#go add it to your tbr to support!!!

[roselinbooks]

Shifting Roots is on goodreads!!!! AAAAAAA!!!!!!!

[eaurouge-sangnoir]

whats your top 5 favorites lestappen fanfic

this is such a hard question but i'm going to try and give you 5 fics that come to mind when i think lestappen. note i have so many fics on my tbr list that i know are very popular in the fandom, if you're surprised some fics are not in the list, that's probably why.

grapefruit mignonette by slapshots

their dynamic is incredible. love all the work done around food in this. go read it if you've not. chef AU (max is so chef-coded and it's the perfect fic with this trope).

2. lit by electric lights by dewclaw

not super long but still hits in all the right places. super sweet. cam boy charles/f1 driver max.

3. every other sunday by Anney

a classic for a reason. outed max and supportive charles.

4. half of a heaven by weiwuxian (BreathOfDream)

angst with a happy ending exactly at the level i fuck with. love it. angsty model charles/simp driver max.

5. Breath You In (Like a Vapor) by Fabby

shared obsession of max calling charles baby, what can i say? kinda canon (both still drivers) figuring out over winter break that they're obsessed with each other. it was between this one and the The Warming Verse tbh.

bonus - it's a wip so i didn't want to include it in the list but heartstroke by grandprix makes me feel things.

i read and bookmark everything on another account (i've been meaning to add rpf bookmarks onto my writing account but where is the time??). in the mean time if you want any recs for f1 and hockey rpf let me know.

thanks <3

[the-batacombs]

Ooh okay this looks fun. Thanks to @zahri-melitor for tagging me in the TBR meme. Let's go!

--

Okay meme for people to take their mind off today.

If you have a To Be Read list/pile (comics, books, whatever):

What title(s) are you currently reading?

"Currently reading" is fun because there's a lot of stuff I stalled out on when I got busy and am going to get back to. Right now the top of the list is The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson and The Ionian Mission by Patrick O'Brian (Aubrey-Maturin #8). I'm a bit of the way through Green Lantern (2005) and The Flash (2016), which are the top long series I'm trying to push through at the moment. I'm currently partway through Justice League Rebirth Deluxe Edition #3, which is just Justice League (2016) #29-#33, because I wanted better context for the Legacy arc.

What title(s) are up next on your reading list?

Up next is definitely going to be Treason's Harbour by Patrick O'Brian (Aubrey-Maturin #9) just as soon as I've finished the previous book. I'd really like to get to Cory Doctorow's Red Team Blues and N. K. Jemisin's The World We Make in the near-ish future. In comics, the last volume of Gerry Duggan's Invincible Iron Man: Iron & Diamonds, Ostrander's Suicide Squad, and then getting back to where I'd stalled out in PKJ's Action Comics Warworld Saga and Green Arrow (1988). Also, picking up Robin (1993) from where I left off.

What title(s) are your emotional support TBRs and you’re planning to get around to them. One day. When the stars align?

When the stars align...K. J. Parker's Saevus Corvax Deals with the Dead and especially Parker's Engineer trilogy. John M. Ford's The Dragon Waiting. Samuel R. Delaney's Tales of Nevéryön. Moby-Dick by Herman Melville. The Inugami Curse by Seishi Yokomizo. Stations of the Tide by Michael Swanwick. I could go on and on.

For comics...the last part of Tamaki's Detective Comics run, which at this point I think is the Shadows of the Bat arc. The space-era Green Lantern/Green Arrow stuff. Alan Moore's Swamp Thing. One day I'm going to cave and go to DCUI and read the rest of Batgirl (2000) and The Books of Magic (1994), but as long as I've got so much unread I can still access for free from the library, I'm trying not to spend the money on it. Also, it's nice to know that I have issues of Batgirl (2000) waiting for me on a bad day. Dawnrunner (2024) by Ram V/Evan Cagle is also very much on the TBR. I stopped reading Ram V's Detective Comics when my schedule got disrupted and I'm still not caught up, but that's my number one rainy day story tucked away in my boxes.

I've never run into the phrase "emotional support TBR" before and it's making me laugh. That's fantastic.

Have you taken anything out of your TBR pile recently, and why?

I...am very bad at taking things out of TBR, but I did finally decide not to put pressure on myself to finish Saga (2012), because I was already getting frustrated with where they were taking it and don't really want to get reinvested. It's such a good comic but it was already on the edge of my comfort zone. Maybe once it's all finished, I'll take a week to read it...but maybe not.

I don't know if it's quite the same thing, but it has the same impact on my TBR, so: dropping Batman and Nightwing and Birds of Prey as ongoing titles. I've stopped trying to push myself through Green Arrow: Year One, because it's not clicking at all, and I also stopped actively pursuing Green Arrow (2001), because I got to the Winick era and stopped enjoying it.

It turns out I have taken exactly zero novels out of my TBR in recent memory. I only add new books and shift priorities around.

Okay, ummmmm, tagging @faillen @aurpiment @venomousmaiden @galacticlamps if you feel like it! (Hi, it's 1968-100a reporting from the DC sideblog.) I would bet good money some of you have cool books on your TBR and I would love to Hear About Them.

[wannab-urs]

The Spreadsheet Digest - Vol 25

Hi Friends!!

It has been... a week. I didn't get a whole lot of reading done. But I did absolutely adore every single thing I read this week. I think, if I can count, I read 12 new fics this week. Also tried out yet another new format: Author summaries (or my quick one if there wasn't one) included with the rec.

As always you can find all of my previous fic recs here. Feel free to tag me in your fics and I'll add them to my TBR (please understand that my TBR is long as hell and it might take a while for me to get to it)

Fic recs below the (baby) Pedro!

