#author: benjamin alire sáenz

[haveyoureadthispoll]

Dante can swim. Ari can't. Dante is articulate and self-assured. Ari has a hard time with words and suffers from self-doubt. Dante gets lost in poetry and art. Ari gets lost in thoughts of his older brother who is in prison. Dante is fair skinned. Ari's features are much darker. It seems that a boy like Dante, with his open and unique perspective on life, would be the last person to break down the walls that Ari has built around himself. But against all odds, when Ari and Dante meet, they develop a special bond that will teach them the most important truths of their lives, and help define the people they want to be. But there are big hurdles in their way, and only by believing in each other―and the power of their friendship―can Ari and Dante emerge stronger on the other side.

[woodtoc]

Recommand books by women of color pleaaase, im open to any genre but i like a good prose / good family drama and character driven stories

[slaughter-books]

Day 20: JOMPBPC: Favourite Book Dad

Mr. Mendoza 💞

[bringerofrats]

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saénz: a review

Rating: 4/5 ⭐️

(Spoilers ahead!)

Book blurb (yes, that's what the text on the back of the book is called):

"Aristotle is an angry teen with a brother in prison.

Dante is a know-it-all with a unique perspective on life.

When the two first meet, they seem to have nothing in common; but as they start spending time together, they develop a special friendship - the kind that changes lives and lasts a lifetime.

Together, Ari and Dante will learn the most important truths about the universe, love and the kind of people they want to be."

****

This is a truly captivating book. It takes you on a journey through Aristotle's and Dante's life and their path to self discovery.

It's hard to put this book down once you've started reading. A very realistic story of friendship, love, and loyalty.

****

In three terms:

- sexuality

- adolescence

- self-discovery

****

Favorite quote (major spoiler ahead):

"Ashamed? Of loving Dante?" I took Dante's hand and held it. How could I have ever been ashamed of loving Dante Quintana?

[justcurlygirlthings]

september 28th 2023

we have spent monday through thursday (today) on the beach and will continue to do so until saturday when we will pack up all of our things and leave here to go back home sunday morning

i have been soaking up all the sun i can and my white as hell skin actually hasn't burned but tinted the slightest bit brown plus the trillion freckles i get in my face, my arms and my shoulders (snapchat informed me that one year ago i got out my winter blanket, today i wore a bikini)

my beach activities today:

emma chamberlain's new podcast episode

audiobook: breaking the habit of being yourself

audiobook: i'm glad my mom died

ebook: carry me like water (benjamin alire saenz, loml)

i have finally listened to all the podcast 'build up' i had in my podcas playlist aka all the podcasts i couldn't listen to because i was studying

very happy and relaxed

xo

[queer-book-character-tournament]

Characters, book, and author names under the cut

Jack Alston/Alan Ross - A Power Unbound by Freya Marske

Aristotle (“Ari”) Mendoza/Dante Quintana - Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz (sorry hit the character limit, so it got cut off in the poll)

Robin Blyth/Edwin Courcey - A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske

Alistair Lowe/Gavin Grieves - All of Us Villains by Amanda Foody & Christine Lynn Herman

[moonisthedoor]

This is a webweave for a Gerry Keay/Michael Shelley fanfic based on The Magnus Archives

I want to be home to you: The Whispering and the Reckoning web weave

for @blasphemous-lies-and-deceit <3

Elden Ring // Elden Ring // tumblr user @/s0larize (x) // In Bed, The Kiss by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec // tumblr user @/perfectlyripeclementine // Savior by Lee Hi (music video) // Savior by Lee Hi // tumblr user @/b0nkcreat // Trista Mateer // Savior by Lee Hi (music video) // The Internet Speaks Back to the Author by Phil Kaye // The Kiss by Edvard Munch // Zhenya Katava & Neus Bermejo for V Magazine, photography by Gus & Lo // Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters of the World by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

Image description in ALT text and under the cut.

Image ID 1: Screenshot of a notification from Elden Ring on dark grey background. White text: You have not sinned. Text in response button: OK. The button is highlighted.

Image ID 2: Screenshot of a notification from Elden Ring on dark grey background. White text: You don't need absolution. Text in response button: OK. The button is highlighted.

