#colson recs

[whumplists]

Whump Movie Rec #4: One Way (2022)

It’s been a while since I’ve made a movie post but trust me this one is worth it!

Title: One Way

Whumpee: Freddy (played by Colson Baker/Machine Gun Kelly)

Whump List: basically the whole movie is about him being shot, lots of bleeding/in pain/calling for help/hallucinating, uses inhaler, beaten by his father, crying

~Preview Pics~

[22thumbs]

New York City in TLOU

Is New York City ever mentioned in the Last of Us game (don't remember if the city was ever mentioned on the show)? I'm curious what happened to NYC.

The Last of Us Universe basically is our world but diverges when the fungal apocalypse happened. In the HBO show, the outbreak happened in 2003 and in the game, it was 2013.

So just two years after the World Trade Center collapsed in the show version or 12 years in the game version, you would have characters not only from NYC but also around the world who were in the area that survived 9/11, only to be killed or somehow survive Outbreak Day on September 26.

The show and the game does a really good job of portraying the chaos of Joel, Sarah and Tommy not knowing what was going on while trying to flee Austin, TX with the highways blocked and people running from the infected. Leaving any of the NY boroughs, would be a nightmare.

New York City is the most densely populated city in the U.S. The only way to get out of the city with a vehicle is by tunnels and bridges. You could also leave by ferry and boat (Being stuck on a ferry not knowing who could be infected seems horrific).

Thinking more on this, the likelihood of anyone in NYC surviving the fungal outbreak is probably slim. The city gets shut down during catastrophic events. I imagine residents would have to flee immediately before gridlock or stay in place until they're able to leave.

If anyone is interested in reading novels that has a setting in NYC that deals with a zombie apocalypse or a pandemic, I'd recommend Zone Zero by Colson Whitehead and The Stand by Stephen King. Zone One takes place a few years after the apocalypse and follows the main character as he helps clear Manhattan of zombies to make it livable. The Stand has a character who makes his way out of NYC after a deadly virus shuts the world down. If anyone has written fanfiction about a character in the TLOU universe being from NYC, it would be interesting to read.

[buecherbummlerin]

The Underground Railroad

Author:

Colson Whitehead

Publisher:

Fleet Publishing

Content (Blurb):

Cora is a slave on a cotton plantation in Georgia. An outcast even among her fellow Africans, she is on the cusp of womanhood—where greater pain awaits. And so when Caesar, a slave who has recently arrived from Virginia, urges her to join him on the Underground Railroad, she seizes the opportunity and escapes with him.

My Review:

This book touched me deeply and stayed in my thoughts for a long time. With this book Colson Whitehead takes the reader through through the dark side of Americas history and thus through the horrors of slavery.

This book describes the horrors of slavery and the crimes committed in an brutal, devastating and honest way. As one accompanies Cora on her escape and her experiences, the struggle for freedom, the hope for respect, recognition and peace amidst the indescribably horrific events, abuse and oppression of slavery are painfully brought closer.

“Stolen bodies working stolen land. It was an engine that did not stop, its hungry boiler fed with blood.”

This book shows the network of white activists who helped slaves escape and brings the underground railroad to life. Through this network and the story’s of those who try to escape with underground railroad the reader is left with a truly devastating understanding of the horrors and costs of slavery.

the story describes the efforts and hardships of Cora's flight through several American states, with all its setbacks and the people who helped her along the way, as well as those who betrayed and captured her. Each character feels alive and brings their own story to the whole big picture. I really enjoyed this and it often made me think.

“Cora didn't know what optimistic meant. She asked the other girls that night if they were familiar with the word. None of them had heard it before. She decided that it meant trying.”

Along the way, the story jumps through time, describing not only Cora's story, but also that of her grandmother Ajari, who was kidnapped from her homeland by the brutal of the machinery of slavery to be forced into slavery in America. I also found these insights particularly valuable. Whitehead manages to portray the generational horrors of slavery through Ajari in particular, but also through many other passages in the book. This makes the reader understand how families were systematically raised, born, separated and destroyed under slavery.

Resume: This book isa must read and describes the devastating and horrific engine of slavery in America. This story is truly powerful and takes the reader through pain and hope.

[rachel-sylvan-author]

"The Nickel Boys" by Colson Whitehead

[runesandmoons]

“Lots of, uh, lots of bodies in here.” 😂

This was so yummy and sweet all at the same time. I love the obvious love between them and their sexual antics all night. Colson really thought he was in control, huh? 😅 I loved the reader in this! So sassy and spunky! This was a true pleasure to read 😋

can’t keep my hands to myself ~ machine gun kelly

word count: 2053

request?: yes!

“MGK x Reader in Met Gala?? fluff and smut if possible. 🥰”

description: in which he has the most beautiful girlfriend on the red carpet, and he keeps reminding her by getting a little handsy

pairing: machine gun kelly x female!reader

warnings: swearing, smut (handjob, lots of groping, mentions of wanting to have sex but no actual sex in this one)

masterlist (one, two)

“Babe, hurry up! Our ride is waiting for us!”

“Hold on! I’m just putting the finishing touches on my makeup!”

Colson sighed and shook his head. He wasn’t sure what to expect when (Y/N) came down the stairs. She had been in his room for hours getting ready for the gala, and had refused to let him come in the whole time because she wanted him to be surprised. He kept telling her she didn’t have to spend so much time doing it all herself, that he had stylists that could do her hair and makeup for her.

“But why have someone else do what I am fully capable of doing myself?” she had asked him.

He should’ve expected that answer. She was probably the most stubborn person he had ever met, which was one reason why he loved her so much.

Colson checked the time on his phone again as their driver honked the horn again. He opened the door and held up a finger to signal “one more minute” before closing it and calling out to (Y/N) again.

“Alright! I’m coming!”

