#one for the Susanna Clarke fans

[penbeatssword]

It's very fitting that I finally found a copy of Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell in a little secondhand bookshop after a lengthy search, and that my copy of Piranesi has survived water damage

[ninja-muse]

Well, this was a surprisingly strong start to my reading year! I don’t normally give out super high ratings, and especially not so close together, but The City in Glass and The Scholar and the Last Faerie Door deserved nothing less. I also had a nice surprise in In Veritas, which was honestly a “what the heck do I read now” selection, and a very fun time with Greenteeth. I’d review that one but I’ve already done two reviews this month, so just know that if you want a cozy-ish fantasy that’s a shade or two lighter than T. Kingfisher but with the same darkish humour, it’s one to pick up.

Sadly, I also had one DNF. Yield Under Great Persuasion is a fun cozy queer fantasy romance, but the particular character tropes and dynamic just didn’t work for me. And that would’ve been my only queer book, which is also something of a surprise. (Queer authors, yes. Queer-norm worlds, yes. But no queer focus.) I can only hope that February will be gayer, more trans, or more ace, but I’m a mood reader. It’ll be what it’ll be, I guess.

But yes, if you’re counting, I’ve read primarily fantasy this month, including two novels with fairies pretty close together. One of the ARCs I brought home was the third Emily Wilde book, which I’m eager to get to, but it’s going to fall tonally right in the middle of “amusing light fantasy” and “female academic studying fairies” and I can recognize that I need to read at least one book before I pick it up, to give myself space. Which is why I’ve pulled The Prague Cemetery off my shelves. It’s about as different as I can get while staying fiction, I think. And yes, I did look at nonfiction choices. None of them spoke to me.

I’ve decided to add the occasional read-like to my wrap-ups. There have been a few books this month that have reminded me of specific things, be it authors or books or other things, and that’s usually the case in a month. I thought it might be fun to make those notes when I have them, since the way I’m doing my “reviews” here is so compact.

As for my book haul, after not receiving the last two October Daye novels for my birthday or for Christmas, I had to go out and rectify that situation—and of course, the Wayward Children novellas are auto-buys. The other book I picked up was The Myth of Normal, rescued from our damaged books shelf at work because I’ve been on the fence about it for a while. I figure I’ll either find it an interesting or infuriating read, but who knows when I’ll get to it.

In other news, I’ve started writing again, at least a little, and I’ve manage to jot down a couple bunnies that may or may not make good short stories. There’s nothing much else to report. Just working and reading and, oh yes, getting a cold. Don’t get colds, folks. They’re not fun.

And so, without further ado, here’s what I read this month in order of personal enjoyment…

The City in Glass - Nghi Vo

When the demon Vitrine’s city is destroyed by angels, she sets herself to rebuilding while an angel, caught by her grief, tries to understand.

10/10

for fans of: Strange the Dreamer

🏳️‍🌈 secondary characters (sapphic, achillean, trans man)

warning: war, death, grief

library book

The Scholar and the Last Faerie Door - H.G. Parry When Clover’s brother returns from the trenches carrying a faerie curse, she vows to cure him. Step one is earning a place in the magical university of Camford—but the friends she makes there, and the secrets they uncover, have a much longer, wider, darker reach.

9/10

for fans of: Babel, Pip Williams, Susanna Clarke

🏳️‍🌈 secondary characters (gay), Indo-British secondary character

library book

In Veritas - C.J. Lavigne

Drawn by her synaesthesia and a dog/snake/shadow, Verity encounters a hidden world of magical people in an Ottawa theatre—a world threatened by technology and in need of saving.

7/10

for fans of: Charles de Lint

neurodivergent protagonist, secondary character with permanently injured leg, Black and East Asian secondary characters, 🇨🇦

warning: suicide, murder, knife violence, false commission to psychiatric facility

library ebook

Genealogy of a Murder - Lisa Belkin In 1960, an ex-con shoots a cop and a doctor could have stopped him—but what was it about their lives that shaped them into who they became?

7.5/10

for fans of: deep-dive true crime podcasts

warning: discussions of poverty, domestic abuse, child abuse, alcoholism, deaths of children and parents, dubiously ethical experiments

library ebook

Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear - Seanan McGuire When Nadya’s adoptive parents give her a prosthetic in their bid to make her a perfect American girl, she finds refuge in the world of Belyyreka.

7/10

protagonist with arm hemimelia and a prosthetic

bought/off my TBR

Greenteeth - Molly O’Neill When a witch is thrown into Jenny Greenteeth’s lake, the two women band together to get the witch’s life back, but it won’t be easy. The new parson has brought something old and dark and wrong to their village, and they must go on a quest to rid Britain of it. Out in February

for fans of: T. Kingfisher, Diana Wynne Jones

7/10

🏳️‍🌈-coded protagonist (ace)

warning: animal death

reading copy

And Put Away Childish Things - Adrian Tchaikovsky Harry Bodie is a washed-up actor descended from an author of second-rate portal fantasies. He is definitely not the heir to the throne of Underhill, because Underhill. Does. Not. Exist. (He’s in for more than a bit of a rude awakening.)

7.5/10

for fans of: Paul Cornell, postmodern takes of children’s classics

warning: Covid-19 pandemic

library ebook

A Daughter of No Nation - A.M. Dellamonica Sophie’s returned to the world of Stormwrack, to learn more about its ecologies and her birth father. But when she learns something horrific about him, Stormwrack’s politics and legalities suddenly become a darker web.

