#monstress vibes

[princesskenny1998]

Big Mouth | Judd Birch x CheerCaptain!reader ~ Project

After class on Tuesday, your biology teacher dropped the bombshell: you and Judd Birch were partnered up for the sex education project. The moment his name was called alongside yours, you felt a strange mix of excitement and dread. You’d heard plenty about Judd – the brooding loner, always lurking in the background with his leather jacket and mysterious aura. Judging by his indifferent glance in your direction, he probably thought you were just the stereotypical cheer captain: popular, preppy, and frankly, boring.

But this wasn’t a choice you could dodge. And, if you were being honest with yourself, there was a curiosity there. Something about Judd’s dark, detached vibe intrigued you, even if he did give off the impression he couldn’t care less about... well, anything.

As you walked out of class together, you turned to him and forced a friendly smile. “So, we should probably figure out a time to get started on this project.”

Judd shrugged, barely making eye contact. “Whenever. Not really my thing.”

“Sex ed isn’t really anyone’s thing,” you shot back, a little exasperated. “But we’ve got to pass this, right?”

He snorted, like it was an inside joke only he understood. “Fine. When and where?”

You considered your options. “How about my place tomorrow after school?”

Judd didn’t look thrilled but shrugged. “Alright. See you then.”

The next afternoon, you waited in your room, trying to get over the nerves fluttering in your stomach. Your hormone monstress was thrilled – Judd Birch, in your room, working on a topic that had her cackling in delight.

When the doorbell rang, you composed yourself and headed down to let him in. Judd stood there in his usual attire: dark jeans, a band tee, and a leather jacket. He looked around your house with a mix of disinterest and mild surprise.

“Come on up,” you said, gesturing toward the stairs.

You were fully aware of the contrast between your outward appearance – all polished and put-together – and your bedroom, which was a haven of your hidden tastes. Posters of Korn, Nirvana, and other alternative bands lined the walls, and your shelves were packed with well-worn albums and a collection of eclectic books.

The moment Judd stepped into your room, you noticed his eyebrows raise ever so slightly as he took in the posters. He seemed taken aback, a glimmer of interest finally breaking through his usual indifference.

“Korn? Didn’t expect that,” he said, his gaze flicking over to you with a hint of approval.

You felt a surge of satisfaction. “People don’t expect a lot of things about me,” you replied, smiling a little too confidently.

He gave a low chuckle, almost to himself. “Guess not.”

The two of you settled down to work on the project, spreading out your textbooks and notes. But the awkwardness lingered in the air, intensified by the topic. You could practically hear your hormone monstress shrieking with delight every time you said words like intimacy or sex, while Judd’s deadpan expression only made things more uncomfortable.

At one point, you caught Judd rolling his eyes. “I think they make us do this just to torture us.”

You laughed, and to your surprise, he smiled back. “Probably. They can’t get enough of seeing us squirm.”

Finally, after about an hour of stilted conversation, awkward explanations, and several breaks where you both complained about how ridiculous the assignment was, you threw your pen down with a sigh. “This is hopeless.”

“Tell me about it,” Judd muttered, stretching and letting his eyes wander around your room again, as if looking for something to distract him.

An idea seemed to come over him. His gaze sharpened a bit, and his mouth quirked into a smirk. “You know, we could make this more interesting.”

Your heart skipped a beat as he leaned back, eyeing you with that familiar detached but intense stare.

"Interesting and sex education? How?” you asked, trying to keep your tone casual even as your stomach did a little flip.

“Definitely,” he replied, barely suppressing a grin. “How about... making out?”

Your hormone monstress practically cheered, her voice echoing in your room, "Oh, honey, YES. Take him up on that! Let’s see where this goes!"

And, well, you didn’t need much convincing.

“Sure,” you replied, trying to keep your voice steady. You had to keep up the cool-girl act, after all.

