#fiction book

[arinotfae]

I am a writing genius who totally planned this

[owllooker]

Has anyone read Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell?

I got really inspired to design the main characters: Christopher and Mal (and griffin Gelifen <3)

[samdunn]

Pleased to reveal this cover illustration I worked on for the latest release by @naominovik 📔 Buried Deep will be released on 17th September 🐲🥀🗡️✨

Lovely to work with cover designer @casacassie & @davidg.stevenson - thanks for getting me on board with this project! 📔

[bones-n-bookles]

The Good Dog, by Avi, 2001

A book from my childhood library that I bought at my local thrift store. A fictional story about a dog who meets a wild wolf. I wanna reread it sometime soonish, but I quite enjoyed it as a kid.

[filthy-rat]

A group of friends. A road trip. A sleepy mountain town. Tale as old as time, right?

Not like this.

All Ariadne wanted was to reconnect with the people she used to love more than anyone. Rekindle bonds from her childhood. Make memories that she could look back on fondly in her golden years.

But someone else in the town of Ripton Mills had a different plan for her summer vacation, and what was once a simple weekend trip with friends in a remote cabin quickly became a harrowing nightmare.

She'll have to rely on all her horror instincts to get out of this mess alive.

Can she use this knowledge to save her friends as well?

Follow the guide and maybe you’ll survive! Coming October 17th!

[quotidian-oblivion]

Book recs!! ✨

Hi! So a bit ago, I met a lovely amazing anon on ao3 (who is a BLESSING compared to the other mean anons commenting out there, thanks Kat, you make mine and im pretty sure other author's days too). So we got into talking about books and I offered to make a list for her and post it on tumblr so other people too can scrounge through so here we are lmao.

I gathered this list from the personal notes I had made to myself to add these books to my bookshelf when i move out and also from another list i made for my little siblings because no way are they gonna not read the good stuff I found. It's like a rite of passage now.

Just a note: I don't read romance. But since books don't have the very convenient tags we get on ao3, I end up getting to romance-y parts. The only romance books I have read are middle school level romance lmao XD Nothing except kisses and stuff lol.

Let's go!

The Maze Runner series

Maze Runner

I love this book. This series. Ngl, one of the first books where I felt that heart-clenching feeling of hurt. Love the characters, the world-building was in the fandom for a brief while and I love the plot too. Better than the movie plot anyway XD

Mare Runner: Scorch Trials

Second book in the series, also very good. Literally an adventure. So many twists and turns. Once more, the characterization is also amazing!

Maze Runner: Death Cure

Third and last book in the series as a main. Heartbreaking. Did shed tears. Page 250 still kills me. O u ch.

The Fever Code

Also in the same series and OUCH. It's the characters before the whole drama happened and they're kids and higehrfwb 😭 No kidding I was squealing and nearly threw the book multiple times out of excitement. It solved a couple plotlines too. I adored it. Plus, it gave me some closure from the many many (inevitable) deaths.

Crank Palace

It's a novella, but clears the mysterious gap that was in the third book. Plus, it gives much much more closure but I'm still crying so do what you will with that information. I love the new "OC"s here too.

Trials of Apollo

The Hidden Oracle The Dark Prophecy The Burning Maze The Tyrant's Tomb The Tower of Nero

Listen- listen- I know this is kinda obvious and you might be asking "where's the rest of the pjo series?" but that's a given. My personal favorites are the pjo, hoo and toa series, but toa somehow spoke to me more because the main relationship wasn't a romantic one like all the other teen books I read. I also adore Apollo/Lester's character development? Like, at first he was this carefree god, then at the end of the series, he transformed into a person who cared so much and so deeply and was willing to die for others. That is peak character development and if I hadn't read toa, I would still be blundering around and confused with my multi-chap fics as to how characters actually develop. Because you can see that journey so clearly in toa.

Jinx series

Jinx: The Wizard's Apprentice Jinx's Magic Jinx's Fire

I love this series so much??? I am a sucker for fantasy novels and this was so so good. I love the storyline and-

AND I ESPECIALLY LOVE THE FOUND FAMILY ASPECT HERE. THIS. IS LITERALLY RELUCTANT MENTOR-FATHER AND HYPER AND KEEN MENTEE-SON. AHHH.

