#also read library of babel

[otherbug]

i think near would fit in the library of babel

[llycaons]

okay I resolved the bookshelf issue and les mis is in classics again but now I have THREE fantasy trilogies than I've been asking my parents to house but that clearly don't fit in their bookshelf. but I really don't want to bring them back, I have so little space....I guess I'll put them into storage but ngl the idea that my siblings aren't readers is really a blow

[neighbourhoodtwo]

Perhaps you should put it at the top.. perhaps you should dm me if you end up reading it and telling me all your opinions- perhaps you should-

Read it :3

It’s okay hahaha! Classes are a painnnn

woah... for some unknown reason i feel compelled to move it further up my list...

[july-19th-club]

some desperate glory is so America In Space (derogatory; intentional) that it does sometimes feel, during reading, like it's leaning a little heavy-handedly into the 'this is what american imperialism or american fundamentalism could look like in the rest of the universe. its Bad!'. like it almost seems way too obvious. but then i think about the average sixty-year-old military scifi reader - the kind of guy who would be likely to pick this book up at work and check it out - and i know for a fact that reading the word "enby" in the book would just be another scifi word to him like he's not reading it thinking 'ah, these are common gender terms', he's reading it thinking 'ah, the author has invented a neutral term for genders? maybe? maybe it's a type of alien?' like he doesn't know. and so whenever i as a spec fic reader who's thirty and online a lot and runs in very leftist circles see a review of a book that accuses it of spoonfeeding its readers very basic and obvious concepts i think about xkcd average familiarity. and quartz of course

[unravelingwires]

Nicknacks

Due to how spread across the country we are, my friend group from high school only meet each other once every six months or so, and we rarely all make it. The last time we met was last then a week ago, but my memory of the night has already splintered into emotions and small actions. Nicking apple slices from a bowl. An argument about Frankenstein that seems older than the book itself. Scolding a dog. A fabric bow. Swirling fruit juice in a glass. Digging through different kinds of cheese.

It usually takes me years to condense my memories into something that sounds beautiful. When I speak about beauty in the mundane, I mean the crunch of autumn leaves and the air after a thunderstorm, but I also mean the abrupt remembrance that a friend’s two years older than you. Some things are only beautiful in context. That makes them irritating to write about and marvelous to remember.

[elryuse]

Pt. 0 Babel University

Y/n's POV

It started with an envelope. A plain, ivory envelope with golden lettering that shimmered under the light.

“Congratulations on your acceptance to Babel University.”

I read it over and over again, as if staring at the words long enough would reveal some kind of trick. But no matter how many times I scanned the letter, the words didn’t change.

Babel University.

The most prestigious college in South Korea, known for producing the next generation of leaders, innovators, and—most importantly—chaebols. A place where tuition alone could bankrupt an average family. A place where people like me—ordinary, broke, and barely scraping by—should never have been able to step foot.

Yet here I was. Accepted.

“Y/n, are you sure this isn’t a mistake?” my mother asked, her voice trembling as she held the letter like it was made of glass.

“I don’t know, Mom,” I admitted, though the excitement bubbling inside me was impossible to hide. “But if it’s real, I can’t just ignore it.”

Arrival at Babel

The gates of Babel University were towering, wrought iron, and intimidating. The campus itself looked less like a school and more like a palace—a sprawling estate of glass buildings, manicured gardens, and fountains that gleamed under the sunlight.

I stepped out of the cramped bus, clutching my second-hand suitcase. My heart was pounding, not from excitement anymore, but from nerves. This was a world I didn’t belong to, a world where everyone walked with their heads high, dressed in designer clothes I couldn’t even pronounce.

My first day felt like walking into a lion’s den.

The First Encounter: ITZY

The cafeteria was massive, more like a five-star restaurant than a school dining hall. I was looking for a quiet corner to sit when the room suddenly hushed. Whispers erupted like wildfire.

“They’re here.”

“ITZY’s here.”

I turned my head and saw them: five girls walking in perfect formation like they owned the place.

“Move,” a sharp voice commanded.

The crowd parted like the Red Sea, and I got my first look at them.

At the front was Yeji, their leader. Her sharp, feline eyes scanned the room with an intensity that made my skin crawl. She exuded confidence, her every step deliberate and powerful.

Behind her was Lia, the one who smiled the most. Her kind expression seemed out of place compared to the others, but there was something about her calm demeanor that felt… calculated.

Then came Ryujin, the tomboy. She had a swagger to her walk, her short hair tucked behind her ears as she glanced around with a smirk, like she didn’t have a care in the world.

Chaeryeong was the opposite—shy, avoiding eye contact, her steps a little unsure. But there was something about the way she clung to Yeji’s side that suggested she wasn’t as innocent as she seemed.

And finally, Yuna. The youngest, but also the loudest. She didn’t even try to hide her bratty attitude as she scoffed at the crowd.

They passed me without so much as a glance, but I felt the weight of their presence long after they were gone.

The Second Encounter: AESPA

Later that day, I stumbled into the library, hoping to escape the suffocating atmosphere. But instead, I walked straight into another storm.

Four girls sat at the largest table, their presence commanding the entire room.

“Quiet,” a cold voice snapped, and the librarian didn’t dare to argue.

At the center was Karina, her piercing eyes locking onto me the moment I entered. Her aura was ice-cold, and she didn’t look away until I dropped my gaze first.

Winter was next to her, a small smile playing on her lips. But there was a sharpness to her eyes, a cunning glint that made my stomach twist.

Giselle, lounging in her seat, radiated confidence. She had an easy, swag-filled air about her, like she didn’t need to try to be the center of attention.

And then there was Ningning, the youngest of the group. Her youthful energy stood out, but the way she tilted her head and studied me made her seem far older than she was.

I didn’t stay long.

