#i haven't finished reading it yet but That One Kid is my actual daughter. i'd die for her

[liesmyth]

Any fiction recommendations? I’ve repeatedly read Locked Tomb, natch. I’d love something similarly brainwork inducing but maybe a touch lighter. Also not fantasy or sci fi…I need something to listen to while I do a ton of chores, and those can be hard (for me) because the unfamiliar proper nouns get confusing. :/

anon!! I'm terrible at reccing anything based on “if you liked TLT” because TLT is like five different genres in a trench coat, but I TRIED (⭐) Here are some brainworm-y recs that aren't sff — where by brainworm-y I mean that they stayed with me for a while after I finished them, but aren't overly confusing. (most of them are books, but available on audio)

Podcasts: a tumblr pal recced me the deviser based on me liking the eldritch elements of tlt; it's short and horror-y, and I really enjoyed it.

I haven't checked out the new TMA yet but I see many TLT peeps who are enjoying it (or S1 of the original The Magnus Archives could be a good entry point if you haven't ever listened to it)

TV: Unfortunately I hardly ever watch live action stuff BUT if you haven't seen either IWTV (the series not the film) or Yellowjackets, I do rec those! There's a lot of overlap between these fans and TLT fandom on my dash. His Dark Materials also goes hard and you might enjoy it (dysfunctional characters! worldbuilding! religious weirdness!) but it has more sff elements than other stuff I've recced. Oddball out of nowhere but The Great is a fun show if you enjoy the meme moments of TLT + people being gleefully horrible + having feelings despite your best intentions

Animanga: Utena (!!!!!) also Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood, which occupies a very similar space to TLT in my brain

Books!

✧ I went through my “women unhinged” goodreads shelf and found some books that are avaliable in audio format, and might appeal. These are wildly varied in scope and ngl the criterion was just “at least one person (besides myself) who enjoyed tlt also this book” and the similarities stop there. It's all vibes baby! Still, I tried

my heart is a chainsaw by stephen graham jones (horror, slasher), bunny by mona awad (horror, wildly unhinged), the witching hour by anne rice (horror, gothic)

matrix by lauren groff (historical, lesbian nuns), anything by sarah waters (historical fiction + lesbians), rebecca by daphne du maurier (historical, gothic)

the plot by jean hanff korelitz (litfic, thriller), sadie by courtney summers (thriller, coming of age). anything by gillian flynn (thrillers with terrible women).

✧ I really enjoy Tana French thrillers for the strong sense of place, great prose, and the complete emotional turmoil of her character-centric narratives. If anything sounds up your alley, I enjoyed the witch's elm + dublin murder squad series. They're murder mystery procedural but the messy characters really elevate the novels. Available in audiobook also

✧ American Elsewhere, technically scifi but set in New Mexico. Somehow, cosmic horrors who have taken over a quaint little town and worse! They are enforcing HETERONORMATIVITY upon it! They also have tentacles. The main character rocks

✧ Sundial by Catriona Ward: insane, gripping psychological horror. A mother and her unsettling daughter take a trip to the isolate desert ranch where the main chracter grew up. Surrounded by unsettling science experiments

✧ A Touch of Jen by Beth Morgan: when the parasocial relationship is so strong, it accidentally summons a hellmonster from another dimension

✧ SFF adjacent, sorry, but set in the real world (historical, tho) — Cuckoo Song by Frances Hardinge, a middle grade novel with fairytale elements that gave me more brainworms than any kids book ought to, mostly because I LOVED the main character. She occupies a very similar place in my brain as Gideon does. This is actually the only book on the list that I'm not sure is available in audio format, but if you get a chance and it's up your alley, I'd check it out

I hope there's at least ONE thing you'll like in here! lmk (also. lmk if you don't have access to a way to borrow audiobooks but would like to)

[bubbles-for-all-of-us]

