#reading challenge 2015

[mirimage]

Can’t believe I’m saying these words in the year 2023 but ‘don’t cry, craft’ is unironically how I deal with most of my problems these days

[patroqlus]

i finished my call down the hawk reread!! now im off to read mister impossible for the first time 🙈

[kinda-daily-warriorcat]

[paladin-panoply-of-pax]

“Use your gifts and your talents to greatest possible effect while you can. Spread joy wherever possible. Laugh at jokes. Tell jokes. Make puns and bugger the embuggerances. Read books. Read my books. You might like them. You might find something else you like even more than them. Look for these things in life.

Question authority. Champion good causes. Speak out against injustice. Do not tolerate bullies or bigots or racists or anti-intellectuals or the narrow-minded. Use your education to challenge them. Broaden their perspectives. Make the world you interface with a happier place.

These are your choices. Choices you have been fortunate to have been given, so don’t waste them while you have them. Don’t look back in years to come and wish you had grasped a fleeting opportunity. Grasp it now with both hands, Live. Strive. Love.”

from A Little Advice for Life taken from ‘Terry Pratchett: from birth to death, a writer.’

—Sir Terry Pratchett; April 28, 1948 – March 12, 2015

One of the greatest compliments I've ever received is that I resemble Sam Vimes.

Mind how you go.

[adambinali]

Help Mohamad reunite his family and clear his debt

I am reaching out on behalf of my dear friend, Mohamad S., who is facing one of the most challenging times of his life. Mohamad is 37 years old and left his homeland in 2015 in search of a safer and better future. He’s a kind, hardworking man, and his small family has always been his greatest priority.

Living abroad, Mohamad has recently endured unimaginable loss and financial strain. Amidst the ongoing conflict in his homeland, his mother passed away, leaving behind his sister and her five young children—the last remaining members of his immediate family.

As the situation worsened, Mohamad managed to help his sister and her children escape to safety in Egypt, covering their immediate needs and securing a temporary refuge for them. Since then, he has been fully responsible for providing everything they need to survive during this transition.

In his efforts to support his family and cope with this devastating loss, Mohamad has found himself deeply in debt. To make matters even more difficult, he recently underwent knee surgery, which limits his ability to return to work for the foreseeable future. This has made it even harder for him to manage his financial responsibilities and the pressing need to provide his family with a stable future.

Mohamad is now working to bring his sister and her five children to join him in Belgium, where he hopes they can find stability and opportunity after all they’ve endured. This transition, however, requires significant resources that he is currently unable to meet alone.

For privacy reasons, we are not sharing Mohamad’s full name, as he has chosen to keep his identity discreet. While he initially refused the idea of asking for help, I couldn’t stand by and watch him struggle alone. I insisted on doing this for him because he deserves a chance to overcome these challenges and provide a stable future for his family.

Your contribution will help Mohamad repay the debt incurred during this difficult time, cover ongoing living expenses for his family, and assist with the costs involved in bringing them safely to Belgium.

Mohamad has been a good friend of mine for years, and I’ve always admired his resilience and generosity. Any support, no matter the size, will make an incredible difference in helping Mohamad and his family rebuild their lives after these painful experiences.

Thank you for reading his story and considering helping a man who has always done everything he can for his loved ones.

Edit: 8/1/2025

✅ Vetted by:

@bilal-salah0

Donation link:

[aashiqeddiediaz]

@jamiettart and i are rediscovering that we are, in fact, the same person again

[deadpresidents]

I just hope these next 4 years go by fast

This election isn't just about the next four years. With Trump in the White House and a Republican Senate at his side, the MAGA movement can pick up where they left off when it comes to packing the federal judiciary with right-wing judges who will control the Supreme Court and appellate courts throughout the country potentially for the rest of the lives of everyone reading this right now. It's the perfect recipe for them to continue stripping reproductive rights away from women nationwide and gives them the opportunity to turn their attention to the other issues that they have been dying to attack, from voting rights to gay marriage and every other extension of personal freedom that has been won by minorities and marginalized people in hard-fought battles over the past 60 years. This is the nightmare scenario that people have been warning folks about for the past few elections. It's here. And there isn't going to be a way to put the toothpaste back in the tube.

