#then i remembered this book has been on my tbr for a long time and gave it a try

[fictionadventurer]

There is not a single homely thing that, looked at from a certain angle, does not become fairy. Think of the Dapple, or the Dawl, when they roll the sunset towards the east. Think of an autumn wood, or a hawthorn in May. A hawthorn in May — there’s a miracle for you! Who would ever have dreamed that that gnarled stumpy old tree had the power to do that? Well, all these things are familiar sights, but what should we think if never having seen them we read a description of them, or saw them for the first time? A golden river! Flaming trees! Trees that suddenly break into flower! For all we know, it may be Dorimare that is Fairyland to the people across the Debatable Hill

-Lud-in-the-Mist, Hope Mirrlees

[a-kind-of-merry-war]

will you please give us examples of resources to look at if we want to learn more about the concept of gender and maybe even transness in Medieval Europe? thanks!

whooooo boy right, there's a lot! I wanna start this by saying that I am very much not an expert, and I only have access to stuff I can find for free and the handful of books I can afford to buy second hand. Most of my research has been around gender as it relates to transness and GNC people. I am absolutely missing stuff, or have forgotten stuff, or simply lack the know-how to find stuff.

There's a few bits I've got on a TBR but haven't read yet - some I've included and some I haven't, depending on the source and how established it is.

Also: this is medieval Europe. The way pronouns are used to describe people don't really align with modern views of sex and gender. Also be aware of old-fashioned language use (for example, some texts talk about "hermaphrodites"). Remember that the way we talk about gender and trans identities is far different to how we even spoke about it 20 years ago.

So with that out of the way... I am chucking this under a read more, because it's long:

---

GENDER

Medieval ideas around gender were different to how we now think about it. The Hippocratic view of gender saw gender as a sort of wet/dry, cold/hot spectrum upon which men were at one end and women the other (and in the middle were intersex people). The male body was seen as hot and dry, and the female as cold and wet. The cold, wetness is what made women try to seek out heat from guys. A lot comes down to humors rather than genitals - if you're hot and dry, that innately means you grow a penis, because the heat sorta forces it out. So the marker is that penis = man, but you only have that penis in the first place because of your hot, dry humor.

Some people believed the vagina was an inverted penis - as in, the penis turned outside in. Some schools of thought believed that both men and women produced "seed", and that both were needed for conception. These thoughts and ideas shifted around a lot.

The Hippocratic view shifted towards Aristotelian ideas around the 12th Century, where the male/female divide was a lot stronger. There were also surgeons throughout all these periods who sought to "correct" intersex genitalia with surgery (how little things change).

This podcast (I've linked to a transcript, because I have more time to read than listen to things) with Dr Eleanor Janega is super interesting. In fact, I'd recommend reading her whole blog, which is fascinating. She also has a book out (but I've not read it so I can't give a yay or nay on that one)

The Meanings of Sex Difference in the Middle Ages by Joan Cadden seems to be a good source on this, but I've not read it so I can't vouch for it 100%.

I've listed below some real people who could fit into our modern interpretation of transness, and the fact that all of these people were only "outed" when arrested or at their death makes me think that there were probably a lot more people at the time who would also fit into this category. It does feel (to me, a layman) that you could rock up in a new town and go "hello I'm Jeff the Man" and people would just accept that.

It's also important to note that the majority of sources I've found are about people we could define as trans men (FTM). I've only found one person who could be described as a trans woman. If anyone out there has more sources for trans women, I'd love to hear them - specifically in medieval Europe/England.

There's also a big discussion to be had around the idea of women dressing as men to achieve a goal. People love getting into arguments about it. My general rule is that if someone lived as X gender, and was forcibly outed against their will or at death, then I feel we can more safely assume that their experience maps more closely onto a trans narrative than it does one of a woman taking on the "disguise" of a man.

---

TRANS & GNC ACADEMIA

Here's some of the sources I've been using that examine medievalism through a trans or trans-adjacent lens.

Trans and Genderqueer Subjects in Medieval Hagiography, Alicia Spencer-Hall & Blake Gutt - a deep dive/collection of essays about medieval religious figures/saints through a trans lens, specifically about cross-dressing figures. Really fascinating, and available on open access.

How to be a Man, Though Female: Changing Sex in Medieval Romance, Angela Jane Weisl - goes into detail about medieval texts in which characters change their sex.

Transgender Genealogy in Tristan de Nanteuil, Blake Gutt - trans theory in the story Tristan de Nanteuil.

Trans Historical: Gender Plurality before the Modern, edited by Greta LaFleur, Masha Raskolnikov & Anna Kłosowska - A great big examination into trans history/gender. I desperately want this book.

Clothes Make the Man, Female Cross Dressing in Medieval Europe, Valerie R. Hotchkiss (book, no online source available) - Another look into women dressing as men and gender inversion.

The Shape of Sex, Leah DeVun (book) - A history of nonbinary sex, 200 - 1400BC. Not read this one yet but it's on my TBR.

In fact, I'd recommend all of Leah DeVun's work, which I'm currently making my way through. I'm currently reading Mapping the Borders of Sex.

The Third Gender and Aelfric's Lives of Saints, Rhonda L. McDaniel - An examination into the idea of a "third gender" in monastic life based around chastity and spiritualism

Erecting Sex: Hermaphrodites and the Medieval Science of Surgery, Leah DeVun - an essay about "corrective" surgery on intersex individuals in the 13th/14th centuries. (I've not fully read this one yet but the topic is relevant)

----

TRANS FIGURES

Joseph/Hildegund (died 1188) - A monk who, upon his death, was discovered to have a vagina/breasts.

Eleanor Rykener (1394) - A (likely) trans sex worker arrested in 1394 (and another source that isn't wiki)

Katherina Hetzeldorfer (killed 1477) - An early record of a "woman" being executed for female sodomy. Katherina dressed and presented as a man, and some scholars read them as a trans man.

Marinos/Marina the Monk (5th Cent) - A monk who was born a woman and lived as a man in a monastery. Marinos was accused of getting a local innkeeper's daughter pregnant. Their "true sex" was discovered upon their death.

-----

ROMANCES* & GENDER

If you're interested in the idea of gender presentation and trans-adjacent stories, I very much recommend taking a look at some contemporary sources. I've tried to take a sort of neutral approach to pronouns for these descriptions, but it's hard to marry the medieval and modern ideas of sex and gender! The titles are all links.

*Romances here means Chivalric Romances: prose/verse narratives about chivalry, often with fantastic elements. Not, like, falling in love Romances.