Judd raised an eyebrow, like he hadn’t expected you to actually say yes. But he quickly recovered, leaning over and brushing a hand through his dyed hair, his fingers lingering just above your shoulder as he took a breath, like he was trying to decide where to start.

And then his hand reached out, tilting your chin up slightly, his face inching closer until you could feel his breath against your skin. When his lips met yours, there was none of the gentle, hesitant build-up you might have expected from someone else. Judd kissed you with surprising intensity, his grip on your jaw firm as he pulled you in closer.

Your heart raced, your mind going hazy as you melted into the kiss, matching his intensity. The roughness, the way he didn’t hesitate – it made your pulse pound with a mix of excitement and nerves.

His hands slid down to your waist, pulling you on his lap, and you tangled your fingers in his hair, letting yourself get lost in the moment. You could feel the edges of a smirk on his lips as he noticed you leaning into him, and the thrill of it all only grew.

After what felt like an eternity – or maybe just a few minutes, though you’d lost all track of time – you both pulled back, breathless. Judd leaned back, looking as unruffled as ever, though there was a hint of satisfaction in his expression.

“Well,” he said, his voice low, “that definitely beats desk research.”

You laughed, feeling a blush rise to your cheeks. “Agreed.”

There was a comfortable silence between you, though your mind was still reeling. You’d just made out with Judd Birch, the boy you’d only thought about in fleeting glances, the boy you’d never guessed would even look at you twice.

But here he was, smirking and staring at you like he’d found something more interesting than anything in that biology textbook.

Just then, your phone buzzed, snapping you out of the daze. It was a reminder for dinner with your family.

“I guess we should wrap this up,” you said reluctantly, glancing at the unfinished notes on your bed.

Judd shrugged, a smirk still playing on his lips. “Yeah, we should.”

You walked him to the door, a newfound, awkward silence hanging between you – but this time, it wasn’t the kind of awkwardness that made you cringe. It was something else entirely, something almost... exciting.

“Same time tomorrow?” you asked, trying to sound casual.

“Sure,” Judd replied, and there was a gleam in his eye that made your heart race.

As he walked out of your house, your hormone monstress let out a triumphant laugh. “That’s my girl! Now we’re talking!”

And as you closed the door, you couldn’t help but grin, your mind already racing with thoughts of what tomorrow might bring.

[zahri-melitor]

New(ish) Comics:

Batman #147: I already went on about this but I have to point back to Bruce's conversation with Barry here. This is what the entire storyline is about. (also all the Batman-Justice League robots are so extremely Dark Nights Metal coded I've got to say)

I will get to #148 later.

Birds of Prey #9: ...is the implication here that Zealot and Ollie have been sleeping together? Does Dinah know? Does this mean there is the possibility of Dinah sleeping with other people? This is clearly the most important part of this issue. Edit: Apparently it's Cole Cash/Grifter, not Ollie. I am suffering from blond dude with beard assumptions. (and Dinah sleeping with people not Ollie assumptions, given the exciting panel right at the start that I thought was Babs and Dinah landing on top of each other and having hands in unmentionable places. Sadly this did not pan out)

Okay that said, Megaera popping out to talk to people using Sin's HAIR is the most Zinn-from-Monstress coded thing yet, and I've been getting the Zinn vibes for a while. Love the snark though.

Loved the Danny the Street shoutout, and the art is once again fabulous, particularly the way they've used colour.

Shazam! #11: The Darla and Hoppy investigation alliance going on is amazing. The fact that Hoppy is scared of Tawky Tawny is hilarious. Mary is desperately trying to stop worrying by controlling every variable possible. Freddy is still so excited about being allowed to drive. And Billy is having a break down.

The Boy Wonder #1: this is just a visual feast. I love the mythical feel of it, the story and art references. It's just a beautiful book, and exactly what I love to see from Black Label.