The consequences of this election will have a direct, negative impact on your life -- possibly on the entire remainder of your life. This country just re-elected a President with authoritarian tendencies who is the willing puppet of a dangerous Christian nationalist movement that figured out exactly how to manipulate him (through flattery) for their aims. They have created the perfect vehicle for a genuine cult of personality that they can use to achieve the goals they have been very clear about striving for over the past few years. And you can't blame anybody other than the American voters because they not only elected Trump, but they gave him a fucking mandate, with a Republican Senate and potentially a Republican House. They already have a right-wing dominated Supreme Court for the next few decades, and now they are going to ensure that the entire federal judiciary is in their control for years to come. And don't forget the fact that a few months ago, the Supreme Court handed down a decision that gave Presidents sweeping immunity for a broad (and conveniently undefined) range of "official" acts, so Trump is going to go into this second term knowing that not only does he not have to deal with the "guardrails" of responsible adults he had around him in his first term (Mattis, Tillerson, Kelly, General Milley, etc), but he knows he can get away with virtually anything and everything that he wants to do this time around. If you thought that Trump's first term was bad, just understand that they are prepared this time and now he's surrounded himself with people who will do his bidding -- people who are perfectly willing to let Trump be Donald Trump.

I wish there was a reason to cry foul, lodge protests, and challenge the election's results. But this wasn't a rigged election. There isn't any confusion about what the voters really wanted. The American people did this. People you know and care about and who say they care about you are the people who did this. We need to recognize that these elections aren't outliers anymore. Trump's supporters aren't simply chaos agents who got lucky on a bad day for the Democrats. That's the country we live in now and we have to find a way to resist it that actually makes a difference because now they have the keys to all the doors and all of the alarm codes. This country has normalized the conspiracy theories and nativism and racism that has powered the MAGA movement since the moment Trump came down the elevator at Trump Tower in 2015. He's given those people permission to be open with their hatred towards people who aren't like them, and it's actually become surprising to see how many Americans have been eager to take advantage of that. I didn't think I had any misconceptions about this country before Donald Trump because I recognized this nation's history, but I clearly had some misconceptions about people I thought I knew until I saw them wearing a red MAGA hat or noticed they had a gigantic flag with Trump's name hanging where their U.S. flag used to hang. Once that happened, it was like a switch went off with them and they started saying things in ways that I'd never heard them speak. I feel like that's happened to the entire country. It breaks my heart and it pisses me off.

For the past few years, I've been warning everybody about how elections have consequences. I imagine that there are hundreds of posts on this blog with that phrase in all caps listed with the tags. Now the elections have happened, and we have to live with real fucking consequences. And we're going to pass these consequences on to other generations because this is the one that you can't get a do-over on. When you give a movement like this the power and the mandate that this country just gave them, there is no easily rolling back the things that they end up doing. They are going to fundamentally change the lives of people in this nation and especially change the way the younger generations of Americans live and love and learn for years to come. And you have people in your life who made that happen. It's another disgusting day in America -- a prelude to another reprehensible four years (at the very least) -- and I'm ashamed of tens of millions of my fellow Americans because this one is on them. They know exactly who the man is that they voted for, and now we know exactly who they are, too.

[rubyreadd]

i keep having this recurring thought abt th 2010s grid fuckfest thats like seb wld react to mark n jense the way straight men do to lesbians all "idgaf if theyre doing spygate 2.0 lemme see the sextape" but with mark n nando it would be blinding rage "why r they standing so close alonso is fucking our team secrets out of mark we cant let this stand hes mine by right i mean this is a matter of rb security separate them now"

As soon as I read your ask I thought about this clip from 2015 where Lee Mackenzie asks Sebastian if he considers Lewis and Nico's rivalry to be of equal intensity to the rivalry he had with Mark, and with nary a breath of hesitation Sebastian says no; he and Mark were thee rivalry.

