#reading wrap up 2022

[wildwood-reader]

DECEMBER 2022 BOOK WRAP-UP

I finished 2 novels, 1 novella, 1 picture book, 2 non-fiction books and 1 volume of a manga. ✨️

This was likely my best reading month in 2022 which I'm very happy about. 👌🏻

The books will be in the order that I finished them. My favorite book¹ of the month will be marked with a 🌟.

Understanding Chinese Fantasy Genres by Jeremy Bai

◇ Non-Fiction

◇ Finished on December 1

◇ First Read

◇ Rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌘🌑

◆ What I Disliked: It wasn't nearly as comprehensive as I was hoping it would be, which I guess I should have seen coming given the number of pages, but it was still disappointing. The author did warn in the introduction of this book that it is there to give a brief overview over certain topics, but of course I didn't know that until I had it in my hands already. As a fanfic writer for C-drama characters with very limited research resources in English about the wuxia, xianxia and xuanhuan genres, I was very hopeful this might give me a much better understanding of how the genres, tropes, and cultivation techniques (specifically for xianxia) work, but unfortunately I didn't get as much out of it as I would have liked.

◆ What I Liked: Despite my initial disappointment, the author did touch on some things I didn't know yet, so it still held educative value for me and was worth the purchase. Especially explanations in regards to qi deviation and the like were quite helpful for my understanding of it. The author has a YT channel where he still makes videos about China and Chinese culture, so perhaps he'll release a sequel with more information in the future.

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The Bane Chronicles by Cassandra Clare, in collaboration with Maureen Johnson and Sarah Rees Brennan (feat. illustrations by Cassandra Jean)

◇ Considered chronologically Book 0 in the Shadowhunter Chronicles

◇ Finished on December 5

◇ Re-Read

◇ Rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑

◆ What I Disliked: The writing style felt a little bit clumsy at times in the beginning and it took me one or two stories to get used to it.

◆ What I Liked: Magnus is one of my favorite characters in the Shadowhunter world and I loved reading about all of his adventures before and during the existence of the characters we already know from the different series. Cassandra Jean's art was, as always, a beautiful bonus. Magnus has lived for a long time, so seeing the world and our mortality truly through his perspective offered a much better understanding about some of the choices he made throughout the differents book series set in the shadow world. This was the start of my re-read of the Shadowhunter Chronicles and I'm excited to revisit all the books in it I've already read before and the ones I have yet to read for the first time.

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The Nightmare Before Christmas by Tim Burton

◇ Finished on December 7

◇ Re-Read

◇ Rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕

◆ What I Disliked: That it's so short, perhaps.

◆ What I Liked: From the whimsical rhymes to Tim Burton's enchanting art style, this was once again a delightful short read and a great bridge between Halloween and Christmas.

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🌟 The End of Everything (Astrophysically Speaking) by Katie Mack

◇ Non-Fiction

◇ Finished on December 23

◇ First Read

◇ Rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑

◆ What I Disliked: This is not really the author's fault at all and instead due to my very science-incompatible brain, but it was very hard for me to grasp the science a lot of the time. What probably also didn't help that was the fact that I decided to listen to the audiobook of this instead of reading it with my own two eyes; if I had, that might have made it a little easier for me to understand some of the things the author talked about in scientific terms.

◆ What I Liked: Despite my struggle to comprehend some of the things discussed in the book, the different ways the universe might end one day is a very fascinating topic and I had a lot of fun listening to the audiobook. The way she described things was very engaging with a touch of humor here and there (I guess I'll never know whether that one fire and that one explosion during her college days really weren't her fault 🤣) which made the experience quite enjoyable.

I learned a lot and found that Vacuum Decay (Possibility #4) was likely the most interesting way to me for the universe to end. The fifth possibility (I forgot what she called it) I've heard about before in a documentary and it was fun to hear about something I recognized and had a little bit of information about beforehand.

One of the coolest things I learned about was that it's possible with one of those million-dollar telescopes to look so far away (thus so far into the past since the light we see is billions of years old) into space that we can actually see evidence of the Big Bang, that kinda blew my mind and now I wish I could go somewhere with one of those telescopes where someone can show me that.

For those with a fondness for all things space and who enjoy hearing about the ways everything might end one day, I highly recommend it; I really enjoyed it.

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A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

◇ Finished on December 26

◇ Re-Read

◇ Rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕

◆ What I Disliked: Some of Dickens's expressions and wordings of the time that wouldn't fly today, obviously, but aside from that, nothing much.

◆ What I Liked: What I love most about this story is the notion that it's never too late to change yourself to the better, to right at least some of the wrongs you've committed in your life, to leave the dark path you've been walking on for so long and find one that lights you a better way.

What's also interesting is that even though Scrooge was very adamant and firm in his lack of sympathy in the beginning, he cracked and showed compassion almost immediately once the ghosts took him on his journey, which tells me that the uncaring grump is not just a mask for the people around Scrooge, but also for Scrooge himself, so much so that he seems to have forgotten that it's only a mask and has become convinced it's his true nature. In the end he was so scared of dying alone with no one to mourn him, especially after seeing all the love and grief expressed after Tiny Tim's passing in the potential future, that it made him realize how much he really longs to be loved. It's a great, nearly timeless story that still holds value today.