Image ID 3: A photo of a person holding a bottle of purple nail polish in their hands, painting someone's nails. Their shirt is black with a red graphic print on it that includes a word "love". Their own nails are the same shade of metallic purple as the polish they're holding. You can't see their face as it's cut off.

Image ID 4: A painting of two people laying in bed. They're embracing each other and kissing. The person on the left has red hair slightly past their shoulders. The person on the right has short red hair. They're covered up to their chest by the blanket. The sheets and the blanket are white.

Image ID 5: Sccreenshot of a tumblr post from a user @perfectlyripeclementine. Black text on white background: calling my lover "mine" but not in the way that my toothbrush or notebook are mine, mine in the way my neighborhood is mine, and also everybody else's, "mine" like mine to tend to, mine to care for, mine to love. "mine" not like possession but devotion. End of text.

Image ID 6: A screenshot from a music video. A Korean man with black hair and black eyes is sitting on a low couch. He's wearing a white shirt with a red outline on the collar and black pants. His legs are slightly spread. A Korean woman with black hair and black eyes is laying on her side with her head in his lap. She's on the right side of the man. She's wearing a long white dress and her hands are clasped in her own lap. In the background you can see a church altar.

Image ID 7: Screenshot of lyrics. Black text on white background: Is there such a thing as love without despair? // Where will you be taking me? Yeah, yeah // Will you be able to stay by my side // As long as I wish you to? Hm. End of text.

Image ID 8: A screenshot of a Tumblr ask. Anonymous said: "do you think it'll all be okay?" User b0nkcreat, who has a blue and a green checkmark near their username, responds: "yeah. even if it won't i've got people to love in the meantime".

Image ID 9: Screenshot of black text on white background: In this space right here that we have made for each other, [text highlighted in light blue] you can say anything and I will not abandon you [highlighting ends]. Unwrap the worst things you have done. Watch me hold them up to the light and not even flinch.

Image ID 10: Screenshot from a music video. A Korean woman with dark hair and dark eyes is in the center of the shot, facing the camera. She's hugging a dark-haired man with her right hand, looking to her right side. The man is wearing a dark shirt with white vertical stripes in the center of the back. He's hiding his face in the woman's shoulder. In the background you can see the inside of a church, an altar and reliefs of saints on the walls.

Image ID 11: Screenshot of black text on white background: tell me what you want // [text italicized] every door you enter // I will let you in [italicized text ends]

Image ID 12: A painting of two people kissing. The person on the left is wearing a dark red suit, they have black hair. They're leaning against a green nightstand. A person on the right is wearing long black dress with red outlining the sleeves and the collar. They're hugging the other person by their neck. As the two are kissing, their faces are featurless, melting into each other.

Image ID 13: A photo of two people's hands. They're holding each other by the pinkies. The person on the left has light skin and is wearing a dark blue sleeveless dress. The person on the right is wearing a dark blue dress with buttoned cuffs on the sleeves. Nothing beyond the arms and a piece of their skirts can be seen. The arms are entangled with a red string from the middle of the forearm to the tips of the fingers of both hands. The photo is framed with a digital black frame.

Image ID 14: Screenshot of black text on white background: "We have to go home." // "I'm already home. I'm with you."

[thousandfireworks]

Authors whose books you have to avoid because they are problematic.

Abigail Hing Wen.

Alex Aster.

Alice Hoffman.

Alice Oseman.

Alison Win Scotch. ‘Terrorism is never acceptable. Not in Israel.’

Allie Sarah.

Amber Kelly.

Amy Harmon.

Annabelle Monaghan.

Anna Akana.

Aurora Parker.

Benjamin Alire Sáenz.

Brandon Sanderson. Islamophobic.

Carissa Broadbent. Said that hamas is doing violence against innocence.

Chloe Walsh. Siding with Israel in the name of humanity.

Christina Lauren. Believe that Israel is the victim. A racist, also Islamophobic.

Colleen Hoover.

Cora Reilly. Travel to Israel despite criticism.

Danielle Bernstein. Islamophobic.

Danielle Lori.

Deke Moulton. Said hamas is terrorist.

Dian Purnomo.