The Warlord #51: this week in the Lost Land of Skartaris the issue is literally reprinting The Warlord #1 to remind everyone of where the story started. Which I admit, after 50 issues and the First Issue Special it's fun to be reminded of back when Travis and Tara actually appeared on panel together regularly. In any case, after the two of them fall in love and frolic around together on their way to Shamballah, they get captured by slavers, Travis AND Tara both get chained up, and Mike Grell's bondage fetish and taste for crucifixion imagery becomes apparent to anyone unfamiliar.

The backup is Dragonsword, written by Paul Levitz, and I don't think I've ever actually read much that Levitz wrote rather than edited (the answer after a quick glance is 'a couple of Christmas stories'). Interesting to see him doing sword and sorcery rather than LOSH. Literally: this is about a knight with a talking chimpanzee for a squire, who goes out to blood a new sword by killing a dragon, only to find the dragon talking to him from his sword.

[tonkysexist]

what is your favourite non-marvel, non-DC comic or graphic novel?

I have a few!!

The Many Deaths of Laila Starr is my most recent read and just so wonderful. The art is beautiful and the story is so engaging. It’s 5 issues and currently in trade. It’s one of those books where you read it all in one sitting but still think about it for days after you’ve finished it.

I feel like Paper Girls is the one everyone talks about haha, but popular things are popular for a reason! The series definitely has similar vibes to some of my favorite X-comics in the sense that I lowkey have no idea what’s going on but I’m enjoying myself immensely.

Sins of the Black Flamingo is a really fun one, but I still need to finish it. I am always a sucker for a good heist. I picked it up in trade recently, but I did read like first half of it when it was still in just single issues. I saw “art by Travis Moore” and it was an instant buy. I fell off because I had stopped buying comics in general for financial reasons. I'm looking forward to read the trade I have of it soon though.

I have also read most of the really well loved series like Sandman, Buffy, Saga, etc. I definitely get the hype with these books and would recommend them.

If I was magically in charge of the entire school system I would make Persepolis required. My history teacher recommended it to me when I was a freshman in high school and I have never been able to forget it. Similarly, Maus is so important to me personally in ways I can’t even begin to describe. Both of those books are greater history lesson than many textbooks I’ve ever been given.

Monstress is my current read and I’m not far enough in it to really decide how I feel about it, but I get the feeling that it will end up being something I will want to recommend once I’m done.

[letsgethaunted]

Hauntie of the Week!

@marylizabetha

Name: Mary Liz

(Photo taken by capturedbysawyer on instagram)

From: I live in Tokyo atm!!! (working holiday) but I'm from Ontario, Canada!!

Started listening to LGH? from the very beginning! 2019

What is your favorite episode of the pod? Episode 107: The Black Carpet and The Black Diver

Tell us something haunted! Personal haunting, favorite haunted story, etc: When I was a teen I was messing around when my friends and I were using a Ouija Board and faking the answers to be more ominous. My friend Christina made me promise not to call a spirit or she would punch me. I did anyway and immediately a branch hit the side of the house. When we were done I told them I had been faking the whole thing and Christina punched me like she said she would lol. I deserved it. Also, after listening to the episode about the night hag, when I was falling asleep that night, I felt a hand move from my stomach up to my neck. I woke up and ever since then I sometimes have trouble sleeping on my back cause it feels like I'm being choked.

What hobbies do you have? I like to draw and write and hyperfixate on RWBY

Favorite Music: Spice Girls, Janelle Monáe, Kero Kero Bonito, Scissor Sisters, Cocteau Twins

Favorite Movie: Whisper of the Heart, Sense and Sensibility

Favorite Show: RWBY, Steven Universe, She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, Bee and PuppyCat

What's a personal positive haunting that's happened to you? It can be something small! Just a few days ago was talking to my old roommate (we lived together for three years with her cat Mittens) on zoom and Mittens heard my voice and came over to see me. She doesn't leave her hiding spots often and doesn't come out when my friend has visitors. Except for me because I'm part of her pack T_T

Do you have any pets? yes and no. My brothers dog, Newton and my old roommates cat, Mittens. Also my dog from when I was a kid, Otis!

