#C.L. Hamilton

[readerviews]

"Christmas Romances: 5 Short Stories" by C.L. Hamilton

Heartwarming Holiday Anthology #books #bookreview #reading #readerviews

Christmas Romances: 5 Short Stories C. L. HamiltonPages N More (2024)ISBN: 978-1763716711Reviewed by Holly Smith for Reader Views (10/2024) “Christmas Romances: 5 Short Stories” by C.L. Hamilton delivers five delightful and romantic short stories. Ms. Hamilton has woven five charming romance stories. While the first two are related by plot, they all fit together with the themes of love and the…

[deadpresidents]

You used to list the books you've been reading every few weeks but I haven't seen a post like that in a minute. Anything good that you've been reading?

It has been a long time since I last posted one of those lists of recent reads -- probably about six months, so I'm not going to list everything I've read since then. And I don't remember exactly what I included last time, so hopefully I don't double-dip.

•Martin Van Buren: America's First Politician [2024] by James M. Bradley (BOOK | KINDLE | AUDIO) If you want to make me happy, just publish a new book about one of America's more obscure Presidents. And in December 2024, we got a new biography of Martin Van Buren with fresh research from sources not previously available to earlier biographers, resulting in an updated, comprehensive book about Van Buren that now becomes one of the definitive biographies of our eighth President.

•Lincoln vs. Davis: The War of the Presidents [2024] by Nigel Hamilton (BOOK | KINDLE | AUDIO) I'm also an easy mark for books about Jefferson Davis -- not out of any sort of affinity for him or the Confederacy, of course -- but just because of his unique place in history as an American President who also wasn't really an American President (although, technically, he was.) Throw Lincoln into the mix and you don't have to sell me very hard on this book.

•Night of Power: The Betrayal of the Middle East [2024] by Robert Fisk (BOOK | KINDLE | AUDIO) I wish Fisk had lived to write about the latest Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but it doesn't require much imagination to know what he would have thought about it: he wrote honestly, critically, and with deep understanding about the subject for 40+ years while reporting from the heart of the struggle in the Middle East.

•The Garfield Orbit [1978] by Margaret Leech and Harry J. Brown (BOOK)

•The World and Richard Nixon [1987] by C.L. Sulzberger (BOOK)

•John Lewis: A Life [2024] by David Greenberg [2024] (BOOK | KINDLE | AUDIO)

•Land Between the Rivers: A 5,000-Year History of Iraq [2024] by Bartle Bull (BOOK | KINDLE | AUDIO)

•The Hollow Crown: Shakespeare On How Leaders Rise, Rule, and Fall [2023] by Eliot A. Cohen (BOOK | KINDLE | AUDIO)

•A Very Personal Presidency: Lyndon Johnson in the White House [1968] by Hugh Sidey (BOOK)

•The Jesuit Disruptor: A Personal Portrait of Pope Francis [2024] by Michael W. Higgins (BOOK | KINDLE)

•The President: A Minute-by-Minute Account of a Week in the Life of Gerald Ford [1975] by John Hersey (BOOK | KINDLE)

•The Lone Star: The Life of John Connally [1989] by James Reston Jr. (BOOK)

•The Showman: Inside the Invasion That Shook the World and Made a Leader of Volodymyr Zelensky [2024] by Simon Shuster (BOOK | KINDLE | AUDIO)

•Alexander at the End of the World: The Forgotten Final Years of Alexander the Great [2024] by Rachel Kousser (BOOK | KINDLE | AUDIO)

•American Gothic: The Story of America's Legendary Theatrical Family -- Junius, Edwin, and John Wilkes Booth [1992] by Gene Smith (BOOK | KINDLE)

•Pathfinder: John Charles Frémont and the Course of American Empire [2002] by Tom Chaffin (BOOK | KINDLE | AUDIO)

•A Brief History of the World in 47 Borders: Surprising Stories Behind the Lines on Our Maps [2024] by Jonn Elledge (BOOK | KINDLE | AUDIO)

•Eisenhower For Our Time [2024] by Steven Wagner (BOOK | KINDLE | AUDIO)

•The Ends of the Earth: A Journey to the Frontiers of Anarchy [1996] by Robert D. Kaplan (BOOK | KINDLE)

•The Emperor: Downfall of an Autocrat [1983] by Ryszard Kapuściński [Translated by William R. Brand & Katarzyna Mroczkowska-Brand] (BOOK)

•A Heartbeat Away: The Investigation and Resignation of Vice President Spiro T. Agnew [1974] by Richard M. Cohen and Jules Witcover (BOOK)

•American Roulette: The History and Dilemma of the Vice Presidency [Revised & Updated, 1972] by Donald Young (BOOK)

•Centers of Power in the Arab Gulf States [2024] by Kristian Coates Ulrichsen (BOOK | KINDLE)

•The Formation of the UAE: State-Building and Arab Nationalism in the Middle East [2024] by Kristi Barnwell (BOOK | KINDLE)

•Iranian-Saudi Rivalry Since 1979: In the Words of Kings and Clerics [2023] by Talal Mohammad (BOOK | KINDLE)

•The Wrong Stuff: How the Soviet Space Program Crashed and Burned [2024] by John Strausbaugh (BOOK | KINDLE | AUDIO)

[battyaboutbooksreviews]

❤️ Black History Month - Queer Books + Black Authors

🦇 Good evening, beloved bookish bats. I hope you're having a wonderful weekend so far! Are you trying to read more queer books this year? More books by diverse authors? Books by black authors, not only for Black History Month, but all year long? Do I have a list for you (now featuring four new slides / 48 new books!).

❓What queer book and/or book featuring black characters have you recently read? Which one is on your tbr?

❤️ The Taking of Jake Livingston - Ryan Douglass ❤️ Mademoiselle Revolution - Zoe Sivak ❤️ Brown Girl Dreaming - Jacqueline Woodson ❤️ Alex Wise vs. the End of the World - Terry J. Benton-Walker ❤️ The Forest Demands its Due - Kosoko Jackson ❤️ Monstrous - Jessica Lewis ❤️ Thank You for Sharing - Rachel Runya Katz ❤️ Salt the Water - Candice Iloh ❤️ Trailer Park Prince - Andre L. Bradley ❤️ Blessings - Chukwuebuka Ibeh ❤️ Escaping Mr. Rochester - L.L. McKinney ❤️ Whenever You’re Ready - Rachel Runya Katz

❤️ Blood Justice - Terry J. Benton-Walker ❤️ Something Kindred - Ciara Burch ❤️ Infinity Alchemist - Kacen Callender ❤️ Vagabonds! - Eloghosa Osunde ❤️ Songs of Irie - Asha Ashanti Bromfield ❤️ Love and Sportsball - Meka James ❤️ Dead Girls Walking - Sami Ellis ❤️ Sleep Like Death - Kalynn Bayron ❤️ Where Shadows Meet - Patrice Caldwell ❤️ Family Meal - Bryan Washington ❤️ Where Sleeping Girls Lie - Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé ❤️ Leather, Lace, and Locs - Anne Shade

❤️ Brooms - Jasmine Walls & Teo DuVall ❤️ Lush Lives - J. Vanessa Lyon ❤️ Second Night Stand - Karelia & Fay Stetz-Waters ❤️ Broughtupsy - Christina Cooke ❤️ Skye Falling - Mia McKenzie ❤️ It’s About Damn Time - Arlan Hamilton & Rachel L. Nelson ❤️ The Color Purple - Alice Walker ❤️ And Then He Sang a Lullaby - Ani Kayode ❤️ Till the Last Beat of My Heart - Louangie Bou-Montes ❤️ Stars in Your Eyes - Kacen Callender ❤️ Prince of the Palisades - Julian Winters ❤️ Icarus - K. Ancrum

