#i also unfortunately reread harry potter which technically it was read to me the first time but still

[moss-sprouted]

just got struck by the memory that not only did i read the main percy jackson series during the summer when i was 11 (sea of monsters in one day) then i also proceeded to reread them in 7th grade but lie to my friends that it was my first time reading them for some reason

[rockinlibrarian]

Fic Writer Review

@pixiedane tagged everyone on this, and considering I've been wallowing in my sudden Being Into Fanfic lately (though to be honest I've been READING a lot lately more than writing), see this link, I figured I'd take her up on the challenge. You, too, may take ME up on the challenge if YOU have been writing fic!

how many works do you have on AO3? 19. That's much less than @pixiedane! I'm a baby fic writer!

what’s your total AO3 word count? 66,239

how many fandoms have you written for and what are they? There are technically seven listed, but "Marvel Cinematic Universe," "The Avengers (Marvel Movies)," "Captain America (Movies)," and "Agent Carter (TV)" all apply to the same fic, so really just 4. But that doesn't count fandoms I've written but not completed (and therefore posted) for. So there are more to come. Maybe. Sometime.

what are your top 5 fics by kudos? *

"On the End of Endgame," 51 kudos, because I'm right and Marvel doesn't understand their own time travel rules and 51 people KNOW it!

"The Puppy-Fly Effect," 39 kudos, because it's Back to the Future, the most mainstream property I've written for! So people see it and say, "oh, I've actually seen that one" and they're more likely to read it!

"The Invitation: an Epilogue," 22 kudos, which is pretty good since this is my newest fic on there. It's a Howl's Moving Castle (BOOK, PLEASE, OBVIOUSLY) epilogue, so considering it's not a RECENT thing it just keeps getting slow and steady readership. I myself have been reading a lot of Howl fic lately, and people are getting comments on their decade-old stories from me now, so I imagine this one also will slow and steadily keep accumulating hits and kudos.

"Kerry and the Meaning of Life," 20 kudos. I'm honestly not sure why this is, by far, my most kudoed Legion FX fic. It's the first one I ever wrote, and got me started on the whole writing-the-entire-Loudermilk-coming-of-age rabbit hole I fell into to begin with, but I've only improved over time, I think, but even after I'd posted other Loudermilk backstory I think is objectively better, this one still gets the most!

"Syd's (Third) Childhood Begins," 15 kudos, because when people finish watching Legion FX the NATURAL move is to seek out fix-it fic. I wouldn't say this is fix-it really as much as ensure-the-ending-is-actually-happy-it, but I did use the "fix-it" tag, and at least one of the commenters DID say they immediately came on AO3 "looking for pretty much exactly this"...

do you respond to comments, why or why not? Absolutely, because I know what it feels like NOT to get comments, and also what it feels like to-- I don't know, I just get paranoid, if people don't respond to me, I think stuff like "Did I say something wrong? Do they not care about my opinion? Am I invisible?" so I'm Do Unto Others-y about it, even if all I can think of to say is "Thank you!"

what’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending? Well, I haven't actually posted (read: finished) the ending yet, but it's definitely "Exploration of the Astral Plane," because that's just Legion FX canon. No spoilers, Oliver Bird starts out the show having gotten lost decades ago, and this is the story of HOW he got lost, and his friends didn't KNOW if they'd ever see him again, so the paragraphs I've written of the end do make me quite teary! The fic's really fun despite the canonically sad ending, though, honest!

do you write crossovers? if so what is the craziest one you’ve written? I have not written one YET, if I recall, unless you count the several mildly interconnected IPs involved in the Pipeweed Mafia Stories, which isn't even posted because I feel uncomfortable posting Real People fic online, but crossovers are fun and I really enjoy reading them, especially when the writer successfully blends things together while being true to the characters. Just today I read a hilarious one blending The Good Place and Harry Potter!

have you ever received hate on a fic? Gosh, this is such an ironic question. I wouldn't say that I WISH I received hate on a fic, but my fics aren't even NOTICED enough to receive hate! I already feel paranoid-- Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria, you know how it is-- when I don't receive LIKE on a fic! It's LIKE receiving hate for me, because my brain goes into "Does nobody like it? Does nobody care? Are they all too nice to say it's terrible?" mode, so, yeah.