Le Roman de Silence (13th Cent) - in order to ensure inheritance, a couple raise their daughter as a boy. The baby is called Silence/Silentius/Silentia. The poem features the forces of Nature and Nurture, who argue about Silence's "true" gender - Nature claims they're a girl, and Nurture claims they're a boy. Silence has a variety of adventures, largely referred to in the text as a man with he/him pronouns, and at the end their "true gender" is discovered and, as a woman, they marry the king.

Yde et Olive (15th Cent) - to avoid being married to their own father, Yde, a woman, disguises themselves as a man and becomes a knight. They end up in Rome, where the king marries them to their daughter, Olive. After a couple of weeks, Yde tells Olive about their "true gender", but the conversation is overheard. The King demands Yde bathe with him to prove they are a man. An angel intervenes and transforms Yde's body into that of a man.

Iphis and Ianthe (Greek/Roman myth, but also in Ovid's Metamorphois, which first came to England in the 15th Cent) - Telethusa is due to give birth, but her husband tells her that if the baby is a girl he'll have it killed. When she gives birth to a girl, she disguises the baby as a boy. Eventually, Iphis is engaged to Ianthe. (Incidentally, this is also a really early example of same-sex romance, as Iphis struggles with their love for Ianthe "as a woman"). Before the wedding, Iphis and Telethusa pray at the temple of Isis, who transforms Iphis into a man.

Tristan de Nanteuil (11th/12th Cent) - from the Chanson de geste, after his alleged death, Tristan's wife, Blanchandin/e, disguises themselves as a Knight. Clarinde, a sultan's daughter, falls in love with them. Blanchandin manages to hide their "true sex", but when Clarinde demands they bathe with her to prove they are a man they flee into the woods. There, they meet an angel who asks if they want to be transformed into a man. Blanchandin accepts and he is turned into a man for the rest of the poem. (Incidentally the angel gives him a giant cock. Yes, the text specifies this).

Le Livre de la mutation de fortune (1403) - written in the first person by Christine de Pizan, the poem describes how the narrator is transformed by Fortune into a man after the death of their husband during a storm at sea. They maintain that 13 years after the event, they are still living as a man. (They also mention Tiresias, a Greek mythological figure who was a man transformed into a woman for seven years).

Okay, for now - that's about all I can think of. Happy reading!

[anincompletelist]

[ vol i | vol ii | vol iii | fic rec fridays ]

hi all! :D I have slowly but steadily been knocking things off of my tbr list, a few classics and a few newer fics, and they've been AMAZING! as per usual I wanted to share before the list gets too long for next time!

as always, please remember to leave kudos and a comment if you enjoyed the fic or show support in other ways, and be kind! mind the tags and if you come across something you dislike, please kindly (and quietly) move on.

happy new year and happy reading y'all! <3

Have you ever been alone in a crowded room? | @hgejfmw-hgejhsf | T+ | 5k

When the Legendary Balls-Out Bananas White House Trio New Year's Eve Party is interrupted by a security threat, Henry, Pez, Nora, June, and Alex find themselves locked in the White House library for their own protection with nothing but time, a few bottles of champagne, and some lighthearted conversation, until a single question threatens to change everything for Henry.

(+ read their first au fic here ahh!)

muscle memory | @dumbpeachjuice | E | 30k

It's been ten years since Alex was in London to stage a PR friendship with Henry after ruining the royal wedding. It's also been ten years since Alex dropped to his knees in front of Henry in a Kensington Palace kitchen. But now Henry's in the Hamptons for the summer, and who should he bump into? None other than Alex Claremont-Diaz, who happens to be working in New York all summer long.

You Are the Wave I Could Never Tame | bleedingballroomfloor | E | 12k

That should be it. Henry is doing his job; the pool is getting cleaned, and Alex shouldn’t think anything more of it. Then why does he feel the slightest bit of disappointment when he walks back to the pool house and Henry isn’t there? Or, the pool boy Henry AU that I couldn't stop thinking about until I wrote it.

if evil, why so cute? | @everwitch-magiks | E | 5k

Alex’s cat hates Alex, but loves Henry, the Bookstagram influencer who’s on vacation in Alex’s quiet seaside town. And while Alex is pretty salty about his grumpy cat’s inexplicable affection for a complete stranger, he must admit he can see the appeal; Henry is fucking gorgeous. It’s why Alex follows him on Instagram in the first place. It's just, Alex had never thought he’d be officially introduced to Henry by his own goddamn cat. Or: Henry takes a two-week vacation to a seaside cabin with the intent to read a lot of books. Instead, he has a lot of sex.

Just like that | @myheartalivewrites | E | 10k

When Henry comes home from a date frustrated by the guy’s lack of expertise, Alex starts having thoughts. And then, because he’s Alex, he sticks his big foot in his even bigger mouth.

(@myheartalivewrites listen I fell down a rabbit hole ok and if I could rec your entire ao3 here I would -- OH WAIT I CAN)

In His Wildest Dreams | @myheartalivewrites | E | 11k

Set in and around the Henry bonus chapter, this is a story about Henry and Alex’s hectic schedules, family appearances etc. pulling them apart, and about what starts to happen between them, in the quiet of night: their sleeping bodies turning to each other, finding their sweet spots and opening up. And Alex and Henry learning a lot about each other in the process

Be Worthy Love, and Love Will Come | @sparklepocalypse | E | 30k

"For Christmas this year, all I would like is a best friend who doesn’t mind too much that I’m a prince. Most of my classmates poke fun because of who I am, or treat me like I’m too special to be their friend. I want a best friend who knows me as much as my family does and still likes me. I know that you can’t wrap a best friend up in a box and put it under the tree, but you’re magic so you know the best way to bring one." (Movieverse canon divergence; Prince Henry, age 8, writes to Father Christmas wishing for a best friend. A few weeks later, he finds one.)

A Picture on Your Corkboard | bleedingballroomfloor | M | 23k

It happens on a random morning in May when Alex, age fourteen, pads into the kitchen to greet his mother and steal a waffle from June's plate and sees a man sitting at their breakfast counter, reading a newspaper, a cup of coffee raised to his lips. Like he belongs. Like it's the most natural thing in the world. June doesn't seem to give the man a second thought. She merely flicks Alex on the forehead and takes back the waffle. Ellen isn't worrying, either. In fact, she's talking to him. Asking what his schedule is like. Making plans for dinner. Alex has never seen this man before in his life.

