#the scorpio races audiobook

[lucimiir]

Something something the religions on Thisby are in inherent conflict but manage to coexist something something Sean is the history of the races and Puck is the future something something Puck thinks it dishonors her parents to ride a capall uisce and Norman Falk thinks it dishonors Tommy to ride a normal horse something something Puck rides Corr and begins to understand why something something George Holly thinks he can feel god on these cliffs something something Columba tried to convert the islanders and was thrown from the cliffs into the sea and the capaill and island magic drag the people of a converted Thisby to watery deaths every year something something the Malvern stables and St. Columba’s would look the same if you added the afterthought confessional something something

[yourgoodfriendjh]

the ending of the scorpio races has me in TEARS i am not well

[promethes]

maggie stiefvater wrote the ideal man with sean kendrick

[lindensea]

Love it when an audiobook is so good I drive everywhere in a trance-like state

[itsseriouslyridiculous]

I want to read more murderbot books

I just listened to all the audiobooks which counts as my 3rd read through of the series and I still want to read it.

anyone have recommendations for a series that has a similarly compelling main character\narrator action story? preferably sci-fi or fantasy and not romance focused.

examples of other authors I've liked include -T Kingfisher Clockwork Boys- Maggie Stiefvater The Scorpio Races and her Dreamer Trilogy-

are any of Martha Wells other books as good as the Murderbot Diaries?

[cabeswaterdrowned]

I need an audiobook to listen to … maybe I’ll start the Scorpio races …

[ofliterarynature]

NOVEMBER 2023 WRAP UP

[ loved liked ok no thanks (reread) DNF ]

The Moonstone • Chaos Terminal • (The Raven Boys) • The Ghosts of Trappist • (Fugitive Telemetry) • From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler • The Art of Destiny • The Bell in the Fog • (Exit Strategy) • Who Goes There? • Salt Magic Skin Magic • The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up • (Dracula) • (Rogue Protocol) • The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store • The Boneshaker • The Archive Undying • (The Scorpio Races) • Camilla

Total: 18 (audiobook: 15 / ebook: 3)

I started my month off by finishing my reread of The Scorpio Races on November 1, as is right and proper :) This has consistently been my favorite of Maggie's books, and it never feels right the years that I haven't reread it. I think I hit the right method this year and rather than binging it or following a structured reread (which would be cool, if you could match the timeline of the book) I listened to the audiobook on and off throughout Oct and finished it off in one last burst one the 1st. I think this is some of Maggie's best writing, but I also admit I am no longer able to judge this one objectively and will save you all the sales pitch for now :)

The Archive Undying was...confusing. It wasn't that I couldn't follow what was happening on the sentence level or in the immediate present, but try zooming out to the larger picture and I was lost. It was hazy, very much like a fever dream. I would not be opposed to trying some of the author's other work in the future, but I have no interest in revisiting this book/series, and wouldn't really recommend.

The Boneshaker has been sitting on my bookshelf for years ever since I picked it up at a library book sale, and it's managed to survive every shelf purge since. And I'm glad it did! It's a strange MG/YA book about a girl, her bicycle, a small western town just off a crossroads, a snakeoil salesman, his medicine show, and deals with the devil. It was fascinating! I've been almost tempted to send a copy to Sydnee McElroy just for fun. I will definitely be investigating the author's other series.

The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store - I got tempted into this one because the Book Riot Podcast couldn't stop singing it's praises, and then it started making some of the year end/best of lists and... it's ok I guess? I don't really get the hype, tbh, and I got close to DNFing because it just wasn't interesting. I was at least forewarned that the "murder mystery" in the marketing was overblown, but I am here to tell you to ignore its existence completely. There is no mystery, there isn't really even a murder, and it doesn't happen until the end of the book anyway. I fully admit this was just not a book for me, and anyone who wants to read it I wish you well.

Not much to say about my Murderbot reread, other than choosing to give the audiobooks a break and rereading in a text format was an excellent choice, I really feel like I've picked up on a lot of things I didn't before, and it gives me time to think about things (I have some questions about the actual irl existence of rogue secunits, tbh). This is my second full time trough the series, and I think Exit Strategy is maybe the weakest solo link in the original quartet, but that makes me very happy to have the newer books as well. And I have to say it, FUGITIVE TELEMETRY IS BETTER IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER.

