#dolly alderton gets it

[therockerfromspace]

"I have never hated anything as much as I hated being a teenager. I could not have been more ill-suited to the state of adolescence. I was desperate to be an adult; desperate to be taken seriously. I hated relying on anyone for anything. I'd sooner have cleaned floors than be given pocket money or walked three miles in the rain at night than be given a lift home by a parent. I was looking up the price of one-bedroom flats in Camden when I was fifteen, so I could get a head start on saving up with my babysitting money. I was using my mum's recipes and dining table to host 'dinner parties' at the same age, forcing my friends round for rosemary roast chicken tagliatelle and raspberry pavlovas with a Frank Sintra soundtrack, when all they wanted to do was eat burgers and go bowling. I wanted my own my friends, my own schedule, my own home, my own money and my own life. I found being a teenager one big, frustrating, mortifying, exposing, co-dependent embarrassment that couldn't end fast enough."

Dolly Alderton, Everything I Know About Love (once again I violently relate to this passage).

[cinnamonchaos]

"I am destroying myself so other people can't," she said, " and it's the worst kind of control but it's the only form I know."

All my grief says the same thing: this isn't how it's supposed to be. this isn't how it's supposed to be. and the world laughs. holds my hope by the throat. says: but this is how it is.

I am out with lanterns looking for myself

"You still crave lemonade, but the taste doesn't satisfy you as much as it used to. You still crave summer, but sometimes you mean summer, five years ago."

"It's easy to think that your brain might finally like you if you throw the right thing at it..."

"There was a hum in my body of disinterest, ennui, and anxiety as low and simultaneously disruptive as a washing machine on a spin cycle that won't turn off"'

-

[jackleopard]

book you were anticipating since it was announced was dissapointing. 15 injured 4 dead

[llovelymoonn]

hi! hope ur doing well. can you do one on loving a friend so much, not just as a friend but as more but you’ll take whatever you get from them just as long as you get to be around them with them whatever. have a nice day :)

two girls asleep on the feve 11:30 AM, 08/07/2001 traslaviña, spain (via @madatmost) \\ lucy dacus triple dog dare \\ dolly alderton everything i know about love \\ laurent anastay ponsolle dindette & dindonneau \\ santhosh c h relation 95 \\ finneas partners in crime \\ viktor tkachenko hugs

kofi

[strawberryspence]

this is PLATONIC. love can be platonic. and that’s what this is. if i see anything non-platonic stobin tagged in my rbs, i will delete this.

this is inspired of that quote from dolly alderton, “nearly everything i’ve known about love i’ve learned in my long time friendships with women.” i said the word love so many times, it’s not real anymore.

anw, happy stobin month. their friendship means so much to me. so here’s something sappy.🍦

-

“What is love?” El asks him, with that bright eye curiosity that makes her— that makes her the best of them all in more ways than one.

Steve blinks at her, dropping the whisk he’s holding and thinks.

What is love?

It’s easy.

Steve smiles to himself as he thinks of a time where he would have floundered for an answer, searched for it in the empty corners of his heart and home, in the unblinking red light on the voice machine; waiting for something, anything.

Nearly everything Steve Harrington knows about love he has learned from Robin Buckley.

First, Steve learns how to fall in love with the most unlikely person in the crowd. Robin was, and will always be a better person than him. From her, he learns how to fall in love, admit it, and accept the fact that it won’t always get reciprocated. That’s okay, because in exchange of that rejection, would be something better than he could ever imagine.

Love is a friend. A real friend.

Second, Steve learns that love— is love. It isn’t something meant to be put into a box, it isn’t just one thing. It’s not just girls for boys, or boys for girls. It’s for everyone, it’s for anything your heart wants.

And when he finally came to the realization that he didn’t fit that box too, Robin held him for hours. Assured him that it’s okay, that if that’s who he is, she will still love him because of it, never despite it.

Love is being true to yourself. It’s freedom while being held by your person.

Third, Steve learns that love can be quiet. It’s not always hiding under the covers as your parents fight from across the room, it’s not loud pounding music as the love of your life tells you that you’re bullshit.

It can be found in quiet afternoons, while reading a book with your best friend. It can be found in quiet evenings, as you both try to paint in silence. It was sitting, in a field behind a stolen RV, making molotovs in silence, both terrified they’d be dead tomorrow. It can be found in the middle of the night, after a terrifying, too real nightmare, just bundled together holding each other's hand.

