful. honestly I love anthologies, I could recommend dozens but this was the one I just finished)

Aspec MC - Friends Without Benefits by Evelyn Fenn (Honestly, really cute. I usually prefer science fiction, horror, and fantasy so this more conventional lit was a bit out of my usual but it was surprisingly fun to read)

Comic or Graphic Novel - Fun Home by Allison Bechdel (very good, it's well reviewed for a reason. could have also gone under banned books, but I've got a different read planned for that one)

[bookloure]

Twenty-eight days to go before we say goodbye to 2023. What is time, really? Anyway, a month's ending means a wrap-up in this space. So here are eight books I managed to finish in November, with mini-reviews: 5⭐ 📖 Tagalog Bestsellers of the Twentieth Century: A History of the Book in the Philippines by Patricia May B. Jurilla—this is my favorite reading journey of the month for sure! 📖Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë—i love this book, but I hate everyone. well, everyone Hareton. i love him to death! 4⭐ 📱Garlic & the Vampire by Bree Paulsen—such a cute and wholesome graphic novel! I'm definitely picking up the sequel. 📱Please Do Not Touch This Exhibit by Jen Campbell—jen is my favorite book reviewer, but I think her poetry is not for me. still, I enjoyed this very personal collection of hers. 3⭐ 📱Why Women Have Better Sex Under Socialism: And Other Arguments for Economic Independence by Kristen R. Ghodsee—very much a primer book. i recommend it to young people interested in the topic! 🎧Trick Mirror: Reflections on Self-Delusion by Jia Tolentino—this would have benefitted me more had I read this is 2019 when it was published. now it just tells me things I already know, and nothing in the writing particularly wowed me. 📱Braised Pork by An Yu—not bad. but i was hoping to like this more than i did. would recommend it to fans of weird books! 2.5⭐ 📖 Armor by John Bengan—ah, i love the idea behind this short story collection. unfortunately, the writing did not gel with me.