#clear light of day

[quotespile]

Isn't it strange how life won't flow, like a river, but moves in jumps, as if it were held back by locks that are opened now and then to let it jump forwards in a kind of flood?

Anita Desai, Clear Light of Day

[litsnaps]

[itsthegameilike]

Best Books of 2022

And I’m back again with another list of books that I think everyone should read. Or, at least, books I think are halfway decent given the other books I’ve read this year. To be fair, it was a better year than I thought. Anyway, without further ado, the best ten books I read, plus some honorable mentions:

Nona the Ninth - Tamsyn Muir In full disclosure, I knew this book would be on my list before I even read it and I was not disproven in that assumption by the time I finished. Hands down, the best book I read this year and it’s not even that close. Books tend to take me a lot longer to finish as I get older, but this one took me two days. Obviously, if you haven’t read Gideon the Ninth or Harrow the Ninth, you should, but this odd little sequel was probably my favorite one yet. Nona is such a refreshing character--a bombshell of light and love and curiosity--and it is as queer as ever. Bonus, if you have a soft spot for Camilla or Palamedes, as I do, you got blessed this book.

In the Dream House - Carmen Maria Machado I actually read far more nonfiction this year than I usually do, thanks to getting burnt out on fantasy, my staple. This book is the best of the bunch and absolutely incredible. The writing is poignant and lovely and careful and the topic of domestic abuse is tackled by an author who is invested in making you understand what they went through. It’s personal, it’s internal, and it broke me more than once. Definitely worth looking up trigger warnings, but also definitely worth reading.

The Half Life of Valery K - Natasha Pulley If Natasha Pulley publishes a book, it goes on this list. I have an unending love and devotion for the romances and relationships she crafts. There is such a tenderness and solitude and loneliness to all of them that always punches me straight in the gut. I love her and I am very biased, but this book was as incredible as always. Bonus points, you learn quite a bit about nuclear reactors and nuclear poisoning, too. Not her most realistic and probably not her best, but I still love it to bits.

The Master and Margarita - Mikhail Bulgakov This is a Russian novel from the 1940s that I think is best described by saying that the devil shows up in Moscow and wreaks absolute havoc. It is bizarre and mythic and surrealist, but it is also heartfelt and an utter joy to read. I was never bored, the characters were five parts humorous and five parts relatable, and I still regularly think about the magician show scene on a daily basis.

Clear Light of Day - Anita Desai This book is in many ways indescribable for me. I read it in August, when the days were hot, and the book felt exactly like those long summer afternoons. It cast a sort of spell over me and I would often sit and read twenty pages, then sit and think about them for forty-five minutes. It’s a deep dive into the decay of a country and the decay of a family and their relationships and an exploration of the choices we make in life, how they alter it, and how often we sit and imagine what would’ve happened if we chose differently.

Time is a Mother - Ocean Vuong My one book of a poetry and another that I was positive would end up on this list. Ocean has been a wordsmith rock of mine since college and he did not disappoint in this collection. I highly recommend “The Last Dinosaur” and “Almost Human”. If you read nothing else, read those.

Breaking Bread with the Dead: A Reader’s Guide to a More Tranquil Mind - Alan Jacobs If there was a required reading list for anyone who would like to approach what they read with critical thinking skills, this would be on it. This book is a manifesto to the grays of the world, a sort of rejoicing in how nothing is black and white, and I felt so refreshed reading it. There are also so many great book recommendations in here, including Clear Light of Day already on this list, so it has alternate functions, as well. This book gave me hope, to be honest, so if you need that, look no further.

Iron Widow - Xiran Jay Zhao Man, this book. It is like an electric shock to the system. There is so much good here that even the occasionally clunky dialogue means nothing to me. The characters are stunning, there is really excellent polyamory the way I wish more media would display it, there’s Chinese myth, and big metal monsters smashing the patriarchy. The end had a twist that was actually shocking and I cannot wait for the second book. I’ve mostly outgrown young adult at this point, but please read this one, even if you feel the same.

Daughter of the Moon Goddess - Sue Lynn Tan This book was breathtaking. It feels lush when you’re reading it, the descriptions so well done, and I was so swept up in the setting, in the plot, in the pleasant, warm reminders of other Chinese dramas it gave me, that I hardly minded the naivete of the main character, Xingyin. The love triangle isn’t unbearable, as there are clear, obvious breaks with the love interests when she is romantically interested in the other, and Xingyin grows into something just as bold and beautiful as the book. One caveat, I also read the sequel this year and I kind of wish I hadn’t. It’s not nearly as good and I sort of wish this had been a standalone experience for me.

Crying in H Mart - Michelle Zauner I read this at the very start of the year, so I don’t remember everything, but I do remember that this book was profoundly sad, deeply meaningful, and heartbreakingly lovely. Nothing is held back by the author as she explores her relationship with her mother and the grief that came with her death. I would recommend this to anyone at any time for any reason. It’s that good.