Me and My Husband a Din series by @beskarandblasters

Summary: Din Djarin is doing what any typical Mandalorian would be doing after reclaiming Mandalore, finding a riduur and settling down. He’s still a member of the Guild on Nevarro, taking bounties here and there to support his new family. But when he meets you while you’re working the front desk at an inn on Naboo, he finds himself hooked, feeling like he’s found something new and exciting in his now mundane life. How long can he keep up appearances with his riduur? And how long can he keep his little secret with you?

This is the first married!Din series I’ve ever seen (not saying it doesn’t exist, but I haven’t seen it), so this is for my infidelity loving Din Girlies. I love how awkward and just plain bad at flirting Din is in this. And you’ll hear this a lot from me in my reblogs but POOR MAY!! I’m so excited for the rest of this series. 

Oh, Honey a Joel series by @lincolndjarin 

Summary: you’ve been given a gift. a fresh start in a brand new place, the sleepy little town of Honey, WV. a distant aunt has passed away and left you a little plot of land and her camper, the stars must be aligning for you because the local mortician is looking for an assistant and you’re desperate for the work experience. your new employer even offers to set you up with her brother-in-law! things are looking up, you’ve got a brand new home, a new town, a hot date, (and thanks to a series of bear attacks that started immediately after your arrival) you have more than enough work to keep you busy!

Oh look Gin is reading another monsterfucking fic…. Shocker. But anywayyyy, I love the buildup in this. It’s got such a good suspenseful plot. And I love that reader goes a lil off the rails and everyone is fuckin gaslighting her aghhhhhh. Oh also baby Ellie is in this and that is adorable. The lore and the worldbuilding in this are to die for, I feel like I’m reading a mystery novel. 

A Heart For Eating a Joel series by @motherofagony

Summary: a vicious raider attack robs you of human connection and lights a fire of destruction in your life in jackson. joel's fixated on you, and your lives tangle. revenge becomes a needful thing.

I love Joel’s characterization in this so much. He’s a grumpy bastard, but he’s got that wonderful protective caregiver thing going on. If you’re a fan of some mild love as consumption, injured men (and taking care of them (joel)), christ side wounds, and gorgeous storytelling this is the one. 

Go Ahead, I dare ya a Javi P two shot by @chronically-ghosted

Summary: 1. No sex. 2. No touching yourself. 3. No orgasms. 4. No murdering your annoying DEA partner. A Javier Peña-shaped riff on that iconic Star Wars fic.

The TENSION!!!! The BUILDUP!!!! This fic drove me crazy dude. It’s so will they won’t they the whole fucking time right up until they do. Javi is perfectly written and reader is a perfect match for his bullshit. 

Wet Work a Frankie one shot by @loversandantiheroes

Summary: Frankie accidentally discovers how to make you squirt

I???? It’s a fic where Frankie makes you squirt three times like what else do I even have to say? It’s on your kitchen table! And you call him a good boy! This fic is devastatingly hot. 

Frankie Breathplay Drabble a Frankie drabble by @ozarkthedog 

Summary: Frankie chokes you while you ride him

Got tagged in this lovely little drabble and ummmm oh my god? Breathplay is a little bit of an understatement for what this is. It borders on dark!frankie (in my personal opinion), which I adore. He’s choking you out while you ride him. Like that’s what’s happening. Asphyxiation but make it sexy. 

Real Gods Require Blood a Joel one shot by @proxima-writes

Summary: You think you’re as good as dead when a band of raiders find you. In what you think are your final moments, an angel appears. His name is Joel Miller, and he is here to deliver you from evil.

CULT JOEL! CULT JOEL!!! I love how fucking scary Joel is in this. It’s like if the stuff that happened to canon joel got all mixed up with some religious trauma and made him go a little crazy. I loved this so much. It was quietly terrifying, beautifully written. I love the ending so much too… not gonna spoil it but AHHHH

The Locksmith a The Thief series by @oonajaeadira 

Summary: A Thief you’ve known for years and have conflicting feelings for brings you a gift. The gift is a not only a puzzle in itself, but part of a larger mystery, one only you can crack.

I’m like 3 or 4 chapters into this series and I love it so much. The Thief with a locksmith reader is just such a good idea and I love how he ropes her into situations. He’s such a smooth talker ugh. The opera chapter? Pls. I gotta go finish this series now actually AH. 

The Haunting of Dieter Bravo a Dieter one shot by @idolatrybarbie

Summary: "ghosts aren't real, except when they are."

As a paranormal horror slut, it really felt like this fic was written for me… (f’me, if you will, Bea). Dieter being Dieter and reader being done with his shit and then they get HAUNTED. I love it. The suspense is so good. I was actually a lil freaked out. 

Everyone at this party's a vampire a Dieter one shot by @idolatrybarbie

Summary: "you look so pretty like this."

This is funny because Dieter is an idiot, but reader is so hot??? Anyway sexy vampire lady lures Dieter’s dumbass into getting murked and it’s wonderful.

Intimidation Tactics a Dave/Marcus P series by @whataperfectwasteoftime

Summary: You and your partner, Marcus Pike, are investigating a case that brings you far too close to something much more dangerous than your average art thief. 

I haven’t quite finished this yet (actually just got to the big action scene), but I am so in love with this fic. I already adore the way Penny writes Marcus, but then we get her Dave too. And Dave has all these elements of movie Dave – badass, sexy, a little scary – but we also get to see him be sweet and protective and playful and I love it so much. And then also I think everyone knows I’m a big ol slut for a MMF fic and the dynamic between Marcus and Dave is so fucking good. Little baby enemies to lovers plotline and GOD their chemistry is off the charts. 

Just Friends a Javi P two shot by @joelsgreys

Summary: You’re planning to have sex for the first time and you’re nervous—Javi offers to show you a thing or two, but just as friends of course.

I really love the way Vee writes Javi, man. He’s arrogant, annoying, rude, snarky… but also protective, sweet, and very ummmm giving. The banter is fuckin unmatched. And the mutual pining? PLEASE. I’m obsessed. 

