#locke lamora fan art

[imjustapoorwayfaringgeek]

some average guy who steals too much

[arterialbloom]

heyo!

art acc for @wormchomper

big fan of dungeon meshi, the lies of locke lamora, scott pilgrim, the magnus archives, six of crows, lockwood and co, project sekai… the list will probably expand

smooth lineart? don’t know her

be sensible and we will all get along 👍

[just-a-mouse]

It's been a while since I drew these two Bastards!

[vulpyx]

i knew i would love the lies of locke lamora but i wasn't prepared for how much i would love it :') locke and jean are my very predictable faves, and i had to draw the 'sausage roll' scene (though i did get some the details wrong sorry) @scottlynch78

[brekkie-bing]

Just a bit of Locke Lamora fan art

[rockislandadultreads]

Books for fans of Game of Thrones: a list

Read these select titles on Libby with your library card!

The Witch of Duva by Leigh Bardugo

There was a time when the woods near Duva ate girls…or so the story goes. But it’s just possible that the danger may be a little bit closer to home. This story is a companion folk tale to Leigh Bardugo’s debut novel, Shadow and Bone.

The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen

Magic, adventure, mystery, and romance combine in this epic debut in which a young princess must reclaim her dead mother’s throne, learn to be a ruler—and defeat the Red Queen, a powerful and malevolent sorceress determined to destroy her. On her nineteenth birthday, Princess Kelsea Raleigh Glynn, raised in exile, sets out on a perilous journey back to the castle of her birth to ascend her rightful throne. Plain and serious, a girl who loves books and learning, Kelsea bears little resemblance to her mother, the vain and frivolous Queen Elyssa. But though she may be inexperienced and sheltered, Kelsea is not defenseless: Around her neck hangs the Tearling sapphire, a jewel of immense magical power; and accompanying her is the Queen’s Guard, a cadre of brave knights led by the enigmatic and dedicated Lazarus. Kelsea will need them all to survive a cabal of enemies who will use every weapon—from crimson-caped assassins to the darkest blood magic—to prevent her from wearing the crown. Despite her royal blood, Kelsea feels like nothing so much as an insecure girl, a child called upon to lead a people and a kingdom about which she knows almost nothing. But what she discovers in the capital will change everything, confronting her with horrors she never imagined. An act of singular daring will throw Kelsea’s kingdom into tumult, unleashing the vengeance of the tyrannical ruler of neighboring Mortmesne: the Red Queen, a sorceress possessed of the darkest magic. Now Kelsea will begin to discover whom among the servants, aristocracy, and her own guard she can trust. But the quest to save her kingdom and meet her destiny has only just begun—a wondrous journey of self-discovery and a trial by fire that will make her a legend . . . if she can survive.

The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch

An orphan’s life is harsh—and often short—in the mysterious island city of Camorr. But young Locke Lamora dodges death and slavery, becoming a thief under the tutelage of a gifted con artist. As leader of the band of light-fingered brothers known as the Gentleman Bastards, Locke is soon infamous, fooling even the underworld’s most feared ruler. But in the shadows lurks someone still more ambitious and deadly. Faced with a bloody coup that threatens to destroy everyone and everything that holds meaning in his mercenary life, Locke vows to beat the enemy at his own brutal game—or die trying.

Foundryside by Robert Jackson Bennett

Sancia Grado is a thief, and a damn good one. And her latest target, a heavily guarded warehouse on Tevanne’s docks, is nothing her unique abilities can’t handle. But unbeknownst to her, Sancia’s been sent to steal an artifact of unimaginable power, an object that could revolutionize the magical technology known as scriving. The Merchant Houses who control this magic--the art of using coded commands to imbue everyday objects with sentience--have already used it to transform Tevanne into a vast, remorseless capitalist machine. But if they can unlock the artifact’s secrets, they will rewrite the world itself to suit their aims. Now someone in those Houses wants Sancia dead, and the artifact for themselves. And in the city of Tevanne, there’s nobody with the power to stop them. To have a chance at surviving—and at stopping the deadly transformation that’s under way—Sancia will have to marshal unlikely allies, learn to harness the artifact’s power for herself, and undergo her own transformation, one that will turn her into something she could never have imagined.

