#occult bookseller

[knoxvillerose-blog]

I sell Vintage Books at KnoxvilleRose On Etsy. This is a small sample of the works currently avaialble at the shop! Recently added some new inventory. I cater to the Ceremonial Magician, Witch & Occultist mostly, with forays into the Parnormal, Religions, Anthropology.... and more!

[arcane-offerings]

David Rankine. The Grimoire Encyclopedia: A Convocation of Spirits, Texts, Materials, and Practices. West Yorkshire: Hadean Press, 2023. Hardcover edition. Two volume set. 756 pp + 676 pp. Limited to 700 copies.

Shop link in bio.

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[suzypfonne]

Identifying Ethereal, Occult, and Celestial Beings - Field Notes:

Name: Aziraphale

Alias(es): A Z Fell, Dr. McFell, Brother Francis, Michael Sheen

Species: Angel

Date of Creation: Before the Beginning

Date of Destruction: 2019 cancelled

Occupation: Guardian of the Eastern Gate Principality doctor bookseller retired Supreme Archangel

Height: 5' 10"

Hair color: bleach blond, cloud-white

Eye color: variable (documented: blue, green, brown, and grey); often heart-shaped in defiance of corporeal design plans

Physical Description: angel soft humanoid

Identifying Features: thousands of eyes; white, beige, brown, blue, or tartan coverings generally 50-200 years out of style by human standards; indescribable nose shape; gold pocket watch; gold signet ring

Relationship Status: smitten single smitten single married divorced it's complicated

Diet: omnivore

Gender: male-presenting

Pronouns: he/him

Sexuality: Crowlisexual

Religion: Under Review

[ojamajoprincess]

it just sort of boggles my mind that aziraphale and crowley, despite being occult, non-humans who a) don't age, and b) actually stick around in places for a long time (the bookshop is easily 300 years old), are just perceived as human men by the people around them. we as the audience know they are infinitely aged yet unaging angel and a demon/ fallen angel, but the humans they meet don't. And they don't assume any different.

they probably think, yeah ok just some guy, a bit off, a bit queer, a bit of a bastard actually, and leave it at that. And in modern times, among their proximal environment of Soho, the perception of them boils down to oh that's the eccentric but obviously gay bookseller who never seems to actually, uh, sell the books and dresses only in period dress (suppose he likes history bounding), and there's his obviously gay goth boyfriend/husband with his antique car, what a functional middle aged married couple.

[sebastianswallows]

The English Client — Thirty-three

— PAIRING: Tom Riddle x F!Reader

— SYNOPSIS: The year is 1952. Tom is working for Borgin and Burkes. He is sent to Rome to acquire three ancient books of magic by any means necessary. One in particular proves challenging to reach, and the only path forward is through a pretty, young bookseller. A foreigner like him, she lives alone, obsessed with her work... until Tom comes into her life.

— WARNINGS: angst, smut, teasing, creampie

— WORDCOUNT: 2.7k

— TAGLIST: @esolean @localravenclaw @slytherins-heir

I

The room had quite a different quality when it was full, even if it was basically a hole carved underground. There was a buzz to it of excitement and intrigue which the presence of occult books and a few practitioners of it sprinkled among the bidders only added to. Among the veteran attendants, there was a murmur of unease, caused in no uncertain terms by the absence of Ambrogio. The lack of word from the Baron didn’t help. One friend of his, a man going by the name of signor Taurulus, had passed by his office and supposedly had seen him, hence why he was late, and reported that the Baron was alive and well but acting strange. He’d found him, he said, rifling through his office drawers and mumbling something about his secretary.

Tom moved through the auction hall with the crystalline authority of the only figure left with all the power — at least until she came downstairs. And she looked lovely when she arrived, if a little bit angry, but it only added to her charms. Brimming with nervous energy, too alert to be tired even at that hour, and dressed in her most fetching suit of charcoal grey and red, it took everything for Tom to keep his hands off her.

“They’re waiting,” he said as he greeted her in the antechamber.

“Oh my, am I late?”

“Not at all. Let them stew in their perfidy for a while longer.”

“Have they misbehaved?” she asked with a playful smirk.

“Quite terribly. All the time, in fact. So show them no mercy.”

“Would that it were so simple…”

“Why?” he asked, instantly suspicious. “Did any of them say anything to you? Perhaps as they came in?”

She wavered in the doorway beside him, seeming to struggle with herself. With the satisfied smile of someone who could read minds, Tom pressed her.

“Was it Malfoy?”

Her face fell, and he knew that he was right.

“Well… Not surprising,” said Tom as he got closer. His long fingers closed around her shoulders and squeezed with reassurance. “Then you had better give him what he wants.”

