#the girls by emma cline can get it

[royai]

“why would the girls by emma cline have a lower star rating than a court of thorns and roses by sarah j maas” oh well that’s because people who read critically read things like the girls and people who don’t read critically read things like acotar and that’s fine all literature has a place and a purpose (please read better books) and liking something like acotar (god i am begging you please) generally means you’re reading for fun (think and read critically) and not trying to read the next best literary novel (please god please)

[lovegalor333]

fresh start

Lily transfers to UConn in her junior year after a turbulent time.

She needs a fresh start. She needs to move on. She needs to heal.

Lily never imagined that her fresh start would be a person. Especially not a 6’0, blue eyed basketball player.

˖ ᡣ𐭩 ⊹ ࣪ ౨ৎ˚₊✧˚ · .

"Looks like we both have a staring problem."

"If it gets too much...if I get too much, I'll understand."

"Hi pretty girl."

"I don't think I'll ever be OK, Paige. Every time I try, I think I'm doing good then something happens and ruins it."

"Your sister is one of a kind, you know that Drew?"

˖ ᡣ𐭩 ⊹ ࣪ ౨ৎ˚₊✧˚ · .

characters:

paige bueckers as herself

nessa barrett as lily

jules leblanc as kelsey

madelyn cline as hannah

madison bailey as madison

gracie abrams as emma

chris sturniolo as marcus

uconn wbb as themselves

story content warning: talks of depression, talks of self- h*rm, mentions of su*cide, panic attacks, vomit, sexual content, homophobia (each part will have its own warnings so you know specifically)

[this story contains some heavy topics. im sorry if you can relate, please reach out to me if you need to, ily + you’re not alone]

parts:

part one (chapter 1-3)

part two (chapter 4-6)

part three (chapter 7-9)

part four (chapter 10-12)

part five (chapter 13-15)

part six (chapter 16-18)

part seven (chapter 19-21)

part eight (chapter 22-24)

part nine (chapter 25)

*more to come*

˖ ᡣ𐭩 ⊹ ࣪ ౨ৎ˚₊✧˚ · .

my materlist!

i wrote this on wattpad but thought id bring it over here, enjoy 💋💗

[chthonic-cassandra]

Recent books, fiction -

Emma Cline, The Girls - a teenage girl in the late 1960's ends up on the outer edges of a Manson-like (very closely Manson-like) cult. This was okay, but not great, falling too often into cliches about teenage girlhood and lacking a sharp understanding of cult dynamics. By basing the fictional cult in the novel so closely on Charles Manson's Cline gets to handwave a bunch of things about how and why it works, but the seams in the construction show through anyway; Cline's understanding about what leads people to join and stay in these kinds of groups, and how the internal dynamics function, seemed to me persistently surface-level. The strongest part of the novel is the protagonist's potent desire for one of the closest inner circle girls in the cult, which is the reason she becomes entangled much more than any draw from the cult leader himself. There was something interesting there, if Cline had focused on it, and something interesting too in the hints about our protagonist's solitary experiences of lesbian masochistic desire, but this thread was resolved in a way that felt to me disappointingly simplistic. The hints about our protagonist's adulthood following her experience of the cult are also flat, without the messiness of what it can mean to survive that experience. Worth reading as an example of a fictional depiction of organized abuse, but not a great one.

Mona Simpson, Commitment - family saga novel following three siblings as they make lives for themselves following their mother's depressive breakdown and institutionalization in the early 1970's. This had some flashes of clarity and insight, but fizzled out quickly into banality. There were some things that Simpson wanted to say about pragmatism vs making art, and about living in fear of mental illness, but it all got sanded down. The depiction of 'mental illness' is also two dimensional at best. This suffered especially for me in proximity to a recent read-through of The Frederica Quartet, which deals with some similar themes with an incomparably greater level of complexity and beauty. While this novel wasn't terrible, the fact of how lauded it has been made me feel cynical about the state of contemporary literary fiction.

Dion Fortune, Moon Magic - a hilarious but less than successful chapter in my weird journey of reading Fortune's fiction work. Like The Sea Priestess, to which it is a loose sequel, this novel centers around a blatant Dion Fortune self-insert initiating a repressed professional man into sexualized spiritual enlightenment. Unlike The Sea Priestess, Moon Magic is told largely from the point of view of said Dion Fortune self-insert, which brings the narcissism levels up to the nearly intolerable. Left unfinished at Fortune's death, the final chapter was written by her friends which was also not a great choice.

Melody Razak, Moth - a left-leaning, intellectual family in Delhi struggles to cope with the cataclysmic violence of partition. Stepping back from this book there are elements of it, and of the way each character was drawn, which I appreciate, but I felt consistently uneasy reading it, so much that I put it aside for a week in the middle, which is unusual for me. There was something about Razak's narrative gaze which felt exoticizing in its hazy simplicity; this maybe has to do with her conviction to "tell the untold stories" of women who experienced violence during partition, which I don't think is ever a great way to go into a fiction project for reasons I have written about elsewhere. However, the intensely brutal violence of the final section of the book somehow landed for me more as a reader; I don't actually know how I feel about the representational ethics of it, but something about the extremity brought it to a narratively more effective place. I'm still trying to sort through why.

Stacey D'Erasmo, The Complicities - after her husband's conviction for fraudulent business practices, a woman moves to a town in New England, opens a massage practice, and gets emotionally involved with a beached whale. Ugh. This was very bad, and I don't know how it ended up on my to-read list. Flat, simplistic prose style, irritating narrative voice, unlikable characters. Whatever.

Kikuo Tsumura, There's No Such Thing As an Easy Job (trans. Polly Barton) - genuinely hilarious satire on Japanese capitalist culture. A young woman, burnt out on her previous job (the nature of which isn't revealed until the end, which was an effective choice for me and so I'm not spoiling it), seeks to find a form of employment that will require the least possible from her intellectually and emotionally, ending up in increasing surreal work situations. This kind of book often doesn't work for me (I'm not a big humor person), but this was sharp and understated and very good. The section at the cracker factory in particular had me trying ineffectively to explain its hilarity to people around me. Recommended.

Catherine Lacey, Biography of X - in an AU United States where the southern states seceded in the mid-twentieth century, a newly widowed woman attempts to find out the truth about her wife, a notoriously secretive and manipulative artist. This was ambitious in its metafictional conceit and had a premise that intrigued but ultimately didn't live up to its promise. The world-building of Lacey's AU felt implausible and insufficiently developed; there were so many aspects of it that didn't land, like the distracting use of real-life figures or the total lack of critical analysis around race and gender. If the AU premise had been removed and the focus kept tighter on the central relationship it might have worked, but there too we just didn't have enough to go off of. This mostly just made me wish I was rereading Siri Hutvedt's The Blazing World, a much, much stronger metafictional depiction of a female artist, which maybe I should do.

Mariana Enríquez, Our Share of the Night - in Argentina during the period of military dictatorship, a young father attempts to save his son from the abusive group of which he has been a part since childhood. I loved this book so so very much. As a horror novel, as a depiction of organized abuse and intergenerational trauma, as a representation of the ways that state and interpersonal violence repeat and mirror. It's not a perfect book - I think that the last third could be tightened and shifted in certain ways - but what it's doing is so strong and specific that I don't mind. I sort of want to buy a copy and reread it right away. Strongly recommended, with the content note that it is a very emotionally plausible and unsparing depiction of its subject material.

[notmorbid]

the guest.

dialogue prompts from the guest: a novel by emma cline.

you've always been good at seeing things clearly.

compared to the city, this is heaven.

what are people seeing in my aura?

i have no memory of it, but it's possible.

things i touch start to seem doomed.

it's always best not to know too much.

we had fun, didn't we?

you're nice, in your demented way.

a date? an actual date?

this is real, you and me. or it could be.

isn't it better to give people what they want?

you aren't close with your family?

i'm no longer vulnerable to your opinion.

do you need anything, before i head out?

this is a convincing substitute for a life.

no problem is unsolvable.

who could be threatened by a girl scout?

people just want to hear their own voices.

certain places make you feel like all problems have solutions.

what would it take to get you to break character?

i don't really think it's that kind of party.

am i misreading the vibe?

there are many ways to keep knowledge for yourself.

i should've put on real clothes. shoes, at least.

do you have something you want to tell me?

we were friends, weren't we?

i think we've met, maybe, right?

my life before seems a million miles away.

everyone here has known me too long.

do you want a beer?

i'm a vegetarian, mostly.

it would make sense if none of this were real.

whenever i'm scared, i just make myself believe it's all a movie.

i actually like cooking. it relaxes me.

i'd rather sit in here with you.

you don't seem old enough to have a kid.

you can kick me out whenever you need to, really.

come sit with me. please. i'm lonely.

i can make literally anything you want. i went to bartending school.

who would want to fuck ____?

what do we think? good or bad?

i did something that can't be undone.

just get out, okay?

do you think it's not obvious, what your deal is?

sugar doesn't grow your bones.

sorry, i'm visiting. i don't know the rules.

i'm not even a grownup.

i have you. you're okay.

wait. are you feeling sorry for me?

i didn't feel well. i left early.

i'll bet you were one of those kids who never seemed young.

you're, like, really pretty.

people's unhappiness can infect you.

what's your accent?

i kind of wondered if i'd see you.

you don't actually care. you care about seeming like you care.

it's easy to be nice to you.

good to see you out and about.

where'd you go? i missed you.

is there some place quieter?

what bad things could ever befall you?

when you cover something up, it makes people look harder.

i'm gonna kiss you. yeah?

how come you don't tell me anything?

i wish we could just stay here and never go home.

most people never feel how they're supposed to feel.

i'm tired of you keeping tabs on me, acting like i'm a kid.

it looks worse than it actually is.

where are you? how come i'm all alone?

you can't just make this disappear.

it sounded true when i was saying it.

all is good. all is well. lovely, even.

you'll forget it all, with a little effort.

