#back to the tbr

[fyrix]

The second book to Meeting Millie by Clare Ashton is absolutely fucking fantastic!! It’s a slow burn in true fashion with Clare Ashton’s other books, but it is messy in the best way and has oh so much yearning. The sapphic love is palpable, and the spicy scenes delicious. I recommend reading the first book for some context, but if you want to read this one as a standalone you could!

One minor spoiler because I just HAVE to say it: SHE WAITED FOR HER EEEEEEE!!

Everybody say thank you Clare Ashton!

5/5 🌟

[wearethekat]

Anticipated Upcoming New Releases

Anticipated by Me. Asterisk for titles where I haven't read anything by the author previously (ie sounds cool but unvetted)

*Single Player, Tara Tai. f/nb romance about a romance storywriter and her video game dev boss.

*Hammajang Luck, Makana Yamamoto (14 January). In a far-future world, a thief is approached by the partner who betrayed her for one last job just after getting out of a prison planet on early parole.

*Death of the Author, Nnedi Okorafor (14 January). Recently unemployed Zelu starts to write a new science fiction book, as the lines between fiction and reality begin to blur.

*Modern Divination, Isabel Agajanian (30 January). Young witch has carefully balanced her witchcraft with her demanding life at Cambridge University—only to find that her magic powers are fading.

Emily Wilde's Compendium of Lost Tales, Heather Fawcett (11 February). Book three of a series, in which Emily deals with the repercussions of being engaged to a faerie king.

*But Not Too Bold, Hache Pueyo (11 February). Novella. Sapphic retelling of Bluebeard featuring a giant humanoid spider.

Wooing the Witch Queen, Stephanie Burgis (18 February). Romantasy in which an evil sorceress queen gets catfished by a disguised imperial archduke pretending to be a librarian in a gaslamp setting.

*Greenteeth, Molly O'Neill (25 February). The legendary Molly Greenteeth teams up with a local witch to defeat an evil pastor.

*The Fourth Consort, Edward Ashton (25 February). A human representative to what's supposed to be a pan-species space confederation finds out he's actually on the wrong (and losing) side, and gets trapped on another planet.

The River Has Roots, Amal El-Mohtar (4 March). Novella. Two sisters living at the edge of Faerie tumblr into trouble when one of them takes a faerie suitor.

Once Was Willem, MR Carey (4 March). In medieval England, the eponymous Willem drags himself out of his grave to defend his village against an evil threat.

The Tomb of Dragons, Katherine Addison (11 March). Reportedly actually coming out this year! In book 3 of the series, Thara Celehar investigates a case involving an old cemetery and a miner's group.

A Gentleman's Gentleman, TJ Alexander (11 March). Alexander sticks their nose into the Regency genre with this t4t lord/valet romance.

Idolfire, Grace Curtis (11 March). One woman searching for a last chance and another woman looking for redemption travel to a sleeping magical city.

*Murder by Memory, Olivia Waite (18 March). A sci-fi mystery novella set on a generation ship, where a ship's detective investigates a mysterious murder.

*Aunt Tigress, Emily Yu-Xuan Qin (18 March). Reformed monster Tam investigates the murder of her aunt in Chinese folklore inspired urban fantasy Canada.

*The Keeper of Lonely Spirits, EM Anderson (25 March). Cursed to live forever, ghost hunter Peter starts to settle after two hundred years in a small town in Ohio.

A Drop of Corruption, Robert Jackson Bennett (1 April). Sequel. Our Sherlock Holmes coded detective investigates the disappearance of a treasury officer with the help of her trusty assistant in a complex secondary fantasy world.

*Where the Axe is Buried, Ray Nayler (1 April). In a crumbling near-future Earth, a brilliant scientist flees, because her new invention might be key to assassinating the immortal uploaded President.

*A Duke Never Tells, Suzanne Enoch (1 April). In this Regency romp, somehow both a young lady and the man she's affianced to are in disguise below stairs.