7/10

for fans of: adult portal fantasies

🏳️‍🌈 secondary characters (gay, lesbian), secondary characters read as Black and South Asian, 🇨🇦

warning: slavery, violence

library book

Fifty Places to Travel Solo - Chris Santella and DC Helmuth Some suggested destinations for single travellers.

7.5/10

interviewees of diverse backgrounds, orientations, and body types

library book

Interference - Sue Burke

The Pax colony is thrown into turmoil by a mission from Earth, and it looks like Humans, Earthlings, and Glassmakers might not be the only sentiences out there.

6.5/10

off my TBR

Picture Books

Knight Owl - Christopher Denise Owl wants to be a knight and when knights start disappearing at the castle, he gets his chance!

Bunny Made Tea - Amanda Baehr Fuller

Bunny wants a cup of tea but unfortunately, so does Possum. Out in February

DNF

Yield Under Great Persuasion - Alexandra Rowland Tam has hated Lord Lyford since they were children. Tam and Lyford have been hooking up regularly. When Tam learns that Lyford is favoured by his goddess (which he doesn’t deserve), it’s the last straw and he must confront his feelings and his actions if he wants any hope of a better future.

🏳️‍🌈 protagonist (gay), 🏳️‍🌈 love interest (achillean), 🏳️‍🌈 author

library book

Currently reading

The Prague Cemetery - Umberto Eco A journey through the social upheavals of 19th century Europe, through the eyes of a forger who hates everyone, believes every conspiracy, and is trying to piece together lost time and a secondary identity.

warning: anti-Semitic protagonist and secondary characters; protagonist also xenophobic, racist, and misogynist

off my TBR

The Penguin Complete Sherlock Holmes - Arthur Conan Doyle Victorian detective stories

disabled POV character (limb injury), occasional Indian secondary characters

warning: racism, colonialism

Monthly total: 10+2 Yearly total: 10 Queer books: 0 Authors of colour: 1 Books by women: 8.5 Authors outside the binary: 0 Canadian authors: 2 Classics: 0 Off the TBR shelves: 2 Books hauled: 4 ARCs acquired: 3 ARCs unhauled: 1 DNFs: 1

[the-forest-library]

October 2024 Reads

The Rom-Commers - Katherine Center

The Ex Vows - Jessica Joyce

How to Hide in Plain Sight - Emma Noyes

Triple Sec - T.J. Alexander

The Merriest Misters - Timothy Janovsky

Most Wonderful - Georgia Clark

The Situationship - Abby Jimenez

Straight - Chuck Tingle

Sorcery and Small Magics - Maiga Doocy

Lake of Souls - Ann Leckie

The Wood at Midwinter - Susanna Clarke

The Agency for Scandal - Laura Wood

Knight Owl and Early Bird - Christopher Denise

The Bakery Dragon - Devin Elle Kurtz

The Millicent Quibb School for Etiquette for Young Ladies of Mad Science - Kate McKinnon

Bye Forever, I Guess - Jodi Meadows

Mabel Wants a Friend - Ariel Bernstein

Into the Uncut Grass - Trevor Noah

Scaredy Squirrel - Melanie Watt

Scaredy Squirrel Makes a Friend - Melanie Watt

Scaredy Squirrel at the Beach - Melanie Watt

Scaredy Squirrel at Night - Melanie Watt

Scaredy Squirrel Has a Birthday Party - Melanie Watt

Scaredy Squirrel Goes Camping - Melanie Watt

CatStronauts: Moon Mission - Drew Brockington

Fangirl, Vol 4 - Rainbow Rowell, Gabi Nam

An Age of License - Lucy Knisley

Going Into Town - Roz Chast

You Can Only Yell at Me for One Thing at a Time - Row Chast

Impossible People - Julia Wertz

Cattitude - Katie Abey

oh no - Alex Norris

Milk & Mocha - Melani Sie

Lovely One - Ketanji Brown Jackson

It Gets Better...Except When It Gets Worse - Nicole Maines

What in the World?! - Leanne Morgan

Democracy in Retrograde - Sami Sage & Emily Amick

Abortion - Jessica Valenti

Anxiety Rx - Russell Kennedy

Still Distracted After All These Years - Kathleen G. Nadeau

You Deserve Good Gelato - Kacie Rose

Big Vegan Flavor - Nisha Vora

Bold = Highly Recommend

Italics = Worth It

Crossed Out = Nope

Thoughts: The Rom-Commers is a standout contemporary romance - really fun. I think Emily Henry fans would like it. I also really enjoyed Bye Forever, I Guess - a middle school You've Got Mail.

Goodreads Goal: 369/400 

2017 Reads | 2018 Reads | 2019 Reads | 2020 Reads | 2021 Reads| 2022 Reads | 2023 Reads | 2024 Reads

[seraphtrevs]

Since I’m a huge fan of your writing, I’m curious: who are some your favorite writers and what are some of your favorite books or short stories??

Oh man, I've done so much reading over my life that it's hard to narrow down. Like I'm for sure going to leave people out.