[maxlarens]

hehe can you recommend your favorite books and poetry💜

YES I CAN! giving people book/movie/music recommendations scratches a very specific itch in my brain. i love when people think i have good taste😭 love u forever for this anon!!!!! under the cut because i go ON AND ONNNN AND ON.

anyway. PREFACE. i love poetry, but i tend to collect it through pinterest instead of reading poetry collections. which i feel like is probably the better way of reading poetry. that being said i do have a few fave poems:

a poetry collection i have read is crush by richard siken! it's fairly easy to digest if you're new to poetry. but it's very evocative and deeply emotional for me. i love the poems snow and dirty rain, dirty valentine and litany in which certain things are crossed out.

jessica gives me a chill pill by angie sijun lou is one of my favourite poems ever. my favourite quote comes from it, 'I ask Jessica what drowning feels like and she says not everything feels like something else'.

this is a book? this a translation? this is kind of a play? i think it's fair to also call it poetry. antigonick by anne carson. it's a little difficult to parse but it's so worth it. my favourite line is 'a husband or a child can be replaced but who can grow me a new brother'.

this last one is not technically a poem. it's a game transcript which u should play. but it reads very much as a long poem/short story. it counts to me. anatomy by kitty horrorshow. if you're into haunted houses/body horror you'll like this. i love it very much, i think about it all the time. this is one of my many favorite lines from it: 'When a house is both hungry and awake, every room becomes a mouth.'

okay so that's poetry done. here are my favourite books:

annihilation by jeff vandermeer. if you've seen the movie (with natalie portman) and have no idea about the book i urge u to ignore the movie and read the book. it's science fiction/horror adjacent. i find the main character incredibly compelling and i love the writing style and the way vandermeer talks about nature. it's just a stunning book and has def influenced my writing even if it's not terribly obvious.

you feel it just below the ribs by jeffery cranor and janina matthewson. this is also science fiction. it's written in the world of a podcast i listen to, within the wires. i approached it with context on the world so i'm not sure how it would come across to someone with less context. regardless i think it's fantastically written. i'm not sure how to describe it other than to say i really connected with it emotionally.

the raven cycle series by maggie stiefvater. this is a young adult paranormal fantasy series. in my opinion it's not a typical YA series. rather than focusing overly on romance or love triangles it instead focuses deeply on incredibly well-rounded and multi-faceted characters, the power of friendship😭 and coming of age. romance is there but it's treated with such reverence. it's such a special series and stiefvater is a wonderful writer.

our wives under the sea by julia armfield is an exploration of grief and loss wrapped up in an abstract horror book. i can't describe how it made me feel but i think everyone should read it.

i wont get into these but also: my year of rest and relaxation by ottessa moshfegh, the hunger games series, the girls by emma cline and the grace year by kim liggett (<-i love the first 3/4s of this book. i hate the last 1/4. its worth it for the 3/4s imo).

[randomestfandoms-ocs]

Descendants OC Masterlist A-K

( L - Z )

Name: Ace Hearts

Story: Long Live the Queen

Parents: Queen Of Hearts

Face claim: Curran Walters

Love interest: Evie

Summary: Contrary to popular belief, Ace Hearts was perfectly content with being his sister’s left hand man.  He'd wanted to help her run the isle since long before she’d ever dreamt of doing such a thing.  Being her enforcer, her advisor, her defender in her reign was all he’d ever wanted.  There shouldn’t have been any problem.  Only, there was.  Ace wanted more.  Specifically, he wanted a certain blue haired princess who’d devoted herself to good and to saving the children of the Isle.  But as the changing tides in Auradon start to reflect back onto the Isle, Ace finds he might have to make a choice. 

Name: Princess Ada

Story: Untitled

Parents: Adam

Face claim: Sadie Soverall

Summary: Auradon didn’t hold much value for second born royals, least of all girls.  Princess Adelaide knew that her life had been planned from the day she was born; that she would spend her childhood learning to be a proper princess, attend high school at Auradon Prep, and within a year of her eighteenth birthday she would be married to Chad Charming.  She had accepted it all.  Her lessons were boring but endurable, she had wonderful friends at Auradon Prep, and Chad was her best friend.  She knew better than to expect anything more out of life.

But when Ben brings a group of kids over from the Isle, Ada finds herself wondering if there isn’t a life for her beyond the borders of Auradon; a life where she can make her own path instead of following the one that was mapped out for her.  A path that leads her right to a certain pirate with an accent to die for, and to a discovery about herself that may change the future of the entire kingdom of Auradon.

Name: Princess Addie

Story: Untitled

Parents: Belle & Adam

Face claim: Liana Liberato

Name: Alina Romanova

Story: Untitled

Parents: Anastasia Romanov & Dimitri

Face claim: Maude Apatow

Name: Anissa Radcliffe

Story: Ties That Bind

Parents: Anita & Roger Radcliffe

Face claim: Maia Mitchell

Love Interest: Ben; Aziz

Summary: Anissa Radcliffe had a plan.  Well, Anissa, Sloane, and Kyra had a plan to fix the horrific oversights surrounding the isle, but Anissa had smaller, more achievable plans.  Keep her siblings in line.  Maintain perfect grades and excel in her many extracurriculars.  Get Carlos De Vil off the isle come hell or high water.  Although his mother had lost her mind, Cruella De Vil had once been a dear friend and mentor to Anissa’s own mother, and in another world, she and Carlos may have grown up as family.  As Ben’s coronation approaches, several of her plans are falling into place, but no matter what, Anissa will not lose sight of the most important plan of all: protect Carlos De Vil.  From the isle.  From his mother.  From Auradon.  From himself.

Name: Arden Of DunBroch

Story: A Change Of Fate

Parents: Merida

Face claim:  Hailee Steinfeld

Name: Atalia of Atlantica

Story: Untitled

Parents: Attina

Face claim: Madelyn Cline

Name: Avalon Le Fay

Story: King and Lionheart

AO3 | FFNet | Wattpad

Parents: Merlin & Morgana Le Fay

Face claim:  Emma Dumont

Love interest: Jay; eventual Jay & Harry

Summary: Nimue, daughter of Arthur and Gwen, and Avalon Le Fay, daughter or Merlin and Morgana, had always been thick as thieves, and had always been ready to declare war on Auradon.  Ever since the formation of the Isle, King Adam and the Fairy Godmother had been insisting that Morgana was still a villain, and therefore belonged on the Isle, and once Avalon was born, she agreed–so long as her daughter could stay in Camelot.  When Arthur was killed barely a year later, Merlin and Gwen partnered up to raise their daughters and run a kingdom, until the girls would be old enough to do so themselves.  Of course Auradon never trusted the one kingdom that refused to unite, and insisted that the girls be sent to Auradon prep, and so they went–reluctant as could be.  Everything was fine, mostly–the other princesses looked down on Nimue’s love of swordfighting, and Avalon was never seen as anything but a villain kid, but they still had each other.  They could tolerate it all, biding their time.  But at sixteen years of age, everything they’d ever planned gets thrown for a loop when it’s declared that four children from the Isle would be moving to Auradon.

Nimue belongs to @seaweedhufflepuffocs​

Name: Beatrice

Story: Ever Just As Sure (As The Sun Will Rise)

Parents: The Beast & The Enchantress

Faceclaim: Taissa Farmiga

Summary: If King Adam had known the price of banishing magic from Auradon, he might have reconsidered.  But the former Beast was a stubborn man who refused to heed any warnings, and it had backfired.  He hadn’t known that banishing all magic would rip the last remains of the Enchantress’ curse from his veins, hadn’t known that the magic would redirect itself into the Enchantress, and he certainly hadn’t known that it would lead to the immediate birth of his firstborn child.  But it had.  And while he had no qualms about sending the Enchantress to the Isle, the queen had refused to send her stepdaughter, and so Princess Beatrice had been raised in Auradon alongside her younger brother.  She knew the truth about her birth, and she knew that her father hated her with every fibre of his being, but she didn’t care.  What she did care about was Ben’s decision to bring children from the Isle to Auradon - children that could have been her, had Belle not stepped in - and proving to her father, once and for all, that her generation is something more than just the children of heroes and villains, that they can be their own people and make their own choices.  And maybe the children of the four baddest villains are the perfect people to help her with that plan.

