#mary kay andrews

[e-b-reads]

Books of the Month(s): Nov + Dec 2024

It's not that I was too busy with work (or even school) in November/early December to do a wrap-up; I was too busy reading. Now I've emerged a little from my self-imposed reading break (as in, a break from everything else to read) and can write about what I read and enjoyed!

(BTW this is how I managed to hit over 200 books this year, after all. No, I'm not sure how I read 34 books in December either. I swear I spent some time not reading.)

Emma (Jane Austen): Had the urge to reread, and I'm glad I did! Honestly I feel like Emma gets a little more flak than I personally feel she deserves (in, like, people's analyses, not in the text) for being interfering and wrong about people. She is interfering, obviously, but in a way, that's part of her skillset - she uses it all the time with her father (and presumably with servants as she runs her household). And she's mistaken sometimes, but so is everyone else when they're certain she's going to be heartbroken over Frank Churchill. Anyway. Also I really like how Knightley and Emma are friends first.

The Alpine Betrayal (Mary Daheim): OK so this series is part of how I managed to read so much at the end of last year. Emma Lord is the owner of a newspaper in Alpine, Washington (a small former logging town) in the 1990s - early 2000s. (The books are set when they were published - except the last few, published in the 2010s and all set in 2005.) She's also in her 40s and the mom of a college-aged (to start) son. This is an alphabetical series, as in The Alpine Betrayal is the 2nd book, and The Alpine Zen (which is not at my library!!) is the 26th and final book. I thought I'd read, like, the first handful, and then I just kept going. I still think I'll make a separate post about the whole series, so I'll just say I picked this book in particular because I think it shows you several things I liked about the series as a whole; it's set in a small town, but not a perfect cutesy one - loggers are out of work and mad about it, characters (including recurring and main ones) have a variety of realistic flaws. Not perfect books, I'll write more in the separate post if it ever materializes, but worth a look if you're interested in the subject and setting!

Every Crooked Nanny (Kathy Hogan Trochek/Mary Kay Andrews): This title is book 1 in a mystery series I picked up on the rebound from the Alpine series (it's much shorter), and it's another one that straddles the line nicely between cozy mystery (youngish woman running a business, fun recurring characters, consistent setting, though it's Atlanta rather than a small town) and something more realistic/gritty (the youngish woman is an ex-cop and PI running a house cleaning business, so the recurring characters are people like her chain-smoking mom/business partner and a variety of cleaning ladies of various ages, races, and socio-economic status; racism is acknowledged and sometimes argued about; there's just a general realistic, diverse cast of background characters including those in realistically shitty situations). If you know any other mystery books/series that hit that sweet spot, I'll take suggestions!

[princessofbookaholics]

hello, summer ☀️

[book-petals]

Review: The Homewreckers by Mary Kay Andrews

The Homewreckers is a breath of fresh air. Some genres are just like that, you find yourself reading some gritty thriller or high fantasy with so much detail you're left satisfied but also with mushy brain. You need something clean and fun to read after, this book is the remedy. It's a nice package; containing a sort of meet cute/enemies (sort of) to lovers, a little mystery and some fun twists, a loveable main character and a trope I've never read before (romcom is a genre I haven't really read a lot of before).

Likes: • A really cute and interesting trope. The setting of this book is in Georgia and the main character finds herself as the leading role in a predicted hit reality show about restoring and flipping homes. • This book doubles as a sort of romcom meets cozy mystery. Two great genres represented well here. • Not really a dull moment. The story had my attention from the first page. • A great story about grief and healing. Hattie has really been through it and within the timeline of this book we get to read about her healing and growing through the process. • The mystery storyline was really good. It could have been a book on it's own, but it felt like the best bonus to The Homewreckers.

Dislikes: • It felt like the characters in this book didn't really have depth. I wanted more emotion and thought with them but it was lacking where it could have been expanded. • Some aspects of the restoration process felt rushed and unrealistic. It was almost like there was a few magic wand moments. • I wasn't really happy with Hattie's romantic choice in the end. She didn't have to choose one or the other and I would have chosen neither, personally. But that also goes back to my first point in dislikes, maybe there was more thought in the author's mind about the characters than what I read.

Overall, I enjoyed The Homewreckers. Mainly for the fun storyline about restoring a home for a reality show and the cozy mystery side story was what made me rate this one higher than I would have without it. Sometimes I start a book blind, so I wasn't expecting it. 

