#Katherine and Markus are in the Absolutely Not category

[flame2ashes]

Poll closed! Time to let everyone know I chose the fourth option

Choice meanings:

No Shepard Without Vakarian (healthy): It’s as good as a relationship (platonic or otherwise) could be

No Shepard Without Vakarian (unhealthy): Toxic one-sided dependence on Shepard's side or toxic co-dependency

Absolutely Not: This dynamic does not exist between your Shepard and Garrus

It's more of a No Vakarian Without Shepard situation actually: Also one-sided dependence, but on Garrus' side this time

[theawkwardterrier]

greatestheights replied to your post: 2018 book roundup

holy shit. that is incredible tbh what were your faves out of the adult and picture books? i’m sure it’s pretty hard to narrow down, so no worries if that’s too tall an ask!

Not at all! For adult books:

An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green 

The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal

A Conjuring of Light by V.E. Schwab

Educated by Tara Westover

The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin

Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann

Kindred by Octavia E. Butler

The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang

The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America's Shining Women by Kate Moore

Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik 

Textbook by Amy Krouse Rosenthal

I’m also including Bridge of Clay by Markus Zusak and Symphony for the City of the Dead: Dmitri Shostakovich and the Siege of Leningrad by M.T. Anderson in this category - for different reasons, they each have an adult bent even though they are marketed as YA.

The picture book list is quite a bit longer so it’s going under the cut, but it includes both books that appealed to me aesthetically and those which had narratives or phrasing that I loved:

Ada Twist, Scientist by Andrea Beaty and David Roberts

After the Fall: How Humpty Dumpty Got Back Up Again by Dan Santat

All Different Now: Juneteenth, the First Day of Freedom by Angela Johnson and E.B. Lewis

The Antlered Ship by Dashka Slater, and Eric and Terry Fan

The Bear Ate Your Sandwich by Julia Sarcone-Roach

Big Cat, Little Cat by Elisha Cooper

Blue by Laura Vaccaro Seeger

The Book of Mistakes by Corinna Luyken

The Book Itch: Freedom, Truth & Harlem's Greatest Bookstore by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson and R. Gregory Christie

Crankenstein by Samantha Berger and Dan Santat

The Dark by Lemony Snicket and Jon Klassen

Dear Substitute by Audrey Vernick, Liz Garton Scanlon, and Chris Raschka

A Different Pond by Bao Phi and Thi Bui

Dreamers by Yuyi Morales

Drum Dream Girl: How One Girl's Courage Changed Music by Margarita Engle and Rafael López

Frida Kahlo and Her Animalitos by Monica Brown and John Parra

Game Changers: The Story of Venus and Serena Williams by Lesa Cline-Ransome and James E. Ransome

Goldy Luck and the Three Pandas by Natasha Yim and Grace Zong

A Greyhound, A Groundhog by Emily Jenkins and Chris Appelhans

Here We Are: Notes for Living on Planet Earth by Oliver Jeffers

How to Be an Elephant by Katherine Roy

I Really Want to See You, Grandma by Taro Gomi

I Wish You More by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Tom Lichtenheld

Ida, Always by Caron Levis and Charles Santoso

Imani's Moon by Janay Brown-Wood and Hazel Mitchell

The Invisible Boy by Trudy Ludwig and Patrice Barton

Life Without Nico by Andrea Maturana and Francisco Javier Olea

Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History by Vashti Harrison

Love by Matt de la Pena and Loren Long

Lucia the Luchadora by Cynthia Leonor Garza and Alyssa Bermudez 

Malala's Magic Pencil by Malala Yousafzai and Kerascoët

Marilyn's Monster by Michelle Knudsen and Matt Phelan

The Mermaid and the Shoe by K.G. Campbell

Morris Micklewhite and the Tangerine Dress by Christine Baldacchino and Isabelle Malenfant

Mother Bruce by Ryan T. Higgins

Muddy: The Story of Blues Legend Muddy Waters by Michael James Mahin and Evan Turk

My Teacher Is a Monster! (No, I Am Not.) by Peter Brown

Nanette's Baguette by Mo Willems

Night Animals by Gianna Marino

Noodle Magic by Roseanne Thong and Meilo So

Not Quite Narwhal by Jessie Sima

Not So Different: What You Really Want to Ask About Having a Disability by Shane Burcaw and Matt Carr

Number One Sam by Greg Pizzoli

One Day in the Eucalyptus, Eucalyptus Tree by Daniel Bernstrom and Brendan Wenzel

A Perfect Day by Lane Smith

The Pigeon Needs a Bath! by Mo Willems

La Princesa and the Pea by Susan Middleton Elya and Juana Martinez-Neal

The Princess and the Pony by Kate Beaton

The Purloining of Prince Oleomargarine by Mark Twain, and Philip C. and Erin E. Stead

Red: A Crayon's Story by Michael Hall

School's First Day of School by Adam Rex and Christian Robinson

Snappsy the Alligator by Julie Falatko and Tim Miller

Strictly No Elephants by Lisa Mantchev and Taeeun Yoo

This Book Just Ate My Dog! by Richard Byrne

This Is How We Do It: One Day in the Lives of Seven Kids from Around the World by Matt LaMothe

This Is Sadie by Sara O'Leary and Julie Morstad

Those Shoes by Maribeth Boelts and Noah Z. Jones

To the Sea by Cale Atkinson

Unicorn Thinks He's Pretty Great by Bob Shea

We Don't Eat Our Classmates by Ryan T. Higgins

We Found A Hat by Jon Klassen

The Wolf, the Duck, and the Mouse by Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen

Wolfie the Bunny by Ame Dyckman and Zachariah OHora