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Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

◇ Book 1 in The Infernal Devices trilogy

◇ Finished on December 29

◇ Re-Read

◇ Rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑

◆ What I Disliked: The pacing and atmosphere felt a little bit off sometimes, but other than that, not much.

◆ What I Liked: The Infernal Devices is my favorite series in the Shadowhunter Chronicles, so I was really excited to start reading it again. Jem, my favorite character, was even more lovable than I remembered, as was Charlotte. I love the setting and the characters and the tension between them, as well as the mystery and the plot twist, they were very fun to rediscover. I look forward to continuing my re-read of the trilogy in January.

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Nana (Vol. 1) by Ai Yazawa

◇ Finished on December 31

◇ Re-Read

◇ Rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕

◆ What I Disliked: Asano, obviously, and Shouji, even though that's not very relevant in this volume, yet. xD

◆ What I Liked: The complexity of the characters (*sigh* yes, yes, even Shouji in a way, though I am still not his biggest fan), the art style, pretty much almost everything. NANA has been one of my favorite manga series since I was a teenager. I also loved the live-action movies (especially the first one). I've been in the mood to re-read them, so it's fun to rediscover the story, even though I know it was never finished (which still makes me sad 🥲).

And that's it! It was a pretty good reading month, I enjoyed pretty much everything I read to varying degrees, so I'd say it went well. 😋

I haven't decided yet whether I want to make a post about my favorite books of the year, but maybe, we'll see.

Anyway, Happy New Year, everybody! 🎆✨️💖

¹ Only first reads are eligible for this, re-reads don’t count

[honestlytrulycompletelysteady]

• the school of extraordinary lovers by @aliensingucci | 191k

• PROMETHEUS RISING by @mercurial-madhouse | 5k

• Love After the End of the World by @mercurial-madhouse | 162k

• Golden by @sunshineandhisrainbows | 128k

• Say Hallelujah Say Goodnight by @alivingfire | 110k

• Harry Styles Cooks... by @magicalrocketships | 61k

• Love Is a Winning Game by @all-these-larrythings | 47k

• here comes the sun (little darling) by @nobodymoves | 45k

• The Stars Look Very Different Today by @kingsofeverything | 43k

• there now, steady love (so few come and don't go) by @so-why-let-your-voice-be-tamed | 42k

• Missed Connection by @littlelouishiccups | 39k

• Say It Back by @quelsentiment | 39k

• Don't Go In The Woods by @harryeatsburger | 39k

• In Your Black Heart (Is Where You'll Find Me) by @graceling-in-a-suit | 35k

• Rub Me the Right Way by @kingsofeverything | 3k

• As You Wish by @kingsofeverything | 25k

• where sirens fear to tread by @aliensingucci | 28k

• Where the World has Come Together by @londonfoginacup | 26k

• learned to lose you (can't afford to) by @lt2soon | 23k

• With the ghost of Lou by @sun-tomato | 19k

• Thought The Song Was Sung by @100percentsassy | 12k

• Stuck In The Middle With You by @greenfeelings | 11k

• Worth the Wait by @all-these-larrythings | 10k

• serve me up a little hope on the rocks by @so-why-let-your-voice-be-tamed | 10k

• Crystal Fighters by @loveloveolivia | 9k

• All I know is I'm in trouble ('cause the atmosphere's so cold) by @so-why-let-your-voice-be-tamed | 8k

• I Won't Let You Forget by @graceling-in-a-suit | 7k

• Are We Destined to Burn (Or Will We Last the Night?) by by @fallinglikethis | 6k

• Impress Me by @lightwoodsmagic | 5k

• Somethin' Old and Red by @absoloutenonsense | 5k

• Our Garden Grows by @londonfoginacup | 5k

• you and I love like it's a secret by@so-why-let-your-voice-be-tamed | 4k

• Souperhero by @londonfoginacup | 4k

• Let's Raise a Cup by @louandhazaf | 4k

• Threadfinder Threadwinder by @londonfoginacup | 4k

• Been Waitin' (After Weekend After Weekend After) by @absoloutenonsense | 3k

• Staring At The Blank Page Before You by @loveislarryislove | 2k

• Your Heart Is the Biggest Gift You Can Give Anyone by @fallinglikethis | 1k

• Cursing the Daylight by @londonfoginacup | 1k

• Falling For You by @louandhazaf | 1k

[ninja-muse]

Every year, a new ListChallenge! Curious to see how you all compare.

[jeanmoreaux]

*✧ — april 2023 wrap up

i finally read deathless!!! who is surprised it ended up being a new favourite? not me, but probably none of you either (big thanks to everyone who told me to read it because they thought it sounds like something i’d enjoy. you were right.) i had a great reading moths in general and the slump i was fearing didn’t manifest in the end, which i’m so happy about. nevertheless, this might be my last massive wrap up for the first half of the year. i assume may and june will be much shorter simply because of uni and an urge to get back into watching tv shows. i guess will see how things develop from here on out :)

2023 goal: 74/100 books

as alway, feel free to drop book recs, questions, or opinions in my inbox; i am always happy to talk to you about books!