Of course this interview takes place before The Incident that was the entirety of 2016, but I've always felt it revealed something crucial about Sebastian's psyche regarding his time with Mark as team mates. Sebastian won all four championships with Mark at his side, writing himself into the ledger with the blood and sweat and champagne spilt by his and Mark's relationship. Sebastian's career with Red Bull is inextricably shaped by Mark and therefore so are his achievements, which by association makes Mark his too.

All of this to say yes I agree wholeheartedly with everything you wrote in your ask. Mark and Jenson are Sebastian's two anglosphere boytoys that he indulges in from his cuck chaise lounge. Jenson isn't of any particular threat to Sebastian's title bids so his long standing friendship with Mark is just the narrative cherry on top of their sucking and fucking.

Fernando however is that persistent thorn in his side, the foremost challenger to Sebastian's wants: points, podiums, Mark. What are Fernando and Mark's many years of friendship to Sebastian and Mark's bond forged in the crucible of competition? What is Fernando's silver tongue promising greatness at Ferrari to Sebastian's hands showing Mark that he is needed at Red Bull? What is the easy softness of Fernando and Mark's bodies against each other to the vicious knowing of Sebastian and Mark's bodies skin against skin?

Sebastian has never let anything go without a fight, and he's not about to start with Mark.

As an aside, I've had an idea ticking around in the back of my mind for a while now about an AU where Mark leaves RedBull in 2011 to sign with Ferrari from 2012-2014, and crucially, goes on to win the wdc in 2014. I thought it would be an interesting exercise to dissect how Sebastian would handle losing Mark to his closest non-Red Bull rival, particularly at a time when their relationship has become professionally strained. Mark's Ferrari wdc however is the emotional lynch pin of this idea because Sebastian will never win one. When Mark retires from F1 at the end of 2014, it's Sebastian who fills his seat. Mark's team, Mark's telemetry, Mark's side of the garage - all his and yet not enough.

[good-night-space-kid]

Geology and The Terror

As a geologist who is incapable of turning off their geology brain even while watching shows for fun, one of the things that baffles me a bit about The Terror is why they continuously refer to the landscape as shale when both King William Island and the filming location in Pag, Croatia are dominated by limestone. Given the desolation of the landscape, the geology is rather at the forefront of many scenes so it was fun to try and parse it out as I watched.

King William Island, Nunavut, Canada

According to the official map of the bedrock of the region as published by the Canadian government (Harrison et al., 2015), the entirety of King William Island is mapped as dolostone, dolomitic limestone, and limestone with only minor components of shale, sandstone, conglomerate, and breccia. This is a shelf marine deposit dating back to the Late Cambrian, so this is very old sedimentary rock but younger than most of the surrounding hard rock that composes various parts of the Canadian shield. Notably, the pink units mapped on the Boothia Peninsula are Paleoproterozoic in age (2.5-1.6 billion years old), potentially up to 2 billion years older than the limestones of King William Island.

(This is an absolutely massive .pdf file with some scaled features so I would recommend viewing via the official publication to actually read anything or see fine details: publications.gc.ca/pub?id=9.557274&sl=0)

Notably, this map was published in 2015, 8 years after the novel was written. However, according to the bibliography for the map (which can be accessed via the previous link) a preliminary geologic map has existed for the area since at least 1967, though I was unable to track this publication down online. The novel was clearly thoroughly researched and Dan Simmons could have easily accessed this publication and others through multiple institutions.

The surficial geology of King William Island has also been mapped, and is predominantly glacial, as one would expect given it's location. For those unfamiliar with glacial geology processes, this is basically saying that the bedrock is buried under a bunch of glacial deposits. Glacial till is composed of rocks and sediments plucked from the bedrock and ground up. This is why the surface of the island is not one big rock, but a bunch of smaller pieces. Interestingly, the material on the southern part of the island is sandier because it contains more material derived from the Canadian Shield further south. If you're interested in glacial geology, I highly recommend zooming around a bit on Google Earth because the features here are GORGEOUS.