Dracula Daily wrapped up this month, so I'm probably not the only one to have Dracula show up on their reading list. I listened to most of it via RE: Dracula, which I appreciated so much for helping keep me on track this year. I probably won't follow along next year, but big thanks to everyone for helping me learn to enjoy a book I hated both times I had to read it for school! I'll still be percolating that Greenwing & Dart AU somewhere in the back of my mind in the meantime.

I picked up the idea of "sparking joy" from the general internet and have found it hugely helpful in letting go of things in life, so I've been meaning to pick up The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up for a while, and was finally spurred into it when I picked up a copy at goodwill. I found some actionable advice in Kondo's method, but sooo much of the book felt like a sales pitch on how following this method could fix everything wrong in your life (and I mean *everything*). It left a very bad taste in my mouth - I think a workbook or checklist could be useful, but wouldn't recommend the book itself.

Salt Magic Skin Magic is a historical fantasy with magic, adventure, and a gay romance, which is so entirely in my wheelhouse. It hit all the same points I tend to find/enjoy in KJ Charles' work, and I had such a good time reading this - no surprise, apparently she helped edit this! Thanks to the HOTE discord group for reccing this one, I'll definitely be checking out some of the author's other work!

If you didn't know, Who Goes There? is the short story that the movie The Thing was based on - which I have not seen, but I went on a brief dive into antarctic exploration/horror in anticipation of this month's book club (All the White Spaces, which I actually read for last month but that meeting got delayed) and this popped up pretty quickly. It was available from the library and short, so why not?! The beginning felt a little rough, but I would have loved to see the tension of the main plot drawn out even longer. Liked this a lot better than the actual book club book, but I don't know that I'll watch any of the adaptations.

The Bell in the Fog - Lavender House sequel! I was so glad when this was announced; I love queer books, historical books, a mystery with a lead who actually does some detecting, and a character trying to find themselves and their community? Absolute catnip for me. It also doesn't pull its punches about the violence and injustices faced by the queer community, so it's definitely a bit darker than my usual tastes and will have to try hard to make it onto my favorites list. But if the author continues to write these I will absolutely pick them up.

The Art of Destiny - bless the library for not dragging their heels on the audiobook for this sequel, but lucky me, they did finally add the first book in time for me to get them both in the same year. Unlucky me, this does not appear to be the end of this series D: third book when??? Anyway, I won't deny that these books move a little slowly, but when they move, they move. If you want a big fantasy that's diverse, funny, cartoonish but epically violent, has a cast of all ages, and centers it's story on non-romantic relationships - this is so good, come join me in wailing for a book 3 announcement.

From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler has lived in the back of my mind for a while as a favorite childhood book of a booklr friend who is sadly no longer on tumblr, but who I say hi to occasionally on other sites - anyways, I found a copy at goodwill and took it as a sign. This one's for you, Lourdes! If I'd found this as a kid, I probably would have reread it a lot, that's how I was too lol. For now, it was a fine read, but I don't think it'll have a lasting hold. Any fans interested in more middle grade about fine art might check out the Chasing Vermeer series by Blue Balliett.

The Ghosts of Trappist - I think it's impossible for me to not enjoy myself reading this series (NeoG), but this one was a bit of a backslide from the improvements in book 2. On one hand - a very ambitious plot, probably the least soap-operaish of the bunch, and I loved the emotional arcs (and the possible ART/murderbot reference?). On the other - over a dozen pov characters is too too many. my god. I think a tighter focus could have done a world of good, but if this is also where the series wraps up I'd be totally satisfied. I'll definitely check out the author's other series.

I admit, rereading The Scorpio Races sparked something in me and now I'm determined to set off on a full Maggie Stiefvater read/reread, starting with The Raven Boys. I really loved this when it first came out, but my interested petered out as the series progressed and I started college, and I haven't touched the spinoff yet. My impression from the first book is still that Maggie's writing is so goddam beautiful. Her sentences make me want to weep, but for me there's so much focus on the line that I'm constantly losing track of the big picture. I'm still enjoying myself, but I feel like I'm coasting a lot on nostalgia and aesthetic between moments of a story - though is it me, or does she write a lot in scenes/vignettes, rather than a constant flowing story? I've found some success in centering myself by imagining the scenes as depicted by a CW supernatural teen show of my high school years and it's quite lovely, actually - I can't believe the TV show plans got dropped and never picked up again. We'll have to see how the rest of the series goes.

