#glory arden

[gnomeniche]

these guys!! i haven’t posted abt them for a while but was thinking abt my snow queen retelling again so i have been redesigning kain because i didn’t feel like the old design conveyed his personality and general vibe well enough + also this one is more fun to draw and has more visual interest. so ofc i had to add glory because they are besties and i needed to see if they looked good next to each other. i think it’s mostly working! they have strongly contrasting designs on purpose but they have enough similar elements that they don’t feel too alien to each other. and then finishing with mask on + hood up designs for kain because that’s usually how he appears unless he’s more relaxed

[local-littleguy]

the doodle dump part three electric boogaloo

wait shit that doesn't work

[that-bi-bitch-writes]

just found out the plot to the teen wolf movie... it's definitely a movie

[sinterhinde]

Glory on the Site: Binary Breakers (blessedarethebinarybreakers.com)

Avery Arden created this wonderful site that collates interpretation frameworks, timelines, and resources for queer and disabled christians. The site is brilliant in its density and a lovely beacon for everyone interested in queerness in history and theology.

The site began as a Tumblr blog in 2015, which I will tag below. They also share their work across Instagram, Twitter, Youtube, and almost every site that streams podcasts! Avery published their debut poetry collection The Kin-Dom in the Rubble in 2018.

Many thanks, Avery!

Tumblr: @blessedarethebinarybreakers

[crimsonglittered]

GLITTER & CRIMSON, also known as G&C, is a Korean, Canadian, Australian and Chinese all-male band under GC Global, previously known as SUPERSTAR Entertainment. the group consists of four members: ARDEN, CADENCE, SUNGSOO, and LEON. the group was scouted around the globe in numerous international auditions to find the perfect four. established officially in 2011, each member trained for exactly four years before debuting in 2015 with the mini album titled FULL OF CRIMSON. the concept of GLITTER & CRIMSON is the emotional process of how it feels to grow up too early. all members are best known for producing the group's music themselves since 2016.

group name glitter & crimson

company gc global

debut song dream boy!

debut album full of crimson, the 1st mini album

debut date may 08, 2015

fandom name rubies

fandom color #94CBE0 ➝  "morning glory"

THE MEMBERS . . .

ARDEN [ 1995 ] drummer, sub-vocalist

CADENCE [ 1997 ] leader, frontman, bassist, main vocalist

SUNGSOO [ 1998 ] electric guitarist, sub-vocalist

LEON [ 1998 ] maknae, rhythm guitarist, sub-vocalist

comment/reblog your bias(es) to join the taglist !

[no-where-new-hero]

quick fantasy book list for @batrachised (avoiding tiktok vibes as much as possible)!!

the warm hands of ghosts by katherine arden (rilla of ingleside vibes)

the fifth season by n.k. jemisin (epic secondary world fantasy)

the traitor baru cormorant by seth dickinson (heart-rending political fantasy)

nettle and bone by t. kingfisher (short and gripping)

the ten thousand doors of january by alix harrow (historical, richly detailed)

she who became the sun & he who drowned the moon by shelley parker-chan (historical fantasy, huge queer angst)

some desperate glory by emily tesh (it's more sci-fi than fantasy, but it's still a new favorite novel)

the last unicorn / tamsin / a fine and private place by peter s. beagle (lush heartbreaking fantasy for the first, rich speculative for the second two with fantastic characters all around)

hexwood by diana wynne jones (my favorite dwj aside fire and hemlock, fantasy framing for a space opera plot)

vita nostra by marina and sergey dyachenko (fantasy dark academia by way of huge philosophical ideas)

there are absolutely more i could send you, but these are some instant recommendations that spring to mind :)

[booksandabeer]

9 TBRs for 2025

I was delighted to get tagged by the fabulous @burberrycanary! Thank you. <3

The Woman Upstairs by Claire Messud

The desire to read Messud's novel about an elementary schoolteacher who seems nice and calm on the outside but is secretly seething with anger and frustration on the inside was sparked by this post and a subsequent conversation with @village-skeptic about unlikeable female protagonists. I've been dying to read this for a while now, but it was surprisingly difficult to find in physical form (I'm sick of looking at screens all day and my library only had the ebook). Package tracking tells me it's finally due to arrive on January 10. I'm genuinely so very excited to read this!