do you write smut? if so what kind? Absolutely not. My demisexual self hates reading it, definitely not writing it. I struggled enough writing just a taste of what a horny, slutty teenager who-talks-too-much Oliver Bird would have been in this AU, and that's mild!

have you ever had a fic stolen? Not that I'm aware of. That would really suck, wouldn't it, if someone stole my work and ended up getting MORE LIKES AND COMMENTS THAN ME on it.

have you ever had a fic translated? Also not that I'm aware of, and if I'm not aware of it but it happened I guess that would answer the "stolen" question, too.

have you ever co-written a fic before? Ever in my entire life, I feel like I must have, but not anything I've posted online then

what’s your all time favorite ship? Hmm. Honestly, there are ships I defend passionately if the topic comes up, but I'm not sure I have a favorite just on my own. Especially as I hate smut, so I avoid seeking out specifically shipping stories. But, since I have been reading a lot of HMC fic lately, I should mention that Howl and Sophie ARE one of my absolute favorite fictional couples, but that's just how DWJ wrote them, and I can tell you unfortunately that not all fanfic writers QUITE nail that chemistry...

what’s a WIP that you want to finish but don’t think you ever will? Speaking of The Good Place, I really do wish I could write the novelization, and maybe I'd write some pieces of it longer than the few paragraphs I have written? But I doubt I ever will, let alone to the point of FINISHING...

what are your writing strengths? Fanfic wise, I like to THINK I understand the characters very well, at least! Writing in general? I think it's just my quirky voice? I'm the only me.

what are your writing weaknesses? Oh, very much FINISHING. But beyond that, it's pulling teeth to get me to fill out the story sometimes. I tend to draft with dialogue, and then I have to go back and fill in what's actually happening AROUND the dialogue, and sometimes I'd rather not.

what are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic? At first I was like, I don't KNOW any other languages well enough to do this! And then I remembered the Firefly fic I have mostly written but not completed yet, and you know how in the show their speech is peppered with random Mandarin phrases? My husband has the Firefly RPG book and there's an appendix of Mandarin phrases you might hear in the Firefly universe, and I DID incorporate a few of those phrases into my dialogue, just from that appendix and it's probably horrible, but it fit the universe...

what was the first fandom you wrote for? EVER? The earliest I'm sure about is the Ducktales fic I found in an old Girl Scout manual that I must have written when I was 11 or 12. The first fandom I ever posted on AO3, in response to an exchange, was Legion FX of course, but that wasn't until the ripe old age of 40.

what’s your favorite fic you’ve written? I'm going to give this one to "Two (or Three) Mutant Freaks Against the Fourth Grade" just because it has gotten the least number of hits of ANY of my posts, INCLUDING THE PLACEHOLDER WITH NO WORDS IN IT, so it needs more love. And it really is one of my favorites, because it's just a sweet little story about nerds making friends, and I love rereading it.

*This made me curious which fics got the most kudos comparative to their HITS, because the Endgame one has WHOA more hits than any other fic, but it's over a thousand, which doesn't make 51 kudos look so good anymore. Percentage-wise, it's less than 5%, which seems to be where most of my fics hit when you do the math-- between 4% and 8% kudos-to-hits. The exceptions, jumping up to about 18% each, are the BttF and HMC fics, and, curiously, my beloved childhood friend AU mentioned in the last question-- it may have the least number of HITS (22), but that helps the math when you consider it's got 4 kudos. The HIGHEST percentage kudos-to-hits is its sequel, the childhood-friends-as-teenagers-AU fic mentioned in question 5**-- it's got 6 kudos and only 29 hits, so that's about 20%! Apparently people LIKE when I have to write a sex-crazed adolescent boy. COME ON, people! (The story is actually about Asexuality so I guess it really isn't people just wishing I'd write smut).

**Oh, I just noticed the numbers renumbered themselves when I put bullet points in the middle of the original question 3 there, so this is actually the answer to question 8? But it SAYS FIVE.

[wizardhecker]

ollie’s book rec list

hey y’all i got libby this last year and its expanded my reading a bunch. I talked about what books I liked on twitter earlier but I wanted to move that over here. These books aren’t in order of preference, just when I read them. I’ll probably be updating this list throughout the year as well. 