Love is quiet. It’s peaceful and content, even when its hard.

Fourth, Steve learns that love— the real one— doesn’t have an expiration date. He once thought that it’s always been like that, that for him it’s always been meant to be like that. There is an end date. That one day day everyone he loves will realize what he truly is… bullshit. Like when his parents started to learn that he was too much, and too little of what they want and needed, they started leaving more often or when Nancy realized she deserved someone better, it’s over.

Maybe, he’s still waiting for the day when Robin finally realizes that she’s so much better than him, that she could find someone better, that Steve can’t really be her platonic soulmate. Because soulmates— God— they’re two halves of one whole. But how could he ever live up to that? He doesn’t think he could ever, not when Robin’s got all the good parts when they were split into half.

But there’s an unspoken trust. A tiny voice in Steve’s head that tells him, above all the noise and self loathing, a voice that sounds so similar to Robin’s says, “Robin won’t do that to you. Not ever.”

He holds onto that voice, clutches at it with shaking hands.

Love is… Love is there. And you will pray, and hope, and beg that it never leaves. But love is also trust, so you hold on with that blind faith.

Fifth, Steve learns that the best love— it’s in the in betweens.

Love is when Steve’s having the worst migraine, so Robin cleans the store for him instead. It’s when his best friend got him a brownie, because she thought he’d like it. It’s when his bestfriend brushed his hair after a rough night, even if it’s drenched in sweat and tears. It’s the scar in his thumb from when the vodka bottle broke as they made molotovs. It’s when she finally snaps and locks him and Eddie in the pantry so they can talk about their feelings. It’s her weirdly proud smile when she opens the pantry, and they’re making out like their lives depended on it.

It’s popcorn stuck in between the couch from movie nights. It’s paint stains in his favorite blue jeans from the one night they painted his room. It’s the chip on the plate when they were eating and she chipped it from laughing so hard. It’s that old post note on the fridge that says, “Got you milk, Dingus!” that he never removed.

Steve Harrington has learned of love from everyone. From Dustin, to Max, to Eddie, to the rest of the kids. Even Hopper and Joyce, from Nancy and Jonathan. In some ways, he’s learned from his parents too.

It’s all different.

But in his core. In his truest core, in his deepest soul.

It’s all from Robin Buckley.

El is still looking at him, with a fond smile, like she can see the montage playing in his head. You know what? Maybe she does see it.

“What is love?” Steve repeats her question.

El hums, nodding.

“Love is a U.S.S Butterscotch Sundae.”

El giggles at his answer as Steve winks at her.

Steve turns to the open window above the sink. There’s laughter coming from the yard, where the kids are playing in the pool. Eddie’s reading Nancy a book, as Jonathan and Argyle lounge around.

Steve meets Robin’s eyes, and she smiles at him, raises a hand to wave at him.

Steve waves back at love personified.

(In Steve’s room, there’s an old recipe book. Given to him by his Grandmother, it’s filled with different recipes, some 50 years older than him, some newer. There’s a piece of paper tucked in between the pages, with a blue and white border and a little sailor hat. It’s stained from use and dirt. It’s not old, it’s not new, it’s from two summers ago. It’s a handwritten recipe with a note at the bottom.

Harrington,

I wrote this down because you kept forgetting the freaking recipe for the USS butterscotch sundae. Keep it with you, you dingus.

Buckley.)

[cowgurrrl]

I was wondering for your Look for the Light series if you could do a drabble about them figuring out she is pregnant and everyone's reactions?

Oooooo I love this!!

Evergreen

Pairing: Joel Miller x fem!reader plus platonic Ellie Williams x fem!reader

Author’s note: now feels like a good time to mention that Ellie is a little bit older in this series (15-16 years old!!) also I’ve been trying to finish this all day so I’m throwing this and running

Summary: “Nearly everything I know about love, I’ve learnt in my long-term friendships with women.” - Dolly Alderton, Everything I Know About Love aka you find out you’re pregnant [1.5k]

Warnings: pregnancy talks, grief, references to canonical violence, talks of infertility, Ellie being confused, fluff!!

