#Daniel McKinley

[whovian223]

New to Me - January 2024

New to Me #boardgames - January 2024 @thing12games @white_goblin @_dailymagic_ @BoardAndDice @Quinedgames @FarOffGames @Zmangames_ @Funforge @Helvetiq @pegasusspiele

It’s the first month of the year! And it’s also almost the end of February. Yes, it took so much energy to get my Top 50 games played of all time done, along with getting sick recently, that we’re into the last week of February and I still haven’t talked about the “new to me” games that I played in January! I know, right? With OrcaCon in January, I knew that this would be a long post. I did…

[modelcoutureee]

[readingaway]

Danielle Babbles About Books - Deerskin by Robin McKinley

Why did you read this book? - I'm slowly reading most of McKinley's works, not counting the ones I've already sampled and absolutely did not care for (which would be both B&tB retellings). So this was available from my library and wintery.

What about this book will stick with you the longest? - The setting, the dogs. The very detached narrative voice is also something that I still wonder about.

Some thoughts - On the topic of that narrative voice, there is a part where I'm honestly confused about what happened, really. It might be that I zoned out for a few minutes, as that happens. But the voice did not help during that part. The opportunity to review that part is one of the reasons I went and bought a (used) copy.

Sidenote: it's sad that this book is so hard to find.

On another note, I'm familiar with the Donkeyskin fairy tale because it was in a book of fairy tales that I got as a gift when I was a kid. From that I knew approximately what to expect in terms of content and plotline (this includes the major content warning that is necessarily attached to this book.) However, the addition of the dog affinity and the change from donkey-skin to deerskin is... well. I suppose the actual donkey skin doesn't have a big role in some versions of the tale.

Another plug - if you haven't seen it, I encourage people to watch Peau d'ane (1970) which is freely available for viewing online. It is too (wonderfully? terribly?) weird for me to describe it. Just watch.

[its-bitchin-belle-bitches]

Jimmy: being gay is a constant battle between “I wish to sit on window bench with my lover, our legs tangling as we listen to the birds” and “hey, let’s throw rocks at fascists” and i think that’s very sexy of us

Henry: if the window’s open and you time it right, you can do both

[clamarcap]

Sinfonia con organo - II

Marcel Dupré (3 maggio 1886 - 30 maggio 1971): Sinfonia in sol minore per organo e orchestra op. 25 (1928). Daniel Jay McKinley, organo; Columbus Indiana Philharmonic Orchestra, dir. David Bowden. Modérément lent – Allegro Scherzo: Vivace [7:58] Lent [14:32] Final: Animé [22:00]

[onlyyyariii]

Danielle Marie Braxton

Name: Danielle Marie Braxton

Nicknames: Dani, Bruckerman, Hudaxton, Brevans, Branagan

Age: 17 (season 1)

18 (season 2)

19 (season 3)

26 (last season)

Occupation: After graduating from McKinley, she went to UCLA and got her degree in education to come back to teach at McKinley, where she is reunited with Noah Puckerman who she rekindles her relationship with.

Relationship(s): Noah Puckerman (dates; later marries)

Finn Hudson (ex-boyfriend)

Sam Evans (ex-boyfriend)

Rory Flanagan (ex-fling)

Family: Uncle Ben (mothers brother; who she lives with in Lima)

Mother (dead)

Father (jail)

Friends: All of Glee Club (Mercedes, Britney, Santana, Kurt, Blaine, Rachel, Rory, Sam, Finn, Quinn, Puck, Tina, Artie, Mike, and others)

Enemies: Sebastian Smythe, Coach Sue, choirs they’ve faced.

Physical Description

Hair:

Face & Body Claim: Laurel Thoma/Toma

Height: 5’6

Weight: 168

Eyes: Brown

Natural hair: Dark brown, now dyed (picture of hair above)

Personality:

She’s a bit of a rebel child, she’s more of a bitch than Santana, and when she wants something, she gets it.

Her mother died from a drug overdose and her father is in jail for selling and growing drugs.

She moved to Lima at the beginning of season one and is one of the last people recruited into the Glee club.

Mercedes is the one who recruits her. Mercedes and Dani are partners in a class and when the glee club needs members, Mercedes asks her to join and sway in the back or lightly hum, but she needs to try out.

When she tries out, she uses the song So What by P!NK.

Mr Schue is shocked by her voice and thinks she’s amazing. Of course she joins the group and it’s up and up from there.

More about her will told as it goes on! If you like glee or anything about show choir let me know! :) I’d be happy to talk about it with anyone!

[preet-01]

Maxiel Political AU

Word Count: 1243

Summary: Max Verstappen only had one goal - to be President. It's all he's wanted since he was just seven years old and all that he's worked towards. But bachelors don't get elected as Presidents, for the most part. Enter Daniel Ricciardo. Daniel's the ideal candidate for the country's most prominent and stressful unpaid job: the President's loving partner, a pretty bauble for the country to fall in love with and look towards. In secret meetings, contracts are signed and a marriage is arranged. Max and Daniel must convince the American people that they are a loving couple and perfect for the White House

<< Prev ||| Next >>

Chapter Two

In the political campaign business, there are certain names that everyone knows regardless of party lines or election levels. Campaign managers, press secretaries, and speechwriters became household names for politicians and politician hopefuls over the years. 

