#i love her writing but i dont want to read jonathan strange.. | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

yeo-rims · 3 years ago

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thanks!!! @melonatures for tagging me in 5 books i want to read this year, omg that’s hard

1. jonathan strange & mr norrell, basically piranesi was the most! amazing thing I've read last year, it made me think about my own loneliness, it helped me get thru a very difficult moment and i was so charmed by clarke’s writing i convinced myself to read her first novel, which is about wizards??? idk. i’m not much of a fantasy gal, but the pandemic made me read hp so anything can happen at this point. also, the book is almost 1k pages so it would be good if i did this before my semester at uni starts and my last year eats me alive or something.

2. the city we became, so i’m trying to be someone who reads more than just adults being sad (which is my go-to genre in everything tbh), and i bought this book last year after everyone said it was amazing. it’s urban fantasy??? there’s a character that is Paulo (São Paulo!! amazing) and idk it sounds fun and just different. Apparently, the cities are alive and they’re people and shit happens? Well. I’ll know once i read it.

3. ghosts, i can't possibly go thru my sally rooney era and not read about a sad 30yo woman dealing with her breakup, right? idk, it just feels like the type of book that is pretty much about nothing but sad white girl, which is honestly something i like to read when i want to think about my life and feel a bit better about >myself< lol. (the only reason i haven't read it so far is that i can't find a legal copy of it on scribd, and the kindle version is way too expensive and there’s a pt-pt kindle version but also... reading in pt-pt is weird).

4. before the coffee gets cold, it’s about sad people but they’re japanese and there’s a time-traveling element to it and it has like jdrama healing vibes, you know? i have it on scribd and i look at it every other day but the truth is i never know what i’m going to read. but this one i have friends that enjoyed and i should read any other japanese author that isn't murakami (nothing against him is just that ive only read his books so far lmao).

5. babel, it’s from poppy war’s author (a book i wont ever read but everyone loves) and it’s like dark academia but with diversity but it feels like it actually has something to say and i’m very intrigued by the plot. i’ll probably buy the eng. version once the book is out, and i’m very excited to read it. i confess i dont like the dark academia aesthetics (i dont like the concept of devoting ones life to an aesthetic, especially an elitist one... and also how like it seems those people failed to *get* what the secret history is all about) but ive read if we were villains past november and it wrecked me and i’m a sucker for stories about a group of deranged friends and crimes. and in this case it feels like the author has a lot to say, so, excited!

also cheating but i should read anything by a brazilian author just bc i dont think ive read anything written prior to 2000s last year and I love br literature, so i must read something. probably guimarães rosa. and i need to finish this book im reading about gays in the xix century. and i want to read more essays too, i’m reading some didion this week and i like it a lot. other than that i know i’ll be reading a lot of psychology-related stuff so in my free time i tend to read for fun, so fiction and poetry is what i love the most.

well, i talk too much but this was fun!! thank you <3i’m tagging: @rughydrangea @rain-hat @damn-salvatore @tinytrashqueen

#'my sally rooney era' but conversation with friends is not as good as beautiful world ngl #im almost finishing it tho #i wont ever read normal people bc i know i wont like it

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depvotee · 4 years ago

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Author Questions

Tagged by @xbaebsae and @p0lkadotdotdot

Tagging @amistrio, @sleepfight, @theodoresart, @eulerami, @cobb-vanthss, @sarchelyur, @chazz-anova, @risenlucifer, @shellibisshe, @dorkousloris, @oldserah

Name: Jonathan.

Top 5 Fandoms Written:

Star Wars (OLD and mostly swtor)

Cyberpunk 2077

Far Cry 5

The Wayhaven Chronicles

[REDACTED] book :)

I’m going to be honest most of my written stuff has been personal and had never seen the day light, and others I’ve did put out there, but I’m not as proud of them anymore and sometimes delete it, I know I shouldn't, but I’m trying to get better <:’P Without saying the last infamous fandom basically used to suck the life off from me.

Top 5 Fandoms You Want To Write For/More:

Far Cry 5, I have TONs of drafts in this site for it but no structure what so ever, so once I figure that one out, you’ll see them go. I’ve also wanted to try my hand at Cyberpunk 2077 again, since cyberpunk and sci-fi was ALL I’ve wrote in high school, but 2077 is a bigger fish to fry since I wanna do a 180 and Cold War, I have a few ideas for my Bell.

Stories You Wish More People Knew About:

I’m putting inspirations here :3c:

Dathan Auerbach - PenPal: It’s the story about a man remenincing of strange events on his childhood and his best friend at the time. The book made me feel SO bad after finishing it, the narration is amazing and the setting of the scenes keeps you at the edge. How the story unfolds is heartbreaking and well thought out, even if the chapter structure seem a bit disjointed at first read.

Gillian Glynn - ANYTHING SHE DOES: The first time I read the first chapter of Gone Girl I knew this woman was going to keep me at the edge and she did. I thought I love Gone Girl because it’s the book that introduce me to her, Sharp Objects stole the place of my favorite book of hers. She made me understand why I felt a huge halt at some point in Thriller stories, emotion, personal connection, and biases. And her exploration of trauma just hits me like a sack of bricks, she has a way to show it in its most critical state. Her protagonists have space to be someone, period, not necessarily nice but to stretch as far as they need, her narration that is nuanced by every character and that just does it for me.

I have a LOT more but I’ll be here all day. Just shout out to Timothy Zahn that made my favorite Star Wars books.