Don't Sleep With The Dead, Nghi Vo (8 April). Vo returns to the fantasy Great Gatsby setting with this novella from the POV of Nick Carraway post-novel events.

*The Raven Scholar, Antonia Hodgson (15 April). Seven candidates compete to become the next emperor—until one of them is murdered. The emperor's scholar attempts to find the killer.

*The Gentleman and His Vowsmith, Rebecca Ide (15 April). An accidentally falling in love with your wedding vendor by during your arranged marriage book, now with a locked mansion murder mystery.

*Notes from a Regicide, Isaac Fellman (15 April). Trans Griffon's adoptive parents die suddenly, leaving him to sort through their papers, which follows the failed revolution they fled.

Advocate, Daniel M Ford (22 April). Book three of a series. Insufferable lesbian necromancer Aelis is summoned back to the capital to investigate an accusation against her former teacher.

Saint Death's Herald, CSE Cooney (22 April). Sequel to my particular favorite Saint Death's Daughter. Lanie Stones must contain her murderously ambitious (and dead) great grandfather before he conquers the world.

*The Sun Blessed Prince, Lindsey Byrd (29 April). Queer romance between a prince with healing magic and the assassin sent to kill him.

Brighter than Scale, Swifter Than Flame, Neon Yang (6 May). Emissary and dragon hunter Yeva is sent to a nation that worships dragons to seduce their queen. Novella.

Drop Dead, Lily Chu (6 May). Rival journalists Nadine and Wesley spar for the scoop on a reclusive author-- until she dies suddenly, and the executor grants them both three weeks to study her papers together.

Ascension, ST Gibson (13 May). Sequel to Evocation about the contentious urban fantasy wizard polycule.

The Incandescent, Emily Tesh (13 May). A professor at a magical academy deals with some troublesome demons. (I'm VERY excited for this one)

*Anji Kills A King, Evan Leikam (13 May). In an impulsive moment, a laundry maid assassinates the king. She flees, pursued by a band of mercenaries with magic masks.

The Starving Saints, Caitlin Starling (20 May). After a six month siege, a castle is freed by a group of cultlike saints. As the castle descends into cannibalism orgies, can three women find a way to save themselves?

Strange New World, Vivian Shaw (20 May). The fourth book in the Greta Helsing series, in which Greta escorts an angel and a demon across America .

*Behooved, M Stevenson (20 May). Princess Bianca agrees to marry a prince in order to end the war—only to have a botched assassination attempt turn him into a horse. They flee together in order to unravel the evil plot.

The Grimoire Grammar School Parent Teacher Association, Caitlin Rozakis (27 May). Ordinary parent Vivian has to rapidly adapt to the world of magic schools when her kindergartener is bitten by a werewolf.

June and later releases under the cut

The Listeners, Maggie Stiefvater (3 June). Hotel manager June is put to an unexpected test when the hotel's rich owners make a deal to host captured Nazi officials.

The Witch Roads, Kate Elliot (10 June). An arrogant prince enters the haunted Spires against the advice of their guide, leaving ex-slave Elen with the unenviable task of guiding a man who isn't quite the same as the one who entered.

The Mercy Makers, Tessa Gratton (17 June). Criminal heiress Iriset uses her ability to create magical disguises to infiltrate the palace and free her father, insinuating herself into the lives of the emperor and his sister in the process.

*This Princess Kills Monsters, Ry Herman (17 June). A sapphic retelling of the Grimm fairy tale The Twelve Huntsmen.

A Far Better Thing, HG Parry (17 June). Changeling child Sydney escapes and crosses over to the human world during the French Revolution to get his revenge on the fairie that took his place.

A Legionnaire's Guide to Love and Peace, Emily Skrutskie (24 June). Two redshirts unexpectedly don't die in a fantasy apocalypse after a band of plucky heroes intervene, forcing them to contemplate their one last night stand.