I want to mark my skin (it is paper thin) | @violetbaudelaire-quagmire | M | 10k

To: alex@biconicink.com From: hjfox@rocketmail.co.uk Subj: Tattoo Reference Attached: 1 file (orionsketch.jpg) Hello, Attached you’ll find a line art drawing of the constellation Orion. The shoulder blade is the intended location. Best, H.J. Fox [OR: It's a Tattoo Shop AU!]

(Dil)Do It Yourself | @happiness-of-the-pursuit | E | 16k

“Listen,” Nora starts, turning her body once more so that she’s sitting sideways in the chair with her legs thrown across the armrest. “I did the math. There’s a 79% chance you’re gonna become a slut to the power of the prostate, and while we’re not dating anymore, it’s my duty as your fellow slutty bisexual to get this party started.” Or, when Nora drags Alex to a holiday dildo workshop, he doesn’t expect to find someone to use it with.

just a figure of speech | @congee4lunch | E | 17k

“Like I said: Alphas really don’t know how to fuck.” “And like I said,” Alex sets down his mug and steps closer to Henry. “I can fuck and I know how to fuck you so well, you’ll see stars, baby.” [henry, an omega, hasn’t had good sex in a long time. as his alpha roommate and friend, alex can help with that. in a totally platonic bro way, of course]

+

saving some for next rec, I'll see you all then! enjoy, and remember to show support if you did! <3

xx

[evilovesyou]

2025 TBR 📚

@haztobegood and @lululawrence tagged me to share the books I hope to read this year! 🩷 some of your picks have definitely made it to my list but i am limiting this to books I already own or have ordered

The last couple years I've really been slacking on my reading so I'm once again fighting to get to my goal of 12 books for the year. (I was two short in 2024 and I don't even want to talk about 2023...)

BOOKS THAT ARE CURRENTLY ON MY NIGHTSTAND

I'm technically listening to the audio book of Percy Jackson, but I will still count it on my night stand 😅 I Iike listening to Percy Jackson while walking. I found this amazing girl who read all of them on youtube and she's been walking with me for a couple years. I started reading LOTR in German in autmn and I do like it, but it feels like something I need a bit more brain power for than other things maybe. And I recently started reading The Book of Doors and I find it very intruiging so far, though I think you can tell it's the author's first publication at some points.

BOOKS THAT I WANT TO READ AGAIN

I want to read Fourth Wing and Iron Flame again before I get into the new Onyx Storm! I had to message a bookshop that specialises in English language books to try and get a full set of them that match at least in size LOL (the copies I read first stayed with my ex)

BOOKS THAT I HAVE HAD FOR AN EMBARRASSING AMOUNT OF TIME WITHOUT FINISHING/READING THEM

You can see the book marks in Mythos and Stone Blind and I actually cannot tell you why I haven’t finished either of them. Stephen Fry maybe takes more attention than I can dedicate at the end of a long day but I’ve been reading that book for almost 3 years and I adore it. Pageboy I got for my birthday a couple years ago and it has been staring at me ever since. Same with the bottom one. I wanted it so bad because it’s a collection of fairytales retold in a more inclusive/feminist way and it’s by Hungarian authors which hits so many different spots for me. But I have been so bad about reading in Hungarian it’s actually embarrassing.

BOOKS THAT I ALREADY OWN THAT I AM EXCITED TO READ

From the top down, I listened to A Room Of One’s Own by Virginia Woolf a while ago and I liked her writing so I thought I should maybe give another one a go. The Color Purple seems like a book I would enjoy and that smart people have read so I picked it up. 😅 @fadeintolight recommended I Who Have Never Known Men (I think??? Pls tell me I’m remembering this correctly lol) so that one also ended up in my basket during some bookshop escapade. And the last two I also got for my birthday this year and my friends said they’re really good so I will sink my teeth into another series this year probably.

The attentive reader may have noticed that this is way more than 12 books but alas I have always been ambitious (some might even say ambitchous).

Tagging @so-why-let-your-voice-be-tamed because you’ve been plowing through books like nobody’s business. @fadeintolight because I wanna know how that book club is going! @chaotic-bells because you’ve read over a million words of fic already so I’m sure you have some books you wanna dive into as well! @fallinglikethis because you’re always reading.

Also @whatagreatproblemtohave @asmicarus @ddeerr @ialwaysknewyouwerepunk @reminiscingintherain and @hazzabeeforlou because I wanna know what you’re all up to 🩷

[benkyoutobentou]

12 Books for 2024 (Japanese Edition)

You may have seen my post about the twelve books I read in 2023 (here), and I thought it would be fun to follow it up with a little tbr for 2024! Ideally, I'd like to read more than twelve books in 2024, but twelve is enough for now since I've got some series on this list that I'd like to either make some serious progress in or finish up completely. This list is in no particular order!

地球星人 - 村田沙耶香: I read コンビニ人間 by Murata a few years back and loved it, and this one has been high up on my tbr for a long time now. With how many people say they're completely traumatized by it, it sounds like the perfect book for me. The only reason I haven't read this yet is because I've hyped it up so much for myself.

生命式 - 村田沙耶香: A short story collection by Murata? Sign me up ten times over. This one sounds weird and gruesome and right up my alley.

本を守ろうとする猫の話 - 夏川草介: Another cat book, who can blame me? This was also touted as being perfect for book lovers, and I haven't heard a bad review yet.

吾輩は猫である - 夏目漱石: Keeping with the cat theme, this one I actually have planned in tandem with a challenge I have to read twelve big ass classics throughout the year. Between the sheer size of this and the fact that the text is so densely packed in, this book kinda scares me. I'm planning to read it in December of next year so that I have as much time as possible to prepare haha.

世界から猫が消えたなら - 川村元気: Last cat book, I promise, but I had to keep them all together (it's actually not about cats, though). I've had this one for a long time and just picked it up on a whim. I've heard a bit of mixed reviews, but the premise sounds interesting enough, and it seems to be pretty popular.

博士の愛した数式 - 小川洋子: This was one of the first books I bought in Japanese, so it's high time that I get it off my tbr. I've seen so many people love this, in and out of the language learning community. This author also has a bunch of other popular works, so I'd really like to jump into her books and experience the hype for myself.

告白 ‐ 湊かなえ: I've seen a bit of buzz about this book in the language learning community, but what really convinced me on it was seeing people outside of language learners also enjoying it. It sounds dark and mildly depressing, and I'm hoping that it'll have some interesting commentary as well.

