#if i do do this again i will be listening to the audiobooks lmao

[aintmyjewelry]

should i do another twilight re-read

[radishwizard]

i hope you have a happy birthday maia

[lildoodlecat]

Immensely disappointed to find there are no wangxian podfics at 20+ hours. What am I supposed to do, record one mysel— *forcefully dragged away*

[quietwingsinthesky]

You really have no idea how long it takes to make a podfic until you do it yourself

[everything-is-as-it-was]

TIT BERLIN STORY TIME

TLDR: got 2 see dnp walk into the venue

Yesterday I got down to the Tempodrom area around 12:30, and saw literally no one so I was just walking around a bit, essentially making rounds around the venue and listening to my audiobook in one ear.

I walked past what I guess is the stage door and heard some guy say "I'm gonna go get the guys."

And, see, they could have been talking about anyone, I knew this. But my demon brain said "unless...?" So without literally anything better to do, I sat on a bench around the corner and listened to my audiobook some more.

Twenty minutes later, some real conspicuous, nice looking black van with tinted windows went past, and I figured I'd just take a peak, yk.

So I went around the corner, answering some texts as I went, and then I look up from my phone and just. See Dan and Phil. Walking into the building. They were wearing exactly what they were wearing for the m&g lmao.

So like keep in mind this was my first time ever seeing them in real life so I was quite literally shaking, went to go sit on the bench again, and freak out to the dnp discord. And then post to Tumblr that Dan and Phil entered the building.

End story time.

My main takeaways: I think it's so funny that whoever it was referred to Dan and Phil as "the guys," and all I could think about for a good twenty minutes thereafter was the fact that they had fucking inverted matching socks.

[imanes]

doing a lil august reading wrap up because apparently i read 13 (!!) books. in chronological order (bolded are those i recommend):

city of stairs by robert jackson bennett: quite the interesting read. i think the character work in this one is a standout, as well as the world building. the good thing is i have no idea where this trilogy is going so it's exciting. the audiobook for the second book arrives in 2 weeks on my shelves on libby so I'll be reading the sequel soon

braiding sweetgrass by robin wall kimmerer: this one took me a whole entire year to read and finish lol. no comment. or maybe one comment: i think i'd have found this book a lot more eye opening if i had read it three years ago so right book wrong time i guess? i do recommend it i just think it didn't impact me as much as i thought it would

the blighted worlds by megan e. o'keefe: this one hit me like a truck!! i was so obsessed. it's a sci-fi space opera with an element of horror and an interesting romance sub-plot. basically everything i love lmao. i really do recommend this book it might actually be my fave of the month

sanctuary by ilona andrews: i have to stay up to date on all things kate daniels-related to this spin off was high on my tbr. it was a lot of fun but it petered out toward the end

where the dark stands still by a.b. poranek: a bit of a let down not gonna lie. the gist of my opinion is that it felt underdeveloped and in turn i felt under-interested in whatever was going on

shadows of self by brandon sanderson: once again i am begging the protagonists of this series to stop being aggravating

the fractured dark by megan e. o'keefe: continuing my obsession with the devoured worlds trilogy... unfortunately i have to wait on my libby hold to get the audiobook of the next one (i read with my eyeballs and listen at the same time to help with concentration)

the right to sex - feminism in the 21st century by amia srinivasan: i read this book because i know of two people who broke up with their significant other (one of them resulting in a divorce) after reading this book so i had to know what srinivasan had cooked in there and yeah she did cook.

the way of kings by brandon sanderson: just part of my re-read in preparation of the release of wind and truth in December. this month we tackle (again) words of radiance teehee

just for the summer by abby jimenez: womp womp womp. idk what it is with romance authors these days they're in a competition with themselves to portray the healthiest love stories but this one teetered on the wrong side of boring one too many times and the volume to therapy-speech in this one was staggering.