Stuff I loved:

Gideon the Ninth- Tamsyn Muir: Probably my favorite book from this year, I’m eagerly awaiting for the sequel. WAs everything I wanted in a book, witty and clever. Lesbian necromancer and buff swordgirl end up taking part in a contest that entangles them in murder and mysteries. Its sci-fi but not hard sci-fi and sticks mostly to one planet. I’m witholding judgement on the ending until I read the second book because I have some conflicting feelings about it. Tags: F/F romance, bones, so many bones, Sci-fi, mystery

Ancillary Justice - Ann Leckie: Told from the perspective of a ship AI that was once many different ancillaries. The story jumps back and forth between the present where she inhabits one body and the past to how that came to occur. It was super unique and engaging. I’ve seen this on a few lists for LGBT content which maybe there is in later books but that tag comes from the the ship AI being confused by gender since her language just uses “she/her” pronouns for everything. Therefor, yes technically any romances that occur are queer because every single character is referred to via she/her. I love language stuff like that though. Theres so many details that I was deeply fascinated by. Tags: sci fi, space politics, clones, unique perspective. 

The Raven Tower - Ann Leckie: Similar to her other book above, she plays with storytelling and narrator perspective. This is from the perspective a god who is a giant rock and switches between past and present. It was a bit slow at first, as it is a rock telling the story, but its well worth it and the ending was so fulfilling. I REALLY enjoyed the world building, everything felt neatly crafted as piece by piece the machine comes together and turns slowly. The protagonist human is also explicitely trans. Tags: politics, fantasy, god wars, trans protagonist.

Swordspoint - Ellen Kushner: An older book, but focuses around the politics of a city where swordsmen fromt he lower city are hired to fight for the aristocrats in the higher city. Follows the best swordsman and his [insufferable] scholar boyfriend, but switches perspectives a lot. Its fun, I might reread it. Tags: heavy politics, aristocrat bullshit, M/M romance, swordfighting!

Kings of the Wild - Nicholas Eames: This book read Very much like someone’s first classic D&D campaign, for better or for worse. I Loved it because the heart, passion, and sincerety put into it was so palpable and it feels like a campaign where everyone comes in with goofy joke characters and then midway through they get Really into it and suddenly everyone’s crying because that joke backstory they made has implications. Its about a bunch of retired legendary old men adventurers who get called back for one more job - to rescue the leader’s daughter. Tags: Sad old men, good fathers, fantasy, gay wizard, tabletop inspired.

Bloody Rose - Nicholas Eames: The sequel to the previous book (though it could be read alone). It really goes into more depth and analyzes some of the previous worldbuilding more, pulling apart some of the problems in the world that were swept away previously. I liked it slightly less but its still very good. It follows a bard joining up with an adventuring band to fight a...dragon? Maybe. Tags: F/F romance, are monsters people, necromancy, dragons, fantasy.

The Golem and the Jinni - Helene Wecker: A newly made golem woman and a Djinn who was trapped for thousands of years both in up in New York City in 1900, and their paths eventually intertwine. Really amazing perspective of Jewish and Arab immigrant communities and cultures in NYC. Switches point of view through many characters in the communities who come in and out of their lives. Tags: Supernatural beings, urban fantasy, historical.

The Monster of Elendhaven - Jennifer Giesbrecht: Very short book I read in one sitting about terrible evil men doing terrible evil things. One of them is unkillable, the other one is sorcerer and theyre tied together through a dark fate to destroy the world. I was deeply into the mythology and the way everything wove together. You know I’m a sucker for weird god stuff and I was provided for. Uhh trigger warning for a lot of stuff here, graphic violence, sexual assault, etc. Tags: Evil stuff, magic, dark mythology and folklore, capitalism, revenge plots.

The Black God’s Drums - P. Djeli Clark: Another short one read in one sitting, set in an alternate post-civil war setting New Orleans where a girl has a Goddess of storms living inside her. Tags: alternate history, bi protagonist, gods and goddesses. 

