#all hail Becky

[noblecorgi]

Chapter 17: A Thousand Words

I liiiiiiiiiiive.

And here is a new chapter!!

TWs for this chapter are less intense but no less sad than the last chapter, so psychosis, self loathing, hospitals and blood.

@artsyunderstudy @alexalexinii @angelsfalling16 @asocialpessimist @stitchy-queerista @skee3000 @stardustasincocaine @fiend-for-culture @facewithoutheart @wellbelesbian @emeryhall @emjaydellyone @edenalix @erzbethluna @thehoneyedhufflepuff @theearlgreymage @thewholelemon @that-disabled-princess @you-remind-me-of-the-babe @youarenevertooold @ichooseyousnowbaz @ic3-que3n @iamamythologicalcreature @ileadacharmedlife

@palimpsessed @prettygoododds @philaet0s @lonleyhumanbeing @letraspal @carryonsimoncarryonbaz @cutestkilla @cosmicalart @confused-bi-queer @valeffelees @beastmonstertitan @brilla-brilla-estrellita @bazisplottingsomething @ninemagicks @nausikaaa @nightimedreamersworld @messofthejess @monbons @mooncello @rbkzz @run-for-chamo-miles @roomwithanopenfire @raenestee @rimeswithpurple

[dorothygale123]

AND ALL HAIL BECKY FOR PUSHING IT ALONG

WE LOVE YOU BECKY NEVER CHANGE

I TOLD YOU SO!

YUP. I told you so! HERE and HERE!

Finally, one of my predictions came true. AND FINALLY Yor admitted the very obvious thing:

Let's just celebrate! I will analyze this chapter later!

[derinthescarletpescatarian]

Read Project Hail Mary cause you said it had the most influence on TTOU. I've never read anything like it (except your story, of course.) Would you ever make a book rec list? Doesn't have to be sci fi exclusively.

The best thing you can do for yourself as a reader of genre fiction is go to whatever used bookstores you can find and search specifically for books from this series:

and purchase and read any of them that you can find. It's called the Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction and every issue will contain at least one story that permanently alters your brain chemistry.

Aside from that, I'd recommend The Martian by Andy Weir (the Project Hail Mary guy), the Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells, the Wayfarers series by Becky Chambers, and anything you can find by Philip K Dick or Neal Stephenson. I'd also recommend a couple of CJ Cherryh's works: 40,000 in Gehenna, and Serpent's Reach. Probably worth reading Serpent's Reach first if you can, but it's not that important, they're not sequels of each other although they are in the same universe.

The series that's had the most influence on me as a writer is of course Animorphs by KA Applegate, but I'm not sure how interesting it would be for an adult reader who doesn't have nostalgia to rely on. Also Tamora Pierce's books, all of them, it's worth picking up those if you like fantasy.

[saintshigaraki]

my reading list currently looks like....

frankenstein* (ill probably finish this one up in a day or two)

the salt grows heavy by cassandra khaw

dracula

wuthering heights

the death of jane lawrence by caitlin starling

the haunting of hill house by shirley jackson

howls moving castle by dianna wynne jones

the secret history by donna tartt

jane eyre

drive your plow over the bones of the dead by olga tokarczuk

dune by frank herbert

we have always lived in the castle by shirley jackson

birnam wood by eleanor catton

are prisons obsolete? by angela davis

a game of thrones* by grrm

daughter of smoke* and bone by laini taylor

a clash of kings* by grrm

days of blood and starlight by laini taylor

into the drowning deep by mira grant

dune messiah by frank herbert

their eyes were watching god by zora neale hurston

bunny by mona awad

a storm of swords* by grrm

the lottery and other stories by shirley jackson

a psalm for the wild-built by becky chamber

the poppy war by r.f. kuang

the ash family by molly dektar

project hail mary by andy weir

beartown by fredrik backman

a prayer for the crown shy by becky chamber

once there were wolves by charlotte mcconaghy

mother thing by ainslie hogarth

all’ s well by mona awad

the long way to a small and angry planet by becky chambers

the goblin emperor by katherine addison

the memory police by yoko ogawa

our wives under the sea by julia armfield

nightbitch by rachel yoder

the painter’s daughters by emily howes

the will of the many by james islington

a fig for all the devils by c.s. fritz

the devil and mrs davenport by paulette Kennedy

prophet song by paul lynch

our share of night by mariana enriquez

the unmaking of june farrow by adrienne young

the shadow of the gods by john gwynne

the other valley by scott alexander howard

whale fall by elizabeth o’connor

the sword of kaigen by m.l. wang

the cruel prince by holly black

the wicked king by holly black

the dragon republic by r.f. kuang

the burning god by r.f. kuang

starve acre by andrew michael hurley

the assassin's apprentice by robin hobb

the hunger of the gods by john gwynne

a secret history of witches by louisa morgan

the fury of the gods by john gwynne

geek love by katherine dunn

funny story by emily henry

james by percival everett

the seven moons of maali almeida by shehan karunatilaka

book lovers by emily henry

foster by claire keegan

demon copperhead by barbara kingsolver

martyr! by kaveh akbar

small things like these by claire keegan

orbital by samantha harvey

the vegetarian by han kang

the god of endings by jacqueline holland

a feast for crows* by grrm

*rereads

[aesopsbaby]

𝐂𝐞𝐥𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐕𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐧

— The cursed son of Skathra's forgotten Gods.

