#sorry i love giving book recs its my favourite thing to do

[fandxmslxt69]

Happy Birthday!!!!!!

Book recs:

I just finished Sarah J. Maas' A Court of Thorns & Rose's series. I also have The Witcher on my To Read list. I LOVE fantasy. Definitely getting on the fantasy romance train lately, but Lord of the Rings is still one of my all-time favorite books. I do enjoy mysteries too.

What are your recs? My birthday is next week. I intend to make eyes at my dad so he gets me more books.

BOOKS BOOKS BOOKS BOOKS !!!!!!!!

oooooh i hear so much abt SJM's books!!!!!

I spent the past week eyeing my parents to get me books and NO ONE HAS PICKED UP ON THE CUE. still waiting.

OKAY SO LET US SEE!!! Fantasy is SUCH a vibe and its hard to find the good ones BUT:

Once Upon A Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber. It's the second trilogy to her fantasy world, but trust me you don't need the first series; there's just some characters from the past who make a new appearance as side characters or leads! The story follows dear silly Evangeline as she navigates the world of heartbreak :( In her world, the Fates (magical beings that are known to be cruel, evil, and harsh and give very very heavy Tarot card energy!!!) have come back and are residing in their own magical kingdom of trouble and deception (TRUST ME AS CLICHE AS THIS BOOK SOUNDS ITS LITERALLY SO FREAKING GOOD.). Evangeline ends up praying to one of these Fates - Jacks, the Prince of Hearts - to help her save her lover from what she thinks is a curse. Of course Evangeline doesn't care for the consequences of asking a Fate for a favour, but Jacks is literally the biggest shithead ever (affectionate) so he puts that poor girl through SO MUCH FREAKING TROUBLE and Evangeline finds herself travelling to the magical land of fairytales to try and win over the heart of a prince. FAIRYTALE ENERGY EXCEPT ITS KIND OF TWISTED FAIRYTALES!!! AND ITS NOT LIKE YOUR USUAL FAIRYTALES NO NO THIS IS ITS WHOLE OWN LORE !!! BEAUTIFUL AESTHETIC AND THE PLOT IS LITRALLY THE BEST OF VIBES EVER !!!!!!!!!!!! Trust if you enjoyed SJM's work, you WILL enjoy Stephanie Garber; it's a given. (This IS fantasy romance btw, just not as heavy as some other ones!! The romance is def a smaller subplot and is very...will they won't they with some love triangles in the way)

We Hunt The Flame by Hafsa Faizal. This one is also one you'd enjoy if you enjoyed SJM's work!!! It follows the story of a girl named Zafira who hunts in this big cursed forest to try and save her village from famine. She's known as The Hunter, wanted by the sultan for multiple acts of treason, and one of the most feared "entities" of the area; anyone who goes into those wicked forests is insane and probably dangerous (SHE"S JUST A SILLY GIRL.) The kingdom is ruled by a horrible, corrupt sultan and the land has been drained of all it's magic and left as nothing but a dark, twisted land. On the flip side of the coin, you have the sultan's son, Nasir, who is overflowing with trauma, daddy issues, and OOZES dark mysterious morally questionable man !!!!!! He's the kingdom assassin and does all his father's bidding. Nasir's father hears word that the Hunter had been assigned a mission to go find the tombs of the old Witches (who had given the land its powers, and then taken them away to be buried with) from this dark evil island of sorts. He naturally orders Nasir to go find this Hunter, let him lead him to this tomb, and then kill the Hunter (naturally everyone thinks this Hunter is a big scary dude when it is nothing but a like 5'5 girl with fury that rivals that of the gods). Anyway, when Nasir and Zafira get there and realise what this is, things start....going downhill (uphill for ME) FOUND FAMILY AND ENEMIES TO LOVERS AND FANTASY LORE AND AND AND AND WOW WOWO WOW IM SO BAD AT SUMMARIZING THEM WITHOUT GIVING AWAY ALL THE PLOT BUT TRUST ME TRUST ME. Zafira & Nasir get the PERFECT enemies to lovers!!!! SO MUCH FOUND FAMILY (there's other people who ended up coming to this island to find this tomb and they all just get together in a team of misfits). PLOT TWISTS AND WOWO WOWOW WOW SO MUCH ARABIAN LORE !!!YEah. Trust me trust me. If you've read like, Six of Crows, you'd like this.

okay i swear there would usually be more but these are the ones I truly think you should give a shot too, i SWEAR TO GOD they are. SO. SO SO GOOD !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You might also enjoy Fourth Wing, it's become very popular alongside SJM's books, but I hear the second book has gotten sooo bad and honestly, I personally only enjoyed the first book because it was very character based, full vibes/worldbuilding, very little plot. So if you're looking for plot heavy fantasy, I wouldn't go with Fourth Wing.

if you're also into historical fantasy with some sci-fi elements, or retellings, then def check out Chloe Gong...her Secret Shanghai series (Two duologies and 2 novellas) is SO SO GOOD!!! Shakespeare retellings, spies and betrayals and gangs and fake dating and enemies to lovers and lots of political and historical elements (the books take place in a big time of unease in Shanghai where foreign politics and goverments are trying to take over. The first duology is Romeo & Juliette retelling with the gov being the two rivalling gangs and a horrifying disease that is running wild through the land. The gangs eventually get taken down as Nationalists, Communists and Japanese forces start taking over Shanghai. The SECOND duology is centered around the power struggle between the Communist and Nationalists, with the Japanese invasion that is inevitable. The main leads are split into 2 couples; 1 works with the Nationalists (fake dating, undercover spies), the other works with the Communists (partners to lovers "I would ruin our mission to save you" energy). The second duology is very very traumatising. These series are fantasy but ALSO mystery based. I personally liked the second duology better (Foul Lady Fortune & Foul Heart Huntsman)

For full full mystery vibes, The Inheritance Games IS your jam. OH MY GOD I will never shut up about this series and this post is ALREADY too long so I won't go into details BUT basically. Avery Grambs gets told she just inherited something like 47 million dollars or whatever from some random old man from Texas whom she has NEVER EVEN heard of. Billion maybe. she got a LOT LOT of money okay. The only thing she has to do to secure that money? Live in Hawthorne House (his manor) for 1 year with his 4 grandchildren. No biggie right? Except said grandchildren happen to be some of the SMARTEST TRICKIEST and most TROUBLED KIDS to ever exist in the world. Grayson, Jameson, Xander & Nash. Nash is a cowboy who ditched the rich life and would die to protect Avery. Xander is just glad he has someone to have fun with because she enables all his crazy ideas. Jameson loves getting under her skin and is low key in love with her. Grayson wants to get her OUT of their lives because he refuses to believe his grandfather would give this RANDOM GIRL on the street their whole inheritance; the house the business the family name all that money!! Not when Grayson was promised all of it. Anyway, Avery becomes the world's richest teenager in less than 24 hours. But, the longer Avery stays in this house and living this lifestyle, the more she realises how much the late Hawthorne was hiding. Tobias Hawthorne (the dead grandpa) was infamously known for his puzzles and mysteries and games...it's how he raised his grandkids and why they are they are they are. Except...things are getting a LITTLE TOO REAL. SO SO SO SO SO GOOD THE MYSTERY I SLITERALLY CHEF"S KISS. i've only read the first 3 books but trust me. oh my god lirerally insane. you THINK you know whats happening but you don't.

NAYWAY.

I HOPE YOU GIVE MY BABIES A SHOT AND LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK!!!! TRUST TRUST i have never disappointed anyone with my recs please....

[agendabymooner]

i think he knows ! lando n. x ofc (alessandro sister!writer!ofc)

"he got the boyish look that i like in a man."

summary: nicola alessandro released a novel under the pen name 'grazie nichols' and everyone made sure that the fans are supporting her. lando norris could do anything but be subtle about the things he knew, and the novel's inspo was one of those things.

content warning: possible use of explicit language, appearance of other fictional characters (hearth sisters, lester ricciardo, etc), dirty jokes (no smut), ofc and lando being menaces, ofc being obsessed with lando, fans trying to come up with theories, ofc's account is private (colabebe)

note: (time check: 12:25 am) i'm sorry i dipped out 😭 a lot happened yesterday: i hung out with the guy (it was awkward lol) went to see the barbie movie with my sister then had a sangria after- i was planning to post something when i got home but apparently i'm a lightweight and was knocked out after. let me know what you think!!! anyway enjoy xx

ps. yes the graphics in here are stuff that i made hehe sorry if they're awful but these are just some last minute shit i made xx

masterlist

tagged grazienichols

liked by landonorris, alex_albon, arthurleclerc

user1 new booktok rec??

user2 the grid is literally hyping this up 😭 is it that good

user3 MORE FORMULA ONE BOOKS!!!

user4 my wallet: empty

user5 me rn: trying to determine which driver relates to the man in the book the most 🧐

user6 bets on leclerc

user7 hmmm i think its more like estie? he's giving muse

user8 it could be yuki ???

user9 i agree user6 it's most likely shal bc that man is book bf material

liked by landonorris, pierregasly, danielricciardo

danielricciardo i don't blame them; this book is a bomb ass book 😉 liked by grazienichols

grazienichols 🤪

user1 grazie stop emptying my wallet challenge 🤐

grazienichols 😶 sorry xx

user2 making money just to get to monaco gp- gurl i don't blame you 😭

grazienichols it's getting more expensive as years go on 🥶

f1 monaco gp you say??? 👀

user3 she's making money already just toss the ticket in us broke people's direction 🙃

user4 yeah what she said ^^

tagged charles_leclerc, loricciardo, estebanocon and 7 other people

liked by colabebe, danielricciardo, arthurleclerc

user1 isn't lester pregnant??? why is she bent like that on the 7th photo? 😭

user2 lester can do things us mere humans can't

alex_albon i am appalled liked by lando.jpg

lando.jpg i can't put too much photos sorry lad

alex_albon i'll remember this.

user3 lando fed us with the hearth sisters content at the slides 2, 4 and 6 and i've never felt this loved since my ex <3

user4 gurl 💀 u good

user5 ESTIE BESTIEEEE 😩 i might bust a lil gimme a sec to chill

user6 the sisters in blue 🤤

user7 who's the third photo?

user8 lester's youngest sister, nicola

danielricciardo loricciardo 🤨 what're u doing?

loricciardo protecting baby ric 😳 liked by lando.jpg

lando.jpg by flattening his head? 😟

loricciardo you just reduced my standing time and increased my bedrest time lando.jpg thx

lando.jpg what 😭 what's gonna happen if you're in bedrest? is the baby's head going to inflate back to place??

danielricciardo landonorris lad. that's not how it works.

arthurleclerc colabebe that pink is nice asf

colabebe thank you art!!! nice seeing you!!!

user9 uhhhhh?!!! arthur and daniel's in-law?

georgerussell63 why am i not there??? 🧐

lando.jpg my bad- i didn't really want you to take of your shirt in the middle of the ballroom hall. not really your night tonight mate.

user10 where is toto?!!!

lando.jpg god love him but he already has enough photo taken by his own wife. give others some chance to make it to my jpg account

user10 understood king 🤌

sylvieeford no max?? he really pissed you off 😹 liked by lando.jpg

lando.jpg yeah, and keep on reminding him that. maybe he'd apologize for once 🙄

landonorris posted a story !!!

tagged landonorris

liked by landonorris, danielricciardo, nora_alessandro

danielricciardo my favourite italian-british couple (no offense nora but i don't like georgerussell63 that much) liked by colabebe

nora_alessandro 😒😒

georgerussell63 you're not my favourite aussie either mate 😉

landonorris god gave me an equally obsessed gf and i love him for it liked by colabebe

colabebe just him??? 💔

landonorris me when you: 💗😩😳🤤

colabebe ❤️‍🩹

landonorris look at her

landonorris shes so pretty omg whats her @

oscarpiastri your simp looking ass is getting more obvious

colabebe 🤨 not my fault u don't get bitches 🤡

oscarpiastri do you wanna fight or wha 🤬

colabebe i deadlegged you last time and you ate shit so idk if thats even a question

oscarpiastri landonorris ur rat is at it again

landonorris hey man, that's my simp. leave her alone

mateoales throwing up

landonorris ratio + take L + didn't ask

colabebe cry + whine + sob + complain

mateoales you two are so mean when ur together

[cutebisexualmess]

blog intro(finally)

hey! I'm Vee or just V, welcome to my blog! I mostly use they/them pronouns, but xe/xem is fine as well!