[neuxue]

I've run out of good books to read, I naturally thought of you as someone to recommend others. I read the riddle master trilogy because of you and liked it so hunting for anything you like really! Pretty please

You read Riddle-Master!!! I really cannot overstate how excited I am whenever someone tells me they’ve read those books, so this makes me very happy!

Other recs...let’s see. I don’t know your taste in books, really, so I’ll just toss out some random ones. If you’ve already read them all, let me know and I’ll try again.

1. His Dark Materials will probably feature on just about any recs list I ever make, because these books were my Formative Fantasy Experience at age 7 and I never got over them. They also feature two of my favourite characters in fiction, and one of my favourite...well, ‘relationships’ is not really the word I’m looking for, but it’ll do in a pinch. This is one of those series that reveals something new every time I read it; I loved the story as a child and I love it as an adult and some of the things I love have shifted, but there are enough layers in there to be intriguing no matter what you’re looking for. These books are also somewhat Controversial and admittedly not for everyone - if you (or anyone else reading this) want more detail/explanation of that, feel free to message me. 

2. If you enjoyed Riddle Master, I’d recommend Alphabet of Thorn, also by Patricia McKillip. It features more of her beautiful, lyrical, dreamlike prose, along with a rather fascinating take on the nature of stories. It’s probably my favourite of her standalone novels.

3. Neverwhere might be my favourite of Neil Gaiman’s works. A familiarity with London takes this book from good to excellent, because he doesn’t stop at the surface level; the nature of the city is woven through the story and warped in a way that somehow perfectly captures the reality while at the same time painting a picture that is nothing like it at all. Gaiman is always good at twisting the mundane in alongside the magical to both juxtapose and seamlessly combine, and this book hit that balance just right for me. If you like his weirder side, American Gods is also incredible. The ‘I believe’ monologue has been burned into my brain since I first read it, because wow. If you are not as much a fan of his weirder side, may I suggest Stardust?

4. You may have heard of some guy called Brandon Sanderson, so I’m not going to spend that much time on his books here, but I’ll toss out a recommendation for The Emperor’s Soul, which is probably one of the lesser-known stories in his Cosmere universe, but is also one of my favourites. Shai is such a compelling and fascinating character, and the novella deals creatively with the nature of identity.

5. Time travel is usually a pet peeve of mine rather than a fondness, and I’ve never been all that into historical fiction, but Connie Willis’s Doomsday Book might be the exception that proves the rule. 

 6. In a sea of vampire stories that range from uninspiring to cringeworthy, Sunshine by Robin McKinley stands out as an excellent exception. This is dark urban fantasy done right with a side of freshly baked cinnamon rolls (literal, not figurative, and . If you imagine a story that is its own coffeeshop AU, this is precisely nothing like that. Well, except for the coffeeshop. The narrative is very stream-of-consciousness and if you find loose ends frustrating this book is probably not for you, but if that doesn’t bother you, it’s definitely worth a read. (Even the loose ends are done well). 

7. Speaking of Robin McKinley, The Blue Sword is another childhood favourite. I haven’t read it in probably over a decade, so I suppose I should go back to it before recommending it, but I read a lot of your standard fantasy hero’s journey stories in that time, and this is one of the ones that stands out in memory, so that probably says something.

8. It’s not fantasy or scifi, but I really loved The Still Point, by Amy Sackville. The prose is beautiful, and the way the chronology is split, with two separate and not-quite-linear timelines anchored more by the evocation of still summer heat and frigid arctic winter, suits the story (stories?) perfectly. It’s definitely one of the better examples of nonlinear storytelling I’ve come across. “It is exhausting enough, grasping at the past as it slides through the present, without letting the future interfere.”

