#IM NOT GOOD AT READING audiobooks better

[the-rookinator-3000]

so for a good while the game was mostly untouched because adult swim games (the producer that owned rain world at the time) said they couldn't update the game until it was out on all platforms, if i recall correctly. later, after ASG turned over the rights back to them, a producer called akapura games took over the game and allowed them to do updates again. now for a good while at this point the game on steam was pretty far behind the console versions - two of the characters didn't even have their unique endings. it had been years since they've updated it. so i'm assuming alongside wanting to get up to date properly, they wanted to come back with a bang...

at the same time as this more slugcats was in development by their development team, and was at this point only the slugcats provided. it didn't have any unique regions, creatures, or campaigns, only their abilities were available to play. even still, the dev team wanted to do more, and videocult (the group that made the game) must've seen a lot of promise in their efforts and wanted to officially take them on! they also got people who made the jolly co-op mod to join and make their mod official as well, and thus the downpour DLC was officially in development. the DLC update also came with a free update that made mods officially supported by steam workshop, which meant you didn't need to install 3 different mod loaders and a ton of .dll files to play with your friends! hooray!

i'm really glad spearmaster is your fav because this gif can be literally us jumping up and down together now

ohhh man saint. saint. it's crazy. i have to tell you about pretty much all of the basegame lore to even make a bit of sense for saint's ... it's a lot LOL but man this silly frog guy is cool

them!!! it's us!!! yay!!!

OHHH NVM I GET IT .. actually i thought it had been a completely different approach ... otherwise damn u really know lots about rain world dont u...enough to make a whole video essay i fear!!! also.. adult swim games.....??? ???? question mark

also EHHSEHHSHAAHHAH i didnt expect saint to be that fluffy... hugs them

ALSO also YES US!!! UUUSSSS. US FR

[aroaessidhe]

2024 reads / storygraph

The Liar’s Knot & Labyrinth’s Heart

books 2&3 in a fantasy trilogy set in a Venetian inspired city full of political intrigue

follows a young woman who conned her way into a noble family, a masked vigilante, and a crime boss, who eventually become allies while juggling multiple identities

and trying to save their people and city by joining a secret society to find origins of a corrupting curse, to eventually destroy the powerful magical objects at the heart of it

tarot magic & sigil/geometry magic, dreamworlds, sentient magical disguises

[rearranging-deck-chairs]

see dirk gently is good bc all these people are clearly weird but they dont say that out loud they just act on it

[do-rey-me]

finally claiming my birthright by reading the silmarillian, and heres the thing. i was expecting to become obsessed with it, that not a surprise. however. i wasnt expecting to actually like it.

[cyberneticdragons]

I am going through it again!

[soracities]

hii! do you ever get into a huge reading slump? i would say ive been in one for about 3 years now and im desperate to escape it and read again but i cant find anything that's 'popular' enjoyable and have no idea where to start in finding content and books i actually enjoy by myself without tiktok or booktube 😭

Oh I've been in a particularly bad slump for at least 2 years so yes, absolutely! I think the key thing here is to try and remove the pressure off yourself as much as you can: don't look at every book you approach with the mindset of "THIS is will be the antidote to my reading slump" or "THIS novel will save me" because it will most likely stop you from actually enjoying the book: when you go in with such high expectations, you're also bringing a very distracting form of hyper-vigilance with you, waiting for the magic moment to hit, counting the pages until it does, being too conscious or worried when it doesn't in the way you envisioned it. It will turn reading into a chore, an endurance test which you either succeed or fail at, and this will only cement the slump further.

Everyone is different and I don't know what kind of books you like most, but the best thing I can advise is to go back before your slump and see what some of your favourite reads were. One way to ease back into reading is to revisit books you loved and read them again--this eliminates some of the pressure and I think it can also help rebuild that excitement because you know you're returning to familiar ground you've enjoyed before. That, or find other works by those same authors whose writing / style you liked and slowly expand from there. I don't log my reading through apps or websites anymore (and I stay away from booktok like the plague but that's a whole other conversation)--I have an ask on how I find my books here and I hope that helps too--but I've heard really good things about The Storygraph so if tiktok and booktube haven't done it for you, this might be a much better way to move towards books you actually enjoy because it's based on your preferences, not an influencer's or what an algorithm is pushing.

Whatever book you decide to try next, I would also advise you to start slow and / or small if that's what you need (more here)--don't force yourself to plow through several hundred pages in one sitting or 2 days. Sometimes breaking a slump is far more sustainable when you do it chip by chip, slowly, but consistently in a way that makes it less daunting than thinking you have to finish 2 novels every week. Something as simple as setting aside 15 minutes to read in bed before you go to sleep each night can do it. You can also look at audiobook versions, or short story collections in whatever genre it is you enjoy most!

