#this is one of my favorite books i read last year

[curiouspupsicle]

Good Omens Fan Fiction Friday (1/31/25) - Resistance!!

Being a well informed American living under an administration determined to dismantle our democracy (already stressed) and cause as much damage as possible has even my comfort moments turning to resistance. After all, evil people have always existed. And good people have always resisted. So is there anything my Good Omens fixation has to say about resistance? Given Terry Pratchett's moral universe, we could argue that all of Good Omens is steeped in resistance. But I'm going to limit myself to a few specific favorite fics that highlight different forms of resistance.

Let's start with the series that got me thinking in this direction: Demon and Angel Professors (G) by Ghostinthehouse (@ineffableghost). This is 200 ficlets, each exactly 666 words, hanging on a silly premise. Everyone loves literature Professor Fell who goes on regular tangents about his sweet husband Anthony. Everyone fears grumpy botany Professor Crowley who treats his students like he treats his plants. And anytime Crowley goes near Fell, the first-year students go into protective mode. Because surely Crowley must be up to no good and a potential harm to dear Prof Fell and his precious Anthony. But beyond that bit of fun repeated every year with a new group of incoming students are amazing stories of resistance against those who would cause mental harm or physical violence to disabled people, folks with a variety of gender identities and presentations, queer individuals, people dealing with trauma--basically anyone who might be vulnerable in a thoughtless and even wicked society.

Sometimes resistance is persuading someone to do better. Other times it's offering a hint that makes someone think. It may involve a hands-on approach to someone who only knows violence. Or it may be getting someone to a safe place as quickly as possible.

I read it over a weekend. But I think there's a better approach to reading this long series--bookmark it in your phone when you are doing a hurry-up-and-wait activity (jury duty, medical treatments, picking up kids at school, etc.). The short length of each fic makes it easy to pick up and put down. The variety of "ducklings" tales (what the ineffable pair call the students they help) will keep you interested. And the sense of joy and hope will make it a good way to spend time on a challenging day. Resistance fics aren't all human AUs. Check out The Last Angel (E) by @bellisima-writes. For millennia, Crowley has been Hell's Grand Inquisitor. He never served on earth. After Hell won their war against Heaven, they finally track down the last remaining Angel, Aziraphale. Crowley's given the job of torturing him for information. I don't want to give too much away. But Crowley's form of resistance involves being true to himself no matter what Hell demands. And Aziraphale has a more direct form of resistance planned. It's an exciting read as well as thought-provoking.

@snae-b writes the kind of fics you don't want to start reading before bed--at least not if you plan on getting up early the next day. Echo (E) is no exception. Each day, barista Aziraphale wakes up and goes into work. He serves a chauffeur, Crowley, who seems strangely familiar. Asking questions like "what makes one human" and "how do you fight against an evil activity that no one knows about," Echo is also just a plain old compelling story. And a resistance tale that, despite its futuristic setting, would not feel out of place beside a tale of the French underground resisting Nazis.

Mutual Aid (T) by malicegeres predates the Good Omens tv show. So presumably that makes it part of the Book!Omens universe. In it, radical bookseller Ezra Fell ends up hiding anarchist Crowley from the police after he's injured by skinheads. As the title indicates, they find a common cause and start working together. Loved the depiction of Adam as a leader. And the fic includes a listing of leftist political resources at the end.

Many consider The False and the Fair (E) by @princip1914 to be one of the best human AUs in the Good Omens universe. I certainly do. Aziraphale Wright's family runs a coal mine. Anthony Crowley, his former best friend, is the son of a mine worker. I don't want to spoil the story if you haven't read it. But what appears to be a story of regrets and making amends has a strong thread of accountability that results in wrongs being made right after a powerful act of resistance (with some help from the press). If you haven't read it, check it out. And if you have, read it again--with an eye towards resistance.