The Claidi Journals - Tanith Lee: So this was a reread of a kind of obscure series I read when I was a kid and I immensely enjoyed. Caveat that it is a young-adult series but it was such a fascinating and vibrant blend of fantasy magic and sci-fi, there’s little blend between the magic and technology of the realm. It’s about terrible families doing terrible things and the women who got accidentally caught up in it. It also has one of the most interesting women characters I’ve ever read who doesn’t even appear much in the books but whose legacy impacts every character. Tags: Science fantasy, aristocrat bullshit, bad moms, hetero but chill. 

Mixed Feelings:

Uprooted - Naomi Novik: Reclusive wizard who holds an evil forest at bay takes on an apprentice girl who gets entangled in further politics of the nation. I got Really into the worldbuilding, plot, and writing of this book and it hooked me pulling me along. However I have a major frustration with it that really prevents me from putting it in the “loved” category. If I could edit out about 20 lines I’d have found it perfect. I know other folks who disagree with me though so I’ll still recomend it. Tags: wizards, nature magic, politics, grumpy tower wizard, unfortunately heterosexual.

Of Fire and Stars - Audrey Coulthurst: Lesbian princesses and arranged marriages uh oh. Ones a ranger jock the others a sorcerer. Its fine and cute, I wasn’t really happy with the antagonist reveal at the end though. Tags: Aristocrat bullshit, politics, F/F romance, arranged marriage angst, forbidden magic.

Wayward Son - Rainbow Rowell: I really enjoyed the first book of this series and found it a delightfully self-indulgent transparent Harry Potter derivation. That sort of falls apart in the second book where having to build off something that worked as a one-off just doesn’t extend to a more filled out story and left me feeling unsatisfied. But, once again, the world building is delightful and I’m charmed by the magic system and a British person’s opinion of America. Tags: M/M romance, magic, America!, roadtrip, vampires

The Last Sun - K.D. Edwards: Modern fantasy tarot inspired world building. The main character is the last remnant of the “Sun” house that was ripped apart in a terrible way. He has PTSD and is hired to find a missing man, along the way uncovering a deeper conspiracy involving his house and past. It was fine, its a good book. I just wasn’t into it that much. Also massive trigger warnings for sexual assault, torture, etc. Tags: M/M romance, mystery, gritty, magic. 

Vicious - V.E. Schwab: I enjoyed it and it was a short quick read, but for some reason I’ve never been able to get into V.E. Schwab much. Not sure why. Man with power over pain is released from prison and seeks vengeance on his former friend who put him there - who is now a superhero, and adopts a young girl necromancer in the process. Tags: villains, everyone is evil, superpowers, modern, necromancy, unwilling father figure

The City Stained Red - Sam Sykes: I really just started skimming while reading this one tbh. Trash man swordfighter and his disfunctional adventuring party trying to collect their payment in a terrible city. It felt like someone’s D&D campaign but in the worst way where everyone is an edgelord dark backstory. I honestly didn’t like a single character. But, that’s fine it just wasn’t for me. I see this get put on lists for having a bi-character. Which I guess technically but I wasn’t a huge fan of how that became relevant. Tags: tabletop inspired but insecure about it, gritty, terrible city, terrible people, bi protagonist

[kbrown78]

Top 5 Wednesday

https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/118368-top-5-wednesday

Topic: Largest Book On My TBR

Large books are very hit or miss for me. Long books means you have the time to develop the plot, world, and characters which can make for a great story. Unfortunately if those aspects aren't fully developed or utilized than the book can drag on. Generally I'm not intimdated by size, but there some exceptions. I also don't mind big mass market paperbacks because I tend to fly through those. The books  on this list are ranked based on a mix of page length and how soon I will be getting to them.  

Caliban's War by James S.A. Corey: This one isn't technically the longest single book on my TBR, but it is almost 600 pages and is the book that I will be getting to the soonest. This is the second book in the Expanse series and I read the first one, Leviathan Wakes, back in the summer. I didn't like the first one but I've heard  that the series gets better (even from people that didn't like the first book). I do plan on reading this one in November, and hopefully will enjoy it enough to continue the series (it's supposed to be a 9 book series and each book is about 600 pages, so it's a big undertaking).