Ship(s) Written The Most:

Male!Deputy/Jacob Seed

Male!Detective/Nathaniel Sewell

Sterek 😳 (I deleted everything from the face of the earth!)

Male!Imperial Agent/Vector Hyllus

Male!V/Oleg

Male!Bell/Helen Parker

And a great chunk of time: oc x oc

Character(s) Written The Most:

That’s gotta be Quinn (oc) and Jason(oc), Quinn made me want to go back into writting and Jason just popped the vein even more.

How Many OCs Do You Have:

<:s Dont make me count just, a lot.

How Many Series Do You Have:

A lot.... My drafts are FULL.

What Do You Do With Fics You’re No Longer Interested In?:

Delete them!!!! Which, I’m trying to avoid now <:’P

Coming Soon:

I’m between: A ton of Jason one shots with his time before FC5 main events, how Eli, Jacob and him meet. And Also shorts stories with Marid and Oleg and they’re gimmicks on NC.

So, when I get my shit together, some of these!

Line From A WIP:

“Urgh, everytime he opens his mouth I only hear Royal Blue Radio”

Do You Accept Prompts?

I guess, I do? <:D I would like to write more this year, tbh.

How Do You Feel About Kudos?

I’m a whore for kudos, I’m tinkerbell, I need attention or I’ll die. (JK, But I get why some people prefer them over comments, some people are shy, or just have nothing to add.)

Do You Read Fic As Well?:

I DO! I used to read most of the time when I hop into a bus all the way home, but since the pandemic, I can’t do that now. I prefer to do it before going to sleep.

#tag game #THANKS!

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cristinablackthornkingson · 6 years ago

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Jonathan Fray. Part 1.

Quick Disclaimer: Alot of this story is taken directly from the Last Stand Of The New York Institute by Cassandra Clare, Sarah Rees Brennan and Maureen Johnson. The next part will have much more original content and much more of my own writing.

It is a warm June evening in 1991 when Magnus Bane first spots Jocelyn Morgenstern hurrying through the streets of New York. Though at the time he did not know it was Jocelyn, from his living room window he could only make out the shape of a woman with bright red hair.

''So whats the plan for this evening, do you want to go out?'' Magnus is pulled from his thoughts by Tessa coming up behind him.

''Out on a Friday night during the summer holidays? Are you mad? I think you're rubbng off on me Tessa Gray, a night in sounds good to me.'' Magnus says in an amused tone, turning to face Tessa and grinning at her.

''So what do you want to do then?'' Tessa asks. Just as Magnus opens his mouth to reply, there is a sharp knock on the door.

''That's probably Catarina, she said she'd call around after work.'' Magnus says, striding over to the door. When the door swings open, the smile immediately drops off Magnus' face. Standng before him is not Catarina Loss, but a slender, willowy woman with long tangled red hair and sparkling green eyes. Peeping out of the top of the sling wrapped around the woman's chest is a small pale hand, clutching the woman's ty-dyed t-shirt.

''Who are you?'' Magnus demands.

In a shaky tone the woman says

''I am- I was Jocelyn Morgenstern.'' The name conjures up memoires of years old. Magnus remebers Valentine Morgenstern's blade going into his back and the taste of blood. It makes him want to spit.

''I don't remember ordering the bride of an evil maniac.'' he says in a cold, harsh voice. ''What about you Tessa? Did you order the bride of an evil maniac?''

''I have come here, Magnus Bane, to beg your aid.'' Jocelyn quietly says.

Magnus grips the edge of the door until his knuckles turn white.

''Let me think.'' he says. ''No.''

He is stopped from closing the door in Jocelyn Morgentsern's face, by Tessa's voice.

''Let her in Magnus.'' Tessa softly says.

Magnus wheels around to look at Tessa.

''Seriously?'' He asks in a tone of disbelief.

''I want to speak with her.'' Tessa says in a strange tone.

Magnus relecuntly allows Jocelyn in and closes the door behind her.

Jocelyn stands awkardly by the door, the tiny person in the sling kicks its feet and stretches its legs.

''You have a baby.'' Magnus observes.

Tessa pads toward them silently and stands by Jocelyn. Even though she is wearing black leggings and an oversize gray T-shirt that reads WILLIAM WANTS A DOLL, she still aways carries an air of formality about her. The t-shirt is a feminist statement that boys like to play with dolls and girls with trucks, but Magnus suspects she had chosen it partly because of the name. Tessa's husband has been dead for long enough that his name brings back happy, faded memories instead of the raw agnoy she had felt for years after his passing. Other warlocks had loved and lost, but few are as hoplessley faithful as Tessa. Decades later she has never let anyone else come even close to winning her heart.

''Jocelyn Farichild.'' Tessa says. ''Descended from Henry Branwell and Charlotte Fairchild.''

Jocelyn blinks in shock, clealry not expecting a lecture about her own genealogy.

''That's right.'' Jocelyn cautiously says.

''I knew them you see, you have a great look of Henry.'' Tessa softly says.

''Knew them? Then you must be.... are you a warlock too?'' Jocelyn asks suspiciously.

''Yes I am.'' Tessa calmly says.

''I understand if you find my crimes against Downworlders unforgivable.'' Jocelyn says. ''But I- I have nowhere else to go. I need help. My son needs your help. He is a Shadowhunter and Valentine's son. He cannot live among his own kind. We can never go back. I need a spell to shield his eyes from all but the mundane world. He can grow up safe and happy in the mundane world. He never needs to know who his father was.'' Jocelyn almost chokes but she lifts her chin and adds ''Or what his mother did.''

