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mistwraiths · 10 months ago

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3 stars

I really thought I'd love this more than I did and that makes me far more disappointed.

I'm fully under the belief that using the comparison of The Mummy movie and Rick/Evelyn type romance is misleading. Rick and Evelyn are a top-fucking-tier level couple and Inez and Whit are so nowhere near them that it makes this book look and feel poorer for the comparison.

I didn't enjoy the small split POVs that were Whit's sections that lasted anywhere from a sentence to a few pages. They didn't do anything to give me a deeper connection or feeling to Whit and felt unnecessary.

The writing was good, it was fine, and reading this book mostly didn't feel like a chore until about 340ish pages when the novel felt like it should have ended. The pacing, however, dragged so much to the point that I didn't care about anything anymore. It took almost, if not more I can't be certain, a 100 pages to get our character to Cairo. And then another chunk to get elsewhere. Things felt slightly better once at the excavation site but then when the book should have ended, everything dragged on and on to I guess get some cutesy moments between characters who don't have an ounce of chemistry and some danger moments.

The repetition really was one of this book's worst offenders. Over half this book it's just Inez demanding to know what happened (to be fair she totally deserves to know) and everyone telling her to go home. It happens again because Inez doesn't use her brain once and makes a situation worse. There's other repetition in this book and a lot of telling but not showing.

Despite the fact that Inez is supposed to be investigating her parents' death, there's incredibly little investigating going on? It's mainly her demanding and someone eventually telling her something. When Inez literally finds out her mother is literally alive, I was just like oh okay.

Inez falls very quickly for Whit despite the fact that he literally doesn't tell her hardly anything about himself. She finds out he's engaged and she's mad at him for not feeling the same way at times? I didn't particularly like them together and honestly it could be because the story and characters are boring and some things just doesn't make sense.

Inez is nineteen, telling her the truth about literally ANYTHING would have drastically changed this book. I don't quite understand why they kept her from Egypt her whole life? Like everyone was like it's so nice and safe here. We're told her mother would help out around the campsite/boat and prank people but we're then told she hardly left Cairo so which is it?? Why is Inez so surprised her parents aren't who she thought they were if she doesn't see them for 6 months of the year?

Also, the magic in this book is confusing. Magic used to be a thing but now it isn't, but there's artifacts of magic but also sometimes the magic can latch on to you maybe??

Anyways, that ending is definitely a hook to get someone to read the sequel. But I'm not interested.

This wasn't a bad book and I can see why people would enjoy it. I think I hoped too much for murder mystery, Evie/Rick, and lots of Egyptian things and honestly nothing really delivered.

#what the river knows #steph reads #2024 reads #steph's book review #book review

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fahye · 2 years ago

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(1/?) Freya!!!!! I apologise in advance, this ask is going to be all over the place. Since I discovered your ao3 profile many, many years ago, you've been one of those auto-read authors for me, the kind you follow blindly and faithfully into fandoms you've never heard of, and crucially, the kind who always, always deliver. I must have read your capri ficS fifty times EACH, i revisit them like every six months, they're so good (ALSO!! Those fic are the reason I discovered the capri trilogy, SO THANK YOU FOR THAT!!!) ANYWAY!! That is to say, when you announced that you were publishing your first original novel, I was SO excited. And AML did not disappoint, it had everything that made me fall in love with your writing in the first place, fascinating world building, and characters i want to kiss on the forehead and tuck into my pockets (AND MAGICAL HOUSES!!!! Bestest of tropes). I read it around the time it came out and I couldn't wait for the sequel. And then I learned what the sequel was actually going to be about and ART immediately became my most anticipated book of the year. Every tidbit you divulged made me go to goodreads and stare at the publication date for full minutes like sheer longing was going to magically make it sooner.

(2/3 now I think) Magical murder mystery! Sapphics!!! ON BOATS!!! It sounded like it was going to be the book of dreams. AND IT WAS!!!!!! It was sooooo gooood. I loved everything about it: the plot (delightful, delightful, and delightful. A VALISE FULL OF PORNOGRAPHY!!! WILD ANIMALS RUNNING AMOK!! A FAKE REAL SEANCE!!! God, just thinking about it makes me so happy), the characters (i loved everyone so dearly!!! Even the background characters were painted so vividly and charmingly, and of course the orgy quartet HAS MY WHOLE HEART!!! Both individually and together. Special mentions go to Lord Hawthorn, the aristocratic asshole of my heart, AND MAUDIE!!!! She was so complex and wonderul, and I just saw you one post where you described her as a lesbian miles vorkosigan, which????!?!?!?! I'D NEVER THOUGHT ABOUT IT LIKE THAT BUT YES ABSOLUTELY, my most beloved brilliant disaster generals… AND OH, SHE'S EVEN ON A BOAT, SO "ADMIRAL" IS FITTING), and of course the prose… genuinely so astonishingly, consistently beautiful. I can't think of any other books where sentences regularly make me stop to marvel at how gorgeously crafted and evocative they are, at the cleverness of the pictures they paint, without taking me out of the story. And the consistent music imagery throughout the book, a connecting thread in both povs!!! I hope we get to see the girls at Spinet House in book three. And the sex scenes of course… you are a master!!!! So sexy and lush, and such excellent character studies at the same time, I am in awe. Also, so happy to see excellent, explicit wlw smut!!!! Not enough of it out there!!! Which of course brings me to the relationships…. AHHHHH SO GOOD. SO GOOD!! The joy and discovery and tension and building trust of Maud and Violet, the excellent dynamics of the quartet, but also Maud and Hawthorn, UNEXPECTEDLY MAYBE MY FAVORITE DUO, and omg, the way you depict even "off page" relationships, ie maud and edwin, maud and robin, robin and edwin… so much feeling and tenderness and care!!!! You don't need to be told that they love each other, it comes across so, so clearly. ALSO (last one I promise) FORSYTHIA CLUB BACKSTORY!!! Flora and Beth crushed my heart underfoot)

(3/3) ANYWAY ALL OF THIS TO SAY…. ART was so much FUN!!!!! A treat from beginning to end, one of my fave reads this year. AND A POWER UNBOUND IS ALREADY MY MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK OF NEXT YEAR, which… is going to be thought, given that it's a whole 12 months away, womp womp. I can't wait to get more of lord hawthorn (who i hoped would be a future book protag on very first appearance in aml!!!), i want to pry him open like a clam and peer into his brain, and of alan ross, and of their DELICIOUS dynamic… also looking forward to learning more about elsie alston and to see the whole gang interact, magical houses included!!! Anyway, that is all, I apologise for the insane amount of capslock and exclamation points, I just wanted to make sure my appreciation got across, I LOVE THE LAST BINDING THANK YOU FOR WRITING THIS WONDERFUL SERIES, I WISH YOU MUCH JOY IN WRITING AND I CAN'T WAIT RO SEE WHAT YOU DO NEXT!!

anon I am so sorry I had to Read More your message because in the depths of my soul I want to frame it, decoupage it, enclose it in enamel with little flecks of gold leaf, shove it in the face of everyone who visits my house, etc.

this is like when you open a ‘someone left a comment’ email from ao3 and your face does a weird :DDDDDDDD thing with each subsequent scroll-down you have to do to read the whole thing. thank you?? you’re so lovely and this message filled me with joy.

and I can say with full confidence that the theme of music continues in book 3, and that I have shoved my knife RIGHT into the clam-shell hinges of lord hawthorn for you all.

thank you again! I hope 2023 brings you many enjoyable things, and that my book is one of them.

#ask replies #a restless truth

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katzynia · 1 year ago

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Oooh, games! Thanks @there-must-be-a-lock for tagging me <3

Rules: Go to your published works on AO3 and list the first fic you ever published there, the last fic you published, any fic that you wrote for a fandom/ship only once, your favorite fic you wrote in the fandom/ship that has the most works, the fic you wish more people read, the fic you agonized over the most, the fic that sprang fully formed from your mind without any effort, and a work you are proud of—for whatever reason.