----------------

Apologies to anyone whose series I normally keep up with... I've been a lil scatterbrained.

-----------------

Happy Reading!

[ash-and-books]

Rating: 4/5

Book Blurb:

An October 2024 Indie Next Pick • An October 2024 LibraryReads Pick

Preorder now and receive the stunning DELUXE LIMITED EDITION while supplies last��featuring a gold foiled cover, gorgeous sprayed edges with stenciled artwork, as well as exclusive metallic ink patterned endpapers and unique foiled front and back case stamps. This breathtaking collectible is only available on a limited first print run, a must-have for any book lover. “Exquisite and devastating. It won’t fail to move you.” —Shelley Parker-Chan, #1 bestselling author of She Who Became the Sun

Inspired by the legend of Xishi, one of the famous Four Beauties of Ancient China, A Song to Drown Rivers is an epic novel steeped in myth about womanhood, war, sacrifice, and love against all odds as the fate of two kingdoms hangs in a delicate balance.

Her beauty hides a deadly purpose.

Xishi’s beauty is seen as a blessing to the villagers of Yue—convinced that the best fate for a girl is to marry well and support her family. When Xishi draws the attention of the famous young military advisor, Fanli, he presents her with a rare opportunity: to use her beauty as a weapon. One that could topple the rival neighboring kingdom of Wu, improve the lives of her people, and avenge her sister’s murder. All she has to do is infiltrate the enemy palace as a spy, seduce their immoral king, and weaken them from within.

Trained by Fanli in everything from classical instruments to concealing emotion, Xishi hones her beauty into the perfect blade. But she knows Fanli can see through every deception she masters, the attraction between them burning away any falsehoods.

Once inside the enemy palace, Xishi finds herself under the hungry gaze of the king’s advisors while the king himself shows her great affection. Despite his gentleness, a brutality lurks and Xishi knows she can never let her guard down. But the higher Xishi climbs in the Wu court, the farther she and Fanli have to fall—and if she is unmasked as a traitor, she will bring both kingdoms down.

"Stunning and heart-rending." —Chloe Gong, #1 bestselling author of Immortal Longings

Review:

A beauty who is tasked to seduce an enemy king in order to avenge her sister's death and save the lives of her people...but finds herself for the handsome military advisor, a heart breaking story of sacrifice, forbidden romance, and womanhood. Xishi is a beauty, which would be seen as a. blessing as she would be able to secure a good marriage to support her family... except she draws the attention of a famous military leader, Fanli. Fanli offers her an opportunity: in exchange for her using her beauty to seduce and help destroy a neighboring kingdom that seeks to ruin them and work as a spy.... he will protect her family and she would save their people. Xishi and Fanli grow closer and closer.. but as she delves deeper into the enemy king's court the higher the risks become and the deadlier the game gets as all eyes are on her and if her act isn't perfected then she could lose her life and the life of everyone she holds dear. This was a fantastic read and the ending was heartbreaking. I am a sucker for stories like these and this one was inspired by the legend of Xishi, one of the Four Beauties of Ancient China. This is a beautiful story of the lengths that we would go to to protect what we love, the endurance and constant trials that Xishi is put through is just testament to her strength. I really had fun reading this one and would absolutely recommend it! If you love forbidden romance, political intrigue, and inner strength, I would absolutely say add this book to your TBR.

Release Date: October 1,2024

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

[thelimeonade]

I am in no way new here but it's been so long since I have used this blog to the point that it has - sadly - descended into an early grave. So in an attempt to revive it and be more consistent, I'm going to reintroduce myself to you all.

Hello, everyone.

My name is Lime and I am an aspiring writer (mainly high fantasy). I'm 22 years old and I'm in my 5th year as a med student, with hopes of landing a position in either cardiology, surgery or general practice especially emergency and trauma. I live in Cairo, Egypt and as I have said before to disperse the false stereotypes, no, I do not live in a tent. No, I don't live next to the pyramids. Yes, I have wifi and all the modern things you have.

My hobbies include portrait drawing and reading. I have been an avid reader ever since I could hold books and pretend that I was reading because I couldn't actually read just yet. My TBR is at a completely unrealistic number of 4.5k and growing as I have no favorite genre and I bury myself in books as a somewhat unhealthy way to deal with my depression, anxiety and borderline.

I have a LOT of WIPs - wouldn't exactly call them that as I never really started outlining any of them, I just started writing random scenes but I plan on working on one of them fully in the upcoming 5 years (yes I have set a timeline for myself), my most probable decision will be to work on Extinct Galactic but I am torn between burning my greatest card as my first book instead of testing the waters with a simpler, milder idea that would be more acceptable and help me grow my base as a writer.

I initially started this writeblr to share my love and knowledge with everyone here and this reason still stands to this day but we will add to it "the motivation to keep moving forward and improving". I will do my best to post daily, to share how life is going on, to update you on how far I have come in goals that I will be also sharing with you guys.

Some Fun Facts about me:

I used to have over 100 Australian budgies. They were initially two... then they kinda got a lil frisky... and yea... Now I have two cockatiels, Zizo and Bar'o'aa (means plum in Egyptian) and two rescue cats called, Safroot (means tiny in Egyptian) and Nougat.

I have my own small business bookstore that sells manga, manhwa, comic books, light novels and other similar books.

My favorite series is Altered Carbon, the first season, second one was awful.

My anxiety manifests as the need to always be prepared for anything so you'll always find me carrying a huge, heavy backpack full of anything and everything I might ever need.

My guilt pleasure is buying more books even-though I do not have the shelf space nor the capacity to read all of them but I must. own. all. books.

