#happy to talk about any of the books

[pinkoptics]

[buff-muffin]

I always personally thought that Sabo was a child that was actually rather academically gifted, he had a thirst for knowledge and was a genius at retaining information. The problem was he was never allowed to explore topics of his own interest, so when he ran away and started living on his own he started reading any and all books on whatever topic he could find in the Grey Terminal. And when he, Ace and Luffy teamed up they would steal from bookstores. (idk I feel like Goa wouldn't have libraries. I mean free knowledge?? in GOA??? nahh)

Of course this was a lot of books on sailing, making boats, wilderness survival in the Grandline and the sorts of things they would need to know as pirates. But he would also try snag books Ace and Luffy would love.

Getting Luffy to actually read a book willingly was impossible but Luffy being a bug boy, would point to every bug he finds and looked at Sabo like "WHATS THAT ONE!?" And Sabo having stolen a huge book of East Blue bugs will flip through and read to Luffy facts about the bug. and its the most excited they have ever seen him about a book. When Sabo got all his memories back he became a walking bug encyclopaedia. I think Ace would be against reading no matter how hard Sabo tried to pitch the stories to him. But Once Sabo was gone and there was a pile of books left in the treehouse to rot, he picked them up as a way of staying connected to his brother.

I think Ace would read a lot of fiction books but keep it rather secret, reading in the evening when Luffy already fell asleep. He wasn't at all very fast at reading at first having to sound out words like he was six, but as he finished one book, a favourite of Sabo's, he read another and another. He got better at spelling, grammar even his handwriting got a little neater. He grew out of fiction when he got older. but leaving reality for a moment to be someone else was something he really savoured when he was a teen. This also ended up saving him as a commander considering all the paperwork he would have to do and thank god his handwriting was at least legible.

[nerdrooikat]

drabbles about the deer imagery in The Secret History (specifically in relation 2 Camilla) because her becoming a deer/believing that she did stuck in my mind (although this post will mostly take Camilla and the other's recollection of events to be as they recount it – if i examine it in it's effect as an incorrect account, that would be in a separate post)

Obviously there's, on a meta level, an irony to it – Camilla and Charles are named to make fun of the Princess Diana scandal that was happening at the time, and so ironically Camilla transforms into an animal sacred to Diana.

There's also a parallel that I think could be interesting to make between Camilla and Taygete, who for anyone unfamiliar, was turned into a deer by Artemis to protect her from Zeus' sexual advances. Although I think that what happened in the Bacchae was concensual sexually, I think it could possible be indicative in Camilla's narrative role as the "wanted"/"desired" one within the greek class – by Charles, Henry, Richard (although he wasnt there) and even Francis, although he wants to be her more so than actually wanting her.

Additionally, outside of how it actually functions within the story, her transformation into a creature associated so closely with innocence, especially in relation to Diana/Artemis' virginity, might perhaps be tied to Richards view of her as this "pure" and "virginal" person – obviously we know this is far from the truth, and he himself learns this later, but I think it definitely ties into this flawed angelic idea of her he so covets.

I think this interpretation ties into the myth of Actaeon (in terms of "deer transformation myths") although its very interesting to me that they different at key points – Camilla, the "virginual" character, is the one transformed, rather than the sexual transgressor (Charles) or the one who introduces miasma (Henry). But, like Actaeon, she is pursued and hunted – which, another key point – Actaeon is pursued and killed by his own hunting dogs, and Charles returns from the ritual with a bite mark, perhaps tying him into the myth thurther?

[prettyboysdontlookatexplosions]

if we are adapting mediocre musicals for the screen now is it too much to ask for legally blonde the musical the movie. is it too much to ask that this happen and also is not directed by john m chu

[lichqueenlibrarian]

I only started my ST TOS reading journey. What would you absolutely recommend from the ST TOS novels you’ve read so far?