The Bewitching, Silvia Moreno-Garcia (15 July). A multigenerational story about three women and the curse that stalks their family.

The Memory Hunters, Mia Tsai (29 July). Secondary world academia about using memory magic powers for archaeology.

Hemlock & Silver, T Kingfisher (19 August). A retelling of Snow White from the point of view of a healer trying to cure the poisoned princess.

*Terms of Service, Ciel Pierlot (23 September). Luzia sells herself to the mysterious fae-like Astrosi who live above the metropolis in order to rescue her nephew.

[idontmindifuforgetme]

About to deep clean & rearrange my bookcase …… I am about to be a girl reborn

[grumpysunfish]

Hm. There's this strange idea that reputation does not matter and anybody who cares about it are losers bowing down to the ruling class (and well, that is a part of it) instead of the very real thing that has dire consequences (see: wei wuxian and jin guangyao)

"What will happen to Yunmeng Jiang had they stood with Wei Wuxian and the Wens" is not an open and shut case and maybe all they were going to lose is opportunities for advancements (which by the way is a very serious deal for a war torn region and a sect struggling to find their foothold) but also, it is a very real possibility that they fall with Wei Wuxian.

And hm, there is selfishness in wanting to protect your own over everybody else which jiang cheng is very much guilty of. (Although i'd argue that there is lot of nuance here) But he is also somebody who's motivations are rarely about himself, would put his people above his wants and needs and well being, and would rather eat his own foot than ask anybody to put up/stay with him. Including Wei Wuxian, the guy who supposedly he feels he is owed by. And you know, there's selflessness in that

[bbmbabyss]

“ jameson hawthorne was dangerously good at a lot of things “ ‧𓍢ִ໋☕ ׂ 𓈒 ⋆ ۪

[ghostjelliess]

5 books I reread a lot that I don't think get talked about enough:

Highfire: grouchy and ancient, the last of the dragons gets beer delivered to his bayou home by a scrappy kid while Bad Guy hunts for him, bonding and shenanigans ensue + side plot mom romance is cute. Not for kids. My favorite line is Bad Guy saying (paraphrased) "Imma bury him so deep, they'll need an archaeologist to find him."

We Are the Ants: depressed baby boy is abducted by aliens and given a choice to press the button that will destroy the world. They'll be back for the answer. He moves through his life looking for advice and wondering if he should push the button, asking people around him, hypothetically of course, what they would do as we begin to understand his hesitation and the countdown to the alien return for his answer approaches.

The Strange and Beautiful Life of Ava Lavender: small-town witch family has a daughter with wings. This makes life hard as she grows up. Content warning for metaphorical SA, but it's about how the resilience of recovery starts long before the traumas, and how hope can look so different from each angle. I did not think the end was tragic or vague, tbh, but I guess some people did. Maybe I read what I needed to hear, either way it sits on the special shelf.

Every Heart A Doorway: when portal fantasy kids (like Alice from wonderland, Wendy from Neverland) return home, they don't always assimilate. The traumatized ones get sent to a special school to wait for their portal doors to reappear, and because some are from nonsense worlds and others are from logic worlds, the kids don't always get along, but they're all there for the same reason, and maybe that's enough. Also then the murders start happening and we may have to reevaluate how the school works.

Lexicon: words can be magic words to the right people, but the right people can become the wrong people if enough shit happens to them because some things can't be expressed in words. Is it sci-fi? Is it Fantasy? Probably both. Our agents hunt for their Bad Guy and we learn what happens when traumas are left unchecked and exploited.

[lexalovesbooks]

9 books I want to read in 2025, tagged by @livingasaghost and @mackaronicheese

Tagging @lgbtqforeverything @bookwyrminspiration @frecht and anyone else who wants to join in!

[lakecountylibrary]

Read what the librarian is reading!