I have an anonymous writing account on instagram called @metanoia.writes

I'm an INFP-T and a Pisces

I love love love LOVE questions so please send me some

So this is it for my somewhat short introduction. I am excited to get to know all of you! Please follow me and reblog this post so it reaches as many people as possible. I will be following back everyone that does. If you're a writeblr as well, let me know so I can check out your works and support you, hopefully we will be more than mutuals!

Lots of love, Lime

[sugareey-makes-stuff]

I have some more @hprecfest fic recs for y'all that includes a dash of angst, sweetness and some holiday cheer. Give these 4 fics a read or add them to your TBR after your celebration shenanigans!

Day 20: A Fic Rated G

A Question of Seriousness by Diary (Perciver, G, 2.3k)

In which Percy is arrested, Oliver brings food, and they have a discussion about how serious their relationship is.

I honestly love how real this is, but it's soft. There's definitely something deeper and serious between Percy and Oliver going on, but also...Percy will stand up for what he believes in, and Oliver's supportive of that. I just love how much they care about each other as friends (and hey...probs more). ❤️

Day 23: A Soulmate Fic

The Ripples They Cause by@p1013 | p1013 (Drarry, M, 9.8k)

As Draco's mind tries to process his next move, the air ripples around his wrist, and he freezes. It's a subtle thing, as gentle and forgettable as an errant breeze. But it's one he's never felt before, a breath against his pulse, a fleeting touch from a stranger, the weight of eyes on his skin. All of those soft, tender, almost-not-there sensations, centered on the series of three numbers scrawled across his skin. * Everyone is born with a date on their wrist, the date of their soulmate’s death. On Draco Malfoy’s wrist, it's 02.05.1998

OKAY. This story not only integrates soulmates but the timeline follows canon seamlessly and the concept of soulmarks fits in so naturally. This is a comfort fic for me because it's angsty, heartbreaking, and it really gets into Draco's PoV on the events that have happened over time up to DH. *chef's kiss* because of how well woven the little details are. Also, Draco needs a really big hug.

Day 24: A Holiday Fic

A Home for Christmas by @themightyflynn08 | TheMightyFlynn (Flintwood, T, 7.2k)

Marcus Flint never expected to run into Oliver Wood ever again. He is kind of glad he did, though.

What I love about this fic is the way Oliver pulls Marcus right into his bubble, which also extends to the Weasleys. It would be easy for people to hold grudges from the war, but it's clear that everyone has matured and are willing to move past some terrible things. Also, I love how Percy knows just how to plant a seed or two that gets Marcus' mind reeling when it comes to Oliver...🥰

Day 25: A Fic Rated T

so tentative in your confession by @mxrcusflint | slyther_ing (Terence/Adrian, T, 3.7k)

Adrian kisses Terence without knowing it's Terence, and then everything goes to shit.

Hucey is one of my fav super rare pairs, and this friends to lovers fic totally embraces how Terence and Adrian need to talk more so there aren't any mixed signals or miscommunication. Also, there's a side of Flintwood here, who totally mean well when it comes to giving advice. In other words, everyone is an idiot, that's just how it goes yet everything works out in the end! 😂

[tychodorian]

Hey, just in case you didn't know, the Trans Rights Readathon is going on! Add a bunch of good books to your TBR and support trans authors.

Check out the readathon and join up here:

[boba-beom]

ahhh thank you so much, that really means a lot🥺 i hope i have a safe flight too, weather's been a little crazy over here, but hopefully it'll all clear out by next week❤️

oooh, i didn't know you do yoga, that's so cool! i don't think i've ever tried yoga personally, is it fun? aww no, i'm sorry, period pains suck so much. i hope you feel better soon🥺❤️ well yk whether it be a few days before or during your period, your body needs to rest, because it's working extra hard❤️ the title does sound really interesting, i might add it to my tbr - let me know your thoughts on it once you're finished. i was reading 2 books, but i've put them on hold for now. the first one is The Girl in Red by Christina Henry and the second one is Notes on a Nervous Planet by Matt Haig. the girl in red is a retelling of little red riding hood set in an apocalyptic world where there's this airborne disease that destroys most of the population. while the second book is a non-fiction one that talks about several aspects of the modern world and just how easily they can overwhelm us and cause anxiety within us. the author also shares some of his own experiences, which i find pretty cool.

the 2D1N series is so memorable to me. i just love how they were joking and laughing around with the boys as well as fangirling over them🥺

mine too omg the amount of times i've rewatched that performance and when they all also covered yeonjun's artist of the month WOW, that really did something to me. HE'S JUST SO FINE. finest man alive honestly.

hype boy is such a great song and the dance was just *chef's kiss*, but my favorite would have to be attention hehe. i also really like omg and ditto, they're both so good.

whenever i read something, it stays with me and i can't help but associate things to it. for example whenever i listen to jump the line i think back to your yeonjun drabble where mc was in the kitchen alone at night and he found her moving to that song🥺 but omg, don't worry about it!! it's completely fine, i know writing isn't an easy process and it can take time, besides there are so many things that can get in the way of it such as life. so please take your time and i'll patiently be waiting for future updates hehe <3

beomgyu of the day

so sorry for this late reply!! but i hope the weather hasn't been too bad for you, dear. hopefully the flight will go smoothly <3

it was actually my first time trying out yoga! i loved it! the instructor was so kind and everyone at the session was so friendly, there were a few who went before but there were also a few who were new to it so i felt like i eased into it nicely! the yoga itself was new, i think i prefer yoga that high intensity workouts!!

i shall note those book recommendations down, however, the girl in red sounds very familiar to me so unless i've come across it before or heard of it by passing, i'll give those a read 🤭

PLS you just mentioning yeonjun's artist of the month performance reminded me how hard i was manifesting a beomgyu artist of the month :< i love his dance style especially when it comes to hip-hop songs like that one predebut vid. but i also think beomgyu dancing something like this also needs to be a thing!! it suits his vibes a lot :') OMG wait even the choreo for rollercoaster, something about that beomgyu hit different

also good song choices!! i feel like there's no miss with newjeans, for me personally. i just love the nostalgic vibes they give, very much y2k

you and i are so alike!! i love reading fics with songs accompanied with it because those tend to stick to me better, but also giving off those specific vibes :') literally appreciate how supportive you've been with me, thank you so much :>

[katymanz]

We Shall Rise Anthology: Reproductive Rights Vol 1

⟢ Grab this romance anthology of fresh stories from 30 authors for the pre-order sale price of $4.99 until 01Jun25 only.

mybook.to/WeShallRiseAnthology

Autonomy, Liberty, Equality. Support the fight for Reproductive Rights for all.