9. The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch is one of those books where I know full well it has its flaws, and some of those would maybe put me off if it were any other book, but I love it to pieces. You know those books (or characters) that feel like they were written either as a personal attack on you or a personal gift to you or really a combination of the two because damn you, author, why must you do this to me? Yeah.

10. Throwing a random nonfiction rec in here with A Primate’s Memoir, by Robert Sapolsky. It’s worth reading even if you’re not particularly science-oriented, because the science and research is really only a backdrop against which the story is set. I laughed out loud, in public, on numerous occasions while reading this and it’s another regular feature whenever I recommend things.

11. I see Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein recommended frequently, and I wholeheartedly agree. Another historical fiction story, which again is not usually my thing, but it’s excellent and surprising, and very well-told.

12. Kushiel’s Dart, by Jacqueline Carey, is another that is very much Not For Everyone, and actually when I think about it it should in so many ways have fallen into the Not For Me category, but it didn’t and I enjoyed it immensely. I liked the first book better than the rest in the series, but YMMV.

14. Vicious, by V.E. Schwab, is just fun, if you enjoy friends-to-enemies and/or villains and/or superheroes. It’s unapologetically edgy and honestly kind of ridiculous, and doesn’t at all try to be anything else, which is what makes it work.

15. Howl’s Moving Castle, by Dianna Wynne Jones. If you’ve seen the movie, the book is...well. It’s sort of the same story, by which I mean if you were to write out the main plot points on index cards you’d end up with a roughly matching set, but other than that it’s almost completely different. And kind of incredible.

16. It’s definitely for younger readers, but one of the series that’s held up well for me is the Young Wizards Series, by Diane Duane. The first one reads a bit like the first Harry Potter book in the sense that it’s almost too young to work well as a starting point if you’re older, but even by the second book it grows up quite a bit. I’ve always enjoyed the way she’s constructed her magic system, and you can tell she’s a writer who knows her science but also sees art and beauty in it.

17. Bone, by Jeff Smith, is my favourite graphic novel, though it’s frustratingly difficult to get hold of a complete copy. It’s weird and fun and surprising.

18. Operation Mincemeat, by Ben Macintyre, is another nonfiction book, and I know there are a million and one WWII stories out there, but this one is wild. If you’re even remotely into espionage/intelligence type stories, give this a read. 

My goodreads is also here. It’s not even close to a complete list, but anything I’ve given three or more stars is something I’d say is probably worth a try. Also if anyone else reading this has recommendations to add, please feel free!

[stayywonderstruckk]

5 things tag // this is so long cause that’s the kind of person i am lol

Tagged by the lovely @rose-femme🌹

5 things you’ll find in my bag: a notebook, mechanical pencils, an actual book (currently the lies of locke lamora), headphones, and the magical creation that is dior lip glow (in pink and coral)

5 things you’ll find in my bedroom:  a mini carved wooden texas that my godfather made, a pillow that says “you can’t read all day if you don’t start in the morning” and shhhh morning can totally be like 2am sleep what is sleep, subtle��animal crossing art that looks like an old fashioned painting that’s in a deceptively fancy looking frame haha, a signed house md script that’s framed, and assorted sparkling lemonades and waters that @brbcalibrating would despise

5 things I’ve always wanted to do:  learn to draw well - sidenote i bought a graphics tablet last october and still haven’t opened the goddamn box i’m awful i know but my goal is start using it before a year literally passes once october arrives, write fanfic (i’ve got stuff planned out i’ve just gotta get going on it), carve a pumpkin (i’m thinking about fall let me live lol), visit positano, italy aka a fairytale like place that doesn’t seem real, and have my own rose garden

5 things that make me feel happy: well written stories, violent rainstorms, new music by artists i love, d o g s, empty bookstores, and birds chirping in the early, early morning i know that’s six things but shhhhhh

5 things that i’m currently into:  breath of the wild, rogue fantasy aka reading series like six of crows (guys go read about my murderous crow children), the young elites, and three dark crowns back to back lol, chai tea, watching reaction youtube videos to various things esp music, and sorbet/gelato