pronouns page

@vees-anime-escapades - my anime sideblog (also the only blog I organise by fandom)

ao3 (i don't post but i bookmark a whole heap of things, also just in case i do post something)

ill send you my goodreads if asked!(this is encouragement please ask i need to share my favourite books)

I also run a couple of tourney and rp blogs but you can only know those if you find them first >:)

fandoms Im in:

sanders sides, Percy Jackson, the owl house, keeper of the lost cities, heartstopper, the dragon prince, high class homos, the Hatchetfield trilogy, and good omens

others I (might) occasionally post about:

she-ra and the princesses of power, camp cretaceous + chaos theory(not the og park and world movies though but i’m working on it), the umbrella academy, the amazing digital circus, helluva boss and hazbin hotel, the two princes, nimona, starkid musicals, a little wings of fire, hells belles(webseries on tiktok), young royals(maybe), red white and royal blue(maybe), our flag means death, spy x family, bungou stray dogs, sk8 the infinity, yuri on ice, a lot of musicals, and other assorted webcomics and webseries my brain digs its claws into

things Im reading/watching atm: the song of achilles, the martian, and haikyuu!!

also just fyi i wont be tagging pjotv spoilers on rbs sorry

✨neurodivergent minor✨

my sorting tags:

#vee speaks - for my original posts

#vee arts - the occasional art i post

#save - favourite posts I'm saving for later

#from the draft dungeon -posts scavenged from my drafts

#tag games - tag games

#picrew chain - picrew chains

#ask game - ask games, specific ones will be tagged: [thing] ask game

also feel free to send me recs! I will consume any type of media and any content(including fanfic), and recs give me direction in my endless pile of to be read/watched :3

I don't mind if you dm/tag me in anything :D I love it when people interact with me.

feel free to ask for my discord as well!!

🐚 team no abs

Mutual tags(so far)(lmk if you want me to untag you :))

@tastetherainbow290 - #mutual 🌈!

@glacierruler - #mutual ❄️!

@periwinkle-the-11th - #mutual 🪻!

@fuzzysoulyt - #mutual 🐇!

@violetthunderstorm - #mutual 🌩️!

@nico-the-overlord - #mutual 💰!

@brookie-writes - #mutual 🧊!

@void-kill - #mutual 🌌!

@dragonairice - #mutual 💎!

@multi-fandom-lunatic - #mutual 🍪!

otherwise atm mutual tags are #hi (name) until i change them :))

[sapphic-luthor]

different anon here but does your gf have any good lesbian media/book recs (since she read so many lesbian books in such a short amount of time lol)!!

gf said, and i quote,

“i’m going to take the rest of the day off to work on this list”

so without further ado, here is her short list of recs copied straight from her (and with my own comments in italics for the ones i know):

Okay! So here’s my book recommendations.

- Fingersmith by Sarah Waters. Loved this book, love all Sarah’s books (haven’t read the non-gay one though, sorry not sorry). Sarah is a great one for the twists and I enjoyed this one so much that I actually recommended the book to my mam and she also loved it. The story is gay + set in the 19th century + lady/handmaiden trope so what’s not to like. Also really recommend. For related media, there’s a BBC miniseries based off of it, and a film by Park Chan-wook called The Handmaiden, which is honest to god one of the best films ever made. It is harrowing, but it is brilliant.

- Tipping the Velvet by Sarah Waters. Again, gay + set in the 19th century. Explores the queer scene in Victorian London to its full extent. A real page turner. GREAT fun, a little dark at points, but good and raunchy.

- The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters. Gay + 1920s + yearning + tense + murder + dramatic. My recommendation when it comes to Sarah’s books is to give them time. Do not put them down because I promise you they will get GOOD.  Slowburn of slowburns. Gorgeous.

- Affinity by Sarah Waters. Gay + Victorian prison + disgraced spiritualist. Compared to the other three this one is actually a little bit… boring? You’re kinda waiting for something to happen for a long time but WHEN IT DOES boy is it worth it. And that part that’s worth waiting for actually made me want to read it again.

- The Night Watch by Sarah Waters. This was a bit like Affinity for me in that I was waiting for it to pick up a bit but once again, Sarah did not disappoint and I finished it wanting to read it again. The story is told backwards through third-person narrative, takes place in 1940s London during and after WWII and follows ‘Kay, Helen and Julia, three lesbians; Viv, a straight woman; and Duncan, her brother, whose sexuality is ambiguous.’

- One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston. This was my favourite book of 2021 because I read it as a baby gay and it’s set in modern times and is so full of life and found family and fun but also considers life for gay people in the 1970s and things that they didn’t often get to experience (loudly, at least). It tugged at my heart this one. For the “sort by top kudos” “filter for fluff” fanfic reader. Not really my style.

- This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone. This is the most beautiful book I’ve ever read. As Madeline Miller said, ‘this book has it all: treachery and love, lyricism and gritty action, existential crisis and space-opera scope, not to mention time travelling superagents.’ This story is truly gorgeous. Unbelievable. Not even words to describe how good this one in. Possibly my favourite read of all time.

- Afterlove by Tanya Byrne. This book made me cry! In…a good way? I’m not sure. But I enjoyed it. Set in modern day when MC dies and joins ‘a clan of fierce girl reapers who take the souls of the city’s dead to await their fate’ but can’t forget her first love who she’ll do anything to see again. This one just tugged at my heart a lot.

- Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon. Epic fantasy. Dragons. Follows many characters in GoT style so it requires A LOT of focus. This isn’t a light read but it’s very good (and a prequel is coming out in 2023). IF YOU LIKE FANTASY AT ALL READ THIS ONE IMMEDIATELY.

- Annie on my Mind by Nancy Garden. Okay this one will definitely not be the most well-written book you’ve ever read buuuuut there’s something VERY precious about it. It follows the relationship between two 17-year-old girls, Annie and Liza, in New York. As far as I know, when this book was published in 1982, it became the first YA novel ever to depict a main character’s same-sex relationship in a positive light. (In the 90s copies of this book were burned on the steps of a school in Kansas and there was a whole court case about it).

- Gideon the Ninth, Harrow the Ninth and Nona the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir. Oh these are great. I was about 100 pages in to the first two before I could grasp what was going on but the story is intriguing, the characters are great, there’s good humour, and the world is fascinating. The first one, Gideon, is almost like Hunger Games meets Cluedo. I’d highly recommend these and I can’t wait until my gf reads them so I can talk to her about them.

- Everything Leads to You by Nina LaCour. This one is a nice, light read. MC is interning as a set designer so I found this aspect of it really interesting actually. Has some mystery, some gay love, so like why not read it.

- Matrix by Lauren Groff. ‘Born from a long line of female warriors and crusaders, and cast out from the royal court, Marie is sent to become the prioress of an abbey.’ This is a bit of a dreary, grey read (probably due to the setting and period, think Wuthering Heights), but there was something about it that fascinated me and kept drawing me back in.

- The Falling in Love Montage by Ciara Smyth. Lesbian rom-com set in modern Ireland. Very light, easy read (with some serious topics too).

- Not my Problem by Ciara Smyth. Again, a very light and easy read for the most part, with a touch on some heavier issues. Quite funny too!

- Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo. Set in 1950s America and tells the story of Lily Hu, a teenage daughter of Chinese immigrants as she begins to explore her sexuality. This time period was really interesting and the incorporation of Chinese culture into the story was something I hadn’t read before.

[simmyfrobby]

love all the poems!! do you have any poetry book recs??

HI YEA HERES A POETRY REC GO WATCH THIS VIDEO ITS SHORT AND ITS BEAUTIFUL AND I LOVE IT VERY MUCH

sorry for yelling

I've already done a few rounds of these - most recent one can be found here - so I'll try not to mention all the same books again & instead give you a quick list of poetry books I've been reading lately & that I've enjoyed.

Louise Glück is of course a forever favourite, Averno used to be my favourite collection of hers, but I'm slowly coming around to Ararat.

Ada Limón, The Hurting Kind (& if you like this check out Bright Dead Things)

Leonard Cohen, Book of Longing

Traci Brimhall, Come the Slumberless to the Land of Nod. (didn't think I was going to like this but I DID)

Diana Khoi Nguyen, Ghost Of (Suicide TW. A lot of the poems in this collection are formatted either in the shape of a person or written around the empty shape of a person. The poet explains that two years before he committed suicide, her brother cut himself out of every family photo. Visually stunning but so so so heartbreaking)

Keaton Henson, Idiot Verse (first poetry book I ever bought. still lovely)

Carlo Rovelli has a book called The Order of Time that's technically more popsci. than poetry but it still goes on this list. In a similar vein: The End of Everything (Astrophysically Speaking) by Katie Mac

Li-Young Lee, Rose (forever favourite)

ALSO!! VERY IMPORTANT!! NEW SIKEN POEMS COMING SOON!

W.S. Merwin, The Shadow of Sirius

That's all for now. If you're looking for more poetry, I have a poetry rec tag for all the poems that have been recommended to me by my followers & mutuals. Worth checking that out.

Much love. x

[yuinerei]

helloo! since you said you like literature in that post you tagged me in i was wondering what your favorite works are? i need more things for my reading list :3

Ohhhh of course!! I love giving people book recs!!!!!!

some of the books I've recently read that I loved:

In the Miso Soup - One of my favourite parts of the book was the goriest part because the descriptions were really well written but overall the tension in the book was absolutely beautiful and the ending was also really beautiful. There were times when the book was quite weird but I think without it, the whole point of the book would've just disappeared.

Flowers For Algernon - It's a science fiction about a person who got surgery to 'become smarter' and the book essentially explores moral and ethical treatments for mentally disabled and also there's a lot about humanity as well. The plot of this one was really good and the ending was perfect (honestly I almost cried at the very last sentence)

And then some of my favourites (I won't infodump you with all of them):

Anything by Edgar Allan Poe but especially 'The Tell-Tale Heart' and 'Silence - A Fable', 'The Oval Portrait' is quite good as well, but they are all short stories

No Longer Human - I mean its probably kinda obvious

The Picture of Dorian Gray - I loved that book and absolutely still do

The Outsider - the one by Albert Camus, it's a very philosophical story

Notes From the Underground - the latter parts of the book actually made me so emotional, im still not okay about it

The Three Body Problem - its a scifi and I honestly rarely read scifis, the amount of thought gone into the plot and the ideas in it are commendable, its honestly such a good book

I tried to give you different books from some different genres so I hope that I at least recommended one book you haven't read. Im really sorry if everything sounded really incoherent, I kinda go feral when people ask me for book recs haha

[nedlittle]

hello - don’t feel like you have to answer this - i really admire how much you read and the variety of books you review. i am trying to read more in 2023, but i have a hard time finding things i like and an even harder time finishing books that don’t grab me by the 70ish page mark. do you mind sharing bit of insight on how you find what you like and, more to the point, how you get yourself to finish a book that you know is going to be a 2 star review maximum well before you’re done?

anon i am SO sorry for letting this rot in my inbox for over a month, i genuinely have not had the time to give you the answer you deserve. this is going to be long, so i'm going to divide it into two main parts

part i: how to find things you like.