My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

[jolieeason]

WWW Wednesday: May 8th, 2024

WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme Sam hosts at Taking on a World of Words. The Three Ws are: What are you currently reading? What did you recently finish reading? What do you think you’ll read next? Here is what I am currently reading, recently finished, and plan to read from Thursday to Wednesday. Let me know if you have read or are planning on reading any of these books!! Happy…

[thatwritererinoriordan]

[airplanes924]

Books I've Read in 2023

Number 63

Bright Lights, Big Christmas by Mary Kay Andrews

[bargainsleuthbooks]

#ARCReview Bright Lights, Big Christmas by Mary Kay Andrews #NetGalley #NewBooks #ChristmasBooks #ChickLit #ContemporaryFiction #StMartinsPress #September2023Books #BookReview

Happy #PublicationDay to #BRightLightsBigChristmas by #MaryKayAndrews! This book was all that I needed to get me out of a reading rut, such a good feel-good story. #NewBooks #StMartinsPress #BookReview #NetGalley #ARCReview #ChickLit #ContemporaryFiction

When fall rolls around, it’s time for Kerry Tolliver to leave her family’s Christmas tree farm in the mountains of North Carolina for the wilds of New York City to help her gruff older brother & his dog, Queenie, sell the trees at the family stand on a corner in Greenwich Village. Sharing a tiny vintage camper and experiencing Manhattan for the first time, Kerry’s ready to try to carve out a new…

[jhsharman]

Critic's Award

It does strike me as important to the story -- where the Avon or Mary Kay stand-in brand lady is caking make-up onto Veronica's face -- that the blue eye shadow should be present in reproduction.

Maybe they can't go the full pink for a (Mary Kay) Mavis van, but it can't be gray.

I don't know if I would want to swim in purple swimming pool water.

[the-bi-library]

As bisexual visibility month approaches us, I wanted to highlight a few bi books we don't see people talking about much and give people some recs for bi books to read!

Books listed:

Fall Into You by Georgina Kiersten

Splinter by Jasper Hyde

Spring on the Peninsula by Ery Shin

When Tara Met Farah by Tara Pammi

Forever Is Now by Mariama J. Lockington

More to Love by Georgina Kiersten

When the Stars Alight by Camilla Andrew

Lulu Sinagtala and the City of Noble Warriors by Gail D. Villanueva

No Two Ways by Chi Yu

Exposing Lesser Demons by K.N. Robertson

Wolfpack by Rem Wigmore

A Dance of Water and Air by Antonia Aquilante

Hugged by Verity Ritchie

Where Willows Weep by Luna Fiore

Fake it by Lily Seabrooke

Small Gods of Calamity by Sam Kyung Yoo

Beyond Repair by Catherine Stein

Baptism of Fire by Jessie Thomas

Poisoned Primrose by Dahlia Donovan

Birthright by M.A. Vice

A Masc for Purim by Roz Alexander

Your Driver is Waiting by Priya Guns

Errant by L.K. Fleet

Loser of the Year by Carrie Byrd

Fortune Favors the Dead by Stephen Spotswood

Monstersona by Chloe Spencer

Scoring a Spouse by Liz Lincoln

Tengoku by Rae D. Magdon

Leaving's Not the Only Way to Go by Kay Acker

Speech and Debacles by Heather DiAngelis

Things I'll Never Say by Cassandra Newbould

Chameleon Moon by RoAnna Sylver

Allure by CEON

To Beg or Not to Beg by Cat Giraldo

Shadows Dark and Deadly by Andrea Marie Johnson

Ride with Me by Jenna Jarvis

Dearly Departed by Heather Novak

Swift and Sudden Exit by Nico Vincenty

Wishing on Winter by Brenna Bailey

Crystrals and Contracts by A. A. Fairview

Tomb of Heart and Shadow by Cara N. Delaney

False Hearts and Broken Frets by Elle Bennett

The Blood Born Dragon by J. C. Rycroft

An Act of Devotion by A. M. Leibowitz

Biting down by Torrance Sené

[corrupted-angels]

you a new alter? or an alter who wants a new name / pronouns? or just in general want to choose a new name? here are some ideas (all shoudl be open origin)

Masc Names: Arnie, Romeo, Atlas, Grayson(or greyson) Oscar, Malcolm, Francis, Luke, Lucas, Luca, Jimmy, Timothy, Timmy, Toby, Tobias, Jeff, Aaron, Adrian, Albert, Andrew, Bandit, Charlie, Chase, William, Chuck, Elliot, Finn, Glen, Gregory, Henry, Leon, Lewis, Mark, Matt, Max, Miles, Nash, Owen, Peter, Rodger, Roman, Roy, Ryder, Tucker, Tyler, dick, Diego, David,

