#august wrap-up

[libraryofnika]

࿐ྂ August Reading Wrap-Up ࿐ྂ

I could never believe that the August month is on its last day. Days went too fast for me, and now, it's September in less than 24 hours.

With that being said, August Wrap Up is here 🤚🏽 I'm no really confident or looking forward to posting this Wrap-Up but it's been my end of the month must to do.

Must reads or novels I read this month that I highly recommended:

📍The Scum Villain's Self Saving Sysyem by MXTX 5⭐️

📍A Dance Macabre by Naomi Loud 4⭐️

📍A Deathless Empire by Kaylah Mcgrath 4⭐️

📍A Novel Love Story by Ashley Poston 4⭐️

📍Vale of Dreams or the Fey Academy for Spies series by C.N. Crawford & Alex Rivers 4⭐️

I've posted a review post here so check them out if you're interested in hearing my thoughts ✨️

And obviously my fave read of this month is The Scum Villain's Self Saving Sysyem 🩷

Once again, thank you, Netgalley, authors & publisher, Valentines Pr, GoodGirls Pr, for the e-arc opportunity 🫶

Bookstagram Booktwt Goodreads

[squidinu]

wolfdad

[stevesbipanic]

@steddieangstyaugust Day 31: "I'm not going to beg you to love me."

It's not the first time Eddie's been in love, but that doesn't make it hurt any less.

He made the mistake of telling a boy once when he was younger, his nose is still a little crooked because of it. It doesn't stop him falling for the beautiful person that Steve Harrington has become.

He won't tell him though, wouldn't risk the friendship he cherishes so dearly over something so silly like the way his heart beats out of his chest when Steve just smiles at him. Steve is straight, he loves girls with soft cheeks and long lashes. Eddie is sharp and jagged compared to them, Steve could never want him.

It doesn't stop him dreaming though. He lets himself think how nice it would be if Steve shared his bed every night and not just when they've smoked too much weed. Tells himself it doesn't mean anything when Steve comes to every show, he's just being a good friend. Jokes around when Steve throws back the same amount of flirting, Steve is just affectionate.

He never expected Steve to kiss him.

For a moment he kissed back, too lost in the feeling to realise this wasn't a dream this was real and it would break his heart.

So he forces himself to push Steve away.

"Wait, Steve, stop."

There's a cute scrunch between Steve's eyebrows, "I'm sorry I should've asked first, did you not want me to kiss you, I just thought..."

Doesn't Steve understand, "No, Steve you don't want this, you can't want this, you're confused."

The confusion on Steve's face morphs into anger, "Confused? I'm not confused Eddie, I care about you, I like you, I'm pretty sure I'm in love with you!"

Eddie gets up from the couch, "No, you don't, you like girls, Steve, you love girls, you don't love me, this was a mistake."

Steve pinches his nose, a habit Eddie knows means Steve is trying not to cry, "I'm not going to beg you to love me." Steve moves towards the door grabbing his shoes and jacket. "You know I thought you were different, Robin let me believe you were different, that you weren't Nancy, that you weren't my parents. I thought you cared about me, that you loved me too. But I'm not going to stay and be told what my heart is or isn't feeling, Eddie."

Eddie thinks he can pinpoint the exact moment he realises how bad he fucked up, somewhere between different and loved he realises how mistake sounds just like bullshit.

It's too late though, Steve's car is already gone, and this is why he doesn't fall in love, no matter what he does he always fucks it up. He just hopes he can get Steve to forgive him before Robin breaks his nose again.