One such name is Sebastian Vettel. 

The German-American from Philly had entered the political scene fresh out of college and had carved out a space for himself. 

From local campaigns to presidential campaigns, he had worked on everything and anything. But his most notable career achievement was approximately four years ago when he was on the Hamilton presidential campaign as the press secretary. 

Now, years later and with many successful campaigns under his belt, Sebastian was looking towards another presidential campaign to put his name on. 

Max Verstappen, by all accounts that Sebastian had heard, was the next big thing after Lewis Hamilton came onto the scene. And by rumors that he’d heard from his contacts, Max Verstappen would be running for President in 2028. 

“You’re barely finished with your first term as a Senator,” Sebastian states when he finally has a meeting with Max Verstappen. The young senator is ambitious, but he does have the results to back it. Though Sebastian would not tell him that just yet, perhaps after they’ve won the presidency. 

“The election is still four years away. Plenty of time for any inexperience to become experience,” Max states. He has no doubts in his abilities. The next few years will be enough for him to fix any shortcomings and build an electable resume for himself. 

“Indeed, I do not doubt that. Your record so far speaks for itself,” Sebastian says, though he seems to be holding back on something. 

“But?” Max inquires. 

“But there are things outside of your work record that will influence your presidential campaign,” Sebastian replies. 

They leave it at that, despite Max wanting to know more about it. Sebastian says it is a matter for a later time, and that he needs to work out some things in the background before it becomes a pressing issue. 

While Max would like to know more about Sebastian’s pressing concerns, he does have committee meetings to go to, and- his train of thought is broken by a text he gets from one of his colleagues. 

S.4398 is going to the courts for constitutional violations 

Plaintiffs hired Ricciardo from Thompson and Lancaster. Should be an easy win 

Max is confused because is he supposed to know who Ricciardo is? There were too many lawyers in the district to know everyone.  

____

“Are you wearing a signet ring?” Oscar questions. When they said that he could get an intern, Daniel assumed that he would get a helpful intern eager to learn and do whatever Daniel needed. He had been like that, taking whatever scraps he could get. Instead, he received Oscar. And while Oscar was very polite at first glance, in Daniel’s opinion the twenty-three-year-old was a menace to society – well mainly to Daniel, but he was society. “Oh god, you’re one of those lawyers,” he groans. 

“It’s a family ring and my grandfather is in town,” Daniel sighs. He hadn’t worn the family signet ring consistently since they’d found out he was a carrier, but his grandfather was in town and he couldn’t get away with it. “Have you filed the McKinley documents?” he asks, changing the conversation from his family to the newest case that Daniel had been chosen as the head lawyer. His record of winning had made it an easy decision for the bosses and plaintiffs.

“Filed them this morning,” Oscar replies, “Vergne was sniffing around about the case when I was filing.” 

“Of course he was. Boss man’s not been very subtle that this case could potentially make me partner,” Daniel sighs. His once close friendship with Jev had suffered with both of them at the same firm and Daniel’s promotion potential being greater than his. He was sad about it, of course, law school would have been hell if it wasn’t for Jev’s friendship. But Daniel wanted to become partner and he’d do whatever was needed to achieve that. 

“We’re meeting with McKinley tomorrow morning, I want you there,” Daniel tells Oscar. Oscar had been his intern for months now, but he hadn’t sat in any of the meetings so far. 

“What?” And for probably the first time, Daniel is able to surprise Oscar. 

“I think you’re ready and it is the next step,” Daniel replies. 

The rest of the day goes by without a hitch. Daniel can avoid seeing his grandfather until it’s time to leave the office. 

His grandfather is waiting for him in front of the building with a town car. “Daniel,” he greets with a nod and motions to the town car. Daniel sighs as he enters the car. All he wanted was to go home and just be a blob in his bed as he contemplated some innocuous decision that he’d made. But when Joseph Ricciardo shows up at your job with a town car, you get in the town car. 

“How was your trip, grandfather?” Daniel inquires. 

“It was adequate,” the older man replies. “I spoke with your friend, the campaign manager,” he says. 

“Sebastian? Why?” Daniel questions. As far as Daniel knows, there was no reason for his grandfather to speak with Sebastian. Daniel knows that his grandfather had gotten acquainted with Seb when Seb worked on the Hamilton campaign the first time around and he endorsed Lewis Hamilton. But since then, as far as Daniel knew, Sebastian hadn’t worked on a campaign that would require an endorsement from his grandfather. 

“He is taking on a new presidential campaign for 28,” Joseph says. “A Senator from New York,” he adds. Daniel knows one of the Senators from New York – John Robbins – they’d gotten coffee a handful of times over the years. He doesn’t think John is a presidential hopeful and he isn’t the type of candidate that Seb likes to work with. No Seb likes younger politicians, not those over the retirement age. 