Neutral names: Alex, AJ, August(yn), Blake, Blue, Forest, Frankie, Jackie, Jax, Eddie, Kelly, Logan, Milo, Rowan, Sam, Skylar, Hunter, Bailey, Dakota, Remy, Cameron, Sawyer, Fig, Flynn, Kai, Paige, Ashley, Jammie, Piper,

Female names: Abby/Abigail, Alice, Anna, Angel, Angelica, April, Avery, Claire, Coraline, Connie, Darcy, Destiny, Dorothy, Ellie, Gigi, Gina, Ivy, Jenny, Kate, Lilly/Lily, Lucy, Luna, Matilda, May, Meg, Mikaela, Poppy, Roxanne, Sabrina, Sally, Skyla, Stacy(Stacey), Mary, Lana

List of pronouns(including neos): He/him, She/her, They/them, Xe/xem, no pronouns (name/name[self]), ve/vir, mur/murs (cant have a binary gender to use, completely nongendered, kit/kits, pup/pups, vamp/vamps, mew/mews, purr/purrs, bun/buns, woof/woofs, cloud/clouds, rain/rains, bo/bots, pix/pixel, cor/corpse, gore/gores, gut/guts, boo/boos, Astro/astros, 🪶/🪶s, 🕊️/🕊️s, 🐿️/🐿️s, 🐾/🐾s, 🌈/🌈s, 💧/💧s, 🪦/🪦s, 🦴/🦴s

[darklinaforever]

Here is the first list of ships that may most likely interest you if you are a fan of Darklina ! Essentially it's about enemies to lover, or a dynamic reminiscent of Beauty and the Beast !

▪︎ Merlin & Morgana. (Mergana) | Show, Merlin BBC. [Tragical Ending]

▪︎ Halbrand / Sauron & Galadriel. (Haladriel / Saurondriel) | Show, The Rings of Power. [In progress]

▪︎ Rey & Kylo Ren / Ben Solo. (Reylo) | Star Wars, postlogy.

▪︎ Osha & Qimir. (Oshamir) | Star Wars Show, The Acolyte.

▪︎ Dracula & Mina. (Dracmina) | Movie, Dracula 1992. [Tragical Ending]

▪︎ Sarah & Jareth. (Sareth) | Movie, Labyrinth 1986. [Open Ending ?]

▪︎ Dongfang Qingcang & Xiao Lanhua / Orchid. | CDrama, Love Between Fairy and Devil. [Happy Ending]

▪︎ Xiang Liu & Xiao Yao. | CDrama, Lost You Forever. / Book, by Tong Hua. [Tragical Ending]

▪︎ Tantai Jin & Li Susu. | CDrama, Till the End of the Moon. [Open Ending] / Black Moonlight is Guaranteed a Bad Ending Script, by Teng Luo Wei Ji. [Happy Ending]

▪︎ Erik & Christine. (Erikstine) | Le fantôme de l'opéra, by Gaston Leroux. / Phantom, by Susan Kay. / The Phantom of the Opera, 25th anniversary, at the Royal Albert Hall, by Andrew Lloyd Webber. [Tragical Ending]

▪︎ Raistlin & Crysania. | Trilogy, The Legends, from Dragonlance universe, by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman. / Musicals. [Tragical ending]

▪︎ Warner & Juliette. (Warnette) | Book series, Shatter Me, by Tahereh Mafi. [Happy Ending]

▪︎ Julian & Jenny. | Trilogy, Forbidden game, by L.J Smith. [Tragical ending / Open Ending]

▪︎ Addie & Luc. | Book, The Invisible life of Addie Larue, by V. E. Schwab. [Open Ending]

▪︎ Vasya & Morozko. | Winternight trilogy, by Katherine Arden. [Happy Ending]

▪︎ Marya Morevna & Koschei. | Book, Deathless, by Catherynne M. Valente. [Open Ending]

▪︎ Kasta & Zahru. (Kastaru) | Trilogy, The Kinder Poison, by Natalie Mae. [Happy Ending]

▪︎ Jude & Cardan. (Jurdan) | Trilogy, Folk of the Air, by Holly Black. [Happy Ending]

▪︎ Corien & Rielle. (Corielle) | The Empirium trilogy, by Claire Legrand. [Tragical ending]

▪︎ Ruhn & Lidia. (Ruhnlidia / Daynight) | Trilogy, Crescent City, by Sarah J. Mass. [Happy Ending]

▪︎ Feyre & Rhysand. (Feysand) | Book series, ACOTAR, by Sarah J. Maas. [Happy Ending / In progress]