the easiest advice i can give is just to think about books you like and what you enjoy about them. my favourite genre is historical fiction, but i like a very specific type of historical fiction that i have difficulty explaining bc it's vibes-based. largely queer historical fiction that interrogates its setting rather than using it as a backdrop for modern characters in period clothing; i'm not huge on historical family sagas, but i do love when the style is a little fucky. i like reading classics, mainly mid-late 19th century and mid-20th century ones as historical artifacts, i like comparing and contrasting similar texts like i'm writing a book report, and i like purple prose. i like some fantasy and sci-fi but not a lot because i'm a big dumb-dumb with complex worldbuilding and think that some genres, like urban fantasy are just a little silly, this is my subjective taste. think about what you don't like and why you don't like it with the same amount of thought. that's step 1.

so, you've figured out what you do and do not like. now, to find more of the same. if your author is alive and has a web presence, check out what they recommend on social media, check out books they've blurbed. you may not have the same taste as the authors you like and god knows i've read at least 3 books because alison epstein recommended them and i really liked her debut novel only to find that her taste and mine don't always align. do the same with your friends, even if they may not have the same taste. ask them what a five-star read is to them. ask the little tumblr people in your phone. it's okay to have caveats. whenever i ask for book recs on here, i clarify that i am not interested in reading a little life and i probably never will be.

if you look for book recs everywhere, like i do, you will find them. try something your favourite podcast host recommends! read lists of new releases in a genre of your choice!

anon i don't know what your local library sitch is. mine has a great website for finding similar books. the example i'm using here is my fave read of 2021, the flight portfolio by julie orringer

if you click on the covers it will tell you why these titles are recommended, mostly for shared subject matter and setting, occasionally for stylistic or thematic similarities. none of these books appeal to me, but if i scroll down a little more...

fucking bingo. so, because i am me, i am going to select "lgbtqia" and "historical fiction", maybe "stylistically complex" if i want to narrow it down

it gave me 12 books total that are available at my local library. of the first four, i have read three (adored one, points if you guess which one), and the remaining book is on my tbr.

the storygraph is also fantastic for recommendations, though like all recommendations, they're hit-or-miss. if you have an account, which i recommend, and i also recommend you add me if you do @/kitnotmarlowe because that way you can keep up with the saga of me unintentionally reading books where lesbians have threesomes and a ghost is involved somehow. but if you have an account, you get recommendations right on your homepage that you can filter by length, genre, mood etc

sorry this is 5 px i had to zoom out to get all the available options. you can also sort your reading preferences including fave genres (up to 5), the kind of books you like reading (open-ended and comma separated), characteristics you appreciate most (up to 3), genres you aren't currently interested in (as many as you want, i currently have 26), things that turn you off books the most (up to 3), and books that you're never in the mood for (as many as you want, the only one i have marked is 'relaxing'). you can ask for specific recommendations without changing your preferences if you want something specific NOW and you have the option of browsing similar books for any of the books in their database

now that that's out of the way, onto...

part ii: how do you finish books that aren't good

here's the secret: you don't have to. life is too short to commit to finishing something you aren't interested in or upset by or simply not vibing with. as a kid i used to be really bad with this and finished every single book i read even if it scared the absolute shit out of me (wuthering high by cara lockwood) or accidentally exposed me to baby's first sex scene (have been trying to remember what book this is for YEARS). if something isn't gripping you by the 70 page mark, put it down. unless you're reading it for school or being paid to review it. sometimes you just don't vibe with a book! maybe you'll pick it up later, maybe you won't and that's fine. i tried reading a historical romance last year but got so distressed by the politics and stupid understanding of suffrage that i quit before i was halfway.

"how you get yourself to finish a book that you know is going to be a 2 star review maximum well before you’re done"

if you look at my worst books of 2022, you'll see that over half of them are dogshit historical mysteries that i finished solely to try and solve the mystery, even if they were written with all the poise and skill of a fast food receipt or utterly nonsensical or colonial in a way i didn't expect to find in the 21st century. i am a hater at heart. i have an entire tag devoted to books i've finished out of spite. sometimes you finish a book you think is dogshit so that you can Tell The World (or at least your friends) that it is dogshit and get all your feelings out and once you have achieved catharsis you can read something new. sometimes you think a book is dogshit and nobody else really agrees and you feel like you're in the twilight zone so you write out your thoughts and release them unto the internet.

i'm of the opinion that a bad book can be as instructive as a great one. you can take apart a bad book and figure out what works (for you personally and for the book from a craft standpoint). this is a pro-litcrit blog even if it's just you writing a 2000 word review of a book approximately 5 people have read JUST so you can send it to a friend and have them empathize with your suffering. taking literature apart is fun! sometimes you have to power through an awful book before you can read a great one

sorry that this is so long but i hope it was a bit helpful. my inbox is always open to requests for recommendations no matter how niche. go forth and read widely!

[earlgreyhui]

Hey I was reading your absolutely stunning fic for kavetham, DO NOT GIVE NAMES TO THE ANGELS! Other than wanting to let you know you really pen beautifully crafted language, (I was seriously distracted from reading to marvel over your skill), I'm interested if there's any poetry or books you really recommend? I can't help but think you'd have some really great recs.

hi!!!!! omg thank you so much for asking!!! do not be alarmed but i am fighting the frenzied urge to find absolutely Everything i have ever enjoyed and cram it into this one post like I will never ever get a second chance if I forget a single thing this time around. if I had let the impulse win you would never have seen this response until 2 months later & I would probably have spent something like 70 hours curating it like the single manuscript of the culmination of my entire life's worth.... no i'm taking it easy. i am so calm and rational right now

poetry: haven't read many collections sadly, just scattered poems, but I love what I've seen from Emily Berry e.g. this and this, both from Unexhausted Time. and then Anne Carson e.g. The Glass Essay is really just divine, just sublime. Mary Oliver is great also. possibly my favourite from her that i've seen is Every Morning tbh. finally a shoutout to the current poem-in-residence in my brain that i can't stop thinking about... Nightfishing by Gjertrud Schnackenberg goes soooo hard & on that topic, i am sorry, this is entirely too much and i will shut up soon but one last rec for the blog @/lunchboxpoems which seems to always hit the spot for me with every last poem they post!!!

books: this is so hard but among the books i've read recently! there are

- Do Not Say We Have Nothing by Madeleine Thien; written so gorgeously and also broke me so thoroughly i was crying in sporadic bursts for three hours straight while reading it

- Cold Enough For Snow, by Jessica Au; just written so very masterfully. an absolute stunner and quite short actually, so perfect if you want a slimmer read!

- The Housekeeper and the Professor, by Yōko Ogawa (transl. by Stephen Snyder); unlike the other books listed here, not included so much for its writing qualities, but very much a plot-carried book; it's written wonderfully, of course, but in what i like to call a 'functional' way that doesn't dilute attention from the touching meaningful wholesome ABSOLUTELY DEVASTATING storyline 10000/10 for making me sob

- Strange Beasts of China, by Yan Ge (transl. by Jeremy Tiang); LISTEN LISTEN LISTEN this book is such a dark divine hallucinogenic kind of trip and it's everything i love. clear and direct prose that hits like a slow knife opening skin. slightly disjointed but not disorienting structure and story that unfolds bit by bit over a myriad of seemingly separate narratives

- The Waves, by Virginia Woolf; kind of a staple for gorgeous writing in any list and pretty much rewired my brain maybe

- On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous, by Ocean Vuong; on the subject of books with writing as a vehicle for the story vs the story as a vehicle for the writing (which i didn't really get into but we would b here forever,,,), i do think ocean vuong, with his poetry background, has this inimitable class of writing that's very. sorry for my lacking vocabulary. poetic and does fall into the second class of writing. it's less plot driven but one of the most beautiful lucid vivid pieces of writing i've ever read.

speedrun mention: Kitchen, by Banana Yoshimoto & transl. by Megan Backus; The Blind Assassin, by Margaret Atwood; The Ocean at the End of the Lane, by Neil Gaiman (actually basically everything he's ever written is a joy and has all my adoration); also a blanket recommendation for all the translated fiction published by Tilted Axis Press which brings me so much unfathomable joy. could go on forever but i swear im done for real this time. thank you so much for giving me this excuse to gush about some of my favourite things. have the most beautiful weekend dear asker 🌱🌟

[manikas-whims]

Romance Webtoon Recommendations

For my dear mutual @lady-of-a-castle ♥

My Other Manga/Webtoon Recs Lists:

Good Shoujo/Josei/Shounen Romance

Mafia/Gangs/Yakuza Mangas & Webtoons

i don't read much romances but these are some of the few good ones I've read/am reading cause i love the plot.

*pardon me, if you've read some of these already :3

• Freaking Romance

(sorry for the long cover but i love it so much)

- FAVOURITE ♡

- Two people from different dimensions fall in love but can't be together cause they're from different worlds entirely.

- All the leading characters are LGBTQIA+ (good representation). Even the creator is a non binary person.

- Zelan's (male lead) duality. One minute he's the softest soft boy; the next he's freaking sexy

• I stan the Prince

(read it officially on TappyToon or other free manga sites)

- my comfort manhwa

- This was an unusual plot for a manhwa. Angela, an orphan girl in the medieval era writes a fanfic about the First Prince of her country.

- Someone else publishes her fanfic and it ends up becoming a bestseller, causing the things from her fanfic to spread all over the nation.

- This causes the Prince to seek her out cause somehow her fanfic has improved his tarnished image. And the second prince's family wants her dead.

• Midnight Poppy Land

- The female lead isn't a typical skinny girl but an adorable chubby girl who, despite making a lot bad decisions, strives to keep on living positively.

- Enter this big man who works for a mafia family. He goes to retrieve something this girl accidentally picked up but ends up having a crush.

• The Wrath and The Dawn

- a sort of retelling of the well-known tales from "1001 Nights" (i'm actually currently reading the books its based on)

- the Caliph of his country takes a new Bride every night & she is killed off by the next morning.

- Enter the female lead, who volunteers to become one of these brides. She goes for revenge but will she stay for love?

- all poc characters

• Mystical

- This one makes me feel really warm and fluffy but also sad at certain points.

- The male lead tells the story of how he met his muse, a mystical being of the seas and fell in love with them.

- Lots of adorable moments of this mystical creature learning their way around the human activities and trying to fit in amongst the creatures of land (the best part was when she discovers laptop and internet XD )

• The Remarried Empress

- The Emperor returns with a new lover after his battle and well, ofc its bound to upset his Empress.

- Enter the crown prince of neighboring nation. He immediately falls for the Empress. She likes him back but doesn't think its right to give up her duties as the empress for new-found love.

- a lot of angst, drama, politics, plotting and all that good stuff in a medieval setting romance.

• Secret Playlist

- an internet-based musician finds out she's classmates with a famous Kpop idol.

- funny thing is, she doesn't care much. But the kpop idol actually listens to her songs and is a big fan and wishes to collab.

- due to unprecedented circumstances, they have to work together and end up catching feelings.

• To Love Your Enemy

- Enemies to Lovers + Fake Dating

- Due to some bad history between them, the male lead absolutely doesn't like the female lead but sadly, they end up studying at the same college.

- the female lead is scared that the male lead will reveal her dark past and tarnish her image. So she tries to play friends with him to keep him from doing so.

- other students start thinking they're dating and so they themselves start fake dating, which ofc leads to them actually falling for each other XD

• Devil No. 4

- a girl who is completely tired of her lifestyle falls for the scheme of Devil (a real devil!)

- The devil's job is to lure his targets by the usual promises of lavish lifestyle and such. But this girl just won't have it. She wants happiness and well, in trying to satisfy his customer and get his job done..he ends up falling in love with her.

- But a devil and human aren't supposed to make such unions. A lot of shit goes down but its worth the read!

• Nice To Meet You

- an art student secretly uses a guy at her college as her muse. After the occurrence of some misunderstandings, they end up becoming friends and maybe..more?

- lighthearted with slight angsty moments but you won't be able to put it down.

