#My reads

[ruhlare]

A psychologist wrote in a book, "Even if you are an angel, there will be people who will be disturbed by the sound of your wings." – He used this phrase to make clear that other people's perceptions and emotions have nothing to do with you. The thoughts of others do not define your worth. You will meet many people who will try to project their own insecurities onto you and there is a risk that you will accept the image of others. To protect yourself, you must internalize that others don't even have the ability to define you. They are unable to see inside you. And their perception of you is nothing but a sign of their own qualities. Even if you are good, there will always be people who say otherwise; but you are not a reflection of others.

[andietries]

Every single Star Trek novel makes Spirk canon.

Every. Single. One

From Planet of Judgement

[atruththatyoudeny]

Happy 28th! Here are all the amazing fics I read this month:

Hiding Green Smiles | HoldingOnToChaos | [45k] Louis’ heart is racing in his chest. The idea of temporary bonding—letting Harry bite down right on that spot without it being a real bond—makes his mouth go dry. He didn’t even know something like this existed! His mind fills with all the possibilities and questions. What’s it going to feel like? How will it affect his orgasms? How will it affect Harry’s knot? What parts of a bond does it simulate? When Louis goes with Liam to a hidden sex shop, he discovers a new sex toy, the BiteMat, and he can't believe his luck. He loves being bitten, has a biting kink, even, and now he can be bitten over his bonding spot without the fear of anything permanent. He hastily buys it to try with Harry, his friend and roommate, and his regular heat/rut partner for the last eighteen months. They've been friends-with-benefits outside heat or rut for eight months now, and Louis' been desperately in love with Harry for at least five of those months. -- Or the BiteMat fic

Secrets in Winter | softfonds | [82k] If Harry Styles thought he was going to have a peaceful winter while staying far away from the rake who lived across the street, he was sorely wrong on two fronts. A Victorian AU.

Don't Change Me | Sharyn28 | [157k] Once in every fifty years, the moon shines brightly over the town of Holmes Chapel for 24 hours. The moment it turns red, any alpha pack leader becomes incredibly and outrageously powerful. For approximately two hours until it subsides, the alpha has the power to change any secondary gender. For example, an alpha can turn another alpha into a beta or omega and so forth. It doesn't matter if the chosen person agrees or disagrees, they have no choice. Once the decision is made, there is no turning back. All it takes to seal the deal...is the alphas howl to the moon, proclaiming their intentions as they stand around a bonfire, where the change will take place immediately. How is Louis going to react when his best friend and alpha leader retracts his alpha status, turning him into an omega so they can mate? Especially when Harry doesn't talk to him about it first.

Drop and Draws - What a feeling | Elmeiko88 | [50k] Ever since he presented as an Alpha, Harry can't stop drawing the same person over again. Louis, since long before he presented as an Omega, has always had behavioural problems... When Niall sees one of Harry's drawings, it becomes clear that these two must meet, and quickly. Everything should be easy, shouldn't it? Except, perhaps, Louis is on the other side of the Atlantic, firmly attached to Ricky...

You Could Give That Aspirin the Headache of Its Life | LetTheMusicMoveYou | [3.6k] Louis had once heard that the chances of being struck by lightning are 1 in 700,000. He wonders now, how those odds compare to randomly being seated next to your ex boyfriend on a 10 hour flight. Honestly, if the universe is going to insist on ruining his life, he really would have preferred the lightning thing. (Or the one where Louis is a football player who gets stuck on a flight with his ex-boyfriend Harry. The universe might be conspiring against him, or is it?)