“Robbins?” 

“No, the other one. Verstappen,” Joseph answers. 

“Verstappen?” Daniel tries to think back to what he knows of the young Senator from New York. Relatively new to the Senate, younger than most of his colleagues, the same party as Lewis, unmarried, and not as established as other 2028 presidential hopefuls. “He’d never win. Not yet anyway,” Daniel says. The voters didn't like unmarried newcomers they barely knew. Politics was a game of strategy and name recognition.

“Hhm, at his present state, he would not win, but should his situation change and he gets more established support, then he does have a strong chance,” Joseph says, handing him a file. “Sebastian compiled a file on him. He will be contacting you soon to discuss a potential, mutually beneficial agreement for both parties involved,” he says. 

Daniel knows what a mutually beneficial agreement means. This wouldn’t be the first time that Daniel had gotten such a file from his grandfather. His cousin’s aspirations were more in line with the videogame industry than politics, so a presidency was far-fetched. Therefore, the attention had returned to getting Daniel hitched to some Senator or Governor who could take the Ricciardo name to the highest office in the country. 

Usually, he ignored them and found one reason or another to deny them. But this was someone that Seb would be working with and that intrigued him. 

He’d meet this Senator Verstappen.

________

I feel iffy about this chapter, but it's a necessary step to get to the first meeting in the next chapter

Updates will be every other week

[deadpresidents]

How many presidential rematches have there been?

When it comes to the major candidates in a general election, this year's election will be the ninth rematch:

•John Adams vs. Thomas Jefferson: 1796 & 1800

•John Quincy Adams vs. Andrew Jackson: 1824 & 1828 (William H. Crawford and Henry Clay were also candidates in 1824)

•Andrew Jackson vs. Henry Clay: 1824 & 1832 (John Quincy Adams and William H. Crawford were also candidates in 1824; John Floyd and William Wirt were also candidates in 1832)

•Martin Van Buren vs. William Henry Harrison: 1836 & 1840 (Hugh L. White, Daniel Webster, and Willie P. Mangum were also candidates in 1836)

•Grover Cleveland vs. Benjamin Harrison: 1888 & 1892 (James B. Weaver was also a candidate in 1892)

•William McKinley vs. William Jennings Bryan: 1896 & 1900

•Dwight D. Eisenhower vs. Adlai E. Stevenson: 1952 & 1956

•Bill Clinton vs. Ross Perot: 1992 & 1996 (George H.W. Bush was also a candidate in 1992; Bob Dole was also a candidate in 1996)

•Joe Biden vs. Donald Trump: 2020 & 2024

[forgetmenauts]

Howdy! Could we get a member introduction? I’d love to get to know y’all’s names and pronouns ^^

We actually did an essay and interview for the queer horror zine The Quiet Ones last year where we shared some fun intros! I've included screenshots of our intros here, but if you have a chance, you should check out the zine as well: it's run by a delightful group of queer authors and editors.

Here's the link to the issue with the Forgetmenauts feature: our bit starts on page 47.

(Fun fact: Kit is also an author and has had a couple of their short stories published in other issues of the zine, under their full name of Katharine Gripp. They're here and here if you want to check them out!)

Image text below the cut:

Walker Staples (they/them) Instrument(s): Guitar/Banjo/Vocals

Favorite scary movie or book: Let the Right One In.

Favorite cryptid: Jackalope. Who in the band is most likely to survive a horror movie, and why?: I think it's gonna be Tyler; most resources, best equipped for building booby traps.

Tyler Gary (he/him) Instrument(s): Clarinet, Saxophone, Trombone, Keys. Favorite scary movie or book: Recently I read Mexican Gothic and while it wasn't my all time favorite, it definitely captured some good haunting creepy vibes. Would recommend for the mushroom horror.

Favorite cryptid: The chupacabra. Who in the band is most likely to survive a horror movie, and why?: I'd be the second or third to die. “Quick everybody, I have a plan! All we have to do is...“ *Dies in a horrible dramatic way*. I think Abe would be last to die. He would disappear early on and we would think he's dead but he actually just went on a hike and came back at the end.

Abe Finkelstein (he/him) Instrument(s): Cello, un-mic'd backup vocals and banter, howling. Favorite scary movie or book: Oryx and Crake. And I listened to a great podcast about Midsommar but will probably never have the guts to watch it.

Favorite cryptid: The Baba Yaga house. Who in the band is most likely to survive a horror movie, and why?: Definitely Emma. She lives on a sailboat and is a great problem solver, and good at engineering. You might think I was on a hike but I was actually dead the WHOLE time.

Danielle (she/her) Instrument(s): Drums!

Favorite scary movie or book: I am scared easily and don't really watch horror movies! You

didn't ask about this, but my favorite scary-ish video games are The Last of Us and Dead Space.

Favorite cryptid: Loveland frog. Who in the band is most likely to survive a horror movie, and why?: Walker, they would out-maneuver the attacker/swarm/ pathogen/whatever the horror of the horror movie is.