Name: Bessie Sawyer

Story: Untitled

Parents: Becky Thatcher & Tom Sawyer

Face claim:  Saorise Ronan

Name: Blossom

Story: Faith, Trust (And A Little Pixie Dust)

Parents: N/A

Faceclaim:  Bailee Madison

Love Interest: Ben

Summary: When a baby laughs for the first time, a new fairy is born.  When Prince Benjamin Florian laughed for the first time, Blossom was born.  From that day forth, the prince and his fairy were inseparable. The citizens of Auradon always said that their rulers had given them both a prince and a princess when Ben was born, and Blossom was beloved by the kingdom.  But when Ben brings four villain children to Auradon, Blossom is afraid.  Afraid for her kingdom, afraid for her safety, and afraid for her prince.  She is Ben’s fairy, she has to protect him at all costs; she has to do whatever it takes to make sure that Ben’s first action as king is a success, even if it means saving the VKs from themselves.  Even if it means breaking her own heart.

Name: Callista Gainey

Story: Untitled

Parents: Cassandra

Face claim: Lulu Antariksa 

Name: Chessy Of Arendelle

Story: All Is Found

Parents: Redacted / Anna & Kristoff

Face claim: Mackenzie Foy

Love Interest: Ben

Summary: Chessy of Arendelle had never once doubted how loved she was.  She knew how much her parents loved her, the newborn infant they’d found miraculously still alive in the snow outside of their castle.  They’d chosen her, had brought her home and raised her as their own, the crown princess of Arendelle.  Her aunt loved her, her kingdom loved her, and her best friend, Crown Prince Ben of Auradon loved her.  That was enough for her.  That was more than enough for her.  But… the mystery.  Not knowing who she was, where she came from.  The answers that seemed to slip further out of reach every time she thought she’d come close to understanding.  Chessy didn’t need a family that hadn’t wanted her, she didn’t need to be anyone more than who she already was.  But she did need to know who she could have been.

Name: Chiara Potts

Story: Certain As The Sun (Rising In The East)

Parents: Chip Potts & Redacted

Faceclaim:  Danielle Rose Russell

Love Interest: Ben & Evie

Summary: Chiara Potts is as far from a princess as you can get - well, unless you ask Cinderella.  She’s the daughter of a servant, and the granddaughter of a servant.  And she herself is a servant.  Granted, they don’t call her that, but Chiara is only the latest in the long line of Potts’ to serve the royal family.  Still, despite being his chief of staff and majordomo, Ben is her best friend.  And yes, maybe her job is the reason that they’re inseparable, but they still are.  So of course, Chiara is the first person to know about his plans to bring Villain Kids to Auradon.  She’s also the first person to defend his idea, and the person that he asks to help them settle in.  But when Chiara overhears their plans, she has to decide - will she try to change their minds and prove Ben right to all of Auradon, or will she have to go against him - and what will that cost her?

Name: Chryseis

Story: We Could Be Immortals (Just Not For Long)

Parents: Poseison

Faceclaim:  Holland Roden

Summary: Poseidon isn’t a hero.  He’s a god, yes, but not a hero.  His granddaughter Ariel is a hero, his nephew Hercules is a hero, but Poseidon is not a hero.  So no one is really sure why his youngest daughter has just started at Auradon Prep, only days after Ben announced the impending arrival of four villain kids.  But Chryseis knows.  Mal, daughter of Maleficent, is also the daughter of Hades, and the Olympians are afraid.  And Chryseis, only sixteen and still learning to be a goddess, is the only person who can find out her intentions, the only person who can stop her from potentially destroying Olympus.

Name: Cian Hearts

Story: Lavender Haze

Parents: Queen Of Hearts

Face claim: Gavin Leatherwood

Love Interest: Violet Kingsleigh

Summary: Cian Hearts didn’t hate Auradon.  No, to hate Auradon would suggest that he cared, and he didn’t.  He cared about surviving, about maintaining his mother’s territory and protecting his people, not about Auradon.  Nor, to his mother’s displeasure, about Wonderland.  Neither would help him live to see another day, so neither warranted a second thought on his part.  Or so he believed, until he received an invitation – a royal summons, if you asked him – to attend Auradon Prep along with four others from the isle.  With no real say in the matter, Cian packs up his life and crosses the barrier, determined to keep his head down – and attached to his neck – until Prince Ben gave up on his foolish plan.  Unfortunately, the king-to-be forgot to mention that they would be starting school with one more transfer student: Violet Kingsleigh, heir to Wonderland and daughter of his mother’s sworn nemesis.

Name: Cosette Bellefleur

Series: Lust For Life

Story: Darling, Darling; Doll Face; Cherry

Parents: Claudette Bellefleur

Face claim: Lily Rose Depp

Love Interest: Gaston; Prince Ben; Prince Chad; Henry Turner

Summary: On the Isle Of The Lost, survival was a simple matter of strength and power. Cosette Bellefleur knew that she would never have the strength, so instead she focused on the power. Sharpening her own skillset, Cosette earned herself the protection of the strongest of the strong: Gaston. And while she may have had her flirtations and her flings, at the end of the day, Cosette belonged to Gaston, and his strength belonged to her. It was the perfect system.

But when Prince Ben, soon to be King Ben, makes his first royal proclamation, everything changes. In a fit of what he undoubtedly considered fairytale-level kindness, five children of villains would be brought to Auradon, and Cosette would be one of them. It made sense, of course, but that didn’t make it any less unpleasant for her. Ripped away from her friends and lovers, from her home, and from her protector, Cosette would have no one to rely on but Mal’s crew, and there was certainly no lost love there.

But when her unwilling allies need a way to get close to the prince, Cosette may just find a way to ensure their loyalty and secure herself a new protector all in one fell swoop.

Name: Eliane

Story: Into The Unknown

Parents: Redacted

Face claim: Abigail Cowen

Love Interest: Harry Hook

Name: Elise Charming

Story: Enchanted

Parents: Prince Charming & Cinderella

Face claim:  Sabrina Carpenter

Love interest: Evie; Ben & Evie

Summary: Princess Elizabeth Victoria Isabelle Katherine Grace Regina Alexandria James – more affectionately known as Elise Charming – had been raised on one simple lesson.  Have courage and be kind.  And for sixteen years, she had lived by those words.  Alongside her twin brother Chad and their best friends Ben and Audrey, Elise had been picture perfect royalty. The four of them were perfectly sweet, perfectly charming, perfectly… well, perfectly perfect.  But when Ben, weeks away from his coronation, decides to bring over four Villain Kids from the Isle of the Lost, their perfect group falls apart.  Elise is sure that they can get through it, that they can hold their heads high and rebuild their perfect friendship, and that everything will be okay.  And then the Villain Kids arrive in Auradon, and the most beautiful girl in the world steps out of the limousine.

Name: Evander Grimhilde

Story: Untitled

Parents: Evil Queen & King Richard

Face claim:  Taylor Zakhar Perez

Love interest: Topher Charming

Summary: Evander Grimhilde was highly aware of the fact that his life was not normal, even for the isle of the lost.  Mostly, he knew, it was because he was the first child born on the Isle.  The blueprint, the model, the test subject.  He was born before the villains had the idea to use their children as soldiers to defend their turf, before they decided that survival and gaining power was more important than planning for getting off the Isle.  No, where his kids — and they were; every child on the Isle was his.  His to protect, his to raise, his to love the way their parents never were — were raised to be their parents’ henchmen, Evander was raised to be king.  He learned history and finances, potions alongside politics, everything there was to know about the United Kingdom of Auradon and every kingdom within it.  Evander was as qualified to be a king as anyone could hope to be, except for one teensy tiny little detail: he still lived on the Isle.

At least until Prince Ben turned 16 and made his very first proclamation as king — to bring five children from the Isle to Auradon.  His sister, her crew, and Evander himself.  With his kingdom finally within reach, Evander’s destiny is finally within his reach.  The only problem is that Evander isn’t actually sure if he wants his destiny; especially once he meets Topher Charming.

Name: Finley Rider

Story: Stolen Heart

Parents: Rapunzel and Flynn Rider

Face claim: Virginia Gardner

Love interest: past Ben; Jay; eventual Ben & Jay

Summary: Finley Rider – Princess Finley Fitzherbert – was all set to live a fairytale life.  She was the heir to the throne of Corona, her parents’ pride and joy, and betrothed to her best friend, Prince Benjamin.  But when a ten year old Finley gets bored at a museum gala and decides to see how many artifacts she can lift without getting noticed, everything changes. When the Beast King catches her stealing Jafar’s staff, he loses his temper.  The child is sent to the Isle, Corona breaks ties with Auradon, and Ben loses his best friend.  

On her first day on the Isle, Finley gets caught stealing a bracelet off of Lady Tremaine.  But rather than tell the woman, the boy introduces himself as Jay, son of Jafar, and offers Finley a partnership.  Their alliance soon grows into a friendship, and Jay introduces Finley to the other VKs, bringing her into their team.  The five of them rule the island with ease, causing trouble wherever they go.  It isn’t perfect, but Finley has learned to move on from Corona, and from Auradon.  So of course, that’s when Prince Ben makes his first royal proclamation; bringing children of the Isle to Auradon.  The daughter of Maleficent, the son of Jafar, the daughter of the Evil Queen, and the son of Cruella De Vil.  And the princess of Corona.