"Are you pregnant?" Maria asks the second you're close enough. You signed up to patrol with her this morning but didn't know she would have a secret sixth sense for detecting if you're pregnant. It's been three months since you and Joel decided to start trying to have a baby, and so far, you haven't noticed any intense early pregnancy symptoms, which is fine. You figured it would take a while to get pregnant, and you and Joel decided to keep it a secret until you knew for a fact that you were pregnant. 

"What? No." You say, turning from her to adjust the reigns on your horse, Goldie. Maria crosses her arms over her chest and stares at your profile.

"I don't believe you."

"You don't have to believe me. I'm not pregnant."

"Then, look at me when you say it." She challenges, and you press your tongue into your cheek, shaking your head. How the fuck does she know you so well? You step closer to her and look around to ensure nobody's nearby.

"I'm not pregnant," you repeat, but her gaze doesn't falter. You sigh. "Joel and I are trying, but we're keeping it a secret. There's no reason to get anybody's hopes up, so don't tell anyone, okay?"

"How long ago did you decide this?"

"A couple of months ago."

"And you're sure you're not pregnant?" She asks, and you shrug.

"I mean, I don't feel any different, but I'm a few days late," you say, and she practically beams as the words leave your mouth. "But that doesn't mean anything. When I got pregnant with Jane, I had my period the same month I took the test. Besides, it's not like pregnancy tests are just gonna fall from the sky." You try to bring her back down to earth, but she's already reaching into her bag to hand you a box of pregnancy tests. You look between her and the tests, struggling to put the pieces together.

"You've been spacey, and your boobs got huge last week, so I came to my own conclusion," she says. "I also have great mother's intuition."

"Should I be concerned that you took so much interest in the size of my boobs?"

"I mean, it was kinda hard to miss." She says, and you laugh, turning the box of tests over in your hands to check the expiration date. They're relatively new and don't expire for another year. There's also a good amount in there, at least five or six. 

"Where did you even find this?" You ask as you tuck the box into your backpack. 

"FEDRA still makes them. They're the shitty ninety-nine cents ones designed in 2003, but it's better than nothing." She explains. You nod and move to pull yourself onto Goldie's saddle when she looks at you expectantly. There's definitely something to be said about the Miller men's taste in stubborn women. 

"I promise to take one tonight if you promise to stop talking about my boobs while we're on patrol." 

"Done."

"So, she just threw a box of pregnancy tests at you?" Joel asks as he leans against the sink. 

"Pretty much," you say as you stand and flush the toilet. The beauty of marriage is that you guys can still have conversations while actively taking three pregnancy tests. You push him out of the way and set them face-down on the counter as you wash your hands. He doesn't go far, lingering at your left. "You really didn't say anything to Tommy?"

"I swear."

"Maria must be a fucking witch then," you mumble as you dry your hands and look up at him. There's a glint in the deep brown of his irises, and you smirk. "Don't."

"Don't what?"

"Don't look at me like that. That look is how we got here in the first place."

"'M excited." He says as he wraps his arms around your waist from behind and kisses your jaw. You cover his hands with yours and indulge him as he sways you back and forth to a song neither of you can hear.

"We don't even know anything for sure. I don't even think I'm actually pregnant."

"Then, why did you take three?"

"I took three when I found out I was pregnant with Jane. It seemed like a good number," you say, and he hums into your neck, unconvinced. The worry scratching at the corners of your brain takes center stage, and you feel like you could puke. You take a deep breath and squeeze his wrist. "I don't want to get our hopes up for something that might not happen."

"What d'you mean?" He asks, pulling away from you enough to look at you. 

"What if I can't get pregnant ever again? I've been stabbed, beaten, shot at, starved, left for dead, all of it. And that was fine as long as I survived because I never thought I'd live long enough to want another baby. But now we're here, and I'm scared," you word vomit. Joel doesn't hesitate to hug you tightly, rubbing your back and wrapping you in his warmth. A few tears fall from your eyes and stain his shirt, and you can't stop them. "I don't want to disappoint you."

"Baby, you could never disappoint me, okay? I love you. Hey," he gently holds your face in his big hands and looks at you when he hears you sniffle. "I love you. Nothin' in the world could change that. Nothin' else matters to me except for you and Ellie, and I'm so happy with the both of you. If it's us three forever, that's more than enough. If we do have a baby, that's fine, too. But nothin' about you will ever disappoint me, okay?" He asks, and you nod. He wipes your tears away with his thumbs and kisses your forehead. You still feel uncertain and shaky, but his presence soothes something profound in you.

