#christy by catherine marshall

[darsynia]

To bring you back to us:

Christy and Neil - pick one (i couldn't choose)?

10 ...desperately

12 ...in grief.

26 ...as an apology

Please and thank you!

Sneaky sneaky, I like it! I touched on all three, but the grief is wrapped up before the kiss. I'd been struggling feeling like my icky holidays had nuked my ability to write on my longfic of these two, and this did help me feel better about that!

TERMS OF SURRENDER

Pairing: Christy Huddleston/Neil MacNeil Length: 2,358 Rating: General audiences Summary: (set during 'Green Apples,' in a universe that mixes the book and the series)

Neil thinks about the loss of his wife and child as he listens to the harmonica's gently hopeful tune of healing. He decides it's finally time to let go of the past and fight for the kind of future his feelings for Christy promise.

Terms of Surrender

The sound of a harmonica was one of the things Neil had missed in Scotland. It hadn’t occurred to him to bring one, but even if he’d had the funds, there wasn’t anywhere to play it that didn’t feel awkward and out of place. Truthfully, he had felt awkward and out of place, but his time spent quietly observing and learning at home had been quite useful abroad. Neil had integrated well, so well that he’d come home more Scots than Cove.

That thought made him think of Christy. As an outsider, her approach had been wildly different from his; where he’d stepped back and sought a niche, she’d charged ahead to forge her own. He couldn’t help but admire her spirit. Neil had come home changed, but Christy had changed his home. Without permission and without vitriol she’d gently but firmly established herself in Cutter Gap as someone with a heart twice as big as her stature, cheerfully taking the good with the bad. If he’d known then what he knew now, he’d have held himself back, been more… guarded around her.

As with so many of the important things in his life, Neil had realized this too late.

That realization was made all the more complicated on a day such as this, as they fought back a disease that threatened to take the lives of children he’d helped bring into the world. There was only so far a man could push away thoughts of the lives he couldn’t save, to say nothing of the apologies he’d held back until he was out of time.

That old familiar guilt struck a discordant chord with the mournful harmonica, enough to force a rueful chuckle from his lips. After all, he owed an apology to Christy, and this time he didn’t have the luxury of locking himself away until his reflection looked different enough to forget the needful.

Neil stood slowly, loath to disturb the delicate tableau of hopeful survival going on in the quarantine room. He remembered seeing Christy step out of the building looking distressed, but given his contribution to that expression, he’d focused intently on his notes in hopes that she’d avoid disturbing him.

Margaret would have called him a coward. “Apologize or don’t, Mac, but don’t pretend you’re taking the high road!”

His late wife’s admonition spurred Neil to walk around the schoolhouse, his steps curving him away from some hard truths and toward others. She’d hated the darkness of the mountains and loathed the quiet that seeped into a person’s bones to linger there. In a sense, loving him had dimmed Margaret’s fiercely fragile light until she’d run out of energy to fight off the disease that killed her. There was no making peace with that. 

He shut his eyes and tipped his head into the light breeze to clear his mind. When he opened them again, Neil saw the dim outline of a figure ahead of him, along the treeline where they’d been collecting firewood. It was Christy. The lanterns leading to the outhouse were just bright enough to see that her fists were clenched at her sides, and her head was tipped back, just as he’d just done.

“There’s solitary, and then there’s lonely. You can be lonely without being alone.”

Those words had haunted him since his wife had said them less than a month before her death. They’d sliced like a scalpel those first months, festered like a wound that refused to heal by a year’s time, before finally burrowing down to ache like a mended bone before a storm. Tonight was the first time he’d seen them as anything but hurtful; his wife had been many things (selfish, sensual, miserable, mesmerizing), but she had always been insightful. How had it taken him this long to realize what she’d really meant? That they could have been solitary together. That Margaret hadn’t needed to be lonely, if he’d been able to teach her how to share his solitude.

Neil stood in the silent shadow of the schoolhouse, his thoughts whipping around like a willow in a windstorm. There was a very clear reason why he was thinking of Margaret right now, and the truth of that scared him. It was the last clammy fear before the fever broke, the surge of adrenaline before closing a wound. He was letting her go, making space.

The thought was as presumptuous as it was intimidating.

“The apology, Mac. Don’t be an ass.”

Neil walked toward Christy slowly, shoring up his mental fortifications for the coming conflict.

“Battling it out with your god, are you?”

Christy shot him a look that he couldn’t discern in the half-light. “No need to poke fun, but yes. I don’t need to part the Red Sea, just pray hard enough for God to pass over this building without taking anyone.”

“Now who’s poking fun?” Neil said. He moved to stand beside her, both facing the fathomless expanse of forest. “I’ve always thought that story was particularly unfair; punishing the children for the sins of the fathers.”

“That’s not too different from feuding, don’t you think?” There was a tightness in her voice that was entirely his fault, top to bottom.

“Maybe I should walk away and start over,” he said, shoving at a small branch with his foot. “I’d come over here to apologize.”

Her silence lasted long enough for him to look over. Christy’s body language was armed for war, but her words were more shield than sword.

“You couldn’t have known about my sister. I’m a stranger, and it looked like I put your patients in danger.”

“You’re hardly a stranger, Christy. Despite my temper, I know you’ve only ever done your best to keep them safe, educated, and happy,” he countered. “I was wrong to shout at you.”

“You--” she broke off, arms dropping to her sides. 

“What? Did I just deprive you of a fight? I’m sure we can find something else,” Neil teased lightly. He opened his mouth to elaborate, but Christy jumped in to interrupt.

“Don’t! Let me savor the moment.”

The amusement in her voice cut straight through to the depths of his heart, as though his years of defenses and baggage were insubstantial in the face of her warmth. 

Christy turned to walk back toward the schoolhouse, and it was in the shock of those feelings that Neil caught her as she pitched sideways toward him, hissing in surprised pain. Immediately he set her hand on his shoulder and knelt down, finding her boot tangled in the ends of the branch he’d nudged earlier. That realization had him swearing under his breath.

“Is it bad? My ankle doesn’t feel--” Christy cut herself off, her voice pinched with fear.

“I was reacting to the culprit, not your injury. I’d tried to kick that branch out of the way. You’ll be fine after a few minutes, it’s just a wrong step.”

“So you swept me off my feet?” she whispered, finishing the sentence just as he straightened back up. The action slid her hand from his shoulder down to his chest-- and they stood with her words hovering between them like a heated breath in the deepest winter.

The lamplight lit her stress-mussed hair in soft gold, edging her features as if she were in an illuminated manuscript. Christy’s eyes were wide as she stared at her hand on his chest, perhaps as shocked as he was that she hadn’t pulled back. Just at that moment, a curl slipped free, and before he realized what he was doing, Neil tucked the soft lock behind her ear in an unmistakable caress.

The sound of her sucked-in breath shot adrenaline straight to his heart.