The Room Thief | 2tiedships2 | [12k] Louis: Can I come over? Need your help. Niall: Did someone die? I don’t need to help you bury a body do I? Wait, did you behead one of your alpha flatmates? I hope it was the one that smells like cherries. That is such a weird scent for an alpha. It’s disturbing. And I can’t even smell it. Louis: I’ve just been kicked out. Can I crash on your couch? Niall: Zayn’s in class. I’m here so get over here NOW. Louis: Thanks mate. Gonna pack a few things and will head over. Be there in about a half hour. --- When Louis comes home and is confronted by his knothead alpha flatmates, he knows it won’t result in anything good, but he didn’t expect to be left homeless, effective immediately. He definitely didn’t expect to fall for the specific knothead who stole his room.

i would know you from touch alone | staybeautiful | [73k] They had never been face to face before now. They’d never touched, skin to skin, until Harry landed a punch to his face, high on his cheekbone. Louis shoved him off and was pulling his fist back from Harry’s abdomen before he realized his face wasn’t tingling because of the pain. It pooled out from his cheek, over his face, down his neck and spine. A shiver in the late September night. Heat, sparks - whatever you wanted to fucking call it. or The Tomlinson and Cox gangs have hated each other for over forty years. Harry Styles, the grandson of Gritty Cox, was freshly back to the city after uni when, on his first night out, he punched the Tomlinson heir in the face. It shouldn’t have mattered, their gangs have done worse to each other. But all it took was one single touch to recognize your soulmate. Louis was adamant that being soulmates changed nothing, not who they were or which family they were loyal to. Or, at least, it shouldn’t have.

In Jest | LadyLondonderry | [4.8k] Louis, who smiles at Harry as he reclines in his chair. Louis, whose soulmark is visible thanks to his low-cut top. Louis, Harry’s soulmate, who seems to either be blissfully ignorant of that fact or maliciously ignoring it. Harry would really like to know which.

find a way (to send me a sign) | we_are_the_same | [666] Everything is dark, and Louis feels like he can’t breathe. For a moment, he is unsure what woke him up, until he hears it again. The soft buzzing of his phone on the bedside table. He pushes down the duvet that’s been covering his face and squints at the clock, the red digits telling him it’s exactly 3:00 AM. Rubbing at his eyes, Louis swallows back a yawn and reaches for his phone, intent on swiping the call away until he notices the name on the display. His heart jumps as he brings the phone to his ear. “Harry?”

Into The Mist | babyhoneyhslt | [63k] Sneaking on board the famous pirate ship Compass Arrow to get a story for his journalist father, Harry must do everything to keep a low profile. But when one of the crew discovers him, hiding from the ruthless Captain Tommo becomes almost impossible.

Tea Thyme | Fandom_Larry | [10k] In a town where omegas are expected to mate young, Harry finds himself still single. Instead of finding love, he chooses to live his life pining away for an alpha far above his class. That is until a mysterious courting gift shows up at his shop. What happens when he lets go of his dream and holds out for reality? Is it possible to still get everything he wants? Only the fates know.

Something About You Feels Like Home | MarWritesStuff (Ta_Ma) | [40k] When Harry starts paying attention, he feels his tummy fluttering. The singer is gorgeous in an almost ethereal way. He can tell that the man is an alpha just by looking at him, and he’s shocked to feel himself getting slightly wet. or The one in which Harry is a sheltered and inexperienced omega, brought up in a very traditional family, who just moved alone to London to finish his studies. There, he attends a concert by indie band The Rogue. Louis is the lead singer of The Rogue and is a bit tired of not finding a connection. Harry wants to let go of his family's rules and restraints, and Louis wants to find an omega to cherish and take care of.

[theunstuffedpepper]

Anyone else make the switch from GoodReads to StoryGraph?

I never used GR for the social component - strictly used it for (lazily) tracking my reading. Now that I’m getting more into reading, I decided to make the switch to StoryGraph and already I like it so much more. More options for tracking — I like that you can categorize books as “did not finish” — and it’s a much, much cleaner app experience.

Anywho! If you’re on SG and wanna find me, I’m audiopepper.

[nickthebookworm]

{01.10.23}

After two hours, I finally gave up trying to get to sleep and decided to read instead... it's 3am now, the only sounds outside are the wind and rain, which is the perfect accompaniment to reading in bed, if you ask me.