Finally, I'll end with a WIP, Good Works (E) by @majnoonathelibrarian. Set in 1987, Aziraphale is an assistant parliamentary secretary in the Thatcher government who finds something strange in the documents he's handling. Crowley is a mysterious "fixer" for a consulting firm who finds himself drawn into queer activism. Both of them have to navigate their day jobs along with increasing activism in a couple of different streams. The characterization is fascinating and the writer strings out the mysteries through the tale. This WIP is regularly updated and nearly complete. Remember, the fan fic community is a COMMUNITY. So don't forget to encourage writers of works underway by leaving kudos and comments. Writers are a gift to fans and we need to show them our appreciation. Finally, I'll give my pitch as someone who has been around much longer than most of you reading this. The yucky things happening in the world can be overwhelming. But it's a backlash. Because we've already made so much progress (both The False and the Fair and Good Works are good reminders of just how deadly the 1980s were for queer people). So resist. By making art and telling stories. By protesting. By contacting the people in power making decisions you disagree with. By caring for the vulnerable. By speaking out at local political meetings. By amplifying the voices of marginalized people. By using any of your unearned benefits to advocate for others. And by just existing as the beautiful and unique individual you are.

[amascomet]

Hello I was wondering if you have more stuff on the TMNT Spliced Au and how the comic is going?

Ah thank you for your interest! I’ve got so much but also literally nothing haha. End of last year was particularly rough for me so I had to take a break from working on it. Love TMNT GS but I won’t lie and say it’s not emotionally draining, wish I could beam it into all of your heads! Here’s a huge dump of random assortments I have from developing it.

COMIC UPDATES - peep the sketch for the cover, cool right?

I finished thumbnailing the first 34 pages of #1, but only one page has been fully completed. ⚰️ I’ve never made a comic before, so I’m doing a lot of learning with this. Most of the delay just comes from the fact that I love to design and I’m very crazy about details so that means I’m easily getting caught up in reading books, building little 3D sets, designing props n vehicles, ect.

I get so caught up in the visual worldbuilding cause its my favorite thing to do lol. I feel really bad when I stop working on pages in because my brain is like OK WAIT I NEED TO DESIGN THE GUNS, THE LABS, AND STOCKMANS CAR KEYS. Its really silly. I do wanna keep chipping at the comic, but at this point I've written and planned so much of the lore I kinda just wanna make it all public so I can talk about it. I'm constantly torn about it cause its like oof whats the point of making the comic if I'm just gonna talk about all the spoilers. With how this years going, I'm starting to lean into more of lemme just be free and do whatever I want!

Table of contents from the lore bible I'm still chipping away at. I'd love to just drop updates for it if that's something people would be interested in.

Alternatively, the idea of just releasing scripts for it has crossed my mind. #1 has a general outline, but I'd actually would just love to go back and detail, refine it, and drop that for now until the visuals of the comic are done.

I'm actually going to test the waters now and link a script for a scene from The Farmhouse arc I wrote a couple of months ago. If that's something people would be interested in, I'd love to know!

ART DUMP MOMENT -

Various other little development sketches and a new character or two omg

OK I KNOW THAT WAS A BIT OF A RAMBLE, FORGIVE ME! But yup thats it! TDLR; GS is in development hell and I'm waiting for ya'll to give me the greenlight to just start talking crazy. I've got multiple seasons/arcs to gush about.

[milkoomi]

january ‘25 recap. ᥫ᭡

i wanted to start doing monthly recaps for this year! these posts will all be under my tag: #faustina’s diary !! think of these as diary entries! i’ll also be including other things that may be helpful to you guys as well!

gratitude —

1. i’m grateful for reading more

i’ve been wanting to get back into reading for a very long time now, and the time has finally come! i’m currently reading two books! one is “emily wilde’s encyclopedia of faeries” and the other is “a short history of medicine”. i’m surprised i started my reading journey with not one, but two books! both books have been so interesting to me. i got the medicine one because i’m studying to be in the medical field and i want to expand my knowledge on medicine! and the other is one i’ve been dying to read since last summer!

how you can start reading more …

set aside 15-20 minutes each day to read!

reread your favorite books!

start off with shorter novels!