“I should--” she started, eyes still fixed on their point of contact. With the barest stroke of her thumb, she finally lifted her hand. “I should go. Will you promise to get some rest? I’ll take the first watch.”

The blood rushing in his ears spoke of the many things unresolved between them, and Neil reached out to stop her with a clumsy hand. “Wait--”

Christy pressed her eyes shut, her lip caught in her teeth. He longed to see the nuances of her expression-- was she annoyed but hiding it well? Blushing? Fearful?

“Hold still for a spell, let your ankle rest?” he offered. He didn’t move his hand, and she didn’t move away to dislodge it. For once, he didn’t hear the derisive tones of his conscience mocking those choices. Christy was hesitating, so he added, “I haven’t properly apologized.”

This prompted her to open her eyes and look at him. Whatever she saw there made her sway just slightly in his direction.

Maybe it was the stillness of the night, the hope of healing, the exhaustion from fighting so many things with so much of his strength, or perhaps it was the lightness of his finally untethered heart, but whatever the true reason was, Neil succumbed.

“I’m sorry it took me so long to see you for who you truly are, Christy. Your heart is bright enough to light the whole Cove, and I’m grateful to be touched by it.” He released her arm and turned his hand to brush the backs of his fingers against her cheek, then moved to walk away before he ruined both of their reputations.

Christy stopped him, not with words, but with an action that meant so much more: with surprising strength, she caught his hand, pressing his palm to her cheek. Then she did speak, and he was lost.

“You’re the coal that keeps us burning, Neil.”

The distant sound of the harmonica faded in the space between her action and his stuttering heart. Would John Spencer tuck the instrument into his pocket and make his way to the outhouse? Had he been interrupted by one of the children crying out for their help?

Stepping close, Neil set his other hand on her cheek and said, “I owe you more than an apology, Christy, even more so for this.” Dipping his head, he kissed her, meaning for it to be brief, a promise, not an end unto itself. He was foolish, forgetting her determination to never yield when she could persuade instead. Her hand moved up into his hair, burning a surer path than any bullet meant to stop his brain from functioning.

Despite every passing second marking the time between now and disaster if he didn’t pull back, Neil deepened the kiss, his arm banding around her waist to lift her up, ever so slightly. Then, with the reluctance of a victor forced to leave the spoils of war behind, he stepped away. His whole body buzzed with anxiety and pleasure, but he knew he’d overstepped badly.

“Forgive me, I-- I’ve held that back for quite some time,” he admitted. “When you brought me dinner, I must confess--”

“Oh! Please believe me, I had no idea, or I would never have presumed to take advantage like that.” Christy interrupted, her voice thick with regret. “Fairlight suggested the way to persuade you was through good cooked food. I suppose I failed there, as well!”

Neil took her hand and clasped it with both of his. “Your campaign for Dan Scott had me at your feet. When I realized that was all you’d come for, I was ready to send him to the devil, and the Mission too. The truth is, I’ve fallen for you, Christy. Hopelessly so.”

She lifted their joined hands to her lips. “I’d barely let myself think of such things, but when I dream… you’re always there, smiling at me, quarreling with me, teaching me--”

“Reality is hardly ever that idyllic,” he cautioned. Neil dislodged his hand from hers out of propriety, but inwardly his defenses were being dismantled, one uncertainty at a time.

“Only you would consider arguing with me idyllic!”

“Any time spent with you is a dream, I’ll freely admit that.” He grinned, adding, “If ye wish to prove it’s real, we can go on until I win an argument. Shouldn’t take too long.”

“You are insufferable,” Christy grumbled.

“Would it make it worse if I told you how lovely you look when you’re cross with me? It was all I could do not to--

“If you say something about sweeping me off my feet, Neil MacNeil, I’ll--” She stopped short, clearly realizing that he’d prompted exactly the kind of cross reaction he enjoyed.

“Do I need to?” Neil started, but a bobbing lantern light near the schoolhouse caught his attention. Thinking quickly, he moved to pick up some of the cut wood and branches near where they’d been standing, nodding to Christy to do the same. By the time Fairlight made it around the corner, the two of them were almost to the outhouse.

“Doc find you screamin’ at the sky, then?”

“Bargaining, more like,” Neil said. “I think it ended on a truce?” He turned toward her, selfishly needing to see her indignation.

Once again, she bested him.

“Victory,” Christy asserted. “I had a talk with God, and he sent me a sign of healing.”

Neil angled his arms so that a small log fell off, allowing him to hide his expression as he picked it back up. Thankfully, the two women had resumed their walk back to the front of the schoolhouse by the time he stood up. Healing! Her innocent audacity took his breath away, as always. There was a lot of rebuilding to be done, all of it in the harsh light of day, but he was intensely grateful for that temporary bubble of solitude they’d been able to find in each other.

The thought had occurred before the significance dawned on him, and Neil stopped short, stunned.

Healing. It was something he’d fought to achieve for others his entire life yet somehow was gifted without warning or design, in the middle of the night during quarantine, no less! This new beginning was fitting, he supposed, and like all beginnings, there would be a lot of adjusting to be done for both of them. 

They’d be able to do it together.

[fandomsbyladymelodrama]

No pressure on this, but I wanted to ask if you'd like to tell me about one of/some of your favorite Christy scenes, and the things you like most about it/them? I can't singlehandedly revive the fandom on here, but it's such a joy to talk over this show with other fans!

I didn't realize until recently how thoroughly the Neil/Christy relationship informed my romantic preferences in all the media and writing I've done since watching it in my teens. Older, scholarly man/younger, determined woman, some kind of angst in the man's past, a need to change things for the better as an intrinsic part of the woman's character, a taboo element that stands in the way of the relationship... Even in the slash pairings I love so much, there's still so many elements of it!

Hey filmmakers, don't think we don't notice that you frame these two with Christy on a step/incline half the time to de-emphasize the height difference...

Oh my, oh my. Okay, first, let's be real. I've been waiting for an ask like this since 1994 (baby Tumblr wasn't even born yet 😂) so get ready for some major Neil/Christy feels that I've been suppressing but also diligently-tending-in-the-background for 30+/- years. THEY. ARE. PERFECT. Top-shelf OTP bottle, for sure. You understand, right? Of course, you do. We've discussed. But yeah, I feel the same way about this show/book/pairing influencing and informing both my writing style and romantic preferences in fiction over the years. Happy to admit it. Yes *raises hand* 1000 times yes. Hello, my name is ladymelodrama, and the fact that CBS so cruelly stole resolution for Neil/Christy from us forever (I'm not counting the PAX movies, I'm just not) is a crime against good television everywhere and will haunt my Christy-loving bones until I'm dead and buried in the ground deep enough so's the critter's can't find me, as Little Burl or Creed Allen would say. Anyway, you asked about Neil and Christy and favorite moments and since I can't just pick one...