the ex vows by joyce jessica: twas a cute poolside read, it's nothing revolutionary but it was pleasant enough and it didn't make me roll my eyes like just for the summer jdkjgsk at least the love interest had a personality and a life... i mean it's fiction so it's not a life but it appeared as if he contained multitudes or something

funny story by emily henry: I'll go ahead and say it nobody writes a contemporary romance quite like miss henry because she's got the secret recipe for the right balance between heartfelt feelings and amusing situations + her dialogues feel a lot more natural than most (though if i had to nitpick she always has this side character who's a fountain of wisdom and gives you life-changing monologues but i guess such people exist out there)

the thief by megan whalen turner: the megans are really out in full force because this is another book written by a megan that i loved so much. yes half of this book is a fairly episodic journey across made-up countries, yes i ate it up, yes the second half is worth the wait (if you were out of patience, which i wasn't, bc i was having fun) and yes the plot twists are chef's kiss. "gen's ambitions are his own" is the perfect summary. everand has all the audiobooks so you know what I'm gonna do... that's right... listen and read at the same time

as an aside the tandem reads i do with both books and audiobooks happen only when i like the narrators. if i find a narrator i like i stick to them like glue because they're few and far between as far as my picky ass is concerned. i never do romance audiobooks they're the worst...

[chicken-scatch-drawing]

Was bored, character design is fun. Also finally listened to the audiobook of "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" after being fixated on the musical (demo specifically) for over 5 years lmaooo

Honestly between the musical and the novella, I find myself half-tempted to write my own spin / retelling of the story. (Rant unrelated to the art itself below the cut)

I could make it gay. I genuinely think it would fit.

Jekyll is a highly repressed individual, who shoves down and refuses to indulge in any pleasure he deems "repulsive" or "incorrect" by society and himself, instead using his transformations into Hyde as an outlet or a dual self so he can do what he wants without it actually affecting him. All I'm saying is that 1880s homophobia would not apply to Hyde since he doesn't give a fuck about what society deems incorrect. They're both gay as hell, Hyde just actually acts on it. Maybe Jekyll can figure himself at some point lmao

Honestly, the difference between the musical (again, I only listen to the demo soundtrack, I like it more than the official / released version lol) and the novella is very interesting. Of course, in the novella, there are no love interests-- Lucy and Lisa (Cannot recall her official name. She will always be Lisa to me lol) don't exist, Jekyll is a bachelor and isn't getting married.

The even bigger thing, though, was the fact that Jekyll was in control of his transformations in the original. These were him indulging in his desires by using his transformations into Hyde as an escape, putting responsibility onto him. It was only after he effectively got addicted to the freedom and lack of accountability that Hyde provided did he start to lose control of his transformations. Meanwhile, in the musical, he took the formula one time, and after that he had no control over when Hyde took control, nor did he recognize himself as Hyde. Novella Jekyll recognizes himself and Hyde as the same person, but grows to detest and fear the side of himself that is only indulgences. Musical Jekyll views Hyde as a monster right off the bat, and never acknowledges that Hyde is a part of him, denying it right until the end. This raises the question of whether Jekyll in the musical is actually accountable for Hyde's actions, where novella Jekyll is accountable without a doubt.

In a way, the novella seems to focus on themes of repression and distrust of self, while the musical sort of just... "ooo evil alter" or "evil split personality", simultaneously making you pity and fear Jekyll, while in the novella, you pity and fear Hyde but realize him and Jekyll are the same. Novella Jekyll explicitly states he is neither good nor evil, while musical Jekyll's writing makes it seem like he's the good side to Hyde, and just a poor lil guy lol.

Of course, I love the musical despite this, but I do find myself enjoying the writing of the novella much more. I think it could be really interesting to combine aspects of the two and write my own spin on it, perhaps...

[meraki-yao]

RWRB: A list of thoughts on the Campfire Scene

Ok I went to sleep for another hour to calm myself down and now I can form coherent thoughts about the scene and not just scream and squeal

It's a three-minute scene with two shots. The first shot is a little over two minutes

When Alex asks his question, Henry, who was looking into the fire, tilts his head towards Alex as if to listen better. After Alex finishes, Henry looks up towards the sky, like he's wondering how to answer

Alex doesn't really react to Henry's "Once upon a time" even though he's not directly answering Alex's question. He just listens, and that's such a beautiful thing

Nick deserves a round of applause for this scene, his monologue was two minutes long, and monologues are really hard to perform because it's just you who keeps talking, you don't really get to react to other things or people, it's just you, so Nick is a fantastic job