* –> newly added to my favorites shelf

follow my goodreads | follow my storygraph | previous wrap ups

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Summer Sons by Lee Mandelo | 3.75★ | review

Big Swiss by Jen Beagin | 2.5★ | review

Trespasses by Louise Kennedy | 3★

On Murder Considered as One of the Fine Arts by Thomas De Quincey | 4★

The Beautifull Cassandra by Jane Austen | 3★

Really Good, Actually by Monica Heisey | 3.25★

Die Physiker by Friedrich Dürrenmatt | 4★

Demon in the Wood by by Leigh Bardugo, Dani Pendergast (illustrator) | 4★

Cleopatra and Frankenstein by Coco Mellors | 4.25★

Happy Hour by Marlowe Granados | 4★

* Deathless by Catherynne M. Valente | 5★ | review

War of the Foxes by Richard Siken | 5★ | review

Old Babes in the Wood by Margaret Atwood | 3★ | review

Finlay Donovan Knocks 'Em Dead by Elle Cosimano | 3.5★ 

* Joan by Katherine J. Chen | 5★ | review

A Dowry of Blood by S.T. Gibson | 4.5★ | review

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

rereads

The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden | 4.25★

Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo | 4.5★ | review

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo | 5★

Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo | 5★

[godzilla-reads]

Godzilla-reads 12 Best Books Read in 2022

January- Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao (@xiranjayzhao)

February- Too Bright to See by Kyle Lukoff

March- Guards! Guards! by Terry Pratchett

April- Heartstopper Vol. 4 by Alice Oseman

May- Dragonhenge by Bob Eggleton and John Grant

June- Dear Senthuran: A Black Spirit Memoir by Akwaeke Emezi

July- Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune

August- Dinotopia: A Land Apart from Time by James Gurney

September- Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher by Bruce Coville

October- Artie and the Wolf Moon by Olivia Stephens

November- Tithe: A Modern Faerie Tale by Holly Black

December- Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree

[theinquisitxor]

November Reading Wrap-Up

November was a great reading month for me, and I read 10 books this month, which is well above average. I read a several new releases, and continued on with a new favorite series.

1.Seasparrow by Kristin Cashore (4.5/5 stars): This is the next book of the Graceling Realms series, and follows Hava as the main character. An arctic and seafaring setting are two of my favorite things, and this book had both. I also found parts of this emotional and there was a theme of disability and motherhood. And more of the wonderful blue foxes. I felt like Cashore's writing reflected Hava's pov and mind, which was interesting to read. ya-fantasy

2.The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater (5/5 stars, audiobook): This was my annual reread of one of my all time favorites. The audiobook is superb and if you haven't read this yet, what are you waiting for? young-adult

3.Ocean's Echo by Everina Maxwell (3.75/5 stars): This was one of my most anticipated books of the year. This is a sci-fi set in the same universe as Winter's Orbit but in a very different place. This has do with the military, mind control, coups, and romance. mlm adult sci-fi

4.A Snake Falls to Earth by Darcie Little Badger (3/5 stars): This is a middle grade book about a Lipan girl and a group of animal people from the world of spirits. More ace rep, real world issues, and a good story. middle grade

5.A Conspiracy of Kings by Megan Whalen Turner (3.5/5 stars) book 4 in the queen's thief series. Enjoyable, but not quite at the level as the previous two were. Following a different character and his development and growth. ya fantasy

6.The Atlas Paradox by Olivie Blake (4.5/5 stars): Sequel to The Atlas Six, and I found this one so entertaining and I could not put it down. I enjoyed this one more than the first book, and I eagerly anticipate the third. adult fantasy

7.Hillbilly Elegy by JD Vance (1.5/5 stars) Admittedly, I sort of hate read this. Which I never do, but I decided to read this mainly because I read What You Are Getting Wrong About Appalachia by Elizabeth Catte over the summer, and Catte's book is a response to this. I wanted to have a better understanding of why books like Hillbilly Elegy are detrimental to the people actively doing work in the Appalachian region and beyond. memior

8. Sistersong by Lucy Holland (4.5/5 stars): I enjoyed this book much more than I thought I would at first. Lovely medieval Briton world, trans main character, pagan magic, and external threats. I had a good time reading this one. historical fantasy

9.Thick As Thieves by Megan Whalen Turner (5/5 stars) Book 5 of the queen's thief series. My favorite so far, and I was thoroughly wowed by this book. I love the two main characters so much and I was rooting for them and their relationship the whole time. Features a travel narrative and epic poetry, so of course I loved it. ya fantasy

10.The Djinn in the Nightingale's Eye by A.S. Byatt (3/5 stars): This is a collection of fairy tale short stories by one of my favorite authors. Some of the stories I liked more than others. literary fiction

December reading plans:

queen's thief 6

Moon Witch, Spider King (dark star #2) by Marlon James

Another AS Byatt

A nonfiction

[insecateur]

2022 fic wrap-up!

Here it is, my 2022 fic wrap-up! I'll divide it in three parts: general rambling about writing, month-by-month discussion of what I wrote in more detail, and a conclusion about what I'd like to get done this year a.k.a. 2023!

(I wrote so much I'm sorry.)

   

General Thoughts and Rambling about Writing

I've had multiple times when I'd say I stopped writing. I wrote a lot when I was younger, both fic and original, always in my native language (French.) I also roleplayed a fair amount. Back in 2011, after a very bad time in my life, I stopped writing. My last attempts were roleplaying posts; I think by that time I hadn't written fic in over a year. 