First fic published on Ao3: Signs of life, published 14.12.2022. It is more of a dribble, but for me, it was the first piece of fiction writing I've done in something like 15 years.

Last fic published: Straddling the line (in discord and rhyme) - my first pure pwp, I think it turned out really well!

Fandom/ship I only wrote once: I've stayed pretty firmly on my lane; I have only one fic that is not Jayde: (Be)longing which is for Games of Thrones (yes, got fic in year 2022, I just felt like it). Incidentally, it is also a wip, but I do plan on finishing it some point...

Favorite fic in most popular fandom/ship: Aaaaah, this one I thought a lot 'cause one way of the other, I like all my fics. But fine, I'll go with the most popular one: Let it fade, let it linger. I honestly think it's good. It's the first one I plotted and really thought over just by myself, the premise works (even still) and I thought it was pretty nice and tight on how the plot went. I could blather on about this one for a very long time, but I am fond of it.

Fic I wish more people read: strangers looking from afar (getting closer) Seems like Arkham AUs are not very popular. I wish more people would read it, 'cause I had such alternatively fun and horrible time figuring out how Jason and Slade work in that universe. This one cooked in my head for a long time before it was ready to be written, and I think it turned out pretty good.

Fic I agonized over: Ah, this was easy to pick: Every piece of you is easily the most difficult time I've had writing. First I thought about the idea itself for months before I actually started writing, then pushing every chapter out was slow and it didn't feel like flowing at any point (except the last chapter, but that I'd mostly written in plotting/planning stage). It didn't go the way I've planned and is one of the examples where I meant to write some smut and then couldn't (didn't feel like it). It was also one of those things that kinda pulled me down, nagging at the back of my head that 'you should finish this fic, you failure'. Doesn't help that I had a bit of a difficult time IRL at the time... Sigh. Anyway, I really like the last chapter and the first chapter. And the rest isn't bad either. Doesn't read as agonizing as it was to write :D

Fic that popped out fully-formed: Think a little clearer This one I wrote literally in one sitting in my notebook. The editing was just writing it to word with minimal edits, it just flowed. Goddamn joys of writing :D Might have something to do with the fact that it is a sequel to the first must I ever did, and I had a sense of accomplishment for publishing that. I wrote this pretty much the next day and it neatly finishes the story that was left just a little bit open in the first part. Anyway. Inspiration, my beloved.

Fic I'm proud of: Waiting (for the other shoe to drop) I am proud of many fics of mine (like Let is series), but chose this one cause this is the one where I really tried two new(ish) things: Humor and action. This is the first where I went in with the idea of making it funny (I do write kinda-funny lines here and there, but that is mostly incidental) for realz. And the last chapter is the first action scene I wrote, where it isn't just a few lines about shooting or something. Took some time and effort to figure out (for both the humor and the action), but I think it worked out well. :)

---

Task for you, if you feel like it (no pressure): @nonbinaryjaybird, @marirah

#writing #tag games #fun and games #fic writing

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definitelynotshouting · 2 years ago

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62, 65, 81, 91

Ask me fanfic writer questions!

Hey Book!! :D wouldve answered these last night but as you know tumblr crashed on me 😭😭😭😭 so im answering it now instead!!

62.) what’s the weirdest reason you’ve ever shipped something?

Idk if this counts as weird per se but i straight up started shipping winteriron (Tony Stark x Bucky Barnes) because of THIS FUCKING FIC. It sold me on them SO HARD. Sometimes all it takes is one godtier fic that does everything right to get you hooked on a rarepair ✌️😔😔😔

65.) what is your favourite title for a fic you’ve written?

If we're talking og titles i came up with myself, the title of my unpublished TES Oblivion fic is The Stars Have No Names, which ive always been fond of, especially combined with its planned sequel, But Those We Give Them-- which makes a full sentence that just sorta encapsulates the vibe of the whole thing in a way that really scratches my brain just right. This is closely followed by the piece i did for the DSMP Comics Zine, A Few E.G.G.s Short of the Full Scramble, which has multiple layers of puns loaded into it and makes me laugh like a lunatic every time i remember them

As for stuff that isnt original (aka song lyrics or poetry verses, which i steal from shamelessly), i'd have to say im most fond of sightless, unless the eyes reappear, which is the tma fic i wrote that accidentally predicted a decent chunk of the podcast's ending 😭 if i had a fucking nickel.... The verse is ripped from T.S. Eliot's "The Hollow Men" and i really loved how it just perfectly hits the vibes i was going for in that fic. Extremely on-the-nose titles are a game and brother i am WINNING

81.) if you could go back in time and give your younger self a piece of writing advice specific to you, what would it be?

"Hello tiny TJ. First of all, you are a transgender dyke. No this isnt relevant i just thought you ought to know. Anyway cool it with the perfectionism man one day people are gonna read a fic where every individual tag warning you've added is its own separate vine boom and you're gonna get tons of compliments on it despite the fact that it isnt what you consider fully polished. Got that written down? Cool. Now go forth and kiss women, peace<3"

91.) how has your writing style changed over the years?

My writing's always been pretty descriptive, but over the last few years its REALLY shifted into overdrive on the imagery. I think thats always been my biggest strength as a writer, and its something i really, really enjoy doing. As ive said in the past: if im not painting pictures with my words then what, pray tell, is the point!!!

The other thing ive noticed is that ive been dipping my toes into more experimental formatting, whether thats in regards to the story's structure (shout out to that time i planned to write a fic in reverse chronological order), the points of view (second person my beloved), different narration styles, or just the way the words on the page look-- something i know has been directly inspired by my cousin, who has an unpublished 85k Dead Space fanfic which replaces an ENTIRE CHAPTER with a twine game. The man is insane and i love him so much and one day i will bully him into finishing this fic because its not even halfway done what the fuck. Anyway thats my answer THANK YOU BOOK FOR SENDING THESE :DD

#shouting speaks #asks #ask game #this suddenly became a rant abt how much i love my cousin and his hubristic lack of respect for traditional formatting #this man hand coded most of a video game to go with the unfinished fic #its insane. hes insane. i am that spiderverse meme with miles watching peter b i am GAZING at his work and jotting down notes #what u can get from this is that every day i am holding up a big sign in front of his door that says I LOVE MY COUSIN in bold red font #this has zero relevance with the rest of the asks i just like to gush abt my favorite person in the whole wide world sometimes #txt

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callipraxia · 1 year ago

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oh!!! this is a few hours later, but i also wanted to ask what the lost-but-recently-revived project actually is, because i've never thought to ask in an ask box until now. when my tablet is dead. eugh. it must've been mentioned before, but if you'd like to say more, i'd love to learn about it!!! i feel like i've been talking too much about my own things lately, and i wanna read about others', specifically yours >:] (i remember something about gideon and the axolotl, but that might have been a different project---regardless that sounds whimsy af) if you dont feel like it or anything, you can ignore this :^

The lost project actually hadn’t been discussed much, if at all; it’s a post-canon one-shot where Stan and Ford go back to Glass Shard Beach, reasoning that Stan probably needs to see the place again for the good of his memory and that Ford should probably pay some form of respects to their deceased parents. Stan has a video camera. He ends up documenting just how much everything has changed. He and Ford have Feelings about this, and then they run into someone unexpected. It’s...hardly high drama, so it probably doesn’t make sense that it’s taken this long to start rewriting it, but so it goes with my short pieces.

The Gideon thing is a spinoff/sequel to FWJB I’m considering – specifically, what happened to him after the final battle. It begins ten years later, with Gideon waking up to discover that someone appears to have recently jammed the majority of a tube of drugged lipstick down his throat. Since said lipstick would knock someone unconscious and induce mild amnesia in a much smaller quantity, it’s done a real job on him, which leaves him trying to figure out where he is, how long he’s been there, who drugged him, why that person drugged him, and, in fact, most of who he is – he knows his name is Gideon, he knows he should really not tell anyone that, and very little else. Not even why it’s so important to hide his identity.

