#The Authenticity Project

[cortlandkaard]

by the way shameless promotion but Read This Book! it's great :3

[desdasiwrites]

– Clare Pooley, The Authenticity Project

[embookreviews]

The Authenticity Project

Clare Pooley

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ (5/5)

Clare Pooley writes books for lonely people. each time i’ve read one of her books (so twice), i’ve found myself yearning for the friendships found in the book. sure, they’re twisted and messy and sometimes the relationships between people suck. but also, they all find each other and work it out in the end. i’m a pooley fan for life, both this and rules for commuting felt like they poked at a little hole in my life i didn’t know was there. that desire to find a group of strangers that i just….fit with.

also! i loved the little twist this book took, though i never felt the same about the character afterwards (so vague but i don’t want to spoil anything!! unless you’re like roy from the it crowd and even knowing there’s a twist is devastating information)

[fortbooks]

The Authenticity Project, A Novel by Clare Pooley

Okay, here's the thing. It's been close to a month since I finished reading this book and I never got around to writing about it because I got busy. Pass-out-in-bed-by-10-pm busy. But I did like this book…enough.

I like the premise. That I can say without quantifying anything. I like the premise: of leaving a notebook with your innermost "truth" with the hope that the next person will continue it. I like the idea of people touching other people's lives and changing it.

There's a reason why, for the longest time, my life motto was the whole "For Good" song from Wicked. Because people I met might not have changed me for the better, but they sure as hell changed me for good. And I like that. It takes the pressure off in being a good example, of always having to check yourself that you're not setting a bad precedent. Because none of us is perfect. And, for the most part, this book tackles that idea head on.

I just did not like some of the decisions the author made along the way…but that's a me-problem, and not an author-problem. My biggest problem was telegraphed pretty early by the book. The eventual love story between two characters who, if I'm going to be very honest with you: had no business being a couple. But the seeds were planted. And they were planted well. I just did not like the seeds. Or the fruit. But I can honestly that it doesn't make the book less enjoyable for me.

Well, maybe a little bit.

One character I did like kind of got the short-end of the stick. And with a book that had changing POVs, it was definitely a choice not to let us in on how this character went from emotion A to emotion B seemingly overnight. (It was a fortnight, at least, within the book's timeline. But it was a single chapter from my perspective.) Basically: I felt like the book was rushing its ending. And the repercussions of one character's actions didn't get explored before we moved on to the ending.

And then there's the ending.

Look, I get it. Life doesn't really just end and that's it. But I felt like it was a bold choice to wrap one character's journey in a very poignant note--and then introduce a new character just to keep the initial premise going. Again, this doesn't really detract from the book being an enjoyable read. But this last chapter felt very tacked on. As if the publisher asked the writer: is there a way of leaving it open-ended enough for a possible sequel? I feel like taking this last chapter out would've made the ending more powerful.

But that's just me.

And I think I've rambled on enough about this book that I read almost one month ago.

Do I recommend it? I guess, yes. It's good. There are just some stuff in it that I wish were better.

[kettle-bird]

Don’t be Fran-tic… If you're Jones-ing for a good time... Remember to Bea... Joyful!

(This update was so good it finally got me to do fanart for this project I LOVE these guys)

[wyervan]

would Sun be mad if i fiddled with his hair? Not in a grooming way. . . more like. . .

Would he let me grab a strand and twirl it around my finger?

Mmh! Okay—only if you guys were like, super familiar already. and he liked you. a lot. and he knew your hands were clean. Otherwise, Moonie's the only one he's comfortable with touching his hair. Anyone else tries it, and he’ll be flinching away, making excuses, and inching toward the Lysol.

If all the above is true, he quite likes having his hair played with! Twirling strands, gentle tugs, carding through his mane with your fingers. He’s lids will droop and he’ll get a dopey smile on his face 🥴. Be nearly purring in no time.

[imviotrash]

With the con Weekend approaching, I once again have to mentally prep myself to hear the question "iS tHiS fROm HaRrY pOTtEr?" while sporting an old Eton Uniform....

[vaspider]

Yeah it's really dark and potato video but I haven't scammed anyone for a $7K video camera so y'all are just stuck with some dyke's Original Thoughts, Badly Recorded.

[leonamelody047]

Who are you, beyond the needle and thread they used to make you? Is there a you beyond that? Do you want there to be?