I would say Diane Duane’s The Wounded Sky and Spock’s World are my two favourites, of all the books I’ve read so far. They have such a fun Enterprise, I love how real and loved the universe felt, and literally the cutest Jim Kirk I’ve ever read. Also some fun Amanda and Sarek moments in Spock’s World (there’s nothing little about my husband…)

My Enemy, My Ally & the Rihannsu books by Diane Duane (and Peter Morwood for the second book!) are a lot of fun. The first book has my beloved Ensign Naraht, everyone gets into Shenanigans, and there are some really scary Vulcans. The second book has McCoy in the midst of some tomfoolery, and the series as a whole has a lot of fantastic world building.

The Vulcan Academy Murders by Jean Lorrah made me die a little because I do love Sarek and Spock’s relationship, and it does some really cute stuff with the family dynamics. There’s a second book called The IDIC Epidemic. I liked both books, though The Vulcan Academy Murders was my favourite.

The Pandora Principle by Carolyn Clowes has Spock basically being the most awkward but excellent teacher/guardian to Saavik, they are so damn cute.

Vonda McIntyre’s The Entropy Effect was also a lot of fun- Spock has to try and avert a disaster in the timeline, and just has a Bad Time.

Yesterday’s Son and Time for Yesterday by A.C Crispin are about what would happen if Spock had a child by Zarabeth in the past, and they do jab you right in the emotions. Everyone’s a bit older in these ones (pre Wrath of Khan, I think).

I know a big fuss is made over Killing Time, The Fate of the Phoenix, and The Price of the Phoenix for how they’ve portrayed Kirk and Spock’s relationship, and they’re certainly fun books but I don’t know that they’re ones that I would choose to revisit too frequently? Diane Duane’s books have a chokehold on me, I’ll be honest- I keep going back to my favourite parts, and my copy of My Enemy My Ally has a billion sticky tabs in it to remind me of things I thought were neat.

It was actually surprisingly difficult to come up with a list of suggestions! I’m pretty sure I’ve forgotten something, lol. Thank you for the ask I enjoyed working on my answer!!

[baldandgay]

It's very unfair that I can't have other party members romance each other In my main game where my Tav is in a romance with Karlach I should legally be allowed to have Gale and Astarion and Shadowheart and Lae'zel romance each other like why? let me do it damn it

[visualtaehyun]

My ข้ามฟ้า boxset's here!! ✨

It contains a small poster of the series poster, a CharanKhanin standee (that I'm not opening until I've moved house lol), a notebook featuring RamilPaytai, CharanKhanin and CalvinJay, photocards of Ramil, Paytai, Charan and Khanin, and of course both volumes of ข้ามฟ้าเคียงเธอ:

I was actually a bit shocked by how thick they are! Kinda didn't realize when I was reading them on Meb lol The books are softcovers with dust jackets (left wrapped, right unwrapped) that have these cute little character interviews on the flaps--

--and unfold into big posters of the cover art!

There were also bookmarks and postcard-size cards tucked into each novel that feature the cover art and the chibis seen on the dust jackets 👌

edit: please find those translations here <3

[eliseliedl]

every day i grow more annoyed at fandoms giving so much importance to shipping to the point of ignoring everything else 🙄

[kuiinncedes]

me when chain of thorns

[pergaminaa]

Modern au:

When I'm speaking about Manon's stress/anxiety, I mean that she's really a mess.

One is her inability to deal with those emotions because she doesn't understand them. She was shamed out of that and it's just something she tries to ignore until she's in the middle of a panic attack.

It all goes back to early childhood; her grandmother conditioned her to behave in a certain way. If she was too upset or too worked up (even if she’s excited) it was something she’d get admonished for. She must always be perfect, and anything other than that is unacceptable.

The toxic, abusive environment she grew up in bled into her personal life. The few times she dated, she ended up with the worst kind of man. Very similar to her grandmother. It’s familiar, she knows how to navigate that. She is always hyper-vigilant, paying attention to the smallest quests, navigating a mess, and being miserable.