For fiction: some of my favorite authors are the Bronte sisters (slight preference for Charlotte - Jane Eyre was one of my first loves and hugely shaped me as a reader and a writer), Daphne du Maurier (favorite of her books - Rebecca), Sarah Waters (can't decide between Fingersmith and The Paying Guests), Angela Carter (The Bloody Chamber), Susanna Clarke (Jonathon Strange and Mr Norell), Toni Morrison (Beloved), Robin Hobb (the Farseer trilogy and Fitz's further adventures, but I've heard good things about the Liveship Trader books!), Terry Pratchett (the Tiffany Aching books are particular favorites), and Anne Rice (well, depending on the book tbh, she's not very consistent lol - the first three Vampire Chronicle books are my favs from her), with special shout-outs to Robin McKinley (Beauty), Avi (The True Confession of Charlotte Doyle), LM Montgomery (Anne of Green Gables), Frank L Baum (I have read every single Oz book - there are a ton of them!) and Madeleine L'Engle (A Wrinkle in Time), who were my favs when I was a kid (along with the Babysitter's Club book lol - but they're mostly ghostwritten so I'm not sure who to credit!)

Right now, I'm re-reading (for the millionth time) The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter, which is a collection of fairy tale retellings - but that feels like a really inadequate way to describe it. It's very visceral, primal, and poetic. My favorite story from the collection is "The Bloody Chamber," which is a Bluebeard retelling. Bluebeard is one of my favorite fairy tales, but it understandably doesn't get a lot of adaptation. (I'm very curious what Disney's Bluebeard would look like lmao)

I'm also listening to the audiobook of The Vampire Lestat, which is the reason that Anne Rice is on that list. She really lost me with her later books, but listening to TVL reminded me that actually, she can be very good! She really excels at evocative descriptions and conveying emotion - she's very shameless, in a good way. A woman who always writes with her entire pussy, whatever else you might say about her.

But I actually read more nonfiction than fiction. I'm a big fan of memoirs - not celebrity memoirs (although Jennette McCurdy's I'm Glad My Mom Died was probably my favorite book I've read this year), but memoirs that are more about someone grappling with the human experience - like, sometimes the author has been through something horrible and they've done a lot of mediation on what they've been through, or sometimes the author is just a very astute and entertaining observer of their own (and other people's) ridiculousness. Some of my favorites are Mary Karr, Caroline Knapp, David Sedaris, Cheryl Strayed, Jeanette Walls, Tara Westover, and Allie Brosh.

If I had to pick one to recommend - all of David Sedaris's books are extremely funny. He writes humorous personal essays, so I guess his books aren't really memoirs exactly (google says he's a humorist), but he usually writes about himself so I'm lumping him in this category lol. Me Talk Pretty One Day is a good place to start with his stuff - you will cry laughing.

I also love pop science and pop history - Mary Roach is a super approachable science writer with a quirky sense of humor. Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers is so funny and candid - she asks every question you've ever had about dead bodies and then some. I also love Bill Bryson - another very accessible and funny writer - I really loved his A Short History of Nearly Everything, which covers exactly what it says. I ADORE Oliver Sacks - he was a neurologist who wrote so movingly about what it means to be human through the experiences of his patients - The Man Who Mistook His Wife For a Hat reads more like a book of short stories, and I weep like a baby every time I read it (I actually started tearing up thinking of a few cases.) (Btw he's also written beautiful memoirs but I like his science writing best so I'm putting him here. Bill Bryson has written memoir too.) Carl Sagan is also approachable and humane - This Demon Haunted World is my favorite of his. Andrew Solomon's The Noonday Demon: An Atlas of Depression is required reading for anyone who's dealt with mental illness, although it's difficult and painful at times (his Far From the Tree: Parents, Children, and the Search for Identity is also really good, but also difficult and painful - but worth it!)Diane Ackerman's A Natural History of the Senses has gorgeous prose and is a great book for artists and writers imo - it gets you thinking deeply about how we interact with the world.

For history, I am obsessed with this book called "The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity by David Graeber and David Wengrow - it will completely upend everything you think you know about the history of homo sapians. Mike Duncan got his start podcasting - his series Revolutions is about major world revolutions and is essentially like listening to an audiobook, so it's not a surprise his books are pretty fun too. Sarah Vowell has some really fun books about quirky historical topics - her Assassination Vacation is great (she goes on a roadtrip to visit locations in America where famous assassinations took place).

And here are a few other miscellaneous non-fiction writers I enjoy - Sebastian Junger (just finished his In My Time of Dying about his near death experience - super thought-provoking - but it was A Perfect Storm that made me love him), Hunter S. Thompson (Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas), Jon Krakauer (Into the Wild), Jon Ronson (The Psychopath Test: A Journey Through the Madness Industry)

This was a fun question to think about! I hadn't realized I had such a strong preference for female writers until I actually listed all my favs out, which is an interesting thing to know about myself, so thanks for asking!

[maxjwritess]

my favorite 5 star reads of 2024

(in order from date read….)

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

giovannis room by james baldwin

very important queer lit read. also a very gut wrenching queer lit read. i was in paris when i read this book which made it all the more painful. i finished it and had to go on a long quiet walk in the dark to grieve. 10/10 would recommend

orlando by virginia woolfe

also a fun classic queer lit read. i’m a big fan of long flowery prose and older styles of writing. it obviously has its flaws as any book might having been published in the 1920s, but the context and the prose and the story all made it 5 stars for me

piranesi by susanna clarke

this book is brilliant. i read it in one sitting and i enjoyed every single second. words cannot express how much i love the main character. read read read this book

johnathan strange and mr norrell by suzanna clarke

i just love academic fantasy. this is very piranesi but like multiplied by ten and also set in a historical setting (historical fantasy is one of my favorite genres of all time). i hope you like footnotes because you’re getting a lot of them

the big bad wolf series by charlie adhara

i DEVOURED these books. i think there are five in total and one spinoff? i read them all in the span of one month and i loved each and every single one of them. they are perfect to me. romance? check. werewolves? check. mystery? check. sex scenes that don’t fade to black? check. they were everything i ever wanted and more

bury your gays by chuck tingle

chuck tingle is always good but this book rlly worked for me. i loved camp damascus (i read it after byg) but bury your gays really spoke to me as a queer writer and a film student in the age of ai. it actually made me cry. great horror, great emotional beats, great message, just a really great story

ANYWAY- there are much more 5 stars from 2024 that i love and cherish but i don’t want the list getting too long and these were top of the pack.

hopefully this gives an accurate reading of my literary tatsebuds. i’ll make a list of my favorite 5 stars of all time soon!