❤️ The Black Period - Hafizah Augustus Geter ❤️ How Long Til Black Future Month? - N. K. Jemisin ❤️ The Poisons We Drink - Bethany Baptiste ❤️ I Think They Love You - Julian Winters ❤️ Dear Senthuran - Akwaeke Emezi ❤️ Another Brooklyn - Jacqueline Woodson ❤️ D'Vaughn and Kris Plan a Wedding - Chencia C. Higgins ❤️ So Let Them Burn - Kamilah Cole ❤️ Sister Outsider - Audre Lorde ❤️ Red at the Bone - Jacqueline Woodson ❤️ How to Live Free in a Dangerous World - Shayla Lawson ❤️ I’m So (Not) Over You - Kosoko Jackson

❤️ Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender ❤️ Under the Udala Trees by Chinelo Okparanta ❤️ Warrior of the Wind by Suyi Davies Okungbowa ❤️ I'm a Wild Seed by Sharon Lee De La Cruz ❤️ Real Life by Brandon Taylor ❤️ Ruthless Pamela Jean by Carol Denise Mitchell ❤️ The Unbroken by C.L. Clark ❤️ Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida Córdova ❤️ Skin Deep Magic by Craig Laurance Gidney ❤️ The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi ❤️ That Could Be Enough by Alyssa Cole ❤️ Work for It by Talia Hibbert

❤️ All Boys Aren't Blue by George M. Johnson ❤️ The Deep by Rivers Solomon ❤️ How to Be Remy Cameron by Julian Winters ❤️ Running With Lions by Julian Winters ❤️ Right Where I Left You by Julian Winters ❤️ This Is Kind of an Epic Love Story by Kacen Callender ❤️ The Weight of the Stars by K. Ancrum ❤️ This Is What It Feels Like by Rebecca Barrow ❤️ Son of the Storm by Suyi Davies Okungbowa ❤️ Black Boy Joy by Kwame Mbalia ❤️ Legendborn by Tracy Deonn ❤️ The Wicker King by K. Ancrum

❤️ Pet by Akwaeke Emezi ❤️ You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson ❤️ Once Ghosted, Twice Shy by Alyssa Cole ❤️ Cinderella Is Dead by Kalynn Bayron ❤️ Let's Talk About Love by Claire Kann ❤️ A Spectral Hue by Craig Laurance Gidney ❤️ Power & Magic by Joamette Gil ❤️ The Black Veins by Ashia Monet ❤️ Treasure by Rebekah Weatherspoon ❤️ The Sound of Stars by Alechia Dow ❤️ Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James ❤️ Full Disclosure by Camryn Garrett

❤️ The Black Flamingo by Dean Atta ❤️ Meet Cute Diary by Emery Lee ❤️ A Phoenix First Must Burn (edited) by Patrice Caldwell ❤️ Rise to the Sun by Leah Johnson ❤️ Things We Couldn't Say by Jay Coles ❤️ Black Boy Out of Time by Hari Ziyad ❤️ Darling by K. Ancrum ❤️ The Secrets of Eden by Brandon Goode ❤️ Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé ❤️ Off the Record by Camryn Garrett ❤️ Honey Girl by Morgan Rogers ❤️ The Henna Wars - Adiba Jaigirdar

❤️ How to Dispatch a Human by Stephanie Andrea Allen ❤️ Black Girl, Call Home by Jasmine Mans ❤️ The Essential June Jordan (edited) by Jan Heller Levi and Christoph Keller ❤️ A Master of Djinn by P. Djèlí Clark ❤️ A Blade So Black by L.L. McKinney ❤️ Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo ❤️ Dread Nation by Justina Ireland ❤️ Punch Me Up to the Gods by Brian Broome ❤️ Masquerade by Anne Shade ❤️ One of the Good Ones by Maika Moulite & Maritza Moulite ❤️ Soulstar by C.L. Polk ❤️ 100 Boyfriends by Brontez Purnell

❤️ Hurricane Child by Kacen Callender ❤️ Quietly Hostile by Samantha Irby ❤️ A Little Kissing Between Friends - Chencia C. Higgins ❤️ The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi ❤️ If It Makes You Happy by Claire Kann ❤️ Sweethand by N.G. Peltier ❤️ This Poison Heart by Kalynn Bayron ❤️ Better Off Red by Rebekah Weatherspoon ❤️ Friday I’m in Love by Camryn Garrett ❤️ Rainbow Milk by Paul Mendez ❤️ Memorial by Bryan Washington ❤️ Patsy by Nicole Y. Dennis-Benn

❤️ Sorrowland by Rivers Solomon ❤️ How to Find a Princess by Alyssa Cole ❤️ Yesterday is History by Kosoko Jackosn ❤️ Mouths of Rain (edited) by Briona Simone Jones ❤️ Dead Dead Girls by Nekesa Afia ❤️ Love's Divine by Ava Freeman ❤️ The Prophets by Robert Jones Jr ❤️ Odd One Out by Nic Stone ❤️ Symbiosis by Nicky Drayden ❤️ Thanks a Lot, Universe by Chad Lucas ❤️ The Passing Playbook by Isaac Fitzsimons ❤️ Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin

❤️ Little & Lion by Brandy Colbert ❤️ My Government Means to Kill Me by Rasheed Newson ❤️ Pleasure and Spice by Fiona Zedde ❤️ No Gods, No Monsters by Cadwell Turnbull ❤️ The Stars and the Blackness Between Them by Junauda Petrus ❤️ Filthy Animals by Brandon Taylor ❤️ The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin ❤️ Peaces by Helen Oyeyem ❤️ The Beauty That Remains by Ashley Woodfolk ❤️ Every Body Looking by Candice Iloh ❤️ Bingo Love by Tee Franklin, Jenn St-Onge, Joy San ❤️ The Heart Does Not Bend by Makeda Silvera

❤️ King and the Dragonflies by Kacen Callender ❤️ By Any Means Necessary by Candice Montgomery ❤️ Busy Ain't the Half of It by Frederick Smith & Chaz Lamar Cruz ❤️ Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo ❤️ Sin Against the Race by Gar McVey-Russell ❤️ Trumpet by Jackie Kay ❤️ Remembrance by Rita Woods ❤️ Daughters of Nri by Reni K. Amayo ❤️ You Know Me Well by Nina LaCour ❤️ The Summer of Everything by Julian Winters ❤️ Butter Honey Pig Bread by Francesca Ekwuyasi ❤️ Gingerbread by Helen Oyeyem

[thebeautifulbook]

IN ARCADY by Hamilton Wright Mabie. (New York: Dodd Mead, 1903) Illustrated by Will H. Low. Decorated by C.L. Hinton who may have designed the cover.

source

[16woodsequ]

Sunday Steve - Day Eight

Things that would be new or unfamiliar to Steve in the 21st century, either due to the time period he grew up in, or his social-economic status and other such factors.

Day Eight: Shampoo and Conditioner

Shampoo: The origins of the word shampoo comes from an Indian hair and body massage called champooi/champo.

In the late 1800s and early 1900s shampoo was a water soluble, dry shampoo powder that would be dissolved by the teaspoon in a cup of hot water (Link). Shampoo could also come as bars of soap, which could lather or be grated and dissolved into boiling water and left to cool and solidify.

A 1908 New York Times shampoo guide claims "hair is best shampooed at night, following thorough combing and brushing, and singeing split ends. Castile soap is applied with a stiff brush and rinsed four times every month to six weeks." (Link)

Bathing had become more and more common as part of the hygiene routine in the early 1900s, but shampooing was generally recommended every two weeks—or every four to six weeks (preferably using castile soap or tar soap) because shampoo was known for drying out and damaging hair. (Link)

While at-home shampooing was slowly becoming more common, it was more common—for those who could afford it—to get it commercially done. Most shampoo ads were targeted towards women, but men in barbershops "transitioned from using hair tonics to using shampoos to remove the build-up of heavy styling products" (Link).

The liquid shampoo first really started hitting the market in 1927. So by the 30s at-home shampooing became even more common. This is due to a combination of most Americans have in-house plumbing, their own bathrooms, and the shampoo formulas becoming less harsh and drying. The combination of all this meant one could wash their hair every week. (Link) (Every day shampooing began to be marketed in the 70s since oily hairstyles were out of fashion.)

Liquid shampoos were sold in glass bottles, while powdered shampoos came in tins.

Bottles of shampoo and lotions manufactured in the early 20th century by the C.L. Hamilton Co. of Washington, D.C., United States

It wasn't until 1934 that detergent-based (no-soap, modern) shampoos came onto the market (Link).