5 things on my to do list:  finish the super cool (i promise like i can’t wait to put these on tumblr) ariana grande concert videos that @with-indecent-haste and i are working on, buy lorde tickets at some point (@obsessivefd, @with-indecent-haste, and i might go), buy the ingredients to make sushi bowls (inspired by the sushi burritos @omnipresent-coffee found), send my friend olivia all the photos from her trip that she took on my phone cause her phone’s camera sucks, and finish all the shows omg i’m the worst there are so many like supernatural, hxh, gossip girl, coffee prince, the magicians, degrassi junior high (lol there’s a dramatic story behind this particular venture down the tv show rabbit hole that involves @with-indecent-haste) etc that i need to finish and now olivia wants me to watch game of thrones but i kinda wanna read it first ahhhhhh but just as a sidenote i don’t care about spoilers for anything really so no worries

*bonus question! cause i love discovering new music*

4 songs i’m currently obsessed with and 1 that’s my all time fav i have questions by camila cabello - an emotional gut punch that you have to listen to also i’m linking the music video which should really be watched first before listening to full song

why by sabrina carpenter - cue easygoing carefree vibes

the animate-a-grump remix credits song that can only be done justice by watching the beautifully fan animated animate-a-grump video that everyone should watch because one it’s hilarious and two the art styles are killer because so many artists (many of whom are on tumblr) worked so so so incredibly hard on it for months

be alright by ariana grande - honestly when am i not obsessed with this song and its amazing choreo like she was teasing snippets for months and i was constantly wishing it’d be out 

white houses by vanessa carlton - this song is my all time fav for a myriad of reasons. she’s been my favorite artist since middle school and i finally got to see her live a few months ago and she performed this song and ahhhh my emotions were in a whirlwind there’s also a live studio version of the song that i absolutely adore also sidenote her live version of willows will forever have my heart and was breathtakingly gorgeous to hear live

bonus songs from albums that i’ve been utterly obsessed with for weeks now: new rules by dua lipa, 100 letters by halsey (who i’m seeing live in october ahhhhhh), and for lorde i’m caught between lyrical/emotional masterpiece that is hard feelings/loveless and the intensity of writer in the dark so have both

tagging the following lovelies💞💞💞 @with-indecent-haste @brbcalibrating @omnipresent-coffee @decembercamiecherries @murderxbaby @wonderlandmonkeypuzzle @fuckrealityfictionisbetter @decoolz @lisbett168 @bisexuals-are-perfect-flowers @bleachellatswift and anyone that wants to do this like i’d love to read people’s responses

i would tag natalie but i already know that there’s not even the sliiiiiiightest chance that she'd do this haha but visit her blog anyway for all things fandom and cool it’s @obsessivefd

[msfehrwight]

I’ve started Leigh Bardugo’s Six of Crows. Two chapters in I still feel a little uncomfortable, because part of my brain is screaming about Lies of Locke Lamora and another part has all the fan art I’ve seen and it’s all very disorienting.

[aelinsassryvergalathynius]

My TBR List Tag

I was tagged by @christina-dh, thank you!!

Rules: list your TBR pile (or if it’s too big, the ones you can remember) and use these emojis to describe them: (📖= currently reading) (📚= not that interested; there are other more important ones, unless someone convinces me otherwise) (💜= I have heard good things) (🖤 = I have heard bad things) (💛 = I have tried to read it in the past) (💚 = I bought it for its cover so I should read it) (💙= I haven’t heard anyone talk about it) (💔= I haven’t met anyone who’s read it) (🖍 = I have seen beautiful fan art for it) (🔒= No one talks about this book) (😶= I have owned it for more than two years without reading it) (🎬 = I saw a movie/TV trailer for its adaptation so I bought it)

I can’t see two emojis for whatever reason and it’s just a box, so that’s what I’ll be copy-pasting, sorry if it comes up like that!