Our Evenings by Alan Hollinghurst

This novel, which traces the life of a gay, biracial actor in England from the 1960s to the pandemic is only one example of a whole number of books* on my TBR about queer middle-aged men looking back on their lives and in the process delving into themes of personal growth, identity, and cultural and societal change. Wonder what that says about me as I approach middle age ever more rapidly myself? One can only speculate, of course...

*see also: Four Squares by Bobby Finger; My Ex-Life by Stephen McCauley; Caledonian Road by Andrew O'Hagan

Madhouse at the End of the Earth: The Belgica's Journey into the Dark Antarctic Night by Julian Sancton

Not much to say about this except that my thirst for books about doomed (Ant)arctic expeditions has apparently still not been quenched. I guess this is my version of True Crime. This has made several Best-of lists, so I hope that it'll be well-written (and edited!) too, which is not always a given with nonfiction books.

The Winter Soldier by Daniel Mason

The assumption is an obvious one to make, but no, this has nothing to do with the #1 Blorbo of my heart. This is actually a novel about a young medical student from Vienna thrown into a remote WWI field hospital, where he soon leaves behind any romantic notions about glory and heroism as he faces the brutal reality of war. I've read the first 50 pages of this a while ago, and I'm really eager to get back to it.

Effingers by Gabriele Tergit

This 1951 novel is often described as the "Jewish Buddenbrooks"—a comparison that I understand for marketing purposes but that I nevertheless do not like for a whole host of reasons. It’s an epic, multigenerational story about a German-Jewish family from the late 19th century through WWII. I got a beautiful special hardcover edition of this for Christmas and I can't wait to savor all 904 pages of it.

Secret City: The Hidden History of Gay Washington by James Kirchick

Speaking of long books. I bought this 848-page brick of a political and social history of queer (not exclusively gay as the misleading title would suggest) Washington at the height of my Fellow Travelers obsession... and then I just never got around to reading it. A failure that I really want to make up for this year.

Daddy by Emma Cline

I already very much liked but did not unreservedly love Emma Cline's debut The Girls. However, I was completely blown away by her follow-up novel The Guest, which she published last year, and which instantly catapulted her to auto-buy status for me. So, it's only natural that I would want to read the only book of hers that I haven't read yet. Daddy is a short story collection, which will hopefully deliver the same sharp observations, wonderfully complex characters, and elegant & precise prose that I have adored so much in her novels.

The Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden

To be honest, the premise of this—historical fiction with supernatural elements, following a combat nurse during WWI searching for her missing brother—does not super excite me (anything magical realism-adjacent has traditionally not been a great success for me) and reviews seem to be pretty mixed. But. Katherine Arden is the author of my beloved Winternight Trilogy*, so I will at least give this a fair chance.

*seriously I want to grab all the Romantasy girlies and shove this into their hands instead of whatever latest abomination Cassandra Clare or Sarah J. Maas have cooked up. ...uh, sorry if you're a fan? 😬

Manhattan Beach by Jennifer Egan

I read and enjoyed Jennifer Egan's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel A Visit from the Goon Squad many years ago and have been meaning to read another book by her ever since. When a couple of my family members asked what I wanted for Christmas and I put together a little list for them (cause that's what I do), I stumbled upon Manhattan Beach. It's a blend of historical fiction, mystery, and family drama set in Depression-era New York City, about a young woman who pioneers as the first professional female diver at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Does that not sound like the perfect book for me? Seriously, the summary reads like I made it up in fever dream!

--

Looking back over this list, I'm somewhat surprised to realize that it gives the impression that I'm much more of a historical fiction reader than I actually am. Or thought myself to be, I guess. Huh! How about that.

Ok tagging: @ethicalhorseslaughter, @burninblood, @thisonesatellite, @between-a-ship-and-a-hard-place, @voylitscope, @aimmyarrowshigh, @weenhand, @painted-doe, @buckrogers, @maplefiasco and everyone else who wants to do this! Show me your books, please.

(I know this has been making the rounds, so apologies if I double- or triple-tagged anyone.)

[d-criss-news]

Darren Criss and Helen J Shen Make Robots Feel More Human in Maybe Happy Ending

----------

Darren Criss and Helen J Shen are currently starring in Maybe Happy Ending, a new musical at the Belasco Theatre where they play two retired Helper-bots who formerly assisted humans with their day-to-day tasks. Set in the future and directed by Michael Arden (Parade, Once On This Island), the show takes the audience on a journey through love, loss, and belonging. It’s received rave reviews on Broadway after first debuting in South Korea, then moving to Japan, China, and Atlanta, Georgia.

