#love Katee Robert so much

[deadrayg2mf]

The Gargoyle's Captive (A Deal with a Demon #3) by Katee Robert

Honestly, like, what do I even say at this point that ya'll haven't heard from me about how much I freakin' love Katee Robert and this series. I will keep this one brief for real because if I don't it'll just be like "Oh my god, Ray, shut the fuck up we get it - this book came out three months ago you're late to the party!"

Okay, so aside from it being Katee freakin' Robert, this book is full of enemies to lovers, femdom, grief-consumed protags, and - my favorite, of course - angst. Yeah, did I see the plot twist coming from a mile away? One thousand percent. Did I care? Frick no. Okay, so we're following the same story - deal with a demon, seven years basically married to leader of demon territory, maybe a baby... But this time, it's Grace the monster hunter and Bram the Gargoyle.

Grace is another enjoyable female lead who is a headstrong take-no-shit kinda gal, probably what you would expect from someone who makes a living out of hunting monsters. She's the last of her family and she's really only here for answers because Azazel happens to be the same demon her mother, who disappeared, made a bargain with, and by golly, she is going to get those answers even if it means selling seven years of her life. Bram is traumatized, grief-stricken, lonely, and at this point has the most sad-boy, giving up on life, fuck it energy I've ever seen in a protagonist - and I am so here for it. I eat that shit up. I love the tragics - stories and characters. He's also the last of his family after his entire family was murdered by an outsider his father brought in. He doesn't actually really want to be there but the opportunity and benefits it brings are too good to pass up, especially when you're in the leadership position he is...

I loved the story clearly, and really liked how handling grief was portrayed, no two people will be able to handle it the same even when they are in the same situation. Grace dug her heels in and became even more stalwart and determined while Bram gave in to the grief of loss and resigned himself to an empty life... and even potentially having it purposely ended at the hands of a scrappy little monster hunter in the bath... They are two people coming to terms with events of the past, the shadow of their parents, and suddenly dealing with someone new who they bought at an auction/got auctioned to for the next seven years that they don't necessarily get along with. That's right, they're totally toxic for each other. Don't worry, we're always promising happy endings here :) It's fast paced, there's a lot to get through in 186 pages, but I really think it was done to the best of its ability. Do I wish this was 500 pages? Uh, YEAH, but it is what it is and what it is, is really good. I will admit... it took me a hot minute to slug through obviously. I actually feel a little bad about this review because I was kind of forcing myself to read this. I wasn't in the right headspace and so while objectively I knew I was enjoying it I was also aware that I was, like, not locked in. I am very much intending to reread it when I'm not begrudgingly reading while rotting in bed just because nothing sounds enjoyable.

With that, I swear I am not just pulling shit out of my ass with everything I've told you. I really did enjoy the book, I love the way it's written, I liked the characters, the cover art is amazing, and it's just another great addition to the Deal with a Demon series. I think I'll give it a solid.... 7.9/10 with subject to change in the future :)

Would I read again? Yes, I plan to. Once the pesky ole depression and imminent demise anxiety wear off.

Would I recommend? Of cousre, I'm always recommending Katee Robert... I'm not sure what happens on the day I don't...? Does the world end?

[littleartistwithloveandheart]

Random fact:

Chakotay had the verry first line and Janeway the verry last.

A bit sweet. That underlines ab bit that the two are bit like the mom and dad of the Voyager.

(many bits)

[weregonnabecoolbeans]

Finally on “The Crocodile” in my OUAT rewatch!!!!

Let’s Goooo!!!!!

[dumbass---tm]

god the gender envy for shakespearean characters is real

[alittlemissfit]

Just watched the kickoff of probably the campiest soap storyline I’ve ever seen, and let’s just say…

Spoilery pic goodness and my random ass semi-live-blogging under the cut.

This afterlife has everything. Immaculately pressed blazers, mocktails, heavenly tour guide Susan in all her adorableness.

Love how for Marlena to wrap her brain around the whole being in heaven thing she’s immediately all, where’s Kayla.

Yes, my girl is a cinnamon roll eligible for sainthood and everyone knows it. And I too, want to see her in this scene they teased us with months ago.

(Also the apparent asterisk by Bo’s name in the heavenly Yellow Pages!)

Great moment with MarMar defending the idea of Kate being behind the pearly gates, too. (Yes, Kate Roberts is a good friend, and a good person! )

And then, this little twist after Doc wanders off to enjoy her heavenly mai-tai.