''So you come begging to us.'' Magnus says. ''The monsters.''

''I have no quarrel with Downworlders." Jocelyn says. "I... my best friend is a Downworlder and I do not believe he is so changed from the person I always loved. I was wrong. I'll have to live forever with what I did. But please, my son did nothing.

Tessa edges closer to Jocelyn and softly asks

"May I hold him?" Jocelyn hesitates for a moment, holding the tightly wrapped bundle of the child close. Then slowly, reluctantly, her movements, almost jerky, she leans forward and places the baby with enormous care into the arms of a woman she has just met.

When the baby is no longer clutched against Jocelyn's front, the swell of her stomach is immediately obvious. She must be about 6 months pregnant. Tessa's heart goes out to her. Jocelyn is clearly very young and is going to be a single mother to two very young children, it will not be easy for her.

"It seems you forgot to tell us something." Magnus calmly says.

Jocelyn places a protective hand over her stomach and quietly says

"I came here about my son, I know for a fact that he has the sight and more, but this baby might not."

"Have you had any medical care throughout your pregnancy?" Tessa asks in a concerned tone. Jocelyn shakes her head, her red hair falling into her eyes.

"No, I knew I was pregnant right after the uprising when I began to have all the same symptoms I had with my son. I know no mundane doctors I could go to and I will not go to The Silent Brothers." Jocelyn firmly says.

"Would you allow me to have a friend set you up with a mundane midwife? My friend Catarina Loss works at the local hospital, she can organise for you to have care there and you could deliver the baby there." Tessa asks in a hopeful tone. Going for 6 months without any pre-natal care is extremely dangerous, especially with all the stress Jocelyn has been is bound to have been under lately.

Jocelyn is quiet for a moment, before she reluctantly nods and says

"Yes alright."

"Who's going to look after the kid when you give birth? You mentioned your best friend, is he around to help?" Magnus asks. He isn't about to offer to watch Valentine's son, but prehaps Catarina could arrange child care for Jocelyn.

"No, its just me and my son, and the baby." Jocelyn says. She hasnt thougth about who will watch her son while she is in labor, it has been the last thing on her mind lately.

"I could watch him, I promise not to do any magic or anything around him, I live not far from here, I could watch him at my home or yours, whatever you're comofortable with." Tessa offers, wanting to help out as much as she can.

"I..." Jocelyn hesitaes, looking from her son to Tessa.

"Its not as though you have anyone else to help out." Magnus points out.

"I understand why you are hesitant, we are strangers, but over the next few months you could get to know me and I you, little Jonathan here could get to know me too, I can help you at anytime, I had two children and plenty of grandchildren, great-grandchildren and so on, I am extremely expierenced in caring for children of all ages." Tessa explains.

"Okay... thank you." Jocelyn queitly says.

Tessa smiles and turns back to the baby in her arms.

"He's beautiful." Tesas murmers. She moves the baby to her hip, held fast in the circle of her arm, with the instinctive loving and casual air of a parent. Magnus had seen her once, holding one of her grandchildren the same way. "What's his name?" Tessa asks.

"Jonathan." Jocelyn says, looking at Tessa intetntly, then, as if she were telling them a secret, she says "I call him John."

Magnus looks over Tessa's shoulder and into the baby's face. He is older than Magnus had initally thought, his face has lost the roundness of babyhood: he must be alomst two, and already looks a great deal like his father, though he does have some of the Fairchild features. He has light blonde curls, the exact same color as Valentine's and many of the other Morgenstern's, clustering on his small head, and green eyes, glass-clear and jewel-bright and blinking arond curiously at his surrondings. He seems to have no objection to being handed to a stranger. Tessa tucks the baby's blanket more securely around him, and Jonathan's small fat fist closes determinedly around Tessa's finger. The child waves Tessa's finger back and forth, as if to display his new posession.

Tessa smiles down at the baby, a slow bright smile, and whispers. "Hello John."

It is clear that Tessa has made up her mind. Magnus leans in, his shoulder resting lightly against Tessa's and peers into the child's face. He waves to catch the baby's attention, movning his fingers so all his rings sparkle in the light. Jonathan laughs, all pearly teeth and the purest joy. Magnus feels the knot of resentment in his chest ease.

Jonathan wriggles in a clear singal that he wants to be let down, but Tessa hands him to Jocelyn so that Jonathan's mother can decide wheather he should be put down or not. Jocelyn may not want her child roaming a Warlock's home.

Jocelyn does look around apprehensively, but either decides it is safe, or small intently squirming Jonathan is stubborn and his mother knows she will have to let him go free. She puts Jonathon down, and Jonathan goes toddling off determinedly on his quest. They stand and watch his bright little head bob as he grabs up, in turn, Tessa's book, one of Magnus' candles and a sliver tray Magnus had left under the sofa.

"Curious little thing, isnt he?" Magnus asks. Jocelyn glances toward Magnus. Her eyes had been anxiously fastened on her son. Magnus finds himself smiling at her. "Not a bad quality." he assures her. "He could grow up to be an adventurer."

"I want him to grow up safe and happy." says Jocelyn. "I dont want him or this baby to have adventures. Adventures happen when life is crule. I want them to have a mundane life, quiet and sweet. I hoped Jonathan had been born unable to see the Shadow World, but I have never had much luck with hope. I saw him trying to play with a faerie in a hedge this afternoon. I need you to help me. I need you to help him. Can you blind hm to all that?"

"Can I tear away an essential part of your child's nature and twist him into a shape that would suit you better?" Magnus asks her. "If you want him mad by the end of it."