‪‪❤︎‬ Hear the battle cry and join the fight. Turn one lone voice into a chorus of right. We get to decide our own fate because it’s our bodies and our choice.

⟢No matter who you are or what your journey brings, that’s the line we hold.

‪‪❤︎‬ No matter what decisions are made for us or what the future holds, WE SHALL RISE.

⟢ Again and again, until the very end.

‪‪❤︎‬ This We Shall Rise anthology is a collection of stories involving the challenges of reproductive rights and the struggles faced in the daily lives of those affected.

⟢ All proceeds from We Shall Rise, Volume One will go to The Center for Reproductive Rights. Please visit www.wanderlustpaservices.com for content warnings pertaining to each individual story. Remember, your health matters, mental and physical.

‪‪❤︎‬ This anthology holds new stories brought to you by these authors

Ally Vance

Angel Nyx

B. Shytle

Cecily Quinn

Christina B. Rose

Elle Sparrow

Erin Mersey

Finley K. James

J. A. Keeton

Jenni Simonis

Juliet McKinley

K.M. Ringer

Katy Manz

Legacy Michener

Naomi Jayne

Ravin DeMarco

Rory London

Rose Adam

Rose Wulf

Sarah Bale

Sarah Daniels

Shannon O’Connor

Tory Cameron

Yolanda Olson

⟢ Add to your TBR: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/221582907

#weshallriseanthology #reproductiverights #reproductiverightsarehumanrights #romance #romanceanthology #kindleunlimited #romancecollection #romancebooks #mustread #preorder #comingsoon #booksale #prochoice #abortionishealthcare #reproductivefreedom #contemporaryromance #paranormalromance #womensrights #mybodymychoice #limitedtimeonly #romanceauthors #newadultromance

[stareaterreads]

The Bear and the Nightingale

Book: The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden

⭐⭐⭐⭐

I am at a loss of words to share the complex emotions I feel for this book. Each character has their role within the story, written perfectly to fit - the evil stepmother, the sinister priest, the adventurous heroine. I liked the chyerti, the winter king, and my particular favorite is the rusalka (though I have always been partial to watery demon ladies). The political tensions in the background of the story, which I assume will increase in the sequel (I wouldn’t know, I have it on my shelf but have yet to read it), create a nice complement to portions of the story but also set the tone incredibly well for the beliefs and motivations of different characters.

Everything in this book weaves within each other, leading like waves into the next part and the next. Another individual in my book club had commented that you could sense where Vasilisa was going in terms of her fate through the book. I agree, and while the end did not come as a surprise that it happened, the way it wrapped up surprised me and left my heart in a sort of grief - not in the way an ending is disappointing, but rather left me in a realization of how much I had connected to everyone by the end.

In my copy of the book (and I believe in all recent copies), there is a list of questions and topics for discussion which acted as a wonderful starter for my book club. The questions (and answers) had me looking more curiously at the symbolism and dynamics of different elements within the story in a way I don’t typically look for when reading.

I will warn for new readers, this is a rather slow paced story - which I hadn't realized until one of my fellow book club members mentioned so, but it is worth it to read all the way through. If you’re still building back up your reading skills and are impatient like I was getting back into reading, I’d suggest placing this on your TBR for next winter and holding off on it for now. It’s definitely worth reading, but far from a ‘starter book’ (as I like to term it).

For those who have read this book, I will add another question: How do you think the story of each of Vasilisa’s siblings impact her story? Would Vasilisa have chosen for herself if Brother Aleksandr had not? How does her relationship to Alyosha and Irina change her?

Perhaps I ask the question because my own sibling is so important and impacts more decisions in my life than I tend to recognize. I like the subtlety of impact between different characters and how they change each other. This is definitely a book I recommend people read and then reread. There are always more little details and relations that stand out upon each reread. Nevertheless, I enjoyed this book at a 4.5 star rating. That little 0.5 off is mostly because it is a bit too slow paced for me, and it felt at some points like it dragged on, though I am aware and appreciate that that in itself is an element of the story - how winter drags on in this part of Rus’ for Vasilisa. I highly recommend reading this in winter, though - I keep accidentally reading it in the beginnings of summer.

In any case, a reminder to you, dear reader: in this great big universe, you matter to me. Thank you for reading and supporting this blog. I look forward to sharing more books reviews in the future and would love if you bookmarked this little corner of the internet to come back to. Until next time, I'll be reading!

If you’re interested in this book, buy it from one of these links here! Bookshop.org - Barnes & Noble - Libro.fm [audio] - or from your local bookstore!

[storiesofsvu]

I wanted to ask you something as an adult in the room? So I’ve been writing for a while now, I’ve made some real close friends that until recently were reading and commenting on all my fics and updates.

Now, they all have a lot going on, most of em are neurodivergent, are in college or have jobs, and said they don’t have the capacity to leave comments anymore (or sometimes even read my stuff at all) but they still like it, which was fine, we still talk about our writing and we’re all still really close.

But one of them recently sent me a screenshot of a conversation they had with another writer, on another brand new fic, and it’s thrown me a little? Like, you have time to read someone else’s stuff, and have nice thoughtful conversations, but to not do the same for your friend?