She descended the stairs in a red, lacy dress, that was so low cut that she may as well have her boobs on full display, which Colson would never argue about, and the sides being held together just by some lace (basically, Megan’s dress from last year’s Met Gala). Colson’s eyes practically popped out of his head as she walked up and smiled at him.

“Ready,” she said.

He let his eyes drag over her body, taking in ever single detail of her sexy body in that dress. He wanted to tell the driver to leave so he could tear that thing off of her right then and there.

“Hey,” she said, playfully nudging him. “Stop eye fucking me, we have to go.”

“Do we?”

She raised an eyebrow at him. “You’re the one who was getting at me because the driver was outside, and now you’re saying we don’t even go? When I took so long to look this good?”

He didn’t dare ask what it was that had her upstairs getting ready for so long. The only thing that seemed different about her was the fact that her hair was done up different than usual. Her face barley looked touched, besides some mascara on her eyes. But Colson knew that if he said that, she would start telling him about how she put on just enough makeup to make it look like she had none on at all, and really he just wanted to get the night over with so he could make her mascara run.

They walked out to the car together and Colson held open her door so she could get in. He placed his hand on the small of her back, letting it linger for a little while as he contemplated coping a feel of her ass before she sat down. He waited too long, though, and missed his chance, so he reluctantly crossed to the other side of the car to get in.

The gala was packed with celebrities, paparazzi, and reporters. Very little privacy, which disappointed Colson.

They got out of the car and immediately were blinded by the flashing of paparazzi cameras. Colson wrapped an arm around (Y/N)’s waist, carefully guiding her up the stairs in her heels. They stopped to pose for some pictures to try and satisfy the yells for them. (Y/N) found her vision spotting pretty quickly even with that short pause.

She gasped as she felt Colson’s hand move down to her ass and give it a hard squeeze. She looked up at him, giving him a playful glare that the paparazzi ate up.

“They’re gonna get pictures of that,” she whispered to him.

He shrugged. “Good. Let people see me showing appreciation to my girl.”

(Y/N) tried to continue her pretend anger, but a smile broke out across her face without it meaning to. She leaned into Colson and gave him a quick kiss before starting up the stairs again.

Colson laced his fingers through hers, not wanting to let go of her for a second. He trailed behind her, letting his eyes wander over her body yet again. He had to stop himself from picturing her like this, except with her face shoved down into the sheets of their bed and the dress hiked up around her waist.

There was someone waiting at the top of the stairs for them. She introduced herself as being Met’s “official outfit reviewer” for their YouTube channel and asked for a quick interview.

“Okay, so the biggest thing about the Met Gala is obviously the outfits,” she said. “So naturally, my first question is who are you wearing?”

Colson looked down at his outfit - maroon dress pants and a black button up shirt. He had a maroon blazer to go with it, but found it too warm with it on so he left it in their car.

“Honestly, no idea,” he said. “My stylist picked it out for me. I don’t know much about brand names.”

“What about you, (Y/N)?”

“I wish I could one up him, but I really just looked online for some dress ideas and found this one and asked his stylist if we could get it,” (Y/N) responded. “It was expensive, that’s all I can tell you.”

“I think she looks phenomenal,” Colson said, putting his arm around her waist again. “She wouldn’t let me see her until right before we left. It was a very pleasant surprise.”

His hand snuck down to her ass again. (Y/N) tried not to let her expression change as he squeezed again. When she looked up at him, he seemed so casual; nodding and answering the questions the reporter was asking. Acting as if he wanted groping the hell out of her right there on camera. Somehow, his nonchalance about it was incredibly hot to her. Now she was the one who wanted to get the night over with so they could go home.

They made it to the end of the red carpet and into the venue where the gala was being held. They were greeted by other celebrities and stopped for a few conversations on their way to their table. As they passed where the bathrooms were, both took note of whether or not they’d be able to sneak in a quickie at some point throughout the night.

Unfortunately, the doors weren’t able to be locked, and it seemed like there was a steady flow of people going in and out at all times. It seemed like they’d have to endure the long night.

They came to their table and sat down. Sat around them were Colson’s friend, Travis, and his fiancée, Kourtney. Pete was there, too, sans Kim, who was home taking care of one of her children who had fallen ill. Their table was slated to have two other people sat there, but they hadn’t arrived yet.

“Man, this shit is crazy,” Pete commented as Colson and (Y/N) sat down. “I’ve never been to an event like this. There’s so many more people here that I actually know than most award shows. Super famous people, too! I saw fucking Rihanna on my way in!”

“Pete, you act like you’re not also famous,” (Y/N) teased.

“I’m not Rihanna levels of famous!”

“It’s first gala nerves,” Kourtney said. “It happens to everyone when they came to something like this for the first time. Next year you’ll be acting like you’re Rihanna famous.”

“If I’m still relevant next year.”

“Come on, man, don’t be pessimistic,” Colson said. “We’ll all be here next year, right at this table with each other.”

(Y/N) smiled at Colson. They had been dating for some time and she had already moved in, but she always loved when he talked about having a future with her. It made her feel secure in their relationship, a level of commitment she had never gotten before.

Her eyes moved quickly to take him all in. He was so hot when he was all dressed up. And she had been noticing the way he was looking at her all night. It was hard not to! He had been taking her clothes off with his eyes from the moment she walked down the stairs. Maybe she had been doing the same, but she didn’t want to admit it.

She glanced over at their fellow guests, who were all looking at Kourtney as she spoke. She looked around to make sure no one was really paying attention to them, before reaching over to put a hand on Colson’s lap. He looked down at it then back up at her, smiling as if it was just a kind gesture. (Y/N) smiled back as she moved her hand to brush against his clothed crotch.

His eyes grew wide as something else grew hard.

“Right (Y/N)?”

