#my own book series is my favorite series and I think that's pretty sexy of me

[kteezy997]

Heyyyy love!

I know you’ve probably been busy but could we get a new Christmas Timmy fic or series whatever you want!

Of course only if you can and want.

Thanks love!

A Love Story for Christmas-Part One//t.c.

Thank you for the request, anon! You’re so sweet! @thebetawolfgirl and I went a little (or a lot) hallmark on this one.

You had to admit that it was quite relaxing to return to your small hometown for the holidays, especially since you had been living in the city for so many years. You couldn't believe how familiar this place felt. It was also bittersweet, this being your first holiday season since your mother passed away.

Sadly, you had grown apart from your mother before she had gotten sick. But you remembered that one of her favorite places to go in town was the local bookstore. One thing you knew best about your mom was she was an avid reader. It was always a safe bet to buy her a book for any gifting occasion.

You were desperate to feel closer to her, so your plan for the day was to visit the bookstore. You hadn't been since you were a kid. You never even got to purchase a book from there. But hey, you moved away when you were only ten years old. It was hard to remember life before the big move.

It seemed they had kept the name Reader's Realm but updated the sign. The storefront looked really sweet and quaint. The instant you stepped through the threshold and heard the tiny ding of the doorbell; it was like stepping back in time. Nothing about the place had changed. It was just as clean and cozy as you remembered. And it was decorated for the Christmas holiday, so the touches of red and green and the glow of the Christmas tree in the front window really added in the right amount of nostalgia that you were seeking.

The bookstore itself seemed much smaller, though. It's funny how some places seem so big and vast when you're a kid. You used to think that there were millions and millions of books in the place, but really it was only a few hundred, a thousand, at most.

The bookstore was nearly empty of people, so you were able to slowly stroll through the aisles. After a couple of minutes, you heard a set of wheels rolling on the floor and the squeaking of a metal cart being pushed around.

The man driving the cart was tall, and he had pale, porcelain skin and dark, short hair that drooped with rich curls on top of his head. He was really cute, like a heartthrob on one of the teen magazines you used to thumb through.

You weren’t expecting to see someone so attractive. You blushed, trying not to stare, trying to browse the books on the shelves, but he was awfully distracting.

The clinking of the wheels stopped, and the young man saw you, "Oh, hello. I didn't realize anyone was in here; I didn't even hear the bell."

You looked over at him, he had a friendly grin. You noticed a light mustache and a dusting of a goatee on his chin. "Hi, yes I just popped in. You work here?" Damn it, y/n, ask a more stupid question, would you?

"Ugh, yeah, I'm actually the owner." he said, parking the cart to the side to allow you space to pass. "I'm Timothee, but you can call me Timmy."

"Oh, the owner? That's pretty cool." You were genuinely impressed, he seemed to be about your age, so to own a business was quite a feat.

"Yeah, I guess so." he said, grabbing some books to place on the shelves. "It was my grandfather's business, but he passed away a couple years ago and the bookstore was left to me."

"Aw, I'm sorry for your loss. My mother just recently passed, so I know how you must feel." you said, no longer browsing as you found yourself just watching him work.

Timmy was crouched down, shuffling some books around on a bottom shelf, "Oh man, I'm so sorry to hear that. I bet this holiday season is hard for you." He looked up at you, his eyes looking like a puppy.

It was then that you saw how broad his shoulders were. He wasn't a large man or buff by any means, but he was lean and sexy. And he had the most incredible bone structure, like he was hand carved, just for you. You weren't thinking about your mother at all.

"Yeah," you cleared your throat, "it's my first Christmas without her. I don't really know what to do. That's kinda why I came here. This was one of her favorite places to be."

"Oh? So, your mom was from here?"

"Yes, technically I am too. But we moved to the city when I was ten. I haven't been back since. My mom loved to buy books and read them here. She used to say, 'There's no place like Reader's Realm.'"

Timmy had a little grin at that, "Well, I hope this place can bring you some comfort while you're here. I don't want to bother you, so I'll leave you to it, but if I can help you with anything, please let me know." he smiled kindly, taking his cart of books away to another aisle.

"Okay, great thank you." You returned a smile. You tried not to blush as you continued shopping the books. As you picked up one to read the synopsis on the back here and there, you could not get Timmy off your mind. You came into the bookstore in hopes of feeling your mother's presence, but this beautiful stranger was now at the forefront.

Then, a wild thought came to you: was he sent by your mom, perhaps? For the rest of your shopping trip, you could not shake the feeling. You noticed that he wasn't wearing a wedding band. Maybe he was single? You tried to not burst with giddiness. Should you engage with Timmy more? Maybe even ask him to go out for coffee? At least try and get his phone number, right?

You carried your handful of books for purchase up to the front counter, where Timmy was standing at the computer, reading something on the monitor screen. He perked up and looked at you with bright eyes as he heard your footsteps coming toward him.

"Find everything you needed?" he asked as you gently sat your books on the counter.

"Yes, thank you." you smiled.

"Good," he grabbed your books, scanning them one by one, "I'm sure you found your books easily, but I truly meant: was the store everything you remembered, I mean, was your mom with you today?"

Your heart melted, it was like he knew exactly what to say and he cared, sincerely. "Oh, yes, I definitely felt her in this place."

"That's awesome. I'm really glad that you could feel such a comfort in my place." He started to bag up your books. "I wish it was moments like this that paid the bills, because then I'd be able to stay in business passed the holidays."

You frowned, you really weren't expecting to hear this. There's no way that your sweet little hometown bookstore could be going out of business!

to be continued...

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[lost-in-beacon-hills]

I think at this point everyone has different opinions on each of the Districts and honestly I love that. It's so fun to read people's thoughts.

(I'm sure I'm not the first person to think or say this but) I have a theory on why District One/Two win so many of the games beyond just being Volunteers in a game full of people going in blind.

It's something I've thought heavily about and even incorporated into my own fanfics.

But District One, I think, they win by raising their volunteers to be pretty. They train them to fight, yes, but I think they pull sponsors by making their kids "sexy." In both the book and movie, Glimmer is heavily sexualized. In the book, she's in a sheer gown that shows everything. In the movie, they tone it down but still show quite a bit of her body during the interview. Even the two victors we get to hear a little more about (Cashmere and Gloss) are mentioned to be pretty. Despite being a sibling duo, they're incredibly popular within the Capitol.

But even after they get 'popular' they don't turn down their attractiveness. She still dresses pretty with make up and smiles like she's been taught to do. He's still beefy and hot. You would think if they had any bodily autonomy they would start to tone themselves down in order to get away from the sex slavery.

I think sex appeal is what makes them a victor. Literally. People 'sponsor' them in the hopes of getting to fuck them. They get told that these people are who they're indebted to and most likely are forced into sex as a way to 'repay' them. Everyone says if Glimmer had won she would become the next Cashmere. Which is true. But no one points out how this is planned and a tactic that one consistently uses. Once they win they realize how fucked they are. They don't know they shouldn't want to win until it's over. It's too late to back out. Part of why Cashmeres life is devastating is because Gloss knew what was coming and he wanted better for her. But it happened away. And now they're stuck repaying the Capitol with their bodies.

In Two I think they raise fighters. They put all their effort into skill, endurance and survival. Out of all of the districts I think they do the best at giving them a chance. They make sure they send the best trained, the most skilled and the smartest. Clove is such a good example of this. She never missed her target. (Except for when Katniss moved the backpack making her miss). She was brilliant. Cato too. He was strong and a fantastic fighter. They only lost because the story demanded Katniss win. Hell there's so many moments where Katniss almost dies at their hands only to **magically** get away. (Thresh owing her, tracker jacker nest, not seeing her a few feet away) all of it. They weren't stupid meat heads. They were warriors. Children raised to kill.