Anyway, this was my first found family novel. I loved the whole storyline too, this was also the series where I was first introduced to the concept of whump (without knowing what whump actually was).

The Mapmaker Chronicles

Race To The End Of The World Prisoner Of The Black Hawk Breath Of The Dragon

These were also some of the first whump books I read. And I especially loved this because the plot was it. A smartass scrawny boy who accidentally turned into a hero? Hmmm, I wonder who that reminds me of. (Tim Drake. It reminds of Tim Drake)

But the characters are also special to my heart. There is minimal romance in here. Any romance is to move the plot forward.

Also a mentor-mentee relationship here. Not so much found family to the heart seeing as the main character already has family back home, but the whole crew definitely is a family of their own. I especially adore Ash! Ahhh! She's lovely and amazing. Oh and Zain- *sighs* he is the perfect mentor figure to scrawny li'l Quinn. And the hateable characters are so perfectly hateable!! The author truly is talented at stories.

Although the second book could do with more whump

Nevermoor series

Nevermoor

This book was described in the reviews as "Harry Potter meets Alice in Wonderland" and it stayed true to its description. It had beautiful and amazing characters, and an evil-mentor & reluctant hero-mentee relationship (though not at first) and I am a sucker for that. Also, I just love the character herself. Morrigan is a very good and fleshed out character and I will love her forever.

Wundersmith

We explore more of the evil-mentor & reluctant hero-mentee relationship. But Jupiter, Morrigan's actual caretaker, is the PERFECT uncle/caretaker for her and he's so protective of her and i just-

*sobs* I stan.

Hollowpox

Here we discover some of that delicious power upgrades. I also love all the friends! HAWTHORNE IS MY FAVORITE AND WILL ALWAYS BE I LOVE HIM. Stunning characters here 💫 Also some wise comparison of the different isms and phobias (as in homophobia, racism etc.) here in terms of fantasy.

The Mysterious Benedict Society series

The Mysterious Benedict Society The Mysterious Benedict Society and The Perilous Journey The Mysterious Benedict Society and The Prisoner's Dilemma The Mysterious Benedict Society and The Riddle of Ages

This... was one of the first mystery books I had ever read (my actual first was Sherlock Holmes cuz I found it on my grandparents' bookshelf and read it cuz I had read every other book they owned which wasn't a lot). I thoroughly enjoyed the storyline. It was calm and just- a bunch of kids going on a perilous journey to solve a mystery to save the city. Those kind of vibes. But the vibes were so good. So enjoyable. Every time I hear about this series, I just sigh in contempt.

There are very, very interesting characters here too. The characters are what made the story so good. All of them have unique quirks which they use to crack clues and form conclusions and dive into actions. Such good characters. 10/10, honestly.

The Extraordinary Education of Nicholas Benedict

This is part of the Benedict society universe, but it takes place years before the main events. It has adventures of the leader of the group in the main series as a kid. This book has a special mention because the storyline was different to the style of the main series and it had tropes. Just- the friend and the character itself and- dnfhbevbiluw

Okay, I admit, Benedict here does remind me of Tim (my fav character in DC). Like y'know smol Tim with the camera? Those kind of vibes. Very strong vibes. I read this way before I discovered Tim even existed so maybe this book plays a part in my favorites?

Jessica Brody books

The fact that I put the actual author's name here should tell you something.

Addie Bell's Shortcut To Growing Up

This book... brought me to tears. This was the second book that prompted salt water to slip out of my tear ducts. It was a strange feeling. Cuz I was not used to crying for books and movies and shows.

The plot just hit hard. A 12-year-old Addie magically time-travels to when she's 16 and experiences life as a teenager. The plot gives more than you expect. There are boys, yes, but that is a side plot, not a main plot. Which is why I love the book so much. Addie wants to be one of the "girly" girls who talks about boys and stuff and goes to parties like her older sister, but then as she lives the life of a teenager more and more, she realizes just how much she lost. Friendships, family, her personality, her interests, herself.