Introduction: Celtic Virelan , "Dreadstalker"

Celtic Virelan moves like a shadow through the world—calculated, composed, and always watching. He commands without raising his voice, leads without revealing the weight he carries. His presence is heavy, not with anger, but with history.

He is a man haunted by legacy, by whispers of forgotten gods and ancient curses. Emotion flickers faintly behind his amber eyes, rarely shown, never spoken.

✧ BACKGROUND:

Celtic hails from SKATHRA, a realm now lost to time and memory. As the last living descendant of its divine lineage, he bears a curse manifested as Enox—a sentient, flame-like mist eternally chained to him. This companion is both a source of power and a constant reminder of his heritage.

Legends speak of a dragon residing in a hidden cave. ...Celtic avoids this place at all costs, steering his team away without explanation. The dragon's connection to his curse remains a secret he refuses to confront.

✧ COMPANION (Curse) : Enox

A trapped soul, Enox was once a revered Prophet Of Skathra. —someone who defied and angered Skathra’s pantheon. His punishment? Eternal entrapment in a flame like state, only to be passed down the bloodline of those he had betrayed.

Now he's trapped with Celtic, chained to a descendant of the very gods who cursed him.

It’s poetic. It’s bitter. It’s painful. And they’re both stuck, cursed to be with each other.

“You think I chose this?”

“You think you’re the only one who suffers under Skathra’s name?”

✧ PERSONALITY:

Celtic is an unflinching, commanding leader —the type who doesn't need to raise his voice to be obeyed. He speaks bluntly and acts with unwavering discipline. Stoic and seemingly devoid of emotion, he approaches situations with cold logic and blunt efficiency.

Though his words can come off as harsh, his loyalty and strength make him a steady, if intimidating, presence in any group.

✧ OTHER INFO:

There is nothing wrong with his other eye, it's just always covered with the mask he has. (I just hate drawing the other eye-)

His members will always come first. He's willing to sacrifice himself. (Don't let him)

Doesn't understand social cues, he'll say some insensitive stuff and be confused when people get offended.

ENOX can't speak. But Celtic can hear him, well, his thoughts and chooses to ignore him every time they argue.

Has illegible handwriting.

Stubborn. He's the type to narrow his eyes at someone when they prove him wrong.

Often seen gazing into the distance, as if recalling memories long forgotten.

Tagging: @boiling-potato @imma-sue-you-becky @feelin-lo @honeysleepy @startheimpactfangirl >:]]

Not finished with the other members yet,,when I do, their links will be put together at the bottom of every introduction post for them! ^^

[12woso12]

Dorothy lands in North London- Prologue

Arsenal buy America's top defender: You.

TW: mentions of mental health, suicide, please don't read if you don't feel up to it

You were built to survive pressure. You were moulded perfectly by the drunk slurs of your father and the untimely death of your mother. There wasn't a single moment that you couldn't handle, you took everything the world threw at you as though you'd been and done it all before.

World cup penalty? No problem.

Injury setback? Bring it on.

Arsenal transfer? Hell yes.

You took everything in your stride, laughing at your own misfortune, finding humour in the darkness. That's how you'd handled your mum's suicide: with insensitive jokes and a cheeky grin that never quite managed to meet your eyes. Most of your frustrations were taken out on the pitch, rough tackles or risky arguments with the opposition had resulted in you being the most carded playing in the NWSL at just 16 years old.

But your aggressive nature on the pitch never seeped into your personality away from football, you made sure of that. You'd do anything to ensure you never inherited your dad's temper and hurt people the way he'd hurt people. The way he'd hurt your mum...the way he hurt you. It was essential that your frustrations were kept firmly on football.

The year you were first called up to the USWNT was the year you finally made enough money to move out. You were sixteen and desperate to escape the clutches of your dad and his disastrous ways. The call up was a long time coming, the NWSL hadn't seen a player with as much potential as you since a teenage Alex Morgan first appeared on the scene.

The call up gained you more attention than you were used to. Granted, you were pretty well known in the States already having played with Gotham city for a year but the media attention you gained for a national call up? That changed the course of your life forever.

Your first tournament with the national team had been nothing short of incredible. It was the 2019 World Cup and you'd spent the entire group stage sat on the bench until Becky Sauerbrunn had gone down injured in the round of 16 and suddenly, you'd been given the chance of a lifetime.

Courageously, at your big age of sixteen, you played in every game until the trophy was in your hands and you were being hailed as the next Bobby Moore. A comparison you were incredibly embarrassed about but one that your teammates, Alex especially, were more than happy to keep reminding you of.

Five years later and you were coming to the end of your contract with Orlando Pride after playing two seasons for them. You were weighing up options for the future, you'd received enough interest from teams across the world to make the decision challenging enough and it was Marta who'd first noticed your troubled expression at training which was an unusual sight compared to your normal sunny nature.

'What's the matter, kid? Your face stuck like that or something?' Marta approached you after drills, concerned as you struggled to shoot her a smile. If there was someone who had all the answers, it was Marta.

'I don't know what to do' You began dropping onto the pitch as the rest of your teammates scurried inside, eager to get to lunch. Marta sat herself down besides you frowning.

'What?' she questioned

You sign and shrug, deflated. 'I've got a lot of interest for my next contract. Obviously Orlando want me to stay but...Gotham want me back, San Diego have been in touch. Even some stuff from Europe'

Much to your surprise, Marta chuckles. 'Kid if i had your problems i'd never want a problem-free life again. You're a superstar! All this attention is deserved'

A small smile stretched across your face. You supposed that Martha did have a point, you were in an incredibly lucky position.