[stardew-victoria]

More Stoned Obey Me Headcannons

One of Satan’s favorite fiction books from the human world is Piranesi by Susanna Clark

Obviously he is also a huge fan of Lord of the Rings

Mammon has a belly button piercing

All of the brothers find body piercings hot no doubt about it

Mammon makes you carry his bags if you guys go shopping until you complain about it and he berates you for not telling him earlier

Nobody understands them like I do

They ALL enjoy watching the live action Scooby Doo’s with who woman who plays Buffy even if they say they dont.

Mammon loves Madagascar <3 he likes to move it move it

Solomon w i l l wear matching earrings with you. No matter how silly they are. Babies with knives earrings for sure.

Mammon says he can relate to Fred from Scooby Doo

Leviathan secretly wishes he could turn into the Hulk

Mammon is surprisingly good at doing other peoples hair.

Belphagor would play dnd for sure. And Levi too but that kinda goes without saying methonks

Beelzebub and Belphagor wear a fuck ton of rings.

Asmodeus cries during sex

This is weird but I feel like Asmodeus smells like cheesecake. Genuinely dont know why.

Asmodeus listens to Melanie Martinez for sure. The new album is his favorite no doubt.

If you show literally any music to Mammon itll be all he listens to

Diavolo loves watching sunsets

Barbatos is probably better at doing makeup than Asmo

Simeon is an Axolotl lover

Luke is one of those bitches who say they dont listen to music. D o n o t t r u s t

If you showed Luke Gravity Falls he would love it

This post is too long goodbye

Sorry I dont mean to be the funniest person in the world

[kelinswriter]

Vibes

Yeah, they were vibing all right. (Also LOL at Chyler wanting to know the ship name so she could stalk the tag.)

I appreciate that the show didn't try to pretend this was something it wasn't. They know they have a lot of lesbians watching, and it means something for them to recognize that it would be unfair to go too far with a pairing that has no chance at endgame. That said, this story is one of the gayest things I've ever seen on TV, even if the word "lesbian" was never uttered. Susanna made fan art, ffs.

Hope we get more of their "friendship" next season.

[wondereads]

Weekly Reading Update (11/24/24 + 12/1/24)

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke (★★★★☆.5)

I take back everything I said about this book previously. It's still a bit too slow in the first third for my taste, but it was genuinely a very good novel. The mystery of who Piranesi is and his journey to rediscover it were incredibly engaging once I got into it, and the House itself is such an interesting setting. It was particularly useful for my thesis, revolving around questions I'm exploring in-depth. What's better; preserving our past or moving into progress? It's also relevant to the issues of history and memory I'll be writing about as well. Overall a very well-written, excellent book.

More under the cut

Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik (★★★★☆.5)

Naomi Novik continues her streak of writing books meant specifically for me. From the first few pages I knew I was going to love Miryem, and I was absolutely correct. Her personality is right up my alley as a long-time fan of no-nonsense protagonists, and I enjoyed seeing her go back and forth with the Staryk King. I wasn't anticipating so many other perspectives—some of them I really enjoyed, such as Wanda and Irina, but others felt like they clogged the story somewhat, such as Irina's handmaiden. The magic was very fairy tale-esque, with most power being held in belief and ideas, such as proving a power three times making it true. Just as with what I consider the companion book to this, Uprooted, it is only a retelling in the loosest sense, really only using a few elements before creating a whole new story.

The Colour of Magic by Terry Pratchett (★★★★☆)

I am embarking on my Discworld journey, and I am someone who prefers to go in order. This was an odd read in that it is both quintessentially classic fantasy, such as in the writing and worldbuilding, while also clearly being a parody of classic fantasy at the same time. It was a very silly story but highly enjoyable, and I'm still trying to puzzle out that ending; I understand Rincewind is a recurring character in this series, so I can't wait to see more of him! One of my favorite parts of this book was how it put modern, real world elements in the story and, for lack of a better word, fantasized them, such as the camera that does actually have a little demon inside drawing all the pictures.

The Villain Edit by Laurie Devore (★★★★☆)

I was just looking for an audiobook for a long drive, and I happened upon this one, whose author I saw at Yallfest. This is a Bachelor-inspired novel about a struggling author who joins the competition to boost her book sales, only to be hated by the entire audience. One thing I really loved about this book was that the main character, Jac, is clearly not a great person. She's selfish, she's money-motivated, and she definitely falls prey to internalized misogyny a few times. This isn't about some poor, misunderstood, exploited saint, it's about a woman who isn't the most likable person being villainized to the extreme. Jac is complex, which is part of why I really enjoyed her, and her working out her issues kept me far more engaged in this book than the romance. Just like Jac's own books, I would say this is less a romance and more a contemporary novel, as what's really important is Jac, not her love life. There were some things I didn't like about this novel—Jac isn't the first person to think this way, and she makes some pretty horrendous decisions—but overall I quite liked this book, even as someone who doesn't typically read contemporary.