Naturally, once he figures even a tiny bit of that information out, he promptly finds himself with even worse problems than he started with.

Other ideas...what the heck, I might as well talk about them a bit, not least to, er, document them in some fashion. Been thinking that writing them down might be a good idea anyway, so here we go:

1) You once suggested I kill Ford and make Stan have feelings about it. I’ve started that one, too; it’s the one I wrote down a lot of and then typed up and then lost...last week? Week before last? Week before last, I think. In this sad little universe, Ford manages to break his neck and die like six months after Weirdmageddon. Stan takes this poorly.

2) In other possible returns to old stomping grounds, I’m intrigued by the idea of going further into how Agent Trigger, of all people, somehow managed to slip under the radar, climb the ranks of the DFSI, and end up recruiting Dipper. Similarly, I’d like to do at least a short return to the IG Epilogue situation, if I can think of a good plot for it beyond Dipper’s initial reaction to “...did that guy really just take his face off like a pair off sunglasses and call me by name??” Plus, of course, if I’m ever in a fluff mood, I gotta write what happened when Soos made good on his promise to loan Ford the deeveedees.

3) Road trip time with Fiddleford and the Stan Twins! What could possibly go wrong?

4) So, Powers. Tell us more about how your agency spotted signals from Gravity Falls thirty years ago. What did you guys do then?

5) Writing more of McGucket’s memoirs, and/or the horror novel about the building of the Portal that I’ve had in mind, and/or a between-the-episodes incident where Fiddleford, struggling to remember who the Author was and why he’s so darn difficult to remember, convinces Tate to talk to him about the past, resulting in them going over a bunch of letters Emma-May had kept and Fiddleford struggling to figure out what was real vs what he was lying about, all while he and Tate are having feels (and sometimes explosive arguments) in the present.

6) Some college years stuff. I have vague ideas for something about the construction of the mind-control tie, and for something else about That One Time Fiddleford Convinced Ford To Come With Him To Tennessee Over The Holidays.

7) More angsty one-shots...stuff like Stan pretending to be Ford at Filbrick’s funeral, and the first day Ford went back to high school by himself, and some stuff with small Tate, and...you get the picture.

8) I will admit this only because of your current tagline – I, too, have entertained the idea that Stan has actually read Moby Dick. Specifically, that in his last months in school, he and Ford ended up in separate classes for part of the day because Ford was taking calculus or something, resulting in Stan having to take the standard-issue American Lit class by himself, and the teacher essentially annoying him into making a good-(ish; it is Stan we’re talking about) faith effort to do his book report properly...only for it to all end on the most depressing note possible, of course. I’ve told myself I cannot actually write this, but… *shrugs*

9) Early in his years in Gravity Falls, Stan visits the library. The librarian is someone he finds attractive. Somehow, one thing leads to another and he finds himself being strong-armed into helping with the town science fair, despite a) him not really being a scientist, only playing one in front of tourists and b) his very specific hatred of science fairs.

10) It is September. Everyone is going back to school. Wendy discovers that Tracey and Quattro exist. This is the one that had me complaining about how I missed the apocalypse not long ago – it’s harder to 99% ignore their infatuation with her in a lower-stakes scenario, and I have no idea how to handle that.

11) It is the academic year. Pacifica struggles to deal with her new social milieu.

12) Some other AU ideas...mostly “what if someone didn’t think of [clever thing] in time” disaster scenarios. There’s also the Better World AU, where...let’s just say it’s not a very nice place at all, at least for some people.

So, there you are! It’s...the majority of the ideas floating around my head at the moment. Some could merge together into one project. Some might not ever see the light of day. But I’ve got plenty of material to work with, just have to get my head back in order for writing, and I’m pleased to say that my head is getting closer to order by the day.

#gravity falls fic #gravity falls fanfic #gravity falls au #too many gravity falls aus

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gaybd1 · 1 year ago

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First of all, I'm soooo excited for that finished Zukki drawing. I am feral over it!! Also, could you maybe give a summary of each of your wips? I'm curious about all of them!

Thank you so much!!

Sure, I'd love to give some summaries! Then maybe y'all can PLEASE tell me what u are most interested in reading to help me figure out what I should prioritize?

The current priority is the one going by "Zuko Sees Sokka Fucked Up" lol bc @witchering10123 wrote the most beautifully painful Whumptober series about Hakoda and Sokka just Going Through It and I wanted to write the last two entries from Zuko's perspective when Sokka gets found because I think that would be so good and I love pain and suffering!!

Let's see... Modern Taiwan AU is the one I'm most excited about! This will be a long one and I've never written a modern AU before but basically it's based on SKAM (particularly season 3 of Druck) so it's like a cute trans love story BUT it is also going to have a LOT to do with Taiwan's ghost month and is going to be kind of inspired my Marry My Dead Body hehehehehe

Toxic Jetko I just posted about but basically it's my take on if Zuko and Jet had tried to make things work but it really just wouldn't have. It IS based kind of note for note on a real relationship I've had in the past because the dynamic was way too Jetko and I was like wow wouldn't that be a great fanfic actually

(how terrible it is) to love something death can(‘t) touch is a FUCKING. VAMPIRE AU!!! and it's so so so far from being ready but it's uhhhhh basically like if IWTV was about Zukka and Izumi. So there is some Divorced Zukka in there and also references to asshole Zhao in flashbacks... It's going to be angsty and exciting, but probably also pretty long

i will not be great, but I’m grateful to get through is a very niche sequel to if i fade away (the awful things we do to make the head go quiet) because that is a Dead Dove fic with a cliffhanger ending and I'm excited for the healing that we will see in the sequel but it does deal with heavy shit so I haven't been super quick at writing it. It does fix the Big Problem we saw in the first one though.

ZAtD Katara Arc - So when I wrote Zuko Amongst the Dragons I rushed it a bit too much and I love the universe that has been created for it so I want to go back and revisit some stuff. I skipped over the Puppetmaster and the Southern Raiders episodes in the plot and I thought it would be cool to write something with that like a deleted scene where Dragon Zuko is with Katara dealing with these terrible things

ZAtD Izumi Epilogue - I couldn't fit this into the main story BUT I want to write like a 5-10 years later snapshot of Zukka so happy with Druk and Izumi and kind of revisit how Zuko is dealing with his humanness, and is he the Fire Lord or nah?

ZAtD Divorce Epilogue - This would be way later but I'm obsessed with the idea of Divorced Zukka BUT with their psychic connection from their Dragon Bond and like what would happen any time they get into a room together hehe

ZAtD Extended Torture Scene - This is just because I had so many ideas for when Azula interrogates Sokka at the Boiling Rock that I left out of the original fic bc it kind of disrupted the tone but I DO like whump and angst so I WOULD like to finish what I had kind of wanted for that scene muahahaha

So yeah anyway, any opinions on what I should try to finish and publish first???

#quesTian #Anonymous #writing #wips

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kylesvariouslistsandstuff · 1 year ago

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We're about a month away from the release of WISH...

Walt Disney Animation Studios, and by extension the whole dang company built on this cartoon bedrock, celebrated their 100th year yesterday... ABC aired ENCANTO, in addition to the world premiere of the short film ONCE UPON A STUDIO (which apparently has now been chopped off of WISH and will debut elsewhere), and an edited version of the WISH trailer... Nothing pertaining to the future was unveiled...

(By the by, I don't have cable, so... I didn't get to see ONCE UPON A STUDIO. Sadface.)

You'd think, for the company's 100th anniversary... That there'd be *some* word on what was coming up next from Walt Disney Animation Studios?

Their new movie is in theaters next month, and we don't know what the November 27, 2024 release from them is...

By now, we usually know what's next... For example:

WISH was first unveiled in September 2022 at the D23 Expo, which was a little over a year before the movie's target release date.