[karstenasha]

My copy of The Chalice of The Gods is finally here!!! ✨✨

And it comes with very cute lil postcard and stickers (that I'll never use because I'm too scared to put it anywhere)

There's picture too!! ✨

The translation, as always, is good. It captures the essences of Percy very well. Guess it'll be very quick read ✨

[adq4991]

It’s here … 💐

I actually died hahahahahahahahahahahahaha

theo only said what we were all thinkin 😭

[darlinngninawrites]

One Heart- Franz Wright. From the book Walking to Martha's Vineyard (Poems by Franz Wright, 2008)

[halcyondaaze]

mapping the interior

Dan Bodelson (detail)

[hemingwaysfifthwife]

books i finished in january!

my re-read of the 3body prob books was 🙏🙏🙏

also 5⭐️ to Jenny Odell i will slurp up anything she writes with a straw

[muse-write]

I’m really enjoying Luke Skywalker and the Shadows of Mindor! From the title to the plot, there’s a really fun sense of adventure—it’s a little cheesy, and that’s completely intentional and self-aware, and kind of relevant to the plot as well. The relationship between Luke, Han, and Leia is perfectly realized, the science isn’t completely overwhelming, and it’s just…really fun.

[ruhlare]

People who are at peace with themselves and have a healthy mindset don't even think about bothering others

[andietries]

I have started reading: Better than life and holy cow.

It starts stating that the game makes your deepest and subconscious desires. Only to make Rimmer being insecure about his body type, and after a really complex narrative, he gets “trapped” inside a woman’s body

Like, what?!?

And also this

[atruththatyoudeny]

Happy 28th! Here are all the lovely fics I read this month:

where we landed | blueskiesrry | [70k] The leaves were green the last time Harry stepped foot in Holmes Chapel, a stark contrast to the candy apple, butterscotch painting them now, years later. Harry first notices them on the train, gazing out the window with a downturned mouth. A warm something floods his stomach–memories, Harry imagines, of him as a boy, longing for the days when he’d live elsewhere and have to take this very train home for the holidays. He wonders how it’s possible to have once felt eager and euphoric at the sight of changing leaves yet now to feel nothing but tired. He sighs softly, turning away from the trees to look at his daughter, half-curled in his lap, asleep. or: harry returns to his hometown with his sick daughter and more reminders than he bargained for of the boy he once loved when he left a handful of years ago

MARRIED FOR A WEEK?! | gravitycentered | [20k] Hi guys :) You might recognize Harry from one or two of my old videos .. I was tagged in the Married for a week challenge so I asked him to be my husband ! We had to live together for a week and take each other out on a couple romantic dates and that, check out the video to see how it went :) Give it a like if you enjoyed and maybe subscribe if you haven't already. Love you all - Louis x

It's everything else that matters | words_of_my_own | [83k] At forty, Harry has settled down in London, as a single dad and successful businessman. Along comes Louis, his son’s new friend, who turns out to be more than he appears at first sight. Their paths are slowly intertwined as life stories are unfolded and feelings arise. *** "They may only be joking around here… …or the atmosphere has just turned slightly flirtatious. Louis' raised eyebrow and quirky smile adding on to it. It’s fun and exciting, and Harry doesn’t think twice before he throws another glance over his shoulder, just to find Louis steady eyes on him, his teeth digging into his lower lip. Christ, the bloke really is handsome. Sexy, even. And this is definitely not how Harry normally reacts to people of the same sex, but…apparently, he is now."

He Was a Different League (When I Was Nothing Much) | AFangirlFantasy | [21k] Sick of being alone, Marcel is forced (by Niall) to join an online dating app. The idea is well and all, except for the inconvenient fact that he hasn’t moved on from his childhood sweetheart - Louis. If only Marcel could learn to let go, he might actually be able to love again. Or, an AU where finding that 'someone new' actually leads to finding that 'someone old,' and Marcel is painfully oblivious.