I think they delbrately send plain victors. They don't want want to send "pretty" kids. They tone down any sort of beauty their tributes have. One of my favorite examples is Enobaria. She's pretty. And I think that's her downfall. It's mentioned in the series that she wins by ripping another tributes throat out with her teeth. (A popular theory is she was raped and used the very last thing she had in order to get away.) But she ends up getting her teeth filed down. While a lot of people think it was the Capitol, I believe it was her mentors. They filed them down, knowing she wouldn't be able to be raped again. I mean, who would have sex with her knowing one wrong move and you could be dead? She can bite your dick off in seconds if she wanted to. (Not to say she doesn't get booked) It would sway a lot of people away. I think much like Haymitch fighting against Katniss's breast implants, her mentors fought to get her teeth sharpened.

If they're able to I believe Two will alter the victors in order to make them less desirable. One plays it up, Two tones it down winning off skill and merit alone. Any sponsors they get isn't driven by sex.

It's why they win so much, and why the other districts have such a hard time getting sponsors.

I also think that District Four, the last of the career pack, has it's own way of creating victors. They send tributes like the rest but I think they do something different from the rest. My own headcanon is that they send orphans. It's fucked up but if I remember correctly they never mention Finnick having family.

I think they take the kids with nowhere else to go and put them in a training center. Whoever scores the best goes that year. Unluckily for Finnick, he was picked at 14. He was attractive, and part of me thinks Mags played into that to give him the advantage, thinking he didn't have family to leverage. It would have been fine, but then Annie happened. They use her as a control tactic.

I also think Finnick is the reason it was a one and done on leaning into the sex appeal. It fucked him over. Annie was pretty too but she wasn't used. (No one has ever said ah yes she's crazy let's just not rape her, fuckwads do it anyways.) But I think Mags learned from her mistake and played Annie down. Made her less pretty like they do in Two.

It's fucked. The entire system is fucked. But I think each 'career' district creates winners any way they can. No one in Four would volunteer they're disillusioned unlike one and two. So why not send the kids who have nothing, no one to come back to? In Two why not train them and maim them after to keep them safer? In One why not make them fuckable to win? They won't understand until its too late?

Maybe I've overthought this. Probably have. Idk. Just a thought.

[wondereads]

Weekly Reading Update (12/8/24)

Harrow the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir (★★★★★)

There is something about this book that just does it for me. I think a big part of it is the fact that there's a billion mysteries going on at once, all of which as little as possible is given to the reader (and Harrow), and it all comes together so beautifully at the end. Reading The Locked Tomb makes me despair for my own writing as I can't imagine creating something as clever and complex as this series. Harrow is my personal favorite character (yes I was raised Catholic), and there are so many amazing lines around both her and Gideon in this book. It's definitely a pretty confusing read, especially in the beginning, but it pays off so well and there's much to be discovered on a reread.

More under the cut

For She Is Wrath by Emily Varga (CR 77%)

So I haven't listened to this audiobook at all since last week, but I really need to get on it since it's due back to the library tomorrow. Anticipate a review next week!

Nona the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir (CR 34%)

As confusing as Gideon and Harrow are, I would actually say that Nona is the most frustrating of the three. As readers, we know enough about the world that it's hard to trick us. Instead, we're looking through the eyes of a character who knows far less than us; we know what she needs to pursue and what questions she needs to ask, but she doesn't, and I can't lie, it's driving me crazy. So far, this is also the first example of what regular life is like in this universe, though it feels like there are extenuating circumstances (i.e. big blue orb in the sky that drives people insane). I'm excited but also scared to continue. One thing I'm really enjoying are all the relationships between Nona, Pyrrha, Camilla, and Palamedes; talk about a found family. Surely nothing bad will happen to them.

Kushiel's Dart by Jacqueline Carey (CR 22%)

This is perhaps a bit of an undertaking, especially so late in the year/my semester, but it's been a delightful read thus far. I tend to find romantic fantasy a bit lackluster, as it often forsakes things like plot and worldbuilding for a romance focus, but I think this book has the perfect balance. There's all kinds of political machinations going on, they're just being sexy about it. I find the worldbuilding so intriguing, and Phédre is a wonderful protagonist so far. It's also such a joy to read a book that is so queer normative, especially one published in 2001. There are certainly some things surrounding the sexual aspects that have aged a little poorly (as medieval fantasy authors who strove for accuracy often fell into), but I'm having a great time!

[mermaidsirennikita]

ARC REVIEW: The Wedding Witch by Erin Sterling

4.5/5. Releases 10/8/24.

vibes: "are we friends or have we always wanted to bone (the second one)", TIME TRAVEL!!!, sexy hilarity punctuated with emotional gutpunches, and Lite Christmas (Yule)

Heat Index: 6.5/10.

The Basics:

Powerful but reclusive witch Bowen Penhallow hires the chaotic human Tamsyn Bligh to be his personal magical-item-finder... for reasons that may have a lot to do with redemption. After months of a slowly-building working relationship that becomes genuine friendship (albeit with a lot of sexual tension) the two accidentally end up at the same wedding. Tamsyn is out to steal a million-dollar find for a mystery item. Bowen... is coming face to face with the darkest part of his past. But when a witch accidentally sends the two of them back to the 1950s, they're stuck trying to right what went wrong long ago--otherwise, they just might be trapped there (or worse) forever.

The Review:

I've really enjoyed Sterling's previous books about, you know, witches, kissing, a good bit of romcom-ery. But as soon as I learned that there was a Penhallow brother who looked like a craggy werewolf, I was like "THAT ONE". And God, his book did not disappoint. Easily my favorite of the series, The Wedding Witch takes us to a different place both physically and emotionally, while at the same time maintaining the things I loved about the previous books--a lot of humor, a lot of chemistry, and the friction two people who really wanna fuck but don't want to confront their feelings.

And the magic is kicked up a good bit, too. The series has always been pretty paranormal. Like, this isn't Immortals After Dark, but it's also far from Bewitched. You have ghosts, curses, some actual factual spookiness. Here, we go to another level with a grief-stricken witch throwing Bowen and Tamsyn to a different decade... and I fucking loved the way the time travel was done.

Like, instead of getting up its own ass about How Time Travel Works, this novel goes full camp in the best way. Oh my gosh, that's that old lady we saw at wedding, but she's a YOUNG LADY now. That's the crazy father of the bride as a little, crazy boy! Those are my grandparents? Young and hot and bickering at each other?

Which is really one of my favorite things about the novel. Bowen and Tamsyn are actually thrown back to shortly before his grandparents' wedding... and they've just broken up. So it's a PARENT TRAP SITUATION. Or rather, a GRANDPARENT TRAP SITUATION. Bowen and Tamsyn (apparently) need to get his grandparents back together before the solstice! Aaaaah!!!!

Like, it gives hard Christmas movie in a lot of ways, even though the holiday is less Christmas and more Yule. For the record, though--I can be a little iffy on consuming Christmas content this far ahead of the holiday, but honestly? While there are some Christmas-y moments, the sense is more... Christmas media than Christmas, if that makes sense. I mean, I've definitely seen my fair share of time travel Christmas romcoms.

And in many ways, this was my IDEAL Christmas time travel romcom. Because first off... this is a fuckton hotter. Like. The Wedding Witch doesn't end on a chaste kiss. There are several sex scenes, and each one fully goes for it. (It's never a bad thing when the hero is all "I'm worried that I won't be gentle enough for you" and the heroine is like "PROMISE?"). The sexual tension between these two is heavy from their first meeting, and while I do think this one could fall under friends to lovers... Were they ever really friends? Did they ever see each other in a truly friendly way? Or were they just slow-motion falling in love the whole time?

While by no means is this a heavy book, there is also a kind of emotional resonance that you won't find in most Hallmark Christmas movies. I was really fucking sad about The Thing driving Bowen (and his guilt). There's one aspect of the plot here that's really bittersweet--not in any way that directly affects our romance, don't worry, this is very much an HEA, but in a way that injected some seriousness. I kind of wanted everyone to get everything they wanted in the end, but by withholding that indulgence, Sterling ensured the book hit harder.