“Really?” she said with a heavy sigh, afraid and yet relieved at the unspoken permission.

“Yes. Oso did it all the time.”

“They say the Baron’s acting strangely… They were all asking me about him. You… you don’t suppose Mr. Malfoy’s to blame, do you?”

“He might be,” said Tom with a cocked brow and the appropriate amount of gravity. “All the more reason to just give him what he wants.”

“Tom… I’m not sure that’s such a good idea.”

“Don’t worry,” he smiled, rubbing up and down her arms. “I’ll be here with you.”

“Promise?” she said, leaning in to hug him.

He took her in his arms and sighed but didn’t say a word.

II

The hollow shape of faces glanced up at her from the dark. All the light in the room was focused on her and the books and it made her feel alone and yet surrounded. Dominating the audience was a constant work in progress but they seemed to have become accustomed to behaving from previous auctions well enough that, even if they thought poorly of her presentation skills, they never showed their displeasure. Her voice stopped trembling after the first fifteen minutes and after that, she operated so automatically from her many days of training that she could hardly recall what she had said from one minute to the next.

She presented the books in the predetermined order, starting with the lower-valued ones for which there wasn’t much enthusiasm. But still there were bidders, and one by one the first batch were all sold. Greedy eyes shone up at her and the silence before the first person showed an interest was always filled with tension. She caught each bid in time, which was easy as they came in slower than expected, and while the first win caused a shiver of excitement to run through her it got less and less remarkable as the night went on. It became no different than dealing with her customers upstairs. She could almost say she was proud of herself…

Her gaze at one point caught Tom’s, standing at the side behind the curtains next to a crate of books, and suddenly everything felt more real. She felt like part of it all, and her place upon the stage — in front of everyone, drawing their attention — suddenly made her feel powerful rather than afraid.

“Going once, fair warning, everyone, at one hundred twenty-five thousand, going once. Going twice. Sold! To Signor Luce. Congratulations, sir.”

Tom quickly stepped behind her to take the book and get it ready for its owner backstage, only there was something doleful in the way he looked at her. She knew at that moment that they had to speak in private.

“We will take the fifteen-minute interlude now,” she announced. “Please enjoy the hors d'oeuvres and refreshments.”

Approving murmurs and the shuffling of chairs filled the stuffy air. Smoke from their pipes and cigarettes covered the ceiling like a cloud, mingling with expensive perfume and cologne. As the wave of them shuffled to the tables with the wine and snacks a symphony of porcelain played as the backdrop to their chatter. And just when she slipped behind the curtains she caught from the corner of her eye the sight of Mr. Malfoy, his cold gaze fixed on her. She was all the more happy to finally be out of sight.

“How… how is it?” she asked Tom as she approached him. Her blood was running hot, her heart aflutter after all that talking, and she was nearly breathless.

Tom leaned casually against a messy desk stuck in the back. “You’re doing very well,” he said with a sad smile.

She wasn’t sure if he was being honest but he said all the words she yearned to hear. In a few long strides, she was already in his arms. The solid feeling of Tom’s body, his embrace encircling her, the steady breathing by her ear and his sweet scent of ink and paper was like a veil of calm. She let herself sink deeper, braced her chin over his shoulder, and brought her heart to rest with his. He held her tighter this time than he usually did and she couldn’t help but wonder what the reason for it was… Was it the auction? The finality of it? Was he really going to return to England after it was over, even if he didn’t have the book? Lately, Tom had seemed not to care about it. She’d been relieved at first but then, if he wasn’t staying in Italy for the sake of the book, why was he still there at all? It terrified her, the thought that she could lose him at any moment... She suddenly felt quite possessive, and sank her claws into his shirt, too afraid to speak.

In spite of her tight grip, Tom pulled away. He looked into her eyes as a boyish smile grew on his lips and for one frightening moment, she thought, as she had a few times before, that he could read her mind. That knowing look, that penetrating glance, it chilled her to the core. He chuckled and leaned down to kiss her cheek, and didn’t stop there. His lips travelled in a slow caress toward her lips and she received him, capturing his mouth and pulling him toward her with her arms around his neck. Tom moaned and gripped her hips and quickly changed their places, pushing her against the desk before beginning to tug her skirt a little higher.

“Oh, no you don’t,” she giggled, “I’ll have to go back soon.”

“You gave them fifteen minutes, right? Plenty of time.”

She groaned and closed her eyes, hating every part of it, hating what it made her think: that this was his apology for what he was about to do. Abandon her.