I have a proposition to make :) Let's trade fave moments until we run out of them, maybe? No pressure, of course, but this is me mostly unwilling to commit to my Top 5 Scenes until I finish my rewatch, and even then I'll probably change my mind a couple times 😂 But here's one that I'll discuss in detail today and which I like to call the "Will This Do?" scene aka "and then they both smiled their little smiles at each other and lived happily ever after. The end." <3

(Credit to @heatherfield for this gif, and bless you, friend, for continuously shipping the same pairings as me - makes my gif-hunting so much easier haha <3)

So why do I love this scene so much? Oh, you know. Margret's dress. Objectively, it's gorgeous (the woman had style, even if she had no heart). And hey, it only coded Neil/Christy as endgame from the first episode, no big deal. Plus it was one of the softest moments in the whole show and THE WAY THEY SMILED AT EACH OTHER. Ugh. Soffffffft. I'm mean, you're seeing this too, right? ;) Meanwhile, I'm sure David is over here in the corner...doing what David does best XD Lurking. Always lurking.

(and, based on the pic I chose, maybe taking notes on how to have better chemistry with Christy? - "Dear Diary, Neil MacNeill is kinda the worst, have I mentioned?" 😂) But in all seriousness, what I love about that scene (and the exchange of smiles, in particular) is how there's an honest-to-goodness, my-spirit-just-spoke-to-your-spirit bit of humanity happening there. I die for those moments, little and quiet as they may be. It's just so...SOFT. They don't know each other yet. Not really. There's no romance at play (other than what I assume might be mutual physical attraction, even if Christy would never let herself go there. Not on her first days in the Cove) so it's more a budding friendship that we're seeing and friends-to-lovers is one of my favorite things? (Jorleesi, Jisbon, Siegfried/Audrey, Obidala, Red Cricket, Dickon/Mary much?). I also really enjoy when she comes down the stairs looking all pretty-in-lavender with her hair down (still lolling at your comment on that detail btw because...c'est vrai 😂) and "Oh no, David, it's so late...how will we ever get to Lufty Branch in time?" "Not we, Christy." (exactly, David, you're getting it). Too bad she has to spend all afternoon in this rustic cabin with a plaid-shirted, barrel-chested, brogue-speaking, moody mountain man with inside pain for dayssssss. Oh the everlasting horror XD

So yeah, so much to love about this scene (and the entire convo in the cabin afterwards and him plucking her from Theo prior to the whole dress thing - guy helps girl down from horse = I'm in love 😍). To witness the very beginning of their arc (okay, Part II of the beginning, but the doctor was busy with brain surgery during Part I, so you know what I mean) and to have the actors play it so, so beautifully and in an Appalachian setting that's just misty and magical and to die for all by itself... Mmmm *chef's kiss* Your turn, @darsynia <3

[kopykunoichi]

Christy, by Catherine Marshall. Chapter 35 Excerpt (part 2)

Over the doctor’s shoulder I saw that Jeb Spencer had set the fiddle against his chest and was tuning up. Wraight Holt had joined him with a banjo. With twangy chords sliding into a fast jog and Jeb’s bow singing across the strings the music started. As in the past Uncle Bogg was in the middle of things ready to call the figures. I marveled that from all appearances the old man had recovered so quickly from his son’s murder. Or, I wondered, was this just another example of Uncle Bogg’s callousness? “Scrooch them settin’ chairs against the walls, boys. Gonna need a heap of room.” The old squire was clapping his hands. “Gyarner ’em in, folks. In—a—cir-cle. The Tenn’see Wag-on Wheel. Here—we—go!” The tune was the familiar “Skip to My Lou.” The music snaked across the floor, swirled around my ankles, set my toes to tapping. Dr. MacNeill saw. “Come on, Christy. Into the circle we go."

“Cir-cle left!” . . . Cir-cle right! . . . Swing your partner . . . Now . . .” The doctor was surprisingly nimble. I had never done much square dancing, so did not know all the intricate figures. But by whispered instruction and skillful leading, he was steering me with scarcely a step missed by either of us. The rhythm beat and surged around us. The man must have learned this dance in his cradle! “La-dies back . . . Gents to the cen-ter . . .” Close up, some of these men were a little pungent. Out behind the cabin or somewhere the jugs were being tilted. “With a Right Hand Wheel . . . And back the other way . . . With a Left Hand Wheel! . . . Pick up your partner!” The doctor’s strong arms lifted me off the floor as easily as if I had been a child. Whirl and twirl . . . bend and swing . . . round and round. The music was so delicious. It ached behind my eyes and pulled and titillated. “Swing your part-ner!”

I was spun through the air, blood racing with the music, aware of the doctor’s face close to mine, sometimes half-smiling, sometimes laughing, drawing me to him. “Right—left, Right—left . . . Right—left, Right—” “And now, once a-gain, swing your part-ner—Prom-e-nade!” We were making an arch with our raised arms and the couples were coming through. “Bend low! Through the tunnel. Follow the leader . . . Now for the Bas-ket . . . All to the center! . . . Ladies stay in and the gents come back!” This one was really ingenious. Soon I saw how “the basket” was made. Women in the inner circle joined hands raised; men in the outer circle ducking under. We were joining arms at waist level to circle the basket. As complicated and delightful as an old quilt pattern, I was thinking. The American frontier had its dangers and its hard work but it also had a rare talent for making its own fun. “Off the floor . . .” And the Tennessee Wagon Wheel ended.

I half collapsed against the wall. “You aren’t—breathless—a bit—” I chided Dr. MacNeill. “Used to it. Anyway that was only a middlin’ fast tune.” More music . . . Jeb had itchy fingers for his fiddle bow today. But no one was dancing this one, so I took it to be an in-between tune. In a rich baritone the doctor started singing the words:

Cheeks as red as a bloomin’ rose,

Eyes of the deepest brown,

You are the darlin’ of my heart,

Stay till the sun goes down.

All around us, voices picked up the song. Such an enigmatic look on the doctor’s face! What did that look mean?

Shady Grove, my little love,

Shady Grove, my dear,

Shady Grove, my little love,

I’m goin’ to leave you here.

Only a song, but why did he keep his eyes on my face? “I’m thirsty,” I said abruptly—and turned toward the one sawhorse table left pushed against the wall. There were pitchers of spring water and what looked like several kinds of fruit juice. I poured a little of one and gingerly tasted it. Raspberry juice, I thought. It was refreshing. So I poured a full glass.