Sarah Rogers likely wouldn't have been able to afford to get her hair shampooed, but she could have made her own shampoo from castile soap bars (example youtube video) or bought shampoo powders which were then dissolved in water.

She would only wash her hair every few weeks, most likely brushing her hair and keeping it up in styles in-between washes. (Link) Using a clean brush to brush ones hair helped remove and evenly distribute oils.

In 1933 shampoo cost about 25-50 cents. (Link) (Link) I haven't dug deep to know exactly what kind of things Steve and Sarah would be able to afford. But it wouldn't surprise me if there were times they could and couldn't afford hair care products.

As for if Steve would shampoo his hair, he probably just used soap. Shampoo had soap in it until 1933 (which was why it was so drying) (Link). But men could afford to use soap on their hair since they usually had shorter hair and their natural head oils could help mitigate the damage.

I can find less information about men's hair routines if they couldn't afford to go to barbershops, so I'm less certain of what Steve would do. But 20s, 30s, and 40s men's hair styles had a lot of oil or greasy styling products. While these would need to be washed out for re-styling (probably weekly like women) the oil products would help against drying out the hair.

Men also always wore hats. Having stiff or slick-down hair was important so that hair styles wouldn't be ruined by putting on and removing hats. Hair oils would stain hats, chairs and other things heads came in contact with.

Circa 1920 Glostora hair oil and brush ad and Hair Slik ad

Don't be fooled by the ad. This vintage bottle of Glostora is 5 inches or 12.5 cm tall. It would be put on after shampooing, like conditioner.

In the Captain America: The First Avenger movie we can see that Steve's hair isn't slicked back. This could just be a modern day styling choice, but it could also show that Steve did not care about styling his hair.

Cleanliness was was important so he probably washed his hair every few weeks with soap and bathed regularly. But it doesn't look like he put heavy product in his hair. (Unlike Bucky, who probably had more reason to shampoo his hair. It wouldn't surprise me if Bucky went to the barbershop when he could afford it.)

Steve probably couldn't afford to do more to his hair than wash it with soap every few weeks. He likely made his own shampoo with castile or tar soap. This method makes more shampoo than the bottles of liquid shampoo being sold.

Conditioner: Conditioners originated from a product called brilliantine (developed in 1900) which was used to soften beards and moustaches. This product would be put on after styling in barbershops to make the hair shine and soften it. (Glostora and Hair Slik are similar products.) (Link)

"It was oil based, giving off a slimy residue to anything it touched. Homemakers knit lace doilies to cover the backs of high back chairs and couches to protect the furniture from men’s greasy heads" (Link)

Other items used similar to conditioners were hair tonics, or Wildwood Cream.

Conditioner became a necessity because of shampoo, as it is drying to the hair. So it wasn't used much until shampooing became more common (oil has a long history of being used to tame hair, but commercial conditioner products became more common along with shampoo use.) (Link)

Women caught on to these types of commercial products. I've had a hard time finding specific conditioner products from the 30s. Here is a hair care routine for women circa 1930 that mentions brillientine, so it looks like women began using brillientine as well before more specific conditioning products were developed.

There seemed to be more conditioner products developed by the 40s. Here's a conditioning cream from around the 40s, and a different one with a price (about 39¢).

1942 Drene Shampoo Hair Conditioner Vintage Print Ad

(Drene was the first modern synthetic (no soap) shampoo and you can see in the side panel of this ad they say "Don't rob your hair of its glamour by using soap or liquid soap shampoo—which always leave behind a dulling film that dims the natural lustre and color brilliance!")

Wrap up

Modern day hair routines would be recognisable but still somewhat unfamiliar to Steve. This is partially because men's hairstyles have changed drastically from the slick-back styles he is used to. Hats have also gone out of style.

Also, it is common now in America to wash one's hair around three times a week. This shift came about with the change in hair styles. Woman leaving hair down and covering it less necessitates the need to shampoo and condition it more. (Women shampooed their hair once a week in salons up to the 60s).

The products are also slightly different. Liquid shampoo is the dominate form now (I doubt Steve ever bought liquid shampoo) and they come in plastic bottles. The liquid shampoo is likely a much different formula than he's used to. Additionally, conditioning is a very specific step in the process and hair product ingredients have evolved.

There are also combination products like 2-1 shampoo and conditioner which came about in the late 1980s.

Along with the cultural changes, Steve's socioeconomic status would effect his perception of hair-care routines and buying hair products.

With modern (no soap) products, Steve's hair is probably softer and shinier. Steve would have been aware of no soap products, but I don't think he would have bought them. However, he could have had these products used on him during his USO tour. Interacting with the women there probably introduced him to many products he was less familiar with.

Men's hairstyling in the 1920s.

This post kind of got away from me! But I hope you enjoyed my deep dive into 20th century hair care.

[goldenwanderer]

books i read in 2024

Okay so last year I made a post where I was like, wow, I only read 12 books in 2022, but in 2023 I managed to read 30, isn't that impressive...

So, um, this year I hit 75 by the end of June.

Quite a bit of reading got done during a slow period at work in January. Then the autism/adhd found the challenges on Storygraph and got a bit hyperfixated - my two biggest months were May and June, with 15 and 20 books respectively.

Things slowed way down after October, since I've mostly been reading Agatha All Along fanfiction, which sadly doesn't count toward my total. I did manage to limp my way to a grand total of 125 by the end of December.

Re-reads

Fantasy

The Shadow Rising | Robert Jordan

Green Rider | Kristen Britain

Fire Logic | Laurie J. Marks

Of Fire and Stars | Audrey Coulthurst

The Fires of Heaven | Robert Jordan

Lord of Chaos | Robert Jordan

First Rider's Call | Kristen Britain

The Lost Metal | Brandon Sanderson

A Crown of Swords | Robert Jordan

Bringer of Storms | L.B. Graham

Rhythm of War | Brandon Sanderson

The Path of Daggers | Robert Jordan

The High King's Tomb | Kristen Britain

Other

Cytonic | Brandon Sanderson

Carmilla | J. Sheridan Le Fanu

Like Me | Chely Wright

Snow Falls | Gerri Hill

New reads

Fantasy

The Fifth Season | N.K. Jemisin

The Winds of Khalakovo | Bradley P. Beaulieu

Earth Logic | Laurie J. Marks

Locklands | Robert Jackson Bennett

Ashes of the Sun | Django Wexler

Water Logic | Laurie J. Marks

The Jasmine Throne | Tasha Suri

Black Sun | Rebecca Roanhorse

The Obelisk Gate | N.K. Jemisin

The Daughters of Izdihar | Hadeer Elsbai

Of Ice and Shadows | Audrey Coulthurst

Among Thieves | M.J. Kuhn

The Never Tilting World | Rin Chupeco

We Hunt the Flame | Hafsah Faizal

Blood of the Chosen | Django Wexler

Shades in Shaow | N.K. Jemisin

The Stone Sky | N.K. Jemisin

Bookshops & Bonedust | Travis Baldree

The Bone Way | Holly J. Underhill

A Day of Fallen Night | Samantha Shannon

The Unbalancing | R.B. Lemberg

Awakenings | Claudie Arseneault

The Deep | Rivers Solomon, et al.