[kybelles]

I have a feeling that if your Laurent was made to choose between whether he would have survived Auguste or Damen in the battle of Marlas, he would have definitely chosen Damen despite all the pain he would be spared if he chose Auguste, but he would have done it because he couldn't live an eternity without Damen as his husband :,) Ok, I need to sleep.

hello lovely 💕 you’re spot on, the laurent in my fics would choose damen in any universe under any circumstances and i firmly believe this is how it goes in canon as well! there are many clues in the text tell us that no matter what happens, laurent’s adoration for damen is a non-negotiable element. 🥺

canonwise there is no doubt that laurent loves auguste sooo much but at the same time, what is he if not a romantic at heart? he’s not going to live for his brother forever, he’s going to follow his heart and be with the man of his dreams! remember that part where he and damen were discussing the peacetime au?

notice how it says your sleeve? damen’s sleeve, not auguste’s. he literally admits he would chase damen as a child and be jealous of auguste that damen was getting his attention. 🤭 also it’s always worth noting that laurent was ready to sacrifice himself AND his kingdom for damen without an ounce of hesitation. once they solve the issues between them, it is shown over and over that damen is the dearest being of laurent’s life.

honorable mention: this lovely moment from tsp 🥹

laurent losing everything including auguste and gaining damen, and willingly making that trade, except it causes damen to lose everything and go through that pain too… he can accept his own pain but not damen's. he would do it but he knows damen also had to lose everything for them to meet and he hates that damen suffered… i dare you to name a more romantic man.

[bookaddict24-7]

What were some of the books you read in August? 📖

My reading in August was an interesting experience—I DNFed a lot of books (15) and ended up unhauling 5. My reviews were very mixed, but I definitely read a couple of new favourites! I feel like I was slightly overwhelmed with how many audiobooks I had from the library, so reading was a tiny bit stressful this past month! Anyway, here are the basics:

• I read 29 books

•15 of them were physical books from my personal collection.

•My favourite read of the month was Patricia Wants to Cuddle

Here’s hoping September is a great reading month!

[polycraftory]

August 2024 Reads

This Month's Favs

Gabe @words-writ-in-starlight (wordswritinstarlight on Storygraph) : The Husky & His White Cat Shizun (2ha) Volume 6 by Meatbun Doesn't Eat Meat. Runner up is the whole Murderbot series by Martha Wells (on a re-listen). They refuse to pick favorites.

Nic (businesswife) : The Sacrifice by Rin Chupeco for fav novel and Re-Living My Life with A Boyfriend who Doesn't Remember Me by Gin Shirakawa was their favorite manga.

Meghan (edgybutfemme): The Husky & His White Cat Shizun was also probably my fav, with the final Guardian by Priest as a very close second. Literally any month I read a 2ha volume it'll be hard to pick a different fav book.

We had an absolutely wild August, but thankfully we managed to fit some reading in (especially devouring some of the manga we got at AnimeNYC)!

You can find the reviews for all of these on our individual Storygraph accounts. You can look us up by the names at the top of each of our graphics, or find the links on our website polycraftory.com (I'm not linking them because tumblr hates external links!)

We'll also be making video reviews for some of our favorites soon. You can find both a spoiler free pitch video and a full review with some spoilers on our TikTok & Youtube right now for The Bone Orchard by Sara A. Mueller. We'll also be posting videos about Dark Restraint / The Dark Olympus series by Katee Robert in the next few days.

[asexualbookbird]

August feels. Blurry. The Thursday of the year. Of the summer? IT feels like the year. I managed to fill out my entire Summer Bingo Board for the library. I haven't heard back about winning any prizes, but I had fun and that's what counts. Bingo made me branch out of my comfort zone which was really neat. Can't say I'll do it more often, a comfort zone is comfortable, but I do enjoy reading something Different every now and then. Did some crafty things this month, which has been a lot of fun, and I've been Smart and Wise and started on holiday gifts so I'm not scrambling in December. It's called personal growth~

The Bone Season: Tenth Anniversary Edition by Samantha Shannon ⭐⭐ - I'm salty about this. Yes, it's an improvement, but it still sucks. The world and magic is so neat, but we're stuck with a plot Like That. Made me do an actual full review on goodreads and on tumblr if you want all the details.

The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon ⭐⭐- I kept my original rating because honestly I felt the same as I did years ago. It's worse than the updated version, but it's the core of the novel that needs changing. Props to this one at least for making Paige asexual. I do not want to see this book on ace book lists ever again.

The Adventure Zone: The Suffering Game by The McElroys and Carey Pietsch ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐- One of the best installments so far. The art is AMAZING, I love the meta they're doing with Griffin and The Hunger, it was a little rushed and I'm bummed we aren't getting a full adaptation of The Stolen Century, but this is still right up there with Petals to the Metal for me!