STRANGE WORLD, by contrast, was announced a little under a year before its release. That film was revealed to the public via the trades and Disney themselves on their socials.

ENCANTO was revealed in December 2020 during the company's Investors Day event, that less than a year before it came out.

RAYA AND THE LAST DRAGON was another D23 reveal, the August 2019 one to be exact. At the time, RAYA was set to be a Thanksgiving 2020 release until COVID-19 complications pushed it to March 2021.

This, of course, does not count the rumors and scoops. Sometimes, various sites get news on Disney animated movies before Disney themselves say anything. For example, long before Disney announced RAYA in August 2019 to the public, scooper sites were revealing info like "WDAS' next movie is DRAGON EMPIRE". I sometimes heard stuff from the trenches, which was always fun. I remember little snips of what ENCANTO was going to be maybe a year or two before announcement? STRANGE WORLD is interesting because not only were scoopers saying a movie called "Searcher Clade" was coming, but the Venture - the airship the Clade family and the explorers use to reach Avalonia's insides - was Easter Egged in the ENCANTO credits. ENCANTO debuted just a few weeks before the announcement, not even...

So yeah, I thought I'd look at the patterns of their recent releases. We're definitely well beyond the days where you'd hear about things 2-3 years in advance. Remember how ZOOTOPIA, a March 2016 release, was first unveiled at the 2013 D23 Expo? Fun times.

I'm guessing we'll hear about this new WDAS movie, reportedly an original fantasy story set in the Middle East (is this Suzi Yoonessi's film?), either right before WISH comes out... Or maybe a little after. Maybe current world events pertaining to the setting would make an imminent announcement seem a little insensitive?

After this movie, all we know about on the horizon are undated FROZEN and ZOOTOPIA sequels, with next to no info on who's attached.

There's also still the Disney+ shows that are in the works. We got none this year, despite earlier reports indicating otherwise. IWAJU, MOANA: The Series, and TIANA remain without firm release dates, but are all aiming for next year. IWAJU's absence is especially unusual, it's pretty far long as far as I know. Last year's D23, again - in September, gave us an image. Maybe it's been pulled back? Retooled? Maybe because it was outsourced to Cinesite and kinda resembles a Disney Junior show... Maybe it's been dropped as a WDAS project and is now a Disney TV Animation production? It's only speculation on my end, because that show is a collaboration with upstart Nigerian house Kugali, and that would be a partnership squandered if WDAS passed on the show.

Anyways, with Pixar... We got WIN OR LOSE around the corner, and next year ELIO and INSIDE OUT 2 have firm release dates. Both of those, by the way, officially revealed at the September 2022 D23 Expo. Pixar usually rolls 'em well before release, WDAS cuts it a lot closer these days for some reason. Like, are we gonna know what the summer 2025 Pixar movie is *before* the fall 2024 WDAS movie? (I'm being facetious here, haha.)

I'll keep trying to be patient, but I'm like burning to know... What is *this* movie?

Worth noting that a while back, Disney Animation CCO Jennifer Lee stated that Suzi Yoonessi, Josie Trinidad, and Marc Smith had movies in the works. At the time, Carlos Lopez Estrada had a movie in the works as well, but then he was pulled off of it (reportedly called FOSTER) to take over RAYA... and then he left Disney altogether not too long after RAYA came out. He was also set to direct a live-action/CGI ROBIN HOOD remake for the enterprise... So that leaves Yoonessi (whose Instagram bio still says "Director - Disney Animation"), Trinidad (who recently directed episodes of ZOOTOPIA+), and Smith (who was recently revealed to have come up with the idea for FROZEN III, he's probably directing that if Chris Buck is unavailable).

So yeah... This information, along with two sequels...

I said it before, but I don't think either ZOOTOPIA 2 or FROZEN III are next year's movie. If they were, I think we'd know who is directing/writing/etc. FROZEN III, given that Marc Smith came up with the idea, might be closer to us than ZOOTOPIA 2 is. Or not. FROZEN II came out 4 years ago, ZOOTOPIA is over 7 years old, one would think ZOOTOPIA 2 comes first. They're just very mum on who is involved. I'd like to think ZOOTOPIA 2 isn't being directed by Byron Howard, who is likely pursuing another original movie after ENCANTO, but maybe not? ZOOTOPIA 2 might reincorporate the whole movies' worth of ideas that were thrown out during its development (I particularly like that more James Bond-like story set on an island that it could've been), or maybe it'll go for an all-new story and idea. I have no idea where FROZEN III could go, I'm not as invested in those movies.

While WDAS usually does one-a-year, always settling for Thanksgiving, it'd be cool if they take a year where Pixar doesn't have two new movies, and release two movies that year. If they FEASIBLY CAN, that is. We don't want CRUNCH, now... But in the scenario that they could... Pixar has two for 2024, and two for 2026... Who's to say... WDAS can't slot in, maybe, ZOOTOPIA 2 in the spring of 2025, and have an original out for Thanksgiving? Just spitballing, here. ZOOTOPIA and MOANA both came out in 2016, so why the heck not?

Anyways, hope to know more soon about what's up with the studio that's literally why this whole damn company even exists in the first place.

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booreadsbooks · 2 days ago

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2024 Reading Wrap up

Reviewing my reviews for the year!

So, while these stats are available on Storygraph, I thought it might be fun to have them here on my account, so that it's easy for me to look back on things later on in my life, lol.

I'd like to start by saying that I am actually really proud of my growth this year! I've always been a reader, but I let myself forget that love of reading when I started college, along with basically the rest of my hobbies. I've kept the hobby alive through fanfication (which I still love) but I've really appreciated getting back into original stories and characters.

This year I finally prioritized reading again, with a very reasonable goal of 12 books, keeping in mind my school and work responsibilities.

I doubled that goal, reading 24 books this year! My average reading time, according to storygraph, is about 3 days. You might think that would mean I should've read more than I did, but being a student is rough lol, and I ended up binging books in between assignments.

October-December were my highest numbers of books, which makes sense, because I found a lot of books I really loved those months (Plus I had a few holiday breaks without homework or work to worry about).

I read overwhelmingly fantasy (it's my favorite sorry not sorry), including 14 books.

Alice Oseman, Olivie Blake, V.E Schwabb and Cassandra Clare were my most read authors last year. I suspect that they will continue making appearances next year, because I have to finish series, and I just overall love their work

My average rating was 4.52 stars (I love most books I read)

And Now!! I want to give some of my favorites of the year! (Not including rereads, unfortunately, though honorable mention to Cassandra Clare, who is everpresent in my life. I swear I'm going to gets started on the series I haven't actually read yet this year)

Boo's Top Reads of 2024 (In no particular order, completely subjective and potentially out of line with star ratings? IDK lol)

Masters of Death, by Olivie Blake: Just so fun. Heartwarming. The storytelling and style felt unique and it made me think about things and giggle and kick my feet

Ocean's Godori, by Elaine U. Cho: I've not stopped thinking of this book since I finished it, and that's very special to me. The sequel is one of my most anticipated releases

The God of Endings, by Jacqueline Holland: I said in my review that it's potentially my top read, and I stand by it still. Beautiful book.

Silver Under Nightfall, by Rin Chupeco: Very fun, an absolutely thrilling fantasy with horror vibes and queer poly romance (which was new to me, and I enjoyed it more than I expected).

The Curse of Sins, by Kate Dramis: AHHHHH love. I adored the first book, loved the second. I am excited to see things really pick up in the finale of the trilogy, which I eagerly await.

Serpent and Dove, by Shelby Mahurin: Really enjoyed the characters, the story, and am excited to continue the series this year.