The Third Encounter: IVE

By the time evening rolled around, I was desperate for air. I wandered aimlessly until I found myself in the garden. It was quiet, peaceful—until it wasn’t.

Laughter echoed from the gazebo, and I saw them: six girls who looked like they had stepped out of a magazine.

Yujin was at the center, her bold, commanding voice ringing out as she told a story. She laughed easily, but there was an edge to her that made it clear she wasn’t someone to cross.

Next to her was Wonyoung, who looked every bit the princess she was rumored to be. Her smile was dazzling, but there was a haughtiness to her that made me wary.

Gaeul leaned back in her chair, her free-spirited laugh lighting up the night. She was carefree, but her sharp gaze missed nothing.

Liz, the cheerful one, was the only one who seemed genuinely warm, her smile lighting up her face as she chatted animatedly.

Rei, the Japanese beauty, was quieter, her eyes sharp and observant. There was a regal air about her that made her seem untouchable.

And then there was Leesoo, who sat apart from the others, her expression unreadable. Rumor had it she was a chaebol heiress, and the way the others deferred to her confirmed it.

They hadn’t noticed me yet, but I knew that wouldn’t last.

Why Me?

I didn’t understand it then. Why someone like me had been accepted to Babel University. Why I kept crossing paths with the most powerful groups on campus.

But I was about to find out. And it wasn’t going to be the fairy tale I’d imagined.

Because behind their beauty, their charm, and their power… they were watching.

And they weren’t about to let me go.

To be continued…

[barbwritesstuff]

The Goodreads Choice awards has happened. It included a 'romantasy' category and no 'graphic novel' category. I take that as permission to make up my own ridiculous genres as I tell you about what I read in 2023.

Obviously, 2023 is not finished yet, but I'm doing a reading challenge at my library, so I don't think I'll be reading stuff I want to read for the rest of the year. Just stuff my librarian friend thinks its funny to make me read.

I've read 65ish books. Here are the highlights sorted into easy and normal groups.

Scifi books in which the main character spends 99% of the book wandering around a horrifying cave:

I enjoyed both of these, but Piranesi was a joy to read.

Vampires:

Empire of the Vampire was wild. House of Hunger was horny. Dowry of Blood was both of those things.

Ace books:

Disclaimer: I didn't actually like Loveless or Let's Talk About Love very much but I know a lot of people did, so I thought I'd include them here.

Vanilla surprised me because I don't normally like poetry but it was really good. Heartbreaking, but good.

Memoirs by people way too young to write memoirs:

All of which were funny!

Books about white people being shitty to Asian (specifically Chinese) people in the entertainment industry with ambiguous endings and a huge amount of research into the industry on blast:

Yellowface is for you if you like Hbomberguy's latest video. Seriously, those two go together like a fine wine and a good cheese. The Whitewash was also fantastic and so under appreciated.

Books that made me want to quit my job and become a ridiculous but stylishly dressed criminal:

Seriously. Rogues included a step by step guide on how to become a wine forger... and I was tempted.

HISTORY:

Okay, so Babel isn't really history, in that it's actually a magical dark academia, but it's tied into historical events, and made me look up some history, so I think it counts. The wager was the most exciting history book I've ever read. I was so invested in the lives and deaths of these silly scurvy-ridden seamen.

There are other books I read and enjoyed but I can't think of funny categories to put them into, so you don't get to hear about them.

Anyway. That's it. Read books.

Also, get a library card if you can. I practically live at my local library and have learnt so much from reading.

Here's last year's post if you want more books...

[cyberstudious]

sunday, august 4th, 2024

this weekend I got a library card for the library in my new city and spent a while exploring and getting excited about books. I had to restrain myself from checking out like every book in the tech section because they were all so interesting lol. for now I'm borrowing books on high performance python and identity security, because those are the two topics I'm struggling with at work right now haha. not pictured is Babel, which I'm currently reading as an ebook. I've just been in book mode for the past few weeks and I want to learn all the things!

also yesterday I published a post announcing the studyblr masterpost jam! there's been some chatting around studyblr about bringing back some of the old-style studyblr resource posts and the like, and I thought this would be a fun way to do it! I'll be writing a bunch of masterposts about cybersecurity next week and I'd love to learn about what y'all are studying <3

[cafeleningrad]

10 books to be read in 2025

tagged by @ante--meridiem to talk about all the books planned to be read this year. Good opportunity to sort my to read pile. Prelude; Started and about to finish

"Simplicius Spilicissimus" by Hans Jakob Christoffel von Grimmelshausen; Started in November 2024; Not a small book to casually carry around, and somehow my lecture got interrupted. Yet it is hillarious, absurd, by times painfully close describing warcrimes and torture of it's time. I have a currently a niche interest in the 30 year war.

"the award goes to Sally Bong!" by Sebastian Lim; Need to finish my library borrowed titles first before due return date before I can finish this one - still the Singaporean publisher representative pulled the old "oh, it's on a potential ban-list in Singapore...!" trick and I fell for it. Not that I'm complaining, it's an engaging read.

"Piranesi" by Susanne Clarke; Last year and in the beginning of this year I was negatively surprised by popular titles I wanted to try out to point where I thought "maybe GRRM is really this good of a writer if the competition in this genre is majorly so underwhelming". BUT this one is beloved by many tumblr mutuals, and already on page one it is deeply enchanting.

Le pays des autres by Leïla Slimani;

The last wish by Andrzej Sapkowski; Finally, finally it was available in my local library.

Thicker than water by Oyinkan Braithwaite; The first title of the book was named "My sister the serial killer", then elaborated with a sister who has to clean up her serial murdering sister's mess. Already hooked! Ever since "The baby's mine!", Braithwaite's style to breezily encapsulate the profoundness of life that only appears to be easily summarized from the outside.