Best of luck, anon, and I hope some of these answers will help 🤍

[batjoy]

okkk i have just finished thunder and you know what? i loved it! i loved the book. per usual im a fan of the travels away from the clan boundaries, towards a goal, destined to return with character bonding along the way. i thought (as most critiques go) the actual scenes with frostpaw and nightheart bonding could have been written better, or we could have just seen more trust being built between the two but overall, i loved it!

i really liked the park cats, just thought they were super fun and necessary, with all of the repetitive plot lines within warriors, they really felt like a refreshing touch of finding the value in mental processing and fun/play. it was a surprising twist to involve them and i think it really paid off.

i also love the development of nightheart’s character. exceptionally sopping wet whiny at the beginning with just a furnace of teen angst, who develops into a good and caring dude overall without some kind of external tragedy. good on him.

i loved sunbeam’s trials, at least the first two. and i loved her characterization throughout them as she starts to find her place within the clan. i’ve never read the series with cherryfall so this is my first introduction to the character and while i see a lot of folks find her sympathetic, she just gives off darkstripe vibes to me. yucky. but i did like the push and pull of her relationship with sunbeam.

it does feel weird to me that the authors still present thunderclan as the “protagonist” clan after all this time writing the series, but i guess it’s good at least for presenting simple narrative tropes in children’s literature? idk if that’s really it though, just because there’s been many complex plot lines throughout the series so not sure about that decision.

either way i’m having fun! really liking a starless clan so far and im excited for april 2nd when the audiobook of wind drops!

[margowritesthings]

THE MEANING OF THE SCAR

a RDR2 x Black Badge crossover

pairing: N/A for this chapter, will eventually be Arthur Morgan x reader word count: 2650 words warnings: spoilers for RDR2 ending, violence, Micah Bell, explicit language, major character death and subsequent resurrection, brief mentions of domestic violence YOU DONT NEED TO HAVE READ THE BLACK BADGE TO UNDERSTAND THIS SERIES, EVERYTHING IS EXPLAINED DURING THE STORY authors note: What's that, you say? You want a RDR x Black Badge crossover?? No??? WELL IM DOIN IT ANYWAY

The series that no one asked for tbh. If you haven't heard of the Black Badge, it's a wonderful series of books by Rhett C Bruno and Jamie Castle, where the audiobooks are narrated by Roger Clarke. This series puts Arthur in the shoes of the protagonist, who is doomed to hunt the supernatural to pay off his karmic debts. The prologue explains it a little better, so sit back and enjoy! There will be romance, there will be monsters, what more could you ask for?

BLACK BADGE ORIGNAL SERIES

PROLOGUE

I have seen so many incredible things. 

Living on the land for as long as I have, you tend to. I’ve camped under the most breathtaking sunrises, that big orange orb scattering unimaginable colours over our poor souls as it creeps over the horizon. I've seen nature at its finest: baby deer learning to walk, wolves running together in tight packs not unlike us outlaws, even saw a little chick hatching once. Beautiful women from all around batting their long lashes at me, not even all of them because I was a prospective customer. I’ve been a lucky man, to have experienced so many sights.

Never did I think that the last thing I saw living on this Earth would be Micah Bell’s goddamn ugly mug.

The barrel of his gun was shaking in his tight grip, and I used the absolute last of my strength to keep my head up and look right down it. 

“You’re not better than me, Morgan.”

Never claimed to be, but if I had more time, I might have argued it, the rat. But that was the thing… I didn’t have more time. I could tell, the simple act of breathing was becoming just too much. I might have gotten a few more days, if Micah hadn’t just knocked the seven bells of shit out of me and the last few days had been a little calmer, but such is life. Such is death, I should say. 

After a wheezed cough was pushed out of me, I still managed to get one last jab in, as laboured and choked out as it was, 

“Whatever you say, you fool.”

Everything hurt, and I could hear the clock ticking my final seconds out as Micah’s finger trembled on the trigger. He was mad, I could see the fury spreading across his face as he registered what I was choosing to do with my final words. 

Maybe it was supposed to be the time for prayers, the time to have my life flash before my eyes while I count my regrets and mourn the things that will never happen, but there’d been enough of that ever since that doc told me my days were numbered. I hadn’t lived a good life, I wasn’t a good man, but I got some peace knowing my final hours were spent getting Marston and his family out safe, making sure Milton didn’t, and insulting the gang’s little pet rodent. If I had any regrets in that moment, they would only be that I didn’t manage any more permanent damage to Micah’s ugly ass mug before he got me. Actually, I might’ve wanted to die at dawn, to see one last sunrise, but mostly the Micah thing. 

“Damn you…” he spat, the glow of the moon casting the most horrendous shadows from his twisted expression. 

“Damn us both!” 

And that was it. 

A shot,

and it was all over. 

No sunrise, no grand redemption in the last few minutes of my damned life…

Just me, the moon, and goddamned Micah Bell. 

═══════☆═══════

I never expected I’d get into Heaven, but I never thought it’d be so goddamn dark down here in Hell.