The part that made me cry was her missing her sister. Cuz, well, I'm an older sister. And my sister who is the oldest after me has the same age difference as Addie and her older sister. It wasn't just her missing her sister in that scene, it was everything crashing down on her that moved me to tears. Amazing book. If anything, I recommend you either read this or 'Better You Than Me' if nothing in this list goes towards your liking.

Better You Than Me

This was the first book that made me cry. It has two characters, one in middle school, the other who is an actress, swap bodies. So the typical middle school kid gets to live as a famous actress, and the famous actress gets to live as a typical middle school kid. Of course, neither of them end up liking their new life very much, but that only teaches them two important messages: appreciation and communication. God, I learnt so much from this book. I was like 13 or something when I read it and it resonated within me enough to make me cry. I adore this. SO much.

I Speak Boy

I actually have a library-borrowed copy with me right now XD It's about a middle school girl, Emmy, being very confused with the opposite gender. (Very much hetero, no homo despite it being published in 2021). But, once again, the reason I love this book isn't cuz of the romance (though it is kinda satisfactory but also a bit cliché). It's how the main character realizes that boys aren't everything. Just like in 'Addie Bell's Shortcut To Growing Up'. It's a lot about friendship.

The reason why I like these books by Jessica Brody (I haven't read the others yet) is because of the Bechdel Test factor in it.

S. K. Ali books

Again you have another author's name. This time, it's Muslim fiction!

Love From A To Z

The first Muslim fiction book I've ever read. And yes, it is a romance book. But it does not have any touchy-touchy stuff (except in the Epilogue and a couple dream scenes, very vague though and only kissing). As in, the main characters follow mainstream Sunni procedures and do not touch each other as they're not married. Which just leaves room for a ton of emotional romance.

I adore this simply because I'm a Muslim Hijabi myself and I am very much biased.

It deals with so many aspects of romance though, like personality first, lust last, and whether they are the right fit or not and whether they actually like each other or the idea of each other and how families play into this and online hate and emotion control and of course, the marvels and oddities of life. It is packed with so much. And when I finished the book, I had a good long cry. This is the first book that made me cry the longest. Because- because I was starved for representation! And this book did it so well! I just- love this so much.

The author has published a sequel, Love from Mecca to Medina, I have yet to read it because I'm waiting for it to be in a library. I prefer physical copy books.

Once Upon An Eid

Okay, this is very Muslim-based, but if you treat it like Muslim Christmas, everything becomes clear XD Also, Ali wrote only one story here. This book is actually a collection of stories by different Muslim authors. And each story is so special. Many people don't really know how Muslims celebrate Eid or why it's so special (besides spiritual reasons) and what it looks like. This paints an accurate picture. And it contains most, if not all, types of Muslims celebrating Eid. Sunni, Shia, refugee, African, American, revert/convert, South Asian etc. So really diverse.

Saints and Misfits Misfit In Love

Very much love-centred, but also has very vague mentions of sexual assault/rape/non-con. Yes, in a Muslim community. It exists. A lot actually. But it's hidden and hushed down. Disgustingly.

But the first book addresses it and how a Muslim girl battles it. She's in love with a white boy, yes, but she doesn't give in to her white boy desires. Neither does she fall to a non-white boy, at least not fully.

Which is why I recommend that if you're reading the first book, you definitely, definitely read the second one along with it. Because I felt even though the ending of the first book was satisfactory, it wasn't satisfactory to me. But the second book was! Because at the end of the second book, Janna (the main character), comes to the conclusion that boys aren't everything. And even though there is a very perfect boy that fancies her and she fancies him too, she takes a breath and says that she isn't too focused on that. And I adore that. But she only comes to that conclusion after falling in love with many, many, many boys. I did get a bit uncomfy cuz romance just in general makes me uncomfy, its a personal thing, but I kept reading it cuz... Muslim fiction! Anyway, good book series. But I like Love From A To Z better.

Now, those are... a lot of books. And a lot of me talking. And there are still so many more. So I'm just gonna go through some quick filtering and put the titles and authors of the other books here in dot points.