Tom’s hand didn’t stop until it reached her panties. She jumped when she felt him tugging them lower but then he pulled away and hastily loosened his belt. Trapped by his body and his incessant kisses she felt him pull his trousers down and then he quickly, clumsily, lifted her onto the table. His cold hands kept her legs spread and steadied her just on the edge of it as he brought his cock to her slit. She jumped a little as he toyed with her, slotting the head between her lips and rubbing her up and down, but he didn’t drag it on the way he did at home. Tom played at being casual about it but she felt the tension in his muscles and knew he was in just as much a hurry as her. With a smirk on his lips, he gathered just a bit of her wetness on his crown and roughly pushed inside.

“Aaah!”

“That’s it, good girl…”

“T-tom, not here…”

His arms encircled her, holding her close. With a teasing smile, his lips hovered over hers, loosely kissing now and then, his breath sliding into her mouth and sucking hers out in turn. She gripped him by the shoulders, her hands shaking with fear — at being heard, at being caught, and at her growing understanding that this must’ve been goodbye.

“Tom,” she moaned, “stop… I can’t go back out like this, they… they’ll notice.”

“You’ll just stand behind the podium,” he grinned, his voice a little breathless with each shove that brought him deeper into her.

She bit her lip at being spread open so quickly, at being forced to take him, but her core throbbed in delight. It loved being filled by him, loved the way he moved, the way he pulled out the best of her and made her forget the worst. She hissed when she felt him reach all the way in, tip nudging at her cervix, but Tom didn’t seem to care. He steadied his feet on the dusty floor and pulled his hips back gently, dragging his cock out and letting her sweet body suckle on it, then pushed inside with more strength than before. As she bit her lip and struggled to keep quiet his dark eyes searched hers, more sad and fragile than before. It was as if he tried to take her mind the same way that he took her body, desperate and needy, to take all of her for his own just one last time. She shook her head, tears beading at the corners of her eyes, and finally, her lips parted in a strangled moan.

Tom shook his head and smiled. “Don’t worry, my love. They can’t hear you,” he whispered.

But she could hear them. Their incessant chatter and fake laughter, the flattery and pomp, like a swarm of insects infecting dry old wood, and she could not get rid of their voices from her mind. But she knew that Tom was right… Rational, as always. So she swallowed the knot in her throat and the next time Tom thrust into her, taking her so hard the table scraped across the floor, she allowed herself to moan.

“There you are,” he groaned, a saccharine praise in his voice. “I do so love the way your voice sounds when you’re feeling pleasure… Give me more.”

She giggled, sounding almost drunk, and, feeling shy, she crushed her lips to his while Tom thrust deeper, pushing her just slightly higher on the table. He filled her up so much she felt him in her throat and with each thrust her core relaxed around him. She moaned against his lips when he stopped to grind against her, the root of his cock tickling her clit. It was as if her body, so cold in that underground hall in November, was being warmed from the inside out. She parted from his lips to gasp, head easing back against her shoulders, and Tom took the chance to kiss down her throat. Their slick coming together, flesh squeezing flesh in one heated, long embrace, filled the empty space around them with the sound of kissing, sucking, flesh dripping desire, against the backdrop of the guests chattering away.

“Tom,” she gasped, feeling her body tense and tighten, a heat rising from her womb up toward her frantic heart.

“I have you,” he whispered in her ear, holding her tighter, hands fisting in her jacket, hips snapping into her in a hard, relentless rhythm. “I have you… It’s safe and quiet here with me…”

She buried her face in his shoulder and groaned. Around his hips, her legs were shaking.

“Show me,” he murmured between kisses. “Show me how much you like that you’re mine.”

His words sunk into her as deeply as anything could. She felt weak and strong all at once and every feeling in her body grew, intensified. It burst in a harmony of creaks and distant mumbles, the scent of dust and parchment and Tom’s encouraging whispers, of flesh that clenched and pulsed and twitched together, blood flowing between tight layers of skin as one. He bit into her breast, just underneath the edges of her collar, and filled her with a warmth that cloyed her insides and made her feel all soft and drunk. She tugged on his dark messy hair and brought him up for kisses, burying a moan into his mouth, and Tom gladly took it. Her core clenched prohibitively tight and hugged him, holding him inside as deep as he could reach.

After a few gentle kisses, his lips soft and trembling on the corners of her mouth, hers on his cheek, his hands massaging up and down her taut tense back, he eased her to the floor. They breathed together, stood precariously together, and were so close they could see nothing but each other. Tom’s dark eyes were heavy-lidded and his gaze caressed her face much like his lips had done. For a few moments, while her heart tried to settle and she calmed, she allowed herself to become lost in them. Had he always been so beautiful? His lips so soft and pink, his lashes long and elegant almost like a girl’s… Perhaps she was still dizzy from her orgasm, but she felt like she could cry with grief for all the times she didn’t kiss him, didn’t caress his lovely face or hold his hand during his sleep… Tom smiled and gave her one quick peck on the tip of her nose, then checked his watch over her shoulder and sighed.

