#read read read

[coffeebooksandmore]

How to instantly make your day a million times better? Visit your local bookstore.

Walden Pond Books is a great place to lose a few hours in ❤️

[night-market-if]

To Writers

So, we need to have a discussion about a few things. I'm not here saying that I am the end all be all on writing advice. Far, far from it. But, I've been seeing some discussions through various sights that are bothering me, so I kind of wanted to say something to writers out there (especially younger ones) in case you have not heard it said before.

Read your classics. There is a theme of condemning them for racist language. Non inclusivity. Sexism. And the list goes on. But.... READ THEM. I don't care if they are classics such as Slaughterhouse Five, Huck Finn, Catch - 22, Lolita, Grapes of Wrath, or if they are just books that are a bit outdated in what they have to say. READ THEM. Just because something has an abhorrent theme to it, does not mean that there is not something to learn from that. This is how we gain critical thinking. By reading different perspectives. And yes, sometimes those perspectives are bad. Or, sometimes those perspectives are ones that are actually condemning the act itself, but because it is not spelled out as such, society tends to think it is uplifting such a topic. Look at what you are reading and form different opinions, thoughts and feelings about things so you can be a far more rounded writer (and person). Look at things from the opposite side. Inhabit those mindsets for a bit and try to find the roots of such thinking. Because the world is morally grey at best, and so are your characters if you want them to be believable.

If you are writing about a different world, a different race, especially one you have made up, they are most likely not going to follow the very human conventions that we have applied to our own life. And that's fine. It will upset some people, and it will take others a bit to understand. However, societies that are not based on our own, would not believably act like our own. If you wish to make a society like that, think a little outside the box and be prepared for people to be upset by this. But, again, critical thinking should be applied. At the end of the day, stories are meant to be vehicles to 'what if's'. They are not real. They are an escape. Not everyones escape looks the same.

Writing is hard, yes, but it does not have to be something we suffer through. There is a constant borage of meme's and journal entries and complaints that circulate bemoaning not being about to write. Sometimes, yeah, that's going to happen. That's okay. Walk away. You do not have to give into the despair that has oddly clouded this community. Can't write? Go read. Spend time with a friend. Watch a show. Get your chore list done so you are all set when you can write. You do not need to write every day, nor do you need to force yourself to write if you are not someone who works well with that. Learn what your own behaviors are and address those first. And if you do not fall into the category that everyone else does, you are not less of a writer.

Stop writing for everyone else. Write for your characters. I know the rhetoric has always been know your audience. Or write for you. But, unless you are in a publishing house, with an agent, and have to meet a requirement? Who cares. Create some characters, figure out who they are, and let them loose. It is far less confining, and you can create some characters that are much more dimensional than if you are set to the definitions that you or others have put on your creations.

Don't be a perfectionist. Perfectionism comes through lots of editing. That is not important until miles down the road. Get the idea out. Let it blossom. And then let it seep for a bit. Don't get hung up on something not making sense.

I really hope this helps. The community that I see forming of writers is full of indecision and doubt. Know that you are doing that to yourself. Free yourself of that burden and just see where the journey takes you.

[lannegarrett]

My toxic trait: 12am me thinking I will only read one chapter.

[mrypotter]

Scared

Draco x Fem!Reader

Warnings: Slight bullying. It’s Draco after all. ;)

Summary: Hagrid is teaching Hogwarts students about Hippogriffs, and when Harry volunteers unwillingly, Reader gets scared.

Note: No use of Y/N, story based on the movie scene but I have read the books, and requests are open just comment! Enjoy :)

*Sorry about any spelling or grammar errors

Masterlist

___

The air was slightly chilly but just the right touch to kiss your skin, your hair to brush your cheeks, and your chest to breath freely. The whole group of students were enjoying the day as a breeze went through the air and everyone felt like their worries were let go into the earth’s atmosphere.

But soon that feeling disappeared, replaced with growing fear in their stomachs as they saw the creature before them.

“Isn’t he beautiful?” Hagrid’s voice boomed, his lungs being able to hold so much air that his voice sounded like he was yelling every time he spoke. Everyone shifted, eyes staring at the creature instead of their teacher.

Ron Weasley was the one who spoke first, asking the question everyone was wondering.

“Um.. what is that exactly?”

Hagrid laughed warmly, chucking a treat at the creature as it got it skillfully in its mouth, chewing contently.

“That, right there is a Hippogriff. Meet Buckbeak.”

Hagrid smiled and looked at them like they should stare in awe hence the introduction, but instead all the students seemed to display nothing but fear.

The girl herself felt scared, anxious on that the animal was capable of doing. She leaned over to Draco, eyes still fixed on the creature before them. “Do you think he’s trying to kill us or something?”

Draco chuckled, tossing his green apple in and out of his hand. “Not at all. But if he is I hope it’s Potter.”

The girl rolled her eyes but laughed nonetheless, nudging his arm with her elbow like a mother would nudge her child to shut up.

“The first thing to notice about Hippogriffs is that they are very proud creatures. You never want to insult one cause that’s the last thing you’d ever do.” He gave them a warning scan, eyes staying on Draco for a little too long so the girl gave him a look when he got to her, forcing his eyes to leave hers.

He cleared his throat and clapped his big hands the size of trash can lids. “Now, who wants to meet him?”

Everyone took a step back except for Potter, who didn’t have a clue that they left him by himself.

“Harry, thank you.” Hagrid said, making the kid look around at everyone behind him. Harry stepped forward hesitantly, staring at Hagrid with a terrified look on his face. The teacher gave him an encouraging gesture, causing the Chosen One to take more steps.

