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“Knights who break hearts and hearts that break knights,” Mirabel says. “Do you know it?” Zachary asks. “No, each one’s different. They have similar elements, though. All stories do, no matter what form they take. Something was, and then something changed. Change is what a story is, after all.”

▸ The girl and the feather | The Starless Sea, by Erin Morgenstern

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He doesn’t say what he is thinking, which is that his church is held-breath story listening and late-night-concert ear-ringing rapture and perfect-boss fight-button pressing. That his religion is buried in the silence of freshly fallen snow, in a carefully crafted cocktail, in between the pages of a book somewhere after the beginning but before the ending.

▸ The star merchant | The Starless Sea, by Erin Morgenstern

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There are stories that are more fragile still: For every tale carved in rock there are more inscribed on autumn leaves or woven into spiderwebs. There are stories wrapped in silk so their pages do not fall to dust and stories that have already succumbed, fragments collected and kept in urns. They are fragile things. Less sturdy than their cousins who are told aloud and learned by heart.

▸ There are three paths. This is one of them | The Starless Sea, by Erin Morgenstern

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A reading major, that’s what he wants. No response papers, no exams, no analysis, just the reading.

▸ To deceive the eye | The Starless Sea, by Erin Morgenstern

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Reading a novel, he supposes, is like playing a game where all the choices have been made for you ahead of time by someone who is much better at this particular game.

▸ To deceive the eye | The Starless Sea, by Erin Morgenstern

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A boy at the beginning of a story has no way of knowing that the story has begun.

▸ To deceive the eye | The Starless Sea, by Erin Morgenstern

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my best tip for anyone trying to get back into reading is to remember that you can read books to avoid other responsibilities in ur life and it can become a vice if you play your cards right

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this is how gtn ended... right?

made this for lesbian visibility week! I love these funky little lesbians

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The pirate knows that there will not be another night, will not be another changing of the guard after the next one. The girl knows the exact number of hours. They do not speak of it. They have never spoken. The pirate twists a lock of the girl’s hair between his fingers. The girl leans into the bars, her cheek resting on cold iron, as close as she can be while she remains a world away. Close enough to kiss. “Tell me a story,” she says. The pirate obliges her.

▸ Once, very long ago... | The Starless Sea, by Erin Morgenstern

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The guard sits in a chair by the door and reads crime serials on faded paper, wishing he were an idealized, fictional version of himself.

▸ Once, very long ago... | The Starless Sea, by Erin Morgenstern

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#mood

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Shadow is not at all happy with me. He lies by the fire while the chill wind rattles the door, tail inert, staring out from beneath that shaggy forelock of his with the sort of accusatory resignation peculiar to dogs, as if to say: Of all the stupid adventures you’ve dragged me on, this will surely be the death of us.

Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries 𓍊𓋼𓍊 Heather Fawcett 𓍊𓋼𓍊 2019 𓍊𓋼𓍊 Emily Wilde #1

▸ Historical | Fantasy

My Final Rating: 5★

I'm in love with Emily. She's so competent at what she does and she doesn't shy from it, doesn't make excuses for it. She owns it.

Yes, she's callous at times; she's imperfect and, to me, that makes her a fascinating character. And, even though at first, I thought this was going to be your run-of-the-mill fantasy romance story, it wasn't. There's romance, yes, but not like I've seen it done a million times over, and the ending to this particular plot point wasn't what I was expecting either (and made me love this book 10000x more).

This story is about so much more than that. It's dark and heavier than I thought going in (the cover is too cosy, and gives you a false sense of security which, I guess, is in tune with the fae in this book lmao). It's about letting go of your own rigid notions of who you are, it's about accepting help and letting others in, it's about understanding and letting yourself be understood, it's about calling your coworker out for being the diva that he is.

Emily's arc in this book resonated so much with me. And the quote below (which is a little bit spoiler-y, so do stop reading if you must), punched me right in the heart. It made me weep a little bit ngl.

A drop landed on the back of my hand, and I realized to my dismay that I was crying. Never in my adult life had I had someone looking out for me. Everything that I have wanted or needed doing, I have done myself. And why not? I have never needed rescuing before. I suppose I always assumed that if I ever did, I would have two options: rescue myself or perish. The whole village, working for weeks. Setting aside their own lives and interests to help me. At first I was horribly embarrassed. But underneath that was something that warmed me to the core, even in a palace of ice. They are coming to rescue me. I am not alone.

▸ 30th January—later (presumably)

Come on. How can I recover from that?

ANYWAY. What I mean to say here is that this book was great! All the characters are now permanent residents in my brain and we frequently go to brunch together. And I'll keep reading this series. At least so I can keep an eye on this super sus Wendell guy *wink wink*

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I’m once again thinking about an animated locked tomb series and I can’t stop making these 💀

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📚📚📚

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It sounds odd to admit that I find the company of such a boisterous person restful, but perhaps it is always restful to be around someone who does not expect anything from you beyond what is in your nature.

▸ Emily about Wendell, 26th November—late | Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries, by Heather Fawcett

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The problem with Bambleby, I’ve always found, is that he manages to inspire a strong inclination towards dislike without the satisfaction of empirical evidence to buttress the sentiment.

▸ 28th October | Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries, by Heather Fawcett

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“You alone have the talent of scowling loudly. I’ve often wondered how you manage it.”

▸ Wendell to Emily, 28th October | Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries, by Heather Fawcett