独り舞 - 李琴峰: Somehow, I haven't read any queer literary fiction in Japanese yet, despite it being my favorite genre, so I'm so excited to jump into this one. For the life of me I can't remember where I heard about this, but I think it'll be one of my first reads in 2024.

デゥラララ！！- 成田良悟: I used to be obsessed with the anime adaptation in middle school but never revisited the series out of fear that it wouldn't stand the test of time. After seeing a fellow language learner gush about the series, I decided to give it a shot, managed to find it at a local used bookstore, and snatched up the first volume. Don't let me down, nostalgia!

憎らしい彼 - 凪良ゆう: This is the second book in the 美しい彼 series, and even though I'd like to read the third one next year as well, I'm just combining them. Seeing this series next to series like No. 6 and キノの旅 I'm really grateful to have a trilogy on my tbr haha.

No. 6 - あさのあつこ: Saying that I would like to finish this series next year is a bit of a stretch, seeing as I have eight of ten volumes left, but I'd like to put a serious dent in it to be sure.

キノの旅 - 時雨沢恵一: This series is more of a read as I please type series for me, since there's not really any overarching plot. I'm also not racing to make progress, since there are over twenty volumes (and still going). I'm savoring this series and I'm okay with that.

[the-blind-assassin-12]

INTRODUCING: TERRIFIC TWOSDAY because what's better than one rec? that's right, two.

Happy Tuesday, everyone! ... Or should I say TWOSDAY? In an effort to get through my TBR list and to shout about things I've been meaning to shout about for far too (two) long, I am going to be turning every Tuesday into Two Recs Day. I'll be highlighting two works in each category that I loved and that I know you'll love, too (2)! Check them out, and remember to show some love to the creators!!

Two Series Recs: This week, I am going with two series that are currently in progress. I know that finished works often get a lot of focus. As they should! I can tell you first hand that seeing a whole series through to the end is a TALL ORDER. But you know what is also very freaking cool? Hopping on board while the train is still in motion, catching up with previous chapters and waiting excitedly to see where the train is taking you! So without further ado, here are the two trains that I recommend you all hop on this week.

LIMINALITY by @something-tofightfor

Frankie Morales x F!Reader

Wolf AU + “forbidden romance”

9 Parts in so far (plus extras + POV switches)

Thrills. Chills. Swoons. Moons. This story is brimming with excitement and adrenaline… not to mention the heat. (Frankie is a whole entire menace, as he should be.) All the guys are here (yes, that does include Tom 🙄) and they are all captured so perfectly, as is their friendship with one another and with Frankie. It features a very confident, brave, badass reader, ancient lore, supernatural elements, family business, and one heck of a connection between our main characters. Every chapter flies by and leaves you wanting - needing - more, and now is an excellent time to let yourself get hooked on this one, because the action is only ramping up from here!

PASSENGER by @whatsnewalycat

Din Djarin x OFC!Charlie

Modern Trucker AU + dog Grogu

6 Parts in so far

Are you looking for a new OC to fall in love with and want to protect with your life? How about a morally gray long-hauler who moonlights as a bounty hunter? Well you’re in luck because this story has BOTH. It’s also got incredibly high stakes juxtaposed with really sweet, human moments. Charlie is one of the most charming OCs I’ve ever met (which happens to be one of her rules to live by- all of which are good advice for anyone to follow, IMO) and Din’s characterization is so very well done - as is Grogu’s. The theme of delivering the bounty vs doing what’s right is very present and extremely well done, and watching these characters warm up to each other and blur the lines is truly a treat. Get caught up and hitch a ride for the rest of the journey, because I know it’s only going to get better from here!

Two One Shot Recs:

GREATEST OF ALL TIME by @gnpwdrnwhiskey

Dieter Bravo x OFC!Ava

Meet cute + “Do you believe in aliens?”

Dieter needs a break from work and the hullabaloo that comes along with it, and has enlisted the help of his assistant to book him a solo getaway so he can just relax, reset and revive the vibes. Sounds great, right? It is, until he gets turned around and off the beaten track in the middle of the desert and meets the enigmatic Ava and her faithful pal Goat… who might be more than your average Great Dane. After a misunderstanding about where he’s supposed to be, Dieter realizes that the airstream desert oasis under the stars is exactly where he’s meant to be.

LIKE FATHER, LIKE DAUGHTERS by @sixhours

Joel & Ellie

Part of an existing universe

Even though I’ve not yet read the series that this one shot takes place in, it’s immediately gone on my list due to this little interlude. This is such a good character study of Joel and of Ellie - of what they’ve been through, what they want for each other, and how their relationship has grown and changed. It’s got some really beautiful lines and heartwarming/heartbreaking feelings. I love these two forever and ever, and this little slice of life shows just how much they love each other, too. Joel Miller is Dad of the century. Period. The end.

Two Art Recs:

Ezra & Cee Jammin’ by @thekawaiifruitworld

Literally every time this artist draws these two, my heart grows ten sizes to accommodate how much more I love them. JUST LOOK AT THEM! So goofy, so happy, so whole and healthy and and and..!

Joel Strummin’ by @nic0o-o

I whimpered when I first saw this masterpiece, and you will, too. Just go. Just go look. Look at his beauty. I dare you not to be in your feelings about this man after seeing this piece.

[ineedlelittlespace]

Reading Meme

What’s up readers?! How about a little show and tell? Answer these 13 questions, tag 13 lucky readers and if you’re feeling extra bookish add a shelfie! Let’s Go!

Thank you so much for the tag, @round-hatches-are-terrifying! ❤

The last book I read

One of my coworkers has been bugging me to read Fourth Wing, which I did under duress when she asked to do a book trade. It was about as bad as expected, so I feel justified in holding off so long.

A book I recommend

As most of you know, I'm all about Murderbot!

A book I couldn’t put down

Most recently, that would be A Sorceress Comes to Call. I listened to the audiobook of it, and I seriously don't think I took my headphones off for more than five minutes at a time while I was in that book.

A book I've read twice (or more)

All Creatures Great and Small. Especially during the winter---it's such a great cozy read.

A book on my TBR

The Goblin Emperor has been on my list for a while now. I've heard so many good things about it! I'm hoping to start it this weekend, actually.

A book I've put down

How to Become a Dark Lord and Die Trying. I really liked the concept, but the tone annoyed me so badly I couldn't handle it.

A book on my wish list

I've been slowly buying the special edition hardcovers of the Discworld series (or at least, I WAS before bookdepository shut down 😭), so all of the remaining ones of those are still on my list.