She looked up quickly to see that Kourtney had been addressing her. “Sorry, I zoned out for a second. What were you saying?”

“I was just saying how it’ll also be more fun next year when Kim is here, so that all the girls can be together while the boys talk about boy things.”

“That’s assuming Kim and I are still together then,” Pete muttered.

(Y/N)’s hand rubbed up and down ever so slightly on Colson’s growing bulge. Now it was his turn to try and keep a straight face, which wasn’t working very well.

“Come on, you have to have more faith than that,” (Y/N) said. “You guys are like obsessed with each other. And you get along so well with the kids. Maybe she’ll be your one.”

Her hand slipped under his pants and cupped around his boxers. Suddenly, it felt much warmer in the room for Colson.

How is she keeping such a straight face like this? How are they not noticing? Fuck, I need her now.

But there was no way for Colson to have her. The bathrooms were already crossed out, he couldn’t take her anywhere else without everyone at the table being suspicious. Not that he could take her anywhere in general given the amount of security crawling the place. He was just left to be tortured by her slow moving hand.

Which was now slipping under the waistband of his boxers, too.

Fuck.

Colson had to swallow the gasp that bubbled up in his throat by drinking the entire glass of water provided for them.

Her hand was wrapped around his member, still restricted in his tight pants. She was starting to move her hand up and down ever so slowly, painfully. He wanted her to pick up the speed, or to stop completely, or to slip under the table and put him in her mouth instead, or for the security to fuck off so they could sneak away and he could fuck her brains out.

“You alright, man?” Travis asked after Colson had downed the drink.

“Y-Yeah,” he stammered, trying to keep his voice even. “I’m just really warm. Lots of, uh, lots of bodies in here.”

“You made the rookie mistake of a long sleeve shirt,” Pete said. “Gotta go casual, like me.”

“The Met Gala is all about dressing up, though. You can’t just go casual for your first one,” Kourtney said.

Their words were starting to sound muffled. Their conversation seemed meaningless as Colson felt himself nearing his climax. He knew he couldn’t do it here, though. Not in his pants, where he’d likely get a very obvious stain. He knew he’d have to go to the bathroom and finish off. But it was hard to leave when her hand wrapped around him felt so good.

He pulled her hand away and stood suddenly, drawing all attention towards him. He felt his face heating up, but this time more so with embarassment.

“Sorry, really gotta go to the bathroom,” he said. “Be back in a minute.”

As he started walking away, he looked over his shoulder to see (Y/N) looking back at him. She had a sly smirk on her face and she innocently waved to him before turning back to the conversation.

Fuck, I really love that woman.

[msmargaretmurry]

hi i’m sorry super random question — i love your writing, and i was wondering if you had any fav books to recommend? i’m trying to read more lately!! thank you so much!!! 💖

no apologies necessary and thank you so much!! yay for reading more! i have so many books i love and usually i would try to tailor recommendations to someone's interests so i will just try to give a little smorgasbord here.

under the cut please find a very long list of recs; i hope there are a few that sound appealing to you! if there are things you like to have content warnings for and can't tell from the goodreads listing, feel free to message me to ask! 💕

literary/contemporary fiction

beartown by fredrik backman: this is the hockey novel, imo. somehow backman captures everything hockey is — violence, entitlement, racism, privilege, misogyny — while still writing a breathtaking story about people who love the sport and people who unwillingly get caught up in its wake. there are two sequels, which i haven't read yet solely because i'm afraid of how many feelings they'll make me feel.

the secret history by donna tartt: yes, the og dark academia book. moody, atmospheric, and pretentious, i feel like it's a you-love-it-or-hate-it, and i love it. a delicious critique of elitist academia even while filled with morsels for classics-loving nerds. fantastic, deeply fucked-up characters.

station eleven by emily st john mandell: not sure if reading this during a pandemic was the best idea, but it certainly added something to the experience. i love emily st john mandell's prose, and the post-pandemic-apocalypse world she builds feels simultaneously fantastical and painfully real.

evvie drake starts over by linda holmes: this is the perfect example of what i want in a contemporary romance novel. deeply character-driven, sweet, achy, lovely.

historical fiction

in memoriam by alice winn: oh man oh man. we read this one for book club last month and it blew me away. brutal, devastating, romantic.

how much of these hills is gold by c pam zhang: really loved how this book brought a new lens to the American western/frontier story, loved how it blended Chinese mythology into the story, loved how it unflinchingly did race and gender in ways that felt both illuminating and historically true.

the island of sea women by lisa see: i love lisa see's historical fiction because she does a shitload of research and weaves it into her stories in ways that don't feel like infodumping. on top of her being an excellent writer, i always feel like i've learned something.

the book thief by markus zusak: just a masterclass in point of view. made me ugly cry in public.

the nickel boys by colson whitehead: i mean, colson whitehead is just so good. harrowing, atmospheric, and smart, the characters and story feel absolutely real in the best and worst ways.

fantasy/sci-fi

the radiant emperor duology by shelley parker-chan: man, this duology is one of the best fucking things i've read in the past few years. kind of an alternate-history 14th-century china, now with more magic and more gender. brutal and delicious. morally gray everything.

the farseer trilogy and the liveship traders trilogy by robin hobb: these were my favorite books as a teen and i've recently been rereading them (i'm finally on the third book of the second trilogy!) and having such a good time. structurally they're very classic high fantasy but i think hobb is so fucking good at worldbuilding and characters.

the left hand of darkness by ursula k. leguin: look, it's a classic for a reason! i will say if you start it and you feel kind of lost: stick with it, slow down, and be patient. the pov character is a stranger in a strange land and you feel every bit of that. another masterclass in point of view.

tuyo by rachel neumeier: i love reccing this book because it's just a random self-published fantasy novel that one of the gals in my book club found somehow and it wound up being super fun? the worldbuilding is fun, the culture clash is tense (and fun), and i feel like the concept of a "tuyo" could do numbers as a fanfic trope if people got on board!