He immediately regrets the words when he sees Jocelyn stare at him, white-faced, as if she has just been hit. But Jocelyn Morgenstern is not the kind of woman who weeps, not the kind of woman who breaks, or Valentine would have broken her a long time ago. Jocelyn holds herself tall and asks in a level voice. "Is there anything else you can do?"

"There is... something else I could try." Magnus says. "If you want your child safe though, he doesn't need only a spell to hide his own Sight. He needs to be protected from the supernatural as well, from any demons who might come crawling to him. The same applies for the child you are carrying."

"And what Iron Sister and Silent Brother wil do that ceremony for me without turning me and John over to The Clave?" Jocelyn demands. "No I cannot risk it, if he knows nothing of the Shadow World he will be safe, as will the baby."

"My mother was a Shadowhunter who knew nothing of the Shadow World. " Tessa quietly says.

Jocelyn stares at Tessa in open horror, obvioulsy able to infer the story of what happened: that a demon had gained access to an uprotected Shadowhunter woman, and Tessa had been the result.

There is a silence. John has turned curiously to Tessa and lifts his chubby little arms out to her. Tessa scoops the little boy up and this time John does not try to wriggle away from her.

Jocelyn blinks and begins to smile slowly, before saying.

"Jonathon never goes to strangers, maybe- maybe he can tell you are not a stranger to The Fairchild's."

"Maybe. I will help you with The Ceremony. There is a Silent Brother I know who will keep any secret, if I ask him." Tessa promises.

Jocelyn bows her head in appreciation. "Thank you Theresa Gray."

It occurs to Magus how outraged Valetnine would have been, to see his wife beeseeching Downworlders and to see his child in the arms of a warlock. Magnus' thought of responding to Jocelyn's appeal with cruelty receeds further. This seems the kind of revenge worth getting- to prove how wrong Valentine had been, even after his death.

He walks over to the two women, and he glances at Tessa, and he sees her nod.

"Well then, it seems I am going to help you Jocelyn Morgenstern." Jocelyn flinches.

"Don't call me that. I'm- I'm Jocelyn Fairchild." She quietly says.

"I thought you werent a Shadowhunter anymore. If you dont want them to find you, changing your last name seems a fairly elementary first step. Trust me, I'm an expert. I was not born Magnus Bane." Magnus explains.

"I was born Tessa Gray bu you should choose whatever name seems right to you. I've always said there is a great deal of power in words, and that means names too. A name you choose for yourself could tell the story of what your destiny will be, and who you intend to become." Tessa softly says.

"Call me Fray. Let me join togetehr the names of the Fairchilds, my lost family, and the Grays. Because you are... a family friend." says Jocelyn, speaking with sudden firmness.

Tessa smiles at Jocelyn, looking surpirsed but pleased, and Jocelyn smiles down at her son. Jocelyn strokes her little boy's face and they all watch as the baby smiles, lit up with the sheer joy of living. He is a story in himself, sweet and full of hope, just beginning.

"Jocelyn and Jonathan Fray." Magnus says. "Its nice to meet you."

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gardenplow3-blog · 6 years ago

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Reading Recap: October 2018

At the end of every month, I take a look back at my reading journal and share the books and my thoughts on them here. The comments below are excerpts from my full reviews on Goodreads; you can always keep up with my reading in real-time over there.

The books I read in October were all over the place—a lyrical, lovely historical novel; a thrilling fantasy-adventure; a collection of moody short stories of the English countryside; two dark and spooky novels, an elegant investigation with Miss Phryne Fisher—plus two thoroughly engrossing audiobooks.

I’m still thinking about the Tiger’s Wife.

In fact, I gave it 4 1/2 stars, but maybe it’s 5. Maybe it will eventually be bumped to my all-time favorites list because I keep thinking about it.

The Tiger’s Wife by Téa Obreht | 4 1/2 stars I don’t want to give too much away about the events of this book because the way it unspools as you read is so… perfect. And it’s a difficult book to explain because it’s definitely a novel, but it’s also a collection of beautifully told, interconnected stories.

The basics are in the flap copy: Natalia is a young doctor in an unnamed Balkan country; from the descriptions, you can sort of figure out that it’s Serbia. She’s dealing with the aftermath of the civil wars when her beloved grandfather dies. As she’s trying to understand the circumstances surrounding his death, she tells stories: about herself, about her grandfather and retells stories that he’s told her… about a magical tiger and the tiger’s wife. As Natalia eventually learns, the stories her grandfather has been telling her are not fairy tales, but true stories of his life and the other villagers in Galina. Just as her grandfather’s youth was shaped by war, so was Natalia’s and her reality as a teenager during the Balkan wars echo the fable-like stories of his past.

This books takes you directly into Balkan villages—to WWI, WWII, as well as the fraught 1990s—and casts a spell while it explores the different kinds of love, secrets and dreams, the way the fallout of war spirals from the past into the present.

Favorite highlight: ��Like everyone in the village, he had faith in the rituals of superstition. He gave money to beggars before traveling, put pennies in the shrines of the Virgin at crossroads, spat on his children when they were born. But, unlike his fellow villagers, he was renowned for having a deficit. He had been born in a lean year, without a ducat under his pillow. To make matters worse, an estranged aunt had once allegedly lifted him from his crib and praised heaven for what a beautiful baby, what a gorgeous, fat, blessed, rosy child he was—forever sealing his destiny to be impoverished, crippled, struck down and taken by the devil at some unexpected time, in some terrifying way.”