The Ones We Burn | Rebecca Mix

In the Vanishers' Palace | Aliette de Bodard

The Oleander Sword | Tasha Suri

Fevered Star | Rebecca Roanhorse

When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain | Nghi Vo

Emperor of Ruin | Django Wexler

The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms | N.K. Jemisin

Daughter of the Darkened City | Willow Quinn

The Tiger's Daughter | K Arsenault Rivera

A Tempest of Tea | Hafsah Faizal

The Unbroken | C.L. Clark

The Weavers of Alamaxa | Hadeer Elsbai

Bones to the Wind | Tatiana Obey

The Ever Cruel Kingdom | Rin Chupeco

Sea of Broken Glass | Jenna Pine

City of Strife | Claudie Areseneault

A Hundred Vicious Turns | Lee Paige O'Brien

Chosen. Again. | J. Emery

Queen of the Warrior Bees | Jean Gill

The Third Daughter | Adrienne Tooley

Unseelie | Ivelisse Housman

We Free the Stars | Hafsah Faizal

The Broken Kingdoms | N.K. Jemisin

The Thousand Eyes | A.K. Larkwood

Queen of Coin and Whispers | Helen Corcoran

Coffee, Milk & Spider Silk | Coyote J.M. Edwards

Yumi and the Nightmare Painter | Brandon Sanderson

Sci-Fi

Nona the Ninth | Tamsyn Muir

These Burning Stars | Bethany Jacobs

The Abyss Surrounds Us | Emily Skrutskie

Defiant | Brandon Sanderson

This is How You Lose the Time War | Amal El-Mohtar & Max Gladstone

The Edge of the Abyss | Emily Skrutskie

The Sunlit Man | Brandon Sanderson

The Splinter in the Sky | Kemi Ashing-Giwa

Gearbreakers | Zoe Hana Mikuta

Elder Race | Adrian Tchaikovsky

The Mimicking of Known Successes | Malka Older

The Outside | Ada Hoffmann

Light From Uncommon Stars | Ryka Aoki

The Space Between Worlds | Micaiah Johnson

Synthetic Sea | Franklyn S. Newton

The City in the Middle of the Night | Charlie Jane Anders

City of Shattered Light | Claire Winn

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: The High Country | John Jackson Miller

The Fallen | Ada Hoffmann

The Infinite | Ada Hoffmann

Tarnished Are the Stars | Rosiee Thor

The Deep Sky | Yume Kitasei

Starshot | A.R. Knight

The Stars Too Fondly | Emily Hamilton

The Hades Calculus | Maria Ying

No Dogs in Philly | Andy Futuro

Shards of Earth | Adrian Tchaikovsky

Historical/Historical Fantasy

The Bones of Ruin | Sarah Raughley

Even Though I Knew the End | C.L. Polk

Spear | Nicola Griffith

Wormwood Abbey | Christina Baehr

Wrath Goddess Sing | Maya Deane

The Best Bad Things | Katrina Carrasco

Contemporary/Literary

The Girls Are Good | Ilaria Bernardini

Late Bloomer | Mazey Eddings

Dear Wendy | Ann Zhao

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

Your Driver is Waiting | Priya Guns

Second Chance | Chelsea M. Cameron

Only for the Summer | Shannon O'Connor

Kiss Her Once for Me | Alison Cochrun

Horror/Thriller

What Moves the Dead | T. Kingfisher

Chlorine | Jade Song

Middle-grade

The Dragonet Prophecy | Tui Sutherland

The Lost Heir | Tui Sutherland

The Hidden Kingdom | Tui Sutherland

Graphic Novels/Webcomics

Ring My Bell | Yeongol

The Tea Dragon Society | Katie O'Neill

i love this part | Tillie Walden

Nonfiction

Ace | Angela Chen

Women and Girls on the Autism Spectrum | Sarah Hendrickx

Nonmonogamy and Neurodiversity | Alyssa Gonzalez

All About Demisexuality | Demisexuality.org

Neuroqueer Heresies | Nick Walker

What I Mean When I Say I'm Autistic | Annie Kotowicz

Ace and Aro Journeys | The Ace and Aro Advocacy Project

Poetry

Mules of Love | Ellen Bass

The World Keeps Ending, and the World Goes On | Franny Choi

[lolaleclerc]

[petersonreviews]

Amazing Grace (1972)

“Franklin, at the center of this church, creates not just a feeling of home and unity but announces herself as the closest thing to a divine being personified in that place, in that moment.”

http://bit.ly/2V5q3Lx

[randomrichards]

Amazing Grace

[whatsnextmovies]

Amazing Grace

April 5, 2019

[honeybadger16]

How f1 drivers would cuddle with you

Pairings: C.L., C.S., M.V., C.P., L.H., G.R., P.G., L.N., D.R., and M.S. x reader

Warnings: fluff??

a/u: I didn't write all for all the drivers on the grid, just the ones I had inspiration to write for, if I didn't write for a driver you wanted to read about please message me and I'll write for them too :))) I hope you enjoy!

Charles Leclerc

Charles would want to cuddle 24/7 with you if he could. He'd prefer to be the big spoon so he can wrap his hands around you and pull you closer to him. He also likes to smell your shampoo/perfume when he leans in to give small kisses on your neck. The type of cuddler that brings you closer to him when you try to get out of bed.

Carlos Sainz

Carlos would move to cuddle with you when a movie is playing or the two of you are just relaxing on the couch. He likes it when you lay your head on his chest so he can play with your hair and still pay attention to the screen in front of him. At night, the set up is usually the same, especially when he had been gone from home for a longer period of time, he holds you closer to him by wrapping an arm around you.

Max Verstappen

Max is the biggest softie. Usually cuddles before bed and loves being the small spoon, but he'll never say it out loud. Wrapping your arms and legs around his taller body puts him right to sleep. He likes holding your hands when they're around him. His cats usually stay at the end of the bed with the two of you. Bonus points if you play with his hair.

Checo Perez

I can see Checo moving around a lot when it comes to cuddling, but he wants to feel a part of you at all times. He would like it when you put your hands on his chest and talk with him about your guy's day before falling asleep. He also likes to cuddle right after the both of you shower and use the lotion he really likes on you.

Sir Lewis Hamilton

O lord, where do I begin. He would be a 10/10 cuddler. He would help you pick out the most comfortable (and stylish) pajamas to wear while he would probably to go bed without a shirt. Having Roscoe next to the two of you is a must and sometimes you wake up with him in the middle of you two. Lewis wouldnt mind any position, but he prefers being the big spoon. He would go all out too, preparing a bath for the two of you, massaging you with the best oils, and doing skin care together.

George Russell

Refuses to be the little spoon. (You've convinced him once or twice) Being taller than most people he would want his body wrapped around yours when cuddling. He also doesn't wear a shirt to bed and opts for long pants or shorts. Likes to go on his phone right before bed and tell you all the gossip he reads about (Pierre sends him screenshots).

Pierre Gasly

I think Pierre is the type to sleep naked lol. But if he has to wear something, you'll usually see him in boxers. Cuddling with Pierre would be a treat because he's either staying up late to play video games with Yuki or waking up early to go work out. I also see him being a radiator, emitting a lot of heat when he is sleeping. Pierre prefers to sleep on his back so anything position like that works for him.

Lando Norris

Lando would interesting to cuddle with,,, this boy would move around 100 times in one night. First he'd be the big spoon, move to sleep on your chest, and finally sleep in a starfish position lol. Lando will cuddle with you in the daytime preferably. He usually has you sit on his lap like a koala when he is gaming on his computer. When Lando loses in a game he'll accidentally curse in your ear, but give you lots of kisses to make up for it.

Daniel Ricciardo

Daniel's love language is physical touch and being near you all the time. It is a necessity to cuddle with him after returning from a trip. He'll be the big spoon and dig his face in your neck bringing you close as physically possible. If you're facing each other he'll trace the lines on your face bringing you to sleep faster. Daniel is a light snorer and feels bad about it lol.

Mick Schumacher

Mick is such a cute cuddler. He loves to have the air conditioning on blast, so expect him to have like three blankets. However, he's a blanket hogger and will have all three blankets on him. He would want to hug you, facing you and having your legs intertwined. Mick is a light sleeper, so every movement you make he'll notice.

[spideyanakin]

hymne a l'amour, chorus (c.l)

summary -monegasque princess!reader, princess falls in love with the people’s prince, but it’s not as easy as fairy tale bliss

charles leclerc masterlist

series masterlist

Hymne a l'amour by Edith Piaf

"Charles, people are going to notice our absence." A laugh escaped your lips as he caught your lips in a new kiss. Both his hands rested on your waist, making it impossible for you to slip away.

"I don't care." He mumbled as he kissed you again. Somehow you let yourself get caught in the moment again instead of battling with him.

You were sat on a desk, Charles standing in between your knees with his hand gripping your waist a little tighter as the kisses escalated.