[andsjuliet]

2023 books read

updated reading goal: 150

1) nancy drew: the curse → micol ostow (audiobook, reread) / (jan 1) 2) all the dangerous things → stacy willingham (arc) / (jan 2) 3) lunar love → lauren kung jessen (arc) / (jan 3 - jan 4) 4) death by dumpling → vivien chien (audiobook) / (jan 6) 5) where echoes die → courtney gould (arc) / (jan 4 - jan 7) 6) the no-show → beth o’leary (audiobook) / (jan 6 - jan 8) 7) 6 times we almost kissed (and one time we did) → tess sharpe (arc) / (jan 8) 8) a fatal thing happened on the way to the forum: murder in ancient rome → emma southon (audiobook) / (jan 8 - jan 9) 9) this appearing house → ally malinenko (audiobook) / (jan 9) 10) spare → prince harry (audiobook) / (jan 10) 11) hell bent → leigh bardugo (audiobook) / (jan 10 - jan 12) 12) have i told you this already? → lauren graham / (jan 12 - jan 13) 13) partners in crime → alisha rai (audiobook) / (jan 13) 14) always the almost → edward underhill (arc) / (jan 14) 15) a room of one’s own → virgina woolf / (jan 5 - jan 14) 16) icebreaker → hannah grace (audiobook) / (jan 15) 17) the companion → e.e. ottoman / (jan 15 - jan 16) 18) feel your way through → kelsea ballerini / (jan 16) 19) comfort me with apples → catherynne m. valente (audiobook) / (jan 17) 20) a strange loop → michael r. jackson / (jan 21) 21) maybe in another life → taylor jenkins reid / (jan 23) 22) the fraud squad → kyla zhao / (jan 23 - jan 25) 23) the family game → catherine steadman (audiobook) / (jan 25 - jan 26) 24) the six deaths of the saint → alix e. harrow / (jan 28) 25) these fleeting shadows → kate alice marshall (audiobook) / (jan 28) 26) better than fiction → alexa martin (audiobook) / (jan 30 - jan 31) 27) this is not a personal statement → tracy badua / (jan 28 - feb 1) 28) nine liars → maureen johnson / (feb 2 - feb 4) 29) the nanny → lana ferguson (arc) / (feb 6) 30) finlay donovan is killing it → elle cosimano (audiobook) / (feb 7) 31) finlay donovan knocks ‘em dead → elle cosimano (audiobook) / (feb 8) 32) finaly donovan jumps the gun → elle cosimano (audiobook) / (feb 8) 33) someone had to do it → amber brown & danielle brown (audiobook) / (feb 12) 34) daisy jones & the six → taylor jenkins reid (reread, annotation) / (feb 8 - feb 12) 35) wuthering heights → emily brontë (audiobook, reread) / (feb 13 - feb 14) 36) practical magic → alice hoffman (audiobook) / (feb 16) 37) delicious monsters → liselle sambury (arc) / (feb 11 - feb 17) 38) the world cannot give → tara isabella burton (audiobook) / (feb 18 - feb 19) 39) this time it’s real → ann liang / (feb 14 - feb 19) 40) partners in crime → agatha christie (audiobook) / (feb 20) 41) the glass menagerie → tennessee williams (reread) / (feb 22) 42) missing clarissa → ripley jones (arc) / (feb 22 - feb 23) 43) the reunion → kayla olson (audiobook) / (feb 23) 44) twelfth night → william shakespeare (reread, annotation) / (jan 15 - feb 23) 45) the summer i turned pretty → jenny han (reread, audiobook) / (mar 1) 46) it’s not summer without you → jenny han (reread, audiobook) / (mar 1) 47) we’ll always have summer → jenny han (reread, audiobook) / (mar 1) 48) the late mrs. willoughby → claudia gray (arc) / (feb 23 - mar 2) 49) the appeal → janice hallett / (mar 2 - mar 3) 50) fatal throne: the wives of henry vii tell all → candice fleming, m.t. anderson, jennifer donnelly, stephanie hemphill, debrah hopkinson, linda sue park, lisa anna sandell (audiobook) / (mar 4) 51) a quiet life in the country → t.e. kinsey (audiobook) / (mar 6 - mar 7) 52) leave it to the march sisters → annie sereno (arc) / (mar 7 - mar 8) 53) wild is the witch → rachel griffin (audiobook) / (mar 9) 54) no exit → taylor adams / (mar 9 - mar 10) 55) julius caesar → william shakespeare (reread, audiobook) / (mar 15) 56) last violent call → chloe gong / (mar 10 - mar 15) 57) the witch and the vampire → francesca flores (arc) / (mar 15 - mar 16) 58) what lies in the woods → kate alice marshall (audiobook) / (mar 17) 59) the writing retreat → julia bartz (audiobook) / (mar 18 - mar 20) 60) spells for forgetting → adrienne young (audiobook) / (mar 23) 61) anne of green gables → l.m. montgomery (reread) / (mar 21 - mar 24) 62) an elderly lady is up to no good → helene tursten (audiobook, translated work) / (mar 27) 63) murder your employer: the mcmasters guide to homicide → rupert holmes (audiobook) / (mar 28 - mar 29) 64) fake dates and mooncakes → sher lee (arc) / (mar 29 - mar 30) 65) the sweetest connection → denise williams (audiobook) / (apr 1) 66) immortal longings → chloe gong (arc) / (mar 16 - apr 1) 67) lost in the never woods → aiden thomas / (apr 2 - apr 3) 68) that wasn’t in the script → sarah ainslee (arc) / (apr 3) 69) tell me what really happened → chelsea sedoti (arc) / (apr 3) 70) shakespeare in love → lee hall / (apr 4) 71) the golden spoon → jessa maxwell (audiobook) / (apr 6 - apr 7) 72) hamlet → william shakespeare (reread, annotation) / (mar 4 - apr 8) 73) anne of avonlea → l.m. montgomery (reread) / (apr 4 - apr 9) 74) anne of the island → l.m. montgomery (reread) (apr 9) 75) of human kindness: what shakespeare teaches us about empathy → paula marantz cohen (audiobook) / (apr 7 - apr 10) 76) ophelia → lisa m. klein (audiobook) / (apr 12 - apr 13) 77) anne of windy poplars → l.m. montgomery (reread) (apr 10 - apr 13) 78) women of will: following the feminine in shakespeare’s plays → tina packer (audiobook) / (apr 14 - apr 17) 79) juliet: the life and afterlives of shakespeare's first tragic heroine → sophie duncan (arc) / (apr 5 - apr 18) 80) your guide to not getting murdered in a quaint english village → maureen johnson, jay cooper / (apr 20) 81) when the reckoning comes → latanya mcqueen (audiobook) / (apr 21 - apr 22) 82) laertes: a hamlet retelling → carly stevens / (apr 23) 83) the broken girls → simone st. james / (apr 21 - apr 26) 84) the night swim → megan golden (audiobook) / (may 1 - may 2) 85) when you wish upon a lantern → gloria chao (audiobook) / (may 3 - may 4) 86) chloe and the kaishao boys → mae coyiuto / (may 2 - may 7) 87) ghosted: a northanger abbey novel → amanda quain (arc) / (may 2 - may 7) 88) happy place → emily henry / (may 7 - may 9) 89) the mad women’s ball → victoria mas / (may 9 - may 11) 90) the fiancée farce → alexandria bellefleur (audiobook) / (may 