"I think the tests should be ready." You find your voice, glancing at the three tests staring at you. You turn in his arms and try to find the courage to grab a test off the sink.

"No matter what, we're gonna be okay. We'll always be okay." He says, kissing the spot under your ear, and you nod. You take a deep breath and quickly flip the test over before you can change your mind. 

"Oh, shit," you breathe as soon as you spot the dark, unmistakable lines. Joel reaches around you and grabs another one, and another pair of dark lines greet you. You pick the third and final one up and see the positive markings. Three yeses and six identical lines fill you with hope, starkly different than your gut reaction to your three positive tests at sixteen. You turn to look at Joel and find him staring at the test with tears falling down his cheeks. "Oh, baby," you murmur as you wrap your arms around his neck and hug him. "Are these happy tears?" You ask, and he laughs.

"The happiest," he says, and you smile. He buries his head in your neck, and you cry together. At their core, they're happy tears for the new baby you'll be having together, but you know he's remembering when he found out about Sarah the same way you're thinking about Jane. It's bittersweet. You think it always will be. You imagine a huge electric sign pointing to your grief as if it were a nightclub, announcing that love was once here. Then, in the smallest font possible, there is a note stating that love still is. "We're gonna have a baby."

"We're gonna have a baby." You repeat as he kisses you. You would stay there forever, wrapped up in him, but the sound of the front door opening and closing forces you to pull away. 

"Hello? Is anyone home?" Ellie calls from downstairs, and your eyes widen at Joel. 

"In here!" You yell back. You quickly hide the tests behind your back and do your best to look natural as you stand with Joel in the bathroom with tears staining your faces. You don't hide it very well. Ellie can see that much as she steps into the threshold of your bathroom with the Ellie Stink Face on.

"Why are we all hanging out in here?" She asks, and you can't even answer her. You just hand her the pregnancy test and watch as her mind works. You and Joel are buzzing as you wait for her reaction, hoping for something big and sweet, but she shrugs. "I don't get it." She says, and Joel laughs. Sometimes it's easy to forget that Ellie was born after the world fell apart.

"So, I just took this test to see if I'm pregnant. Two lines mean yes." You explain, and she finally lights up, her eyes bouncing between you and Joel.

"You're gonna have a baby?" She asks, and you nod. "Oh, my fucking God!" She yells as she wraps you in a big hug, jumping up and down with you in her arms.

"Hey, be gentle. There's precious cargo in there." Joel teases, but Ellie barely reacts to his words. Instead, she hugs him, still jumping up and down. There's nothing purer in the world than her squeals of joy and trying to answer her million questions. You like to think that Jane and Sarah are somewhere nearby, maybe in the next room you can't see quite yet, listening and getting just as excited as Ellie. 

🍓

🍓

🍓

taglist: @evyiione @nyotamalfoy @abbyhaslongshorts​

[sleepy-vix]

My name is Vix. 🌪️ 💤

I like caffeine, the night sky, and the colour blue in all its miserable beauty. I do not find much pleasure in being alive, but i am trying desperately hard.

btw there's a real intro linked in my bio under the guise of "pls choose coffee today" (which is a reference to Albert Camus). This post is more of an 'about me and my blog'.

+ i don't participate in tag games anymore sorry :(

#sleepy vix = my text posts (i promise there are thoughts in there somewhere that are worth reading..)

#vix's visions = moodboards

#vix's art = my art (i barely post)

#vix's library = my bookish posts

#vix's journal = about my day, week, stuff that's happened in my life, etc. (NEW!)

#do u ever kin a lyric? and #do you ever kin a lyric? = music related posts (mostly a song lyric out of context)

#asks = asks that i get. no fancy tag

#moots ✮ = my moots :) (ilya)

Also, i will tag triggering things using #tw (the trigger) ✦

My...