I want to wake up where your love is | marcythesassykitten | [166k] “Kinda feels like it is, though. And it’s okay to be pissed at me because of that,” Louis' voice was still the normal feathery sweetness Harry was used to, but it had a harshness to it that he couldn’t place until he looked up and met Louis’ eyes. There was so much pain exposed for Harry to see, for him to be able to pick at, taunt or ignore. Louis was sitting right there, allowing Harry to see all the broken pieces, the sharp edges that had never been mended back together with the love and kindness they needed. In that moment, Harry saw his own pain reflected back at him in Louis’ eyes. He could feel bits of his own heart calling out for him to reach out and allow the two battered hearts to heal together as one. “It’s not. I’m not… I’m really not,” or, a chicago-inspired story about lost dreams, unjust fates, undying love and lots of pizza, repressed feelings, cute kids and, of course, cats

Welcome Home | Jelon | [49k] Louis Tomlinson had to put a stop to his football career for a couple of months and he decided to go back home to rest his mind for a little bit only to find out a really weird coffee shop owner started to visit his mother on a regular basis with just as peculiar but lovely kid named Maxine.

Half a World Away | SilverStuff50 | [10k] Bothy: A bothy is a basic shelter, usually left unlocked and available for anyone to use free of charge. It was also a term for basic accommodation, usually for gardeners or other workers on an estate. Bothies are found in remote mountainous areas of Scotland, Northern England, Ulster and Wales. They are particularly common in the Scottish Highlands, but related buildings can be found around the world (for example, in the Nordic countries, there are wilderness huts).

[theunstuffedpepper]

What I’ve been reading.. February/March 📚

I’ve been reading significantly less since returning to work full time. I’ve been tending to listen to podcasts on my train commute and that’s really the only block of time I have to listen to books (or anything else) aside from getting up at night to nurse the baby back to sleep (which thankfully has been less and less lately).

Jell-o Girls: I tend to disagree with reviews stating it was a “gorgeous” memoir. I wanted to love it, but I also think I wanted it to be more about the Jell-o corporation and the corruption within it, and less about the author and her personal family dynamics.

Pretty Girls was good. Not fantastic, but good. Maybe a bit predictable? Worth the read though.

The two bird-related books were fabulous, especially How to Know the Birds. I know no one here will want to read it and I’m totally good with that, but I loved it so much. Super dry and chock full of great info. 🤓

American Predator was the best true crime I’ve read in a long time. I’m still thinking about that book and I read it weeks ago. It was haunting. It felt like you got more of a peek behind the investigative curtain than you typically would in a true crime book. Incredibly well done.

Currently reading The Mystery Guest which is just as enjoyable as the first book in the series (The Maid). Really fun and quirky.

[thelonelybrilliance]

2023 Reads: thelonelybrilliance

Final count 72! I set a goal of 52 originally but raised the bar when I realized that would only bring me into early November.

Decided it would be fun to share some stats and recommendations along with the full list.

First, ten recommendations:

The Queen's Thief series by Megan Whalen Turner (best completed series)

Gregory Orr, The Last Love Poem I Will Ever Write (best new poetry read)

Minka Kelly, Tell Me Everything (best memoir)

E.B. White, Here Is New York (best short read)

Carrie Fisher, The Princess Diarist (best journals)

Sydney Taylor, All-of-a-Kind Family (best children's lit)

Laurie Halse Anderson, Shout (best poetry memoir)

George Eliot, Middlemarch (best classic)

Michelle Zauner, Crying in H Mart (best food writing)

Red Rising series by Pierce Brown (best sci-fi/ongoing series + best audio drama (Red Rising (Book 1))

Of my 72 reads, 31 were rereads, 41 new . Four were audiobooks, the rest print (primarily e-books). My longest read was David Copperfield by Charles Dickens. My shortest read (I think? A lot of poetry collections are short) was the longform essay, Here Is New York by E.B. White. I read the most books in December (15) and the least in June (2). 50 authors were women, 21 were men, and one poetry collection was multi-author. My most-read authors were as follows:

Megan Whalen Turner (7 books)

Lucy Maud Montgomery (6 books)

Louise Glück (5 books)

Elizabeth Wein (5 books)

Jane Austen (3 books)

Pierce Brown (3 books)

Full list organized by month under the cut!