▪︎ Elain & Azriel. (Elriel) | Book series, ACOTAR, by Sarah J. Maas. [In progress]

▪︎ Emilia & Dorian. | French book series, Vila Emilia, by Elodie Faiderbe. [Happy Ending]

▪︎ Laila & Darius. | Trilogy, When the Stars Alight, by Camilla Andrew. [In progress]

▪︎ Jane Eyre & Mr Rochester. | Book, Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronté. / Show BBC, 2006. / Movie, 2011. [Happy Ending]

▪︎ Will & James. | Trilogy, Dark Rise, by C.S. Pacat. [In progress]

▪︎ Laurent & Damen. (Lamen) | Trilogy, Captive Prince, by C.S. Pacat. [Happy Ending]

▪︎ Evangeline & Jacks. (Evajacks) | Trilogy, Once Upon a Broken Heart, by Stephanie Garber. [Happy Ending]

▪︎ Agnieszka & Sarkan. | Book, Uprooted, by Naomi Novik. [Happy Ending]

▪︎ Auren & Rip / Slade. | Book series, The Plated Prisoner, by Raven Kennedy. [In progress]

▪︎ Ash & Mary-Lynnette. | Book series, Night World, volume 2 : Daughters of Darkness, by L.J Smith. [Hapoy Ending / In progress]

▪︎ Hades & Persephone. (Persades) | Webtoon, Lore Olympus, de Rachel Smythe. [In progress] / Greek mythology.

▪︎ Xibalba & La Muerte. (Xibamuerte) | Animation movie, The Book of Life. [Happy Ending]

▪︎ Beauty and the Beast. | Fairy Tale. / Animation Movie Disney. / Movie, Jean Cocteau 1946. / Show, Once Upon a Time. [Happy Ending]

▪︎ Chise & Elias. | Anime, Mahou Tsukai no Yome, 2017. / Manga, The Ancient Magus Bride, by Kore Yamazaki. [In progress]

[knightfighttourney]

Kay:

1- No propaganda submitted, but I will point out his wide array of superpowers and that time he threw a jester into a fire, which is cunty in your humble tournament announcer's opinion

Mordred:

1-

killing your father, commiting treason, inciting a rebellion is inherently sexy and serves MAJOR cunt. and of course he's iconic for that one h.j ford illustration where he's leaning over his sword. plus, he's haunted. he's very luciferian, adjacent to that to a lucifer from paradise lost (their parallels are near 1:1, mary stewart also compares him to lucifer in the wicked day) he's also mentioned in dante's inferno in the 9th circle of hell in cocytus frozen in a lake for treason and betrayal against kin. so i very much argue that mordred is an antihero in the same vein

also this vulgate passage. enough said. he is so fucking sexy

"you're a man without compassion and without kindness, for just as the dragon is gentle when it starts to fly, so is it with you. at the beginning of your career as a knight, you were not too wicked, but kind and compassionate; henceforth you will be a real dragon, doing nothing but evil and killing all the men you can. what can i tell you? in one day you will do more harm than your kin have done good in all their existence. and i myself who am so old and should never have died a violent death, i will feel your cruelty, for you will slay me with your own hand"

he's also got the tragic backstory in post vulgate aka the may day massacre where arthur tries to kill him alongside other mayday babies in a boat but MORDRED is the lone survivor AND lives up to his prophecy in killing arthur. he is literally the embodiment of sin, the son who carries and represents the sins of the father, and is the father's consequence. mordred is a living consequence of arthur's sins. he's committed a lot of crimes and is commonly a villain yes but like i said he's got a lot of qualities to be a luciferian antihero and to be very very morally grey, there's multiple depictions of him that depict him as nuanced and idealistic and burdened by fate. his name is synonymous to rebellion. that is serving cunt. being against the status quo is cunt. see henry newbolt's mordred a tragedy where he says i quote "what then? to tyrant's ears, truth may be treason."

see mordred's song by blind guardian as well for themes dealing with being burdened by fate and destiny, he did not ask to carry his father's sins, he did not ask to be born. yet he carries them anyway.

"i never wanted what they told me to be, fulfill my fate and then i'll be free, god knows how long i tried to change my fate."

++++ norris j. lacy's mordred manuscript where he says "they made me what i am and blamed me."

sorry this is super long but mordred is the guy who serves THE most cunt of all arthuriana its not even a question its a no brainer.

Long live King Mordred!

mordred from mordred, a tragedy by henry newbolt

SAY IT LOUDER.