It’s what she knows. She knows how to handle this.

Also, she is undiagnosed and unmedicated. The entire concept is unfathomable. What would her grandmother say if she's not right in the head? Her grandmother will never accept this, and this is why Manon doesn't even think about what might be the cause of those issues.

Also, just being wired this way is going to be a sure way for her grandmother to outright disown her and find someone who is sane and not screwed up in the head to take her place. So no. She is totally fine and doesn't need any help managing anything. She's perfectly normal.

So really, with a major issue like this being ignored, Manon continues to pretend nothing is wrong. Things are okay until the slightest bit goes wrong, and she spirals. But she's mostly in denial about it. It is not because of her, but rather, the circumstances and things going wrong. Because when everything is going according to plan, she is perfectly fine.

The wake up call was when she started dating Dorian. At one point, she contemplated breaking up with him. She was going to, being with him was too overwhelming and she felt out of her element, out of control.

Dorian only has love and support for her. He doesn’t get angry, he doesn’t yell and gaslight her. He never did anything to hurt her and she doesn’t know how to navigate this. It was stressing her out and she felt like she was drowning. She can't predict anything. She can't tell when he's going to lose his temper or just... flip the script on her and blame her for his reactions.

One night she went to Sorrel, on the verge of a breakdown because she had made up her mind. It is the best course of action. There is only way to cut their losses and end things before they get too tangled up. But it pained her and she needed to talk to someone.

Sorrel was clear with her, she was self sabotaging. She has something good and she doesn’t know how to handle it. She feels safer with what is familiar, even if it means getting herself hurt.

Sorrel asked her if this was what she really wanted. To leave Dorian and all that he’s doing for her and end up with another abusive/toxic asshole. Manon said that she didn’t want to leave Dorian, but she didn’t know what to do. She can’t read any cues from him. She can’t tell when he’ll lose his cool.

Sorrel reminded her that Dorian is not this kind of person. Despite teasing him, she knows that he will never hurt Manon. Her best friend only reacts like this because she doesn’t know how to handle it better. But she deserves it. She deserves a man who worships her and has her best interest at heart.

This is why Sorrel didn’t let Manon sabotage her relationship. It was she who suggested therapy. If only for the relationship part. Baby steps, she doesn’t want to push Manon towards addressing her other issues when this is going on.

Manon took some time to become comfortable with the idea. It took hours for Sorrel to talk some sense into her, but she finally relented. She realized that she doesn’t want to leave Dorian, she loves him and wants to have a life with him. She doesn’t want anyone else, it’s either him or no one else.

She will keep this a secret. Her grandmother doesn’t have to know if only goes to therapy once a week to make her relationship work with Dorian.

Those therapy sessions weren’t easy at all. By the third one, she was ready to call it quits because it was opening up so many buried wounds and she couldn’t cope with that.

Sorrel wouldn’t let her quit though. She knows that Manon needs this kind of help and she’s so glad she realized it and took the first step. Sorrel will support her through it and even drive her to and from therapy (she did, it was the only way to make Manon go at one point)

At first, the therapy was about not sabotaging her relationship with Dorian. But as the therapist dug into the roots of this kind of sabotage, it was clear that her upbringing was the cause of all of this.

This is why the therapist referred her to another therapist because this is much bigger than just seeking a certain type of relationship.

Again, Sorrel was thrilled. Because yes, someone needed to dig deep enough to realize the amount of damage that’s been caused. And hopefully, work on fixing it.

Manon was very uncomfortable with the idea. She doesn’t want to speak about her life, her childhood, her grandmother. She loves her grandmother. She just needs to stop being careless and her grandmother is happy. She has internalized all of it, reasoning that her abuse and mistreatment are one hundred percent justified.

She also realized if the first therapist is referring her to someone more specialized, then she must be too broken to be fixed. And this is bad because:

A) Her grandmother is right, there is something fundamentally wrong with her and it can’t be fixed.