This marks Criss’s return to Broadway after stints in American Buffalo, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. He also starred as Blaine Anderson in Glee and won an Emmy Award for his performance as Andrew Cunanan in The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story. Shen is making her Broadway debut after recently graduating from the University of Michigan.

----------

Darren Criss: I was about to go into tech rehearsal for American Buffalo at the top of 2020, an American contemporary classic play with Sam Rockwell and Laurence Fishburne. I was like, “Wow, dude, the show is cooking. I’m opening this on Broadway. All these incredible things are happening.” Then, it was no more. I feel like I went through the pandemic with these two men [Rockwell and Fishburne], because we were all so excited to be part of this show. We would FaceTime regularly, read through the play, and talk about life. The show went on in our minds. We weren’t sure if we were ever going to get to do it.

That was something we kept chugging through, and we finally got to come back in ’22 with some of these things which now seems so in the rearview mirror: COVID restrictions and testing and audiences wearing masks. We were very diligent about all that stuff, and luckily we’re on the other side of that.

But at that time, that show was the longest I’d ever been on Broadway. The poster for that show at Circle in The Square [Theater] remained there for two and a half something years, even though the show hadn’t ever opened.

----------

Talkback On their initial reactions to Maybe Happy Ending:

Criss: I think the best stories we’ve heard are the ones we weren’t prepared to hear. It’d be like if Batman wasn’t as culturally ubiquitous as it is, and I tried to pitch you Batman. You’d be like, “That sounds so dumb. Rich guy fights a clown? This sounds absolutely ridiculous, and there’s no way this is going to be one of the most popular IPs the world has ever seen.”

That is what’s so exciting: When you feel people in the audience truly not knowing what’s going to happen, whether production-wise or as a spectacle. You don’t know if some things are going to look a certain way, you don’t know things are going to sound a certain way, and you don’t know if the story is going to feel a certain way.

Musicals live and die by their music. I love Shakespeare, but I’m not listening to Shakespeare in the car on the way to work in the subway. Musicals have that. They have this sort of extracurricular component that you can have forever after the fact. When I listened to the music, I was like, “Oh, wait. Hang on. This is really special. Why is this so smart? Why is this so beautiful and elegant and sophisticated and familiar and nostalgic?”

That keyed me in. And then I read the script and I went, “Wait, hang on.” I am glad that I was available to do it, because I think it’s one of the greatest things that could have happened to me at this point in my life.

Shen: It felt like a very kismet meeting of minds and hearts and souls and stuff. Still to this day, I’m like, “Thanks for having me, you guys.”

Criss: This was a train that was bound for glory with or without us.

On what they’ve learned from each other:

Criss: We went to University of Michigan together. That’s certainly a fun relating point, and something that I’m really proud of, the fact that two U of M alums share the marquee of the Belasco Theater. That’s so special.

But, to keep using the academic reference, I am an upperclassman now, which is very strange for me, as I kind of crossfade into that chapter of my life. I’ve always been the young gun. Now, being on the other side of that, I feel like I’ve been given a role of, “Okay, I am a senior now. I tell the freshmen what’s what, and hopefully, I’m saying something correct.” It’s an occasion I have to rise to. In rehearsals, from the very beginning, the loud voices of doubt were certainly prominent. I think Darren, Michael, the people who have more experience in the industry, and just experience in existing in these spaces, have taught me how to not apologize for my space that I take up, which is something that I think I’m still processing and still will continue to be processing throughout.

On what this show means for Asian-American representation on Broadway:

Shen: It means everything to me. If I was sitting in the audience, to see a show like this, to see someone who looks like me embody this character, be nuanced, be flawed, be all the kinds of things, instead of just the flavoring of a body, is everything to me.

Growing up, if you don’t see an example on the path that you’re choosing, it can feel impossible. You feel like, “Oh, there’s one spot.” That is so frustrating, to feel that sense of competition with people who look like me, instead of feeling like I stand in solidarity with them and stand in power next to them.

It’s been amazing to talk to people at the stage door who are like, “I’ve never seen myself represented on stage in this way.” I’ve never felt it where my Asian-ness isn’t the only thing that is my character. To have my Asian-ness be just a fact [of my character] is so much. It means so much to me. To see my parents see that, too. They wanted to protect me so much. They wanted me not to feel pain in this industry, and for them to see that I can inspire others is probably really exciting for them, and exciting for me too.