14 - may 15) 91) the strange case of the alchemist's daughter → theodora goss (audiobook) / (may 18 - may 19) 92) the weight of blood → tiffany d. jackson (audiobook) / (may 19 - may 20) 93) the twyford code → janice hallett / (may 18 - may 21) 94) never vacation with your ex → emily wibberley and austin siegemund-broka / (may 22) 95) the dos and donuts of love → adiba jaigirdar (arc) / (may 23 - may 24) 96) european travel for the monstrous gentlewoman → theodora goss (audiobook) / (may 22 - may 25) 97) one jump at a time: my story → nathan chen (audiobook) / (jun 1) 98) death of a bookseller → alice slater (audiobook) / (jun 1 - jun 2) 99) a treacherous tale → elizabeth penny (audiobook) / (jun 3 - jun 5) 100) chapter and curse → elizabeth penny (audiobook) / (jun 5) 101) julieta and the romeos → maria e. andreu (audiobook) / (jun 5 - jun 6) 102) a far wilder magic → allison saft (audiobook) / (jun 7 - jun 11) 103) meet me at the lake → carly fortune (audiobook) / (jun 11 - jun 12) 104) foul heart huntsman → chloe gong (arc) / (may 25 - jun 17) 105) rules for vanishing → kate alice marshall / (jun 1 - jun 19) 106) little thieves → margaret own (audiobook) / (jun 15 - jun 21) 107) the last word → taylor adams / (jun 19 - jun 21) 108) the three dahlias → katy watson / (jun 5 - jun 24) 109) painted devils → margaret own (audiobook) / (jun 25 - jun 29) 110) reign → katharine mcgee (arc) / (jun 25 - jul 1) 111) the chateau → jaclyn goldis / (jul 1 - jul 4) 112) a most agreeable murder → julia seals / (jul 2 - jul 4) 113) the shadow sister → lily meade / (july 4 - july 5) 114) if we were villains → m.l. rio (reread, audiobook) / (jul 6) 115) something is killing the children, vol 1 → james tynion iv / (jul 7) 116) something is killing the children, vol 2 → james tynion iv / (jul 7) 117) something is killing the children, vol 3 → james tynion iv / (jul 7) 118) you’re not supposed to die tonight → kalynn bayron / (jul 8) 119) something is killing the children, vol 4 → james tynion iv / (jul 9) 120) lock every door → riley sager (audiobook) / (jul 8 - jul 9) 121) something is killing the children, vol 5 → james tynion iv / (jul 10) 122) the sun down motel → simone st. james / (jul 9 - jul 11) 123) the only survivors → megan miranda (audiobook) / (jul 13) 124) at home with the horrors → sammy scott / (jul 16 - jul 21) 125) one of us is lying → karen m. mcmanus (reread, audiobook) / (jul 31) 126) bring me your midnight → rachel griffin (arc) / (jul 21 - jul 31) 127) one of us is next → karen m. mcmanus (reread, audiobook) / (jul 31 - aug 1) 128) the summer of broken rules → k.l. walther / (jul 30 - aug 1) 129) one of us is back → karen m. mcmanus / (aug 1 - aug 3) 130) what happens after midnight → k.l. walther / (aug 4 - aug 6) 131) the narrow → kate alice marshall / (aug 3 - aug 6) 132) night of the living queers: 13 tales of terror delight → edited by shelly page and alex brown (arc) / (aug 9 - aug 15) 133) the death i gave him → em x. liu (arc) / (aug 17 - aug 19) 134) heartstopper, vol 1 (reread) → alice oseman / (aug 19) 135) heartstopper, vol 2 (reread) → alice oseman / (aug 19) 136) heartstopper, vol 3 (reread) → alice oseman / (aug 19) 137) heartstopper, vol 4 (reread) → alice oseman / (aug 19) 138) the only one left → riley sager / (aug 19 - aug 21) 139) the getaway list → emma lord (arc) / (aug 21 - aug 22) 140) a good girl’s guide to murder → holly jackson (reread, audiobook) / (aug 23 - aug 24) 141) good girl, bad blood → holly jackson (reread, audiobook) / (aug 24 - aug 26) 142) as good as dead → holly jackson (reread, audiobook) / (aug 26 - aug 27) 143) five survive → holly jackson (reread, audiobook) / (aug 27) 144) one for my enemy → olivie blake / (aug 31 - sep 5) 145) business or pleasure → rachel lynn solomon / (sep 5) 146) maybe meant to be → k.l. walther (audiobook) / (sep 6 - sep 7) 147) yellowface → r.f. kuang (audiobook) / (sep 10 - sep 11) 148) going bicostal → dahlia adler (audiobook) / (sep 19) 149) teach the torches to burn: a romeo and juliet remix → caleb roehig / (sep 16 - sep 23) 150) none of this is true → lisa jewell / (sep 24) 151) the girls in the garden → lisa jewell (audiobook) / (sep 29 - sep 30) 152) a very lively murder → katy watson / (oct 3 - oct 4) 153) she is a haunting → trang thanh tran (audiobook) / (oct 4 - oct 5) 154) murder and mamon → mia p. manansala / (oct 5) 155) in these hallowed halls: a dark academia anthology → edited by marie o’regan & paul kane / (sep 14 - oct 7) 156) hallowe’en party  → agatha christie (audiobook) / (oct 8 - oct 9) 157) the second death of edie and violet bond → amanda glaze (audiobook) / (oct 9 - oct 11) 158) the fall of the house of usher → edgar allan poe / (oct 12) 159) home before dark → riley sager (audiobook) / (oct 13 - oct 14) 160) a haunting on the hill → elizabeth hand / (oct 7 - oct 16) 161) the lost coast → a.r. capetta (audiobook) / (oct 14 - oct 19) 162) murder in the family → cara hunter / (oct 18 - oct 21) 163) starling house → alix e. harrow (audiobook) / (oct 22 - oct 25) 164) the unmaking of june farrow → adrienne young (physical and audiobook) / (oct 23 - oct 28) 165) when ghosts call us home → katya de becerra / (oct 28 - oct 30) 166) a christmas carol → charles dickens (reread) / (nov 5) 167) the fall of whit rivera → crystal maldonado (audiobook) / (nov 9 - nov 10) 168) iris kelly doesn’t date → ashley herring blake (audiobook) / (nov 11 - nov 12) 169) fair rosaline → natasha solomon / (nov 8 - nov 14) 170) the dead romantics → ashley poston (audiobook) / (nov 20) 171) if we were villains → m.l. rio (reread, physical and audiobook) / (nov 8 - nov 22) 172) the ballad of songbirds and snakes → suzanne collins / (nov 23 - nov 25) 173) i hope this doesn’t find you → ann liang (arc) / (nov 27 - nov 28) 174) the hunger games → suzanne collins (reread, annotation) / (dec 1 - dec 2) 175) the christmas appeal → janice hallett (audiobook) / (dec 6) 176) enchanted to meet you → meg cabot (audiobook) / (dec 8 - dec 10) 177) catching fire → suzanne collins (reread, annotation) / (dec 3 - dec 17) 178) mockingjay → suzanne collins (reread, annotation) / (dec 18 - dec 23) 179) none shall sleep → ellie marney (audiobook) / (dec 15 - dec 23) 180) little women → louisa may alcott (reread, physical and audiobook) / (dec 25 - dec 28)

