#bane reads books

[bloodsbane]

okay just finished a book i def would recommend. it's called H is for Hawk by Helen Macdonald and i liked it a lot!!

in essence it's a sort of autobio about how the author coped w grief after the death of her father by training her first goshawk (she's a falconer but hadn't worked with them before) im a sucker for anything animals/nature focused, but it also just liked how it was written and the voice of the author (both narrative and literal; i was listening to the audiobook and she did a great job with reading it imo)

it was also really interesting to me bc a lot of the book has to do with T. H. White (who i previously knew jack shit about) and HIS book about training a goshawk (EXTREMELY BADLY)

i think one of my favorite parts is when the author talks about reading White's The Goshawk as a kid, and she didn't understand why a book about hawks included so much stuff about war and politics and all this other seemingly unrelated stuff, and then this book also has to do with a lot of the same stuff… funny how that works out huh

[winnie-the-monster]

“Is that why you didn’t call me? Because I’m an idiot?”

“No.” Magnus strode toward him. “I didn’t call you because I’m tired of you only wanting me around when you need something. I’m tired of watching you be in love with someone else—someone, incidentally, who will never love you back. Not the way I do.”

“You love me?”

“You stupid Nephilim,” Magnus said patiently. “Why else am I here? Why else would I have spent the past few weeks patching up all your moronic friends every time they got hurt? And getting you out of every ridiculous situation you found yourself in? Not to mention helping you win a battle against Valentine. And all completely free of charge!”

-City Of Glass

[banefolk]

Plants That Kill by Elizabeth A. Dauncey and Sonny Larsson, 2018

Not a witchy book or a gardening book, but a very good botanical reference book covering the history and folklore of poisonous plants. It’s a big beautiful coffee table style book with full-colour photos and art.

[a-sparrows-melody]

The Mortal Instruments - Cassandra Clare

DISCLAIMER: These are my opinions. I do not mean harm - neither to the creator of this wonderful series, nor to the fandom and any of its followers. If you do not agree with my opinion, please do not engage merely to fight with me (I don't like it).

The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare is a mixed bag of brilliance and flaws, particularly when revisited with a more critical eye.

I'd started reading this during a reading slump, so the books seemed absolutely perfect - filled with fast-paced action, vivid world-building, and a character-driven plot that never felt dull. The relatable flaws of the characters, especially Clary's ideals and Jace's identity crisis arc, made them endearing (at least in the first four books).

The first three books stood out, reflecting Clare’s meticulous research and captivating writing style, which skillfully incorporated advanced vocabulary. These elements created a strong and powerful narrative that resonated deeply, making the books a joy to read (especially during a reading slump, when you want nothing serious).

Simon's character was sort of relatable as well, and Magnus and Alec's relationship was really sweet. Isabelle was fairly fine as a character (mind you, I'm only talking about the first three books) - so no qualms for any of them (they were written as well as they could have been written).

However, the series' latter half falters. The fourth book was fine, merely as a check-in on beloved characters, but by the fifth and sixth installments, the story had fallen apart. The writing style had lost it's grip on me.

Clary's transformation into a Mary Sue (reminiscent of Bella from Twilight), was particularly disappointing. Her character became obsessed with Jace, reducing her personality to just her relationship with him (you know those high-school couples that make dating their entire personality?). Additionally, Clare’s portrayal of Clary’s victim complex was frustrating; in every battle, Clary does so little yet ends up needing the most care - which felt unrealistic and annoying.

Sebastian was just straight-up psychopathic (which was great - I love psychopathic antagonists) but he should have remained dead, in my opinion. The Lilith plot-line was just an unnecessary appendage.

A significant shortcoming of the series is its superficial treatment of human emotions. Despite being a character-driven story, the emotional depth of characters like Clary and Jace is often glossed over. Their traumas are mentioned but never fully explored, making their reactions feel shallow and disconnected from their experiences. For instance, the death of Jordan Kyle, a close friend, is barely acknowledged, with the characters quickly moving on without much reflection or grief (literally they're like: oh, that's sad. Hey, those are funny, undersized pajamas!).

The series also became repetitive, with a recurring plot cycle involving Jace getting possessed -> shutting down/running away -> Clary attempting to "save" him (read: putting more people in danger).

This redundancy, coupled with the lack of emotional realism, made the latter books feel like a letdown. Ultimately, the series should have ended after the first three books - which delivered a powerful message about a neglectful government and a flawed revolution. The decision to extend the series only diluted its impact, turning it into a disappointing follow-up to an initially strong start.

