#but it was good i listened to the audiobook as i read sometimes instead of just reading it myself and karen savage is so fun to listen to

[silouvertongues]

finally finished pride and prejudice 🫡

[what-even-is-thiss]

The reason people don’t want to work is that it’s just normal for them to be in bad work environments.

My issue with working at Walmart wasn’t the work itself I was doing. It was the circumstances around it. The concrete floor, lack of places to sit, having to put up with asshole customers, not getting time off for injuries, and bad pay.

If I had been given shock pads to stand on or a few chairs to rest on sometimes, if they paid me a livable amount of money and I was allowed to yell back at asshole customers, if they had given me any amount of training, I would happily work part time folding clothes all day and telling people where the swimsuit section is.

I’m a creative type. I’m a writer. I’m pretty smart, even. But if I could make a living folding shirts and listening to podcasts in one ear and helping people find the scented candles for 30 hours a week? I would. Leaves some mental space free for me to brainstorm. Lets me catch up on my reading with audiobooks.

But instead I was treated so badly by upper management and customers that I’m like legitimately a little frightened whenever I step into a Walmart now. And I only worked there for three months a few years ago.

I’m a good lower level worker. When I’m treated well. I like finishing tasks. I like being helpful. I like having some time to talk to coworkers and some time alone with my thoughts. I’m a frickin team player. And that’s how I was at my first job. I was treated well by my supervisor. I was trained. They were patient with me. I was so good at being low on the totem pole at that job because I was valued and felt like I was being listened to. I was able to sit still when there was nothing left to do which made it feel less bad when we were on a time crunch. I didn’t mind working hard at that job because it was fun even though I was doing all the low level stuff that the supervisors didn’t want do.

But at Walmart I was like that for all of two days. Then I figured out that nobody appreciated my work and if I worked in my normal people pleasing manner I’d kill myself because their standards were high and the rewards for meeting them were low.

So I slowed down. I started avoiding customers. I started taking a lot longer to get to my breaks and to come back from them. I became worse at my job because no matter how good I was at it there would be no reward, no appreciation, and I’d just be pushed further beyond my limits.

My only level of happiness from that job came from the people who were working with me. The old ladies and my department manager who made sure I wasn’t overextending myself. The one other young man working in the clothing department who always got sent with me to unload the heavy stuff and commiserated with me about the shoulder injuries, the hurting feet we were too young to have.

But none of that was enough to make me stay. We were constantly understaffed. I was constantly abused by customers and not able to do a thing about it. I was not paid much at all. So as soon as I had enough saved up for what I was trying to do and my last semester of college was about to start I handed in my two weeks.

I would have found a way to stay if I liked that job. If I liked that job I would’ve pushed myself to my mental limits to finish college and keep that job at the same time. Heck that job could’ve been a rest from college. A place to get away from it. But I hate that job so I got out as soon as I could.

I want to work. I want enough money to live sort of comfortably. I want to have some tasks to do to give my creativity a rest. I want to be a part of something. But the way that modern corporate run work environments are set up does not give me any of the things I actually want out of a job. And I think that’s the same for millions of people right now. A lot of people would happily spend their lives as a waitress or an Uber driver or a warehouse worker or a farmhand or any other “low skill” job you can possibly think of. But with the way the world works right now those jobs are absolutely miserable. It doesn’t have to be that way. I know because I’ve had a fulfilling part time minimum wage job that I looked forward to going to every week. A job where I was listened to and allowed to sit when I needed to. I miss that job. Especially now since I’ve realized that’s not the standard. It should be. People should look forward to going to work or at the very least not get mild ptsd whenever they set foot into a Walmart.

[flawless-peach]

change your life ✨️

feel free to join me in this. I'm going to try to post every day about how I did <3

- get at least 7 consecutive hours of sleep. I've found if I go to sleep and then wake up back for a couple hours and then finish the 8 hours I feel I incredibly unrested. I keep myself accountable by using pokemon sleep which has a great alarm, so I'm looking forward to trying this instead

- read or listen to an audiobook for 30 minutes. literacy is a muscle, and using it is important, but sometimes I can't just sit down and read a book, and audiobooks are great for when I'm cleaning or cooking or folding laundry

- get sun daily. humans are a lot more like plants than you would think and so it is important to get some sun, even when it's a wintery sun that's cold or when it's a blazing furnace. Since I have some mental health issues and am unable to go outside im going to at least open my curtains, and if possible, crack a window to get some fresh air

- start a hobby you can enjoy. this one can be difficult because a lot of things require some sort of financial investment. for me, my hobbies for these six months is going to be writing and annotating books. but being creative is great for the human mind.

- learn to be comfortable alone. honestly this one will be difficult. personally, I live in a studio. privacy is nothing i experience, butthe little moments where you find yourself escaping with TV playing or music pause it and sit with yourself, how else can you learn to love someone if you avoid them 🥰

- meditate daily. this will be something I struggle with so much, but I'm going to try in the mornings since that's my peak time <3 and that's when I plan on doing a yoga flow during the sunrise

- eat healthy nutritious food. I hate cooking and I hate eating. having autism can make these really difficult for me to do, but I'm really really trying. I started the week before last to work on figuring out what snack foods I can prep, and now i just need to work on planning out some meals.

- positive affirmations everyday. I really struggle to have positive self talk because it feels so awkward and uncomfortable because I've been pessimistic for so long, but I want to change that ^^

- reduce screen time. this is going to be specifically targetting mindless scrolling for me. I have a tiktok account that I use for motivation, same with my tumblr account, and I also read on my phone and use my sleep app that I need to keep open at night.

- practice gratitude. my goal is to at night reflect on the day to try and find the good. I already reflect on my days and pick a mood, but I want to create lists of things i am grateful for, especially while I'm in between jobs.

[livelaughpeg]

I'm writing this from a throwaway account, because you know...Scientology.

I want to preface this post by saying I am not one of those "I knew it all along!" people. I can't stand that attitude. I was pretty ambivelant towards Neil Gaiman. Prior to the allegations, I didn't hate him but I wasn't that interested in him as a person either. I don't think you can always tell when someone is a bad or good person simply by the topics they write about. If that was the case we'd be arresting every horror writer on earth.

But one thing that did always rub me up the wrong way was the way he talked about getting work.

I borrowed and read "Make Good Art" (a small book based on a speech he gave to graduates at the University of the Arts) at a time in my life that I was really struggling to get by (I still am to some extent, but in a different way). I expected to see some practical advice. Instead it was a bunch of glib shit like:

I got out into the world, I wrote, and I became a better writer the more I wrote, and I wrote some more, and nobody ever seemed to mind that I was making it up as I went along, they just read what I wrote and they paid for it, or they didn’t, and often they commissioned me to write something else for them. Looking back, I’ve had a remarkable ride. I’m not sure I can call it a career, because a career implies that I had some kind of career plan, and I never did. The nearest thing I had was a list I made when I was 15 of everything I wanted to do: to write an adult novel, a children’s book, a comic, a movie, record an audiobook, write an episode of Doctor Who… and so on. I didn’t have a career. I just did the next thing on the list.