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (★★★★☆.5)

This was a reread for my thesis. On one hand, it wasn't super useful for the reason I returned to it. On the other, I wish I had the time to write about gender in this book. Noemi is unapologetically feminine, but so much of her character is made up of traits that are considered masculine, especially in the gothic novels this book is inspired by. Compare that to Francis, who is soft-spoken, timid, and definitely not an 'ideal' man, and Virgil, who is overwhelmingly masculine and forces Noemi into a more feminine role. I don't have the time to truly explore this now, but maybe once I graduate I'll return to it. Anyway, this is a slow, creeping sort of horror that makes me gag every time I read it (in a good way), and I highly recommend it if you're looking for a modernization of classic gothic stories, particularly in a non-European context.

Harrow the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir (CR 58%)

This book drives me INSANE. I am very fortunate to have a terrible memory so that when I reread books I love I get to rediscover them. I really admire the way Muir is not afraid to leave the reader confused, as there are more mysteries than I can count in this book. Harrow is a personal favorite character of mine, and I am a Griddlehark shipper to the end. Even with just the plot, there is so much to discover in the world of the Nine Houses and what the hell is going on with God and his saints; if I had unlimited time I would be locked into this book.

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

Another audiobook and another Yallfest author; this one is a Pakistani Count of Monte Cristo retelling, a story I'm not familiar with. Either way, I'm having a great time with this; I love Dania (I support women's wrongs), and I like that she's so murderous and vengeful, which can be something authors shy away from, especially in YA. She reminds me a lot of Jude, #1 YA protagonist. While this is less complex than an adult political fantasy, there's still a decent amount of manipulation and machinations going on, which I'm loving. Some of this feels bit awkward—too convenient or too contrived—but for the most part it's a great book.

Knot the One They Want by Harper Lennox (DNF @ 28%)

You know that one tumblr post about people being so chronically online they start speaking out against issues that just don't exist in real life, like "let men be masculine"? Well, this is "let women be feminine." The main character of this book is a very typical omega (if you can't tell from the title, this is an omegaverse), who wants nothing more than a loving pack. The author is clearly trying to strike a balance between 'the main character buys into this social structure' and 'it's bad to treat people like bargaining chips' and keeps contradicting themself, having the main character completely gung-ho about mating one minute and suddenly lamenting her lack of freedom the next. Also, the writing is very poor (I should be compensated for every time I read "gilded cage") with terrible pacing. The whole plot is a marriage of convenience; I'm over a quarter through and they haven't even gotten married yet! I have better books I could be reading.

[ask-a-bot]

That might be a bit tricky. I know Megs can be…..and I say this in the most respectful and loving way possible……..stubborn, but even though it’s for his own good, I can sympathize with Megs’ feelings. So how does one convince him to stay in berth?

Well, my first thought is asking if Dorthy can convince him, but what about giving him a new book series (preferably a very long series) to read while in berth? Maybe find some audio books he can listen to and relax. Those can be a great mental distraction from being berth-ridden.

Do you know if he’s interested in documentaries? If he has some sort of screen in his berthroom, Megs could watch some of those.

He's maddeningly stubborn! That's part of the reason he's in this state in the first place.

Oh! Yes, he likes reading. A new book series would be a great idea, but what might he like? I know he's a fan of Shakespeare, Dickens and Pratchett. I also know he's read North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell. Do you think he might like a Susanna Clarke story?

He does like documentaries, but his optics are pretty sore. I think that'll be a thing for a little later. He likes period dramas and musicals too. He loves Oliver.

[omens-for-ophelia]

For the ask game: 21, 26, 27 :)

hello dear! thank you 🌻

21. how was your day today?

a little tricky, really! had a therapy session that was good but exhausting, and the brainfog has been pretty intense all day - part of the reason i am doing the ask game! trying to perk up a little 🩷

26. some childish things i like?

see previous ask for more, but i am also a fan of theme parks and rollercoasters - my work means i am at disney world fairly frequently and as much as they are not perfect as a company, i am always a giant kid when i am there

27. favourite book?

oh my goodness so difficult to pick! i re-read lord of the rings quite regularly. good omens goes without saying too, i cannot count how often i have read it!

piranesi by susanna clarke is one of my most recent all-time-faves, and i also love the discworld series, particularly going postal, though i also love guards guards and lords & ladies 🩷

[jotun-philosopher]

What might evil!Aziraphale be like?

My first meta! Woo! Mostly just trying to articulate some of my brain's particularly weird recent wiggles, but still!

So I was re-reading Neverwhere recently, and something about the way the Angel Islington is portrayed reminded me of That Smile In The Credits and got me wondering... What might Aziraphale be like if he turned evil? (I do mean legitimately *evil* -- Falling in the GO verse has nothing to do with the subject's morality)

I know, Crowley, it's a scary and depressing thought! It's also never going to happen -- I feel quite confident about that -- but exploring counterfactual scenarios can help get a different perspective on things, maybe even illuminate what's likely to happen in the future! (as well as being dang interesting in their own right)

So, then, on with the motley! (caution: big ol' spoilers for both Neverwhere and Susanna Clarke's Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell below the cut)

Now, it's always possible to turn 'good' characters 'evil' by having them act out a set of generically 'evil' traits, but that'd be boring and liable to be out of character. A more interesting route would be to simply turn up the dial(s) on one or more of a character's traits (especially their flaws) and see what happens!

Even the most die-hard Aziraphale fan has got to admit that our favourite fluffy bookseller has a bit of a problem with self-righteousness, so that seems like a good place to start. Notch the dial up to max, and what do we get?

Very likely, something similar to this:

(Peter Capaldi as the Angel Islington, Neverwhere, 1996)

The Angel Islington! Unshakably self-righteous to the point of insanity? Oh yes -- to the point of justifying committing genocide by screaming that "THEY DESERVED IT!!!" for not providing the proper worship, and generally so being utterly convinced of its own rightness that traditional morality is discarded as irrelevant (quoth Mr Croup, "He's travelled so far beyond right and wrong he couldn't see them with a telescope on a nice clear night.").

There're other parallels between Islington and Aziraphale, too -- primarily the proliferation of light/pale colours in their costuming and having a mild, kindly, soft-spoken manner (genuine with Aziraphale, a mere veneer with Islington) but also their (planning to) return to Heaven. In Islington's case, it was cast out as punishment for annihilating Atlantis and seeks to return and enact a hostile takeover and become a new God; in Azzy's case, of course, he was railroaded into returning against his will (and may or may not be plotting Undercover Shenanigans to Save The World, but that's a bit beyond the scope of this meta). Nevertheless, the parallels are there, noticeable enough to make me think that Islington represents what Aziraphale might become in the worst of all possible worst-case scenarios (especially where his religious trauma and Heaven's fanaticism and propaganda are concerned).

(As a side note, this whole idea of (self-)righteousness leading to great evil is also reminiscent of why Gandalf flatly refused to take custody of the One Ring -- fear of doing great evil while attempting to enact great good.)

So that's the self-righteousness angle, but maybe there're other angles -- perhaps we could leave the SR dial alone and instead see what happens if we dial Azzy's hedonistic tendencies and one or two others up to eleven!

I hear pipes and drums and dancing, endless faerie balls within the brugh...

(Marc Warren as The Gentleman With Thistledown Hair, Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, 2015 (BBC adaptation))

Behold, the ruler of Lost-hope, this faerie gentleman with hair the colour of thistle-down! He's the most significant antagonistic force in Susanna Clarke's 2005 novel Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, and has a few interesting parallels with Aziraphale.

First and most obviously, there's the hair colour! Secondly, we have the fact that they're incalculably old immortal beings with considerable magical/mystical power, as well as notions of morality, ethics etc that are to some degree orthogonal to human understanding of such matters. There's also the hedonistic tendencies -- Aziraphale's are comparatively subtle, mainly revolving around appreciating Earthly pleasures like food, drink and music, but if exaggerated could easily end up like the Gentleman's tendency to focus on his own fun/amusement, regardless of the cost to others.

Which ties in to one of the most noticeable parallels, something that you might have worked out already if you've come this far and/or are already familiar with JS&MN -- the Gentleman spends a good amount of time abducting or planning to abduct beautiful humans to be enchanted to dance forever in endless balls within his kingdom of Lost-hope. Doesn't that sound uncomfortably similar to the Shopkeepers' Association Ball in S2E5? The parallel certainly gave me a moment of the shivering heebie-jeebies when I spotted it -- regardless of Aziraphale's motivation there, he absolutely comes off almost like one of the Fair Folk (likely even in-universe!); it's very easy to imagine that he could get like the Gentleman if he 'takes the brakes off', so to speak.

So there we have it -- an evil!Aziraphale would likely be similar to the Angel Islington, the Gentleman With Thistledown Hair or possibly some terrifying and unholy hybrid of the two.

Or something else entirely that I can't find adequate words for!

Now, I must emphasise that just because I've put a good deal of thought into exploring the 'evil!Aziraphale' idea, it doesn't mean I think it'll happen; on the contrary, I'm convinced that it never will. For one thing, regardless of the parallels noted above, Aziraphale is far more fundamentally benevolent than either Islington or the Gentleman. Despite his flaws, he is at heart a genuinely good, kind, decent, compassionate person. Some folks, the Metatron among them, are going to interpret this as weakness or stupidity, which is wholly incorrect -- Azzy is very intelligent (while also being a bit of a dumbass, granted -- the two are not mutually exclusive) and has a steel core of courage, protectiveness and badassery (comparisons to Magrat Garlick would be entirely valid here). He understands the concept of 'guardian angel' better, I'd wager, than the whole of the rest of the Heavenly Host (or at least the leadership thereof). And in underestimating him, railroading him back to Heaven and trying to force him to actively plan the destruction of everything he holds dear (sheer sadism probably being at least part of the MT's motivation there), the Metatron has (on a silver platter) handed our adorable fluffy little tartan murder hornet the means, motive and opportunity to Seriously Fuck Shit Up for Heaven >:D

Plus, we were promised a South Downs cottage. SOUTH DOWNS COTTAGE!!! THE SETS ARE STILL STANDING IN BATHGATE!!!!!

*ahem*

As a palate cleanser, a bit of food for thought: given that demons tend to have animal motifs, in the unlikely event of Azzy capital-F Falling, would he be an angora rabbit or a big fluffy cat?

[nonexistentbooks]

random rec list :)

These are various things that I have enjoyed a lot over the years. Check under the cut for more thorough notes/warnings, because some of these are really built for specific audiences. Linked to book titles is the storygraph page, where you can also find TWs. Link to poetry are the poems themselves.

books

House of Leaves, Mark Z. Danielewski

Piranesi, Susanna Clarke

The Trial, Franz Kafka. (I don't have access to my copy anymore, so I don't know the translator of my edition, unfortunately)

The Brothers Karamazov, Fyodor Dostoevsky. I have read both the Pevear & Volokhonsky translation and the David McDuff translation. Don't have a preference between the two, I think.