Eliza Chan.

Elle Kennedy.

Elyssa Friedland.

Emily Henry.

Emily Mclntire.

Emily St. J. Mandel. Admiring Israel.

Gabrielle Zevin. Wrote a book about anti-Palestine. Mentioned Israel multiple times without context on his book.

Gregory Carlos. Israeli author. A zionist.

Hannah Whitten.

Hazel Hayes. Reposted a post about October 7th.

Heidi Shertok.

Jamie McGuire.

Jay Shetty. ‘Violence is happening in Israel.’

Jean Meltzer.

Jeffery Archer. Wrote a book with a mc Israel operative (mossad) in a positive and anti terrorist light.

Jennifer Hartman. Liked a post about pro-Israel.

Jen Calonita.

Jessa Hastings.

Jill Santopolo. Said that Israel has right to exist and fight back.

John Green.

Jojo Moyes.

J. Elle.

J. K. Rowling. Support genocide. Racist. Islamophobic.

Kate Canterbery.

Kate Stewart.

Katherine Howe.

Katherine Locke.

Kristin Hannah. Support Israel. Shared a donation link.

Laini Taylor.

Laura Thalassa. Islamophobic.

Lauren Wise. Cussed that Palestinian supporters would be raped in front of children.

Lea Geller. Thanked people who supports Israel.

Leigh Dragoon. Islamaphobic and anti Asian racist rants on Twitter and threads

Leigh Stein.

Lilian Harris. A racist. Blocking people who educates about colonialism in Palestine and call them disgusting.

Lisa Barr. A daughter of Holocaust survivor. Support Israel.

Lisa Kennedy Montgomery.

Lisa Steinke.

Liz Fenton.

Lynn Painter. Afraid of getting cancelled as a pro-Palestine and posted a template afterwards.

L. J. Shen. Her husband joins idf (Israel army).

Mariana Zapata.

Marie Lu.

Marissa Meyer.

Melissa de la Cruz.

Michelle Cohen Corasanti.

Michelle Hodkin. Spread false rumors about arab-hamas. Islamophobic.

Mitch Albom. ‘We shouldn't blame Israel for surviving attacks or defending against them.’

Monica Murphy. Siding with Israel.

Naomi Klein.

Navah Wolfe.

Neil Gaiman. Suggested Palestinians unite with Israel and become citizens.

Nicholas Sparks.

Nic Stone. Talked nonsense that children in Palestinian refugee camp are training to be martyrs for Allah because they felt it was their call in life.

Nyla K.

Olivia Wildenstein. Blocking people who disagree with Israel wrongdoing.

Pamela Becker.

Penelope Douglas.

Pierce Brown.

Rachel Lynn Solomon.

Rebecca G. Martinez.

Rebecca Yarros. ‘I despise violence’ her opinion about what's happening in Gaza. Blocking people who calls her a zionist.

Rena Rossner.

Renee Ahdieh.

Rick Riordan.

Rina Kent.

Rivka (noctem.novelle).

Rochelle Weinstein.

Romina Garber. ‘These terrorist attacks do nothing to improve the lives of Palestinians people.’

Roshani Chokshi. Encourage people to donate to Israel.

Samantha Greene Woodruff.

Sarah J. Mass. Her book contained ideology of zionism.

Stephanie Garber. Promoting books by zionist author (Sarah J. Mass)

Skye Warren.

Sonali Dev.

Talia Carner.

Tarryn Fisher. Said ‘there was terrorist attack in Israel.’

Taylor Jenkins Reid. Posted a video about genocide.

Tere Liye. Rumoured to have ghoswriters to write his books and never give credit to them.

Tillie Cole.

Tracy Deon.

Trinity Traveler (Ade Perucha Hutagaol). Rumour to wrote book about handsome Israelis.

T. J. Klune.

Uri Kurlianchik.

Veronica Roth.

Victoria Aveyard. ‘Israel has the right to exist.’ quote from her about the issue.

V. E. Schwab. Shared a donation link and video about Israel.

Yuval Noah. ‘Israel has the right to do anything to defend themselves.’

Zibby Owens.