Life is sometimes hard. Things go wrong, in life and in love and in business and in friendship and in health and in all the other ways that life can go wrong. And when things get tough, this is what you should do. Make good art. I’m serious. Husband runs off with a politician? Make good art. Leg crushed and then eaten by mutated boa constrictor? Make good art. IRS on your trail? Make good art. Cat exploded? Make good art. Somebody on the Internet thinks what you do is stupid or evil or it’s all been done before? Make good art. Probably things will work out somehow, and eventually time will take the sting away, but that doesn’t matter. Do what only you do best. Make good art.

Yeah, well, no shit. If you're a writer or artist you probably do anyway. Whether you get paid for it or not, whether you draw fan art or original art. But the point of Gaiman's speech was to give advice to people who wanted to be paid for their art. To make a career of it. Making art every day isn't always enough. You have to pay the damn rent, you have to eat, you have to network and do social media and promote yourself, and you have to do it while thousands of other people are doing the same thing in a massive crowd of people who want the same thing. Practical advice is much more valuable than platitudes and theory.

I am not a writer, I'm an illustrator, and let me tell you that for most people, 'getting your foot in the door' isn't a one time thing. Quite often you have to work at getting your foot in the door again and again until you become established, and it's very easy to be forgotten. I still feel like I'm in that stage now.

I watched my peers, and my friends, and the ones who were older than me and watch how miserable some of them were: I’d listen to them telling me that they couldn’t envisage a world where they did what they had always wanted to do any more, because now they had to earn a certain amount every month just to keep where they were. They couldn’t go and do the things that mattered, and that they had really wanted to do; and that seemed as a big a tragedy as any problem of failure.

The implication was that he was successful because he wrote every day and his friends weren't because they didn't, because you know, working a second job is tiring. He called this a tragedy, but there was something very glib about the way he narrated this.

I think someone had more financial cushion that he was letting on.

And yes, sometimes it does work that way, (some people are very lucky and make all the right connections) but Gaiman was getting Big Jobs right off the bat and something about that never smelt right to me after the way he talked about it.

And then I saw Jeff's tweets. Oh, that's why...

I suspect the truth is he was living off his family's money and connections, and while I don't think there's anything inherently wrong with that if you're a struggling artist, his family are Scientologists, and I don't think he ever struggled.

I suspect it's all a lie.

[roach-works]

oh man, thanks for the Find Us Alive rec, highly enjoying it. for some reason it isn't playing nicely with my podcatcher of choice, podcast addict, so I've been listening to them through youtube, which has the bonus of reading other people's comments, which is fun! do you have any other podcast recs?

unfortunately i almost always listen to audiobooks instead so my recommendation is to get the libby app and sign up for a brooklyn library card. find us alive was the first podcast i've really tried since getting frustrated with the magnus archives (they mumble everything and then the ads are at top volume for a devastatingly irritating combo effect) because i love scps and saw some good memes.

im gonna recommend the years-old radio-style podcast, The Thrilling Adventure Hour, specifically the segment Beyond Belief with Frank And Sadie Doyle, because no one else i know ever listened to it and i loved it and it still makes me laugh to re-listen.

basically two high society married alcoholics want to get drunk and fuck nasty on their own, alone, in peace, but they're both super powerful spiritual mediums so everyone keeps begging them for help and it's very annoying to them. sometimes their gumshoe detective pal pterodactyl jones shows up and they all talk like it's a noir. i cannot emphasize enough how much i love this unrepentantly goofy little gem of a show.

[pomodoriyum]

terror mutineer guys take a roadtrip!! ranked by who gets carsick the most

10. Harry goodsir’s senses are made of steel. hes gotten carsick maybe once in his life or soemthing. he spares NO pity for the mutineers who get roadsick, though. hes mad about being forced to take them on his research trip

9. Thomas Armitage- hes fine. never ever gets carsick. he can like scroll on his phone ans read and everything. is the designated passenger up front because of this

8. Tozer- rarely gets carsick. sometimes mountain roads/twisting routes get to him if he’s not the one driving

7. billy gibson— mountains and twisting roads will get his ass. otherwise he’s pretty good. he usually has saltines or bread product in the car to deal with any rare bouts of nausea

6. magnus manson— gets nauseous occasionally. not super bad but will low grade feel yucky the whole ride

5. chef diggle— gets carsick on mountains and when there’s lots of sudden stops/starts. is sensitive about any strong smells that might permeate the car (fast food, a fart, whatever)

4. charles des voeux— he talks a big game and teases the others mercilessly whenever they have to stop to get rid of their nausea, but he’s secretly glad because he was carsick himself and about to lose it. also hes brought about five pillows and seven blankets. no, you may not borrow them. unless it’s you, pilkington. (or hodge)

3. pilkington— regularly asks for them to pull over, but only cause he insists on reading / playing games on his DS. otherwise he’d be fine. he would listen to music instead, but des voeux stole his earbuds ala usual.

2. robert golding— sorry i just think his tummy hurts frequently and hes so brave about it. he brings paper bags just in case but rarely has to use them. when des voeux doesnt have pilks headphones robert borrows them to listen to audiobooks until he falls asleep.

1. cornelius hickey— usually insists on driving to prevent any issues but he can’t do mountains or hilly areas. when he’s not driving he’s retching miserably in the back of the van. one time when he fell asleep (he took a xanax) on a REALLY long drive he nearly aspirated on his own puke. very embarrassed about that one and gets mean as fuck if someone brings it up

bonus: Hodgson doesnt get roadsick easily but he’s got gastro problems so he gets food poisoning almost every time he travels. hes very miserable about it :(. he brings a ds also and lets des voeux play some pokemons on it

[louisa-gc]

a (not-so-)little note

since my post about reading now has over 2000 notes (wow! i know it's not much for some but to me it's a lot!), i wanted to add to it a thought i hoped would be apparent from between the lines but this is the internet and one can never be too sure, so:

while we all know why reading is important, it's not a competition, and reading or not reading is not a judgment of a person's character, values or virtue. i don't think maximising the amount one reads through whatever methods should be anyone's goal at all, though perhaps my wording made it seem so. i would always encourage to rather read two books a year with thought instead of reading and listening to two hundred books a year just to have gone through two hundred books.

i appreciate all the additions and replies to my post and, while i'm not an audiobook person myself, can see how they could be very valuable to some people. however, i do listen to podcasts and video essays when cleaning or walking, and at least in my case, the amount of attention i am able to pay to what i'm hearing is not at all similar to the way i can concentrate on reading a physical book.