(This map is absolutely massive and the lines scale with zoom so it's hard to see at this resolution, access it here: publications.gc.ca/pub?id=9.834073&sl=0)

(Google Earth Pro, satellite imagery from 2020)

According to the surface geology map and Google Earth, the actual landscape of King William Island is much more water logged than it appears in the show. It's not entirely impossible that there has been some geomorphological change since 1848, but most of the features mapped would have been formed during the last ice age and as the glaciers melted and not more recently. This would have been handy for the men of the Franklin Expedition because each of these pools is filled with freshwater.

Pag, Croatia

Tracking down a geologic map of Croatia was somewhat challenging as I don't speak Croatian. I was able to find a map of the whole country, and while it's all in Croatian the symbol for the geologic time periods is universal so time periods can be correlated. This shows that the units that make up Pag are Cretaceous and Paleocene-Eocene in age.

(Map accessed here: https://www.hgi-cgs.hr/en/geoloska-karta-republike-hrvatske-1300-000/)

I was able to find a .pdf (access here: http://kig.kartografija.hr/index.php/kig/article/view/158/274) that had a bit more information on the map above but at a lower resolution. This states that the Cretaceous units are dominantly carbonates from the Adriatic sea and the Eocene units are also carbonates. This makes sense as both the Cretaceous and Paleocene-Eocene boundary/PETM are times of increased global temperature correlated with increases in global sea level.

As always, the best geology website out there, Macrostrat, also came through on the unit lithologies. I was unable to access the source listed on Macrostrat, but both the Cretaceous (green) and Paleocene-Eocene units (orange) are listed as limestone.

(Source: https://macrostrat.org/map/#x=16&y=23&z=2)

One of the best views that we get of the geology on Pag is the last scene with Bridgens in episode 9. During the zoom out of this scene we get a really nice view of the bedrock and debris covering it.

Given all of this, I'm really not sure where the landscape description as shale came from. If there is historical precedence for calling the rocks on the island shale, let me know! I have read a few books but none of the primary sources from the expeditions to this region, so if it comes from that I wouldn't be surprised.

Overall though, I have to say that the filming location was well chosen given the similarities it holds to the geology of King William Island.

[thehypnone]

'Tis time...my 'tism decided to challenge me and stand me up against the ultimate musical 'tism. Tobias Forge's

Influences in the music of the band Ghost (tributes, nods & inspirations)

Some of them are a very straightforward copy-paste action, some of them are smaller nods towards other artists and some of them are only influences, or even something I personally hear, but not everybody might. They are in order from most obvious to might-be-my-delusion. I didn't include covers because. Kinda obvious.

It is possible that some of these are simply samples, I didn’t look into that, but if I’m being completely honest, I don't think Tobias is a sample guy. Also, there’s couple examples from Impera alone, mostly because he spoke about his inspirations for it a fair amount, which makes it easier to trace, so to say.

This one goes first, because it's literally the same thing! Just reversed. I feel like that's common knowledge in the fandom, but I couldn't skip it. If you didn't know and Deus Culpa always hurts your ears (same), this is why!

(These two are in one file because Tumblr has an audio limit and I had to merge something) Tobias frequently speaks of his love for Metallica's music, as well as its members, so it's honestly no surprise hfhfh. He fangirls hard, and it even got him to open for them as we all know, so that's super cool!

I haven't seen/heard him talking about Opeth that much, but he is and/or used to be close with multiple members so again--no surprise at all.

This one is super interesting, because it's not only similar soud wise.

“[...] we recorded this album [IMPERA] in Atlantis Studio in Stockholm, [...] where ABBA recorded most of their hits. [...] it’s the exact same outboard gear, mixing console, microphones, marimba and piano we had around us. You’d play the piano and it would sound exactly the same as it did on Money, Money, Money.” --Tobias Forge for Guitar World

Not much to say about this one other than hell yeah, Michael Jackson.

This one also has a play on Europe's, which I find super cool! Swedish rock unites. From what I remember Tobias has also mentioned something about Whitesnake being an important influence.