'The offer from San Diego did sound promising...' your mind began to wonder to the conversation you'd had earlier with your agent. He'd be ecstatic about the deal they were willing to offer, there would be a lot of money involved.

'San Diego?' Marta scoffed 'Anjinho, you should set your sights further. If Europe come looking, you make sure you are found.'

You sighed. Europe was just so far away. 'Arsenal have been interested for a while'

Marta slapped you gently on the shoulder 'Arsenal!' she exclaimed 'You love Arsenal...why would you pass on their offer?'

'They're a top team, i mean Leah Williamson plays there. Alessia Russo, Kim Little. I can't hold a candle to them' It was true, you thought. You were only 21, why would they need a kid when they have all the experience and expertise of England's captain?

'Don't be estupida. They would be lucky to have you. You can't spend your entire career in the states. You're too good for that. Way.Too.Good.'

You feel pride seep into your bones. If the great Marta thought you were good, then that was definitely a compliment worth keeping close to your heart.

'Go to Arsenal.' Marta continued. 'Get as far away from here as possible'

'Yeah?' You asked nervously.

'Make yourself found, kid'

Part 1

[dchuntress]

okay finally we're somewhere!!

a werewolf oc where she views her lycanthropy as a more of a venom situation; she doesn't view her wolf form as herself, but moreso, a rather inconvenient pet or a roommate. funnily, she does talk about her werewolf form's bad habits like she's dealing with a messy roommate, like "becky ate all of my snacks again 😒"

she is allergic to fur, so this situation doesn't help

she is not affected by the moon; i'm thinking she can either shift voluntarily or she's instead affected by some other recurring natural phenomenon, like... aurora borealis, heat waves, hail stones, tides, her or other people's periods, anything

i'm also thinking that she could be something like a sommelier, working in customer service, a celebrity, a wildlife photographer, a jewellery maker, a game developer, anything; and she uses her werewolf abilities or quirks to excel at her career in a way nobody can catch up with her because who'd suspect that a cosmetic chemist is testing her own products on herself? something like that, i still haven't narrowed it down

[aceofwhump]

do you have any favorite book quotes? doesn't have to be whumpy :)

Oooo good question. Okay I'm going to share some of my favorite quotes from my favorite books and I feel like these quotes will explain why these are my favorite books as well so enjoy that lol. Also this made me realize that I really need to write down my favorite things about the books I read. Instead I tend to plow through the books feeling many things quickly and then when it ends I sit in those feelings for a long time and then read another book. I need to do some rereading and write down my favorite parts. Annotating! That's what it's call. I need to do that.

Anyways some of my favorite quotes!

“Human beings have a remarkable ability to accept the abnormal and make it normal.” - Project Hail Mary

“I’m a scientist! Now we’re getting somewhere! Time for me to use science. All right, genius brain: come up with something! …I’m hungry. You have failed me, brain.” - Project Hail Mary

“Besides, if I had a nickel for every time I wanted to smack a kid’s parents for not teaching them even the most basic things…well…I’d have enough nickels to put in a sock and smack those parents with it.” - Project Hail Mary

“Humans spent thousands of years looking up at the stars and wondering what was out there. You guys never saw stars at all but you still worked space travel. What an amazing people you Eridians must be. Scientific geniuses.'" - Project Hail Mary

“All you can do, Rosemary – all any of us can do – is work to be something positive instead. That is a choice that every sapient must make every day of their life. The universe is what we make of it. It’s up to you to decide what part you will play.” - The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet

“Such a quintessentially Human thing, to express sorrow through apology.”- Becky Chambers, The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet

“From the ground, we stand; From our ships, we live; By the stars, we hope. - Exodan proverb” - The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet

“There are few things as unsettling as a lack of control in an unfamiliar situation.” - The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet

“Ye are Blood of my Blood, and Bone of my Bone, I give ye my Body, that we Two might be One. I give ye my Spirit, 'til our Life shall be Done.” - Outlander

“I can bear pain myself, he said softly, but I couldna bear yours. That would take more strength than I have.” - Outlander

“Not for the first time, I reflected that intimacy and romance are not synonymous.” - Outlander

"You simply collapsed, sir. In layman’s terms your body revoked its permission for you to continue heaping abuse upon it." - The Lies of Locke Lamora

“Books have to be heavy because the whole world's inside them.” - Inkheart

“There was another reason she took her books whenever they went away. They were her home when she was somewhere strange. They were familiar voices, friends that never quarreled with her, clever, powerful friends -- daring and knowledgeable, tried and tested adventurers who had traveled far and wide. Her books cheered her up when she was sad and kept her from being bored.” - Inkheart

"The funny thing about facing imminent death is that it really snaps everything else into perspective" - Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment

"Having a social at a quiz bowl tournament is like having an all-you-can-eat ribs and inviting a bunch of vegetarians over" - Geektastic

"In fact, the opportunity to be wrathful was one of my favorite things about being a section leader. It's not exactly encourage in many places, you know." - Band Geek Love

"I remembered the first time we lock-stepped down the field next to each other as freshmen, feeling for the first time the power of being surrounded by a hundred other people all moving the exact same way in the exact same direction. And how when the drum major called “at ease,” we put down our trumpets, turned and looked at one another with startled eyes, and raced each other back up the field to do it again." - Band Geek Love

“Yes, of course duct tape works in a near-vacuum. Duct tape works anywhere. Duct tape is magic and should be worshiped.” - The Martian