we all read differently, and i would not want to dictate what kind of reading is or isn't valuable; some books are quick, almost mindless reads, others take a long time and a lot of concentration. our circumstances are different too, sometimes we might not be able to either read or listen to a book. what i would encourage us all to avoid though, is the trap of trying to do as much as possible of everything all at once.

you don't need to optimise your time, you don't need to be reading or listening to books at all times to be a reader, you don't even need to be a reader(!).

if you like audiobooks, that's great! sit down, knit and listen to one. but if you're using audiobooks just because you want to go through as many books as possible, feel "productive" or whatnot, if you listen to books as background noise and then fool yourself to think it's the same as actually reading, i would advise you to just find fifteen minutes in which to sit down and read a physical book. it trains a different muscle than listening and it forces you to focus on one thing at a time and to go at your own pace, whatever that might look like for you.

there is no right or wrong way to read or be a reader, and i love to see how something i've always loved has suddenly become "cool". on the other hand, i'd be very wary of reading sliding under the umbrella of "things we must do as much of as possible to be good human beings". there is nothing inherently wrong about audiobooks, but the way some people seem to think of them hints at a culture of overconsumption and excess. quality over quantity, always.

[lifenconcepts]

TWEAK HEADCANONS ;3

Tweak

Goes by she/they/he 

A “Queen” and Bee Gees fan. Often blasts their music when working on the Gups.

Knows everyone’s soft spot and weaknesses and yet would never use them against anyone nor tell anyone, even should her life be in danger. 

Makes sure to adjust the seat of whoever is sitting nexto her when she’s driving a Gup.

Has a typing quirk where she used different numbers instead of letters when writing digital notes or messages, for example 5 instead of S, 6 instead of B, 1 instead of I.. “1 5a1d to put 5o1l 1n th3 plants n0t 6oil them!”

Bops and shakes her head when listening to music.

Music basically constantly plays in her mind, of all sorts of genres and artists.

Secretly takes inspiration for some of her blueprints from sci-fi films and fantasy novels.

Is a sucker for a good book but prefers audiobooks so she can ‘read’ while she works on whatever has tickled her fancy.

She relaxes through work and tends to just change to a different project if they grows tired of one, basically sort of like “oh boy, I’m sure tired from spending 4 hours tending to this gup! Oh well, time to go relax. *begins to work on a different gup*”

Has fairy lights that he sometimes  hangs up around the launchbay for funsies.

Has enough strength to be able to pick up anyone of the crew and at times likes to randomly do so just to surprise them (other than barnacles, who first of all isn’t appreciative of such a gesture and secondly is far too heavy even for her).

Loves to feel the wind when riding a gup above water but has had too many incidences of fish and other critters accidentally falling inside the gup and so tends to keep the window closed.

Loves licorice.

P.S I won’t be making any age/sexuality/show related headcanons but rather stuff that fits their personality. ALSO THEY HAVE AUTISM. ALSO THEY HUM TUNES.

Source? I said so. I am litterally going off nothing from the show apart from the vibe :3

[heathtrash]

When you're working on TWW fanfic, how do you get like new inspiration or even just the motivation to keep going?

(p.s. thank you for keeping the fandom alive!!)

inspiration/ideas are something i almost never have a problem with. i come up with new scenarios for these gays almost constantly and it's everything in me to not just constantly begin new wips and crossovers and aus that have never been explored! and there's so much media to draw from with tww with all eight books, the shows, the movie, the spinoffs - idk but even like vanilla 2017 or 1998 stuff is always giving me life, maybe because i'm an insatiable multishipper with no chill and an adoration of rarepairs.

i also make sure i "read around" tww. i watch things or listen to audiobooks with a related genre or vibe, especially if i'm exploring au or want to go for a specific tone. keeping your brain active and making connections like this helps so much with inspiration and plot. it's like going on a silly little mental health walk, but instead of nature or whatever, you're opening your brain up to new possibilities. even something completely unrelated can spark something! it makes the worlds you write feel a bit richer as you're writing them.

motivation is something different, because i struggle with a lot of self-confidence in my own writing (lol, cptsd. i'm in therapy). comments on my works do really help with that. but these days people seem to feel weird about leaving comments on works that aren't like a week old??? bruh people still talk about books that are decades or centuries old. and we have some lovely people still in the fandom who are willing to read some of my work, and that is amazing to me!!

but of course, there are fics i've started that i am not sure will ever see the light of day because i feel like they're not good enough, or works that i've put up that very few people were interested in (rip to pippa university years my beloved. never escaped single digits on the kudos for 10k of fic). those embarrassments and failures hold me back so much because they confirm my own negative thoughts about my writing and make me not want to put my energy into this. i have a full plan of chapter 13 of a clock with no hands, but i keep giving myself imposter syndrome over my ability to write it well enough. idk. rationally, i know that the types of story i write are sometimes not what people want to read. i think it's important to talk about (please i am NOT fishing) because i'm sure there are many people who feel the same way. some people even look up to me as a writer?? but i cannot emphasise enough that it's a miracle that anything goes online with my mental health being how it is.

anyway, enough about me! mostly i try to think primarily of the fandom and what's best for us right now. that's why i'm running the drabble exchange, which i think will be a really fun way to get little sparks of inspiration going for everyone, as well as hopefully providing a chance for new writers to dip their toe into whatever ship they like! please sign up to join in - this is the last weekend before i close sign-ups!

i'm certainly not solely responsible for keeping the fandom alive though!!! there are some incredible artists who are doing a much better job of that than me with the recent influx of art - as well as all those who are writing new fics that are providing after the slump we had with the conclusion of the 2017 series. it was really hard to recover the fandom after s3, and i know i've had a small part to play in that with the twitter group chat evolving into reviving the discord. but i couldn't have done any of that if no one else was around to join in!

(also side note - general invitation extended to anyone who wants to join the discord!)

[hyperfixatedonstuff]

hello!! do you have any tf2 headcanons? i got neck-deep into this fixation without realizing and your scout fic in your pinned made me tear up just a bit- :')

i understand that fixation part so much😭 i’m out here rereading all the comics to write a drabble abt Zhanna bc i will NOT mischaracterize my girl! anyways i’m glad u liked the scout fic and since i don’t want this post to be 10 million words long i’ll do mainly Scout headcanons

Scout definitely took a year or two of Spanish in highschool and will respond to his team mates with “de nada” and “gracias” when they speak another language (german, french, russian, etc)

I headcanon that Pyro is strangely fluent in multiple languages as well but no one can understand them properly anyways

Heavy or Medic will make some rude or funny comment in Russian/German and Pyro will laugh along with them

At first they find it odd but I think Heavy in particular would really enjoy being understood in his native language even if he doesn’t understand ANY language Pyro speaks

I’m a big fan of Lesbian Miss Pauling! so when she tells Scout I see a few options: Scout will come out as trans fem a year or so later and ask her out again. or! Scout will have this huge moment of realization and apologize to her a ton, then try to become her wingman(both suck at talking to women).