A favorite book from childhood

I don't remember the exact titles of the installments, but I really loved The Three Investigators series as a kid. In some ways, it was the same basic concept as most kid detective series', but in others, it was bizarrely original.

A book you would give to a friend

That is heavily dependent on the friend because most of my friends don't share the same tastes in media. As previously mentioned, All Creatures Great and Small is usually a safe bet, though!

A book of poetry or lyrics that you own

I personally don't enjoy most poetry, so I don't really buy it.

A nonfiction book that you own

I have this one book for writers that's a collection of research questions sent in to a doctor by other writers and his answers about common medical tropes, realistic recovery from various common fictional injuries, etc. It's such a cool resource!

What are you currently reading

I just finished my current book last night, and I haven't started anything else yet. I'm thinking that'll be Goblin Emperor, though!

What are you planning on reading next

Probably Goblin Emperor!

tagging @jadefyre @ilovedthestars @opalescent-potato @the-grey-hunt (if you want to!) and anyone else who'd like to join in!

[romanticatheartt]

Did I see someone thirsting over Thranduil? 👀 (no bc same) this is your sign to get into Tolkien’s work

Seriously though, you can try reading the Hobbit or the Lord of the Rings (I recommend starting with the hobbit) but they aren’t easy books so you can just watch the movies if the books don’t work out for you

I've been eyeing Thranduil for quite some time now and... yeah he's so FATHER!!!

I don't know him but I know I would let him do anything he wants to me jsjsjdnrjtf

I have the books and it has been on my tbr for so long. I know they're hard to read specially for me but I would like to try them and hopefully I will in the near future (we don't know when that is💀)

But I watched the TV show (only season 1) and I remember nothing. So I decided to watch season 2 when I watched all the s1 and the movies. I just have to get my sister to watch them with me hehe

[cultivating-wildflowers]

2024 Reading - March

By now it is clear that I will not achieve my arbitrary goal of reading 100 books this year, and that's fine. My overall progress so far is what I really care about. I am confronting my TBR, I've already read a good number of nonfics, and for the most part my reading has been enjoyable.

While I do have some large books coming up on my list, I am hoping to set aside a little time in April to get to a couple of anticipated rereads (finally) because I'm starting to crave a change of pace into something more familiar.

Total books: 4  |  New reads: 4   |   2024 TBR completed: 5 (2 DNF) / 9/36 total   |   2024 Reading Goal: 11/100

February | April

potential reading list from March 1st

#1 - Dorothy and Jack: The Transforming Friendship of Dorothy L. Sayers and C. S. Lewis by Gina Dalfonzo - 4/5 stars (audio)

After the whole Thing with The Mutual Admiration Society, I went into this book with no small amount of trepidation.

I was immediately put at ease.

This was a surprisingly cozy little book that accomplished what it set out to do. It wasn't horribly deep, but it was thorough and heartwarming. And I found myself cheering when I discovered that Sayers and I apparently have the same opinions about a certain aspect of Paradise Lost, so that was fun.

It does lose a star for spending what felt like too long on the Charles Williams scandal. I think the writer was trying to make a point but I'm a bit lost on what it was.

Notes: 1) Do not get the audiobook if you are at all put off by poor pronunciation and enunciation. The narrator couldn't even say "Pevensie" correctly. 2) I have to be objective, since I kicked up such a stink with the last Sayers-adjacent nonfic I tried, and say there is a bit of bias to this one, with the writer coming from an Evangelical background. It's not overpowering but I would say it informs Dalfonzo's approach. (Which...is how writing works. Whatever.)

#2 - Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik - 5/5 stars ('24 TBR)

"There are men who are wolves inside, and want to eat up other people to fill their bellies. That it what was in your house with you, all your life. But here you are with your brothers, and you are not eaten up, and there is not a wolf inside you. You have fed each other, and you kept the wolf away. That is all we can do for each other in the world, to keep the wolf away."

I haven't had much luck with Novik in the past. I read Uprooted probably six years ago and remember it struck me as kind of bland and disjointed. When A Deadly Education was released I picked it up, excited by the premise, but didn't make it through the first chapter. I was starting to think Novik's style just wasn't for me.

Then while chatting with Elsabet (@eddis-not-eeddis), she mentioned how much she loves Spinning Silver and urged me to give it a try, so here we are.

Friends.

I did in fact enjoy it quite a lot.

The standout aspect for me is how Novik writes relationships. Any kind of relationship. Even the little ones that barely get a paragraph's mention. And then we get to see how those relationships build bonds, build links, make their own kind of magic, and I'm sold. This is how you flesh out characters. And this is how you make me care about them and connect with them.

Novik still has a very distinct style that sometimes trips me up, but it works.

(side note: I always forget Novik helped found AO3, and every time I'm reminded I go "oh yeah! good for her!)

More like this: "The Bear and the Nightingale" by Katherine Arden; "Anya and the Dragon" by Sofiya Pasternack (middle grade but the same sort of vibes); "Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow" by Jessica Day George.

#3 - A Natural History of Dragons by Marie Brennan - 4/5 stars ('24 TBR, audio)

Fantastically written, well-paced, with an engaging narrative and a solid cast of characters. However, it works well as a stand-alone and I’m not sure whether or not I’ll continue the series. There was something in it that was lacking for me personally. I would definitely recommend it, though!

More like this: the Emily Wilde series; the Frontier Magic trilogy by Patricia C. Wrede.

#4 - South With the Sun: Roald Amundsen, His Polar Explorations, and the Quest for Discovery by Lynne Cox - 3/5 stars ('24 TBR)

If you’re looking for a book that's strictly about Roald Amundsen, don't start here. This book is half a general history of 19th century polar exploration leading up to Roald Amundsen; and half a recounting of some of Lynne Cox’s swimming accomplishments, which were largely inspired by Amundsen's work and travels.

I also wouldn't recommend this as a starting-off point for people who aren't familiar with the details of Lynne's story, since she ties so much of that into Amundsen's story.

Overall, it was a decent enough read. Lynne's passion and enthusiasm are plain all throughout the story, but her writing voice is lacking and parts of the book--especially those focusing on Amundsen's various expeditions--were clumsily written and difficult to follow. Amundsen finally crossing the North Pole received a grand total of one paragraph and was so unclear that I had to read it twice and then google the details of the endeavor to understand the significance of the dates listed. The last hundred pages are a proper muddle.

DNF

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern ('24 TBR) - Another book that was strongly recommended by a tumblr mutual! I wanted to like this one, and not just for Jules's sake. I gave it about 15% but it wasn’t clicking and I kept getting lost. Some reviews say the first part is rough, so maybe I’ll give this another try later. Don’t hate me, Jules 😅.