- loads of meme material (their entire friends squad is so funny XD )

[iliveiloveiwrite]

Millie’s Massive Fic Rec Post

To celebrate 700 followers I’m showing all the love, people. What you’ll find here are fics that were sent to me who I agree deserve a bit more love as well as fics I’ve read and adored. They’re split into characters so all you need to do is scroll to find your fave and bask in its glory. There is some swearing but it’s only because it’s the only way I know how to express my feelings. This is also my thank you to each of the authors involved for taking the time out of their day to write these fics for free. There are also some authors I know I’ve forgotten and I am so so sorry if I have, I promise you it wasn't intentional, I love you all very much.

As always, I love and appreciate you all. Let’s get started on this ridiculously long post!!

Harry Potter:

Don’t Walk Away - @kalimagik - THE ANGST. I was on the edge of my seat through it all; I knew what was coming but did I look away? No. I was completely sucked it and that ending... oh my god, I was broken. If you’re looking for an incredibly written piece of angst that has you in tears, then this is the fic.

Dandelions - @lupins-sweater - The first post of A Very Harry Potter Summer and it was kicked off so brilliantly!! This fic had me wishing for my very own Harry to take morning walks with. It’s so wonderful; it has you wanting a summery morning and dandelions to make wishes on.

Always You - @bl597 - inspired by Louis Tomlinson’s song Always You, so I was already sold on that front. It’s an angst piece - Harry pining from afar, regretting his decisions but with a happy ending. I love that it's written from his perspective, that he realises what he’s done. I really do love this fic, and I aim to work my way through her masterlist!

The Truth Behind The Kiss - @justauthoring​ - the anticipation from the first sentence, I was on the edge of my seat. I loved every single word of this fic, it’s written so well. I just, I need you all to read this fic bc it is SO GOOD. Harry, Triwizard tournament, feelings, fluff - it has it all. 

For how long? - @siriusly-addicted-to-writing​ - It seems for Harry fics I am drawn to angst even though I write nothing but fluff for him. This fic is no different. Dani, this fic is wonderful, I love it. You capture the angst brilliantly! Go read this everyone!

Ron Weasley:

“can we pretend I never said that?” - @hello-everyfandom - I love this so much! Ron calling himself ‘the snog master’ had me snorting out loud - it’s great. And then the dialogue continues to be brilliant. I really enjoyed this fic! Ron needs more attention people!!  

Crossing Lines - @kalimagik - ADORABLE. CUTE. WONDERFUL. Oh, Ron. Everything about this fic is marvellous. The relationship between Ron and the reader, the realisation, the meddling. It was perfect, so so perfect.

birthday - @lupinsdarling - FLUFFY AND CHAOTIC AND I LOVE IT. Why oh why doesn't Ron get more love? Why doesn't this fic have more attention? It’s so fluffy and Ron is so bloody cute that my heart physically hurt while reading this. It hurt because it was so PURE.

Hermione Granger, Ginny Weasley:

Girls in one room - @eleven-times-lively - Hermione x Reader - oh my god I snorted at Ron, I love it. And the fluff? There’s so much fluff, I can't deal with the fluff. If you’re going to read a Hermione fic, read this one!

just as lovely - @vanillann - this is so pure! it’s so wonderful, and the relationship between Hermione and the reader is so cute! 

Hug ur friends drabble - @firewhisky-kisses - Ginny x Reader - it’s the cutest thing I’ve read, oh my god, is it cute! I love everything about this, Steph is so talented! But I go into that further down.

Neville Longbottom:

Never the Bride - @obsessedwithrandomthings - Dee’s fic reads as a rom com, it’s so brilliantly done. By the time you're at the end, you feel as if you’ve just watched a two hour rom com and need to squeal into your pillow because of the feels. I love this fic.

Moonlight Swim - @kalimagik - Neville. Oh, Neville. This fic stole my heart and it won't give me it back. The idea of a moonlight swim with Neville? Here for it. And the confession? *chefs kiss* incredible. 

Healing - @firewhisky-kisses - I cannot put into words how much I loved this fic,. Steph is just so incredibly talented and writes Neville so wonderfully. Healing is the first fic of two and that second part had me in happy tears because Neville deserves the world. I go back and reread this a lot when I need to boost my emotions, so thank you for this Steph.

Good News - @peachesandpinks - Let me explain something here, Ron repeatedly and without fail hypes up fic writers to the point where she makes me cry happy tears at her comments. Her writing (and I'm going to swear now) is fucking brilliant. I love it, I adore it. Ren has a way with words that I only hope to master. This fic? Marvellous, magnificent, wonderful - pick a synonym and go wild. It’s so sweet and wholesome - what more could you possibly want other than to be on her taglist?

Tally Marks - @obsessedwithrandomthings NEVILLE WITH TATTOOS PEOPLE! NEVILLE! WITH! TATTOOS! Do I need to say anymore? Yes? Okay. Dee is a fantastic writer but she writes Neville perfectly. We have had many conversations about her love for Neville and her love for him shines through in this fic. She writes with such care and I love reading everything.

Draco Malfoy: 

The Purist - @mxl-foy - This series is so good. Like, so good, that if it was a physical book, it would be sat on my shelves. I would religiously check her account every time I came onto Tumblr to see if a new chapter was posted, and if there was, you best believe there was a happy dance. It’s so incredibly thought out and plotted. And there’s going to be a part two! It’s so great!

Notes - @malfoys-demigod - This is so sweet! I live for fluffy Draco as you all know if you read my Draco fics, but I adore reading fluffy Draco as well. This fic is so adorable, I love it! 

Always so Cold - @teheharrypotter - Five times Draco gave you his sweater and the one time you accepted. I love these sort of fics, they’re my indulgence fics. Jealous!Draco is one of my favourite things to read as well. and he’s so dramatic. I couldn't ask for more in a fic, definitely one of my favourites. 

the distance between us - @sdicapriox - This is a genius idea. I love this idea, and I love how it was executed. Almost 10k words of brilliance. I love the reader and her first letter to Draco and her entire personality - fish funeral? genius. I really like how you portray Draco and the effort you put into his internal monologue, it really is something excellent. The ending as well, I won't spoil, I just urge people to read this. 

Heartbreak - @slytherinprincess03 - you have to have a little bit of angst in a Draco fic rec right? This fic has it but the ending is perfect and fluffy, gah! I love it!. Not to mention, Draco is such a gentlemen in it. I can't wait to see what else you write, lovely!!

Hardly A Date - @fanficflaneuse - I love this fic. I love it so much. I tend not to read sibling!reader but I adored this. The relationship between Harry and the reader, and then Draco and the reader. It’s amazing. I could rant for hours and hours about how much I love her work - her series are out of this world and she captures Draco’s character perfectly. 

George Weasley:

Red with Rage - @kalimagik - AGH ANOTHER OF MAGGIE’S FICS. The prank? Genius, and that end line - incredible. Her characterisation of the twins is so good, I love reading her fics. She deserves more than 300 followers! So if you don’t already follow her, go now!

When Everything Changes - @strawberriesonsummer - Based on the song Everything Has Changed by Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran. This is so pure, it’s so fluffy. George is adorable in this! I can't wait to read what else you write for George!

Come back to you - @dreamer821 - JJ, JJ, JJ. Ugh, this fic is a work of art and George is so bloody caring. I mention this a lot but the relationship between George and the reader is so important to get right and JJ does it flawlessly. My heart hurts for this fic and that last line, LOVE IT. I live for how JJ writes George, I could read her work all day. GO READ HER STUFF, YOU WON’T REGRET IT.

Fred Weasley:

The Right Bird - @dreamer821 - I’m not only just involving this because it was used in my writing challenge but oh my days, it is so wonderful. The relationship between Fred and the reader is just *chefs kiss* perfect. JJ has such a way with words and I just love how she depicts Fred.

Lost, are we? - @prongsies - I think I’m going to make my way through your masterlist because I loved this so much. The teasing was so cute, and Fred helping her at the beginning? Ahhhhh brilliant. 

Watermelon Sugar - @prongsies - COMPLETING THE FINEST SERVICE TO THE HP FANDOM AND WRITING FICS INSPIRED BY FINE LINE - I SALUTE YOU. This is so good, so so good. The references to the song are used so well and that little bit of fluff at the end? Amazing. If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to put the song on repeat now...

Percy Weasley: 

Nothing We Can’t Forgive -  @firewhisky-kisses - This series really does showcase Steph’s talent. She’s an incredible writer and this fic deserves all the attention it can possibly get. It’s the first Percy fic I’ve ever read and I’m already planning a reread. Steph captures Percy’s character flawlessly whilst also depicting his healing in a manner that is so relatable. I’ve linked the masterlist because once you start reading, you won't want to stop. 

Sight is Relative - @hufflefluff-writer - This fic has a blind reader which I think makes it all the more beautiful. Amelia’s characterisation of Percy really is wonder, she captures him brilliantly. The fic after they eat is quite literally breathtaking. The description of colours, the dialogue - it’s fantastic.

Hufflepuff!Reader Headcanons - @soft-nerdy-wolf - I loved this from the beginning where the reader was already helping Percy out of his comfort zone by disregarding curfew. Then the further, I read, I loved more and more because of how fluffy it is! And the confession? So so sweet! This needs more attention!

Bill Weasley: 

Estrellita - @fanficflaneuse and @hufflefluff-writer - It is a fic inspired by the Sound of Music, what more could you possibly want? It’s so delicate and incredibly written by two extremely talented writers. The relationship between Bill and the reader = adorable. The whole series is so fantastic, I’ve linked part one and you’ll find the rest on Amelia’s masterlist, which you’ll need because you’ll be reading the entire thing in one sitting, I swear.

Charlie Weasley:

As Family the First Time - @kalimagik - you’ll have noticed that Maggie features a lot here but that’s because she is so damned talented that I adore most of her fics. The first Charlie Weasley fic I read and I fell in love. It’s just so fluffy and humorous with features from the whole Weasley family. Basically, by the end of it I was ready to raise dragons in Romania with a certain Weasley.

Meeting the Weasleys - @soft-nerdy-wolf - This made smile all sorts of stupid. From the beginning, I wanted to own Hepaestus (the perfect name for a dragon in my opinion - Zeus’ own forger, amazing.) And the fluff with Charlie straight after? I love, love, love it as well as the fun relationship they have. And the pranks with Fred and George? Ah! I just love.

Dragons blurb - @hufflefluff-writer - I know it’s only a blurb but oh my god, I loved it, I love it. Jealous!Charlie and a buttload of fluff - the best to boost your mood.

Cedric Diggory:

A Ghost Story - @wondernimbus - So beautifully haunting. Ysa has a way with words that make you feel as if you're physically there, living the fic alongside the characters. There aren't really any words to describe how talented Ysa is - all I can do is urge to read her masterlist and discover for yourself. 

My Boys - @potterverseimagine - Cedric and dogs - I am in love. This fic is so sweet and pure and playful. Playful Cedric is so great omg and this fic is full to the brim with it. I just... ah I love this so much. AND HE’S ALIVE. I LOVE FICS WHERE HE’S ALIVE. Thank you for this!!

It’s a Date - @angelinathebook​ - Lena, this is so good. You need to write more Cedric! Ah, I hate those boys so much but I love Cedric!! This is so good! Cedric needs more love 100% - if you haven't read this already, you need to read it now!!

Sirius Black: 

Lost Time - @obsessedwithrandomthings - Reader standing up for who she loves against Bellatrix? Yes, we love that. Slow burn romance with Sirius? I love that even more. Dee never fails to astound me when she writes Sirius, and I know she won’t fail to astound you too. Seriously (lol), go through Dee’s masterlist, read her works, you won't regret it. She’s the loveliest.

Our Godson - @nebulablakemurphy - Christina is so talented. The letters!!! Are so good!!! AND WHEN THEY FINALLY MEET? My heart! Christina, it's as if you broke it and then rebuilt it again all in the span of 2.8k words especially with that ending. I love this fic, and you will love this fic. 

Curiosity - @siriusly-the-best-gryffindor​ - I don’t know what else to say that I haven't already said in my reblog but I love this fic. I am heavily pierced and heavily tattooed and I love seeing a reader as the same. I love all of this fic, it 100% needs more love!