Scout sees Medic and Heavy kiss once and then goes and asks Spy if gay people are real

Spy does all sorts of cheesy things for Scout’s mom and she loves it but makes fun of him so much

Scout is allergic to sooo many things but claims that if they eat them fast enough it won’t matter(cue lots of medic bay trips and a pissed off Medic)

Scout finally starts to crack Sniper’s tough guy loner mask and finds out he’s actually a huge ass loser

Spy HATES every love interest Scout has except for Miss Pauling but only because he knows they’re not gonna end up together

the only person Scout can beat in an arm wrestle is Spy and maybe Sniper

Scout and Medic go for runs together occasionally

Medic has to annually replace Spy’s lungs. He’s had all different kinds of fucked up animal lungs.

Scout learns best by actually doing something/practically applying it. if that makes sense

He’s also super good at literary analysis and character analysis but has trouble reading the actual words. He’ll listen to audiobooks instead sometimes but prefers comics.

Scout has probably accidentally called some of the mercs his brothers’ names and then got really embarrassed and ran away

Kinda random but Medic has and will brain scoop/ lobotomize people who saw him do something even mildly embarrassing

[shedidntevenswear]

It’s my 30th birthday!

which means i’ve had this exact tumblr account for literally half of my life lol embarrassing

Because I am my mother(Taylor Swift)’s daughter, I decided to take a page from her book and share 30 things I’ve learned in my 30 years of life so far:

It’s the people, it’s the people, IT’S THE PEOPLE. In anything you do, any space you inhabit, the people around you are what actually matters, not the dogma or the process or whatever. Act accordingly. 

Some things can go to the group chat instead of out on the internet.

Listening without trying to fix things is an important skill, especially when talking to yourself. 

Therapy is worth the money. 

Not everything that is great or meant for you is meant to last forever. Embrace ephemera.

You really can find everything you need on NOT Amazon, it just takes a little more work. Generally the work is worth it. 

Different things work for different people, you don’t need to apply whats best for someone else to yourself and you definitely don’t get to decide that what’s right for you is how everyone should be living. 

I read so much more after embracing audiobooks and 2x speed. 

Liking things is so much cooler and more fun than hating things.

WEAR SUNSCREEN EVEN WHEN YOU DONT THINK YOU NEED IT.

The best way to live in community is with a soft front and a strong back. 

Getting outside and moving my body actually does make me feel better, damn it.

Take the Uber sometimes. Don’t be a hero.

You can’t always believe everything you read on the internet. 

Relatedly, you don’t always have to believe the opinions of people on the internet about you or the things you care about. You don’t always have to give the same weight to the things internet people say as you would to people who know you. 

Feelings need to be felt. 

Things you enjoy doing are worth doing even if you aren’t “good” at them. 

I’ve learned how to be alone with myself without descending into crippling loneliness immediately #justextrovertthings

Check the weather before you leave the house.

Certainty isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. The vulnerability that comes from uncertainty is where connection happens. 

It’s actually totally fine to eat the same thing every day if you are getting the fuel you need and you like how it tastes. Not everyone has to be a chef.

Opinions are not facts. 

You’ll enjoy life so much more if you just let yourself have a little treat every day. 

You can have fantastic, budget-friendly European vacations if you simply don’t care about the quality of where you sleep. (aka I’ve slept on a lot of overnight buses and in the most basic BnBs)

Nine times out of ten, it’s not personal. People are thinking more about themselves than they are ever thinking about you when making the decision to do or say something. 

There are so many things out of my control. Wisdom is realizing what I can control, and satisfaction comes from concentrating my effort there and letting go of the rest. 

There *are* good men out there, they are just exceptionally hard to find. Very few of them are single though. 

The goal of life is not to be a “good” person, it’s to be a person who does good and acknowledges and apologizes and improves when they’ve done something bad. 

Nobody notices or cares if you wear the same shirt two or three days in a row when you work over Zoom. Save those laundry coins. 

It’s never too late to start something new. Discovery and learning new skills and trying new things has no age limit. 

[u2fangirlie-blog]

Book Club Introduction

Recently, I was invited into a book club on Facebook. A friend asked me to join with other friends she knows. I know two out of 30 members. How are people supposed to introduce themselves and get to know each other in FB groups, particularly book clubs? I have no clue! The book club creator and moderators all follow BookTok and have To Be Read lists. I don't do that. It's all new to me.

To start, I read through posts, liked, commented, and replied to interesting and relevant posts. I thought this would be a good way to get to know new people. Then I took a risk and wrote an introduction. The post was viewed by half the crowd. My friend H. replied, but there were no other comments. Just silence. Not even a clock ticking in the background.

The first book selected is Murder at the Book Club by Betsey Reavley. I want to stay, make new friends, and be introduced to new authors, but I feel like an asshole. My introduction to the book club was dead on arrival, so I'm going to delete it from the group.

Here's the introduction. I put a lot of thought and planning into it and don't want to see words go to waste. Someone might read it in the vast expanse of words on Tumblr.

Hi! H. invited me to join the group. She said you are awesome fun people. H., C., and I have been friends since elementary and junior high school. In the past, I've been part of reading circles where we read and discussed metaphysical books. This is my first online book club. Please guide me in what is appropriate behavior and social conventions for online reading groups. I hope to read books in genres I've never read before. I look forward to getting to know everyone here.

I just want to introduce myself a little bit to the group. I'll start with my reading habits and preferences.

I don't have a TikTok account, so I don't follow any Booktok creators.

On YouTube, I don't follow many Booktube creators. However, I do watch channels that focus on one author or genre. I like Quinn's Ideas. He's the go-to guy for Dune and A Song of Ice and Fire. He also discusses classic hard scifi and new scifi. I enjoy T.L. is Reading, who is doing a Discworld read-along. If I'm interested in a new book or TV series based on a book, I'll look on YouTube. I learned a lot about the Wheel of Time that way.

I prefer print books. My house is stacked to the rafters. Remind me sometime to tell you about the time a tree branch went through the roof, and instead of going to the basement for safety, I ran upstairs to rescue boxes of books from the rain.

I do read some ebooks, usually if it's a long series or older books that are hard to find in print. Discworld has 41 book, so most of my Pratchett collection is in ebooks.

Kindle Unlimited - I don't have it because of the cost of subscriptions. If I get a book, I buy it. One reason I prefer print books over ebooks is that having physical media is forever (exceptions of fire or flood). What's going to happen if Amazon loses rights to books or if there's a major technology failure? We the consumers will lose access to digital media we "own" and paid for and will never get it back. It's already happening with streaming videos. If the Big One happens and if we lose electricity and satellites and the internet and if electronic devices stop working, y'all can come to my house. I own all the books and DVDs. LOL!