“If a hiker gets lost in the mountains, people will coordinate a search. If a train crashes, people will line up to give blood. If an earthquake levels a city, people all over the world will send emergency supplies. This is so fundamentally human that it's found in every culture without exception. Yes, there are assholes who just don't care, but they're massively outnumbered by the people who do.” - The Martian

“Maybe I’ll post a consumer review. “Brought product to surface of Mars. It stopped working. 0/10.” - The Martian

"Sometimes people do things to you that you can't do anything about. You just have to survive it and go on.” - Artificial Condition

“Fear was an artificial condition. It's imposed from the outside. So it's possible to fight it. You should do the things you're afraid of.” - Artificial Condition

"Learn to love yourself?” What does that mean? How are we supposed to find something good about ourselves? The whole reason we hate ourselves… is because we can only see the parts we hate. So forcing ourselves to find “good points” feels hollow, like we’re making things up. It’s not like that. That’s not how it works. I think that it’s only when someone says they love you that you’re able to start loving yourself. I think when someone accepts you, that’s when you start feeling like you can forgive yourself a little and start to love yourself." - Fruits Basket

"You are alive because you haven't given up hope yet. It's because you know that not everyone in this world has rejected you. Even if you don't have a glimmer of hope now, it will surely come again. However much you resist or trample it, however many times you are thrown into despair, hope will come just as many times, repeatedly, again and again. It will bloom." - Fruits Basket

“He raged and questioned and mourned. Eventually he found peace—not peace like some still pond, but peace like a river, jostling over rocks, hurtling over falls, whirling in eddies. Authentic, rugged peace.” - A Distant Melody

“So this was friendship—the pain of ripping open one’s heart rewarded with intimacy and understanding.” - With Every Letter

[sparrowsortadrawzzz]

LEMME JUST RANT ABOUT URINETOWN FOR A SECOND NOW THAT MY ROLE IS OVER CUZ ITS SO GOOD-

see the crazy thing about urinetown is the paralells. like, we don't see Hope as this master manipulator, yet...she is???? she went to the most expensive university in the world for it?????

it first occurs in follow your heart, she practically plays with his feelings to get him to like her back (see her validating his feelings and using the "Why, my heart was saying the same thing just the other day!!" card), and from there, yes, the two are genuine, but you gotta admit, in follow your heart is she does use a bit of a persuasive direction.

then we see her manipulate again in the end when she leads the poor to UGC headquarters and. yknow. kills everyone 💀 she eventually becomes worse that her father by denying them any other option than. die from lack of basic needs, and leads their demise. ALSO SHE COULDVE AT LEAST LISTENED TO THE RESEARCH?? CONTINUED IT??? AND SAVED EVERYONE LIKE BOBBY AND CALDWELL WANTED?????? anyways-

also, Caldwell and Bobby were the same at one point. they had to have been. a poor boy in the midst of crisis has dreams to help the people of his community, so he rises up with the support of his people, and becomes a martyr...sounds like two people, doesn't it?

ALSO², PENNY AND CALDWELL ARE SO TRAGIC????? this young woman (who is perhaps a prostitute just to get by) and (probably) poor boy are in love, and once the water table drops and keeps dropping, they take a chance to give into their feelings and have their night together, which leads to their daughter Hope being born, and once that happens Caldwell has possibly already started his revolution, company, and rise to the top. so he takes their daughter (possibly so that she doesn't have to go through what he went through as a child), makes her promise to never tell Hope who she is, and becomes this hard, cold shell of a man he used to be, becoming someone Penny doesn't even recognize anymore. she doesn't love Cladwell, she loves Caldwell, the dreamer who once cared for all the people. and that's probably why she calls him such, to try and get her beloved back.

also erm lockstock how dare you just reject barrel like that-

HARRY AND BECKY ARE TOGETHER???? AND ARE ACTUALLY RABID??????? couple goals <33 /j

who tf is tiny tom, like, is he Harry and Becky's kid????

im obsessed with imagining what Penny and Caldwell were like before UGC

REMEMBER WHEN OUR NIGHT WERE STARRY????

arent you sorry..? (translation: "Are you sorry about loving and listening to me?")

..sure, I'm sorry.. (translation: "You probably want me to say I'm sorry for loving you because you no longer love me, and regret me.")

im not sorry.. (translation: "I STILL FUCKING LOVE YOU AGHHH-")

JUUUST UNNNNSOUNDDDD (translation: "WE STILL LOVE EACH OTHER AND NOW ONE OF US HAS TO DIE-")

all the original broadway cast photos are 2001 crunchy 😭

HAIL MALTHUS

making fun of and calling out the government and twisted cops >:)

the harmonies make me wanna ascend

okay that's all for now 💀💀💀

[eightglass]

do you have any book recommendations? nonfiction or fiction. i'd love to hear what you've enjoyed reading!

!!

Books!!! I love them!!!

Uhh

I'm always a big fan of science fiction! (loong so. under the cut)

I mean. There's always Star Wars, if you're into it. Best of those would be the three Thrawn trilogies (yes three trilogies) by Timothy Zahn. The old one (Heir to the Empire, Dark Force Rising, The Last Command) is literally sequels to the original movies, and they were canon (and awesome) before Disney did their shit. They are very good.

Adrian Tchaikovsky is a fantastic author! His Shards of Earth trilogy and Children of Time trilogy are some of the best scifi I've read! Completely different vibes though, but both are really good!