Looks like the Devil’s back for round 3. On one hand, my poor possessed Susan. 🥺👿

On the other, and maybe it’s because I wasn’t a viewer during rounds 1 and 2 but I’m absolutely here for this insanity. Especially since it’s most likely leading to this!

[renamusing]

#oof what a LINE#this scene is even more satisfying and powerful in light of the current aaron rewatch#the way chas and robert bounce so well off each other the way they’re both trying to blame the other for aaron’s pain#the way they both love him but are frankly terrible at it (for different reasons).. this scene is 10/10!!!#not to mention robert’s genuine anger at the fact that he knows he can’t be what aaron needs#which right now he wants to blame chas for#he knows he can’t be good for aaron and he wouldn’t care if he didn’t truly love him too but he does#but he’s still robert and it still has to be about number one and aaron is an obstacle to that UGH the duality of a man YUUM!!! 😍😍#anyways i LOVE this sceene

[beautifulbookishdisaster]

"Let me keep you."

"I already told you." She smiles. "I'm not the type of person who's meant to be kept."

Katee Robert, Cruel Seduction

[crowclubkaz]

😈📚 characters from hazbin hotel as books 📚😈

i finally got around to posting all of these on my bookstagram, and i figured i'd post them here too! putting this together was so much fun that i just had to share. full book list below the cut!

👑 Charlie: - Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson - One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston

✖️ Vaggie: - The Bandit Queens by Parini Shroff - Hopepunk by Preston Norton

🎥 Angel Dust: - Rented Heart by Garrett Leigh - Gay Bar: Why We Went Out by Jeremy Atherton Lin ♣️ Husk: - The Lost Weekend by Charles Jackson - The Gambler by Fyodor Dostoevsky

📻 Alastor: - A Certain Hunger by Chelsea G. Summers - Lost Signals by Max Booth III

🧹 Niffty: - Maid by Stephanie Land - The Dead Janitor's Club by Jeff Klima

🍎 Lucifer: - Angels Before Man by rafael nicolás - Dayspring by Anthony Oliveria

🐍 Sir Pentious: - Soulless by Gail Carriger - Boneshaker by Cherie Priest

💣 Cherri Bomb: - Girls to the Front by Sara Marcus - We Sold Our Souls by Grady Hendrix

🚬 Valentino: - Snuff by Chuck Palahniuk - Getting Off: Pornography and the End of Masculinity by Robert Jensen

📺 Vox: - Universal Harvester by John Darnielle - White Noise by Don DeLillo

📱 Velvette: - The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger - Followers by Megan Angelo

🎸 Adam: - Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James - Why Men Love Bitches by Sherry Argov

🗡️ Lute: - Joan by Katherine J. Chen - The Valkyrie by Kate Heartfield

😇 Sera: - The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom - Dark Rise by C.S. Pacat

👼 Emily: - Halo by Alexandra Adornetto - Blue Skies by T.L. Martin

🥀 Rosie: - In the Garden of Spite by Camilla Bruce - Woman Eating by Claire Kohda

👸 Lilith: - Lilith by Eve Marmery - Jezebel by Megan Barnard

[weyounpussyindulgence]

Some highlights from my week at STLV

- Meeting Garrett Wang first, giving him a special Voyager limerick I wrote for him, and him loving it

- Getting my picture with John Billingsley and his wife Bonnie and getting some great advice about starting out in the acting industry from them

- Telling Tawny Newsome she looked beautiful and her complimenting my TOS inspired blue eyeshadow (and then her recognizing me the day after when I got her autograph)

- Jess Bush also complimenting me on my eyeshadow

- Walking past Anthony Montgomery and telling him “Hi! I think you’re really cool!” and him replying “Thank you, I appreciate that! I think you’re cool too!”

- Getting a duo picture with Jonathan Frakes and Brent Spiner, and Frakes telling me that I looked pretty

- Talking to Marina Sirtis, telling her I was there for my birthday, and her wishing me happy birthday and gifting me a free signed photo of Deanna

- Talking about Out to Sea with Brent and listening to him regale the fun he had making that movie

- Talking with Cirroc Lofton about his experience working with Avery Brooks and mutually agreeing that Star Trek needs more wholesome parent/child relationships

- Listening to John de Lancie talk about his experience sailing from California to French Polynesia (I could listen to him talk for hours, his voice is so soothing)

- Going to a memorial panel for Nichelle Nichols that featured her sister as a surprise guest (holy moly, she looked and sounded exactly like Nichelle 🥹)