I don't know if she'll write in this world again, but if she doesn't, she went out on a high note and didn't tie every single thing up with a little bow, which I appreciate. But to be clear: this is, overall, a very funny, adventurous book. You have a snarky teenager who actually isn't annoying, the horror of realizing your grandparents were hot and also had a fiery sex life (Elspeth and Harri were QUITE the secondary couple, and I loved every bit of pagetime they got), and some truly classic tropes. (Only one bed, sexy bathtime, very MUCH opposites-attract shenanigans.)

I read 80% of this in one sitting, and that's kind of hard for me to do at the moment. But it was just so fun! And I really wanted to see what happened next the entire time. Which is when you know a book is really good, right?

The Sex:

Like I said, you get several sex scenes, and while there's one other thing I would've liked to see on the page (it happens, it's just not directly on the page), what we do get is so good. Like. It gets hot up in this romcom. Tamsyn fantasizes a lot about Bowen before they get together, and she lets him know exactly what she does when she fantasizes (in total darkness... with him becoming QUITE responsive). There's some mirror action. There's some tree action. Look, you'll be happy with this shit.

It's always great when a book not only lives up to your expectation but surpasses them. Full of whimsy and heat and FEELINGS, The Wedding Witch is one to catch!

Thanks to NetGalley and Avon for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[nalyra-dreaming]

Sort of answer to your other anon, but feel free to add to it if you want hehe. For now I only know the show and only ship loustat, but that's because I think it's the most developed pairing so far. I kind of need a little time to get into ships, but I'm down for any and everything. I agree ships don't necessarily need to be moral, but I do believe they need to be compelling and help each other in a way, even if it isn't with every single thing. I have OTPs that had terrible moments, but grew into their best selves together. Loustat is usually a dynamic that I hate, because it happened too fast, it got problematic and dark pretty fast (in terms of number of episodes, not the years they spent together), they had other people, they spent a whole season apart... Reminds me in a way of those toxic, even abusive on-and-off couples, that always treated each other poorly, made each other worse, could never work it out, but for some reason kept going back together because "it's sexy" or whatever networks tried to sell. But Loustat subverted my expectations. They're not entirely like that, but I do think they have some of those characteristics. But in their case, it's explained because they both lived shitty lives. And the series show why they're that way and that they're sort of at war with themselves too and genuinely regret their actions. And unlike those other ships, they're a differently species that don't completely function like us and have forever to redeem themselves. Those other couples just felt like a repetitive waste of time without any depth. But the writers really do a great job. And we did see Loustat bounding, Louis trusting Lestat in a way he didn't with anybody else, smiling, having fun and a happy life as well, so we know the connection is there and it isn't just angst and sex. And there's the actors, who have some of the best chemistry I've ever seen anywhere. I'm down for any ship if they have that too, because I trust the writers and so far every duo seems to have amazing chemistry. Will the writing and chemistry be on Loustat's level? I don't know, but I'll have fun with whatever they give me for however long it lasts. This is the first time I feel like I don't even need to think or worry too much, I'm just waiting for more and to be surprised because they always exceed my expectations and I hope that never changes. I was pretty into Loumand at the beginning, I thought they had an ease, sensual, flirtatious vibe and it was exciting to see. But that was mostly the actors than the script and, after the first kiss, we don't see much of it anymore? No scene laughing, comforting each other, going out etc... We have the museum and bar scenes, but I wouldn't call them a Loumand moemnt because they were most about Armand's backstory and betrayal. I never shipped them as much as Loustat, I could have, but before it got to a point I could, it turned cold and distant so I moved on. On the other hand, Lesmand, is something I don't ship yet, but I'm excited because of 1) simply curiosity, everything I hear from the books sound like that's a pretty heated relationship, for better or worse 2) I also hear they're kind of mirrors and understand each other in ways others can't, so even with all the bad history they still sort of care for each other? And if that's true, it's a really interesting and unique dynamic to explore that we don't see that often 3) Sam and Assad really sold their chemistry to me on that scene they shared blood 4) relationships that are extreme as theirs seem to be, tend to result in great, intense, emotional, explosive acting and that's my favorite type... My favorite scenes on the show are the church scene and the hug and those are very intense moments as well. So if they can do something like that in their own flavor because I wouldn't want a Loustat copy, it should be fun to see. Even if it turns out to be like "omg, they're so terrible and I don't want them together not even for one episode" and I won't ship, I'll probably still enjoy it for the writing and acting.

:))

As said, shipping is a personal preference (thank you for detailing yours 🥰).

I am very sure the show will do something very distinctive for each pairing, and this is the only thing I‘d add here now - all these “ships“ are actual relationships in the VC, with their own history, and importance.

Personally I think that is amazing ^^ and I cannot wait to see them.

If I will write and/or read them? We‘ll see. But I think we‘re blessed that way, whether it fits personal preference, or not. 🥰

[deadboyfriendd]

While I’m on the topic of books, I read 16 books this year (not much compared to someone I went to high school with’s EIGHTY FIVE but hey I also finished a degree and am a full time artist and a full time teacher give me a break). My thoughts on them below the cut!!

The first book I read last year was A Little Life by Hanya Yanigihara. WOOF. That was 900 pages of sadness and despair. I vouch that we rename the book, “give Jude a fucking break”. Tragic, I still think about it constantly, and I will never read it again. It made me feel so many uneasy and ugly feelings and literally squeezes them out of you. Like I can’t adequately form an opinion about all of the things this book made me feel. It was profound and shocking and so immensely sad. Very rarely do I cry reading, and I ugly cried through the better half of this book.

Southern Bookclub’s was a palate cleanser for a little life. I call it Steel Magnolias for horror enthusiasts. It’s about a group of women in a prominent neighborhood in the middle of the Bible Belt during the 80s Satanic panic. They end up forming their own book club where they only read horror and true crime and end up convincing themselves that their neighbor is a vampire. It’s hilarious and charming and such a good narrative with the most satisfying ending. A great read!!

Death in her hands by Otessa Moshfegh started my obsession with her entire body of work. Each piece is a narrative in femininity and life through the scope of womanhood. This story follows an elderly woman after the death of her husband and is a fantastic example of the unreliable narrator. It was well paced and a quick read!

The ACOTAR series is… entertaining at best?? It was a drastic change from my usual genres but I was hounded into reading it by everyone and MY mother. I devoured the first and second books in two days. It’s easily palatable, kinda sexy, and a good story overall. Do it think it was life changing profound fiction? Not really. Feyre is super annoying to me but there are so many other cool characters. I think SJM probably could have slowed down and turned the third book into three different books to focus on that world building and really turned ACOTAR into something special. But it was a good story and the world building was pretty cool!

Priest was garbage.

I share the same sentiments with fourth wing and iron flame as I do with ACOTAR. Violet is less annoying than Feyre, but everyone else is so much more annoying. How to train your dragon college AU. Am I gonna read Onyx Storm when it comes out on the 21st? Yeah. I am.

Nothing but blackened teeth was… a little underwhelming? It was a quick read and your run of the mill scary ghost story. That’s all I can say about it.

My year of rest and relaxation is a book I constantly think about. THIS landed on my favorites of all time list. It tells the story of a melodramatic art major who becomes an orphan after her rich, emotionally unavailable parents die and she spends a year getting so ridiculously high on experimental prescriptions and her narrative through these moments of lucidity. It’s like if fear and loathing in Las Vegas was written by a tortured artist. It’s an acquired taste for sure but I was the target audience for that book.

A curse so dark and lonely was recommended to me by a coworker. She described it as something similar to ACOTAR with less spice. It follows the story of Harper, a teenage girl living in the big city with cerebral palsy, and she ends up in a mythical fairytale land as a chosen one to break the prince’s curse. It’s a cute beauty and the beast retelling and I plan on finishing the cursebreaker series eventually!! The characters are a little shallow and Wattpad fan fiction-ey, Harper is very, “I’m not like other girls” but it’s overall a pretty good story.