Nick's delivery and tone, and the way he sometimes ends a sentence a bit like a question (ex: "acutely") makes it sound like Henry's been thinking about this story/ metaphor for a while but this is the first time he ever verbalizes it, so while he knows what he wants to talk about thus he doesn't need to pause a lot to think of the story, he does occasionally need to think of the next word or line because again, he never actually said any of this out loud before, and Nick does that so well

@pippin-katz pointed out that Nick misspoke and said "sent the suit a prince of armour" which is hilarious, and while because movie, this shouldn't happen, realistically we all have moments where we mix words up so it almost feels more... authentic? Also, I didn't pick it up but now that Pippin mentioned it I'm really aware of it lmao

Also Henry/Nick's voice here is so soothing? I can almost imagine him telling bedtime stories to his and Alex's kids like this in the future. I wonder if Henry would write children's books because it feels like it'd be something he do and something he could write really well, if this clip is anything to go by. Plus I stumbled across an audio of Nick reading "The Emperor's New Clothes" before (I literally have no context of why he was reading that and it was literally just audio, not sure if I can find it anymore) and it was so soothing and calming that I fell asleep to it one night. Besides the full-cast RWRB audiobook that I'm practically demanding at this point, I wonder if he would be interested in doing more audiobook/narration stuff. He's really got the voice for it

The King sending a suit of armour to protect the prince's heart kind of further proves my point of the King being a much more loving grandparent to Henry than the queen in the book, and him worrying more about Henry himself than the image of the crown. He noticed that 1, Henry is an emotionally sensitive person, 2, Henry is gay, and both of those things could be turned against him easily, and he will get hurt. He does love Henry, just not in a way that's good for Henry. If we get a sequel I do hope we can see them reconcile in one way or another. It'd be a nice example for people in the same positions.

The "Nothing will ever happen to him" line!!!! I wrote a whole essay about Kensington and this line because somehow this line was one of the most powerful ones to me, but to know that it was originally Henry's word just adds another level of pain to the Kensington scene

You can see Henry's face light up when he starts talking about the peasant boy. And Alex's quick eyebrow raise and deep chuckle. It's so beautiful, I wanna cry

We talk about Alex's heart eyes, which, yes, but Henry's look of pure adoration and love at Alex when he says "Truly Alive" makes me want to melt

I yelled a little at Alex when he started to lay back down (as in I verbally shouted "DAMMIT ALEX LOOK AT YOUR MAN") because I felt like if Alex saw Henry's face in the following lines he'd figure out Henry has issues earlier? But then I saw a take saying the shot was framed like theatre where Henry's both centre stage and in the spotlight so the focus is on him, so Alex was designed to lay back down on the timber bench to make the entire space for Henry

Henry's look of sad longing when he talks about the peasant boy pulling apart his armor is heartbreaking

I wonder if this was originally planned to be the changing point from Alex's POV to Henry's POV? Because in that case I do think the lake scene worked better as a changing point

I also wonder how did Henry end the story in his head up to this point? Because as hopefully as the last line is, at this point in the story, Henry still doesn't believe he can keep this

I get why scenes are cut because when you're putting together a movie, there are a lot of things you don't see for individual scenes until you put them together. This is why as much as I want the cast and crew to get the premiere they deserve to have, I don't really want an extended cut of the movie, because things were cut for a good reason

That being said, if the cornetto scene and this scene proved anything, is that the scenes themselves are fascinating, and I WANT THEM ALL

[grubbin22]

grubbin, you are probably one of my favorite fic authors of all time-- the way you write scenes, characterize both the canon characters and reader, your ability to imbue emotions, everything is just phenomenal. i've been following your works for a couple years now, since right before chapter 3 of Smooth Operator was released. i remember finding your fic randomly at 1 am and reading through it, just to read through it again right after i finished. and then one more time when i woke up the next day (where a 3rd chapter was waiting for me, like a little treat!) from there, i branched out into the rest of your works, and loved every minute of it. your writing inspires me so much, and i'd love to one day be able to emulate your style

i wanted to send a message to let you know that in my endeavor of getting my friend into your work, i've actually done a couple audio recordings of myself reading your fics! i have some unlisted recordings of the pre-edited Smooth Operator (i'm waiting til edits are complete to redo them and finish the series), but i do have part 1/3 of Unusual Haunts recorded and uploaded on audacity's site (if you wanted to check them out (dont feel obligated to though and if you want me to take them down i will)).