Name: Fraser Fitzherbret / Fitz Rider

Story: Stolen Heart

Parents: Rapunzel and Flynn Rider

Face claim: Matt Cornett

Love interest: Harry Hook; TBD

Name: Gloria Gothel

Story: Mother Knows Best

Parents: Mother Gothel

Face claim: Melissa Barrera

Summary: Gloria Gothel didn’t care about politics.  Not on the isle, not in Auradon.  She didn’t care about running the biggest turf, about having the strongest crew, she only cared about survival.  She had gotten it wrong once, had made the rookie mistake of getting attached to other people, of caring about something beyond covering her own ass, but it was a mistake that she would never make again.  But when an invitation comes for her to go to Auradon along with Maleficent’s daughter and her crew, Gloria finds herself at a crossroads.  Once again she has a choice to make, between looking out for her own self interest or taking care of the family she’d never meant to find.

Name: Griffin

Story: Untitled

Parents: Grumpy

Face claim: Joshua Bassett

Name: Halle Finn

Story: Untitled

Parents: Huckleberry Finn

Face claim: Kathryn Newton

Name: Hannah Westergaard

Story: Don’t Blame Me

Parents: Hans Westergaard

Face claim: Kat McNamara

Summary: As far as children of the Isle went, Hannah Westergaard was pretty standard.  Abusive father, no known mother, and no special talents of abilities whatsoever.  As much as she hates to admit it, she’s boring by the Isle’s standards, so why on earth is Prince Ben inviting her to Auradon?  And more importantly, why does it seem like maybe she isn’t quite as boring as she’s been lead to believe?

Name: Harley Hook

Story: Lost Girl

Parents: Captain Hook

Face claim:  India Eisley

Love interest: Jay; possible endgame Jay & Gil

Summary: Harley Hook was a pirate, through and through.  Always at her brother’s side, always with Uma and the crew, always near her beloved Gil, Harley Hook was a pirate.  And as a pirate, she absolutely hated Mal’s gang.  They thought that they were so much better than anyone, just because of Mal’s mom - big whoop, it’s not like Maleficent could even use magic on the Isle.  So yeah, Harley hated the VKs, her loyalty was to the crew, and she was never seen away from Harry or Gil.  And then the princeling decides to bring children of some of the worst villains to Auradon: Mal, Evie, Jay, Carlos.  And Harley.  Harley couldn’t be more furious at being taken away from her crew, or at being sent to Auradon, or at being forced to work with the VKs to get Fairy Godmother’s wand.  But she knows that if she wants to get back to the Isle, back to her family, she needs that barrier down as much as they do.  She’s just not sure that they can cooperate long enough for that.

Name: Harmony Of Atlantica

Story: Carved Out Of The Sea

Parents: Ariel & Prince Eric

Face claim:  Kaya Scodelario

Love interest: Harry Hook

Summary: Princess Harmony was a youngest child’s youngest child, she knew that she would never be anything special.  Her mom was Ariel, and her sister Melody had united their parents’ kingdoms.  Harmony was nothing in comparison.  So Harmony went on her own adventures, swimming as far as she could and discovering the wonders of the world outside of Atlantis.  She’d heard of the Isle of the Lost of course, everyone had, but she never planned on finding it.  She never planned on swimming through the barrier, or on finding out that she would no longer be able to turn into a mermaid when she did, or on never being able to swim back across.  And so, Harmony grew up on the Isle along with the children of the villains.  She befriended pirates and princesses and everything in between, and she almost forgot about life in Atlantis.  And then the future king summons four of the children of the Isle to Auradon, and Harmony knows that she has to seize her only chance at returning to her home, even if it means leaving behind her partner - in crime and in love - Harry Hook.

Name: Hayden

Story: Dying Is An Art

Parents: Hades & Maleficent

Face claim: Jenny Boyd

Summary: Hayden was raised by Hades, knowing full well who her mother - and sister - was.  But Mal doesn’t know about her.  So for most of her life, Hayden hid.  She hid away in her dad’s cave and had very few friends.  And then Prince Ben summons five Villain Kids to Auradon - the son of Jafar, the son of Cruella De Vil, the daughter of the Evil Queen, the daughter of Maleficent, and the daughter of Hades.  But only Hayden knows the truth.  And now she has to keep her secret, and try to stop her sister and her friends from stealing the wand, but she might have to choose between her two missions.

Name: Helena

Story: Long Live the Queen

Parents: Hades & Persephone

Face claim:  Teagan Croft

Love interest: Queenie Hearts

Summary:  Living on the Isle wasn’t easy, but there was something particularly difficult about it for a goddess.  Her dad couldn’t be kept on the Isle–they’d tried, no one died anymore, he was allowed to return to the Underworld. But when Helena was born, she was cast away to join the rest of the Villains and their children, forced to fend for herself.  Being a goddess had its advantages too, she was able to survive and rise up with no problem.  Soon she was the right hand to the newest queen, and hell would freeze before she let anyone take that away from them.

Name: Hero

Story: Untitled

Parents: Hercules & Megara

Face claim: Rachel Zegler

Name: Honey La Bouff

Story: Impossible Dreams

AO3 | Wattpad

Parents: Lottie LaBouff

Face claim: Meg Donnelly

Love interest: Ben & Chad

Summary: As if being raised by a single mother, with a father who passed away before she was born, didn’t make her enough of an oddity, Honey La Bouff was one of the only students at Auradon Prep who wasn’t the child of a prince, princess, or hero.  But despite being looked down on by most of the student body, Honey was best friends with the two most popular boys in school; Prince Ben and Chad Charming.  Honey and Chad had always seen it as their responsibility to look out for their more naïve best friend, and when Ben decides to bring five Villain Kids to Auradon – a decision that both Honey and Chad had been pushing for since they were still in their single digits – they know they’ll have their work cut out for them.  But, all things considered, the VKs seem to be adapting well, and Honey is excited to have them in Auradon.  Or she was, until she takes an extremely suspicious cookie away from Ben and finds herself the victim of a long since forbidden magical roofie.

Name: Princess Isabelle

Story: Tale As Old As Time

Parents: Belle & The Beast

Face claim:  Danielle Campbell

Love interest: Audrey

Summary:  By all rights, Princess Isabelle should be next in line for the throne of Auradon.  She was the firstborn child of the king, after all, and much more politically minded than her twin brother.  But her father, beast that he was, had no intention of ever letting her take her rightful place as queen.  But Belle is her mother’s daughter, and has no intentions of giving up, she just needs a new plan.  And then Ben decides to bring children of the Isle to Auradon, and Isabelle finds herself in the perfect position to get exactly what she’s always wanted.  If only she can go through with it.

Name: Isadora Darling

Story: Second Star To The Right

Parents: Jane Darling

Face claim:  Olivia Holt

Love Interest: Harry Hook

Name: Kate Turner

Story: Untitled

Parents: Elizabeth Swann & Will Turner

Face claim: Grace Van Dien

Name: Keto Jones

Story: Daughter Of Death

Parents: Davy Jones

Face claim: Natalie Alyn Lind

Love Interest: Harry Hook

Name: Krystal Of Arendelle

Story: More Than Just The Spare

Parents: Anna & Kristoff

Face claim:  Willow Shields

Name: Princess Kyra

Story: Ties That Bind

Parents: Jasmine & Aladdin

Face claim: Naomi Scott

Love Interest: Jay

[ofvanitixs]

–– (madelyn cline, twenty-four, she/her, cis-female) introducing EMMA VANITY, a PUREBLOOD former SLYTHERIN. friends say they can be ELOQUENT and INDEPENDENT, but also SELF-CENTERED and CATTY. after the war they got a job working as a REGULATIONS ANALYST FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF MAGICAL GAMES AND SPORTS, and it seems to fit them. rumor has it they were on NEUTRAL’s side during the war, but who knows if that’s true or not.

the basics ;;

Full Name: Emma Valarié Vanity Nickname: Em is acceptable to close friends, though her name is certainly short enough.    Age: 24 Birthday: June 28th   Gender & Pronouns: Cis female & she/her   Blood Status: Pureblood   Sexual Orientation: Bisexual   Relationship Status: Single   Affiliation in the War: Neutral/slight obligation to Death Eater leaning Occupation: Regulations Analyst for the Department of Magical Games and Sports   Languages spoken: English, Spanish, Italian, French, and some German     Personality type: ENTJ  

personality ;;

Likes: France, thunderstorms, Quidditch, fuzzy socks on cold nights, champagne, being right, light green, soft music playing while in a bath, cats, her job, spicy food, her family, high heels, and laying out on the beach on hot summer days.     Dislikes: Tardiness, ballroom dancing, anyone who undermines or discredits her, long lines, the smell of vanilla, rock music, two-faced people, cold weather, inexpensive sheets, and being interrupted.     Fears: Honestly? Getting pregnant, and the Appleby Arrows losing. She very much would love to have kids at some point, but currently views having children as being the end of her life being hers.     Strengths: Cunning, eloquent, independent, realistic, and curious.     Weaknesses: Self-centered, cold, catty, stubborn, and vain.  

appearance ;;

Height: 5′4′’   Eye Color: Light brown Hair Color: Blonde   Hair Style: Her hair has a natural messy wave to it, though Emma usually has her hair straight, or in more defined curls hanging down her back. She also tends to love putting her hair in intricate braids and updos, but you know the young witch is having a bad day if she throws her hair up in a messy bun and calls it good.    Scars/Distinguishing Features: Several scars over various parts of her body from many years of Quidditch. Most of them are small and couldn’t be seen unless one was looking.    Clothing Style: Lace, bold colors, high heels. She very much likes to look well dressed 100% of the time, unless she’s home.