Yeah, I don't think I'll read the rest of the Shadowhunters mega-series

-X-

Trying books reviews for the first time! Yay! Any thoughts?

[okayclaryfray]

I always say 'morning' instead of 'good morning' because if it actually were a good morning, I'd be a Shadowhunter rn.

[prophecyofgray]

"Beware, Underlanders, time hangs by a thread..."

hello hello! this september 1st marks the 20 year anniversary of gregor the overlander, the first book in the underland chronicles series by suzanne collins! i wanted to do something special to celebrate and i thought a little (re)read event would be a lot of fun!

all of the details are in the images above (image descriptions provided), but here are the dates once more:

Aug. 7th-11th --- Gregor the Overlander

Aug. 12th-16th --- Prophecy of Bane

Aug 17th-21st --- Curse of the Warmbloods

Aug 22nd-26th --- Marks of Secret

Aug 27th-Sept. 1st --- Code of Claw

and remember to use the tag #TUC20 during the event to meet and interact with other fans + #TUC spoilers for any new readers we may have during this time. i'll be going through and reblogging posts, so feel free to tag me (@prophecyofgray) as well!

one more thing: i think it'd be a lot of fun if we did something extra special on the anniversary itself, but im not sure what. feel free to share ideas in the tags <3

that's it for now! boost this if u can + spread the underland chronicles agenda to your friends >:)

fly you high!

[the-swift-tricker]

characters reading

(id a collection of images from different media of various characters reading books. they include: goliath from gargoyles, lisa swallows and the creature from lisa frankenstein, frodo baggins from the lord of the rings, daria morgendorffer from daria, moomintroll from moomin, matilda wormwood from matilda, bane from dc comics, raven from teen titans, elizabeth bennet from pride and prejudice. end id]

[just-a-girl-who-likes-sharks]

August 2024 books 🩶

Still going strong with my Shadowhunters reread! As of right now, I only have “the eldest curses”, “ghosts of the Shadow Market” and “the last hours” left, which are all books I haven’t read yet. So… you might say the reread is done, all that remains is brand new to me.

As of right now, I am only missing the last book of TLH, so I’ll keep that series for last and hopefully I’ll have it by the time I’m done with TEC and GOTSM

[lurafita]

[winnie-the-monster]

“Alec?” Magnus was staring at him. He had dispatched the remaining Iblis demons, and the was empty but for the two of them. “Did you just—did you just save my life?”

Alec knew he ought to say something like, Of course, because I’m a Shadowhunter and that’s what me do, or That’s my job. Jace would have said something like that. Jace always knew the right thing to say. But the words that actually came out of Alec’s mouth were quite different—and sounded petulant, even to his own ears. “You never called me back,” he said. “I called you so many times and you never called me back.”

Magnus looked at Alec as if he’d lost his mind. “Your city is under attack,” he said. “The wards have been broken, and the streets are full of demons. And you want to know why I haven’t called you?”

Alec set his jaw in a stubborn line. “I want to know why you haven’t called me back.”

Magnus threw his hands up in the air in a gesture of utter exasperation. Alec noted with interest that when he did it, a few sparks escaped from his fingertips, like fireflies escaping for a jar. “You’re an idiot.”

-City Of Glass

[rearranging-deck-chairs]

the doctor isnt neurodivergent or autistic or adhd or nonbinary or genderqueer or asexual. what the doctor is, is Not From Here

[necrotic-nephilim]

HI!! hope ur having a good day.

do you have any headcanons about how/when jeantim would happen? :]

hello!!! i am having a lovely day, i went to the library and somehow between four people, we got 28 books. which is even funnier given one of those people is an infant who can't read. but i would LOVE to talk about JeanTim headcanons oh my god-

so the thing i can never decide on with JeanTim is if i prefer them getting together during or after AzBats. i *think* for like, a longterm relationship, i lean toward afterward. don't get me wrong, i *love* dub-con JeanTim where either Jean-Paul outright non-cons Tim, or more my speed, where Tim offers himself sexually to Jean-Paul as a desperate attempt to get him to be a less violent Batman. the joy of Tim is his need to serve and placate Batman, so i think if he thought offering himself sexually to Jean-Paul could do anything to control Jean-Paul's violence, he'd do it in a heartbeat. regardless of his feelings or lack thereof for Jean-Paul. which is very fun for fucked up porn, but as a longterm relationship, i think eventually it wouldn't work out. Bruce comes back and Tim deals with the emotional consequences of being with Jean-Paul sexually. still very fun as a fucked up thing Tim has to live with for the rest of his life.