“Five minutes,” he mumbled.

He moved away from her and bowed to pick her panties from around her ankles. Gently, he dragged them up her legs and settled them back in their place, a naughty, possessive smile on his lips as he looked up at her. He was trapping his seed inside of her again… And like all those times before he rubbed her lower tummy in what, to her, seemed like a consoling way.

“Tom… darling…”

“That was ten minutes. A new record for us, I think,” he said as he got back to his feet.

“I… I look a mess, I can’t go back.”

“So don’t,” he shrugged.

“I have to.”

“So do.”

“You’re impossible,” she sighed, but couldn’t help but smile at the impish look upon his face. She was still completely mad with love for him.

Tom kissed her once again and smoothed down the ruffled shoulders of her jacket. “It will be alright,” he said, rubbing a finger on the corner of her mouth.

She busied herself by smoothing down her skirt again and patting her hair to make sure it wasn’t too much out of place, although she knew Tom had been gentle. He, meanwhile, had far fewer things to put back together. His curls were a little messier because of her, but with a brush of his fingers, it was as if nothing had happened.

“Will I see you again tonight?” she asked. “After everything?”

He looked at her quietly as he straightened his belt and tucked his shirt in at the back. The confidence that played across his lips before was now replaced with a rather dour frown and thinning of lips. He brushed some imaginary specks of dust off his trousers then looked into her eyes again and answered, as honest as he could.

“I will be all yours.”

[melonbear51]

VTM character concepts that I am compelled to share as they have completely taken over my brain:

1. A fledgling who wakes up after their embrace to an "Alice in Wonderland"-style "unbirthday party" complete with some rather grizzly tea and presents. Their sire is either a Malkavian who genuinely thinks they are doing something nice, or a very twisted Toreador.

2.  A Lasombra antiquarian bookseller who takes sadistic pleasure in charging Tremere vamps OBSCENE amounts of money for rare occult tomes. 3.  A Salubri vampire who consensually feeds from those suffering from chronic pain in order to give them a little relief, unknowingly creating people addicted to the kiss in the process. 4. Nosferatu with a gorgeous voice who posts songs on social media without revealing their face. They are often asked to perform at Elysium, provoking much jealousy from the local Toreador. 5.  A Toreador dominatrix whose art form is torture. They work with the sheriff to "extract" information, and are currently searching for a fiend to teach them fleshcraft. Please feel free to use any of these as my brain continues to sprout characters without actually having chronicles to play them in lol.

[aziraphales-library]

You have no idea how happy I am rn- your blog is an absolute treasure trove. Thank you for doing God's work, lol.

Anyway, I was wondering if you knew any fics where there's a crossover with sherlock holmes?

Preferably the Victorian Arthur Conan Doyle version, but the newer incarnations will do, too

Thanks again, have a great day!

Here are some Sherlock Holmes crossover fics for you...

The Adventure Of The Bereft Bookseller by CopperBeech (G)

Established in his career, Sherlock Holmes accepts a client who's more than he seems, and who presents him with a very cold case.

Occult Forces by BarbaraKaterina (T)

Sherlock Holmes remembers a mystery from his younger years, and takes Watson to investigate a bookshop in Soho. Just a little something for Halloween.

On the revolutions of the heavenly spheres by HolRose (G)

The year is 1890, and Aziraphale has been accused of stealing a book from the British Museum Library. Fearing censure from both the human and Heavenly authorities, he goes to seek help from London’s most famous consulting detective at 221b Baker Street.

The Case of Immortal Identity by MissLauraBarrow (T)

When Holmes first moved to London, he met a curious Mr. Fell. After almost twenty years, he and his beloved companion should solve a mystery surrounding the unusual collector of the books.

Wings in the Window by Sonnet23 (G)

Crowley and Aziraphale are the suspects in a Sherlock Holmes-esque criminal case. A detective story set in the 19th century. Written by Dr John Watson, who promised not to publish it.

The angel, the demon and the detective by Musyque (G)

In 6000 of living on Earth, the angel Aziraphale and the demon Crowley have met quite a few people. But when Aziraphale became friend with Charles Dickens in the 1850s, he couldn't know that it would change his life in a way no other friendships had ever done. The only souvenir he has kept of that time is a book, Dickens' most personal one: David Copperfield. In another part of London, a famous detective is struggling to find a present for his best friend's birthay. Hopefully, Mrs Hudson is here to save the day.

- Mod D

[jesmalestiel]

Happy birthday @eviebane! I know I already sent this fic I wrote you on discord but I wanted to share on here too. And many thanks to @subway-stranger for being my beta on this first chapter!