Audible - See above. Cost of subs. Potential loss of access to digital media. I listen to bootleg audiobooks on YouTube. I have a few audiobooks on CD. I haven't got any new audiobooks in ages because they're so freaking expensive.

Genres - Sci-fi. Fantasy. Classic literature. Mythology. Metaphysical. Paranormal. Occult. Tarot. Non-fiction essays and articles. Encyclopedias and dictionaries. You read that right. I'm a sucker for an encyclopedia with pretty pictures. I have lots of specialized encyclopedias in mythology, symbolism, gemstones, animals, and plants. I love etymology and enjoy looking up word origins. Classic authors: As an English major, I read a lot of the classics. Jane Austen is okay, not my favorite. I have issues with the Bronte Sisters and other authors who introduced the bad boy lover and gave really unhealthy expectations to young people about relationships.

Authors - Douglas Adams, Terry Pratchett, Frank Herbert, Diane Duane, George R.R. Martin, J.R.R. Tolkien, Diana Gabaldon, Jim Butcher, Charlaine Harris, Laurel Hamilton, and Anne Rice (because smut is better with paranormal characters, and their vampires are infinitely better than Stephanie Meyers) J.K. Rowling (before she turned evil), and Neil Gaiman (Yes, I know about the allegations and am still processing how to respond publicly. His alleged behavior is horrible. The Good Omens and Sandman fandoms are fighting and ripping each other apart.)

First, full disclosure: I have a BA and MA in English, with a minor in creative writing and special studies in archetypal myth criticism. I don't write fiction. The creative writing workshops were difficult for me. My professors didn't inspire creativity, but instead they instilled critical analysis of writing, self-criticism, and self-doubt. My teachers critically wounded my desire to write stories, and later it just died. I gave up writing fiction a long time ago. No, I do not secretly want to write fiction.

My strong suit is non-fiction, including articles and essays. Mostly I write short humorous stuff for my social media and a captive audience of about 70 friends and family. Also I write in-depth analyses and criticism of books, movies, and TV series. And sometimes my friends get sick of my BS and think I'm too critical. That's just how my brain works. Analyzing something to the extreme doesn't mean I don't still enjoy it or love it. (Unless it's objectively crap. LOL!) I have a Tumblr blog for publishing what I don't want family to read.

That being said - When I put a lot of time and effort into writing a longer piece (for example an essay with photos) and people either don't read it or they only respond with a like, I feel frustrated and very hurt. I get it. People don't have time and are selective about what they read. I wrote a Tumblr post about it and will share it if anyone is interested.

For the past 7 years, I taught English comp and how to write research papers at a community college. I also ran the writing center with a staff of one (me) and helped students with their papers. If you need help with MLA and APA citations, I'm your girl! I departed for financial reasons. My past work experiences were in office/clerical. Recently, I started a new job in an office. It's good.

Finally, this is my binder full of maps. As an avid fan of fantasy and sci-fi series. maps are important to know where characters are located and the various cities and realms they are in. I'm obsessive. I'm a nerd and a dang weirdo (in the Muppet Gonzo sense of being a weirdo).

Here's a link to the binder of maps from fantasy, sci-fi, and history in literature.

[redfolder]

[question about the KMCG audiobook so you have an excuse to talk about it] <3

First of all: thank you. Second of all! I actually really don't like audiobooks (I find it hard to balance the appropriate amount of attention - being a non native speaker I sometimes struggle when I can't see someone's lips while they're speaking English unless I'm used to their speech pattern (the hours I've spent watching Supergirl are really coming in clutch here lmao) and it's just. I can't do something else while I'm listening to an audiobook cause then I'll miss half of it but JUST listening to an audiobook is even worse. I get so incredibly agitated and bored) BUT this one fucks. The book is... Good? I thought it was gonna suck but I started listening to it last night and only meant to listen for a little bit but instead ended up listening to the first two hours of it until I fell asleep on top of my phone. I'm actually invested in these people? Also it's set in Bath which is kinda funny cause my girlfriend lived in that area for a while so I've actually been there and it's a little weird :D HOWEVER, of course most importantly: it's narrated by Katie McGrath (obviously) and I'm - finally someone is just *letting her be Irish* which is amazing when it comes to the Irish MC and a little ridiculous when it comes to the "ma'er" (matter) type accent (I know you're British but I didn't live there for long enough to properly delineate what accent is where - I know it's southern, maybe London? But like... Poverty accent) because *she does consistent individual voices for each character* and a lot of them are men and istg the low pitch breathy voice is doing something to me. I'm not sure what. But something. And I just listened to her describe a woman sucking another woman's tiddies. And. Other things also. Anyway. Just a little aside. The point I WANT to make is not that one. It's the fact that she's an amazing audiobook narrator? And I have genuine, interesting thoughts about the book too? I thought it lowkey sounded like it'd suck when I read a synopsis. Anyway, this already got way out of hand. Thank you for asking <3

[bookaddict24-7]

REVIEWS OF THE WEEK!

Books I’ve read so far in 2023!

Friend me on Goodreads here to follow my more up to date reading journey for the year!

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221. United as One by Pittacus Lore--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

UNITED AS ONE was a rough read--not because of the writing, but because of the emotions. The level of grief was so heavy that I wanted to stop listening to the audiobook. I hurt so much for the characters and how self-destructive a certain character was acting because of their grief.

But much like the other books in the series, it was non-stop action and the conclusion was as exciting as the rest of the series, except this time there wasn't a cliffhanger.

I did enjoyment that epilogue and the connections between the characters and how they potentially go beyond the major events leading up to the final events of the book. I had never read this final book and I didn't know what to expect, but I'm glad that I finally have and can finally say that I understand the hype.

Now, I'm going to try to read the sequel series because this series had me in a stranglehold. If you're looking for something like this, I highly recommend the MICHAEL VEY series! This definitely gave me similar vibes!

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222. King of Battle & Blood by Scarlet St. Clair--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I've been eyeing KING OF BATTLE & BLOOD for years and never took the dive. Having recently read FALL OF WRATH & RUIN by Armentrout, this gave me super similar vibes (but with a lot more sex). If you're looking for a book that focuses heavily on the fantasy element of a story, this ain't it. Instead, this is a spicy enemies to lovers where we get a lot of angry sex, jealousy, and a badass FMC who takes absolute shit from no one and straddles that morally grey line in a way that it's clear why she should be with her new husband.

I did like that twist ending (even though I guessed it from a mile away), but I think I'm going to just stick with this one for right now.

I really enjoyed the sass and how the FMC showed who she was and what would happen if someone disrespected her. I've read better paranormal romances, but this was definitely something that kept me hooked throughout the whole thing (more than I was expecting).