B) Dorian deserves so much better than this. So she must cut him loose rather than drag him down with her.

But she’s also a coward and can’t face telling him this. So she got Sorrel to help.

Sorrel listened to her and agreed. She will invite Dorian and speak to him. Manon will not be present, she will hide in Sorrel’s room and get herself used to not seeing Dorian ever again (the thought almost crushed her)

Dorian arrived earlier than the appointed time. Sorrel’s call scared him and he wondered what was wrong. If it’s about Manon and she isn’t the one telling him, then something is wrong.

Sorrel was calm, and she explained the situation to him. From start to finish.

Honestly, it’s all heavy stuff and Sorrel isn’t sure how Dorian is going to take it. Manon seems resigned that he’s going to leave, and Sorrel isn’t sure what to think of.

During their conversation Dorian asked multiple times where Manon is, and Sorrel diverted his attention every time. He did see her eyes fall on the closed door though, making him realize that Manon is close by.

At the end, he heard Sorrel loud and clear. If he leaves, Manon understands. She wouldn’t hold him back or make him stay. She’s too much baggage she isn’t sure she can handle herself, let alone burden someone else with her.

Hearing this, he stood up, his face unreadable.

“I would like to speak to my girlfriend,” He said in a non-negotiable tone.

Hearing him refer to Manon as such, Sorrel realized that he wasn’t leaving. He can judge her all he wants, she’s here looking out for Manon.

“She’s behind that door,” Sorrel looked at the closed door.

Dorian took offense at what Sorrel was insinuating. He wasn’t going to leave Manon just because of that. When it comes to love, he loves all of her. He doesn’t pick and choose what parts to love and what to hate.

If anything, he is glad she’s working with a professional to help her. He hates that she suffers alone like this. If she thinks her trauma and therapy is what’s going to send him away then she’s delusional.

He will especially stay to help her and support her during this time.

Walking into Sorrel’s room, he immediately went to the woman he loves. Holding her in his arms and wiping her tears, promising her that he won’t leave.

Also, telling her how proud he is that she is going to therapy.

[happyk44]

me the first time i saw someone make a comment about how when they opened up the lost hero, they were confused and annoyed when it was Jason and not Percy: hahaha

me after the tenth time i've seen someone make that same comment: im beginning to suspect this is not a joke

me after the millionth time i've seen someone make that same comment: do you guys not know what a book summary is? or how to read one?

[kbookblurbs]

The Hero of Ages - Brandon Sanderson (Mistborn Era 1, #3)

5/5 - Satisfying conclusion, excellent discussions about faith, intensely vivid world-building

Spoilers below!!

This book deserves high praise for its commitment to the plotline alone. Many books (and tv series) that I've read(/watched) find themselves unwilling to commit to the ending that they've set themselves up for. As heartbreaking as it is, sometimes the events set in motion have to result in major character death and despair. Anything else would be unsatisfying.

I can still remember how I felt the first time I read HoA and even knowing the ending, you still feel this sense of dread. How can the characters survive this? How can you fight the end of the world? And yet because I was so used to seeing most of the main characters survive, I remained convinced until the end that Vin and Elend would make it, which makes their deaths all the more heartbreaking. The imagery of Sazed piecing their bodies back together and laying them in a bed of flowers makes me tear up every time.

On the topic of Sazed, I think the bait and switch of Vin or maybe even Elend as the Hero, only to have Sazed fulfill that role is a really earned and satisfying conclusion. It feels good to see that only Sazed could save the world and bring everything back to what it should have been because he's a scholar. Conflict and death couldn't resolve everything in the end.

The journal entries should have tipped me off, honestly. The first time, I thought that maybe Elend or Vin was writing them later on, old and able to look back on these times with more of a curious eye, or maybe that Sazed and the pair were creating it together. But now, reading this for the second time, the hints of Sazed were there the whole time. He's got such a distinctive voice and way of looking at the world.