Uhh... If you want existential dread forever, read The Three-Body Problem trilogy. If you've ever heard of the Dark Forest solution to the Fermi paradox, these books are where it came from. (Or popularised/named it? idk.) They're also pretty good.

Everything by Becky Chambers. Wayfarers tetralogy, Monk and Robot duology, To Be Taught If Fortunate, all really good vibes. LGBTR (Little Gay Books To Read)

the Red Rising series by Pierce Brown.

The Locked Tomb trilogy by Tamsyn Muir! Wow! These are really good. Lesbian necromancers in space, and it makes sense. The narrators don't tell you anything either, because in book 1 the narrator doesn't know jack shit, in book 2 the 'narrator' gave herself a lobotomy, and the narrator in book 3 is six months old.

the MaddAddam trilogy by Margaret Atwood. Post-apocalyptic, but the pre-apocalypse was also a capitalism hellscape, so you don't feel too bad.

the Lilith's Brood trilogy by Octavia Butler is some of the BEST aliens scifi I've read holy shit. Seriously, read this.

The Book of Koli trilogy by M. R. Carey! 300 years after an environmental/war apocalypse. Written language has been forgotten, the bioengineered trees have further evolved to walk around and hunt humans (among other things), and the leaders of the remaining groups of humans have whatever top-of-the-line, self-repairing, and self-refilling infantry weapons from the war to use on each other.

A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine (two books out, dunno if there'll be a third). Ever wondered about a poetry-based interstellar empire? And what if it were gay?

The Andy Weir books. The Martian, Artemis, Project Hail Mary, those are good.

If you're more into YA scifi, then the Lunar Chronicles tetralogy and Renegades trilogy by Marissa Meyer are both fantastic, and the Aurora Rising and Illuminae Files trilogies by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff (collabs) are amazing!

Fantasy is also good! But I don't find myself reading very much of it.

First off: Discworld. I read 25 of 41 over the summer, and they are GOOD. https://www.discworldemporium.com/reading-order/

All of the Greishaverse stuff by Leigh Bardugo is pretty good, but the Six of Crows duology is really amazing.

The Cruel Prince trilogy by Holly Black! If you like fae stuff, but also urban fantasy and romance. Good books!

A Darker Shade of Magic trilogy by V. E. Schwab, those are good! There's also a sequel series coming out atm.

OMG how can I forget the N. K. Jemisin books?? The Broken Earth trilogy is FANTASTIC. What if the Earth hated everyone and there were geology witches that are actually pretty awesome but everyone hates them? The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms trilogy is also really good. What if the gods were actually omnipotent, but sort of hated each other? And the Great Cities duology! What if New York City was a person (six people)?

As for less scifi-fantasy, I've read and really enjoyed:

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver, a retelling of David Copperfield, this time with the main character living/growing up in rural Appalachia during the opioid epidemic. Really, really good.

All of the Alice Oseman books of course.

One Two Three by Laurie Frankel

Webcomics! These were really fun and they're still ongoing! My favs are:

Questionable Content (yes, you can start at 2104). Just a bunch of young adults in Massachusetts doing random shit with varying degrees of gayness, eventually the singularity happens and there are robots (they're gay too)

Dumbing of Age Really, really good college story. Fundie girl goes to college and learns about how the world actually works, varying amounts of gayness, horrible very bad parents, and three dramatic character deaths by the end of the first semester.

Gunnerkrigg Court weird scifi fantasy stuff going on all the time, big mysteries, omnipotent trickster god. The art style improves a LOT.

Web serials (if you want to be consumed by a piece of literature that's easily over a dozen normal books in length)

Worm. 1.6 million words. This consumed me from July to September. Good god. Some of the very best superheroes and superpowers, like, ever, beautiful fight scenes, and conflict escalation that does. not. stop. The poor characters never get a break between crises and catastrophes. But by Scion it is one of the best things I've ever read. Don't look up anything about it, the spoilers are insane. And there's a sequel that's even longer.

Uh.. I've started Katalepsis

[bad-aew-discourse]

I asked Chat GPT to predict what the ten best matches of the weekend will be, and this is what it spit out:

10. Jade Cargill vs. Naomi (Evolution)

9. Roxanne Perez vs. Thea Hail (NXT)

8. Young Bucks vs. Will Ospreay and Swerve Strickland (AEW)

7. Seth Rollins and Brawn Braker vs. CM Punk and Sammy Zane (SNME)

6. Randy Orton vs. Drew McIntyre (SNME)

5. Johnny Gargano vs. Adam Cole (NXT)

4. Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte Flair (Evolution)

3. Je'Von Evans vs. Jasper Troy (NXT)

2. Goldberg vs. Solo Sikoa (SNME)

Nikki Bella vs. Iyo Sky (Evolution)

Obviously, there are some issues. Great "matches" do not equal ratings. I am also skeptical of two spot monkeys like the Young Bucks having a "good" match with Ospreay, who can only do gymantics, but this is damning. AEW only had one match in the list. Perception matters so much. Just the latest sign All In is already a failure and that AEW will be dead by August.

[thelreads]

ALL HAIL OUR GOD

ALL HAIL THE GUARDIAN OF THE STARS

THE ERA OF ANYA, THE OMNISCIENT, HAST BEGUN

ANYA PLEASE I WAS JOKING, WHEN DID YOU START PLANNING TO DO THAT? YOU'RE SPENDING TOO MUCH TIME READING THAT SPY MANGA

OH MY GOD BECKY FLAT-OUT CALLED HIM ON THAT, AND HE IMMEDIATELY FOLDED

HE KNOWS WHAT THE RISK IS

HE'S ABOUT TO LOSE HIS SHIT

[stvivi]

My fave books of the first half of 2025, some details below if you're interested in reading any!