For a little while, I focused on drawing exclusively. I even created an original webcomic that's currently discontinued. Then, in 2013, Pokémon X&Y came out–

I'd planned to write posts about my main X&Y fic series on Tumblr, but only wrote one and then never got around to writing the rest. I still want to, though! It probably covers most of what I'd want to say already, so I'll be brief: I got back into writing fic in 2013, for Pokémon X&Y, in English this time, and then lost steam the next year for a variety of reasons. I got back into writing again in 2015-2016, writing more or less exclusively for myself without sharing it except on dreamwidth and password-locked blogs. At the time, I think I felt self-conscious about posting fic on AO3 that I didn't think was "up to par," not to mention I felt guilty about my lingering WIP...

In late 2017, I got into a brand new fandom, Yakuza, and for the first time in four years started to focus my creative energy in something that wasn't Pokémon X&Y. I still thought about it a lot (Lysandre especially) but I was able to get into new ships that I was excited about for reasons that weren't "this reminds me of my ultimate blorbos." In 2018, I started working on a Yakuza fic that I then gave up on, until (encouraged by one of my friends) I got back into working on it in 2020.

I don't know what did it; I'd guess it was having someone who could cheer me on and who was also a writer, maybe, but in 2020 I really started finding pleasure in writing again. I finished the fic around the end of the year and got very sweet feedback (which I was surprised about because the topic of the fic isn't something I expected people to care about haha.) I was itching to write more but I was also kind of exhausted. I figured maybe this was going to be my fanfiction swan song, which I was pretty happy about, honestly. I still think it's a pretty good fic.

Then, in 2021, Pokémon Masters EX grabbed me by the throat–

It felt kind of eye-opening. It felt like I was back in 2013/early 2014 and suddenly I was fueled by the raw power of OTP. I reread my unfinished WIP, that I'd continued further from what was posted on AO3, and thought: I can finish this. Not only that, but I can make what I've already written better. It doesn't matter that it's been almost eight years, it doesn't matter if nobody cares to read it. I can do this, for me.

And I did!

Not only that, but it kickstarted me into getting back into writing for real. I posted the finished, rewritten (in parts) version of the fic in November (I promise I'll talk about this in more detail soon,) and then in December I posted another fic about them. Which then brings us to, of course, what this post is actually supposed to be about: 2022.

   

What I Wrote in 2022 (And Other Considerations)

I started out still riding that high from having finished my long fic, and posted two fics related to it in January, turning it into a series:

* The Pangs of Disprized Love: This one is an outsider POV taking place between two of the later So Long as We Can Say chapters. It was really fun to write, despite the subject matter! The last SLaWCS chapter is actually probably my favorite, as a post-canon aficionado, so getting to write more of that was a treat.

* And With Your Hands Your Hearts: This one is a more or less direct sequel. A marriage proposal... How corny. It felt like what the characters needed after everything they'd gone through, though. I had very strong mental images for this one and I'm still pretty happy with the result.

After that, I got to work on the sequel to Et Surtout Mourir de Langueur, the first part of my mutual pining saga. At the time, I ran into two issues:

— I was embarrassed by the idea of writing and posting smut on AO3. (Yes, this seems insane to me too now.)

— I was worried people would be put off by me writing Lysandre as submissive more "aggressively." (As in, actually making it clear that was what I was going for, and not just implying it.)

Because of this, I started getting writer's block, and found myself stalling after deciding to actually include explicit scenes in (what would become) Le Bien l'Ennemi du Mieux. But something very special would happen to me that month...

Indeed, February is the month I came to know Noah a.k.a. @jonphaedrus. Which seems both so long ago and way too little time. I will refrain from gushing and just say that had we not met, I might have never started posting E-rated works to AO3 and I might have even given up on writing that second mutual pining fic. So there.

Thus, in March, thanks to Noah (and Grey!)'s support, I finished and posted:

* Le Bien l'Ennemi du Mieux: They continue pining, but this time they fuck explicitly. A lot. Way too much if you ask me. The romantic tension does not resolve in this fic and did not resolve period in 2022 but it will in 2023 I promise.

My SLaWCS energy had not left me however, and so after taking a short break I started work on a direct sequel to And With Your Hands Your Hearts, where I'd explore Augustine and Lysandre's backstories at last. This quickly became a multi-chapter project, which I was anxious about because SLaWCS (the original fic) had been my only successful attempt at that, but the fact that I had been successful once – and now had support from a fellow prfr appreciator and author – helped carry me to victory.

So, in May, I successfully published:

* Wisely and Slow: Definitely one of my favorites from the year. A three chapters story about dealing with your demons and finding a new place to belong to in the world. I could talk more about it but I won't... for now. This is the last (plot-relevant) SLaWCS story I've posted so far; the next one is going to be the wedding one and I'm SO excited to work on it. SOON.

Taking a break from longer fic writing, I wrote this treat for Noah:

* That Give Delight and Hurt (Not): I feel like this was the first step toward me going full self-indulgent when it comes to publishing smut. It still has feelings, but there's no pretense of a plot, just two characters engaging in D/s fun. It was my first time posting actual PWP on AO3... emotional...