I ended my year picking up the Outlander series. Oh my GOD. It is my historical fiction writers dream. Jamie is charming and sexy and the book boyfriend to end all book boyfriends. Blows Rhysand and Xaden out of the water. Claire is a witty, sharp, multifaceted FMC and I absolutely ADORE her, and her world building is INSANE. I mean seriously I’m on the third book and I’m learning so much about European history and the Jacobite uprising. Things I wasn’t taught in school. These books are so so long but they’re so thoughtful and so interesting. Easily creeping it’s way up my favorites list.

Bonus points to outlander for having a show that follows so so closely to the book. I’m watching as I’m reading and it’s my little treat.

[brave-and-gentle]

how would you describe jean's ideal type? what sort of personality do you think he gravitate towards?

Hello anon!! <3 Oooo I love this question. I could write about this for hours, I fear.

Before I launch head first into this, a disclaimer that these are my own thoughts based on my OC and jean x readers fics I've written - I welcome other's ideas and head canons! I'm going to write this response in a jean x reader style.

First off, Jean is our bi king - man or woman doesn't matter to him, as long as they're pretty. So that being said, I think Jean is superficially attracted to you at first. He's only human, after all. But what pulls him in deeper is your shy nature. Jean is a social butterfly, so he loves a chance to make someone else feel at ease. It means a lot to him that he becomes your "safe person" at parties or other social events. He can't help the massive grin on his face when you make a bee line to him because you're overwhelmed!

Now what *really* gets Jean going is when you reveal your hyper fixations to him. He loves a freaky one, by that I mean he'll listen to you prattle on about your favorite book series, show, video game, whatever it is that has captivated your mind. Even if he has no idea what you're talking about, Jean is completely entranced by you and your obsessions. He asks really good questions to learn more about what you love. If you ever let him see your Tumblr or ao3 account, he'd be your number one fan. Jean reads all your favorite books and watches your shows so he can keep up - he finds your variety of interests so endearing and he learns a lot from you.

Jean also loves someone with a little bite. Literally and figuratively. Figuratively: Jean loves that you can talk mad shit. He's so fucking nosy, he loves to debrief with you after a hangout with friends or a family gathering. Spilling the tea with you is the best! ALSO, he definitely gets a little turned on when you tag team on Eren when he's being a little shit. Jean loves someone that loves to hate on Eren as much as he does! You don't do it often because of previously said shy nature, but goddamn when you do, he's right there with you. When you let out a rare sarcastic/dry comment, he's laughing so hard he's crying.

Literally (warning for sexual content!): Jean is an Aries, so of course he loves someone that's a little aggressive in the bedroom. Ultimately Jean is a bit vanilla, but he likes someone that isn't afraid to bite (again, literally) or be the top. He thinks it's quite sexy when you're on top of him, but it usually doesn't last too long because he gets really turned on and flips you back over.

Our Jean boy is quite adventurous, so he loves that you tag along with him, even if you're scared or unsure. In fact, that's a huge turn on for him - seeing you conquer your fears and/or try something new with him. Having someone around that's so loyal means a lot to Jean.

FINALLY, this is so specific, but Jean considers himself a wine connoisseur, and unintentionally finds himself gravitating toward someone that doesn't have a clue about wine. It breaks his heart to see you drink box wine, but he actually loves the chance to take you to wine bars and school you.

IN CONCLUSION: Jean loves someone that's a little on the shy side, opens up to him about their hyper fixations, talks mad shit with him, is a little fiery, sticks with him even in scary/new situations, and has terrible taste in wine.

[moon--mama]

What did I love about this duology?

First, the publisher’s promotional claim that it’s Death on the Nile meets The Mummy is accurate. I told my hubby it was like reading a sexy Indiana Jones story set in Egypt.

Second, the characters were morally grey. Pretty much all of them. Whenever Inez thought something to herself about another person—any sort of concrete assumption based on her knowledge of their character—I was absolutely suspicious. Anyone could do anything at any time, and Inez was wrong/shocked over and over again. Not because she was a bad judge of character, but because they were written with such human characteristics.

Spoilers below:

Third, I loved the romance. With all of the morally grey action I mentioned above, I wasn’t sure about Whit until book two. The telegram to Porter seemed to suggest that he didn’t really care about Inez at all. For the first half of book two, I couldn’t decide if he was using her or if he just didn’t realize that he hadn’t communicated his feelings. This was peak irony:

Their eventual realization that neither was lying or hated the other was wonderfully written. Whit’s declaration hit me like a physical zing—I loved the growth that took them from “don’t trust anything I say” to “jump and I promise I’ll catch you.”

What bothered me:

There were a few things in book two that just didn’t add up.

1. Inez was inconsolable when her parents died. Her parents who spent very little time with her, proved quite quickly to be liars, and had very few redeemable qualities. She absolutely shreds her family apart trying to find out what happened to them. When Elvira is murdered in front of her, Inez wants to erase the mental image. She doesn’t vow undying revenge for the death of her favorite cousin, doesn’t cry too much about it, and even thinks at one point “wow that happened just a few days ago.” Book two just didn’t capture the grief I expected Inez to experience—as if by that point it wasn’t convenient to the plot. Real missed opportunity for Inez and Whit to connect over that, since he often thinks about seeing the horrors of war.

2. The war between Lourdes and Cayo makes absolutely no sense. Inez is a wealthy heiress in book one. I can understand that Lourdes was fencing artifacts because laws at the time restricted the access women had to their own finances. Cayo had access to the fortune the entire time. When he “faked his death,” was he leaving the fortune there for Inez? For his brother in law’s expeditions? The auctions began as a means to add to that fortune—but why? Cayo got greedy and saw a chance to make more money? The big “reveal” at the end that situated Cayo as the villain was the most poorly executed part of this series. If he had done it out of a pure desire to destroy his cheating wife’s criminal empire, that would have made more sense. Casting him as a treasure hunter made no sense because of the fortune he already had that he left to Inez.

3. The rose bushes, damn it. When Whit is finally taking the time to try a little alchemy in the end, it’s so difficult to place the scene in time. At that point he and Inez have a house and they’ve adopted two cats. They have planted a garden. That suggests they have been living there for at least a year. But Inez says they’re on their honeymoon—implying it’s shortly after their wedding. Did they get married in a big ceremony like they discussed? How much time passed between that event and the farewell dinner?

Being the fanfiction girly I am, I also felt cheated out of some scenes where Whit and Inez realize they’re pregnant. With all of the turmoil they faced throughout the series due to their parents I would imagine that would be a difficult transition for both of them. It’s implied that Lourdes got away with it all when her flimsy house arrest is brought up—and would she have any sort of interaction with their eventual twins? I’m certainly not going to sit down and write it myself, but that’s the novella/bonus chapter my heart desires.

All in all, I think this was a very compelling series. When I read Woven in Moonlight/Written in Starlight I was so sad that we didn’t get the romantic happily ever after that got set up in the first book. I was very pleased that Where the Library Hides delivered on Inez and Whit’s romance, but I was worried the whole time that there would be some sort of horrible twist.

[fereldanwench]

Questions for Writers

I was tagged by @corpocyborg! Thank you, bb!! ♡

Last book I read: I still haven't finished There's No Such Thing as an Easy Job Kikuko Tsumura I started back in January, lmao. Not for any reason other than I just haven't been in the right headspace to sit down and read for the past few months--What I have read of it is great, so hopefully, I can make the time to pick it up again.

Greatest literary inspirations: I like the female protags in Karin Slaughter novels, and I love Tanya Huff's Torin Kerr from her Confederation series--I'm sure they've inspired me on some level. Oh, and Phedre from Jacqueline Carey's Kushiel books, too, although it's been ages since I read those. But I think most of my inspiration actually comes from other forms of media. I love the action babes of the late 90s/early 00s: Lara Croft is the number one inspo here, and pretty much all of Michael Turner's comic girls but especially Sara from Witchblade. And I think Better Call Saul is easily one of the best-written shows ever made--That's one I always go back to when I feel like I need to refill the inspo well.