From a pulled-back perspective, Sanderson is really good at writing the end of the world. I felt similarly reading the Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler (which everyone should read!) and that same sort of sadness and hopelessness bleeds through the page here. However, just like in Butler's work, there's this pervading sense of hope. It's desperate and crazy at times, but it's still there. And that's one of the things I really like about Sanderson's novels. He seems to really believe in the potential for people to be good and hopeful and trusting in one another, which I vastly prefer over the "all humans are evil" schtick that a lot of other authors have going (GRRM).

[queenlucythevaliant]

'Yes, that old oak with which I saw eye to eye was here in this forest,' thought Prince Andrei. 'But whereabouts?' he wondered again, looking at the left side of the road and, without realizing, without recognizing it, admiring the very oak he sought. The old oak, quite transfigured, spread out a canopy of dark, sappy green, and seemed to swoon and sway in the rays of the evening sun. There was nothing to be seen now of knotted fingers and scars, of old doubts and sorrows. Through the rough, century-old bark, even where there were no twigs, leaves had sprouted, so juicy, so young that it was hard to believe that aged veteran had borne them.

'Yes, it is the same oak,' thought Prince Andrei, and all at once he was seized by an irrational, spring-like feeling of joy and renewal. All the best moments of his life of a sudden rose to his memory. Austerlitz, with that lofty sky, the reproachful look on his dead wife's face, Pierre at the ferry, that girl thrilled by the beauty of the night, and that night itself and the moon and ... everything suddenly crowded back into his mind.

'No, life is not over at thirty-one,' Prince Andrei decided all at once, finally and irrevocably. 'It is not enough for me to know what I have in me- everyone else must know it too: Pierre, and that young girl who wanted to fly away into the sky; all of them must learn to know me, in order that my life may not be lived for myself alone.

From War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy

[angy-grrr]

There is gonna be more than that coming from the poll, but whatever it is vote Kacchan/Deku for best hero. Idc who wins i just need them to be together again

if they just announced it today without saying anything before, I would probably immediately do it.

Right now im just bitter because of the hype -I thought it would at least slightly relate to the actual story (adaptations of other stories, extra content for the volume which once again may I remind everyone is extremely short, almost half what a manga volume usually looks which is a huge problem).

This disappointed me extremely, as its not even related to any content from the manga beyond the characters it uses. I get that many ppl will work on this, and that artist will get excited over being able to get the spotlight, some will be able to ask specific questions, and a character will get a statue and a movie.

Still extremely disappointed because of the "special project will be announced on the 5th *wink wink*".

I can't feel excitement over it as, in my mind, I lost something that felt better -more content related to the story. So at best this would be "oh cool I can try it", a feeling pretty similar to the other announcements -not my favorite thing in the world, but I wont reject it and try to see what comes out of it.

This isnt at best to me right now

[rooshappy]

I am sad please ask me about NEWSIES!

[microwavedelivery]

I don't even have to write head cannons if the book is going to share things like this. IM silly MY thoughts about them are silly oh yeah?!?? Well the books states that the demon likes to take naps. ESPECIALLY after a big meal;. boy I sure. sure hope I don't mischaractrize him!!!!!! He doesn't need to sleep but he can if he wants and apparently also holds the power to sleep for an indefinite amount of time if he'd like. How sweet. I mean. He is a snake that;s what snakes do they eat their food and then go curl up somewhere or something but. I don't really know how much of him was written with the consideration of "Oh he does this because snake behavior" and is mostly just he does it because that is just simply him. I can't remember what century(I'm assuming also the 19th century again) but he says it himself in the show as well I'm pretty sure that he slept through most of it so. Whether you want to count the book or show as two separate things, it at least checks out that Crowley naps. Which. solidifies a thought that I like to have that I do not have the nerve to say it out loud because it would be. potentially sappy. At least a fluffy thought at that. And I fear I've said too much already.