[possibly-evil]

im reading Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe. guys. I don't think im ok. holy crap. ive felt tears on my eyes a couple times, yes because its sad, but also like holy shit its such a beautiful book. guys. I think this is my new favorite book. oh my god. it is amazing. Ive never been this invested in a book before. im not even halfway through. I already know how it ends, but I was able to guess it even before I read spoilers. this man has already called his best friend beautiful twice without actually saying it. I can tell that he's in love without the word even being said. oh my god. this book is a masterpiece. wtf. im not ok. ive never loved a book this much before. I strive to be as good an author as Benjamin Alire Sáenz. im not even Spanish, but like, seriously, I can understand how they feel. I don't even know why. I haven't even had any similar experiences to what's going on in the book, but I relate to what they're going through. what the fuck. how. this is art. I could talk about this book for days. I will never recover from this. I don't want to ever recover from this book. I want this absolute masterpiece to scar me forever so that I will always have a part of it with me. this book is life changing. what the fuck is going on. oh my god.

sorry this is totally off topic for me but like. goddamn. this book is so touching I recommend you read it if you haven't already.

[siminnamarie]

ARISTOTLE AND DANTE DISCOVER THE SECRETS OF THE UNIVERSE

I started reading Ari and Dante a few days ago and I finished it yesterday. Ever since reading it I have thought about it all day every day. I'm going to buy the second book as soon as I can.

I related to Ari and Dante so much. I loved the characters, I loved the writing. I loved the whole book. I wish I could read it for the first time again.

And I do know that there are some controversies about the author Benjamin Alire Sáenz and what he has done is not acceptable at all, but I still love this book so much it is on my top three books of all time.

[ritzcrackee]

april tbr post yayy

rereads are marked by a ☆, new reads are marked by a ♡, and new acquisitions are bolded

physical tbr: 20

what moves the dead - t. kingfisher ♡

an education in malice - s. t. gibson ♡

juilet takes a breath - gabby rivera ♡

stories of people and civilization, greek ancient origins - lindsay powell, j. k. jackson ♡

rebel girls - elizabeth keenan ♡

the silent stars go by - dan abbet ♡

touched by an angel - johnathan morris ♡

dracula - bram stoker ♡

dune - frank herbert ♡

dune messiah - frank herbert ♡

frankenstein - mary shelley ♡

sense and sensibility - jane austen ♡

hippie - barry miles ♡

evernight - claudia gray ☆

stargazer - claudia gray ♡

the handmaids tale - margaret atwood ☆

the testaments - margaret atwood ♡

aristotle and dante discover the secrets of the

universe - benjamin alire sáenz ☆

would-be witch - kimberly frost ☆

the ballad of songbirds and snakes - suzanne collins ☆

digital tbr: 2

pandora's jar: women in the greek myths - natalie haynes ♡

wild is the witch - rachel griffin ♡

read: 7

a million kisses in your lifetime - monica murphy - dnf

i got like 80 pages in and then just,,, could not continue. no shade if u liked this book it was just solidly, solidly not my thing.

my monster valentine - various authors - 3/5

debated putting this on here for obvious reasons but i neeeeed to be accurate i guess. i only read about half of the stories in this collection and they were pretty hit or miss. it was free though so yk. vibes.

high spirits - camille gomera-tavarez - 2.5/5

this book was pretty alright! i don't have much to say about it (hence the middling rating) but i would reccomend it if you're looking for a fast read :D

the coldest touch - isabel sterling - 4/5

THIS WAS SO CUUUUTTTTTEEEEE!!! i liked the way the author portrayed the genuine hell that being stuck at 17 would be. please get me out of here i want a fully developed frontal lobe. AW and all of the characters were super likable. truly so adorable i was squealing the whole time.

im knocking a point off for the romance being a littttllllleeeee rushed and the character descriptions feeling off (it felt odd that both pov characters categorized every single person into a specific race? i think its good practice to make a characters race clear, but idk if that applies to a random teacher with no dialogue). to be so real though i loved this book enough that it didn't bother me too much.

beastly & bookish - catrina bell - 5/5

did i finish this book in one sitting? yes. did i stay up until 1am doing that? ...mind your business. honestly, im maybeee being a little bit generous giving this 5 stars but !! i really liked it!!! rom was soo mecore. i'm excited to read the rest of the books in this collection (even though they're all christmasy), and i can't wait for my physical copy to get here!!