for a serious relationship, i think it makes the most sense it happens afterward. i like the idea of Tim checking up on Jean-Paul after Bruce comes back (during Batman: Prodigal Tim believes Jean-Paul's innocence regarding a recent crime even when Dick doesn't, so there's some kind of faith Tim has in Jean-Paul) just to make sure he's okay. once Jean-Paul is back on his feet, the visits peter out and stop entirely. they work together now that he's Azrael, sure, but it's not the same as Tim coming over with hot soup to play a card game and ask how Jean-Paul is doing. and i think Jean-Paul misses it. i *love* the idea of Jean-Paul's Catholic guilt manifesting around sexuality, especially if he's not only attracted to a man but a teenager, it'd fuck him up. him liking Tim since they met but being unable to face those feelings. no matter how much he prays and clears his mind, he can't get them to go away. and unlike his violent tendencies, he can't blame these feelings on the Azrael personality. i like his love for Tim to be a soft, innocent thing. his sexual attraction for Tim is quite violent and possessive, but his love? that's all gentle. it's such a dichotomy of Jean-Paul wanting to ravage Tim but also just hold him. i love ships that are sexually feral but desperately soft at the same time, especially when it's born out of trauma bc Jean-Paul doesn't understand how relationships work.

given how much i love Sword of Azrael (2022), i would *love* to write JeanTim that takes place after that arc, and after Jean-Paul sort of has this spiritual rebirth, being an angel of mercy instead of an angel of vengeance. because no matter how much Jean-Paul has apologized and made up for what he did as Batman, especially to Tim, that guilt has clung to him for years. and so i think after that arc, with a more stable sense of identity, him going to Tim to just properly talk about it would be so good. especially because now, Tim's not some teenage boy. he's taller, broader, holds himself higher. it's impossible to deny how much he's changed and grown since he and Jean-Paul last *really* spoke. and all those feelings Jean-Paul had for a young teenager, all those gentle visits that came after, just come rushing back to him. and he's stumbling over his words trying to give an honest apology and just talk about everything he's been through but the words won't come out and he feels so selfish talking about himself and not asking about TIm. so he asks how Tim has been while they drink tea and just go on and on for hours.

and then i think, when it's getting dark out, Jean-Paul awkwardly says he's going to leave and Tim would just. offer to let him stay the night. being very clear what he's implying. and Jean-Paul is *mortified* bc he never realized his feelings would've been obvious to *Tim* of all people, a well-trained detective. i think it'd take a lot of coaxing, with Tim insisting that he wants this. maybe even slightly dubcon, with Tim dragging Jean-Paul to bed. not bc he wants to force Jean-Paul, but bc he knows Jean-Paul will never let himself have what he wants, especially when he's afraid of hurting people. but Tim always gets what he wants so <3 he and Jean-Paul sleep together and start a weird, shaky relationship

i think it's particularly funny if Tim doesn't explain it to anyone. he's just dating Jean-Paul now and daring anyone to question him. he *could* hide it, and he probably should, but he knows he won't get away with hiding for long anyway. it'd be a very slow relationship that's one half very sweet and one half absolutely unhealthy and unhinged because of all of their complicated history. but Tim just leans into it and if anything, enables how weird Jean-Paul can be able religion. religious kink and blasphemy dialed up to the max.

anyway i just think there's so many ways they could get together in varying degrees of fucked up and it makes it so fun. this is *the* peak Batman/Robin ship to me and i won't be convinced otherwise. it's all of Tim's need to fix Batman thrown into a man who should've never been Batman. it's Jean-Pauls religious guilt over being infatuated with a teenager and pushing him away because of it. it's so good.

[memoryarchaeologist]

There is no better distraction in this world than losing oneself in books for a while.

— Cassandra Clare, Chain of Gold

[current-comix]

[iammadeofmemoriesforlife]

Took me six years to make this connection…

As many of you know Magnus Chase was named after Magnus Bane. Rick thanked Cassie for the name in book 1. But I didn’t really connected the fact that Magnus C’s love interest name is Alex and that Magnus Bane’s love interest (HUSBAND) is Alex. I NEVER connected the parallels for that!! It took me SIX years!!!!! Please tell me I’m not the only one who took this long to make the connection 😭