You had been invited to a motorsports event that HAAS had organized at the White House. You didn't know why the White House - apparently something about the president wanting to encourage the USA to watch more motorsports? You didn't know. All you did know was that you were invited, and so was most of the formula 1 staff.

But what you didn't expect was to sneak out of the party and be making out with Charles in what you maybe thought was the red room - your back resting against a painting of Alexander Hamilton.

"I'm sick of hiding because I can't hold your hand in public." He mumbled. "or kiss you."

"And so it's an excuse to make-out in the White House? Against Alexander Hamilton may I add."

"Yes. I’m sure he doesn’t mind - he wasn’t able to sayy noo to thisss anyways. He understands."

“Did you just make a Hamilton reference?” You gasped.

“Yes.” he grinned before gluing his lips back to yours.

"I hate to say this, but can we please get back to the party?" You pouted. "I don't want to accidentally break something."

With a sigh he kissed you again, more gentle this time. Taking a step back and handing you his hand. You kissed his cheek before lacing your fingers through his and giving his knuckles a kiss too. Lastly you fixed his shirt and he fixed the strap of your dress before sneakily walking out of the room.

The whole party was a change of mood. You ended up slipping apart as you were both pulled into different conversations. It wasn't until Lando walked close to you that Charles brought his full attention back on you.

"You know, I've always wondered what it was like to be born and raised in Monaco." Lando leaned in a little bit, you could tell he probably had a drink too much and smiled a little before replying.

"Why don't you ask Charles?" You raised an eyebrow and looked at Charles who might have been talking with Carlos but was frantically looking to the side as he noticed Lando's flirting.

"Oh." That seemed to throw him off and he didn't really know what to reply. "Well um, I guess I just never thought to ask."

You giggled when you spotted Charles glaring daggers at Lando. Lando seemed to catch up on the fact that you were laughing and looked all confused.

"Sorry- just I overheard a funny thing Carlos said."

"Oh, yeah. Carlos can be quite funny." He smirked and took another sip of his drink. "You want to know a joke?"

"Sure."

"What do you call a Mexican who has lost his car?"

"You stole that joke from Pierre."

"I did." He mumbled, making you laugh - and obviously making Charles 3 times more jealous than he already was.

Your eyes were kept on Charles as you saw him leave Carlos and come towards the two of you.

"Hey, Charles!" Lando beamed and you could see that your boyfriend wouldn't reply in the same cheery tone. In fact he didn't even reply, just hummed as stood closer to you. Lando seemed to have his attention caught somewhere else and left.

"I can see you're jealous."

"I am" He replied without hesitation, making you laugh a little. "Which is why we need to make out in the red room again." That made a new fit of giggles fall from your lips.

"No"

~

The more you and Charles hid your relationship, the more it got harder to hide. Charles was desperately falling in love with you more every day, so much that tearing his eyes away from you for a second was too hard for him.

"Oh my god, look who is staring at you, again." Lewis pointed out and you turned your head to find Charles's gaze fixed on you, again.

Smiling to him, he gave you a short nod before walking away and back to a conversation he was having with one of his engineers about the race.

"He's the monegasque driver, right?" Prince Harry asked and you nodded.

"Yeah- we're good friends." You nodded as you continued your way through the paddocks, just the usual when you were at Silverstone. The same old path you would take just to pretend to be polite and say hi to the teams, where in all truths you were catching up with the princes and Lewis.

"I would say more than friends but whatever." Lewis chimned in, making you roll your eyes.

"So you're not denying it." Harry smirked.

"No, it's not like that." You lied.

"It's very much like that." Lewis went on. "Don't try to hide it from me, Y/n. Charles can never stop staring at you and somehow you're also always staring back."

"That doesn't mean we're together."

"Only a matter of time." He rolled his eyes again. "You should see them in Monaco." He turned towards Harry. "She's always glued to him in the Ferrari garage."

"Would make so much sense if you were with him tho. The f1 driver and the Monegasque princess." Prince Harry continued.

"You're right, it does sound good." Hamilton went with it and you decided not to answer.

"See, she's not answering."

"We're definitely onto something"

"Whatever" You rolled your eyes as you kept your act up.

What you didn't expect was to get seriously pissed at Lewis by the end of the race. Charles had been first for more than half of it, and no matter how proud you were that he had a podium - you were fuming.

But it was only when you found yourself back in Charles's motor home, away from all the sneaky eyes and cameras that you let yourself word it.

Wrapping your arms tight around Charles, and melting into his embrace as he closed you in the hug. You didn't even care for the fact that your clothes would be soaked in champagne. All that mattered was that you were proud of him, and he needed to know that.

"I'm so mad at Lewis." You mumbled into his neck.

"It's alright." He chuckled and he felt you shaking your head no.

"You deserved that win."

“Maybe I did.” He mumbled back.

For a second you stayed in each other's arms, appreciating the moment. Charles was drained, sweaty and the champagne was getting sticky - even he didn’t know how you could stand being his arms for so long when he was in this state.

"Didn't know you were friends with the royals." He mumbled after a while.

"Love, I've known them all my life." You chuckled. "William and Harry have known me before I could even talk"

"Didn't know." He smiled.

"Yeah. And well, Lewis had the audacity to mention that I had a crush on you." You rolled your eyes.

"Oh, is that so?"

"Indeed. Now Lewis and Harry won't stop bugging me about it."

"Ah, if only they knew."

~

Two weeks later, Charles was back in Monaco, enjoying the little time he got with his family. His mind wandered to you as he was cooking something.

He heard his phone ring from the living room, but in between the bacon on the stove and the potatoes who were about to burn, he couldn't go and answer.

"Arthur! Can you pick up the phone?" He yelled.

"Sure!"

"Who is it?" He yelled again.

Arthur raised an eyebrow as he just saw a red heart emoji. "I don't know!" He replied before answering the phone, and slowly strutting towards the kitchen.

"Hello." His voice chimed.

"Hey, love." You smiled over the phone and Arthur raised an eyebrow. "I was wondering what time you're picking me up tomorrow? I miss you." Arthur choked on air and couldn't answer. "Hello? Charles?"

"Sorry, this isn't Charles, I'm his brother."

"Oh sorry, your voices sound identical." You suddenly felt embarrassed for not recognizing that this wasn't your boyfriend.

Arthur stayed frozen in the middle of the kitchen doorway and Charles mouthed 'who is it?', but Arthur didn't reply to him, he continued talking to you.

"And you are?"

"I'm his girlfriend."

"Girlfriend?" Arthur squeaked and he stared at Charles.

"Arthur give me the phone." instead of giving it to him, he put his hand out and told Charles;

"No, no I want to know more." he turned around and Charles let out an annoyed huff as he watched his brother gush over the phone.

"I didn't know Charles had a girlfriend." He told you, making you chuckle a little bit.

"Well he does."

"How long have you been together?"

"5 months"

"FIVE MONTHS?"

"Yeah. Can you pass me my boyfriend now?" You giggled.

"Alright, yeah." He frowned as he turned back to Charles. "Why does your voice sound so familiar? Have we met or something?"

"We might have seen each other once or twice."

Later at the diner table, the thought of Charles having a secret girlfriend didn't leave his mind. He served himself some more potatoes before speaking up.

"Mom, did you know Charles has a girlfriend?"

"A girlfriend?" Lorenzo raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, he told me about her. I don't know much, though - he keeps her pretty secret."

"Yeah, I can see that." Lorenzo squinted his eyes towards Charles.

"Yeah - I only figured it out because I answered Charles's phone. Her voice sounded awfully familiar though" Arthur continued.

"Yeah, well I'm sure we will meet her when your brother is ready to introduce her."

"Thanks mom."

And they seemed to drop the subject. Pascale got back to her dish and got into a new conversation with Lozenro, but Arthur's ears caught the radio that was still on in the kitchen, it was an interview of you. Some lady was asking if you were still going to hand the trophies for the race this year. Of course you would.

Realization struck Arthur like a race car that crashed. He looked at Charles like a deer in headlights and Charles knew exactly what had happened - he was listening to your voice himself.

Arthur dropped his fork and blankly stared at Charles, the poor guy looked terrified - he knew his brother and what this look meant.