- Going to another memorial for Aron Eisenberg and getting to make a toast to him with Cirroc and other fans (they used root beer for the drinks and had gummy worms “tube grubs” as table snacks)

- The moderator for the TNG panel not showing up, allowing Frakes to take over and him, Brent and Gates going absolutely batshit feral on stage

- Walter Koenig speaking out against the genocide in Palestine (and just getting to hear him talk in general)

- Seeing Armin Shimerman again and getting to tell him how much I enjoyed Betrayal of Angels (and his face lighting up when I told him how great an author he is)

- Sara Mitich and Ronnie Rowe both wishing me happy birthday and just being all around so kind and patient

- Telling Nana Visitor that she had the voice of an angel when she sings, and seeing how big and beautiful a smile she got

- Telling Kate Mulgrew she looked beautiful and her replying “Thank you! So do you.”

- JG Hertzler telling an absolutely hilarious story about how Avery Brooks and Rene Auberjonois got into a fight about one of Rene’s line deliveries while filming Far Beyond the Stars

- Richard McGee, Jay Chattaway and Jeff Russo conducting an absolutely phenomenal orchestral concert of Trek songs

- Seeing a really fun dinner show with some of the actors singing Broadway songs (my personal favorites being Nana, Robert Picardo, Bonnie Gordon, Jon Jon Briones and Celia Rose Gooding)

- Seeing Jeffrey Combs again and getting to ask him during his panel what would happen if all of his Trek characters were in the same room together (his answer: they would probably start either a baseball team or a rock band)

- Getting a picture taken with myself and both Carol Kane and Christopher Lloyd together

- Getting Mary Chieffo’s autograph and her writing happy birthday in Klingonese on it

- The entirety of the Rat Pack performance

- Getting to meet and interact with Trekkies of different ages, race, gender and sexuality and all of them incredibly nice

[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...

[flanaganfilm]

Hi Mike, how was Tribeca?

It was fantastic.

For those who don't know, I was lucky enough to be invited to sit on the US Narrative Feature Jury at this year's Tribeca Festival. I just got back yesterday from ten days in Manhattan.

I found the whole thing to be absolutely rejuvenating.

Our category had five jurors: myself, Zoey Deutsch, Stephanie Hsu, Tommy Oliver, and Ramin Bahrani.

Kate was also on a jury - she was on the International Feature Jury (which included Brendan Fraser and Zazie Beets) so that meant we spent the week seeing different movies. We'd pass each other on our way to different screenings, sometimes in the lobby of the theater, and then meet up for dinner or a party and get to tell each other about the awesome movies we saw that day.

It was overwhelming to start with. At the Opening Night reception, we met Robert DeNiro, and we saw Martin Scorcese and Matt Damon (we were way too timid to introduce ourselves). I did manage to introduce myself to Kenneth Lonergan, who has made some of my all-time favorite movies (You Can Count on Me is one of the best movies I've ever seen), and the great Chazz Palminteri (I got to tell him how much I absolute adore A Bronx Tale). I also spent a fair amount of time chatting with Peter Coyote, who was incredibly kind and funny. We chatted a lot about Ken Burns.

After that, we went to the Opening Night film, a terrific documentary called Kiss the Future. We walked the red carpet (something I'm never quite comfortable with, but luckily Kate is a natural) and we saw the movie with a packed house. It was a beautiful film and really started everything off on an amazing foot.

And then the judging started. I got to watch all of the movies in my category in the theater, with audiences. A car would pick me up and take me to the screening. At my busiest, I saw three movies in one day, but it was usually two.

I made it a point not to know anything about the movies before I saw them - sometimes I went in without knowing the title. And I can't overstate how amazing it was to see these independent films with an audience, in a theater, instead of streaming. Having spent the better part of the last five years watching this primarily at home, I was shocked at how inspiring and energizing it was to sit in a theater with a crowd over, and over, and over again. I've never seen this many movies in a theater in such a short time, and I LOVED it.

I didn't only see movies that were in my category, though. I also made sure I saw other films at the festival that I wasn't judging - including Downtown Owl, the directorial debut of my friends Hamish Linklater and Lily Rabe.

I made a point to go to the premiere of Suitable Flesh, starring the amazing Barbara Crampton and Heather Graham, and produced by my old friends Joe Wicker and Morgan Peter Brown from the Absentia Days.