I stirred as if waking up from a fitful sleep filled with nightmares involving Micah shooting me in the face, and even though my eyelids flew open, there was no light to speak of. There was a crushing weight on my chest, and a burning behind my right eye. What felt like dirt fell into my face with each little movement, and suddenly it all fit together, forming a terrifying reality of my predicament. 

It wasn’t a dream. Micah fuckin’ Bell had shot me. Tuberculosis ran ragged through my veins and filled my lungs, I’d been captured, hung in an O’Driscoll camp and tortured for information, hell, I’d been shipped off to goddamn Guarma with nothing but the shirt of my back… and in the end the sorry sight to end my story was a rat with a revolver. 

The dirt fell in my eyes relentlessly, so much so I had to close them again. It wasn’t like they were being much use anyway, what with me being buried alive and all. Moving my limbs was hard, but not impossible, I found, giving me hope that I wasn’t too far down in the ground. I never thought I’d hope for a shallow grave, but then again I couldn’t have predicted waking up in one either. None of it made much sense, but I reckoned it’d probably be best if I got back out into open air before figuring out why I couldn’t feel my toes, why breathing felt so strange and unnecessary, or how I’d survived a gunshot to the head. 

I started with small movements, flexing my numbed fingers in and out until there was enough room to ball them into fists. I would have shouted for help, if I could, but I knew all I’ll get from it is a mouthful of dirt. I’d have to do this alone, it would seem. 

The movement spread from fists to arms, the dirt starting to mould around me until it didn’t feel so crushing anymore, and I was soon clawing upwards. I dared to squint one eye open, finding small holes of light poked through the blanket of nothingness like stars. I felt triumphant when I reached upwards into open air, but it was short lived when I failed to feel the wind or the breeze or the sun or anything to let me know this wasn’t all some death dream. 

I pressed on, scraping at the skies until big patches of the Earth fell apart around my body and I could pull myself out of my grave. The sun beat so brightly that I couldn’t help but continue to squint, trying to make out my surroundings. It was dawn, ironically. I always assumed Hell’s skies would hold a lot more fire in them, but the blue hues and yellow rays were anything but hellish. They were beautiful, a sight I was sure I’d never see again. 

After my eyes adjusted, I made out the tombstone standing above my grave, a handcrafted wooden cross with my name scratched into the centre. Folk aren’t usually lucky enough (or unlucky enough, I hadn’t yet decided) to see their own graves, and yet here I was. Why? Was this truly Hell, looking over the sunrise while I was damned to sit by my own grave and wait for no-one to mourn me? 

‘Blessed Are Those Who Mourn, For They Will Be Comforted’

It was my epitaph, carved into the circle surrounding my name. I hoped it was true. I didn’t know how long I’d been buried, but I didn’t want anyone sitting around crying over me. I hoped I’d done enough, in those last few hours, and that the ones I loved, whoever was left of them, anyway, made it out okay. 

I pushed myself up out of the grave, dusting off the mud that clung to me and standing straight despite the complaints of my aching back. I looked over the hill, over what looked an awful lot like Ambarino. 

“Beautiful, ain’t it? I tell you, that friend of yours picked a good spot. Shame you’ll get no rest here.” 

I froze, my spine straightening on instinct as the voice behind me confirmed that I was in fact in Hell. Even after looking Death in the face and calling him a fool, it still took me a moment to turn and face my father. 

I expected anger to course through my veins, for my fists to ball and fury to burn over my skin the first time I saw him after all these years, but it didn’t. I looked my Daddy straight in his cold, dead eyes, and nodded to him. He did the same.

“Pa?” 

“Fraid so.” 

I was almost too dumbfounded to realise what he was sitting on. Who he was sitting on, I should say. Boadicea stood as tall and as beautiful as that last day we spent together in Blackwater. The sight could have taken my breath away, if I had any. 

I wanted to step closer, to pat my girl on the neck and feel to make sure she was really there, but I wasn’t ready to move just yet. 

“What… What the hells goin’ on?” 

Daddy dearest chuckled, probably at my ironic choice of wording, and Boadicea stomped a foot on the ground. Despite everything, all I wanted to do was to get Lyle Morgan off my horse, but there’d be time for it. 

“You’re dead, son. Nasty shot to the head, though you put up a good fight.” He said it like he was recounting the most mundane story ever told, not breaking the news that his only son had died. I considered his words, finding a strange peace with them all.

“...This Hell?” It had to be, right? There’s no other way he could be here, not with the way he treated me and Ma. I dreaded to think what Boadicea could have done to deserve an afterlife with him, but it made more sense than both of us fools being let into the pearly gates upstairs everyone always goes on about. 

Pa chuckled again, clearly finding my demise much more casual news than I, “To some, but not in the way you’re thinkin’ of it. I’ve got some bad news, boy.” 

“Worse than my death?” It was annoying me, how elusive and blasé he was being about everything, dragging this out for longer than he needed while holding the cards right up close to his chest. He knew what was going on, and yet there he was, sitting on Boadicea like he owned whatever goddamn realm we were in. Surely this was Hell, having this conversation with the man who beat me into who I am today. Who I was, before karma caught up with me and shot me in the face. 

