#i'm on my annual reread and i have thoughts

[mysavagebeauty]

at this point, i don't even know how many times i've read The Secret History. but i think this is the first time where i'm going at it knowing full well that Richard isn't reliable. i've always known he was an unreliable narrator, but this is the first time i'm questioning everything he's telling the reader.

and i think that's why i can never get tired of revisiting this story and its world and characters. i feel like i discover something new every time.

this time around, i feel like i'm seeing Bunny for the first time. yes, he's a terrible person in that he's racist, sexist, homophobic, and so many more awful things. but to think him worse than the others who committed murder and didn't care... they're all terrible people. but maybe Bunny was the only one who truly understood the gravity of what his friends had done.

i'm at the part where Richard was recounting how Bunny just got worse towards them as time went on. and even he's trying hard to justify what they did to Bunny. Richard admitted Bunny didn't do anything grand to push them off the ledge (no pun intended), but that it was the culmination of his nastiness. but even that shift in Bunny's personality was influenced by whatever breakdown he had after discovering the truth of his friends' actions.

look, i'm not saying i now like Bunny. i think he's an interesting character, but i don't think i'll ever like him as a person. but i am finally seeing how maybe his death wasn't all that fair.

[burningfudge]

Black Widow, Winter Soldier, and WinterWidow reading list

I made this list for another post, but I thought I'd put it here too.

Black Widow (1999) by Devin Grayson - Natasha's first solo. It's only three issues, and it's the start of modern Black Widow. It introduces important aspects of her character, like the Red Room. Yelena is introduced for the first time.

Black Widow (2001) by Devin Grayson - Another three-issue comic, which I thought was a fun read. It's a Natasha, Yelena, and Matt team-up comic. It's a part of Marvel Knights, which told more mature and darker stories so I have a soft spot for the 1999 and 2001 runs for this reason.

Black Widow: Pale Little Spider (2002) by Greg Rucka - Another three-issue comic. While not focused on Natasha, it's a Yelena solo. It's part of the Max comics line, which was an attempt to tell adult-only stories, and it definitely shows because Yelena visits a bondage sex club. A very important comic for Yelena.

Black Widow: Homecoming (2004) by Richard K. Morgan - I think this comic was extremely influential for modern Black Widow. A lot of her mythos originated from this comic. The movie took a lot of inspiration from this comic as well, like the pheremones thing.

Black Widow: The Things They Say About Her (2005) by Richard K. Morgan - This one is decent. It's not entirely important, but I think it's worth a read. A classic Black Widow story where Natasha is on the run and doesn't know who to trust. While it's overdone at this point, I think this was the first comic to portray it. Yelena and Matt show up in this one too.

Captain America (2005) by Ed Brubaker - VERY IMPORTANT. Bucky is reintroduced as the Winter Soldier and shows up in #1. While it's long, every issue is worth it. Natasha doesn't show up until #27, but #27-#50 is peak buckynat. This run is one of my fav comics of all time.

New Avengers #48-64, Annual #3, Finale (2005) by Brian Michael Bendis - Natasha isn't super important in this, and she barely shows up, but Bucky shows up frequently. I wouldn't say it's entirely important, but it's during Bucky's time as Captain America, and when he interacts with the Avengers, so I recommend it just for that. Also, I'm a little biased because New Avengers (2005) is probably my favorite comic ever.

Black Widow (2010) by Marjorie Liu - The best Black Widow story ever written. I don't think anyone has disliked it. 10/10, I always love to reread it.

Black Widow: Deadly Origin (2010) by Paul Cornell - A miniseries about Natasha's origin. Not entirely important, but it's a solid Black Widow story. Appearances from Bucky and Wolverine.

Captain America #600-619 by Ed Brubaker - Again, it's very important for both Bucky and Natasha. It's a continuation of Captain America (2005).

Captain America & Bucky #620-624 (2011) by Ed Brubaker - Pretty important. It's a retelling of Bucky's life. #624 is all about buckynat and how they met. A lot of iconic buckynat content that the fandom gushes over is in it.

Widowmaker (2011) - Not super important and Bucky isn't in it. A fun team-up story about Clint and Natasha with Bobbi. I enjoyed reading it.

Winter Soldier (2012) by Ed Brubaker - I cannot tell you how much I love this comic. It's the best Bucky's ever been written and I don't think anyone will disagree when I say that no one has ever understood Bucky like Ed Brubaker. Extremely important for buckynat.

Winter Soldier: The Bitter March (2014) by Rick Remender - I'm not going to lie; I don't really remember much from this comic, but I know people like it.

Black Widow (2014) by Phil Noto & Nathan Edmondson - Another popular comic for Natasha. It's probably my second favorite Black Widow comic after Liu's. Another Black Widow is on the run story, but Liho is introduced in this! Bucky is in #8, 15, 17-18. A must read.

Bucky Barnes: The Winter Soldier (2014) by Ales Kot - This isn't my favorite, but the art is absolutely beautiful. I don't think it's essential. Natasha is not in this.

Black Widow (2016) by Mark Waid - I enjoyed reading this comic. I'd rank it third after Liu and Noto. Bucky is in #9-10. Essential Black Widow comic.

Tales of Suspense #100-104 by Matthew Rosenberg - A Winter Soldier and Hawkeye team-up where they look for Natasha after she was killed by Hydra Cap in Secret Empire (no need to read it; SE is trash). A fandom favorite, and I absolutely love it. Winterhawk exploded in popularity after this run.

Winter Soldier (2018) by Kyle Higgins - Natasha does not show up in this, but it's very important for Bucky. It's a short five-issue miniseries, and it's probably the best Bucky has been written since Brubaker.