wizarding world information ;;

Previous School/House: Slytherin   Extracurriculars at School: Slug club and Quidditch Beater and Captain    Wand Type: Vine, Unicorn hair, 11.5 inches long, and rigid   Patronus: If she could cast a patronus it would be a white peacock.   Boggart: Emma would see herself on her knees, wearing a wedding dress and in shackles unable to move. There is the cry of a baby somewhere in the background, and no matter how much she screams no sound escapes.    Amortentia: Lemon dessert, the grass just after it rained, fresh linens, salt water, and lavender.     Mirror of Erised: Emma would see herself as the head of her department. 

other information ;;

- Early on Emma learned fairy tales weren’t only made of dreams, but nightmares as well. Though her childhood was filled with expensive lace dresses, dolls brought from far away travels, and tea out on the hill that looked out over the gardens, the young Vanity quickly learned it was to distract her from other things her family her did which they didn’t want her to see. She was exceptionally good at turning a blind eye when she wanted to, but the girl was born with a curious mind.   - Hogwarts was really where the young girl flourished. She had her friends that were approved by her family--- mostly members of The Sacred Twenty-Eight, but she was also good at keeping a secret. Emma could never wrap her head around hating someone due to their blood status. Sure, she didn’t openly share that, but the thought always nagged at the back of her mind, ever since she was a kid. She also had a fair share of friends she admired, but couldn’t exactly invite home for the holidays.   - After many pushes towards a betrothal, Emma still didn’t have one by the time she graduated. It was her one bargaining chip after all--- she wasn’t going to throw it away without getting something in return. Her passion was to get a job out of school, even if she didn’t need the money; she did well in her studies, and had no desire to be a socialite and sit at home with kids in her early twenties. Many talent scouts had been after her for certain teams, and Emma did tryout to play Quidditch professionally. Every team she tried out for accepted her, but in the end she turned them all down. Though the young Vanity loved nothing more than to play the game, she believed she could help make it better. After weeks of contemplating, she finally accepted her position at the Ministry in the Department of Magical Games and Sports.    - Sometimes people wonder why Emma is so competitive when it comes to everything and everyone around her--- as if she doesn’t wake up every morning before her already early job, to run laps in her neighborhood. She competes with herself first thing in the morning every day to be better than she was the day before. While striving to be better may usually be a positive thing, Emma certainly takes it up a notch. 

[inklore]

hi laur!! ❣️😗 for the ask game: 19, 24, 31, 42, and 57! 🫶🏽

have you ever been to New York?

i actually live in new york, the state not the city, and i have never been to the city. i’m sure someday i’ll make my lil self up there but for now it’s not a priority because it’s not my fav city (shoutout to chicago <3)

height

the doctor says 5’4 but i’m certain i’m a steady 5’6-5’7 on a good day lmaooo

3 random facts

i’m forever a passenger princess because driving is scary (and i think i might have a speeding problem from the few times i’ve been behind the wheel), growing up i was obsessed with the movie ‘thirteen’ which explains a lot about me i think, i was a severely quiet kid growing up to the point that my empathy and people watching skills are insane and i should have invested my time in going into a career dealing with that because i can read people toooooo well!

favourite book(s)

a dowry of blood by s.t. gibson (freaking read this book asap if you bi and like vamps), fangs by sarah anderson, daisy jones & the six by taylor jenkins reid, the night circus by erin morgenstern, seven days in june by tia williams, the girls by emma cline, and blood moon by jillian graves!!

favourite animal(s)

elephants, cats, dogs, foxes, sloths (told my family i enjoyed them once and now they won’t stop buying me sloth merch, it must stop!)

get to know me!

[myrefersofficial]

Top 10 Books We Can't Wait to Read in 2023

"Books are the mirrors that reflect the beauty and complexity of our world."

The new year is always exciting for book lovers, as it promises new stories, fresh perspectives, and unexplored worlds. As we enter 2023, we can't help but feel thrilled about the books that are set to be released in the upcoming months. 

From highly anticipated sequels to exciting debut novels, there is something for everyone on the horizon. This blog has compiled a list of the top 10 books we can't wait to read in 2023. So, grab a coffee, cozy up, and get ready to add these books to your TBR pile.

List Of Top 10 Books In 2023

#1 Spare

Author - Prince Harry

Release - January

The world has seen Prince Harry grow up, but they have only gotten to know him personally. His biography is an "honest and fascinating personal portrayal." The memoir is expected to explore his mother, Diana's death and why he and his wife, Meghan Markle, left the royal life behind.

#2 Sam

Author - Allegra Goodman

Release - January

"Sam," pick of the year, is a coming-of-age narrative with language that mirrors its protagonists' growth and evolution as Sam does. The story is about a girl who has lost her childhood's magic and purity to regain her strength and hope.

#3 The Shards 

Author - Brett Easton Ellis

Release - January

Less Than Zero, Bret Easton Ellis' first book, was published in 1985. The Shards is Ellis' first novel in 13 years. It is fascinating, brilliant, and disturbing, transporting readers to the early 1980s. It's about Ellis, a high school senior who writes a book called "Less Than Zero." 

He has a gang of wealthy, attractive friends who are being pursued by a serial killer known as "the Trawler." There is extravagant violence, shocking eroticism, and a never-ending list of song and movie titles that fit a certain mood. 

#4 The Guest 

Author - Emma Cline

Release - May

It is a captivating literary account written from the perspective of the deceiver herself. Exiled from her ex-Hampton boyfriend's house, she convinces herself she can hang out for a week and make an uninvited appearance at his weekend party.

#5 Age of Vice

Author - Deepti Kapoor

Release - January

Age of Vice has been compared to a modern-day Godfather, but it is much more. Kapoor's huge but propulsive blockbuster novel is an addictive and socially conscious thriller that depicts contemporary India in all its enthralling complexity. 

At the heart of the conflict are three dissimilar souls: a playboy with ambition beyond his corrupt background, a servant, and a journalist. The most captivating of these characters is also the most vulnerable—a young guy whose criminal life begins with a minor disagreement.

#6 The Survivalists

Author - Kashana Cauley

Release - January

Aretha is an ambitious, focused, and logical lawyer until she meets another orphan. Aaron, who escaped Hurricane Sandy by perching on a refrigerator in a Greenwich Village apartment as the waves rose, is now a co-owner of a coffee shop.

His business partner and roommate are survivalists with a bunker in their backyard. A reluctant Aretha is dragged into Aaron's world of Brooklyn survivalists preparing for a possible apocalypse. The book will create a sensation in your mind. 

#7 The Racism of People Who Love You

Author -  Samira K. Mehta

Release - January

This one-of-a-kind art addresses an issue many struggle with in our increasingly diverse yet chronically divided society—the pain and pressure points regarding race that remain in the most intimate areas.

#8 The Skin and Its Girl

Author - Sarah Cypher

Release - April

Betty, a lesbian Palestinian American woman, uncovers a series of notes from her late aunt that assist her in navigating a difficult decision in this family drama about exile and immigration. Her aunt's writings show a complex existence full of secrets beyond Betty's imagination and the answer to whether she should leave her native country to pursue the love of her life.

#9 The Last Tale of the Flower Bride

Author - Roshani Chokshi

Release - February

Roshani Chokshi's enthralling first adult novel is a fairytale-infused drama about marriage and the secrets couples hold from each other. That, plus an enchanting mansion off the coast of Washington and a fortune in hotels.

#10 Hang the Moon

Author - Jeannette Walls

Release - March

In this brilliant narrative of Prohibition-era Virginia, the author of the renowned book 'The Glass Castle' depicts the Tudor dynasty's power grabs and double-crosses. Sallie Kincaid is expelled from her house after her younger half-brother is killed in an accident.

She leaves her flamboyant father, Duke, and the little village where she grew up. Sallie forges her path nine years later, overseeing the family business while managing feuds and uncovering family secrets.

Conclusion

Books are not just collections of paper and ink; they are collections of ideas and dreams!

Reading books of different genres is important as it provides a wide range of perspectives and ideas that can broaden an individual's knowledge and understanding of the world. Reading fiction can develop empathy and learn about human behavior and cultural practices. 

Non-fiction books, however, provide an opportunity to learn about the world's history, scientific advancements, and different fields of study. Reading books of different genres can also expand an individual's vocabulary and language skills.

It can be useful in their personal and professional lives. Exposure to various genres can improve critical thinking skills and analytical abilities as different genres may require different cognitive processes and analysis methods.

Furthermore, reading books of different genres can also be an excellent form of entertainment and relaxation, providing an escape from reality and allowing individuals to experience different worlds, cultures, and perspectives. 

Reading books of different genres is essential for personal growth, intellectual development, and a more profound understanding of the world. Hope you will like our suggestions. So, start reading right away!!

Books are the silent mentors that shape our lives and inspire us to become the best version of ourselves.