The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch, 💜,💔

Cherry by Lindsey Rosin, 💙, 💔, 🔒

Swimming Lessons by Claire Fuller, 💙, 💔, 🔒

I tag @readinglikewildfire @tyredofthis

[just-a-mouse]

The Bastards dress to impress🌟

[vulpyx]

locke lamora doodles because he's the best idiot around :') locke sitting around eating porridge with his hair in a little ponytail wouldn't leave my mind i had to draw it

[stories-aha-blog]

“Ausmalungsgeschichten”, or “titillating stories”

Quick note about naming:

I am not aware of a existing word for this in English. ("Ausmalungsgeschichte” isn't really an established German word either, but it would immediately be understood by most German speakers, due to the way German allows you to combine arbitrary words to form new ones.)

“Sich etwas ausmalen” literally means “to paint a picture in one's mind”, the implication being that it's about something pleasant, positive. And “Gechichte” means “story”.)

So what kinds of stories exactly do I have in mind, when I talk about titillating stories?

Actually, for myself, I use a kind of hierarchy of at least 3 different levels titillatingness, graded by non-harmlessness.

LEVEL 1

On the lowest, most general level, I use it for any kind of story, that represents an “Ausmalung”, or fantasy in the widest sense.

“Anything that is nice to daydream about, for some existing person”.

Including stories like “Superman”, “Average nondescriptive guy has to save the universe”, “James Bond”, “Werewolf stories”, “Romantic commedy” and lots and lots of other stories that fall way outside my personal range of things I like to imagine for myself.

The purpose of this level 1, it do draw a delineation to all stories that have zero intention of being titillating in the first place.

A lot of what art critics might call “serious literature”, as opposed to second rate literature catering to some cheap emotions.

Stories that deal with the “important social issues of the day”. (Basically anything that can be discriminated against.

Like, say, a story about the woes of divorce, of drug abuse, disease, old age.

But also all “second rate” stories, that cater to some feeling other that titillation, like most Thrillers, horror stories, crime mysteries, and the like.)

(You gotta keep in mind though, that I use “titillating” as a tag, rather than a genre.

What's the difference? Genres are like cupboards in a drawer, where one story cannot end up in more than one drawer, whereas tags are like coloured paper tags you attach to an object, allowing you to put as many different ones on it as you like.

“The Wire” does both deal with the the “important social issues of the day” --- AND provide titillation. (If you've watched it: Think of the scene where Avon and Stringer first show up in the pits.)

In other words: I don't care what else a story might do, as long as it titillates, it's a titillating series. Or episode. Or part of an episode.)

LEVEL 2

Level 2 is a small subset of Level 1.

All super harmless fantasies like “Superman” are out, until, broadly speaking, we are left with all the good stuff a nicely titillating fantasy novel, like, say, “The Lies of Locke Lamora”, might have to offer.

Petty thieves, - robbers, - drug pushers and - cut throats. Prostitutes and pimps. Prowlers, orphans and street urchins.  Gamblers, Adventurers and mercenaries.

Generally speaking:A state of freedom and lawlessness.

Absence of any kind of supervision. Absence of family in the form of parents and kids.

(Siblings and cousins can be okay.)

Unless a character should end up in prison, or in the army.

With the following classic options for social design:

A situation of lawlessness or near anarchy

Some kind of prison or army situation.

A court-like situation, where everything depends on winning the favour or the person in power.

Absence of bourgeois or middle class life; people typically either on the very bottom, or on the very top of society.

“Scum” as well as idle aristocrats or decadent rich people.

People with lots of free time on their hands; be it because they are in prison, because they can't find a job, because they are filthy rich.

If any of the characters should come anywhere near something even vaguely resembling a school, you can be certain it is for training in some “dark or immoral art”, like receiving his training as an assassin, a courtesan, or, (if need be, since it's fantasy) a training in black magic. (Not a big fan of magic, but oh well. A while ago I came up with a candidate for something that could replace this, that is much more realistic, and that I am a little bit proud of.)