“Depends on how much you were lookin’ forward to it.”

My teeth ground together as the frustration at his evasiveness built. He must’ve sensed it, as he dismounted Boadicea and patted her on the neck.  It threw me more than it should, watching the man I’d left long behind me interacting with my beloved Boa. 

He stood just as tall as the day I watched him hang, the only difference being a nasty scar that wound around his neck and made me dread to think what I might look like. It was like looking at a ghost. Well, I guess I was looking at a ghost. 

“You’re still here, Arthur. On Earth. Seems you did just enough good there in the end that they didn’t know what to do with you. Too bad to make it to the upstairs, too good to burn in Hell… for now.”

“Earth? But… I’m… we’re-“

“Dead? Yeah. But you’re stuck here, doin’ their bidding.” 

He was running his fingers over Boadicea’s mane, and she shook her head in response. She seemed like she wanted his hands off her as much as I did, but I had to find out what was going on first. 

“Bidding? Who’s bidding? Can you just be straight with me for one damn minute-“

“Patience, boy.” He snapped, bringing out one of Boadicea’s signature annoyed huffs, “The White Throne’s bidding. You’re theirs now. You do as they say, or you end up in a far worse position than you’re in now.”

I felt like I needed to sit down, but unless I was going to climb back in that grave, there was nowhere to rest. 

“I… I don’t understand.”

Lyle sighed, turning fully towards me and hooking his thumbs in his belt loops.

“The White Throne have chosen you to be a Black Badge, Arthur. You’re not alive, nor are you fully dead. You work for them until they decide they’re done with you, and then…” 

“And then?”

“Well… I ain’t sure, truth be told, boy. I never got as far as you, I’m just here to pass the message on.”

None of it made any sense, and I had no idea who this White Throne was. Dad didn’t seem to have the answers, nor did he seem inclined to give them to me even if he did. It was then I noticed that my heart should be pounding out of my chest. Instead, it felt hollow, the anxiety of my situation bouncing around an empty can of nothing. 

So this was really happening…

“They’ll call on you when they need you with this,” he turned, rummaging through Boadicea’s saddle bag and handing me a journal. It looked exactly like the one I gave to Marston just before I died, the one I collected my thoughts and sketches in, only when I flicked through the pages, they were all blank. 

“Keep an eye on it, it’ll tell you what you need to do, who to look for, or where to go.”

“What am I, a goddamn undead bounty hunter?” 

He laughed, a proper hearty laugh that would’ve made my skin crawl had I not been so occupied with the confusion of it all. 

“You could say that. But you’re not just after anyone, they’ll send you off to the supernatural stuff. Vampires, werewolves, demons, that sort. You’ll get the hang of it.”

I was so stuck on the whole supernatural thing that I hardly noticed him step towards me, slapping a hand onto my shoulder. I froze, but not because my father had touched me for the first time in decades, but because I couldn’t feel a damn thing.

He must’ve seen the shock on my face, cause his brows pulled together in a pitiful look, “Ah, yeah… there’s some side effects to death, son. But I’m sure you’ll figure that one out.” 

‘Side effects’ was a light way of putting it. I’d later find out that we unlucky few in the Black Badge have a fair few impediments. I can’t feel. Not the sun on my face, the wind in my hair, the touch of another, not even the burn of a good whiskey. I don’t feel pain, which can be helpful at times I guess. I can’t taste anything, either. It’s a unique punishment, to be stuck walking the earth but not really living, having no access to those simple pleasures in life like a stiff drink or the touch of a pretty lady. If I’d have known what was waiting for me at the end of all this, well… maybe I’d have made some different choices. 

“It’s a lot to take in, I know.” 

I glanced to my shoulder, finding Dad’s hand still there. He must’ve sensed my discomfort, removing his touch- or lack thereof- from me. 

“You’ll get the hang of it, son.” 

If I weren’t so preoccupied with my new lot in life (or death, I should say), now would have been the perfect time to confront the man who stood beside me. Ask him why he did what he did, get some answers for every question my teenage self tortured himself with while he wandered the streets for somewhere to stay for the night. But when I turned, he was gone, without a single trace to suggest he was ever there in the first place. Seems I’d gotten all the information out of him I was entitled to. 

That left me and Boadicea, standing beside an empty grave I wasn’t sure anyone would have visited anyway. 

I sighed, finally stepping towards her and patting her neck in that spot she always loved. 

“Well girl, guess this is it for a while…” 

I looked down to the journal in my hand, just in time to see inky black writing appear on the page as if bleeding through the realms.

‘Welcome to the Black Badge, Arthur Morgan.’