holly's unjolly christmas - lark green - 2/5

this book was truly just fine. like, the definition of pretty alright. the tropes weren't my thing and the romance felt wildly rushed, but the writing style was easy to read and there were some funny bits. i also felt like the demon characters fell pretty flat? idk felt mid overall. (tbh the highlights of this book were when rom and noelle showed up. my babiesssss)

holidays ablaze - lucy limon - 3/5

v cute 👍 i love samite he's so autistic 💗

last months goal: finish dune

hmm ok. so i did not finish dune. i don't know why i thought i could. whatever possessed me to believe i could finish an 800 page sci-fi book in one month was truly of the devil herself. what the fuck. that was a blatant temptation towards hubris and I FELL FOR IT. anyways i hit 300 pages. everyone clap.

this months goal: finish a re-read

i have a lot of books i'd like to re-read but!!! i just never get around to it!!!! there r always newer shinier books that grab my attention!! i'd also like to carve away a more sizable chunk of my physical tbr this month because i have officially run out of space on my bookshelf TwT. everything is so so crammed in there, i truly cannot afford any more physical books. public library here i come!!

[gabenvrhappened]

BooksOr... Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe

Read my post about the movie;

Throughout the times I sat to read Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe (most of it when I was getting ready to sleep, but once in Primrose Hill), something inside of me screamed for the chance to put into a song all the love the book was making me feel. Just like the movie, living the story of Ari and Dante was incredibly cathartic. Unfortunately, until now at least, I wasn't able to write anything — which is shocking and definitely not usual. All that I know is that I felt the love in Benjamin Alire Sáenz's writing jumping from the page to my chest, in a warm and welcoming way.

Innocent and pure is the best way to describe it. The words that follow us through the reading, that come from Ari, are just as simple as you could expect them to be from a 16-year-old, but they hold so much weight and sincerity. It's not a mystery why this book is famous because it blew my mind how the author was able to capture the essence of growing up so perfectly, that it became an arrow that could look deep into my soul and fish my inner secrets to the surface. Just like the movie, reading the story unfold made me come back to many moments of my life, but, mostly, made me reflect on where I am right now. Made me hope for the simplicity of falling in love.

As we grow up and discover the power of attraction, everything tends to become a road to the finish line. We look at people on the street (or at the gym) and wonder what it would take to have this person in bed with us. We forget to create connections, we forget the moments that could lead to a kiss, because we have our eyes on the prize. I wonder if that's just me, or if we really lost that sensibility. I won't lie; I always pictured how cool it would be to live an enemy-to-lovers story, but reading this book made me want to live a friend-to-lovers experience because, after all, that's all we should want in a partner: a friend.

Here, Ari has a special friend in Dante. The book, of course, runs more deeply into their friendship than the movie. I love, for example, how they are always laughing and repeating each other's sentences. I loved reading the small clues of Ari's hidden love throughout his thoughts. The book does a good job in building up his character, and I found it fascinating how his parents helped him understand his love for Dante, making him, in a special way, come out. It was different and touching, and it felt so right. I wished Dante had the same development, but it was infatuating seeing all the love and affection he shows towards life and his parents (something I missed in the movie).

However, nothing, I said nothing, prepared me for the chapter where Dante asks to bathe Ari (page 145). Nothing and I can't stress that enough. I had to read that chapter twice (maybe even more) while I was drunk at a bar in SoHo. I never had read something so honest and touching. Again, innocent and pure. It was the most beautiful thing in the world, and I don't know why exactly, but that chapter, of only two pages, will be forever marked in my mind. One of the desert chapters, though, comes really close, where they are smoking pot (page 273). When Ari says he wouldn't know what he would do if Dante touched him while they were laying naked on Ari's truck after running around in the rain, was like the fist on my throat had grabbed my heart.