Things in my current fandoms I want to read but I don't want to write: I have a confession: I usually only read a ton of fic when I first get into a fandom and I can't get enough and I just want to soak it all up, but after a certain point, I just don't have a lot of headspace for other people's stories. 😬 I feel bad about it sometimes, and it's not like I never read anything after that point, but 90% of the time, what I wanna write is what I wanna read. It's kind of a closed loop, I guess.

Things in my current fandoms I want to write but I think nobody would be interested in them but me: Well, I'm not at all deterred by being the only person interested in something I write, haha. One of my favorite one-shots I've ever written is between my Cousland and Hawke meeting briefly at Ostagar, and it's probably my least popular fic on AO3 by a big margin. But I do like deep-diving into my own OCs, and it generally is harder to get an audience for fic that doesn't have canon characters. Ain't gonna stop me, though!

You can recognize my writing by: Lots of pining and banter; obvious thesaurus abuse

My most controversial take (current fandom): Yeah, no, not gonna be sharing my actual most controversial takes, lmao.

But I do also love the Devil ending! I don't think there's one objectively "best" ending--What's good for one V isn't necessarily good for another--But for my Valerie, it suited her story the best. I love the poetry of her going back to Arasaka after getting fired by them, I love storming Arasaka Tower with Goro, I love the conflict with Johnny, I love making Goro confront how fucked up the Arasakas are, I love the possibilities of Mikoshi--The only way it would have been better for me is if this nixed idea had actually been put into action.

And I wish we could roleplay a V that is actually more "pro"-corpo in the game, especially if we had the corpo lifepath. Sticking it to the man is sexy and all, but I just love delving into characters that align themselves with shitty institutions and exploring different motivations (I personally like cynical pragmatism/self-preservation and delusional idealism) that lead a person there.

Top three favorite tropes: 1) Rivals to friends to lovers 2) Mutual pining 3) Forced proximity

What’s your current writing mood (10 – super motivated and churning out words like crazy, 0 – in a complete rut): Like, 0.5, lmao. I've been rereading and organizing my WIPS, so there's some effort being put in there, but I'm very much in one of my "ummmm, how do I even write fiction?" phases.

Share a random frustration: I have ZERO discipline when it comes to writing. I need to be in a fully feral, totally isolated from distractions place or I just can't get shit done. When I'm in the zone, I'm in the fuckin' zone, but I get like 3 months of that every 5 years, lmao.

Tagging (with no pressure, as always) @ur-friendly-nbhd-cardassian, @dread-red-queen, @vorchagirl, and @aceghosts <333

[steddie-island]

20, 32, 43 for the book asks!!

20 - Where and how do you find new books to read?

Honestly everywhere. I follow authors on instagram and tiktok and a couple here, plus I have a friend who is super into books and we're always talking about books we're excited for. I also peruse the book aisle at the grocery store just to see what's new because I'm a goblin who is constantly adding to the stack of books beside my bed. 😂 32 - Name your favorite author(s).

Number one, hands down, Katee Robert. They're a nonbinary author who primarily writes romance. She has a Disney villains series (Wicked Villains) that is *chef's kiss*. There's also an ongoing Greek Gods series (Dark Olympus) that I've really enjoyed. PLUS! They have a monster series if you're into that (Deal with a Demon). All of their books (that I've read, anyway!) are queer. They have plus size MCs who are seen as sexy (I just finished Electric Idol which is Eros and Psyche and holy shit the way Eros thinks about Psyche is. Whoo. Hoo boy.) They're diverse and they're badass and I love them. ANYWAY Katee is fantastic and I could talk about them for literally hours.

43 - Title of a book you own that's in the worst physical condition you have. Explain what happened to it. Post a picture if you want.

Honestly most of our books are in pretty good condition, so I don't have a fun answer for this. 😅 I have second hand books that have been written in, and a couple of books with some water damage (that's what happens when you read in the tub lol) but for the post part, any books that have been in bad shape I just replace if it's a book that was important to me.

Thanks for asking!! 🥰

[blueberryshelves]

_______________________________________________

Book Review

Title: The Modern Girl's Guide to Magic Author: Linsey Hall

Series: Charming Cove, book #1

No. of Pages: 356

ISBN: 9781648820311

Synopsis:

So here’s the deal—I’m a magical disaster. A witch from a family of witches, and the only one whose magic blows up in her face. Which is why I came up with my rules…

1. Never get involved with magic

2. If you must get involved, do not enter a competition to win the biggest magical fortune in England

3. And definitely don't fall for Callan Hawthorne, the sexy billionaire mage who you've hated for years

So how the heck do I end up in a situation that promises to break all those rules? It's the only way to save Seaside Spells, my family’s magical potion shop.

But it’s cool. When I go back home to Charming Cove—a village of ancient pubs and foul-mouthed familiars—I will totally ignore Witch Weekly’s Sexiest Man of the Year. I’ll win the competition, and if I’m lucky, I won’t turn myself into a toad in the process.

This'll be fine. It’ll all be fine.

Riiiight. The Modern Girl’s Guide to Magic is a fun, frothy romantic comedy full of laughter, love, and magical hijinks. It’s the first in a series of stand alone romances set in the seaside village of Charming Cove.

_______________________________________________

What did I think of the book?

The Modern Girl's Guide to Magic by Linsey Hall My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4 of 5 stars Romance Rules for Werewolves left me in a mood to read some more witchy stories, so I decided to pick up the first book of the Charming Cove standalone series. This is a very chill, cozy, and wholesome book with a neat concept. The beginning was funny and seemed like a stronger start than the werewolf story in the series, it just made more sense and didn’t feel as rushed. I enjoyed all the stuff about the plants in the book, the way the MC came into her own as the story went on was great, and I immediately fell in love with Boris the badger familiar just as much as I did with Poa from the third book. These familiars are so wonderful! Though I enjoyed this book a bit more than the third one, and the pacing was a lot better, the climax of the story sort of fizzled and didn't hold enough impact for me. But in saying that, there are enough twists and turns to keep things fun, so this would still be a great book to pick up to have a leisurely read on the weekend and relax with. Favorite character/s: Boris, the badger familiar. The little guy was a treat, along with Catrina. That girl's scenes were always fun to read, and her confidence in her own magic was inspiring. Callan and Aria, for how sweet they were when they worked together to accomplish things. What drew me to this book? The beautiful cover and the witchy concept. Stars: 4/5 stars because the dialogue was a bit rough, and sometimes the perspectives didn't seem optimal for the part of the story at times (as in, some scenes could have been better from Aria's perspective but were instead told from Callan's and vice versa, not always but sometimes), but other than that, it was a pretty nice read. View all my reviews

Check out my review for: Romance Rules for Werewolves, Charming Cove book #3!

Review for book #2 coming soon...

[mendimore]

The Danmei Series 01: Tf is Danmei?

Note: This is an effort to convert more unsuspecting fandom children into danmei because I need more people to talk to about this. Enjoy!

Danmei.

If you haven't heard of it before, HAHAHA, you are in for a ride.

Basically, Danmei is a Chinese fiction genre (the name directly translates to indulging in beauty)that features m/m relationships.

Mendi, isn't that just bl? Yes, but specifically Chinese.

Well, Mendi, what difference does that even make? It's all the same thing.

No. It is not.

...Okay, it is a little bit.

BUT, danmei is its own genre for a reason. China, just like any other country is rich in culture. I acknowledge this may be a bit biased, but I am overjoyed that Danmei is flourishing. But, anyway, let's talk about it.

If you have heard about Danmei media in the West, even just a little, It's pretty likely that you came across one of MXTX's works. MXTX or Mo Xiang Tong Xiu is the pseudonym for a popular Danmei author on Jin Jian Wen Xue Cheng (jjwxc) a popular web novel site(a whole lot of Danmei authors publish their work on this site).