A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World by C.A. Fletcher ('24 TBR) - I will not apologize for not finishing this one. I'm straight-up ticked off.

The story started out strong (despite me being pathetic and having to really power through the stressful parts). It set a good pace AND the story was straight-forward and compelling. The first red flag was the writing style because my. stars. Did we have to get ominous, melodramatic, foreshadow-y asides practically every single chapter? Could be my fresh-from-DNFing self talking, but the whole voice came off as pretentious trying for profound. [Edit from after browsing 1- and 2-star reviews: it's not just me.]

I decided to put up with it because I honestly did want to know how the story would end. But it just dragged on and on with no direction. Stuff just...happened. And I got bored.

So I looked up reviews. And found spoilers. And rage-skimmed the last few chapters.

Friends. If you can get to the half-way mark in the story you're telling without even a hint of setting up for a stunt like that ending, you're doing it wrong.

Don't read this book. It's dumb.

Currently Reading:

Recorder by Cathy McCrumb (reread)

[saguaroblossom]

10 books for 2025

thanks for the tag, @rmd-writes! super excited for this one, and it helps me plot out my books that I'd like to dive into this year.

I used to be a much more voracious reader, and over the years battling rough times and little time, I have slipped immensely when picking up anything to read besides fanfic. This year I do have a small goal of at least 15 books, and I'm really excited to try and get to that number. so here's a selection of 10 that I'm looking to get to!

Currently I'm reading Light from Uncommon Stars and so far am really enjoying it. Deals with the devil, music, queer alien love stories? Yessss. I'm also reading Katy Wix's memoir Delicacy in physical form; I've had the book for years and after losing someone this year, it felt like the right time to read.

I remember reading Station Eleven so long ago by Emily St. John Mandel and loving it, so I'm very much looking forward to Sea of Tranquility. And even though it's been out for so long (and a whole-ass film!!!), I haven't gotten to read Songbirds and Snakes. Think it's time I get to that.

If y'all haven't been reading @cricketnationrise's RWRB Time to Shine AU work, it's a delight and has immediately put this book on the map for me. The Lost Apothecary is currently waitlisted in my Libby app, so I'm just waiting for the notification that it's available so I can finally mark this one off my TBR list.

The Glutton comes at a rec from a friend who knows my maybe ... morbid curiosity into things about bodies. Circe is one of my physical TBRs I need to tackle.

I remember reading the Imperial Radch trilogy by Ann Leckie and enjoying it, and now here we have Provenance which is something I'm intrigued to get to. And it's been a real hot minute since I've read 1984, and I've read it every so often ever since I was 12 - think it's time to revisit.

And that's 10 I hope to get to out of my 15 to read goal! If anyone else wants to come participate in this tag and hasn't already, feel free - tagging @orchidscript @welcometololaland @kiwiana-writes @cha-melodius @firenati0n @celeritas2997 off the top of my head to share/reshare if they've already participated but come one, come all~

[mangotalkies]

june so far has been filled with intense reads on tragic events, sprawling timelines, vibrant cities, once-sacred rivers, delicate familial relationships, internal conflicts, and formidable women: compelling, wronged, forgotten.

the days have been overwhelmingly long with daunting tasks, nostalgic overloads and dubious weather.

i ate enough mangoes to do justice to my username; gave up on planning tbrs; fell in love with a flower bowl; rediscovered in my shelf, an old portable cd/dvd player - a bunch of disks with it; displayed exemplary self control in a ceramics store; rewatched bojack horseman a fifth time; listened to a playlist i made back in 2014; remembered that bts just completed 10 years and felt aged.

books read -

the fishermen by chigozie obioma

the ocean of churn by sanjeev sanyal

the last queen by chitra banerjee divakaruni

kim jiyong, born 1982 by cho nam-joo

interpreter of maladies by jhumpa lahiri

currently reading -

mahabharat vol.1 by bibek debroy

we the drowned by carsten jensen

flight of deities and rebirth of temples by meenakshi jain

books added to my black hole of tbrs -

station eleven by emily st. john mandel

yellowface by r.f. kuang

complete short stories of franz kafka

hamnet by maggie o’farrell

yugandhar by shivaji sawant

i’m fine, but you appear to be sinking by leyna know

[measureformeasure]

@lesbiancassius' (very late) february reads

yes I will do this monthly now.

books (as it turns out, I was busy. one book)

Enter Ghost, Isabella Hammad - An actor, Sonia, returns to visit her sister Haneen in Haifa and gets caught up in playing Gertrude in a Hamlet production in the West Bank. Stellar.

short fiction & poetry

Why Don’t We Just Kill the Kid in the Omelas Hole, Isabel J. Kim - obsessed with this on title alone. It has such a feel to it in the way it moves that I envy.

Parthenogenesis, Piya Patel - horror that makes me want to peel out of my skin and/or get a hysterectomy.

Eschatology, Eve L. Ewing - poem that was circulating recently and God. Fuck, dude. Yeah. Yeah.

Ouroboros, Megan Xing - The to-do lists in this got me because I was having my little freak out before my show went up where you think you can fix everything with to-do lists. Also heavily feeling replacing ineffective psych meds with yogurt, a pickle, and two advil.

I also read Cancer Buffet by Mary Hannah Terzino and Soft Opening by Elle Nash, but I was tired and don’t remember them.

(some) articles

Who Was Barbie? (A Symposium), n+1 magazine - this cemented to me that I truly, truly do not care about Barbie or the Barbie movie and if I have to hear anything about it ever again I'm smashing a bowl on purpose

A bunch of Hera Lindsay Bird’s advice column, which is delightful.

Let’s talk about Goodreads, Nicole Brinkley. There are many days I am glad I do not want to pursue a career as solely an author of novels. Godspeed to the authors out there you're braver than I will ever be.

Saving a Life, Patricia Lockwood - my god I have got to read a Patricia Lockwood book, and also my god getting grievously ill on vacation is one of my greatest fears so this one made me a little bit crazy.

The Secret Life: On the poet Molly Brodak, Patricia Lockwood - again, my god, I need to read a Patricia Lockwood book.

A Final Checklist Before You Print up Your Play, Rick Roberts - this reminded me so much of Joshua McGuire’s Rules For Writing Libretto, which I think of a lot.

“I think the word is dignity” — Rachel Corrie’s Letters from Gaza — I don’t know what to say. Read these if you can. They’re striking.