Draco chuckled softly from next to her, turning his head slightly towards her as a sign he was talking to her. “Look at scared little Potter, trembling in his shoes.”

She couldn’t help but let out a laugh at his expression, seeing a teasing glint in his silver orbs as he watched Potter walk towards the creature. “Shut up, Malfoy.” She said teasingly. He turned towards her, eyebrows raising. He didn’t make an effort to state a comeback, not when Hagrid spoke up.

“Now bow nice and slow, and if he bows back you may touch him. If he doesn’t, well, let’s get back to that later.”

Harry bowed slowly, looking up at the creature to see its reaction.

It was at that moment that Draco lost patience, instantly taking action. “I can’t see.” He complained, eyes searching the crowd until they landed on an innocent girl, harshly shoving her out of the way and finally taking a bite of his apple at the same time, people around him naturally moving away on instinct. The girl followed suit, standing next to him since the view was much more enjoyable at the new spot.

They both could see clearly at that moment that the creature had mixed feelings on the greeting, limbs wildly moving in the air.

Hagrid’s head snapped to Harry. “Harry back off now. Nice and slow now.”

While Harry followed instructions, the girl could not bear to look away, waiting for the animal to attack the student at any moment despite her fears of seeing the aftermath. Her nerves got the best of her, hand that was by her side moving quickly to the person next to her, holding theirs. His skin was soft and smooth, despite the stressful situation. Her fingers glided through his easily, holding on tight as a form of comfort. His body then recoiled unexpectedly, flinching away from her touch but their linked fingers prevented him from fully doing so. Draco’s head snapped in her direction, eyes meeting her wide ones once she realized whose hand she grabbed.

She went to take her hand back, arm yanking towards her body but he didn’t allow her, his hand seeming to have a grip on hers. Her cheeks flushed, and she looked back at the animal to distract herself, but the skin to skin contact was making her heart pound nonetheless.

His fingers didn’t loosen one bit, in fact held a little tighter when the tension between Potter and the Hippogriff grew by the second.

Even though the creature ended up bowing to the boy, allowing him to massage its beak lovingly, their hands still stayed combined.

She liked to think it was because he thought she was still scared, but his lingering touch almost begging her to keep her hand there as well as the body heat radiating was the real reason for the contact between the two Slytherins.

[stopallsnowblind]

What is there to do, when you find out Suzanne Collins has another entire series of books you’ve never heard of before, but check them all out at once because you know you’re about to inhale them?

[waywordsstudio]

𝐇𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐚𝐡 𝐀𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐭 - 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑶𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒊𝒏𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝑻𝒐𝒕𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒊𝒂𝒏𝒊𝒔𝒎 - Chapter One: Antisemitism as an Outrage to Common Sense

I'm reading Arendt's history of the horrors on Stalinism and Nazism. Here are some of my reflections; read and follow along with me!

This chapter is filled with attacks on simplifications of history and how they have perpetuated narratives which leave us all in danger. I have read these pages now several times, as a result, conflicting as they are to some of my own understanding of Germany antisemitism.

[wildereverieco]

How to be in the moment 📚

[patheticblorbloscholar]

The children were left behind with no child left behind. Please take your kids to the library. Make sure they can read. Make sure they know how to spot propoganda. Make sure that you instill a love of learning because if the number of illiterates is high on tiktok I cannot imagine how the rest of of our country looks.

Scratch that, I can I just dont want to.

[lesser-mook]

Some Captain Marvel reads / Shazam (The FIRST real Captain Marvel est. 1939) | Recommended comics

Shazam: Power of Hope (Captures the spirit of Shazam/Captain Marvel perfectly)

*was not a fan of that N52 shit, I'll give it another shot another day, but THIS is the true energy of Captain Marvel.

Shazam: Monster Society of Evil, a very fun, very well paced modern retelling

And It's verrry underrated sequel series (Billy Batson and The Power of Shazam), significantly younger Billy & my fav iteration of Mary.

Superman/Shazam: First Thunder 1-4 (I won't say much for this one, it gets dark, for a Captain Marvel book, but it hits home. I'll leave it at that.)

[coffeebooksandmore]

Reading is choosing to be awake to life

[papa-nick-shieldfam]

UPDATE:

YOU MIGHT NOTICE MY BLOG IS BEING A BIT DISORGANIZED AND SOME THINGS ARE BEING DELETED ONLY TO BE REPOSTED

NO NEED TO WORRY I WILL FIX IT AS THE REASON IT IS BECOMING LIKE THIS IS BECAUSE IM REORGANIZING AND REDOING

[lannegarrett]

I'll just be over here screaming.

Thank you ❤️ for reading my wee book, A Cost of Curses.

[shtudybsblog]

friend's book club and student-led activist initiatives going strong ｡⁠*✧⁠*｡⁠*⁠♡ ~

then i got my end sem schedule ༎ຶ⁠‿⁠༎ຶ

but studying is a privilege and i love what i am studying so we'll be good folks!

[pineywoodhills]

[waywordsstudio]

𝑳𝒊𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒓𝒚 𝑵𝒐𝒎𝒂𝒅𝒔 𝑱𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒏𝒆𝒚 6 𝑷𝒓𝒆𝒎𝒊𝒆𝒓: 𝑺𝒊𝒈𝒏𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒕: 𝑷𝒓𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒚 𝑮𝒂𝒓𝒅𝒆𝒏𝒔 𝒊𝒏 𝑷𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒕 -

Where we've been and where we're going, and we take a pause in a museum gallery, too!

https://waywordsstudio.com/podcasts/waywords_podcast/signpost-pretty-gardens-in-paint/

#podcast #literature #books #poetry #bookworm #literacy #book #read #readreadread #thomasgainsborough #andrewmarvell #ursulakleguin