#church of marvels

[hell-river]

I also read Church of Marvels by Leslie Parry, which is a historical fiction with one of the most heart breaking trans stories I’ve ever read and Parry somehow also made it a happy ending? This book made me stare at a wall for five real life minutes. It was one of the most well done multi-pov/multi-plot-becomes-one-plot books I’ve ever read. The vibes were incredible, the characters were incredible, and I really don’t know how it doesn’t have more of a following. Idk much about New York, but Parry’s descriptions of 1890s Coney Island and New York made it the absolutely perfect place to set this story.

[mellosghosts]

this is what you get for dating an atheist

original

[readingoals]

This book has been sitting, unread, on my shelf since whenever The Night Circus was doing numbers on tumblr. I think I picked it up cause it gave off similar circus-y vibes but, actually the circus aspect is a lot less prominent in Church of Marvels. Which isn't necessarily bad but definitely wasn't what I was expecting.

Here's the thing. I enjoyed it, as I was reading it. The start was a little slow but once the four characters started meeting and their stories started to intersect, it picked up. Parts were a little convoluted or confusing but the plot was interesting and I liked the characters well enough. But only while I was reading. It just didn't really hold me. I'd finish a chapter and not feel much inclination to read another. I put it down and didn't think of picking it up again for two days. And then when I did go back I was like oh this is good actually! Until the next time I stopped.

I don't want to spoil anything in case anyone is planning to read this soon but I will say there was an unexpected queer storyline which might have been the most interesting part. I'll put a bit about that under the cut for those who are curious and don't mind being spoiled but, from what I can tell, own voices reviews have been pretty favorable, so theres that. It is set in 1895 and the four main characters are working class minorities (3 women, and a dark skinned man) so they do go through Some Shit but for the most part it felt realistic to the setting, if a little amped up in some places to increase tension and drama.

But, yeah, I just. I can't tell if I liked it that much but I also can't pinpoint exactly what was wrong with it. I think partly it was my preconceived notions of what the book would be (aside from the circus thing i was expecting it to be YA which it very much isn't), but maybe it's partly just not written as well as it could have been. I'm giving it 3 stars, though I may drop it to 2 depending how I feel about it in the next few days.

For those curious and prepared to be spoiled:

one of the women is revealed to be trans as like the big twist in the last third of the book. It took me by surprise although, when I thought back, there were a lot of clues and hints so it might not have been as surprising to others. And I think it was done well, especially in period accurate explanations/discussions of passing (mentioning the type of corset she wore and how she knew where she'd be safest when out in the city and things like that)

There are some descriptions of how she was kicked out of home and how she got into sex work to survive, which included dealing with a lot of physical abuse. And she is sent to an asylum - it's where we meet her - which also includes some traumatic shit, but again that is historically accurate.

[dandelionjack]

hey insane doctor who people. remember the snowman scene in the church on ruby road? there was no baby in the pram 👀 instead of a baby it was “shopping” . tags i left on a gifset then realised fuck it, it deserves its own post

gift-wrapped baby that’s not a baby. saved by the doctor from imminent mortal danger but the snowman was hollow on the inside too…

[caramelloss]

take me to church by hozier is so agathario.

[vertigoartgore]

1993's X-Men Unlimited Vol.1 #3 cover by cover artist Bill Sienkiewicz.

[everytaylorswiftsongisaboutcats]

[annabelle--cane]

I like the subtle world building implications in the differences between the usher foundation and the magnus institute. if the usher foundation and the magnus institute were meant to be direct parallels to each other, then the usher foundation would have been established in like the 1870s in boston or nyc, but no, it's in dc and was founded no earlier that 1955, and that gives me less "old respectable academia" vibes and more "insane reagan era project comissioned to weaponize the supernatural in the cold war that didn't work but was never officially shut down."

[yuhi-san]

you know what the blood gulch chronicles are so fucking funny. the first few episodes is just a bunch of idiots shit talking. absolute useless nonsense.

but its not random rubbish being thrown around. the conservations, as ridiculouse as they are, have a flow. You can actually follow how you got from a to q, even if just looking at a nd q seperately is like, how the fuck did that happen. every comment bounces off of a previous one.

red team trying to name M12 LRV. its just gold. the bickering. simmons being the one not believing that pumas are a real animal. how they keep roasting grif for 'making up animals'.

the way the lines are delivered. it's hilarious.