Visit Us, https://myrefers.com Original source, https://bit.ly/3KRvZPz

[finchleaf]

i got back home on the 31st yay!!! happy to be home :) but i’ll probably start missing my family again asap. i bought some new clothes while i was in turkey (everything’s from pull and bear; it’s my favorite european store!!) also reread a childhood favorite book of mine: and then there were none. did anyone else go through an agatha christie phase/addiction in middle school ??

also!!! got my ap scores back (ap language + world history) and got 5′s on both??? (for non-us folk, that’s the highest score you can get) i feel over the moon considering i got a 2 last year on ap gov :) excited to save some money in college now

i was on a college visit during august 5+6 so i thought i’d include the prompts for those days as well!

5th august - what is your ultimate summertime song?

oh definitely anything by the band summer salt!! especially their song heart and my car :)

6th august - what is your favorite summertime movie?

la la land

7th august - do you read a lot in the summer?

happy to say that this year: YES! somehow i got back into the groove of reading and i’m trying to do it every day. since june, i’ve read the road less traveled, the girls (by emma cline), (i attempted) a portrait of the artist as a young man, and how the garcia girls lost their accent. currently about to start a couple of novels by ian mcewan! most of this is prep for my ap lit class haha :)

[northern-passage]

Do you have any book recommendations?

oh boy... i'm probably not the best person to ask because i haven't finished a book in over a year (lol) but i can give you some that i remember fondly (but take it with a grain of salt since i haven't read them in years)

sharp objects by gillian flynn

annihilation / southern reach trilogy by jeff vandermeer

not my father's son by alan cumming

universal harvester by john darnielle

on earth we're briefly gorgeous by ocean vuong

wishful drinking, the princess diarist, shockaholic & postcards from the edge by carrie fisher

the luminous dead by caitlin starling

the night circus by erin morgenstern

the revenant by michael punke (there is something about the way this story ends that keeps me up at night)

umm now for more recent books, aka books i have bought and may have started but have not finished 😶 but to give you an idea of my ever growing stack of books lmao....

i'm actually currently reading a cloak of red by brenna gawain and really enjoying it (it's what i've been reading over the holidays during travel) i haven't read any of the other books of the underrealm but i can definitely recommend this one and if you're into fantasy (i'm assuming if you're here... you are lol) then definitely check out the publisher and the other books, they focus on diverse fantasy and i'll definitely look to them in the future whenever i get another fantasy itch.

crying wolf by barbara truelove (this is next on my to-read list and if you've read blood moon it's by the same author :-))

sharks in the time of saviors by kawai strong washburn

the left hand of darkness by ursula k le guin (sorry i'm showing up late with starbucks to le guin's work but i cannot recommend her stuff enough)

the last duel by eric jager

the only good indians by stephen graham jones

the priory of the orange tree by samantha shannon

elatsoe by darcie little badger

three parts dead / the craft sequence by max gladstone (coincidentally this is a CoG author though i did not know it at the time of purchasing this book which has been on my bookshelf for years... but he also wrote choice of the deathless)

the girls by emma cline

the way through the woods: of mushrooms and mourning by long litt woon

h is for hawk by helen macdonald

pachinko by min jin lee

umm now are these recommendations... idk i haven't read them yet LOL but idk maybe you'll see something you like. the last time i was actually consistently reading i read a Lot of non-fiction, i like memoirs and i like historical non-fiction but i know not a lot of people vibe with that (the last duel i expect most people to not care for but i saw the movie trailer and was curious about the story behind it bc that stuff interests me)

i read alan cumming's not my father's son in college but it really stuck with me and again all of carrie fisher's books.. she is a great storyteller and really fucking funny. i've read a lot of books on environmental history ie the national parks and the forest service in the US because i worked for them for a few years, and i've tried to read a lot of indigenous authors as well - braiding sweetgrass by robin wall kimmerer is essential reading at this point.

anyways sorry if you were coming here for fantasy recs i don't really read fantasy surprisingly :-( and i've read a lot of horror but not a lot of GOOD horror lmfao. stephen graham jones i definitely recommend tho he has quite a few other horror books as well, the last final girls by him is also on my to-read list. when i was younger i read all of danielle vega's books as well but for the life of me i cannot remember if they were like... good. lmao. a lot of times i start reading a horror book and it becomes very clear they are going to go down the "scary mentally ill person stops taking their medication" route and so i have a lot of half-read and abandoned horror books... if you all have any horror recs i will GLADLY take them pls

[andallthatmishigas]

Rules: Tag 10 people you want to get to know better!

Tagged by @emma-hahn and @corasorangejuice (omg you guys, thank youuuu! I loved getting to read your posts!)

Favorite time of the year: Autumn for sure.  I love the sunny days and the brisker weather and HALLOWEEN and I just love the pre-holiday time when we have the anticipation and the trees start to change but it’s not too dark or too cold yet and it’s just perfect.  We are almost getting to spooky season and I cannot wait.

Comfort foods: Macaroni and Cheese is my favorite food of all time, particularly the deluxe four cheese from Kraft and I add a little bit of truffle salt to it.  Other comfort foods for me are my mom’s ground turkey tacos and the grilled ahi tuna my dad does on the barbecue with the sauce my mom makes (sesame teriyaki with wasabi and sour cream all melted and magnificent)

Do you collect anything? I used to collect miniature snow globes and now I collect magnets whenever I travel.  And I don’t think books count as collecting but I live in a studio apartment and I have 3 enormous bookshelves and I need another one so maybe that counts.  Oh and I low key collect makeup products but I use all my insane shit so...

Favorite drink: Red wine probably.  But I love an old fashioned or other classic whiskey cocktails or a fruity vodka cocktail.  I mostly drink a lot of water day in and out.

Favorite music artists: Oh man okay get ready for a paragraph that no one will read.  I was raised on the big-voiced divas.  Barbra Streisand is the deity to whom I pray.  Celine Dion and Whitney Houston and Julie Andrews are how I learned how to sing when I was younger.  Bette Midler is deeply important to my soul, as is Cher (I basically have the taste of a middle-aged stereotypical gay man, it’s fine).  Liza Minnelli and Judy Garland and Patti LuPone.  Love a big belter.  And then if we get away from the showtunes and divas, I love almost anything from the 60s, especially Herman’s Hermits, The Beatles and all those fabulous Motown artists.  Peter, Paul and Mary and Patsy Cline are deep loves of mine.  Jim Croce (another reason for me to love Jim Hopper, he’s a Croce fan).  And then of course we have my all time favorite bands, ABBA and Fleetwood Mac.  Deep love of jazz standards singers, especially Ella Fitzgerald and Frank Sinatra (my whole family were jazz musicians so I was raised on Sarah Vaughn and the whole Rat Pack).  Also why I have such a love of Sadie and the Hot Heads and Michael Buble. Modern artists I love are Taylor Swift, Beyonce, Ed Sheeran, Walk the Moon, Lizzo, Lil Nas X, Sugarland, Michael Buble, P!nk, Miley Cyrus, Maroon 5, Lady Gaga, Kesha, Imagine Dragons, Florence + the Machine, George Ezra and uhhhh I’ll stop it there I guess.

Current favorite songs:

(not gonna link them because I’m running late right now so here’s just five songs off the top of my head that I really love)

Back to Before by Patti LuPone (original from Ragtime performed by the amazing Marin Mazzie but I just am too obsessed with Patti’s voice)

Leaving on a Jetplane by Peter Paul and Mary (my favorite song of all time)

Mamma Mia by ABBA (has become my go-to karaoke song because I sing it really well and it’s just so fun and people love it lol)

Daylight by Taylor Swift (created an entire AU crossover fic just so I could use the lyrics in a couple chapters and this song just hits my soul real deep)

Rainbow by Kesha (”what’s left of my heart’s still made of gold” is a lyric that came to me at a very hard time in my life and it makes me cry whenever I even say it out loud and it’s very important to me)

Favorite fics: (again not linking because I don’t have time but you can find them all on ffn) Galway Girl by @rahleeyah (Spooks AU fic that changed my life and I think about it at least once a week), A Messy Kind of Love by rahleeyah (Doctor Blake fic that is the reason Leah and I became friends and one of the most impactful things I’ve ever read and also changed my life), One Fine Day by rahleeyah (Spooks AU fic she wrote for me and it’s everything I could have ever wanted), Dolce Notte and Calda Notte by @whatsabriard (Downton fics, the concepts of which have been in my head for forever and I just cannot stop thinking about how magnificent the idea is), Heartlines by ladycobert (Downton fic so good I just didn’t work at all one day so I could read it and as soon as I finished it, I read it again), The Proper Way of Things by AndAllThatMishigas (my Downton masterpiece that I’m more proud of and had more fun with than anything ever), Forever In Your Arms by AndAllThatMishigas (Doctor Blake vampire Jean which is really what I want to be known for forever), Glances by AndAllThatMishigas (City Homicide story that is probably the most perfect canon/canon divergence story ever, if I do say so myself), After by AndAllThatMishigas (Spooks post-series story that truly just made me so happy to write and makes me happy to reread) and honestly I think that is enough.

Tagging: @blossom--of--snow @yesmadamepresident @callhimnowmarisamylove @featherpluckn @aboxfullofdarkness @doctoraliceharvey @whatsabriard @lovesclassicposts @margotgrissom @mandalamarigold​

[coffeeandcalligraphy]

Hi Rachel how did you format your book to look like the girls by Emma cline? I suck at formatting lamoooo

Hellooo! To clarify, only the first title page is similar to the format in The Girls, the rest is all me!