[aa-400]

tag game!!!

its been a Hot™ while since ive seen one of these whew

rules: tag nine (9) people you want to know better and/or catch up with, then answer these questions below!

tagged by @keepthemacramesecret hell yeah thank u arthur!!!

four ships: these are just current faves because four is such a tiny number gfghgf

arthur/john (malevolent) (to the surprise of no one lmao) wrightworth (ace attorney) lord arum/damien/rilla (the penumbra podcast) kojiro/kaoru (sk8 the infinity)

last song: flowers by miley cyrus (dont judge me its catchy!! also idc that its some post-breakup single life empowerment anthem im choosing to view it through aroace lenses)

currently reading: i have a bunch of audiobooks i rotate as bedtime listening but uhhh the king in yellow by robert w chambers, the farthest shore by ursula k le guin, and the first welcome to night vale novel by joseph fink and jeffrey cranor. also i really need to finish jonny sims' thirteen storeys, its so good but im so bad at sitting down with a physical book these days

last movie: i uhhhh cant remember? mightve been klaus which i watched in december before christmas. i dont watch movies much lmao.

craving: nothing at the moment!

tagging: @curiousrei @lintunen @nurmilintu @ceruleanmusings @ft-the-stars @safitheartist @monoshiki @ohnebulae @quietalight

[ofliterarynature]

AUGUST 2023 WRAP UP

[ loved liked okay no thanks DNF (reread) bookclub*]

Witch Week | A Perilous Undertaking | 2 AM At the Cat's Pajamas | The Last Sun | The Lives of Christopher Chant | The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo* | (The Angel of the Crows) | The Enchanted April | The Art of Prophecy | A Curious Beginning | Q's Legacy | The Grimoire of Grave Fates | Charmed Life | Ocean's Echo | (Band Sinister) | (Unfit to Print) | Camp Damascus | Wanted, A Gentleman | Translation State | The Mistress of Bhatia House

I’m late I’m late I’m late! Oops

It’s only a month late, right? ‘Only’ lol, work has been exhausting! Anyways:

At this point I wonder if Ann Leckie can ever do wrong, Translation State was good! I was completely enthralled, which is all I ask, even if I don’t get as passionate about it as the main trilogy.

I continued the KJ Charles reading, with these supposed stand alones that are also kind of related? Honestly it’s no less of a stretch than Society of Gentlemen to Lilywhite Boys, so I don’t know why she can’t officially list them together. Anyways, mostly fine, and Band Sinister is still a delight!

Camp Damascus…I’m thrilled for Chuck, really, and I think he’s a delight to follow, but this one wasn’t for me. Religious trauma is turning out to be a hard no.

Ocean’s Echo was good! In some ways I definitely thought it was better than Winter’s Orbit - miscommunication is the worst I’m sorry, this story was more consistently engaging! I just like the characters from WO a bit more.

Chrestomanci! I’ve been going by the suggested reading order on Goodreads, and while I wasn’t particularly enthused by Charmed Life, once I had a grasp on the world the other books have been fun! Im very sad this might be my last DWJ, as I seem to have exhausted my library’s collection of her audiobooks :(

Grimoire of Grave Fates had a really interesting premise that lured me in, despite my reservations - an anthology where all the stories work together to solve the mystery of a murder at a magic boarding school? I thought it worked fairly well (and could definitely spin itself out into a series of novels), but just ok for me. Maybe one day I’ll finally concede I can’t read YA or boarding school books anymore.

Q’s Legacy was the last (I think) of the 84 Charing Cross Road books, and honestly the worst. It had its interesting moments, but it lacked the cohesion of the other two, speed,-running the before and during of those stories, to then spend the second half on the adaptations. It was not at all what the descriptions led me to expect. Maybe worth a single read but not a revisit.

I will also be honest, I didn’t really like the first Veronica Speedwell! The plot felt a bit contrived, and Veronica was so blunt as to almost read as rude or mean. Also very unexpectedly…clinically horny? Does that make sense? I’m not quite sure what prompted me to continue, but I’m now several books in and enjoying it! To be blunt myself, the historic setting is just set dressing, the plots can feel contrived, the mysteries are mediocre, but the real draw is the Veronica and Stoker show once they get themselves settled in and comfortable with each other. It’s a hoot.

I’d heard good things about The Art of Prophecy, but I still didn’t know quite what to expect going in. It was wonderful. Maybe a little long, but if you’re looking for a fantastic fantasy with lots of fight sequences, no romance, and some fascinating characters, this is a great read. The sequel comes out soon and I can only hope it doesn’t take as long for my library to get the audiobook as it did for this one.

I don’t know where I first found An Enchanted April, but it’s been on my TBR for a little bit, and I thought it would be the perfect fit for my classics challenge I gave myself this year! It wasn’t what I expected at all - it’s entirely character driven and very focused on their flaws, and the entire first half I thought I was going to hate it. But the second half, there’s a twist, almost, born of some very  naïve optimism that nonetheless works out. Very improbably, but I was happy for them, you funky little weirdos. 

What can I say about The Angel of the Crows except that it is still very good! It’s maybe lost a little of the shine it held when I got obsessed with it for a few months last year, but it is definitely now one of my comfort books. I really ought to read more canon Holmes though lol.