WHAT IS TREASON MUTTERED MY ONE MOUTH, EARNS ANOTHER NAME WHEN MANY SHOUT IT.

tis called rebellion.

I CARE NOT IF IT WERE. SINCE TIME BEGAN FREEDOM HATH BEEN REBELLION.

imagine your name being synonymous with rebellion and treason. THAT is the epitome of serving cunt. MORDRED'S MESSAGE IS SOMETHING WE NEED MORE THAN EVER. FUCK THE STATUS QUO.

KILLING THE KING LITERALLY APOINTED BY GOD, THE VERY IMAGE OF AUTHORITY <- SERVING CUNT

mordred being likened to lucifer, referencing his war in heaven against god, in mary stewart's the wicked day

vulgate lancelot, part vi

https://www.youtube( . )com/watch?v=7ZEqMqBLOOI&pp=ygUXZXhjYWxpYnVyIG1vcmRyZWQgZGVhdGg%3D (remove the spaces parentheses)

mordred in excalibur 1981, his iconic death "Come father, let us embrace at last"

the ever iconic image of mordred, illustrated by h.j ford for the book of romance by andrew lang

mordred and arthur killing each other in vulgate death of arthur

++++

the ray of sunlight in the wound is also mentioned in dante's inferno in canto XXXII, where mordred is in the 9th circle of hell. he's submerged in a frozen lake in caina, for treachery towards kin.

also just want to say that may day massacre in post vulgate is a direct parallel/reference to king herod's slaughter of the innocents wherein he tries to kill the infant jesus.

^ screenshot from wikipedia.

mordred having direct parallels with not only lucifer for his rebellion and war in heaven, but also jesus? as some fucked up antichrist? THAT is serving cunt.

BONUS:

mordred in the russian connecticut yankee film

[otakusparkle]

Identity V x Sapporo Snow Festival 2025

Emma and her friends are also competing in a snowball fight! They're making snowballs with all kinds of ideas!

...When you're playing, make sure you're mindful of your surroundings and don't cause a nuisance❄️

The Sapporo Snow Festival, where the merchandise and snow sculptures are a big hit, is running until February 11th!

Let's enjoy the Hokkaido Snow Festival with Emma and her friends♪

(Read from Left to Right)

Luca : "This is my latest invention, the automatic snowball maker!"

Norton : "When this game is over, buy me lunch 'kay"

Emma : "Hey! That's unfair! Emma and the others made snowballs by themselves!!"

Andrew : "You're just throwing it! I'll dig by hand!"

Mary : "A snowball fight sounds fun, don't you think?"

Alva : "I'm not a child anymore, so I'll be careful not to hurt myself or cause trouble to oth-"

(*SPLASH*) -> Alva accidentally being thrown by a snowball

Luca : "NOOOOOOOO!!! DON'T DESTROY MY INVENTION!!!"

Emma : "YAAAAYY!!! It’s a victory for Emma and the others!!"

Norton : "Haa... I'm hungry. Finally, I can get some free food."

Andrew : "Did you get all of that...!?"

_____________________________________________

Note :

- What Norton holding is a bunch of food stall coupons where he can redeem food for free (Only for festival participants)

[queer-ragnelle]

Best of Bedivere/Bedwyr and/or Dame Ragnelle?

Hi!

Firstly here’s my Loathly Lady Master Post which covers all Ragnelle media and more!

Secondly, I’m only going to recommend media that utilizes Bedwyr/Bedivere as an independent/separate entity from Lancelot. No Bedwyr/Lancelot hybrids: I’m excluding the works of Rosemary Sutcliff, Mary Stewart, Gillian Bradshaw, and Joan Wolf.

With that in mind, here’s all the Bedi media I recommend!

Medieval

Cullhwch and Olwen

An obvious banger. Bedwyr is missing a hand, but can make three spear thrusts faster than anyone else. He is repeatedly referred to as Cai's "companion."

The History of the Kings of Britain by Geoffrey of Monmouth

Bedevere helps Caius & Arthur kill the giant of Mont St Michael. After Bedevere is slain in battle, Caius suffers a mortal wound while retrieving his body from the field.

The Vulgate

Bedivere is mostly present in early Vulgate & then again in Post Vulgate. Lots of scenes repeated from the previous stories like fighting the giant of Mont St Michael & war in Rome.

Le Morte d'Arthur by Sir Thomas Malory

Bedivere present throughout the story but most iconicly, it was Malory who depicted Bedivere as Arthur's last knight & the one to throw Excalibur back into the lake.