BUBBLES!!! My love, my life, oh. my. goodness!!! before I dive into what has me so emotional: how are you doing on this lovely monday (only this happy for it to be a Monday because of you <3) but seriously! the story you just posted, oh 🥹 my heart can't handle it, it makes me want to grab you and kiss you all over <3 i've had so many ellie x reader (obviously platonic) headcanon ideas!!! I won't share them just yet, first I need to finish the one I started yesterday but soon, I promise!! first, I'd like to congratulate you and thank you for sharing such a beautiful piece with us. I loved the idea, loved how you dealt with ellie having her first period—the panic that she tries to ignore, trying to "pull herself together" is the perfect way to write it and very much in character— but most of all, I adored the way Joel and Reader dealt with that event. I won't get too much into it but I totally agree with how maternal reader is with Ellie and that's how I see their relationship in all my headcanons And joel, my, my, my 😭 this man will be the death of me I swear and I could honestly go on for hours and hours about Ellie and Joel but your genius brain summed it up oh so perfectly it would be stupid to so "Because truly no one could love more than Joel Miller could." YES!! this man loves hard, profoundly, with every fiber of his being, you name it but all in all, being loved by Joel Miller is the greatest thing that could ever happen to you. Also!! love the idea that Ellie truly is Joel's daughter (even if there is no blood relation) but just with how she behaves, you know? Reading the story it felt a bit like "welp...she definitely her daddy's girl 😌" because Joel and Ellie are very similar and they have their own little language but Reader's presence is the perfect catalyst to get them both out of their shells a little and show their more caring side and i. just. find. that. lovely. actually, I loved that so much reading it isn't enough anymore I NEED TO SWALLOW IT!!! gosh that is so weird im so sorry BUT I did manage to find a big flaw in the story: now all I want Joel to take care of me when I get my period and after very thorough research IT. IS. NOT. POSSIBLE. so miss bubbles you are selling us a dream that can never become reality and you're just leaving my poor heart broken over the tragedy that has become my life 😭😭 I want a Joel pls pls pls 😭😭 ALSO (and I will finish with this because it is CAPITAL news) I used to hate the nickname "baby"/"babygirl" for a significant other (just found it weird to call someone who isn't a kid or another baby that lol) BUT NOW all I want is to be called babygirl AND ONLY BY JOEL!!! some other random dude calls me that? ew ew ew BUT JOEL DOES??? ...y-yes? 🫠 okay that's all for now, I'm hoping to send the rest of the headcanon soon and uuuh yeah much love to you my little bubble <3

-🪷

Well, now that I cried for an hour or so... Do you even understand how much joy you bring me? And this is a serious question because uhh I know writers will back me on this but it's so easy to just start to overthink the stuff you put out and start to feel not good enough about what you write. But then there are angels like you and people who take their time to react to the story and just suddenly make you feel like you actually haven't let the whole world down. And I know it's dramatic but it really really means a lot to me. Making you all happy makes me happy! 🤍😭

On the other side, please.... I do need me a Joel Miller. Like it's a crime we can't have him. Cuddles, love, periods like man can do it all. Cruel cruel world. 😭🫧🥲

[charlieslowartsies]

So... random question, but any HCs for Mrs. Afton? We know she was named Charlotte and she wanted to keep her sons and she passed away from what sounded like some kind of illness, but what else is there?

Very little beyond that, actually. Charlotte was going to be changed to Elise for LS (and I'd have to change the other mentions of her too.) She and Max had the same eye color, Alexander got her smile, Henrietta had her laugh. Little painful things like that. I'm leery of adding ocs in my fics without good reason, and I never felt there was enough from canon/lore to really find a place for her. (Bear in mind I haven't read any of the books/written stuff except for the first two novels.)

However, Last Shift's epilogue WAS going to go in a VERY different direction, but I didn't want people to draw the conclusion she was haunting the Marionette, (esp with Lies Within's characters) which was super easy to assume based on what little I'd written, as well when one took into consideration one of it's over-arcing "the dead don't die until..." theme. You can read the scrapped scene below:

A young man sat back from his work, running a hand through dark blonde hair and hemming and hawing over the finishing touches.

“Don’t you look marvelous,” The man peered through his glasses, and smirked as he pretended not to notice the creak of a door.

“…daddy?”

“What do you think?” He turned around, holding out the slender, black animatronic, it’s limbs dragging uselessly since it wasn’t hooked up to anything yet.

The young girl eyed the strange creature, then her father, and scrunched her nose critically.

“…no?” Henry hummed, sitting back and guiding the wooden puppet carefully back so that it sat upright. Sort of.

“I think it looks weird. What if Goldy and Springy are mean to it, because it’s different?”

Henry sat back, looking puzzled. Part of him knew the truth—the AI’s recognition wouldn’t matter too much yet. Everything was still so new to the two animatronics on the stage.

“Well, he’ll be mostly sitting at the Prize Counter. We needed someone new, someone helpful though. here, come closer, meet the Prize Puppet good n’proper. Those two are friendly enough, I don’t think they’ll tease the little Puppet too much.”

Charlotte shrugged, but wandered closer.

“its smile sure is big.”

“Doesn’t he look happy?”