London Eye Mystery by Siobhan Dowd (my first novel, Kat knows about this lol)

Skyfire series by Michael Adams

NERDS series by Michael Buckley (it's an acronym that stands for National Espionage, Rescue, and Defense Society. It's weird but I laughed a lot so)

Murder Most Unladylike series by Robin Stevens

Mallory Towers series by Enid Blyton

Naughtiest Girl In The School series by Enid Blyton

Scarlet and Ivy series by Sophie Cleverly (fuck- I forgot to add this to the main list, but this book is hella hella good and I recommend it very much)

Bounce by Megan Shull (life lessons in here)

Sick Bay by Nova Weetman

The Adventurer's Guild series by Zack Loran Clark and Nick Eliopulos

Luck Uglies series by Paul Durham ("DADDY ISSUES!" screams Quo. "I love this book because I have daddy issues among other issues and that is all.")

Time Hunters by Chris Blake (it is very much a children's book, not even middle school, but I read it because it has an intriguing storyline and interesting historical facts that had me raising my hand in every history lesson)

There are no classic books here because that will need its own separate post.

And that's it! Thank you very much!

[diorstory]

Omg so im reading the mortal instruments/ shadow hunters series and it seriously is a THAT GIRL BOOK! Like it is literally the book where you can annotate the words, put highlights on some of the pages, etc. i absolutely love this series it’s so beautiful🥹

OH AND THE ROMANCE. THE ROOOOMMAAAAANNNCCEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!! Omg omg omg it’s so AAUHHHHGG omg it is just AMAZING.

[captainknell]

BOOK REPORT

I had wanted to read this book eventually but it got immediately bumped up on the list when someone pointed out that it had basically the same plot as my WIP. I dropped everything and started reading to make sure it wasn't too similar. The book was just getting good and explaining things when the free pages on the internet ran out so I had to wait for the physical copy to come in the mail. I am pleased to say that besides the basic plot, it is not like my book. And now I'd like to read the next two in the series.

Anyways, the report!

The book is about a history teacher named Richard Davey that has a very boring life. He is a fan of Napoleon and finds out that time travel is real and possible through a mysterious shop keeper so he goes back to Waterloo to try and change history and give his life more meaning.

It was an interesting story and I never knew what was going to happen next. It starts right when he goes back in time but explains how he got there by use of flashbacks. I actually loved how this worked. Usually when there's a back and forth or either time or characters, I find myself having a clear favorite and wishing the other one would hurry up so I can get back to the good part. In this book, both were the good parts! I was just as happy to be back in time as I was to be getting the explanation of how he got there and vice versa.

Unfortunately, the tense of the story was driving me crazy. If I wasn't already interested in the topic, I probably would've ditched it by the end of the first page. Here's an example of what I'm talking about that doesn't contain any important information:

He returns to the carriage and rummages in his bag. He extracts his penknife and the dried sausage wrapped in his handkerchief. Standing at the open end of the cart, he spreads the square of linen as a tablecloth and carefully cuts several slices. He throws the small hunk of meat attached to the string to the back of the barn. At least he will know where the rodents are for a while. The sausage's pink flesh is mottled with white fat and shreds of garlic. The skin is covered in fine white mould with the texture of paper. He teases it free and adds it to his offering among the fallen timbers.

He chews each slice slowly, savouring the taste as the rich meat replenishes his energy. When finished, he takes a gulp from his round, wooden water canister. British army issue is pale blue but his is plain inside a hessian jacket. It would not help his cause to fall into French hands in possession of British army kit. He replaces the cork stopper and repacks his haversack.

My other big problem with the book, is that Richard is being described as being middle aged, balding, and kinda pudgy yet every young attractive girl in the book is flirting with him/throwing themselves at him. The other characters are good though!