2. The Dreamblood Duology by N. K Jeminsin: Based on page count this is the longest book on my TBR at over 900 pages. It is, however, the combination of 2 books and the first one is less than 500 pages. I won't be getting to this one soon because the sheer size intimidates me and I've already started it and didn't really get into it. The story and characters weren't clicking for me, but I will give this another try at some point because it's N.K Jeminsin.

3. Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix by J.K Rowling: You could make almost this entire list out of the 4th through the 7th Harry Potter books because all of them are over 600 pages, but this one took the spot because it is the longest book in the series at almost 900 pages but I also think it's the most underrated. I won't get into all my Harry Potter opinions here, but the movie version of this book really did it a diservice. I have started rereading the Harry Potter series but because this is the 5th book in the series I won't be getting to it this month.

4. Frontlines by Micheal Grant: I was surprised that this one was 521 pages because it's YA and because it's alternate historical. It's the first book in a YA trilogy set during WWII and a new law has been passed that allows women to be drafted. It focuses on 3 women and their stories. I will be getting to this book this month and I'm excited to read a lady focused story that is historical fiction.  

5. Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo: This book is just over 500 pages and is the second book in the Six of Crows duology. I thought it was a good sequel, with great characters and a colorful world set in the Grishaverse. I can't say when I will getting to this book but I would like to read all books in the Grishaverse before King of Scars comes out.  

Thank You Everyone

Keep Calm and Keep Reading

[foreveranevilregal]

Aladdin Belle Captain Hook Granny Henry Hyde Lancelot Maleficent Regina Robin Snow Ursula :)

Thanks, bae!

Send me OUAT asks.

Aladdin: If you had 3 wishes, what would they be? 1. To always have enough of whatever we need (material or abstract, and yes for everyone). 2. Perfect communication 3. Teleportation

Belle: Favorite book(s)? I always keep coming back to Harry Potter, so probably those.

Captain Hook: If you could travel anywhere, where would you go? Euro tour, stopping off to pick you up first with that nifty teleportation power. ;)

Granny: Favorite thing to cook? Crepes, hands down. They take a while, but everyone is always so impressed I can make crepes. And yes this is an open invitation to come over for crepes anytime.

Henry: What’s your favorite fanfic (yours or someone else’s)? I’ll answer both. Of mine, my favorite is my Mamma Mia AU that unfortunately never landed, but I’m proud of the idea and may end up finishing it eventually. Of someone else’s, there’s this one Romione fic in the HP fandom that somehow managed to fulfill all my wishes, even the ones I didn’t know I had. It’s on FanFiction as To Know You is to Love You by @coyotelaughingsoftly. It is...the most technically perfect fanfiction I have ever read. This is probably my third or fourth time rereading it, and I’m falling in love with my babies over again.

Hyde: If you could split yourself in two, what qualities would your two halves possess? Hah, when I was younger, I legitimately felt that I had two different personalities depending on my geographic location, so this is a question I’ve unwittingly been pondering for ages. My American self is quieter, more polite, non confrontational, more subdued in general, less brave, more intelligent and driven. My Macedonian self is louder, outgoing, funny, bold, spontaneous, and adventurous.

Lancelot: Ever loved someone you shouldn’t? She asks, as if she doesn’t already know the answer. Yes I have.

Maleficent: If you were a dragon, what would you hoard? Happiness

Regina: What makes a family in your eyes? Making a commitment to stay in someone’s life, to love and support them (to have and to hold...kidding), and just generally be ride or die. In Macedonian, there’s an expression “to have each other”, which basically means you’re tight, and in my mind, that makes family more than biology ever will. Accordingly, I consider some of my friends family by this definition.

Robin: What’s your idea of a great night with friends? Either we stay in and have an epic movie marathon (who said Harry Potter?), complete with wine or virgin cocktails for my abstinent friends and we talk the entire time (ideally, they’re movies we’ve already seen so we can have a running commentary). There are also crepes. Or, we go out and explore; eat someplace nice, or bar hop, or do something adventurous together. Or, or, and hear me out now...we do both (har har, I know what’s coming here).

Snow: If you had to survive alone in the woods, what 3 things would you want with you? Swiss army knife, water purifier, solar powered radio.

Ursula: How’s your singing voice? It’s choir good. I’m not a soloist, but I’m a solid choral singer.