2. i’m grateful for the spring semester

my semester started off a little rocky, but everything quickly got resolved! i was a little nervous, especially since this semester is my last semester before my externship and i can start working full-time in the medical field! we’re learning so many cool new things and skills in the program i’m in and i’m looking forward to all that we’ll be doing!

academic affirmations …

i am capable of achieving all my academic goals

academic success comes naturally to me

i am brilliant and my brilliance gifts me success

3. i’m grateful for closing chapters & new beginnings

throughout this entire month, i’ve been closer and closer to closing a specific chapter of my life and starting a new one! especially career wise! i have worked at my current job for two years now, and i originally did not plan to stay at this job for this long, but now i’m getting closer to leaving this job and moving into my dream career in the medical field!

journaling prompts to use for reflection …

how have you changed this month? are you proud of this change?

is there anything you regret from this month? what will you do differently next month to prevent having any regrets?

what is one goal you want to set for yourself next month?

goals —

1. pass my vital sign testing

in the program i’m in, we’ll be getting tested on our vital sign skills (blood pressure, pulse/respirations, height/weight, & temp) and this exam will determine if we get first pick for our externship or not and i’m determined to be in the top group for passing this exam! i really want to work in general surgery, ob/gyn, or psychiatry!

2. go on more dates with my fiancé

my fiancé and i spend a lot of time together since we basically live together, but we’re also both so extremely busy with our own separate lives. we both made it a goal for the entire year to have more dates! we’ve started off by having more at-home dinner dates but we also want to go to museums together, restaurant dates, and a whole bunch of other stuff!

3. expand my content

i’ve been having so much fun on this blog and creating the content i’ve been posting, but i want to expand my content creation! so one of my goals for the month of february is to kickstart my youtube channel and/or build more for this blog (i.e. create a set posting schedule, make newsletters for this blog [i’ve been inspired by my lovely mutual @glowettee & one of my favorite bloggers @malusokay 🤍), and make my blog’s community more interactive)!

write out 3 of your own goals!

bring out your journal and write down your goals for the month of february! they can be as big or small as you want them to be!

january favorites —

[ every month i’ll create a list of my favorite things from the month! it’ll be a compendium of youtubers, music, makeup, books, movies/shows, and even posts i’ve created that i’m proud of! ]

youtubers:

Emalilyn - “study with me” content, lots of videos incorporating the pomodoro method + relaxing lofi background music!

Mikayla Mags - lifestyle content, study/academic related videos, & vlogs!

Thewizardliz - motivational “podcasts” on aspects like self-improvement, confidence, leveling up; essentially the “it-girl” bible

clarisseintheclouds - content similar to Mikayla Mags but with a more introverted feel! very calming & relaxing energy!

books:

Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Faeries by heather fawcett

A Short History of Medicine by steve parker

Nana by ai yazawa

movies/shows:

Priscilla

Gilmore Girls

Grey’s Anatomy

makeup:

haus labs by lady gaga triclone skin tech medium coverage foundation

one size on til dawn setting spray

colourpop pressed powder blush - shade: classic pink

blog posts i’m proud of:

a new canvas means a new you - mini series

this was my first ever series on this blog that i created for the new year & the amount of love it received made me so unbelievably happy! i’m truly so grateful that this series helped so many of you and, honestly, creating it even helped me!

how to study effectively

if there’s anything to know about me, it’s that my studies are a huge priority for me. i started off my college years not knowing how to properly study, but as time went on i gradually learned how! and being able to teach you guys what i’ve learned in my academic career made me feel so accomplished!

faustina’s style guide - chapter one

i love fashion and i’ve always wanted to do more with it like creating content related to it! i don’t know if it’s because of my leo energy, but getting dressed up and looking my best is always a necessity for me even if i’m just going grocery shopping! my best friend and i are fashion fanatics (my bestie actually created a fashion blog as well! go check it out @cloudee-pup 🤍), and i wanted to bring my thoughts of style/aesthetics/clothes to a larger audience! i’m really looking forward to continuing this series!

final thoughts —

january has been a wonderful month so far and i seriously can’t express enough in words how thankful i am for that. 2025 has started off wonderfully for me and i can’t wait to experience all the new opportunities i have lined up for myself this year. this month has truly given me a first look at how the rest of my year will go, and i’m seeing a lot of new growth for myself and starting new chapters of my life!

write a letter to your future self! what are you looking forward to experiencing? what do you want them to know? any tips or pieces of advice?

with lots of love, faustina 🌷

[writingwhimsey]

Becoming Comtesse Ch. 5

A/N: Being that I have had the day off, you all get two chapters today. Hope you enjoy!