The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley - sci-fi romance spy thriller with a hint of historical fiction

A Closed and Common Orbit by Becky Chambers - queer space opera, book 2 of the wayfarers series (the whole series is worth reading but i loved this book in particular)

Dear America: Notes of an Undocumented Citizen by Jose Antonio Vargas - memoir about an undocumented journalist living in america

In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado - poetically written memoir about an abusive queer relationship

Diavola by Jennifer Marie Thorne - what if your family sucked and also there's ghosts in the airbnb for your family vacation!

The Murders of Molly Southbourne by Tade Thompson - book 1 of a triology of sci-fi horror novellas about trying to live your life while also killing a bunch of your clones

I'm Your Guy by Sarina Bowen - gay hockey romance, book 2 in a triology (all worth reading) but this is my fave

A Dowry of Blood by S.T. Gibson - a retelling of dracula from the pov of one of dracula's brides, hella gay

Him by Sarina Bowen & Elle Kennedy - friends to strangers to lovers gay hockey romance

The Lesser Dead by Christopher Buehlman - teenage vampire living in the tunnels under NYC when some weird shit starts going down (LOVED the audiobook)

Tender Is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica - what if cannibalism was normalized, this book is SO fucked up and SO chilling and i could not put it down

First-Time Caller by B.K. Borison - super cute hetero romance about a radio show host that's disillusioned with love and a single mom who's tween daughter calls the show to help her

The Night Guest by Hildur Knútsdóttir - icelandic horror, super quick and suspenseful, a woman who wakes up every morning exhausted and tries to figure out what's happening to her

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke - the entire world is a series of labyrinthine hallways with oceanic tides and only 2 living human inhabitants, but also not really and there's a lot more going on

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir - a man wakes up alone in a spaceship with amnesia, as he regains memories he realizes he's been sent to save humanity (way funnier and more heartwarming than it sounds)

the colors are for what month i read each book (jan - feb - mar - apr - may - jun) and also cuz it's pretty

[yoshiandyuriwithbecky]

So Yoshi and Becky's confession took place shortly before Christmas '97, when Becky was spending Christmas Break with the Mizunos in NYC. And she was really seeing NYC, not Hazelnut, as her home, in no small part due to the Mizunos really feeling like family. Whenever she was away from NYC, she found herself longing for it.

And well, tension between Yoshi and Becky had been... thick. Becky had become extremely close friends with both Yoshi and Yuri when they were there for her after her boyfriend cheated on her in the summer of that year... but she and Yoshi were really growing close. Since Yoshi was her roommate (while Yuri was a housemate), Becky spent every night in the same room with her, and as they grew closer, their conversations got more and more personal, with Yoshi opening up about the trauma of losing her little brother and arm in a car wreck, and Becky opening up about how she's actually really neurotic and feels pressured to please everyone and be The Amazing Becky Little 24/7.

They had REALLY strong feelings for each other. But they never confessed because they were both afraid that the other wouldn't feel the same way and it'd risk making their friendship weird. But everyone around them could see it. It was a gigantic elephant in the room.

Anyway, this all came to a head one fateful day when Yoshi, Yuri and Becky decided to go see The Lion King, which had just hit Broadway. They went to an afternoon showing, but before leaving for the show, Yuri took Yoshi aside…

“Look, I can’t take this anymore. I know it’s eating you alive. I’m sure it’s eating her alive too. You’ve gotta tell each other!”

“I know, I know… but what if she says no?”

“I’d be surprised if she does. Friends don’t just LOOK at each other like Becky looks at you. So here’s what we’re gonna do. After the show, I’m gonna suddenly need to go do something for work, and leave you two to your own devices. And then you two are gonna go to a restaurant, or look at Christmas lights, or whatever. Something you both enjoy. And then… tell her.”

And Yoshi’s still clearly nervous.

“Look, I know it’s kinda scary. But even if she says no, which again, I highly doubt… you’ll feel so much better having this off your chest.”

“… okay, I’ll try.”

(Yuri puts her hand on Yoshi’s shoulder) “You’ve got this, sis. I believe in you.”

And then, (half?) jokingly… “And next time I hear from you after the show, it better be from a hotel room. Capisce?”

(Yoshi laughs) “God, you’re lame”

“No lamer than you, Yoshimi.”

So after the show… Yuri was like "You know, why don't you two go get a bite to eat, or go to Central Park and look at the lights? I've gotta get back and wrap some presents away from prying eyes."

Becky was like "Hmmm… what do you think, Yoshi?"

Yoshi was like "Great idea, Yur'. We get to have more fun, and Yur' gets a break from my annoying ass. Win-win!"

Yuri (internally thinking "YES YES YES YOSHI YES I AM SO PROUD OF YOU") was like "Okay, I've gotta go. Have fun, you two!" before rushing off to hail a cab.

Becky was like "Huh, she left in a hurry."

Yoshi was like "She must have gotten us a bunch of cool shit and it'll take her a while to wrap it all. So, wanna go check out Central Park? It's really pretty this time of year."

So Yoshi and Becky went to Central Park, and it started to snow. They got there and took in the lights...

"Wow, this is really pretty."

"Yeah... it ain't bad."