anyway! i just thought i'd say thank you so much for creating your fics and i hope your life is going well! (can you tell ive never sent a tumblr ask before??lmao)

:0 I’ve been staring at this ask in my inbox for a little while just reading it over and over. i hope you know how happy you’ve made me with your words. i can’t believe you’ve been following my works for so long..

sometimes i remember i’ve been posting fics for a while. since 2018 i think? and people will remind me of older works and it’s like a flash to the past. different works i’ve made, or even times when works were at different stages of completion remind me of different phases of my life. it’s been fun! but now i feel old..

i’m so honored you’ve made an audiobook of my works! that’s incredible! i’ll keep editing smooth operator so you can continue recording :D as for my policy on audio recordings..i am happy for anyone to do readings of my work for accessibility or for personal use. go wild! however, you must give me full credit if you post the recording—please link my ao3 and tumblr to it, specifically—and inform me of where you posted it. mostly because i’d like to give it a listen..😊 the only things i do not support are reposting my work, plagiarizing it, taking credit for it, or distributing it for profit in any way, though that should be obvious :)

thank you very much for this ask (especially if it’s your first one!) i’m super grateful to you and to anyone who’s supported my work. i’ll keep doing my best!

lots of love,

grubbin

[mushigima]

Ghost headcanons because I love me a mysterious masked man

König headcanons can be found here.

-> a very literal man. A lot of people around him might think he’s a mystery but they���re just blinded by the mask - if you actually interact with him on a daily basis you’ll quickly find out that he’s very straightforward and transparent at and off work.

-> also starting off strong with the fact that I believe he’s generally not a jealous person, not even in a relationship. I do think he has his insecurities and he def gets in his sappy moods once in a while but generally knows that yearning for things he has no influence on is very contra productive. Tries his best to always stay in the moment and to not get into his head too much (because he usually does).

-> But on the other hand I can see him being a tat…possessive... Being possessive doesn’t translate into him being very emotionally reactive about it tho. Makes sure that his fears of losing what’s ‘his’ stay fears and realizes them as purely imagined. Again, I think he knows very well that he’s an avoidant person. However, if he gets insecure and therefore struggles with possessiveness, it starts with a flicker and then a spark: usually hes good at catching it. It won’t start a fire within him. But if it does he’s getting into his head, being suspicious. Will translate into on and off behavior or him being more closed off at worst.

-> 100% clenches his jaws at night. Ghost is a certified neurotic, change my mind. Integrates specific rituals to sort out his mind in his routine if it’s possible (are all of these so called rituals healthy?? Not so much but as long as it keeps the thoughts into place he’s fine with it). Has tried out certain fidget toys like those small fidget cubes and has kept them near his bedside table or in his pockets from once in a while.

-> This one is a bit goofy but I can see him being the type to snore so loud the whole house will wake up when he’s drunk and passes out.

-> Also the type to push his body beyond belief and proves the hypothesis that under adrenaline humans are more capable of what we think of. Will rase the bar constantly and earns a lot of admiration for his dedication.

-> Actually really enjoys reading. Mystery, thriller, but also folklore and philosophy books. Could also listen to a few ‘work and grind’ podcasts or audiobooks when he feels his mental health and stress levels are kicking lmao but generally finds comfort in the dark and mysterious. Definitely has studied stoicism at one point in his life but knows that his temper gets the best of him.

-> Listens to ambience music and rain sounds, also uses them to help him fall asleep when insomnia is hitting hard.

-> If he ever catches genuine interest for something its becoming a niche/special interest he’ll be very particular about. Really enjoys learning and doing research until having a good grasp of the topic/skill. This might also be due to him being just a liiiiittle bit competitive.

-> That being said if he’s not doing his job he’s actually the curious type but is just very good at not acting out on impulses. If he feels save he would roam around a store for a while and look at every object, but the military (and life to an extent too) kinda excorcised the ‘child-like’ qualities out of him. If you’re lucky you see them possess this 6’4 man once in a while and he’ll be gone, lost in his thoughts thinking about this and that, observing nick-nacks like a crow that found a shiny silver spoon lol.

-> Deep, deep down is veeeery sentimental. Has no pictures in his apartment except for a box with a few pics of the boys and him underneath his bed. Reminds him of things he deems as important. Would keep one special item of yours at his place that he keeps looking at once in a while.

-> Don’t look at me but I believe this man has a wide knowledge of birds. Is very fond of them. A nerd and not ashamed of it (but no one really knows, except for soap maybe). Used to spend his time watching birds as a child, still enjoys looking at them when he’s out on a mission and has a bit of free time. Is actually comforted by their presence. He’s equally amused by their funny nature, impressed by their intelligence and also very emo about the fact that he was jealous of their ability to be free and go wherever when he was younger.

-> He’s a silent learner. Learns by observing. Especially people. He could notice that you might have some sort underlying communication issue that affects your dynamic and weeks later he comes back from the shadows and is actually tending towards your needs. Things just run smoother now and you wonder why. Will absolutely not change character and personality for you or bend himself in every direction to please someone, but is quiet aware of his own short comings. He also likes to solve problems before things escalate. He might also be a liiittle bit of a control freak.

-> That being said he is very stubborn if he wants to change and work on himself or not. If he’s comfortable sitting in his own misery because it hasn’t negatively effected his life so far why should he? His red flag is thinking that having intimate connections with people can exist without him getting changed by them in the slightest. Commitmophobe tendencies are triggered by the consequences of genuine intimacy.

-> he’s either a Capricorn, Sagittarius or Scorpio change my mind!!!!! (you can’t)

-> Yes, he is indeed a cuddly person!!! I will die on this hill, it only really shows when time and place is appropriate and he will be subtle about it but will start mewling when you hold him and stroke his back gently, intertwine your fingers and make sure to lock your legs around his!!!! Loves becoming a human pretzel with you when he has time to relax fully, but especially when you’re about to go to bed. He’s also a big fan of you laying on top of him, will start holding you or caressing you right away. He does it all the time, absentminded. Reads a book? One hand is in your hair, combing softly through it. You’re waiting in line at the grocery store?? At first you didn’t notice but his hand found yours and now his thumb is tracing circles on your hand. Def very subtle in public but enough to let you taste his sweet affection once in a while.

-> This one is one of my favs but he’s a dude that’s not getting embarrassed. Not only because most things are simply normal but because he doesn’t care. He has to make sure none of his team mates die at work you think he cares about dirty kitchen dishes?????? A pimple?????? A burp or fart?????? You must be joking if you’d think he’d waste his time thinking about these meaningless things when existential dread is all that fills up his mind.

-> Enjoys playing card games. It takes him a while to get warm but he is keen on winning. But almost always looses in the last round coming out second. Enjoys the fact that it’s a team activity the most.

[ofliterarynature]

FEBRUARY 2024 WRAP UP

[loved liked ok nope dnf (reread) book club*]

The Djinn Waits a Hundred Years • The Memory Librarian • Pixels of You* • Arch-Enemies • Moby Dyke • Pip Bartlett’s Guide to Magical Creatures • A Sinister Revenge • Lud in the Mist • Crying in H Mart • Something Close to Magic • Hula • (Renegades) • The Divorce Colony • Foundryside • Earthlings • A Far Wilder Magic

total: 13 books (12 audiobook, 1 print)

Not as many books this month! And not just because February has fewer days, I was really in a funk this month and struggling to pay attention to my audiobooks (and enjoy them). You wouldn't think there's such a thing as too many books, but I think the overtime hours at work are hitting their peak mental health destruction. Here's to hoping things improve in March!

The Divorce Colony (4.5 stars) - genuinely can't believe this was my 3rd nonfic of the year already! I picked a print copy of this up at a library sale in December after hearing about divorce colonies in the early 20th century on a recent episode of the 99% Invisible podcast. Turns out this book was actually about the beginning of the moment that took place in Sioux Falls, South Dakota in the 1800's. Western states had shorter residency periods and less strict divorce laws, so women (and the occasional man) would travel west and live there for several months in order to obtain a divorce. This book tracks the movement through the stories of 4 of the more infamous cases to make the papers, and does an incredible job of weaving in the surrounding political and religious discussions. Would recommend, and has a great cover to boot!