Bonus (?) we get to see Napoleon in a dress

[humsofdarkness]

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BJGSYCFL/ref=dbs_a_def_awm_bibl_vppi_i1

[arinotfae]

When you're in a writing mood but also falling asleep

[elliepassmore]

The Ones We Burn review

4/5 stars Recommended if you like: magic, fantasy, witches, healing stories, enemies to lovers, Twin Crowns I don't really think it's possible to write a review of this book without addressing the 'reverse racist fantasy' and antisemitic claims. The two reviews I link below go into detail breaking them down and I recommend looking at those if you're interested: Review 1 Review 2 I liked the plague plotline in the story. It makes the book less about the witch-human conflict and overthrowing the throne and more about medicine and saving lives and realizing who your family is. I liked the bits where Ranka and co. go into the city to try and figure out what's going on. I like the parts where they discuss different strategies for fighting the disease and try to figure out how it's spreading. I wish we'd gotten a bit more details about that, even if the plague is vaguely zombie-like. I also thought the plotline with the Hands of Solomei was interesting. It's one of those things where you want to scream that they've got it wrong, but of course they can't hear you and of course some of their complaints are legitimate, it's just been twisted in the wrong hands (pun intended, lol). I definitely thought it was an interesting look at how people's genuine concerns and criticisms can so easily be turned into something nasty and even violent when a charismatic leader decides to make that their calling. I liked that it showed a splintering of the group as well, with some people taking a decidedly less radical approach than others, especially since I think that reflects real life. There's also a lot of complicated morality to go around. The witches are upset because the treaty said they could have Witchik but the land is being encroached upon and the witches hunted and starved out. That's a good reason to be upset. The humans in the borderlands are upset because the witches are stealing from them and sometimes there are skirmishes that result in people being killed. Also a good reason to be upset. The people in other areas of the country are also facing a failing crop yield and poverty because the teenage king is undertrained in his magic and can't bring much-needed rain, meaning they are both starving, poor, and overtaxed. Another very good reason to be upset. But just because everyone has a good reason for being upset doesn't mean they have good responses to it. That is how things end up so messy and the witches end up so angry at the royals and other humans, and vice versa (though the royals aren't actually upset at the witches, it turns out). This whole situation also explains why the Hands of Solomei become such a big movement and are able to wreak so much havoc. It's complicated, but I like the layers to it. That being said, this book definitely feels very similar to Twin Crowns to me. Both involve an MC who is a witch, in a country where witches are hunted, infiltrating the aristocracy with the goal of overthrowing the current power structure to instead favor the witches. Likewise, both books have a vaguely-grandmother figure who is abusive, the MC realizing it, and then attempting to stop what's coming a bit too late. Oh, and there's a ball that the witches end up attending. There are some differences, with the magic and the fact that the twins in Twin Crowns are the MCs and the twins in this book aren't, plus the disease that's happening in this book. Ranka is the main character of the story and is a blood witch. Her main interest is in living a quiet life, but she's fiercely loyal, and so when her friend/adoptive sister goes missing, presumably taken by humans as a stand-in for Ranka, Ranka decides to take up the title of Bloodwinn and go to the palace, saving her friend, and bringing down the monarchy in the process. Things aren't what they seem though, and Ranka quickly learns that everything she's been taught about the royal siblings seem to be false and, in fact, they're actively working to try and help witches. She not only battles with her own beliefs about her magic, but also with the beliefs she's been taught about herself, the world, and her family. A big part of the book is about deciding who your family is and another big part is about the mistakes you make and how you can correct them. Aramis is the princess and is immediately suspicious of Ranka. The two grow a tentative alliance about the plague though, and we get to see more of Aramis' soft side. She's immersed herself in books and science, but she's also got the mind of a political leader. She was raised to be queen, but the succession shifted after it was revealed she doesn't have magic and so her brother will be king. Aramis actually seems to be okay with this and is mostly interested in making sure her brother is safe and in protecting him from the things that would break his heart. Aramis is another character who puts loyalty pretty high up in terms of values, which is something she and Ranka can agree upon once they start getting along. The relationship between Ranka and Aramis is definitely slow. Neither trusts the other, but as they spend more time together, first training Ranka on her magic, then trying to figure out the solution to the plague, they slowly being to trust, then like one another. They have their ups and their downs, and there are definitely times when it seems like they won't make it, but they're both stubborn, and as mentioned above, loyal, so it's hard for them to stay apart for too long once they've decided to be loyal to each other. Galen is also a pretty soft character, just in a different way than Aramis. Where Aramis is sharp words and quick wit, Galen is more gentle spoken and inclined toward heartbreak. He genuinely wants to do what's best for everyone and struggles with the fact that he isn't as magically powerful as his father. Unfortunately, due to his softness, characters tend to try and coddle him, which more than once ends up making things worse rather than better. But Galen proves to be someone who is both soft and powerful, and frankly he is one of the few characters who consistently makes good decisions throughout the book. Percy is the last MC (or MC-like) character. He's from an island nation and is the ambassador (or something) to the country Aramis and Galen run. Like Aramis, he relies a lot on his intellect and wits, but like Ranka he can fight well and has made some pretty major mistakes in his life. Percy definitely provides the comic relief in the story, and he's frequently quipping about one thing or another. I actually love the dynamic between Percy and Ranka because he's such a good foil to Ranka and understands both where she's coming from and the place she'll end up if she follows through. Despite knowing what's likely going down, he lets Ranka figure things out for herself, though he does try and subtly let her know that things will turn out poorly if she does what the Skra want her to do. Percy is also pretty quick to forgive Ranka when she messes up because he's been in the same situation. Overall, I enjoyed this book and thought the plot was interesting. There's a lot of complicated morality in the book, which I always like, and I enjoyed how each group played against each other as well as how each of the characters handled it in different ways.