Kit Gripp (they/she) Instrument(s): Mandolin, vocals.

Favorite scary movie or book: Sunshine by Robin McKinley (ok so it’s not that scary but there’s lots of blood and vampires, so it counts).

Favorite cryptid: Nessie. Who in the band is most likely to survive a horror movie, and why?: Probably Collin. If it were something corporeal, he'd knock it out with a baseball bat. If it were an angry ghost, he'd talk to it and de-escalate the situation.

Emma Williams Instrument(s): Bass.

Favorite scary movie or book: House of Leaves.

Favorite cryptid: Selkie. Who in the band is most likely to survive a horror movie, and why?: I think Walker would be the most likely to survive because they are very nimble and quick.

Collin (he/him) Instrument(s): Drums!

Favorite scary movie or book: Hard to pick a favorite scary movie! Maybe Let the Right One In (the original one). It's rare that horror films are at once so beautiful, disturbing, and sympathetic to the villain.

Favorite cryptid: Michigan Dogman. Who in the band is most likely to survive a horror movie, and why?: Kit survives the horror movie, for sure. Zombie flick? Kit decapitates the shambling hordes with lethal pirouettes. Teen slasher film? Kit distracts the villain with some concocted-on-the- spot YA fiction just long enough that he doesn't even notice he's walking right into his own poetic and ironic death. Vampire horror show? Please. Kit was the vampire. Kit was always the vampire.

[the-forest-library]

November 2023 Reads

Feet of Clay - Terry Pratchett

Lorehaven Bound - Joy Demorra

A Nobleman's Guide to Seducing a Scoundrel - K.J. Charles

System Collapse - Martha Wells

Dragonhaven - Robin McKinley

Bookshops & Bonedust - Travis Balder

The Burnout - Sophie Kinsella

Sidelined - Kara Bietz

The Rom Con - Devon Daniels

The Rosewood Hunt - Mackenzie Reed

The Totally True Story of Gracie Byrne - Shannon Takaoka

Be That Way - Hope Larson

The Dust Bowl - Michelle James Corpora

The Polar Express - Chris Van Allsburg

Dear Daydreams - Ash Elizabeth

She-Hulk, Vol 3 - Rainbow Rowell

Birding Is My Favorite Video Game - Rosemary Mosco

How to Love - Alex Norris

Too Much is Not Enough - Andrew Rannells

Uncle of the Year - Andrew Rannells

So Many Steves - Steve Martin & Adam Gopnik

Sure, I'll Join Your Cult - Maria Bamford

The Jolliest Bunch - Danny Pellegrino

Thicker Than Water - Kerry Washington

If You Would Have Told Me - John Stamos

Vanishing Fleece - Clara Parkes

Knitlandia - Clara Parkes

A Guide to Midwestern Conversation - Taylor Kay Phillips

Class - Stephanie Land

The Forgotten Girls - Monica Potts

Pathogenesis - Jonathan Kennedy

Built to Move - Kelly Starrett & Juliet Starrett

In Defense of Witches - Mona Chollet

The Mindful Way Through Depression - Mark G. Williams

Mindfulness for Beginners - Jon Kabat-Zinn

The Disorganized Mind - Nancy A. Ratey

A Healthy State of Panic - Farnoosh Torabi

Generation Anxiety - Lauren Cook

Deaths of Despair and the Future of Capitalism - Anne Case & Angus Deaton

It's Not You, It's Capitalism - Malaika Jabali

Falling Back in Love with Being Human - Kai Cheng Thom

The Hormone Shift - Tasneem Bhatia

The Power of Now - Eckhart Tolle

Here We Go Again - Tiffani Thiessen

Bold = Highly Recommend Italics = Worth It Crossed out = Nope

Thoughts: 

I read a few showbiz memoirs in November, and the absolute standouts were those by Andrew Rannells. I wasn't sure what to expect since I only have vague familiarity with Rannells' work, but I was blown away: endearing, honest, and laugh-out-loud funny.

Goodreads Goal: 398/400 

2017 Reads | 2018 Reads | 2019 Reads | 2020 Reads | 2021 Reads| 

2022 Reads | 2023 Reads

[yuritual]

finally finished listening to most of the 2023 albums i wanted to so here’s my favorites ^_^

scaring the hoes - jpegmafia and danny brown // desire, i want to turn into you - caroline polachek // red moon in venus - kali uchis // wait til i get over - durand jones // heaven knows - pinkpantheress // quaranta - danny brown // lahai - sampha // fountain baby - amaarae // beloved! paradise! jazz?! - mckinley dixon

honorable mentions:

raven - kelela // never enough - daniel caesar // jaguar ii - victoria monét // the age of pleasure - janelle monáe // let’s start here - lil yachty // the land is inhospitable and so are we - mitski

[man-i-just-really-like-plants]

Occult Authors to Avoid

🦋 Silver Raven Wolf Racist, misinformation, conflation of Wicca & Witchcraft, monotheistic prejudice, perpetuation of the Burning Times, dictatorship over practices.