Chapter 5

Comte had been enjoying his time out with Colette. Her mother seemed to be enjoying playing matchmaker, by making sure the pair had time alone together to get to know one another.

He enjoyed seeing Colette’s eyes light up when she was in the book shop. How excited she had been when she found a copy of her favorite book. When she discussed why it was her favorite and that she loved the vampire in the story…well it reminded him of that night all those years ago.

He however, did not enjoy it when she started to cry at the memory of her brother burning her books. He had wanted nothing more than to pull her into his arms and comfort her. He knew however, that the book shop was not the right place. He also knew that she may not be ready for that just yet. So he had settled for wiping her tears and buying the book for her.

Now as they sat at the cafe, he watched her glance at the book every so often. She clearly had something on her mind…and Comte was fairly certain he knew what it was. Though he still wanted to ask and get her to talk to him.

Though he had thought he’d gotten a good read on her, he couldn’t have been more wrong in what he was thinking. He had anticipated her asking why he bought her the book or why her happiness meant so much to him. Yet she caught him off guard with her question.

“You could have your pick of marriagable women… and yet you picked me. Why?”

Comte blinked, surprised. “You…want to know why I wish to marry you?”

Colette nodded. “Yes..I mean what could you possibly gain from marrying me? I’m far beneath your station and as I said, I was resigned to spinsterhood and…”

Comte reached his hand over and placed it on one of Colette’s, causing her to stop her rambling and look into his eyes. Her emerald green eyes looked into his golden ones, begging for answers. I can’t tell you everything…not right now. But I can tell you some things. He thought. And if I am lucky, I hope to gain your love.

“You sell yourself short, cherie.” He said. “If you must know, I have been interested in you for some time now.”

She furrowed her brow in confusion. “But…until I arrived here, we had never met?”

Oh, but we have. Years ago. Comte thought. “No, but I had done some business with your father before he passed.”

Her eyes widened. “You…knew my father?”

Comte nodded. “Yes and he always spoke highly of his children. Though he had a special fondness for his eldest daughter. He spoke of you often and fondly. He stayed with me on his last trip to Paris in fact.”

“The one where he was here for a month?” Colette asked, recalling the trip.

Comte nodded. “Yes. The one where you wrote to him every day. He shared a few of your letters with me in fact.”

Colette blushed at this. “Oh…”

“I felt as if I knew you through him.” Comte went on. “I know it might sound strange…but I knew I wanted to marry you then.” And once I saw your portrait, I knew it was you. The one I had seen so many years ago.

“I see.” Colette replied.

“Forgive me for not telling you sooner, Colette.” Comte said. And for not telling you everything just yet.

“I will…if you tell me what it was my father could have possibly said about me that would make you want to marry me or what it was in my letters to my father.”

Comte chuckled, releasing her hand. “He always talked about how beautiful and brilliant and curious you are.” He said. “And when he read me some of your letters…I loved the way you told him about everything. Even the smallest of things and how it seemed you were truly in love with the world around you and life. How you loved things that others thought unloveable. You love of reading and writing.”

“Oh…don’t tell me he…”

Comte chuckled. “Yes he shared with me some of your poems and the short stories you had written. He was very proud of you.”

Colette’s cheeks became the loveliest shade of red. “Oh my…those were so embarrassing…”

“You put such passion into your writing. I could tell the love you had for the craft through your words. And the imagination you had as well.” Comte told her. “I especially loved the story your father shared with me about…”

“No, no, please stop. I can’t take anymore.” Colette said, holding a hand in front of her face.

Comte couldn’t help but to think she looked utterly adorable. “Alright, I will stop. I can’t have you overheating and fainting on me.”

She gave him a look, though he could see the smile trying to break out on her face. “I am not THAT fragile, you know.”

“Of course, not.” Comte replied. “But are you satisfied with my answer, Colette?”