I haven’t said anything, but they know how much the whole commenting trend has gotten me down. I haven’t gotten a comment on anything in months, to the point that i’m considering quitting writing altogether. I just don’t feel very supported anymore by my own friends?

But I feel like an asshole even thinking that, I obviously can’t force them to read stuff they don’t want to, especially if they tell me they don’t have time, but that now feels like a lie. So like, am I being an asshole? Would it be unreasonable to bring up a conversation about it? How would I even do that without sounding so pathetic?

me?! the adult? oh man lol.

okay. so this situation is tricky no matter how you put it.

in my perspective as a reader, writer, tumblr blog and online... persona? lol... here are my thoughts:

-first off, MOST mutuals, online "besties", reading/writing buddies, fandom friends, they will all come and go. they are exactly that, online. i've had some VERY good friends through tumblr/discord over the past almost 5 years now. some of them were suuuper gung ho about stuff at the start, they were there to read everything, comment on everything, spitball with and come up with ideas in the dm's. they were active watchers of the shows and active writers themselves.

then it can happen slowly, they trickle away, they're less active, less talkative, a once bumping discord is mainly now crickets. Or they just disappear out of thin air.

-second, it can very easily be that life simply got in the way for various reason (such mentioned). or that they've lost all motivation/time for fic reading. it happens to me this time every year (yet i continue to host bingos LOL).

now onto reading another fic but not yours; personally there are a plethora of reasons that people fall out of steady reading/commenting, even for their friends. for myself i find:

-sometimes you just lose interest in a specific fandom or character. especially if there i a new blorbo in rotation that is taking up all your brain power/thoughts.

-some people don't like to read series they just want one shots. some vice versa. i personally don't like to read series until they're completed. so even if i'm tagged or chatting on discord about ideas and being all "omg this sounds so good i can't wait" (i will generally try to reblog each chapter as its posted and save the masterlist for later.

-sometimes when i'm looking through my TBR pile of fics, or see something i'm tagged in, i have to check a few things: how long is it? what character? what genre? how much time to i have right now to complete it? how much energy to i have right now? becauase sometimes i have the energy and time to read things but not set out a thoughtful comment. normally in that case, esp if it's a mutual, i'll wait to read it til later. if i DO read it, i'll reblog and usually add an emoji in the tags but some people don't do that.

comments are WAY down right now, on everything. it's partially why i've stopped writing, and definitely factors into my utter lack of motivation to write anymore. people are up the wazoo demanding requests but can't be bothered to interact. they beg to be let on tag lists and then don't even have the time to hit it with a like. it's just lazy now.

i've got a couple of discords, one of all svu people and i'd say it's safe to say 90% of them are no longer reading my stuff. some because they simply are busy, some have kids, lives, its the holiday season. mental health struggles are hard. you don't want to be reading about all these fluffy happily ever afters when you're feeling down on yourself/just got dumped. some simply aren't in the fandom as much anymore or have moved onto new shows. some of them have let me know, others haven't.

and that's totally fine because in the end as fanfic writers who post things on the internet, our readers owe us nothing. it sucks but it's true lol.

for your last question, i'd have to ask you a couple in return:

-is the fic you posted a one shot or a series?

-is the other new fic a one shot or series?

-are they the same fandom? if so same character/ship?

-is the other author and old friend or someone new?

like, if i had been posting a rafael barba x reader one shot and this new person was posting a jemily multi chapter that someone was raving about, esp if they were different genres, i honestly can't be upset about that. ya know?

anyway, that all i got

[hollymbryan]

Blog Tour: Top 5 Reasons to Read NEAR MISSES & COWBOY KISSES by Katrina Emmel! #tbrbeyondtours

Welcome to Book-Keeping and my stop on the TBR and Beyond Tours blog tour for Near Misses and Cowboy Kisses, the YA debut novel from Katrina Emmel! I've got all the details on this debut book and author for you below, plus my top 5 reasons to read!

About the Book

title: Near Misses & Cowboy Kisses author: Katrina Emmel publisher: Delacorte Romance release date: 23 July 2024

A swoon-worthy YA rivals-to-lovers romance between a Nebraskan cowboy and California girl, thrust together on the Oregon Trail. Anything’s possible under a prairie sky… Riley Thomas is feeling stuck—she’s moved from California to Nebraska, she’s on a weeklong Oregon Trail family bonding excursion, and her luggage is lost. There’s no one her age on the trip except a tall, dark and irksome cowboy who wrongly assumes she has zero ability to handle the great outdoors. She can’t wait for this misery to end—even though going “home” isn’t even possible anymore. Lone wolf Colton Walker loves the simpler life of the plains and his family’s tourism business that helps protect them. He’s a stand-up guy—not a love ‘em and leave ‘em type like his rival, Jake. And he knows better than to take his chances with a prairie princess like Riley. But Riley’s got more sense than Colton thinks–and he’s not nearly as inflexible as he seems. And under a wide prairie sky of puffy clouds and bright stars, everything comes into focus–including a cowboy’s heart. Katrina Emmel’s Near Misses and Cowboy Kisses will take you on a sweeping journey across the American prairie . . . once you love a boy in a Stetson, you’ll never be the same.

Add to Goodreads: Near Misses & Cowboy Kisses Purchase the Book: Amazon | B&N | Bookshop.org

About the Author

Katrina grew up in New Hampshire, and has a love for literature and science. She studied biochemistry in college before moving to the Midwest for graduate school, where she earned her Ph.D. in chemistry. Continuing her journey to the West Coast, Katrina lives in an active household that includes her husband, two children, father-in-law, and their rascally pup. She works as a chemistry consultant, and writes YA fiction and children’s fiction and non-fiction. Katrina loves chai, science and nature, trying out new recipes, music, and crafting.