MXTX has three novels, and if you hear about the MXTX fandom, it refers to the enjoyers of all three of her novels. These three works consist of Scum Villain's Self Saving System(svsss), The Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation(aka Mo Dao Zu Shi, or mdzs), Heaven Official's Blessing(aka Tian Guan Ci Fu, or tgcf). The first of their works to become very popular was mdzs, which has several adaptations(basically any adaptation you can think of). If you were into cdramas at all around 2019, you might have heard of The Untamed. The majorly successful live-action adaptation of mdzs. Or maybe if you are in the anime/donghua community, you heard about the mdzs donghua adaptation. And if you were a fandom child who found Ao3 at the right time, you might know of "Sexy Times with WangXian" which broke Ao3 with the number of tags it had and forced Ao3 to have a tag limit, or a fanfic of the lead actors of The Untamed making Ao3 illegal in China.

Have I scared you? Sorry. Truly, the mdzs fandom is not as problematic as it sounds. I started my own Danmei journey with mdzs, and it holds a soft spot in my heart. I also have way too many opinions on the adaptations and how new viewers of mdzs should approach it to get the maximum emotional value, but that is a discussion for another time.

Anyway, Heaven Official's Blessing, also skyrocketed in popularity when it came out. It has its own donghua that you can find on Netflix with a fully English dub. As well as an extremely beautiful manhua and audiodrama. But of course, I encourage you to read the novels first, especialy because these adaptations are not finished, unlike mdzs.

Scum Villain is the heavily underrated middle child as far as adaptations go. It absolutely does not mean that it is bad. It isn't. I don't wanna get into the debate about how someone isn't a true mxtx fan if they haven't read it, and how it's so much better than the other books. I personally disagree with the last statement. I do also hold a lot of love for Scum Villain, Shen Qingqiu is one of my favorite MCs of all time, the premise is a lot more relatable than the other two, but it's pretty clear that svsss is Mxtx's oldest work. She has definitely been improving. Obviously. go read it, especially if you enjoy her other two works.

But, before you come at me for only talking about one author out of ALL the Danmei out there, I would like to point out that MXTX works are probably the most accessible in the West in regards to Danmeis. They were the first to get a full English translation and along with 2ha (The Dumb Husky and His White Cat Shizun, another very popular danmei written my an author under the name Meatbun), I was able to see them perching on their own little stand in Barnes and Noble.

So, you may have noticed something. I talk a lot about the web novels. maybe if you're into bl or yaoi, you will notice that a lot of those adaptations are in the form of graphic novels. Why is it that there is more emphasis on the actual novel? I know I know, why do these people want to make us actually just READ words instead of look at pretty pictures of pretty people. Disgusting. I understand your pain. I actually do not have anything largely conclusive to tell you why this is, but based on my observations here are two contributing factors: 1. it's easier to hide subtext, specific cue words, and satire in text media(I mean it's pretty clear when a character is desperately holding on to another character, yelling "My, love, when will you return," when you skim through a manhua, then if there are just a bunch of words), this also means its easier to hide from censorship; 2. the Chinese language itself is very poetic and if you have interacted with Chinese people, the number of references and idioms will drive you nuts as a language learner, in manhua form it can lose some of its humor and imagery, particularly with Danmei because a lot of the subject matter and the nature of the romances is kind of idealized and poetic; 3. Danmei is actually very plot-centric, the romance is often like a little cherry on top of the mounds of story, drama, and character, and so when you see even manhua or donghua adaptations of the stories, I would say that often quite a bit of the depth gets lost for the characters and the story, it's the same as what happens with a lot of blockbuster films. I'm sorry but book >>> movie almost every time.

Of course, there are options for you if you are stuck on graphic novel-style stories. Chinese manhua generally has a distinctly pretty and clean style. It does depend on the artist, obviously, but if you are a huge fan of pretty art, I tell you Manhua knows what's up, just give it a shot.

Anyway, all this yammering and I haven't talked about the actual content.

Many things set a lot of Danmei apart, content-wise. Chinese fiction has its own fantasy genres of wuxia and Xianxia. Wuxia, translating directly to martial hero, is a low fantasy genre that centers around martial arts in a historical au including sects, master-apprentice relationships, cool fights, etc. It has a lot less supernatural or magical elements, and instead often focuses on what is feasible with the human body alone. Xianxia on the other hand(translating directly to immortal Hero), can vary with very cool magic systems and worldbuilding based on Daoist and/or Buddhist influences. Xianxia is high fantasy and often includes supernatural themes, immortality, spiritual cultivation, etc. It may include mentions of the three realms. where you can ascend to godhood, haunt the mortal realms being unable to find the land of the dead, or go through the cycle of reincarnation.

Danmei can be based in some Chinese historical settings as well, separate from wuxia and can be from ancient times or during the more recent period of militant china, often with some emphasis on Peking opera.

Of course, Danmei has plenty of works set in contemporary or futuristic timelines as well that are similarly unique in their own way.(right now I just started Little Mushroom, and I really enjoy the futuristic worldbuilding so far)

Additionally, I mentioned before that Danmei is in fact very plot and character-centric.

Ha, yeah right, Mendi. Plot. The plot is romance, that is the genre, what plot could there possibly be.

Well. A whole lot.

I gave you a little taste with the mentions of some cool worldbuilding, but you will get a taste of insurmountable joy and boundless despair, reading some of this stuff. Many of your favorite tropes appear often, from enemies to lovers to pretty guys with long hair falling down cliffs(ok that is just an MXTX thing, I don't care if you think my taste is basic because i love MXTX, the stories are good). Also, you get a dose of east asian ideals and culture. For Asian Americans like me, it was very refreshing to feel somewhat understood in a way that I didn't see in Western media. The emphasis on family relationships, age hierarchies, reputation, and the way your asian aunties will gossip about you both right in front of you and behind you and have no sense of boundaries, and dramatic-ass idioms(iykyk). The way that these relationships are built is through the plot, and that is something I miss sometimes with a lot of the romances I've read. There are plenty of points of interest, from being do-gooders trying to be a good person and then getting roped into and wrongfully blamed for some elaborate scheme, or a hefty, intricate revenge plot based on some deep hatred and a not so healthy does of body horror. You will have a blast.

So, now that I have sold you on danmei content. Let's talk about another factor why you may not already be a Danmei enjoyer.

Danmei is enjoyed by many women in China and internationally, which also means there is a lot of controversy regarding the fetishization of m/m relationships. While I agree that this is a problem, I disagree that enjoying a gay romance is fetishization. it can be, but it more than often is not. Just like how I can enjoy a poetic, well-set-up, straight romance, I enjoy a lot of really beautiful Danmei stories in much the same way. For a lot of Chinese women, Danmei allows them to remove the societal constraints put on women in a relationship. it's a way of escapism, this might also be a reason as to why a lot of these romances are so poetic, even if tragic at times. Having the stigmatism of fetishization might push more heteronormativity into media. As long as you can enjoy the romance healthily, appreciating the characters as characters, and the plot as plot, and not specifically enjoy the fact that the relationship is between two gay men, you should be in the clear. The fact that some people are driven away from these stories because of the stigmas around boy's love saddens me. You don't have to be a connoisseur or anything, but if the sole reason you reject a piece of media is because it has a gay pairing in it, that is pretty homophobic. Although I will say, there is a difference between not wanting to read it because it's gay and not wanting to read it because you don't want to read smut. I understand some Danmei has smut, and some people aren't comfortable reading that, ok. But if you are intrigued by the premise, I would say just do your best to skip the smut scenes, if you really don't wanna, ok, but I think for things like smut, you can really get away with not reading it usually. Also if you think all danmei has smut, you are sorely mistaken. There are plenty of Danmei fics with no smut, and a lot of the adaptations sometimes don't even have real romance, which is sad, but if that is your concern, seriously don't. Also, in regards to censorship, if that is your issue. Unfortunately yes, it is an issue, but, there are plenty of options in the Danmei world, I'm certain you will find something.