European Travel for the Monstrous Gentlewoman by Theodora Goss | 4 stars This is a rollicking adventure with lots of feels thrown in along the way, which is my very favorite kind of story. It picks up where The Strange Case of the Alchemist’s Daughter left off. Our five kickass heroines, aka, The Athena Club—all the offspring of literary characters who are… SURPRISE!… real people in this alternate version of London—are off on a mission to rescue Lucinda Van Helsing from an insane asylum. The action involves, in no particular order, a daring asylum escape, sleeper cars on the Orient Express, hiding in a traveling circus, crashing a meeting of the Alchemical Society, and eating cake in the art nouveau cafes of Budapest. I love the Saturday-afternoon-serial feel of the narrative—coupled with lovely writing and characters I want to spend my time getting to know.

There are genuine emotions here among all the action, too. The girls, all technically monsters in their own way, struggle with their humanity and wrestle with what it means to do the right thing, how to find balance between toughness and tenderness, and making peace with themselves and the found-family they’ve formed together.

This would be a fantastic read-along with Dracula because there are plenty of smart, sly references to that novel. I read them back-to-back unintentionally, and it was a brilliant experience.

Favorite highlight: “If you have been up all night, escaping from a burning mental asylum or fighting men who refuse to die when you shoot them in the forehead, or both, coffee is the perfect beverage.”

Help the Witch by Tom Cox | 4 stars This is a collection of short stories from one of my favorite nonfiction writers. Tom Cox is the author of books about cats that are not books about cats—they’re about nature and living in the country and the power of walking and family and basically everything that makes life good. Now he’s written a collection of spooky and eerie, unsettling—not scary—stories that put you right there in the moody Peak District of central England. The writing on his web site is also brilliant.

Favorite highlight: “Outside, the dark is very dark. But in the day, the whiteness is very dark too, sometimes ever darker.”

Melmoth by Sarah Perry | 3 1/2 stars I’ve been thinking about this book since I turned the last page, and here’s where I’ve landed: It has a perfectly spooky gothic tone that I was super into. Throughout there’s some very moody, supernatural-ish stuff going on that was spine-tingly. I read this book in one day because I couldn’t put it down. It was an ignore-everything marathon of reading because I needed to know how it would all play out.

This novel is a series of stories told by different characters about the darkest times in their lives, and the stories they share are DARK, but not in the virginal-maiden-locked-in-a-castle way. They’re dark in a peoples’-lives-were-ruined way that was not fun at all. It was horribly sad. And I feel like that kind of serious subject matter is in direct contrast with the isn’t-it-spooky tone of the novel. Ultimately, I found the whole thing really depressing and when I closed the book, I was sorry that I’d devoted an entire day to it. But it’s so well crafted and well plotted, I feel like a jerk with my criticisms.

And there you have it. I still don’t really know how I feel about this book except that I for-sure won’t be reading it again. But also, I will never forgot some of its scenes.

Favorite highlight: “The Silence is something more than the absence of noise. If it is possible to hear silence, Helen hears it: a thick, soft sensation against the drums of her ears.”

Urn Burial by Kerry Greenwood | 4 stars I adore Phryne Fisher—in print and in the TV series ‘Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries—because she’s a super feminist and her politics—and the politics of the book—are very progressive. The juxtaposition of 1920s slang and fashion with ultra-modern opinions is irresistible, and I cannot resist a found-family. Phryne has created a lovely family for herself with her assistant Dot and her housekeepers, Mr and Mrs Butler. In this particular book, there’s a murder at a manor house, which is like catnip for me: lots of listening through doors, scampering to lovers’ bedrooms in the middle of the night, forced cocktail hour… it’s fab.

Favorite highlight: “It took determination to be really strange. That, or absinthe before breakfast every day.”

The Witch Elm by Tana French | 3 stars I think Tana French is excellent at what she does—I couldn’t put this down because I needed to know what was going to happen, and I had no idea how it was all going to resolve itself. Really, the writing craft should get 5 stars.

But man! this was really not for me. Even though I compulsively turned the pages, I didn’t enjoy the experience or the characters at all. The only character I liked died. I thought everyone else was horrible: duplicitous, selfish, whiny, untrustworthy. I am grateful I don’t know people like this in real life, and I don’t enjoy spending time with them, even if it’s pretend and on paper.

Favorite highlight: “Hugo’s road has that effect; it gives the impression of being there only on alternate Thursday or to people with they mysterious talisman in their pockets, invisible the rest of the time and instantly forgotten when you leave.”

Dracula by Bram Stoker (audiobook) | 5 stars

I’m a sucker for epistolary novels, so before even opening the pages the first time I read this book, I was pretty much on board. Then when I got to know Mina and Jonathan, Dr. Seward and Van Helsing—I was smitten. This is a big, sweeping adventure story, and although it was published in 1897, it’s surprisingly modern. Unlike, say, the Brontës, which require a little work sometimes to get through the prose, this is very readable and the action moves at a good clip. But it’s not all desperate carriage rides and stake stabbings; there are a lot of genuine emotional moments in this book, and I love the way Mina turns out to be the heroine of the whole enterprise.

This audiobook version is fantastic. The voice work is very compelling and really brings the story to life.

Favorite highlight: “It is a strange world, a sad world, a world full of miseries, and woes, and troubles. And yet when King Laugh come, he make them all dance to the tune he play. Bleeding hearts, and dry bones of the churchyard, and tears that burn as they fall, all dance together to the music that he make with that smileless mouth of him. Ah, we men and women are like ropes drawn tight with strain that pull us different ways. Then tears come, and like the rain on the ropes, they brace us up, until perhaps the strain become too great, and we break. But King Laugh he come like the sunshine, and he ease off the strain again, and we bear to go on with our labor, what it may be.”