In June, struck by a sudden bout of inspiration at the very end of a challenge from a Discord server I was in, I wrote 20k in a week:

* Perfect as a Statue, Unadorned: A Xerosic/Lysandre fic where Lysandre is a robot. It's also one of my favorites from this year! Very underrated imo. It's long, it's an AU, it's for a rarepair... so I'm not really surprised, but I do wish more people would give it a try. Oh well.

And then, finally embracing my id fully, I wrote and shared what is probably still the most unhinged thing I've written in 2022:

* All in a Day’s Work: Also known as "Rocket Lysandre free use" which tells you all you need to know. Truly just pure bottom Lysandre PWP. I think about the tag "I Want That Pokémon Villain Obliterated" regularly. I originally wasn't even planning on posting it but doing that freed me from any kind of worry about what I was "allowed" to post on my AO3, because nothing else can come close to it. Also very underrated imo but not for the same reasons LMFAO.

I was slowly getting into the habit of writing regularly, so in July I decided to try my hand at writing short fics/ficlets based on prompts I found or that were sent to me. This way, I successfully wrote five ficlets:

* Phototaxis, Show Off, The Precious Time That We Have, Then We Shall Need Each Other & Aspectabund

I also participated in BDSM Exchange, with a fic! Which was my first time writing fic for an exchange – before that, I'd only done art.

* Viens Me Libérer de Mon Sommeil (Je Suis à Ta Merci): An OT3 (Diantha/Sycamore/Lysandre) fic for Noah! It has all of our favorite things: D/s, Lysandre getting run over, BDSM therapy... I nearly finished it in time for frenchflagshipping day, too, but missed it by three days. Alas.

Powered by pure hubris, in August, I decided to try my hand at Writer's Month... and couldn't pull it off (in parts because I got very, very sick mid-way through.) I'm not going to link all of my fics for that separately (they span from August to December) but I will namedrop a few I especially like. Otherwise, you can check them all out in my series! (Shout-out to the series-within-a-series specifically for the bodyswap storyline, too. I'll finish it in 2023! I swear!)

My favorites from August were:

* My (M37) friend (M32?) keeps alienating everyone we know with the way he presents his opinions: Absolute classic. A reddit post parody. I'd still like to write a sequel/spin-off someday.

* A Comedown of Revolving Doors: Kind of a weird one; I just caught a vibe and followed it without being completely sure where I was going with it. I do enjoy the result though.

* It’s a Mechanical Bull, the Number One: Bottom Dom content for the soul. I still think this one was very big-brained of me. Also the title does not get old.

* Hit Me With the Way They’re Flaunted: It sure is over 3k about Lysandre getting his tits tortured/played with. What else can I say.

August was also the month we started posting courage is the most foolish thing in the world a.k.a. roleswap! I am not involved in the writing (as in, I don't write it; I am definitely involved in the ideas and concepts) but I couldn't not give it a shout-out. 

For September, I'll cite this one:

* Something in Your Head You’ve Been Fighting All Along: It's cakeverse. I found out about cakeverse completely randomly and have not stopped thinking about it ever since. I'll probably write and/or draw some more at some point... It's still at the back of my mind.

I also participated in another fic challenge: to write an AU fic of no more than 5k words. It turned out a lot more difficult than I expected; I apparently do not do well with max word counts. Still, I managed to post:

* From the Throat, I’m Tied to You: A very horny soulmate AU. I just decided to write the kind of soulmates I'd like to see in fic, heh. Despite how hard it was for me to get the words out, I do enjoy the result, and it was fun to work on!

In November, I posted a fic for the exchange Fic In A Box! I feel like I've already talked about this one a lot LOL, so I won't get too into it.

* do let the old enmity be: A recursive fic for Noah's main prfr series. It's all in-universe stuff, and probably the most fun I had working on a fic this year. I was very pleased to see so many people enjoy it!

I also kept working on my late Writer's Month prompts, and my favorite for that month is obvious:

* Let Your Backbone Slide: My first time writing trans porn... finally, I can put what I want to see into the world (Dom trans/cis sub, in case that wasn't clear.) I like this one a lot, tbh. I'd like to write a sequel/related fic sometime soon.

Finally, the last month of the year: December! My end of the year was really busy. I had a lot on my mind. Still, I managed to post a few more Writer's Month fills and one very special fic:

* De nouvelles saveurs: My last fic of 2023! And it's in French! It's 12k words of flirting via baking croissants. Before writing a short thing for my FIAB fill, I hadn't written in French in over a decade... so it was an interesting experience. I am pretty happy with the result though! The croissants (quaso) got baked and that truly is all that matters. 

I'll finish this off by giving a quick shout-out to the old fics I posted throughout the year. These are the fics I wrote back in 2016, as mentioned in the introduction of this post. Noah slowly encouraged me to post them on AO3, even the ones I was the most embarrassed about. Since they've all been backdated, I don't remember the exact month (of 2022) they were posted on, so I'll just give them to you in their original chronological order:

* Fighting With My Weak Hand: A post-canon story about Lysandre trying to earn forgiveness. (Yes, it was already my shit in 2016.)

* Status Symbol: Car sex.

* A Lesson in Self-Control: Omorashi. 