Retellings

The Story of The Grail and The Passing of Arthur by Howard Pyle (1910)

Howard Pyle's series is near & dear to me, highly recommend. The illustrations are great, although there isn't one of Bedi throwing the sword back into the lake. Sad.

Merlin by Edwin Arlington Robinson

A small role, but Bedivere is introduced as "a man whom Arthur loved, As he had loved no man save Lancelot."

Arthur the Bear of Britain by Edward Frankland (1944)

Bedwyr is Arthur's kinsman, described as "that black hairy man with charms in his ears." He has a close friendship with Kai & is the last champion standing.

The Eagles Have Flown by Henry Treece (1954)

The Great Captains by Henry Treece (1956)

The Green Man by Henry Treece (1966)

Treece wrote the same story three different ways, with Kai & Bedwyr as Arthur's closest companions, & Medraut as the wedge between them. Each book stands on its own as a complete story. The Eagles Have Flown is an illustrated chapter book for a younger audience so it has less of the darker themes the other two contain (such as incest & torture).

The Queen’s Knight by Marvin Borowsky (1955)

Bedivere is referred to by Launcelot as his "sweet friend." He's constable of Camelot. Although Lucan is the point of view character, he doesn't seem to be the brother of Bedivere here. Bedivere is a skilled knight who wins honor at the tournament early in the novel. He's most prominent in the last quarter or so where he helps battle against Mordred, preceding Arthur is death.

The Pendragon by Catherine Christian (1979)

Let me preface this by saying that I haven't read the book yet. But it is the story of Arthur's life from the perspective of Bedivere, & right from the first page of the frame story with old man Bedivere, he says he resides near Arthur's burial place "to die like an old dog, close by my master's grave." Sick & twisted concept, Catherine!

The Legend of King Arthur novelization by Andrew Davies (1979)

Novel based on the amazing show & written by the same person. As with the show, Bedivere comes in clutch at the end to rescue Guinevere from Mordred, then throw Arthur's sword back to the Lady of the Lake. There's an illustration of him at the top of the chapter!

The Quest for Olwen by Gwyn Thomas, Kevin Crossley-Holland, & Margaret Jones (1988)

Illustrated picture book of Culhwch & Olwen, two page spread of Cai & Bedwyr riding the giant salmon to rescue Mabon.

The Night Dance by Suzanne Weyn (2005)

Bedivere is the main love interest of this book. It opens with his final touching farewell to Arthur.

For Camelot's Honor by Sarah Zettel (2005)

This is a Geraint/Enid romance. But Bedivere is prominent here, described as, "The senior among them was called Bedivere. Some adventure or accident had taken his right hand above the wrist, but he accepted the cup neatly with the one that remained to him. While his hair and beard had gone winter-grey, his brown eyes were still keen, taking in every detail of their hall. His back and shoulders were both broad and straight. He was said to be one of Arthur’s ten champions, who were his high council."

Bedivere: The King’s Right Hand by Wayne Wise (2011)

Bedivere is Arthur's childhood friend. A certified horsegirl. His father was Bedwyr, the last man to see Uther Pendragon alive. Bedivere is very much in love with Arthur & follows him around like a puppy. Lucan is his elder brother who is trained by Ector for more administrative tasks. Kay is older than Arthur & Bedivere, & takes full advantage of that, but it generally a good dude. Didn't care for the Arthur/Morgan romance but all the other young characters were great. They included Lancelot, Guinevere, Gawain, Agravaine, Owain, & Tristan.

The Bright Sword by Lev Grossman (2024) [review]

Bedivere is one of the main point of view characters. Born without his hand, he has always felt less-than & incomplete. He accompanies his family to the joust in the big city where Arthur pulls the sword from the stone. Thus begins Bedivere's life long devotion to him & unrequited love story. Overall I really enjoyed the character but the end of the book & resolution to Bedivere's character arc sucked.

Movies

Knights of the Round Table (1953)

Bedivere's role here is minor, but he's the first knight shown traveling with Arthur & Merlin. He wears white/red floral tabard it's cute. He pops in & out of the story throughout & remains loyal to Arthur to the end, although it's Lancelot who throws Excalibur into the sea.

Sword of Lancelot (1963)

Bedivere is among the knights of the Round Table right from the opening scene, alongside Kay, Lancelot, Gawain, Dagonet, Mordred, Lamorak, Tor, Merlin, & Arthur. He is Arthur's advisor, & stays home during the war with Arthur. He is the first to tend to Gareth after he's stabbed by Lancelot on his way out of the castle, & shown calming Gawain during his outbursts after in the resulting war.