The Hollow Places by T Kingfisher ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - T Kingfisher has never written a bad novel to me, but this one did take me longer than her others to really click. The audio narrator had some inflections that didn't work for my brain, but once they went through the door, things got Weird and picked up. These two made so many stupid decisions, but it still felt in character! Big Stan Pines energy coming from that uncle.

Frostbite: How Refrigeration Changed Our Food, Our Planet, and Ourselves by Nicola Twilley ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - For book bingo! Got me a square for Read Nonfiction, Read Something About The Environment, and Read Something You Found from Book Page (a magazine advertising new and upcoming books). AND it had a local connection. I learned a lot, it was really neat and didn't feel like I was reading a textbook. It was very engaging, and has me looking at grocery stores differently. It was hard to find, though, because Frostbite is a very common name in the urban fantasy romance genre.

The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Oof. Very heavy, very creepy, very GOOD. Did not expect the many graphic dog deaths, but that was on me. Technically I WAS warned, my brain just didn't register "SGJ dogs are not safe" as "The dog dies in this one". The audio narrator was very good, but I had to listen to the opening a couple times to really get everything to click. It might've been easier had I" read it myself, but the cadence of the narrator really added to the story.

The Last Heir to Blackwood Library by Hester Fox ⭐ - Wow when was the last time I had a true one star read. (Actually not too long ago. It was The Novice.) This wanted so badly to be The Haunting of Hill House, but if you want another book like Hill House, just read Starling House. We missed what actually happened in the book because the main character was losing her memory. If you want that, go read Harrow the Ninth. This was a mess and I hated it.

On that note, I need to read something to recharge my faith in books, so MURDERBOT TIME! That's my only reading plan for September, but now I'm feeling Rushed because the year is almost over and I still have about half of my reading goals list left. Whoops. I'd also like to at least attempt some of the Swordtember prompts, if not do all of them. That looks like a lot of fun! So! Onward we go!

[murdleandmarot]

@mysticalcats I know you’ve already seen foxglove but I just wanted to make sure he was included :)

Also Bluebelle for those who are fans <3

[thereadingchallengechallenge]

Read in August 2024

my reads this month made a rainbow so I took a pic for a change :3 the standouts this month were Satisfaction Guaranteed and, as always when I read their work, Loose End by Ivan Coyote

it feels so good to be reading again after touching virtually nothing in July. I just hope I can have more luck with series in September 🙈 I've been really struggling with my series goal this year and I would like to make some progress on it between now and December

Series read: The Scholomance trilogy by Naomi Novik

A Deadly Education - DNF

Backlog books:

My Heart is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones - DNF

The Arrival of Someday by Jen Malone - 4/5

Edie in Between by Laura Sibson - DNF

Familiar authors:

Loose End by Ivan E Coyote - 5/5

At Her Service by Amy Spalding - 4/5

Bury Your Gays by Chuck Tingle - 3/5 (audio)

I’ll Be Waiting for You by Mariko Turk - 4/5 (audio)

Other reads:

Bunny by Mona Awad - 2/5 (audio)

Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flagg - 3/5 (audio)

Our Hideous Progeny by CE McGill - 2/5

Dreadful by Caitlin Rozakis - 4/5

Satisfaction Guaranteed by Karelia Stetz-Waters - 4/5 (audio)

[theinquisitxor]

August 2024 Reading Wrap Up

I can't believe we're at the end of August already, it feels like I was just writing the July wrap up. Despite that, August was a very good reading month, and was a good recovery for me from how difficult July was. I read six books, and I was able to read some books that have been on my tbr for 4+ years. Overall, I didn't read a large quantity of books, but I read some very good quality books!