“I suppose.” She replied, regaining her composure. “And thank you… for all of it.”

Comte smiled. “Anything to see you smile, ma cherie.”

After finishing up at the cafe, the pair walked around town for a bit longer, Comte taking Colette to more shops. Anything her eyes lingered on, he bought for her…even though she tried to protest every purchase.

The sun was just beginning to set when the carriage returned for them. “Are you ready to go home, Cherie?”

She blinked at him, before nodding and taking his hand, allowing him to help her up into the carriage. He then climbed in and took the seat beside her once again, even if this time there was plenty of room to sit across from her. He was starting to feel a little greedy. Especially now that she was starting to open up to him.

“Did you enjoy today?” Come asked her.

“Yes.” She answered, looking up at him. “Did you?”

Comte smiled. “I got to spend the day with you and see your beautiful smile. I also learned about your favorite book. Your favorite flowers. Your favorite sweet treats. More about you. So yes, I very much enjoyed today.”

Colette smiled even as her cheeks reddened. “And I learned a very important detail about you, today.”

“Oh, and what is that ma cherie?”

“That you’re insane.” She answered with a straight face.

“Pardon?”

Her straight face broke into a smile. “The reasons you gave for wanting to marry me…though I think it just might work with my own brand of insanity.”

Comte smiled. “Is that you saying we just might be a good match?”

“Perhaps, but I wouldn’t let it go to your head.”

Comte chuckled. “If I let anything go to my head it will be knowing that you find me handsome.”

“What…when did I…” Colette stopped herself, suddenly recalling that she had admitted that when asking him why he had picked her. “I was hoping you would forget that…”

Comte laughed. “How could I forget? Besides, you are a beautiful woman, Colette. It is flattering to know you find me handsome.”

The pair continued thier lively conversation all the way to the mansion. When they arrived, they both headed to freshen up for dinner. Once they were both ready, they were in the dining room together and it appeared to just be the two of them once more.

“Your mother won’t be joining us?” Comte asked as he helped Colette to her seat.

“It appears not.” She answered. “She said something about the lighting being bad for her digestion or some other such obvious lie.”

“It appears your mother is wanting to give us plenty of time together. A dress for the wedding might not be enough of a gift.”

Colette laughed. “You’re marrying me. Her unwedable daughter. I am certain that is gift enough.”

“Why do you keep thinking of yourself as such?” Comte asked. He didn’t like that Colette seemed to see her value based solely on being wed or not.

Colette sighed. “I didn’t always see myself this way…it’s only happened in the last few years…since Father died and Thomas took over…Father never worried about me getting married. He just wanted me to be happy…after he died, it became Thomas’s mission for me to marry and help raise the station of the family…”

“So that is why he readily agreed on your behalf when I sent my proposal.”

Colette nodded. “Yes.” Though she wouldn’t look at him. “He’d tried to have other suitors for me…but things never worked out.”

He could tell by the way she wouldn’t meet his gaze that something had happened with those previous suitors. And it was something he was certain he wouldn’t like. Not because of anything as her fault, but because he could tell those previous suitors had likely hurt her in some way.

Comte felt compelled to reach his hand out to hers. “Colette, ma cherie, look at me please.”

She took a moment before turning to meet his gaze. Her eyes full of uncertainty and worry. “Yes?”

“Whatever has happened in the past, whatever those other men thought, it matters not to me. I do not want you to shrink yourself to fit in a box of what you think you should be.” He told her. “I want you to feel free to be yourself. I want to truly share our lives together.”

She looked into his eyes, as if trying to once again dicern if he was speaking in earnest or if he was just spouting pretty words she’d want to hear. “Alright, I’d like that.”

Comte smiled. “Good…may I kiss your hand?”

“Yes.”

Comte lifted her hand to his lips, placing a gentle kiss on the back. “I promise you, I will always appreciate you for who you truly are.”

Colette later that night…

After having dinner with Abel, I headed to the bath and freshened up and got myself ready for bed. When I returned to my room, Mother was waiting. “So, how was your day, dearest?” She asked me.

“Good.” I answered. “We had a wonderful time.”