Favorites: Bold | Rereads: Underline

Fiction: Blue | Non-Fiction: Red | Poetry: Purple | Audiobook: *

JANUARY

Megan Whalen Turner, The Thief

2. Annie Chagnot & Emi Ikkanda (eds.), How Lovely the Ruins

3. Banana Yoshimoto, Kitchen

FEBRUARY

4. Jane Austen, Pride & Prejudice

5. Richard Siken, War of the Foxes

6. Jane Austen, Sense & Sensibility

MARCH

7. Rita Dove, Playlist for the Apocalypse

8. Louise Glück, The Seven Ages

9. Jane Austen, Northanger Abbey

APRIL

10. Megan Whalen Turner, Moira's Pen

11. Megan Whalen Turner, The Queen of Attolia

12. Megan Whalen Turner, The King of Attolia

13. Megan Whalen Turner, A Conspiracy of Kings

MAY

14. Megan Whalen Turner, Thick as Thieves

15. Megan Whalen Turner, Return of the Thief

16. Elizabeth Wein, The Winter Prince

17. Elizabeth Wein, A Coalition of Lions

18. Elizabeth Wein, Sunbird

19. Elizabeth Wein, The Lion Hunter

JUNE

20. Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird

21. bell hooks, Applachian Elegy

JULY

22. Michael Gibney, Sous Chef: 24 Hours on the Line*

23. C.S. Lewis, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

24. Elizabeth Wein, The Empty Kingdom

25. Dorothy Dunnett, Spring of the Ram

26. Michael Bazzett, You Must Remember This

27. Lisa Ampelman, Romances

28. Anthony Bourdain, Kitchen Confidential

29. Natalie Diaz, Post-Colonial Love Poem

AUGUST

30. Jenny Han, The Summer I Turned Pretty

31. Jenny Han, It's Not Summer Without You

32. Natalie Diaz, When My Brother Was an Aztec

33. Ocean Vuong, Time Is a Mother

34. L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Windy Poplars

35. Ocean Vuong, Night Sky with Exit Wounds

SEPTEMBER

36. Gregory Orr, The Last Love Poem I Will Ever Write

37. E.B. White, Here Is New York

38. Minka Kelly, Tell Me Everything

39. P.G. Wodehouse, My Man Jeeves

40. Carrie Fisher, The Princess Diarist

41. Jonathan Stroud, The Screaming Staircase*

42. Tobias Wolff, Old School

OCTOBER

43. Emi Nietfeld, Acceptance*

44. Charles Dickens, David Copperfield

45. R.F. Kuang, Yellowface

46. Louise Glück, Vita Nova

47. L.M. Montgomery, Emily of New Moon

48. L.M. Montgomery, Emily Climbs

49. L.M. Montgomery, Emily's Quest

50. Ada Limón, The Hurting Kind

NOVEMBER

51. Ron Rash, Poems

52. Louise Glück, Meadowlands

53. Tom Perrotta, Election

54. L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Avonlea

55. Louise Glück, Averno

56. L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables

57. Curtis Sittenfeld, Prep

DECEMBER

58. Tom Perrotta, Tracy Flick Can't Win

59. Pierce Brown, Red Rising*

60. Diana Wynne Jones, Howl's Moving Castle

61. Frances Hodgson Burnett, A Little Princess

62. Pierce Brown, Iron Gold

63. Sydney Taylor, All-of-a-Kind Family

64. William Faulkner, As I Lay Dying

65. George Eliot, Middlemarch

66. Louise Glück, Ararat

67. Michelle Zauner, Crying in H Mart

68. Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol

69. Kate Baer, And Yet

70. Marguerite de Angeli, The Lion in the Box

71. Pierce Brown, Golden Son

72. Laurie Halse Anderson, Shout