And it wasn't all movies, either - I also got to moderate a chat with the brilliant Sam Lake about his upcoming Alan Wake 2 release. Sam was a joy to spend time with, and we had a lot to talk about.

And my friend and colleague Justina Ireland traveled up to NY to moderate a Master Class where a theater full of people listened to me ramble about horror movies for an hour.

(With Justina Ireland and Johnathan Penner - Penner ran the Escape from Tribeca program, and it was his idea to bring me to the festival)

And then, just before I left, I met up with some friends to see a Broadway show. Karen Gillan and Willa Fitzgerald joined Kate and I to see Grey House.

My experience at Tribeca was fantastic. It was such an amazing celebration of art and cinema, and I can't wait to go back. I spent a lot of it feeling overwhelmed, and feeling like I didn't quite deserve my seat at the table (imposter syndrome is just one of the staples of being a filmmaker, isn't it?) but I'm so glad I went.

[littleartistwithloveandheart]

This is my first finished JC video. ❤️❤️❤️

Got the idea from a Capcut template where someone made it with people from The Rookie.

(Actually made the exact same video with JC. I just did it myself so I could change little things😅)

Was still a lot of work😭

[xxsycamore]

🏹💘𝚂𝚝𝚎𝚊𝚕 𝙼𝚢 𝙷𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚝‼️

—❥ 𝐱𝐱𝐬𝐲𝐜𝐚𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞'𝐬 𝟏𝟓𝟎𝟎 𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭

REQUESTS: CLOSED

Hello everyone!! Back in June last year my blog reached 1500 followers, but I only got around to celebrating it now! Thank you so much for your continued support!! This year I want to play Cupid again so prepare for your faves to steal your heart all over again! (´ ε ` )♡

↪ 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚛𝚞𝚕𝚎𝚜 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚜𝚒𝚖𝚙𝚕𝚎: Pick a prompt and a character - one per ask! Please include the fandom as well to avoid confusion. Example: "Can I please have 😘 with William (ikevil)?" ; You'll receive a drabble (~300 words) about the character's reaction to the prompt. Please go wild with those! If you have something specific in mind for the prompts, like a certain hobby for prompt #10 🎨 - Suggest picking up a new hobby together, or maybe for prompt #7 💝 - Extend a non-verbal "I love you", you thought of playing their favorite song, giving them a warm cup of tea while they work, or maybe hugging them from behind? Don't be afraid to share your idea and unleash your creativity, I'd love to make your vision come true! Of course, that's only if you want to! The limit is three requests per person. This event is sfw and anons are allowed.

For drabble examples: Check out last year's Valentine's Day celebration here!

💌 event masterlist ⊂⊃﹒␥

↪ 𝙿𝚛𝚘𝚖𝚙𝚝 𝚕𝚒𝚜𝚝:

🪱 - Ask them if they'd love you if you were a worm

🥺 - Tease by calling them cute

🤲 - Play with their hair

🌸 - Breathe in their soothing scent

💌 - Leave a love note in their pocket

🤭 - Whisper something embarrassing in their ear

💝 - Extend a non-verbal "I love you"

😈 - Linger in for a kiss, but never kiss them

💅 - Help them unwind with a self-care routine

🎨 - Suggest picking up a new hobby together

🤪 - Crack a joke to make them laugh

🙏 - Warm their hands between yours

🤸‍♀️ - Strike a sexy pose to distract them

👔 - Steal their clothes to cuddle when you miss them

🍰 - Share your sweets with them

💋 - Demand for a kiss, right here, right now

💘 - "Be my Valentine?"

😘 - Keep smooching them until they protest

🥄 - Ask to be their big spoon

😊 - Present your cheek for a goodbye kiss

↪ 𝙰𝚟𝚊𝚒𝚕𝚊𝚋𝚕𝚎 𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚜 (𝟷𝟸𝟿):

Ikemen Villains: Wiliam; Harrison; Liam; Elbert; Alfons; Roger; Jude; Ellis; Victor

Ikeseries MCs: Mitsuki (Ikevamp); Alice (Ikerev); Mai (Ikesen); Emma (Ikepri); NEW: Kate (ikevil)

Ikemen Prince: Leon; Chevalier; Yves; Nokto; Licht; Jin; Luke; Clavis; Rio; Sariel; Gilbert; Keith; Silvio NEW: Cyran/Cyril; Kagari; Matthias

Ikemen Vampire: Napoleon(pls); Leonardo; Mozart; Arthur; Vincent; Theo; Isaac; Jean; Dazai; Sebastian; Comte; Shakespeare; Vlad; Faust; Charles; Drake; Galileo