Honorable Mentions: The Charm Offensive by Allison Cochrun, The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison, Deathless by Catherynne M Valente, Nettle and Bone by T. Kingfisher, H is for Hawk by Helen Macdonald, and The Golden Enclaves by Naomi Novak

[deep-space-lines]

I MADE MYSELF AN EARTHMOVER

The idea that earthmover plushie was something i could realistically maybe make was beamed into my brain on friday may 10th at exactly 11:23 PM and then proceeded to consume my entire weekend. i did not know if this would work but i did it. i made him. my weird lopsided dog Benjamin

(I'd be happy to write up the pattern/instructions if people are interested- I think it'd be pretty simple to recreate since he's like 90% rectangles- but be warned that I have never tried to draft a plushie pattern from scratch before and it's kinda janky as hell the way the legs are attached feels like one of those illegal lego techniques so you have to promise not to make fun of me ok)

[rendevok]

your narumitsu art made me weep with joy and I heard you want more requests 👀

idk if this is the right place to put them but I think phoenix coming with miles to try on his glasses for the first time would be sweet :,) miles asking how they look and phoenix being just smitten. the good stuff

Dear anon… you sure know how to pick em! Things got very out of hand very quickly while drawing, and well. You inspired me to draft a comic! I didn’t want to make you wait long, so here are the sketches for the pages relevant to your request <3

Thanks so much, and hope you enjoy~! 💜

[kitten4sannie]

someone please sedate me

[mieczyhale]

Let Jews Define Jewish Terms 2kAlwaysWhyIsThisADebate

[neon-impressions]

Make it stop

Imdad Barbhuyan

[klikandtuna]

Have you enjoyed my Good Omens human AU fics — Every Damn Day, Find the Light, and Sky Clear Blue? If so, have I got a treat for you!

It's a CHRISTMAS CROSSOVER SPECIAL, featuring all three sets of characters meeting up! Shenanigans ensue! This is going to be a funny, fun romp as a Christmas gift for my readers, for posting in December — exact dates to be announced when the full story is written.

If you haven't read all three of these stories, well, now is the time! Get all caught up so you can enjoy this fluffy, fuzzy holiday treat. 💛

[dirtytransmasc]

totally don't imagine little Aegon, maybe 7 or 8, playing with his toys while Sunfyre watched on, pouncing on castles carved from stone and gnaws on little wooden soldiers.

don't imagine him play-fighting with his boy. Aegon and his training sword fighting against the merciless beast that is his little golden fledgling, gently attacking playful claws and flapping wings and nipping beak, parrying when the dragon gets too close. or Sunfyre finally tackling his boy, mocking dragonfire when he screeches in his face, before nuzzling his boys cheek.

don't imagine them curling up in the sun, out in the grass or in a windowsill. Sunfyre spreading his wings over his boy to bask in the light, burying his face in the warmth of the crook of Aegon's neck.

don't imagine the hatchling perching on his bonded's shoulder. don't imagine Aegon sneaking to see him when he was sad or angry. don't imagine Sunfyre crying out in distress, restless in his den when he could feel Aegon's distress but could not get to him

don't imagine the fledgling finding his way to Aegon's window, sneaking in and curling up next to the boy as he laid drunk and miserable, coping as he wrapped around him. don't imagine him perching on the roof of Aegon's chambers, crying to him when he got too big to enter.

don't imagine his sweet little chirps and songs. don't imagine Aegon's little giggles and chuckles. don't imagine the nuzzling of white hair or the scratching. don't imagine them being happy

[litsnaps]

[varilien]

since when did the stars stop shining so brightly?

Palestine: Funds | Action | eSims | Info Sudan Resources | Congo Resource | Lebanese Red Cross

[icedbatik]

Sid ... vs the Blue Jackets ... Nov. 14, 2023 (photo, no video)

... vs the Sharks ... Nov. 4, 2023 (photo, no video)

... vs the red wings ... April 8, 2023 (surprisingly, there was video)

... vs the wild ... Nov. 17, 2022 (no video, but two photos)

(of all the 2022-23 helmet exchanges, I only found two that didn't have video; one was Sid's, one was Tanger's)

... vs the flyers ... Feb. 15, 2022 (there was video)

(of all the 2021-22 helmet exchanges, this was the only one I found without video)

... vs the Islanders ... Feb. 20, 2021 (no video, not even a photo, though it was Sid's 1,000th game, so there was a ton of video otherwise)

Documentation available noting Sid receiving the helmet, dating back to the 2020-21 season. Not only are actual videos rare, it shows how infrequently he actually gets the helmet. (Which I assume is the result of him asking guys to give it to other players who might benefit from the confidence boost.)

[bedtimegiraffe]

Time to be an Aerin Apologist!

This screenshot is one of the biggest reasons I'm very willing to give Aerin a second chance once he gets rid of the corruption and Baldur (not sure which one improved his mental health more, honestly).

A few years?! The dude is 20! To me, this means he started recruiting people at age 16 or 17. And the Dreadlord may have reached out to Aerin even earlier than that.

(We don't know what the age of maturity is for humans in this world. But given that we have Lore Tablets saying most humans are married by 30, I'm assuming it's comparable to our conceptions of maturity. They're not 'adults' getting married at 13 over there.)

So you have a teenage Aerin, who spends most of his time in the archives pretty literally hiding from his abusive brother. He feels like everyone is either actively harmful to him or does not care if he exists. Aerin constants gets the message that he is a burden and a liability.

And then this incredibly powerful supernatural entity starts reaching out. Says he wants Aerin to help him. That he's clever and resourceful and worthwhile. Tells Aerin that he deserves to rule the people who have always reject him and the Dreadlord is going to help him get there.

So Aerin is pulled into yet another abusive relationship with someone most powerful than him.

I can only imagine the Dreadlord worsened Aerin's understandably misanthropic attitude. He probably actively worked to undermine any connections or hope Aerin had, because those would all serve as motivation not to go through with the Dreadlord's plans. Not to mention the stone he fused into Aerin's chest keeping him in constantly physical pain.

Basically, I'm willing to give an abused teenager the benefit of the doubt.

[thebirdandhersong]

in my you're on your own kid era again (I never left)

[didderd]

For the sketch requests maybe something mermaid or siren esc for mermay?

Your choice of character (^^ゞ

this may or may not be the (dumbo octopus siren) reader of a fic that me and @skelekins may or may not be (slowly) working on. :3

(no name, but they/them pronouns)