Black Widow (2019) by Jen and Sylvia Soska - It's a miniseries, and it's a fairly dark one. Natasha is back from the dead, and she's PISSED. Bucky doesn't show up in this one, but Steve does, and it's after her murder at Hydra Cap's hands.

Web of Black Widow (2019) by Jody Houser - Another Natasha miniseries where she's on the run and her friends are worried about her. Bucky shows up in #2 and #5.

Falcon and Winter Soldier (2020) by Derek Landy - A fun team-up comic with Sam and Bucky. Natasha doesn't show up. Not essential.

Black Widow (2020) by Kelly Thompson - It's...not great. Many people have already talked about what they didn't like, so I won't go over it, but it has some fantastic buckynat moments. However, I will say that I really love Natasha, Yelena, Clint, and Bucky teaming up in this comic. That group together is highly entertaining. It doesn't seem like anything from this comic will be paid attention to in the future, but I would still read it.

Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty (2022) by Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly - Really trash. I didn’t like this at all. Bucky isn't written well, and I think Natasha shows up like twice. Skip.

Captain America: Cold War (2023) by Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly - Another trash event. Skip.

Thunderbolts (2023) by Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly - Buckynat FINALLY get back together after they broke up in Winter Soldier (2012). A boring comic otherwise.

[lmaster37]

"I convinced them not to call the cops," Adam said. He was good at making things quiet.

Gansey let out his breath. Tonight, he didn't have it in him to talk to the police on Ronan's behalf.

Tell me I'm doing the right thing with Ronan. Tell me this is how to find the old Ronan. Tell me I'm not ruining him by keeping him away from Declan.

But Adam had already told Gansey he thought Ronan needed to learn to clean up his own messes. It was only Gansey who seemed afraid that Ronan would learn to live in the dirt.

oughhh. gansey who feels perpetually responsible for Everything but ESPECIALLY for ronan and adam vs. adam who is so deeply shaped by Being Self-Consciously Poor and NEEDING to be independent vs. ronan who doesn't accept help for the simple reason that Nothing Is Wrong Fuck Off Leave Me Alone

adam being good at "making things quiet" because he's used to smoothing things over with his abusive dad & he is constantly, desperately avoiding attention at aglionby (again, because he's Self-Consciously Poor at a very rich private school).

i think adam wanting ronan to "clean up his own messes" is also tangled up in this; throughout the chapter (and, indeed, the entire series), gansey spends A LOT of time trying to get adam to accept help, and thinking about convincing adam to accept help, and adam spends a lot of time very adamantly NOT accepting help EVEN WHEN IT WOULD DIRECTLY, MAJORLY IMPROVE HIS LIFE because he strongly associates Accepting Help with Becoming Dependent on another person.

and adam, like arguably all of the main characters, rarely pauses to consider whether his own personal honour code is actually relevant to other people's situations? might come back to this once i'm further into the series.

you will hear more about trc later but☝️seeing as my sibling just got the fifth stormlight archive book for christmas, i am actually making an executive decision to put down trc and start my annual cosmere reread instead. expect a lot of incoherent cosmere posting

[theinquisitxor]

November 2024 Reading Wrap Up

I read 8 books in November, and managed to get through most of my tbr for the month! I thought I was behind in my tbr, but realized at the end of the month that I basically hit my goals. Getting sick for a week also gave me extra reading time, although I was a little miserable. Get's get into it!

1.Child of the Prophecy (Sevenwaters 3) by Juliet Marillier, 4/5 stars. I wrapped up the original trilogy for this series, and enjoyed this installment. It had a bit of a different tone and main character than the first two books, but I enjoyed the themes and climatic ending. Adult Fantasy.

2.The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater, 5/5 stars. I completed my annual reread of one of my most beloved books. I read this on audio for the 4th year in a row. I also realized that my physical copy of this book is a 1st edition, so that is cool! Young Adult Fantasy

3.Paladin's Faith (Saint of Steel 4) by T. Kingfisher, 4/5 stars. Another enjoyable and fun fantasy romance adventure. I enjoyed the courtly intrigue, spies, and demonslaying in this book. I hope T Kingfisher continues to write in this world/series, and I felt like the ending of this opened up for more? Adult Fantasy Romance.

4. The Word for Woman is Wilderness by Abi Andrews, 4/5 stars. This was a different but enjoyable and thoughtful book. It's technically fiction, but reads like a memoir, and follows a young woman from England who travels across the arctic while making a documentary. One part nature writing, one part feminist manifesto, one part science writing, with fair bit of social commentary. Fiction. (my Random TBR Pick)

5.Medieval Women: A Social History of Women in England, 450-1500 by Henrietta Leyser. This was my nonfiction book for the month, and this explored women's lives in England and all the different roles and placements a woman could have in society. It was written in the 90s, but Leyser is a foundational scholar. (another Random TBR pick)

6.Heir to Sevenwaters (Sevenwaters 4) by Juliet Mariller, 5/5 stars. I adored this book--it contains so many tropes that I love! I know most people don't like the last three Sevenwaters books as much as the original, but I had such a good time reading this. I loved Coldagh, and her quest. One of my favorite tropes is when a character travels to an 'Otherworld' to save a loved one, as well as relying on domestic crafts as a form of magic, which this had both :)

7. Chrestomanci Volume 2: The Magicians of Caprona by Diana Wynne Jones, 3/5 stars. I liked this more than Witch Week and enjoyed the Romeo and Juliet inspiration, as well as magic cats. This held my attention better than WW, and was a fun break from the other heavier fantasy I read this month. Middle Grade Fantasy

8. Cape Cod by Henry David Thoreau. I had read sections of this book for one of my college courses, but always wanted to read the rest. So I picked it up as my last book for November. This also coincided with my 3 anniversary of visiting Cape Cod. Nature Literature.