“I see you have some new gifts as well…and do I see a familiar book?” Mother asked.

“Yes and yes.” I answered, a smile coming to my face.

“Come sit and tell me everything while I brush your hair.” She said, patting the space in front of her on my bed.

I laughed and sat down with my back to her. I then told her all about my day. Including how I had just blurted out my question and Abel’s answer.

“Ah, yes, that sounds about right.” Mother said. “He’s already in love with you.”

“Love?” I repeated, unable to believe that’s the conclusion she could come to.

Mother laughed. “Oh, dearest, it’s obvious to me. I thought he looked at you like a man in love. Now I know for certain.”

“That…that’s hard to believe…” I said.

“Is it, though?” Mother asked, giving me a kiss on top of the head as she stood up, having finished brushing my hair. “Though perhaps I am biased as I love you, too. So I think everyone must see how wonderful you are and love you too.”

“Goodnight, Mother.”

“Goodnight dearest.”

After Mother left…and after what she had said, I knew there was no going to sleep at least not right away. So, I picked up my book and sat down to read once again…happily picking up my favorite book and reading it for the first time in years, a smile on my face. I ended up falling asleep sitting up in my chair while reading the book.

I was standing in the kitchen of my childhood home, wanting a warm glass of milk…but then there was a cut on my palm and I held a glass of some red liquid out to a strnger hiding in the shadows.

“Take it. You need it.”

“But…”

“Please don’t make me have cut my palm for nothing?”

“I still don’t understand…why you aren’t scared?”

I shrugged. “You’re not scary. Now just take it.”

“Thank you.”

I awoke with a start, my palm aching as I looked down at it. I rubbed at the very faint scar that remained on my palm. “I haven’t had that dream in forever…I guess at least this time I didn’t sleep walk and cut myself like I did back then.” I muttered as I rubbed the scar.

I shook myself and stood from my seat, picking my book up off the floor. I must have dropped it when I fell asleep. I set it on the table and made my way over to the bed. Judging by the sky outside, it was still hours until dawn would arrive. I needed to try and get some sleep while I could.

Tag list: @zulablaise @violettduchess @kisara-16 @tele86

@otomewonderland @lovely-bubb1es @lucyw260 @queengiuliettafirstlady

@obeymetalesandikemen @leiaglamela @fang-and-feather

[theinquisitxor]

January 2025 Reading Wrap Up

I read 10 books in January, which is a very high number for me right now, but January always tends to be the month were I read the most books. I was super happy with what I read this month, and I enjoyed a lot of 5 star reads, but there were a few disappointments.

1.A Dark and Drowning Tide by Allison Saft, 3/5 stars. This was my first book of the year, and a bit of a let-down. I've read Saft's other books and liked them all, but this one was an outlier. I liked the folklore and magic, but didn't care much for the characters and themes.

2.Spindle's End by Robin McKinley, 4/5 stars. I want to read everything McKinley's written, and this was the next one I picked up. I loved the magic and worldbuilding, as well as the changes she made from the classic or disney story. I loved the focus on friendship and family love as well.

3.The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World by Robin Wall Kimmerer. This is a new essay published by Kimmerer which I listened to on audio. Another thought provoking and necessary essay about how we live and interact with the world.

4.Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant, 5/5 stars. This was my Random TBR pick for the month, and this book had been on my tbr since 2020. I had such a good time reading this sci-fi horror, and I did not want to put this down. I enjoyed the deep sea horror, our ensemble cast, and the plausibly mad biology.

5. A Little Princess by Francis Hodgson Burnett, 4/5 stars. This was my other Random TBR pick for the month, and has been on my tbr since 2018. This was a classic I never read growing up, but I was glad to read it as an adult. I didn't love this as much as The Secret Garden, but I can see why it's so beloved.

6.Buried Deep and Other Stories by Naomi Novik, 5/5 stars. I don't typically gravitate towards short story collections, but I'm so glad I picked this up. This was a mix of short stories from her publishes series, plus original works. The sneak peak at her newest project was a treat, I recommend picking this up if you are interested!