To be honest, I was worried I was going to be bored, but I was so entertained and I think a lot of romance lovers will be too if they don't expect too much from the fantasy side of the story.

I think one of the main themes, too, in this book is the importance of keeping an open mind when one of the characters is constantly being pushed to act against a group of people based on their biases. That was a surprising lesson to see in this book.

Anyway, I enjoyed the heck out of this and I had a bloody good time. It scratched an itch for this kind of romance I didn't know I had.

___

223. Wildfire by Hannah Grace--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Okay, straight up--was this as good as ICEBREAKER (for me)? No. Was it a lot of fun and just cute all around? Absolutely. I devoured this audiobook and giggled and just had such a sweet and fun time.

I WAS worried that it would suffer the sophomore book syndrome, but thankfully it didn't for me. I'm a sucker for books with characters like this and I think they all had a lot of growth in this book. They had their issues and traumas and I appreciated how the two MCs worked through them together. I also loved, as always, the communication that happened. One of the things I loved about ICEBREAKER was the communication and Grace continues this trend in WILDFIRE.

There isn't really a big climactic moment where a huge, third-act-break-up causing issues arises AND I AM OKAY WITH THAT. Sometimes I like my contemporary romances to be chaos-free and super simple. Let me just enjoy the good vibes.

I personally can't wait for the next book, especially because I love this universe and if Grace continues to write books like this and its predecessor, then I'm going to be hella swooning for the next few years!

What I didn't like as much in this one was that the trauma the FMC experienced was very similar to the trauma of the MMC in the first book. And you know, that's fine--but I want characters who bring something newer to the story. I think, also, what I loved a lot more about ICEBREAKER was that it was more of a slow burn. Yes, there was smut very early in the book, but the romance itself took a bit of time to form. This one felt a TINY bit insta-lovey.

All of that being said, I still enjoyed this and I'm looking forward to Henry's book!!!!

___

224. Bound to the Battle God by Ruby Dixon--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Having finished BOUND TO THE BATTLE GOD, I'm just left in complete shock. This is the same author that wrote ICE PLANET BARBARIANS, which is a pretty great book on its own, but this was so much more than I was expecting.

First of all, this is an adventure of a book. It has portal magic, a society that treats women pretty horribly to be honest, an epic road trip full of road traps and character growth, and a very grumpy and arrogant god. But you know what else we also get? Angst. Slow burn. Sexual tension that fills every page.

It was delicious.

We got to see these characters bonding against all odds and it was so addicting. I was attached to my kindle and no one could tear it away from me. One of my favourite things about addicting books is the urge I get to keep reading, real life be damned and I won't lie, sometimes this feels like an impossible ask but oh my gosh, this book.

And when the spice hit? Oooooooooof.

I think what I mainly loved about this was the friendship that built during this fantastical adventure. It felt like such a well-written fantasy book with a dose of tension and budding romance. It was more than its smut and I really have a lot of respect for Dixon for writing a book like that. I will definitely be owning a physical copy and will definitely pick up the second book (which is about another couple).

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225. Their Vicious Games by Joelle Wellington--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I remember reading a portion of this a few months ago and really enjoying it. The beginning of THEIR VICIOUS GAMES was definitely something alluring. You're brought into this mystery and wealthy world where the elite are allowed to, essentially, do anything the hell they want. Especially with how they treat those they deem "other", like the not-so-wealthy main Black character. Even the half-Black characters are seen as "exotic" in a sexual way. Commentary like this made this book punch the reader to the point where you couldn't help but keep your attention on the story.

I loved the commentary on racism and how even if you have money, you're not absolved from your inability to be born as white. Other than the MC, there is an Asian character who plays a pretty pivotal role in the book. I loved this because it was like the author was saying that not even money can save you from racism; not even being included in one of the most powerful events erases the fact that you don't look like the many white people leering at you. This brought back memories of reading LEGENDBORN by Tracy Deonn, where even the most spiritually and magically powerful woman was mistreated because she was Black. The tokenism, too, of the supposed love interest (add an asterisk to that one) and how he sees the MC as someone "different" and more worthy of his attention because she was, again, "Different". Yes, I'm sure it was her daring character he was alluding to.

I mentioned at the beginning of this review that I read a bit of this a few months ago--I think it says a lot about the power of this book that I remembered so much of it months later. I think this brought a deeper level of nuance to a trope that is quickly becoming really popular in YA, thanks mainly in part to the popularity of THE INHERITANCE GAMES. Because yes, this had a lot of similarities to that series if it all had been one book and if people died in order to attain the fortune.

But while I enjoyed the dialogue on race and even the suspenseful moments when I didn't know who was going to live or die, something about this book felt off by the quick ending. I understand why it happened the way it did and honestly, I applaud the author for taking that route and staying true to the MC's character traits, but I won't lie if I say that I wouldn't mind a sequel. The story just feels like...it was wrapped up too neatly, or quickly? I wouldn't mind seeing more.

The funny thing is that as I write this review, I was going to go a different route. I had originally rated this lower, but as I wrote that first paragraph I changed my rating. This is definitely a fun thriller and a mystery of "who will win and what twist will come next?", but I think the main focus should be both the commentary on race AND the fact that these girls were so willing to do anything to succeed and become the next powerful person, even if it meant being a puppet. For me, it called to this obsession so many people have of getting to the top no matter what and the idea that you're entitled to more than others simply because of the happenstance of your birth and the way you look. And the drive that so many have to succeed, even if you get killed or kill yourself in the process because no success equals failure and no one is allowed to fail.

Anyway, I'm ending my rambling by saying that this was a good book and I think you should check it out, especially if you liked THE INHERITANCE GAMES & LEGENDBORN (although, there are no magic powers in this one).

___

226. The Chalice of the Gods by Rick Riordan--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I was so excited when this book was announced because I loved Percy's misadventures in his dangerous world--especially because a lot of Riordan's original readers are either past this age stage, or are currently experiencing it, making it all the more relatable (save for the Gods, of course).

I'm not giving this a full five star rating because it was such a silly and fun read, but Percy being older reminded me of how old I am now and listen, no thank you LOL. But this had that same sense of adventure that we all grew to love and that made us wish that we had a Camp Halfblood to go to in the summer. I loved seeing Percy and Annabeth starting this new journey in their lives together, and of course, with Grover, too.

What I'm most excited about, though, is that the end of this book signals that there might be at least two more books in the works! I know there's already a next title announced, so I'm excited for those next couple of stories.

I do find it interesting that this is still categorized as a middle grade when this is technically a young adult title now. However, I will say that other than the very pure romance between Percy and Annabeth, this is a clean read for future young readers.

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227. Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I'm not going to lie: this is the only Kingfisher title I've not only finished, but thoroughly enjoyed. Third time's the charm, right?