Ikemen Revolution: Lancelot; Ray; Jonah; Fenrir; Edgar; Sirius; Kyle; Luka; Zero; Seth; Blanc; Oliver; Loki; Harr; Mousse; Dalim; Dean; Levie

Ikemen Sengoku: Nobunaga; Masamune; Shingen; Hideyoshi; Mitsuhide; Kanetsugu; Ieyasu; Mitsunari; Yukimura; Sasuke; Kenshin; Kenyo; Ranmaru; Motonari; Keiji; Kicho; Yoshimoto

Midnight Cinderella: Alyn; Giles; Louis; Leo; Byron; Nico; Albert; Robert; Rayvis; Sid

NEW: Ikemen Genjiden: Minamoto no Yoritomo

NEW: CONSOLE OTOMES:

Shuuen no Virche/Virche Evermore: Ceres; Scien; Ankou; Yves; Adolphe; Lucas; Mathis; Jean; Capucine; Hugo; Dahut

Piofiore no Banshou/Piofiore Fated Memories: Yang; Dante; Liliana; Gilbert; Nicola; Orlok; Leo; Oliver; Rui; Yuan

Cupid Parasite: Lynette; Claris; Gill; Allan; Ryuki; Shelby; Raul; Owen; Peter

Variable Barricade: Ichiya; Taiga; Hibari; Shion; Nayuta; Kasuga

🎀 Have fun requesting!! I can't wait to see what you put in my askbox!! 🎀

[extremely-judgemental]

Even when I don’t like an artist’s works, I have respect for them for their discipline and dedication to the craft. But that’s hard to muster for SJM. I was told one of her favourites is Anne Bishop’s The Black Jewels series which could have been an influence for the vivid and unnecessary violence in her plots. I haven’t read those books and so I googled it.

One of the major character is Lucivar Yaslana who is Half-Hayllian/Half-Eyrien which sounds suspiciously close to Illyrian. And in fanart, he is depicted with (surprise surprise) bat like wings which are uncannily like the Illyrian wings, and mind you, the first book in this series came out in 1998.

Going through the plot in wiki, there are a lot of names or titles that are similar to the ones in ACOTAR. Prythian. High Priestess. Whore/Consort. Dark Court and First Circle. One of the books’ title is Dreams Made Flesh, and that instantly reminded me of the Made weapons and the phrases often associated with them but that could be nothing. Even the male lead Daemon has quite similar experiences as Rhysand.

Since I don't have much authority in this case to call out SJM or her books, here are some from people who have read both series.

This on Reddit listing the obvious parallels between the two.

And this from @alexcollix7 is by far the best and detailed post I could find on this topic where they address all three series.

I would love for the SJM fans who think she invented commonly used genre conventions to read the Black Jewels trilogy and tell me Cassian isn't a direct result of Lucivar existing (or Rhys and Daemon, for that matter).

By author Katee Robert although she said this in favour of authors reimagining tropes.

Black Jewels is explicitly dark fantasy and deals with and normalises strong themes such as abuse and sex slavery to name a few. It explains why abuse is romanticised in ACOTAR as well since SJM seems to have copied so much from these books. Given the initial drafts of the sequels were scraped off after TAR received much appreciation, there’s no excuse that this was only a fanfic that developed into an original series. Though the plot development and most characters like Tamlin are her own, some key plot points or motivations leading up to it might not be. Her books are applauded as original and unparalleled fantasy of this age by many young readers but the foundations of her world-building heavily imitates Bishop’s own.

A quick google search proves Maas is more popular than Bishop, so is ACOTAR over the Black Jewel series, and maybe it’s the reason why not many are talking about this. Drawing inspiration from real world and existing art or paying homage to one’s favourites is understandable and healthy but what SJM does seems dangerously like rip off.

Thank you @thrumbolt for giving me new reason to hate her.