Kissani Jugoslavia by Pajtim Statovci

The Whale by Cheong Myeong-Kwan

L'hygiène de l'assassin by Amélie Nothomb; Already liked "Les prénoms éponines", and a well read tumblr mutual really likes this title.

Que sur toi lemente le Tigre - Emilienne Malfatto

Babel Tower by Antonia S. Byatt; This year I will read another Oxbridge fantasy novel, also also "Babel" in the title but this time it will be good. Byatt is bound to be good.

The Black Prince by Iris Murdoch

The God of small things by Arundhati Roy;

Now I'm curious what everyone else is up for their "to-read"-list. (But no obligation to answer the tag.) @bengalaas @maryasmorevna @mrs-storm-andrews @pontipines @frederick-the-great @bigre-fichtre @thewitch2077 @starlightstew @hlblng @themonstrousother @like-tears-in-rain-storms and everyone else who would love to talk about their reading plans!

[theinquisitxor]

March 2025 Reading Wrap Up

In March I read 7 books, 1 dnf, and 1 short story, so 9 total things read. I thought it was a good reading month overall, and I read a lot of young adult-- which I don't read much of anymore. I feel like I've aged out of the genre for the most part, but there are a few books/series I still enjoy. Let's get into what I read!

1.World of Wonders: In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks, and Other Astonishments by Aimee Nezhukumatathil, 4.5/5 stars. This is a collection of memoir essays and a love letter to nature. Aimee connects a different moment of her life to an animal or aspect of nature. I found her writing very enjoyable and a very refreshing read.

2.Oathbound (Legendborn Cycle 3) by Tracy Deonn, 4/5 stars. One of my most anticipated releases of the year, and one of the few ongoing ya-fantasy series I'm still reading. I had such a fun time reading this, and it had some tropes that I also found very fun to read. I didn't love it quite as much as books 1 and 2, buuuttt it was still solid and very good.

3.Fable for the End of the World by Ava Reid, 4/5 stars. If you were like me in the early 2010s obsessed with The Hunger Games and read a lot of the other dystopian books that dominated those years, this is a solid return to that genre but with a bit more of a 2020s lens. The ending is a bit polarizing and I have mixed feelings about it though.

4. The Naming (The Books of Pellinor 1) by Alison Croggon, 5/5 stars. This was one of my favorite books of my early teen years, and one I've been wanting to reread for several years. Safe to say I still loved this book and it stands the test of time. Reading it as an adult I picked up on so much more. I highly recommend this book/series!

5. The Riddle (Pellinor 2) by Alison Croggon, 4.5/5 stars. Unlike the first book, I did not remember anything from this book before my reread. So it was almost like reading it completely new. To me this one was even more emotional and our characters go through some soul-searching. Our main character deserves nothing bad to happen to her ever.

6. Ancillary Justice (Imperial Radch 1) by Ann Leckie, DNF. Unfortunately I was bored trying to read this, and I don't really care to see what happens. I first tried the audiobook, and then switched to a physical copy, but neither were able to keep my interest. It's not bad, I just personally couldn't get into it :(

7.Stolen Focus: Why You Can't Pay Attention— and How to Think Deeply Again by Johann Hari. I've felt for a little while that my attention span and ability to focus is not as good as it used to be (and that smartphones/social media/big tech is responsible) so this was very refreshing to read, affirmed my thoughts on things, and I learned quite a bit on how our collective ability to focus has been damaged. Highly recommend if you feel the same!

8. Wildwood Dancing (Wildwood 1) by Juliet Marillier, 4/5 stars. This was my Random TBR Pick for the month of March, and a book that was on my tbr since 2020. This is a ya-fairy tale retelling that was a mix of several tales set in Transylvania in some unspecified historical period. I enjoyed this and was glad to read another Juliet Marillier book!

9. The Library of Babel by Jorge Luis Borges, 4/5 stars. This is a short story by the acclaimed author, and his imaging of an infinite library containing every variation of the alphabet, and those how search through the library. This had been on my tbr since 2018, so I was glad to have finally read it!

That was all for March!

In April I'm hoping to read:

Finish Pellinor series (books 3 & 4) (prequel at some point?!)

Wildwood Dancing #2

Nonfiction -- Backyard Bird Chronicles maybe?

Random TBR Book -- Child of a Hidden Sea by AM Dellamonica

Whatever else I feel like reading! (maybe attempt The Luminaries ?)

[stealingyourbones]

Ok! You've convinced me! If I want to be part of this community, I should explore the source material. I don't know if I'll like the artform, but if nothing else it's a cultural juggernaut I can research. My mom grew up watching Batman the Animated series, so I know that's an entry point I can try out, but I do like webcomics and manga, so I know that I might like comics better. It's an odd criteria, but is there a batman comic I can start with that's aesthetically pleasing?

Ooo aesthetically pleasing? That’s one I haven’t heard before. I’ll throw you a handful of choices of my favorite pretty comics!

Also I do 100% reccomend Batman The Animated Series which is my favorite interpretation of Batman to this day as it is for many, that and Justice League and Justice League United are WONDERFUL gateways too! (My favorite animated DC series of the time is Superman The Animated Series tied with BtAS)

I always recommend in order: Batman Year One, Batman Long Halloween, and Batman Dark Victory as it’s how I got into Batman in the first place and it’s a pretty good jumping off point. They also have movies of all 3.

mAN ok this is hard because aesthetic comics are SUCH a personal preference. Comic artists will constantly change around all the time. The current Batman/Superman Worlds Finest comic run is INCREDIBLY aesthetically pleasing and pretty as it’s drawn by Dan Mora so that could be a good go to.

- The Dark Knight Returns. It’s has a very fun gritty artstyle that I adore and it’s a comic that changed comics as we know it.