Anyway, some of this is just my opinion, I am still actually relatively new to Danmei, I have read my fair share, but if this encouraged you to get into some Danmei, I have fulfilled my mission.

I will be back, probably talking about mdzs adaptations next time or some recs or working on some reviews, but I hope you enjoyed!

NOTE: About MXTX official translations, I have heard some mixed reviews. I, personally, read all three of the works as popular fan translations online, so I have not reread the full official translation. I have heard there are some distinct changes, including smushing some of the chapters together, which is something I am not sure about. it's unfortunate, but its only something to keep in mind. The novels should still be faithful to the original story.

[autisticempathydaemon]

the redacted matches are so cool, thank you for doing them!!

- i dont have a particular lyric for it but ive been really liking cherry wine by grentperez lately

- i dont really know my enneagram type, i think its a 5? not sure though only because i havent looked at it recently enough to know if its still accurate

- my go to way to fall asleep is to listen to redacted videos lol

- when i picked a new name for myself, i chose it because i liked the sound of it (and im pretty sure i subconsciously got it from a candle on my desk)

- my favorite redacted audio would probably be aarons morning audio where smartass is trying to keep him in bed, its very cute and he just sounds so happy

- i dont get the hype for caelum, i can appreciate that other people like him but he’s just never been it for me

- my go to thing to ramble about would absolutely be astrology

- my go to gas station combo would be one of those bottled starbucks drinks and chocolate covered pretzels

- a playlist ive been listening to a lot lately is a spotify generated one called “chill mix”

- i have a few guilty pleasure fantasy romance book series, theyre not very good but i always have a fun time reading them lol

Okay, but the fantasy romance thing is so funny- not funny because those books aren’t fun, we’re among friends here but because Vincent would lovingly, adoringly give you so much shit.

Literally, can you imagine how a charming little dickhead he’d be? He’s constantly insisting that shifters don’t actually have knots, that demons don’t orchestrate deals with the devil and certainly don’t seal them with a kiss. You’d come home, and he’s on the couch, not working, nose in one of your books, telling you that the position being he’s reading isn’t possible, supernatural creature or otherwise, but goddamn he’d be willing to try wink wink nudge nudge.

Also, after that last Vincent audio, the one with the fancy date, he could totally strike me as a chocolate-covered pretzel man. Vincent’s a prince, but he’s also just a dude, and I think he’d be more than happy sitting on that gas station curb, trying to throw snacks into your open mouth.

Song:

I need a man who'll take a chance/ On a love that burns hot enough to last/ So when the night falls/ My lonely heart calls/ Oh, I wanna dance with somebody

As the theoretical youngest of our vampires, Vincent is so literally a boy misplaced in time. I really, inexplicably love this song for him for that reason. Like, a cheesy eighties love ballad that he’d adore covered by a mid 00’s emo band? For some reason, I think he’d love that.

Runner-ups:

Vega, I actually like for you the same reason as Vincent. He would also be incredibly amused by your romance novels but in a much meaner yet still sexy way. Anton, I just think he loves an astrology babe; he adores listening to you talk about signs and constellations and houses even if he doesn’t believe any of it.

Note: I hope you enjoy it, anon 🧡 I actually finally listened to his spicy date audio today before I looked at your entry, so I think it was fate

Want a match-up of your own? Read this post, and tell me about yourself! 💌

[mermaidsirennikita]

Have you read Kerrigan Byrne's victorian rebels?

Yes. I have issues with some things Kerrigan has written (which I'll get into) and additionally her use of AI art and reaction to (pretty forthright but not impolite) critique of the use of AI art that make it so that, where I was initially in love with the first couple of books I read by her (The Highwayman and Seducing a Stranger) I can't recommend her anymore. My takes on those books:

The Highwayman--honestly great, I'm afraid. Dark and interesting and hot. Love the hero and the heroine. Has one of my favorite sex scenes ever. I own it and I will reread it, but again, I don't feel like I can recommend her in general.

The Hunter--has a lot of good stuff going for it but a) I actually realized later that this has, down to a science, the exact same twist as Darling Beast by Elizabeth Hoyt; I'm not suggesting this was intentional, but where I see people compare The Highwayman to a Kleypas book a lot, that was some general structural stuff, whereas this is THE EXACT same twist b) more importantly, I super hate the hero having a martial arts instructor who gives vague "East Asian" types of platitudes in broken English, it's gross! I also remember this really weird passage about a brown manservant (who is later killed, fwiw) being described as like... really simple... and having "gentle eyes" like a cow or horse or something. It felt gross.

And I will say: obviously, I've read HR authors who've done similarly. It's always bad. What I find adds an extra layer of concern to Kerrigan's work is that it's all relatively recent. You're not picking up a book from the 80s where I wouldn't even expect a (white) critique partner or editor to be likely to call this shit out. I really don't get it.

The Highlander--oh, man. This has the bones of being a sexy Highlander Captain Von Trapp book. And I'll be honest, I loved the leads and their dynamic on a basic level. EXCEPT. AND THIS IS A BIG EXCEPT. For the fact that the hero is a self-admitted war criminal. His angst? Is that he was an officer in the Queen's Army who razed Indian villages to the ground and killed/drove the killings of innocent civilians. And you know what? He feels bad about it, which is why he took a child who was one of the only survivors of one of his massacres and made him his vALET! GREAT! LOVE IT!

I'll be honest, I found so little criticism of this (probably because the book generally isn't popular--I read Seducing a Stranger first, I think, and The Highwayman second, or the other way around, so this was somewhere in the middle of the pack) that I was like "maybe I just exaggerated it in my head" but I reread it and nope, it was uhhhh pretty bad dude. Like, the valet guy then tries to kill the hero and the book is kinda like "well fair" but it's also like lmao? This is the villainous crux of the novel...? And kinda fed into the "untrustworthy sneaky servant of color" thing, which like, YEAH. HE SHOULDN'T BE TRUSTWORTHY BECAUSE IN TURN WHY WOULD HE EVER LIKE THE GUY WHO KILLED HIS FAMILY.

The Duke--I don't remember much of this one tbh

The Scot Beds His Wife--I liked this one a lot back in the day, but I haven't read it in a while so perhaps I missed some horror, can't confirm or deny

The Duke with the Dragon Tattoo--same as the above

Seducing a Stranger--I loved this one; I love Carlton Morley; I really wish there weren't so many things going on with the rest of the series, dude.

The thing is that Kerrigan's issues with race keep cropping up. The Highlander is the biggest example. But I remember there being some weird shit in How to Love a Duke in Ten Days that I honestly, blame is on me here, missed the first go re: fetishized islanders. It's like, throwaway lines where I get the vibe that she's trying to acknowledge that people of color exist in the Victorian era, which good in theory, but it's often patronizing or fetishistic or downright "what the fuck were you thinking" as with The Highlander. They're often servile. It's just not the look, and the thing is that if it happens and an author gets called out and takes that feedback and works on their books... I'm white, it's not on me to say whether or not that's valid. But Kerrigan's work has it repeatedly, and she should know better. Plus, she just seems super bad at taking criticism (I've heard of her responding to critiques of The Highwayman super defensively, in a setting wherein her response was not necessary or wanted) so I doubt she'd work on it.

I think she's honestly a very talented writer, and the two books I say I loved? I loved. I recommended them all the time back in the day. But I did some self analysis and was like "Do you honestly feel good about recommending these books with the concerns you have about the books you're not recommending?" Because there are situations, where one mildly problematic book (say, a book with a slut shaming heroine written 10+ years ago) won't put me off recommending other, ideally later works by the author. But The Highlander WASN'T mild and it wasn't isolated. And after the AI thing happened, it was like--dude, you should know better, you shouldn't be recommending books by someone that gives you vibes this bad.

And I shouldn't have given her the leniency I did after The Highlander. That's really on me.

[worrywrite]

Apparently my vampire media journey was normal? I mean... I *am* a product of very controlled mass media marketing and for-profit media/storytelling.