Etc. etc.

You get the picture.

LEVEL 3

Level 3 is again a small subset of Level 2, arrived at by applying two filters:

The first filter is:

The titillating things that are shown have to be realistic, and somewhat in reach from our present day real life situation.

“Potential to seduce, potential to corrupt”.

Unlike, say, stories set in the Middle Ages, or stories that are about super natural or magical powers.

Second filter --- maybe even the more important one:

The titillating things that are shown have to have to do with some secret, strongly felt obsession of the author.

Take “Game of Thrones”, as a counter example.

It's definitely a titillating in the sense of level 1, and it also qualifies for level 2.

There is no shartage of “dark” dodgy things happening, from brutal killings to rape to torture.

But the crucial question for me here is:

For what reasons EXACTLY are these things shown?

Are they A) shown, because they correspond to some deeply rooted, strongly felt obsession of the author, typically of somewhat sexual in nature? Or are they kind of closer to being “played for shock”, “played for surprise”, “played for awesomeness”, “played for entertainment”?

A bit like the way a tourist might look at a beautiful old Italian city, without ever wasting a second thought on it?

It's not JUST about showing “shocking, dark, immoral things”.

In fact, it sometimes seems to me, that the more extreme, the higher the chance that it is shown for something else than tru deeply felt obession or fascination.

Take “Pulp Fcition”, as an example.

Samuel L. Jackson casually shooting that one guy while talking to the other is “super badass”. But it's also a bit of an urban legend. It's played to impress.

Take people like Genet, Mishima, Nabokov or Pasolini as examples, and contrast them to people like Quentin Tarrantino.

Pasolini with his obsession with the lowest group within the Italian working class.

These are my three levels of “titillatingness”, that I am currently using for myself.

Which of them, if any, might be useful for a larger group of people?

I have no idea, but I would be curious to find out.

[reincarnatedasacupcake]

art by Risa Rodil

Hooray for spring colds. I've had this one for the last few weeks and am only now beginning to feel better. There's not much that you can do when your sick and everything , even standing up, is a challenge. Thank goodness for books and audiobooks. They've kept me company when there was little else to do but binge-watch Netflix. Here's what I read this month:

The Witch of Duva (The Grisha 0.5)

by Leigh Bardugo

52 Pages (0:52 Hours)

There was a time when the woods near Duva ate girls - or so the story goes. But it's just possible that the danger may be a little bit closer to home. This story is a companion folk tale to Leigh Bardugo's debut novel, Shadow and Bone.

I've been reading and loving the Grisha novels and these little short stories are the icing on the cake. They are short folk tales from that World that give just a little background to some of their superstitions and beliefs. This one deals with a wicked step-mother, a wood witch and missing girls that seem to disappear into the forest. But who is responsible? 

The One (The Selection #3)

by Kiera Cass

323 Pages (7:25 Hours)

The time has come for one winner to be crowned.

When she was chosen to compete in the Selection, America never dreamed she would find herself anywhere close to the crown—or to Prince Maxon's heart. But as the end of the competition approaches, and the threats outside the palace walls grow more vicious, America realizes just how much she stands to lose—and how hard she'll have to fight for the future she wants

I've got to admit, I didn't think I'd like this series as much as I do, but I'm really enjoying it.

This book is much better than the last two. America has finally given up her silly love triangle and decided that she loves Maxon enough that she wants to spend her live with him, even if that means being Queen and having to deal with his awful father.

But things are escalating in the world around them and the rebellions are stepping up their games as well. More attacks are happening and people are beginning to choose sides.

The Lies of Locke Lamora (Gentleman Bastard #1)

by Scott Lynch

530 Pages

An orphan's life is harsh — and often short — in the island city of Camorr, built on the ruins of a mysterious alien race. But born with a quick wit and a gift for thieving, Locke Lamora has dodged both death and slavery, only to fall into the hands of an eyeless priest known as Chains — a man who is neither blind nor a priest.