Criss: Everything that has happened for this show thus far was not on my itinerary. The response has been wonderful, but that’s not why we’re doing it. It’s not why we’re here. We’re in it because we found a beautiful story that we fell in love with, and we’re lucky enough to be asked to join it. It’s better to pursue something you love and potentially fail than succeed at something that you can’t stand. We’re in that rarefied wave, which is the combination of your passion and excitement matching those who are outside of it.

I want to be very clear about this, I think what I love about this show’s heart and soul is not that it is an Asian show. It is inhabited by Asian-American actors, and those Asian-American actors represent something really beautiful. I love the idea that in the future, this is a show that can have anybody from any background in it, because the story is so enduring and such a human story. My million dollar clickbait line is that I believe that the show is about as Korean as Romeo and Juliet is Italian. It’s just where we set our scene.

Now, at the same time, fuck yeah—Asian excellence on Broadway. It’s really exciting. Having any kind of representation in any mainstream commercial form of entertainment is wonderful.

On Elsie Fest, Broadway’s Music Festival, which Criss co-created and produces every year:

Criss: Elsie is such a passion project for me. It’s for this community that I love so very much, and I’m so pleased that it’s taken on a bit of a life of its own. I will keep doing it for as long as I can.

Having people like Helen, and the new guns, like Joy Woods, Lizzy McAlpine, and Rachel Zegler, people who will show up to be a part of this, is so encouraging to me. It gives me such faith in a community that I already have endless faith in and love and appreciation for. It is my small way of thanking this community for what it has given my life and trying to give it back in whatever way that I can.

Shen: Elsie, to me, it’s a love letter to the inner child, to the inner theater kid that we all are continuously. I have been a fan of this, obviously, for years. I can’t believe I got to sing A Very Potter Musical this year.

Criss: Andrew Barth Feldman was at the first Elsie Fest ever in 2015, almost 10 years ago, a little brace-faced teenager at the VIP meet and greet to meet StarKid, my friends from Michigan who made A Very Potter Musical, and there he was almost 10 years later singing the song that he was there to support with us. That is the best.

[books-coffee-and-the-woods]

re: 2023 new releases. hope you're ready for a long message because there were a lot.

hot new releases/things that were relatively popular

He Who Drowned The World, Shelley Parker Chan (Chinese mythological historical, very gay, very stabby a la Baru Cormorant. Book 2 of 2. A particular favorite of mine from this year)

Witch King, Martha Wells (New fantasy book by author of murderbot fame. I didn't actually click with this one but I'd be remiss to leave it off)

House With Good Bones, T Kingfisher (Southern gothic rose horror by the very talented Ursula Vernon)

Translation State, Ann Leckie (high sf alien horror regency romance. Wheeeeee. I had a lot of fun reading this. You can read it as a standalone, but you get deeper context if you've read the ancillary justice series, also highly recommended)

Will of the Many, James Islington (futuristic roman empire aesthetic rigged murder school. Not precisely good but appallingly catchy, I read all six hundred pages in pretty much one sitting. If you liked red rising you'll like this, if you hated red rising you will Not)

OH YEAH THE ACTUAL NEW MURDEBOT NOVEL (System Collapse)

A Power Unbound, Freya Marske (book 3 of 3, magic alt edwardian romances with murder. This is more romance proper but it's about equal with the action plot and Marske is very good. I don't think you've read these so you'd have to start at book 1)

Some Desperate Glory, Emily Tesh (The book that absolutely knocked my socks off, my pick for the best sff release of the year. I forget if I've already told you about this one)

Starling House, Alix Harrow (Southern gothic house drama. Similar feel to Ninth House or The Book of Night)

The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi, Shannon Chakraborty (Divorced lady pirate adventure-drama a la Arabian Nights.)

Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries, Heather Fawcett (Charming, heavily fairy tale trope themed, vaguely reminiscent of the Lady Trent books)

more obscure new releases from this year that I thought were cool, but not in the Hot New Reads You Can't Miss Because Everyone's Read Them category

Under Fortunate Stars, Ren Hutchings (sf timey wimey space shenanigans with aliens. Immensely cool premise.)