[aaronstveit]

my choices for the new septembers readathon!! side-by-side with she gets the girl, i think the lesbiana's guide looks more yellow than orange but i'm keeping it anyway. i've already started hallowe'en party and i'm excited to read the rest of these books, most of which have been on my tbr for a little while!!

my choices in text form:

a book about witches: The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna

a murder mystery: Hallowe'en Party by Agatha Christie

a book that takes place at a boarding school or private school: Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire

a creepy or horror book: These Fleeting Shadows by Kate Alice Marshall

a book that takes place in september: Carrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid

a book with a red cover: Carmilla by J. Sheridan Le Fanu

a book with a yellow cover: She Gets the Girl by Rachael Lippincott and Alyson Derrick

a book with an orange cover: The Lesbiana's Guide to Catholic School by Sonora Reyes

a short story collection: Our Shadows Have Claws: 15 Latin American Monster Stories edited by Yamile Saied Méndez and Amparo Ortiz

a gothic novel: House of Hunger by Alexis Henderson

reread an autumnal favorite: Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

an autumnal romance: The Dead Romantics by Ashley Poston

a book about a haunted house: The Hacienda by Isabel Cañas

a book about vampires: A Dowry of Blood by S.T. Gibson

a cozy fantasy: Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree

a classic or retelling: Our Hideous Progeny by C.E. McGill

a september 2023 release: In These Hallowed Halls: A Dark Academia Anthology edited by Marie O'Regan and Paul Kane

an autumnal classic: Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen

a dark academia book: Catherine House by Elisabeth Thomas

a graphic novel: M Is for Monster by Talia Dutton

[caityrayeraye]

Top 5 books, or book series, or both!

This is so hard. I love so many books/book series lol.

Okay, I’m gonna do 5 of each.

Books:

1) The Guardian by Robbie Cheuvront and Erik Reed

2) Christy by Catherine Marshall

3) Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

4) The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

5) Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

Bonus two lol: The White Princess by Philippa Gregory and Summer of Blood by Dan Jones

Series:

1) Six of Crows duology by Leigh Bardugo

2) School for Good and Evil books by Soman Chainani

3) Little Women books by Louisa May Alcott

4) Little House on the Prairie books by Laura Ingalls Wilder

5) Anne of Green Gables books by L.M. Montgomery

And another bonus two: The Chronicles of Narnia books by C.S Lewis and the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon

Thanks for the ask💙😌

[sliverswords]

12, 16, 25 for the book asks

12. A book you love for the setting

I love Christy (by Catherine Marshall) for more than just its setting but the Appalachians are where my heart resides. Marshall has a way of describing them that makes you feel as if you’re in cades cove on a misty mountain morning. It’s so beautiful hearing someone else articulate what I love about these mountains. And the characters have such charm and wit and vibrancy that’s surprising but adds to the charm of the mountains. (I thought about putting Narnia here because I do really love the world but I think I love them more for Aslan and all that he represents and all the biblical allusions/symbols)

16. A book you love for its themes

I really enjoyed the Giver Quartet (by Lois Lowry) because of its themes of love, especially when it becomes more self sacrificial love. the main cast devote there lives to those that they love, one of them at least, dies because of it, and then there’s this theme of selfishness that’s used to contrast the selflessness of love. The books make a case for love being the driving force of humanity because of how it changes us for the better. And that really stuck with me for along time after finishing them.

25. A book on your B-tier: Not one of your favorites, but one you enjoying

I enjoyed Animal Farm (by George Orwell) mildly. It’s an allegory about the Soviet Union and it’s depressing. That’s really all there is to it. I had such foolish hope that the animals would be okay but I also knew that they wouldn’t. It was also a fairly short easy read and I’m a history nerd so I enjoyed the allegory and references.

[detournementsmineurs]

“Mercredi (Wednesday)” série créée par Alfred Gough et Miles Millar et réalisée par Tim Burton, James Marshall et Gandja Monteiro - adaptée des dessins humoristiques de Charles Addams (1938-88) - avec Jenna Ortega, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Luis Guzmán, Isaac Ordonez, Emma Myers, Gwendoline Christie, Christina Ricci, Percy Hynes White, Hunter Doohan, Jamie McShane, Riki Lindhome, Joy Sunday, Georgie Farmer, Naomi J. Ogawa, Moosa Mostafa, Fred Armisen et George Burcea, décembre 2022.

[withlovemuffin]

Tagged by @gustingirl (🫶🏼 ily)

Tagging @inspiredissue @mattwife-mattnipulate-mattsplain @attic-moth @youre-platinum-pussycat @pa-pa-pa-pa-papageno @musicalgoats @thatscarletflycatcher

Nickname: I have many! I get called Muffin and Charlie the most- sometimes when my friends are being funny, they’ll call me charles :)

Sign: Cancer ♋️ (somehow the weirdest zodiac name)

Height: 5’2, 62 inches, 157.5 cm

Last Thing I Googled: Deviated Septum

Song Stuck in my Head: I Was Made for Loving You by KISS

Number of Followers: uhhhh no idea!

Amount of Sleep: uHM… I usually go to sleep at 2 am and wake up at 8 or so, does that answer anything?

Dream Job: god, I have so many dream jobs in mind! Being an author, history teacher, phlebotomist, those all sound like good careers to me, but there’s no telling where I’ll end up in the end

Wearing: a dark green sweater and dark grey skirt

Books That Summarize You: uhhhh- I feel like The Great Gatsby, Northanger Abbey, Jane Eyre, Anne of Green Gables, and Christy were all formative books in making me who I am today

Favourite Song: Puttin’ On The Ritz by Taco

Favourite Instrument: I love the sound of a guitar, and I’ve always wanted to play, but my coordination simply ain’t it

Aesthetic: I think maybe cottagecore? Maybe something academic too? Idk man, I’m too complicated as a person to be limited to just one aesthetic

Favourite Author: Jane Austen, Anne and Charlotte Brontë, Catherine Marshall, Emily Dickinson, Tessa Dare

Random Fun Fact: I am the direct descendant of Anne Boleyn’s sister, Mary Carey! I do tons of genealogy and the things you find in the tree are *wild*

[wednesday-film-online-a-zdarma]

Sledujte ― Wednesday Film Online CZ A Zdarma

Kde sledovat Wednesday filmy? Podívejte se zde! Wednesday film online (2023) celý film cz titulky a zdarma v HD česky.