[antleredweirdo]

A Blue man and a Ghost meet in a church…

((Just an idea as I’m having brainrott))

Danny, with his horrific injuries from being ‘caught’, somehow escapes to his friends before retreating into his core. His friends take his core into the ghost zone, trying to get to Frostbite, but are stopped by (either Fenton parents or GIW agents) flooding into the ghost zone after them.

Tuck and Sam are panicking and so they wrap Danny’s core into Tuck’s beanie and Sam’s jacket before tossing him onto one of the flouting platforms and leading the ghost hunters away…they didn’t expect Danny to be sucked into one of the natural portals along the way down…

Danny wakes up in Germany of all places, alone, with pieces of his best friend’s clothing splayed over him… He takes this with surprising grace (not) and deals with his newfound homelessness in a foreign country as well as he can. At least his King status allows him to be a polyglot…

Meanwhile, Kurt Wagner had returned church that had raised him, planing on pay respects (again) to the Priest that had sheltered him. It wasn’t the same church, as that one has burned down far long ago, but there had been a new church built in its place. This new church had been abandoned soon after its construction, too many people saying that it was haunted with angry ghosts and feeling too anxious to worship within such a building.

Kurt had thought they had been silly, thinking like that and leaving the building to rot. Through, that was before he, himself, had caught sight of a ghost dwelling inside inside. Wait, no. This was still a living child. A boy sat in one of the pews and stared at him with wary curiosity. Through he was so washed out and in such a sorry state that…Well, Kurt believes he could be forgiven for mistaking the boy for the dead.

In the dim morning glow flooding through the stained glass, his eyes reflected and glowed in the shadows. Which was…huh. Seems Kurt has stumbled upon not just a squatter, but a mutant squatter at that.

[marveltournaments]

[pluviophilediaries]

just saw an agathario edit to take me to church… I am not okay rn

[mellosghosts]

this is how their little brains work methinks

[haveyoureadthisfanfic]

Summary: Steve Rogers is a struggling artist. It's not as romantic as it sounds. What Steve really wants is a job as a session musician. He can play enough instruments that he could make a decent amount of money doing it, but in New York there are just too many talented musicians and not enough jobs to go around. So he takes jobs in hipster bars, hotel lobbies, at weddings and bar mitzvahs and office parties. If he gets one more request for Let it Go, he swears he'll find it within himself to punch a child. He lives in a tiny, shitty apartment with Sam, who was his sort-of-boyfriend for a few weeks until he decided Steve's very domestic relationship goals weren't for him. They're still pretty much best friends, luckily for Steve, because when the regular pianist at Sam's dance company runs away to Canada he's recommended his roommate and got him the job before Steve even knows about it. Dancers. Steve's going to have to spend his days with dancers. Great.

Author: @saferforeveryone

Note from submitter: A beautiful fic. I read it as it was first being posted, I remember crying in my middle school hallway reading an update after my exams. I haven't finished it again since then, but I think of it often

[starryaugust]

Spoilers to Agatha all Along ep6

I feel like the fact theu acknowledged the fact Billy is jewish makes his casting even worst.

They actually went ahead and wrote a bar mitzvah scene just to cast a non jewish actor.

[writingmyheartsout]

Wanted to thank everyone for taking some time to read the first chapter, so I did a moodboard (sums up most of the story)

I just want to reassure you that yes, I'm working on the 2 chapter (+ a bonus one, since I'll be away for a few days at the end of the month) and I may have a little gift as well...

I'm working on another fic, a meet-cute/bookstore au actually (a post-tfatws) called Church.

here is a small unedited snipped

"What you...were looking for?”

Bucky tried to keep his gaze on your face as he answered, but he kept getting drawn to the slope of your neck and the curve of your shoulder when you weren't looking. 

He cleared his throat again and fidgeted with the random book he still had in his hands, almost nervous. 

What was happening to him? Where had you been his whole life, and why was he feeling this way?

"Um... I think it was called The Picture of Dorian Grey?" He answered, still uncertain if he had the name right.

You barely noticed how his gaze wandered from your face to your neck as you finally diverted your eyes.

"Actually.." you said then, making your way back to the bookstore's computer as a light chuckle escaped you at his mistake.

"It's called *the portrait of Dorian Gray*, probably that's why...you couldn't find it”

Bucky silently berated himself as he followed behind you, his pace a little slower as he watched you type away on the computer. 

He wasn't typically one to get so embarrassed and clumsy, but there was something about you that just… threw him off but in the best way possible.