Anyway, another long post from me, sorry. Happy new year, sending love from me and Boo. Remember that your goals are your own, read what you love, and don't make it a chore. I'm increasing my 2025 goal to 25 !! books, hopeful that I can keep up my current pace, and perhaps even surpass it again 👀

Bonus Boo pic for the new year:

#book blog #booklr #bookish #reading wrap up #2024 reads #2024 goals #new years resolution

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dapperwerewolf · 11 months ago

Note

its always great to see you getting asks! and uhhhh i hope you don't mind me adding one more to the pile...

i've been following you since ghostwire and wanted to know your thoughts on it? like are you still actively in the fandom or have you moved on? which the latter i totally get, no pressure or anything. i just love your fics and am curious to know if you'd ever write more! (my lust for KK is insatiable i'm sorry)

and i really miss reading all those messages you'd get about ghostwire too, the AUs were always so much fun to read. but anyway best of luck with your writing whatever that may entail! hope you have a great day!!!

thank you anon! and yes you're always welcoem to ask me anything you like :)

as for gw:t, i'm still very much into it! been replaying the game to actually further my japanese language skills and enjoy myself too lol. have also been reviewing my older fics and fixing some grammer and spelling issues that i missed, and even been translating some akito/kk doujins that aren't available in english.

so yeah i'm still very much into the fandom and pairing, even if i haven't written many fics for them lately. i still do intend to, it's just a little lower on my list of immediate interest.

i do full intend to finish the last lending a hand fic not only so i can mark that series as complete but also because i got into physical bookbinding recently and have been printing out and binding my favourite fics and i'd love a complete gw:t akito/kk collection to go on my shelf :p

also i feel maybe the fandom itself kinda died out? like i'd love to talk mro about the game and answer asks but if i got no asks to answer i have nothing to post lol. which makes me think perhaps my gw:t followers have left or lost interest which again is possible, the game did come out like two years or so ago now. unless we do get a sequel announcement which would liven things up again!

anyway, yeah, i still love them boys very much!! and if you or anyone else wants to chat about the game or lore and AUs etc my ask box is always open :)

thanks for the message anon <3

#ask #anon #ghostwire: tokyo #ghostwire tokyo #ghostwire #gwt

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shinxeysartgallery · 1 year ago

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Since you’re getting weird asks begging for ocs I thought I’d do an ask where you get to ramble about them instead. :)

So other than your Sonic ocs, which ones do you think were your favorites in terms of design? I’d like to hear more about the non-Sonic ones since they seem to take up most of your attention lol

That's probably true. lmao I love my Sonic OCs and I've had several of them for quite a few years now, so I'm pretty attached to them. Makes sense that I wouldn't shut up about them.

Anyway, right now I'm also kinda fixated on my Murder Drones OCs. Out of them all, I think I'd have to say that Dragoon was my favorite of them to design. I did partially base her design off that one dead Disassembly Drone from Episode 6 (don't have a screenshot atm, but I'm talking about the one with long hair), and I added my own spin on it. (She's not meant to be that same drone, btw.) She's fun to draw, too. :) Ella was another one that was pretty fun to design. I absolutely LOVED the Sentinels and thought it would be cool to make one that was based off a different type of dinosaur. And now Topaz has a pet. :) Speaking of Topaz, he's definitely one of my favorites. He's just a lil' guy that unironically thinks he's a pirate. He's quite the resourceful little dude and it's fun talking about all the stuff he's been able to build or repair using various parts he found. I love all my funky little robot OCs though; all of them were really fun to design and make lore for. :D

Then I gotta give a little shout-out to my dragons because I love them all, too. I was around 8-ish when I came up with their ideas and they're the oldest OCs that I made and still use. My main four (Blaze, Shade, Valerie, and Bruno) are obviously my favorites of them, but I'd definitely also have to say that a few like Flora, Cube, and Breezy are also pretty big faves for me. I've had the TDS sequel planned pretty much since I had the idea for TDS itself, but didn't really have many good ideas for where to take the story until a lot more recently, so I didn't put a lot of work into characters until last year. My favorite of the newbies to design I think has to be Calssie. I'm really bad at drawing skeletons, but I thought having a living skeleton character would be really cool so I wanted to try it anyway. It shoved me out of my comfort zone to try something new and help practice more, and honestly I think she came out pretty well.

Those are just some that came to mind, but I absolutely love all of my babies. :3

#anon ask #shinxey's asks #shinxey's ocs

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ninelivesart · 1 year ago

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About Me (Kind of)

Doing this Drawing My Reads challenge this last year, made me realize there's a lot people don't know about me. You don't have to know anything about me, of course. But since I've had an uptick in followers, I thought I'd share a few things anyway. For context.

I'm a librarian! Technically a Library Clerk because I don't have my Master's. But this last year I got promoted to Programming Clerk. And I specifically run my library's Makerspace. Which means I get to play with cool, creative machines all day. This also means that I sometimes get to just vibe to audiobooks and draw stupid stuff (it's ideal). My primary focus at the moment is our laser printer. So I will 1000% be adding those creations into my rotation soon. Expect to see some SVG files and wooden bookmarks and things on my Etsy shop soon.

2. That being said, it's important to note that I hardly ever pay for books. I have access to a full library 40 hours a week. So please don't think I'm out here spending hundreds of dollars on these books. I very rarely pay for them.

3. My education is in books. I have a degree in English and Literature. I minored in Journalism. I didn't get to go to art school because there just weren't a lot of options for me back then. So I am a self-taught artist. And I'm lucky to have found a job that combines both of my passions.

4. I am a fully adult woman. I read a lot of very adult books. I'm closer to 40 than 20 and I have a teenage son. Please keep that in mind when interacting with me.

5. My reading tastes can sometimes seem contradictory. I love romances but I tend to stick to fantasy and scifi. I don't do contemporaries very often. And I don't read classics because chances are, I've already read it, analyzed it, wrote an essay on it, and read it again. I did my time and now I'm in debt for classic literature. I'm just trying to have fun. So sometimes I might diss a popular book and be very critical about it. And then turn around and wax poetic about alien smut. I don't expect much from the alien smut. I do expect more from serious books.

6. I pick my reads with a randomizer! This is why I sometimes take a long time getting to a sequel. I have made exceptions for a series I wanted to continue right away. And sometimes I roll again if I'm not in the mood for the book I got. I'm going to try to be a little stricter on this in 2024 though. With the exception of the audio books I listen to at work. I always search Libby for what's available now so I'm not wasting my work time, searching every book on my TBR to see if it's in.

7. You are more than welcome to send me suggestions! I'll probably just stick them on my TBR so I can't guarantee I'll read it quickly. But if you think I'll like it, feel free to recommend it. I'm also happy to talk books with you if you need someone to vent to about a book you know I've read.

8. You are also welcome to add me on Storygraph (beautawn) or TikTok (NineLivesArt). I'm stepping away from Goodreads, so you probably won't see a lot of updates on there. But I post drawing videos on TikTok and I update my Storygraph pretty regularly.

9. However, I don't do reviews! Why? They make me uncomfy! Sometimes I really need to marinate with a book before I decide if I like it or not. Rating systems make me anxious. And my mood alters my decisions. I also don't like being mean. I'm fine talking about my feelings with other readers, but I don't like leaving reviews. Especially if I plan to make art for it. Don't want to draw a lovely portrait and then bash the book.

10. I do plan to continue this project into the new year. But I am planning on doing it a little different. I have some other (non book related) projects I want to work on, and I want to push myself to focus more on the things I need to improve. I really want to focus on environments this year, so I'll be drawing scenes from the book instead. Which means I may not draw a book even if I loved it.

Thank you for following my reading/art journey! I didn't expect this silly little project to have such a positive response. I love when people talk books with me and I actually made friends with a few authors this year! So overall, it's been a very positive experience and I'm ready to jump into the New Year and see what it brings!

#frequently asked questions #that weren't actually asked #just thought i'd provide some context #for why i am the way that I am #and why i read what i read

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retrouvailleschronicles · 1 year ago

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Retrouvailles, after we left 1.3

Retrouvailles, After We Left a fan sequel to Before We Go

Ten years after meeting in Manhattan, Brooke seeks Nick out, with a terrible secret. Act one, scene three. Providence.