🦋 Raymond Buckland Misinformation, massive contributor to the misconceptions of the threefold law & burning times, sexualization and fetishization of religious practice, misconceptions on Neo-Wicca

🦋 Arin Murphy-Hiscock Silver Raven Wolf’s student, has lots of the same ideas as her

🦋 Ann Moura Racist, conflation of Wicca & Witchcraft, misinformation on Wicca's origins

🦋 Aleister Crowley Bigoted, racist, antisemitic, appropriation, misogynist, gender bias

🦋 Catherine Yronwode Incites violence, appropriation, racism, harassment

🦋 Christian Day Rape threats, harassment, curse threats, self proclaimed warlock

🦋 Diana Paxson Ableist, racist

🦋 EA Koetting [Matthew Joseph Lawrence] Appropriation, drug abuse, self deification

🦋 Edward P. Butler Hindutva supporter (Hindu alt nationalism), supports Galina Krasskova, claims for harassment

🦋 Frosts [Gavin Frost, Yvonne Frost] Pedophilic writing, misinformation and claim to creation of Wicca

🦋 Galina Krasskova - Etsy [wyrdcuriosities] Classist, racist, openly supports alt right & fascist movements, Nazi apologist, monotheistic prejudice (namely Islamophobia)

🦋 Gordon White [Rune Soup] Appropriation, misinformation, Covid denial, anti Covid vax, race critical theosophy and polygenism

🦋 Jasmuheen [Ellen Greve] Breatharianism, contributed to community deaths (1990s)

🦋 Kenaz Filan Appropriation, racism, transphobia, white supremacy, adheres to alt right ideologies, harassment

🦋 Kenny Klein Pedophile, convicted for possession of child porn

🦋 Helena Blavatsky [Helena Petrovna Hahn, Hélène] Pseudo-science, political conspiracies, appropriation, contributor to modern alien political conspiracies that exist across the US today

🦋 Lisa Lister TERF ideologies, medical misinformation, cultural appropriation

🦋 Maulana Karenga [Ronald McKinley Everett] Advocate for human torture/torturer, rapist

🦋 Peter Grey Playing down bigoted presence, defending fascists, transphobes, and white supremacists

🦋 Raven Kaldera Misinformation, appropriation, fascism, transmisogyny, ableism, racism, cissexism

🦋 Rhyd Wildermuth [Gods & Radicals Press] Defends fascist authors, transphobic, misogynistic, supports Hindutva & Edward Butler; requested by server members

🦋 Robin Artisson Destructive and racist behavior

🦋 S. Connolly Conflates mental health w/ spirituality, appropriation (Lilith, chakras), depiction of witches as an oppressed group

🦋 Skye Alexander Appropriation, racism, misinformation, rede-thumping

🦋 Stephen E. Flowers [Edred Thorsson, Darban-i-Den] Nazi, white supremacist, racist

🦋 Tamara L. Siuda [Mambo Chita Tann] Appropriation, possible transcendent belief setup & infallible charismatic leadership/dictatorship (personality cult)

🦋 Terence McKenna Appropriation, pseudoscience, contributor to misrepresentation of shamanism (collective practice)

🦋 Tsirk Susej [Chad Ian Miller] Misinformation, appropriation, radicalism, conspiracy, affiliation with the Church of Satan & O9A, self proclaimed Antichrist, religious extremism

🦋 Varg Vikernes [Louis Cachet], twitter [WargarW, GandalftheWhi19], YouTube [ThuleanPerspective] Murderer, arsonist, contributor to the Norsk Hedensk Front (nazi-occult group)

🦋 William R. Wraithe, Twitter [william_wraithe] Harassment & threats, repeated curse threats, self proclaimed ‘savior’

🦋 Anastasia Greywolf Misinformation, appropriation

🦋 Asenath Mason Appropriation, misinformation

🦋 Christopher Penczak Victim blaming, curse shaming, appropriation, misinformation

🦋 Danielle Dionne White author & eclectic spiritualist using rootworking and hoodoo for monetary gain

🦋 Dante Abiel Appropriation, fetishization of ATRs, misinformation

🦋 DJ Conway Misinformation, fetishization of Celtic myth, appropriation

🦋 Doreen Virtue Large contributions to chakras, crystal pseudosciences, and harmful stereotypes for starseeds in spirituality

🦋 EA Wallis Budge Misinformation, poor translation

🦋 Edain McCoy Misinformation, perpetuation of harmful Irish stereotypes, pseudo historical writing. Creator of ‘Witta’. McCoy is the creator of the infamous ‘Irish Potato Goddess’

🦋 Gabriela Herstik Misinformation, historical fallacies, appropriation

🦋 Michael W. Ford Appropriation, misinformation

🦋 Scott Cunningham Broad misinformation, appropriation, conflation of Wicca & Witchcraft

🦋 Semra Haksever Appropriation of Hoodoo, use of smudging, chakras, spirit animals; requested by server members

🦋 Starr Casas Appropriation, white woman writing about Hoodoo, Rootworking, and Voodoo

[trash-llama]

Well, the speech didn't inspire anyone. It was all an illusion thanks to the Steady Sit mod. However this one Daniel Pleasant-looking guy did approach Sprout afterwards.