7.Lady Macbeth by Ava Reid, 2/5 stars. This was another disappointment, but one I can't say I didn't see coming. I've liked all of Reid's other works, but this was not good. I do think Reid is a talented writer, and the writing is very strong, but the rest of this is just not good. Bad portrayal of the middle ages, xenophobic of scotland, butchered the characters from the original. :(

8.The Scholar and the Last Faerie Door by HG Parry, 5/5 stars. A new favorite, and HG Parry keeps getting better and better. This is a dark academia magic school book about faeries, portals, 1920s England, classism, friendship, and trying to fix things. I loved this book from start to finish, and it's my favorite I read this month.

9. Melmoth by Sarah Perry, 3/5 stars. An interesting little gothic (horror-ish) novel set primarily in Prague. This was much more gothic and dark than I was anticipating, with a bit of a speculative twist. I can't say I enjoyed this book a whole lot, but rather appreciated the writing, the story, and craft of it.

10. Forging Silver into Stars by Brigid Kemmerer, 5/5 stars. A reread that I enjoyed just as much as the first time in 2022. This is one of the few YA series I'm still reading and loving, and I can't wait to pick up the second book which just released at the end of the month. I've been waiting years for it, and can finally see what happens next!

Overall, very strong month and a good way to start the new year! I hope the rest of my year stays as strong, and I'm hoping to pick up a new series to start in February!

[lannisterdaddyissues]

tagged by: @sluttyhenley my beloved <33

last song: dawn is a feeling by the moody blues (best. album. ever.)

last book: like, one chapter of a dance with dragons by grrm which i really should pick up again lol

last movie: persuasion (2008) which i loved! and since i’ve never read the book before i plan to read it very soon

last tv show: squid game season 2

last thing i googled: sickly meaning (i was looking for synonyms)

favorite color: yellow and blue

sweet/savory/spicy: depends ?? savory i guess

looking forward to: going to bed since it’s 2am (serious answer: starting my local 4th semester clinicals in summer and graduating nursing school in august!)

current obsession: x-men movie prequelverse cherik because the hyperfixation backshot me again after several years… in my heart it is 2011 again and x-men: first class has just been released in theaters <3

@terrarot @tommyjop @waterandsilver @cdo499 @mapofyourstars @airlocksandaviaries @liass-21 @faeratil @calkale and anyone else who sees this and wants to!!

[luxaofhesperides]

Vampires of El Norte by Isabel Cañas

Nine years divided them, but time meant nothing to hands: her fingers interlaced with his as naturally as if they were eight years old, or ten, or thirteen. Palm to palm, thumb over thumb. A bridge between them.

[novelconcepts]

As gently and politely as I can put this: that post I made about outliving him is meant to be an anti-suicide affirmation. It is not meant to be a blinders-on assessment of reality, of the future boiling down to whether one man lives or dies. It is meant to reassure myself and everyone else that the horrors come, and the horrors go, that nothing is permanent, that hope persists with split knuckles and blood on its teeth. Things are rough. Things will likely get rougher. My eyes are open to that, but in the end, the first thing they want from us is to roll over, surrender, die. And I will not be granting that wish. I deserve to be here. You deserve to be here. We deserve to see the sun rise. And it will. I promise.

[sunlaire]

9 Books I want to read in 2025: tagged by @johnnyy-guitarr and @futuristicdoormats789 (thank y'all, I've been wanting to sit down and do this all week, this was really fun ahhh <333)

An Unsung Hero: Tom Crean, Antarctic Survivor by Michael Smith (let's gooooo, when I saw there was a crean book I added it to my list, hype hypehype)

I May Be Some Time by Francis Spufford

What Manner of Man by @stjohnstarling (vampire seduces priest, yes thank you, I will be reading that)

Ada Blackjack by Jennifer Niven

I'm Thinking of Ending Things by Iain Reid (listen, I could only hear Jacob geller reference it so many times before I succumbed to curiosity)

Shackleton's Boat Journey by Frank Worsley (and after this, I want to read his Endurance book too)

The Wager by David Grann

Moby Dick by Herman Melville

This Savage Kingdom by @dravenscroft

Tagging: @antarcticlovebirds @moongazeonastarfillednight @incesthemes @strogoff-era and bonus, because I think it would be really funny if they responded @pjackk (if any of y'all have already done this,,, sorry. But also could you link me to the post? I'm a curious person 👀)

[fictionadventurer]

Many men had offered her many things in the past, love and friendship, luxury and jewels, entertainment, dogs, amusements, homage--some she had accepted, some refused, but no man before had offered her work. Peter had offered her that, he had offered her a share of his--not noble or inspiring or fascinating work, just his work, what he had. He had offered it her, called her great energies into play, and set her to work beside himself in a furrow. And she was glad; for some reason she found it very good.