Honey, you're familiar, like my mirror, years ago

Fandom: Good Omens (TV), Good Omens - Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett, The Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare, Shadowhunters (TV)

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Relationships: Aziraphale/Crowley (Good Omens), Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood, Anathema Device/Newton Pulsifer, Crowley & Anathema Device, Magnus Bane & Crowley (Good Omens), Crowley & Nina (Good Omens), Magnus Bane & Anathema Device, Magnus Bane & Anathema Device & Crowley (Good Omens), Alec Lightwood & Newton Pulsifer

Characters: Aziraphale (Good Omens), Crowley (Good Omens), Magnus Bane, Alec Lightwood, Anathema Device, Newton Pulsifer, Nina (Good Omens), Maggie (Good Omens), Whickber Street Shopkeepers and Street Traders Association (Good Omens)

Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Ineffable Idiots (Good Omens), Ineffable Wives | Female Aziraphale/Female Crowley (Good Omens), Minor Maggie/Nina (Good Omens), Magic is real but it doesn't work the same as in Good Omens or Shadowhunters, Title from a Hozier Song, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, She/Her and They/Them Pronouns for Crowley (Good Omens), She/Her Pronouns for Aziraphale (Good Omens), Genderfluid Crowley (Good Omens)

Summary:

Antonia Crowley (just Crowley is fine, thanks) co-owns a shop on Whickber Street specialising in the occult. Nevertheless, she spends the majority of her time playing barista at Give Me Coffee or Give Me Death so that she can make eyes at the woman who owns the bookshop across the street help out her old friend Nina as a stop gap before she can hire permanent staff.

Magnus Bane is a middle child and in search of something new and exciting. For a while he's been on the search for something, but isn't sure what.

Alec and Newt are best mates and have been sharing a flat for years when they find matching jobs as booksellers at A.Z. Fell and Co. Their boss, Aziraphale, is a little awkward, but they enjoy working for her. Newt especially enjoys working on Whickber Street as he has gotten to know Anathema Device, who co-owns M.A. Device & Co. with her siblings.

One Friday night at the height of summer they get together for a friendly game night.

And that's when everything changes.

[needleanddead]

tags & info

hello! below the cut are a list of tags to peruse/block at your will, including my tagging system for this blog, separate tags for my ocs and some basic info/basic links to primers and such about them!

A note on trigger tags: I’m happy to tag most things and I already do my best to tag triggers! I tag in the format “#trigger cw”. So if you would like, for example, to block the tag ‘cannibalism’, that will be tagged on this blog as “#cannibalism cw”. 

#🦇 pip squeaks - this is my .txt tag for original text posts!

#🦇 pip scribbles - this is my art tag for my art!

#🦇 pip writes - this is my writing tag for my writing! 

#🦇 pip ocs - tag for oc related text posts when it mentions too many ocs for me to tag them all individually!

#text [inspo] - this is a tag for inspiring text, whether that be poetry or quotes or anything else that i feel fits the Theme of the content on this blog.

#aesthetic [inspo] - this is a tag for inspiring images that fit the Theme of the content on this blog!

OC TAGS:

(for quick reference, refsheets for my ocs are here!)

#rose tag - tag for Rose, murder mc. Anxious recovering agoraphobe with a fondness for spooky aesthetic who can see & speak to ghosts; a desperate optimist who sees the good in everyone (even when it doesn’t exist), doing their best in a world stacked against them. [27, they/them]

rose murder mc meme / rose moodboard / rose pinterest board / f-list (kinks)

#teddy tag - tag for Teddy, another murder mc! Good-natured but not very smart, an aspiring actor who accidentally discovered a dormant masochism kink when playing a serial killer victim and is chasing that high. Lets his libido do the talking and gets himself into terrible situations that he enjoys far too much. [25, he/him]

teddy murder mc meme / teddy moodboard / teddy pinterest board / f-list (kinks)

#constance tag - tag for Constance, murdergirl oc, sweet lolita, doll customiser, amateur plastic surgeon. Spoilt rich girl desperate for docile affection and companionship by any means possible. [22, she/her]

constance murder oc meme / constance moodboard / constance pinterest board / f-list (kinks)

#cass tag - tag for Cass, murder oc, drunken layabout, hedonist, former child prodigy painter, current photographer looking for the perfect model. [28, he/him]

cass murder oc meme / cass moodboard / cass pinterest board / f-list (kinks)

#percy tag - tag for Percy, murder oc. Kindly bookseller, occult and folklore expert as it pertains to dream and the nighttime, and sleep paralysis demon. [ageless, appears mid 30s, he/they]

percy murder oc meme / percy moodboard / percy pinterest board / f-list (kinks)