Genuinely, I can't believe that I read Station Eternity earlier this year and that the sequel, Chaos Terminal, is out already. Despite liking the author's first book (Six Wakes) and normally liking the tropes they're playing with here, I did not like the first book. No idea why I read the second one then (hope?), but it was better, definitely! I still didn't like it. No idea if I'll finally call it quits on this series or get lured into another one if it gets written.

The Moonstone was an unexpected surprise! I made it to November still 2 books short on my 6 classics challenge and panicked when the first one ended up dnf'd - what if this one was bad too??? But I really should know better, give me a half decent mystery and entertaining characters, and I'll be fine. And it was epistolary! I had a good time groaning over all of the characters foibles and quirks, even if I spent the whole time just going, Hey Guys? you could avoid all of this if you just let the nice Indian men have their diamond back. Good fun if you like a mystery and have some patience.

My only DNF this month was the previously mentioned classic - from the moment I decided on a classics challenge, I knew I wanted to try something by Frances Burney given how much I liked her novel Evelina. Unfortunately for me, the only one the library had on audiobook was Camilla... and it was 37 hours long. I gave it a shot, but only made it about 3 hours in. I really do applaud Burney for her ability to create characters who are intentionally/unintentionally causing harm even if they sometimes have the best of intentions. It's absurd, truly, but I'm not in a place I can take that right now - especially since the victims were children, and it happened *repeatedly*. I think if I was to try this one again I'd need to take it slowly in small parts.

Am I horribly wrong about anything? Do you have any classics you'd recommend for next year?

[liminalmemories21]

Top 9 Books

tagged by @jesuisici33

Okay, let's do a retrospective here - childhood through current.

1 - Anne of Green Gables, LM Montgomery Anne my beloved.

2 - Alanna series, Tamora Pierce Team George all the way - also possibly my introduction to the genre of girl dresses up like a boy to do fun things and save the world. Also, not for nothing but Alanna has relationships with three different men in the series and does not get slut shamed for it, which for a bunch of books I read in like middle school is pretty cool.

3 - Dark is Rising, Susan Cooper Will/Bran might have been my first ship before I even knew what I was doing. Also they are fantastic fantasy - and for the love of God do not ever watch the travesty of a movie.

4- Lord Peter Wimsey, Dorothy L Sayers I'm not picking just one - but I guess if I had to pick I'd pick the four with Harriet Vane. I met Peter Wimsey in high school, and basically he's been my benchmark for men ever since.

5 - Little Thieves, Margaret Owen Retelling of the Goose Girl from the perspective of the Goose Girl. Trauma and recovery and nuance. Also, a heist.

6 - Red White & Royal Blue, Casey McQuiston I read this when it came out and literally stopped in the middle of my commute to text my roommate 'they're fighting in a closet!'. Also, first book I managed to reread all the way through about four months into the pandemic. Still a comfort read.

7 - Raven Cycle, Maggie Stiefvater I have read and listened to these book so many times, I can't even tell you. (cheating but also Scorpio Races)

8 - Barbed Wire Heart, Tess Sharpe I love everything she writes (and she narrates her own audiobooks and it's cool to hear her voice do them) - If you ever watched Justified, this is kind of like an exploration of someone like Mags Bennett - morally grey but on the side of right.

9 - Goblin Emperor, Katherine Addison Intimate fantasy about learning how to be emperor, and learning how to be the kind of emperor you want to be when you weren't ever supposed to be emperor. And yes, there are lots of stories like this - but this one doesn't come with an epic quest, or a big battle, it's just the slow battles of politics and council meetings (and they build a really cool bridge).

okay, tagging @wtfuckevenknows, and @redshirt2, and @irispurpurea in return.

[theinquisitxor]

November 2023 Reading Wrap Up

I read a total of 9 books in November, which was a better reading month than I've had in a while. I also found some new favorites and new releases this month. My workload for classes was much lighter, and I had significant more reading time. I read 7 physical books and 2 audiobooks.

1.Shadows of Self (Mistborn 5) by Brandon Sanderson, 3/5 stars. Another crime mystery set in Elendel. I read this one entirely as a physical copy, but I probably would have enjoyed the audiobook more. I wasn’t as engaged in the plot as much, and it felt a bit like a ‘filler’ book to me. Crime thriller high fantasy

2.The Hollow Places by T. Kingfisher, 4/5 stars. This was a creepy portal fantasy horror with interdimensional monsters and a museum of curiosities. A good spooky season read, and a book that I couldn't put down. I stayed up past 2am to read it. Horror, portal fantasy

3.The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater, 5/5 stars. My annual reread of this book starting every November 1st. I listened to this on audio, and I made November cakes in honor of my tradition.

