#the other Horror book I've read this year and liked a lot is House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland

[vestales]

It feels so good to have found a book to be so invested in after a long time with no hyperfixations in the Literary scene. I'm talking about the kind of investment that makes you think about it when you're not reading it and your only wish is to have a free moment so you can come back to it. And the best thing is that, since I'm a very slow reader, I still have half the book left to read during the next days!

[whencartoonsruletheworld]

Hey so like many of you, I saw that article about how people are going into college having read no classic books. And believe it or not, I've been pissed about this for years. Like the article revealed, a good chunk of American Schools don't require students to actually read books, rather they just give them an excerpt and tell them how to feel about it. Which is bullshit.

So like. As a positivity post, let's use this time to recommend actually good classic books that you've actually enjoyed reading! I know that Dracula Daily and Epic the Musical have wonderfully tricked y'all into reading Dracula and The Odyssey, and I've seen a resurgence of Picture of Dorian Gray readership out of spite for N-tflix, so let's keep the ball rolling!

My absolute favorite books of all time are The Haunting of Hill House and We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson. Classic psychological horror books about unhinged women.

I adore The Bad Seed by William March. It's widely considered to be the first "creepy child" book in American literature, so reading it now you're like "wow that's kinda cliche- oh my god this is what started it. This was ground zero."

I remember the feelings of validation I got when people realized Dracula wasn't actually a love story. For further feelings of validation, please read Frankenstein by Mary Shelley and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson. There's a lot the more popular adaptations missed out on.

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier is an absolute gem of a book. It's a slow-build psychological study so it may not be for everyone, but damn do the plot twists hit. It's a really good book to go into blind, but I will say that its handling of abuse victims is actually insanely good for the time period it was written in.

Moving on from horror, you know people who say "I loved this book so much I couldn't put it down"? That was me as a kid reading A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett. Picked it up while bored at the library and was glued to it until I finished it.

Peter Pan and Wendy by JM Barrie was also a childhood favorite of mine. Next time someone bitches about Woke Casting, tell them that the original 1911 Peter Pan novel had canon nonbinary fairies.

Watership Down by Richard Adams is my sister Cori's favorite book period. If you were a Warrior Cats, Guardians of Ga'Hoole or Wings of Fire kid, you owe a metric fuckton to Watership Down and its "little animals on a big adventure" setup.

A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry was a play and not a book first, but damn if it isn't a good fucking read. It was also named after a Langston Hughes poem, who's also an absolutely incredible author.

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury is a book I absolutely adore and will defend until the day I die. It's so friggin good, y'all, I love it more than anything. You like people breaking out of fascist brainwashing? You like reading and value knowledge? You wanna see a guy basically predict the future of television back in 1953? Read Fahrenheit.

Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain and To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee are considered required reading for a reason: they're both really good books about young white children unlearning the racial biases of their time. Huck Finn specifically has the main character being told that he will go to hell if he frees a slave, and deciding eternal damnation would be worth it.

As a sidenote, another Mark Twain book I was obsessed with as a kid was A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court. Exactly what it says on the tin, incredibly insane read.

If Beale Street Could Talk by James Baldwin is a heartbreaking but powerful book and a look at the racism of the time while still centering the love the two black protagonists feel for each other. Giovanni's Room by the same author is one that focuses on a MLM man struggling with his sexuality, and it's really important to see from the perspective of a queer man living in the 50s– as well as Baldwin's autobiographical novel, Go Tell it on the Mountain.

Agatha Christie mysteries are all still absolutely iconic, but Murder on the Orient Express is such a good read whether or not you know the end twist.

Maybe-controversial-maybe-not take: Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov is a good book if you have reading comprehension. No, you're not supposed to like the main character. He pretty much spells that out for you at the end ffs.

Animal Farm by George Orwell was another favorite of mine; it was written as an obvious metaphor for the rise of fascism in Russia at the time and boy does it hit even now.

And finally, please read Shakespeare plays. As soon as you get used to their way of talking, they're not as hard to understand as people will lead you to believe. My absolute favorite is Twelfth Night- crossdressing, bisexual love triangles, yellow stockings... it's all a joy.

and those are just the ones i thought of off the top of my head! What're your guys' favorite classic books? Let's make everyone a reading list!

[docholligay]

I’m still fascinated that I now feel less equipped to explain what Digimon is than I did before seeing the film

One of the best and most difficult books I've ever read is House of Leaves. House of Leaves, fairly uniquely among horror books, and I say this as someone who reads a lot of horror books, really replicates the feeling of going crazy. Of not being able to trust yourself, of not being able to trust the narrative in front of you, of a screaming doubt in the back of your mind. I actually took a year to read it--I found it so emotionally taxing to read that I had to take frequent breaks.

I wouldn't have guessed that there was something called, "All the disorientation of House of Leaves, but for children, and also bad" but there was the Digimon movie for me!

I sat and watched 90 minutes of digimon content and I feel less qualified than ever to even tell you what is a digimon. They live in the computer unless they don't, they can transform into different power levels but they can go back at the snap of a finger so I'm not sure why they don't immediately transform into SuperMegaUltimate form as soon as a conflict occurs, but there we are.

The bad digimon can also control nuclear weapons, it seems like, if they hack into it? Which was used once and then forgotten about, but seems reasonably relevant to me. Also everyone seems to know Digimon exist while living in what is more or less our world, and so I wonder, why has no one pushed for military operations, at the very least, to be completely analog? I mean, I am dumb as dogshit and not making a franchise, and my first thought with Tracer's CA was that it had to be electronic in the way a clock radio is for safety reasons. I know I'm asking a lot of kids' movie here, to think about literally any detail, but in fairness, they brought it up! It's not like NastyDevilMon got into, I don't know, the school database and ruined the big carnival, so I'm extrapolating of that, no, I need you to know, THE DIGIMON CONTROLLED THE NUCLEAR WARHEADS AND TRIED TO BLOW UP JAPAN.

But by the second act of the movie, we had sort of just, forgotten about that, and instead had a major fight in a national forest that destroyed something that looks like it might be Royal Gorge or one of the other uppers canyons of the Colorado river, because we are in Colorado for the second part, on a road trip.

None of which prepared me for when the digimon transformed into humanoid angels, notably called, Angelman and Angelwoman, boy I wish I was not making this up and was taking a humorous dig at this movie, I don't need to, it digs at itself.

Weirdly, for all of this, it was also boring! It was like wandering an endless mirror maze, which seems disorienting and almost funny but by minute 60 all you can think of is, "When is this thing going to fucking end?" For 90 minutes of run time, maybe 45 minutes of things occur. That's a high level of generosity on my behalf.

The only saving grace of the movie was that it used late 90s American music in the dub, and I have decided no dub is ever allowed to be made now without inserting contemporary American music of the time period, so that when we watch it later everyone can go, 'Oh my god!"

Anyway, Pokemon is not for me and I ahve no fondness for it, but at the very least, I could explain to you what the basic principles of it are and why I assume people like it. No such luck here!

[marthawrites]

Hello friends! My name is Martha and I'm a wife, mom, and nerd about a whole lot of things. I'm officially in my 30s, a libra sun, aries moon, and leo rising.

• Aemond Targaryen simp

• Cryptid and monster lover

• Wannabe writer

Archived here will be an assortment of writing resources I find useful, fandom stuff, fandom writing, (maybe one day) horror writings, and things I generally enjoy. So, a hodgepodge! I try to tag most things - look in my search bar! Followers better be 18+ due to adult content on this blog because I am gross and shameless.

Requests OPEN for Rhaenyra Targaryen, Harwin Strong, and Rhaenyra x Harwin x fem reader

Check out my tag #other peoples writing for all the fics I've read and LOVED ♥ Huge shout out to all the wonderful, talented, and unhinged writers on this platform! MWAH!

Masterlist beneath the line! 

Any and all errors and mistakes are my own. I do not use a beta reader. All of these fics, unless otherwise stated, are non-descript female readers. All of these fics are based on my own interpretations of characters and events from the show, House of the Dragon, and the book, Fire and Blood. Any likeness or similarities to other author's fics is unintentional. I am open to private constructive criticism as I believe there is always room for improvement. Each fic is marked with the month and year that it was completed.

Aemond Targaryen:

One shots:

12/ 22 Knees:  (aemond x wife 18+) during a dinner you witness a Lannister relentlessly flirting with a young lady who’s clearly uncomfortable. Taking matters into your own hands, you begin flirting with him to steal his attention away. Aemond, your husband, only plays along for so long before he dismisses both of you and takes things into his own hands.

12/22 Greed: (aemond x wife 18+) Aemond just really likes eating his wife, even when there’s a servant knocking on their door to wake them up to get ready for a mid-morning event.

12/22 A Surprise in the Library: (aemond x wife 18+) Aemond’s wife surprises him with something that the morning’s kitchen staff was talking about. So much for peaceful studying in the library!

1/23 Darkened Corridors: (aemond x fem reader 18+) After avoiding Aemond for what he deems too long, he finds you to remind you what you’ve been missing out on.

1/23 A Lady’s Thrill: (aemond x wife 18+) A stressed Aemond returns late and his lady wife helps him de-stress.

5/23 Teaching A Dragon New Tricks: (aemond x fem reader 18+) You and Prince Aemond have been giving each other eyes for some time now, and he finally makes the first move. After that, you feel comfortable showing him a few things. His drive for knowledge extends beyond books.

6/23 A Dragonkeeper's Secret: (aemond x fem reader 18+) After being disappointed by a fellow dragonkeeper, an event in the dragonpit makes you think: perhaps not all men are disappointing.

6/23 Leather and Silver: (aemond x wife reader 18+) There's something about your prince husband's belt that successfully drives you mad with lust.

7/23 Only A Scratch: (aemond x fem reader 18+) Aemond requests you, a healer who has tended to his wounds before, to accompany him on a trip to Duskendale.

10/23 Summer's End, Autumn's Beginning: (modern aemond x fem reader 18+) A chance encounter with Aemond leads to a whirlwind of emotions. Over the next few months you both fail, in yourselves and in the relationship, and learn from the mistakes.

10/23 To Break The Tension: (modern aemond x fem reader 18+) You and Aemond have a no strings attached relationship. He has a surprise for you and you are more than excited to go see what it is.