- Batman Universe is a wonderfully fun comic and his artstyle is fun so definitely check that one out.

- All Star Superman (2005-2008) has… ok artwork. But you get used to it and it’s story is one of the best written for Superman modern day.

- JLA Tower of Babel. Art is nice and the story is about Batman’s contingencies falling into the wrong hands. Good shit

Onto some Elseworld stories that aren’t canon but I LOVE the artstyles:

- Batman White Knight’s artstyle is BEAUTIFUL but isn’t a very good interpretation for your first time reading comics as it isn’t normal characterization of everyone.

- Batman Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth drawn by Dave McKean. It isn’t my favorite comic with it’s very edgy “hey what if batman is insane” (which yeah no shit he is insane) but the artstyle is uncanny and disturbing and beautiful.

- Kingdom Come. You have to know a bit about comics beforehand, I’d just recommend reading an article or blogpost critiquing 90s comic books, and behold the genuine beauty and glory that is this story. Painted by Alex Ross it’s one of the most beautiful comics out there.

They’re available online, your local library, or at your local comic shop! I hope you have a blast checking out the cool things comics have to offer!

[hostilecandle]

Okay fellow fic writers, we need to have a little chat. I really need yall to understand that Ao3 is not a social media site, it is an archive. And because of that there are 2 big things I am begging you to grasp

1) You do NOT control who reads your fics. It is getting increasingly often I'm seeing "minors dni" and "proship dni" on fics on the archive. Yall... that is not. how. archives. work. You don't get to choose that. The second you consent to your fic being posted in an archive you have consented to anyone reading it. That is how an archive functions. If that is a problem or sticking point for you or makes you uncomfortable, don't post there. It's simple. There are basic and common sense rules that apply when using an archive, and the ability for anyone to read what's posted to archival site is one of them. Imagine if you went through a physical archive in a library or at a college or wherever and they had signs saying "X do not read/interact" yall would recognize that as wrong and stupid. Recognize it in yourself as well

2) I need yall to understand what tags are actually for. They're not for triggers, contrary to popular belief and discourse. Though can be used as a very helpful tool for it. They're there, and im sure I'm beating a dead horse saying this again, BECAUSE ITS A FUCKING ARCHIVE. Do yall not understand how those work? Tags are for filtering so people can find. what. they're. looking. for. This is why it's important to tag things like blood, gore, mcd, fluff, cheating, marriage, whump, happy endings etc. It's why its a bullshit argument to say "I don't want to spoil it" (apart for the massive ethics problem that is you weirdos) that's not what an archive is for. Post it here, or wattpad, fanfic or live journal (if theyre still functioning) or in a long af threadfic on twitter. Hell, post it on fb or insta for all I give a shit. But if you want to play by social media rules, post it on a social media not an archival site.

And I've seen the argument that "published works aren't held to this standard" and 1) you're work isn't a published book and 2) YES THEY ARE. When a published work is added to an archive, they also have to be properly labeled. Why the fuck do yall think they dont??? Sure if your fic was on a Barnes and noble shelf, you wouldn't have to say or "spoil" it. You don't even have to do it here on Tumblr, though I frankly think it's an absolute dickhead move. But anything in an archive is labeled or "tagged". Otherwise it's just a mess of words that no one can seperate from each other. You'd be creating a library of babel without it.

So tldr: learn what an archive actually is, stop putting '___ dni' on your ao3 fics, and tag. your. fics. and stop complaining about it in said tags for fucks sake 😭😭😭

[ninja-muse]

Well, this was a surprisingly strong start to my reading year! I don’t normally give out super high ratings, and especially not so close together, but The City in Glass and The Scholar and the Last Faerie Door deserved nothing less. I also had a nice surprise in In Veritas, which was honestly a “what the heck do I read now” selection, and a very fun time with Greenteeth. I’d review that one but I’ve already done two reviews this month, so just know that if you want a cozy-ish fantasy that’s a shade or two lighter than T. Kingfisher but with the same darkish humour, it’s one to pick up.

Sadly, I also had one DNF. Yield Under Great Persuasion is a fun cozy queer fantasy romance, but the particular character tropes and dynamic just didn’t work for me. And that would’ve been my only queer book, which is also something of a surprise. (Queer authors, yes. Queer-norm worlds, yes. But no queer focus.) I can only hope that February will be gayer, more trans, or more ace, but I’m a mood reader. It’ll be what it’ll be, I guess.

But yes, if you’re counting, I’ve read primarily fantasy this month, including two novels with fairies pretty close together. One of the ARCs I brought home was the third Emily Wilde book, which I’m eager to get to, but it’s going to fall tonally right in the middle of “amusing light fantasy” and “female academic studying fairies” and I can recognize that I need to read at least one book before I pick it up, to give myself space. Which is why I’ve pulled The Prague Cemetery off my shelves. It’s about as different as I can get while staying fiction, I think. And yes, I did look at nonfiction choices. None of them spoke to me.

I’ve decided to add the occasional read-like to my wrap-ups. There have been a few books this month that have reminded me of specific things, be it authors or books or other things, and that’s usually the case in a month. I thought it might be fun to make those notes when I have them, since the way I’m doing my “reviews” here is so compact.

As for my book haul, after not receiving the last two October Daye novels for my birthday or for Christmas, I had to go out and rectify that situation—and of course, the Wayward Children novellas are auto-buys. The other book I picked up was The Myth of Normal, rescued from our damaged books shelf at work because I’ve been on the fence about it for a while. I figure I’ll either find it an interesting or infuriating read, but who knows when I’ll get to it.

In other news, I’ve started writing again, at least a little, and I’ve manage to jot down a couple bunnies that may or may not make good short stories. There’s nothing much else to report. Just working and reading and, oh yes, getting a cold. Don’t get colds, folks. They’re not fun.

And so, without further ado, here’s what I read this month in order of personal enjoyment…

The City in Glass - Nghi Vo

When the demon Vitrine’s city is destroyed by angels, she sets herself to rebuilding while an angel, caught by her grief, tries to understand.

10/10

for fans of: Strange the Dreamer

🏳️‍🌈 secondary characters (sapphic, achillean, trans man)

warning: war, death, grief

library book

The Scholar and the Last Faerie Door - H.G. Parry When Clover’s brother returns from the trenches carrying a faerie curse, she vows to cure him. Step one is earning a place in the magical university of Camford—but the friends she makes there, and the secrets they uncover, have a much longer, wider, darker reach.

9/10

for fans of: Babel, Pip Williams, Susanna Clarke

🏳️‍🌈 secondary characters (gay), Indo-British secondary character

library book

In Veritas - C.J. Lavigne

Drawn by her synaesthesia and a dog/snake/shadow, Verity encounters a hidden world of magical people in an Ottawa theatre—a world threatened by technology and in need of saving.

7/10

for fans of: Charles de Lint

neurodivergent protagonist, secondary character with permanently injured leg, Black and East Asian secondary characters, 🇨🇦

warning: suicide, murder, knife violence, false commission to psychiatric facility

library ebook

Genealogy of a Murder - Lisa Belkin In 1960, an ex-con shoots a cop and a doctor could have stopped him—but what was it about their lives that shaped them into who they became?

7.5/10

for fans of: deep-dive true crime podcasts

warning: discussions of poverty, domestic abuse, child abuse, alcoholism, deaths of children and parents, dubiously ethical experiments

library ebook

Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear - Seanan McGuire When Nadya’s adoptive parents give her a prosthetic in their bid to make her a perfect American girl, she finds refuge in the world of Belyyreka.

7/10

protagonist with arm hemimelia and a prosthetic

bought/off my TBR

Greenteeth - Molly O’Neill When a witch is thrown into Jenny Greenteeth’s lake, the two women band together to get the witch’s life back, but it won’t be easy. The new parson has brought something old and dark and wrong to their village, and they must go on a quest to rid Britain of it. Out in February

for fans of: T. Kingfisher, Diana Wynne Jones

7/10

🏳️‍🌈-coded protagonist (ace)

warning: animal death

reading copy

And Put Away Childish Things - Adrian Tchaikovsky Harry Bodie is a washed-up actor descended from an author of second-rate portal fantasies. He is definitely not the heir to the throne of Underhill, because Underhill. Does. Not. Exist. (He’s in for more than a bit of a rude awakening.)

7.5/10

for fans of: Paul Cornell, postmodern takes of children’s classics

warning: Covid-19 pandemic

library ebook

A Daughter of No Nation - A.M. Dellamonica Sophie’s returned to the world of Stormwrack, to learn more about its ecologies and her birth father. But when she learns something horrific about him, Stormwrack’s politics and legalities suddenly become a darker web.

7/10

for fans of: adult portal fantasies

🏳️‍🌈 secondary characters (gay, lesbian), secondary characters read as Black and South Asian, 🇨🇦

warning: slavery, violence

library book

Fifty Places to Travel Solo - Chris Santella and DC Helmuth Some suggested destinations for single travellers.

7.5/10

interviewees of diverse backgrounds, orientations, and body types

library book

Interference - Sue Burke

The Pax colony is thrown into turmoil by a mission from Earth, and it looks like Humans, Earthlings, and Glassmakers might not be the only sentiences out there.

6.5/10

off my TBR

Picture Books

Knight Owl - Christopher Denise Owl wants to be a knight and when knights start disappearing at the castle, he gets his chance!

Bunny Made Tea - Amanda Baehr Fuller

Bunny wants a cup of tea but unfortunately, so does Possum. Out in February

DNF

Yield Under Great Persuasion - Alexandra Rowland Tam has hated Lord Lyford since they were children. Tam and Lyford have been hooking up regularly. When Tam learns that Lyford is favoured by his goddess (which he doesn’t deserve), it’s the last straw and he must confront his feelings and his actions if he wants any hope of a better future.

🏳️‍🌈 protagonist (gay), 🏳️‍🌈 love interest (achillean), 🏳️‍🌈 author

library book

Currently reading

The Prague Cemetery - Umberto Eco A journey through the social upheavals of 19th century Europe, through the eyes of a forger who hates everyone, believes every conspiracy, and is trying to piece together lost time and a secondary identity.

warning: anti-Semitic protagonist and secondary characters; protagonist also xenophobic, racist, and misogynist

off my TBR

The Penguin Complete Sherlock Holmes - Arthur Conan Doyle Victorian detective stories

disabled POV character (limb injury), occasional Indian secondary characters

warning: racism, colonialism

Monthly total: 10+2 Yearly total: 10 Queer books: 0 Authors of colour: 1 Books by women: 8.5 Authors outside the binary: 0 Canadian authors: 2 Classics: 0 Off the TBR shelves: 2 Books hauled: 4 ARCs acquired: 3 ARCs unhauled: 1 DNFs: 1

[crystaloregarden]

made a visual bingo sheet for doing @batmanisagatewaydrug 's 2025 book bingo since my memory is a lot better with images + I'm not a person who remembers or pays a lot of mind to genres so I'd just forget anyhow B)

also, a few of my friends and i are doing this book bingo together in my server, if any of my moots want to join in!

book titles & my reason for choosing them under the cut:

Literary Fiction: If We Were Villains - M.L. Rio (blind pick from storygraph)

Short Story Collection: The Collected Short Stories of Roald Dahl - Roald Dahl (roald dahl is on this list already so i figured i'd read some of his other stuff, too!)

Sequel: Two Hearts & The Way Home - Peter S. Beagle (sequels-ish to the last unicorn which is one of my top fav pieces of media of all time I NEEEED THESE)

Reread a childhood favorite: Matilda - Roald Dahl (LOVE THIS BOOK & MOVIE SO MUCH!!!)

20th century speculative fiction: The Left Hand of Darkness - Ursula K. Le Guin (i've been trying and failing to read Wizard of Earthsea due to lack of time + its juvenile tone so hoping i can find something i like in this book instead!)

Fantasy: Iron Widow - Xiran Jay Zhao (been on my TBR forever and finally have an excuse to prioritize it)

Published before 1950: The Phantom of the Opera - Gaston Leroux (ALSO been on my TBR forever, attempted to read it once via audiobook but the audiobook reader was so bad at reading that i had to put it down. hopefully my library has a print copy!!)

Indie Publisher: Those We Do Not See - Angie Gallion (looked on the list that the tumblr post recommended, ended up at red adept publishing and blind picked)

Graphic Novel/Comic Book/Manga: Dragon Quest - Adventure of Dai (recommended to me by luca! he first recommended dragonball to me and i had to decline because that's is SO many chapters FHSJDFKL)

Animal on the Cover: The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World - Robin Wall Kimmerer (obsessed with all of kimmerer's works and need to read them all NOOOWWWWWW)

Set in a Country You Have Never Visited: The Fox Wife - Yangsze Choo (this was recommended to me right before i left kansas by the person who did my hair so it's only been on my TBR a short while, but i'm always super eager to read books that were personally recommended to me!!)

Science Fiction: Time Shards - David Fitzgerald, Dana Fredsti (was on my TBR in storygraph, i don't remember adding this so it might as well be a blind pick FHKSJDHF)

2025 Debut Author: The Woman In The Wallpaper - Lora Jones (blind pick!)

Memoir: Leading Lady: A Memoir of a Most Unusual Boy - Charles Busch (recommended to me by my coworker at my old job who was an elderly gay man who spent his life in theatre, extra excited to read this one!!)

Essay Collection: Fanged Noumena: Collected Writings 1987-2007 - Nick Land (on my storygraph TBR, i think i saw some quotes from a tumblr post and added it?? i THINK)

2024 Award Winner: Dance with Me - Georgia Beers (blind picked from the Lambda Literary Awards since they focus on LGBT+ works!)

Nonfiction: Conflict Is Not Abuse: Overstating Harm, Community Responsibility, and the Duty of Repair - Sarah Schulman (recommendation from a tumblr account i follow for book recs on activism and mental health)

Activism/SJ: Revolting Prostitutes: The Fight for Sex Workers' Rights - Molly Smith, Juno Mac (same as above!)

Romance Novel: Norwegian Wood - Haruki Murakami (was on my storygraph TBR)

Horror: Annihilation - Jeff VanderMeer (i am vaguely aware that the movie version of this book is dogshit and i've heard the book is LEAGUES better so i want to take a peek for myself)

Published in 2000-2009: Reading Like a Writer: A Guide for People Who Love Books and for Those Who Want to Write Them - Francine Prose (ohhh i added this to my tbr recently-ish but i don't remember where i found it, i am SUPER interested in this though as both a writer and an avid reader!)

Historical Fiction: Babel - R.F. Kuang (blind pic, partially influenced by the fact that luca brings up the tower of babel so often that we have a spiritual "mentioning tower of babel" jar in place)

all i need now is the library rec (i'll be moving in walking distance from a library in a couple weeks), the read & make a zine (i'll poke around archive.org to find some interesting ones & potentially want to make one myself about my old cat who passed) and read & make a recipe (i cook at home rather than eat out most of the time so this is gonna happen prolly within like a week of 2025 anyways)

[kanha-ki-fangirl]

What are your favourite reads so farr????

(I've been wanting to pick up secret history so baddd but it's so itimidating 😖)

My favourite reads? Oooooh I have MANYYYY

Here's the thing. There are books that I read at a certain age that became my favourite but which if I read now, I'm not sure if I'd still love them the same. But that doesn't discount the younger Vi's obsession with them! So I'll list them ALL

(the ones in purple are the ones younger me has liked but I'm not sure if I would still call my favorites or not. The ones in orange are the ones that I'm 100% sure of being my current favourites)

1) Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince (ya girl's a basic bish whatchu gonna do)

2) The Curse of Mohenjodaro (when I started reading I had 8 books in total for a while. HP and this one. I'd do the HP marathon, then read this one, then read HP again. Yes it's tattooed on my brain).

3) Pollyanna

4) All the Rick Riordan books till Trials Of Apollo Tower of Nero

5) We Were Liars

6) On Earth we're briefly gorgeous (the first book I annotated. Or tried to at least :p)

7) The Midnight Library (this book came to me at such a right time. I really needed it when I read it)

8) The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue (I read this book over the course of the worst year of my life. I remember nothing except this book from back then and the comfort that it brought me was something that I can't even begin to describe)

9) Babel by R.F. Kuang (This book 🤌🏻😩)

10) Emily Dickinson's 100 Selected Poems (does it count as a book? I know it's a poem collection but imma still count it ig)

11) Bhagwad Geeta

12) Pride and Prejudice (ya girl's a basic bish whatchu gonna do)

13) Odyssey

14) The Picture Of Dorian Gray (BASIL! He's so me. I'd also get killed tryna make a person I used to call my friend but haven't been close to in a while believe they aren't the monster they think they are and that there's still time to repent)

15) The Metamorphosis

16) The Bell Jar ("The silence depressed me. It wasn't the silence of silence. It was my own silence." Sylvia Plath why do you hurt me?)

17) Hamlet (I may have picked the worst book to start Shakespeare but we roll)

18) Classic works of horror of Edgar Allan Poe (this was also a collection so does this also not qualify?)

19) Lessons In Chemistry (Elizabeth Zott save me)

20) Dante's Divine Comedy (I too would write a religion fanfic of me and my favourite author being besties and adventuring. Nah but fr, I'm not even halfway through and I'd die for this book)

21) The Secret History

What an odd number this list ended on.

Also, yes, completely agree, The Secret History is so intimidating?? I kept putting it off for like a year! Like I read the first few paragraphs and was like "need to come back with higher brain power" but in reality the hue of the rest of the book is so different from the first few paragraphs!

@groovycynicalcheesecake thank you so much for this ask! This was my favourite ask ever!!!

[duckprintspress]

My 2025 TBR

@hullosweetpea pinged me (on my personal account, @unforth) to do a "9 books I plan to read in 2025" meme, but I'd been meaning to do a post about the silly method I used to make my TBR anyway, so I'm gonna do that instead.

I've never been good about keeping track of books I've wanted to read, but in 2024 when I really started digging in to read a lot, I came up with a plan - I put together a TBR from recently published books (so, from 2023) plus a few books I'd had lying around for a long time - I had an "imminent" TBR on my nightstand and an older "oops didn't get to these yet" TBR that I'd shoved in a bedside cabinet. I grabbed all the old TBR, mixed them together with the imminent TBR, and treated that as my "real" TBR. I then put it in an order that I thought would help motivate me to read the things I was less enthusiastic about (but still wanted to read!) and set about making myself read them in order. I didn't actually manage that - things got shifted as new more exciting releases came out, and when something I was less enthusiastic about came to the top, I often bumped it until I felt up for reading it. But I actually think my flexibility in approach helped cause it meant I didn't stall, and by the end of 2024 I managed to read every single book that was in my TBR pile at the start of 2024.

Of course, I then had a completely new pile of books that I'd acquired, been handed by my wife after she read them cause she thought I'd like them, or borrowed from friends.

So, given that this method essentially worked, I of course, inevitably, decided to do it even more for 2025! Even though my TBR going into 2025 is already bigger than my pile was going into 2024, I nonetheless decided to go to the deep dark depths of cold storage - I went up to the attic (where our library is!) and dug out about a half-dozen books that I've been meaning to read; some I've had around for 20 years without getting to them. And I took my existing TBR, and these new books, and I made four piles:

(stupid long post about my TBR follows, behind a readmore)

Pile 1: The Books On The Top. These are the books that either I got most recently and I'm excited for, or that have been on my TBR longest, and I decided to leave them as-is. These are the books I'm either most excited to read or most determined to read.

This pile can basically be treated as my answer to the 9 books meme, even though there are only seven of them. It's also slightly out of date - I took this picture a few days ago, I'm now reading top book.

The Disabled Tyrant's Beloved Pet Fish by Xue Shan Fei Hu

The Fall of the House of Tatterly by Shanna Miles

The Missing Piece by Kun Yi Wei Lou

The City We Became by N. K. Jemisin

You're Too OP by Yi Xiu Luo

Babel by R. F. Kuang

Dream of the Red Chamber by Tsao Hsueh Chin

Looking at this pile, I think it's pretty obvious which are the titles I bought and which are the ones my wife handed over to me after she read them, assuming you know anything about my usual reading habits (it's danmei. I read danmei, lmao). I yoinked the Chinese classic off my mom's bookshelves, I want to expand my familiarity with the roots of Chinese lit so that I understand more about what I'm reading now.

Piles 2, 3, and 4: The books I'm excited about (left), neutral about (middle), and the books I'm kinda meh about but still would like to read (right).

I took all the remaining books, both more recent and from the cold storage (literally cold storage, our attic doesn't have much heat lmao), and sorted them into these three piles. A lot of the books I'm actually most excited to read aren't out yet; those I'll add to the pile as I buy them, so the final pile will change. I collated these three piles - alternating things I was excited for, things I was neutral about, and things I was meh about - into a final complete TBR.

This is my TBR for the year - not everything I'll read, by any means, but I'll attempt, by the end of 2025, to have read all these books, plus anything else I come across, thus that by the end of 2025, I'll have once again ship-of-Theseus'd by TBR pile. This entire pile, plus sources:

The Disabled Tyrant's Beloved Pet Fish by Xue Shan Fei Hu (bought for myself)

The Fall of the House of Tatterly by Shanna Miles (passed over by my wife)

The Missing Piece by Kun Yi Wei Lou (bought for myself)

The City We Became by N. K. Jemisin (passed over by my wife - we also have the sequel, though she hasn't read it, and I expect if I like this one I'll probably read that soon after)

You're Too OP by Yi Xiu Luo (bought for myself)

Babel by R. F. Kuang (passed over by my wife)

Dream of the Red Chamber by Tsao Hsueh Chin (borrowed from my mom)

After the War by Stuart Sharp (bought for myself - this is an indie press title from the press I was vending next to at Readercon, it sounds really good!)

Where You Linger and Other Stories by Bonnie Jo Stufflebeam (another indie press Readercon acquisition, from Lethe Press)

The Fox and the Fallen Prince by Kate East (I traded a badly damaged copy of Aim For The Heart for this book at Flamecon, with a self-pub author who was vending across from me)

Slouch: Posture Panic in Modern America by Beth Linker (passed over by my wife)

Most Likely to Summon Nyhiloteph (another Readercon book, an anthology from Ghost Orchid Press)

The Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi (passed over by my wife)

Black Cranes: Tales of Unquiet Women (this anthology was on the take a book-leave a book table at Readercon and looked interesting)

Winter's Orbit by Everina Maxwell (from cold storage, though I've not actually had it a long time; this is from a huge stash of queer books I stumbled upon at Goodwill one day and bought...all of.)