4.Starling House by Alix E Harrow, 5/5 stars. This book was everything I enjoy in stories, and is about a struggling Appalachian town, siblings trying to survive, a sentient house, tragic dark fairy tales, gothic horror, and a beauty & the beast retelling. The pace of this book is slow, and I would consider it a deeply character driven story. Contemporary fantasy.

5.Steelstriker (Skyhunter 2) by Marie Lu, 3.5/5 stars. This is a post apocalyptic dystopian ya fantasy that touches on real world events, and certainly feels relevant to some events that have happened over the past few years. This is a fast paced, action packed duology that kept me hooked and wanting to turn the pages. Sci-fi/fantasy

6.Leviathan Falls (The Expanse 9) by James S.A. Corey, 5/5 stars. I've been reading the Expanse books for three years now, and I started Leviathan Wakes in Jan 2021. This really built up to a huge finale and gave a satisfying ending, I don't think I could have asked for better. The last ~20 pages of this were spot on. I'm very glad I read this series, even if it took me several years. Science Fiction Space Opera.

7.The Bands of Mourning (Mistborn 6) by Brandon Sanderson, 4/5 stars. Very entertaining and enjoyable, reading this series on audio is 1000% the best way for me to consume these books. This book had a lot of cool moments, parts that made me go “what?!” and some neat new cosmere/worldbuilding things in it. Crime thriller high fantasy

8.Murtagh by Christopher Paolini, 3/5 stars. Murtagh was a decently good book. Murtagh is my favorite character of the Inheritance Cycle, and I was looking forward to reading this. I enjoyed most of this book, although I thought it could have been trimmed down, and there was one section and significant trope that I did not enjoy, which affected how I felt about this book. High Fantasy.

9. Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher, 5/5 stars. This novella was exactly my type of fairy tale and brand of faeries. I also enjoyed a good representation of the middle ages, and T. Kingfisher's excellent writing. This was such a sweet story (even though it has darker moments), and I'm glad I decided to pick this up. Fantasy/fairy tale

That's it for November! See my December tbr below

December tbr:

The Lost Metal (Mistborn 7) audiobook

A Strange and Stubborn Endurance by Foz Meadows (reread)

All the Hidden Paths by Foz Meadows

Howl's Moving Castle by DWJ (reread)

Castle in the Air by DWJ

House of Many Ways by DWJ

The Damar duology (The Blude Sword and The Hero and the Crown) by Robin McKinley

A Winter's Promise by Christbelle Dabos

Realm Breaker by Victoria Aveyard

Nonfiction on audio

[lucimiir]

Steve West audibly grits his teeth every time he says Mutt Malvern and I am living for it

[thatndginger]

Happy STS!

Which authors inspire you the most? Do you have any of your favorite quotes to share?

~ @tabswrites

I am always down to try and convince people to read my favorites!

I’ve always been inspired by classic authors like Jane Austen and Alexandre Dumas. The Count of Monte Cristo is one of my yearly re-reads (rip to me, it’s a 50 hour audiobook) and I love trying to figure out where the plot is going. Some of my favorite lines from it are :

“Ghosts only appear to those who ought to see them.” “The difference between treason and patriotism is only a matter of dates.”

I’ve also always been in love with Maggie Steifvater’s writing. The best way I can explain the way she writes magic into her world is ethereal yet grounded. Her worlds feel so organic, and her style of writing makes me wanna shake something and scream. I have an entire shelf in my bookcase dedicated to her. My favorite book of hers is The Scorpio Races. How can you not fall in love with this gut-punch of an opening?

“It is the first day of November and so, today, someone will die.” “The red stallion circles, halfway to a hungry creature of the sea, but he does as I asked: he does not eat the thing that was my father.”

Other honorable mention to Ovid and Homer of Greek classics fame. Charles Martin’s translation of Metamorphoses is a big part of the reason I’m such a nerd about Greek mythology (shoutout to my awesome colloquium teacher, too). My dog Echo is named after the nymph Echo, my cat Skylla is named after the monster in the Odyssey (if I get another cat, it’s gonna be named Kharybdis, because I’m like that lol), and of course I can’t leave out my rottie mix Artemis. I’m gonna leave you with this excerpt of Martin’s Metamorphoses translation, because it’s a banger ;P

He [Narcissus] flees, and fleeing, cries “Hands off! No hugs! I’ll die before you’ll have your way with me!”