Connect with Katrina: Website | Instagram

Top 5 Reasons to Read

I read all kinds of romance and love it all, but there's just something so special about YA romance. It's the first-love butterflies, the sweet and swoony feelings that feel unique to YA that I love so much.

I adore cowboy romance, but I've only ever read adult books, so to have a YA romance with a true cowboy was so much fun!

Both Colton and Riley learn the importance of not making snap judgments or just taking the measure of someone by how they appear; instead, they realize that there are layers of complexity to people that you'd never know about if you didn't allow yourself to get to know them. I think that's an important lesson for teens to learn!

Both Riley and Colton have the best, most supportive parents! They don't play large roles in the book, but of course, as parents, their influence can be outsized, so I love the fact that both sets of parents are extremely supportive of their kids and really root for them. Even when, in Riley's case, she has barely spoken to them for like a month because she's upset about the surprise move. As parents, we should always be there for our kids, even when they think they hate us!

It's important to support debut authors who write such beautiful books, so we can get more books from them in the future! I hope you'll pick this one up, or ask your local library to buy a copy for the teen section. If you've got teens, it's a no-brainer!

Thanks so much to TBR for having me on the tour, and to the publisher and author for the eARC of the book! I loved this one, and I think teen readers, especially, will too. In addition, if you like clean romance, this one's for you!

Make sure you check out the Bookstagram tour too! You can find my post here, and the full schedule is here.

[chaoskirin]

Shadow Sun ARC Review

I was able to get an ARC of the book Shadow Sun, which is the second book in the Dragon Star Saga. My review follows...

I am a critical reviewer. I believe I look at books fairly, rate them fairly, and review them fairly. It's NOT rare for me to give a five-star review on something, but it IS rare to wish I could give a book more than five stars.

Shadow Sun is a book about friendship and loss. Of love and complexity. And it's one of the best books I've ever read about those things. Honestly, that would be all I'd need to say about this book besides an encouragement for everyone to read this immediately and without delay. Seriously, don't just buy this book and add it to your TBR. Buy it and read it now, because I guarantee it's everything you're looking for in a story.

I don't want to discuss the story itself with this review, but tell you why, exactly, you should read this book. And I'm going to start with the dragons.

Yes, this book is about gryfons, which are written beautifully, and have so many deep layers and cultures that I love getting the chance to explore. They are fully fleshed out and wonderful in their own right, which makes the other species added alongside them--whether to support or as main characters--all the more appealing. The dragons in this world are so delightfully tragic and joyful at the same time. I love reading about them while also being unable to help mourning for them. How cool is it to have a whole species whose lifespan is only a year? Ren, the main character in Shadow Sun and the book before it, will live through fifty generations of dragons in her lifetime, which is just incredible to me. And while dragons do inherit pieces of those who came before them, each individual has such a small window of life on the planet.

Every moment of their life is filled with so much meaning.

I am absolutely obsessed with the implications of this, and my interest of the dragon, Suijen, had a huge payoff in this very story. And Suijen's love of Ren, and her love of him, was so beautiful and touching that it made me miss the days of friendship and camaraderie in fantasy books. There is a huge vacuum where tales of friendship should fit within the genre, and this book filled it to overflowing.

This is also true in the relationship between Ren and the king's son, Tyrilar. Tyrilar really looks up to Ren, and she's ecstatic that he appreciates her work and wants to help. Tyrilar's guardian, Eyvindr, still sees him as a youngster who needs protecting, but with Tyrilar being in his teens (relatively speaking) he's really big on striking out on his own and discovering himself. He feels capable and wants to be trusted, which comes into play in a huge way. It's nice to see characters proving their worth and actually having others recognize them for it!

Shadow Sun is also not afraid of COMPLEX relationships, such as the one between Ren and Tove. Not going to say too much about that, but I am interested to see how that develops, if it does at all.

Along the line of complex relationships, though, there's one trope in this book that I LOVE. It's always been one of my favorites, because it speaks to the challenges of friendship and the very idea that no one person can be right all the time. It's summed up in this quote:

"It was a difficult time," Catori murmured. "But that is the riddle of the Summer King, of the Silver Wind. he had to go against his own friends, his family, his pride, to follow what he believed was right. That is far more difficult than going against someone you view as an enemy."

I just love that sort of theming in stories, because it really his difficult. And then, of course, it gets into the question of what's right, and what you might damage by doing what you feel is right--even if it means going against your friends. There's always a huge tempation to support whatever your friends say or do, because arguing with them may very well cost you friendships. I have seen so many people agree with their friends just because it's expected of them, when true friendships sometimes mean telling your friends they're wrong.

Another thing I love about this book (and all books in this series and the one before it) is that there are no good guys and bad guys. As with life, most people have a reason for doing what they do. We as people can look at those things and agree or disagree with them. We can find them personally good or evil. But Shadow Sun leaves that up to the reader to decide, while presenting nuance that leaves room for thought. Ren and Embra are mostly "good" as far as readers might be concerned, but they do bad things. Embra especially is guilty of lying (for what she believes is a good reason) and Ren is complicit in that lie because she is afraid of losing the respect and friendship she has with Embra.

This is a difference from moral greyness, in which characters are neither good nor bad but somewhere between. Ren is undoubtedly the hero in this book. It's just that she doesn't have the straight paragonship that a lot of fantasy authors will assign to their characters. She is allowed to make mistakes, and is more interesting for it.

There are also a couple antagonist characters that are not conventionally evil, nor do they do particularly evil things. Kajsa is absolutely an antagonist to Embra's leadership, but she is also terribly rebuffed by Embra to the point where she feels outcast, which leads her to doing things she might not have done otherwise. It's amazing to have POV chapters with Kajsa, to experience her thoughts and what she's personally going through, and how she really does care for those around her and wants to do her best by them. She's sort of a heartbreaking antagonist, with very complex reasons for doing what she does.