(This one is empty for the first 10 seconds to go around the copyright scan) This is a cute little nod towards Pink Floyd that has Tobias put into live shows, and it's been a thing since 2015.

Another one that Tobias has spoken about for Guitar World.

“The double bass allowed for that Vinnie Paul [of Pantera] thing where there are triplet-feel things on the kick drum. Nothing against Pantera, but what influenced me there was actually a track called Blood Ritual by Samael, which had that feel I wanted to tap into.”

It was said about Watcher In The Sky, but I think same idea guided Twenties as well.

Griftwood was also talked about for Guitar World

“What made the song for me was the fact that there’s this crazy breakdown in what’s otherwise a Sunset Strip kind of thing, which I see as more Van Halen than Ratt.”

No song was mentioned by Tobias, but I had Talkin' 'Bout Love in mind even before I read this article, so I'd say it fits!

Pretty self explanatory, I think.

(This one is empty for the first 10 seconds to go around the copyright scan) Kansas is an absolute gem and to me it does sound like it was the inspiration here. Knowing how much respect Tobias has for rock classics, I'd say it's very possible he had Carry On Wayward Son in mind.

And that's it! Sorry if y'all hoped for more jfgjdfg but anyways, hope you enjoyed my yapping and, as always, any questions are very welcome :3

Taglist: @delusionalbitchinthehouse @0-miles-away @callmeghoulshit @skele-bunny @ratsummer @kentuckyfriedsatan @everybodyshusband @lilhoechlinsbae @jimothybarnes @starling-ghoul @rain-ghoul-appreciator @devilsandstarlight @karmicbias @jazz-bazz @arkeusruin

[adventuresofalgy]

Today Algy is celebrating the reissue in paperback of his adventure story The Magical Midwinter Star – a tale for the season of midwinter and Christmas festivities – which is the third in Algy's series of colour-illustrated children's chapter books, first published in 2015 and 2016.

The books are suitable for children aged roughly 6 to 10, but have also been read – and loved – by many adults of all ages who are still young at heart 😀

Algy faces very real challenges and perils in his adventures, which are all based in the landscape around his home in the wild west Highlands of Scotland, and feature a cast of characters drawn from the wildlife of the local area – some friendly and charming, and some mean or menacing to a fluffy bird. But of course, being surprisingly fluffy, Algy always overcomes the difficulties and dangers in the end – usually with the help of other creatures who are less daft than he is – leading to a joyfully happy conclusion in each tale.

[This is not really a commercial post, as Algy's assistant and amanuensis gets only a tiny royalty from the sale of his books, and Algy, of course, gets nothing at all… except the very considerable reward of knowing that friends and strangers around the world are reading – and hopefully enjoying – the tales of his adventures in the wild west Highlands of Scotland 😀]

The books can all be purchased from Amazon, in most countries of the world.

Copies with special dedications, signed by Algy and/or his assistant, can be purchased direct from Algy's assistant (please use messaging or the contact form to enquire or arrange), but of course they will take much longer to reach most countries.

Algy apologises again to his friends who would prefer not to use Amazon, but it order to get books delivered quickly and easily to many different countries, there was really no other choice.

[the-forest-library]

2025 Popsugar Reading Challenge

The 2025 prompt list is here. I’ll be participating again, but I’m annoyed with the AI prompt. I won’t be completing that one.

A book about a POC experiencing joy and not trauma

A book you want to read based on the last sentence

A book about space tourism

A book with two or more books on the cover or "book" in the title

A book with a snake on the cover or in the title

A book that fills your favorite prompt from the 2015 PS Reading Challenge

A book about a cult

A book under 250 pages

A book that features a character going through menopause

A book you got for free

A book mentioned in another book

A book about a road trip

A book rated less than three stars on Goodreads

A book about a nontraditional education

A book that an AI chatbot recommends based on your favorite book

A book set in or around a body of water

A book about a run club

A book containing magical creatures that aren't dragons

A highly anticipated read of 2025

A book that fills a 2024 prompt you'd like to do over (or try out)