[the-golden-ghost]

For books, 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 10, 22, 23, 25, 26, 27, 41, 51?

1. What/who got you into reading?

I don’t know because I’m one of those spooky people who learned to read at age 3 and just picked it up somehow. I know my parents taught me letters and sounds before then, but my memory doesn’t go back that far so I guess I just always liked it for as long as I can recall. 

2. Your first favorite book?

I don’t really remember this either. I will say tentatively a collection of fairy tales that I had when I was a kid (actually I still have it). I think it was just called A Treasury of Fairy Tales and it had a very soft blue cover and nice pictures. 

3. Your current favorite book?

I’m gonna cheat cause I have a book that’s the complete works of William Shakespeare and that would probably be my favorite even though it’s technically not one story.

4. Favorite book of all time?

Probably the Tale of Desperaux by Kate DeCamillo in terms of length of time and amount I loved it. (Loved it since I was a kid up until now, so. 

7. What book/s that you rave about?

I would certainly recommend everyone read In a Dark Wood Wandering by Hella S. Haasse. Seriously please do it. I also LOVE a Series of Unfortunate Events and would recommend those, too. 

10. What popular book do you just hate?

That’s a whole list. Oh wait popular, not classic. That’s different. I don’t actually know what books are popular right now. I really don’t like Catcher in the Rye though and I know that one’s always pretty popular because it’s taught in schools for some reason. 

22. Favorite series?

A Series of Unfortunate Events. I also really liked the Chronicles of Ancient Darkness which no one’s ever read, apparently, to my chagrin. 

23. Least favorite series?

I’m gonna say Maximum Ride. I didn’t read it, but I read the first few chapters and the main character managed to piss me off so much that I couldn’t even finish book 1. But there aren’t many series I’ll read the entirety of if I hate them, so that’s kind of a tough one.

25. Pick the 23 book on your bookshelf, open it to the 86 page and find the 13th line. Type it out for us.

I have four bookshelves but I will do my best.

Okay; I got All the Lovely Bad Ones by Mary Downing Hahn. 

“Corey cried out in pain and stumbled backward holding her cheek, the skin red from a slap.” 

Charming. 

26. Favorite quote?

From anything ever? I have no idea. I’ll just go with “since the heavens have shaped my body so, let hell make crooked my mind to answer it” from Henry VI, part 3, William Shakespeare. It’s probably not my favorite quote ever but it’s my favorite quote that I can think of on short notice.

27. Favorite character/s?

That’s a whole list. I won’t go in order because I probably couldn’t but here we go:

Charles, Duke of Orléans, Jean of Dunois, and Valentine Visconti - In a Dark Wood Wandering

Sansa Stark, Sam Tarly, Stannis Baratheon, Asha Greyjoy, Tyrion Lannister - A Song of Ice and Fire 

Dewey Denouement - A Series of Unfortunate Events (the Penultimate Peril)

The Ghost of Christmas Past - A Christmas Carol

Sirius Black and Remus Lupin - Harry Potter (which I honestly need to reread one of these days)

The monster - Frankenstein 

Malvolio - Twelfth Night

Richard of Gloucester/Richard III - Henry VI parts 1 and 2, Richard III

Ariel - the Tempest

Javert (who may or may not have a last name) - Les Miserables

John Silver - Treasure Island 

I’m probably going to cut it off there because if I list everyone it’s going to get long but there’s an idea. 

41. Least favorite book turned movie?

I think they made Sophie’s Choice into a movie and I don’t know why, particularly. (Don’t read Sophie’s Choice by the way it’s not good) 

51. Book/s that made you scared?

The Black Cat by Edgar Allan Poe really freaked me out when I first read it. I remember there was this whole series by Allan Zullo about horror stories that were based on real accounts of hauntings, and those used to creep me out as well. 

[o0o-chibaken-o0o]

Hello love, could you rec me your favourite 8th year fics on ao3?