the thief by megan whalen turner: another great book for pov!!! just a really fun and satisfying read (and pretty short, if you need something short!). the rest of the series is also very good and worth reading but none of it hit quite as hard for me as this first book, possibly because the first book is just so excellent.

young adult/middle grade

on the come up by angie thomas: this is specifically an audiobook rec. i'm sure this book is also good reading with your eyes, but it's about a teen girl who wants to be a rapper, and i think being able to hear the rhythm of the language, esp the rapping itself, makes for a fantastic audiobook experience.

the westing game by ellen raskin: another classic for a reason!! one of the smartest books out there, a joy to read for the first time at any age.

michigan vs the boys by carrie s. allen: the thing is, i usually i find first person present tense so annoying it's nigh unreadable, but i found this book about a teen girl having to play on her high school's boys' hockey team after they cut funding to the girls' program so charming and compulsively readable. bonus points that the author really knows her hockey!

darius the great is not okay by adib khorram: even just thinking about this book puts a lump in my throat lmao. just a beautiful coming of age story that deals with identity and depression and belonging and family and more.

the loneliest girl in the universe by lauren james: pretty sure i tore through this book in one sitting. great sci-fi setting and sense of creeping dread.

a wrinkle in time by madeleine l'engle: another classic for a reason, lol. including it on this list because it is actually my favorite book. l'engle has such a special touch with writing — it's so full of heart. as a kid one of the things i loved about this book was that it didn't dumb any of its sophisticated worldbuilding and characterization down for me, which i think is a great lesson for a writer.

memoir-ish

they can't kill us until they kills us by hanif abdurraqib: hanif is the GOAT and i recommend anything he's written, but this book of essays about music, culture, and hanif's life is easily my favorite of his work.

a ghost in the throat by doireann ní ghríofa: stunningly original mix of personal essay, poetry, history — i'm not even sure how to describe it. but it floored me.

in the dream house by carmen maria machado: speaking of creeping dread!!! many people have said many smart things about how good this book is so i will simply say they are all extremely correct.

sports nonfiction

the boys in the boat by daniel james brown: a gorgeously written love letter to rowing juxtaposed hauntingly against the rise of hitler. i have not seen the movie, but there's no way it could be as good as the book.

bottom of the 33rd by dan barry: possibly this is a baseball book for baseball people, but i loved every meandering moment of this lovingly written microhistory of the longest baseball game ever played.

the last best league by jim collins: another baseball book, sorry, baseball books are so good. this one's about the amateur league on cape cod where the best college players play in the summer. a great august read imo.

impossible owls: essays by brian phillips: a sprawling book of sportswriting from a former grantland writer. i read it five years ago and still think about it sometimes

other nonfiction

forget the alamo by bryan burrough, chris tomlinson, & jason standford: i made myself pick only ONE history nonfiction for this list because otherwise we'd be here all day. but this one is so good, especially if you're interested in the making and unmaking of american mythology.

empire of pain by patrick radden keefe: i do actually recommend anything prk writes, but this book on the sacklers' evil pharmaceutical empire is both timely and exhaustively reported. another audiobook rec as well, because prk reads it himself and you can hear the disdain in his voice.

because internet: understanding the new rules of language by gretchen mcculloch: really fun read about the development of online dialect and language! at five entire years old it's already a smidge out of date, but still so enjoyable.

[souldagger]

Hi! Do you have any recs of classic, lesser known sci-fi books? One of my friends is putting together a reading club and she wanted to add more short (around 200 pages) scifi from lesser known/non English speaking authors, and while I've been helping her out with other genres I'm really our of my depth when it comes to scifi 🥲 (and google is just showing me the same 5 books and sponsored ads) thanks in advance and sorry the criteria is so specific

BABEL-17 BY SAMUEL R. DELANYYYYY i cannot stress this enough. Babel-17 by Samuel R. Delany!!!

can't think of anything else (well. anything good) that ticks all ur boxes unfortunately :( but maybe if you're willing to check out some stuff slightly longer than 200 pages?

The Intuitionist by Colson Whitehead (more speculative fiction that scifi specifically but it is SUCH a banger.)

The Fortunate Fall by Cameron Reed (cyberpunk cult classic - technically not available rn bc it was out of print for ages but it's finally getting republished this august!)

[blysse-and-blunder]

In lieu of a late summer commonplace book

sunday, august 25, 2024 ~ 6:30 pm

hello again c:

trying to remember what routine feels like, what my rhythm from semesters and work-weeks past felt like, and i think i had a good thing going with a sunday afternoon/evening round-up post alongside filling out my planner and to-do lists for the week. so here we are again, at long last.

reading recently finished a couple of things, several thanks to @un-serial-writer's excellent recs. pictured below in no particular order:

most time spent reading, and therefore the one that feels like the biggest accomplishment: lady, thomas tryon, a best seller from 1974 that was among the many agéd vacation reads and slightly-musty paperbacks in the family cottage. i didn't predict the twist but it sure did take like 80% of the book to actually get to there being some genuine suspense. luckily, i like a slice-of-life and even better when it's, like, an interesting study on how the seventies thought of / wrote about nostalgia for the thirties.

least time spent reading: the intuitionist, colson whitehead, which was exceptional except that i did feel like i had missed something when i finished it. huge fan of the setting and characters and twists and atmosphere and prose, though.

most enjoyable time spent reading: prophet, by helen macdonald and sin blanché, which was so goddam compelling and had such delicious dialogue, only to leave off in the middle of a GOOD SCENE C'MON. delicious character work btw the two leads! delicious concepts and premise! not sure i feel like the payoff from the main threat really...landed...but it almost doesn't matter.