A book where the main character is a politician

A book about soccer

A book that is considered healing fiction

A book with a happily single woman protagonist

A book where the main character is an immigrant or refugee

A book where an adult character changes careers

A book set at a luxury resort

A book that features an unlikely friendship

A book about a food truck

A book that reminds you of your childhood

A book where music plays an integral part of the storyline

A book about an overlooked woman in history

A book featuring an activity on your bucket list

A book written by an author who is neurodivergent

A book centering LGBTQ+ characters that isn't about coming out

A book with silver on the cover or in the title

Two books with the same title (1)

Two books with the same title (2)

A classic you've never read

A book about chosen family

Advanced Prompts

Easy

A book by the oldest author in your TBR pile

A book with a title that starts with the letter Y

A book that includes a nonverbal character

A book you have always avoided reading

Medium

A book with a left-handed character

A book where nature is the antagonist

A book of interconnected short stories

Hard

A book that features a married couple who don't live together

A dystopian book with a happy ending

A book that features a character with chronic pain

[dykerory]

2025 Book Bingo!!

My dearest @batmanisagatewaydrug issued this challenge and here I am listing the books I intend to read in 2025! Under a read more because I'm not a monster

Literary Fiction: Our Share of Night (2019) by Mariana Enríquez, trans. Megan McDowell

Short Story Collection: Alien Sex: 19 Tales by the Masters of Science Fiction and Dark Fantasy (1990), edited by Ellen Datlow

A Sequel: Don’t Fear The Reaper (2023) by Stephen Graham Jones

Childhood Favorite: When You Reach Me (2009) by Rebecca Stead

20th Century Speculative Fiction: The Time of the Ghost (1981) by Diana Wynne Jones

Fantasy: To Shape a Dragon’s Breath (2023) by Moniquill Blackgoose

Published Before 1950: Wuthering Heights (1847) by Emily Brontë

Independent Publisher: Creatures of Passage (2022) by Morowa Yejidé, published by Akashic Books

Graphic Novel/Comic Book/Manga: Something is Killing the Children Book One (2021), by James Tynion IV, art by Werther Dell’Edera

Animal on the Cover: Coyote Rage (2019) by Owl Goingback

Set in a Country You Have Never Visited: Let the Right One In (2004) by John Ajvide Lindqvist, trans. Ebba Segerberg

Science Fiction: Finna (2020) by Nino Cipri

2025 Debut Author: Needy Little Things (2025) by Channelle Desamours

Memoir: Camgirl (2019) by Isa Mazzei

Read a Zine, Make a Zine: Leaving this one blank for now! If anyone has any zine recommendations I'd love to hear them!

Essay Collection: Unquiet Spirits: Essays by Asian Women in Horror (2023), edited by Lee Murray and Angela Yuriko Smith

2024 Award Winner: Linghun (2023) by Ai Jiang, winner of the Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in Long Fiction

Nonfiction: Learn Something New: Abominable Science! Origins of the Yeti, Nessie, and Other Famous Cryptids (2012) by Daniel Loxton and Donald Prothero

Social Justice & Activism: Fearing the Black Body: The Racial Origins of Fat Phobia (2019) by Sabrina Strings

Romance Novel: Such Sharp Teeth (2022) By Rachel Harrison

Read and Make a Recipe: The Sopranos Family Cookbook: As Compiled by Artie Bucco (2002), by Allen Rucker, David Chase, and Michele Scicolone

Horror: SOUR CANDY (2015) by Kealan Patrick Burke

Published in the Aughts: Abandon (2009) by Blake Crouch

Historical Fiction: The Hacienda (2022) by Isabel Cañas

Bookseller or Librarian Recommendation: Leaving this one blank for now as well! If any booksellers or librarians want to recommend me a book so I don't have to talk to someone in real life. I'd love that.

[world-of-wales]

HAPPY 42ND BIRTHDAY TO HRH THE PRINCESS OF WALES, CATHERINE ELIZABETH ♡

Catherine Elizabeth (nee. Middleton) was born to Michael and Carole Middleton at the Royal Berkshire Hospital, Reading, on 9 January 1982. She was christened when she was six months old at the parish church of St. Andrew’s Bradfield in Berkshire on 20 June.