THORNHEDGE was a bite-sized and sometimes adorable fable of not judging a person by their outside appearance. It also speaks to the dangers of thinking a pretty face is enough to think a person doesn't have less than ideal morals or ideologies.

This novella also delves into the incredibly fascinating topic of changelings. It was such an interesting take on it, especially on how the human is treated once they're pulled from the crib. I liked seeing the result of the MC's life and how she came to be the person who helps guide the "saviour" that dared to follow the map that the fairy tales he grew up reading made for him.

This story is tagged as horror and while I sort of get it because there's a character who does some pretty fucked up things, but I think this is mainly a fantasy book--especially with the magical look at the life the MC lives.

I loved how these two characters (the MC and the man) worked together and their immediate adorable chemistry. This story just left me feeling so cozy and happy--even with the evil changeling.

Read it, it's memorable, short, and a great read!

___

228. The Haunting by Natasha Preston--⭐️⭐️⭐️

THE HAUNTING is a ride of a book that begins with the misleading title (although I can see it as a "haunting" of past and present events, and ends with a cliffhanger ending that had me rewinding the audiobook and asking myself, "Damn, is that it?"

While it was a murderous bit of fun, Preston's newest novel is home to many of the tropes that have become more and more popular in YA slasher horror books. We get a torn and displaced small town, dead bodies turning up, and characters who are dealing with the trauma of having survived a serial killer the year before. I'll be honest: when I first started this, I thought it was a sequel. I genuinely thought that we were getting the aftermath of a past Preston book that featured all of the gruesome details glossed over in this book.

In a way, I'd almost prefer that one over this one.

For what it was, THE HAUNTING was entertaining and a fun and quick read for any spooky season lover. It had the brooding ex-boyfriend, the dangerous midnight outings, and the questionable friends. Someone in the reviews mentioned that this was a book full of SCREAM references and I agree. It felt very much like that, but I loved those creepy af movies, so I actually enjoyed that aspect.

The ending sort of ruined this book for me because I wanted more. I know it could be a way for Preston to have her readers feel some sort of way after reading a creepy book, but it just made me feel disappointed.

Overall, this was fun in its silliness and somewhat predictable reveal. Check it out if you want a slasher book that just has bodies popping up and friends suspecting each other.

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Have you read any of these books? Would you recommend them?

___

Happy reading!

[provincara]

The Long Run by James Acker

Two track and field athletes find an unexpected but powerful love in this unapologetically blunt and unforgettably real YA debut.

Sebastian Villeda is over it. Over his rep. Over his bros. Over being "Bash the Flash," fastest sprinter in South Jersey. His dad is gone, his mom is dead, and his stepfather is clueless. Bash has no idea what he wants out of life. Until he meets Sandro.

Sandro Miceli is too nice for his own good. The middle child in an always-growing, always-screaming Italian family, Sandro walks around on a broken foot to not bother his busy parents. All he wants is to get out and never look back.

When fate—in the form of a party that gets busted—brings these two very different boys together, neither of them could’ve predicted finding a love that they’d risk everything for…

God where to even start. I fucking loved this book—I finished it last night, and I'm spending the day depressed because I'm no longer listening to it (audiobook). I took so many notes while reading this, and there were only a few minor critiques. Otherwise I was doing my best to put into words why I love this story so much.

The tagline for this book describes it as "unapologetically blunt and unforgettably real," which I think is spot on. It wasn't a sometimes-sad romance novel, but rather a story about two flawed yet earnest boys who better themselves (and FEEL better about themselves) with the help of each other. Yes it's a romance, but I love the platonic elements of the relationship so much; they truly become each other's best friend, and you can see how important their relationship is to each of them.

We get a dual POV in this book, and it was so expertly deployed. There's quite a lot of introspection (which I always enjoy in a novel), so we get firsthand accounts of how each character is feeling, but we also get to see them through the eyes of each other; we get to know their insecurities, but also get to see their strengths and value. Both Bash and Sandro are pretty self-aware, and I don't know how realistic that is for teenage boys, but it doesn't matter because it's all so good. And just because they're self-aware doesn't mean they're perfect; we get to see them make mistakes and learn and grow. There were plenty of times between them that the conversation could have gone south, but instead they are able to trust each other and talk it out.

Of course, though, there is one moment that goes very wrong and takes a while to come back from, but it was realistic. I feel like the tendency for authors nowadays is to throw in third-act drama whether it's deserved or not, but that wasn't the case here; the events fit the narrative of the story (it's pretty clear from early on that this book will have the potential for something heart-wrenching). Also, we got plenty of recovery time after it—I always hate when the story ends right after the conflict has been resolved, but here we got to spend a good amount of time with them afterwords.

This book just made me feel so much! Not just sad, but also hopeful. While I love both boys in this, I was a bit partial to Sandro, and he was the one who often made me cry (both sad and happy tears). Even though he had a shitty upbringing, he was still so optimistic about his future being better and working hard to make that better future, and it was just so lovely to read about and I'm literally tearing up while thinking about it. The ending was perfect for them, realistic yet hopeful, kind of like the whole story itself. I was fully sobbing when I finished, because I was just so overcome with emotion.

Besides the main story, I think the side characters were all very well crafted and utilized. Lucy was especially such a lovely figure, and I wish we had gotten to spend a bit more time with her (just because I like her, not because she wasn't around enough for the purpose of the story). And the writing was also top tier. I know I've gone on about how emotional this book was, but it had a good amount of lighthearted moments. And good humor! It got me to chuckle out loud a few times, which is unusual for me—it helped that I listened to the audiobook, so I couldn't accidentally skim ahead and spoil the joke for myself.

Speaking of the audiobook, MAD KUDOS to the readers for this!!!! I think they were absolutely perfect, right away settling me into the story and perfectly delivering the more emotional moments.

This is one of those books that I think a lot of other books try to be: gritty, realistic, emotional, heart-wrenching, inspiring, etc. But this one was actually able to pull it off. And while it is grittier than some, I didn't find it to be too much. Like I said, there was a good balance of humor, so it was never a heavy read, even with it's heavier moments. Frankly, I'm a bit stunned that this isn't more popular, because it deserves more readers. I simply cannot wait to revisit this book in the future (no literally, I'm actually considering re-listening to it while I still have it on loan from Libby).

Bonus spoilers—specific moments that made me cry:

Sandro thinking "I think I was supposed to love Bash" after the whole Incident with his family (sad)

Their first date, getting ready and getting their picture taken and being able to be public with their affection (happy)

When Bash gives Sandro his prayer bracelet and then Sandro gives Bash his chain, so they have something to remember each other by when they go off to college (sad and happy and everything in between)

[ckerouac]

What I Read: June

Back with another month of books. Once the pool opens up, the reading list goes up. Amazing what ‘I’m going to purposefully ignore all screens for an hour or two’ can do for focus lol. Also loving that StoryGraph can do monthly spreads now. I love a good book collage.