* This Is the Finest Game, It Ain’t Even Got a Name: Spy AU. Very self-indulgent.

* Midas Touch: Lysandre doesn't masturbate. Augustine investigates.

* Give Me Fire, Burning Hell: My original soulmate AU.

Phew. Okay, now that that's all out of the way–

   

What 2023 Has In Store (Hopefully)

I have a lot of WIPs.

See, at the beginning of 2022, I told myself I'd only have one WIP at a time. That way, I could focus on one thing, and get things done at a good pace. Unfortunately, as I began writing more and more, and chatting with Noah about ideas, I started listening to the devil on my shoulder telling me I could just work on multiple things at once.

...and I could! At the end of the day, "a lot of WIPs" isn't actually even that many WIPs. Still, I have a bunch of stuff I'd like to get done in 2023, writing-wise:

— I have an unfinished SLaWCS smut spin-off that's like two scenes away from being done and has been for months. I really need to get back on that.

— I have, of course, part 3 of my mutual pining series. I'm nearly 10k into that and Arceus knows how long it'll get. But I'll finish it this year for sure!

— I have the few prompts left from my Writer's Month, most of which I have ideas for if I haven't already started them. I will complete it this year (and not give the prompt list for this year a try, I'm sorry–)

— I have a few challenge fics I started and never finished that I might or might not go back to. (One I'm fairly confident I can finish; the other I have no idea where to go with so it might stay unfinished forever. Maybe I'll share what I have at some point.)

— I want to write in French more!!

— And, last but not least, I'm desperate to write more SLaWCS. I want them to get married!! I spent most of the latter half of 2022 writing shorter fics, and I really want to get back to longer works. I want to drop 60k of wedding planning that only five people will read. This is all I need to stay alive.

As for the rest... I'm still itching to participate in exchanges and other fandom events, so I have plans in that vein, but I don't want to give it away too early. I'm very grateful for the support I've gotten this year, no matter the content... Thank you for all your comments, asks, tags, kudos... I wouldn't have written this much without you! I don't know if I can aim for more than I did in 2022, but I'd like to keep at it, at least. 

So here's to another year of Pokémon fics... and art! If you've read this whole thing, thank you, too! I appreciate it! 🙏

[earlronove]

I did this over at the ol’ twitter (template here) because it seemed like a neat idea to reflect what I’ve done. I actually did a LOT of writing this year! If you’d like to read some writing rambles and my overview of my 2022 writing adventure, you can click the keep reading! I’m very wordy!

Overall, my gut reaction is to say I didn’t do well this year because my sole focus was to get The Divine an agent. Though I did not do that (and am incredibly fed up with the entire system and how much of a dumpster fire trade publishing actually is), I do feel more emboldened to try self-publishing even though my personality may not be quite suited for it. Even self-publishing tires me out because a lot of advice I get needs you to spend money--lots of it--but it’s like, writing is already gatekept enough. I’m fucking poor! I don’t have 1000 dollars for a good editor. I barely have money for bills at this point.

At the very least, ignoring advice that expects you only to self-publish when you either have a lot of cash just hanging out, a spouse you can depend on, or just make it work I guess, self-publishing is still a very viable avenue I’m a little excited to learn a little more of.

So, that’s something! Maybe nothing will come of it, but I do feel excited to try it. I can format the inside of a book pretty well and I think I’m comfortable enough with my art to make a cover (and the cover I’m making for The Divine is amazing if I do say so myself).

Otherwise, what other writing have I done?

The biggest project was Wherever the Stars Call--my Vampires in SPACE. I had unused ideas from Vagabonds (I still need to figure out what I want to do with that since it’s basically 3 books worth of material), so I was like okay I can use those up but with what? And then it became a thread of “but what if vampires in space?!” and while largely, the focus shifted to the queer runaway leads, vampires still play an important part of the story. I adore these characters to bits and I think the story is a fun space adventure. Leaves itself open too if I ever get enough ideas for a sequel (there is some in the works but nothing that pieces together well). I’m pretty confident in this project’s commercial viability, but given my opinion on agents and the publishing world, I don’t quite know if I want to go through the crushing rejections The Divine had to go through right this second. Or even deal with the inevitable “well, one of the leads should get together with the vampire since that’s what young adult books do” or “if the leads aren’t a couple by the end, we can’t sell it” and have to change my ideas to fit whatever mold the market wants. Not that I would change either of those above, market be damned. Regardless, my big goal is to at least try which is why editing it is my #1 goal for next year to get it polished and ready.

Alongside that chonker of a project, I managed to squeeze out three short stories (I meant to do more but then two novellas turned novels happened and then so did the novella that stayed a novella). all my ghosts is my favorite only because I tried something new (way more contemporary than I usually do without anything hugely fantastical (beyond the ghosts) while also vaguely exploring queer identity and the meaninglessness of doing what you think you ought to) and I think I did a good job.

I also began the year posting The Devil in the Woods. 12 part supernatural novella dealing with disaster teens making disaster decisions concerning a demon inside the woods. Overall, I still think I failed the project because it just wasn’t perceived. I’m still not quite sure what I did wrong except maybe my audience really isn’t into that kind of story (contemporary leaning with vague horror vibes). I like the story a lot and I’m learning more trying to get an e-book version of it (images do not play nice). Hopefully next year, I’ll get an e-book version out and a physical copy for myself at the very least.