"You son of a bitch."

"Arthur!"

Before another word could be shared Charles and Arthur got out of their chairs and Charles sprinted upstairs, while Arthur was chasing him around.

Arthur was calling Charles's name like a madman while Charles just wanted to get away from his brother. When he hit a dead end, they had to stop. Charles raised his hand in the air so his brother wouldn't hurt him.

They both tried to catch their breath and Arthur spoke first.

"What the fuck."

"Don't tell mom."

"Don't tell mom?"

"Or Lorenzo." That confused Arthur even more. "If they find out they would flip out."

"WELL WHO WOULDN'T!"

"Arthur." Charles folded his eyes as he tried to think of the right words to calm his brother down. "Please"

"Hmm."

"Please." He pleaded again.

"You're going to have to tell them someday." He frowned.

"Yeah, but when that happens we have to get ready to tell the whole world." That seemed to make Arthur understand. "Everything will just escalate and go crazy from there."

"I get it... I guess."

Silence fell between the two and Charles could see the wheels going in Arthur's brain.

"So does that make you a prince of something?"

Charles face palmed.

"No."

~

"AH HA!" your dad walked in the living room and you looked up from your book with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes?"

You watched him as he was smiling like an idiot, all happy and bright. You knew that look - it was when he made a new discovery about something he either really liked or that made a lot of sense, or even when he was right about something.

"I've made a pretty interesting discovery" See - you knew him too well.

"Go ahead"

"I know who you're boyfriend is."

You made a questionable face. "Dad, with the amount of time you've said that and got it wrong I-" He lowered his phone down to your face to see a video of you and Charles laughing. You gulped and the fact that he was right was impossible to hide.

By your silence he knew he was right too.

"See, I'm a genius."

"Well it did take you ten tries." You grumbled and fully closed your book, shifting to face him. You waited for him to speak again, a silent way of saying 'so, do you approve?'

"Good pick to be honest. I knew you had good taste" You folded your eyes and groaned, grabbing a pillow to throw it at him.

"So you approve?" You said a little hopefully after a second of silence.

"Of course I do, darling. I've always liked Charles." He nodded and you sighed of relief, standing to hug your dad.

"Thank you."

"But I think the entire world is suspicious now."

"What?" You pulled away.

"Yeah, how do you think I figured it out?" He showed you the articles.

Your jaw dropped when you saw a picture of you walking alone in Monaco in one of Charles's Ferrari shirts. It was a few days ago at a moment where you never thought you'd be seen. You had just left Charles’s apartment from an afternoon of playing video games with him and his brother; Arthur (who obviously wanted to meet you after he discovered who Charles was dating). You even had sunglasses and a hairstyle you never usually wore in public. You had no clue how some paparazzi spotted you. People were going insane because they recognized this as not just being a Ferrari shirt but being Charles's Ferrari shirt. The rip on the side gave it away - because on an instagram picture Charles had the same rip on the same shirt.

You scrolled through more headlines

IS Y/N OF MONACO DATING FORMULA 1 DRIVER CHARLES LECLERC?

CHARLES LECLERC, FUTURE PRINCE OF MONACO?

INSIGHTS ON HOW THE PRINCESS OF MONACO MIGHT BE DATING F1 DRIVER CHARLES LECLERC

"I mean people don't know for sure?" You winced. "They said this about me with other guys a bunch of times." It sounded more of a question than facts.

"I think you can keep hiding a little longer." You didn't know if that reassured you or not.

"Yeah, A little while longer."

~

After Charles's last race, he was back in Monaco just for a few days, and you were doing your best to take advantage of the little time you had with him. You both pushed away the rumors as just rumors - no one could know for sure, and it wasn't these rumors who would ruin your little bubble of love.

"Yeah, I'm soon launching my fashion brand." Charles beamed as he replied to a twitch comment. "I'm going to make a whole line of bandanas which is something I'm looking forward to"

You on the other hand completely forgot that he was live, you freely walked behind him to go and grab a book.

Suddenly the comments bursted out with -

'Omg there's a girl behind Charles!'

'CHARLES IS THAT YOUR GF?'

He looked at the comments and realized they could see half of your body walking across the camera. His cheeks went bright red and he started stuttering on his words. You realized as Charles started talking back to his twitch and gave him a 'Im sorry, I forgot' look

The good thing was that, at least they didn't see your face. You were wearing a sundress and it was almost impossible to put a face or a name on you by just your dress.

"Hey um- that was my girlfriend in the background." And the whole chat exploded, making Charles chuckle instead of being mad.

'So you're not dating the princess of Monaco???'

'omg no I shipped them :('

Charles smirked a little as he saw those comments pass and decided not to address them.

And finally when Charles ended his live, the two of you snuggled on his couch, Drag Race playing in the background.

“Well that was a close one.” Charles melted a little deeper into his couch.

“Yeah.” Somehow you didn’t joke about it like you usually would, and he found it suspicous.

“What’s wrong?” He wondered as he snuggled a little closer to you.

You sighed, looking back to your TV - watching as Ru Paul announced the winner of that episode.

“Gottmik”

“Huh?”

“Gottmik won that challenge - I watched that episode when it came out.”

“Y/n, please don’t change the subject.” He sighed.

"Alright, well I've been thinking." You played with his fingers.

That doesn’t sound good - Charles thought.

His mind went into all the multiple different versions of how this conversation would go. 50% wouldn’t end in his favor and he suddenly felt like a drag race contestant about to be told if he had to ‘sashay away’ or ‘shantay you stay’

"Maybe it's time we tell the world about us?" the breath that was stuck inside him released in relief. "I- I don't want to rush you. We both know the expectations that will be coming- but I mean. I think we've hidden long enough. I barely checked instagram and Tik Tok and the fans are already going mad since you revealed you had a girlfriend 30min ago." That made him smile a little. “Rumors are going around, my dad knows. I-”

“Yes” His answer took you a little bit by surprise.

"Really?

"Yeah." He brought your knuckles to his lips, dropping a kiss there. "I have an idea though."

"What’s your idea" You leaned a little closer.

"You know how I asked you and Pierre to pose for my brand?" You nodded. "How about we also pose together as well? For my website. The launch is in a month so that leaves us a month to tell the world. And maybe we could tell people by posting a picture together, right before the Monaco grand prix."

"And if you win I get to kiss you while handing you the trophy?" That made Charles's heart race in his chest.

"Yes."

~

And so you did.

Charles posted one of your favorites photos together, one where his arm was securely wrapped around your waist and he was leaning in to kiss your cheek from the side. You were smiling at the camera, one hand on Charles’s shoulder.

You smiled as you read the caption.

‘Because everyone seemed to wonder, here is the love of my life’

His caption made heat rise to your cheek, and you turned your head towards him - watching him as he slipped on his race suit. Keeping it hanging from his hips, something you always found extremely attractive for some reason.

He grinned before stealing a kiss from you, tangling his hand in yours before walking out of his motor home.

As expected the instagram post had made a small crowd of paparazzi gather in front of Charles’s door, they all gasped when they saw you step out and the clicks only increased.

You cracked a joke about how unexpected this was - Charles’s bright laugh being captured by more than one camera.  If people wanted to know more about the two of you, all they would see were two people very in love that couldn’t stop making jokes, and that seemed like a good plan.

Carlos whistled once you arrived in the garage. The crowd that was surrounding you was long gone, left behind security.

“I knew something was going on.” The Spaniard cheered, making you crack a smile.

“Indeed.”

Charles kissed you before leaving to get ready - you weren’t blind to the clicks of sneaky cameras that had caught the kiss. But you didn’t care, you didn’t need to hide anymore.

You were on your toes the whole race. Because for once - in all the years of Charles racing on the monegasque circuit, he seemed to do well.

He climbed up to second, and you crossed your fingers - hoping that somehow the curse was finally broken and he would not only make a podium, but hopefully win the race and make history.

And win he did.

You had never seen so many cheers at a Monegasque race. Everyone was screaming, going absolutely wild as Charles got out of the car - lifting his fists in the hair like a madman. Your heart was madly beating in your chest as you watched from your spot on the podium, you were trying your best to blink happy tears away.