most reluctantly enjoyable / frustrating time spent reading: bunny by mona awad, which i want to discuss with someone who has done an mfa in creative writing (aron. aron please. it's like not even good but it is? something?). its got two sort of big twists and i was very grateful for the first, then sort of disappointed by the second, and then the big reveal at the end actually did gratify me. i will not be forgetting this one but i also, desperately, need to mock it with someone who will understand.

watching most recently, the bear season two, because i am finally catching up with the culture. yes chef please it is so good. i just finished ep. 7, "forks," and oh my god richie. richieee. don't make me so, so proud of you. save me, juliet, etc. i also texted @madonnavenus after watching ep 6, "fishes," because that was a lot. but luckily, luckily, the emotions were manageable through the distancing effect of recognizing that it was acting, good talented but most importantly familiar actors doing incredible work (and successfully making me so, so tense and nervous ha ha). jamie lee curtis you're a queen, and also, god. sarah fucking paulson? gillian jacobs? and then also john mulaney was there, immediately recognizable, taking me out of the fiction in a useful way genuinely. but lest you think i'm forgetting our main loves, here's to sydney and marcus and ebra and tinaaaa.

i love finding these promo images online, they're always so goofy.

listening shout-out to my comfort listens this summer: the new decembrists album as it ever was, so it will be again (2024) and the associated spotify this is the decembrists playlist,

and the two podcasts 99 percent invisible's breakdown of the Power Broker and dimension 20's the unsleeping city, which in fact speak to each other so well and it was such serendipity that i ended up listening to both of them this summer. i think i said out loud, early on, "brennan you mother fucker you've read the power broker" when i was beginning to understand who the villain was going to be, and whether he actually had or not, it's a beautiful thing when your soothing book club urban design readalong ends up cluing you in to a twist in your magical new york urban fantasy liveplay.

playing today specifically i finished another language in chants of sennaar, but for the past month (while getting over covid, l m a o) it's been pokemon. old school 2DS pokemon ultramoon, for anyone who wasn't here when i first inherited it in 2020-- i've evolved three of my favorites, dear sweet primarina, my growlithe is now up an arcanine, and i've gotten my much beloved mareep up all the way to ampharos! i do wish she still looked a little more like a sheep still, the flaaffy evolution is really like peak design imo, but i still love them.

unpopular opinion maybe but i 'm really leaning into pokemon refresh, both as a former neopet kid, someone who is consistently amused by the way this mechanic forced them to animate and come up with cute/affectionate animations for like zubat, and also as someone who, like, does periodically think too much about the real-world uhhhh implications of video games. getting to scritch arcanine or cubone (which can apparently feel it even through? the skull mask? hilarious) makes it feel a little less. mean. to make them fight.

making fallow month+. i have two new patches to sew on the jean jacket, which meant rearranging a few already on there, but apart from pinning things into a possible new arrangement, no progress there.

working on - syllabus plan for fall class-- finish assignment plan tonight, finalize readings and post? by tuesday? - diss chapter 1 which is now four -- you fool. you absolute buffoon. - article draft. see above. - cover letters (x2) see aboev. - raship work because it a) pays me more immediately and b) allows me to feel in control of my life somewhat. we stan a concrete list of achievable tasks and accountability to an external structure. - oh yeah and this translation i'm working on-- for fun!

yeah, it sure is the beginning of the semester next. week.

[runesandmoons]

Goddamn indeed.

I love a fic where I can picture everything, and getting to picture Colson like that?? His face and hands stuck out to me so much. God, that was wonderful 🤌🏻

you should do that again

Colson x Reader

Warnings/Tags: smut (18+), fingering, reader's finger in Colson's booty bc he loves that shit, oral sex, swearing, squirting

Word Count: 1950

In which Colson asks his girlfriend to try something he's into for the first time. Enjoy the pure filth.

The first time it happened, it was on a whim. 

You and Colson had both been drunk, nearly belligerent, and he’d mumbled something about giving it a try, so you did. But when you’d woken up the next day, you’d only remembered it happening, not his reaction. So you couldn’t really be sure how he’d felt about it. 

Tonight was different. Neither of you was drunk and it had been a while since you’d last had sex. Colson had been away on a long string of shows and it had been over a month since you’d seen him. Phone sex had only gotten the two of you so far and you were both eager to see one another. 

After a quick greeting of “I love you”s and “I missed you”s, you were wrapped up in each other’s arms, mouths barely breaking apart long enough to breathe. You couldn’t even make it to your bed, instead opting to collapse together on the couch. Colson quickly stiffened in his pants, rolling his hips between your legs, and you moaned at the friction.

“Fuck, you feel so good, missed you so much,” Colson said in a rush of breath, mouthing your neck as his hands wandered your body.

“Colson,” you pleaded, tugging at his shirt. He sat up enough to get rid of it, and then he tore yours off, tossing it to the ground to join his. 

“You’re so beautiful,” Colson praised, kissing down between your breasts. Your chest heaved as he dragged his lips down your stomach, fingers working quickly at the button of your shorts. He tore those off quickly and fell to his knees on the floor, pulling you to the edge of the couch. His pace was dizzying and you were already aching and wet for him.

Your head fell back in a moan as he kissed you over your panties, curling his hands around your thighs. “Fuck, you smell good,” he muttered against your clothed pussy before pulling back to hastily get rid of your panties. His mouth landed on your clit again and he sucked firmly, moaning into you. “Taste good, too, fuck.”

Your breathing was labored as he took his time with you, getting you ready for him. He pulled back to strip his own clothes off and you pushed him onto the couch. He looked up at you with dark eyes. Usually, he didn’t let you take control, so you were surprised he gave in so easily. It was your turn to get on your knees, sliding your hands up his skinny thighs. 