It's impossible not to draw parallels, especially because I saw the movie first (and rewatched it as soon as I finished the book). While the book brings more into Bernardo's drama, it's in a way that feels more palpable than the movie. And, just like the part where Ari beats up Julian, the book gives more context of why there weren't any consequences. These two things made me see this storyline in a better light than the movie did and made it feel more real and understandable. And even though the movie failed to do justice to Dante's letter — which is acceptable —, it gained more depth with Aunt Ophelia's presence. Overall, the adaptation was amazing (but I wish we could see the 2:47 hours cut the director mentioned one time on her Twitter).

The thing is that, in London, my creativity flows in so many different ways (at this Tumblr, at the gym, in my acting classes) that my songwriting started to become less current than it used to be, and, even though I understand that, I hated it because I wanted so badly to write a love song about this book. It's so insane to imagine that I didn't roll my eyes at this book not once when I'm constantly doing that throughout some passages in Adam Silvera's books, for example.

That's why I'm so excited to read the sequel to this, and I couldn't be happier to know that it has more pages than the first one. I'm also scared because sequels tend to have less magic than the first project, but I'm glad that I'll be able to dive into the story as it goes, something I missed while reading this because I already knew everything. I wonder what will take my breath away in the second book, just like the thought of Dante dying took mine during those minutes in the theater last December. I'll let you in on this secret of Ari's and Dante's universe when I delve into the waters of the second book. Thank God it's being delived in two days.

[slaughter-books]

Day 3: JOMPBPC: Summer

Four beautiful books that make me think of Summer! 💙

[sarandipitywrites]

Happy STS, Saran!

Is there any book/author that has influenced your writing? Be it with style, ideas, or something else (like the decision to do it better?)

happy STS, Elli!

i think everything i read influences my writing, at least a little bit. but i think the ones that stick out to me the most are the ones that have taught me that the 'rules' of writing that we're told in school, or even here in writing spaces, can and should be broken. a couple examples:

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz uses its chapters and how they're formatted to add to the narrative. depending on the current mindset of the narrator, they might resemble traditional chapters, or they might feel more like journal entries. one chapter is two sentences; another is a page of untagged dialogue. that book made me rethink the whole concept of formatting, and how it doesn't need to meet a certain standard; it just needs to fit the story you're trying to tell.

No Gods, No Monsters by Cadwell Turnbull (can you tell i really loved this one?) plays with the idea of a narrative voice by making the 'omniscient narrator' a character in the story. especially early in the story, the author seems to commit the cardinal sin of 'head-hopping,' but it makes perfect sense because that's what the narrator is actually doing.

there are a ton more, but it's the same idea. i don't think it's a bad thing to know the 'rules' - it's good to understand what your readers' base expectations are. but i love books/authors that show me different ways to yeet the rules out the window the moment they stop serving the story 😈

thanks for the ask! 💜

[fairysluna]

get to know me!

thank you for the tags my lovelies @aemondsbabe @aemonds-holy-milk @bucknastysbabe it's been a while since I've done one of these.

NICKNAME — just Liv, i think.

SIGN — cancer 🦀

HEIGHT — 1.62cm / 5"2

LAST THING I GOOGLED — today's weather, how to go to a place I've never been before, and how much was 1.62cm in feet.💀

AMOUNT OF SLEEP — last night were 5hrs but it's usually between 6 to 7 hours.

DREAM JOB — a writer, or a high school teacher.

FAVORITE SONG — right now is 'Is It Over Now?' by Taylor Swift.

MOVIE/BOOK THAT SUMMARIZES ME — Prob The Edge of Seventeen, Nadine was the first character I could truly relate on.

FAVORITE INSTRUMENT — Piano and Violins, I lovE THEM.

AESTHETIC — Light Academia maybe?? most of my clothes is brown, white, black and light green lmao.

FAVORITE AUTHORS — Used to be Benjamin Alire Sáenz, but now it's Taylor Jenkins Reid.

RANDOM FUN FACT — I'm deadly afraid of bird due to a zoo trauma. Have you guys seen that bird that's call Shoebill? that's a fucking demon right there, the most ugly creature to ever exist, i hate it.

Tagging to whoever wants to do it!🤍

[queer-book-character-tournament]

Characters, book, and author names under the cut

Aristotle (“Ari”) Mendoza/Dante Quintana - Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

Nina Zenik/Matthias Hevlar - Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo