#it’s mcmanus’s fault

[dickfarmdunnz]

Stupid movie(and McManus) has taken over my brain

[svu-bracket]

quarterfinals (round 7)

descriptions under the cut

season 7 -> the girls (mh + cm) were nominated for an emmy, mariska won hers. tamara tunie promoted to main cast. dr rebecca hendrix did her thing. episodes of note: 911, ripped, FAULT!

season 10 -> michaela mcmanus' (ada kim greylek) character was introduced and replaced mid-season with ms. march. mike doyle's last season as o'halloron. guest stars include noel fisher, carol kane, and cicely tison. episodes of note: swing, wildlife, persona, ptsd, zebras.

[sophie-pleasant]

weird thoughts about books

In book 9, at one point, Bronte calls Elwin “Edwin” but in the same memory - one the same page even- he calls him by the right name. Is it just a typo? Who knows?

does anybody else think that telepaths are autistically coded? They hate loud noises, and as examples from the books are sort of separated from everyone else- Sophie obviously, but Tiergan doesn’t like to hold hands, and also the Foster Oblivion; not seeing things that others think are obvious, or even mentioning things that aren’t what others consider pertinent to the story - like the order of the phoenix reference when choosing a name, and having none of the other elves get it, I always imagine Sophie’s face at this point as embarrassed at a bit confused, as to her, it was a massive part of her life, but unknown to others.

speaking of characters being neurodivergently coded, the Corcoran twins from “Two Can Keep a Secret”- Ellery literally describes Chucky E. Cheese as a ‘sensory assault’, and keeps one friend, and is obsessed with murder and mysteries- far too much to be neurotypical. As for Ezra, he immediately finds friends like him, as he can relate to them more than trying to get friends with different interests, as they wouldn’t be able to be close friends, ‘hello new friend’

everyone in the PJO fandom talks about how there are many errors in the timeline and in the characters themselves, but that isn’t Rick’s fault- isn’t it an editors job to not only correct any spelling and grammar errors, but also to look back into books (or even keep a mind map about the characters, and the storyline), to make sure there is no errors?

For the Karen M. McManus books, the sprayed edges match the colour of the titles, right? Except for a few. “You’ll be the death of me” should have purple edges, but it has no colour, and I know it isn’t because it was after they stopped doing it, because I got it pretty much right after it was published. “The cousins” should be gold, but it is black!? It messes up the whole thing, especially as “one of us is back” has a silvery-black title, and black sprayed edges.

Also on sprayed edges, the Waterstones exclusive hardback edition of “the three headed goddess” is so pretty! So is the first ‘Fireborn”, and the “paper dragons” book.

the cover for the just stab me now is so cool as well

(Yes, I have a lot f books, at last count I had over 500 books- I got bored one day and decided to count them, right before I learnt how to crochet in less than a day)

[malfoysqueen54]

Starting Requests

I have never done a request before so I try to generate everything for this page. I hope, you guys can be patient if you do know about or do requests I may forget  a few things. I prefer smut and/or angst. I am not the greatest at fluff fair warning but I will try if you have an idea.

*I would hope to stick to Angst and Smut- I will answer everyone in order. Hopefully if Tumblr gives them all to me. Just send me and ask. With your numbers and your man. 

I Write For:

SOA

Jax                      

Chibs

Gemma

Tig

MARVEL

Steve Rogers/ Captain America

BuckyBarnes/WinterSoldier

Clint Barton/Hawkeye

Tony Stark/Ironman

Stephan Strange/Doctor Strange

Yelena Boliva/ White Widow

Natasha Romanoff /Black Widow

Loki/God of MIscheif

HOBBIT/LOTR

Thranduil

Thorin

Haldir

Eomer

STAR WARS

Obi-Wan Kenobi

Kylo Ren

Poe Dameron

-LLoyd Hansen- The Gray Man

Six-The Gray Man

Ransom Drysdale-Knives Out

-Killian Jones- OUAT

-Connor & Murphy McManus- Boondock Saints

-Han -Fast & Furious

-Daryl Dixon- Walking Dead

-Negan-Walking Dead

-Dean Winchester- Supernatural

-Sam Winchester-Supernatural

-Benny Lafontaine-Supernatural

-Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw- Top Gun:Maverick

-Jake “Hangman” Seresin- Top Gun: Maverick

-Lance Tucker- The Bronze

-Jake Jensen- The Losers

“ let go of me. ”

“ you’re gonna have to make me. ”

“ please don’t do this. ”

“ don’t make me do this. ”

“ you have no idea what i’m capable of. ”

 

“ don’t you dare. ”

“ i wouldn’t do that if i were you. ”

“ i can’t do this. ”

“ i won’t let you do this. ”

“ i’m not gonna let that happen. ”

“ go! get out of here! run! ”

“ i’m not what you think i am. ”

“ don’t get in my way. ”

“ revenge won’t bring peace for you. ”

“ you always knew this would happen, didn’t you? ”

“ what’s going on in that head of yours? ”

“ you do not turn against your family. ”

“ i will kill you if i have to. ”

“ we need you. ”

“ it’s okay. i got this. ”

“ you were chosen for a reason. ”

“ get up. ”

“ it’s too late. ”

“ you can’t do this. ”

“ i thought i might find you here. ”

“ you’ve never had to fight me. ”

“ it’s over. ”

“ it’s over. we won/lost. ”

“ it’s over. you lost. ”

“ you can’t protect any of them. ”

“ stay here! ”

“ give me your hand. ”

“ i can’t help you. ”

“ you can’t help me! ”

“ i can’t do this anymore… ”

“ i can’t do this alone… “

“ i can’t do this without you. “

“ nothing is worth losing you. “

“ i can’t lose you! not again! “

“ i don’t wanna lose you! “

“ i love you… “

“ i never should’ve dragged you into this. “

“ you’re not alone, [NAME]… you never were. “

“ if something happened to you… that would be because of me. and i can’t have that. “

“ …did you know about this? “

“ this is all my fault… “

“ i/we/you lost… “

“ you won’t win. “

“ this path you’re on… it’s gonna get you killed. you know that, though; don’t you? “

“ i can’t stop. “

“ you would tell me if something was wrong. wouldn’t you? “

“ it’s like you’re not really here; even when you are. “

“ don’t you get it?! if anything happens to you, i… i don’t know what i’d do! “

“ you have no idea how important you are to me, and i’m tired of waiting for you to figure it out, and i sure as hell won’t wait to announce it over your reckless ass’ grave! “

“ no! i’m not leaving without you! “

“ i can’t do this anymore… “

“ you don’t even know me. “

“ what have you done?! “

“ you’re shaking… “

“ i’ve… made some mistakes. “

“ you are nothing to me. “

“ you were never nothing to me… “

“ stop it. enough of this self-sacrificing bullshit! stop acting like you have nobody who loves you! you have me! so no! you don’t get to be a martyr. not today! we can figure out a different plan… “

“ i would’ve done anything for you… “

“ i’d risk everything and anything for you. “

“ i’m not a good person. “

“ please don’t look at me like that… “

“ i believed in you! “

“ we can’t lose… “

“ what?! what am i supposed to do?! please! tell me, what the hell am i supposed to do?! “

“ please, just go… i’m not the kind of person anyone needs to be around right now. “

“ what happened to you? huh? what happened to you to make you this way? “

“ they’re coming for you. right? that’s why you’re pushing me away like an idiot? because you don’t want me getting hurt? “

“ nothing’s going to be as good as it was before. “

“ you lied to me! “

“ i didn’t mean for any of this to happen! “

“ i can’t trust you anymore… “

“ i know it’s selfish. god knows, ever since we met, i’ve been the reason behind every threat and danger that’s come your way. but… i honestly can’t say that i’d change a second of it. “

“ it’s been an honour knowing you. “

“ there’s nobody else i can turn to. only you. “

“ i don’t trust anybody else. not the way i trust you. “

“ we have no choice… “

“ why?! why are you helping me?! “

“ it’s too late. there’s nothing more we can do… “

“ please don’t go… don’t leave me. “

“ you are everything to me. okay? EVERYTHING. i can’t lose you… “

“ you deserve better than this… better than me… “

“ i thought i could give you a better life. instead, i’m the reason it’s gotten worse… i’m so sorry. “

&. 𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐬𝐭𝐲 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬.

(  we  love  angst  on  this  blog,  what  can  we  say.  here’s  some  more  dialogue  prompts  for  you.  a  warning  for  potentially  triggering  themes  below.  )

❛ everything you touch, you ruin. ❜

❛ the only one who gets to kill you, is me. ❜

❛ you can’t make me disappear. ❜

❛ memories are only there to make you bleed. ❜

❛ i don’t need your permission. ❜

❛ don’t shut me out like this. ❜

❛ the less you know, the better. ❜

❛ i won’t stop killing until you kill me. ❜

❛ why is it whenever we see each other, you’re covered in blood? ❜

❛ you think i felt something for you? you’ve forgotten what i am. ❜

❛ the last time we talked, didn’t you say you wanted to kill me? ❜

❛ i felt something loosen in me that shouldn’t have been loosened. ❜

❛ pull yourself together. we have work to do. ❜

❛ stay back, i have a demon inside of me. ❜

❛ let me get closer, i have a hell inside of me where your demon can live. ❜

❛ people like that don’t deserve to live. ❜

❛ just do what you’re told. like you always do. ❜

❛ why do you have to make everyone hate you? ❜

❛ it’s better that you don’t get involved. ❜

❛ i’d do anything to make you stay. ❜

❛ who cares if it bleeds. ❜

❛ is this what you think love is? ❜

❛ just breathe through it. it gets easier. ❜

❛ don’t pretend that you cared about me. ❜

❛ i’m starting to think you like wasting my time. ❜

❛ we wouldn’t be alive if it weren’t for me. ❜

❛ i will never, ever, give you a moment’s peace. ❜

❛ the world doesn’t hate us. but it doesn’t love us either. ❜

❛ it hurts that you still can’t trust me after all this time. ❜

❛ a darkness with voices is better than a silent void. ❜

❛ it’s safer to be feared, than loved. ❜

❛ am i not good enough for you? ❜

❛ a burnt child loves the fire. ❜

❛ i’m tired of dying. ❜

❛ what if you hurt because it feels good? ❜

❛ don’t try to fix me, i’m not broken. ❜

❛ if you want me to die, you can just say so. ❜

❛ you don’t have to be afraid of who you are. ❜

❛ that line disappears once you cross it. ❜

❛ how can i believe you after all you’ve done? ❜

❛ i won’t let you forget about me. ❜

❛ the person you once knew me as, died. ❜

❛ are you going to leave me again? ❜

❛ i have nothing i could offer you. ❜

❛ no one is going to save you. no one can. ❜

❛ maybe you’re / i’m already dead. ❜ 

❛ you have blood on your hands. ❜

❛ what, can’t take a punch? ❜

❛ i’m your mind giving you someone to talk to. ❜

❛ you have to step out of this darkness and let them see you for who you are, like i have. ❜

I might add more prompts if this is successful. If you guys want more.

I am going to tag my girls in this @thorne93 @buckysforeverprincess @magellan-88 @pegasusdragontiger @sidepartskinnyjeans @vulgar-display-of-escapism @yarnforbrains @lady-writes-flanagan @lady-writes20

[keelinchi89]

The pain wasn't your fault, but the healing is your responsibility!

This is a powerful and inspiring quote that I found on the web. It seems to be a popular mantra for people who have experienced trauma or hardship in their lives. 

According to one article, the quote means that we have to take charge of our own healing process, even if we are not to blame for what happened to us. The article also says that healing is a gift that we can give ourselves and others, because it allows us to become stronger, wiser, and kinder.

 Another article features an interview with Erwin McManus, a pastor and author who wrote a book called ‘The Way of the Warrior’. He says that healing is our responsibility because we have only one life to live, and we should not let our pain define us. He also says that we need to have self-less ambition, which is doing something great for others, rather than selfish ambition, which is doing something for ourselves.

🍀I hope these articles can help you understand the quote better, and maybe even inspire you to heal from whatever you are going through. 😊

[cecilereads]

My TBR list

The Perks of Being a Wallflower -Stephen Chbosky

The Fault in our Stars -John Green

Turtles All the Way Down -John Green

Dead Poets Society -Nancy H Kleinbaum

Girl in Pieces -Kathleen Glasgow

Circe -Madeline Miller

The Picture of Dorian Gray -Oscar Wilde

The Sun and the Star -Rick Riordan

The Collector -John Fowles

Ugly Love -Colleen Hoover

Reminders of Him -Colleen Hoover

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo -Taylor Jenkins

The Outsiders - S. E. Hinton

A Single man -Christopher Isherwood

Things We Never Got Over - Lucy Score

Throttled (diai 1) - Lauren Asher

Collided (diai 2) - Lauren Asher

Wrecked (diai 3) - Lauren Asher

Redeemed (diai 4) - Lauren Asher

Seven Days in June - Tia Williams

Ex Talk - Rachel Lynn Solomon

Little Fires Everywhere - Celeste Ng

The Cruel Prince (tfota 1) - Holly Black

The Wicked King (tfota 2) - Holly Black

The Queen of Nothing (tfota 3) - Holly Black

The King of Elfhame (tfota 4) - Holly Black

The Lost Sisters (tfota 5) - Holly Black

Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow - Gabrielle Zevin

Fourth Wing - Rebecca Yarros

One of Us is Lying (oouil 1) - Karen M McManus

One of Us is Next (oouil 2) - Karen M McManus

One of Us is Back (oouil 3) - Karen M McManus

Two Can Keep a Secret - Karen M McManus

Last Night at the Telegraph Club - Malinda Lo

Six of Crows (soc 1) - Leigh Bardugo

Crooked Kingdom - (soc 2) - Leigh Bardugo

Everything I Never Told You - Celeste Ng

Shatter Me - Tahereh Mafi

The Cousins - Karen M McManus

The Fine Print - Lauren Asher

The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett

She Gets the Girl - Rachael Lippincott

The Summer I Turned Pretty (tsitp 1) - Jenny Han

It’s Not Summer Without You (tsitp 2) - Jenny Han

We’ll Always Have Summer (tsitp 3) - Jenny Han

Something To Talk About - Meryl Wilsner

One Last Stop - Casey McQuiston

Mistakes Were Made - Meryl Wilsner

[retrobookworm]

My Top Nine Reads Of 2021

If you have read any of these, please let me know! I would love to rant with you about how amazing they are! I tried to narrow it down to five books, but it was near impossible for me to give up any of these from the list.

Note: These are not in a specific order, I really couldn't pick a favourite out of these, nor could I rank them from favourite to least favourite. Thus, they are just listed randomly.

1. Where The Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

In the simplest words possible, I LOVED THIS BOOK. It made me smile, it ripped me into a thousand pieces and built me back up piece by piece. If you are looking for a story that will utterly and completely destroy you, this is it. I wasn't able to stop thinking about this book for months. It was one of the first books that really stuck with me (other than my childhood favs ofc)

2. Circe by Madeline Miller

So it seems I really had a thing for books that destroyed me this year. I adored this book. It is a great choice for any Riordan fans out there who are looking for something a little more grown-up. I fell in love with the characters and felt their pain as they suffered. This book was near impossible to put down, and I stayed up into the early hours of the morning to keep reading it. I borrowed this one from the library, so I don't own a copy, but I am hoping to buy one in the near future so that I might reread this book over and over.

3. One Of Us Is Lying by Karen M McManus

This book had me hooked from the very beginning. I can't say much about the book without spoiling it, but I ABSOLUTELY adored the characters. I was not expecting it to end the way it did. This is definitely a great way to introduce yourself to Karen M McManus's work, as I am now very excited to read all of her work. I also read The Cousins by McManus this year, but One Of Us Is Lying is significantly better in my opinion.

4. All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

This book ripped my heart out. I fell in love with the characters on the first page and felt like I knew them personally. I love Finch and Violet's relationship with each other! This book was heartbreaking, happy, and hopeful all at once. If you are looking for a book to make you ugly cry, this is definitely the one. I have yet to cry while reading (I tend to be a stonefaced reader), but this one wins the medal for coming the closest to doing so.

5. Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

This book. Oh my goodness, I still can't get over it. To this day, it still affects the way I read every book. In short, this book gave me trust issues. I can't say much more without spoiling it, but I am looking forward to finishing the series. I would put my thoughts on this book, but I'm still learning the mechanics of Tumblr and I don't know if they have an option to cover text unless clicked (like the || thing in discord).

6. The Picture Of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

I believe this might be the first classic I actually couldn't put down. This book was so intriguing, and it kept me hooked from the first chapter. I loved the concept of the book, and the plot was so good. If you are looking for a book that will really make you think, then this is definitely worth a read.

7. Ash Princess by Laura Sebastian

I read this book in under 24 hours. I enjoyed it so much I couldn't put it down. I now drink my coffee in the fashion described in the book, and have no intention of turning back. Astrean style coffee is my jam now. The characters are wonderful, and I grew so close to all of them. I can't really say I have a favourite.

8. The Fault In Our Stars by John Green

I CANNOT BELIEVE I WAITED SO LONG TO READ THIS!!!! If you haven't read this book, drop everything and go read it right now. This book is seriously not overhyped at all. This was my second John Green book, and I was not disappointed. I fell in love immediately with Augustus and Hazel, and their story in its entirety. Being an amputee myself, I found it really easy to connect with Augustus and understand how he felt.

9. Mansfield Park by Jane Austen

This is by far my favourite Jane Austen book. I LOVE Fanny Price and Edmund Bertram. They are my favourites. This book is so full of drama, and is perfect for any romance lover who loves the 1800s. I was constantly finding new drama for the poor heroine, who had already suffered enough. Edmund Bertram is most definitely my favourite character in this book, as I connect to him so well. He's like my spirit animal.

[goldrushzukka]

1, 12, and 15 for the book asks?

1. book you’ve reread the most times?

embarrassing but probably the fault in our stars. ive probably read it like 12 times.

12. did you enjoy any compulsory high school readings?

this is very ireland specific but we studied this play called an triail (the trial) by mairéad ní ghráda, about a woman in 50s/60s rural ireland who becomes pregnant out of wedlock and is sent away to a mother and baby home bc of the shame of it all. we studied this around the same time as the referendum on abortion access, which was the first time i ever voted, so it really made an impact on me.

15. recommend and review a book.

you'll be the death of me by karen m mcmanus. ive been following kmm for like 4 years now? everything she puts out is amazing. ybtdom takes place over a single afternoon, following 3 now-estranged childhood best friends as they skip school for the day and end up finding the body of one of their classmates. they spend the day trying to figure out what the hell happened while also trying not to implicate themselves, as they all have their own reasons to want this guy out of the picture. the reveals and plot twists are expertly done and the characters are complicated, real people. i tore through this book in like a day and a half. literally could not put it down.

[the-supreme-g0ddess]

Fandom Post

Harry Potter/Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them

Percy Jackson and the Olympians/Heroes of Olympus/Trials of Apollo/Kane Chronicles

The Hunger Games/The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

Divergent

The Mortal Instruments/The Infernal Devices/The Dark Artifices/The Last Hours

Artemis Fowl/The Fowl Twins

The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel

Land of Stories

Murder Most Unladylike

Shadow and Bone/Six Of Crows/King of Scars

Scythe

One Of Us Is Lying (and other Karen M. McManus books)

Red, White and Royal Blue

Song of Achilles

The Fault In Our Stars

Turtles All The Way Down

Wednesday (TV)

Manifest (TV)

Enola Holmes (TV)

A Series Of Unfortunate Events (TV)

The Good Place (TV)

Star Wars (TV)

Dead Poets Society (TV)

High School Musical: The Musical, The Series (TV)

The Greatest Showman (TV)

[Wattpad Account: @SupremeG0ddess]

[Profile Picture: https://www.mycast.io/stories/the-infernal-devices-12/roles/william-o-herondale/1412764]

[dacergirl369]

tagged by @billhaders !!

last song: running up that hill

last movie: paddington 2!! watched it on a plane a while ago but haven't watched a movie since lol

currently watching: st4!! I'm not that far in yet so I'm undecided on what I think about it also pls don't tell me what happens abdnnfjs

currently reading: the cousins by karen m mcmanus. I actually just finished it but I've not started anything new yet ahdjkskakdkdk

currently listening to: naddpod baybee!!! finished c1 a few days ago (still crying brb) and I am just finishing up the mavrus chronicles rn!!

current obsession: I am SUPER into bookbinding rn. also dnd obvi. and a little bit mcr but that's entirely reds fault lmao. also NADDPOD!!;! MY BELOVED. ok that's all

tagging:

@blueberrybonbons @acasternaut @thosepeoplefromfrance @horse-music @the-apocalypse-is-cancelled @coolerpatrol @poetsinthealley

[the-necessary-unnecessary]

Sorry for being ignorant/naive but why do people hate steph houghton so much, i kinda new to this

It's mostly about her on pitch performances especially for England. There's a practically general consensus that even though she's captain this doesnt mean that she should be on the pitch starting practically every match still. She isnt one of the two best CBs around for the Lionesses, she makes mistakes which can leave the defense exposed and in many cases results in unnecessary goals, her partnership in the team with Millie Bright isnt ideal either and can cause quite a lot of misunderstandings and individual play rather than working as a pair etc. There's just quite a.lot of built up resentment that she's still playing when it's clearly not working and there's other players like Leah, and Aofie Mannion when she's fit, Abbie McManus etc who are younger and could fulfil the role better. This is mostly Phil Neville's fault for keeping her there but the resentment remains as some may think that she butters up the manager too much and gets favourable treatment.

The other points of note are a couple of her actions, saying that she doesnt actually watch nor go out of her way to find women's football whilst she does for the men discredits her profession and her livelihood, especially as captain of the national team. It was a very ill fated statement to make and one which rightly caused a.lot of uproar. Then the other is of course her involvement, like most of the squad at the time, with the Mark Sampson racism case where as the captain she backed him up and said the claims they were making against him were 'bullying' rather than it being the fact that Sampson was the racist person and hate instigator.

However, there's other very positive things to be said about her personality too. She married her husband two years ago now, and he has a motor neurone disease which is fatal and means that he has only a few more years to live. Steph has to balance a professional career as a captain in the limelight, whilst also juggling with her personal life and being a very vocal advocater for change and progress in research for this disease (they did a fundraiser in May for example which got many players and journalists from across the game involved). This shows an immense strength of character and belief in what she does and this cannot be faulted at all. Its very commendable.

[discombobulatedwonderland]

YA Book Recs!

Full list:

In The Winter Woods - Isabelle Adler

They Both Die At The End - Adam Silvera

The Fault in Our Stars - John Green

You Owe Me a Murder - Eileen Cook

The Love & Lies of Rukhsana Ali - Sabina Khan

The Hate U Give - Angie Thomas

A Good Girl's Guide to Murder - Holly Jackson

One of Us Is Lying - Karen M. McManus

[pollylynn]

Title: Chorus WC: 800

“How is it not my fault?”  — Kate Beckett, Recoil (5 x 13)

He doesn’t so much wake as surrender to the fact that he is not asleep—that he will not be asleep any time in the foreseeable future. She is awake. She is up and out of bed, taking the warmth of her body almost immediately with her. He presses a palm to the coolness of her pillow and asks himself again if he’s doing the right thing in clinging by his fingernails to the mattress, because this is one of those times where she almost certainly needs her space. He asks himself. 

He would like her not to need her space. That’s sort of generally true, and he knows it can be a problem. He knows that he occasionally crosses the borderline between devoted and clingy, and he’s working on it. But now, here, specifically, he would like her not to need her space, because this is about her mom, and she’s had close to a decade and a half of space when it comes to that.

It’s math that decides him—the metric, at first, of those years as a percentage of her life, the number of scenarios he imagines her imagining, where there is a straight line from good to bad, from righteous to repugnant, from justice to vengeance. He imagines her imagining herself to be such terrible things—all alone—and that decides him. 

He throws off the blankets, then covers his spot on the bed carefully. It’s a hopeful gesture that says he’ll have her back here soon, and she’ll want the warmth. It’s an unlikely wish upon a star. He fumbles for his robe. He’s clumsy and shivering and maybe he was asleep in fits and starts. Maybe there is not a straight line for him between rest and restlessness. 

He shuffles into the living room. He lets his footsteps be heavy to announce his coming. He argues with himself even as he approaches about whether he’ll go if she asks him to, if she shoes him back to bed and tells him she’s fine. He doesn’t know if he’ll go or stand his ground, but it doesn’t come to that. 

She is an irregular shape cut out of darkness. She’s beneath a heap of covers mostly. Her chin is propped on her hands, on the top of the high back of the couch as though she’d like to take a sip of the moonlight that’s just slipping in through the window. She rocks her head toward the window, tipping her face up to peer at him. 

“Sorry,” she says softly. 

“For what?” He sinks to the long end of the couch. He twists his body to mirror her pose, to prop his chin on his hands on the back of the couch and sip at the moonlight. “What’s there to be sorry about, Kate?”

He expects a litany. He expects her to begin with the weight of Melanie Rogers on her conscience and work her way back to McManus’s son, to the Manager at the Rosslyn hotel, Orlando Costas, Montgomery, her mother’s colleagues. Her mother. That’s the litany of regret he expects, but she reaches out a hand to skim along the curve of his cheek and through his hair. She trails her fingers all the way down his spine the way she sometimes does on lazy mornings when there’s nothing more pressing than the crossword calling to them. She surprises him with her earnest, searching touch. 

“I’m not remarkable.” The words are suffused with sorrow. They are heavy in the air between them. “I’d already—“ She seeks out his eyes in the dim light through the window, then quickly looks away. “That’s right when I found it. McManus’s letter. When I told you to go, and you told me—“ 

Her voice deserts her. Her hand falls away. It gets lost in the sea of blankets that he’s envying her right now. He goes searching for that hand. He goes searching for her slight, shivering form until they’re under the sea of blankets together, holding on to one another and longing for a sip of the moonlight. 

“I told you the truth, Kate.” He speaks the words right into her skin, with lips pressed into the hollow behind her collar bone. “One frail moment doesn’t change that. One choice, under impossible circumstances, that you didn’t ultimately make—“

“But, Castle—“ She struggles with him. She tries to wriggle away, but he takes a chance on not giving her space—on clinging to her just this once, and it pays. She stills in his arms. She draws a shuddering breath and he feels the heat of a handful of tears. “Tell me again.” 

“You, Kate, are remarkable. You are,” he whispers, and there they are, the two of them. There they are, one irregular shape cut out of darkness.  

A/N: Darkness. Moonlight. The battered soul. Not things. 

images via homeofthenutty

[brokehorrorfan]

Blu-ray Review: Munster, Go Home

Mere months after The Munsters wrapped its two-season run on NBC in 1966, the macabre sitcom family returned in their first feature film, Munster, Go Home. Many of the key cast and crew members reprised their roles: Fred Gwynne as the Frankenstein's monster patriarch, Herman; Yvonne De Carlo as his vampire bride, Lily; Al Lewis as her mad scientist/vampire father, Grandpa; and Butch Patrick as their werewolf son, Eddie. Debbie Watson joined the clan to replace Pat Priest as their "normal" teenage niece, Marilyn.

Earl Bellamy, who helmed several episodes of the show, was enlisted to direct the film, while fellow The Munsters alumni Joe Connelly, Bob Mosher, and George Tibbles penned the script together. The creatives and cast reconvened to make the movie feel like a logical continuation of the series while showing audiences The Munsters as they had never seen them before: in full color, in widescreen, and without commercial interruption.

Upon the death of his adoptive uncle, Herman inherits a noble estate, which includes a mansion and other luxuries, as well as the prestigious title of Lord Munster, Fifth Earl of Shroudshire. The Munsters take an ocean liner across the pond to England, where they meet Herman's conniving aunt, Lady Effigie (Hermione Gingold, Gigi), and sniveling cousins, Freddie (Terry-Thomas, The Abominable Dr. Phibes) and Grace (Jeanne Arnold).

Jealous of being left out of the will, the surviving relatives plot revenge against the Munsters. When their ghastly attempts to scare them away only make the unconventional family feel more at home in the foreign country, Grace and Freddie plot Herman's death. They capitalize on an opportunity to take him out during a road race that Herman enters in his trusty, custom dragster, Dragula.

Richard Dawson (future host of Match Game and Family Feud) and Arthur Malet (who horror aficionados will know for his small role as the graveyard keeper in John Carpenter's Halloween) intermittently pop up in a B-plot as a pair of cockney delivery boys entangled in a counterfeiting scheme. The cast also features genre veteran John Carradine (House of Frankenstein), Robert Pine (CHiPs), Bernard Fox (Bewitched), and Ben Wright (101 Dalmatians).

The Munsters transition from television to feature film is largely successful but not without its faults. The pacing is less palatable than that of a sitcom episode, as the street race finale goes on a bit too long, and there's a mystery angle to which there isn't enough time dedicated in order to build any worthwhile intrigue. Senses of humor have changed significantly in the four decades since, but the overall silliness remains fun. The Munsters composer Jack Marshall (The Giant Gila Monster) retains the playfully spooky soundtrack.

Director of photography Benjamin H. Kline (Detour) had worked on a couple of episodes of The Munsters, but the feature film was shot in Technicolor. Not only does the monstrous family's makeup pop, so too does the colorful lighting and set decor, particularly in The Munsters' California home. Unfortunately, little time is spent at the familiar house at 1313 Mockingbird Lane, as the film's larger budget allowed for more sets and exteriors.

Although not billed as a double feature, Scream Factory's new Blu-ray release of Munster, Go Home includes The Munsters' Revenge as an extra. The 1981 television movie has received a new 2K scan in its original 1.33:1 aspect ratio. It was the last to feature Gwynne, De Carlo, and Lewis reprising their roles. With Patrick having aged out of the role, Eddie is played by K.C. Martel (E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial), while Jo McDonnell steps in as Marilyn.

This time around, the Munster family visits the Chamber of Horrors wax museum. Nestled among a variety of classic creatures is a gathering of monsters that bear more than a passing resemblance to the Munsters. As it turns out, the statues are actually robots that are sent out to commit crimes by night. Herman and Grandpa are mistaken for the so-called "monster muggers" and are arrested, leaving The Munsters racing to clear their name before their annual Halloween celebration.

Directed by Don Weis (The Ghost in the Invisible Bikini) from a script he co-wrote with Arthur Alsberg (Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo), The Munsters' Revenge isn't as strong as Munster, Go Home. The humor doesn't hold up as well, although it's fun to see the classic sitcom characters revived in the 1980s. Bob Hastings (McHale's Navy) plays the Munsters' cousin, Phantom of the Opera, and the cast also includes Sid Caesar (Grease), Peter Fox (Night of the Comet), Howard Morris (The Andy Griffith Show), Michael McManus (Poltergeist), and Barry Pearl (Grease).

Perhaps even better than the bonus film is a new Munster, Go Home audio commentary with Patrick and filmmaker/musician Rob Zombie, moderated by horror journalist Justin Beahm. It's fun to hear Zombie as an inquisitive fan for a change, while Patrick shares anecdotes from the series and the movie, including the differences between the two. The Blu-ray also includes vintage radio interviews with Gwynne, De Carlo, Lewis, and Watson; radio spots; the theatrical trailer; and still galleries for both films.

Munster, Go Home will be released on Blu-ray on March 31 via Scream Factory.

[camphorror]

lmao that CO who tells mcmanus that the riot is all his fault because of his idea of em city. like the riot happened because the prisoners are inherently bad people and uncivilised in the core of their being (and therefore cannot actually be helped by an idea like that), and not literally because of a worsening of their material conditions. gotta love it 

[flamingmirrorbookish]

My Decade in Books Tag

Thank you for the tag @thereadingchallengechallenge! I legit just whined about “my decade in books” not being a thing on Goodreads. Now I’m happy 😊

The rules: respond to the prompt “my decade in books” however you want, & then tag some ppl! I chose a book or series to define each year of the decade, some w/a little description. You can do that, or make up your own response

I choose: books&series, writers, and bookish things

2010 - I didn’t read much that year. Some non-fiction about Buddhism.

2011 - was when Twilight was pushed on me. Whatever else, it got me into reading. It introduced me to YA, led me to The Hunger Games and The Mortal Instruments (and fanfiction) (it also made me start writing - not well at all but still)

2012 - was a terrible year for me. My physical and mental health took a huge hit. I hid in books. Which is why I read twice as many books as I do now. I got recommendations mainly from Goodreads back then. Sometimes from my sister, too. And one of the books she gave me was The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. I have never thrown a book across the room and against a wall like that. It freaking broke! I cried for about 98% of it. I found nerfighters after that and was pretty active in the forums and stuff. Whatever else my year was like, at least I Didn’t Forget To Be Awesome.

2013 - brought The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer

2014 - was a horrible year again. But it was also when I found booklr and started doing book photo challenges. I think they saved my life because they kept my mind occupied and off dangerous topics. Booklr introduced me to Sarah J. Maas, Rainbow Rowell, Stephanie Perkins, and Colleen Hoover that year.

2015 - brought serious health drama. Half of the year was wasted on medical stuff and the rest was spent on recovering from it. That was when I was too weak to hold books up (and started using an e-reader more because it weighs less). But I tried. This year brought The Grishaverse, a lot of CoHo - including my favorite Maybe Someday - The Raven Cycle, Tammara Webber’s Easy, and Sophie Kinsella.

2016 - Six of Crows, Shades of Magic, Radio Silence. Need I say more?

2017 - Monsters of Verity, a lot of Patrick Ness, I found Mindy McGinnis

2018 - was an interesting reading year. I can feel booklr’s influence here. The Martian by Andy Weir, I’ll Give You The Sun by Jandy Nelson, Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens agenda by Becky Albertalli.

2019 - belongs to Brigid Kemmerer. Also, Karen McManus, Black Ice by Becca Fitzpatrick, A good girl’s guide to murder by Holly Jackson, The female of the species by Mindy McGinnis (TW: rape&animal cruelty).  Francesca Zappia was a good find.

that took me only 3 hours. @backlogbooks did you pick a # I could check so I could see more of these?

I tag: @cinnasbooks @aliteraryprincess @storytime-reviews @darkestwings @booksandrandomfandoms @themelodyofspring @i-breathe-therefore-i-read Join in the fun!!!