Renegades (3 stars) - a reread, and for some reason it was torture. I originally read this back in 2018 and loved it, and wanted to tackle it again and actually finish the rest of the series. But I kept getting worked up and frustrated this time around! It kept trying to take itself seriously while also being very YA and kind of superhero-camp, and I was absolutely overthinking it lol. I found the strength to press on into book two, Archenemies (3.5 stars). I liked it a bit more! Something about it being new, the story being a bit more settled and maybe getting a better grasp on its message/politics, the characters growing more, me figuring out that I shouldn't listen to the audiobook for more than an hour or so at a time, lmao. Not great, but fun, and possibly worth reading? I'll keep y'all updated when I finish book 3.

Hula (5 stars) - incredible. Part generational family story, part history, part discussion of what it means to be Hawaiian, culturally and legally. Not always the easiest of reads, but it was so so worth it. It was also doing something very interesting with parts of the narration voiced by a collective "we" (culture/community?) that I would love to get a look at in print. Highly recommend, I'll definitely be getting myself a copy.

Something Close to Magic (4.5 stars) - an absolute delight! The Gail Carson Levine comp on this one is not entirely unearned, anyone who's a fan of fairy tale type fantasies will enjoy this, I had a great time! Very interestingly, it has characters who are in their mid to late teens, but is written in a way where they're still allowed to be young, to the point I'm surprised it didn't get shoehorned into MG instead of YA. If the author writes any more of these I'd be happy to read them.

Crying in H Mart (3.5 stars) - nonfic number 4! I'm sure everyone's heard of this one by now, which is why I finally picked it up. It's fine (which is why it got an extra .5 star), but on the scale of take it or leave it, I'd leave it. It just wasn't for me and I kind of wish I'd dnf'd it. A great cover though.

Lud-in-the-Mist (3.5 stars) - this one seems to be considered a sort of early precursor to fantasy and fairy tale type stories from the early 20th century, and I was eager to try it! While I definitely don't think it would feel out of place amongst it's more recent fellows (think the Last Unicorn, Robin McKinley, DWJ, etc), I absolutely could not get into it. Probably the chief recipient of "my brain doesn't want to cooperate, sorry," so maybe I'll give it another shot someday.

A Sinister Revenge (4 stars) - enjoyable as always! Not to hide this deep in my reviews or anything, but have the Emily Wilde people tried Veronica Speedwell yet?

Pip Bartlett's Guide to Magical Creatures (3 stars) - This one's been sitting unread on my shelf for a while, and since I was on a bit of a Maggie Stiefvater run, I figured it was perfect! Well. Unless you are like 7, this was so bad. Not good. Having previously read and not liked a book by Maggie's co-author Jackson Pearce, I think it would not be unreasonable for me to assume she did most of the writing while Maggie did the illustrations - if the audiobook had been any longer than 4 hours I'd have absolutely DNF'd it, and I have no intention of continuing the series.

Moby Dyke: An Obsessive Quest to Track Down the Last Remaining Lesbian Bars in the Country (4.5 stars) - part of me was wondering what I was doing trying this lol, not being someone who drinks or goes to bars, OR, as previously mentioned, is not the biggest fan of memoirs. It was not, as I hoped, also part research project, but it is a travelogue, and as a consequence has a strong narrative thread. It also has a lot of discussions about issues in the LGBTQ+ community, and overall I really liked it once I figured out what it was doing!

Pixels of You (3.5 stars) - a very short sapphic rivals-to friends-to lovers graphic novel about a human-form AI and a human with an android eye competing for a photography internship at an art gallery. The creators clearly put SO much thought into their characters and worldbuilding, but sadly there is nowhere near enough length here to do it all justice, and a number of elements felt very odd or under explored. The relationship parts are great! I just think this needed to be twice as long to really given everything its due, or maybe explored in prose instead.