He watched you, lips parted, his dick throbbing. “Y/N,” he breathed. You held eye contact with him as you took him into your mouth. His head fell back on the couch as he exhaled. You hollowed out your cheeks and took him deep. He groaned softly and squirmed, pushing a hand into your hair. 

You were just about to pull off of him, ready for him to be inside of you, when he spoke up. “Hey…uhh, you should um…”

You pulled off of him and raised a brow. He looked nervous. Timid. This was new. “Col?” you asked patiently. 

“You  should, um, do that thing with your finger again,” he blurted. His cheeks were flushed pink, and it was adorable, but you were a little confused. 

“What…thing?” you asked, slowly. 

Colson chewed on his lip, looking shy and uncomfortable. “Ya know, when we were drunk and you…”

You frowned, trying to remember what he was talking about. Then, it dawned on you. Your eyes widened just slightly. “Oh. Oh,” you said. “You…you liked that?”

Colson nodded enthusiastically, his mouth clamped shut with embarrassment.

“Oh,” you said again, biting your lip. “Of course I’ll do it again, babe.”

You flashed back to that drunken night, the one you’d nearly forgotten about. Colson moaned loudly as he fucked into you sloppily, your legs hitched on his hips, both of you close to coming. “Baby,” he grunted. “P-put your finger in my ass.” Drunk yourself, you weren’t even fazed by the command, and you took your own finger in your mouth, slicking it up with spit. You reached around him, sliding your hand down his ass. He slowed his thrusts, giving you a moment to maneuver your hand between his cheeks. The moan he let out when you started to press your finger inside of him was almost tortured, his brow furrowing. “Yeah. Just like that.” Later, when you were finished, you swore you’d never seen Colson come so hard before. 

“Y-you can just use your spit again,” he said, reaching up to mess with his own hair, unable to keep still. Suddenly, an idea popped into your head and you smirked. 

“Let’s go upstairs,” you told him. In his room, you gestured to the bed. “On your back, baby,” you told him. He nodded and lay on the bed, expecting you to follow. Instead, you put yourself in the arm chair in the corner of the room. You spread your legs and watched as Colson’s attention was drawn between them. 

You moved your hand slowly down your body until it landed between your legs. You pressed your middle finger to your clit, circling it slowly until your breath sped up. Colson’s eyes were locked on your hand, and he looked a little confused, but mostly, he looked turned on. Finally, you let your hand drift down further, your middle finger slipping inside your pussy. 

“Fuck,” Colson muttered, jaw clenching as you moved your finger slowly in and out of yourself. Every now and again, you circled your clit again. You’d been wet before even starting this, but you liked Colson’s eyes on you. You withdrew your finger, shining with your desire, and crossed the room to where Colson was. 

“Edge of the bed,” you ordered. Colson hurried to follow your demands, bringing his ass to the edge of the bed. “Lay back.” He did as he was told, grabbing a pillow to prop his head up so he could watch you. “You ready for me, baby?” you asked.

“Fuck yes,” Colson said breathlessly, hips shifting slightly. 

“Mm. Good. Spread your legs,” you ordered. Colson did as he was told and you tugged on his thighs, getting him to the very edge of the bed. You pressed your slick finger against his asshole and he sucked in a breath, realizing all at once why you’d been fingering yourself so intently. “Relax for me,” you murmured and Colson swallowed hard before blowing out a breath. “That’s it,” you encouraged as your finger pressed through the tight band of muscle. 

“Aw fuck,” Colson whined, neck arching. Using your other hand, you positioned his cock at your lips and sunk down. Colson moaned again, squirming as you sucked him at the same pace as you moved your finger. Colson unwound quickly, quicker than you’d ever seen. He was louder than he’d ever been, unable to keep his body still, hips bucking and squirming. You couldn’t believe just how into it he was, and how much that was turning you on, in turn. 

“Baby, fuck,” Colson gasped a few minutes later. “You got me so close…”

You hummed around him and took him deeper, plunging your finger deeper as you went. The original plan had been to let him fuck you, but you couldn’t get enough of the way he was nearly riding your finger, desperate and needy for your touch, and your new intention was for him to come hard in your mouth. 

“Y/N,” Colson gritted, wrapping his long fingers in your hair as he held you down on his cock. He cried out, louder than you’d ever heard, his cum shooting into your mouth hard. You swallowed every drop of him down, still moving your finger slowly to help him ride it out. When he was done, you pulled back, gently removing your finger, and sat back on your heels, pleased. 

Colson lay on the bed, completely spent, panting. His head was leaned back on the pillow so you couldn’t see his face, but by the way his stomach was rising and falling, you could tell that he was drunk off his own pleasure. You smirked, happy with yourself, and straddled him. Finally, his heavily hooded eyes met yours. 

“Was that what you wanted?” you asked. 

“Fuck yeah,” Colson breathed, shaky hands landing on your hips. “I love you so much. So good to me.” You giggled, loving just how spent and exhausted he was, how utterly fucked out. Once he’d caught his breath, he frowned. “You didn’t come.”

“I know,” you said with a shrug. 

Colson studied your face. “Will you…will you go back to the chair and do what you did before?” he asked. “Want you to watch you come.”

You smirked. “Oh, you liked watching that, huh?” you asked, stroking his cheek. Colson nodded quickly, so you obliged, walking over to the chair again. Colson sat up as you sat down, spreading your legs. You used your other hand, the one that hadn’t aided in Colson’s pleasure, and started twisting circles into your clit. 

It wasn’t long before you were breathing harder, soft whines sneaking out every so often. Seeing Colson like that had you worked up majorly, your cheeks hot as your heart raced. You liked the way Colson’s eyes were locked on you, every now and again drifting up to watch your face as you touched yourself, but never lingering for long before landing on your hand again. 