The Jimmy Jab Games - @im-a-writer-right​ - A Sirius fic inspired by Brooklyn-99. I loved every single chapter, it made me so happy. And that final chapter, I was smiling like a fool throughout. Sirius is a dream through this, and that bet? I love! I’ve linked the masterlist because you won’t want to move as you read.  

Secrets and fears - @firewhisky-kisses​ - Steph does it again with the masterpieces. Honestly, I squeal a little whenever I see her in my notifications with a new fic because everything she writes is stellar, and this is no exception. If you’re going to read anything tonight, let it be her masterlist. If you haven't read her latest Sirius piece as well, you are sorely missing out. 

Remus Lupin:

Protect - @obsessedwithrandomthings - Oh man, this one hurt. There are so many feels to this fic, so many layers. The enemies to lovers? Amazing. That ending as well - so fucking good. Like everything Dee writes, so fucking good.

Sleeping Beauty - @poppin-potter - This is adorable. There’s no other words for it. The relationship between the reader and Remus is so cute, I was smiling all the way through it. Not to mention the relationship between the reader and the Marauders, so bloody good. And that ending? It was so peaceful, like I was reading and I was like yeah, I would’t mind a piece of that.

Pain of reality - @heloisedaphnebrightmore - I had to involve some Remus angst, and oh my word. You smashed my heart into pieces in the beginning and had put it back together by the end. Heloise is an incredible writer, so so talented. This is a Remus fic you cannot miss out on!

Bruise and Scars - @peachesandpinks - Soulmate AU and Marauders Era Remus. What more could you possibly want? It’s poetic. If you look to my Neville section, you’ll see why I love Ren’s writing so much but let me tell you, I am a SUCKER for Remus. Always have been, always will be. You will not regret reading this fic or any of Ren’s fics.

Nights like These - @teheharrypotter - another fic in A Very Harry Potter Summer and the description in this fic is so good! The way the summer night described has you feeling every moment of it. And the conversation between Remus and the reader is so beautiful, where they touch upon their grief. It’s a wonderfully written piece of work.

James Potter:

Numb Love - @heloisedaphnebrightmore - Unrequited love is like my guilty pleasure because I love the angst of it, and this fic. Oh this fic, it destroyed me and I loved every single minute of it. How this fic doesn't have more notes, I have no clue. It’s a masterpiece of emotions. 

Reading between the lines - @approved-by-dentists - ohhh this fic is great, I love the flirtation between the reader and James in the beginning all the way to end. It was one of the first James fics I read (I’m late to the party, I’m well aware) and omg I love it. Just go read the fic!

Book-thief - @wondernimbus - I’m going to repeat my words from earlier, there are no words to describe Ysa’s talent. James Potter and a bookshop and I was sold. She captures his character so brilliantly. Just... go binge her work.

Summer revelations - @pregnant-piggy - I keep saying this about all the fics I put on here but I love this fic! I love it! First, I love James. Second, I need those muffins - seriously, where can I get these muffins? And their realisations and confessions! It’s such a pure fic, I’m absolutely in love with your portrayal of James.

Newt Scamander:

Cheeky Niffler - @eleven-times-lively - reader is an archaeologist - from that moment, I was sold. I loved reading this, I loved the idea and I love Niffler as it is! I always need more Newt in my life and this is perfect.

Online Love - @strawberriesonsummer​ - Modern AU! I really loved this idea, I love the idea of Newt with a phone and ringing the wrong number. It’s such a wonderful fic, I haven't read Newt in so long so this was such a lovely one to read! I can’t wait to read what other Newt fics are posted!

desire - @blisfvll​ - I am a huge fan of their works; their Draco fics are incredible and their Newt fics are just the same. This had me feeling all sorts of emotions, and I loved every second of it.  

You stared Newt right in the eyes. - @fantasticnewtimagines​ - I didn't know what the title to this was so I just type out the first sentence, I hope you don't mind! This is a delicious piece of angst with a lovely, happy ending. I adore this piece so much because it conveys so much. I love it!!

MARVEL:

I want to take a moment to appeal to the followers of mine who also enjoy reading marvel. @shaynawrites23​ has started to write some marvel fics and even entered my writing challenge and her fics definitely deserve some attention! She’s a wonderful writer and her fics are so cute! If you’re a fan of Bucky, you’ll love these fics!

Catty

Soulmate

Rosy Proposal

[quartzwriting]

Stephen, Peter, and Morgan

Pairing: Doctor Strange X Fem!Reader

Description: You and Stephen often watch Peter and Morgan, cuteness ensues in the New York Sanctum! And you leave him with them for a few hours, how does he handle?

Warnings: Non

Word Count: 2.4k

A/N: Originally posted to Quotev / One of my favourite things to add to my Stephen X Reader pieces is to throw Morgan and Peter into the mix!

Masterlist | Fic Reading Recs | Ao3 | Quotev | Coffee

Silence fell through the hallway, even though you swear you heard a scrambling and an echo of a quiet giggle. Crossing your arms, and with a smirk, you continued your way through. You crept past relics and bookshelves, old paintings and large windows, your feet making zero noise against the floorboards thanks to a little spell you cast.

Today, the Sanctum was not a place of study, or a training ground, but a playground for hide and seek.

You made a left turn and entered your favourite open room, the one that had that beautiful window with the symbol of the New York sanctum. Keeping your ears open, you walked between a set of shelves. You ran your hand across the spines of the books as you passed. There were no signs of the little rascal anywhere. Until you looked a little closer, and saw a little detail that you might have easily missed if you were not paying attention enough.

A little shadow. It was peaking out from behind one of the nooks between cabinets against the wall, thanks to the perfectly placed window right behind.

You smiled, and kept taking soundless steps around the room. You had her, now you just had to catch her. You had a few options, but you decided to use your magic to give yourself a small advantage. Using a quick, short ranged teleportation spell, you popped out of nowhere right in front of her.

"BOO!"

The little girl let out a playful scream and jumped out of her hiding place and ran. You tried to grab her but she was too fast. She ran down the nearby stairs and into a new hallway, and you got an idea to capture her. You raised your hand and conjured up a portal with your sling ring. Morgan did not notice, and she ran through the portal and right back to you thanks to the loop you made. You scooped her up while she laughed.

While Pepper is away on a Stark business trip, Morgan needed someone to watch over her. Pepper said she didn’t fully trust Peter to watch her alone, you cannot leave those two alone for even a second without the eruption of chaos. So you volunteered and agreed to letting them both stay a few nights in the Sanctum.

Stephen did not agree with the idea at first. Too many precious breakable relics, he said. Possible dimensional threats could happen when they are here, he said. He also likes his peace and quiet, and you knew that the combination of Morgan and Peter would result in some loudness echoing down the halls. But you managed to convince him, you knowing Morgan since she was very small and having bonded with Peter more since the snap was reversed.

Everything would end up fine, and it would be fun. You would not let anything go wrong.

You finally let her go and she looked up at you with a scrunched up nose, "That's not fair, you cheated!"

"I did not!" You crossed your arms around your chest.

"Yes you did! You used magic." She copied your arm movement with mockery.

"It's not cheating because I didn't use it to FIND you, but to catch you instead." You explained.

"It's still cheating, and I can't do magic so its not fair." She mumbled.

"Maybe one day I can teach you some magic,"

"REALLY!" Her eyes lit up like lights on a Christmas Tree.

"When you're older." You said instantly, and she pouted.

"Where's Peter?" She said it in her cute voice, where sometimes her Rs turned into Ws, so it sounded like 'Petew'.

"We need to find him now." You grabbed her hand and lead her to a new hallway. "Come on, Maguna." That nickname is what Tony used to call her, and now only you and Peter call her that.

"OH PETER!"

"SHHhhhhh! You're gonna give us away!" You hushed her as you both went to look for the webslinger, she giggled.

The two of you made your way to the foyer, eyes darting everywhere in search of Peter. Instead of a spider, you found Stephen in the little seating area next to the fireplace off to the side, nose deep in a book as always. Morgan dashed down the staircase and right up to him with a smile. "Mister Strange, have you seen Peter around."

She and Peter are the only ones who call Stephen 'Mister Strange', and not be corrected to 'Doctor'.

Stephen looked up from the pages of his book and smiled at her, "Sorry Morgan I haven't."

She grumbled, "He's too good at hiding!"

"Well he is a spider," Stephen said closing his book and setting it on the coffee table. "so he can hide in places that you can't. He's a sticky one."

With that, Stephen pointed upwards with a shaky hand. Morgan followed her gaze up. Sure enough there was Peter hanging all the way up from the top of the tall ceiling on a web string.

"I see you Peter!!!" Morgan shouted, pointing at him.

"Dang it Mister Strange! Why did you give me away?" Peter yelled back, beginning to descend from the ceiling.

"Did you two break anything?" Stephen said jokingly, but you knew he was being slightly serious.

"No!" Morgan exclaimed, "I'm careful."

"Peter is more likely to break something than Morgan is," You pointed out, holding back a smile while descending the stairs to join everyone.

"Hey!" Peter said in defence, and you stifled a laugh.

"Alright you two, I'm getting a little tired of hide and seek. How about we do something else?" You suggested.

"OH! We can watch a movie, I got lots of good ones on my laptop." Peter said.

"Can we build a fort for the movie?" Morgan asked with puppy dog eyes.

"Sure we can. There's some extra blankets in the library so it might be best to do it there." You said.

"Sweet! Morgan lets go!!!" Peter bent down so he could let her climb onto his back, and the two run up the stairs to go make their fort.

"No running!" Stephen called after them, and you saw that he was trying to hold back a smile.

You laughed at the sight. Even though those two were a handful, non stop energy and somehow constantly hungry, you loved their company.

"Are they behaving?" Stephen asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Of course they are." You replied, "I wouldn't let them in here if I didn't trust them."

"It's not just that, but what if something comes up? What if there is an attack?"

"There won't be, and even if there is I'll protect them. It's what I promised Pepper." You said, then you looked down. "It's what I promised Tony." Your heart ached a little, you missed Tony. Surprisingly, you saw a lot of him in Morgan's developing personality. You were sure that when she grew up, she's be just like her dad.

"Alright." Stephen nodded. He stood up from the couch and made his way over to you to place a kiss on your forehead. "I trust you of course to watch over them, and the Sanctum. Cause if they break anything I'm gonna have to reconsider their stay here." You laughed a little at that.

"Hey, guys." Peter called out to you from the banister at the top of the stairs, "There's a beeping sound up here."

You raised your eyebrows in thought, and you instantly dashed up the stairs with Stephen following close behind. You followed Peter back into the room with the window, now a sunset displayed beyond the glass.

“What’s that noise?” Morgan asked. She pointed out the sound and saw a flashing blue light coming from the side of the room.

“There’s a call coming in.” You said, walking up to the device that rested on the table. Natasha gave this to you, it connected to the communication channel that let you talk with everyone else, you used it to check in on everyone across the universe back when Thanos won.

You accepted the call, and a glowing blue projection appeared.

“(L/N), do you copy?”

“Yes Rocket, I hear you. What’s up?”

The Gaurdians were now projected into the Sanctum. Quill, Rocket, Nebula, Groot, Mantis and Drax. You were close with Rocket and Nebula from those five years, and you battled alongside everyone before.

“We could use some help." Peter Quill said, "We responded to a distress signal, and we found a planet that's in complete chaos. There's like chucks coming out if it an everything. Anyways, the attackers look like they're using magic."

"What do you mean?" Stephen placed himself next to you so he was now in the projection on their ship and they could see him.

"There's these guys with powers that resemble what you can do. The sparkly stuff. We thought it was best to call you in. Things keep coming out of portals and this planet is about to erupt into war if we don't stop them. Maybe even collapse in on itself." Rocket explained.

You tilted your head in confusion, "I thought humans from earth were the only people in this dimension to use our type of magic."

Stephen's eyebrows furrowed in thought, "I don't know, maybe they had human influence. Does Kamar Taj know about this?"