Small Miracles, Olivia Atwater (fallen angel sent to tempt a too good mortal. Extremely charming)

The King Is Dead, Naomi Libicki (vaguely persian flavored fealty romance, very heavy to the fealty. Original, thorny, and intriguing)

The Deep Sky, Yume Kitasei (What if we terribly traumatized everyone going on a generation ship by making them go to viciously competitive boarding school together and then act surprised when a murder mystery occurs. Heads up that it's more interested in the human drama than the SF worldbuilding)

The Saint of Bright Doors, Vajra Chandrasekera (early modern fantasy world anti-imperialism fever dream narrated by a cult survivor. Brilliantly written, spectacularly original, one of the best books I read this year)

Things for 2024, content warning for being (obviously) things I haven't read and thus without quality control

The Warm Hands of Ghosts, Katherine Arden

The Familiar, Leigh Bardugo

The Dead Cat Tail Assassins, P Djeli Clark

Long Live Evil, Sarah Rees Brennan

Goddess of the River, Vaishnavi Patel

The Woods All Black, Lee Mandelo

Exordia, Seth Dickinson

A Sorceress Comes To Call, T Kingfisher

Running Close To The Wind, Alexandra Rowland

Wow tumblr just lets me keep writing words. I didn't think they let me have this many in asks. Oh, and pro tip-- keep an eye out for tordotcom's most anticipated upcoming books for the first six months of 2024. They should be publishing it within the next week or so and I always add masses of books to my tbr from there.

oh holy crap, thanks!! I'll have to check these out!

thoughts on a few of em:

He Who Drowned The World - still have to read She Who Became the Sun lol but hopefully I'll get to em next year!

Witch King - Martha Wells has been recced by like All my sci-fi mutuals now lmao I REALLY gotta get into her!

House With Good Bones - THIS ONE IS ACTUALLY ON MY SHELF!! I just didn't fucking read it this year whoops. Very excited for new Kingfisher

Starling House - I was on the fence about this one since I really didn't like Once and Future Witches, but those comparisons give me hope! I'll add it to the library list!

Some Desperate Glory and Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries are 2/3 of the books published in 2023 that I actually managed to read (the 3rd is The Woman in Me lmao), I can't remember if you recc'd Some Desperate Glory, but it was SOOOOOOOO GOOD OMFG

Small Miracles - my aunt has been trying to convince me to read Atwater for quite a while, I'll have to give this one a try!

The Saint of Bright Doors - I have this one on hold!! Saw a post for it a week or so ago and it sounds absolutely delightful!

The Familiar - SO SO EXCITED for this one! I hope Bardugo is maybe...slowly....extricating herself from the Grishaverse and going to write more books not related to it... (not that they're all bad, I loved the Six of Crows duology, I'm just not into it anymore and I reeeealllly like her adult books lol)

Running Close To The Wind - oh yay new Rowland! I still haven't read her last book (the one with the guy on the cover who looked EXACTLY like my boss to the point where it became an Office Meme that [Boss] Is A Gay Romance Cover Model, still meaning to get a UK version of it but haven't yet) but I'll have to look this one up!

[formulaphoe]

the rise of christian horner

note: this post mentions the sexual misconduct allegations from earlier this year

image source: daily express

when you think of formula 1, names like hamilton, verstappen, and ferrari come to mind. yet, behind the roaring engines and the glitz of the paddock, there's another name that stands tall—christian horner, the team principal of red bull racing, a figure as pivotal to the team's success as the drivers themselves.

early days and career beginnings

image source: reddit

born on november 16, 1973, in leamington spa, england, christian horner's love for motorsport ignited at a young age. he started his racing career in karting, making his first foray into single-seater racing at the tender age of 18. his ambition saw him compete in various championships, though he never quite made it to the pinnacle of racing. he soon realised that his talents lay not behind the wheel, but in strategy and management.

christian's big break came when he founded his own team, arden international, which competed in formula 3000. under his guidance, arden quickly made a name for itself, attracting talents like the future f1 champion, sebastian vettel. this success didn't go unnoticed, and in 2005, horner was approached by red bull to take the reins of their newly-acquired formula 1 team.

a new era at red bull racing

image source: f1

taking charge at just 31 years old, christian was young, but undeniably ambitious. under his leadership, red bull racing transformed from a mid-field contender to a dominant force in formula 1. the turning point came in 2010 when the team clinched its first constructors' championship, a feat they would go on to repeat four times consecutively. the secret to their success? a combination of innovative engineering, strategic vision, and, crucially, a knack for nurturing talent.

challenges and triumphs

image source: everythingf1

while christian has enjoyed much success, his journey has not been without its challenges. the fierce rivalry with mercedes during the 2010s tested his mettle. the era of lewis hamilton's dominance also presented obstacles, yet christian was instrumental in navigating the team through the complexities of regulations, technical advancements, and the ever-shifting dynamics of f1 politics.