[clotpolesonly]

So, I started a cleaning job where I don't have to talk to anyone, which is lovely, but it also meant I started listening to audiobooks, and I've started listening to some book series I've been hearing about here and there, and the latest was The Raven Cycle. Why? Because you posted about it. You are literally the only person on my dashboard to post about it, but the few ones I have seen over the last months? years? have been enough for me to be assured in it having queer rep, being well written, and potentially worth my time. And yeah, it very much was, cause now I'm kinda hooked on it, like not just Adam/Ronan, tho very much them as well, but Maggie even got me caring about a straight couple with Gansey/Blue, cause she just writes such beautiful and unique characters!!! And anyway, besides asking you if you have some favourite AO3 recs (Don't even care much about the ship, as long as it's with these characters) I come having finished The Raven King a week ago, and now humbly but also very desperately asking, do you have any other book recommendations like TRC for me to listen to?? (Oh, and maybe also whether or not the dreamer triology will be just as good? Cause I'm curious about it having Ronan in focus, but more than the story, it's the characters that got me hooked on TRC, and like Maggie Stiefvater's writing style, but yeah I'm unsure how much of Adam there is in the trilogy, and the new characters, are they just as intriguing??)

YESSSSSS I LOVE SNAGGING PEOPLE AND DRAGGING THEM INTO MY FANDOMS XD WELCOME

the Dreamer Trilogy has its pros and its cons. if does significantly shift the focus of the narrative away from the established group, so if the Gangsey found family dynamic is a really big factor in your enjoyment and you don't want to be without it, you'll be disappointed by TDT because the rest of the gang simply isn't present 😭 it's very much Lynch-(and new characters)-focused.

Ronan is the main character and gets the most screen time, but honestly, Declan steals the show in that series. people can go into TDT Declan haters and come out of it with rabid Declan brain rot afdkjgh, i for one am obsessed with him. Matthew gets a real arc too, which i love for him. Adam doesn't have a huge role but he is around and relevant. i am IN LOVE with some of the new characters, and Maggie got us again with the straights!!! she makes us fucking YEARN WITH THE STRAIGHTS, on par with Bluesey imo, the new canon ship destroys me ok??

i will say that TDT doesn't feel as cohesive and satisfying in the overall narrative structure sense, compared to TRC. there are some things about it that confuse/frustrate me or don't make sense if you look at it too closely 😅 but there's so much really interesting compelling character/relationship work that it makes up for it, for me. i enjoyed TDT a lot, have read it multiple times, and will definitely read it again. it expands upon the world and lore, and i'm a sluuuut for complicated dysfunctional family dynamics so the Lynches get me good.

.

as for other recs! in case my unrelenting TRC blogging isn't damning enough evidence, i'll admit openly that i tend to just read the same thing over and over again instead of reading anything new lfkdjgh, so i don't actually HAVE anything else to rec myself, i am useless to you 😅😅😅 so instead i reached out to some other fans on discord and got suggestions from them to share with you!

The Scorpio Races (also Maggie Stiefvater)

The Wicker King (K Ancrum)

Aristotle & Dante (Benjamin Alire Saenz)

A Darker Shade of Magic (VE Schwab)

Iron Widow (Xiran Jay Zhao)

In Other Lands (Sarah Rees Brennan)

Hell Followed With Us (Andrew Joseph White)

The Darkest Part of The Forest (Holly Black)

All Of Us Villains duology (Amanda Foody, CL Herman)

Self Made Boys (Anna Marie Mclemore)

Legendborn (Tracy Deonn)

Folk of the Air series (Holly Black)

Six of Crows duology (Leigh Bardugo)

Winternight trilogy (Katherine Arden)

Gideon the Ninth (Tamsyn Muir)

The Atlas Six (Olivie Blake)

so, again, i have not personally read any of these books to make the recs more specific or say what part of them invokes TRC vibes, but it sure is a place to start?? 😂

.

for fic recs, oh god, my brain is SWISS CHEESE, let's see if i can remember and dig up anything aldkfjg

(ok first i rec my own fics #shameless self promo)

Magnetic i've read SO MUCH and will again, it's everything to me

don't it beat a slow dance to death is a timeloop thing A+

I'm an Empathetic Drunk, Ok? is the first long TRC fic i read i think

All That I Know is Gone has dreamer!Declan, obsessed with this

King by the Roadside Gansey-didn't-die-the-first-time + polyam

A Sound Of Thunder Declan died instead of Niall 😭😭

aaaaaand these are the ones that are coming to my mind as of right now, the first 3 are all Pynch. i think the 4th has Pynch but it's mostly brother feels - that one introduces some elements from TDT but i don't thiiiiiink anything that would be a significant spoiler as long as you've read the short story Opal, which was included in my physical copy of TRK if it wasn't in yours, i have the epub). could hold off on that one until you (maybe) read TDT (if you wanna), but i've read it too many times not to rec it. 5th one hooks up the whole gang in one big polycule and i love it for that, and the last one hurts my HEART as a Declan stan but it's otherwise a great fic 😂

anybody else with TRC recs, add on/reply/hit @so-very-asleep up with 'em!!!

[lantur]

I can't believe I haven't written in almost two weeks. :// I really regret falling so behind with journaling on here. I want to get back to it, because it helps me process my thoughts. Long post underneath the read more.

notes on life,

I was thoroughly overwhelmed by my work trip two weeks ago, but I was delighted to get to see @thatisadamnfinecupofcoffee and @annespelledwithane again. Spending time with them (going out for ramen and to the prettiest tea house in the East Village, and then eating an entire buffet of desserts from two different bakeries, and staying up until 2 AM) was a mini-vacation I very much needed.

It took me a whole week to recover from being out of town for a few days. :// I truly don't bounce back from travel the way I used to a few years ago...

I've been in my new job for almost exactly one month now. The challenging transition phase is over. I'm still adjusting to being way busier than I used to be, putting a lot more mental effort in. It's tiring. Every day, I do roughly as much work as I used to do in one week at my old job, so I have to work faster and harder than I used to before. It makes the days go by super fast, which is disorienting. I feel like February just started, but actually the month started eight days ago.

I've been trying to keep on top of my personal goals despite all of that. I've been enjoying swimming and yoga. I cooked a new recipe, halal cart chicken and rice, and it turned out really good. I'm hoping to cook two more new recipes before the end of this month. I finished my audiobook of The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater, and it was so good that I kept thinking of the ending for days after I finished it. I started listening to My Best Friend's Exorcism by Grady Hendrix a few days ago as well.

I had my long-awaited psychiatrist appointment yesterday. I was nervous, but the psychiatrist was very kind and empathetic, and she is also another WOC. She has suggested starting a new medication to treat type 2 bipolar disorder. I'm nervous, but hopeful that this could help me.

I've been going through pelvic floor physical therapy as well for the past couple of weeks, which is quite a time and energy commitment - weekly appointments with the PT, and regular practice at home. It's tiring, on top of everything else going on with work, social life, home maintenance, exercise, etc., but I'm hopeful that this too will help me address longstanding issues with excessive pelvic floor tightness. I wish it could be fixed quickly, but I think it might take months to sort out.

I've been enjoying spending time with Derek playing board games, and cuddling my cat Westin and watching The Wire at night/in the evenings after work. The quiet time really helps me recover before the next work day.

I have been loving watching The Last of Us.

I had a wonderful time hanging out with my little nieces, five and almost three years old, on Saturday and playing hide and seek with them. <3

I had a dream that really hit me hard a couple of nights ago. I dreamed I got to see my brother again. We hung out, and I gave him a big hug. I was adopted, so we weren't raised together. We only saw each other once every few years, until our families became estranged. I haven't seen him in 10 years now, as we live in different countries. We're in touch occasionally over text. I wrote on here last fall that I thought I processed my grief over that separation, and found surrogate siblings in my brothers- and sisters-in-law via Derek's family. So this dream hit me hard. I wouldn't have normally done this, but I sent my brother a short text tonight, just saying I was thinking about him and I hope he and his wife are doing well. It hurts a lot. I always wonder if I'm ever going to see him again. I would love to give him and my sister-in-law a hug.

I'm looking forward to therapy on Friday. I haven't been able to have an appointment in about three weeks or so, and I'm excited to be able to process my thoughts and feelings with my therapist, and getting back to doing that on here by myself as well.

[justsomeguycore]

to be honest i’m personally offended that the locked tomb audiobooks aren’t read by someone with a new zealand accent and the scorpio races audiobook isn’t read by someone with an irish accent like. we cannot keep letting the english get away with this

[volturialice]

for the @bellasbookclub summer reading wrap-up tag

I managed to read 6.5 books from the reclist! and I wanna read about 17 more rip. I've read kind of a lot of stuff this summer? see goodreads/storygraph

tag

Favorite book - Picnic at Hanging Rock and The Hollow Kingdom Favorite author - Robin Wall Kimmerer Favorite cover - The Death of Jane Lawrence

Favorite character and/or ship - Kate/Marak from The Hollow Kingdom The book I think Bella Swan would like best - Howl’s Moving Castle A book I’d never heard of before - so many, but out of the ones I read: Blindsight A book I wanted to read but still haven't gotten around to - Within These Wicked Walls, A Canticle for Leibowitz, The Scorpio Races, The Eyre Affair, The Essex Serpent, probably a few more tbh A random hot take - Augustine Lawrence is Carlisle Cullen if he were properly wet babygirl-ified

sum-up

The Hollow Kingdom ✔️ DF ☐ DNF ☆☆☆☆ One-sentence sum-up: My First Monsterfucker book for future Del Toro stans. Ugly love interest rights! (ok most of these are 2 sentences sue me)

Blindsight ✔️ DF ☐ DNF ☆☆☆ One-sentence sum-up: aliens vs vampire IN SPAAAACE. you should get honorary degrees in linguistics and astrophysics just from walking past this one in the bookstore

Picnic at Hanging Rock ✔️ DF ☐ DNF ☆☆☆☆ One-sentence sum-up: we love a gothic boarding school story. what if we went mysteriously missing and we were both girls

Howl’s Moving Castle ✔️ DF ☐ DNF ☆☆☆ +.5 One-sentence sum-up: a silly cozy time. who doesn’t love Whimsy

The Death of Jane Lawrence ✔️ DF ☐ DNF ☆☆☆ One-sentence sum-up: can’t believe she went through all that for a SHORT man

This is How You Lose The Time War ✔️ DF ☐ DNF ☆☆☆ One-sentence sum-up: as gay as promised

Braiding Sweetgrass ☐ DF ✔️ DNF because I’m still listening to the audiobook ☆☆☆☆ One-sentence sum-up: [sniffling] you’re so right robin we have to steward the earth better. oh god I gotta pull over

[pluviacuratio-a]

Tag 10 followers you want to get to know better!

Name: You can call me Shiny! Star Sign: Scorpio/Sagittarius cusp Height: 5''3", 160 cm Middle name: Nicole

Put your itunes/spotify/youtube on shuffle. What are the first 6 songs that popped up?

Just from my general liked songs rather than a playlist

This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race - Fall Out Boy

Mother Knows Best - Donna Murphy (Tangled)

My Head & My Heart - Ava Max

Starboy - The Weeknd

Bad Blood - Taylor Swift

Ghostbusters (I'm Not Afraid) - Fall Out Boy ft. Missy Elliott

Ever had a poem or song written about you: Uhh. My dad was writing a song about me around my graduation from high school, but I've never heard it. When was the last time you played air guitar: I genuinely can't remember. I don't do it much. Who is your celebrity crush?: Gguhhh...? Um, I'm not super interested in celebrities like that. I guess I'll say Pentatonix as a group since I really admire them and their musical talents. What’s a sound you hate? A sound you love?: I hate overlapping sounds (i.e. speech over music or vice versa), I love the sound of the rain or my son laughing.

Do you believe in ghosts?: Yeah! How about aliens: Mmhmm. Do you drive?: I do If so have you ever crashed:  Twice, both very minor, once my fault once not.

What was the last book you read?: I'm currently reading (or rather listening to, since audiobooks are my best friends rn) Bonded by Thorns by Elizabeth Hellen Do you like the smell of gasoline: Not really. I used to, but now it kinda makes me nauseous.

What was the last movie you saw?: Umm.. I genuinely don't remember. If we're talking completion, it was probably the Paw Patrol movie. What’s the worst injury you’ve ever had?: I'll say the herniated disc in my neck, since it's causing nerve damage in my shoulders. Do you have any obsessions right now?: Welcome Home, tbh.

Tagged by: @uzchis (Thank you so much!!! ♥) Tagging: Take it from me!