1 & 2. Chrestomanci Chronicles volume 1 by Diana Wynne Jones: Charmed Life and The Lives of Christopher Chant. 4/5 stars. In my quest to read more DWJ, I finally picked up this series since having it on my tbr since at least 2019. I read both of books on audio, and I plan to continue the series this way. I thought these were both fun children's fantasy stories, and they felt like DWJ books :)

3.Daughter of the Forest (Sevenwaters 1) by Juliet Marillier, 5/5 stars. This is another series that has been on my tbr since 2019 I believe. I've been so overdue to read this, and I really loved this. The writing was superb, and I loved the setting of Sevenwaters, and all the characters. This felt like such a well crafted and excellent book.

4.Paladin's Grace (Saint of Steel series) by T Kingfisher, 5/5 stars. I devoured this book in about 24 hours, and I loved this fantasy romance murder mystery. T Kingfisher is a favorite author, and this was all parts romance, mystery, politics, angst, as you can get. I feel like I'm addicted to these books and I can't wait to read the next ones!

6.A Memory Called Empire (Texicalaan 1) by Arkady Martine, 5/5 stars. This is a space opera that has been on my tbr since 2020, and I've been daunted by this book for years. It was a little daunting at first, but once I had a grasp of the world and culture, I really enjoyed this book. The second half was phenomenal and this checked a lot of boxes of things I like.

6. Living Resistance : An Indigenous Vision for Seeking Wholeness in Every Day by Kaitlin B Curtice. This was my nonfication for the month, and while I've been looking for something to fill the void that Braiding Sweetgrass left me in, this was enjoyable, but not quite the same. It has a good message and was a good read for this this month.

Overall, I'm happy with this month, and I read some new favorites!

September tbr (in no particular order):

Son of Shadows (Sevenwaters 2) by Juliet Marillier

Paladin's Strength (and maybe Paladin's Hope) by T Kingfisher

A Desolation Called Peace by Arkady Martine

Before They Are Hanged by Joe Abercrombie (I want to at least give this a try)

The Shadow Land by Elizabeth Kostova

Ink Blood Sister Scribe by Emma Torzs

[literatureaesthetic]

august '23 favs

lolita by vladimir nabokov — my fav of the month. harrowing, haunting, and so beautifully written. i feel like i could write a dissertation on this novel (which is always the mark of a good piece of art)

natural beauty by ling ling huang — we follow a young musician into an elite, beauty-obsessed world where perfection comes at a staggering cost

stung with love by sappho — a collection of a few salvaged fragments of poetry by sappho. female-oriented and beautiful <3

[sincerely-sofie]

Just realized The Present is a Gift's birthday is in under 2 months. And the anniversary of when the fic started being posted is pretty much 7 months away. That's like, 3 weeks in ADHD time you guys.

[hotwaterandmilk]

Series: Kamisama Hajimemashita Artist: Suzuki Julietta Publication: Hana to Yume Issue #1 (01/2012) Details: Hana to Yume Men's Gravure Calendar (August Pt. 2) Source: Scanned from my personal collection

[dewitty1]

Fic Recs Wrap Up - August 2023 (ノﾟ∀ﾟ)ノ⌒･*:.｡. .｡.:*･゜ﾟ･*☆

Paper Rings by lettersbyelise @lettersbyelise

When Harry’s in need of a divorce lawyer, he has no choice but to turn to the best in the trade. Draco Malfoy’s reputation for discretion is flawless, and his track record for winning cases is close to perfect. But he’s also ruthless, passionate, and as infuriating as ever, and the brief relationship he and Harry had in Eighth Year still feels painfully fresh despite two decades spent apart. What Harry and Draco used to be is all in the past. And surely they can work together in these new, emotionally charged circumstances without falling in love all over again… can’t they? Rec Post

The Trouble with Wanting by waldorph @waldorph

Draco Malfoy is cleared of all charges; this is what happens next. Rec Post

Staring Into Open Flame by kairennart (Personaje), lumosatnight @personaje @lumosatnight

“Gads, Potter. Get your grubby hands off me.” “Tell me. Where were you Thursday night?” Harry slammed Malfoy into the bathroom wall, his wand aimed at Malfoy’s throat. “Really now, darling. If you wanted to get me alone, all you had to do was ask,” Malfoy rasped. “I’m going to ask you one more time, Malfoy. Where were you?” Malfoy’s thin lips curled into a smirk. “Wouldn’t you like to know?” Or, Harry tries to catch an arsonist, and Malfoy smells like smoke. Rec Post