The Memory Librarian (3.5 stars) - to start, I know nothing about the musical album this is related to, so I don't know how much that might have affected my reading. Overall I wasn't super impressed - when I discovered that the first story was cowritten by Alaya Dawn Johnson - no shade to her - I almost dropped it then, I just really didn't like her writing style in the one book I've read. But I stuck through it. Of the five stories, only one really stuck in my mind - Nevermind, cowritten by Danny Lore, which I could have read an entire novel about. I wish I could recommend it on its own, but overall I just don't quite understand the world Monae has created.

The Djinn Waits a Hundred Years (3.5 stars) - I probably should say more about the book, it was fine, I was surprised to find that it's set in relatively current day, I found myself a lot more interested in the second narrative about the house's history, which did make me cry a bit. Mostly though, I really just want to let you know how MUCH of a non-entity the djinn was in this story, I have no idea why it was there and why it was included in the title of the book. All the author had to do was make the house a little more sentient and haunted and it would be fine, idk. Read it if you want, but it's not one I would rec.

DNF'S

Foundryside - I was so ready. I had the first two audiobooks checked out, I had the third one on hold. I started this but oh, the writing. bleh. I was looking thought reviews and someone referred to it as something like "21st century internet speak." In a high fantasy novel. I noped out at just 10%.

Earthlings - I've considered the author's other book before but haven't read it, but thought maybe a sci-fic book would work better for me? The beginning was odd but not uninteresting, and I might have continued if it had stayed that way. But then the main character was in school(?) and her teacher started getting handsy after class and I wasn't invested enough to stick it out.

A Far Wilder Magic - the success of Something Close to Magic made me a little too hopeful I think, bc while I'm still a little leery around YA, I know people have liked this. And it sounded interesting, truly, and I love the cover. But first it was the religion stuff. And I didn't really like the characters. Then it's like, oh, this is the same plot as The Scorpio Races, but nowhere near it's quality in any shape or form. I decided to stop while I was ahead, before I started to actually dislike it. (anyway here's your PSA to go read The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater, I recommend doing it in October if you can).

[spacelazarwolf]

how did you get into crochet?

this is the most basic bitch answer but i saw a tik tok of someone making a sweater and i was like. i want to do that. so i picked up a couple of supplies from michaels and tried it out, failed, then picked it up again a few months later and now i love crocheting while i watch tv or listen to audiobooks or lectures. it keeps my hands busy, and i get to make something! plus, i have a friend who wants to commission something from me so my crochet stimming will finally make me some money lmao.

[catb-fics]

Hey all, to brighten up the mood, here are some more weird questions to ponder about: 😅

Do you think Van has a matching pyjama set for when he is at his parents? (In my imagination he’s also wearing matching slippers lmao)

Do you think Van’s family asks him to sing or play music during family gatherings?

I think I’ve read he’s only read one book, but do you think he might have picked up another? Or maybe he likes audiobooks? If so, what genre do you think he’d go for?

Do you think he says inappropriate jokes and get the look from Mary?

Hiya! I love these silly questions, thanks for sending ❤️

I don’t think he wears pyjamas usually and probably just sleeps in his underwear and maybe a t-shirt too when it’s a bit colder but I love imagining him in cosy pyjamas, maybe novelty Christmas ones! Or those ones with the plaid trousers, he’d look so soft and cute in those with his messy bed-hair first thing in the morning 🥰

I love this idea and it makes me think of that really old video of teenage Van playing piano and singing which creases me every time - now I got to find it again to reblog. I can see his dad asking Van to play some old songs by musicians he loves and then he’d be singing along with him. Maybe his grandad on the fiddle too!

Did he ever say which book he’d read? Was it Mike Skinner’s autobiography? Maybe he’s read more now. I think maybe if he has he’d prefer fact over fiction and he’d probably read more autobiographies or biographies of people he admires. There’s a couple of Oasis books out there - maybe something like that. Or maybe I’m completely wrong and he’s got some wild erotic fiction audio books he listens to on his long journeys when he’s touring ha ha

I think he’d definitely say inappropriate jokes around Mary to wind her up and he’d try and see what he could get away with, she’d probably give him a clip around the ear if he was too rude! Maybe he’d even get his full name if he was in real trouble 😂 I can see Van and Bernie both winding her up together!