“Fuck,” he said lowly as you pushed two fingers inside yourself. “Baby…” He bit his lip hard and got up from the bed. You were getting close, heart racing, and you whimpered when Colson demanded, “Stop.” You moved your hand away and your pussy throbbed and clenched around nothing. You’d been closer than you thought, and it almost hurt to stop. 

“Colson,” you whimpered in protest.

“No, baby, I wanna make you come,” he said, leaning over your body. He lifted the hand you’d been using on yourself and took your fingers into his mouth, sucking your arousal off of them as his eyes held yours. Dropping your hand, he held himself up with one hand on the chair and his other hand went to where yours had just been. Your head fell back as the pads of his fingers went to your sensitive clit. He bit his lip and groaned softly. “So wet.”

Your back arched as he rubbed quick circles against your clit. Finally, he dropped to his knees, keeping one hand focused on your clit while inserting two fingers from his other hand inside you. “Colson, fuck,” you gasped, writhing on the chair as his fingers curved, hitting your g-spot. You were so overwhelmed by the pleasure, your orgasm flying at you now. 

“I-I’m coming,” you warned, and then you were squirting on Colson’s hands and chest, his fingers sloshing as he continued to finger you at lightning speed. As he continued to rub your clit, one orgasm melted into another and you writhed, tears squeezing from the corners of your eyes from the pure pleasure of it all. 

Finally, Colson pulled back from you, and now it was your turn to come down, panting and shaking. “Goddamn,” you sighed, and Colson chuckled. You looked up at him and grinned. “I love you, you know?”

“I love you, too,” Colson said. “Come here.” He scooped your exhausted body from the chair and took you to the bed where he wrapped you in his arms and snuggled you close. “Thanks for, uh, doing that for me.”

“Any time, baby,” you said with a smile, and meant it.

[heavenlyyshecomes]

hello! do you have some book recs about generational trauma?

the god of small things (roy), the radiant emperor duology (parker-chan), the silence of scheherazade (suman), a tale for the time being (ozeki), the blind earthworm in the labyrinth (nitiprapha), the broken earth trilogy (jemisin), burnt sugar (doshi), hisham matar's writings to name a few.

other recs (which i haven't read): on this earth we're briefly gorgeous (vuong), red at the bone (woodson), hope (ridker), the water dancer (coates), pachinko (lee), and the writings of toni morrison, colson whitehead, yaa gyasi, etc.

[litrouke]

played January a while ago and it was awesome, wondered if you've read Zone One by Colson Whitehead since they feel vaguely similar (literary zombie story)?

I have not, but based on the wikipedia summary, it sounds excellent! adding it to my TBR list. thanks for the rec and glad you enjoyed January

[obsessioncollector]

Do you happen to have any book reccomendations for books with an unreliable narrator and some kind of (sort of) anti-hero? I’ve been curious, but almost all recs are for mystery, murder mystery, or just outright following the direct villain types and I’m considering looking for ones that just look at the ethics of the main character in a limited perspective.

Hi!! Here are some books that come to mind, not sure if they're exactly what you're looking for but worth checking out :) Some of these are probably obvious suggestions but I'm mentioning them just in case. Also anyone reading this, feel free to add on, I'm sure there are many I forgot!

Lolita and Pale Fire by Vladimir Nabokov

We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

Dom Casmurro by Machado de Assis

The Notebook, The Proof, The Third Lie by Ágota Kristóf (I think this one was originally three short novels but in English publication they combined it into one volume)

House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski

Notes from Underground by Fyodor Dostoevsky

The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner by James Hogg

Absalom, Absalom! by William Faulkner

The Iliac Crest by Cristina Rivera Garza

A few other books that I wouldn't straightforwardly categorize the way you described but might still be of interest (all of them are really excellent imo):

A Personal Matter by Kenzaburō Ōe: Including this one because you mentioned ethics and the narrator is quite pathetic and repulsive, but in a way that's often encouraged (or at least not discouraged) by the society around him.

History of Violence by Édouard Louis: The narrator himself isn't particularly unreliable, but the story’s told through an interesting framing device—he’s listening to his sister recount an attack he survived and mentally noting when he disagrees with how she describes it or characterizes him, so it plays with narrative.

A Hero of Our Time by Mikhail Lermontov: Classic multiple narrator/book within a book situation

The Intuitionist by Colson Whitehead: The narrator isn't knowingly withholding information from the reader, but there are a bunch of twists and turns that keep you guessing (you discover them as she does.)

[librarycards]

xala, for the book recs

omg i hadn't heard of this one before!

added to TBR | on my TBR | couldn’t finish it | did not enjoy | it was OK| liked it | loved it | favorite | not interested

my recs:

Colson Whitehead, Sag Harbor

Nikolai Gogol, Dead Souls

Charles Yu, Interior Chinatown

Franz Kafka, Amerika

[nerdby]

🛑Do Not Interact🛑

Anti-Agere

Incels

TERFs

SWERFs

Anti-LGBT

Racists

Zionists

Potterheads

Supporters of AI Anything

~Formerly Known As meow-meow-nerd~

Hey, peeps, Welcome To Incelgate❣️

This is my multi fandom nerdy, nostalgia and kidcore blog. I talk about all kinds of things here -- politics, books, comic books and comic book movies (mostly Marvel), movies and TV, video games

And my life as a queer age regressor.

I am neurodivergant and have a myriad of mental health issues, including PTSD and agoraphobia. I age regress to help me process trauma and relieve stress in safe, healthy ways like coloring or cuddling stuffies or whatever. I post lots of cutesy stuff here.

My age regression is 100% SAFE FOR WORK. It's not a kink.

Most age regressors on Tumblr have little space sideblogs. The reason why I do not have one is because I feel the best way to normalize adult age regression is by having it all out in the open with adult issues. For a lot of people, myself included, age regression is involuntary and is triggered by something that reminds us of our childhood. It is just another part of our personality. So why should we have to keep it separate from other aspects of our day-to-day lives and hide it???