Current read: the little friend (donna tartt)

Prev Read: everything i know about love (dolly alderton)

Current watch: brooklyn 99 (tv series)

Prev watch: maboroshi (anime film)

That's all.

current mood: screaming crying vomiting on the floor over tpw

[melodysbookhaven]

“It is futile and knackering to try and make all your tiny choices representative of your moral compass then beat yourself up when this plan inevitably fails. Feminists can get waxed. Priests can swear. Vegetarians can wear leather shoes. Do as much good as you can. The weighty representation of the world cannot rest on every decision you make.”

Dolly Alderton, Everything I Know About Love

[passengerseatsam]

nine people you want to know better tag game! thank you @soulsam for tagging me!

last song: domino - jessie j (tiktok got it stuck in my head)

favorite color: green, but specifically emerald or like a eucalyptus green

last movie/tv show: fell asleep watching hoarders last night and I'm not proud of it

sweet/spicy/savory: I am a savory girly who wants to be a sweet girly. also, can sour be an option? I love sour candy.

relationship status: engaged / getting married next year!

last thing i googled: "drywall repair diy" — it's for fic writing purposes I promise

current obsession: sam winchester forever and always

last book: currently reading Lot by Bryan Washington. before that was The Art Thief by Michael Finkel, but I DNF-ed it. the last book I actually finished was Everything I Know About Love by Dolly Alderton.

looking forward to: having writing time tonight while my fiance is in class. also, spring!

idk whos already been tagged already but I'll add @winter-parrot @half-christ-half-cowboy @sammichgirl @marakings @compo67 @samjgirl @opheliasam @digitalmeowmix @greasysteak just in case!!

[galathynius]

2023 reading log

the uncensored picture of dorian gray by oscar wilde / jan. 2-9 / 4 stars

buzz saw: the improbable story of how the washington nationals won the world series by jesse dougherty / jan. 9-11 / 4.5 stars

proposal by meg cabot / jan. 17 / 3 stars

sidelined: sports, culture, and being a woman in america by julie dicaro / jan. 12-17 / 4 stars

remembrance by meg cabot / jan. 18-19 / 3 stars

how sweet it is by dylan newton / jan. 19-20 / 3 stars

daughters of sparta by claire heywood / jan. 21-22 / 3 stars

highly suspicious and unfairly cute by talia hibbert / jan. 22 / 4 stars

gentlemen prefer blondes: the diary of a professional lady by anita loos / jan. 23-26 / 3 stars

hell bent by leigh bardugo / jan. 26-31 / 4 stars

all about love: new visions by bell hooks / jan. 22-31 / 4 stars

daisy jones & the six by taylor jenkins reid / jan. 31-feb. 2 / 4 stars

everything i know about love: a memoir by dolly alderton / feb. 2-9 / 4 stars

emma by jane austen / feb. 11-19 / 4 stars

fake it till you bake it by jamie wesley / feb 19-23 / 3.5 stars

my dark vanessa by kate elizabeth russell / feb. 23-26 / 4 stars

throttled by lauren asher / feb. 26-28/ 2 stars

the locker room by meghan quinn / mar. 1-5 / 1 star

come as you are: the surprising new science that will transform your sex life by emily nagoski / feb. 17-mar. 5 / 4.5 stars

pucked by helena hunting / mar. 5-11 / 3 stars

legendborn by tracy deonn / mar 12-23 / 4.5 stars

unadulterated something by m.j. duncan / mar. 23-25 / 4 stars

the fifth season by n.k. jemisin / mar. 26-apr. 15 / 4 stars

how to fake it in hollywood by ava wilder / apr. 16-19 / 3.5 stars

sharp objects by gillian flynn / apr. 19-22 / 4 stars

the homewreckers by mary kay andrews / apr. 22-25 / 3.5 stars

the kiss curse by erin sterling / apr. 25-26 / 3.5 stars

the wedding crasher by mia sosa / apr. 26-27 / 3 stars

let’s get physical: how women discovered exercise and reshaped the world by danielle friedman / mar. 25-apr. 27 / 4 stars