Monty Python and The Holy Grail (1975)

Bedivere is introduced as he presides over a witch trial, which is really just a girl with a carrot strapped to her face.

Culhwch ac Olwen (1990)

Bedivere is chosen by Arthur, along with Kai, to accompany Culhwch on his quest. The animation style is almost like paper puppets, very cool. It's entirely in Welsh without English subtitles.

Morte d'Arthur (1984)

Bedivere fulfills his exact role as it happens in Le Morte d'Arthur by Sir Thomas Malory.

King Arthur: Excalibur Rising (2017)

Bedivere is shown throughout the introduction battling at Camlann alongside Arthur, Merlin, & Kay. He then throws Excalibur back to the lake. 20 years later, Arthur's bastard son Owain has grown up. Bedivere is shown caring for an ailing Kay. Bedivere runs into some bandits on the street & is captured, where he eventually runs into Owain, likewise captured. He explains to him he is Arthur's son & heir. This movie is not good. But BediKay is in it. That's the review.

Arthur & Merlin: Knights of Camelot (2020)

Bedivere & Lucan are introduced in Camelot at table with Mordred, who has usurped the throne whilst Arthur is away in Rome. Bedivere is openly opposed to Mordred's rule, but manages to keep away from his ire long enough to escape with Lucan & contact Arthur. They meet Arthur & his men, including Tristan & Lancelot, at the border with fresh horses. Bedivere is present for the final battle that challenges Mordred's men & reclaims the throne for Arthur. He's last seen chanting "Hail! Hail King Arthur!"

Kaamelott First Installment (2021)

Bedivere is introduced at Bors & Lionel's impromptu Round Table meeting at Gaunes. He is the elder brother of Lucan & his cousin Griflet, who are both children also seated at the table with him. Their presence is brief but I hope they are more prominent in the sequel!

TV Shows

The Adventures of Sir Galahad (1949)

Bedivere pops in for several episodes as one of Arthur's support knights, along with Gawain.

BBC The Legend of King Arthur (1979)

Bedivere is a young knight introduced near the end of the series with his cousin, Girflet. They act as secret messengers between Guinevere & Arthur after Mordred has usurped the throne & holds Guinevere hostage. At the end, Bedivere throws Excalibur back to the Lady of the Lake, & helps Arthur into the barge to ride for Avalon.

[libraryleopard]

Some books I would personally recommend for the Trans Rights Readathon (sorry I don't have time for in-depth descriptions)

Transmasc/trans man rep

Hell Followed With Us by Andrew Joseph White

Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas

Viscera by Gabrielle Squailia

The Thirty Names of Night by Zeyn Joukhadar

When the Moon Was Ours by Anna-Marie McLemore

Some Strange Music Draws Me In by Griffin Hansbury

Idlewild by James Frankie Thomas

Caroline’s Heart by Austin Chant

Too Bright to See by Kyle Lukoff

How to Get Over the End of the World by Hal Schrieve

The Chromatic Fantasy by H.A.

The House That Whispers by Lin Thompson

The Wicked Bargain by Gabe Cole Novoa

Always the Almost by Edward Underhill

A Trans Man Walks Into a Gay Bar by Harry Nicholas

The Sunbearer Trials by Aiden Thomas

A Shot in the Dark by Victoria Lee

Transfemme/trans woman rep

Cheer Up: Love and Pom Poms by Crystal Frasier and Val Wise

For the Love of April French by Penny Wise

Fierce Femmes and Notorious Liars by Kai Cheng Thom

Nevada by Imogen Binnie

Little Fish by Casey Plett

Girlmode by Magdalene Visaggio and Paulina Ganucheau

It Gets Better…Except When It Gets Worse (And Other Unsolicited Truths I Wish Someone Had Told Me) by Nicole Maines

Wild Geese by Soula Emmanuel

kitten by Olive Nuttall

Bang Bang Bodhisattva by Aubrey Wood

A Short History of Trans Misogyny by Jules Gill-Peterson

Miss Major Speaks: Conversations with a Black Trans Revolutionary by Toshio Meronek and Miss Major