This is just my personal opinion and I understand if other age regressors disagree with me. Because I have faced harassment for being open about my regression, even by therapists and social workers.

What is Incelgate?

Incelgate is a notion I've been toying with for a while: A movement to reclaim comic book nerddom from the eugenicist, fascist, incels who are trying desperately to push women, BIPOC, and queer people out of the comic book nerd, and gamer community. Because I hate fascists and because I took oath to live my life in a way that would make Steve Rogers and Fred Rogers proud of me. And not just them -- the creators of Marvel.

Because Marvel has been antifascist literature since 1941, motherfuckers. That means if you're scum who votes for republican or democrat, and thinks that we should all just make room for fucking racist, misogynistic, queerphobic, ableist jackasses then Joe Simon, Jack Kirby, and Stan Lee wouldn't claim you. And I don't, either😘

#notsorry

Please, feel free to write and ask for comic book reading recs.

Currently Watching

The X-Files

Desperate Housewives

Goodreads

Thanks for stopping by, peeps.

[sunriseseance]

what are some of your phenomal book recs? please i need to read more good books

OK HI

If you're looking for queer books:

The City and the Pillar by Gore Vidal

(post-wwii story about queerness and identity and coming into yourself)

Johnny Appleseed and Fullmetal Indigiqueer by Joshua Whitehead

(brilliant stories by an indigenous Canadian person about gender, sexuality, person, and place)

Zami: a new spelling of my name by Audre Lorde

(not quite an autobiography of a brilliant queer black woman)

Black Jesus and Other Superheroes by venita Blackburn

(the most beautiful short story collection I have ever read. Queer, black, rhythmic, stunning. Please, if you only choose one of my books, pick this one).

Non-queer but they're great:

Inherent Vice and Crying of Lot 49 by Thomas Pinchon

(amazing books about history, reality, and comedy. Cannot reccomend highly enough)

Libra by Don Delillo

(a story about the Kennedy assassination. Meaningful look at what we think of history)

Paradise, Beloved, Jazz by Toni Morrison

(her "trilogy" on historical blackness. Fundamentally brilliant. I especially reccomend Paradise, the story of a town told through the women)

The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead

(an anachronistic slave narrative that brilliantly confronts race and history)

Borderlands/La Frontera by Gloria Anzaladua

(a piece about modern identity centered around queerness, identity, and the America/México divide)

House of Leaves by Mark z. Danielewski

(a fundamental deconstruction of the form of the book)

I absolutely have others but I think these will be it for now! If anyone wants more lemme know

[bsaka7]

30 for the book asks!

30. give any 3 book recs to ur followers!

i always feel so awkward giving book recommendations because i never really know what kind of books people like or have read and i don't feel like im a particularly insightful reader although i do think i have at least an interest in books which give me something to think about. Anyway. I will try to choose a few different types. Under the cut because nothing I say will be short. And also thank you!!!!!

1. The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead

I always feel a bit dumb recommending a book that has won a Pulitzer, because well, you'd assume it won a Pulitzer for a reason. This is Whitehead's second novel to win a Pulitzer. However, I found it to be really, really, really worth it. The Nickel Boys is based off a historic reform school in Florida where a number of unmarked graves have been found, and where Black boys were systemically tortured. It's a dual-narrative book, Elwood Curtis, a business owner in NYC, and Elwood Curtis, a high schooler in the 1960s who gets sent to the reform school. In some ways, it's a dialogue between optimism and cynicism. The world can get better with work. The country is founded on genocide; there is no change. It's a short book -- maybe a little over 200 pages -- and it is really, really worth a read. It's quite different than the other novel of his I've read (The Underground Railroad), and I think I slightly prefer it, but they are both really very good.

2. Say Nothing by Patrick Radden Keefe.

This is a book I had to read for one of my senior seminar classes for history in college a few years ago. For some reason, I've been thinking about it on-and-off lately, which is a bit ironic, because although it's an excellent read, I had some qualms about some bits of rhetoric and also the conclusion when I read it for class. The other book in the same vein, that I also think about occasionally is Imperial Reckoning by Caroline Elkins which is about the Mau Mau insurgency in Kenya and the British colonial response. Say Nothing is about the Troubles in Northern Ireland, investigating the murder of Jean McConville. I think, having also read a sort of worse book in the same investigative vein (see the other book ask I got LOL), that the sort of issues of sources and interviews and the limits and openings of oral histories is one of the most interesting aspects of the text (at least in a how-history-is-done sense). I can't say how the book reads if you have extremely in-depth knowledge on the subject, which I certainly don't, but I think the complexities it presents (on an individual level and beyond), the impressive research (and complications in that process), and the extreme readability (especially for such a heavy subject) make it an interesting and perhaps even useful popular history. I complain about popular history books a lot (it is what it is), but perhaps this one is worth a read.

3. All Systems Red by Martha Wells (The Murderbot Diaries #1)

One thing about me, which I occasionally try to deny, is that I quite enjoy both fantasy and sci fi (the former a bit more than the latter, though this series is doing something to convince me). I read this for the little bookclub, although it's been a while since we've met, and I think I've read the first four? novellas in the series now. The main character, Murderbot, is a part robot, part human construction serving as a Security Unit. After hacking it's own control unit (governor module), Murderbot wants to watch TV and be left alone. It tries to evade detection...and yet also wants to protect its humans. It's so delightful to sort of experience this awkward prickly robot be forced into realizing that it has connections, that it has things it cares about. I believe Rhu (@traincoded) was the one that said it was tightly plotted, fun scifi and honestly I couldn't agree more. It's fun and yet very engaging and gives you a few things to think about with regards to "humanity" and whatever else you're in the mood for.