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo was, to be fair, one of my suggestions for book club. It was OK, but there were definitely parts that really did not work for me, the frame narrative in particular. The other members of the club really liked it but I don’t have any plans to read more of the authors work.

I’m almost tempted to put The Last Sun last just so I can yell more. I’d heard such good things about this series, but turns out my expectations were a bit skewed - it is not historical or secondary fantasy world, oops. So we got off to a bit of a rough start, not to mention all of the Capital Words. Not usually a good sign. And while I still wouldn’t say I love the worldbuilding necessarily, or that these are the next great work of fantasy, the action is really great, and the characters are flipping fantastic. You’ve got a pair of 30 year olds who are bad ass fighters, have a traumatic past, are immature assholes, can be so so kind, and accidentally adopt a posse of troubled teenagers? Sign me up, I love them, this reminds me so much of my days reading tons of Teen Wolf fanfic AUs.

My history with 2 AM At the Cat's Pajamas is that they cannot stop recommending this thing on the Book Riot podcasts. When I found a copy at Goodwill, I thought surely it’s meant to be! Well. It was not bad, but it was not great. I don’t know. It just wasn’t for me and I will not be keeping my copy. I probably should have DNF’d it, but I continued in hope.

Only one actual DNF this month though, The Mistress of Bhatia House - the newest Perveen Mistri book. I was actually fairly excited for it despite my reservations about the earlier books, but I hit a mental roadblock with this one. There was some contrived feeling tension with her sister-in-law, but really, I realized that one of my main problems with this series is that, despite being in a very precarious social position, Perveen is just incredibly reckless - usually in the name of doing good! - but it just hit all the wrong nerves at the moment. I’m hoping there will be a better time to read this, but not right now. 

[jewishdragon]

reccommend any good book series?>

uh, sure

lets start with the three book series i have had on loop (audiobooks through libby) for the last 4 years:

Temeraire. 9 books. alternate history age of sale, an homage to Aubrey Maturin (the author literally stopped posting fanfic for that series 1 year before she published the first temeraire novel). What is the alternate? Well. dragons exist. and they are people. The premise is a human naval captain finds himself captain in the air force because a dragon imprints on him. Explore how the first napoleonic war goes when dragons are involved both in battle and in politics. I love this series because it scratches a very specific itch for humans and giant monsters bonding and interacting at every level of society. A lot of real historical figures show up (napoleon...). but it never feels forced. Im so bad at selling this series. its really great.

Memoirs of Lady Trent. 5 novels. more dragons ! this time a world similar to ours, but dragons exist! however this time they are animals, not people, and the main character is a fantasy victorian jewish woman who is obsessed with studying dragons and breaks her worlds gender barriers (which are the same as victorian englands were) to achieve her goals. also there's a slow burn romance with a nerdy fantasy muslim man (think indiana jones!!!) and they go on ADVENTURES about ARCHEOLOGY AND NATURALISM (books 3 through 5. i dont want you to think i lied when this man dont show up in books 1 and 2. BUT THERE'S STILL BOTH NATURALISM AND ARCHEOLOGY ADVENTURES IN BOOKS 1 AND 2). I did not see the twist of the series coming either. wild stuff. love it. there's a epilogue 6th book where the characters spend 80% of the time translating ancient tablets and somehow this is incredibly engaging, props to the author. this is a first person POV, the author is writing it as a MEMOIR so you have to imagine this old lady writing this down in her study.

The Murderbot Diaries (5 books, 4 are novellas). Sci-fi, out in space! Mostly taking place in literally capitalist hell region of space called "the corporation rim" which is... ruled by corporations. A lab grown robocop cyborg hacks its programming to become autonomous and wants nothing more than to watch soap operas and be left alone, but of course makes friends along the way as it continues to do its job of protecting humans. the snarky humor is FANTASTIC. its also first person POV and feels like Murderbot cornered you in a seedy space bar on an asteroid and just started ranting about shit "you will not believe the fucking year ive had" and then just rants for hours. Speaking of, 4 hours is the audiobook length for each novella, short enough that you can give the series a try without worrying about length

agatha christie. i mean. the queen of murder mysteries is called that for a reason. her stories are indeed bangers

Howl's Moving Castle. its a 3 book series though the books arent super connected. really fun fantasy adventure comedies.

Ok end of the not kids section. here's the kid section

now bear with me on this. Artemis Fowl. 8 books. I didnt read these until i was an adult, in graduate school. They fucking SLAP. some stuff is a little dated but other than that, its action packed, its so much fun. Go on an adventure where a shitty know-it-all genius criminal master mind becomes a better person and also there's fairy magic and fairy tech (which might as well be a second kind of magic). the main villain? amazing, unhinged, megalomaniac to the max. i love her. the minor villains? also amazing. i cannot overstate how great the villains are in this.

Dealing with Dragons/Enchanted Forest Chronicles. uhhhh this is my special interest. fantasy comedy adventure.

thats all for now i think.