#lucas tag - tag for Lucas/the General, murder oc. Grizzled former ‘military’ man and cannibal who gets lonely in his cabin in the woods and would like a sweet little house spouse to cook, clean and warm his bed. [48, he/him]

lucas murder oc meme / lucas moodboard / lucas pinterest board / f-list (kinks)

#van tag - tag for Van, my ancient fae forest spirit murder oc. Either in mortal glamour; a shy gentle giant fascinated by the mortal world with over-protective tendencies because of his memory issues - or in his true form, a seven foot horned guardian of the forest who thinks humans deserve to be made into pets. [ageless, appears around 30, he/they]

van murder oc meme / van moodboard / van pinterest board / f-list (kinks): Mortal Glamour, True Form

#thorne tag - tag for Thorne, yandere-flavoured captain of a cursed ghost ship seeking companionship and adventure, who isn’t … entirely sure what’s going on in the 21st century but is sure having a good time finding out. 

f-list (kinks)

#others ocs - tag for art/writing/posts about other people’s ocs!!! of which i reblog a lot hope you’re ready to have some Feelings about them >:3

[lostcarnations]

I’ll preface this by saying that I hope and pray that this post reaches its extremely niche target audience (people that like Oscar Wilde, Good Omens, and paranormal/dark history Quite A Bit), as it’ll not be nearly as fun to people that don’t enjoy all three. That said,

I was going through the Wikipedia page for Eccles Cakes, because my brain had gotten stuck on the line and I’d been repeating “Eccles Cake?” to myself all day. Anyways, the point is, I’d gotten to the part about similar cakes they periodically get mixed up with when I spotted THIS:

This, in and of itself, is unremarkable. However, me being an Oscar Wilde fan first and reasonable second, I noticed a striking resemblance to the name for the ailing fictional character invented by Algernon Moncrieff in The Importance of Being Earnest (who conveniently suffers bouts of exceptionally bad health whenever Algy’s relations invite him to something dull.)

While this may seem like a stretch to the untrained eye, it is a well documented historical fact that Jack Worthing, the play’s protagonist, is named for the seaside town in the south of England where Oscar Wilde wrote the play. As such, it is not an unnatural conclusion that he would do something similar with Bunbury’s name.

So, naturally, I went to the Wikipedia page for the Importance of Being Earnest. While I did not find anything in the page’s primary text, I did find this in the notes:

According to a Wikipedia note, I’d been corroborated by noted spiritualist and occult researcher Aleister Crowley (who, as an aside, Neil Gaiman has confirmed on tumblr that Our Crowley is named after, along with the town of Crawley). It is well documented that Aleister (as this is tumblr, and referring to him by his surname would inevitably lead to confusion) knew Wilde, which would hypothetically give him authority on the matter. Now, as much as I’d love to say that I’m the type of person to see that their theory has been corroborated and be happy and done with it, the American school system has done nothing if not engender an inherent distrust of Wikipedia in me. As such, I did some digging around the internet, and what I wound up finding was that every single site making this claim traced its evidence back to this book:

The book is $50. The author, Timothy D’Arch Smith, has a bio describing him as a “bibliographer, antiquarian bookseller (author’s note: oh my god he’s an antiquarian bookseller), and author, whose wit and scholarly predilections – Montague Summers (see Bibliographies), Aleister Crowley, rock 'n' roll, and cricket (see Games and Sports) – inform his contribution to the genre.” My question is,

Regardless, I think it’s really fun how all of my silly little interests intersected here and I needed to yell about it

[oliversrarebooks]

Nano Plan-o

For the third year I'm doing NaNoWriMo! I always cheat a bit and spend the time writing 50K words across all my existing projects.

My current projects for nano:

The Rare Bookseller: Of course I'll be continuing the story of Oliver and Alexander! It's all outlined and ready to go.

Vampire thrallcation: I'm hoping to finish up a shorter story I'm writing about a woman who signs up to become a vampire thrall as a mental health retreat.

Baldur's Gate 3 plotbuns: I currently have a few fun ideas I'd like to explore, mainly about Astarion and the Dark Urge, because I needed new ideas like I need a hole in my head...

sunshine in the library: This is my MHA vampire AU that inspired The Rare Bookseller. Shinsou is a lonely vampire, Deku is a struggling writer who loves the supernatural, Iida and Ochako are misguided vampire hunter, Monoma is a fairy king, Tsu is a witch who runs an occult shop. This is my baby that I haven't forgotten about despite having so many other ideas.

well actually: Iida wakes up in the hospital and discovers the last six years of his life have been erased from his memories. He's a pro hero now, and the way his life has turned out is pretty great, except for one thing: he's dating Monoma. My other baby. I will finish this, I swear.

calm mind: Another Monoma/Iida story I was working on (because few others will) where Monoma has his ability to feel emotion erased by a quirk and nearly drops out of the hero course.