"Whatever it is, we need some assistance." Nebula said. When you first met her, you never though a sentence like that would even come out of her mouth, her asking for help.

"Its too large scale for us to handle alone. Thor is unavailable right now and you guys are our best bet." Quill explained.

“We would come check it out, but we’re a little occupied at the moment-“ Stephen was going to go on but was quickly interrupted.

Parker poked his head in front of you and into the view of the projector, “HI GUYS! HI PETER!!!”

“Hey Peter,” Quill laughed. “You two babysitting?”

“Yeah.” You replied, Morgan now in front of you to say hi as well.

"Aww, a child." Mantis cooed, smiling at Morgan and waved to her.

"You are watching Stark's children." Drax said.

"Oh um Mr. Stark isn't my dad." Peter Parker pointed out.

"Yeah, but if you need help we can send in some sorcerers from another Sanctum. Maybe we can give London a call." You suggested.

"But we rather have you two," Rocket said, "I can't stand those other sorcerers, they're too serious, Plus you're the best their is."

"Maybe I should go," Stephen said.

"I'll go, you watch the kids." You said, and before he could protest, you switched your civilian clothes for your robes with a quick spell (Morgan looking up at you in awe). "Guardians, I'll be right there. I'm gonna stop in Kamar Taj first to see if they have picked up anything on this. Be on your ship in a few."

"Sounds good, thanks (L/N)." Rocket said, and with that he ended the call.

"When will you be back?" Morgan tugged at your robes.

"Soon, I won't be long." You smiled at her.

Before you left, you gave hugs to Peter and Morgan, and a kiss on the cheek to Stephen. You held up your sling ring and opened a portal to Kamar Taj.

"Be careful." Stephen called. "and take the cloak."

The cloak of levitation flew into the room and right up to you. You caught the collar in your hand and slung it over your shoulders in a swift motion.

"I will." You replied and jumped through to your unexpected adventure.

“Mister Strange? Can you teach us how to do that?” Peter asked.

“No.”