What's a fun fact about you? I have a Film Production diploma and a Art Fundamentals certificate but no job! That's the arts for you! lol

Is there a charity, non-profit, or cause you'd like to shout out? Black Girls Smile (just gonna copy and paste) BGS is for and by Black women and girls! Black Girls Smile takes a holistic approach focusing both on the individual (Black girls and young women) and their direct support systems (i.e. parents, caregivers, school, and extracurricular personnel) to ensure Black girls have the resources to lead a mentally healthy life, but they also have the support among their stakeholders to aid in the empowerment of their mental health and wellbeing.

Are you a content creator? I am an aspiring YouTuber! I mostly make videos about RWBY but I also post some travel content about Japan and other places I've been too. Kind of figuring out the vibe I want my channel to have atm lol @marylizabetha on YouTube

I also post my art on instagram @marylizabethaart and also here on tumblr @marylizabethaart I want to make graphic novels someday too- that's my long term goal

Anything else you'd like to share? I love graphic novels and highly recommend Monstress, Paper Girls, Saga and Ms. Marvel! Also recommend the show RWBY to people who want to watch a shoujo and a shounen at the same time lol!

Do you want to be the next Hauntie of the Week?

[ahaura]

tagged by: @goldennavenue to list 9 books i'd like to read in 2023 (tysm!!!!)

to echo y i read books based off of vibes almost never off of my list lmao. but off my very, very long tbr list i'd really like to be able to read these especially. will i actually get around to reading all of them? we'll just have to wait and see.

tagging: @monstress @decisiontoleave @imbue @ihione @akajustmerry @poemwithoutahero @dogsongs @oldyears @finalbride @psukha @hepius @666glitter

(pls only do it if you want to)

[laufire]

the thing about reading (dc) comics is that you should probably... like comics LOL. I'm the first to rage against specific runs and choices and writers and hey, are you even passionate about something if it never inspires anger in you? BUT. I dig their premise. it might cause issues but ultimately I do vibe with their cyclical, tragic, larger-than-life, borderline-mythological nature. when handled poorly it frustrates me, but when handled right... it's riveting. it's poetic. it's devastating.

if I didn't enjoy this type of storytelling (which does NOT mean I have to enjoy *every example of it*. oh dear, no), I'd just stick with the likes of image comics, idw publishing, and so on. they have PLENTY to offer for someone who wants shorter tales with a clear end in sight or serialised but self-contained stories, and anyone you ask would be happy to provide recs.

(I personally adore image's "monstress" and "saga" and I'd say to look into idw's "dark spaces" independent runs, or "beneath the trees where nobody sees". there's only one issue out so far, but it enchanted me. I love it when horror is masked by a cosy, colourful, harmonious veneer that's suddenly torn away).

[exotahu]

9 people you want to know better!

@butterbee Tagged me in this, so I figured I'd go for it

last song i listened to: I finally got spotify a couple months ago so I've been listening to lots of random songs and random bands that get recommended to me. Here are some of the random songs I've really liked: Ratwyfe - Cryptid (Mothman), Fauxny, Kevin Gonring 3gi - All Star (It's like a folk/bluegrass cover of All Star), The Yellow Dress - A Complete List of Fears Ages 5-28 (Aprox), Rare Americans - Cats, Dogs & Rats. It's hard to quantify everything since the random song list is so varied and chaotic, but I've been listening to a lot of AJJ, Vylet Pony, Chad Vangaalen, Steam Powered Giraffe and the soundtracks to several Wes Anderson movies.

currently watching: Just started Good Omens 2, was recommended to watch Bee and Puppycat so I'll probably check that out next. Also just watched Nimona and Secret Invasion recently. Not much going on with anime right now that I'm watching aside from Vanguard when it comes out, but I'm eagerly awaiting the next seasons of Beastars and Chainsaw Man. Hopefully more Komi and Jojo too.