That's it! I'm slowing getting closer to finishing Sevenwaters and Chrestomanci series-- which is my goal for the end of the year. I'd like to finish both of these series and start 2025 ready to begin new series!

December tbr:

The Virgin in the Garden (holdover from November)

Chrestomanci: Conrad's Fate & The Pinhoe Egg

Sevenwaters 5 & 6

Nonfiction

Midnight in Everwood (Random TBR pick)

[isfjmel-phleg]

December 2024 Books

The Wild Robot Protects by Peter Brown

This entire series is very charming and poignant. I enjoyed this one about as much as I did the previous ones.

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens (annual reread)

Someday I'll have an original insight into this book, but not this year.

Go to the Room of the Eyes by Betty K. Erwin

A family moves into an unusual house (that actually exists in the real world!) in 1960s Seattle and have slice-of-life adventures and get involved in solving a mystery left behind previous inhabitants. An enjoyable example of this type of story. Unfortunately very out of print and hard to find, though!

The Probability of Everything by Sarah Everett

Ostensibly this is the story of a girl and her family as they deal with processing that an impending comet is about to obliterate the earth, but--I won't spoil it--there's much more to it. I loved the family relationships, and the poignant examination of grief. It does deal with some heavy topics, including a racially-motivated hate crime, but I thought it was tastefully handled for a middle-grade audience. There were some worldview things that I personally would differ with, and this won't be everyone's cup of tea, but on the whole, this was a real page-turner for me.

The Thursday Kidnapping by Antonia Forest

This entire problem could have been avoided if the adults in this story would have been responsible enough to look after their own children and not expect literal children to do it for them. I had a hard time warming up to the characters in this one.

Dick Grayson, Boy Wonder: Scholars and Creators on 75 Years of Robin, Nightwing, and Batman edited by Kristen L. Geaman

The essays are of varying quality, but the better ones had some interesting analysis, and the interviews with writers were insightful.

Fault Lines by Janet Sumner Johnson

Not as effective for me as the previous book (Final Word). It stretched my suspension of disbelief a bit (that's a lot of faked deaths), and it was a bit hard to keep all the family straight, especially when most of the cousins are fairly underdeveloped. But it was an entertaining mystery, and I would read a third book if it happens.

Batman and Psychology: A Dark and Stormy Knight by Travis Langley

Varying degrees of interesting. Words cannot express how few darns I give about Batman's rogues gallery, but the explorations of Bruce's psychology, upbringing, and mental health and of the Robins in a familial context were fascinating. Apparently there's an updated edition, so I think I'll track that down.

I would love to see more books in a similar vein for other DC heroes. There's so much that could be explored.

The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy

Very sweet and nearly made me cry a few times. Don't go in expecting a narrative; this is a series of illustrations and vignettes involving the four eponymous characters--funny, sad, or inspirational by turns.

Housekeeping by Marilynne Robinson

Lovely polished writing. I think I will need to read this again to figure out what exactly is being said; this is a very Literary piece (not a criticism, I just read this on a tired brain).

Enemy Brothers by Constance Savery (reread)

I had a hankering.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

Enjoyable. I liked the epistolary format.

The Chinese Egg by Catherine Storr

I don't know why it is, but Storr tends to lose me whenever she wanders out of the middle-grade level. This was YA, and I didn't really get anything out of it.

The Woods by R. L. Toalson

I picked this up in a bookstore local to my family's city while on adventures with my sister in October. Never heard of it before, but I liked the cover and premise. And I did enjoy the book! Stories about children coming to stay in mysterious gothic houses full of family secrets are almost always my thing. But there were a few historical nitpicks that drew me out of the story a little, and in the end, I'm not sure that the story was fully cohesive. Historical fiction involving a real-life tragedy in 1940s Texas is great, and so is gothic fantasy about dangerous creatures in the foreboding woods. But this book had both, and it was hard for me to reconcile them in the same story (especially the fantasy elements supposed to be set in East Texas). This might have done better as two separate books, or perhaps if the fantastical elements and the family's background had been adjusted to suit the intended setting.

Solomon Snow and the Stolen Jewel by Kaye Umansky

...I hardly remember this one.

Victoria by Barbara Brooks Wallace

I am still processing this one. Not sure what to make of it.

Network Effect by Martha Wells (reread)

A lot going on in this one. Definitely had more of an impact on this reread.

Comics

Infinite Crisis

Rip my heart out, why don't you. This is the event in which Grant gets his face destroyed, Bart comes back aged up (before going on to star in an absolutely terrible miniseries that would mischaracterize him and others and then kill him off), and Kon dies. Do I love this story? No. But I am not over Kon dying with tears in his eyes while characteristically framing the situation as something positive.

Damage (most of it)

A very 90s book that didn't get to live up to its potential before getting canceled, but its characterization of Grant has never quite been replicated by later writers. I would love to interview Tom Joyner (the writer/co-creator, who wrote this while in college!) about his work on this book.

The "Return of the Hero!" arc from various titles, Justice League Task Force (#15-16, 0, 17-37), and Triumph

This guy. He's the worst. Compels me though. More analysis forthcoming.

[loftec]

Almost exactly around this time the past few years I reread NTW, I guess it marks the change of seasons for me. The Corner Diner is what I hope to find when I venture out and {attempt to} find a Dreamy Waiter for myself.