12/23 Morning Lovebites Lead To Sweet Dreams: (aemond x wife reader 18+) You and Aemond share a morning bath and the lingering sensations last with you all day. When he returns to your marriage chambers later than usual, you're sad you might sleep through his return. Once in for the night, however, he makes up for it.

1/24 Shadows, Beastsong, and Dragonblood: (aemond x niece reader 18+) Growing up you and your uncle Aemond always shared a special kinship. As you grew older, tension between your family and his rose. Moving to Dragonstone led to long years of not seeing each other. When you and your mother visited her father, King Viserys, yours and Aemond's relationship changed. It changed further, years later, upon your final visit to the capitol.

1/24 Red Lions and Hidden Dragons: (unnamed male x Lannister!fem reader & aemond x Lannister!fem reader 18+) Close kin to Jason and Tyland Lannister, you arrive to King's Landing with a party of fellow lions to celebrate the birth of Prince Maelor Targaryen. You weren't expecting to catch Prince Aemond's eye, but once you do, neither of you can forget it.

3/24 "Vok" (Perfect): (aemond targaryen x sister reader 18+) You and Aemond pledged to each other long ago. Tonight, beneath the blanket of darkness, you revel in each other's adoration.

6/24 Bloodlust: (aemond targaryen x wife reader 18+) Aemond, unable to leave you behind in King's Landing on his way to Rook's Rest, returns to you after a successful scouting mission.

Mini Series:

3/23 (pt 1) Pretty Girl: (modern aemond x fem reader 18+) There's been some weird stuff happening in the woods and your boss buys top of the line security cameras. You definitely weren't expecting to hit it off so well with the tech guy who is much more than a tech guy.

4/23 (pt 2) A Game of Chase: (modern aemond x fem reader 18+) You and your best friend go out to a local event. While there, Aemond, surprisingly, makes an appearance. With quick wit you pretend like it's your first time meeting. Equally quick and curious, he plays along. A game of chase ends up with some unexpected aftershocks.

3/23 (pt 1) Midnight Passage: (aemond x fem reader 18+) Despite the Prince Regent seeing to his royal duties, Aemond's lover is insatiable and seeks to find him late into the night.

4/23 (pt 2) Beneath the Prince Regent: (aemond x fem reader 18+) After your little disturbance in the Prince Regent's study, Aemond finally comes to bed.

7/23 (pt 1) After The Closing Shift: (modern aemond targaryen x fem reader 18+) You and Aemond have been best friends for years. The time is finally right for him to admit his true feelings. In the process of doing so, your cheating ex appears back in the picture. Unexpected events follow.

8/23 (pt 2) After The Study Session: (modern aemond targaryen x fem reader 18+) Through the chaos of college and work, yours and Aemond's friendship continues to shift in a new direction. Jason can't seem to accept he's lost you. You and Aemond take matters into your hands to make sure he knows it.

10/23 (pt 1) Summer's End, Autumn's Beginning: (modern aemond x fem reader 18+) A chance encounter with Aemond leads to a whirlwind of emotions. Over the next few months you both fail, in yourselves and in the relationship, and learn from the mistakes.

5/24 (pt 2) Between the Covers: (modern aemond x fem reader 18+) During a cozy night in at your place, Aemond discovers your new taste for “literature”. Upon confronting you about it he makes a deal. Part of you wants to say no… but, you ultimately agree to his terms.

Series: On Hiatus

1/23 The Arbor and the Dragon: Chapter one, Betrothed :  A realm upon the brink of war. Alicent reaches out to your father, Lord Redwyne, to marry Aemond Targaryen to you. If the union officiates, the green Targaryens will receive the aid of Lord Redwyne’s fleet. You sail to King’s Landing to meet the young prince, to weigh if this is a marriage you truly want.

2/23 The Arbor and the Dragon: Chapter two, Discovery :  After the official betrothal, you learn more about Aemond with each passing day. You're unsure to be scared or excited with these discoveries, but he always leaves you wanting more.

2/23 The Arbor and the Dragon: Chapter three, Experience : (18+) As promised, Aemond takes you for another ride on Vhagar. This time he shows you a hidden place that he’s always loved. New experiences unfold.

6/23 The Arbor and the Dragon: Chapter four, Moonlight: Tension around the Red Keep grows. Rumors begin spreading about yours and Aemond's time spent together. Jane, your best friend and lady-in-waiting, reminds you of your favorite summer festival back home. You write Aemond a letter in secret and request his company at the beach. Emotions are high and promises are made.

Daemon Targaryen and Rhaenyra Targaryen:

Mini Series:

12/22 (pt 1) A Gift for the Queen:  (daemon x rhaenyra x fem reader 18+) It’s Rhaenyra’s birthday eve and Daemon surprises her with an unexpected gift.

5/23 (pt 2) The Gift That Keeps Giving: (daemon x rhaenyra x fem reader 18+) You've happily stayed with Daemon and Rhaenyra since her birthday. They have a little game up their sleeve to play with you.

5/24 (pt 3) The Post-Flying Gift: (daemon x rhaenyra x fem reader) A rare fully sunny day beckons Daemon and Rhaenyra to fly their dragons above Dragonstone for hours. You are more than happy to watch them in flight. When they return, their dragonblood runs hot.

Daemon Targaryen:

One Shots:

6/23 Punishment: (daemon x poc wife reader 18+) Just because you're in the honeymoon phase with the Rogue Prince doesn't mean you can escape a proper punishment for disrespect.

8/23 A Day in the Life: (modern daemon x fem reader 18+) It's barely dawn and you want to have a little fun with Daemon before work. Your job unexpectedly calls and plans change. Flirty and risque texts on the clock leads to him picking you up in both your favorite car.

9/23 Sand and Sky: (daemon x poc fem reader 18+) Upon arriving to King's Landing with your cousin, Criston Cole, you meet Daemon Targaryen. Little time passes before desire of the flesh overtake both of you.

9/23 The Night's Conquest: (daemon x fem reader 18+) It's Daemon's last night in King's Landing and he seeks one final comfort at the Blue Pearl.

6/24 Devour: (daemon x wife reader 18+) The early days of your moon's blood are always the worst. During your suffering, your husband, the Rogue Prince, takes it upon himself to help ease you.

Rhaenyra Targaryen:

One shots:

9/23 Honeyed Promises: (rhaenyra x fem reader 18+) While visiting your great uncle, Lyman Beesbury, at King's Landing, you weren't expecting secondhand stress to affect your lord husband so. Princess Rhaenyra takes notice and is happy to steal moments away with you.

2/24 A Not So Hidden Secret: (modern rhaenyra x fem reader 18+) Rhaenyra discovers something in the bedroom that you, admittedly, forgot about, but didn't want her to know about!

3/24 Beneath the Blooming Branches: (rhaenyra x fem reader) Spring has officially sprung. You and Rhaenyra enjoy a quiet afternoon strolling and picnicking in the gardens.

3/24 A Tale of Two Moons: (rhaenyra x fem reader) At the end of a long day Rhaenyra shares a tale with you, and then offers to share more.

Harwin Strong:

One shots:

12/23 Harrenhal Butterflies: (modern harwin x fem reader 18+) Sparks flew between you and Harwin before slinking off together during a work dinner, and they continue to fly afterwards. Unprompted, you both slink off together once again during an elective work trip to Harrenhal. Tension ends up breaking in a most unexpected place.

2/24 Matinee Delight: (modern harwin x fem reader 18+) While on a cinema date, the movie ends up being something you don't like. You try to talk your boyfriend, Harwin, into bailing early for something more fun.

Harwin Strong and Rhaenyra Targaryen

8/24 A Shared Bed: (harwin x betrothed fem reader x rhaenyra 18+) Harwin gets into an arranged marriage to stop the rumors about him and Rhaenyra. He really likes his betrothed but he loves Rhaenyra. He tells his betrothed, "I can't choose between you and her." She says, "I don't want you to choose. I want in, the bed is large enough."

Helaena Targaryen

One shots:

6/24 Visions in the Garden: (helaena and kids) After breakfast, Helaena takes her twins for a walk through the royal garden.

[wuffgang-ameowdeus-moozart]

Aren't you tired of forced romances with no chemistry that only take away from the actually interesting plot? Don't you just want media where romance isn't portrayed as being superior and more important than (queer)platonic relationships?

Well, my exhausted aro ass is too, so here are a few tricks and wisdoms I've gathered over my years of being a-spec (which is all of them) on how to avoid romance (in media) in a very allonormative society 💚🤍🩶🖤

(this is a rec list btw. no I am not shitting on the shows that I tagged, quite the opposite)

1. Middle Grade

I get if you aren't really into that, because it is kind of annoying to be pointed to literal children's literature when all you want is a story that isn't constantly being interrupted by describing the main guy's heated eyes for the twentieth time.

However.

It is true that in middle grade, friendship is always more important than romance. Because, let's face it. Making two eleven year old characters kiss is kinda weird. So even if there is a romance, it isn't very prominent and treated more like friendship and/or a puppy crush. Plus some stories get surprisingly dark?!?!

Examples

- Howl's Moving Castle (Diana Wynne Jones), technically a romance in the end, but mostly focused on found family, shenanigans, and finding your own value

- House of Many Ways (DWJ). Yes, again. I really like her books okay? They always have something so fantastical and whimsical about them. This is my other favorite book by her and it has literally no romance at all. Plus a hmc cameo that is so fun !!

- Coraline (Neil Gaiman). Maybe this is cheating because I never actually read it. However. a) the movie traumatized me. b) Wybie was added to the movie, he doesn't exist in the book, so if "power of friendship" isn't your thing this will be great. Probably vibes over plot.

Flyte (Angie Sage). Technically this is the second book, but I never read the first one and still understood everything. Once again, no romance at all. A fun read, which can get surprisingly dark at times.

2. Short Story Collections

Once again, I get it if it isn't your thing. Short stories are - as the name reveals - short. Which means: no worldbuilding, very limited narrator, open ending, no time to really get attached to characters, etc.

But.

The cool thing about collections, is that they always have a certain theme. And as long as the theme is not romance, romance will not be the focus. Even if there is a romantic relationship, it will be used to explore this theme since there simply isn't time for anything else.

Examples:

Life Ceremony (Sayaka Murata) This is the book that actually made me figure out: hey! I do actually like short stories !! The main theme is basically about being different and it plays a lot with body horror and the perception of your own body in contrast with how society sees it. There is even a story about two women who platonically live together and raised multiple children!