currently reading: Ooooh this is... a lot. Since I started working at a comic store my list has absolutely exploded. I've got a massive backlog of comics, graphic novels and manga I've gotta catch up on, as well has having read a bunch too. Some of the regular comics I read are Saga, Ice Cream Man, Monstress, Power Rangers, Something is Killing the Children/House of Slaughter, Moon Knight, She-Hulk, Fantastic Four, as well as Jeff Lemire's Bone Orchard Mythos. I can't list all the graphic novels/manga because good lord its a lot. I'm also 1 chapter into the Hobbit. And I started reading One Piece.

current obsession:

I have been playing a whole lot of Genshin Impact. A coworker got me into it, and something about the world, the story, the gameplay and the general vibe just clicked with me and I've been playing it a lot. Just caught up with the story and am super excited for the next region that's gonna be introduced. Also still really enjoy the small horses and have been watching/reading most of the new stuff that has been coming out.

I am bad at tagging people so feel free to do the thing if you want!

[mss3ng]

Lea's Media Roundup 2022

I finally started reading again this year!

And then put reading on the backburner when nanowrimo came around...

Brief reviews under the cut (the reviews are brief, but there are a lot of them). Nothing is in order of me consuming them.

Books Read:

A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine - ★★★★★ - I loved this book and everything about it and it is sitting in my chest with its prose.

Only Ashes Remain by Rebecca Schaeffer - ★★★★ - I hardly remember what happened in the first book but this was a fun time and enjoyed the complicated choices Nita had to make.

Light From Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki - ★★★ - The story was very heartfelt and came together nice but all the video game musician inaccuracies really got to me >_<.

When Sorrows Come by Seanan McGuire - ★★★★ - October Daye! It was nice and fun and I am The Fear for the next book.

Yolk by Mary H. K. Choi - ★★ - I do not think this book was for me lol

Mamo by Sas Milledge - ★★★ - Nothing really captured me about it but I did like how the main character was able to like remaining in their home town without judgement.

Squire by Nadia Shammas and Sara Alfageeh - ★★★ - Fun, but nothing captured me really, probably better for a younger audience?

Monstress Volume 7: Devourer - ★★★★★ - I was yelling so much at this volume. Also Corvin's bare chest was there and I think something in my brain broke upon seeing it. Also Kippa had a knife and I think she should keep it.

On a Sunbeam by Tillie Walden - ★★★ - Mostly vibes and the plot didn’t capture me

Nona the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir - ★★★★ - I felt much less frantic about reading this than I did when reading Harrow and didn’t have as many “Oh Shit” moments. Cam and Pal ;A;

Sabriel by Garth Nix - ★★★★★ - Very solid fantasy with a prose style I love, I think if I read this when I was younger I would have been obsessed.

Lirael by Garth Nix - ★★★ - This one was really slow and mostly buildup to Abhorsen. I got impatient with the first part…

Abhorsen by Garth Nix - ★★★★ - Fun conclusion! Sitting in feelings!

Witch Hat Atelier Volumes 9 & 10 by Kamome Shirahama - ★★★★★ -

Shows and Films:

New Life Begins (Cdrama)- ★★★★ - I had so much fun watching this and the costumes are gorgeous. Some of the messaging got kinda heavy-handed but it's about the same level as other cdramas this year.

Knives Out - ★★★★ - Fun!

Glass Onion - ★★★★ - Also fun!

Everything Everywhere All At Once - ★★★★★ - Watched this in a theater, sitting between my parents. Sobbed all the way through the last act.

Reset (Cdrama) - ★★★★ - Emotionally very fulfilling and had me on the edge of my seat and yelling in discord. Pacing-wise I think they could have done better with some of the choices.

Koisenu Futari (JDrama) - ★★★★★ - Technically I haven't seen the last episode of this but I don't want it to end.