A con artist of extraordinary talent, Chains passes his skills on to his carefully selected "family" of orphans — a group known as the Gentlemen Bastards. Under his tutelage, Locke grows to lead the Bastards, delightedly pulling off one outrageous confidence game after another. Soon he is infamous as the Thorn of Camorr, and no wealthy noble is safe from his sting.

Passing themselves off as petty thieves, the brilliant Locke and his tightly knit band of light-fingered brothers have fooled even the criminal underworld's most feared ruler, Capa Barsavi. But there is someone in the shadows more powerful — and more ambitious — than Locke has yet imagined. 

Known as the Gray King, he is slowly killing Capa Barsavi's most trusted men — and using Locke as a pawn in his plot to take control of Camorr's underworld. With a bloody coup under way threatening to destroy everyone and everything that holds meaning in his mercenary life, Locke vows to beat the Gray King at his own brutal game — or die trying...

This book was a lot of fun. When I was reading Six of Crows, Adam thought I might enjoy this book for being similar. So this is my RBA book of the month (actually last month, but I didn't get it finished in time). It was a lot of fun to see how a group of confidence men work, but even more fun to watch the situation get totally out of control and watch them trying to make things right. I'm really looking forward to reading the next book and seeing what's in store for these lovable characters.

An Abundance of Katherines

by John Green

229 Pages  (6:48 Hours)

Katherine V thought boys were gross

Katherine X just wanted to be friends

Katherine XVIII dumped him in an e-mail

K-19 broke his heart

When it comes to relationships, Colin Singleton's type happens to be girls named Katherine. And when it comes to girls named Katherine, Colin is always getting dumped. Nineteen times, to be exact.

On a road trip miles from home, this anagram-happy, washed-up child prodigy has ten thousand dollars in his pocket, a bloodthirsty feral hog on his trail, and an overweight, Judge Judy-loving best friend riding shotgun--but no Katherines. Colin is on a mission to prove The Theorem of Underlying Katherine Predictability, which he hopes will predict the future of any relationship, avenge Dumpees everywhere, and finally win him the girl.

Love, friendship, and a dead Austro-Hungarian archduke add up to surprising and heart-changing conclusions in this ingeniously layered comic novel about reinventing oneself.

I'm not a huge John Green fan, but having only read The Fault in Our Stars, I thought I'd give this $2 audiobook a go. It was hard at first to listen to. Colin is not a likable character at all. Lucky for him (and me), the other characters are and they were what kept me listening. As I was, I thought of all the terrible things I was going to say about this book when I was done, but then the unthinkable happened. Colin grew as a character and actually became kinda likable in the end. I know, I was surprised too, although I shouldn't be since John Green is known for his characters and building amazing relationships. I guess I shouldn't judge a book by one annoying teenager.

Silver Borne (Mercy Thompson #5)

by Patricia Briggs

292 Pages

When Mercy Thompson, mechanic and shape-shifter, attempts to return a powerful fae book she previously borrowed in an act of desperation, she finds the bookstore locked up and closed down.

It seems the book contains secrets -- and the fae will do just about anything to keep it out of the wrong hands. And if that doesn't take enough of Mercy's attention, her friend Samuel is struggling with his wolf side -- leaving Mercy to cover for him lest his own father declare Samuel's life forfeit.

All in all, Mercy has had better days. And if she isn't careful, she may not have many more...

When I stared this series, I wasn't thrilled with it, but I found the 5 books at BMV for next to nothing and kept them on my shelf as fillers for when I was between series that I really liked. But as the books went on, they became more of an escape when I just wanted to get lost into something simple and fun. I've actually grown to really like the series and this book was probably one of the best so far. Although the over arcing story line is about the fae searching for the book that she has hidden, the underling story is so much better. It really shows what being in the Pack is like and where everyone stands. It also deals with the person vs. the wolf inside, which I found fascinating. Now that my pile of these book is finished, I'm going to have to go back and see if I can find the rest.