[revasserium]

people I'd like to get to know better

thank u for tagging me @bby-deerling <3 it was so fun reading all ur answers and i def wanna get to know u better too!!! i just... haven't been online as much lately (っ◞‸◟ c)

Last song: ???

so. actually. i don't RLY listen to music much on a daily (or even weekly??) basis if at all??? I KNO. it's wild. bc i mainly listen to audiobooks/podcasts when i'm commuting or just like chilling doing chores. my latest audiobook was actually an audible original drama called henrietta & eleanor which was a modern retelling of the og classic jekyll and hyde by robert louis stevenson. i hope??? that kinda sorta counts???

Favorite color: pink!!!!!!

what can i say? im a barbie/disney princess girlie at heart. and also physically -- everything i own is pink. i have 4 custom keyboards and they are all pink

Last Movie: the boy and the heron

my bf and i actually went to see this in theaters when it came out in nyc! super amazing, highly recommend; i've a deep love of animated films, from ghibli to pixar and everything in between so !!!

Sweet/Spicy/Savoury: spicy/savory

i love spicy food. i love hot cheetos, i love anything that makes my whole face feel like it's going to melt off... well, my face.

Relationship Status: happily taken <3

my bf and i are actually closing in on our 3yr anniversary! i feel very lucky to have snagged possibly the last good man in all of nyc sdlkfjsdslskdf he cooks, he's supportive, he runs me baths when i tell him im stressed, he brings me wine when im sitting in those baths lol, he indulges in all my weird hobbies; i constantly am like AM I DOING ENOUGH IN RETURN??? but he assures me that i am <3 this is the first bf i've ever had in my life, and honestly hopefully the last! i consider myself very very lucky to have found someone i love so deeply. but also, i was never interested in dating until i met him so... i guess sometimes the hallmark movies do get it right!

Last thing I googled: french linen duvet cover

im trying to live my dreams of having a fully french-linen bed set; so far, i've got the fitted sheet and pillow cases. i just need the duvet cover !!! but sweet baby jesus french linen is EXPENSIVE.

Current Obsession: handmade press-on nails

OKAY listen;;; there was a stand in ktown in nyc that had them and i passed by and got some on a whim??? they kinda slap???? like i don't have to pay 100+ dollars to get single color gels done at a salon, and have sUPER cute designs!!! i think u can get them on etsy too but im in love !!!

tagging: @violettduchess @skiagrafia @dira333 @jamesbparker

[girl-bateman]

I was tagged by @fre3zerbride @myheartisahouseonfire @choicesthot @godspetdog for the nine people you wanna know better thingy! Thank you guys for tagging me and sorry for taking forever to do this lmaoo. Much love xxx

There was some slight variations in the different posts I was tagged in so to make this one a single post instead of 4, I made sure all questions were included. Hope that was oki <33

Last Song: PRIDE. - Kendrick Lamar

Favourite Colour: Turquoise maybe? Like a very pale, light turquoise.

Last Movie: Happy Ending - An awful romantic comedy about a dutch couple on their thruple-journey. The guy cant communicate and the girl cant orgasm and thus she convinces her boyfriend to try out a threesome. It's the straightest movie I've watched and yet it manages to have several puss-eating scenes. Netflix never ceases to disappoint me, godbless.

Last TV Show: I'm (re)watching The Mentalist in the background as I'm writing this lmao. I'm also watching Outer Banks, Suits, Dark and Drag Race Holland.

Sweet/Spicy/Savoury: All of it, preferably in some sort of combo.

Relationship Staus: Single

Last Thing I Googled: "word for when you love inflicting pain" ; I forgot which one is sadism and which one is masochism.

Current Obsession: No idea honestly. Love and peace on planet earth? Self improvement? Accomplishing my dreams? The art of girlbossing perhaps ?

Looking Forward To: Traveling to India and (possibly) the US this spring and going to study for a semester in the Netherlands this fall !! <33 Also getting to read my own words printed !!! in a real magazine !!! Being a published author !!!

Currently reading: The God of Small Things (audiobook), The Shards (I recently got it signed <33!) and My Sister's Keeper (found it at the thrift and died of happiness)

Song stuck in head: Hey Ya! - Outcast

Favourite food: Ohhh there is too much good stuff to choose from. Maybe ramen, sushi or the vegetarian feijoada my mom makes <3

Dream trip: Solo-trip to Florence <3 I'd spend each day sitting at different cafes writing :)

Im tagging: @emmenai-kalliston, @infinite-of-sky, @matineaux, @nightmimedreams, @realbeefman, @olliecoded, @emiliosandozsequence  and anyone else who feels up for it <333

[raytm]

PEOPLE I'D LIKE TO GET TO KNOW BETTER!

alias / name:   ray.

birthday:   feb 29th.

zodiac sign:   pisces.

height:   4'8.

hobbies:   writing, reading, watching anime, listening to music, collecting words idk into this little vocab book while reading lmao.