Video Games:

Immortal Life - ★★★★★ - It's early access and ongoing but I started playing it this year and it's faaaaaaar better than stardew valley was for me. I love all the characters and the story and just running around doing daily tasks. Also the player community is nice.

Swords of Legends Online - rating in limbo just like the game - I love this MMO so much and if the servers are closed instead of releasing 3.0 I will be devastated. Reaper is the perfect class for me!! Melee with a couple ranged options, no button mashing or frantic clicking, the rotation is mostly cooldown management! Also the option to heal even if I do not want healer responsibilities. The quality of life stuff is fantastic! I love autopiloting to destinations and every time I open up FF14 to get some MSQ progress I'm so disappointed by the lack of it.

Sword and Fairy 7: Together Forever - ★★★★ - That title is a fucking lie. At the beginning of the game, I didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I did. The design of the game felt very much like a tales of game (that is a good thing) and the combat is kind of clunky. But the story was fun and I love all the characters in it!! Also the ending ripped out my heart and I truly wasn't expecting it to go that way.

DioField Chronicle - ★★★ - Okay. Like objectively this game costs too much for the content that it has. Do not pay full price for it. The plot drops threads like hot potatoes and of the entire cast there's only about 4 that I find compelling. The ending had me yelling at the screen and I'm desperate for a sequel (and the free DLC that was announced holy shit give it to me). Play the demo at least for my wonderful wonderful girl Waltaquin Redditch. Also I legit adore the combat system and how they don't give you long exposition.

A Little to the Left - ★★★ - The puzzles were fun overall and mostly interesting, there were some frustrating ones that I didn’t see the point to and a few that I had the right solution for but the level wouldn’t advance so I had to skip. Also there's like. No story.

Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion - ★★★★ - Fun! Can be completed in a day. It's like a super-compact 2d zelda game where everyone is vegetables and there's real estate.

[st-just]

randomly stumbled on your lesbian space atrocities tag recently and I must say, superb taste all around. Lovin the vibe your blog has. Also nice to see another human being who’s actually read Monstress, as I’ve been telling my friends about it for years, but none have picked it up yet

Oh, thank you! Much appreciated, enjoy the constant stream of consciousness that should really be 3-4 distinct sideblogs.

And I know, right? I swear, I got into Monstress after a guy I know irl pitched it to me (on the basis of me saying the only comic I read was Saga, IIRC). I was really incredibly annoyed to find out that he hadn't read past the first volume, when I came up for air having gotten up and wanted to talk to someone about it.

But hey, what else is tumblr for?

(I mean in fairness it's a pretty hard sell. And that first issue does not ease you in, either).

[the-knights-who-say-book]

hi! do you have any recs for dystopian/high fantasy novels with lesbian main characters/romances? i read the locked tomb and the masquerade series and i need more books like that ;;

ok first of all i think you should read This Is How You Lose the Time War if you haven't yet, it's short and incredibly good!! epic love story set to the tune of time travel/inexplicable magic that just vibes

and have you seen this post about the "Lesbian Space Atrocities subgenre?" it has lots of recs for fans of Gideon and Baru! I still need to get to most of them, but can confirm that A Memory Called Empire is great and the Monstress comics series is gorgeous and gruesome

on the space side of things, I think you might like the Joyride comics! it's a completed series of three volumes with a female bisexual mc and some wlw romance that's super bright and fun, and I think it's at least tangental to the genre you're looking for!

here's another handful:

The Abyss Surrounds Us + The Edge of the Abyss -- dystopian?scifi wlw pirates sea monsters enemies to lovers to enemies to lovers. are you vibing with these concepts

The Midnight Lie, a beautiful YA fantasy which i think you should consider reading because i love it

feel like Crier's War's would be what you're looking in a YA flavor except i didn't actually like it very much. idk you could look into it, see if you think you'd like it more than i did

[thebestoftragedy]

Tagged by @entertheaardvark, and I tag @thenightmancometh and uhhhh whoever else wants to do this. @jehannewick @joeypotter1998 @lozlemon

Last book I bought: being very technical, it was an ebook of the dumb textbook (Drugs, society, and human behavior) for my substance abuse class. The last book-book I bought to read on purpose I’m not super sure but I think it might be That Scoundrel Emile Dubois which is a gothic romance parody I plan on enjoying on a forthcoming dark and stormy night.