These are my plans! I'll see what shakes out. I'll be posting snips of my progress here each day, as well as finished pieces.

[knoxvillerose-blog]

Scott Cunningham works on Wicca at KnoxvilleRose on Etsy

https://knoxvillerose.etsy.com/listing/1607079807/discounted-scott-cunningham-bundle-earth #VINTAGEBOOKS at KnoxvilleRose on Etsy

[arcane-offerings]

Sasha Chaitow. Son of Prometheus: The Life and Work of Joséphin Péladan. Theion Publishing, 2022. Deluxe Auric Edition. 432 pages. Fully hand-bound in fine scarlet red leather. Custom red velvety solander box with gold embossing on cover. Limited to 46 hand-numbered copies (#9/46). 

Shop link in bio.

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[suzypfonne]

Identifying Ethereal, Occult, and Celestial Beings - Field Notes:

Name: Gabriel Jim Gabriel

Alias(es): Gabe, Jaaames, JimShortforJamesLongforGabriel

Species: Angel

Date of Creation: Before the Beginning

Date of Destruction: TBD

Occupation: Supreme Archangel Assistant Bookseller Unknown (MIA)

Height: 6' 1"

Hair Color: dark brown, salt and pepper

Eye Color: violet green

Physical Description: angel soft humanoid Unknown (MIA)

Identifying Features: violently violet glowing eyes, gold signet ring; smug facial expression, cold and intimidating demeanor soft and approachable, corporate grey coverings handmade knit jumper; insatiable curiosity; fly-shaped storage container bigger on the inside Unknown (MIA)

Relationship Status: Eloped

Diet: does not consume gross matter hot chocolate

Gender: male-presenting

Pronouns: he/him

Sexuality: asexual

Religion: McDormandism Self-Worship Love

[richincolor]

New Releases

It's officially fall and the beginning of the spooky season! We have three spooky books out this week to start this magical time off right as well as the sequel to another one of Chloe Gong's fantastical Shakespeare's adaptations. Which of these will be your spooky season read?

If I Have to Be Haunted by Miranda Sun

Cemetery Boys meets Legendborn in this thrillingly romantic, irresistibly fun YA contemporary fantasy debut following a teenage Chinese American ghost speaker who (reluctantly) makes a deal to raise her nemesis from the dead. Cara Tang doesn’t want to be haunted. Look, the dead have issues, and Cara has enough of her own. Her overbearing mother insists she be the “perfect” Chinese American daughter—which means suppressing her ghost-speaking powers—and she keeps getting into fights with Zacharias Coleson, the local golden boy whose smirk makes her want to set things on fire. Then she stumbles across Zach’s dead body in the woods. He’s even more infuriating as a ghost, but Cara’s the only one who can see him—and save him. Agreeing to resurrect him puts her at odds with her mother, draws her into a dangerous liminal world of monsters and magic—and worse, leaves her stuck with Zach. Yet as she and Zach grow closer, forced to depend on each other to survive, Cara finds the most terrifying thing is that she might not hate him so much after all. Maybe this is why her mother warned her about ghosts.

The Grimmer by Naben Ruthnum ECW Press

The small-town mysteries of John Bellairs are made modern with a dash of Stranger Things in this spine-tingling supernatural horror-thriller. After his father returns from treatment for addiction, highschooler Vish ― lover of metal music and literature ― is uncertain what the future holds. It doesn’t help that everyone seems to know about the family’s troubles, and they stand out doubly as one of the only brown families in town. When Vish is mistaken for a relative of the weird local bookseller and attacked by an unsettling pale man who seems to be decaying, he is pulled into the world of the occult, where witches live in television sets, undead creatures can burn with a touch, and magic is mathematical. Vish must work with the bookstore owner and his mysterious teenage employee, Gisela, to stop an interdimensional invasion that would destroy their peaceful town. Bringing together scares, suspense, and body horror, The Grimmer is award-winning author Naben Ruthnum’s first foray into the young adult genre. This gripping ride through the supernatural is loaded with vivid characters, frightening imagery, and astonishing twists, while tackling complex issues such as grief, racism, and addiction.