Then came the two novellas that turned into short novels in their own right. Angel Wings follows Asher as he gains angel wings and has to maneuver through what society expects of him with said wings and how much he wants to break the mold he’s being forced into. Angry gay breaking things, the novel. I liked writing it because it felt cathartic with Asher being frustrated and angry at his perceived place in the world and how much more he believes he is in spite of it. No one wanted to beta-read it, but that’s okay! It’s categorized under “Weird Novels Ronove Loves That No One Else Might” and I’m largely okay with that. Maybe one day it’ll have its day to shine! 

The second novella turned short novel was Star Scourge. Last year, I wrote Light of the World which was about Nayir and his quest with Ara, a little piece of a god that sought to end the world, to maybe finish ending the world. While the description is a downer, the novel ended up being hopeful as Nayir pieces himself back together and as Ara sees the world her god tried to drown and how wrong that might have been. It still needs its editing finished, but as a whole I loved it. Then, here comes Star Scourge which takes a similar premise, localizes it, and puts the one who can end the world at the center. Sol is a fallen star who is prophesied to save the world just like all the fallen stars before him. Except, he recognizes it’s a cycle and one that will not break if he follows the path all the other fallen stars have taken. So, like Ara, he plans to finish ending the world. Unlike Light of the World, this one is a somber downer where Sol is faced again and again with reasons why the world really doesn’t want saving or that it’s simply not worth it. It’s setting is a world literally steps away from being wiped out altogether and how Sol interacts with that and his own desires. It was incredibly interesting to write (I wanted to say fun, but that’s a weird word to use, haha) and I think a good exercise after writing Light of the World where literally, hope was still there. Star Scourge doesn’t have that. A sour band of heroes trying to do their best by the world alongside the star who is secretly planning to end it. Sometimes, we just write sadder things and it’s okay!

Then, finally, I began to write The Magician & the Bard because I’ve always wanted to write a sword & sorcery kind of romp where the fate of the world wasn’t the focus of the fantasy, rather what the characters did within this world I created. It has been a lot of fun to plan (I have so many hi-jinks they can get up to) and it’s been a blast writing and getting to know these characters further. I missed writing pure fantasy and I like that their adventure is a bit more upbeat in general. And though I feel it’s having the same problems as Devil in the Woods at being perceived when I post it, I think more people are keen on reading it! I definitely don’t feel as down after finishing posting the first arc as I did with Devil in the Woods. I just want to write more and throw Vahn and Hawke at any silly idea I can! I have one more arc fleshed out and another one with the broad strokes written down and a bunch of one line ideas to throw them at. One idea even has a dragon!

All in all though, 2022 I think really shows that at heart, I love writing. In the fact of total rejection for the Divine, I’m still writing. And I don’t think that’s going to change. I have so many half-baked ideas just waiting for their chance to shine that I hope I can really get going on in 2023.

Thank you for reading! I felt very pensive about my writing journey this year and I think it helped to write this all out.

[nerdishfeels]

Best Reads of 2022! 📚

Hey guys! These are the best books I read this year. I have to say, having looked at my old posts, it was really nice to see that I read a lot more and met my reading goal of 20 books! A lot went on this year but I’m proud that I was still able to do what I love.

I read some wonderful books from new authors (like Olivia Atwater) as well as favourite authors such as Alix E. Harrow. I also read some lovely manga too and discovered Spy X Family (which is so wholesome and I need more!).

I’m glad that I read a lot of great Asian fiction too. I think it’s become a favourite genre of mine, reading different stories inspired by Asia history or fairytales.

I can’t wait to see what my reading looks like in 2023!

[tolive1000lives]

Pretty much all of my 2022 reads! I read 66 books this year and I can’t wait to start on next years list!

[slaughter-books]

Day 30: JOMPBPC: Read In December

My December, 2022 readimg wrap-up! 💜

[bookishjules]

I'm nosy so I'm gonna ask for a second: 43

book 43 was Beach Read by Emily Henry <3

discovering Emily Henry this year was such a win. I loved this story sm. the relateable mc and the messy and angsty love interest are just top notch

[ninja-muse]

Booklr Wrapped!

As in Spotify Wrapped, but it’s books! It feels kind of weird to be doing this while I still have a month of reading left, but I guess it’s no weirder than Goodreads choosing the best books of the year in November, and it’s a tag meme so whatever. Long-time followers will notice I slipped an unfinished book into the mix. Sometimes you can just tell.

Tagged by @petrareads. Template by @_readbyrach on Instagram. (You do need a Canva account though.)

Tagging @lizziethereader @franticvampirereads @howlsmovinglibrary @thelivebookproject @magnetarmadda @the-forest-library @sixofravens-reads @bibliophilecats @therefugeofbooks but please do this regardless and tag me!