mile high by liz tomforde / apr. 27-may 6 / 1.5 stars

happy place by emily henry / may 6-7 / 5 stars

carrie soto is back by taylor jenkins reid / may 7 / 4 stars

the spanish love deception by elena armas / may 8 / 2 stars

neon gods by katee robert / may 8-9 / 1 star

love in the time of serial killers by alicia thompson / may 9-11 / 4 stars

the bodyguard by katherine center / may 11 / 4 stars

the intimacy experiment by rosie danan / may 11-12 / 3 stars

upgrade by blake crouch / may 12-13 / 4 stars

by any other name by lauren kate / may 13 / 3 stars

the dead romantics by ashley poston / may 15-17 / 4 stars

the ballad of songbirds and snakes by suzanne collins / may 19-28 / 3.5 stars

so many ways to lose: the amazin’ true story of the new york mets—the best worst team in baseball by devin gordon / may 13-jun. 4 / 4 stars

iron widow by xiran jay zhao / jun. 5-7 / 3 stars

the grace year by kim liggett / jun. 7-8 / 4 stars

the last magician by lisa maxwell / jun. 9-11 / 4.5 stars

little fires everywhere by celeste ng / jun. 12-14 / 4 stars

not a happy family by shari lapena / jun. 14-17 / 2.5 stars

the familiars by stacey halls / jun. 17-21 / 3 stars

the girls i’ve been by tess sharpe / jun. 21-22 / 3.5 stars

once more with feeling by elissa sussman / jun. 23 / 3 stars

the cheat sheet by sarah adams / jun. 24-25 / 1 star

how to sell a haunted house by grady hendrix / jun. 26-29 / 3 stars

little thieves by margaret owen / jul. 1-3 / 4.5 stars

this is how you lose the time war by amal el-mohtar and max gladstone / jul. 3-6 / 3 stars

the very secret society of irregular witches by sangu mandanna / jul. 11-12 / 4 stars

the lies of locke lamora by scott lynch / jul. 13-27 / 4.5 stars

seven days in june by tia williams / jul. 28-30 / 4 stars

bloodmarked by tracy deonn / jul. 31-aug. 2 / 4 stars

something wilder by christina lauren / aug. 3-4 / 3 stars

howl’s moving castle by diana wynne jones / aug. 4-5 / 4 stars

dark matter by blake crouch / aug. 12-13 / 3 stars

eat up! food, appetite, and eating what you want by ruby tandoh / jul. 30-aug. 14 / 4 stars

the silent companions by laura purcell / aug. 5-18 / 4 stars

mr. wrong number by lynn painter / aug. 19-20 / 2 stars

romantic comedy by curtis sittenfeld / aug. 20-21 / 4 stars

the last tale of the flower bride by roshani chokshi / aug. 21-23 / 4 stars

the hating game by sally thorne / aug. 23-25 / 2 stars

lessons in chemistry by bonnie garmus / aug. 25-26 / 2.5 stars

the godparent trap by rachel van dyken / aug. 27 / 2 stars

i’m glad my mom died by jennette mccurdy / aug. 27-29 / 4 stars

the atlas six by olivie blake / aug. 29-sep. 9 / 3 stars

wordslut: a feminist guide to taking back the english language by amanda montell / sep. 1-9 / 4 stars

practice makes perfect by sarah adams / sep. 10-11 / 3 stars

all systems red by martha wells / sep. 13-14 / 3 stars

do i know you? by emily wibberly and austin siegemund-broka / sep. 14-16 / 4 stars

same time next summer by annabel monaghan / sep. 17 / 3.5 stars

Ounder the influence by noelle crooks / sep. 18-22 / 4 stars

burn for me by ilona andrews / sep. 22-23 / 4 stars

the littlest library by poppy alexander / sep. 24 / 3 stars

the neighbor favor by kristina forest / sep. 25-27 / 3 stars

satisfaction guaranteed by karelia stetz-waters / sep. 28-oct. 5 / 3 stars

the ex talk by rachel lynn solomon / oct. 5-7 / 4 stars

change of plans by dylan newton / oct. 8-9 / 2 stars

coraline by neil gaiman / oct. 9 / 4 stars

you, again by kate goldbeck / oct. 9-11 / 3 stars

mrs. caliban by rachel ingalls / oct. 12 / 3 stars

summer sons by lee mandelo / oct. 12-19 / 4 stars

the death of jane lawrence by caitlin starling / oct. 19-24 / 3 stars

house of hollow by krystal sutherland / oct. 25-29 / 4 stars

white hot by ilona andrews / oct. 28-nov. 2 / 4.5 stars

twice shy by sarah hogle / nov. 4-5 / 3 stars

sexed up: how society sexualizes us, and how we can fight back by julia serano / nov. 2-10 / 4 stars