There is also the character, Oslar, who isn't evil at all, and may still eventually prove himself. But he is annoying, and does do dangerous and somewhat reprehensible things, and is clearly attempting to live off his name and relationships alone. He is the cousin of a king and expects to coast on that title. This is directly opposite to Embra, the daughter and heir of a king, who probably does more than she should, and doesn't do enough to keep herself safe.

Without going into the details of the story--because you should all experience that for yourself--it looks like the Dragon Star saga is going into even more of the world's lore, where it comes to mystical forces that govern nature. The first series (the Summer King Chronicles) did go into a lot of this, but as expected, there's even more to explore. I am looking forward to learning more about these forces, and I'm earnestly hoping for many more novels in this world to explore it all!

There was one point around 30% in where I had a "holy crap!!!" moment, where I realized what might have been going on before it was explicitly stated in the book, and the payoff of that was really enjoyable. I really love when books set something up for readers to discover, and then DON'T do a weird twist where none of the foreshadowing mattered. Foreshadowing needs to matter, and it really does in Shadow Sun.

I also want to point out that I sat down with the intent to read this in pieces so I could more adequately formulate a review, especially since this is for an ARC. In fact, I planned to spend exactly an hour at midnight reading it so I could go to sleep and wake up at a reasonable time for work the next morning.

However, 1:00 am passed, and I said "just a little more." Then it was 2am. Then 3, 4, and 5. Finally, at 6:30, with 91% of the book completed, I had to give up on the notion that I could put it down. So I finished it, then got up and got ready for work without having slept at all.

It's very rare that a book does that to me. Usually I can tell myself that it's time to put it down and get some sleep, but the pacing is so perfect that there's ALWAYS a part where I "just have to know what happens next." 

Anyway, there are so many wonderful moments in this book, and so many wonderful characters that I know anyone who picks it up will love it as much as I did.

[stormhearty]

Hi, I'm back :)

You're a great writer and I know you'll deliver something wonderful. And gee, it must be challenging and fun to write about characters while you haven't finished the books yet!!!

I loved playing The Sims. I remember playing an old version where I couldn't go out to catch a catfish properly and my sweetheart would die from an exploded bladder! I was like 😭😭😭 it was a monster punishment for her to go through so much humiliation choosing to eat or go to the bathroom (sometimes the poor thing didn't even make it).

Of the books you mentioned, I only got to watch the movies😭 and now it's kind of tradition to watch HP at Christmas time.

The annoying thing about growing up and maturing is that we end up finding books we used to like predictable. That's why there are books we read when we were teenagers that we thought were incredible and which are now impossible to read, because it would totally ruin the emotional memory of our experience at that time. It's another book to read once in your life and never reread. Haha

ACOTAR works miracles in reintroducing. Judge me, I never finished ACOTAR, hehe.

I'll definitely add it to my list here ;) ahn, I've heard of these books and "divine rivals" is on my list too!

I've heard the rumors surrounding the author too, and they weren't good. Well, it's not entirely the plot, but a part that involves it, but the book itself was fine, since I knew what I was getting into when I went to buy it and I think it did what it set out to do.

Welcome back! 💜💜

Thank you so much for your supporting words! I was able to post one of the two fics I was struggling with earlier today. And I totally scrapped the other one and wrote it from scratch again. It is a total challenge because I have yet to fully grasp their characteristics, that's what I believe.

In all honesty, I only do interior and exterior design 🤣🤣. I have yet to fully gameplay it. And I should probably do so one day.

Oh goodness, HP is a tradition to watch during Christmastime. I actually watch it during Halloween and Christmas! Such an iconic movie. The books are great, much more in-depth than the movies of course.

Oh yeah, I could never re-read those books again, I wouldn't be able to get the same experience as I did with the first read-through. I could never re-read a series or a book if I finished it. Mostly because I start to remember what the heck happened. 🤣🤣 I was going to try to re-read LOTR, since that book was so thick and plot-heavy and has so much lore that I forgot most of it. So that might be on the TBR re-read list.

Is there any books that you might want to re-read mostly because you've forgotten more of the lore?

I do not regret reading ACOTAR. Like you said, a great reintroduction series to read again. And that's like my friend! I tried to get her to read ACOTAR, just the first book, and she was like, "I keep getting distracted. My attention span is so short." I understand, that getting through the first book is difficult.

I'm excited to read that duology, in all honesty. When Target had the buy one, get 50% off, I legit was like BUY DIVINE RIVALS. 🤣🤣🤣

So, I'm guessing it wasn't that bad of a read?

[bookaddict24-7]

RECO OF THE WEEK!

Bad Witch Burning by Jessica Lewis

Synopsis:

"

For fans of Lovecraft Country and Candyman comes a witchy story full of Black girl magic as one girl's dark ability to summon the dead offers her a chance at a new life, while revealing to her an even darker future.

Katrell can talk to the dead. And she wishes it made more money. She’s been able to support her unemployed mother—and Mom’s deadbeat-boyfriend-of-the-week—so far, but it isn’t enough. Money’s still tight, and to complicate things, Katrell has started to draw attention. Not from this world—from beyond. And it comes with a STOP or there will be consequences. 

Katrell is willing to call the ghosts on their bluff; she has no choice. What do ghosts know of having sleep for dinner? But when her next summoning accidentally raises someone from the dead, Katrell realizes that a live body is worth a lot more than a dead apparition. And, warning or not, she has no intention of letting this lucrative new business go.

Only magic isn’t free, and dark forces are coming to collect. Now Katrell faces a resign herself to poverty, or confront the darkness before it’s too late."

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Check out my Review on Goodreads here.

Add this book to your TBR on Goodreads here.

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Have you read this book? Would you recommend it?

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Happy reading!