Devotion by Anna Denisch (got this self-pubbed title at the Book and Comic Expo at The Shirt Factory last fall)

The Bad Guys Won by Jeff Pearlman (passed over by my dad)

The Dragons of Heaven by Alyc Helms (from cold storage, I'm sorry it's taken me so long to get to it @alychelms I've had it on my TBR since it first came out, oops)

(this one I can't remember the title on and don't feel like going to check, but it's a freebie/teaser that the guy vending next to me at The Shirt Factory gave me)

The Gilded Chain by Dave Duncan (from cold storage)

War of the Oaks by Emma Bull (from cold storage)

Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender (another Goodwill stash/cold storage book)

The Last Icon: Tom Seaver and His Times by Steven Travers (passed over by my dad; he passes me books about the Mets, in case that wasn't obvious yet, we both love baseball)

Fight Like a Girl edited by April Steenburgh & Christy Lennox (from cold storage; this was my first publication credit! but I've never actually read the whole anthology, oops)

The State of Us by Shaun David Hutchinson (another Goodwill stash/cold storage book)

Vicksburg: 1863 by Winston Groom (from cold storage; I am not only not-so-secretly a baseball fan, I'm also not-so-secretly a Civil War buff)

Sooo... that's 26 books, including some non-fiction that'll probably be slow going. But hopefully I can read it all this year!

But because that's enough... anyone who pays attention to my monthly reading posts or other posts about what I personally read has probably noticed I read a lot of graphic novels, so I can hear you going, "but unforth, there are no graphic novels on your TBR! where are the graphic novels?" and you are right. Because I maintain not one, but TWO other TBRs (three if you count my Libby account) specifically for graphic novel TBRs; I usually read them while reading other stuff.

Pile 1: physical library books and borrowed books.

I actually read Dungeon Critters last night; this is my current library pile, with the four on the bottom all books I borrowed from @tryslora.

Dungeon Critters by Sara Goetter and Natalie Riess

Galaxy: The Prettiest Star by Jadzia Axelrod and Jess Taylor

Hakumei & Mikochi: Tiny Little Life in the Woods vol. 1 by Takuto Kashiki

Silver Vessels by Steve Orlando

Ash's Cabin by Jen Wang

Yuri is My Job vols. 8 to 12 by Miman

Ask Me About Polyamory! by Tikva Wolf

Cannonball by Kelsey Wroten

The Flying Ship vol. 1 and 2 by Jem Milton

Signals vol. 1 and 2 by Nika

The Less than Epic Adventures of TJ and Amal by E. K. Weaver

How to Be a Werewolf vol. 1 by Shawn Lenore

That said, I'm going to the library tomorrow, so I'll presumably come back with more. I always do, lmao.

Pile 2: Libby

No photograph for this one, obviously, and I don't feel like grabbing appropriate screen captures, but. I have five libraries on Libby ( @queerliblib, the Japan Foundation of Los Angeles, my local library, the New York Public Library, and the Brooklyn Public Library - all these are free for me as a US and NYS citizen) and I'm mostly using them to read manga lmao.

Current Libby Borrows:

I Hear the Sunspot vol. 1 by Yuki Fumino

Yona of the Dawn vol. 5 by Mizuho Kusanagi

Chainsaw Man vol. 2 by Tatsuki Fujimoto

Too Close to Fall in Love by Akira Nakata

Haikyu!! vol. 18 by Haruichi Furudate

Jujutsu Kaisen vol. 1 by Gege Akutami

Kaiju No. 8 vol 5 by Naoya Matsumoto

Libby Holds (titles I'm waiting for - because they have strict due-dates, they'll jump the TBR line whenever the holds come through):

Demon Slayer/Kimetsu no Yaiba vol. 4 by Koyoharu Gotouge

I Think Our Son is Gay vol. 5 by Okura

I Shall Never Fall in Love by Hari Conner

Camp Damascus by Chuck Tingle

Spy x Family vol. 3 by Tatsuya Endo

Bury Your Gays by Chuck Tingle

How to Be Ace by Rebecca Burgess

Gwen and Art Are Not in Love by Lex Croucher

FANGS vol. 1 by Billy Balibally

Pile 3: The Yaoi Stash + a couple other odds and ends

So early last year I got a text from my brother that he was at a thrift shop and they had a pile of books that "looked like my kind of thing" and a photograph of a bunch of book spines, and I told him to go ahead and buy them all at $1 US a pop and I'd sort through what they were. This is most of those; excluded are a couple that weren't yaoi and I wasn't interested in, and a few that are incomplete cause I don't want to get invested in something like that. I haven't yet read any of this yet, I figure if I ever am low on library books or am just in the mood for some yaoi porn, I'll dip into this pile then.

Footnotes from the World's Greatest Bookstores is obviously not yaoi, it's a passed-by-my-dad art book about bookstores. It is, however, a quick read, and I've already read about half of it, so I threw it on this pile too because it had to go somewhere lmao

(blank spine) is actually an art book of MXTX fanart I got at Flamecon

Hero Heel vol. 1 and 2 by Makoto Tateno

New Beginnings by Kotetsuko Yamamoto

A Love Song for the Miserable by Yukimura

Tomorrow's Ulterior Motives by Sakuya Fujii

Love Share by Aoi Kujyou

Love Control by Ai Hasukawa

Star by Keiko Konno

Once Upon a Glashma by Jumiko Sukeane

Passionate Theory by Ayumi Kano

Hot Limit by Akira Kanbe and Minori Shima

Candy by Satomi Suerts

Red by Sanae Rokuya

Anyway. The TL:DR of all of this is I'm anal but if it keeps me reading it's worth it, and that I've got waaaaaaay too much I want to read in 2025.

But anyway, that's the answer to my 9, er, 50-something books I want to read in 2025 lmao.