You were going to hand the trophy to the first Monegasque driver to ever win a home race - and not only that but he was your boyfriend. He was your Charles, forever your favorite driver.

Life couldn’t get any better.

You spotted him removing his helmet, he made eye contact with you and gave you a big wink, but you could even see in his eyes that he was on the verge of tears.

He climbed the steps after Carlos and Max. Once he was up on the podium area, he reached his hand to you. You grazed his hand before letting him walk up to the N1. Everyone was going wild, you had never heard the fans cheer so loud and it made your smile even wider.

You waited as the ladies all dressed in white handed you the N1 trophy, your heart racing father than his Ferrari as you walked closer to him. Meeting his teary eyes you felt a tear of your own slip down your cheek. You both smiled to each other as you gave him the trophy. He raised it in the air and you stayed there to watch - your chest warming up with pride.

Once he lowered his trophy and saw you were still there. He pulled you onto the podium, making you giggle a little. He caught your lips into a kiss that made everyone cheer even more.

“Are you crying?” He whispered.

“No, you are.” You wiped a tear, and as much as you wanted to stay right there with him, you had other trophies to hand.

You jumped off the podium, his hand only leaving yours when you were too far. Carlos joked when you handed him his trophy, and Max did the same. Something about being jealous they didn't get a kiss too, making Charles playfully roll his eyes at his friends.

You were going to get back behind them, but Charles wouldn’t have it. Instead he took your hand and made you climb again, securely wrapping his arm around your waist so you wouldn't leave his side.

For a second you dug your face in his neck, squeezing him a little tighter and whispering congratulations. As much as you were trying to hold back your happy tears it seemed almost impossible. You were a wreck of joy once you were in his arms.

You stayed for as long as you could, hidden in his shoulder as a few tears passed. Even Charles was trying his best to hide his own.

When the Monegasque anthem started playing, you wiped your eyes and looked at the crowd, your head still resting on his shoulder.

To say this was unforgettable week end would be an understatement.

Fin.

[magicwingslisten]

H.P. Lovecraft & C.L. Moore on “The Black God’s Kiss”

Regarding the Moore stories—one has to separate the undeniably hackneyed & mechanical romance from the often remarkable background against which it is arrayed. “The Black God’s Kiss” had a vastly clever setting—the pre-human tunnel beneath the castle, the upsetting of gravitational & dimensional balance, the strange, ultra-dimensional world of unknown laws & shapes & phenomena, &c. &c. If that could be taken out of the sentimental plot & made the scene of events of really cosmically bizarre motivation, it would be tremendously powerful. The distinctive thing about Miss Moore is her ability to devise conditions & sights & phenomena of utter strangeness & originality, & to describe them in a language conveying something of their outre, phantasmagoric, & dread-filled quality. That in itself is an accomplishment possessed by very few of the contributors to the cheap pulp magazines. For the most part, allegedly “Weird” writers phrase their stories in such a brisk, cheerful, matter-of-fact, colloquial, dialogue-ridden sort of style that all genuine sense of shadow & menace is lost. So far, Miss M. has escaped this pitfall; though continued writing for miserable rags like the current pulps will probably spoil her as it has spoiled Quinn, Hamilton, & all the rest. The editors will encourage her worst tendencies—the sticky romance & cheap “Action”—& discourage everything of real merit (the macabre language, the original descriptive touches, the indefinite atmosphere, the brooding tension, &c.) which her present work possesses. Nothing will ever teach the asses who peddle cheap magazines that a weird story should not & cannot be an “action” or “character” story. The only justification for a weird tale is that it be an authentic & convincing picture of a certain human mood; & this means that vague impressions & atmosphere must predominate. Events must not be crowded, & human characters must not assume too great importance. The real protagonists of fantasy fiction are not people but phenomena. The logical climax is not a revelation of what somebody does, but a glimpse of the existence of some condition contrary to nature as commonly accepted.    —H. P. Lovecraft to William F. Anger, 16 Feb 1935, LRBO 229

   Also, since I’m disagreeing with everything today, I’ll have a shot at your dislike for romance contrasted with your love and understanding of fantasy. You don’t have to take Dumas any more literally than you do Dunsany. Of course lots of people probably do look persistently through rose-colored glasses, but then dear, sincere old Lumley believes implicitly in his phantasms. To me it’s just as pleasant to imagine during the duration of the story that there is a lovely springtime world peopled exclusively by handsome heroes and exquisite heroines and life is one long romp of adventure with no unpleasant attributes at all, as it is to believe for the length of the story that time, space and natural law can be elastic enough to permit the existence of a Shambleau or a Cthulhu (have I spelled him right?). Your point, of course, is that to be acceptable as release-literature the happenings must be incredibly outside, not against the phenomena of nature. Does that mean that you can’t with self-respect, enjoy Howard’s gorgeous Conan sagas, which are surely pure romance for the most part?    —C. L. Moore to H. P. Lovecraft, 11 Dec 1935, Letters to C. L. Moore and Others 88-89

[battyaboutbooksreviews]

❤️ Black History Month - Queer Books + Black Authors

🦇 Good evening, beloved bookish bats. I hope you're having a wonderful weekend so far! Are you trying to read more queer books this year? More books by diverse authors? Books by black authors, not only for Black History Month, but all year long? Do I have a list for you (now featuring four new slides / 48 new books!).

❓What queer book and/or book featuring black characters have you recently read? Which one is on your tbr?

❤️ The Taking of Jake Livingston - Ryan Douglass ❤️ Mademoiselle Revolution - Zoe Sivak ❤️ Brown Girl Dreaming - Jacqueline Woodson ❤️ Alex Wise vs. the End of the World - Terry J. Benton-Walker ❤️ The Forest Demands its Due - Kosoko Jackson ❤️ Monstrous - Jessica Lewis ❤️ Thank You for Sharing - Rachel Runya Katz ❤️ Salt the Water - Candice Iloh ❤️ Trailer Park Prince - Andre L. Bradley ❤️ Blessings - Chukwuebuka Ibeh ❤️ Escaping Mr. Rochester - L.L. McKinney ❤️ Whenever You’re Ready - Rachel Runya Katz

❤️ Blood Justice - Terry J. Benton-Walker ❤️ Something Kindred - Ciara Burch ❤️ Infinity Alchemist - Kacen Callender ❤️ Vagabonds! - Eloghosa Osunde ❤️ Songs of Irie - Asha Ashanti Bromfield ❤️ Love and Sportsball - Meka James ❤️ Dead Girls Walking - Sami Ellis ❤️ Sleep Like Death - Kalynn Bayron ❤️ Where Shadows Meet - Patrice Caldwell ❤️ Family Meal - Bryan Washington ❤️ Where Sleeping Girls Lie - Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé ❤️ Leather, Lace, and Locs - Anne Shade

❤️ Brooms - Jasmine Walls & Teo DuVall ❤️ Lush Lives - J. Vanessa Lyon ❤️ Second Night Stand - Karelia & Fay Stetz-Waters ❤️ Broughtupsy - Christina Cooke ❤️ Skye Falling - Mia McKenzie ❤️ It’s About Damn Time - Arlan Hamilton & Rachel L. Nelson ❤️ The Color Purple - Alice Walker ❤️ And Then He Sang a Lullaby - Ani Kayode ❤️ Till the Last Beat of My Heart - Louangie Bou-Montes ❤️ Stars in Your Eyes - Kacen Callender ❤️ Prince of the Palisades - Julian Winters ❤️ Icarus - K. Ancrum

❤️ The Black Period - Hafizah Augustus Geter ❤️ How Long Til Black Future Month? - N. K. Jemisin ❤️ The Poisons We Drink - Bethany Baptiste ❤️ I Think They Love You - Julian Winters ❤️ Dear Senthuran - Akwaeke Emezi ❤️ Another Brooklyn - Jacqueline Woodson ❤️ D'Vaughn and Kris Plan a Wedding - Chencia C. Higgins ❤️ So Let Them Burn - Kamilah Cole ❤️ Sister Outsider - Audre Lorde ❤️ Red at the Bone - Jacqueline Woodson ❤️ How to Live Free in a Dangerous World - Shayla Lawson ❤️ I’m So (Not) Over You - Kosoko Jackson