Canterbury Classics: Classic Tales of Horror (introduction by Ernest Hilbert). As the name suggests, this is a collection of horror short stories, featuring well-known authors such as Bram Stoker, Edgar Allan Poe or Charlotte Perkins Gilman. As these are classic old tales, the language is a bit complicated at times and you can read them for free on Gutenberg. However, the book is very very pretty and the introduction is very interesting (Origins of the genre, specific tropes and monsters, etc.)

3. Podcasts

PODCASTS!!! If you follow me, you are probably already aware of those. However, in case you don't, let me introduce you to the wonderful world of Audiodramas.

The cool thing about Podcasts is that pretty much anyone can do it. All you need is an idea, a mic, a lot of motivation, and you're pretty much set to go. No producers or publishers you need to get approval from. So it is only natural that this medium is filled to the brim with queer creators. Basically every character is somewhat queer. It's awesome.

Examples:

- The Silt Verses. I adore TSV. I listened to the first season like, four times. (the second one is good too but OH MY GOD THE FIRST ONE). And one of the main characters is canonically and explicitly aro!! Sister Carpenter, I love you with my whole being. And the great thing is, it is very clear that the writers love her, too!! There is a lot (like a LOT) of body horror so it isn't for everybody. But if you think you can handle it I really recommend it. (Plus, not any romance plotlines at all !!)

- Wolf 359. This is one of the older ones and it is really good. It's a bunch of restless and very unwell people stuck in a spaceship under the unforgiving rule of capitalism. However bad you imagine it, I can assure you it is worse. But the really cool thing is that there literally isn't any romance at all. Like, there are great m/f friendships but they never even hint towards a romance. Some people are so unused to that that they literally ship the main dude with the fucking robot AI. (don't worry, not an actual romance plot).

- Girl in space. I am sure you will be absolutely shook to know that this one also takes place in space. It is about a girl. In space. Shocking, I know. Except that she has been on her own for well over a year when suddenly a fleet of strange ships arrive and kidnap her. There is also a very asshole-y robot. And questions about what makes us human. And found family!! And a goat. And cheese. Just go listen to it okay. This is also one of the shortest ones of the list, so maybe a good start.

- Malevolent. I have to confess that I personally am not a huge fan of this one? Like the premise is really cool - a detective who wakes up blind and with a demon in his head who can see through the detectives eyes. What the fuck?, you may ask yourself. So does Arthur Lester. Mysteries and other dimensions and a whole lot of pain ensues. Harlan is undeniably an awesome VA and a great writer, but his stories just seem a bit too repetitive to me? Nonetheless I know of lots of people who enjoy it a lot. Trying to define the relationship between Arthur and John (his demon) is perhaps the biggest mystery of them all. (Jk. there are multiple murders and stuff. they've really got other priorities)

- Middle:Below. This is another short one and probably the least famous of this list? It's about this funky lil dude with a ghost roommate and a cat who can talk (.....or can it?). There is a m/f friendship but it never turns into a romance (wow it is possible!!). They all go on adventures on the dimension between life and death. Despite the description, this is literally just a comedy. A bit spooky at best. Reminds me a bit of scarier kids cartoons like gravity falls.

4. "Gay" movies/series in countries with homophobic censorship

Now you may think, "hey that seems like a bit of an asshole move!". And you would be 100% correct in thinking that.

However.

It does also mean that the main relationship of the story can never be explicitly romantic. They can allude to it, they can try to show it. But they can never confirm. So it is very easy to interpret them as having a QPR. (because tbh I don't think I've ever seen one on television.)

Examples:

The Untamed. Look. I am aware that the first episode is so fucking atrocious, all right? And no, the CGI does in fact never get better. And sometimes the translated subtitles are a bit awkward. But I swear that it is so good. Trust me on this one, okay? Just make it through the first ep. It's a wild ride. Lan Zhan I love you. (However the book it is based on (written by a woman) depicts them being in an explicitly romantic relationship, with lots of very inaccurate and badly researched smut, so the fandom pretty much sees them as exclusively romantic.)

- Word of Honor. Very much in the same vein as The Untamed. Except that the first episode is less horrible. And the one dude has a very fruity fan. And they also raise a kid together. And the costumes of the villains are really fun!! I actually never finished this one tbh. I know that the book it is based on has one very extremely terrible ableist plot point, but I don't know if that made it into the show since I never got that far

The Devil Judge. The last two were fantasy, this one is a dystopia. Very tense and interesting. There is a romantic subplot (typical childhood friend vs bad boy love triangle), but he rejects the childhood friend and they can't exactly show him and the "bad boy" (who is actually a judge. and also kinda his sugar daddy) as explicitly romantic for the reason above. They also live in the same house and cook together and take care of a child together. Can totally recommend.

Assassination Classroom. A bunch of students have to kill their teacher who is an alien. that's literally the plot. I cried so hard at the finale. Nagisa and Karma have MASSIVE vibes and you can't convince me otherwise. (There is a romantic subplot that does end in a kiss, but they agree to continue as friends since those were..... extenuating circumstances. The dude very clearly is not into her). Nagisa also very aro-spec coded imo.

5. "Straightbaiting" Anime

Sometimes Anime does this thing (which I personally find very hilarious) where a boy and a girl will have no other romantic involvements or love interests while growing closer and closer, but never get together. A bit like reverse queerbaiting.

Examples:

- Fairy Tail. The ultimate power is friendship anime. That is all you need to know. (I should also perhaps warn you that the end of the last arc (and the sequel series, but we don't talk about that) are huge letdowns. Like the buildup? So good. But....welp. If that doesn't bother you too much and the idea to have a group of people be the main character instead of one person only, this may be the series for you. Just do yourself a favor and skip all the filler arcs

Soul Eater. I really love the vibes of this one. Once again, most of the fandom likes depicting them as explicitly romantic, but they never canonically are. It also reminds me a bit of creepy children cartoons. It is also where the superior fictional school exists, Devon. Frankenstein teaches there (the dude, not the monster). People transform into badass weapons. Nobody can convince me that Make Albarn is not a trans woman. However the ending deviates a bit from the manga, and I personally think the anime one is a bit worse

Noragami. This one will always hold a special place in my heart because it was the first anime I really watched. This one also has people who transform into weapons, but the vibes are very different. It goes a bit more into Japanese folklore in case that interests you.

Bonus: Canonically Aro/Heavily Aro-Coded Characters

They were not anywhere above because the stories they are in didn't really fit any of the categories. But they exist!

Wolf (Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts). I adore Wolf. There is also barely any romance. Like, it will seem like it at first, but don't worry, it's only straightbaiting. There is a romance subplot but it's very brief and very much in the background. Overall very good aro show 👍

Isaac (Heartstopper) Very queer show, very high likelihood that you already know of it. The series per se is very romance focused, but as far as I've heard the a-spec rep in S2 is really good

Georgia (Loveless). Actually never read it. But, well. Title pretty self-explanatory dare I say. By the same author as Heartstopper (Alice Oseman)

Chance/Chris and Shadow/Ryan (woe.begone) Are explicitly in a QPR together !! they are also probably the healthiest couple in the podcast lol

Henry Clerval (Frankenstein). Henry is the "a couple of besties!!" to Victor's "we look like a couple <3"

Barbie (Barbie 2023) If you've seen it you know what I mean.

Jo Marsh (Little Women). I never read the book, but Jo in the 2019 movie??? very sus.

I would also recommend checking out Japanese books! I personally think they are much better at writing romance than the western people lol. It's more about knowing each other and sharing your views of the world, thus changing each other and leaving a mark forever, even if the relationship ends. (studio ghibli romance vibes). My favorite Japanese book doesn't have an English translation :(

aber an alle Deutsch-Sprecher*innen: Die Katzen von Shinjuku (Durian Sukegawa) -> og title: Shinjuku no Neko

Can't think of anything else right now, but please leave some of your own recommendations! Hope this helps ^^

[lady-harrowhark]

Would you mind. Explaining what the heck the locked tomb (is this the name?) is about. You post a lot of it and I know ✨ nothing ✨ but it sounds kinda interesting??? Into dumping is ok if you feel like lol

I would LOVE to explain what The Locked Tomb is and you DID get the name right and it IS interesting!

So, it's a book series written by Tamsyn Muir and three of the anticipated four books have been released so far. I say "anticipated four books" because it was originally a trilogy but then the last book was split up. I don't think any of us would mind if that happened again and it turned into a five book series. But I digress.

These books are notoriously hard to describe because they sort of encompass or transcend genres. It's a sci-fi fantasty horror murder mystery romcom situation. Plus, there's a LOT going on - I've often described them as an "intellectual escape room." There's so much happening that you don't realize is happening until it all comes together. Going back to the beginning after you've finished them is an entirely different experience than your first read because you can see how it was all laid out from the start - sometimes even in plain sight - and things take on completely different meanings. Also, each book is very different from the others. I adore all of these qualities.

So here's the gist of the premise for the first book:

Gideon Nav, orphan of mysterious origins, has been raised on the Ninth House as an indentured servant and trained as a swordswoman. The Ninth House has become isolated from the rest of the empire and its very existence is threatened by the dwindling population and lack of resources. Gideon is one of only two survivors of her generation, the other children having succumbed to a lethal illness when she was an infant. The other survivor is Harrowhark Nonagesimus, the Reverend Daughter of the Ninth, and the two have been at each other's throats their entire lives. Harrow's parents' deaths have been hidden from the rest of the Ninth (save for Gideon and a few of the Reverend Family's attendants) and Harrow has been secretly ruling in their stead for the past seven years, doing her best to keep the Ninth from falling into ruin. Harrow is a prodigious necromancer, specializing in working with bones. The Ninth receives a message from the Emperor requesting that each House send their heir and cavalier primary (a.k.a swordsman/bodyguard) to his home at the First House, where they are to attempt to piece together the process to becoming a Lyctor, one of his immortal Saints. Unfortunately, Harrow's cavalier has skipped town. Gideon begrudgingly accepts a deal meaning that she will pose as Harrow's cavalier in exchange for freedom from servitude. Upon arriving at the First House, the two meet the other Houses' heirs and their cavaliers and are informed that they will have to figure out the secret to Lyctorhood on their own, and that there will absolutely no communication with the outside empire. It's not long before someone turns up dead... and then another...

What immediately hooked me on the first book was the voice and tone; Gideon is a delightfully snarky narrator. Despite the humor, these books do not pull any punches with regard to emotional depth. Love and grief are at the center of everything these books do, circled by sacrifice and duty and gender and colonialism and religion.

This review is actually one of my favorite things to send to people to pitch them the books. It does a fantastic job of conveying both the premise and the tone of Gideon the Ninth. I also wrote a "pitch your fandom" piece that @wilfriede recorded and recently released. You can find both the audio and the transcript at this link.

I hope that gives you a sense of the series, and thank you for giving me the opportunity to ramble about the series that permanently altered my brain chemistry! If you ever get around to reading them, I would love to hear your thoughts :)

[punch-love]

2, 7, 10, 15, 16

greedily takes up five of the options

I'm actually going to answer these for both lokius and spideypool to be fair to what fandom you read for and also to what I'm reading for right now.

2. 🔁 A fic you’ve re-read several times

There's a clear theme in these.

i could show you by jilliancares

I think this was the first real gender-affirming trans porn I had ever read and kept on re-reading. It's so good. It's very hot and I love everything about the smut and the dynamics but it's also just - a trans guy talking about oral sex and his disappointing experiences with it and there's a lot of intimacy in the way that's handled. It's just very real so the fantasy of it is even realer. I have read this one many, many times.

Turnabout loop - Mirilya

The Mobius coochie fic. It's great. I could say that I love the idea of Loki using his magic for shapeshifting his partner in bed and the genderbending of it, which I do. It's also just hot. Objectively. I think there needs to be more fics with this exact thesis of Mobius getting eaten out. I support it.

7. 💯A fic that makes you think #writergoals

morning in the burned house by antivenom

Just a really stunning character study and piece of prose. It's such a complicated, nuanced approach to Wade Wilson as a character and his relationship with Spider-Man. It has my favorite approach to a backstory I've seen for in the fandom. This just really sits with him as a character and explores the side roads and back alleys of his brain and the reason he is who he is. It's beautiful. I think anything that sits with you afterward is something I am inspired by, and this sits with me.

The Shapeshifter's Guide to Butt Stuff by comrade_bucket

I just recommended the first part of this series (and the whole series is #writergoals) but this one is so conceptual, so out there, so fucking weird and strange and beautiful that every time I read it I'm struck at what a piece of art it is. The way this work addresses genderfludity, god-hood, the human experience, love, gender conformity, and compromise is just so wonderful. I would love to write something as strange and shocking and daring as this! Again, both installments of this series including The-Infinity-Year-Old Virgin are both something I love to re-read and also get inspired by every time. The endings on both of these are something I've taken notes on.

10. 👽 A fic that isn’t prose (poetry, text fic, etc.)

I got really into the Wickerman tag the other day and this AMV is one of my favorite things I've ever seen.

Lovely Day (Good as Hell) [Favid] periru3, Tafadhali

hare toss, check my nails, baby how you feeling? feeling good as hell!

15. 📚 A fic you wish you could display on your bookshelf

They're both by the same author, surprise. (I think it's funny that @primewritessmut wrote two masterpieces in my favorite genres.) I also have told them before that I would book bind them both, and I am extra serious about doing it for the second one.

Songs for the Zombie Apocalypse by zerospoons_onlyknives

I love zombies. They're my favorite horror genre and I have read and watched as much of it as possible but it's so rare to find the good stuff because no one goes far enough. (Prime goes farther.) It's dark, demented, violent, gloriously unwell and erotic. It's not a love story, it's something so much more interesting, and each chapter I got to read in advanced had more and more tangled in it. The ending is unbelievably glorious. It was one of those things that I was like "this feels written for me" and it wasn't (and it kind of was) but I enjoyed it so much. It deserves to be bound in a book that looks suspiciously like human skin.

Midori Sour - oprime

This is the hallmark rom-com bait and switch psychological thriller family drama slice of life romance of all time. It's so good. It really has no business being as good as it is. The idea is so fun and the dynamics are great and the setting and side-characters are so lived in but the underlayers of this. I want this book bound so I can just re-read sections and underline the lines that stick through onto the other side. I love this thing so much. It's so human and compelling and deliciously deep. The depth that Prime goes in on with this one is just unbelievable. I love it very much. I would bind it in green leather and put a little fruity drink in the middle of it and highlight the whole thing in a green neon with red on the cherries.

16. 💞 A fic that led to you making friends with the author

I think it's funny that these are both series.

Bad Things - wanderingflame

I was so, so obsessed with this when I first read it. I remember sitting in a car outside a thrift store just binging through it (and then I re-read it at least two times.) I also think @in-my-loki-feels is the first person I have ever asked to write inspired work for (and also, found out we both share the same feelings on inspired work lmao) because I was just so enchanted by this story. It's so fresh, thoughtful, compelling, and just the right hint of dark. Their passion for these characters and the nuanced groves of their natures is just - god, it's so good. We have a very "writers who like each other's work" friendship in a way I really appreciate.

gunpowder triology - periodicallypuzzled

It's rare for me to find a writer with such a personality through their work. I couldn't get enough of this series when I first read it - the humor, the personality, the characterization, the heart juxtaposition with the grit. I don't often say "I really want to know the person who wrote this" but I remember thinking that after reading that. @periodically-puzzled read something of mine and offered to exchange discord handles and after that we became friends. I should also re-read this, now that I'm thinking about it again.

[forgetmenauts]

Howdy! Could we get a member introduction? I’d love to get to know y’all’s names and pronouns ^^

We actually did an essay and interview for the queer horror zine The Quiet Ones last year where we shared some fun intros! I've included screenshots of our intros here, but if you have a chance, you should check out the zine as well: it's run by a delightful group of queer authors and editors.

Here's the link to the issue with the Forgetmenauts feature: our bit starts on page 47.

(Fun fact: Kit is also an author and has had a couple of their short stories published in other issues of the zine, under their full name of Katharine Gripp. They're here and here if you want to check them out!)

Image text below the cut:

Walker Staples (they/them) Instrument(s): Guitar/Banjo/Vocals

Favorite scary movie or book: Let the Right One In.

Favorite cryptid: Jackalope. Who in the band is most likely to survive a horror movie, and why?: I think it's gonna be Tyler; most resources, best equipped for building booby traps.

Tyler Gary (he/him) Instrument(s): Clarinet, Saxophone, Trombone, Keys. Favorite scary movie or book: Recently I read Mexican Gothic and while it wasn't my all time favorite, it definitely captured some good haunting creepy vibes. Would recommend for the mushroom horror.

Favorite cryptid: The chupacabra. Who in the band is most likely to survive a horror movie, and why?: I'd be the second or third to die. “Quick everybody, I have a plan! All we have to do is...“ *Dies in a horrible dramatic way*. I think Abe would be last to die. He would disappear early on and we would think he's dead but he actually just went on a hike and came back at the end.

Abe Finkelstein (he/him) Instrument(s): Cello, un-mic'd backup vocals and banter, howling. Favorite scary movie or book: Oryx and Crake. And I listened to a great podcast about Midsommar but will probably never have the guts to watch it.

Favorite cryptid: The Baba Yaga house. Who in the band is most likely to survive a horror movie, and why?: Definitely Emma. She lives on a sailboat and is a great problem solver, and good at engineering. You might think I was on a hike but I was actually dead the WHOLE time.

Danielle (she/her) Instrument(s): Drums!

Favorite scary movie or book: I am scared easily and don't really watch horror movies! You

didn't ask about this, but my favorite scary-ish video games are The Last of Us and Dead Space.

Favorite cryptid: Loveland frog. Who in the band is most likely to survive a horror movie, and why?: Walker, they would out-maneuver the attacker/swarm/ pathogen/whatever the horror of the horror movie is.

Kit Gripp (they/she) Instrument(s): Mandolin, vocals.

Favorite scary movie or book: Sunshine by Robin McKinley (ok so it’s not that scary but there’s lots of blood and vampires, so it counts).

Favorite cryptid: Nessie. Who in the band is most likely to survive a horror movie, and why?: Probably Collin. If it were something corporeal, he'd knock it out with a baseball bat. If it were an angry ghost, he'd talk to it and de-escalate the situation.

Emma Williams Instrument(s): Bass.

Favorite scary movie or book: House of Leaves.

Favorite cryptid: Selkie. Who in the band is most likely to survive a horror movie, and why?: I think Walker would be the most likely to survive because they are very nimble and quick.

Collin (he/him) Instrument(s): Drums!

Favorite scary movie or book: Hard to pick a favorite scary movie! Maybe Let the Right One In (the original one). It's rare that horror films are at once so beautiful, disturbing, and sympathetic to the villain.

Favorite cryptid: Michigan Dogman. Who in the band is most likely to survive a horror movie, and why?: Kit survives the horror movie, for sure. Zombie flick? Kit decapitates the shambling hordes with lethal pirouettes. Teen slasher film? Kit distracts the villain with some concocted-on-the- spot YA fiction just long enough that he doesn't even notice he's walking right into his own poetic and ironic death. Vampire horror show? Please. Kit was the vampire. Kit was always the vampire.

[dailydanielewski]

MZD Interview 03.2024

Bit of a different post, but here you will find some words from MZD himself about things like a House of Leaves audiobook, the impact of HoL on modern horror, the TV Series Teleplays, Inspirations and more.

This is a translation made back to english from an official interview published earlier this year in march in brazilian portuguese in regards to the newly published brazilian translation of the book.

The interview with proper formatting in google docs can be accessed here, but is also pasted down here in the See More for ease of access.

MZD Interview [2024-03-13] - Every book is an universe of inspirations

This was translated from the source https://darkside.blog.br/entrevista-mark-z-danielewski/, dated March 13th, 2024. I am in no way affiliated with Darkside Books, or MZD for that matter, and am just a mere instrument in translating this translated interview (of which no original record is available) back into english. This was translated on October 4th, 2024.

DarkSide (DS) interviews Mark Z. Danielewski (MZD)

[Intro]

It’s expected that an author that has written such work that has taken over a decade like House of Leaves has a lot to say. More than that, Mark Z. Danielewski is a person who doesn’t only like to talk, but to listen too.

Like a good novelist that knows how to draw inspiration from everything around them, he shows a genuine interest for people he just met and with whom you could easily spend an entire afternoon talking ideas without seeing time pass.

This is the way that this conversation with the author from House of Leaves happened with DarkSide/DarkBlog [the blog from the Brazilian publisher of the translation]. With the humility of someone that considers himself a mere instrument of the universe through his books, Danielewski went a few decades back to tell us about his book first steps, its repercussion and the theories around the work and even his relation to Brazil – at the end of the 1980s he visited the country, getting to know Rio de Janeiro and Saquarema, and doesn’t hide his will to come back and get to know other regions.

This will be a conversation that is wide and with many layers, the way House of Leaves deserves. Check it out:

DS: When did you start to write House of Leaves at the end of the 80s, did you imagine the impact your work would have in modern horror?

MZD: What does a young man dream when they are 22, have close to no money, and no idea of his place in the world, or even if there is a place in the world? With these initial creations, that are so hard at the start of any young person’s career, you can’t go beyond the obvious despair that you’ll never finish. And that when it’s done, if anyone will ever read it. And if someone does, that it will never be published. Oh, to think “well, maybe it is a success”.

But how can we categorize this success in terms of impact on horror, impact on literature? There is something that happens in a book when you are in the middle of its creation, especially on a so intricate book like House of Leaves, that takes so long that you start to orbit it. At the start, it’s the book that kind of lives in your orbit. You are the central mass. And that mass includes everything that is frenetic or calm in your life, be it doing laundry or going out to get some coffee. But step by step, as you start to craft and create and imagine it, the story becomes the bigger mass. And that mass grows, then suddenly it’s you that are orbiting it. And the more you orbit it, the more you are governed by its necessities and requirements.

So you don’t really think much beyond that. You don’t think what will happen to it, because to you that became a planet now. A sun or a black hole. You are just a tiny particle that is becoming increasingly smaller, as the story becomes increasingly bigger. Not to talk much about me, but I’m writing a western which I've been working on for the past five or six years, and I’m exactly in this situation. And I have many questions about how it will be received. Where will it fit in the bellic culture of today? But those are just some sparks, because the main thing that is drawing me to its orbit is its immensity and complexity.

This is a way to both answer and not answer the question, but is at least an introduction about how this process worked and how I see it many, many years later. Even now, as I work on this new novel, I’m fascinated by how a book almost takes a life on its own. And that feeling is scary and great at the same time.

DS: It’s almost like you are being taken by your story, and not the other way…

MZD: Exactly. And I believe this applies to any creator, from any medium. It’s when you start to understand that your piece gained a bigger mass, a bigger gravity, than you. It’s at that time that you know you are starting to reach the end. There are all types of metaphors for that, be it talking about stars or about someone being born. It’s that sensation of “oh, we have a conclusion here”. There is an immensity, a component that changes your life with it.

DS: One of the more famous aspects of the book is its experimental formatting on some chapters. Was there any visual experimentation that did not go into the book?

MZD: The final version represents a beautiful evolution of it all, so there is nothing that I was attached to that is not there. I believe that, as you get older, and if you are lucky like how I was to have a successful career – unless you were swollen by your ego instead of by your books -, you realize how lucky you are. Of having met the right people along the way, of having the editor that I had at the time – and I still have almost 30 years later. Someone that instead of saying “no, don’t do that”, says “well, how will it be visually? How are people gonna see it?”. And part of the mythology of the book is that it was presented with all these typographic explorations everyone now knows so well.

But in my ingenuity, I believed the publisher would help in this process, that there would be a room dedicated to this type of work with layouting for every writer that would show up. Soon it became clear that I would be responsible for it. My editor/agent/publisher basically said “If you can come to NY, we can give you access to our computers and everything you need at Pantheon”. And that is what I did. I arrived there at Pantheon in NY every morning at 6am, bought the best coffee that I could find so, when everyone would arrive (they had that thing), we would have the best aroma/scent of this gourmet coffee, that at the time was something new. A gourmet coffee that I had no way to provide by myself, but that was important to me, to have some coffee, and one or two more for others, to understand that that was not a creative process. I used the word “creative” a lot, but it was not about destroying things – although the house destroys things in different ways -, but it was the evolution that was in the process.

Things being that way, I started the formatting, and my editor/publisher was always with me and I started to talk with preparers and advertisers, and the people that printed books, and everyone was getting increasingly curious. Slowly I was finishing chapters like 9, with its labyrinth with all its convolutions and stamps. And then I saw how people got fascinated by that, and, as that happened, people would get increasingly excited.

I’m very cautious to say that, but while the book looks impactful and original, It comes from a tradition of old poets that worked with concrete poetry, be it Pauliner, Mallarmé, there were a lot of folks that explored that before. We can go very far into antiquity, where we can see ways that were already present.

I believe the novelty there was the use of film rhetoric, that I learned with my dad, of basically understanding how movies/films were edited. It’s not just getting an image and then putting another image right after. It’s the way angles are divided, be it from up or down, the position of focus on the screen, the movement, the way how you can slow down the audience response to a scene by doing some specially long cuts/shots, and then speeding up the experience by using quick cuts/shots and moving the focal/focus point of the scene.

All this was incorporated in House of Leaves appropriately, because it is about a movie. This, in that sense, starts to intensify the experience. There were a lot of first readers, long before the book’s publication, but even at that time, and, once more, how lucky I was to have some of the best readers. They were professional readers, and just for getting a single moment from them to see some few pages, made me see about what was and was not working with the book, what maybe would not work and how to better refine it.

DS: You mentioned your father, who was a filmmaker. What was his influence, and of movies and general audiovisual works, in the construction of the narrative and format of House of Leaves?

MZD: Oh, very big. We still get mentions from cinema academics that identify some various references from movies that are there, be it Nouvelle Vague, or even the origins of cinema, and all those little gestures and moments that readers see some reference. And that is fascinating, because in some ways, there is a story, albeit a dark one, of cinema that is hidden between the scribbles of that house.

DS: On the internet there are numerous reading groups and discussion forums dedicated to unravel all the book’s references and riddles. Are there secrets in the book that are impossible to be solved?

MZD: There have been very intense readings of it and certainly many findings. But there still are tiny moments, like when a person contacted me about a specific movie, that no one, as far as I know, had mentioned yet. And this person was able to say with certainty that there was in fact a reference there and its own variety of mysteries. It's the influences, whether literary or cinematographic, but there's still other ways that the house works.

But yes, the book is extremely dense and there's still layers that were not completely deciphered to the present moment. But it still is the source of some smiles, for example, in my daughter's school, the mother of a student reached me and asked "I finally started reading your book. It's really good". She looked relieved and gave me the impression that she had this big idea that it would be very hard, that, according to what people said, it would be a very hard read for a reader that just wanted to dive into the story. And then she discovered that it was exactly the opposite, that there is a genuine pleasure and a real horror there, and that surprised her.

It's one thing to have all these intense groups, where people read the book many times before. They are not on a different level. They are advanced readers, sure, but there still exists the wonderful experience of being able to read the book for the first time and discover how it really is.

Recently I had this experience: only two people read my new book completely, and here there is a note because my wife is still not finished, but she is almost at the end, and keeps telling me to get out of the same house space as her because she wants to finish it, and I realized that I envy her for that experience. I envy the feeling of getting to have the first experience through everything that is about to happen. Now that I think about it, I can think of some people that read House of Leaves for the first time and how special that was.

Every author is tormented by the anxieties of "will they like it or not". But if you can get past that, and that is something hard to say to someone that is just starting this path, because you are very vulnerable. You still don't have any type of skill, scars or calluses that will keep you ahead of it. If you can focus only on the story, the unraveling that I had the opportunity to observe in some of the first readers entering the house for the first time it's pretty incredible. A great feeling.

DS: There is a theory that some of the blank spaces in the book's formatting are an invitation for the readers to make their own annotations and footnotes. Was this intention there? Do you like to see House of Leaves scribbled out in various ways?

MZD: I love it! I love any book that is annotated. Even when I buy a second-hand book, I get fascinated when it has the margins scribbled. It's like I've received a gift from two minds. What has this person discovered? I'm infinitely fascinated by that.

And yes, there was an intention there, there are many intentions there, so I rarely get surprised. I say "rarely", but honestly I think I never was surprised. The book was so planned out. I don't say that I don't get surprised by the connections people made, that are very personal, but for the book as an artifact. Even the way the margins were created, the spaces, everything you mentioned, that the spaces are there for people to add their own annotations, their own perceptions, of becoming other editors of that process, even more narrators.

There even is some recent discussion in transforming House of Leaves into an audiobook or not, for example. How would that experience be? Would it be completely different? Should we look at it more like a movie that is being made and is something completely separate, and kinda an experiment too? Or is there a way to create some kind of space in which the listener can participate? These are some of the questions that come up.

The same with an e-book. In some way, you are a company to House of Leaves when you have the book, and the e-book doesn't allow that. But when you have the digital version, you are facing a glass screen, in a way. You are robbed of the unquestionable interactivity that the page allows. Yes, you can write in an e-book, in some you can create annotations, but it's a bit complicated. It's less personal. And also a bit risky. Yes, the technology got better, but I remember creating annotations in a digital version and lost all of them, and that was not cool. I still have annotations on my books, in my bookshelves, that are 40 years old.

This is an important question, and one that made me think a lot, literally in the last two days: how do we feel about an audiobook and e-book? That said, I give the question back to you and all readers of this work: what do you think? Would you like to hear an audiobook version? Would this bring something new or would it lessen the experience?

DS: It's a valid question. Talking adaptations, much has been said about a possible House of Leaves film or TV series. In your website there are Teleplays for the work. We know the challenge it is to adapt a complex work like this one. How do you see an audio-visual adaptation of the book? Is there something in the works or that you would specifically like to see?

MZD: No, I'm not attached to any one vision of what I would like to see produced and made. I'm a novelist and there will come the day, when the right constellation of people align, there will be a meaningful representation of the book. But it's a dance, and unfortunately we don't have all the celestial time to make this dance, but there are, yes, many brilliant and creative professionals in Los Angeles and the whole world, but here specifically, those involved in making things happen

Many times that just doesn't work. But the question is: Could it be done? At this point I am still on the dance. There is nothing to announce, but there is allways excitement. We always have requests coming. People want meetings. If I answered them all, and got into all those meetings, I would never be able to write another book. And that is what I love to do. So the process gets slowed down. But still, there are people asking "what about Hulu? You could make something on FX". Maybe, who knows?

DS: Yes, A24, maybe?

MZD: Yes, A24, maybe. Talking about A24, I think someone sent it to me, something going around, maybe on TikTok, a false advertisement that A24 finally made the movie. And it was created with generic images. I don't know if any kind of AI was used, but it was like a trailer and everyone was saying "Oh my God, it's happening", just because they put on A24's logo. It was fun and I like to see that kind of stuff. There is a joke tone to it and I allways receive that well.

DS: Even though there is no adaptation, there are many known movies and games inspired by your book. Do you consider any oen of them particularly good or faithful to your work?

MZD: I don't follow that too closely. Like, these works are not House of Leaves, they don't answer the ideas and the energy that are part of the book. And who am I to say if anything is better or worse? There are inspired things that are really fun. There's this magnificent map of a Doom mod that was made on YouTube. It's extremely well done and you can see in the comments how people lived that. You can see that it's honest work, from the person or group of people that made it. If you look now, there's over 10 million views [12 million by the time I'm translating this]. Like the term I used before, it's something meaningful. It was not an errant attempt of just looking if the house was bigger or not on the inside just by looking at this. It's something that looks at all the complexities of how we understand space.

[Here, they linked the video. So I am too. https://youtu.be/5wAo54DHDY0]

A simple example is like when you're in a relationship and you feel much closer to that person. And suddenly there's a rupture in the way you communicate, or the way you present yourself to each other. And that person seems miles away, even if you are sitting close to one another. It's there that the complexity shows up. There's where the emotional journey starts in House of Leaves. I believe that's why readers come back to it.

So, when I see a project like that that was executed with so much emotion and integrity, it's not exciting only because it's related to House of Leaves. It's exciting because it's a continuous conversation, because this shows that there are big creative hearts out there. And that shines a more brilliant light into the future.

DS: House of Leaves is a work that surprises many people from their first encounter. Has there been an event or personal happening that caused you a great impact, that marked your life as a storyteller? Which?

MZD: I think you already know the answer to your question. The interesting part about this type of questioning is that there is some type of safety in the idea that there is this singular moment that offers inspiration for a big book like this one. I think we all feel comfortable with that idea. But, in many ways, I can point out the moment that I understood that the house was bigger on the inside.

I remember it happened shortly after my father died and I understood that there was a footnote that would become a poem or a short story. Only later I realized that that was actually the structured answer to everything I was writing in the previous years. There I was able to give form to a voice that is as similar to Johnny as it is to Zampanò, it was something resonant with this big idea I was exploring. Dissertations that I wrote to myself about how the language of films could be used in text

But each book is filled with a universe of inspirations. Frequently I am questioned where my inspiration comes from. For artists, inspiration is everywhere. The big problem is that, as you open the shutter [the camera thing] to this extraordinary world, where we're able to live, it can be oppressive. It's too much. So, in many ways, we're hiding all the time. I can write about a tree, about this little moment outside myself. Or this interesting conversation I heard on the bus between two people. It 's everywhere.

If there's anything wonderful about being a novelist it's that constantly there are moments that you can enjoy and remodel in your book [I don't get what he's saying here. Did my best]. One piece of advice that I give to new artists is to not block yourself too much from your tiny idea. You had just a little spark in the face of this vast and celestial wonder where we live. So it's more "be the way through which the universe can speak, so it can speak through you". Writers have the right to rearrange things. The voice that sounds in a bus by a powerful man can become through you a character that is exactly the opposite.

I believe that this is a more valid answer, that when the journey begins, there will be constant inspirations, coming from tiny moments. I'm in debt to all of them, I don't consider myself an author to any of them. I'm just lucky to have had these moments and for them to have given me the energy that I needed to write phrases that became meaningful to other people.

DS: This is the first time that Brazilian readers will have the possibility of reading House of Leaves in portuguese. What note/warning would you like to share with them?

MZD: First things first, I'd like to apologize for it taking almost 25 years for the book to have a version in Portuguese that would arrive in Brazil. I have a great affection for Brazil. Who am I to warn someone? I can only share a story for the people who read the whole book to have their own personal journey. The people that only get to the middle are the ones I worry about the most, because they are still in the darkness. They are still trapped in the house. I sometimes worry about those people that are still stuck in the darkness and are not able to leave.

I remember a beautiful and humble moment, when I was in an art gallery, and an old man came to me and asked me if I was "Mark Danielewski" and if I had written "House of Leaves". I confirmed, and he told me that he did not read the book, but that he wanted to thank me because his daughter tried to take her own life and, when he was beside her as she woke up, the man asked if he could do anything for her. And the daughter said "could you get House of Leaves for me?". And that is one of the things I've heard that makes me feel each time more a mere instrument of this book. Because to them it allowed a journey in trying times. I believe this should be available to any reader, no matter the language you speak.

[End]

[magpiefngrl]

Can I ask your top 10 fav fics ever (from any fandom, if you don't mind)?

Also, just curious, is there a story behind your name "magpiefngrl"?

Hey, anon!

Oh fave fics! I love talking about fics and books, though I feel I talk about fics everyone knows and have nothing new to offer, esp since I've not read much in the last 2-3 years. Still, narrowing it down to 10 is super hard, so I've looked at my bookmarks and chose the ten fics that I've reread the most.

1. Bound Skerry by Frayach (drarry, M, 2.3k)

I've read this a hundred times and I'll keep coming back to it. Possibly my most read fic. The reason it's one of my Forever Fics is the prose. Absolutely stunning writing.

2. House Proud by astolat (drarry, M, 23k)

The original House Magic fic and the best one. I particularly love the hints of dark faerie magic, the horror elements and the brilliant worldbuilding. Astolat's prose is super readable and the pacing is excellent.

3. with exactness grinds he all by thistle_verse (drarry, M, 6k)

An aching fic with beautiful, lyrical writing. I've reread this so many times.

4. Art in Life by northofallmusic (tofsla) (wangxian, T, 2k)

I feel I'm repeating myself but this has excellent prose and it's aching and tender and made me feel all the feels.

5. Out of the Dead Land by orphan account (stucky, M, 63k)

OK so this hasn't stood the test of time because I finished it a few days ago, but WOW. Absolutely brilliant. I'm not even a stucky fan or anything. But I kept thinking about it when I was doing other stuff and I set aside the books I was reading so as to finish this. Now it's days later and it's still on my mind. I can't remember the last time I had a book/fic hangover. A very angsty fic and a fantastic exploration of Bucky's trauma. This is by one of my top authors of all time, who's now orphaned everything.

6. Mr Webster's Wager by Fahye + orphan author (same one as above) (Ash/Webster, E, 27k)

Now we're getting into the horny fics. This one is based on a KJ Charles short story which is the best romance short story ever written in my not so humble opinion. This takes the original story and the horniness of that scene and expands it into many horny scenes. It's masterful, very very hot, and just a fantastic fic.

7. Unhook the Stars by jad (drarry, E, 70k)

One of the first drarry fics I read and one that made a huge impression on me. Super kinky, lots of sex scenes, I've reread this a LOT.

8. IDK My BFF Hermione? by lettered (drarry, E, 19k)

Extraordinary. Phenomenal. It will always have a place in my Top 10. Also, very filthy, which is a huge plus in my book.

9. a better happier st sebastian by halsinator (Jonathan Strange, E, 6k)

Another one I reread a million times. Stunning prose and vibes and beautiful yearning. I keep coming back to it.

10. live from new york by varnes (wangxian, E, 87k)

A masterpiece, a classic of wangxian, this is a Saturday Night Live AU, which is such a bizarre choice for an AU--and yet it works. I don't live in US, I have never watched SNL, but I adored the fic.

I've left out a ton of favourite works and authors I adore, but for more of my faves, my AO3 Bookmarks is the place to go.

I have to say, this exercise has been quite illuminating: I don't think I've ever had such a clear glimpse of what makes me tick. In short, sublime prose, an aching, yearning mood and/or filthy porn.

*****

As for my username, here's the story: I joined tumblr a gazillion years ago (way before I got into fandom) and my first blog (still exists: @magpie-x ) was mostly what you'd call an aesthetic blog. I'd reblog cool pics and quotes and occasionally post a personal post about my life. I named it magpie because it was a place where I collected everything shiny, like a magpie. I rarely used it after a while tbh. Years later I read The Raven Cycle and fell heads over heel with pynch and knew that the only place I'd find fans was tumblr. I got into the nascent TRC fandom and soon I needed a space exclusively for fannish posts. I created a sideblog called magpiefangirling and when I later got an AO3 account I shortened the name. Years later I got into drarry, I became very active on tumblr again, and the sideblog wasn't enough so I deleted it and created a brand new blog with my AO3 name.

In short, magpiefngrl, means magpie being a fangirl. It was a random decision but it has now shaped me and I think of myself as Magpie in fandom spaces, and even chose that as my pen name for my future original romance books.

[pomefioredove]

Heyyyy if you are still open to some more matchups can I request a romantic one? You can pick anyone Students, Staff, or RSA/Noble Bell college people, i don't care either way. I really just want to know who you think fits me personality-wise best lol. 

Ok, so I guess I’ll tell you my appearance first, I’m 169cm so like 5’6, I’ve got very very curly reddish brown hair, and blue eyes that look purple to gray depending on the light. I have a lot of tattoos. Started with a stick and poke piece when I was 13 and have kept getting them even years later. I joke that instead of a sleeve I have a pair of pants, both my legs are covered in tattoos, one side black and the other color. People always tell me I'm incredibly easy to spot in a crowd. Pronouns are She/Her and my voice is kind of low and monotone maybe a bit husky.

As for hobbies... I love Boxing and MMA, I’ve been doing it competitively for a few years so I can comfortably say I can kick most people's ass. food is a bit of a love language for me so I cook pretty often and try a lot of different cuisines (current fav is Georgian, you have to try Khachapuri it's soooo good). I used to sing and play the drums though it's been a while so I'm probably not too great anymore. You know how some people listen to music for the lyrics while other people listen for the beat? I definitely listen more for the sound, I don't care what the song is about just how the sounds flow together... which is why I mostly listen to music in foreign languages, don't need to understand to lyrics to enjoy the beat.

My interests are mostly low key I like to study languages but I don't really try to become fluent just conversational i guess. I'm more inclined to learn about the aspects of a language than the grammar and stuff. Reading horror and what I like to call weird fiction. I love finding books that are a little odd the best example of this that I can think of is "House of Leaves" by Mark Z. Danielewsk. I really like weird things, normal things that have been a little twisted and made up in new ways if you get what I mean.

As for my personality... ugh I think I'm probably an acquired taste... it sounds bad but like I'm a really difficult person to get close to. I just don't trust easily and I'm not someone who entertains too much small talk without reason. An example is the fact I've known people for five+ years and still don't really consider them friends. Sure we hang out but like they don't know me and I don't know them. I'm just kind of prickly, with a major resting bitch face too. Though to make up for this I'm incredibly loyal. Once we've actually become friends there's nothing I wouldn't do for them. If they need help hiding a body I'm not gonna ask questions just gonna bring a shovel, take out for two, and tickets out of the country.

Oh and a current project of mine is to reverse-engineer a printer so that i can stick it to shitty corporations who think its reasonable to make you pay a subscription to use a printer that I ALREADY PAID FOR!! That last bit was mostly because i need to print out an essay of mine and I had to dust of the printer i haven't used in forever only to be met with a error message saying i had to pay my subscription to use the thing ugghh. So now i need to actually learn how to a soldering gun.

Sorry if my ramblings don't make much sense, I really don't think about myself too much so trying to describe myself was like insanely hard. Thank you!!!!!!!!! ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️

I match you with 𝐑𝐮𝐠𝐠𝐢𝐞 𝐁𝐮𝐜𝐜𝐡𝐢

The First Impression:

Okay. His honest, true, first thought? You smell good. You smell like spices and warmth, so much so that he forgets what he's doing to turn in your direction.

Why He Fell:

"Prickly" and "hard to get close to" aren't terms in Ruggie's dictionary. He would crawl into a sewer if he thought he'd get something worthwhile out of it, and, hey- to him, you're pretty worthwhile!

He may or may not trail behind you like a lost puppy for a little while, at least until you take pity on him and give the poor thing a good meal. But, like with most stray animals, feeding him only brings him back.

Over time (and a few meals), Ruggie starts to bond with you on a more personal level. He'll ask about each of your tattoos, let you ramble to him about whatever it is you're working on, and take little notes on how sharp and crafty you are in the meantime.

The Relationship:

Ruggie has absolutely no shame. Will gladly eat every single thing you make him without even asking what it is, all while dousing you with compliments about it. If making people food is your love language, then eating food is his.

You're just really nice to have around, right? And hey, your beat-em-up skills definitely don't hurt! He's a scrawny guy, he can appreciate standing behind some muscle. He also finds the way you understand sound, in both music and language, to be fascinating, especially considering how sensitive most beastmen's ears are. He can relate to how you describe it.

He's never one to judge, either, so take your time getting comfortable around him! He'd never admit it, but he's pretty much the same way- it takes a lot to actually get his walls down. You can do it together, huh?

[useless-catalanfacts]

A very interesting editorial by the journalist, political analyst and activist Vicent Partal. I've translated it to English for more people to understand:

The psychological impact of historical violence against Catalans

The time has come to consider the reparation of the historical violence committed by Spain against the Catalans. Because it's a mark that we carry every day and that defines our society and the behaviour of our oppressors.

I started Sant Jordi celebrations on Saturday going to Via Laietana [Spanish military police headquarters in Barcelona -capital city of Catalonia- famous for being the place where the police have tortured many people in brutal ways] to listen to some of the witnesses of the book Tortured. Via Laietana 43. Twenty-two women witnesses of terror (1941-2019) by Gemma Pasqual. They explained, with an exemplary bravery and dignity, how they had suffered in that horror house -under the dictatorship and the democracy. Since 1940 until nowadays. The attendees cut the street, we were carrying banners condemning torture and the torturers as we listened for half an hour to those women's narrations about what they had been through right there, behind those doors, one by one.

It was precisely in one of the most intimate and chilling moments when a man who was walking behind us, precisely through the door of Via Laietana 43 [the police headquarters], dared to shout insults to the protesters, and continued walking in front of the policemen stationed there. It's evident that he did not feel any respect nor interest for those women's experiences, and I assume that he didn't care about everything they went through, all the opposite. But behind his action there was the security and the arrogance of knowing that he would face no consequence. All the opposite: that, if someone tried to get back to him, he had the police there to protect him.

This verification reminded me of a book I read recently with a lot of interest: Caste, The Origins of Our Discontents, by the journalist Isabel Wilkerson. The book has had a great impact in the United States of America but also in countries like India, because Wilkerson explains how and why racism works not only in the USA, but also in more places -in the case of India, it talks about the dalit caste. And in what it explains there's a few lessons -because after all, she's talking about oppression and resistance- that are perfectly applicable to the Catalan case.

I'll start with this very Spanish man who insulted us on Saturday. How can there be someone so insensitive?, many of us asked ourselves after seeing his attitude. And Wilkerson's answer is clarifying: "The only way of keeping a group of intelligent people artificially oppressed, below others and below their own talent, is with violence and terror, psychological and physical, applied with the intention of stopping them from resisting it, even before they can imagine that they could resist to it." And she explains that this terror, that this violence, is not spontaneous at all, but is fabricated by the oppressors throughout history and they pass it down from generation to generation. She says: "Dehumanizing another human being is not only declaring that he's not human, and it doesn't happen by chance one day. In order to dehumanize a human collective, a very long process, a methodic programmation, is needed. It needs a lot of energy and effort, it needs resources, to accomplish such an antinatural thing as denying that another member of your species is your equal and, thus, denying that he has the same rights."

And with a quote by the sociologist Guy B. Johnson she explains that accumulated historical violence is the key to this oppression process: "To understand the conflict, you must understand that during the years of slavery white people got used to the idea that they could 'regulate' black people's insolence and insubordination through force, without consent and with the support of the law and the state apparatus." Exactly the same as here. And it's as simple as this: for the last 300 years, but very specially during the years of the Francoist dictatorship [1939-1978], Spanish people -particularly Spanish people who live in Catalonia- have gotten used to the fact that Catalan people's "insolence and insubordination" can be regulated through the use of violence and with the explicit support of a law that always is and always will be discriminatory against Catalans and favourable to them, Spaniards.

The security given by decades where this always happens like this, systematically, explains the arrogance and shamelessness with which a passerby is able to walk in front of a group of women explaining that they were tortured right there, in the building in front of them, and, even seeing they're accompanied by hundreds of people, he allows himself to confront them all, him alone, with an insulting shout. Simply, he's psychologically convinced that those insolents and insubordinates will be put in their place by the state's violence, as, in fact -and this is the maximum gravity of what happened in 2017-, the Spanish state did on October 1st [the Catalonia independence referendum, when the Spanish government sent the military police to beat up voters, kidnap votes, and close the voting places to avoid the referendum from taking place] and after the declaration of independence. If today we have the Spanish nationalists encouraged -and autonomists scared- it's because the Pavlov works. We have been beaten again.

In Isabel Wilkerson's book, a calculation catches the reader's attention. She asks in what year will the citizens of the USA have spent as much time having slaves than not having them. And the answer is 2111. In 2111, for the first time, African Americans will have spent as long in freedom -at least theoretically- than the amount of time they spent -and which weights on everyone's consciences, black or white- being slaves. In 2111 maybe African Americans will no longer feel the historical weight that they feel now and maybe -we'll see about that- white people will have gotten used to the fact that they're equal humans, with the same rights. By highlighting this number, Wilkerson explains to what point the past's weight is expressed nowadays and the importance of taking it into account. The way in which it's particularly important among oppressors, who continue thinking that they can do whatever they want with us -and that they have the right to it- and they are not afraid at all, because experience has proven that if someone gets hit, if someone gets arrested, if someone gets jailed, if someone gets exiled, if someone gets tortured, it will be us and not them.

The book has made me reflect and has impressed me a lot because of how it approaches such a deep psychological component of the relation between oppression and freedom. (...)

I'll continue with the example of Via Laietana. The torture witnesses in Gemma Pasqual's book range from 1940, when the Francoist troops had just entered Barcelona, to 2019, during the protests against the Supreme Court's sentence [jail sentence for Catalan civil society leaders, NGO members and democratically-elected politicians for insubordination to the Spanish government because of their involvement in Catalonia's independence movement]. That's 79 years. Assuming that from now on they won't torture again, until the year 2102 Catalans, and particularly those from Barcelona, will have lived as long without being threatened with torture and violence in the Via Laietana headquarters as they have lived used to -and scared of- this torture and violence. And do you think this doesn't matter? That it doesn't leave a mark? That it doesn't condition our behaviour and, above everything else, our oppressors' behaviour?

[annoying--moth]

any media recomendation i want to read/watch something but i don't know what

Oooh there's a lot of stuff I've gotten into and idk what genre you like so I'll just recommend a bunch-

Arc of a Scythe, dystopian book series where humanity has conquered natural death and now people called scythes must kill others because population control

Murder Drones, sci-fi/horror/comedy? animated tv show about robots who.. kill eachother. Never could've guessed from the title right? But seriously it's really good, lot of robo-gore though (if you can imagine that)

Once Upon a Time, drama/fantasy live action tv show about fairy tale characters getting trapped in the real world. It's really good (but it is 7 seasons so it is quite a commitment)

Love After World Domination, rom-com anime about a hero and a villain who are secretly in a relationship, this anime is legit so cute and SO underrated!!

Shadows House, a mystery/supernatural anime & manga about a mysterious mansion where nobles called "shadows" and their servants called "living dolls" live together. I'm actually really behind on the manga...

The Lunar Chronicles, a ya sci-fi book series that's basically a futuristic fairytale rewrite. There's a bunch of different characters whose stories mirror various fairytales (including Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel, and Snow White.) The first book came out during the ya dystopia craze and as a result was marketed as such, but really it just takes place in the future. I will say despite a lot of the things people say about ya books, the characters and plotlines are all really good and fleshed out, the love interests aren't toxic 'alpha males' or whatever, and there's also a lot of racial diversity (yay!)