The Shadow Land by Elizabeth Kostova (audiobook) | 5 stars I’ve read this book in print at least once, maybe twice? And I loved it for the reasons the NYTimes review didn’t… the beginning, before it gets into the heart of the story from the past, is a travelogue/love letter to Bulgaria—and that voice is part of what I loved so much about Elizabeth Kostova’s first book The Historian. This one has so many things I love: a mystery, foreign travel, a little romance, the love of a found-family, things that are not what they seem, shocking revelations over food, and regular people following mysterious clues to dangerous conclusions. At every moment I thought, “This is exactly what it would be like if *I* found myself caught up in a mystery” and since I’m always secretly hoping that will happen, I loved this story. There are plenty of surprises—I actually gasped a few times and shed a few tears. The big reveals aren’t obvious, but when they happened, I was, like, “Oh, yeah… that makes sense.”

The voice acting in this audiobook is awesome. Each character gets its own voice and is immediately recognizable. This is particularly effective when a character tells a story from the past—the accents, the aging voices, the emotion… it’s lush and moving and all-together engrossing.

Favorite highlight: “Always thinking. Thinking too much, and then sometimes not enough. You read a lot of books, yes?”

FIND ALL THESE BOOKS AND MORE IN MY AMAZON STORE!

What have you been reading recently?

Source: https://meljoulwan.com/2018/11/29/reading-recap-october-2018/

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frop · 8 years ago

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do all of them you mother fucker

not Once but Twice u have done this to m

Star Platinum – Your thoughts on the stars? i always did like then when i was younger but now they just make me think of jojo so now i especially like them

Magician’s Red – Do you know any magic tricks? no but im gonna say what u said and i can bend my fingers waay way farther than most people

Hermit Purple – Show a photo of yourself! I HAVENT taken a selfie in forever i’ll do one later

Silver Chariot (Requiem) – How much sleep do you need on average? i would love a good 10+ but i only get that much on saturday now boo but on average its like 6-7

The Fool – Tell us a joke! Is your refrigerator running? Because i’m gonna suck your dick

The World - A place you want to visit? canada like you would not believe

Crazy Diamond – What do you treasure the most? hmmmmmmm my friendships with my friends

The Hand – Do you like your hands? nnnot particularly bc i spent a good portion of my life and still do sometimes where i bit my nails til they bleed so they dont look as nice as i’d like them to be when they grow out

Echoes – Your favourite sound? The world’s time stop sound, but not jotaro’s version, dio’s specifically

Heaven’s Door – Share a secret! my parents’ divorce has made me scared for the future of my own relationships to the point where i can see myself not ever wanting to be in a relationship ever again bc it would be easier than my partner getting tired of me or hating me. on top of the fact that i’m almost exactly like my father and my mom’s ex fiance in every single emotional department which is what caused their divorce/breakup respectively in the first place and that leads me to believe that in the long run i am Romantically Unlovable

Killer Queen – How would you like to die? preferably quick and painless

Bad Company – What kind of character trades do you dislike? any character that is like ‘waahh wah no one understands me bc i enjoy [’highly advanced’ niche series/book/etc] and they all read [popular series/book/etc] like whatever the fuck his name was in aku no hana, it got so obnoxious i had to drop it lmao

Red Hot Chili Pepper – Can you handle spicy food? cat’s out of the bag guys im actually a Fake Mexican bc i only like mild stuff and hot chips

The Lock – Anything you feel guilty about right now? ya but thats for another day

Love Deluxe – Are you secretly in love with someone right now? its absolutely no secret that i am in love with jonathan joestar

Pearl Jam – Your signature dish? i can make some mean ass rice apparently

Achtung Baby – Do you want kids? nnnope no thanks never ever i have my cat and thats enough for me

Harvest – Do you pick up coins in from the street? no bc u dont know where thats been and money is super dirty already

Cinderella – Which part of your body do you like the most? dang, i guess my thighs? but lately i’ve been a lot easier on myself abt my stomach and how soft it is

Atom Heart Father – How is your relationship with your father? pretty good bc we’re really alike in temperament too but sometimes it gets pretty awkward bc he can never see me as anything but his little baby daughter who Never Grows Up

Enigma – What is puzzling you currently? when is davidpro gonna drop the part 5 teaser

Earth Wind and Fire – What’s the best classical element? i personally have always liked fire

Stray Cat – Cats or dogs? i love both but man im more suited for cats

Gold Experience – A precious experience you have not shared with your followers? oh man over this summer my dad his gf and me and my sis when on a trip to her dad’s place in this really small town that was like 3 hours away from our city and it was so nice and quiet and peaceful and i felt so clean and happy there, we were only there for a couple days but ever since i’ve really been wanting to go back

Sticky Fingers – Zippers or buttons? zippers are so much faster but they get caught sometimes so Really, pros and cons of each

Moody Blues – A song that makes you sad? OOO man i was gonna say epitaph bc Of Course but as i was writing this down melancholy man by moody blues came up on this playlist and now im thinkin abt abba and crying

Sex Pistols – Have you ever shot a gun or riffle? no im tiny and a weenie and i would probably die from the recoil

Aerosmith – Are you afraid of flights? ive never been on one but i am scared of heights so i cant imagine thats any better