A Perfect Fit by nothing_left_sacred

Harry has had to live his life with the curse of being overly well-endowed. Draco has had to live his life with the curse of being hard to please. — A Cinderella story, of sorts. Rec Post

I Won’t Let You Fall Apart by xanthippe74 @xanthippe74

Harry has spent the year after the war staying out of the public eye, dodging political battles, and standing firm against pressure from his friends. But he has a secret plan to get away from it all. He just needs to testify at one more Death Eater trial: Draco Malfoy’s. Little does Harry know what his act of compassion will cost him—and Malfoy. Rec Post

A Case of You by epitomereally @epitomereally

Draco was doing just fine working as an Unspeakable in Paris, hanging out with his living and ghostly pals, inventing new spells, and definitely not thinking about Potter. Then, Lucius just had to break out of prison and turn his world upside down. Now, Draco has to return to England, where he is forced to confront how family ties bind us—and one infuriatingly fit Harry Potter. Rec Post

Kept in Cages by ihopeyoubothstaysafefromharm, sweet_s0rr0w @ihopeyoubothstaysafefromharm , @sweet-s0rr0w

Deep in the heart of the Ministry lies the Beast Division: a hidden room where ancient beasts roam, and winged creatures soar, and grumpy giant ferrets eat all your biscuits unless you keep them well hidden. Draco Malfoy would know – he’s been working there for five years now, after all. Meanwhile, on Level One, ex-Golden Boy Harry Potter is stuck in another interminable policy meeting, completely unaware of the mysterious comings and goings just three floors below. But when a giant snake emergency requires the assistance of a Parselmouth, Harry finds himself thrust, unprepared, into Draco’s weird and wonderful world – and naturally, he can’t keep away… Rec Post

By the Grace by lettered @letteredlettered

Harry is an Auror instructor. Malfoy wants to be an Auror. Rec Post

Away, Away by Aelys_Althea @aelysalthea

Abandonment didn’t sit well with Harry. Not at all. After the calamity that was the end of the Triwizard Tournament and the dismissal of his friends over the summer, he decides: enough is enough. He’s done. Done with it all. He just wanted to get away. But the Wizarding world, as it happens, isn’t quite finished with him. No matter how far he runs, it always catches back up to him. Years after turning from those who left him, Harry is dragged back to that world once more. Many find him far changed from the boy who’d once known. Some - some very few - even like that change. Draco Malfoy just happens to be one of those chosen few. Rec Post

what husbands are for by softlystarstruck @softlystarstruck

To settle tensions between werewolves and vampires, Harry volunteers for a political marriage. But it turns out he’s marrying Malfoy– cold, untouchable Malfoy, who he hasn’t seen in ten years. Throughout contention and politics, werewolf pub nights and grudgingly shared meals, they have to make it work. And in the midst of it all, Harry finds something he already gave up hoping for. Rec Post

Here are a few more fics I've read recently that y'all might like to check out as well! (ﾉ^ヮ^)ﾉ*:・ﾟ✧

The Unknown Door by waterwings @amywaterwings

There is something wrong with the Bellcrest. The heart of the place beats rotten. Everyone says so. Where Draco is a magical property manager, Harry is a recluse, and they’re definitely not hiding from their problems in the run-down flats of the Bellcrest. Not at all. Not one bit.

Keep Your Brittle Heart Warm by flightinflame @flightinflame

Eighth-year offers Draco a brief respite before he returns to Azkaban. With a restricted wand, and memories of a girl who shouldn't exist, he has very little hope for the future. But when Harry brings Teddy into the school, and proves to be utterly clueless, things change beyond anything he could imagine.

Historians by oknowkiss @oknowkiss

It’s the Dumbledore’s Army Reunion Holiday, and Harry’s found himself in hot water with his friends once again, after telling them he has a boyfriend he definitely does not have. In an attempt to fix things, he’s made it his colleague on Level Nine, Draco Malfoy’s problem too. Featuring a ski chalet in Switzerland, a pair of bunk beds, and an agreement that should’ve been simple, were it not for all the bloody feelings getting in the way.