Dragon Wizard (Dragon* #3)

by S. Andrew Swann

336 Pages

It has been a year since former thief Frank Blackthorne became Princess of Lendowyn and married a dragon. He's coming to terms with his new life, but during the royal anniversary banquet, an elven prince reads a scroll of evil magic and Frank's world is turned upside-down. Again.

The scroll's spell causes a murderous rampage in a palace full of noble dignitaries, so it's no surprise Frank's visitors are angry. The Elf-King Timoras threatens war but Frank can't do anything about it: because of the same bit of scroll magic, the ex-Dragon Lucille has taken over the princess's body, unaware that Frank is still there, locked in her skull. And worst of all, the fate of everyone may soon rest on the shoulders of the man responsible for the whole mess, someone who should be safely dead...

This book was good, silly fun, which is exactly why I bought it. I wasn't sure if I was going to have a chance to finish it though, as it took an impromptu swim in my tub. Luckily, after some quick googling, I found a few methods that would help. After about a week of working to get it dry I managed to flatten it enough that it was in good enough condition to read again. It's not perfect, but it still worked and the story was good enough to be worth saving.  

Queen of Shadows (Throne of Glass #4)

by Sarah J. Maas

648 Pages (20:18 Hours)

Everyone Celaena Sardothien loves has been taken from her. But she's at last returned to the empire—for vengeance, to rescue her once-glorious kingdom, and to confront the shadows of her past . . .

She will fight for her cousin, a warrior prepared to die just to see her again. She will fight for her friend, a young man trapped in an unspeakable prison. And she will fight for her people, enslaved to a brutal king and awaiting their lost queen's triumphant return.

Celaena’s epic journey has captured the hearts and imaginations of millions across the globe. This fourth volume will hold readers rapt as Celaena’s story builds to a passionate, agonizing crescendo that might just shatter her world.

This is another series that just keeps getting better and better. It's nice to see characters come into their own and take charge. It's one of the things I think Sarah J. Maas is really good at doing with her characters. I really feel like this story is coming together and it's nice to see the separate story lines begin to converge. I can't wait to see what happens in the next book.  

Half the World (Shattered Sea #2)

by Joe Abercrombie

366 Pages

Thorn Bathu was born to fight. But when she kills a boy in the training square she finds herself named a murderer.

Fate places her life in the hands of the deep-cunning Father Yarvi as he sets out to cross half the world in search of allies against the ruthless High King. Beside her is Brand, a young warrior who hates to kill. A failure in her eyes and his own, the voyage is his last chance at redemption.

But warriors can be weapons, and weapons are made for one purpose. Will Thorn always be a tool in the hands of the powerful, or can she carve her own path? Is there a place outside of legend for a woman with a blade?

This was my other RBA for the month. I read the first one last year in March and wasn't really sure what I thought of it. I'm glad Adam pushed me to read the second book because it was much better. I liked the characters more and the story felt smoother. I'm looking forward to finishing the series.

Books that I am currently reading

Vision of the Future (Star Wars: The Hand of Thrawn #2)

by Timothy Zahn

93 of 694 Pages

Tower Lord (Raven's Shadow #2)

by Anthony Ryan

425 of 602 Pages (24:39 Hours) Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea (Extraordinary Voyages #6) by Jules Verne 102 of 394 Pages

A Fine Balance

by Rohinton Mistry

30 of 603 Pages Revisionary (Magic Ex Libris #4) by Jim C. Hines 125 of 389 Pages The Heir (The Selection #4) by Kiera Cass 225 of 318 Pages (8:48 Hours) I know, I know, so many books that I'm currently reading have been on here forever. I promise I am trying to make some progress on them, slowly but surely.

[just-a-mouse]

Sketch of my favourite scoundrel❤

[vulpyx]

@mythaeological 's posts about how kaz and locke would be the most chaotic ship ever made me want to draw them together :') nothing like a knife fight to give you flirting opportunities