Purple Haze – What makes you really angry? it used to be not being listened to but now i just let it happen bc Why bother but now its more whenever my mom makes a big deal out of simple mistakes of waiters/waitresses or when shes being obviously racist

Spice Girl – Your favourite spice? idk what its called but theres this one i like to put on fruit before i eat it to make it Spicy

King Crimson – Is it possible to predict the future? man idk my mom says yea but who knows

Black Sabbath – How easily do you trust people? like stupidly easy

Man in the Mirror – Do you like looking into the mirror? nope lol im ugl. ALSO bc i have a bigger than average fear of reflective stuff in general bc what if i see somethign behind me u kno,,,,

Beach Boy – Have you ever been fishing? nope! the one time my dad went that i knew abt i was in mexico

The Grateful Dead – What do you want to be remembered for? honestly, anything else that being the ‘way too nice one’ or the doormat

White Album – Your favourite CD? aaaaa i dont have one i dont really listen to albums

Talking Head – Are you a good liar? i guess ? i can keep a pretty straight face but its harder to lie to someone i actually know really well bc they can probably tell what my tics are

Baby Face – Your thought on babies? theyre cute but i would greatly prefer to never have any

Metallica – Do you like listening to metal? yea

Green Day – Ideal way to spend a day off? sleep, Sleep, stream with friends and lay in bed

Oasis – Best place for a holiday? hhhhh anyplace that relaxes u tbh

Stone Free – Are you a indoor or outdoor person? i n d o o r i dont like bugs

Kiss – Who would you like to kiss or get a kiss from? jonathan joest

Burning Down the House – Ever destroyed something and then regretted it? nah, once again im a weenie and im too worried abt consequences to ever do smth like that

Foo Fighters – Your favourite drink? god damn i fucking love raspberry iced tea

Diverdown – Your thoughts on diving? the ocean fills me with the fear of god. no thanks

C-Moon – What would you do for your friend’s sake? put myself in bodly harm

MadeinHeaven – What do you believe happens after you died? nothing tbh you just end up in a grave or urn or wherever u wanted to be put

Weather Report – Your favourite weather? man i looove love stormy weather

Whitesnake – Your thoughts on snakes/reptiles? i love them theyre all gorgeous and beautiful

Tusk – Tea or coffee? coffee

Ball Breaker – Your favourite ball game? to play? its basket ball but to watch baseball

Oh! Lonesome Me – Do you feel lonely right now? no not right now but im sure it’ll happen soon

Scary Monsters – Your favourite dinosaur? i love velociraptors and also triceratops !!

Cream Starter – Do you usually wear make up? nope and if i do its only ever lipstick

Catch the Rainbow – Your favourite colour in the rainbow? blue and green!!

Ticket to Ride – What was the last ticket you bought for? i didnt buy it but the last one i had was for the rogue one like. 2 weeks ago

Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap – Do you believe in the multiverse? i dont think abt it too often but sure

In a Silent Way – Do you enjoy complete silence? yes!! besides some music, i cant concentrate otherwise

Soft & Wet – Shower or bath? shower bc its easier but i havent taken a bath in forever

Paisley Park – How good are you with reading maps/directions? Terrible God Awful

Nut King Call – How good are you at assembling/constructing things like Ikea furniture? hmm it depends if i have the manual for it and if i have time to really think on it and im not in a rush or anything

Paper Moon King – Can you do any origami? nope

King Nothing – Your favourite smell? i really like the smell of cinnamon

BornThisWay – A strange habit you have? i crack my fingers all the damn time and i like to take off the little plastic circle off of soda bottles and chew on it

Les Feulies – Your favourite plant? oh damn hmm i like lavenders

Fun Fun Fun – Something you really enjoy doing? man. i could watch jojo a million times over and i’d never get bored of it

California King Bed – What size is your bed? currently i sleep in a queen size bc my mom and sis and i share a bed bc we only had one room in our old apartment but now that we moved im sure i’ll be kicked off into a twin soon enough

JESUS christ ok its almost midnight i hope ur happy you mother fuckre

#asks #i didnt think it would take this long oh my fodgtrgwrgf #filmgold

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trendingnewsb · 8 years ago

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Open thread: what books do you find most attractive in a potential partner?

An online survey found while most people like a well-read date, women are more attracted to bookish men than vice versa. Have you ever fallen in love or rejected someone based on their reading list? Share it in the comments below

I once went on a date with a man who, instead of writing a full online dating profile, listed his four favourite books. When asked, he said it seemed simpler than writing a lengthy bio.

It was and it wasnt: the titles hed included offered a tantalising glimpse into his personality. While I didnt end up discovering whether he was as intriguing as the selection, it was a good place to start the conversation.

Im not the only one scrutinising the books included in a dating profile. Reading itself is an attractive pastime, according to research released by online dating site eHarmony. However, while well-read men received almost 20% more messages than their peers, women who listed reading as a hobby received 7% less. So much for all those men who are into sapiosexuals.

Whether it be online or in conversation, the books we choose to identify ourselves with say plenty about us. Its shorthand for what we want to signal about our interests, intelligence and levels of engagement with the world.

What then does it say that, according to eHarmony, some of the most attractive books a man can read are Walter Isaacsons biography of Steve Jobs, and George Orwells 1984; but the unattractive titles are the Harry Potter series and second world war novels?

Conversely the Harry Potter books are precisely those men find most attractive on a female reading list, along with The Hunger Games series, Jane Austens Pride and Prejudice and Stieg Larssons The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Despite the fact they were global bestsellers about luurve in all its lurid forms, the Twilight series and Fifty Shades of Grey is a no-go for most men.