“Aw...”

~~~

You stepped through your slingring portal, and heaved a heavy sigh. That was a crazy term of events, and working with any of the guardians was an experience in itself, let alone them all together. It turned out that the attackers of that planet were using the same kinda of sorcery you used. You helped stop the invasion, and passed on the information to the other sanctum masters.

Making your way through the Sanctum, dusting off your robes and rubbing your face off of dirt, you went to find Stephen and the kids to let them know you were back. Soon you heard voices, and followed the trail towards the kitchen. You heard laughter, and wondered what was going on. The voices started to get more clear.

"How long do we have to wait?"

"Twelve minutes."

"In the meantime we can clean up this mess we made. (Y/N) might freak out if she sees the kitchen looking like this."

"Peter made most of the mess!"

"I did not!"

"But you're the one who spilled the flour everywhere!"

"And you were trying to eat the chocolate chips!"

"Just help me clean up you two."

You slowly peered through the doorway, careful not to be seen, and saw the three of them surrounded by baking supplies and covered in flour. They all looked so happy, even Stephen looked like he was enjoying himself. There was laughter in his voice as he helped the kids tidy the place up.

"Hey uncle Stephen, where are the cloths?"

"In that cupboard, Morgan."

You're heart melted.

"Looks like you guys are having fun." You finally decided to stop watching them without their knowledge.

"What? We wanted cookies." Stephen said innocently.

"You're back!" Morgan cheered.

"How did it go?" Peter asked.

"Went well! I stopped a planet from blowing up and stopped some alien sorcerers, so I say it was a success." You answered, walking up to the counter and surveying the mess they have created.

"You're all dirty." Morgan looked up at you. Dirt covered your face and your robes, a few cuts on your skin, and hair untidy in its french braid. "Are you hurt?"

"No I'm okay." You reassured her.

The little girl scurried over to grab a cloth and came back. She gestured for you to lower to her height, so you knelled down and she wiped your cheeks and forehead.

"There!" She said, "All clean, and there's cookies in the oven for your after mission snack!"

You smiled, and got up to stand beside Stephen, "They give you any trouble while I was gone?"

"Not at all." He replied, still gathering some of the dirty dishes.

"Never knew you were good with kids, uncle Stephen." You laughed.

He shrugged with a smile, "Me either."

[seriouslysam8]

For the ask game, would you please answer questions numbered 2, 8, 14 (all of your titles have such cool names), 18 (I hope Abditory isn't one of them as that story rocks), 21, 24, 29, 30, 33, 34, 44, 51, 62, 76, 82, 85, 88, 90, and 98.

Sorry for asking so many, but I love your work! Entombed gave me so many feels! I found your stories because author Breanie said to read them in her author's notes. Best rec ever! Thank you for answering.

Wow, that is a lot of asks! Thank you so much for wanting to know so much about little ole me. I think I hit them all in this and my apologies if I missed one. Let me know if I missed one. @breaniebree is awesome and my writing BFF. She is amazing, and I love her.

2) What fandoms do you write for and do you have a particular favourite if you write for more than one?

So, I’ve written for The X-Files, Supernatural, and Harry Potter. I currently only write for Harry Potter. I would say Harry Potter has always been the most fun.

8) Where do you take your inspiration from?

Random shit. Brontide came to me because I was browsing the HPFanfiction subreddit looking for a story suggestion and someone asked for a story where Harry was addicted to Felix. Only one unfinished dimensional time travel story was listed. It idea sparked me to write my own version. Entombed came to me because I was rewatching Buffy the Vampire Slayer where Buffy was buried alive. I knew I wanted to bury Ginny alive. As I stated in the author’s notes of last Kalopsia chapter, I drew inspiration from the Djinn storyline in Supernatural. I write about things I know, too. I have young kids at home so I like writing the Potter children as young because I can mimic their mannerisms in my writing. I’ve even asked my kids to say certain words to emulate their speech pattern in my writing if I’m writing that age group.

14) How did you come up with the title for the XXX? You can ask about multiple stories.

I HATE coming up with titles. My newest trend has been to literally Google “unique words”. There are a ton of Pinterest accounts who make fancy word and definition pictures. I scroll through all these little unique words and pick out ones I think fit a story. Sometimes I Google a unique word for BLANK and see if I can get a cool version of that name. @breaniebree actually helped me with Entombed.

18) Do you have any abandoned WIP’s? What made you abandon them?

Sadly, I would put Abditory in this category. Never say never though. I think about it from time to time. Honestly, I abandoned it due to such a negative response I was receiving and the lack of positive response. I became discouraged. It wasn’t even negative response due to my writing, it was literally a bunch of “why would you waste your time writing a story about the biggest plot hole in the books? JKR butchered the whole SK storyline and it’s unbearable to read.” So, basically, my reviews and PMs were filled with JKR hate over that plot point in the books. They heavily outweighed the positive reviews I received. Honestly, I think that’s why a bulk of stories get abandoned - lack of positive reviews or enthusiasm for a story. If I didn’t get so many great reviews for my stories, I don’t know if I’d be able to finish them or continuing writing new ones. Fanfiction is free, (as it should be) but it’s a lot of time and hard work. A little appreciation goes a LONG way. So, my advice, review everything you love reading and encourage writers to keep writing. I always say in my authors notes that reviews make me want to write and inspire me. That’s the truth. The moment I stop getting reviews will probably be the time I take a writing break again.

21) Tell me about another writer(s) who you admire? What is it about them that you admire?

@breaniebree. I mean she’s dedicated years to a single story with so many plot lines and characters that I’m amazed she did it. She’s a fantastic writer, and I definitely consider her my writing BFF. I feel like I’ve learned a lot from her and enjoy talking about writing with her so much. I’m so glad we’ve become friends.

24) How do you feel about writing smutty scenes?

Horrified. Anytime I get a little steamy in my stories, it goes immediately to @breaniebree who usually adds way too much smut and then I cut it down to still be somewhat PG-13 in order to appeal to a wider audience.

29) Do you have a story that you feel doesn’t get as much love as you’d like?

I feel like Kalopsia isn’t getting as much love as my other stories. I’m way behind in my normal review count per chapter. I wonder if it’s just the confusing storyline or if it’s just not as fun to read? But I was definitely worried it wouldn’t get the love I thought it deserved when I started writing it and it’s lived up to that expectation.

30) In contrast to 29, is there a story which gets lots of love which you kinda eye roll at?

Cronus Rising. People still recommend it occasionally and I still get random reviews. I’m like, “why????” Its horribly written and a stupid plot line. I literally was getting back into writing after not writing for a good five years, so it’s abysmal. I’ve often wanted to rage delete it.

33) What’s the biggest compliment you’ve gotten?

When someone tells me I should write an original novel and they’d buy the hell out of it. I do have some original novel ideas floating around (one I’ve been writing since I was like 15), but crippling fear of rejection from publishers have stopped me from ever actually finish an original novel.

34) What’s the harshest criticism you’ve gotten?

I got some criticism in Brontide for having drama for drama’s sake with no real purpose or goal for said drama. I felt my drama served a purpose, drove the story along, and I add a lot of fluffy and cute family moments. I feel like in real life, when you to your loved one is going through sometime, it feels like nonstop drama and bad news and like a dark cloud just follows you. I wanted to emulate that in real life. So Harry’s POV was often drab because HE was the one going through something horrific and it was all doom and gloom for him.

44) What is the last line you wrote?

“You never think I listen to your ramblings, but it’s kind of hard to block out, mate.”

51) From one to five stars, how would you rate your writing? (No downplaying yourself!)

Um... I’d say a 3. I think I have some good and unique plots for stories but sometimes I struggle on how to execute those on paper effectively. I struggle with descriptions, action, and showing rather than telling. But I do think I’m good at dialogue and capturing a character’s personality. So, 3.

62) Tell us about a WIP you’re excited about.

A lot! I have a Teddy/Victoire stalker story in the works that I’m excited about. I have (this is going to sound weird) but an outsider rom-com planned where Ron/Hermione breakup right before Hinny’s wedding and Hinny struggles to get them back together before the big day. I have a Potter family vacation fluff/comedy story planned. I have a game night one-shot planned. I have a short story about Luna’s wedding. So many that I want to write and don’t know which one to write first!!

76) Is there anything you’ve wanted to write, but you’ve been too scared to try?

I’d say no. I’ve always tried to write my ideas down. Some I’ve never finished because inspiration peters off and some I plan on finishing once my newest big project is done.

82) Summarize a random fic of yours in 10 words or less.

Harry goes through some shit, and Ginny is his soulmate.

85) Ramble about any fic-related thing you want!

I don’t understand why people don’t ship Harry/Ginny more. I don’t understand the Harry/Daphne obsessions (like just why???) or the Harry/Hermione ship at all. I always see people asking for story recommendation and they specific say “no Harry/Ginny”. They are literally perfect for one another and they are soulmates.

88) If you could ask one other fanfic author three questions about their writing, writing process, or works, what would they be and who would you ask?

@breaniebree .

1.) How do you organize all your charts? Send me the ALL the charts. Because I don’t understand how you keep everything straight!

2.) How do you write so much? You’re like a little writing machine in a cute little package.

3.) Where do all the ideas come from? In a dream? Just thinking? Driving? Do you write everything out in your head like meeee? Can I have some of your writing mojo?

90) How do you process and deal with negative reviews?

I obsess over them. I analyze them. I may get bummed out and not write for a few days. If you don’t like what I write, then don’t read or review. It’s a hobby. I do this for free. I’m not asking you to critique me. Give me a nice review or ask me a question, but don’t be cruel or mean because you can hide behind a keyboard and be a bully to make yourself feel superior.

98) If you had to give up either snacks and drinks during writing sessions, or music, which would you find more difficult to say goodbye to and why?

Music. I grew up with three older brothers. My house was always rowdy and loud and obnoxious. I need it to be loud. I can’t stand the silence or focus when it’s silent. I need music to help me think and write. When I’m home alone, I always turn on the TV or music, because I can’t stand when it’s silent. I think I’d go insane.

[your-ace-cousin-clover]

okay soooo... sorry for the delayed reply, i've been kinda busy!

i gotta start this off by saying how much i loved the way you wrote "[...] that feeling of wanting to reach divinity and holiness with your writing. The raw, exposed nerve of that writing." - it's hard for me to refer to writing as a hobby because it's such a substantial part of me, if that makes sense? or maybe that's just my codependent relationship to writing... whenever i don't write for a while i start feeling like a non-person! (ok, in hindsight this doesn't sound 100% related to the holiness bit, but that's what sparked the train of thought)

on for colored girls who have considered suicide - when the rainbow is enuf: i actually listened to a monologue from this a while ago on youtube, but I'll be sure to check out the full text!

also, on the topic of spoken-word & slam poetry: i'm going to a poetry reading at a friend's place later this month and it's nerve-racking. i mean, hey, of course i bleed into my poetry, and in theory i'm cool with that. but reading it aloud to a room half full of strangers? that's like lying on an operating table, flesh sliced open with surgeons over you. (i'm sure it'll be fun, though)

i've read primer for small weird loves and wishbone (because they're both included in richard siken's book crush - which is definitely worth the money (& btw, he has a new book coming out this year in fall/winter; thought i'd tell you in case you didn't know))! out of the two i like wishbone a lot more - although that's probably just because i relate to it a little bit more. i like making lists so i've compiled some of my favorite parts from the poem:

• "I took the bullet for all the wrong reasons [...]"

• "Let's not talk about it, let's just not talk."

• "[...] we keep doing it Henry, we keep saying until we get it right... [...]"

• "If you love me, Henry, you don't love me in a way I understand."

• "This is where the evening splits in half, Henry, love or death. Grab an end, pull hard, and make a wish."

it's crazy (well, not really, but you know) that you mentioned jericho brown, because we read something by him in english class a few years back and he's completely slipped my mind since then! so, thanks for reminding me :)

first of all, i love how duplex starts and ends with the same line - and this may be a reach, but it feels sort of like coming home? he introduces us to the line, we go away for a while, then we're back at the beginning. and maybe i just feel this way because for me going home is synonymous with going back home. (not always, but a lot of the time.) also, the contrast of "none of the beaten end up how we began" & the poem ending exactly how it began? i don't have the right words to explain what, but there's something that grabs me in that.

now, let's take a short detour because i feel like dropping some recs. here's two poets whose work i really enjoy: chen chen and jasmine ledesma (who i think is on tumblr, too? @/candiedspit if i'm not wrong). i'd specifically like to recommend (and hopefully hear you opinion on) chen chen's i'm not a religious person but & jasmine ledesma's short stories no candy, sorry and FIEND.

links (just in case the previous ones don't work):

i'm not a religious person but: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/poems/58152/im-not-a-religious-person-but

no candy, sorry: https://tinyletter.com/jasmineledesma/letters/no-candy-sorry

FIEND: https://marchharemag.com/fiend

lastly, thanks for the prompt! i'll be sending you the poem in a separate ask (although i'm convinced it only makes sense if you're me) as to not make this one too long haha

-cat

Cat!

Sorry on the delayed reply on my side too. I've been sorta busy with a lot of stuff, but I had to drop in a message.

First of all, the poem? Iconic. It is so well written!!! Ahh! The way you use the numbers to count down all the things in a list sort of a format . And the splendid use of a clock ticking to signify the time coming closer and closer. It reminds of the Doomsday Clock which always reminds us that we are two minutes to complete destruction and in a way it is an inevitable destruction. "I'm one drink away from holiness and I'm not stopping" is such a vivid Ginsberg line that ahhh, it hits with the concept of the Beat Generation being these drunk, high poets who ultimately want to experience divinity through their intoxication and writing. And the ending with, "it's almost Valentine's- please tell your wretched heart I'm sorry." AGHH, the way the narrator tries to stop the inevitability of the sadness of romance?? Or being stuck in a relationship and trying to do better? The interpretations are left wide open and I love that.

[Let me know if you'd be okay with me sharing your poem? And oh, if you like to send me another prompt, I would love that.]

And I wanted to give you some advice on slam poetry performances, I have a bit of an experience with them. The surgical metaphor is indeed apt, there is some vulnerable to stand in front of a group of people to carve out yourself into words and see it take on a meaning for everyone differently. But, revel in that vulnerable state and see how that conveys meaning. Focus on a spot in the room and speak to it and let meaning take its own hold. And remember, even if you don't get the reception you are hoping for, hold onto the meaning that you initially wrote it with. How your poetry affects you in the end is what matters. And good luck! Let me know how it goes.

[I didn't know about the new Siken book. Do you know if it has a name? I'll have to look it up whenever it releases.]

Ahh, and I love the idea of listening favourite lines of poems, I might start doing that with my favourite poems too.

[Also, I know it's in the name, but there's something about the way Wishbone is written that it makes you keep as if you are splintering into bits and dissolving. Especially in the bit where he goes I wish you'd stop reminding about the debt because you can do nothing about it and even if you love me, it is not the way I want.; Please let me go, I cannot let you be in my debt anymore.]

Jericho Brown? Iconic. The cyclical nature of the form as well as it is sort of the same line all the while not being the same line is such a beautiful way to express the repetition, but all how each cycle in a way is different than the last one.

I loved Chen Chen's poem. The way God chooses to escape from his own reality through someone who does not believe enough in him to question him at first it beautiful. And what hits me is how God stops and creates a barrier again by sending the angel as soon as he is questioned in adjacent to his role in the universe. What interests me is how the atheist (I know it does not mention atheism directly, but close enough) is sent an angel and later meet with God, and therefore, the relation that they form is a meaningful bond between two individuals rather than being a power dynamic with the worshipped and the devotee.

There's something about Ledesma's stories about hopelessness in her both protagonists. In the same way, both are extremely tired of their circumstances and want to be somewhere else in perhaps a better versions of their selves. The scattered prose certainly draws it very strongly together.

And finally, to drop a rec of my own, let me know what you think of Ada Limon's "The Problem With Travel" and "Accident Report in the Tall, Tall Weeds." They both are very beautiful poems.

Hope to hear from you soon! :)

[wntersfire]

GET TO KNOW ME TAG GAME

Before I start I would just like to say (tw alcohol for now and question 19) sorry for any spelling mistakes or if I ramble a little. To cut a long fuckin story short I mis read the measurements of my shot glasses and so instead of having two cocktails I’ve had the equivalent of four in the space of an hour and a half. Being british, im not gonna let a good drink go to waste either so im onto my third/sixth now.

Tagged by @clints-lucky-arrow (an actual goddess among us mortals)