in recent seasons, with the emergence of max verstappen, christian's vision started to bear fruit once again. verstappen's talent, paired with the team's unwavering support, has led to a resurgence, including a spectacular championship win in 2021 that send the f1 world into a frenzy. christian's strategic decisions during these critical races, especially in high-pressure situations, have shown his prowess in not just managing a team, but leading it to glory.

allegations

image source: the independent

earlier this year, christian faced allegations of inappropriate behavior that rocked the motorsport community. these accusations were serious and came amidst a broader reckoning in formula 1 regarding workplace and sexual misconduct.

as investigations unfolded, it was evident that the situation mirrored a growing concern in formula 1, where issues of harassment and misconduct were being brought to light. industry leaders faced increasing pressure to address these matters transparently and responsibly. christian's case highlighted the urgent need for better policies and practices to protect individuals in the paddock.

christian publicly denied the allegations and was acquitted of all accusations.

the future of red bull racing

image source: planetf1

as we look ahead, christian's ambitions for red bull racing are clear. with the team investing heavily in its infrastructure and talent, the aim is to maintain their competitive edge. the new regulations on the horizon present both challenges and opportunities, and christian's strategic foresight will be essential as the sport continues to evolve.

with the team's legacy growing and new talents on the rise, christian's role is more crucial than ever. his vision for sustainable racing and commitment to innovation will shape not just red bull racing, but potentially the entire landscape of formula 1.

sources

"christian horner." wikipedia, 2 oct. 2024, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_Horner

taranto, steven. "christian horner situation, explained: formula one red bull team principal accused of 'inappropriate behavior." cbs sports, 8 mar. 2024, www.cbssports.com/motor-sports/news/christian-horner-situation-explained-formula-one-red-bull-team-principal-accused-of-inappropriate-behavior/

shaw, graham. "christian horner: the life and times of an f1 great with a spice girl wife." gpfans, 28 feb. 2024, www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/87455/christian-horner/

"christian horner: 'it was my first time in a single-seater." winfield, winfieldracingschool.com/christian-horner-red-bull-team-principal-it-was-my-first-time-in-a-single-seater/

braybrook, rebecca. "who is christian horner? red bull boss' history and net worth." motorsport, 28 feb. 2024, www.motorsport.com/f1/news/christian-horner-red-bull-team-principal-career-history-net-worth/10580854/

specter, emma. "formula 1's sexual-misconduct scandal, explained." vogue, 18 mar. 2024, www.vogue.com/article/christian-horner-formula-1-sexual-misconduct-allegations

if any errors or typos are noticed, PLS PLS point them out via comment, ask, or dm. if there is a specific topic you would like me to cover, send in an ask and i'll look into it!

[bookaddict24-7]

NEW YOUNG ADULT RELEASES! (FEBRUARY 6TH, 2024)

___

HAVE I MISSED ANY NEW YOUNG ADULT RELEASES? HAVE YOU ADDED ANY OF THESE BOOKS TO YOUR TBR? LET ME KNOW!

___

NEW STANDALONES/FIRST IN A SERIES:

Relit by Various

ASAP by Axie Oh

Even if it Breaks Your Heart by Erin Hahn

Out of Body by Nia Davenport

Daniel, Deconstructed by James Ramos

The Absinthe Underground by Jamie Pacton

No Time Like Now by Naz Kutub

I Hope this Doesn't Find You by Ann Liang

Skater Boy by Anthony Nerada

How the Boogeyman Became A Poet by Tony Keith

Infinity Alchemist by Kacen Callender

Dead Girls Don't Say Sorry by Alex Ritany

Bright Red Fruit by Safia Elhillo

You're Breaking My Heart by Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich

NEW SEQUELS:

Clarion Call (Ravenson #2) by Cayla Fay

The Cursed Rose (The Bone Spindle #3) by Leslie Vedder

All this Twisted Glory (This Woven Kingdom #3) by Tahereh Mafi

King Cheer (Arden High #2) by Molly Horton Booth, Stephanie Kate Strohm, & Jamie Green (Illustrator)

___

Happy reading!

[heradion]

Teen Wolf : The Movie- Fan Complaints vs Article

Going to preface this by saying I am not going to respond or entertain any hate comments about the characters or actors. This is simply criticism on the writing of the movie and not hate on the actors.