Here's Kate's current TBR pile:

Honey Lemon Soda (volume 3) by Mayu Murata

Taran Wanderer (book 4 of the Chronicles of Prydain) by Lloyd Alexander

Sweet Valley Twins Volume 4: The Haunted House by Nicole Andelfinger

Uprooted: A Memoir about what Happens When Your Family Moves Back by Ruth Chan

Noodle & Bao by Shaina Lu

Twenty-four Seconds from Now by Jason Reynolds

Ditching Saskia by John Moore

Thief of the Heights by Son M.

This Land is our Land: A Blue Beetle Story by Julio Anta

Girlmode by Magdalene Visaggio

The Strange Case of Harleen and Harley by Melissa Marr

Wingborn by Marjorie Liu

Full Shift by Jennifer Dugan

The Terrifying Tales of Vivian Vance by Josh Ulrich

See more of Kate's recs

[gallafics]

𝙶𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚊𝚏𝚒𝚌'𝚜 𝚁𝚎𝚌𝚜

Category — Fics for when you want something everyone and their mama has read! (No Major Spoilers)

“The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Ian Gallagher” by @goodkwuestion (Ao3)

Complete. 36 chapters. 309.8k words. Explicit. Graphic depictions of violence. AU. Slow Burn. Explicit sexual content. Mutual pining. Violence. Gun violence. Abuse. Drug use. Sexual harassment.

Everything about this fic is pure perfection. The plot, the dialogue, the dynamic, the chemistry. Ian and Mickey’s desire for one another is palpable from their first meeting. This story is thrilling and entertaining—extremely binge worthy and the cinematic style of writing will definitely have you glued to your device doing just that! (Full review — coming soon!)

“Like Real People Do” by @gallavichy (Ao3)

Complete. 19 chapters. 213.7k words. Explicit. No Warnings Apply. AU. Online dating. Escorting. Sexual inexperience. Fluff. Slow burn. Smut.

This story is home to one of my favorite Gallavich AU plot lines. It has some light moments of angst, but overall, it's a very light, romantic story with a wonderful balance of romance and comedy. I love the fact that Ian and Mickey don't physically meet for pretty much the first half of this story. I find it's just a tad more special when they finally come together in person. (Full review — coming soon!)

“Ransom” by @beckyharvey29 (Ao3)

Complete. 40 chapters. 110.9k words. Explicit. Graphic depictions of violence. AU. Slow burn. Angst. Gun violence. Kidnapping. Implied sexual assault. Drug use. Enemies to lovers. Angst with happy ending. Protective Mickey.

This is an amazing story that I finished in just one day. It has a darker tone, but it's not triggering. At its core, it's really a story about two men falling in love under high stakes. I particularly love Mickey's characterization in this fic. This story will make you feel everything—I laughed, cried, cringed, felt the angsty moments intensely, and the romantic scenes were intense too. It's definitely a must read! (Full review - coming soon!)

“Restoration” by @palepinkgoat (Ao3)

Complete. 14 chapters. 112.7k words. Explicit. No warnings used. AU. Slow burn. Pining. Smut. Closeted Mickey. Internalized homophobia. Self-Harm. Thoughts of self-harm. Implied past abuse. Emotional sex. Dirty talk. Happy ending.

Like all of the fics on this list, Restoration holds a special place in my heart, however, this one specifically because it’s the very first gallavich fic I ever read when I joined the fandom. Mickey and Ian in this are written to perfection. Their journey to loving one another is top tier. Now, I am slightly biased since this fic popped my cherry in the gallafics world but ask anyone who has read it, I promise they’ll agree!! (Full review — coming soon!)

“Cooperative Gameplay” by @gallavichy (Ao3)

Complete. 18 chapters. 421k words. Explicit. No warnings apply. AU. YouTuber Mickey. Friends with benefits to lovers. Fandom culture. Emotional hurt/comfort. Fluff. Light angst. Slow burn.