"And, uh... that's really pretty too. The way the lights are reflecting in your glasses."

"Aww... well, thanks."

They looked for a bit more.

"Hey... I've thought about this for a while, but after school, I'm not moving back to Hazelnut. I'm gonna move here."

"... whoa... really?"

"Yeah. I feel more at home here than I ever have in Hazelnut. I mean, I love the city itself, and well, your family... I want to make this my home, too."

"... I'd like that. WE'D like that."

"Thanks... Yoshi, thank you. For everything. You've been such a good friend, and you didn't have to make me part of your life outside of school. But you did. That means so much to me. I don't know where I'd be without you and your family... but especially you."

"Hey, you're starting to make me blush. But, hey... for the queen of the WASPs, you're pretty great yourself."

Becky gives a little giggle. "Thanks..."

And that's when Yoshi can't hold it in anymore. She leans up on her tiptoes and gives Becky a kiss right on the lips. Becky is... blindsided.

"Oh my - I'm so sorry, I don't know what - I couldn't-"

Becky is still in a state of shock. And blushing furiously. Almost as much as Yoshi is.

"... look, I can't take this anymore. I love you, okay? I have for months now. I've never felt this way about ANYONE before, and I dunno why 'cuz we're so different, but I just DO, okay?! I'm really sorry if I make you feel weird, and if you want a different roommate, I'd underst-" But Becky put her finger to Yoshi's lips.

"... Yoshi... I love you too!"

Now Yoshi was like a deer in headlights. "The fuc-"

Becky glomped her, and was now in happy tears. "I love you so much!"

Yoshi, starting to cry happy tears herself, returned her hug. "I love you too..."

Then, after making sure no one else was around, they shared another, longer kiss, surrounded by the lights and falling snow.

Afterward, they realized it was getting kind of late. Yoshi was like "... I think I'd better call Yuri and tell her we won't be coming home. (they were staying at the Mizuno house and Becky was sleeping in the guest bedroom) We're gonna get a room."

"Sounds like a good idea to me."

So… Yuri was in her and Yoshi's bedroom and was indeed wrapping presents, but was also waiting by her primitive 1997 dinosaur of a cellphone. Finally… it rang.

"Hello, Yuri speaking."

"Yuri."

"… Yoshi…"

"… I'm, uh… I'm calling you from a hotel."

(Yuri literally squees with delight) "Oh my… I'm so happy for you two! I told you it'd work out!"

"You were right… as usual. Thanks, Yur'. So yeah… we're not coming home tonight. We got a hotel room right here in Queens, and uh… we're thinking of staying here the rest of the break. Otherwise, it might get a little weird at home."

"(Fake mad) Ugh… choosing Becky over me as your roommate again. Traitor. So… uh, what should I tell Mom and Dad? I mean, they kind of already know…"

"Really? Were we that obvious. Aw, geez… eh, I'll call them later. Well… goodnight, sis."

"Goodnight… and tell Becky goodnight from me, too."

"Will do."

And then… Yuri starts singing into the phone.

"Caaan you feel the looove toniiiight…"

"(Yoshi laughs) Oh, fuck you, Yuri." (Hangs up as Yuri laughs)

And a couple highlights of the morning after:

1: Becky woke up wondering if that wasn’t just an amazing dream… then she saw Yoshi’s glasses and prosthetic on the sidetable. Then she realized she was SPOONING Yoshi. Meanwhile, Yoshi woke up thinking “No way that actually happ- oh wait, it did. She’s holding me.”

2: Yoshi dressed up for the day in her standard outfit - white singlet, black blazer, black skirt, black calf boots and a black choker (as well as Taro’s heart gem necklace). Becky was like “Hey, can I tell you something? Something I’ve been wanting to say for ages?” “Yeah?” “… you look REALLY hot in that outfit.”

RIP Yoshimi Mizuno

Cause of death: Heart attack caused by her favorite Barbie, who she’d been crushing on for months, saying she was hot

And Becky called up Nicky and confided in her. Nicky (who wasn’t the least bit surprised) made it clear just how proud and happy she was for her sister and eventual sister-in-law. And… it really made her think about her own feelings towards a certain redhead.

[purpleguitar]

HOOOO BOY i got goosebumps all over i think i stopped breathing that whole scene the power becky has the acting the expressions the DELIVERY hail sappho

[tinathedragon]

BOOK RECS!🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️

I requested book recs on January 10th because my LGBTQ+ Romance🩷 shelf was lacking. I asked for pairings I do not have (butch/butch, femme/butch, and most importantly TRANS LESBIANS)

I looked at all the recs and links to other rec lists to make this list.

THANK YOU! @profiterole-reads @battyaboutbooksreviews @lpetersonwrites @sweeter-demeter for replying to my post.