I know this answer is going to be unhelpful but for the title page I just looked at the original, and then with my skillset/what tools I know how to use in Word, recreated it. A lot of formatting is just like graphic design — learning to do things you don’t know how to do by problem solving and doing things you DO know how to do. For example, I found it helpful to put the text in a drawn text box since it’s easier to move! Don’t know if that’s how the original was done, but that works best for me. Rewired must have been close to the 15th book I’ve formatted so it’s really just a lot of practice. I recommend when you’re starting out, keep a book you like the formatting in next to you and try to format that book to look as closely as it can to that. Then when you’ve copied it, make changes to fit your tastes and eventually you won’t need to look at a book to format!

When I formatted this book years ago I wrote instructions which might give you a better idea for the choices I made!

BODY MATTER

Page size (5.5 x 8.5)

Margins

Top: 0.9”

Bottom: 0.7”

Inside: 0.7”

Outside: 0.6”

Gutter: 0.13”

Mirror margins

Separate books by chapters + sections

Insert page numbers + header

Odd-even first page

Re-insert missing page numbers

For kerning, go to fonts window > advanced > spacing > expanded

Add front matter (8 blank pages)

*For every blank page, make a new section break to get rid of page numbers

Font

Garamond 11.5 pt

No paragraph spacing

Single spaced

Indent

0.25

Line spacing

Exactly

14 pt.

Turn off widow/orphan control

Centre justified

Chapter headers

Make sure you change line spacing from exactly back to single so the number isn’t cut off

Number font size 36 two spaces down (Garamond)

Chapter title: Cinzel 11.5 small

Two spaces down into chapter body

First five words small caps, un-indent

OTHER DESIGN

First pages

Title #1 (unembellished +2)

Title #2 (embellished +2)

Epigraph (+2)

Part one + back quote (black + 2)

Title #1

Garamond 24 pt.

Kerning 2.5

Those are some of the numbers! But feel free to play around until you find something you personally like.

[hellotomyoldheart]

quotes i can’t stop thinking about

part four

“how they told me i was having fun all the time, and there was no way to explain that i wasn’t.” - emma cline, the girls.

“poets are always taking the weather so personally. they’re always sticking their emotions in things that have no emotion.” - j.d. salinger, nine stories. 

“my mother used to knit my mittens too big so they’d fit me when i grew. i’d wear them and i’d look like what i wasn’t yet.” - andrea gibson, about the weather. 

“then she spit my teeth into her hands.” - gillian flynn, sharp objects.

“underneath all that white noise there’s a lack.” - andrea portes, hick.

“if we were teenagers, i could kiss you. but i’m on a platform behind a counter wearing a name tag and we’re too old to be young.” - caroline kepnes, you.

“i can tell that there's a story here that starts like an earthquake and ends like a hurricane. that there isn't a storm drain big enough to collect all the tears she shed for this woman who's name tag she wears like a shield against the world's cruelty. dorothy clears her throat, smiles and says; you haven't touched your coffee. we don't always get the answers we want. sometimes a simple look can haunt us enough to know that some ghosts need their rest.” - specials, shane koyczan. 

“you were in luck; you were saved. you had been on the roadside. next to the ditch filled with swamp lilies, rotting in the end-of-summer sun. you were in luck. the emt said nothing had been broken. your skin would grow back. you were saved. because you were fourteen, it was your birthday, and you still believed in being saved.” - sherine elise gilmour, luck.

“you know this is how he saw you: he didn’t. this is how he saw you: something to be ruined.” - sarah xerta, juliet (ll)

“my mom asks if everything’s okay, and i say of course. drowning is a quiet, desperate thing.” - brenna twohy, swallowtail. 

“you came out screaming and alive and look at you now, look at how you’ve learned to hide your teeth.” - olivia gatwood, ode to my bitch face. 

“i was never good at this body. there was always something in me so anxious to crawl out.” - kiki nicole, nobody’s daughter. 

“the sun still rises and sets, like it always has. it seems cruel that it wouldn’t stop, just for a little while, to show how much darker the world is without them in it.” - sarah glenn marsh, reign of the fallen. 

“she had come to me in the only way she could.” - donna tartt, the goldfinch.

[ghostresidues]

things i read in june

favourites

bring up the bodies by hilary mantel - i LOVE reading fiction set in the tudor era so i already knew i’d like this (i also read wolf hall which is the book preceding it around a year ago) but holy SHIT this was even better than i thought it would be, it’s essentially 400 pages of amazingly written tudor drama

grief is the thing with feathers by max porter - this made me cry !! you can tell from the title that it’s a great book, and the contents absolutely delivered! it was abstract but in a way that didn’t make it impossible to read and understand which we stan 

in the dream house by carmen maria machado - this was just... amazing i love that it shed light on an issue that really isn’t given much attention (abuse in gay, specifically wlw relationships). i read the whole thing in a couple days, i just couldn’t stop reading

when breath becomes air by paul kalanithi - this also made me cry... the entire thing was so engaging as a memoir and the prose is absolutely chef’s kiss

the girls by emma cline (reread) - i LOVE this book so much it really just Gets what it’s like to be a teenage girl living in a patriarchal society, and putting it under the lens of a girl joining a cult made it so unique ! most cult books i feel just squeeze out all the salacious details as opposed to having actual substance but this doesn’t do that at all which i’m very grateful for 

other things i read 

the invisibility exhibit by sachiko murakami - ⭐️⭐⭐

memories that smell like gasoline by david wojnarowicz -  ⭐⭐⭐⭐

this modern love by will darbyshire -  ⭐⭐⭐ 

shout by laurie halse anderson -  ⭐⭐⭐⭐

the lottery by shirley jackson -  ⭐⭐⭐

no exit by jean-paul sartre -  ⭐⭐⭐⭐

the red parts by maggie nelson -  ⭐⭐⭐⭐

the ballad of songbirds and snakes by suzanne collins -  ⭐⭐⭐

[tabloidtoc]

Globe, January 4

You can buy a copy of this issue for your very own at my eBay store: https://www.ebay.com/str/bradentonbooks

Cover: Ghislaine Maxwell buying her way out of prison

Page 2: Up Front & Personal -- Gavin Rossdale playing tennis with his pup Chewy, Brooke Burke holding holiday balls topless, James Franco takes his cellphone into the sea 

Page 3: Leighton Meester surfing in Malibu, Robbie Williams, Lisa Rinna wearing two masks 

Page 4: Angelina Jolie is bracing for major humiliation after being dragged into Johnny Depp’s latest legal showdown with ex-wife Amber Heard -- Angie’s run-ins with Johnny who she starred with in 2010′s The Tourist are coming under intense scrutiny as Depp gears for a second court battle with Amber -- Angie and Johnny were so coy about their white-hot connection at the time even though their romance was an open secret but they got lucky because nobody had the smoking gun to prove it but now it’ll all come out in the open -- at the time Johnny was still dating Vanessa Paradis while Angie was five years into her doomed love-in with Brad Pitt -- there’s talk bisexual Amber was kind of obsessed with Angie so Angie is central to the plotline whether she likes it or not

Page 5: The Bachelor host Chris Harrison is worried he’ll follow Dancing with the Stars host Tom Bergeron out the door -- both these shows have been on TV forever and the world has changed around them and to keep up with Black Lives Matter and the #MeToo movement changes are being discussed and that’s left Chris fearing he’ll be the next Tom Bergeron and replaced by a woman of color 

Page 6: Aging divas Loretta Lynn and Dolly Parton are caught in a bitter country catfight and long-dead Patsy Cline is the excuse -- although there’s been little love lost between the Nashville icons for nearly 50 years their simmering feud exploded weeks ago when Dolly apparently took some veiled public shots at Loretta’s BFF Patsy who was horribly disfigured in a car wreck two years before dying in a 1963 plane crash -- in an interview Dolly recalled standing in the wings of Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry at age 13 and watching Patsy perform and she remembered thinking about how awful it was that she got her pretty face scarred up like that -- Loretta was fit to be tied over the comments Dolly made about her old pal and thinks Dolly should stop running her mouth about Nashville legends like Patsy and Johnny Cash -- Dolly’s heard about Loretta’s complaints through the grapevine and brushes them off as quarantine boredom mixed with old age 

Page 8: Blake Shelton’s going bonkers after fiancee Gwen Stefani told him she wants to skip the mega-million star-studded wedding shindig he’s been planning and elope -- Blake is all bent out of shape over Gwen’s latest switcheroo which calls for them to get hitched on the sly at a Mexican resort and she’s got him so mixed up he can’t think straight because for the longest time she wanted the Hollywood-style wedding with all the bells and whistles and was very particular about details but now she’s telling him to ditch those plans which have already cost them a small fortune and book a trip somewhere exotic so they can just just get it over with -- Gwen wants to elope so they can hitched at the Riviera Maya resort in Cancun where they could swap vows on the beach witnessed by her three sons and Blake has no choice but to give in to Gwen and he’s saying he’s fine with it as long as she’s sure this time 