If you're not into any of these I've always got more stuff- I tried to recommend a variety of things cause I don't really know exactly what you're into anon but these are some things I've really liked over the years ^^

[essektheylyss]

Just wanted to say that your posts on the Southern Reach books inspired me to check them out. I tore through the first one and I'm about halfway through the second - absolutely loving them so far. So thanks!

Any other books like this that you'd recommend?

I'm really glad you're enjoying them! They're definitely on top of my favorite book list at this point, they're absolutely phenomenal.

I have a few, though they're mostly similar by virtue of nebulous vibes—I dunno how much I'd say they're like the Southern Reach books, but they gave me a similar feeling.

What Moves The Dead by T. Kingfisher (who is on tumblr!) is a historical fiction novella in the category of what I lovingly call "fungal horror"; it was the first thing I read in 2023 and it was phenomenal. I think I finished it by noon on New Years. (CW for most of what comes with that particular horror vibe, though I don't think there's anything more than you'd encounter in the Southern Reach.)

The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula K LeGuin is older (as you might imagine) and might seem a bit of an odd line to draw here, but it deals with a post-climate disaster world and has a lot of the same ambiguity that I liked in the Southern Reach. Also plenty of red tape bureaucracy. (CW for unreality and psychological malpractice, and a very vehement one at that; both of those are pretty much the focal point of the plot.)

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke is... pretty indescribable, if I'm being honest, but it concerns a man who lives in and studies a world called The House, which is a series of rooms filled with statues that frequently flood. You will finish it and stare at a wall for a while to process it. (This probably requires a very mild CW for amnesia, but it's not particularly well-described.)

Also, because I am who I am, a nonfiction recommendation: Underland by Robert Macfarlane. It's about underground spaces and deep time and it is genuinely one of the most beautiful books I have ever read in my life. If you want the kind of mildly-fearful awe that the Southern Reach inspires, except applied to the actual world we live in, please read this book. I think it rewired my brain entirety. (CW for claustrophobia, as there are some extensive descriptions of various underground locations, both manmade and geological.)

I also have just barely started the Ambergris Trilogy, also by Jeff VanderMeer, and though I'm not far into it, it's already promising, and I've heard good things!

Also if anyone who sees this has additional recommendations, please feel free to add them; I'd also love to find some more to read with the same vibes.

[fictionadventurer]

Hello

3,8,9,13,14,15,18,20,21,22,26,30,33,39,41,44,45,46,48,52,55,58,60, for the ask game !

(I recognize that i may have asked too many questions.....partly as an excuse to get more book recs!)

Okay, let's do this!

3. How many books have you read (this year) so far?

According to Goodreads, 77, but that counts a lot of short stories, novellas, and in one case, a serial story where each part counts as a single book.

8. A book you've always wanted to read but never got a chance?

Lots, but lately I've been thinking about how I've never gotten around to reading A Canticle for Leibowitz, despite being recommended it years ago.

9. A book you're never, ever gonna read?

Harry Potter.

13. A genre you aren't a fan of in particular?

Horror.

14. A genre you love?

One I've recently started to define as vintage fiction--cozy books that are old enough to be classics, but aren't high-brow enough or famous enough to be considered classic literature.

15. A reading habit you could get "canceled" for?

Leaving so many books unfinished for no good reason.

18. Recommend a book to the person who sent you this ask.

Roverandom by J.R.R. Tolkien--a very fun fairy tale fantasy he wrote for his kids.

20. A book series you can't wait to read.

Once a Queen by Sarah Arthur feels like a fantasy book that should have a minimum of four other books already available for me to read, and the sequel can't come fast enough.

21. A book series you're never going to read.

A Court of Thorns and Roses

22. A celebrity's book rec that you loved?

Jo Walton enthusiastically recommended Desire by Una Silberrad and introduced me to a new favorite obscure author.

26. Your favourite reading position?

Sitting?

30. If you could have access to anybody's bookshelf, dead or alive, which person would you pick?

I am sticking Manalive on Steven Moffat's bookshelf so he will write the adaptation (and read the rest of Chesterton and become Catholic).

33. Do you annotate as you read or prefer not to?

Absolutely not. When I read a book, I want to read it with fresh eyes, as the person I am now, without the person that I was last time chattering in the margins.

39. Favourite book to movie/TV show adaptation?

The 1995 Sense and Sensibility is one of my favorite movies of all time.

41. If you could read the first draft of any one book, which book would you pick and why?

I'd like to read the original version of Black as Night by Regina Doman, which apparently had an entirely different plot before major rewrites.

44. Favourite book protagonist?

I can't pick one favorite! I'll just mention that Wilkie Collins has written some of my favorite female characters in Victorian fiction--Marian Halcombe in The Woman in White is one of my favorite characters ever, and I loved The Law and the Lady mostly because of how much I loved the narrator.

45. Favourite book villain?

One of the reasons Little Town on the Prairie is my favorite Little House books is because of how well Wilder presents Nellie Oleson and Miss Wilder as villains.

46. Favourite literary quote?

How am I supposed to pick one?

Here's what I'm going to do. I'm going to go to Goodreads and find something that got highlighted in Kindle.

Okay, here's a quote I highlighted in Sylvia's Lovers by Elizabeth Gaskell that I had completely forgotten about.

He was just the kind of man that all his neighbours found fault with, and all his neighbours liked.

48. If you could be a part of any story you've read, which book would you pick?

I'm just going to live in the cottagecore atmosphere of your average Elizabeth Goudge book.

52. Do you like audiobooks? If yes, which is your favourite audiobook?

I adore audiobooks!

Probably the coolest one I've ever listened to was the full-cast audio recording of Fairest by Gail Carson Levine, because it takes place in a world where people often sing in their day-to-day lives, and this audio version has the characters sing all the songs!

As far as ones that are readily available, my favorite is the Jim Dale version of Around the World in 80 Days. That man's range of voices is astounding!

On Librivox, Vanity Fair (Version 2) has the best Librivox narrator I've ever heard. Most of the time, I'm just happy if the narrator pronounces everything correctly, with bonus points if they have a fitting accent. This woman was doing multiple accents!

55. If you could have any book related job in the world (librarian, editor, publisher, writer, etc), what job would you pick?

Writer.

58. A book that emotionally wrecked you?

I wept through large portions of In a Far-Off Land by Stephanie Landsem.

60. Talk about books! Anything you like, maybe share some more recs<3

I've just started Codename Edelweiss by Stephanie Landsem, and I'm excited to try another book by the author, because I've heard even more good things about this one.

[phoenixwatchesmovies]

2023 Favorites

I'm kinda glad I was keeping track of what I watched, in retrospect, because looking back over my posts this year, I realized I forgot about a lot of stuff. XD After looking over the recaps and excluding rewatches, here's my top ten New Stuff I Watched for 2023:

10. Cabinet Of Curiosities

Bizarre nightmares unfold in eight tales of terror in a visually stunning, spine-tingling horror collection curated by Guillermo del Toro.

If GDT is your guy, give this a watch. Creature features, cursed objects, aliens, you name it. 8/8 tentacled eldritch abominations.

9. Wolf Creek

Three backpackers stranded in the Australian outback are plunged inside a hellish nightmare of insufferable torture by a sadistic psychopathic local.

Holy shit, this was intense. And as I said initially, so mean. If you're into Texas Chainsaw Massacre, try this. I'm into franchise bingo, so I'm going to look into the sequels and TV series. 3/3 heads on a stick.

8. Requiem For A Dream

The drug-induced utopias of four Coney Island people are shattered when their addictions run deep.

I get the feeling this is one of those that hurts so much more on rewatching, so there's that to look forward to. I've also rarely seen movies that do so much harmonizing between the music and the visuals, and it was so satisfying. 4/4 refrigerator jump scares.

7. Evil Dead Rise

A twisted tale of two estranged sisters whose reunion is cut short by the rise of flesh-possessing demons, thrusting them into a primal battle for survival as they face the most nightmarish version of family imaginable.

This was probably the most fun I had with a horror movie all year, TBH. Horror exploring family dynamics will always be a fave, and this brought plenty of fresh stuff to the franchise while also holding onto the core traits. 5/5 Staffenies.

6. Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves

A charming thief and a band of unlikely adventurers embark on an epic quest to retrieve a lost relic, but things go dangerously awry when they run afoul of the wrong people.

This was the most fun I had watching a movie all year, period. If you know nothing about DND, it's a good fantasy movie. If you're a DND nerd, the game mechanics are baked into it. If you're a fan of found families, guess what! 6/6 stealth checks.

5. Cowboy Bebop

A ragtag crew of bounty hunters chases down the galaxy's most dangerous criminals. They'll save the world--for the right price.

I got exactly what I wanted out of this, so haters be damned. The anime is a masterpiece and a classic, but if you're not in the mood for the existentialism and other heavier themes, here ya go. 3/3 shower-bath-showers.

4. The Black Phone

After being abducted by a child killer and locked in a soundproof basement, a 13-year-old boy starts receiving calls on a disconnected phone from the killer's previous victims.

Near perfect, as far as I'm concerned. The older I get, the more kids-in-danger as a concept fucks with me, making this the most stressful movie I watched this year (though It Chapter One gave it a run for its money, and I still think they would make a great double feature). 5/5 black balloons.

3. Evil Dead (2013)

Five friends head to a remote cabin, where the discovery of a Book of the Dead leads them to unwittingly summon up demons living in the nearby woods.

It's gnarly. It's badass. I almost puked. I had THE BEST time. The story works as an effective allegory, the effects are gruesomely awesome, and the finale is metal af. Plain and simple. 70,000/70,000 gallons of fake blood.

2. The Crow

A man brutally murdered comes back to life as an undead avenger of his and his fiancée's murder.

Beautiful, sad, aesthetic for days, hella good soundtrack. *chef kiss* I still haven't seen The Batman, but they seem visually similar, so if you like that, you'll probably like this. For more in-depth thoughts, read my post. 1/1 epic rooftop guitar solos.

1. The Fall Of The House Of Usher

To secure their fortune (and future) two ruthless siblings build a family dynasty that begins to crumble when their heirs mysteriously die, one by one.

Not just a new favorite Mike Flanagan. A new favorite in general, and my number one for the year. I just screamed about this one last month, and I don't have anything more to add. I've seen Succession comparisons, and while I have no idea how accurate that is, there's my "if you like that, here's this." Holy crap. 7/7 deadly sins personified.

Happy New Year! 🥂