An Iliad, Lisa Peterson and Denis O'Hare.

Beloved, Toni Morrison

poetry

If You Call a Wolf a Wolf, Kaveh Akbar

Hanif Abdurraqib's writing, particularly They Can't Kill Us Until They Kill Us and A Little Devil in America.

"Miss You. Would like to take a walk with you." Gabrielle Calvocoressi

"I Didn't Apologize to the Well," Mahmoud Darwish, tr. Fady Joudah

"Angels," Russell Edson

"On the Death of Friends in Childhood," Donald Justice

"Chou Nu Er: Composed on Wall at Mount Bo on Way," 辛弃疾 Xin Qiji, tr. unknown.

Poem 66 in Hidden Music, Rumi, tr. Maryam Mafi and Azima Melita Kolin.

manga/comics/etc.

The following works by Nihei Tsutomu: BLAME!, NOiSE, Abara, Biomega, tr. include: Melissa Tanaka, Stephen Paul, Sheldon Drzka, John Werry.

Mushishi, Urushibara Yuki, tr. William Flanagan

Witch Hat Atelier, Shirahama Kamome, tr. Stephen Kohler

Uzumaki, Ito Junji, tr. Yuji Oniki

Mob Psycho 100, ONE, tr. Kumar Sivasubramanian (might not be the only translator, but I'm not looking through all the volumes)

shows/movies + one podcast:

Revolutionary Girl Utena, dir. Ikuhara Kunihiko

Angel's Egg, dir. Oshii Mamoru (in collaboration with Amano Yoshitaka)

Cowboy Bebop, dir. Watanabe Shinichiro

A Writer's Odyssey, dir. Lu Yang

Wolf 359, produced by Kinda Evil Genius Productions, LLC

notes on book selections: For HoL, TBK, and Beloved, I'd recommend checking out the trigger warnings. None of these books are especially light, and definitely with HoL, Piranesi and a bit with The Trial as well, you don't know a lot going on. So you have to be okay with putting in the effort to understand these stories and going along with the ride. The Trial was technically unfinished, so after a point, it's the chapters we have from Kafka and in kind of out of order.

notes on poetry: I know some people may not like Hanif Abdurraqib's style, but I personally adore it. I have not read all of his works either, but he is a very solid poet and writer for me.

notes on manga and such: The thing you have to understand about Nihei's works (those that are listed) is that there aren't clear answers for a lot. Especially BLAME!, where there's very minimal dialogue. You won't understand everything on the first on the first read for BLAME! and that's good! NOiSE also doesn't answer a lot and Abara, for some, may seem like it ends on a cliffhanger. Biomega is the iffiest one here because the ending is really rushed. There was clearly meant to be more, but there just wasn't the space to take care of it before it had to end. In all his works listed, there is a lot of violence. WHA is in progress and I haven't caught up in ages, but it's a really solid story so far. Uzumaki is horror, so check out the warnings for that before going into it, if needed. MP100 is also pretty solid. Not without some faults, of course, but I greatly enjoy it and also have a fond spot for the REIGEN spinoff in my heart.

notes on shows and the rest: Ok. So. RGU. really look at the tws for this. The more comprehensive post I can't find, but this is a good summary. Definitely would not recommend it to everyone and there are aspects I am not a fan of (to say the least) but it is a very impactful story and means a lot. Angel's Egg is also not for everyone, but more so because it's a very silent movie and you will not get answers. It's a movie where you craft your own meaning and enjoy the experience. It can also feel very slow. Cowboy Bebop my beloved. That is all I will say. It can also feel slow to some people, but the ending. omg. A Writer's Odyssey may not be the most put together narrative-wise BUT I watched it when sick and fatigued out of my mind, so it takes a place here for being a movie I still remember pretty well. A father will do anything to find his daughter again, even if it means killing this random guy who only seems to be a novelist... except, isn't it strange how his story seems to impact reality as well? Wolf 359 is a podcast but MY GOD is it good. Listen to it. please.

[persephonelovesbooks]

"About the Blogger" meme

It's been ages since I've done one of these. Thanks a lot, Curry! @currymanganese for the shout-out!! here we go 🤠

Star Signs: Cancer Sun, Aquarius moon, Libra rising

Favourite Holiday : Christmas is my no .1 fav. There are so many great memories associated with the Holiday season. The lights, the presents,and of course, the FOOD!! Onam is a close second with its vibrancy and the spirit of togetherness !

Last meal: PB&J

Current favourite musician: I'm a Hoe for Hozier. Always playing him on loop. Also recently I've been obsessed with Mitski also. She's divine!!!! Other Favs include Florence Welsh, Paris Paloma, Pink Floyd, Lana Del Rey, Arctic Monkeys, Phoebe Bridgers, Radiohead and also been listening to songs by REM( thanks to The Bear)

Last music listened to : Chemtrails over the country club by Lana. Her voice! 😫♥️

Last movie watched : May December . Brilliant!!! Natalie Portman knocked it out of the park!

Last TV watched : Derry Girls . Excellent writing and performance. Watching also Abbott Elementary cuz I heard Ayo is in it! That too is a laugh fest.

Last book finished : Piranesi by Susanna Clarke. Clarke is a gifted wordsmith.

Last book abandoned : oh lawwdd there's so many. I've been an ardent practitioner of tsundoku lately.