Arden Cho and Dylan O'brien being missing : Fans complaint : How can you bring the Nogitsune without having two of the most vital characters from the show. Article: O’Brien is also missing from the spinoff film, a decision he told Variety was due to time constraints and a desire to leave the past behind. While Cho barely warrants a mention in the film and O’Brien’s famous Jeep is elevated in his stead, Teen Wolf: The Movie still resurfaces the villains and storylines most closely associated with their characters, a decision that makes their absence feel even stronger. 

2. The movie feels like a poorly written attempt at re-living high school glories and past. Fans complaint: Scott having to face the Nogitsune and Allison feels like his life is still unfulfilled even after 15 years. Some people were also concerned about Allison still being the same age/ a minor when they got together.

Article: Without O’Brien, Cho or any acknowledgment of the fanbase that made Teen Wolf succeed, the movie version of this hit series lands like a sparsely-attended high school reunion: painful to watch and a waste of two hours. Teen Wolf: The Movie is a reunion in the most literal sense, as its characters are literally forced to traverse their old high school haunts.

3. Weird plotline/plotholes coupled with bad writing Fans complaint: There are plots in the movie that contradict what was said in the show, and the writing/ dialogues lack strength.

Article: While creator Jeff Davis drags viewers along with the constant rhythm of familiar faces, the callbacks alone can’t justify the film’s existence — especially when it comes at the expense of its biggest fans. 

4. Treatment of Queer and POC characters (Relevant to the show) Fans: Did not like how Arden Cho was treated and queer ships like Sterek or Thiam were queer baited.

Article: its popularity dropped in its fifth season, partially in response to the show’s (and Davis’) tendency to build up popular queer characters or characters of color only to discard them. Arden Cho, who played the sword-wielding kitsune Kira Yukimura (and Posey’s love interest), was the first woman of color in a lead role on the show. But she was unceremoniously dropped from the cast before the sixth and final season, a decision that enraged die-hard fans. And that rage came bubbling back up again in May 2022, when Cho told The Cut she turned down Teen Wolf: The Movie because she was offered half of what her white, female counterparts were.

So to sum it up:

A lot of Teen wolf fans and lovers of the show came back to see their favourite characters return and were fairly disappointed by the results due to the poor writing .

What are your thoughts?

[theinquisitxor]

24 in 2024

Considering myself tagged by @sixofravens-reads

My 23 in 2023

These are 24 books/series I want to prioritize in 2024:

The Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden (new release)

The Mirror Visitor series by Christelle Dabos

Realm Breaker series by Victoria Aveyard

Beartown series by Frederik Backman

A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine

The Books of Pellinor by Alison Croggin (reread)

Blood Over Bright Haven by ML Wang

The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo (new release)

A Fragile Enchantment by Alison Saft (new release)

The Atlas Complex by Olivie Blake (new release)

House of Flame and Shadow by SJM (new release)

The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson

The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison

Hild by Nicolla Griffth

Captive Prince by CS Pacat

The Seven Realms series by Cinda Williams Chima

Running Close to the Wind by Alexandra Rowland (new release)

The Luminaries by Elenor Catton

Song of the Huntress by Lucy Holland (new release)

Paladin's Grace/ more T Kingfisher books

Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh

The Magician's Daughter by HG Parry

Sea of Tranquility by Emily St John Mandel

Sabriel by Garth Nix

Tagging anyone who wants to participate!

[siamesedreamgirl]

wait dandy you know nothing about my ocs other than this post and based on that post i want you to ship them. (im pretty sure they were seperated by WIP? which should make it easy to try to make sure you're shipping characters from the same WIP) ill tell you how them being together would play out (obviously /nf for this im just curious how someone which of my characters people would ship purely based on bad descriptions of them)

omg that’s such a good idea let’s do this!!!

power doesn’t guarantee glory:

aria + oriana

eli + frey (idk i they’re both kids)

alex + mathew

inora + lani

built on bones and flowers:

antoine + silas (!!!)

analie + alexandra (obvs)

vixen + celestine

and ig arden + melian???

the inhuman fascination with the human mind:

orion + oz

nathalie + opal

corrupted royalty:

eughhh this one is the hardest butttt

fletcher + alistair

cyrus + casimir

celeste + cordelia

fletcher + rigid

don’t laugh at me

[bassguitarinablackt-shirt]

Okay i realised i dont talk about my ocs nearly as much as i should on here so have a shitty description of all the main characters to my current wips!!! (also this is me begging for more asks about my writing)

Power doesn't guarantee glory

Oriana Mckoy:if jenna ortegas wednesdaay addams was a 19 year old ace sapphic girl who has had way too much pressure put onto her

Salveria Ramel:silly lil guy (shes a 16 year old girl), was heavily based on my friend worm, is probably autistic, i adore her, you should adore her too.