[jennyfromthebes]

spreadsheet ask: 198! <3

198: Whon - this is actually the one I mentioned in my tags, my favorite song that's been played live one time. I feel like the Zoop shows are so notable that more people ought to know this song, but I've never seen anyone other than me talk about it!

[ask game - send me a number 1-200 and I'll send you the closest entry that there's a recording of on my unreleased tMG songs spreadsheet!]

[merriblu]

First time I could sit an hour at the piano with no pain and y’all… the level of serotonin released into my little golden retriever brain was such a delight.

I’ve only been playing for a year. I play BADLY. And it brings me so much joy and stability.

Do the thing you’re scared of doing, do it badly, and shit up and be happy about it. It does you more good than you will ever fully realize!

[teddybasmanov]

I hate the 'you work so hard' type of comfort audios. I don't work 'so hard', I definitely don't work hard - I barely work at all.

[florsial]

💌🕊️

What are your thoughts on the popular trend of "do you think we'll be [insert dynamic] in every/other universe/s?" but this time it's Sirius asking Regulus.

What would Reg say? How would Sirius ask it? Why would he ask it?

I’m so mad at myself I had like a whole essay and it WAS DELETED 😭😭 also sorry for the messy format!!

Anyways, I don’t think this type of interaction would ever occur face to face. I think this would only happen post Regulus death. Like Book 5 of Harry Potter when Sirius is stuck in Grimmauld. When Sirius would inevitably stumble upon a portrait of Regulus and finds himself asking “Do you think we would be brothers in every universe?” But in a way more so asking if there is a universe where they are both alive, happy, and together. I don’t think Sirius would ever doubt him and Regulus being family in every universe, it’s jsut a matter of can they be the family they choose in any universe. (Which I have a whole other thought about lol)

He’s asking because if Regulus can’t be in the family Sirius chose for himself in this universe, is there another Regulus can be?

I can’t see this type of interaction happening directly for some reason. Maybe because the question would be meant differently if Sirius directly asked Regulus? But Regulus being dead is such a vital part of why Sirius is asking the question in the first place in my head.

For Regulus’ answer (not like he would ever actually be able to answer it if I’m going along prev paragraphs), either way, is going to be yes.

Regulus will always hold out hope that he can be by Sirius side. Even in the canon universe. I’ve always believed that Regulus retains this possessiveness over Sirius that never fully went away. I mean, that’s his older brother, the person who probably raised him in an environment as hostile as Grimmauld, and the one person Regulus probably felt as if was the only person who truly loved him!! I don’t think Regulus ever fully made peace with not having Sirius in his life! Even after Sirius runs away, they still would’ve seen each in school! In the great hall, hallways, and probably in the quidditch pitch. Regulus had the knowledge that his brother was on the same campus him at all times.

Which makes it even more interesting when you remember he dies at around 17-18 years old, the age he would’ve been in his last year of Hogwarts after Sirius graduates!! Hogwarts is their last connection!! I don’t think Regulus ever fully processed not having Sirius in his life! So yes! He would always answer yes, they would be brothers in every universe, BECAUSE THEY ARE IN HIS HEARTTT!!!!

IM STILL MAD ABOUT THE FACT THAT TUMBLR DELETED MY PREVIOUS ANSWER UGHHHHHH

[scarletfasinera]

Had an opportunity to talk about my goal to read The Anatomy of Melancholy in 2025 with my best friend's brother & his girlfriend. She's a literature teacher, so she recognized it and seemed really impressed by the goal. She's was like "Wow! Isn't it like 1500 pages? That's a really good goal for the year, please keep me updated on your progress!" and when I got really serious and said "I'm GOING to read it entirely. It's my White Whale." she laughed & started clapping & nodding at me.

[logically-illogical-2me]

Marahuyo Project first episode was really good. But what did I expect, It's a queer story directed, written, produced, and acted by queer people.

[tryingtimi]

@the-wip-project Day 1: 698

Alright, the first day is here, and motivation hit an hour before bed, so that means I couldn't reach 1k. But, I got to more than half of it! And I also have a somewhat clear picture of the chapter I'm writing, so it's going to come a little bit easier tomorrow. Plus, I've edited my outline because I solved a little problem in the plot, and taken out a character that turned out just to be there for no reason, lol.

Hope today goes well for y'all!