[asexualbookbird]

ive uh. finished a few books this week! Finished both Ghost Station and Thornhedge! Ghost was disappointing lmao Ophelia made so many dumbass decisions and not even in a narratively compelling way, she simply was not doing her damn job! Birch and Saresh, as much as I didn't like them, were RIGHT! She was hired, even if under false pretenses, to TELL SEVRIN IF ANYONE WAS ACTING WEIRD. AND THE MOMENT SOMEONE WAS ACTING WEIRD, SHE SAID. HM. I THINK I'LL KEEP THIS TO MYSELF. No wonder people died.

And not to be aro again but what the fuck was up with the romance. You've known this man for a fucking WEEK most of that time he's HATED you, what do you MEAN you're kissing??????? The only reason I kept going was because I wanted to know what was up and it felt like it had some Leech things going on, but we never even really got answers. Blegh.

Thornhedge, however. What a DELIGHT! Finally some good fucking stories about fae. It was only a four hour audiobook, maybe I'll listen to it again. T Kingfisher out with another banger of a novella. I love Toadling so much and I love the ending I love her supportive family I love her finding love. Ugh this was good and fun and refreshing after Ghost.

[opanchu]

can my lovely mutuals send me asks or tell me about their day i miss talking to you allll T___T ill start first with what I've been up to

friday was my last day of school!! none of us did shit only like 10 people showed up LMAO the only interesting thing i did was i started playing honfoglaló (idk why i havent earlier, ive been wanting to for years now) and i picked up reading watership down again cause ive been missing it SOOO FUCKING BAD. yesterday was interesting cause i was certain it'd be boring as hell until i started watching a movie with my friend and in the middle of it my blood pressure got craaaaaazy high cause i drank like, 2 liters of strong black tea without knowing it was black tea, so that's fun. afterwards i decided I'm gonna start listening to an audiobook of demian cause i felt lazy to just go to the library for some reason. i was thinking i'll download it to listen to it on my walks home next week cause guess what!!!! I'm going back to work :) only for one week tho which i'm sad about cause i do actually like my workplace despite working unpaid

so how have you guys been? ^_^

[trevisos]

people i want to get to know better tag meme

tagged by @transastarion!!! ty love :3

i’m allergic to tagging ppl in these usually but i’m going to be so brave and actually do it this time LMAO feel free to ignore! @menzoberranzans @undead-potatoes @bottombatch @rosieofcorona @swordbards @genderdotcom

last song?

burn your village by kiki rockwell

favorite color?

umm teal and/or blue in general. i also looove pink (hot pink my beloved) and purple :3

currently watching?

i have some sort of disease that makes me allergic to watching shows so i guess um. watching gil play bg3 on my computer?

last movie?

i honest to god do not remember. i’m going to make ramza watch the lion in winter with me tomorrow because i read the play twice in the last week like some sort of insane person so i’m going to count that LOL

currently reading?

i’m a couple hours into the audiobook for lavinia by ursula k le guin, about halfway through steering the craft Also by le guin, i just started decolonizing wealth by edgar villanueva for a work thing, and i have the song of achilles audiobook checked out on libby rn for the third time but i think listening to that after lavinia will just be a disappointing experience so i may just return it and put it on hold again for later lol. honorable mention for the lion in winter by james goldman which i have read twice in the last week, and for the lathe of heaven by le guin that i read last week for the first time and had a very weird time as someone who lives in portland. oops this was a long answer

sweet/spicy/savory?

i’ll usually pick savory over anything else but i rly like all three tbh :3c

relationship status?

i guess i kinda like @menzoberranzans / @weirdmeal idk they like live in my house or whatever :/ (we have been together 8.5 years and i love them very much)

current interests?

baldur’s gate 3. i have no room in my brain for anything else LOL

last thing you googled?

the name of my eye doctor bc i needed to log in to their portal and check what time my appointment is today

selfie or another pic you took?

putting it under a cut so no one is jumpscared by a strange faggot on their dash

last selfie i took was with wet hair in the ikea bathroom bc i wanted to show my friend my new pants/shirt combo lol