--Desire by Una Lucy Silberrad

[hopecomesbacktolife]

thinking of rereading the entirety of HoME again. for my health

[lilidawnonthemoon]

[starswallowingsea]

Every time I think about how the Colleen Hoover fangirlies get mad when people even suggest that they should try and diversify their portfolios I get really, really sad. Like I don't think you have to read classics or anything and be an elite snob but if you limit yourself to just Colleen Hoover and maybe Sarah J Maas and a few other popular booktok authors, you're missing out on so so much. Even if you just want to find good new releases, keeping up with the book of the month club will give you plenty of options (even if you can't subscribe to them and have to get them from the library). Diversify your portfolio. Read older mass market paperback romances or literally anything else.

[hauntedwoman]

high as fuck eating a giant ceaser salad cheers x

[cha1cedony]

Idk what it is that makes me fixate so hard on one specific thing for years at a time, but I need it to chill out 😭 DnDads has been my only long-term media interest for like 1 and 1/2 years now, and it’s BORING to only like one thing ever lol I’m BORED!!! I need other things to be interested in, but I struggle with getting into new stuff (other than video games) sooo bad :(

That said, if you have DnD podcast recs that have interesting characters……… GIMME 👀 Also where the early episodes aren’t a nightmare to listen to 🙏 I have never listened to any other DnD podcasts, and I think it’s mostly bc the earlier seasons are always poor audio quality or like 3 hours long 😭 I’m also good with any type of narrative podcast. I just want compelling characters and platonic/familial dynamics pls. Stuff I can write sad shit about!! But also not TOO sad the whole time… maybe a little bit silly idk

So far, ones I’ve written down to listen to are Cast Party and Friends at the Table? I don’t know anything about either of them, though so? Also I keep seeing my mutuals posting Oxventure and Woe.Begone (although the latter isn’t a DnD podcast.. I think?) sooooo let me know your thoughts. And recommendations! Send me your propaganda! Tell me about your blorbos

[titsthedamnseason]

i didn’t set a numeric reading goal this year. instead my goal is to have fantasy be my most read genre

i decided that i hate how much my reading goal forces me to enjoy finishing a book so much more than just reading and experiencing it. i realized that i couldn’t remember the last time i read a book i loved so much that i stayed up way past my bedtime to read as much as possible and then picked it up first thing in the morning to squeeze in a chapter before school / work. it’s not because i haven’t been reading books that warrant this, it’s because im in such a rush to finish them that i haven’t been taking enough time to appreciate them to a point where i can feel connected to the story and characters

i’ve only read a few books so far this year but ive enjoyed the experience so immensely.

i feel like reading goals are great for people who are trying to push themselves to read more but i KNOW for a fact i will read at the VERY least 50 books this year naturally and probably significantly more. there’s no reason to put a number on it and force myself to read at a certain speed or rush to finish as many books as possible. literally none at all. reading is not a competition and never has been, im just happy to be here

instead, since romance has been my most read genre the past few years consistently despite my efforts to diversify my reading (i always read a variety of genres and there’s nothing wrong with having romance be your favorite but the truth is i usually enjoy the other books i read MORE than the romance books. i’ve just been diverting back to romance because they are quicker reads that help me get through my reading goal quicker. plus i reread way too many romance books a year because i always return to my favorites) im going to put more emphasis on genre to revisit some of my old favorite authors i need to catch up on and hopefully find some new ones that i love!

i chose fantasy to hopefully push myself to get through a big chunk of the cosmere this year. wish me luck! 💜