The Sexual Status of Aeschylus’ Cassandra, Paula Debnar - I can put an academic paper here you're not the boss of me. why I opened this one I don't remember but I was fervently texting friends in the middle of a certainly unrelated class about it because I've never been normal about Kassandra and Klytemnestra and I'm not going to start now.

tv/movies

Rewatching Severance, slowly.

Rewatching Sort Of, less slowly - this is probably niche to non-Canadian readers but it is a very good show.

Watched The Prince, which was a long time coming, and then wrote a paper about it. Bless.

tbr/nightstand

in the midst of Salvage the Bones, which is of course very good

Helen of Troy: from Homer to Hollywood

I'm gonna be rereading like every play off my Shakespeare class syllabus for the final which I wish I was more excited about

[haveyoureadthispoll]

It isn’t always lonely at the top. Noah Blue’s finally got her foot in the door. After clawing her way to the top of the charts with her webcomic, she’s garnered enough attention to earn a full-time position at a company re-launching their cult classic Queen Leisah. Queen Leisah is predicted to be an instant bestseller with movie deals already in the making. Things are falling into place. There’s nowhere to go but up…as soon as she gets one person out of her way. Sage Montgomery has always been the best artist in every building she’s stepped foot in. Raw talent’s gotten her webcomic to the top of the charts every month for the past eight years. She’s been the best for as long as she can remember. Sure, her career has plateaued but that can be easily fixed by working on a big, mainstream comic. She was promised complete creative control over Leisah. Instead, she got a shared credit with the one artist who’s been breathing down her neck since college. The one artist who has a fighting chance of being better than her. Sage and Noah have to work as a team — or, at least appear to work as a team. They thought the hardest part of the relaunch would be drawing together. But that's easy in comparison to falling in love. __ Outdrawn is a slow-burn, rivals-to-lovers sapphic romance. This book is a standalone.

[taddymason]

So I have yet to read Lightning Pin. (I have so many fics and books on my TBR. I'll get to it eventually. I really will!) But I've seen bits and pieces from your posts.

Do you think you'll wait to keep writing as new episodes come out? Or will you just write your own ending before we get answers from the show?

In your version will Jay re-gain his memories?

And most importantly, will Jay, Nya, and Kaida have a happy ending?

Hii thanks for the ask!!

1-It's hard to explain, but since I have already planned the entire arc that Jay, Nya and Kaida have to go through, it's really not difficult to adjust the plot to the episodes. For now, the second arc of LP covers the first part of DRS2 events, and the final arc will most likely cover the rest of the season's events. I'm lucky that with how long it took me to write the first parts of the fic I didn't have to wait long to update as the episodes come out. I also have, like, the biggest story planned in advance mostly because of the leaks (like the wolf warrior Jay one) , so it's very easy to plan each chapter and not deviate "so much" from the canon.

The fic already has an ending kinda planned, and the way things are going, if everything ends well this season, I don't think I'll change it and it would be a good way to close this fic.

2- I've been thinking about this a lot since I started the AU because maybe this will change, but the answer is no. And yes, because there are going to be a few little things that Jay will remember but it will be very at the end of the fic. There is a theme that I like to play with a lot when writing Amnesiac Jay, and that is that the ninjas hope that eventually when he regains his memories he will go back to being the "old Jay". They just have to wait, right? And everything will be the same as before. As if his "amnesiac personality" was just a temporary version that they have to deal with, because they have always been able to solve problems like this that have arisen (like with Nya, or the two times it happened with Zane).

So I like that they actually have to face the possibility that that may never happen. They have to stop expecting Jay to behave towards them like before and magically recover his memories, and instead try to start over with him and show him that they can trust them. And Jay has to accept that it doesn't matter if he regains his memories or not, it doesn't stop him from choosing to be better and stop thinking of himself as if he had been a completely different person before. Like, yeah, he obv has changed but he's still the same person, and he has to stop the denial of not wanting to look at his past identity with the idea that that "person is dead". No idea if they'll go down a similar route in canon, but I like the idea of ​​giving him an arc where he has a bit of an identity crisis where he tries to alienate himself from this older version of him and constantly justify his actions by believing he doesn't have another option than allowing himself to forget.

3-THEY WILL!! t's going to suck, yes, but they will get through it and have a happy ending. No spoilers, even if there are a lot of chapters left to get there, but the final chapter is called "The Dog Days are Over" :)

[adventuresasmrsfindley]

I can't remember how long I've had tumblr but many moons ago before the job I have now I worked at a bank. I became really good friends with one of the tellers I worked with but after about a year of working together she moved away because her (POS) husband got out of the military and they wanted to get back closer to family. We lost touch for many years but for the last year or two we've been friends on Snapchat and have talked/caught up some. Anyways she and her sister were in KC for a live podcast show this weekend and I got to see her today!! We went out for breakfast and it was so nice to see her and catch up. We figured up that it's been 9 years! So crazy. Her (POS) husband has been in prison for like 6 of those and she is a completely different person than the one I knew back then. In a good way! She looks happy and healthy and has her own place with their son and a good job and I'm just so so happy for her and so freaking glad we could meet up! I hope it's not another 9 years before I see her again. She's only 3ish hours away so maybe next time I can go to her neck of the woods.

After breakfast I ran some errands, bought 3 new books at Barnes and Noble 😅 I have a TBR list a mile long and could def use Libby or Kindle Unlimited to not pay butttt sometimes you just want an actual book in your hand. I'm going to start Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister today! It'll be my 6th book this month.

Also have a nail appointment here in a bit. I switched to dip from gel last time and man it lasts so much longer! I was having to get gel redone every 2 weeks and I've had this on for 3 and don't have a single chip. They're just starting to look too grown out.

That's it for my random Saturday brain dump lol have a great weekend, friends!

[galacticlamps]

Hi there @1968-100a 's sideblog lol! Ty for the tag!

TBR Meme!

If you have a To Be Read list/pile (comics, books, whatever):

What title(s) are you currently reading?

Right now I'm in between Acts 2 & 3 of Shaw's Pygmalion, and for a novel I'm reading Mort - I'm doing that unheard of thing & slowly going through Discworld chronologically (don't worry, I did technically do the 'find a random installment in high school & start there' method too, but I'm a bit of a completionist and publication order feels like the best way to go at it now)

What title(s) are up next on your reading list?