favorite color:   orange.

favorite book:   honestly, probably the raven king. all of maggie's books are great but the end to this one made me weep.

last song:   architect - livingston

last film / show:   naruto shippuden episode 116.

recent reads:  i just finished a gentleman's guide to vice and virtue and im about to start silver under nightfall. audiobook im like two hours into mister impossible.

inspiration:   often it's the poetics of things, the artistry of words, the deep diving into a character's psyche.

story behind url:   i am ray and i have been copyrighted. honestly i just could not come up with a good one so i just went with this bs.

fun fact about me:  i am very small and i am born on a leap year, i love cats and i used to randomly just read wiki's of characters and then write them back when fb rp was a thing idk how i was so powerful.

tagged by: @brydde tagging: anyone who hasn't done this yet <3

[inkofamethyst]

December 18, 2023

IM GETTING A MAJOR RAISE NEXT YEAR??? LIKE TWENTY PERCENT???? (it's far better to be excited about this than to remember that I'm probably behind many of my peers due to my decision to attend graduate school and be bitter tbh) Suddenly a pet-friendly one bedroom apartment with central air and a balcony doesn't seem like as much of a stretch (especially not if i go farther away from campus (and double especially since a rainstorm which would otherwise have been a lovely time for recuperation seems to have rocked my current building to the core,,,,, from power outtages to roof leaks i just,,,,,, hhhhh reminding myself that this isn't permanent helps)). But now everyone can afford to either be a bit pickier. Hm. I suppose I also don't necessarily want to succumb to any major lifestyle creep though. I want to SAVE. I want a HOUSE. (but i also kinda really wanna live alone lol)

still feelin a bit down about last night lol. but it's over. done.

On September 6, I shared my goals for the school year, and I'd like to revisit them now that I've completed my first semester.

Stay within monthly budgets -- going excellently!

Take a programming course -- coming up next sem!

Go to fitness classes -- haven't yet

Maintain connections with interesting people -- I've met interesting people, still working on connection maintenance

Try a new recipe each month -- I do believe I've done this

Decorate my room -- yeah.. so I haven't been as decorative as I'd intended, mostly because I don't see myself living here for more than two years, so I still haven't decided whether I want to go through the hassle of putting things up... I think I should though, maybe over winter break? Saw a tiktok that said waking up to a beautiful space helps you feel safe and secure.. don't really care to fact check bc it sounds good enough to me!

Go to talks in various departments -- technically I went to one in a different biology department, but that's not really following the spirit of this goal since I was thinkin like astronomy or history.. so not yet

Read for fun or listen to audiobooks -- none yet, maybe over break

No studying while eating -- success (this is not hard, I generally don't enjoy studying haha)

Today I'm thankful for the (eventual) raise. Merry Christmas indeed.

[edit, sometime after midnight: AND I GOT AN A+ ON THE PAPER??? HUH??? MERRY CHRISTMAS INDEED (literally praying for my other classes)]

[yonpote]

tbh rereading my ywgttn review its less of a review and more of an analysis. i simply only know how to write opinionated analyses which i guess is what a review is! but it is funny that i whine abt the USA cover for the same length that i talk about the content of the book. sooooo i wanna talk more about it now that its been a year since i first reviewed!! read moreee

while i havent read it back to front since listening to the audiobook, i have been going back to it every now and then, both to reference something dan's said abt his own life as well as rereading some helpful advice. i particularly like the chart explaining how different feelings can feel in your body and while idt he uses the term somatic therapy but like the idea of the brain and feelings being a part of your body so like finding ways to treat your body well can help your state of mind. thats something that i think ppl forget a lot when it comes to mental health is that, it really is all connected. depression has a feeling in your body, anxiety can cause stomach aches frfr, and poor physical health can obviously cause mental problems. so i go back to that part a lot. tbh i havent really gone back to the morning and days after sections, i think cuz personally i still feel like im always in this night.... even tho i know im not! i think its kinda like that thing where you have an absolute dogshit day and its all you can think about but then in 3 days when u have ur next therapy appointment you completely forget that u were having a hard time bc you feel fine that day. (thats why you take notes and track ur mood lol) but like either way i def should check the other sections more. i think it really is meant to be read as a practical guide (which is like. the tagline LMAO) cuz i know a lot of phannies who havent finished it or stopped halfway thru but its rlly not meant to be read front to back? so its interesting how i recommended the audiobook cuz like it IS good cuz dans voice is nice and its fun hearing him say all his stupid references, but i think the physical book might be better for how it's intended to be used, as like something to pick up if youre going thru a crisis or if youre trying to figure out ways that can prevent a crisis or help you cope thru ur next one. so yeah if ur someone who bought ywgttn because Dan UWU but havent read it, i would say don't try to read it like a linear novel cuz it really isnt meant to be read that way! and honestly with my adhd ass brain i actually kinda prefer reading it this way! almost as if dan... no i shant say....

ywgttn gets TWO thumbs up cuz i said one in the first review lol