Trey: Great speech. Loved the leaf joke. I'm Trey McKinley, of McKinley & Robb. Gotta run, but here's my card!

Sprout: Oh.. okay.

[theboarsbride]

ok sorry in advance for bothering you, feel free to tell me to get lost, but i was wondering if you, the resident expert, have any monster romance recs that aren’t way too. nsfw i guess? maybe it’s just me but i’m having a hard time finding any. like i’m more interested in the slow burn and the romance but the genre seems to be mainly fast paced erotica and i just can’t get into it

OOh!!! No need to be sorry, I'm always happy to answer stuff like this and talk about (cleaner) monster romances!! I'm honored you'd consider me an expert, though! 🥺💛I feel like I don't actually talk about monster romances all that much!

But I agree that it can be hard to find a monster romance that isn't erotica. Not that erotica isn't good, I just like seeing slow burn romances, too!

I wish I could provide a longer list, but here's what I got so far! (and if anyone finds this and wants to add onto this list, feel free to do so in comments, tags, reblogs, etc)

I will provide links/titles to these stories, say the genre(s), provide a short synopsis in my own words, and then say why I recommend it below the cut!

Axiom's End by Lindsay Ellis | sci-fi, alternate history, conspiracy fiction, action/adventure

"An alternate history novel set in 2008 where whistleblower Nils Ortega leaks information to the public that the US government is secretly harboring extraterrestrial refugees. Cora Sabino, Nils' daughter, finds herself developing a connection with one of these aliens after inadvertently becoming the sole communication between humans and aliens."

This series is fucking great!! Admittedly, the monster/alien romance take more of a backseat to the larger plot, and mostly focuses on themes surrounding humanity, human rights, language, trauma, etc. Ellis does such a great job at writing characters that are just so... human, and deep. There is so much complexity and nuance that goes into this series, and just... it's so good! Definitely recommend if you're more into the super slow burns, alien romances, alien action movies like Michael Bay's Transformers series or Independence Day.

"The Courtship of Mr. Lyon" and "The Tiger's Bride" in The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter | Gothic, feminist fiction, fairytale retelling, horror, anthology

"'The Courtship of Mr. Lyon' follows the romance between Beauty and Beast after Beauty's father takes one of the lion-faced Beast's white roses while taking shelter following a car accident; in 'The Tiger's Bride' a young woman is sent to live with a mysterious masked man after her father gambles her away in a game of cards."

Honestly this book, though a collection of short stories, is one of my all-time favorite books! Carter's writing style is so, so gorgeous and lyrical, and she provides such fantastic, dark, moody, gory, horrific feminist fairytales. Her story "The Bloody Chamber" is also worth checking out! Honestly, this whole book is great!

Beauty: A Retelling of Beauty and the Beast and Rose Daughter by Robin McKinley | Fantasy, romance, fairytale retelling

"Classic Beauty and the Beast retellings."

Despite both being BATB retellings by the same author, both are so, so good in their own ways! While Beauty is way more classic and straightforward in its retelling, the characters are so endearing, the fantasy world is enchanting, and the writing is so *chefs kiss*. Rose Daughter is much the same, only slightly more adult in its tone and writing style - and its ending!

The Shape of Water by Guillermo del Toro and Daniel Kraus | Romance, historical

"A mute janitor working in a high-security government facility falls in love with an amphibious creature."

Yeah, yeah, this is basically the novelized version of the movie lmao. I've not read the whole novel itself, but it's not half-bad!! It's decent enough - though I still feel like the movie to be better. Still worth checking out, I think!

Frankenstein's Monster by Susan Heyboer O'Keefe | Historical

"A sequel, of sorts, to Mary Shelley's classic novel. What becomes of Frankenstein's monster after Frankenstein dies? Where does he go, left to wander the earth?"

Not really a romance, per say, but there are SOME elements of romance! Mostly, this book follows Frankenstein's monster following the OG novel, who he all meets, and it is very much a character study on the monster! It's super fascinating, but its writing style is super similar to Mary Shelley's, so this very much reads like a classic novel. Honestly, I love how O'Keefe was able to mimic Shelley's style so well! But, again, romance is way more lowkey and this is more of a character study than anything else. Definitely reccomend if you loved the OG Shelley novel!

Beauty and the Beast by Megan Kearny | Webcomic, romance, fantasy, fairytale retelling

"A retelling of Beauty and the Beast."

Beautifully illustrated and wonderfully told, this comic is just SO GOOD!! It very much has the same vibes as Robin McKinley's novels, and is steeped in a cozy fantasy atmosphere! The characters are so loveable, the story intriguing, and just AAAUUGGGHHH SO GORGEOUS!!