TBR Pile:📚 OWN✓ Read but don't own⁕

(not all of these are romance books)

B= Butch Character T= Trans Character (only marking these because these are the books I need more of)

Going Bicoastal by Dahlia Adler

Imogen, Obviously by Becky Albertalli 📚

Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

The Upside Of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli

Leah on the Offbeat by Becky Albertalli

Triple Sec by T.J. Alexander

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters of the World by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree

Dulhaniyaa by Talia Bhatt T

The Fiance Farce by Alexandria Bellefleur

Truly, Madly, Deeply by Alexandria Bellefleur

Written in the Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur

Bespoke by L.M. Bennett B

Fall for Him by Andie Burke

Fly with Me by Andie Burke

The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun

It's a Love/Skate Relationship by Carli J. Corson

The Skin and Its Girl by Sarah Cypher

Dreadnought by April Daniels T

Late Bloomer by Mazey Eddings

May the Best Man Win by Z.R. Ellor T

Acting the Part by Z.R. Ellor T

No Better Than Beasts by Z.R. Ellor

This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone

Cheer Up: Love and Pompoms by Crystal Frasier

Icebreaker by A.L. Graziadei

Welcome to Dorley Hall by Alyson Greaves T

An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green

A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor by Hank Green

A Lady for a Duke by Alexis Hall T

Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall

Husband Material by Alexis Hall

Gearbreakers by Zoe Hana Mikuta

Godslayers by Zoe Hana Mikuta

Off With Their Heads by Zoe Hana Mikuta

Payback's a Witch by Lana Harper

Hockey Bois by A.L. Heard

Hani and Ishu's Guide to Fake Dating by Adiba Jaigirdar

If It Makes You Happy by Claire Kann

Let's Talk About Love by Claire Kann

How You Get the Girl by Anita Kelly

The Sapling Cage by Margaret Killjoy T

Old Wounds by Logan-Ashley Kisner T

Be Dazzled by Ryan La Sala

Read Between the Lines by Rachel Lacey

No Rings Attached by Rachel Lacey

Stars Collide by Rachel Lacey

The View from the Top by Rachel Lacey

AutoBoyography by Christina Lauren

The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee

Make Room for Love by Darcy Liao BT

Like Real People Do by E.L. Massey

Like You've Nothing Left to Prove by E.L. Massey

All Hail the Underdogs by E.L. Massey

Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

The Pairing by Casey McQuiston 📚

I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuiston

Welcome to Boy.net by Lyda Morehouse T

Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

Harrow the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

Nona the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

When the World Tips Over by Jandy Nelson

Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan

Girls of Storm and Shadow by Natasha Ngan

Girls of Fate and Fury by Natasha Ngan

Most Ardently by Gabe Cole Novoa T

The Grimrose Girls by Laura Pohl

Roses, in the Mouth of a Lion by Bushra Rehman

Book Boyfriend by Kris Ripper

Carry On by Rainbow Rowell

Tell Me How You Really Feel by Aminah Mae Safi

Can't Take That Away by Steven Salvatore T

The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon

A Day of Fallen Night by Samantha Shannon

Check, Please! By Ngozi Ukazu (Graphic Novels)

Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker

I Think They Love You by Julian Winters

Going Bicoastal by Dahlia Adler

Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

The Upside Of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli

Leah on the Offbeat by Becky Albertalli

Triple Sec by T.J. Alexander

Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree

Dulhaniyaa by Talia Bhatt T

The Fiance Farce by Alexandria Bellefleur

Truly, Madly, Deeply by Alexandria Bellefleur

Written in the Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur

Bespoke by L.M. Bennett B

Fall for Him by Andie Burke

Fly with Me by Andie Burke

The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun

It's a Love/Skate Relationship by Carli J. Corson

The Skin and Its Girl by Sarah Cypher

Late Bloomer by Mazey Eddings

May the Best Man Win by Z.R. Ellor T

Acting the Part by Z.R. Ellor T

No Better Than Beasts by Z.R. Ellor

Cheer Up: Love and Pompoms by Crystal Frasier

Icebreaker by A.L. Graziadei

Welcome to Dorley Hall by Alyson Greaves T

An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green

A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor by Hank Green

A Lady for a Duke by Alexis Hall T

Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall

Husband Material by Alexis Hall

Gearbreakers by Zoe Hana Mikuta

Godslayers by Zoe Hana Mikuta

Off With Their Heads by Zoe Hana Mikuta

Payback's a Witch by Lana Harper

Hockey Bois by A.L. Heard

Hani and Ishu's Guide to Fake Dating by Adiba Jaigirdar

If It Makes You Happy by Claire Kann

Let's Talk About Love by Claire Kann

How You Get the Girl by Anita Kelly

The Sapling Cage by Margaret Killjoy T

Old Wounds by Logan-Ashley Kisner T

Be Dazzled by Ryan La Sala

Read Between the Lines by Rachel Lacey

No Rings Attached by Rachel Lacey

Stars Collide by Rachel Lacey

The View from the Top by Rachel Lacey

AutoBoyography by Christina Lauren

The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee

Make Room for Love by Darcy Liao BT

Like Real People Do by E.L. Massey

Like You've Nothing Left to Prove by E.L. Massey

All Hail the Underdogs by E.L. Massey

Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

The Pairing by Casey McQuiston 📚

I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuiston

Welcome to Boy.net by Lyda Morehouse T

Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

Harrow the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

Nona the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

When the World Tips Over by Jandy Nelson

Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan

Girls of Storm and Shadow by Natasha Ngan

Girls of Fate and Fury by Natasha Ngan

Most Ardently by Gabe Cole Novoa T

The Grimrose Girls by Laura Pohl

Roses, in the Mouth of a Lion by Bushra Rehman

Book Boyfriend by Kris Ripper

Carry On by Rainbow Rowell

Tell Me How You Really Feel by Aminah Mae Safi

Can't Take That Away by Steven Salvatore T

The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon

A Day of Fallen Night by Samantha Shannon

Check, Please! By Ngozi Ukazu (Graphic Novels)

Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker

I Think They Love You by Julian Winters

HUGE SHOUT OUT TO @thetransfemininereview and their 2024 Reader's Choice Awards