Let's see... Sesame Street's The Count, I feel like that's everyone first vampire character. Then there was that Disney channel movie... What was it. All I remember is vampire cows. And that one villain from the Buzz Lightyear animated series (okay, so weird stuff does stick to my brain and I have a weird range of media I absorbed as a child... And I absorbed a significant amount of media). I don't think there was a vampire in Halloween Town, but around the time that became a thing I started getting really into Halloween (I was probably six or seven) and I do recall there being vampire characters in the Scary Godmother animated movies and that reinforced it. Around the same time I happened across Buffy the Vampire Slayer (which I acknowledge I was far too young for) and I was... Entranced with vampires. Parents didn't like that, didn't really catch much Buffy because of it. But my interest in the occult in general got *piqued* and from there on out, it was witches and vampires and werewolves and demons and djinni (burned through the original Bartimaeus books before 6th grade). So when I hit puberty proper... Okay, yeah, I was into monsters which explains why I was functionally asexual until I was 17; because monsters aren't real and are therefore inaccessible characters of desire.

ANYWAY.

By the time I was 11, my mother had started reading the Twilight books. And because she is incapable of not talking about everything she's obsessed with to literally everyone she talks to, she talked about the books to me a lot. Because I liked books. And this backfired for her. A lot. Because she liked the intensity of it and lack of general swearing (this woman is a hyper-conservative Christian, which also explains the oversharing interests things because proselytizing). It backfired because I went "oh, my parents are okay with this now" and I went deep into vampire/werewolf lore on the internet (not exactly fiction or media proper, but I became part of my early social media interactions with message boards and forums and RPGs and such).

I also saw Underworld, Van Helsing, and Hellboy around that time (13-14). Those movies are all over the place, but yeah. You know what, I'll throw The Matrix in there too. I'm gonna call this my leather and spandex phase of vampire experiences. Good times. This led to the writing of my first vampire and werewolf novels (two different novels, both hot garbage). And then I saw the twilight movie (which I liked because of the soundtrack and general attractiveness of all the actors portraying vampires) and read the books and got really into Supernatural which I regret because it didn't have enough vampires and werewolves to be honest. And then the Vampire Diaries on CW happened. And then Teen Wolf.

And then I kind of burned out on most media, went to college, learned and played d&d, and now I'm back on my vampire bs. I run a 5e campaign where my players have a vampire frienemy who they accidentally unleashed on the setting; she is one of my favorite NPCs to portray. And now I am getting into Discworld and the vampires there are refreshingly silly.

Anyway, I feel like this is pretty normal? Maybe not. I went all in on pretty much everything occult (partially because of my own experiences which I haven't really talked about) when I was young. It never scared me; probably because I was taught from a young age that the only things I had to be afraid of were the devil and minorities--because, again, hyper-conservative household. I find this very funny now because now I know that that is basically what spurred the creation of these mythical sexy creatures that I love so much.

[clevermird]

Review: Brief Cases (Dresden Files side story) by Jim Butcher

To be perfectly honest, I wasn’t all that excited to tackle Brief Cases. The previous attempt at a Dresden Files short story anthology, Side Jobs, was my least-favorite book in the series so far – it was repetitive and only a couple stories added anything new to the characters or the world. But those few stories were pretty decent and more to the point, I’m trying to properly experience the Dresden-verse in its full glory, so I plunged in anyway. 

Just like its predecessor, Brief Cases contains twelve shorts of varying lengths, some of which focus on Harry’s mini-adventures in between the world-shattering action of the main books, others of which follow side characters as they have adventures of their own. 

“A Fistful of Warlocks” – It’s the days of the wild west, and young Warden Anastasia Luccio’s hunt for a fugitive brings her to Dodge City. This was a great start to the book – a couple of fun little twists, an unexpected cameo or two, and a look into the mind of someone who I felt like never got quite enough development in the main storyline. 

“B is for Bigfoot” – Harry is hired by one of the Forest People to help his son deal with bullies at school. I absolutely adored River Shoulders, the Bigfoot in question, and found his relationship with Harry endearing, but the actual plot was pretty basic and suffered from trying a bit too hard to be cool and nerdy. 

“AAAA Wizardry” – Harry teaches a group of group of young Wardens the basics of dealing with supernatural threats by means of telling them about an old case. This was another strong one. The class format and the students’ input was a great framing device, good enough to buoy a somewhat weak main plot. 

“I Was a Teenage Bigfoot” – Several years after their first encounter, River Shoulders hires Harry to help out with his son again, this time to find the source of a mysterious illness that’s plaguing him. Although the ending of this one made me laugh and River Shoulders continues to be awesome, it was pretty forgettable overall, very basic without much in the way of twists or cool action. 

“Curses” – A representative of the Chicago Cubs hires Harry on the down-low to break the infamous Billy Goat Curse that’s keeping the team from getting to the World Series. I feel like I’m running out of ways to say “this one was a lot of fun”, but I’m going to say it again. I will also, however, say that I didn’t quite buy the ending. I saw what Butcher was going for, but it didn’t land for me. 

“Even Hand” – Gentleman Johnny Marcone may be a criminal, but he likes to think of himself as an honorable man, so when a woman shows up asking for sanctuary, he finds himself forced to fight an enemy who may be too much for him. This was another forgettable one. The insight into Marcone’s mind and operations was interesting, but the story itself was kinda simple with the end twist not quite worth it. 

“Bigfoot on Campus” – The final adventure in what I took to calling the Son of Bigfoot trilogy, Harry has to bail out River Shoulders’ son for a final time as he picks up a college girlfriend who might also have a connection to the supernatural. This was by far my favorite story in the collection, with a character I’ve come to adore as the centerpiece and the appearance of some of my favorite Dresden-verse supernaturals, as well as some genuinely funny moments and a cute ending. 

“Bombshells” – Probably my second favorite story. After Harry’s death, Molly Carpenter tries to fill his shoes as protector of Chicago, and sometimes that means bailing Thomas out of a tight spot. But she’s gonna need some help (and some really expensive shoes) to make that happen. This was classic Dresden Files shenanigans: dangerous, action-heavy, a bit sexy, a bit funny. 

“Cold Case” – Molly must adjust to her duties and responsibilities as Lady Winter as she investigates a supernatural threat looming over a small Alaskan town. This was another story that was a bit too simple for me, but I found the world-building information hidden inside it and the look into Lady Molly’s head to be worth the time it took to read. 

“Jury Duty” – Now that Harry has been raised from the dead, he has to get used to having mortal obligations and one of those is jury duty. But what looks like an open-and-shut case might be just a bit more complicated and he can’t resist pulling at the threads. This story was just fine. Not bad, not amazing, just an entertaining read that probably won’t stick with me all that well. 

“Day One” – Newly-minted Knight of the Cross Waldo Butters tries his best to handle his first solo mission. This one was very similar to “Cold Case”, in that the actual plot takes a backseat to characterization of the protagonist and to developing the specifics of the role they fulfill. I found it less interesting than “Cold Case” simply because I’m more interested in the fae courts and Molly than I am in Butters or the Knights, but it was solid nonetheless. 

“Zoo Day” – Harry takes his daughter and his dog to the zoo for some bonding time, but all three find themselves caught up by supernatural difficulties that they have to solve without ruining the reset of the group’s day. I really appreciated the down-to-earth (relatively-speaking) nature of this one and the chance to see a bit more of Maggie and Mouse. I did struggle to buy Maggie’s narrative voice a bit, she didn’t quite sound like an actual kid to me, but her and Mouse were cute enough to make up for it. 

Taken as a whole, while Brief Cases might not be the best book in the Dresden Files series, it’s a solid popcorn read that should offer something for most fans of the series and I found myself eager to pick it up every time I sat down to read another chapter.

Warnings: In addition to the typical Dresden action violence and sexual assault references, “Even Hand”, “Cold Case”, and “Zoo Day” all place kids in danger.

Rating: 8/10