Netvor: Beauty and the Beast by @rosesnwater | Fantasy, romance, fairytale retelling

"Aceline Capet swears to slay the monster Netvor that lurks in the forest surrounding her village - and ends up becoming entrenched in the world of magic and monsters and Fae."

LEGIT JUST UGH!!!!!!!! THIS NOVEL IS SO FUCKING GOOD!! Legit this is one of my all-time favorite reads from this year! If you love fantasy featuring actual, lore-accurate faeries and super intriguing slow burn romance with endearing characters, please please PLEASE check this out!!!!!!! I SWEAR YOU WONT BE DISSAPOINTED!! Definitely recommend if you love fantasy movies like Legend, Labyrinth, Thumbelina, Howl's Moving Castle, Disney's Beauty and the Beast, etc. or books like Naomi Novik's Uprooted, Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, Robin McKinley's work, etc.! It also currently being rewritten as a(n equally beautiful) webcomic that should definitely be checked out as well!

That Which We Call Beast by @raph-fangirl | Historical fiction, romance, fairytale retelling

"A young woman is seeking marriage, and comes into contact with a mysterious bachelor that hides himself from her behind a veil."

Basically if Jane Austen wrote Beauty and the Beast! Definitely a well-written slow burn! It's not completed yet, but with what's available to read it's legit so beautiful!! The prose is so well-crafted, and it legit feels as though I'm reading an Austen novel! Definitely recommend if you love films like the 2005 adaptation of Pride and Prejudice!

Then uhhhh not to toot my own horn but if you wanna read a Victorian Era Gothic romance-horror BATB retelling with a pathetic meow-meow of a monster I offer my story The Monster and the Butterfly- 🤲🥺

These are all the recs I have for now! Again, if there are any you'd like to add, whether they be published, a friend's online work, or your own work!! I hope these are helpful and satisfactory enough for ya!

Again, I love talking about monster romances, thank you so so much for this ask!!!! 🥺💛

[danitm]

wait, is that DANI CORDOVA? they kinda look a lot like LIZETH SELENE, don’t they? i heard the TWENTY-ONE year old is known as the RUNAWAY around mckinley. it seems like they auditioned to be in THE TROUBLETONES which is so lame? people at campus have said they’re MELLOW, but don’t be fooled since they’re also AIMLESS. rumor has it, you can find them at GAY/STRAIGHT ALLIANCE when they aren’t belting show tunes. their entire vibe revolves around SMUDGED EYELINER, THE SOFT STRUMMING OF AN OLD GUITAR, & A BODY LITTERED WITH TATTOOS OF UNSPOKEN MEMORIES but no one pays attention to that here in ohio.

auditioning with: good luck, babe! by chappell roan 🎵

stats.

full name: danielle elena cordvova

nicknames: dani

gender: gender fluid

pronouns: she/they

sexuality: lesbian

age: 21

date of birth: january 23rd

zodiac sign: aquarius

clubs & teams: the troubletones, gsa

major: music performance

headcanons.

at the age of seventeen, dani's life was abruptly turned upside down when her parents discovered one of the many secrets she'd been keeping from them, before she had a chance to even consider opening up about it herself. rather than stay behind and deal with the consequences, she packed a bag, left town, and finally opened herself up to the freedom of being her true self.

along that journey of self discovery, danielle became dani - a name that feels just far more her, and along with a new name, began to freely label themselves as both a lesbian and gender fluid, refusing to let the opinions of anyone - including those she once loved - get in her way of happiness.

it's been almost five years since she first left her family, and though she still isn't quite sure she's really found her true home just yet, mckinley has been a pretty solid temporary one. she's managed to make friends, ones who accept her for who she is, and though she hasn't managed to work through everything her parents put into her head... it's a work in progress, and every day that she gets to live life without feeling like she has to hide is a million times better than the closet she'd been trapped in for so long.

wanted connections.

ex (open to f/nb) - could be messy, or could be on good terms! 0/1-2 taken 💔

crush (open to f/nb) - could be either sided or mutual, i'm down for whatever! (could also be open to a male muse if it's one sided on their end and you want their heart to be broken lol) 1/1-2 taken ☺️ jane hayward

best friend (open to anyone) - probably someone chill, though it could definitely be a thing where they sort of balance each other out! 1/1 taken 👯 brittany pierce

band (open anyone) - i would love for dani to be in a little garage band! i'm thinking it'll be a new thing that's just getting started, probably somewhere between 4-6 members total, but there's also room for things like a manager role/artistic director/etc. dani would be on guitar and backing vocals, but all other parts are up for grabs! 1/4-6 taken 🎸 noah puckerman (bassist)

enemy (open to anyone) - enemy might be a little bit of a strong term here, but basically just something where, for whatever reason, these two just don't get along. maybe they just got off on the wrong foot, maybe there was some sort of misunderstanding, whatever! there can definitely be reconciliation later down the line, and maybe even a friendship can blossom out of it. 1/1 taken 🤬 finn hudson

one night stand (open to f/nb) - maybe it was something that went poorly and now they avoid each other in hopes of not having to deal with another awkward interaction, or maybe they both realized the connection simply wasn't there and it never went past that one date, but it's something they can laugh about now! 0/1 taken 🫠

friends with benefits (open to f/nb) - pretty self explanatory. maybe there's something more there, maybe not! 1/1-3 taken 🔥 bree brown

roommates (open to anyone) - note: i'm not sure if the campus allows co-ed dorming so this might just be for f/nb muses. dani dorms on campus. i'm cool with this being something where they signed up to room together, or randomly assigned. now in an off campus apartment with bree! 1/1-2 taken 🛏️ bree brown

[readerbookclub]

Hello everyone! A new month is approaching so I'm back with another list. This time, it's a collection of fairytale retellings! Hope you like it :)

As always, please remember to vote using the link at the end of the post. And now, onto the books...