❤️ Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender ❤️ Under the Udala Trees by Chinelo Okparanta ❤️ Warrior of the Wind by Suyi Davies Okungbowa ❤️ I'm a Wild Seed by Sharon Lee De La Cruz ❤️ Real Life by Brandon Taylor ❤️ Ruthless Pamela Jean by Carol Denise Mitchell ❤️ The Unbroken by C.L. Clark ❤️ Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida Córdova ❤️ Skin Deep Magic by Craig Laurance Gidney ❤️ The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi ❤️ That Could Be Enough by Alyssa Cole ❤️ Work for It by Talia Hibbert

❤️ All Boys Aren't Blue by George M. Johnson ❤️ The Deep by Rivers Solomon ❤️ How to Be Remy Cameron by Julian Winters ❤️ Running With Lions by Julian Winters ❤️ Right Where I Left You by Julian Winters ❤️ This Is Kind of an Epic Love Story by Kacen Callender ❤️ The Weight of the Stars by K. Ancrum ❤️ This Is What It Feels Like by Rebecca Barrow ❤️ Son of the Storm by Suyi Davies Okungbowa ❤️ Black Boy Joy by Kwame Mbalia ❤️ Legendborn by Tracy Deonn ❤️ The Wicker King by K. Ancrum

❤️ Pet by Akwaeke Emezi ❤️ You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson ❤️ Once Ghosted, Twice Shy by Alyssa Cole ❤️ Cinderella Is Dead by Kalynn Bayron ❤️ Let's Talk About Love by Claire Kann ❤️ A Spectral Hue by Craig Laurance Gidney ❤️ Power & Magic by Joamette Gil ❤️ The Black Veins by Ashia Monet ❤️ Treasure by Rebekah Weatherspoon ❤️ The Sound of Stars by Alechia Dow ❤️ Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James ❤️ Full Disclosure by Camryn Garrett

❤️ The Black Flamingo by Dean Atta ❤️ Meet Cute Diary by Emery Lee ❤️ A Phoenix First Must Burn (edited) by Patrice Caldwell ❤️ Rise to the Sun by Leah Johnson ❤️ Things We Couldn't Say by Jay Coles ❤️ Black Boy Out of Time by Hari Ziyad ❤️ Darling by K. Ancrum ❤️ The Secrets of Eden by Brandon Goode ❤️ Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé ❤️ Off the Record by Camryn Garrett ❤️ Honey Girl by Morgan Rogers ❤️ The Henna Wars - Adiba Jaigirdar

❤️ How to Dispatch a Human by Stephanie Andrea Allen ❤️ Black Girl, Call Home by Jasmine Mans ❤️ The Essential June Jordan (edited) by Jan Heller Levi and Christoph Keller ❤️ A Master of Djinn by P. Djèlí Clark ❤️ A Blade So Black by L.L. McKinney ❤️ Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo ❤️ Dread Nation by Justina Ireland ❤️ Punch Me Up to the Gods by Brian Broome ❤️ Masquerade by Anne Shade ❤️ One of the Good Ones by Maika Moulite & Maritza Moulite ❤️ Soulstar by C.L. Polk ❤️ 100 Boyfriends by Brontez Purnell

❤️ Hurricane Child by Kacen Callender ❤️ Quietly Hostile by Samantha Irby ❤️ A Little Kissing Between Friends - Chencia C. Higgins ❤️ The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi ❤️ If It Makes You Happy by Claire Kann ❤️ Sweethand by N.G. Peltier ❤️ This Poison Heart by Kalynn Bayron ❤️ Better Off Red by Rebekah Weatherspoon ❤️ Friday I’m in Love by Camryn Garrett ❤️ Rainbow Milk by Paul Mendez ❤️ Memorial by Bryan Washington ❤️ Patsy by Nicole Y. Dennis-Benn

❤️ Sorrowland by Rivers Solomon ❤️ How to Find a Princess by Alyssa Cole ❤️ Yesterday is History by Kosoko Jackosn ❤️ Mouths of Rain (edited) by Briona Simone Jones ❤️ Dead Dead Girls by Nekesa Afia ❤️ Love's Divine by Ava Freeman ❤️ The Prophets by Robert Jones Jr ❤️ Odd One Out by Nic Stone ❤️ Symbiosis by Nicky Drayden ❤️ Thanks a Lot, Universe by Chad Lucas ❤️ The Passing Playbook by Isaac Fitzsimons ❤️ Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin

❤️ Little & Lion by Brandy Colbert ❤️ My Government Means to Kill Me by Rasheed Newson ❤️ Pleasure and Spice by Fiona Zedde ❤️ No Gods, No Monsters by Cadwell Turnbull ❤️ The Stars and the Blackness Between Them by Junauda Petrus ❤️ Filthy Animals by Brandon Taylor ❤️ The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin ❤️ Peaces by Helen Oyeyem ❤️ The Beauty That Remains by Ashley Woodfolk ❤️ Every Body Looking by Candice Iloh ❤️ Bingo Love by Tee Franklin, Jenn St-Onge, Joy San ❤️ The Heart Does Not Bend by Makeda Silvera

❤️ King and the Dragonflies by Kacen Callender ❤️ By Any Means Necessary by Candice Montgomery ❤️ Busy Ain't the Half of It by Frederick Smith & Chaz Lamar Cruz ❤️ Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo ❤️ Sin Against the Race by Gar McVey-Russell ❤️ Trumpet by Jackie Kay ❤️ Remembrance by Rita Woods ❤️ Daughters of Nri by Reni K. Amayo ❤️ You Know Me Well by Nina LaCour ❤️ The Summer of Everything by Julian Winters ❤️ Butter Honey Pig Bread by Francesca Ekwuyasi ❤️ Gingerbread by Helen Oyeyem

[thebeautifulbook]

UNDER THE TREES by Hamilton Wright Mabie. (New York: Dodd Mean, 1902) Illustrated and decorated by C.L. Hinton.

source

[elucubrare]

Ooh can you recommend some great (and by great I mean trashy) pulp sci-fi novels to use that bingo card with? 💗

Okay, so, the problem is at least twofold: 

1. the sort of thing I like them in is the really early stuff, pre-1950, and 1a) it's very bad on all sorts of technical levels -- I find the bad prose and simplistic but somehow still incoherent plots very charming, in the right mood, but you definitely have to turn a lot of your brain off & 1b) there is so much casual sexism (more than racism, but mostly because other races just don't exist). I can get over it, but it's a high bar & I don't want to ask other people to, at least not unwarned. 

2. it's honestly better in stories. 

That said, my a-fine-aged-sff shelf on goodreads goes to about the '80s, but has a bunch of stuff that absolutely fits into these tropes.

Leigh Brackett is actually good;

C.L. Moore is...well, less good, but Jirel of Joiry is a fun heroic fantasy heroine;

Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser, starting with Swords and Deviltry, is a good series, but stop as soon as you get bored -- there's definitely a pattern; 

I -- to show you how little you should trust my taste -- like Elric a lot, but as above, stop when you're tired of the pattern (and note: Elric, as a sickly wizard-king who draws his strength from his magic soul-eating sword, is actually a subversion of early heroic fantasy tropes, but has become so iconic that he's his own trope);

Lin Carter is actively bad, but Kellory the Warlock is bad in a fun way, for me at least -- Kellory is the Last Of His Tribe; his name literally means "vengeance," which I hope gives the flavor of it; 

I really and legitimately enjoyed Edmond Hamilton's Starwolf, which is better than anything called Starwolf has a right to be;

H. Beam Piper's Paratime is completely ridiculous -- it's about time cops  protecting the One True Timeline, so of course half of it is quasi-medieval; 

and Helen S. Wright's A Matter of Oaths is from 1990, but it absolutely uses these tropes and is delightful, if not entirely successful. 

Also, a lot of the early pulp magazines are online -- mysteriously, no one ever renewed the copyright on the masterpieces in Amazing Stories, so they're on Project Gutenberg.