Alex Ruinde:disaster gay (whos in denial ahout being gay) with abandonment issues

Mathew Mckoy:cinnamon role with an inferiority complex

Aria Allen:chaotic neutral lesbian who would gladly commit arson if given the chance

– – –

Paint analogy

Antoine Villeneuve:noble gentleman in his early 30s who like just learned what emotions are

Vixen Valentine:his dramatic, extroverted, goth best friend who forces him to be social

Celestine Maxwell:eccentric inventor girl who everyone is kind of scared of (she said she was going to dissect their brains, that was just her way of saying she thinks they were interesting)

Arden Clayborne:three goblins in a trench coat trying to act like One Fancy Dude(™️)

Melian Doyle:emo teenager in the body of a 29 year old man, he looks like hes going through his third divorce, in reality hes sleep deprived and on his third cup of coffee

– – –

Six of hearts

Ollie Miller:15 year old bisexual disaster with asthma, go to pick up line is "you take my breath away." (hes also the younger sibling and it shows)

Jackson "Jackie" Miller:gay, deaf, autistic teen boy with severe anxiety (he is the older sibling and it shows

Sage Arlene:short lesbian with pink hair and two dads

Terry Crow:Nonbinary theater kid who survives off of energy drinks

Via Wilson:Sages girlfriend, proof trans girls are fucking beautiful, her and jackie bond over being the introverts of the group

Rosy Moren:One of the rare instances of me writing a character who loves life

– – –

The inhuman fascination with the human mind

Orion:human, but in an inhuman way

Oz:he doesnt talk, but he will glare at you from across the room until you crack under pressure and run away, pretends they dont care about the others, spoiler alert:they do!

Opal:my darling, god help my poor darling, why did i give them such awful friends

Nathalie:inhuman, but in a human way

– – –

The sparks of hope that lead to fires of change

Casimir:carefree prince dude whos life wouldve been so much better if he was born into a normal, nonroyal family

Fletcher:spoiled brat who has committed murder

Celeste:girlboy who works day and night and night and day, no matter how she tries its all the same, they breeze on by, and hes left behind (if any of you got that reference marry me)

Alistair:stern knight dude whos life wouldve been better if their dad wasnt a knight

Cordelia:tall, mysterious, elegant woman whos intimidating and yet strangely motherly, she found a bunch of teens who had been screwed over by the royal family's existence and went "im taking you in. youre all my children now."

Rigil:pretty chill, down to earth dude, its pretty easy to forget that hes part of a group of criminals

Cyrus:emo teenager. (complimentary)

Fredge:pure chaos in the body of a 15 year old enby

Tip:bloody little girl

[greencrusader13]

So I said that I wasn't going to be able to stop enthusing about Baldur's Gate 3 after it launched, and then I was promptly silent about it. My bad! I have been playing it seemingly nonstop since Thursday, and I'm having a blast with it. I genuinely consider it one of the best video games I've ever played, and certainly the best RPG I've ever played.

So, here are some screenshots of my character! This is Morag of Clan Arden (or, rather, Arden Morag), my dragonborn barbarian. Years ago I posted art of a D&D character - Arden Balvarax - I'd been playing for Waterdeep: Dragon Heist. This is his cousin! While the Ardens of Waterdeep tend towards the heroics, the Ardens of Baldur's Gate...don't. Morag was just a simple construction worker before his abduction, though he dreamed of glory and adventure like his Waterdhavian cousins. He's got a little more than he bargained for now.

Unlike Balvarax, who was demure, perpetually-anxious, and a hopeless romantic, Morag is conversely loud and BOLD and perhaps a wee bit too overconfident. He gets along pretty well with most of his companions, minus Astarion. He and Lae'zel are casually boning in a fling, though Morag's eyes are for Karlach and will end things with Lae'zel once things can become more serious with the tiefling. Wyl and Shadowheart are his confidants, and Gale's weird magic shit freaks him out.

He's been a blast to play so far (and I'll happily take any asks about him). This game is amazing.