[icarus-raymondpines]

ICARUS - masterpost

What is ICARUS about?

IMPORTANT UPDATE ABOUT THIS BLOG

The gif I commissioned, and it was done by the amazing @myaso-fish <3

TUMBLR TAGS

Author Raymond E. Pines' Notes

Faceclaim masterpost - Faceclaims of the characters in one post (currently WIP)

ICARUS Fanart - Fanart about my book

~*~*~*~*~

NOT BOOK RELATED TAGS

My art - My drawings of the book (and other art)

TF2 Art - The characters are originally TF2 OCs, so I think they deserve their own tag

Rokko - My TF2 Engineer OC and stuff about him

~*~*~*~*~

ICARUS ON OTHER PLATFORMS

Pinterest - Boards for every character, aesthetic/vibes, Island and other (not updated in a while)

ICARUS - Spotify playlist

(Un)official playlist - Spotify playlist

ICARUS instrumental - Spotify playlist

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[traduttrice-errante]

Interview with Liz Shipton, indie author and digital nomad

New article! Interview with Liz Shipton, digital nomad and author of the Thalassic Book Series! #lizshipton #digitalnomad #interview

I’m sure you already know Liz for her Thalassic book series and her super funny Instagram profile… and if you don’t, well, go on and read about her! I came to know Liz thanks to Instagram and she was so kind to accept my interview. So here it is: everything you need to know about being an author, writer and digital nomad living on a boat (amazing, right?)! I hope you enjoy the interview as much…

[island-of-bees]

HEY YOU YEAH YOU

If you’re looking for a fantasy book that has:

- copious amounts of ✨unhinged gays ✨

- incredible worldbuilding and immersion into a wonderous mystical society

- great LGBTQ+, religious, disability, and other representation

- an incredible plot where there’s always more to be uncovered

- GORGEOUS illustrations

- a fire-breathing cat

GO READ: Elemestrin by Felix DeLune

(I swear it’s so good I promise)

(Available on Amazon and Barnes&Noble)

You’ll thank me later

[alessandroiiidimacedonia]

Good day I'm Elena and here's (finally) my review of a wonderful reading 💖

"Dancing with the Lion 2 Rise"

by @jeannereames

Riptide Publishing

🇬🇧 review 🔗 bit.ly/3BggJrk

🇮🇹 recensione 🔗 bit.ly/3FvKAyA

I can't wait for the italian edition and a 3rd book maybe?

#DancingwiththeLion #DancingwiththeLionRise #JeanneReames #RiptidePublishing #historicalfiction #fictionbookreview

#AlessandroIIIdiMacedonia #ἈλέξανδροςὁΜέγας #Alexandros #alexandertheconqueror #AlexanderofMacedon #alessandromagno #AlexandreleGrand #Alexanderthegreat #alessandroilmacedone #AlexanderderDerGroße #AlejandroMagno #AleksanderMacedoński #AleksanderWielki #Iskandar #AlessandroilGrande #ancienthistory #greekhistory #ancientgreekhistory