“I guess…”

Henry chuckled. Well, he’d asked her opinion. Out of the mouths of babes…

“It needs make up. To make it prettier.” Little Charlotte piped up. “Like how Auntie Elise always had such pretty lipstick?”

“What color, same as hers?” Henry chuckled sadly, already reaching for his bright ruby paint. “Charlotte, remember what I said. Try not to say her name too much, especially at the diner, dear.”

“Sorry, daddy…”

“It’s quite alright. It’s going to take getting used to for all of us. But it’s especially hard on the boys, and on Henrietta, and of course on Uncle Will.”

“…why can’t I say her name? I miss her, too.” His daughter asked quietly, leaning on the worn desk as she eyed the long, awkward limbs of the strange animatronic designed to give the prizes out.

“Well, sweetie, it’s just…painful. It’s easier if we avoid reminding them about losing her. Like how we tell you kids not to lift a band aid before the cut’s all sealed, right?” Henry spoke without looking up from his current project, as he so often did. “Same basic principle. I know it seems strange, but trust me. It’s what’s best.”

“Oh. Okay.”

Charlotte stood on tip toe, watching to make sure her father painted the bright, vibrant red correctly, in a way that would have made her Aunt proud.

But she was careful never, ever, to speak the name again. She didn’t want to hurt anybody, after all. Especially not her family.

“…Why are its eyes black?”

Henry chuckled. Kids…

[certified-bi]

So I'm watching Bly Manor and I'd thought I'd do them as Sanders Sides because why not:

Dani - Logan

Hannah - Thomas

Flora - Roman

Miles - Remus

Jamie - Virgil

Owen - Nico

Peter - Mitchell

Rebecca - Elliot

Charlotte - Patton

Dominic -

Henry - Janus

A couple big reasons I placed people where I did:

Thomas - Hannah's entire epsiode... anyways

Dani: Obviously she's the teacher. But she's also very logical in how she acts and prides herself on this which blinds her to her more emotional moments and makes it hard for her to cope with them.

Remus and Roman: Once I actually learned whats going on with the kids it just makes sense. The way Miles did what it took to get back to his sister. The way Flora is a romantic.

Virgil: look I read one au where he was an angry Gardner(adrienwrites fantasy au) and that's who Jaimie is. I think she's very self conscious and angry in a very similar way to Virgil. I like this idk.

As for Elliot and Mitchell... I just really didn't want a side as Peter.

Finally I think I like Janus as Henry because of the way Henry pushes through his regrets and returns to Bly in the last episode in ep 6(I haven't finished yet). I think the lies he tells align very closely Janus.

Patton... I struggle with. I think Charlotte's moments with the kids match him well. In this au I think he would choose to break things off with Janus and actually confess to his partner. The only conflicting feelings I have about this is the scene where Henry is confronted by Dominic. And he says "She's my daughter"... very pattony vibes... but that conflicts with pretty much everything.

So as of ep 6 this is where I think the sides would fit.

[pepprs]

HEY EVERYONE GO FOLLOW MY FRIEND LAIKA!!!

their main blog is @pomania and they also have a sideblog for references and crow cillers (an Amazing comic by cate wurtz) which is @y2crittler !!!! they're really nice and cool and creative i know them irl and they're honestly one of the best people ive Ever met so please go check their stuff out and follow them and say hi!!!!! <:-33333

[books--andt]

Everything Everything by Nicola Yoon Review and Discussion!

Hey all!

Everything Everything is about a girl with SCID, a sever immune deficiency disease that, in short, makes her allergic to everything and unable to fight back any disease or sicknesses. Living with this disease her entire life, and never setting foot outside, Maddy hasn't ever really wanted more than what she has. This is until Olly, the new kid moves in next door and suddenly her interest are perked and for once in her life Maddy wants more than what she has.

Sounds gripping right?!? Well let me tell ya, I was GRIPPED by this book. It a super fast paced quick contemporary read. I like to read contemporary's after I finish a dense epic fantasy book because for me, they're easy to fly through and 'fluffy'. While this book was easy to fly through it certainly wasn't your typical 'fluffy' YA love story. IT THROWS YA FOR A LOOP.

I loved that this book has diversity. It's one of the only YA books I've read (or THE only) where the couple is interracial. This shouldn't be a big deal, but it's just refreshing to read a story that isn't white-washed and the race of the characters isn't brushed over so people assume they're white. It matters and I liked the change.

I also loved that we had some really strong female relationships between Carla, Maddy's nurse and between Maddy and her Mother. Despite Maddy's situation she loves her mother and their close-knit relationship reminded me of my mum and I!