artificial condition by martha wells / nov. 11-14 / 4 stars

wildfire by ilona andrews / nov. 14-16 / 4.5 stars

between a fox and a hard place by mary frame / nov. 18 / 3 stars

revolting prostitutes: the fight for sex workers’ rights by molly smith and juno mac / nov. 18-20 / 4 stars

emily wilde’s encyclopaedia of faeries by heather fawcett / nov. 21-24 / 4.5 stars

love and other words by christina lauren / nov. 24-25 / 3 stars

the boyfriend candidate by ashley winstead / nov. 26 / 3.5 stars

the seven year slip by ashley poston / nov. 27-28 / 5 stars

how to fall out of love madly by jana casale / dec. 3-10 / 3 stars

ordinary monsters by j.m. miro / dec. 10-21 / 3 stars

rogue protocol by martha wells / dec. 22-23 / 4 stars

what you wish for by katherine center / dec. 25 / 3 stars

the blonde identity by ally carter / dec. 25-26 / 2.5 stars

just my type by falon ballard / dec. 26-31 / 2 stars

[youritalianbookpal]

Top 10 books for 2023

I tried to give this some order but I am not the most organized being alive. I am proud of having read 49 books, and I take it as a symbol of the fact that I have finally been able, in the past few years, to go back to reading. My love for books and words got me through hard times, and now that I'm doing better and I can make more time for myself, I'm glad I can dedicate myself to this.

A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

Most beautiful and haunting book I've ever read. Kind of hope no book will ever hurt me like this ever again. I loved it but at the same time I had to talk to my therapist best friend multiple times about this because the damage it could have done to me...

Still. Most beautiful book of the year.

2. Beautiful World Where Are You by Sally Rooney

Sally Rooney gets me in ways I'm not sure I want people I know to get me, let alone a random book I pick up because I liked Normal People like three years ago.

3. Palestinian Trilogy by Mahmoud Darwish

Anthology made up by Journal of an Ordinary Grief (1973), Memory of Forgetfullness (1987), and In the Presence of Absence (2009). It's one of the most poetic and heartbreaking books I've ever read, and one of the books I have been recommending since I finished it in early 2023.

4. Ghosts by Dolly Aderton

Dolly Alderton also gets me in ways I'd rather perople not get me, and she makes me laugh a lot. And cry.

5. The Beautiful Ones by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Silvia Moreno-Garcia could write a grocery's list and I would read it and love it.

6. Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen

Technically a reread, but this was my favorite book at 17 and I'm glad it still is as beautiful as I remember.

7. The Wicked King by Holly Black

I technically rated Queen of Nothing higher than Wicked King but... I think this is more dramatic and iconic and if I have to choose between a kidnapping and an exile I'll always choose the kidnapping.

8. Tutta intera by Espérance Hakuzwimana

Best Italian novel I read in several years. If it doesn't get translated in 204610464 languages then what's the point.

9. Tre ciotole by Michela Murgia

This year we also lost author and activist Michela Murgia. It still feels like I lost my cool auntie, and I know it shouldn't, but it does. To cope I read this and... yeah.

10. If Cats Disappeared from the World by Genki Kawamura

If we consider how short it is and how much I cried reading it... it was probably a sob every two pages.

Honorable mentions:

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen (not incluced because I wanted to keep only 1 book per author).

Foul Lady Fortune by Chloe Gong (extremely tough decision between this and Genki Kawamura, but I had to go with the book that made me cry the most. I will remember 2023 as the year of the Shanghai duologies though, and this is by far my favorite book of the series).

[haveyoureadthispoll]

The wildly funny, occasionally heartbreaking internationally bestselling memoir about growing up, growing older, and learning to navigate friendships, jobs, loss, and love along the ride When it comes to the trials and triumphs of becoming an adult, journalist and former Sunday Times columnist Dolly Alderton has seen and tried it all. In her memoir, she vividly recounts falling in love, finding a job, getting drunk, getting dumped, realizing that Ivan from the corner shop might just be the only reliable man in her life, and that absolutely no one can ever compare to her best girlfriends. Everything I Know About Love is about bad dates, good friends and—above all else— realizing that you are enough. Glittering with wit and insight, heart and humor, Dolly Alderton’s unforgettable debut weaves together personal stories, satirical observations, a series of lists, recipes, and other vignettes that will strike a chord of recognition with women of every age—making you want to pick up the phone and tell your best friends all about it.