I’m confident to say this fic is loved by the masses and I can say with certainty that it lives up to its expectations. Ian and Mickey are slightly ooc, however it works extremely well with the story and plot. Ian is still our loveable dope and Mickey is still our grumpy boy. But watching their mutual mining turn into more and the way it’s writing is just *chefs kiss*. It’s funny, it’s light hearted, there are moments of angst and it is absolutely binge worthy! (Full review—coming soon!)

[ofliterarynature]

physical tbr of doom • read november 2024

The Silence of Bones by June Hur DNF

Hotel by Arthur Hailey DNF

Heart's Blood by Juliet Marillier

The Lost Manuscript by Cathy Bonidan DNF

Animal Farm by George Orwell

Kicking Ice by Stephanie Phillips, etc

Very poor showing from this month's tbr reads, it was a struggle to find anything I wanted to finish! No keepers from this lot :/ Honorable mention to Terec and the Wall and The Glassblower by Victoria Goddard, which I own and read on ebook.

[grimmweepers]

it's crazy how you mentally want to write something so badly, like you actually have the motivation for it, but the moment you open gdoc, it's as if you suddenly forget every word in existence

[thepurplebones]

Me, trying to patiently wait for AO3 to restart:

[cultivating-wildflowers]

Why is it so difficult to sit down and just read these days? I used to read a book in a single sitting but now it's like I have no attention span.

*opens up a book with an engaging writing style, well-crafted characters, and a decent grasp of pacing*

*proceeds to tear through it*

Ok so maybe it's not entirely a me problem....

[kneipe]

leipzig 2024

[theosconfessions]

@ohsosims

if you'd like to read the stephens from the beginning you can do so overrrr hereeee :)

transcript under cut :)

scarlett: theo? theo: bugs the shit out of me that you call me that , kid. not going to lie. scarlett: oh..well.. [clears throat] theo: no, i know why you do it. i just thought i should tell you that i hate it...otherwise this will be normal and i kinda dont want it to be. scarlett: wait..what will be normal? theo: this..you guys hating my guts. im here, kid. im trying. scarlett: i see that. just...going to you know..take longer for us to trust you .. for dad to trust you. theo: cool. we have two infants but cool to know he still doesnt trust me. AGAIN. scarlet: can you blame us? and youre drunk rambling. theo: right.sorry..go ahead [motions] scarlett: right..RIGHT! robin and i have a social studies thing and we were thinking... you used to be on a show right? theo:save it,scar scarlett: excuse me?? save what...we were just. we think everyone would wanna hear about it. its pretty popular now. theo: as much as that strokes my ego..i know theres no project.you have questions. i get that.i owe you guys a lot. honest being one of them..so..ill answer..

[the---hermit]

The Forbidden Harbor by Stefano Turconi and Teresa Radice

I've had this graphic novel on my wishlist for years. I never bought it before because I only ever found very expensive editions, and that put me off. Then I found this brand new paperback edition and decided to finally go for it. Ngl I kind of regret not having read this before, because it was so good. The story is beautiful, the characters are great you connect with them right away, and the illustrations are stunning. These are the kind of illustrations I love the most, black and white, very detailed but also sketch looking, they are gorgeous. Another thing about me is that despite the fact that I am terrified of deep waters, and get terribly sea sick I love historical ships. The look of them is so fascinating, and everytime I see the drawing of a ship I kind of want to pick up a pen and try to draw it myself. I don't know what it is about them but they tickle a specific part of my brain. Anyway let's say something about this stunning story. We are mainly following a young man named Abel, who after being involved in a shipwreck, cannot remember anything about himsellf except his name. I won't say anything else because I think that going into this story blind is the best way to experience it, but it was gorgeous. There were a lot of references to classics and poems that revolve around the sea, and now I want to read half of them, and there were also a lot of sea shanties playing in the back of the story. It was an immersive reading experience, and I have a feeling I will be thinking about the story and some lines for a good while. It's orginally in Italian but it was translated in quite a few languages including English, so you have no excuse not to read it.