The back door closed behind them as they stepped into the late sun.

"Just a little warmer than the last time I saw you," Nick chuckled.

"Le ciel san!" Brooke raised her hands to the sky, dropping Nick's arm.

"La sill san?" Nick repeated.

Brooke laughed. "The cloudless sky," she grinned. (1)

Nick laughed. (2) "Guess I haven't learned any more French since Manhattan."

Brooke laughed too. "Anyways, when are the reservations?" Brooke smiled.

"Seven, we've got some time." Nick relaxed, and his pace slowed.

Brooke slowed to match Nick's pace.

Brooke spoke first. "It looks like life has been good to you! Things have changed a lot since Manhattan."

Nick returned the grin. "It's nice having working credit cards. But yeah, I can't complain. Hopefully, you saw the end of the show. I like to end with 'Retrouvailles'," his face beamed. (3)

Brooke frowned. "No, I got here late." (4)

"You did?" Nick tilted his head.

Brooke gave a blank look.

"Thought I saw you. Well, I guess I've thought I'd seen you at other shows," he mumbled.(5)

"Haven't seen you live," Brooke gave a half-smile. "But I bought your album," she brightened. "And maybe I can catch a show in the future."

Nick grinned. "Well, night shows are better anyways. More intense. Danny can get you a ticket."(6)

Brooke gave a bemused smile. "Guess I'm old. I don't go out at night much anymore." She paused. "And I like recordings better anyway." (7)

"That's true," Nick mused. "No mistakes. When we record for the album, the song is as clean as we can make it."

"The guitar is a nice touch. Though I miss your trumpet," Brooke teased.

Nick grinned. "That happened after Hannah and I got married. Danny pushed me into it, you know. I was already writing lyrics. All I needed was an instrument that let me sing."

"Makes sense," Brooke agreed. "Can’t sing with the trumpet. I could tell you wrote the lyrics."

"It's me believing," Nick sang.

"My believing," Brooke corrected. "Believing is a gerund, a type of noun, so it should be 'my believing,' " Brooke chewed a strand of hair.

"Wow," Nick feigned shock. "Correcting my grammar again?"(8)

"Again?" Brooke asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, you know," Nick looked at Brooke, smiling. "Like when we were in New York."

Brooke gave a blank look in response. "Never mind," Nick mumbled. "I know how to use a gerund. But Hannah said the songs don't play as well, and the focus groups agreed."

Brooke searched for something to say, but nothing came out. (9)

"You know, I invited you to our wedding. Hannah would have liked to meet you," Nick continued.

"Didn't want to make her jealous," Brooke breezed. (10)

They paused again, unsure of what to say.

Nick looked at his phone. "Let's see which way we go," he said.

"It's this way. We'll walk through the Quad," Brooke motioned.

"Looks like you know your way around Providence," Nick observed.

"Guess that night we hung out in New York, it never came up," Brooke mused.

Nick raised an eyebrow.

Brooke laughed. "I went to college in Providence. I graduated from Brown. It was a big change for an Arizona girl. They called me the Desert Rose," she laughed again.

"And you came back to Providence to sell me some art?" (11)

"What? Oh, no. I'm back to my original job, art restoration."

Nick chewed his lip thoughtfully. "Art restoration. That sounds so..."

"Nerdy?" Brooke finished. They snickered, and Brooke continued.

"Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed selling art. But I really prefer the restoration. It took me back to France, and I travel a bit to different museums. Michael didn't like it," she frowned. (12) But she quickly smiled. "But it keeps me busy. I guess it's one of the reasons I haven't been back to Providence since graduation. I used to live there, in Metcalf," she pointed.

"How is Michael?" Nick studied Brooke.

"He's good. We're good! Coming up on our 15th anniversaire." Brooke watched a bird fly by.

Nick nodded. Then he smiled. "Glad to hear, things are going well for you."

"Thank you," Brooke turned back. She looked about the campus. "It's too bad he's not here, he would have loved see Brown."

"So you haven't been to Providence in a while," Nick changed the subject. "Why haven't you been back?" Nick queried.

"Now that," Brooke reflected, "is a good question."

"You didn't like it here?"

"I love Brown. I even consider Providence my hometown. I had all the freedom in the world. Brown encouraged us to pursue our passions, and I ended up with Chemistry and Art History."

"And that's how you ended up with art restoration," Nick mused. "Is it good being back?" Nick grinned again. (13)\

"I'm getting too old to dream of going back to my college days," Brooke's voice tinkled. (14)

"Guess we can't go back again," Nick agreed. "But we can miss it."

"Exactly! Young and full of passion. Eager, easy to make changes," Brooke reflected.

"You should talk to Danny," Nick remarked.

"How so?"

"You remember that Danny majored in philosophy?"

"Not really, but go on," Brooke encouraged.

Nick's eyes fell. "He went to law school afterwards. He was working as an attorney at a big firm."

"I take it he didn't like it," Brooke observed.

"Called it dying slowly every day," Nick gave a wry look.

"Was it hard for him to make changes?"

"Yeah, definitely. Sometimes it's easier to go with the devil you know." (15)

"And now he works with you. So you saved him," Brooke glowed.

"We saved each other. He needed a change, and I needed someone I could trust."

"I imagine it's hard in your business, people always wanting something," Brooke sympathized. (16)

"You have no idea," Nick snorted. "You never know what angle people may be playing. Luckily, I had Hannah and Danny from before my first hit." Nick exhaled slowly. "Hannah, Danny, his wife Claire, we were too poor to go on expensive vacations. So we'd all go camping. Make wishes as the fire died. I think it was by the campfire that Danny convinced me to start singing," Nick remembered.

"The deepest wishes come out at night," Brooke agreed. "So how did Danny meet his wife?" Brooke deflected. (17)

"He and Claire have been friends since high school. They had a pact to get married by 35 if they were still single."

"Settle down, have kids?"

"Well, I wouldn't call it settling. Maybe they have the best marriage of all of us," Nick looked back at Brooke.

"Why didn't they get married earlier?" Brooke wondered.

"Guess they were worried about ruining their friendship. But like all things, in retrospect, they should have known better," Nick looked down the hill. "In any case, I'm glad you're here. I wasn't relishing eating alone. With you here, I won't have to make small talk." (18)

"Don't you like your fans?" Brooke tilted her head.

"Love my fans. But sometimes it's weird. People know a lot about me, but I can't know much about them."

Brooke looked at Nick from the side. "You could just cancel your reservation."

"Maybe, but Danny told me the maitre d is a fan. I've got to get out in the public eye, Danny says."

"Have you eaten there before?" Brooke asked.

"This is not exactly the place Hannah would frequent," Nick guffawed.

Brooke looked down. "How so?" she stammered.

"She's... kinda a health nut. No carbs. I was surprised she agreed to come initially." (19)

Brooke smiled. "Well, you're in for a treat. I haven't eaten here since graduation, but it's fantastic!"

Nick's eyes narrowed. "Is this the kind of restaurant you and Michael would go to?"

Brooke tilted her head. "He'll come to restaurants like this for me. But I'll eat like this alone. I often do, when I travel."

Nick looked back. "Alone?"

Brooke laughed. "Alone! I appreciate the food better by myself. Here we go," she pointed to the Capriccio.

Click here to go to act one, scene four: Behind the Window. Click here to go to blog commentary for act one, scene three: How the Sausage Gets Made.

Authors notes and spoilers here:

Title for the next movie! Le Ciel San, the Cloudless Sky.

Fakegreat! When you see someone you haven’t seen in a while, pretend everything is great, even when it’s not.

Callback to first movie, when Nick doesn't have any working credit cards.

Brooke will spend this chapter denying both to Nick and herself how she feels about Nick. Similar to Before Sunset.

Not subtle! Nick has been thinking of Brooke.

Setup, Nick will bring up Danny getting tickets again in 3.4.