Thank you for creating a universe that welcomes me back with open arms. I hope you’re safe and well and warm (or cold if you prefer it), and have an odd request? I do hand embroidery and was wondering in your (magical, creative) mind, does the diner have a logo? Or a font that you picture? I would love to put it on a sweater for the fall and the annual reread!

Oh, I found you! I thought I had accidentally deleted this ask. Listen, I've been thinking about this since you sent it in and I love this ask with my whole heart, I'm so sorry it took me ages to answer!! I can't believe you sent this in September last year, what even happened to the last 6 months??

I wish I had a logo for you, but this is what happened: in early days I tried to make several logos and didn't like any of them (I didn't even save the files) and I even tried to hand paint a logo on my little diner model, but it never turned out right. So instead it became canon in my head that the diner once had a sign and a different name, too, but that the sign fell down or got stolen or something in the 80s and then they never replaced it, and over the year people just started calling it the "corner diner" and the name was more or less officially changed, but they never put up a new sign. So that's like my little headcanon for my own fic haha, but to complicate the matter a little I do have a sort of "metatextual" logo that I like to use for art and things that are sort of about the story, not IN the story, if that makes any kind of sense?? So this is not a logo I imagine exists in the fic's universe, but in an alternate reality where NTW is a book with one of those quirky pastel romantic comedy covers, this logo (or a variation of it) might have been included in the cover art that never looks anything like what you imagine when you read the book.

[vestigialpersonality]

For the fanfic end of year asks, how about 3, 7, 14 and 24?

tyty 💙💙💙

3. favorite line/scene you wrote this year That Alfira Scene (Chapter 10 of Aria of Will). It can be really challenging to write your own version of a pivotal scene from the main canon, but I think more than any other key scene I've incorporated that I managed to make this one uniquely horrifying.

7. longest completed fic you wrote this year Troubled Skies, clocking in at 20,298 words.

14. a fic you didn’t expect to write Distillation. There is absolutely no question about it. I'd never written anything even vaguely spicy before this year, and somehow not only have I written four Explicit fics, this one is 6k of monsterfucking.

Though if I'm really being honest...I didn't expect to write ANY fic this year. Or get back into fandom on any level. I've written more fic in 2024 than I have from 2008-2023 combined.

24. favorite fic you read this year This is a loaded question and you know it! According to my magic reading spreadsheet I've read over 600 fics this year and rated 132 of them as Five Star. I picked one from every month, but this was genuinely hard considering how many fics I've loved this year. I should probably start a rec blog or something.

January: Open Me Up by @what-immortal-hand-or-eye. Trigun, Vashwood. I had Feelings. And I can't even pretend that the formatting didn't have a heavy influence on my own writing style.

February: Disco at the End of Time by Sarielle. Disco Elysium, Harry/Kim. Third part in a trilogy that I wholeheartedly recommend to EVERYONE, even fandom blind.

March: Whatever Happened to Jack Zimmermann? by ronandhermy. Check Please, Jack/Kent. Everyone here should already know I'm a sucker for atypical formatting and this one grabbed me.

April: The Hearts and Minds of Evil Men series by DoubleYouTeeEff. BG3, TavTash. Ricco has lived rent free in my brain for 8 months and doesn't seem to be going anywhere fast.

May: Breathe by @picathartidae BG3, Durgestarion. It's still going and it's always a delight when I get a subscription email for it.

June: Letters by mycolalia. BG3, Durgetash (ish). An epistolary that also uses the endnotes as part of the fic. Its FASCINATING.

July: The Diamond by @bharv BG3, Gortash/Lady Jannath. 6.5k of politics and transactional relationships...all inspired by a single note in BG3.

August: Force Immunity by @allconsumingrot BG3, Durgetash. I've reread it uhm. several times this year.

September: Reunited by @vialae BG3, Durgetash. I'm a sucker for fics about them attempting to reconnect after the brain damage, and the realization that Durge is no longer quite who they used to be, but this one hit me harder than most.

October: Taste of Bhaalspawn by @drones-art. BG3, Durgetash. My weird kinks are showing and I'm not sorry. This one bluescreened my brain.

November: in his voice i heard decay by @baronvontribble Fallout 3&4, Harkness/Sole Survivor. I'm admittedly a few chapters behind current because I've been busy with moving, but I was so excited I practically threw up when I saw that he was writing about Ted again.

Haven't had a chance to read much of anything in December yet because my entire life for the last 2 weeks has been unpacking boxes and building flatpack furniture.

I also did some annual rereads of personal favorites that will never not be recs. Specifically

The Adults in the Room by @strawberry-jan Yakuza, Kashiwagi/Yayoi. Adults having complicated, messy, ugly feelings.

The Way of All Flesh by @supaslim Fallout: New Vegas, Gen. I've reread this series every 12-18 months for the past decade and whenever I'm not reading it, it's always in the back of my mind haunting me like an intrusive thought.

And now that I've taken the time to try to choose a fic for every month, I'm now mad I had to choose. So yeah. I'm gonna make a rec blog. 💀

[actual-changeling]

https://www.tumblr.com/actual-changeling/743208931075260416/httpsactual-changelingtumblrcompost743117034

Oh, thank you so much for clarifying! I am again so sorry that's how I took it, but I read and reread and thought about it and I could not see how you actually meant it! It upset me to think you might think that and I'm very glad I was wrong!