Depends on when my library holds come through lol. But just going off stuff I currently have access to (& no due date for) though, my next play will be David Henry Hwang's M. Butterfly, and next novel either Ray Bradbury's Dandelion Wine or Evelyn Waugh's Brideshead Revisited (more on that one later). For nonfiction, I have Rethinking Theatrical Documents in Shakespeare's England (which admittedly is very nerdy of me & probably doesn't make a good recommendation unless we have very similar interests, but definitely has me the most excited out of any of these. It's so incredibly up my street that it might just be the only book I've ever preordered immediately when it was announced - but that was already a few years ago & somehow I'm only just now about to have time for it). I also have a Jorge Luis Borges collection lined up in the world of short stories & poetry (I sort my TBR into those 4 categories, any one of them could be next-next depending on what I finish/am looking to start).

What title(s) are your emotional support TBRs and you’re planning to get around to them. One day. When the stars align?

I've never thought of it like that before, but there are actually two books I think fit different parts of this question - the 'when the stars align' one is under the cut bc that explanation got long.

Emotional Support Answer:

So, Brideshead has been on my 'serious' To-Read pile (as in, more than just 'I'd like to get to it one day' - I already own a copy) longer than anything else still on that list. That copy (chosen especially because it looks so blandly typical-bookstore-reprint-classic-lit) was the first 'gay object' I ever brought into my (conservative, catholic) parents' house. I remember coming by it very vividly, excuses all lined up just in case - & there were at the time already two adaptations of it making the rounds on Masterpiece Classics (respectable) - it was something akin to Pride & Prejudice, then, it was Safe. And that was supposing anybody actually noticed or identified it, shoved in among a dozen equally unassuming classics on my bookshelf, which I thought was safer than hiding it because if it were discovered (always a possibility in that house) the fact that I'd hidden it would itself be incriminating. Anyway, that was over a decade ago, and somehow I still haven't actually read it, though I've never considered abandoning it either, so it's remained an ever-present pillar of my TBR.

Recently I started to think that's quite long enough though - there were a few other shorter & less emotional baggage-y titles I wanted to clear out of the way first (like Mort, and a few Dr Who novels, and potentially the Bradbury, though his stuff tends to Hit Hard these days, despite fitting with the silly scifi paperbacks on the shelf), just in case taking a long time to get to Brideshead translates to taking a long time to finish it as well - but I really think there's a good chance it's next, this time. Not necessarily waiting for any great astrological portends, though, but we'll see.

Have you taken anything out of your TBR pile recently, and why?

Atually, no - and not even because of the aforementioned completionist-ism, either.

A few years back I was really disappointed by the second book in Carlos Ruiz Zafon's Cemetery of Forgotten Books series (The Angel's Game), and frankly that turned out to be a really good thing because it led me to reevaluate what I wanted to make time to read & why. At the time I already owned the next installment, and very uncharacteristically, I made my peace with abandoning the series there & got rid of it, along with a handful of other books that I'd been sitting on and avoiding getting to for whatever reasons. Not long afterward, I made a storygraph account where I put together a more serious/organized TBR than the various lists I'd kept before, so everything on it was added with my new criteria already in mind, and so far I've only had to take things off that when I actually get to them. It has gotten pretty long & could probably do with some pruning, but purely for practicality's sake - as far as I'm aware, there isn't anything on there I wouldn't still want to read if given the chance.

---

I'll tag @uighean @seismologically-silly and @terryfphanatics & as usual if anyone who sees this also wants to answer, I obviously always enjoy hearing a good ramble about books, so please do & tag me!

(& how lovely to be forced to just focus on them as books & how they fit into our lives for once, since we can't talk too much about the stories inside ones we haven't read yet - that's definitely been interesting to think about, so thanks again for the tag @the-batacombs <3)

About that title on my TBR waiting for the stars to align:

Unlike Brideshead, there is one book that I was aware of and vaguely interested in for a while but that only made it onto the List Proper a couple weeks ago - however, given the context I acquired it in, I suspect that it might be destined for a similarly long TBR life. It's an adaptation of Cicero's De Amicitia clearly made to appeal to the pop psychology coffee-table-read self-help world, which isn't usually my cup of tea, but this one was on my radar partly to see how the new translation compared to others I'd read before (Latin & Roman history were big for me in high school & college), and partly because it was published as part of a series including material from some other less well-known texts which I was curious to see repackaged for a more mainstream market.

Well, I happened to be traveling for work, some stuff went wrong, and I unexpectedly wound up in a city I'd last visited when I was a teenager, as part of a school trip with friends. I was already having a rather emotionally loaded day - to put it plainly, I only really stayed close with one person from that particular friend group as an adult, until they recently became what I would describe as my only true ex-best friend, and I just found out their parent had just died. I was at a total loss as to what was appropriate for me to say or do under the circumstances, and at the same time coincidentally found myself walking around a neighborhood that should have been totally unfamiliar after so long, but instead surprised me with memories of them and our high school days everywhere I looked. At one point I took a shortcut through a bookstore (the same one where we'd spent a couple long afternoons way back when, because I guess I value nostalgia, symmetry, and not being late more than I value my sanity), and saw they had a little travel essentials section by the exit, which was lucky since I was running out of toothpaste - but I was also low on cash & wasn't gonna hit the credit card minimum with just that. I turned around looking for something else useful, knowing I wouldn't have time to seriously browse, and saw right in front of the register a rack full of that series: How to Win an Argument, How to Tell a Joke, How to Win an Election, How to Run a Country, How to Think About God, How to Grow Old, etc - all billed as 'ancient wisdom for modern readers' & all titles I'd known about and was mildly interested in for pretty much the same reasons that had relatively little to do with their actual content. I hesitated for a second between How to Grieve and How to Be a Friend, went with the latter, and couldn't make it through the introduction without crying in my hotel room later that night.

There's an extra room key shoved inside it as a bookmark still, but I don't really count that as having started it, so it's on the TBR pile for now - and I also still don't know what, if anything, I'll ever try to do about that friendship. Or if I even want to. Nor do I know whether or not I've grieved correctly for the parent who was consistently kind to & supportive of me for so much of my life - but perhaps neither book would have ultimately been much help with that, even if I did make the right decision. (Cicero's most famous writings about death were prompted by the loss of his daughter, after all, so presumably there's not much in there covering how to feel about not even knowing if you'd be welcome at the funeral)

So, I've got De Amiticia under the guise of How to Be a Friend, for better or worse. Maybe I'll take a long time to get to that one or maybe I'll be seized by a fit of linguistics-driven interest before then, but either way I can tell it's definitely going to be a "when the stars align" read for sure, and not an "orderly working through of my TBR" -type book.