The Wake-up Kiss by Justlikewriting

This time, when Harry found himself without a date for the Ministry Yule Ball, Parvati Patil was unable to step in. So, he was left with the only other viable option: to ask Draco Malfoy. Which would be fine, of course: it had been twelve years since the war after all. And they saw each other regularly now, meeting up with the same group of friends almost every Friday night. Harry, however, obviously hadn’t taken into account just how insufferable Zacharias Smith could be.

The Binding and the Loosing by TheGoblinMatriarch @goblinmatriarch

Draco Malfoy is a reclusive academic who works on layered generational magic under the pseudonym Scholar Griseo. When he is contacted by a ‘James Black’ for help with a tricky situation with a magical House, he can’t help but notice the similarities between his potential client and Harry Potter. Since he can’t exactly refuse to help the Saviour of the magical world, Draco girds his loins and visits Grimmauld Place, where he ends up involved in what he must presume is one of those classic Harry Potter misadventures. Bonding, sentient Houses, domesticity ahoy!

( •ॢ◡-ॢ)-♡ I hope you enjoy these fics as much as I have! Happy reading, y’all! xoxo, Carey  (◍•ᴗ•◍)♡ ✧*💜💙💚💛❤💗💕💖

[stuffnonsenseandotherthings]

August has mainly been consumed by moving country, moving job, and moving house so I've not really had any free time to do anything or have any thoughts other than panicked screaming.

That being said, there were plenty of dramas I was looking forward to due to air in August and, luckily for me, most of them did not disappoint! So without further ado, let's take a look at which dramas got me through the mountains of paperwork and stress (and which didn't).

The Trainee ����🇭 👨‍❤️‍👨👩‍❤️‍👨(👩‍❤️‍👩) [10/12]

I'm going to be so sad when this show ends.

It has met and matched all my expectations so far and in terms of its narrative arcs it's absolutely fantastic (as are the characters and their relationships).

This is a show that does have romance in it but which isn't about romance, choosing to focus instead on character development both within and outside of the characters' various relationships. It's done a great job of showcasing the complex period of transition between young adulthood and working adulthood and while I know that's not everyone's cup of tea, it's definitely mine. Slow-burn, character centred, slice-of-life.... Perfection 😘👌

I started watching these next few dramas after I started moving and so really don't have any other capacity for thoughts other than "like" and "don't like". There's not going to be much commentary, just vibes.

Love Next Door 🇰🇷👩‍❤️‍👨 [5/16]

I was looking forward to this one and it's making me very happy so far. I love the bickering, I like the hints at deeper relationship issues and I'm just plain looking forward to whenever a new episode airs.

I'd say the only thing that's giving me pause so far is the second couple, especially Mo-Eun because wtf do you mean "the 5 year old child I just met is actually my new friend"? I don't care that she meant it innocently, that's still a damn weird thing to say.

Romance in the House 🇰🇷👩‍❤️‍👨 [5/12]

Korea has been really knocking it out of the house with mother daughter dramas recently, I want to know what lit the spark now.

Again, I'm enjoying each episode as it comes and I'm looking forward to each new episode so it's a yes from me so far. It's definitely giving me Not Others vibes but given I really like that drama, that's not a criticism.

(Also the award for most complicated family tree goes to Romance in the House but it also manages to make it work?)

Cinderella at 2AM 🇰🇷👩‍❤️‍👨 [2/10]

I saw someone say that a drama where the leads are already together at the start of the drama is lazy but I'm inclined to disagree.

Pretty much every romance has the leads fall in love and get together as the show progresses, there's a tried and tested route map for that (heck there's loads of route maps for that). On the other hand, I can't think of many that start with the couple 2 years into the relationship and, as such, there's probably a lot more work involved in working out how to successfully pull the romance off.

So far I have no complaints and I'm intrigued about where it's actually going to go. It's not particularly deep but it is cute and Shin Hyun Bean is who I'm here for anyway.