[princessofbookaholics]

It's the end of the month, end of the year, and another wrap up! I loved so many books this month, it really made it so memorable. I had four 5 star reads so I can't choose a favorite this month which makes me so happy. Looking forward to a great reading year in 2023. Happy new year, my fellow readers! Here's the wrap up:

Would You Rather ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

A Thousand Heartbeats ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Sweetest Oblivion ⭐⭐

Everyone Hates Kelsie Miller ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Mixed Signals ⭐⭐⭐⭐

To Love Jason Thorn ⭐⭐⭐⭐

A Not So Meet Cute ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Faking Christmas ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Untying the Knot ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Real Deal ⭐⭐⭐

Icebreaker ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Jar of Hearts ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Throttled ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Reluctantly Yours ⭐⭐⭐

One Percent of You ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Tis the Season for Revenge ⭐⭐⭐

[lizziestudieshistory]

Books of 2022 - November and December

Oops posted this the wrong way around as my year at a glance. Ahh well! I read more digitally than I did physically due to travelling a lot to and from school, but here's what I read.

November:

First Love by Ivan Turgenev - most first Turgenev, I enjoyed it. It was a bit predictable but I liked the realism and surprising relatability of this one. I'm intrigued to read more by him.

The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman - I was a little bit disappointed by this one, I think the hype around this one set it up for a fall. It's an interesting look into a woman's severe mental illness and the way everyone around her, especially her husband, belittles and exacerbates her condition. I read it as a sincere attempt to help that went wrong due to a lack of knowledge about postnatal depression (and possibly another condition, I'm not going to try diagnosis!), but the early feminist message was a interesting. I just didn't connect with this one as much as others have.

Lord of Emperors by Guy Gavriel Kay - I loved this book! I took it slowly because I was enthralled by the setting and characters, so much so that I didn't want to leave! I can't say too much as it's the second book in a duology but it was fabulous. One of Kay's best works that I've read (I like Tigana a bit more) and it enhanced Sailing to Sarantium which I struggled with a bit last year.

December:

Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare - I was feeling down at the start of December, so I reread one of my favourite Shakespearean comedies. I had a great time and I still say Beatrice and Benedick are Shakespeare's best couple (and Beatrice is my favourite heroine!)

Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott - I had so much fun with this one, and I was pleasantly surprised. I've heard a lot of mixed reviews about Ivanhoe, and I completely understand why, but I personally loved it. I'm a sucker for 19th century medievalism - I like their version of chivalrous knights and merry England, I have an inner romantic deep down. However, I won't say I recommend it for everyone - there's an attempt at sympathetic Jewish characters but it's clumsy and in places as negatively stereotyped as you would expect from the 19th c., and it's very verbose. I loved it but I can see a lot of people struggling with it.

My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell - I still don't know why I read this... I don't want to go into what it's about due to the content being so dark (check trigger warnings!) but I found it only half successful. A lot of my problems came from the language - it's SO American. There is a reason I rarely read American contemporary works - I struggle with immersion but to a linguistic gap, and yes there IS a difference. There's certain phrases that feel wrong to me, references that pull me out of the book, and life experiences I don't share. It makes it difficult for me to relate to the story and that's what happened here. I ended up criticising the writing more than the content. I do think Russell handled the subject matter relatively well, it's one of the more sensitive examinations that I've seen. However, that last chapter was a mistake. Firstly, it wasn't long enough to show Vanessa on the first steps to "recovery", everything happened too fast and it was unbelievable. Secondly, the authorial moralising voice came on too strong. Vanessa stopped being Vanessa, instead she was a mouthpiece for Russell to tell us about the Me Too movement, and I hated it! We're intelligent enough to get the point of the book for ourselves, stop! Otherwise, it was alright. Again, I can't recommend this one and do check trigger warnings if you're interested.

I am still reading The Red and the Black by Stendhal and Rhythm of War by Brandon Sanderson, which is well over an additional 1000 pages between them but neither is finished. Guess they'll be the first books of 2023 then!

[libertyreads]

November Wrap Up--

I was surprised when I went to take this month’s wrap up photo and realized that most of the things I read were eBooks and eARCs. I was able to read a bit more than I thought I would this month which I know can’t last going forward. My favorite thing I read was probably Nine Liars by Maureen Johnson which I was so lucky to get in eARC form.

Comics/Graphic Novels-- 1. Skyward Vol. 1: My Low-G Life by Joe Henderson-- 3.5 stars.

Novellas/Short Stories-- 1. His Curvy Friend by Mary E. Thompson (Kindle)-- 1.5 stars.

2. Stupid Love by Tara Wyatt (Kindle)-- 2 stars.

Novels-- 1. An Unkindness of Magicians by Kat Howard (Kindle)-- 3.5 stars.

2. The Box in the Woods by Maureen Johnson-- 4 stars (original rating).

3. Nine Liars by Maureen Johnson (NetGalley)-- 4.25 stars.

4. Half-Blood Prince-- 5 stars (original rating).

5. It takes Heart by Tif Marcello (Kindle)-- 2 stars.

6. The Space Between Worlds by Micaiah Johnson-- 2.5 stars.

7. Unraveling Eleven by Jerri Chisholm (Kindle)-- 3 stars (original rating).

8. Fling by Adriana Locke (Kindle)-- 2 stars.

9. Across the Universe by Beth Revis-- 2.5 stars.

Overall, my ratings for the month average out to 2.98 stars. Which is definitely the worst my average ratings have been for any given month. But I did clear out a lot of my eBooks/eARCs. So, at least there’s that?