While theres a consensus that listing cookbooks or The Bible is a turn-off, theres an astonishing amount of bonding going on over Anthony Kiedis autobiography Scar Tissue and the Game of Thrones series.

Unsurprisingly, book lists are a good indicator of compatibility for Guardian staffers, whether it be forewarned by way of The Fountainhead or clicking over Harry Potter. And so we ask you to share your thoughts below what books do you find attractive in a potential partner? And why?

If I saw The Fountainhead, I ran a mile

Call me negative but when I was online dating I mainly used the books list as a warning rather than an attraction. I love a well-read man, and there are infinite wonderful books in the world that could attract me to someone if listed on a dating site (Id have fallen over backwards for a man who listed Elena Ferrantes Neapolitan series, for instance).

But there was one common well-loved book among men that if I saw, I ran a mile: The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand. I have since discovered it is one of Donald Trumps favourite books, one of the few works of fiction hes ever read. Its nice to be right. Gabrielle Jackson

I steer clear of men who revere books in which women are only ever bit-parts

I am deeply suspicious of men who profess a profound love for Bret Easton Ellis, Christopher Hitchens, Hunter S Thompson, any Beat poet but especially Kerouac, and to a lesser extent Hemingway.

Speaking as someone who finishes about four books a year, its not a requirement that my partners are well-read. It is that they are properly, profoundly feminist not card-carrying ones whove learned that claiming affiliation is a prerequisite to gaining access.

Its a delicate balance to strike. In my experience of online dating, men who semaphore-signal their feminist credentials with an extensive reading list as soon as theres the opportunity are to be avoided as much as those who freely wear their misogyny.

My strategy is to steer clear of men who revere books in which women are only ever bit-parts or accessories and always lesser. Reading books by women is a point in their favour; youd be surprised by how many men dont. Elle Hunt

I avoid women who hang out in the self-help section

Books have played a trifling role in my search for love, certainly beside bonding moments over music and karaoke specifically.

My true love told me just this week she has no time to read books, and who am I to argue? But as the son of a bookseller, I was raised to avoid women who hang out in the self-help section. And yes, that includes Paulo Coelho. Joshua Robertson

I bought all his favourite books and read them

Years ago I had a Titanic-sized crush on a man I worked with and looked up his MySpace. I had not read any of the favourite books he listed so I bought them all and read them. One of them, Everything Is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer, remains a favourite of mine today. When I eventually got my crush into my bedroom he noticed two of the books on my shelf, commenting how much he liked them. Me too! I responded, perhaps a little too enthusiastically.

Reader, I successfully tricked him into loving me and now we are married. Bridie Jabour

Harry Potter is an excellent litmus test

Im a Ravenclaw because the Pottermore quiz is fairly easy to manipulate, although tricking an online quiz into sorting me into the smart house probably makes me more Slytherin. I think Id like to date a Slytherin but usually end up with Hufflepuffs, which ends badly for all involved.

Following? Good. If youre not, we probably shouldnt date. My personality is 90% pop culture references and about 35% of that is Harry Potter. As Rob Fleming says in High Fidelity (10%, both book and film), what really matters is what you like, not what you are like. As a general rule I dont judge people who havent seen or read my core texts, but it does make me harder to understand.

The exception to the no-judgement rule is Harry Potter. Not because its so central to my identity (though it is), but because its an excellent litmus test. The Venn diagram of people who are proud they havent read Harry Potter, not just couldnt be bothered with it but actively think that shunning a book written for children makes them intellectually superior, and people who are insufferable wankers is a circle. Calla Wahlquist

She had a book on Russian political assassinations on her shelf

Finding something surprising has always piqued my interest. With my partner I found a book she had on Russian political assassinations and fake terror campaigns. When I eventually borrowed it, Blowing Up Russia: The Secret Plot to Bring Back KGB Terror was an interesting read.

Miles Martignoni

I was struck by his engagement with little-known Australian poet Lesbia Harford

My partner piqued my interest with his literary proclivities months before Id even met him but with his writing, not his reading. When we eventually started seeing each other, we naturally talked a lot about books, and I remember being struck by his deep engagement with the work of little-known and under-appreciated 20th century Australian poet, Lesbia Harford.

But what sealed the deal was when, on a weekend away early in our relationship, I watched him peruse a bookshelf ladened with various macho literary heavyweights, and eagerly pick up the Georgette Heyer novel instead. Stephanie Convery

He was teaching himself English via Chaucers The Canterbury Tales

Years ago while backpacking I met an Israeli whose English was rudimentary. But he was determined to improve, and was teaching himself English via a book hed picked up at a hostel Chaucers The Canterbury Tales. Consequently, his speech was speckled with bawdy 14th century turns of phrase, which made him sound like a Middle Eastern-accented Middle English poet. It certainly won me over. Janine Israel

I was brutally rejected for failing to read War and Peace

I was once brutally rejected on a Tinder date for failing to read War and Peace. Ill never forget the look of disdain and disappointment when I confessed that Tolstoy was just not really my thing. My date bristled and, a short time later, excused herself. She needed to meet a friend for dinner. Funnily enough we had just eaten. There was no second date.

So I try not to be too judgmental about what others read.

But I do love science fiction and fantasy. And if Im on a date, and Neil Gaiman or Ray Bradbury come up, then Im sure well have enough to talk about for a few more drinks.

But its best not to be too snobby about it. Its a strange thing that we place so much romantic stock in the shared love of a pastime that is really such a solitary activity. And I really dont want to read War and Peace. Paul Farrell