Bryony and Roses, by T. Kingfisher

Bryony and her sisters have come down in the world. Their merchant father died trying to reclaim his fortune and left them to eke out a living in a village far from their home in the city.

But when Bryony is caught in a snowstorm and takes refuge in an abandoned manor, she stumbles into a house full of dark enchantments. Is the Beast that lives there her captor, or a fellow prisoner? Is the house her enemy or her ally? And why are roses blooming out of season in the courtyard?

Armed only with gardening shears and her wits, Bryony must untangle the secrets of the house before she—or the Beast—are swallowed by them.

Deerskin, by Robin McKinley

As Princess Lissla Lissar reaches womanhood, it is clear to all the kingdom that in her beauty she is the image of her dead mother, the queen. But this likeness forces her to flee from her father's lust and madness; and in the pain and horror of that flight she forgets who she is and what it is she flees from: forgets almost everything but the love and loyalty of her dog, Ash, who accompanies her. But a chance encounter on the road leads to a job in another king's kennels, where the prince finds himself falling in love with the new kennel maid . . . and one day he tells her of a princess named Lissla Lissar, who had a dog named Ash.

A Thousand Beginnings and Endings, Edited by Ellen Oh and Elsie Chapman

Sixteen extraordinary authors—including New York Times bestsellers Melissa de la Cruz, Renée Ahdieh, and Julie Kagawa—reimagine the folklore and mythology of East and South Asia in short stories that are by turns enchanting, heartbreaking, romantic, and passionate. This exquisite paperback anthology includes an original bonus story from Ellen Oh. In a starred review, Publishers Weekly called A Thousand Beginnings and Endings a “must-read.”

A mountain loses her heart. Two sisters transform into birds to escape captivity. A young man learns the true meaning of sacrifice. A young woman takes up her mother’s mantle and leads the dead to their final resting place.

Bestselling and award-winning authors explore the timeless themes of East and South Asian lore in sixteen original stories that will appeal to every reader. From fantasy to science fiction to contemporary, from romance to tales of revenge, these stories will beguile readers from start to finish.

All the Ever Afters: The Untold Story of Cinderella's Stepmother, by Danielle Teller

We all know the story of Cinderella. Or do we?

As rumors about the cruel upbringing of beautiful newlywed Princess Cinderella roil the kingdom, her stepmother, Agnes, a woman who knows all too well about hardship, privately records the true story. But what unfolds is not the princess's history. The tale Agnes recounts is her own.

A peasant born into serfdom, Agnes is separated from her family and forced into servitude as a laundress’s apprentice at Aviceford Manor when she is just ten years old. Alone, friendless, and burdened with a grueling workload, Agnes carves a place for herself in this cold place that is home to Sir Emont Vis-de-Loup, a melancholic and capricious drunkard.

Using her wits and ingenuity, Agnes eventually escapes and makes her way toward a hopeful future, serving as a housemaid for the powerful Abbess Elfilda. But life once again holds unexpected, sometimes heartbreaking twists that lead Agnes back to Aviceford Manor, where she becomes nursemaid to Ella, Emont's sensitive, otherworldly daughter. Though she cares for Ella, Agnes struggles to love this child, who in time becomes her stepdaughter and, ultimately, the celebrated princess who embodies all our unattainable fantasies.

Bitter Greens, by Kate Forsyth

The amazing power and truth of the Rapunzel fairy tale comes alive for the first time in this breathtaking tale of desire, black magic and the redemptive power of love

French novelist Charlotte-Rose de la Force has been banished from the court of Versailles by the Sun King, Louis XIV, after a series of scandalous love affairs. At the convent, she is comforted by an old nun, Sœur Seraphina, who tells her the tale of a young girl who, a hundred years earlier, is sold by her parents for a handful of bitter greens...

After Margherita's father steals parsley from the walled garden of the courtesan Selena Leonelli, he is threatened with having both hands cut off, unless he and his wife relinquish their precious little girl. Selena is the famous red-haired muse of the artist Tiziano, first painted by him in 1512 and still inspiring him at the time of his death. She is at the center of Renaissance life in Venice, a world of beauty and danger, seduction and betrayal, love and superstition.

Locked away in a tower, Margherita sings in the hope that someone will hear her. One day, a young man does.

Vote for our next book here.