Now that it's all clear, I'm afraid I can't say I agree with your thoughts about Nina and Maggie. The ball was too far and completely unfair to the people he was manipulating for his own fantasy, but I don't believe he'd use temptation or miracles to force Nina and Maggie together. In my opinion, I don't think he really cares if they get together. While he does seem to genuinely like Maggie and I think he would like her to be happy, he is rightfully far more focused on Jimbriel. He has to try to get them together because that's his excuse to the archangels, but if his matchmaking doesn't work? Oh well, his massive miracle attempt didn't take it seems. Such a shame. Please continue to ignore the guy in the sweater vest.

That's just my view of events though! Everyone has their own and disagreements about them are natural. Again, I'm sorry for my misinterpretation of your words and thank you for clarifying!

No need to apologize!

Sometimes I screw up my wording and I'm always happy to clarify, and if you disagree in the end then that's perfectly fine! I'm always curious how other people interpret the same situation.

With Aziraphale and how far he'd go with his miracles—I'm not actually sure. Like, I think it is certainly possible that he would use miracles in a temptation/emotional manipulation way, but it is also possible that he does not care enough to try it or simply doesn't want to.

If you had asked me about Aziraphale doing something like the ball before season two, my answer would probably have been "he wouldn't".

I did not think he'd manipulate people like that, but then he did! I did not think he'd ever treat Crowley the way he treated him this season, but then he did. So my expectations around him are completely off-balance and knotted up, and while there are many situations where I can be quite certain my predictions are correct, there are some where it comes down to actually seeing him in it.

Another question is also what he would have done if e.g. music shop guy hadn't agreed to come even with the Doctor Who annual on the table. Since this is about the ball itself—which he wanted to happen so play out his fantasy with Crowley—his approach might be different compared to his matchmaking one.

Would he have forced him to go and do what he wants or would he have looked for an alternative? Although once he has set his mind on something, he will do whatever is necessary to get it.

But yeah, bottom line—always ask if you're unsure about something I said, absolutely no need to apologize 💚

[allwaswell16]

Annual Writing Self-Evaluation

Thanks for tagging me @kingsofeverything !

1. List of works published this year:

Netflix Original

A Deal

Do You See What I See 

Bitter Ends Turn Sweet (series)

All This Time

On That Note

Ace of Hearts

Crush

Daydream

One

Heart Beat 

2. Work you are most proud of (and why):

Probably Bitter Ends Turn Sweet. First of all, just knowing there was a song called Chicago on FITF had me shook. Then, the first time I heard it, it was just such a fanfic that the whole story was just right there in my head as soon as the song was over. And I was like...nah. I'm not gonna write a long kid fic, right? RIGHT?? I've written angst before, but writing about a child made me emotional in a way I've never felt while writing in part because I was writing a disabled child. And for that matter I wrote a trans character into this fic as well. But I wanted to write this in a way that made it clear how deeply loved and celebrated these characters were to their families and the people around them. Maybe I made their characters have it unrealistically easy, but it's what I wanted for them just as I want that for my disabled and trans family and friends in real life.

3. Work you are least proud of (and why):

I wouldn't say I'm not proud of any of them, but the time stamps I wrote for Bitter Ends are just things that didn't fit into the main story. And I feel like there's a reason they didn't, if that makes sense. But I thought it might be fun for anyone who liked the fic to read those bits of it, which is why I published them at all.

4. A favorite excerpt of your writing:

oof I can never find anything. Here's something from Bitter Ends:

Harry shrugged. “Maybe. Gem said it was okay to make mistakes like dancing with the wrong guys.”

Louis nodded, considering. “How about dancing with the right guy?”

Harry’s heart pounded harder, and he wasn’t sure it had anything to do with the dancing. “I don’t know. He didn’t say anything about that.”

He’d now lost Liam amidst the dancers, but it was hard to concentrate on that with Louis this close. Louis’ hand splayed out across his back, keeping him close as the beat slowed. 

They’d both dressed in black. And although Harry’s shirt was filmy with a bit of lace and Louis’ a t-shirt sheer enough to see his tattoos through, they were near enough to one another that Harry couldn’t tell where one fabric ended and another began.

Perhaps he could blame muscle memory on why he lifted his arms and wrapped them around Louis’ shoulders, close enough now to feel Louis’ breath at his neck, cooling his heated skin just there as desire zipped down his spine. 

The bit of scruff still on Louis’ cheeks slid against the bare skin of Harry’s shoulder peeking through where his shirt had slipped down, and Harry was thankful for the volume of the bar blocking out the sound of his moan. The whirl of lights danced across his vision, caught up in this moment with Louis.

5. Share or describe a favorite review you received:

There's this one for Bitter Ends: What a gift!!! What a wonderful, sweet, tear inducing gift of fabulous writing! Every word, every sentence of story building was exquisite. I could do nothing else but read this from start to finish and will reread it again and again. Max was an inspired character, so real and so loved. Thank you for this.

And this one for Ace of Hearts: I had no idea I loved early 19th century pirate stories as much as I do now. I couldn’t leave a comment until I finished reading all the parts. I don’t remember when I started but I did forgot to eat for awhile. I haven’t read a story with so many twists and well written.

And basically every single one for Do You See What I See because they're all the same thing...people yelling at me when they find out the twist hahahaha

6. A time when writing was really, really hard:

No one come for me, but I wouldn't say there's ever a time where it's really hard to do. BUT sometimes it's really hard for me to make time for it.

7. A scene or character you wrote that surprised you:

I spent YEARS trying to come up with a plot for a Louis/Cillian Murphy fic. Nothing felt right. And then it somehow occurred to me that what I really wanted to write was Louis/Tommy Shelby and once I figured that out the story immediately came to me.