Wednesday je americký nadpřirozený komediální hororový seriál založený na postavě Wednesday Addamsové z Addamsovy rodiny.

Kde Sledovat Wednesday Filmy Online Zdarma:

► Klikněte zde pro shlédnutí filmu Wednesday - Online zdarma v HD

Wednesday online cz zdarma? Zjistěte, kde můžete sledovat obsah online z nabídky 7 služeb.

Kde sledovat Wednesdaya?

několik způsobů, jak sledovat film Wednesday online v USA Můžete použít streamovací službu, jako je Netflix, Hulu nebo Amazon Prime Video. Film si také můžete vypůjčit nebo zakoupit na iTunes nebo Google Play. sledujte jej na vyžádání nebo ve streamovací aplikaci dostupné na vašem televizoru nebo streamovacím zařízení, pokud máte kabel.

Co je to film Wednesday?

Wednesday je americký nadpřirozený komediální hororový seriál založený na postavě Wednesday Addamsové z Addamsovy rodiny. Tvůrci seriálu jsou Alfred Gough a Miles Millar. Hlavní roli ztvárňuje Jenna Ortega, ve vedlejších rolích účinkují Catherine Zeta-Jones, Luis Guzmán, Isaac Ordonez, Gwendoline Christie, Riki Lindhome, Jamie McShane, Fred Armisen a Christina Ricci. Čtyři z osmi epizod jsou režírovány Timem Burtonem, který také působí jako výkonný producent. Seriál dokumentuje Wednesday, která se snaží vyřešit záhadu ve své škole.

Kdy vyjde film Wednesday?

Burton byl dříve spojován se dvěma projekty souvisejícími s Addamsovou rodinou: s filmem z roku 1991, který vynechal a se zrušeným stop motion animovaným filmem. V říjnu 2020 se objevily zprávy, že se ujme režie televizního seriálu, který si později objednala společnost Netflix. Natáčení probíhalo v Rumunsku od září 2021 do března 2022. Seriál Wednesday měl premiéru 16. listopadu 2022 a na Netflixu se objevil 23. listopadu a dočkal se vesměs pozitivních recenzí kritiků, kteří chválili výkon Ortegy,[1] ale kritizovali jej za podobnost s dramaty stanice CW.

Kdo je obsazením filmu Wednesday?

Jenna Ortega, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Luis Guzmán, Isaac Ordonez, Fred Armisen, Gwendoline Christie, Christina Ricci, Tommie Earl Jenkins

Kompletní údaje o filmu Wednesday

Wednesday (seriál) Komedie / Mysteriózní / Horor USA, (2022–2023), 13 h 52 min (Minutáž: 46–57 min) Tvůrci: Alfred Gough, Miles Millar Režie: Tim Burton, Gandja Monteiro, James Marshall Scénář: Alfred Gough, Miles Millar, Kayla Alpert, April Blair, Matt Lambert Kamera: David Lanzenberg, Stephan Pehrsson Hudba: Danny Elfman, Chris Bacon Hrají: Jenna Ortega, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Luis Guzmán, Isaac Ordonez, Fred Armisen, Gwendoline Christie, Christina Ricci, Tommie Earl Jenkins

Wednesday na Disney Plus?

Na Disney+ nejsou žádné stopy po Wednesday Trail, důkaz, že House of Mouse nemá žádnou kontrolu nad celou franšízou! Disney+, domov pro tituly jako 'Star Wars', 'Marvel', 'Pixar', National GWednesday graphic', ESPN, STAR a další, je k dispozici za roční předplatné 79,99 $ nebo měsíční poplatek 0,99 $. Pokud jste jen fanouškem některé z těchto značek, stojí za to se přihlásit do Disney+ a nemá ani reklamy.

Wednesday na HBO Max?

Je nám líto, ale Wednesday Way není na HBO Max k dispozici. Je tu spousta obsahu HBO Max za 14,99 $ měsíčně, toto předplatné je bez reklam a umožňuje vám přístup ke každému titulu v knihovně HBO Max. Streamovací platforma oznámila verzi podporovanou reklamou, která stojí mnohem méně za 9,99 $ měsíčně.

Wednesday na Amazon VidWednesday?

Bohužel, Wednesday Path by Water není k dispozici ke streamování zdarma na Amazon Prime VidWednesday. Můžete si však vybrat i jiné pořady a filmy, které budete odtud sledovat, protože má širokou škálu pořadů a filmů, ze kterých si můžete vybrat za 14,99 $ měsíčně.

Wednesday na Peacockovi?

Wednesday Way nelze na Peacock v době psaní tohoto článku sledovat. Peacock nabízí předplatné, které stojí 4,99 $ měsíčně nebo 49,99 $ ročně u prémiového účtu. Stejně jako její jmenovec si streamovací platforma může hrát s venkovním obsahem zdarma, i když omezeně.

Wednesday na Paramount Plus?

Wednesday The Road to Water není na Paramount Plus. Paramount Plus nabízí správnou možnost předplatného: základní verze služby Paramount + Essential podporuje reklamu za 4,99 $ měsíčně a prémiový plán bez reklam za 9,99 $ měsíčně.

Kde mohu sledovat film Wednesday zdarma?

Cinemov je webová stránka, která nabízí zdarma více než 20 000 streamovaných filmů všech žánrů zdarma. Když se přihlásíte, najdete neomezené množství HD filmů, obrovský katalog k procházení a vyhledávací panel, který vám umožní vyhledat všechny filmy, které chcete vidět.

Zajímá vás, jak legálně sledovat bezplatný streaming filmu Wednesday? Pokud ano, budete rádi, že je to skutečně možné, protože v současnosti existuje v Itálii několik webových stránek, kde můžete zdarma sledovat filmy všech žánrů a dob. V některých případech se možná budete muset zaregistrovat prostřednictvím e-mailu nebo použít svůj online účet k přihlášení.

Řeknu vám podrobně, jak můžete pomocí nejpopulárnějších internetových stránek, online služeb a aplikací pro chytré telefony/tablety streamovat filmy zdarma. Cinemov je jedna z nejlepších stránek. Nabídka filmů sahá od nejnovějších filmů po klasiky z historie kinematografie, od amerických filmů po italské filmy, od hororů po komedie… zkrátka svoboda výběru, počet filmů je působivý. Samozřejmě to nenajdete, když půjdete do kina.

[whole-harted]

Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: NEW in shrink wrap Christy VHS based on Catherine Marshall classic book ….

[rithebard]

On Thursday; #ChattingWithSherri welcomes back #awardwinning #screenwriter / #producer / #director / #author; #TomBlomquist on 5/04/23 at 7pm pt;  http://tobtr.com/s/12218898 #interview

[karenlacorte]

Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: Christy.