[liu-anhuaming]

my favorite books of 2024 so far

as of october 25, 2024, i've somehow managed to read 97 books. figured i'd share some of my favorites to spread the good vibes. These are just put in order based on when I read them

Monstrilio by Gerardo Samano Cordova (loved it so much i've read it twice and cried both times)

The Gilda Stories by Jewelle Gomez

Natural Beauty by Ling Ling Huang

The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

The Color Purple by Alice Walker

Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands by Kate Beaton

The Fetishist by Katherine Min

Vita Nostra by Marina and Sergey Dyachenko

The Raybearer duology by Jordan Ifueko

Y/N by Ester Yi

Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead by Emily Austin

Open, Heaven by Seán Hewitt (read as an ARC, expected publication April 15, 2025)

Pet by Akwaeki Emezi

To Shape a Dragon's Breath by Moniquill Blackgoose (dragon-obsessed teenaged me would've gone feral for this book)

Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin

The Spear Cuts Through Water by Simon Jimenez

The Ask and the Asnwer (sequel to The Knife of Never Letting Go which I read last year, also amazing) by Patrick Ness

[aziraphales-library]

Heya!

I've read a LOT of GO fics in my time, but I can't remember if I've seen crossovers/AUs of the following movies with Aziraphale/Crowley, can you help please?

So my favourite rom coms of all time are the following, and I'd love GO versions (if they don't exist I may have to write them)!

French Kiss (Meg Ryan and Kevin Kline)

You've Got Mail (Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks)

When Harry Met Sally (Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal)

Runaway Bride (Julia Roberts and Richard Gere)

Never Been Kissed (Drew Barrymore)

I won't bother asking about Pretty Woman because I've read so many versions with either of them in either role lmaooo (and I have loved Every. Single. One.)

Or basically any late 80s/early 90s rom coms with Meg Ryan (except Sleepless in Seattle because I find it incredibly boring) or Julia Roberts!

Thank you so much for everything you do! You've helped me discover so many amazing fics and writers and it is much appreciated!!! 💖💖😇😎

Hello there!

Did you know there is a whole collection from the Good Omens Rom-Com Event that was run a couple years ago? You might find what you're looking for there! (Some of the fics are unfinished so keep that in mind)

We have previously recommended a bunch of You've Got Mail/She Loves Me fics HERE, so check those out.

As for the other ones you've asked about:

French Kiss AU:

A Bit of Crumpet by Fyre [E]

With a handsome, successful fiance and a respectable home in Manhattan, Aziraphale Fell thought his life was more than adequate. He never expected to be jilted in a long-distance telephone call and so he sets out for England to find out exactly what's going on and gets a lot more than he bargained for.

When Harry Met Sally AU:

it had to be you by curtaincall [M]

“What I’m saying,” said Aziraphale, looking fixedly ahead, “and please don’t take this as a personal insult in any way, is that an angel and a demon can’t be friends.”

“Why not?”

“Because,” said Aziraphale, firmly. “It’s against the order of things. You’re supposed to tempt. I’m supposed to thwart. We can’t go being friends.”

*

A canon-divergent AU inspired by When Harry Met Sally.

I don't know of any fics with your two last wishes but there is also:

Notting Hill AU:

Soho by Lurlur [E]

Aziraphale lives a quiet kind of life, running a quiet specialist bookshop in one of the liveliest districts of London. He's content with his lot, happy with his friends, tolerant of his probably-human housemate, living vicariously through the gossip pages.

One day, a chance encounter with Anthony Crowley, lead singer of wildly successful rock band The Demons, threatens to turn his whole world upside down.

Music and Lyrics AU:

pop! goes my heart by attheborder [E], WIP

When has-been musician Anthony Crowley is recruited by pop singer Anathema Device to write a song for her new record, he jumps on the chance to resuscitate his career with a hit. There's only one problem: he can't write lyrics to save his life.

But a chance meeting with a stranger by the name of Aziraphale, with a poetic streak that's a perfect fit for the song, changes everything for Crowley. Together, they'll create something beautiful, fight the forces of the music industry, and perhaps even find a way back into love...

A Music and Lyrics AU for the GO Rom Com Event, complete with all-new original songs written and recorded by the author!

Kate & Leopold AU:

Until by Nadzieja [T]

“I don’t want to go home.” Half-asleep Aziraphale murmurs into his ear and Crowley's heart clenches. His grip tightens reflexively around the warm soft body in his arms, around the smell of old books and sandalwood.

“Then don’t.” He’s trying not to sound like he's pleading, but his throat is tight and his voice hoarse.

*

Crowley lives his average life, working in a high-end advertising company at London that pays just enough to get him a room in a shared accommodation. That's just his luck that he ends up living with a literal witch. One day she brings home an even more eccentric man that has a taste for 19th century fashion, as if Crowley didn't have enough things to worry about. Little he knows that the man will turn his world upside down. Literally. And that's just the beginning of his problems.

~Mod N