[ilovepedro]

get to know me game

thank you for the tag babes! @beardedjoel 🫶🏼

what is your astrological big 3?

capricorn sun, taurus moon, capricorn rising

last song?

Before I Let Go from the Homecoming album (i will not be apologizing for the person i will become when the movie and RWT live album drops)

currently reading?

catching up on fics this weekend and Everything I Know About Love by Dolly Alderton!

last movie?

i’m a tv girly at heart so i don’t really remember 😭 probably some horror movie as background noise. just started Pose tho, and i’m in love

it’s karaoke night. what are you singing?

me being me, i have to bring down the house (and vibe) with Back to Black by Amy Winehouse. honorable mention - Linger by The Cranberries

currently working on?

i just wrapped up deja vu so now i’m working on a jackson era!joel one shot idea that came to me while driving the other day! also working on a dbf!joel series and 2 din stories 🫠 i’m actually crazy 😁

npt @joelsgreys @undrthelights @gracieheartsspedro @jenispunk @pascalpvnk @party-hearses @amanitacowboy @joelsversion @bastardmandennis @tinygarbage @nostalxgic @mandoisapunk @daydreamingmiller + whoever else wants to join in! 🩷

[poppletonink]

Red (Taylor's Version): An Inspired Reading Recommendations List

Six Of Crows by Leigh Bardugo (State Of Grace)

If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio (Red)

Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo (Treacherous)

Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid (I Knew You Were Trouble)

Breathless by Jennifer Niven (All Too Well)

Everything I Know About Love by Dolly Alderton (22)

One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston (I Almost Do)

Never Ever Getting Back Together by Sophie Gonzales (We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together)

Today Tonight Tomorrow by Rachael Lynn Solomon (Stay Stay Stay)

Solitaire by Alice Oseman (The Last Time)

The Perks Of Being A Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky (Holy Ground)

A Thousand Boy Kisses by Tillie Cole (Sad Beautiful Tragic)

Play It As It Lays by Joan Didion (The Lucky One)

Five Feet Apart by Rachael Lippincott (Everything Has Changed)

I Fell In Love With Hope by Lancali (Starlight)

Things We Left Behind by Lucy Score (Begin Again)

The No-Show by Beth Leary (The Moment I Knew)

The Situationship by Taylor Dior-Rumble (Come Back... Be Here)

The Year We Fell Down by Sarina Bowen (Girl At Home)

We'll Always Have Summer by Jenny Han (Better Man)

The One Hundred Years Of Lenni and Margot by Marianne Cronin (Ronan)

Crying In H-Mart by Michelle Zauner (Nothing New)

The Jasmine Project by Meredith Ireland (Babe)

To All The Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han (Message In A Bottle)

Gone With The Wind by Margaret Mitchell (I Bet You Think About Me)

Let It Snow by Lauren Myracle, John Green and Maureen Johnson (Forever Winter)

Maurice by E. M. Forster (Run)

The Seven Husbands Of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid (The Very First Night)

The End of The Affair by Graham Greene (All Too Well - 10 Minute Version)

[taylortruther]

tagged by @notesonartistry (thank u friend)

get to know you game! answer the questions and tag 9 people you want to know better!

last song i listened to is: lead me on by fletcher

currently reading: ghosts by dolly alderton - i'm enjoying it, i just can't seem to make time to read anything

currently watching: twin peaks s3

currently obsessed with: ttpd theories! stok not too sweet iced coffee! dill tuna salad on triscuits! twin peaks! decorating my bedroom!

tagging with ZERO pressure: @wavesoutbeingtossed @pallas-amanda @genxtraordinaire @laughingupatusfromhell and anyone else who wants to do it! sorry i didn't do 9 lmao

[froy]

Was it a game you wanted to complete? you met a woman who had her life together, and you wanted to see if you could pull it apart? You wanted to know that you could get her to fall in love with you, say all the things you wanted her to say, do all the things you wanted her to do, then the game was finished and you could turn it off?

- Dolly Alderton, Ghosts.