Fiction

The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley

5/5 || I loved this, read it in a couple sittings. It’s odd and interesting and compelling and I’d definitely watch a miniseries of it.

A civil servant starts working as a 'bridge' - a liaison, helpmeet and housemate - in an experimental project that brings expatriates from the past into the twenty-first century. This is a science-fiction story. In a London safehouse in the 2020s, a disorientated Victorian polar explorer chain smokes while listening to Spotify and learning about political correctness. This is a comedy. During a long, sultry summer - as the shadows around them grow long and dangerous - two people fall in love, against all odds. This is a romance.

Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld

4.5/5 || Really enjoyed this, but part of that was the excellent audiobook narration that made tone choices with the dialogue that made me understand the main character more than just the text did.

Sally Milz is a sketch writer for "The Night Owls," the late-night live comedy show that airs each Saturday. With a couple of heartbreaks under her belt, she’s long abandoned the search for love, settling instead for the occasional hook-up, career success, and a close relationship with her stepfather to round out a satisfying life. Enter Noah Brewster, a pop music sensation with a reputation for dating models, who signed on as both host and musical guest for this week’s show. Dazzled by his charms, Sally hits it off with Noah instantly, and as they collaborate on one sketch after another, she begins to wonder whether there might actually be sparks flying. But this isn’t a romantic comedy; it’s real life. And in real life, someone like him would never date someone like her...right? 

The Guncle by Steven Rowley

4.5/5 || I have a deep love for ‘adult takes on childcare duties they’re unprepared for, everyone works through their grief through love’ which should surprise no one. The characters are great, but it does get a little quippy at times which can be eyerolling.

Patrick, or Gay Uncle Patrick (GUP, for short), has always loved his niece, Maisie, and nephew, Grant. So when tragedy strikes and Maisie and Grant lose their mother and Patrick's brother has a health crisis of his own, Patrick finds himself suddenly taking on the role of primary guardian. Despite having a set of Guncle Rules ready to go, Patrick has no idea what to expect, having spent years barely holding on after the loss of his great love, a somewhat-stalled career, and a lifestyle not-so-suited to a six- and a nine-year-old. Quickly realizing that parenting--even if temporary--isn't solved with treats and jokes, Patrick's eyes are opened to a new sense of responsibility, and the realization that, sometimes, even being larger than life means you're unfailingly human.

The Guncle Abroad by Steven Rowley

3.5/5 || A fine but unnecessary sequel. It’s… fine. The thread of grief that made the first story so compelling is gone, replaced with more quips and some tiring new characters. It’s just… fine.

Patrick O’Hara is finally in a league of his own…professionally. Inspired by his stint as Grant and Maisie’s caretaker after their mother’s passing, Patrick has "un-stalled" his acting career with sit-com, Guncle Knows Best. Looking down both barrels at fifty, Patrick is single and lonely after breaking things off with Emory. But at least he has family, right? When his brother Greg announces his big, second wedding in Lake Como, Italy, Patrick feels pulled toward Grant and Maisie and flies to Europe to attend the lavish event, only to butt heads with a newfound Launt (Lesbian Aunt), curb his sister Clara from flirting with guests, and desperately restore himself to the favored relative status in the eyes of the kids, as they struggle to adjust to a new normal. But is it Patrick’s job to save the day? Or is simply celebrating love enough to quell the family chaos?

Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall

4.25/5 || I cannot say if this is ‘good’ or not, but I can say I enjoyed every minute of it. It’s also the most accurate description of what I do for a living (asking rich people for money) I’ve seen in fiction - aka ridiculous and exhausting lol.

Luc O’Donnell is tangentially—and reluctantly—famous. His rock star parents split when he was young, and the father he's never met spent the next twenty years cruising in and out of rehab. Now that his dad's making a comeback, Luc's back in the public eye, and one compromising photo is enough to ruin everything. To clean up his image, Luc has to find a nice, normal relationship…and Oliver Blackwood is as nice and normal as they come. He's a barrister, an ethical vegetarian, and he's never inspired a moment of scandal in his life. In other words: perfect boyfriend material. Unfortunately, apart from being gay, single, and really, really in need of a date for a big event, Luc and Oliver have nothing in common. So they strike a deal to be publicity-friendly (fake) boyfriends until the dust has settled. Then they can go their separate ways and pretend it never happened.

Everyone in my Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson

4.25/5 || Fun mystery with an interesting framework and big ‘Knives Out’ vibes.

Everyone in my family has killed someone. Some of us, the high achievers, have killed more than once. I'm not trying to be dramatic, but it is the truth. Some of us are good, others are bad, and some just unfortunate. I'm Ernest Cunningham. Call me Ern or Ernie. I wish I'd killed whoever decided our family reunion should be at a ski resort, but it's a little more complicated than that.

Everyone on this Train is a Suspect by Benjamin Stevenson

3.5/5 || Not as good as the first, the family drama added a lot of fun previously, but still entertaining.

When the Australian Mystery Writers’ Society invited me to their crime-writing festival aboard the Ghan, the famous train between Darwin and Adelaide, I was hoping for some inspiration for my second book. Fiction, this time: I needed a break from real people killing each other. Obviously, that didn’t pan out. When one of us is murdered, the remaining authors quickly turn into five detectives. Together, we should know how to solve a crime. Of course, we should also know how to commit one. 

Beach Read by Emily Henry

3.75/5 || Enjoyable pool read, but knocked down a bit for a few tropes that just bug me personally.

Augustus Everett is an acclaimed author of literary fiction. January Andrews writes bestselling romance. When she pens a happily ever after, he kills off his entire cast. The only thing they have in common is that for the next three months, they're living in neighboring beach houses, broke, and bogged down with writer's block. Until, one hazy evening, one thing leads to another and they strike a deal designed to force them out of their creative ruts: Augustus will spend the summer writing something happy, and January will pen the next Great American Novel. She’ll take him on field trips worthy of any rom-com montage, and he’ll take her to interview surviving members of a backwoods death cult (obviously). Everyone will finish a book and no one will fall in love. Really.

Nonfiction

The Achilles Trap: Saddam Hussein, the C.I.A., and the Origins of America's Invasion of Iraq by Steve Coll

4.5/5 || Excellent and engaging look into Hussein’s rise and fall, and especially interesting to me looking back on how I perceived it as someone experiencing it through the news vs what we now know.

Calling on unpublished and underreported sources, interviews with surviving participants, and Saddam’s own transcripts and audio files, Coll pulls together an incredibly comprehensive portrait of a man who was convinced the world was out to get him and acted accordingly. A work of great historical significance, The Achilles Trap is the definitive account of how corruptions of power, lies of diplomacy, and vanity—on both sides—led to avoidable errors of statecraft, ones that would enact immeasurable human suffering and forever change the political landscape as we know it.