The pacing was pretty fast at times and I thought the illustrations weren't always necessary. But it gives us way to how Maddy's mind works and made me really attached to her!

I think that's all I can say for non spoilers. Oh and also Olly is bae. Bye non spoiler peeps!

*****SPOILERS AHEAD****

OKAY!!! SO!!! THIS BOOK!!!!! I! CAN! NOT! TELL! YOU! HOW! GRIPPED! I! WAS! I was thinking about the characters after I'd put the book down. I couldn't turn the pages quick enough. I'd heard that people weren't fans of this book and like her other book, The Sun is also a Star way better, but hey... I liked this one a lot! I think Nicola Yoon is going to become an insta buy for me... Ya'll know I'm gonna be picking up TSIAAS immediately!

I really loved Olly. Now, you all know how much I HATE insta-love but to me this didn't really feel insta lovey. Sure, they told each other they loved each other pretty quick and went to FRICKEN HAWAI'I together but... in this case I think it's justifiable. Since Maddy hasn't ever met anyone her age before. I liked how they'd IM. Those were some of my fav scenes to read. It was cute how they fell in love with each others brains first before really meeting one another.

When I found out that Maddy wasn't actually sick I FLIPPED!!! I actually had to take a breather. I. COULD. NOT. Believe. It. Seriously wasn't expecting that. I was fully 100% expecting that Maddy would die at the end. I mean, how could she survive her Hawai'i trip? How could Nicola Yoon end this book realistically???? But then BOOM! She does the unthinkable!!! The fact that Maddy's mom was so devastated by her husband and sons death, and how she never got over it is a believable reason as to why she would lie to Maddy like this. She has some psychological damage, and convinced herself that Maddy was truly sick, so she'd stay safe. This situation could totally turn around and be some horror-like story where the mom is a psycho and wants the daughter all to herself. Obvi that's not the direction this book went in but I'm just sayin'.

It makes sense now, that Carla let Olly in to meet Maddy and that she let Maddy go to Hawai'i since she had suspicions about Maddy's sickness in the first place.

I also thought Olly's background story to be really interesting. He's sort of the polar opposite of Maddy, yet he has issues of his own. It added more dimension and interest to the story.

Now as for the ending. I. COULD. NOT. BELIEVE. IT. ENDED. LIKE. THAT. I was expecting AT LEAST two or three more chapters. But nope. It just... ends???? Like umm.... Excuse me????? I NEED to know what happens. Does Maddy return home? Does she ever forgive her mom? (IMO I can understand why her mom did what she did but that doesn't make it ok. I'm not so sure I could ever forgive something like that.) Does Maddy get sick due to her compromised immune system?? Do her and Olly live Happily ever after?? What else does she experience in life?? I NEED TO KNOW.

After I finished the book I watched the movie trailer like 12 times. If you haven't read the book yet, DO NOT watch the trailer. I repeat: DO NOT WATCH THE TRAILER IF YOU HAVEN'T READ THE BOOK!!!! It gives literally everything away. I think that's why I enjoyed this book so much and was as shocked as I was; because I knew nothing that was going to happen. Now that I've read and seen the trailer I can't tell you how excited I am!! I think the casting is perfect. It's normal for a movie to include it's own lil things here and there but it looks like it's going to stay really true to the books. Nicola Yoon got to give her notes on the script so I think we're in good hands!

The movie isn't out until May 19th.... *sigh* so until then I guess I'll just read and watch other reviews and watch the trailer ummm maybe 12132432 more times.

My only real issues with this book were the pacing at times and the ending. I thought the believability was off here and there but once you got to the part that explains how she doesn't really have SCID and how her mother has some issues, that cleared the previous unbelievable-ness up. I thought at times it was moving too quickly and I just wanted things to slow down. I liked the little pictures and drawings we got to see. It sort of made me feel like I was in Maddy's head. I also kind of want to read The Little Prince now!

As for the ending... I just wanted MORE. I hate it and love it at the same time. But GAHH I just need to know more. I'm not sure if a sequel is quite what I need... Literally just three more chapters would satisfy me. And maybe like a "20 years later" sort of epilogue??

What are YOUR thoughts on Everything Everything? I'd love to know! Have you read anymore Nicola Yoon? Be sure to tell me!

5/5 stars. (I would say 4.75 just because of that ending and the pacing but.... I'm still so giddy about it now I can't bring myself to.)

Thanks so much for reading! Don't forget to stay up to date with what I'm reading on instagram--> @books_andt

- T