[kopykunoichi]

Christy, by Catherine Marshall. Chapter 35 Excerpt (Part 3)

But Jeb, that natural-born fiddler, was tuning up again. Jeb must like fiddling better than he liked eating, and that was saying a lot. The fiddle whined and cried and sang. “We’re a-goin’ ‘Step Charlie,’ folks,” Uncle Bogg called, dancing a pigeon-wing all by himself in the middle of the floor.

Charlie’s neat and Charlie’s sweet,

And Charlie he’s a dan-dy—

“Circle up, folks . . . Circle up . . . Wimmin on the right.” Dr. MacNeill was instantly at my side, expertly propelling me to the center of the floor.

Over the river to feed my sheep

And over the river, Charlie,

Over the river to feed my sheep

And to measure up my barley.

“La-dies in!” The doctor sang as he swung me:

My pretty little pink,

I once did think I never could do without you . . .

“Gents in! . . . Grab, boys! Grab!” This was fun! I was feeling better and better, warm and tingly. My feet had wings. Overhead strange noises cut into my thoughts, girlish giggling, laughs and squeals. I had not noticed anyone leaving but now I saw that the circle of dancers was noticeably smaller. As if in answer to my unspoken question Dr. MacNeill jerked one thumb to point at the ceiling. “I told you. Ceremony’s beginning. Putting the bride to bed. “All to the cen-ter. Just go!”

Charlie’s neat, and Charlie’s sweet

And Charlie he’s a dan-dy—

Scrape, scrape, scrape over our heads. More giggling and shrieking.

Step . . . step . . . right and left . . . right and left. “You mean really putting the bride to bed—now—with all of us still here?” I asked. “Sure—now.” The girls were trouping down from the loft—without Ruby Mae—and the men made a dive for Will Beck. There was a lot of scuffling, several chairs turned over, while the music went right on. “Git him. Pound him. Sure’s the world, we’ll fix him proper.” “I’m batchin’ it, fellers,” Will yelled from where he had been flattened on the floor and was lying now between the legs of one of his friends. “Didn’t I tell ye? Con-found you—Un-unh!” Will never had a chance. Held roughly by the scruff of his neck, jerked and pummeled, he was already on his way to the loft, tightly wedged in the group of boys. The whole picture was absurd. And then somehow, what was happening to Will and the wedding night scene in the loft receded into the distance. I was caught up in the gleeful harmony beating at my temples, singing in my blood, pulling at my nerves, tinglingly delightful. The doctor danced as naturally as a bird flies or a fish swims. By now I knew that I didn’t even have to think; I could just give myself to his arm around me with assurance. The guiding arm was so sure and firm, the rhythm such a part of my body now that I could almost forget about my feet. It ended too soon. My partner spun me around with a final flourish. As I let my head fall back in a moment of joyous rapture, I met the doctor’s eyes. They glistened with approval—and something else. When I pulled my head back up, his lips brushed my forehead. For a moment his arm stayed firmly behind my back with my body pressed tightly against him. Then he loosened his arm around me and the room spun slightly. Was it the music and the twirling which made me feel this way? A panicky thought chased through my mind. What was happening to me? I was dizzy!

Dr. MacNeill was pulling out a chair for me, then he sat down backwards on one near me, propping his arms on the back of the chair. Fortunately, at that moment, there were new and bawdy noises overhead. The partitions of the cabin were so thin. Cornshuck mattresses were self-advertisers. Inwardly I was wincing and the doctor knew it. “Actually, Christy, you ought to consider something,” he said, never one to lead into a subject delicately. “The mountain attitude towards sex may be more nearly right than society’s attitude—in the warmed-over Victorian tradition. It sure is more realistic. It’s the way things are. Way they were meant to be too. Here in the mountains, folks see sex for pleasure and for procreation. They’re right. Leave out either one, and you’re in trouble.” Well, I was thinking, so maybe there is still a lot of prudery about sex even in the younger set back in Asheville—especially among the girls. But why a lecture on sex to me? I was having trouble meeting the doctor’s level gaze.

With relief I saw David approaching. “Excuse me, Doctor, for interrupting. I’m leaving,” David said to me. “Didn’t want to go without letting you know, Christy. May I take you home?” Suddenly I knew that I very much wanted to go with David. I tried not to sound as eager as I felt. “Yes, thanks. I am ready to go.”

[shadowlineswriting]

Marshall

Growing up, I saw Catherine Marshall’s books Christy and A Man Called Peter on my family’s bookshelves. My older sister read them, but I did not. I don’t know why. I’m guessing it’s because I lived firmly in the fiction world--I doubt I would have been interested in these two autobiographies.

Here we are, twenty years later, and I’ve finally read them. They aren’t what I expected. I think, when reading an autobiography, it helps if you’re generally familiar with the author prior to reading. Since I’d never heard of Catherine Marshall or her husband (Peter), I admit I wasn’t as avid a reader as I might have been if I’d known about them already. The books were interesting and well-written. I have no complaints. I just doubt I’ll read them again since I’m not “connected” to Catherine and Peter in any way. Worth reading once, though! I didn’t even know the U.S. Senate had their own chaplain. 

[aaronstveit]

new septembers readathon update!! the first full week of september is ending i have read five of the twenty books on my list!! i have also changed up some of the books on my list <3

so far i have enjoyed the books i've read! my favorite so far is Northanger Abbey, which i stayed up late last night to finish <3 it is only my second Jane Austen and i really loved it! catherine morland you will always be famous to me <3

i have just started The Dead Romantics and will hopefully finish up this weekend, and after that i'm not sure what's next on my list!

anyway, here is my updated list! i hope you're all having a lovely weekend:)

books completed:

a murder mystery: Hallowe'en Party by Agatha Christie

a creepy or horror book: These Fleeting Shadows by Kate Alice Marshall

a short story collection: Our Shadows Have Claws: 15 Latin American Monster Stories edited by Yamile Saied Méndez and Amparo Ortiz

an autumnal classic: Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen

a graphic novel: M Is for Monster by Talia Dutton

books remaining:

a book about witches: The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna

a book that takes place at a boarding school or private school: Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire

a book that takes place in september: She Gets the Girl by Rachael Lippincott and Alyson Derrick

a book with a red cover: Carmilla by J. Sheridan Le Fanu

a book with a yellow cover: The Lesbiana's Guide to Catholic School by Sonora Reyes

a book with an orange cover: If I Have to Be Haunted by Miranda Sun

a gothic novel: House of Hunger by Alexis Henderson

reread an autumnal favorite: Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

an autumnal romance: The Dead Romantics by Ashley Poston

a book about a haunted house: The Hacienda by Isabel Cañas

a book about vampires: A Dowry of Blood by S.T. Gibson

a cozy fantasy: Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree

a classic or retelling: Our Hideous Progeny by C.E. McGill

a september 2023 release: In These Hallowed Halls: A Dark Academia Anthology edited by Marie O'Regan and Paul Kane

a dark academia book: Catherine House by Elisabeth Thomas