The Changing Man by Tomi Oyemakinde Feiwel & Friends

A teenage girl is pulled into investigating the truth behind her new boarding school’s decades-old legend in The Changing Man , this debut Young Adult speculative thriller by Tomi Oyemakinde Face front. Watch your back. BE BRAVE. If it was left to her, Ife Adebola wouldn’t be starting at Nithercott School. Because despite her being in the Urban Achievers scholarship program, her parents can barely afford the tuition. No matter who is trying to be friends with her, like her classmate Bijal, or how much the prestigious boarding school tries to pull her in, Ife is determined not to get caught up in any of it. But when another student, Malika, begins acting strange, Ife can’t help but wonder if there’s more going on at Nithercott than she realizes. Could there be any truth to the school’s decades-old legend of the Changing Man? Is there any connection to the missing older brother of her classmate, Ben? As more questions arise, Ife has no choice but to team up with Ben and Bijal to investigate. But can the trio act quickly enough to uncover who is behind everything, before one―or all―of them is the Changing Man’s next victim?

Mermaids Never Drown: Tales to Dive For edited by Zoraida Córdova and Natalie C. Parker Feiwel Friends

14 Young Adult short stories from bestselling and award-winning authors make a splash in Mermaids Never Drown – the second collection in the Untold Legends series edited by Zoraida Córdova and Natalie C. Parker – exploring mermaids like we’ve never seen them before! A Vietnamese mermaid caught between two worlds. A siren who falls for Poseidon’s son. A boy secretly pining for the merboy who saved him years ago. A storm that brings humans and mermaids together. Generations of family secrets and pain. Find all these stories and more in this gripping new collection that will reel you in from the very first page! Welcome to an ocean of hurt, fear, confusion, rage, hope, humor, discovery, and love in its many forms. Edited by Zoraida Córdova and Natalie C. Parker, Mermaids Never Drown features beloved authors like Darcie Little Badger, Kalynn Bayron, Preeti Chhibber, Rebecca Coffindaffer, Julie C. Dao, Maggie Tokuda-Hall, Adriana Herrera, June Hur, Katherine Locke, Kerri Maniscalco, Julie Murphy, Gretchen Schreiber, and Julian Winters.

Firsts and Lasts edited by Laura Silverman Penguin Workshop

An exciting fiction YA anthology that celebrates the new experiences and final moments teenagers face on their journey into adulthood from editor Laura Silverman and a cast of spectacular contributors. From first breakups and romantic vampire encounters to last band performances and the deadly end of a friendship, Firsts and Lasts is an anthology that is just as unpredictable as being a teenager. While each of these stories span different genres and styles, they all perfectly capture the big emotions–confusion, joy, uneasiness, and anticipation–that many teens experience as they grow up. Whether you are hopelessly in love and not sure how to tell your crush, going through loss and can’t fully process it, or just trying to figure out where you belong in the world, this collection of sixteen stories has something for every reader. Stories written by: Adi Alsaid, Keah Brown, Monica Gomez-Hira, Kika Hatzopoulou, Shaun David Hutchinson, Amanda Joy, Loan Le, Joy McCullough, Yamile Saied Méndez, Anna Meriano, Nina Moreno, Tess Sharpe, Laura Silverman, Rachel Lynn Solomon, Diana Urban, and Julian Winters.

Foul Heart Huntsman (Foul Lady Fortune #2) by Chloe Gong Margaret K. McElderry Books

Winter is drawing thick in 1932 Shanghai, as is the ever-nearing threat of a Japanese invasion. Rosalind Lang has suffered the worst possible fate for a national spy: she’s been exposed. With the media storm camped outside her apartment for the infamous Lady Fortune, she’s barely left her bedroom in weeks, plotting her next course of action after Orion was taken and his memories of Rosalind wiped. Though their marriage might have been a sham, his absence hurts her more than any physical wound. She won’t rest until she gets him back. But with her identity in the open, the task is near impossible. The only way to leave the city and rescue Orion is under the guise of a national tour. It’s easy to convince her superiors that the countryside needs unity more than ever, and who better than an immortal girl to stir pride and strength into the people? When the tour goes wrong, however, everything Rosalind once knew is thrown up in the air. Taking refuge outside Shanghai, old ghosts come into the open and adversaries turn to allies. To save Orion, they must find a cure to his mother’s traitorous invention and take this dangerous chemical weapon away from impending foreign invasion—but the clock is ticking, and if Rosalind fails, it’s not only Orion she loses, but her nation itself.

[rayshippouuchiha]

Void Boss,

Exorcism Anon’s latest post is bringing some interesting memories back from my job as a bookseller.

Anyone else get a lesson on what a sin, what a harm to your soul it is to wear a peace sign (like the mood ring I got from the Claire’s next door :D) because it is “a broken cross”? Or get treated to the lecture of how dinosaurs are just “scientific propaganda that goes against the Lord”?

- A Southern Gal

Oh I have vivid memories of getting in trouble for wearing "occult" jewelry and once having an argument about how dinosaur fossils are just skeletons of more godly animals put together wrong by scientists.