8. How did you grow as a writer this year:

I always like to try my hand at new things, so this year I wrote girl direction for the first time, some new rare pairs, I wrote an advent fic, both my longer fics are kid fics, which is wild to me lol.

9. How do you hope to grow next year:

Whoops. Had to come back and add this in. I just hope to find more time to write and keep finding more challenges for myself.

10. Who was your greatest positive influence this year as a writer (could be another writer or beta or cheerleader or muse etc etc):

If you looked through my author's notes this year, you'd definitely notice how often I thanked @nouies I couldn't have done half of what I did this year without Lou. Her encouragement and making fic posts and reading things over for me helped me enormously. To have someone supporting and keeping me going was just everything. And always @louandhazaf for betaing my fics and always being excited to read whatever new thing I've come up with to write! Thank you x a million, Nic!

11. Anything from your real life show up in your writing this year:

lol yes. hmmm where to start...Bitter Ends has a lot of my son and the things my family likes to do in Chicago in it. Do You See What I See is based on a FB ad I saw that I found hysterically funny and also based on the animals that run around in the wooded ravine behind my house. Daydream takes place in a coffee shop that I like to go to. And Heart Beat takes place in a fictional version of my hometown, has a fictional version of my cat in it, and has a plot inspired by me spending a lot of time in a converted cathedral listening to my son play the drums.

12. Any new wisdom you can share with other writers:

I think I say the same thing every year...READ!!! It's important of course to make time for the actual writing. And writing as much as possible if your goal is to become better at it, but analyzing other people's writing is how a lot of people grow as a writer. What is it about your favorite novels/fics that you love? Read or reread them with a critical eye at what exactly the writer is doing so you can try it out in your own writing.

13. Any projects you’re looking forward to starting (or finishing) in the new year:

I (think??? lol) I'm only signed up to write for @1dalphalouisfest but I'll probably sign up for @1domegaverseficfest too. And obviously I'll write for my own fest @louisrarepairfest I have this soulmates fic that I've been simmering in my brain for a while and I just recently started to figure a few things out for it. So it may or may not fit into one of those fests.

14. Tag three writers whose answers you’d like to read. ;)

@jacaranda-bloom @nouies @lululawrence and anyone else who wants to do this just say I tagged you!

*All answers should be about works published in 2023

Past years: 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 , 2021 , 2022

[whenthewallfell]

hey I’m obsessed with your hunger games posts (both the art and the written analysis)

i just reread the series for the first time since I was a teenager and i forgot how hard they slap. I love ur posts about gale (he’s just a mess bitch) (and by bitch i mean character) (but also I mean bitch)

I was wondering if u have any thoughts on finnick (or if u have any fanart of) he’s always been the character I relate to and find the most complex and interesting. i so desperately want to know ur take on the tragedy that is finnick odair. I’m also tempted to send u my own analysis on him but idk if it would be at all appreciated

So there's this kid, right. He's only 14, and already people can tell he's gonna be a looker. Rather than wait for him to get older and have more of a fighting chance, they send him into the annual death match then and there (side note, this is a weird choice for a career district, right? We can all agree that. It's weird.) He wins because he 1. knows he's hot and 2. knows how to use that.

He's smart, resourceful, and understands the value of sex appeal. At 14.

Two years on and he finds out that he's a little too good at the charming Victor act. He's forced into prostitution, not to save himself but the people he loves. (THG is all about self sacrifice, about what we do for others at risk of ourselves. It's the aspect of humanity that Snow exploits throughout the series.)

But he's a survivor. He takes a shitty situation and makes the best of it, building a business around pillow talk and turning himself into the most valuable commodity rumours can buy. He successfully mentors a Victor and falls in love with her knowing full well it puts him AND her in even more danger (sorry to keep harping on about this, but oh look how love is once again its own form of rebellion, gosh it's like it's a running theme or something)

And then he joins THE rebellion, knowing that it will put them all at risk but also realising that if not now, then never. He marries the love of his life, becomes the big brother to K+P (his relationship with them is so sweet I can't even), sheds the Capitol persona that's kept him alive for a decade, begins to heal from all the trauma...

...and dies. No fanfare, no heroic last stand. He dies fleeing for his life, torn apart by monsters, just one more death in a sequence already filled with casualties. Blink and you'll miss it. It almost feels meaningless, and unfortunately that's the point – people die whether we want them to or not. It's devastating, but then so is war.

Finnick is a man built on contradictions. He acts like a playboy but is devoted to one person. He seems arrogant and self absorbed but will do anything to protect those he cares about. He's a main character but he dies like an extra.

And I'm still not over it.

(op thank you I'm amazed anyone's interested in my ramblings, and also absolutely send me your thoughts, I'd love to hear them!)

[scyllas-revenge]

Hi there! Just wanted to reach out as I'm going to start my annual re-read of BLCI and thank you for this work of art (no joke here) you have put out into the world :)

Know its been a while since the last chapter and completely understand that life can get in the way but I sincerely sincerely wish you do have plans to continue it :) If you have any Beeromir (?? not sure if there is a ship name? Can't figure out how to do the squared symbol on my laptop for B squared...) tidbits that you are willing to share I would be forever grateful.

Thank you again!! :)

ANNUAL REREAD??

I'm trying- and failing- to find the right words to express how much this means to me. Thank you so much!! I am hugging this ask to my heart (or I would if I wasn't scared I'd break my laptop). And thank you for not giving up on me- I never meant to go on a hiatus at all, although I did realize that there were still some plot points I needed to iron out before I could move forward with the fic. And then yeah life got in the way. Still, things are looking up- I turned 30, found a therapist, am taking ADHD meds, got an inhaler, traveled solo overseas for the first time, saw the northern lights- I am unstoppable!! XD

ANYWAY! I am very much still working on this fic, and I have a good chunk of the next chapters done. I don't trust myself to give a specific date lol, but it'll be updated again, I promise!