Subtext. By saying she prefers the recording to a live show she is saying that the memory of Manhattan is good enough, and there’s no need to bring their relationship to the present.

More denial. Like Before Sunset. By forgetting details Brooke is saying that night 10 years ago wasn’t so important that she remembers everything.

Brooke should be uncomfortable every time Nick brings up Hannah.

Lesson from the Dark Knight. The reason Brooke didn’t go to the wedding should change every time, until the real answer in 3.4.

Nick should be trying to figure out why Brooke has come back to see him.

A slip. Hints at the problems Brooke and Michael have. But quickly should pivot back to Fakegreat.

More subtext. Really Nick is asking if Brooke is glad to see him again.

Brooke’s theme of growing old.

Bring back this idea in 3.2., the Devil you Know.

Nick’s theme of loneliness and isolation.

Brooke changes the subject away from Hannah.

Back to Nick’s theme of loneliness and isolation.

A stand in for the problems in Nick and Hannah's relationship.

#before we go #brooke dalton #nick vaughan #chris evans #alice eve #retrouvailles #after we left #providence #waterfire

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dark-ink-drinker · 2 years ago

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Starting 2023 With...

I'm getting a slow start on my reading goals of 2023, already 2 weeks in and just finishing my first book. I think this might be a year of sequels and series-- because after this one I've got a couple others (The First to Die at the End by Adam Silvera, the sequel to They Both Die In the End; and The God of Lost Words and The Archive of th Forgotten by AJ Hackwith, the series started by The Library of the Unwritten.)

I think I mentioned last year that I'd been avoiding Colleen Hoover, assuming her popularity meant she was overhyped. Plus romance isn't really my thing... In theory at least, though subplot of a love story seems to be my very literal jam when reading. Anyway, maybe it was my mood or mental state the last half of last year, but I did actually enjoy the 3 books of hers I read, especially Reminders of Him and It Ends with Us. So, I was interested to see this sequel and more of Atlas and Lily's story. I won't like, I thought it was going to be a prequal based off the title so color me surprised to find out it takes place where It Ends with Us Left off.

I think the problem with sequels sometimes is that you're not getting anything new. The characters are who they are, who you already know. You may get new scenes, new perspectives, the other side of a story you already hard-- but the characters, the reactions, the results are exactly what you'd expect from them.

You get to see Lily as a mother, yes that's new. But she approaches motherhood with the same fear and care that you would expect from someone trying to break the cycle of abuse, who remembers what it was like to grow up witnessing her father's abuse of her mother and never wants her own daughter to experience the same.

And yes, while it is surprising that Atlas is as well rounded and levelheaded as he is given his own abusive childhood, he is the same well rounded and levelheaded man in this as he was in It Ends with Us. He's still as loyal and dedicated to his first taste of love, still the white knight who seems to be unfairly and unrealistically flawless.

My next statement has spoilers so stop reading here if you don't want anything, you know... spoiled.

The only big surprise was the reappearance of Atlas's absentee mother and, more importantly, the surprise that he has a 12-year-old brother, Josh.

But if you're hoping for a big surprise in what happens with that-- I'm sorry, Atlas handles it exactly how you'd expect someone as wonderful as Atlas to handle that, white knight savior complex and all.

Now I know all of this makes it sound like I didn't like it, or that I don't like Atlas. But I did like it... and I DO like Atlas. I rooted for him through the first book, desperate for Lily to choose her first love even when Ryle wasn't being a horrible excuse of a person.

Since I mentioned Ryle, let me take a moment to go off on a tangent that I probably should have on my first review but there was more of it in this book and it irked me more. Why Why Why did he get so much leeway for his horrible abusive behavior?! From Lily, from Alyssa, from Marshall-- everyone. In the first book, I thought maybe it was to show the layers of life, situations, relationships... that sometimes things aren't black and white. But to know his sister and brother-in-law/best friend don't step in and make him accountable for his own behavior. Ryle spends all his time after every tantrum blaming Lily, or her relationship with Atlas instead of his own issues. Instead of taking action to fix his own shit. And in It Starts with Us, when Lily wants to set some ground rules with Ryle at their family dinner, Alyssa and Marshall do BARE MINIMUM to support Lily and she cries over their support... WTF.

Anyway, back to the main point-- I did like this book despite my criticisms. It's a good book for people who always want a little more, who wonder what comes after the last page, or who like to have a crisp clean ending leaving nothing to imagination.

It was soft and warm and tied everything up in a nice, neat bow. It gave the readers everything they could want-- the love story, the moving in, the wedding, the ready-made family, the dream come true...

and they lived happily ever after.

I did love that Atlas wrote Lily letters, the way she wrote to her diary 'Ellen' in the first book.

My favorite part was towards the end when Atlas and Josh are talking about Josh's father, on whether he deserved a second chance and his responsibilities as a father:

"It blows my mind that this man has you for a son, and you want to be in his life, yet he still hasn't made and effort. You're a privilege, Josh. Believe me, if I'd known you existed, I would have knocked over buildings to find you."

It was the only section that came close to drawing tears to my yes.

Sweet, delicate; a good, easy read-- but more than likely my last foray into Colleen Hoover's world

I gave it a generous 4 stars on Good Reads, but 3 1/2 is more accurate.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1/2

#book review #book recs 2023 #love stories #fiction #colleen hoover #book sequel #it starts with us #meh #books based in boston #angst

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nausikaaa · 1 year ago

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Part Two!

July

Six Of Crows by Leigh Bardugo. 5 stars. this is the book i always turn to when i feel my motivation slip. this was my fourth time reading it. i finished it in three days and immediately moved on to the sequel. it's just so good, it grabs you from the very first page and sets off running and doesn't let go.

Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo. 5 stars. of course i had to finish the duology. it was amazing as always.

A Curious History Of Sex by Kate Lister. 4.5 stars, super interesting and really funny, my only issue is that it was mostly focused on middle ages and victorian England. a wider scope would have been even more interesting to compare different places and times.

August

Women & Power: A Manifesto by Mary Beard. 4 stars, a short but enlightening read. really made me stop and go "damn every woman on the planet has dealt with deeply shitty men haven't we? shits fucked."

Salt Slow by Julia Armfield. 4.5 stars, a series of short stories so i liked some more than others, but they were all really atmospheric and fun. also as an aside i counted three references to greek mythology, miss Armfield please write a sapphic horror novel set in the classical world next.

Pride: The Unlikely Story Of The Unsung Heroes Of The Miner's Strike by Tim Tate with LGSM. 5 stars, if you follow me you may know it read this as research for a fic, but honestly i couldn't put it down. i learned a lot, laughed a lot, cried a lot. wouod highly recommend.

September

Murder In The Family by Cara Hunter. 3 stars. read it in 2 days, most of it in one night in just over 3 hours. the amount of twists in such rapid succession had me so invested, but the ending was a bit of a letdown.

Liberated: The Radical Art And Life Of Claude Cahun by Kaz Rowe. 4 stars, a quick read but very interesting, i really wish we'd learned this kind of history in school!

October

The Ancient Guide To Modern Life by Natalie Haynes. 2 stars, there's absolutely nothing wrong with this book, it's just that i knew a lot of the information already so it dragged for me. would probably be better for someone who hasn't already listened to her podcast multiple times, as it's a lot of the same info.

The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman. 4 stars. i actually consumed this as an audiobook and regret not getting into them sooner. anyway, a really good mystery and i loved all the characters. i was suspicious of people who did turn out to be suspicious but for non murder reasons, everyone just has secrets in this book. and it managed to finally make me cry in the very last chapter. i'll definitely be reading the next book soon!

Secrets Of The Vampire: A Supernatural Sourcebook Of Our Legend And Lore by Julie Légère, Elsa Whyte and Laura Pérez. 3 stars, enjoyable but short. i really liked the illustrations.

November

The Man Who Died Twice (Thursday Murder Club 2) by Richard Osman. 5 stars, even better than the first one! super exciting and very sweet and touching at times.