Borrowed: Dead Silence by S. A. Barnes which is a fun looking sci fi horror. @thenightmancometh I will report if there are lesbians

Was gifted: My mother tends to offload her book of the month club books on me, so I have but have not yet read Sistersong, Circus of Wonders, and The Inheritance of Orquidea Divina which I will probably get to… someday.

Gave/lent to someone: I gifted a teen at my fieldwork job a copy of Sabriel a couple months ago, and I hope she enjoys it. She’s a big Leigh Bardugo fan and generally cool kid.

Started: Monstress by Marjorie M. Liu which is a comic. So far I’m not super impressed and it’s got that “good women are beautiful, nonthreateningly gender-conforming, and graceful but evil women are fat, ugly, sadistic dykes with skin conditions” thing going on which is not really my bag. It’s like Berserk for girls who are into Jessica Valenti! They can put that quote on the back cover.

Finished: this is really challenging the limits of my desire to look cool on the internet because it was Once Upon A Moonlit Night by Elizabeth Hoyt, the 10.5th (it’s a novella) entry in a series of romantic suspense novels set in the 1720s-30s. Before that the last full-length book I finished was Lost Among The Living by Simone St. James, an author I do recommend if you are into lady-centric historical mysteries, ghosts, and mild (heterosexual) romantic plots.

Gave five stars: Strangers Drowning by Larissa MacFarquhar which was recommended to me by @iirulancorrino and @invertprivileges and which was engaging and genuinely thought-provoking in a way that nonfiction rarely is. I had also given five stars to The Turnaway Study since then, but I ended up putting it down to 4 after some thinking about things I wish had been explored in more detail. That’s me being nit-picky though, and honestly I might give it back that last star. It’s a pretty good summary of the results of a hugely important study, one which I’m sure will continue to be cited for a long time.

Gave two stars: How High We Go In The Dark by Sequoia Nagamatsu, which is a buzzy current bestseller and which was just a mess of a reading experience. Really childish, derivative knockoff of David Mitchell and Emily St. John Mandel but like, much worse and more solipsistic. Has nothing interesting to say about anything, is casually misogynistic in construction and theme, poorly-written. It’s like if a dude got high and read Mental Floss articles and then wrote spec fic about whichever four caught his stoned attention most.

Didn’t finish: I started Bloody Jack several days ago because someone on here (I forgot who) enjoyed the series as a teen, and I’m always looking for good-quality, female-focused lit to add to my classroom library/recommend to kids. Sadly I just did not vibe with the prose which is clearly meant to emulate old-timey pirate fiction but mostly left me exhausted.

[zahri-melitor]

More on Birds of Prey #6:

Actually the combination of Sin Lance with Megaera is giving me VERY Monstress vibes, in terms of Maika Halfwolf's connection to Zinn.

...This is going to have Parliament stuff come into it, isn't it? I can tell. (Probably The Green/Parliament of Trees)

[antigonick]

book rec for things with similar vibes as fallen hero?

Aw, don’t expose me like that. You might have noticed that Fallen Hero is way out of my comfort zone (in that it’s not US poetry, Ancient Greek riffs, or written by the Brontës.)

(I’d also argue that I’m having a hard time comparing FH:R to anything. I like my FH:R pedestal. It’s a deserved pedestal, you know?)

Anyway, I did go for a few graphic novels and comics right after my first read, to get my fix. I’m thinking Miller and Romita’s Daredevil (Man Without Fear), Ennis and Robertson’s The Boys (all the trigger warnings though), Willingham’s Fables, Liu and Takeda’s Monstress, Lob and Rochette’s Le Transperceneige [Snowpiercer]. 