I'm pretty sure at some point I shared the first few paragraphs of the next chapter on tumblr in another ask, but I'll post the beginning of the chapter here as proof that progress is underway and as a thank you for such a wonderful ask! Feel free to reach out any time to chat about fanfics or fandom stuff in general <3

Chapter 33 snippet:

Damn it, the AC is out again.

That was my first disoriented thought as I woke up, overheated and uncomfortably flushed. I tried to wipe the perspiration from my forehead, but my right arm was trapped at my side, numbness buzzing down my fingers. Huh? Sluggishly, my eyes creaked open—and all at once my heartbeat accelerated so fast the cabin seemed to spin.

Boromir’s chest was pressed against my face. The warmth of his skin nearly burned through his rumpled undershirt, and the weight of his torso was squashing my nose into a pancake. He must have rolled over in his sleep, because he was nearly sprawled out on top of me now, his chest and shoulder pinning the right half of my body to the mattress, one of his legs thrown over mine from inside his crumpled bedroll. He was snoring softly.

Oh. A giddy, guilty laugh bubbled up in my chest, and I smiled against his skin. How had I thought this was uncomfortable? I could have stayed here forever, Boromir’s body draped over me like a weighted blanket, his slow exhales ruffling my hair. 

But beyond the bulk of his torso and our tangled mess of blankets, a weak ray of sunlight had filtered into the cabin through the crooked shutters hanging over the window. It was morning. 

Arm’s length, I’d promised myself. Keep him at arm’s length, starting tomorrow. And now tomorrow was here.

My heart sinking, I poked at his side with my free hand. “Boromir? Hey—Boromir? You have to wake up.”

“Y’r voice…” His voice was thick with sleep, slurred and low, and his right hand slid blindly along my bedroll to splay possessively against my hip. “Mmm, Valar, say m’ name again…”

Heat of an entirely different kind flooded my limbs, and I shoved at his chest in a near panic. “Boromir, wake up!”

“Eh?” Boromir staggered to his feet so quickly I thought the bed frame might break under us. “Beatrice!” He was breathing hard as he turned to face me, dashing a hand through his hair. 

I stared up at him, unable to move, trying and failing to look as though I wasn’t about to burst into flames. “Good morning,” I croaked.

[mysavagebeauty]

you ever think how we, the reader, were made to dislike Bunny purely through Richard's narration? and that what we see of Bunny was so largely influenced by Richard's own personal opinion of him?

[impishtubist]

Now I feel really bad about Dave. Please let us have all your thoughts on this 💖

OH NO I was being dramatic and now it's come back to bite me in the ass. I will learn nothing from this experience and will do it again. 😂

I admittedly have not done my annual Charioteer re-read (though I did scroll through the "tc fandom reread" tag each day like it was the morning paper). So here are my half-formed and probably inaccurate thoughts about Dave:

-He's a fatherly figure! We love that!

-He was in love with Andrew's dad and never told him, and then Andrew's dad died! We love tragedy and angst!

-His wife gets killed and he's grieving! We love that as well! Seriously, kindly, mild-mannered, fatherly figures who have tragic backstories are my catnip, can't get enough of it.

-I also just think it's really funny that Laurie is all jealous of him. Honey, calm down, he's not trying to get into Andrew's pants.

-He stopped Laurie from speaking with Andrew at the end! Look, I can see why people would have issues with this, but I am a Ralph girlie (gender neutral) through and through, and really don't care that much about Andrew. So I have no issue with this. He's just looking out for his boy! And I'm sorry, Laurie, but Ralph needs you more.

@carrotcakecrumble help me out here, you've at least read the book more recently than I have!

[imperiuswrecked]

hello :) i have very recently gotten into namor comics and i wanted to know, what are your favorite arcs/solos hes had? i hope its not too much of a bother. thank you and i hope youre doing well. ^_^

Hello and welcome. It's always a pleasure to speak with Namor fans ❤️ Thanks for asking, I'm well and I hope you are too.

Series:

King in Black: Namor - It's wonderfully written and gives us great lore and character moments. It's written by Kurt Busiek who really knows the character. The artwork is amazing, drawn by two different artists but I have to point out how much I really enjoy the colorists' work. The way they chose to make present day Namor scenes all muted colors, like the ocean is sick and dying, meanwhile his past scenes has such vibrant color.

Sub-Mariner: The Depths - I'm a big horror fan so this was a perfect combination of horror and Namor. I wish this would someday be adapted into a short animation or live action film. Ribic's art carries the whole comic, you could understand it just by the art alone, tho the writing is great too.

Sub-Mariner (2007) - Honesty I feel this series is criminally under rated, it's one of my favorite modern takes on Namor. I do have a couple of criticisms of the plot/ending but overall this series is favorite, love the artwork, love the premise and Namor's characterization.

The Sub-Mariner (1968) - I'm a big fan of Silver Age Namor and this series has lots of great comics but some do drag on at point. Personal favorites, Namor vs The Thing and Namor meeting Betty again in #8, Dorma being possessed by the Serpent Crown in #9. Gonna stop there before I go digging to find every issue I loved, bc there's just a lot there, like I love Tigershark's introduction/stories and Namor and Diane's friendship, and the quest for Namor's father etc.

Arc's:

Tales to Astonish: The Quest for Neptune's Trident #70-76. (To be fair I do love a lot Tales to Astonish but I'm just trying to pick out arcs that I reread alot.)