Dracula by Bram Stoker. 4 stars. yeah i did Dracula Daily this year. actually i did Re: Dracula but that's basically an audiobook, right? it started in May, ended in November, so i've included it here. honestly, i liked it way more than i'd thought i would. obviously there are parts that make you cringe and remember this book was written in the 1890s, but so long as you read it critically it's really enjoyable.

The First Ladies Of Rome by Annelise Freisenbruch. 5 stars, supplemented the knowledge i already had while also having loads of things i hadn't known before, especially about the later empire which i never studied. overall was super interesting. i want more than ever to go back in time and befriend Julia The Elder, she sounds like an absolute riot. also tv show about Galla Placidia when??

The Bullet That Missed (Thursday Murder Club 3) by Richard Osman. 5 stars. another banger. stayed up all night to finish it, i just couldn't put it down. i'm really attached to these characters now. i fear for Stephen in the last book.

The Last Devil To Die (Thursday Murder Club 4) by Richard Osman. 5 stars. i hate being right. RIP Stephen. bawled my eyes out. but i finished the series!! i felt the mystery wasn't quite as interesting in this one, but the character development was absolutely top tier.

December

The Deathless Girls by Kiran Millwood Hargrave. 3.5 stars. started off strong, was a fairly easy read so i got through the whole 300 page book in a couple of hours (with a break in between for work), but i felt the ending was rushed and dissatisfying. all the setup was there for Mira to become the third vampire, and then at the very end she just leaves and it's some random Countess a single line is devoted to? i can't even tell if it was supposed to be a surprise twist, but it just fell flat and made the ending basically a defeat for the heroine.

Heartstopper Vol 5 by Alice Oseman. 3.5 stars. a quick read but cute. i definitely can feel that this comic meant more to me when i first read it at 17 than it does at 22.

Weak Heart by Ban Gilmartin. 5 stars. this is my third or maybe fourth reread, such a comfort book. the characters feel like old friends at this point.

A Lady For A Duke by Alexis Hall. 5 stars. i was really surprised by how much i enjoyed this book, as i don't typically go for book where the romance is most of the plot, and i especially don't tend to like Regency historical fiction. but it was just really fun and sweet, and it kept me interested all the way through despite being quite long. multiple moments elicited actual shouting. the romance was excellent, i was really rooting for the characters and so happy for them at the end.

Elektra by Jennifer Saint. 2.5 stars. very hit or miss. Clytemnestra's point of view is really good. her compassion, her complexity, and the way she tries to justify her actions are all so well done. Cassandra's was pretty average. i personally wasn't interested in another rehash of the trojan war, and i felt her chapters just slowed the story down, but i can see how they would benefit someone less well versed in the myths. Elektra's point of view just made me angry. her motivation is never really explained in a satisfying way, and the author clearly felt that she has to address the Electra complex, but knowing the history behind it just makes me angrier. it was a badly thought out psychological theory used to gaslight and victim blame victims of sexual abuse, and while i don't believe that the author knew that, seeing it be treated as in any way valid and applicable to the real Electra boiled my blood.

Country by Michael Hughes. 4 stars. the book i chose to spend all christmas day reading this year. a really good story, and knowing the iliad made it even better as i could recognise characters and interactions map onto the original story! it felt like playing a game while reading, picking up all the little references.

Did Not Finish

Helen Of Troy by Margaret George. i did read some more of this but just keep dropping off and gravitating to other things. maybe i'll have finished it by next year.

Bitch by Lucy Cooke. another book that has done nothing wrong, it is a me problem. i will try to finish it.

Dykes To Watch Out For by Alison Bechdel. again, working on it.

In The Vanisher's Palace by Aliette Du Bodard. read three chapters (it's only ten chapters long so a decent chunk) and decided it wasn't for me.

The Menelaid by John Barth. it's not even very long but it's just really meandering and boring. i really tried but just couldn't focus.

and finally, top picks in no particular order that i think i would recommend to anyone who wants to read something new in 2024:

Books I Read In 2023, Part One

In January I decided I wanted to track my reading, as I usually don't really have a sense of how much I read per month or year. I don't like things like Goodreads, so I just jotted down the books I read and what I thought of them in my notes app. Now that we're halfway through the year, I thought I might share what I've read, and then in December I can add part 2. So, without further ado,

January

The Girl From The Sea by Molly Knox Ostertag. 3 stars, a bit slow but generally sweet and fun.

Jackalope Wives And Other Stories by T Kingfisher. 5 stars, every story slapped. would highly recommend if you like dark fairytales with a sense of humour.

February

started Helen Of Troy by Margaret George. I still haven't finished it (she is LONG) but i'm really enjoying it!

I Was Born For This by Alice Oseman. 4.5 stars, it was entertaining and emotional like all of Alice Oseman's books but i have to deduct a half a star for the main character (who is from the south) briefly assuming with no basis that being from north = transphobic and the narrative treating this as a rational assumption and not super bigoted and classist, like what the hell was that about? also via this interaction Alice Oseman managed to find yet another way to mention Durham in her books but this time i couldn't even go "yay i'm from there!" because now have this sense that she thinks i'm predisposed to transphobia because of where i'm from. i cannot stress this enough: what the fuck.

The Prince And The Dressmaker by Jen Wang. 5 stars, so heartwarming and i loved the art! I'm trying to get one of my friends to read it because I just know he'll relate.

March

The Lives Of The Saints by Leigh Bardugo. 3 stars, not really my jam but it adds another layer to her other books, which I really enjoy.

Fun Home by Alison Bechdel. 3 stars, made my head hurt at times because it's kinda convoluted, but still super interesting. the musical is great too. and before you mention it, yes, i am reading Dykes To Watch Out For, but it's not on the list because I just started it, and I will probably read the bulk of it and finish it in July so it will fall under there.

April

Lies We Sing To The Sea by Sarah Underwood. 3.5 stars, i'll be honest, i read this out of morbid curiosity and spite. it was a pretty average for a YA book really, not worth all the drama it stirred up in the classics community, but the end surprised me so it gets an extra half star.

A Fatal Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum: Murder In Ancient Rome by Emma Southon. 4 stars, really interesting and quite funny at times but i just don't really like the author's vibe. she's weirdly defensive of Caligula, just as she was in her book on Agrippina that i read last year. like yeah people make fun of him and exaggerate stories about him but he literally killed people, maybe he deserves it.

May

Messalina: A Story Of Empire, Slander And Adultery by Honor Cargill-Martin. 5 stars, super interesting and engaging, i never wanted to put it down! Messalina really did just girlboss too close to the sun.

I travelled this month so didn't have time for any other books, but I bought my own weight in them and will try to work through them.

June

Rain Hare by Anna Barker. 4 stars, a collection of short stories so a mixed bag. I really liked most of them, some even made me cry (to be precise, How Do I Feel About Lentils?, which does an excellent job of blending past and present to help the reader get into the confused mind of the narrator, who has Alzheimer's, and Tunny, wherein the twist hit me like a sack of bricks and all I could do was break down) but there was just one i didn't really like (Sea Glass, i just don't really vibe with the mentally ill narrator dying at the end and this being presented as what she wanted.)

Through The Woods by Emily Carroll. 3.5 stars, good horror, the art was great and the stories interesting, but they all felt like they ended just a bit too soon and therefore lost some of their impact.

Our Wives Under The Sea by Julia Armfield. 6 stars, yes, i'm straight up giving this 6 out of 5 stars because it was so so good! i devoured it in one day flat and loved it. the horror was atmospheric and gripping, the romance made my chest ache, and the ending absolutely devastated me, but in a good way.

so yeah, hopefully i can continue to get through my massive TBR pile in the coming months! and if you've read any of these books, please let me know what you think, I would love to talk about them!!

#bookblr #six of crows #crooked kingdom #the thursday murder club #dracula #dracula daily #a lady for a duke #only tagging the books i've already posted about this time

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