The Sapling Cage by Margaret Killjoy

Boys Weekend by Mattie Lubchansky

Bad Habit by Alana S. Portero

Tar Hollow Trans by Stacy Jane Grover

Little Blue Encyclopedia (For Vivian) by Hazel Jane Plante

A Safe Girl to Love by Casey Plett

Bellies by Nicola Dinan

Real Queer America: LGBT Stories From Red States by Samantha Allen

Wrath Goddess Sing by Maya Deane

Bad Girls by Camila Sosa Villada

The Call-Out by Cat Fitzpatrick

OKPsyche by Anya Johanna DeNiro

Nonbinary, Agender, Genderqueer, and Other Gender Expansive Rep

Pantomime by L.R. Lam

Out of Salem by Hal Schrieve

Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender

The Heartbreak Bakery by A.R. Capetta

Fine: A Comic About Gender by Rhea Ewing

The Palace of Eros by Caro de Robertis

Sing Anyway by Anita Kelly

The Salt Grows Heavy by Cassandra Khaw

Dragonfall by L.R. Lam

Something to be Proud Of by Anna Zoe Quirke

Really Cute People by Markus Harwood-Jones

Homebody by Theo Parish

Model Home by Rivers Solomon

How Far Light Reaches by Sabrina Imbler

She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan

Sir Callie and the Champions of Helston by Esme Symes-Smith

Manywhere: Stories by Morgan Thomas

Bianca Torre is Afraid of Everything by Justine Pucella Winans

When the Angels Left the Old Country by Sacha Lamb

Deephaven by Ethan M. Aldridge

Beating Heart Baby by Lio Min

Intersectional Trans+ Rep Outside Your Own Experience (obviously depends on your own experience but here are some intersectional books in general)

Hell Followed With Us by Andrew Joseph White

Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas

The Thirty Names of Night by Zeyn Joukhadar

The Wicked Bargain by Gabe Cole Novoa

The Sunbearer Trials by Aiden Thomas

Fierce Femmes and Notorious Liars by Kai Cheng Thom

Bellies by Nicola Dinan

Miss Major Speaks

Bad Girls by Camila Sosa Villada

Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender

Something to be Proud of by Anna Zoe Quirke

Model Home by Rivers Solomon

How Far Light Reaches by Sabrina Imbler

She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan

Beating Heart Baby by Lio Min

When the Angels Left the Old Country by Sacha Lamb

2Spirit, Indigiqueer and Indigenous Gender Expansive Rep

Hammajang Luck by Makana Yamamoto

The Flicker by H.E. Edgmon

(I will have to do some more readings in this last section, clearly!)

[stabbyfoxandrew]

Rather predictably… met roadtrip please?

- @aftgphoenix

WIP Wednesday (1/22) | Mer Roadtrip AU (Part 106)

They stand there staring at each other for a couple of minutes, both utterly still. But Neil’s mind is racing with possibilities. This might just be the part where he throws Andrew under the bus. He was hoping he’d be able to rely on Andrew a while longer. Just a couple of days and— Fuck, what a waste of money! Neil supposes he could use Andrew’s clothes though. They’d be big on him but still wearable. That is, if he’s able to get out of here— 

Angela clears her throat suddenly, breaking the tension and the silence. Neil jolts like he’s been shot and she holds up both hands as if placating a startled animal. 

"Not sure what's going on with you boys, but it's done." She says, passing him a familiar card. Neil takes it from her and it's perfect, hot off the press. Neil taps it against the back of his hand and shoves it into his wallet. "Anything else or are you two going to be here for a while?"

Neil opens his mouth to answer, but he hasn't got one. If Lola and Romero are just outside...

"We aren't sure yet." Andrew says. "There are bad guys outside who want to hurt Neil. We are trying to figure out how to avoid that."

"Oh...kay. Cool, cool. That's great. I'm Angela by the way."

"I'm Joe." Andrew says, cool as a cucumber. Neil turns a bewildered look on him but Andrew doesn’t give him the time of day.

"Nice to meet you." Angela says with a smile. "So... Do these bad guys have guns...?"

"Yep."

"Oh great."

For several minutes, Neil tries to brainstorm ways of escape. But there's not a fire alarm in this room, there's no weapons, there's no Mary Hatford telling him what to do. He's almost content to live out the rest of his days in this shitty office when Andrew clears his throat.

"What about those?" Andrew pipes up, gesturing towards a rack of cheap wedding gowns and tuxedos on the back wall. Neil blinks and Andrew rolls his eyes. "I said I wasn't going to wear the long white dress, but you could. You put one of those on with a veil, we pretend we're just married, and get out of here before they figure it out. It worked for Bugs Bunny."

After a long moment of staring at Andrew like he's an idiot, Neil changes his mind and decides Andrew is a genius. So he offers Angela fifty bucks for a dress and she tells him to take his pick. He grabs the one with sleeves that looks easiest to put on and Andrew throws it over his head. Neil pulls it the rest of the way into place and Angela, apparently now involved and invested in his survival, does up the buttons on the back.