Catherine studied in nursery school in Amman during her family's time in Jordan. After moving back to the UK, she joined St. Andrew’s School, from where she went on to study in Marlborough College in Wiltshire, studying Chemistry, Biology, and Art at A-level.

The Princess undertook a gap year gap year studying at British Institute in Florence, working with Raleigh International programme in Chile, and crewing on Round the World Challenge boats in the Solent. In 2001, she enrolled in the University of St. Andrew’s where she met William for the first time to study Art history.

Cat and William fell in love during their time at uni, and married at Westminster Abbey on 29 APRIL 2011 at Westminster Abbey. The couple have three adorable cupcakes Prince George (b.2013), Princess Charlotte (b.2015) and Prince Louis (b.2018). The family of five divide time between their official residence, Kensington Palace and their two private residences - Amner Hall & Adelaide Cottage.

Upon her wedding, Catherine became HRH The Duchess of Cambridge, The Countess of Strathearn and Lady Carrickfergus. She received the titles of the Duchess of Cornwall & The Duchess of Rothesay upon King Charles's accession to the throne. William and her were made The Prince and Princess of Wales by him on 9 September 2022.

As well as undertaking royal duties in support of The King, both in the UK and overseas, The Princess devotes her time to supporting a number of charitable causes and organisations with some of her key areas of interest being Early Childhood Development, Children's Mental Health, Visual Arts and Sports among others.

[zenkindoflove]

Tomorrow is my one-year anniversary returning to writing fanfic. This is going to be a bit of a sappy post reflecting on the last year and celebrating some of my wins/new things I've challenged myself to do.

October 17, 2023 is when I started to write the very first chapter of Burn Forever with Me. I had finished the ACOTAR series about two weeks before and had spent those two weeks reading all the Elucien fic I could. I could feel I had a story in me, so I set out to write it in a month thinking that would be it and I would get it out of my system.

It had been a while since I had written. From 2006-2012 I wrote fanfic very regularly across a few different fandoms. Most of those stories can't be found online anymore. I took a three year hiatus from my Big Bang Theory multichapter fic at the end of 2012, and didn't finish it until 2015 when I had a burst of motivation. I didn't write again until another burst of motivation hit me (Game of Thrones ending) and wrote another one-shot in 2019.

By this point in 2023, I kind of thought my fanfic writing days were behind me. I didn't expect this new resurgence in my life that came about because of this series/this ship. I've tried so many new things writing for this fandom and pushed my writing in directions I never anticipated.

Since last year I have... -published 441,592 words. -published 20 fics (a mix of multichapter and one-shots) -completed four multichapter long fics (huge for me because I used to abandon multichapter fics all the time in my first era) -Written for several ships, including rare pairs, not just my OTP which is all I did in the past -Created many OCs, including my focal OC Alexius. Up until now I thought I was kind of hopeless when it came to writing original characters. -Wrote fanfic for three appreciation weeks -Wrote MM smut for the first time, and lots of it. I have been reading MM smut for two decades, but did not have a calling to write for a specific ship until Eris x Alexius -Co-written two fics with @crazy-ache -pushed myself in what styles of writing I tackle, including writing epistolary for the first time as well as challenging myself to write action/fight scenes which always scared me in the past -world building in general also used to scare me and now I think it feels so much more approachable as I've been filling in SJM's holes. -I think my smut writing has evolved a lot too. While I wrote smut in the past and I think I established what my writing voice/style was for smut, I have really had the opportunity to solidify it and try it in different scenes and contexts. I feel a lot more confident than I did back then.

I wanted to highlight these because I think as writers, we are often too hard on ourselves, and it helps to put into context all of the ways we've improved if we are mindful of our progress. I definitely encourage you to sit down one day and remind yourself of all the new things you've done from your starting place. Making this list really put into context all the ways I've changed as a writer in just a year.