1. Why did you choose your URL?

So this reason is two-fold. One, I didn’t watch star wars growing up because I was dumb and didn’t understand the politics (it wasn’t until my boyfriend sat me down and explained it literally in January of this year that I actually got it) but I loved Sci-fi and space so the next best thing was Treasure Planet (2003 film, Available on didney+) My favourite scene is the ending when Long John Silver (spoilers) is about leave before he can be arrested and Jim confronts him. Seeing how much his character has grown, Silver says to Jim, “Look at you, glowing like a silver fire. You’re something special, Jim. You’re gonna rattle the stars, you are.” It literally makes me tear up every single time I watch it and its one of my favourite lines of all time. Second, this was actually quoted in one of my favourite book series ‘Throne of glass’ by Sarah J Maas. I adore the character of Celeana and again one of my favourite quotes from TOG is when Queen Elena says to Celeana“ You could rattle the stars. You could do anything, if only you dared.” Every time I read that line I literally get chills and I actually have plans to get this tattooed on me lmao

2. Any side blogs?

Yes my fanfic blog @second-stars-totheright (I like puns and I used to love peter pan)

3. How long have you been on tumblr?

I joined when I was 13 for the fanfiction and lurked for a very long time, just reblogging and liking things until I deleted it when I was 17. Re downloaded the app and got my account back back around February of this year (when I was 19, now 20) and since then I’ve found it much friendlier and actually interacted with people this time around, and actually started posting my work on here!

4. Do you have a queueue tag?

No. This is my general postings blog so I just kind of stick anything funny or worth keeping here, but I probably should make one!

5. Why did you start your blog in the first place?

As I said to read fanfiction (anyone wondering it was 5 seconds of summer fanfiction. Anyone who judges me in the comments its fair game 🥺) but I re-downloaded it this year because I noticed with my work on Wattpad, while I had some do really well (one has gotten 130k+ views) its very difficult to actually interact with readers and get feedback. I’ve only accumulated that high of a number after 5 years of it being on there, and so tumblr is just so much more personal!

6. Why did you choose your icon/pfp?

I did it this morning as I was getting tagged in this lmao. I wanted a cartoon girl who looked like me but because I had a specific colouring (ie my hair is black with a blonde streak at the front & my eyes have both blue and green segments because I have heterochromia) I couldn’t find any that looked like me so I recoloured a cartoon girl I found on pinterest.

7. Why did you choose you header?

The white clouds fit the stars theme and it looks pretty with the purple. ✨💜

8. Whats your post with the most notes?

“That girl is a problem | Javier Pena x Agent!Reader part 1” with 105 notes on my fanfic blog.

9. How many mutuals do you have?

I am still a little tumblr idiot when it comes to this so if someone could tell me how to find out I'll edit this

10. How many followers do you have?

72 on here, 107 on my fanfic blog (AND I LOVE ALL OF YOU ACROSS BOTH OF THEM MWAH, MWAH KISSES FOR YOU ALL 💜💜💜)

11. How many people do you follow?

165 (it was 700+ but the other day I unfollowed a bunch of accounts that haven’t been active since I followed them when I was 13. There were LOTS)

12. Have you ever made a shit post?

I mean all you have to do is look at the Nomad memes I make (UNAPOLOGETICALLY I might add 😤) for @clints-lucky-arrow to know I absolutely have. That series has a hold over me im telling you. I black out when I start reading and I awake with a bunch of meme editing apps open and my feelings tugged at from her amazing writing.

13. How often do you use Tumblr each day?

If I’m with my boyfriend which is like two days a week, rarely, but now I’ve finished uni, I’m on here all the god damn time. I feel so comfy and safe interacting with you all, not to mention some of you guys are funny as hell.

14. Did you have a fight with a blog once?

Not really on here, I haven’t received any hate luckily but I prefer not to spoil how comfy I am here with arguing.

15. How do you feel about ‘you need to re-blog this’ posts?

I’m a little confused by this I dunno whether I’ve just never come across any like this or if Stars is being a bimbo on the tl again. However, I only reblog things I’d like to keep for future reference or if something deserves to be shared to everyone else like a fic rec or a piece of art. (As Mack said, I’ve re-blogged so many in the past promising me money or luck and I am still broke as shit so what does that tell you).

16. Do you like tag games?

Yes!! I love reading everyone elses and getting to know my mutals better!

17. Do you like ask games?

Again yesss because it means I get to send love to my mutuals and get to know them better! I tend to not participate though just read their responses because I sometimes feel like I’m bugging people clogging their inboxes even though I know that’s the point idk I’m a hell of an over thinker sometimes 🥳

18. Which of your mutuals do you think is tumblr famous?

It’s been said before but @clints-lucky-arrow (wow you rlly owning this post bby girl) but I just remember lurking on Nomad early February and liking and reblogging her chapters so I could keep them to re-read cause that’s how much I instantly loved it and when she followed me I realised who she was and lowkey had a starstruck moment bcus id been ciaght up in her work for weeks and too nervous to make contact. Also @arduadastra, I saw her work all over the pedro tags for so long and now I’ve gotten to know her she is the sweetest girl!! We usually fan over Javier Pena gifs together, she’s solely responsible for ‘That girl is a problem’ bcus of her gif sending at 1am giving me Javi thots and now it’s my most successful one on my blog. And most recently @pedrosgirlx followed me this morning and her work is genuinely some of the best I've seen on here, as I said this morning it is the Sistine Chapel ceiling of Mando art it is actually jaw dropping!! I cant believe all these creators are rlly giving us this content for free and yet being so talented AND the nicest people I’ve ever met!!

19. Do you have a crush on a mutual?

No, although I hold a lot of them dearly as friends. 15/10 would treat you lovelies to a drink of your choice if we ever met (any of you from the uk who drink I’d get you a pitcher from Whetherspoons)

20. Absolutely no pressure tags:

anyone who wants to join! a lot of people I would have tagged have already posted theirs so go for it if you like the look of it!

[aziraphales-library]

Hey!!! I’m kinda new, and I’d like to know if you can recommend me some good GO fics? My only request it’s that they should mostly be Teen Up or Gen s fics... and maybe some good AUs (I’m in love with those)

Okay, here we go!! I went a little all out on this post because it’s more about personal preference, but I still stand by it :D

An Angel who did not so much Fall In Love as Settle Into It Gradually by TheLadyZephyr - 7.5k - Rated T

Crowley was standing in the middle of the room, hands in his pockets, looking a little lost. Aziraphale eyed the distance between them. Five steps. Five steps, and six thousand years, and a battlefield spanning an eternity.

The story of the little moments over the millennia that shape an angel’s regard for a demon, and the way he slowly, with great reluctance but inevitable surety, falls in love.

I simply adore this fic. It’s one of those fics that follows them through the ages and its just done so well. I don’t even know what else to say, just that you should go read it, and the fanart is also gorgeous!

Something So Magic by apliddell - 3.9k - Rated G

Crowley gets stuck in his serpent form, and Aziraphale tries his best to help.

This fic is simple, yet adorable, and I cannot get enough of it. 

How Much To Give, How Much To Take by thechemicalgirl - 3k - Rated G

“It’s like…’ he paused, trying to calm down. ‘It’s like after I came back from Heaven and we switched our bodies back, something has happened. I can’t use my power anymore, not even to start the Bentley.”

Crowley loses his demonic abilities and Aziraphale tries to help him cope with it, but things get much more complicated than that.

Angsty, but also soft, and just a great execution of a favourite premise.

In Peace I Will Both Lie Down and Sleep by fizzybiscuits - 5.6k - Rated G

Aziraphale starts having nightmares. For some reason, he doesn’t talk to Crowley about this right away.

Title is from Psalms 4:8. “In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.”

This fic just has everything. It’s a stellar example of an established relationship fic and is cavity-inducingly fluffy.

Be All My Sins Remembered by CloversDreams - 43.4k - Rated T

“The trial,” Beelzebub continued loudly, “will consist of seven tests.”

“Seven…” Aziraphale muttered under his breath. He had a bad feeling about this and it showed. He twiddled his thumbs nervously as he waited for more details.

Crowley scrunched his face and shook his head. “Oh you don’t mean–”

“Correct. The Sins have been charged with the task,” Beelzebub interjected.

“Crap.” Crowley groaned. He slapped his hands onto his face and dragged them downward slowly. This was just what they didn’t need.

Gabriel nodded. He had a rather unpleasant grin on his face as he said, “Don’t know much about them, myself, but they can be a pretty gnarly group of high-class demons from what I’ve heard. On par with the archangels back home. Wouldn’t want to… what’s that delightful human phrase? Oh, right. Wouldn’t want to cock this up.”

Listen, in my opinion, this fic is massively underrated. I unintentionally binged it all in one go because it was so gripping. The angst in some chapters had me practically screaming, and the whole idea is a brilliant take on the seven deadly sins. The pining is magnificent, and I live for the Husbands drama. 

Let Sleeping Snakes Lie by Blue_Sparkle - 2.6k - Rated G

Aziraphale confesses his love for Crowley when he can contain it no longer. Oh, not to the demon himself of course. To a sleeping snake.

Another fic featuring Snake!Crowley, this one is magnificently soft, and I adore the scene in Stardust it’s inspired by. Just can’t stop coming back to read, 10/10 recommend!

Serpent of Eden, Original Tempter by noodlefrog - 33.4k - Rated T

During Crowley’s trial, the agents of Hell present evidence that the demon has been fraternizing with the enemy. Careful to protect Crowley’s pride (and his own concealed feelings), Aziraphale turns on the saunter and leans into his friend’s reputation as a tempter to spin their relationship into something that looks more demonic than lunch dates and feeding the ducks.

This fic combines Pining, Misunderstandings, and a fantastic ‘what if?’ for the execution scenes, and I am here for it. The Original Characters are written fantastically well, and I loved the bonus chapter!

What They Say About Assumptions by DragonGirl - 7.9k - Rated T

While it’s true that God bestowed upon the angels the divine power to sense love of all kinds, that does not mean they were given the ability to sense exactly who or what that love is directed at. A minor design flaw that hasn’t been much of an issue. Until now.

Or:

Aziraphale has known that Crowley loved someone since the beginning. He’s also spent most of that time believing that someone was a demon.

Aziraphale’s obliviousness in this fic was so ridiculous it felt plausible. It was hilarious but also heartwarming, and has one of my fave love confessions. It was angsty as hell in the best way, and I just implore that you read it!

Futile Devices by ticketybye - 3.2k - Rated G

Crowley pretends to sleep. Aziraphale talks.

Just adorable. Cavity inducing fluff and love confessions are my favourite things and god does this deliver on that.

Foolish Principality by seashadows and WikdSushi - 6.6k - Rated M

Upon moving into a South Downs cottage, Crowley gets left alone while Aziraphale rushes to help the new proprietors of his bookshop. Thanks to a miracle gone wrong, Crowley discovers Aziraphale's greatest material secret, and a few things neither of them could ever fully face.

Is rated M but in my opinion there’s nothing too bad in here, though you should judge for yourself. The poetry is beautiful, horrifying masterpieces, and it is honestly fantastically funny and sweet.

——

Y’all know by now that I adore anything by Arinia, but this fic is one of my faves:

Just This Once by Arinia - 2.7k - Rated T

An idea came, slowly at first, before filling up his heart, setting every nerve alight. It might be another decade, another century even, before he saw Crowley again. No one had come to rescue him from Above. No one had chastised Crowley for wasting a miracle from Below. Perhaps, just this once…

The streets of Paris are soaked with blood, and Aziraphale realizes just how much he owes Crowley for saving his life.

It’s freaking adorable, the kissing is fantastic, and I have a secret love of the French Revolution that made me love the fic all the more. Read it, I beg you.

——

As for AUs, I don’t read loads, but I do have some faves!

Neighborly Affection by Thestarlitrose - 4.6k - Rated T - Human AU

Anthony J Crowley was four years old the first time he met the tiny Ezra A Fell; he wasn’t impressed.

He was forty-six when he found him again in a bookshop in Soho.

The Childhood Friends, Flower Shop, Christmas, Friends to Lovers fic nobody asked for in the middle of October.

This fic is a complete tangle of tropes, and it’s also incredibly sweet. Perfect for the fast approaching holiday season!

a book elegantly bound by AwkwardPotatoChild - 6.5k - Rated G - Library AU

Two idiots. One book series.

or alternatively, Aziraphale and Crowley are united over their common love of books and the scheming of one Miss Anathema Device

This fic manages to be both very funny and incredibly endearing at the same time. The book names were hilarious, and I adored Anathema’s matchmaking.

A Jaunt Or Two by sonicsora - 3.1k - Rated T - Human AU

They meet by happenstance twice over, only to end up quite woven into one anothers lives. It’s all quite accidental, but sticks.

Crowley realizes a bit belated he’s quite attached to this man who freely uses the word jaunt and wears cream-colored suits.

This fic is just adorable. It’s sweet, fluffy, and exactly my kind of thing. Also Gabriel’s a dick in the comedic way, which is fun to see.

Restoration by arealshitwizard (gaiusgallus) - 2.6k - Rated G - Human AU

Ok I had this idea in my head and it wouldn’t go away so here is Aziraphale as a painting restorer and Crowley as a flash stock broker… There’s just one chapter sorry for my sins

This is a really unique fic (I know I keep saying that, but it’s true!), and featured such fun interpretations of their characters!

——-

I’m aware that 90% of this list is very specific to my preferences, and that it got a little out of hand, but I hope y’all enjoy the recs anyway! XD

Does the blog have any favourites they’d like to share?

~ Mod B

[norestwithoutlove]

i just finished "to build a home" and it was so beautiful i'm in awe. it's so delicately and carefully written. i really enjoyed it and i'm glad to see the AN at the end that you took something from the process yourself. aside from the compliment on your writing, i also wanted to ask you if you had a reading list? you referenced a lot of works in your fanfic and i was wondering if you had a list spare. i never got to do english at uni but want to make right on it. no worries if not! thank you

hello (this reply is gonna be manic asf apologies in advance) thank you so so much !!!!! im so glad you liked it hahahaha i really loved writing it and it came to mean so much to me <3 you’re so kind !!!!!

YES honestly you’ve asked me the ideal question here hahahaha i adore yammering about literature to anyone who’ll listen!! okay hmm some of the texts that were most formative for me while i wrote to build a home were

- the house in paris by elizabeth bowen (1935): really good, really fascinating stuff on the nature of memory and time particularly in relation to narrative voice. loads of stuff about houses and buildings in it, generally just really thoughtfully written. really good child characters which i think often authors can mess up but the kids in this book are really convincing and empathetically portrayed.

- cloudstreet by tim winton (1991): SO interesting. a really cool exploration of working class life in australia, familial bonds and the complexity of family, community and kinship. sad, often, a little bit of magical realism, and again some really cool stuff on houses and particularly houses as having memories

- beloved by toni morrison (1987): in general just one of the best books ever written. i am unable to stop singing morrison’s praises and i really don’t want to hahahah. she was the greatest writer of this century imo and this book is so raw and harrowing. comes with a big trigger warning for a lot of things so i’d read around it before diving in, but it’s an exploration of the immediate legacy of slavery, its psychological and physical repercussions in the years immediately following its abolition, but also with much broader implications for its heritage in the modern day. it’s such an incredible book. again, it looks at houses and memory and narrative.

- persuasion by jane austen (1817): this one is so good. it’s basically my comfort book, i adore it. big lost lover reunion vibes, lovers to enemies to friends to lovers vibes. so beautiful.

- grief is the thing with feathers by max porter (2015): very short, extremely poetical look at grief and loss at its most raw and complex. i cried a LOT while reading this one. it’s messy, visually, this scrawled book with inky images and type. it’s so good, so cathartic. i have this morbid fascination with it which i think you’re meant to have, because we all have this morbid fascination with death even as we’re revolted by it. yeah. couldn’t recommend this one enough.

- nox, by anne carson (2010): a really really messy text about the death of carson’s brother. it’s this book you have to literally unpack from its box, you have to unfold and untangle the pages and it’s really unmanageable (like grief). the box it comes in is like a tombstone, it’s big and heavy and grey. this one is really expensive though so if you want to read other stuff about grief by anne carson i would say read her translation of sophocles’ antigone. i wept. so much. it’s such a good, thorny translation. if you’re interested in greek tragedy in general, i would recommend the translations of anne carson or robert fagles. and theatre of war do really great productions of the plays, particularly looking at their implications in the modern day.

- king lear by billy shakes. just as a play exploring fatherhood and forgiveness and obligation and grief it’s so good. it’s my favourite shakespeare play. you can get it online, and there was a really good film of it out recently with anthony hopkins and florence pugh

some other literature that i love:

- the swan book by alexis wright (2013): i truly cannot and could not fault it. a flawless book. tangled knots of sentences, an incredible exploration of landscape and trauma, the mapping of sorrow, within a particularly environmentalist and indigenous context. 

- giovannis room and go tell it on the mountain by james baldwin

- a thousand splendid suns by khaled hosseini (2007): brilliant brilliant book

fuck this list is getting obnoxiously long sorry okay:

- any play by tennessee williams - any essay by audre lorde - any poem by r s thomas - any other book by toni morrison

if u want more recs please drop me a message any time !! i love giving em