Namor goes insane in space: Uncanny X-Men (1963) Annual 3 (2001), Steve Rogers: Super Soldier Annual 1, Namor: The First Mutant Annual 1

Suma-Ket & Artys-Gran Arc - Namor, the Sub-Mariner (1990) #30-40. Dark Undersea High Fantasy arc, love it.

Solo Comics:

Marvel Fanfare (1982) #16 & 43, both these are solo adventures

Marvel Snapshot: Sub-Mariner (2020) - I can never get enough of this comic, told from Betty's pov, its wonderful.

Avengers: Emperor Doom - I love every time Namor and Doom team up or interact but if I had to pick one time it's this.

What if? Sub-Mariner (2011) - Love love this story by Greg Pak of Namor growing up on land.

The Judgement of Namor - Dark Reign: The Cabal - Namor takes court and deals with his subjects. An excellent look into Namor's role as the monarch of Atlantis.

Marvel (2020) #3 - I loved the sketch arts of the comic that was unfinished, it had been around for decades but when Marvel finally printed it in full I was so happy. I still prefer the sketchy art but I thought this was a fun adventure and Namor is in a suit, lol.

Marvel Comics Presents: (1988) #33 - All time favorite Namor comic, #1 spot in my heart. (2007) #7 - Namor mourns Nita's death (2019) #1 - A heavy story by Greg Pak about WWll

Tales of the Marvels: Inner Demons - a look at Namor while he was an amnesiac

I haven't even started on character team up comics or team books and if I start on those I won't stop. lol. I'll put a link here to my 2019 comic reading guide that can help you find most major arcs. I hope you enjoy reading!

[luvrodite]

Hi, Ro! I was wondering how did you get into the DC universe/comics and what made you fall in love with Jason Todd? I’ve never read the comics (except like two) but I want to, however I don’t know where to start and it’s a little overwhelming. Jason Todd has bewitched me body and soul.❤️

(For context I’ve read Batman: Year One & Batman: The Long Halloween. I’ve watched Under the Red Hood and Batman: The Animated Series.)

hi hi hi honey!!! i am so sorry for the late reply to this, i keep making the mistake of checking my phone when i'm half awake and forgetting the things i need to reply to.

i think i got an ask about this a little while ago (edit: i have a worse sense of time than i thought, i answered it 8 months ago sdgdh) so i'll link that here for u baby!! it is very rambly though so tldr: i watched a lot of dc cartoons as a kid and then when i was a little older the internet pipeline led me to his doorstep eventually and i just never left.

i love so much about jason and thank you for asking me this!! i feel like i haven't talked about him properly in ages and i miss him. i loved him so much because there was a lot about his story that resonated with me and my own life experiences. i think particularly just. growing up and being so drastically different from who you once were because of things that happened (which is life!! you grow and you change!! it's just different in his case because he never got the chance to grow and explore, this thing happened TO him instead :( ) and the people around you not being able to reconcile with that and making it your problem.

i resonated with that a lot as a teenager and even as i get older it still feels like it rings true some days.

i feel that about the comics being a bit overwhelming!! there's a list on tumblr that gives you a list of some good starting places if you're looking to get into jason's comics, i've linked them [here].

the post categorises them really neatly but i've just taken the bit they've listed as essential reading and pasted it below:

Batman #408-#425 + Batman annual #12 (1987-1989)

Detective Comics #568-#582 (1986-1987)

Batman: the Cult (1988)

Batman: A Death in the Family (1988)

Batman Annual #25 (2006)

Red Hood: The Lost Days (2010)

Batman: Under the Red Hood (2005-2006)

i really really really enjoyed batman: the cult, i think the colours and art in it were so beautiful and the story spoke so much to me. i need to reread it!!

i hope these were helpful my angel!! also if anyone has any more suggestions for comics to read after finishing these please feel free to comment!!

[hmmm-shesucks]

I’m doing my bi-annual reread of the AFTG series, and I’ve been going through the Nathan Wesninski tag looking to see if anyone has even talked about this, but there’s one thing I just don’t understand (well more than one thing, this series is a dumpster on fire) if Neil was never able to inherit his dad’s business because the Moriyama’s hand pick their people. Why did Nathan marry Mary and have Neil in the first place? Surely he always knew he’d have to kill him or sell him? Do you have any thoughts on this? It’s driving me crazy that no one has seemed to care about this 😭

I'm fixing to do a reread, too.

Okay, so the first answer that comes to mind is that Neil was born before the Moriyamas chose Nathan. I have a post about Nathan marrying Mary when she was incredibly young here. I believe that Mary and Stuart’s father sold Mary under the impression there would be an alliance of sorts. As soon as Mary became Nathan’s “property” due to the marriage, he dipped with her and never spoke to them again while also forbidding Mary to do so as well. Nathan is a predator with an age preference, though, so as Mary grows up, her appeal disappears, and Nathan plans to kill her. But then she gets pregnant, and Nathan sees the opportunity for a protégé. As soon as Neil can walk, Nathan’s grooming him into a tiny killer. Neil is 5 or 6, maybe when the Moriyamas approach Nathan. That is when they make the deal that once Neil is old enough, he will become Raven property. Nathan doesn’t tell Mary, though, because he knows she’ll cause trouble, so he looks the other way when Mary sneaks Neil away to play Exy. His teaching Neil turns to torture, though, because he knows that if Neil isn’t up to standard when he plays with Riko and Kevin, he will have to kill Neil anyway because the Moriyamas said so.

How’d I do? Honestly, I've never put much thought into it until now, but you do have me thinking hard about it.