My Sweet Mobster 🇰🇷👩‍❤️‍👨

This was a very cute, very funny watch that still somehow managed to tackle a serious topic with as much care as it could. Could it have delved even further into the topic of restorative criminal justice and rehabilitation? Yes, but not without completely changing the mood. Could it have subverted the "knew each other from childhood" trope and done something new? Yes, but this show wasn't going for reinventing the wheel, it was going for doing the wheel well.

The characters were very likeable, the relationships between them were beautifully written and it was a nice easy watch that I'll probably pick up again some time in the future if I need something fun.

⭐ rating: 8/10

Concrete Utopia 🇰🇷📽️

I watched this with family friends after they very kindly let me stay with them for a week and wanted to watch something with me they thought I'd enjoy. I had never heard of the film before so had no expectations whatsoever but it was a surprisingly deep and timely watch.

It spends a lot of time examining the effects of "othering" as well as asking how much people are willing to excuse, ignore or even participate in in the name of self preservation and there were definitely some scenes that felt barely exaggerated given what's been on the news in recent months.

I wouldn't call it an enjoyable watch (because the consequences of post-apocalyptic dystopias are hardly enjoyable) but it was an interesting one and I'd probably recommend it to a friend looking for a film to watch.

⭐ rating: 7.5

Knock Knock Boys! 🇹🇭👨‍❤️‍👨

I was late picking up Knock Knock Boys! but, once I did, I binged it without any regrets. This was another show that was just cute and fun and very, very good at handling the topics it chose to tackle.

Latte is a new favourite character and Almond, Thanwa, Peak and all the rest all have a little space in my heart now (Jane especially). If anyone wants a comedy/slice of life BL to watch then I'd definitely point them in this dramas direction and them watch them watch it 😋

(also I don't know how but I somehow managed to miss the infamous poo scene everyone was talking about... Which is probably just as well because I don't deal well with scatological humour).

⭐ rating: 7.5/10

Century of Love 🇹🇭👨‍❤️‍👨 [Dropped]

I'm sad about this one because I was looking forward to catching up with it after I got distracted by Knock Knock Boys but now I'm very grateful for being made to stray. This show had such a promising start but, judging by everything I saw in passing, it dropped the ball hard in the second half.

Given everything else going on right now and the fact that my drama quota is pretty much full up right now, I'm not really interested in investing time in a show that doesn't meet its own potential.

Monster Next Door 🇹🇭👨‍❤️‍👨 [Dropped]

This had the weirdest pacing of a first episode I've seen in a while and it really threw me off. I just couldn't connect with anything or anyone after the multiple false starts and I wasn't curious to keep trying.

(Also the tortoise tank made me wince every time it was on screen)

(Also yes I know I said I was hyped for this one but I think the idea appealed far more than the reality of it).

Battle of the Writers 🇹🇭👨‍❤️‍👨 [Dropped]

Just a no from me to be honest. I don't think it checked any of the boxes of things I usually enjoy and that's okay.

4Minutes 🇹🇭👨‍❤️‍👨 [On Hold] [4/8]

Don't get me wrong!!! I have loved everything I've seen so far of this drama (I'm up to episode 4). The only reason 4Minutes is here instead of in the "Currently Watching" section is because I wasn't able to keep up with it while I was travelling and I want to give it the right amount of time and attention when I catch up with it.

I'm a little sad I can't join in with the theories but I'm really looking forward to getting back to it when I'm ready!

(Also I finally own a TV after 10 years of not having one and I'm mentally preparing myself for watching it on a big screen, something the first 3 episodes have indicated is a high risk manoeuvre that may involve drawn curtains and a finger on the volume button to avoid questions from my neighbours).

Midnight Romance in Hagwon 🇰🇷👩‍❤️‍👨 [On Hold] [4/16]

Like 4Minutes, this isn't a matter of not enjoying it, this is a matter of time and focus. I couldn't watch it while I was traveling and now I am way too stressed, and thus easily distracted, to give this show the thought and attention it deserves.