I still have a lot more I want to do and new challenges to face in the next year. I hope if you read this, it does help to show you that you can take long breaks and even if you take a step back from writing, you will always be a writer and it'll always be a hobby you can return to and improve your skills, no matter how long its been.

[literatureloverx]

BSD MEN x DISNEY PRINCESSES

I'm not sure how many people were aware of it, but there was a trend on TikTok (I believe it was last year) where someone paired JJK characters with Disney princesses.

It got me thinking about pairing Disney princesses with BSD characters because…why not?

This is nothing serious, so please enjoy! ❤️

Fyodor Dostoevsky

Possible pairings: Aurora, Cinderella (live action), Belle.

Aurora (Sleeping Beauty 1959): She is introverted, dreamy, elegant, and beautiful. She embodies traditional femininity and dreams of true love. There's a serene and peaceful spirit within her that Fyodor would greatly appreciate.

Cinderella (live action, 2015): She is very polite, values kindness above all else, and sees the good in everyone. Her ability to forgive almost makes her appear ethereal and otherworldly. She is graceful, beautiful, intellectually stimulating, and well-educated.

Belle (Beauty and the Beast 1991): She is the most beautiful girl in her town, yet possesses an intellectual and romantic mind. Though fairly introverted, she can be outgoing in certain circumstances. Fyodor would find much common ground with her, bonding over their love for reading and discussing various topics.

Dazai Osamu

Possible pairings: Cinderella (live action), Belle, Elsa.

Cinderella (live action, 2015): She is compassionate, valuing kindness and generosity above all else. She would understand Dazai's struggles and help him become the best version of himself.

Belle (Beauty and the Beast 1991): Belle is intellectually stimulating for Dazai as well. She is able to fall for a beast because he shows that he can improve and has a good heart deep inside, which eventually comes to the surface. Once Dazai trusts her with his fragile heart, their bond would be unbreakable.

Elsa (Frozen 2013): She is calm, collected, and deeply values her close relationships. Dazai would help her become less stressed and anxious, while she could handle his daily antics. However, this relationship could be challenging because both of them are guarded around strangers.

Nakahara Chuuya

Possible pairings: Jasmin, Tiana, Mulan, Cinderella.

Jasmin (Aladdin 1992): Jasmine is sassy, knows what she wants, and is very intelligent. She is confident and elegant, embodying femininity in a strong and assertive way. Chuuya would admire her.

Tiana (The Princess and the Frog 2009): Tiana is hardworking and confident. Her struggles and the effort she puts into achieving her singular dream make her very human. She is inspirational and loving.

Mulan (Mulan 1998): Mulan makes sacrifices for her family. She is rational and not easily frightened, even when faced with significant challenges. Her struggles are relatable, and her character arc is both majestic and realistic. Chuuya would be very proud to call such a woman his.

Cinderella (Cinderella 1950): Cinderella is also hardworking, but in a more laid-back and dreamy way. She dreams of true love, happiness, and peace. She is more of a traditional woman, but by no means lacks character.

Nikolai Gogol

Possible pairings: Rapunzel, Ariel, Anna, Merida.

Rapunzel (Tangled 2010): Rapunzel is very bubbly and curious. She has many ideas and makes connections in a dreamy yet extroverted manner. She is hungry for knowledge about the world she doesn't know and longs to explore. Such a person with deep underlying passions would intrigue Nikolai.

Ariel (The little Mermaid 1989): Ariel is also eager to explore a world she's unfamiliar with. She yearns for personal freedom and the ability to make her own choices in life. She can be considered impulsive, feeling and living deeply, rashly, and quickly. She would be able to keep up with Nikolai's temperament. She is loving and entertaining.

Anna (Frozen 2013): Anna longs for connection with the outside world and wants to socialize as much as possible. Her perspective on life is almost childishly cute. She is entertaining and lovable, and Nikolai would appreciate her enthusiasm.

Merida (Brave 2013): Merida is brave, daring, and doesn't let anything deter her from following her own path. She knows she can surpass any expectations placed on her, and she courageously pursues her own way. This is a quality Nikolai would adore.