------

Or like. What is. What isnthis

There is another thing that I want to say about this bit but I am saving it cause it gets mentioned down below* but. First of all I love Crowley using the "Game Over, Insert Coin?" expression and I also love Aziraphale not understanding it. Cause in the show there's kinda a whole thing it is very clear that Aziraphale is still attached to 1900s(or older) things like having a gramophone that he constantly uses or the only phones that he uses to receive/make calls with is things like rotary phones and whatnot. And that way he dresses and things and stuff he enjoys is like all a pre-techy internet boom. The one time he gets his hands on a phone that has a touch screen he is borrowing it from a stranger and he doesn't even use it properly, he uses some sort of 'magic'(I say magic like that because I'm not sure how to label their powers) to use it. Like he just tells the phone out loud to call his phone, the one that sits on his desk in his book shop. And this is like. An early looking 2006 phone, when they were just little square bricks. And even then I don't think any phone, regardless of how modern, would be able to call another cell phone without at some point having the number input into it, whether through clicking on the call button on a webpage or putting it in yourself! And it;s not like. that is a contact name and. it was a strangers phone how would it know and. and. what sort of power even is that that you can just announce to any cellular device "Hey, call the phone on my desk" and t works flawlessly. And this is a wall of text. And I am 98% sure he did that because he didn't know how to nagivate the phone in the first place. And he also does another little magic thingy and when he hands the phone back to the stranger it is fixed of all it's cracks and damage.

And I mean throughout the show we see Crowley Very MuchTM be with it and in the times. Aziraphale's outfit never strays too far from what it already is and his hairstyle doesn't really ever change at all either, but Crowley's outfits very much are where you could pinpoint almost immediately whatever era he is from cause of it, and he goes through a variety of hair lengths and styles and even at a point or two facial hair. And. I almost want to do some separate post on that even if it is literally just going to me being stupid. Even when we aren't getting flashbacked and the show is taking place in the current day, Crowley gets his haircut and a new style within like the first episode or two, and there really isn't that much of a time gap between the first two episodes if I remember correctly... And he does use a mobile phone and how one of his schemes was taking out all of the telephones for about 45 minutes in London during everyone's lunch break so. And if he is making Game Over and Insert Coin jokes then he is at least aware of arcade games in some capacity. I think their contrast is neat.

And. I did not anticipate that tangent getting that long but. This is one of the excerpts where I'm like. seeing the show before hand really alters how Im reading this because in the book it simply states that Aziraphale is sort of shrugging off Crowley's temptations but because I saw the series my brain is visualizing it more in the sense of his shrugging being a bit more unsure and his eyebrows are furrowed and has a bit of a complex unreadable expression because it is a moment where he is having to face his want to be a good angel and follow with Heaven's plan but he is struggling a bit with it because it is not a plan that he is wanting to go through with(and he and Crowley proceed to loophole a solution that ultimately saves Earth so it turns out okay.)

--

Sorry the first line here is really killing me because what a phrasing to go with. What a descriptor. And since I've seen the show I KNOW that he does eventually get his hands on it so I'm curious to see how that is going to play out.

*Aziraphale has it mentioned in the show that apperently he wears cologne and goes to a barber and. That is making me giggle so badly so much. Cause it like. it makes sense!!! he likes to be proper and. For some reason in the book adaptation it keeps mentioning that he has really nice manicured hands and. Why am I being subjected to having these such particular things cross my mind. Cause I understand keeping your nails trimmed or like lotion to keep your hands moisturized or soft but specifically manicured?? fine fine we get it you look nice and smell nice and you're cute and handsome I already knew this beforhand. Now I have to think about him going to a barber or getting his hands done. Long hard heavy in love sigh. 36 pages in and already his hand getting pointed out twice.

Which I find ultimately a bit funny because before I started the book I got a picture of Aziraphale's hand because I noticed he had been wearing a ring on his pinky finger that I didn't catch before and now all of this.