It has been a fantastic watch so far though, and the level of detail in each scene was so ridiculously impressive to the point where I was frequently going back to check I hadn't missed any of the nuance 👌

I barely know what's up now, let alone next so I can't really do this section. That being said, I know I'm hyped for Love In the Big City (🇰🇷👨‍❤️‍👨) and that's airing in October so that's all the really matters at the moment. If anything else comes up that I want to watch, that's a nice little bonus.

(There are other dramas I'm looking forward to - like Kidnap (🇹🇭👨‍❤️‍👨) - but I have no clue when they're airing and I don't have the brain power to check and make a calendar so I'm just going to be pleasantly surprised when they start rather than actively anticipating their release).

[jasper-book-stash]

June-August 2024 Reading Wrap-Up

Hey, sorry for disappearing off of the face of Tumblr for uhhhh three months, but I read twelve books in that time and I'm here to complain.

Religious Text

None applicable.

1/10 - Why Did They Publish This?

Moonbeams and Ashes: Tales of Mystery, Love, and the Paranormal | Margarite Stever

I picked this up from some bookstore here in Missouri under the local authors shelf. I wish I hadn't. These stories were all poorly written, and a good chunk had nothing to do with mystery, love, OR the paranormal. They weren't even bad in the fun way.

2/10 - Trash

None applicable.

3/10 - Meh

My Mother Road | Phyllis York

I picked this up from some OTHER bookstore here in Missouri under the local authors shelf. I wished this book had ended 480 pages sooner. The only highlight was at the end when the grandpa physically kicked a guy off of the porch.

Athena's Child | Hannah Lynn

A Greek myth "retelling" centering around Medusa and intercut with Perseus. It...was just mediocre. There wasn't anything interesting about what it did or changed or told, there was no taking the myth and running in a new direction with it, and worse of all we opted for the Ovid's Metamorphoses route but still used the Greek names for the gods.

4 to 6/10 - Mid-Tier

Crossword Poems, volumes 1 and 2 | Robert Norton

Two itty-bitty volumes covering what were apparently once commonly-known poems that you'd be able to remember based on half of the hint. Decent enough stuff, just kinda boring without that historical note.

Shelling Peanuts and Other Odd Odes | Howard Nelson

Another collection of poems that were ultimately mediocre with a few funny or insightful ones. Not bad, just not especially good either.

Songs of Honour | Noble House Publishers

These were, on the whole, better than the other two, but I knocked it down to 6/10 based on the fact that it took me the entire month of July and a third of August to finish. The formatting was lovely and each poem only took a page, but it was ultimately just "good-to-mediocre" on the whole.

7 to 8/10 - Good With Caveats

Outlaw: Champions of Kamigawa | Scott McGough Heretic: Betrayers of Kamigawa | Scott McGough Guardian: Saviors of Kamigawa | Scott McGough

While I personally listed Guardian as a 9/10, I figured I should keep the entire Kamigawa Cycle together. This is the story of Toshiro Umezawa, everyone's favorite fuckup self-centered protagonist dealing with the consequences of his and everyone else's actions. There were a couple times when something was referenced that didn't make sense in the setting (such as angels, Hell, or pixies), and you can definitely feel the "early 2000s white man writing a Japanese setting based on vibes alone" emanating from most of the pages, but I had a good time calling Toshi a dumbfuck over and over again.

9/10 - Very Very Good

None applicable (besides aforementioned Guardian).

10/10 - Unironically Recommend To Everyone

The Tale of Despereaux | Kate DiCamillo

In my book club, we randomly pulled this one as the one for all of us to read at the same time, and let me tell you, this book hits different when you're a queer young adult in your early twenties than it clearly hit the grown women in their 50+'s. Great book, absolutely adorable, and I love the fact that we accidentally timed it to coincide with the release of Bloomburrow.

Scaredy Squirrel: In a Nutshell | Melanie Watt

Yes, this is an Easy-level book. But somehow, this squirrel with anxiety and possibly OCD (yes, I'm projecting slightly, I kept going "he's just like me for real" aloud when I read it) is now one of my favorite fictional guys. And when he was having a meltdown, the other characters actually gave him space and respected his boundaries. Do you know how impossible that is to find in fiction? One of my favorite books now, hands down.