Currently reading: A lot of The Bear fanfics, hell yeah!! Absolutely a fan of Curry's fic Why Can't We Be Friends . Yo when's the next update tho!!

Last thing researched for art/writing : The Scream by Edvard Munch to take a class on it.

Fav online fandom memory: oh gosh, I've been here on Tumblr since 2012 or so and I've been pretty seriously involved in fandom stuff. I guess my fav memory would be the bonding we all had ,the really interesting convos, the delectable meta and ultimately the joy of sharing a common interest and making a bunch of amazing friends ❤️

My case with fandoms is that I've got seasonal obsessions. Right now it's Sydcarmy from The Bear. I wasn't part of any fandoms for a long time because of academics , job hunting and everything. So SydCarmy feels pretty special. It just brought me straight back to my old glory days. I'm constantly blown away by the fire ass meta and the analyses here . Cannot wait for S3.

Woohoooo, this was fun ✨️🥳

I'm tagging everyone who wants to do this

Thanks for reading, lovelies 💖

[late-to-the-fandom]

which obscure Media would u recommend to another empty fandom collector such as yourself?

You ask an intriguing question! I mean, there is so just so much to choose from and I have no idea where your interests lie to guide you better. So here are all the tiny fandoms I am proud to have been too late to join or remain the only member of (in a variety of media):

-The Engineer Trilogy is a book series by KJ Parker that has, as far I know, no fandom at all. It’s just me and a thousand fic ideas I will never really finish because no one will ever read them. Which is a shame because the series really lends itself to fanfiction (literally every single character is a poor little meow meow). But despite having no fandom, these books are probably objectively some of the best, most ambitious books ever written and the reason I maintain that the best books are never appreciated in their time.

-Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke is the other best book of all time that I can’t get anyone to read because they’re just not ready. It at least has a small fandom because they made a BBC miniseries of it a few years ago that was actually quite decent and had the added benefit of casting some very attractive actors. Definitely worth a watch and if you like it, 100% worth the read (this book is my Bible)

-Laurie R. King, the Patron Saint of fanfiction, whose Sherlock Holmes and Mary Russell series survived the great Mary Sue hate of the late 90s early 00s, and who is actually a wonderful author in her own right. She used to have her own very small fandom site where people posted fanfiction and art but not nearly enough and it’s not active (at least that I can tell; I came in - you guessed it - late)

-Deadwood, that will always be one million times better than Game of Thrones to me, never had the fandom Ian McShane it deserved. Again, late so idk if there was a lot going on for it at the time but it certainly didn’t leave behind much fanfic for us stragglers

-Labyrinth, which I hesitate to include here because its not obscure and truly does have an insane amount of fanfiction but its fandom is mostly old (like me) and inactive (tell me I’m wrong and point me in the right direction!). Probably because the movie isn’t very popular anymore. However, it’s a great example of a tiny half-dead fandom with more fanfiction than it knows what to do with (even I haven’t read through it all).

-Watchmen (the graphic novel, NOT the new series). This did get a nice little surge of fans with the movie that came out and was probably the only time in my life I was there waiting for it. Ah the glory days of soaking up Rorschach/Night Owl fanfics on the ground as they came out… but it’s dead now, the book very close to cancelled and the fans mostly in hiding. There’s still a good bit of great fic out there if you love angsty slash pairings

-and last but not least, if you’re interested in random fandom-light video games, I can recommend several World of Warcraft fanfics that are absolutely lovely (and only some of them are mine 😅). I write for one minor-ish character in a now out-of-date expansion, as do @shipping-through-eternity and @mousterian-writes and @mysdrym to name a few. But all of it is lovely in their own different styles and genres, so if you have need of a dying video game fandom in your life I highly recommend!

Let me know if any of that helps, or if you have any recommendations of your own!

[thelanguageofbirdsrp]

you had me at the jonathan strange & mr. norrell quotes <3

When he awoke it was dawn. Or something like dawn. The light was watery, dim and incomparably sad. Vast, grey, gloomy hills rose up all around them and in between the hills there was a wide expanse of black bog. Stephen had never seen a landscape so calculated to reduce the onlooker to utter despair in an instant. "This is one of your kingdoms, I suppose, sir?" he said. "My kingdoms?" exclaimed the gentleman in surprise. "Oh, no! This is Scotland!”

We have pulled heavily from Susanna Clarke's novel Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell. Always glad to find another fan! The historical fantasy setting is very similar to it, with additional elements pulled from classic literature (Jane Austen works, for example) and fantasy adventure dramas (The Mummy, The Librarians, Stardust) - think Regency Era customs with Victorian Age intrigue and a society that aligns magic with science and theology.

[paandaan]

11 and 16!

11. What was your favorite book that has been out for a while, but you just now read?

most of the books i read this year was stuff from the late twentieth century, but recent books (from the past five years) i read just this year and loved were tender is the flesh by agustina bazterrica and piranesi by susanna clarke

16. What is the most over-hyped book you read this year?

hm hamnet by maggie o'farrell and the xenogenesis series by octavia butler definitely - the former was hyped for its prose which i didn't really find all that splendid, mediocre at best, i mostly only liked the chapters from the kid's pov, i had a hard time getting myself used to the other povs (plus i am not really into reading about white motherhood); for the latter, it has been hyped by science fiction fans a lot and i decided to give it a try but a) i left the book not knowing what the central thesis of the book was, i found the concepts interesting but the way they were executed really all over the place b) the series left me in one of my worst reading slumps ... i have read butler's other works and didn't ever feel as disengaged as i did with this series ...