Page 9: Hollywood horndog John Mayer is back sniffing around old flame Jennifer Aniston after his mom gave him a shove -- John and Jen had a steamy fling for about a year before he dropped her in 2009 and now John’s mom Margaret Meyer is scolding him for letting Jen go and John’s mom is always on him about settling down and she feels that at 43 he should be married and she recently had a heart-to-heart talk with him and told him she thought Jennifer was the most down-to-earth of all his exes and because John considers his mom one of the smartest people he knows he decided to reach out to Jen and he’s always admired Jen and thought of her as a classy lady and now he’s reaching out to her again in hopes of getting her to agree to see him again once things leave lockdown 

* FKA Twigs has socked actor Shia LaBeouf with a bombshell lawsuit claiming he subjected her to relentless physical, emotional and mental abuse and gave her an STD and she also accuses him of sexual battery, assault, and infliction of emotional distress -- although Shia says she’s lying Twigs insists Shia once choked her in the middle of the night and kept a loaded firearm by the bed leaving her terrified to get up at night for fear he’d think she was an intruder and shoot her -- she claims during an incident around Valentine’s Day 2019 Shia threatened to crash his speeding car unless she professed her love for him so when he pulled into a gas station she got out of the car but he threw her against the car while screaming in her face then forced her back into the car -- Shia also had rules about how often Twigs had to kiss and touch him -- Shia has been arrested several times on now-dismissed charges including assault and disorderly conduct 

Page 10: John Lennon didn’t have to die -- that’s law enforcement experts’ explosive analysis after reviewing newly discovered evidence about the Beatles legend’s December 8, 1980 murder in NYC -- an odd series of coincidences and simple decisions put Lennon and his killer Mark David Chapman in the same place at the same time -- a review of the details concludes Lennon’s death was a strange result of flukes including his penchant for running around without protection and a missed appointment with his photographer and without these quirks of fate John would still be alive and recording hit songs 

Page 12: Celebrity Buzz -- Pink flashes her bandaged thumb after getting stitches in Santa Monica (picture), Amanda Seyfried confesses she made a terrible decision for turning down the role of a lifetime as Chris Pratt’s love interest in Guardians of the Galaxy and now she’s watching from the sidelines as the director’s second choice Zoe Saldana skyrockets in the money-making Marvel franchise, Katherine Heigl will star in the upcoming limited biopic series Woodhull about Victoria Woodhull the first woman to run for president in 1872, Big Brother alum Zach Rance has come out as bisexual after admitting a sizzling same-sex romance with his former reality show housemate Frankie Grande who is the real-life older brother of pop star Ariana Grande

Page 13: Jaime King slurps down a meal on the streets on L.A. (picture), Jax Taylor mowing the lawn (picture), Guns N’ Roses axman Slash loads up on supplies at an L.A. grocery (picture), former teen heartthrob Chad Michael Murray admits his inflated young ego got the best of him and now he looks at photos of himself and thinks what a dweeb

Page 14: Julia Roberts is headed for the small screen headlining the limited TV series The Last Thing He Told Me where she’ll form an unexpected relationship with her teenage stepdaughter while searching for the truth about her husband’s mysterious disappearance, Emma Stone is also heading for the flat-screen in the comedy series The Curse alongside Nathan Fielder about a couple starring on an HGTV-style show who are trying to conceive a child amid an alleged curse, Nicolas Cage is hosting a new series called The History of Swear Words in which he’ll delve into the origins and pop culture usage and science and cultural impact of profanely shocking expletives

* Fashion Police -- Peyton List 8/10, Sofia Carson 9/10, Vanessa Hudgens 2/10, Neve Campbell 1/10, Chelsea Handler 4/10 

Page 16: Cover Story -- Jeffrey Epstein’s madam Ghislaine Maxwell’s $30M jail break -- terrified and tortured Ghislaine risks family fortune to buy her freedom -- the accused sex predator and her fat cat inner circle are set to plunk down an obscene $30 million to buy her way out of federal prison in what outraged investigators fear is a brazen plot to cheat justice 

Page 19: 10 Things You Don’t Know About Mayim Bialik

* Lizzo is admitting she’s having negative thoughts and is hating her 300-pound body but adds she knows she beautiful

* The Spice Girls were likely liquored up on cut-rate champagne when they made their first album according to Emma Bunton a.k.a. Baby Spice who says she and her bandmates swilled the cheapest sparkling wine in the studio 

Page 20: True Crime -- a chilling message left by the elusive Zodiac Killer has finally been cracked by a team of code breakers after 51 years -- a hodgepodge of numbers, symbols and letters called the 340 cipher was sent to the San Francisco Chronicle in 1969 and lawmen believed it contained key clues to the serial killer’s identity but the truth is even more chilling -- according to the experts the message says I hope you are having lots of fun in trying to catch me, I am not afraid of the gas chamber because it will send me to paradise all the sooner because I now have enough slaves to work for me 

Page 21: Caitlyn Jenner is terrified after learning her skin cancer has returned a second time -- she was diagnosed with basal cell skin cancer a few years ago and had an entire layer of skin removed from her nose -- since then she’s been slathering on sunscreen but a new red spot on the right side of her nose popped up along with some crusty areas on her scalp but the nose patch was not cancer but hypertrophic keratosis or scaly damage from sun exposure -- however the dozen spots on the top of her head was squamous cell carcinoma which is a skin cancer that’s known to be aggressive so her doctor burned off the offending spots -- her doctor recommended she replace her 1960 Austin-Healey convertible but the chances of Caitlyn selling her prized ride are slim 

Page 23: Your 2021 Horoscope -- love, luck, health, wealth, happiness -- plus surprising celebrity predictions -- Elton John, Valerie Bertinelli, Johnny Depp, Jessica Simpson, Matthew Perry, Cameron Diaz, Will Smith, Katy Perry, Howie Mandel, Savannah Guthrie, Justin Timberlake, Carrie Underwood 

Page 30: Larry King has reached a deal with estranged wife Shawn but she’s royally peeved about the payoff -- Larry has agreed to pay her a lump sum of $20,000 plus $33,000 a month in spousal support which lasts until at least their next scheduled hearing in April but Shawn claims the 33Gs only covers a third of her monthly nut which includes $25,000 for rent on her home, $12,000 on clothes, $3500 on groceries and $4500 for hair and nails and pet care and gym 

Page 31: Kim Kardashian is reading husband Kanye West the riot act over his junk food benders that are sabotaging her healthy eating program and it’s led to more than a few arguments with no peace in sight -- he’s telling her to chill and let him live by his own terms but she can’t do that because it’s driving her crazy -- what really ticks Kim off is his junk food has totally taken over her section of fresh cut veggies, fruits and water and she wants him to get his own storage in a different part of the house where she won’t have to see it or hold her nose 

* Kardashian momager Kris Jenner’s faux reality TV home is on the market for nearly $8 million even though she never lived there -- the L.A. estate was used for exterior shots of the image-conscious family’s compound on Keeping Up with the Kardashians but it was all for show -- dubbed the Iredell Estate the house also appears in True Blood and Chelsea Lately 

Page 33: Health Report 

Page 34: Wrestling Ring Kings: Where Are They Now? Sable, Bret Hart

Page 35: Lex Luger, Steve Austin, Ric Flair 

Page 36: The Undertaker, Tito Santana, Diamond Dallas Page 

Page 37: Kane, Kurt Angle, Sunny, Mick Foley 

Page 39: Despite an astounding 30 No. 1 country music hits legendary singer Charley Pride took a haunting regret to his grave that he never made it as major league baseball star -- Charley had so much success but he died tormented his baseball career short-circuited -- Charley was singing and playing guitar by the time he was 14 but his real goal was to pitch for the New York Yankees -- Charley signed with a Yankees farm team as a flame-throwing phenom at 17 but in his rookie season he threw out his arm and was just never the same -- after he struck out in baseball he put his full energy into singing but faced an uphill battle -- Charley was the Jackie Robinson of country music and he endured a lot of racism 

Page 40: Kelsey Grammer admits he often breaks down and blubbers like a baby and it makes him feel better and he cries when he’s upset or sad or scared and it provides him a lot of relief and he believes years of tragedy in his life taught him to cry as a healing mechanism and now he sheds tears whenever he has sad feeling bottled up inside him 

* A moneybags James Bond fan coughed up a whopping $256,000 for the handgun 007 Sean Connery toted in the first spy epic Dr. No -- the disabled Walther PP semi-automatic was supposed to bring in no more than $200,000 but the unidentified American buyer who claims to have seen every Bond epic went even higher 

Page 44: Straight Talk -- Miley Cyrus is now blabbing about why she broke up with husband Liam Hemsworth after years of togetherness and just nine months of marriage and it sounds like a case of the pot calling the kettle black 

Page 45: Furious Queen Elizabeth has booted Princess Eugenie and her husband out of Prince Harry’s Frogmore Cottage home in a bit to foil Meghan Markle’s plan to completely cut him off from England and the royal family -- pregnant Eugenie and her booze-seller husband Jack Brooksbank were ordered to quit the cottage and move back to Kensington Palace just six weeks after Harry and Meghan secretly leased them the home meaning Harry and Meghan are still on the financial hook for Frogmore which was a gift from the queen and they will have to underwrite the cost of keeping up the property and it also ensures Harry has a home in Britain if he ever wants to come back -- by moving Eugenie and Jack out the queen has made sure Harry still has a place to hang his hat if he decides to come back to leave his American wife 

Page 47: Bizarre But True