As I said, I’m shit at sci-fi/SF (I’m planning on exploring that once I’m done with whatever the hell I’m doing now), but Octavia Butler’s Parable of the Sower does come to mind. My best and closest comparison would be Mark Z. Danielewski’s House of Leaves, though. Innovative format, sprawling, trickle-of-hints plotline, characters defying their own archetypes, a keen keen eye for what language can do, and excellent horror writing. 

I’m leaving this here if someone wants to jump in with less boring recs! 

[raven-of-domain-kwaad]

Catch-Up Tag Game

Thanks @cyrraluu for the tag!

I’ll give some no pressure tags to @a-master-procrastinator, @chaoticspacefam, @gaelic-goth, @sleepswithvillains, @shanfamilydrama, @jupiterdoe, @a-muirehen @walk-ng-d-saster anyone else that sees this and would like to share what they’ve been up to.

currently reading: Monstress comics. An epic/dark fantasy story in a setting similar to early 20th century Asia, just with a magical race of people at war with sorceresses that gain their magic by consuming said magical race. Also there are old gods that are waking up in the world and pretty much everyone, main character included, is gay to some degree. I love it and honestly can’t recommend it enough.

last song: Lensko - Let’s Go! No lyrics or anything just instrumentals that I really vibe with.

last movie: The Godfather: Part II. It is giving me inspiration for a Mirialan mafia like family that one branch of my OC Kine family marries into.

last series: Currently watching Star Trek: Enterprise. It is so early 2000s, I love it. The square dell monitors, the digital cameras, the jumpsuits reminiscent of the space shuttle program everything is just so very nostalgic.

sweet, spicy, or savory: Right now? I could probably go for savory but that changes with my mood.

tea or coffee: Tea. Coffee has too much caffeine in it and makes my neck and shoulders cramp up. Would love a nice lemon ginger tea from my local Sweetwaters right now.

currently working on: Trying to write in universe journal entries from the perspective of my OC Amarra Kine during her time as Supreme Commander of Imperial Forces in the war with Zakuul.

[olivieblake]

(Not really a question, wasn’t sure if you are comfortable with messages!)

Sending you love and hugs, especially for the miserable and antisocial days. Hope the carpal tunnel rehab will go well too. Here is my resident gentleman cat sending healing vibes.

awww hi kitty! I’ve really come to appreciate cats much more as I’ve gotten older. historically they’ve always seemed really suspicious of me but I’m starting to believe that’s actually fair and right of them to do so yeah, respect

anyway sigh my carpal tunnel is because I'm 9 months pregnant and like, very much a beached whale, so nothing in my wretched mortal cage is working properly and my brain is WELL shy of functional plus my circulation is a joke, all of which I love (note to everyone else: pls assume before submitting asks that you may not catch me in a good mood, as those are notably less frequent in this state, and you also may not hear from me for a few days because if I go on the internet I might cry or my head might explode and there is no telling which)

but thank you for thinking of me!! I am in monstress form but I do deeply appreciate the hugs

[a-duck-with-a-book]

REVIEW // Monstress, Vol. 3: Haven by Marjorie M. Liu, art by Sana Takeda

★★★★★

// Vol. 1: Awakening // Vol. 2: The Blood // Vol. 4: The Chosen //

Once again, this volume absolutely swept me away. I love the development of the characters and their relationships, especially regarding Zinn, Ren, and Kippa.

// image: official art by Sana Takeda //

SPOILERS AHEAD!

One of my favorite moments in this volume was when Kippa gave Zinn the flower while telling the god that it couldn't eat people. Kippa is so precious, I swear if anything happens to her I will lose it. I'm also glad that Maika and Tuya's relationship is explicitly shown. I was getting some ~vibes~ in the earlier books but I'm happy that it's unmistakably canon. I'm really excited to pick up the next volume!