Hello yourself! YES, I can absolutely do this and honestly I feel like I’ve been waiting for this moment my entire life. I am OBSESSED with 8th year fics and I hope I can recommend at least a few you haven’t read already! :)

*warning*: This is an Extremely Long List. It is in literally no order because I love all of these fics so much it is as if they are my own children and I couldn’t possibly rank them

Unexpected Consequences by Lauren3210 (39K)- Harry was going back to school. He was going to play Quidditch, sleep in lessons, hang out with his friends, and generally just enjoy being a kid for a change. And he was also going to do it while being bonded with Malfoy, because apparently life was just going to continue throwing curveballs at him. Harry didn’t know why he expected anything different.This is one of the first fics I ever read and I still remember it clearly; it was THAT good! As an alternative to Azkaban, Draco is allowed to attend Hogwarts provided he agrees to a bond with Harry that makes him to do whatever Harry says. Naturally, once the feelings start this causes a lot of worrying and angst and klsfhd it’s just really really good! Also did I mention they share a private room? I know I can’t be the only one who lives for that.

Right Hand Red by lumosed_quill (73K)- Harry felt Malfoy’s breath on his lips as they came together over the bottle, hands firmly planted on the floor as though they each needed their familiar soil, refusing to cross into enemy territory. Except that Malfoy no longer felt like his enemy. Malfoy felt inevitable.Another of the first ever fics I read (and reread!) and MAN IS IT FUCKING AMAZING. The lust starts right from the beginning and there are *lots* of party games and a secret relationship and sweet moments and teaching of patronus charms and *sigh* I just want to go read it again right now!

Lumos by birdsofshore (41.5K)- Harry never expected to spend eighth year listening to Draco Malfoy wanking.FABULOUS fic in which they are roommates and then Draco wanks and then Harry wanks and then Draco and Harry wank at the same time, and then there are feelings!! A thousand times yes.

Strange Bathfellows by Bixgirl1 (27.5K)- It started with a bath. Or a potions accident. Or maybe it started before that, but who can tell anymore.Featuring: Uncomfortable wanking, more comfortable wanking, mutual wanking, bath sharing, inappropriate betting, secret shagging, those secrets at Hogwarts that everyone knows, and oblivious Harry who knows one thing: he’s falling in love.Harry and Draco being forced to share a bath is everything I never knew I needed until I was blessed enough to find this fic. @bixgirl1 has MANY truly ✨FABULOUS✨ eighth year fics (for example Instruction for a Misplaced Slytherin (8.5K) in which Draco teaches Harry about sex and In Evidence of Magical Theory (43.5K), which features forced bonding) and you should definitely read them all, but Strange Bathfellows remains my favorite! :)

He Was He and I Was Bunny by bryoneybrynn (37.5K)- The war is over and “eighth year” is about to begin at Hogwarts. But for Harry and Draco, nothing is quite the same. Harry’s looking for an escape, Draco’s looking for a friend. Does a little black bunny hold the answers for both of our boys?This fic combines two of my favorite tropes: eighth year and animagus transformations! And just… Harry is a freaking bunny??? A bunny who Draco pets and loves and OMG I’m melting just thinking about it.

Tug-O-Want by dysonrules (16.5K)- Harry is back at Hogwarts minding his own business when he finds himself magically drawn to Draco Malfoy. Over and over again.*Something* is making Harry feel a tug that keeps leading him to Draco and I don’t want to spoil anything but honestly isn’t that enough for you to be already hooked???

Don’t Think Twice (series) by firethesound (all together 28.5K)- Harry was just trying to get away for a while. He didn’t mean to get trapped in the Prefect’s Bath with Draco Malfoy.Were you perhaps interested in some porn, anon? Because this series is INCREDIBLY hot! Harry, under the invisibility cloak, finds himself trapped with Draco, who is doing some very interesting and compelling things to himself with a very interesting and compelling object. Unfortunately, the series is incomplete and last updated in 2014 but (and keep in mind I usually can’t stand reading WIPs) it’s totally worth the read anyway because PORN guys, PORN

How to Handle an Enemy and Turnabout is Fair Play by who_la_hoop  (18.5K)- Everyone knows that it’s no fun playing truth or dare with a Slytherin. But add a little Veritaserum, a scheming duo of Slytherin girls and surprising things can be revealed. Particularly about the fine line between love and hate…MORE PORN, and honestly some of the hottest I’ve ever read (and quite kinky!). I remember exactly where I was the moment I realized that I probably should have saved this one for when I was not in such a very public place. And as a bonus (ha), there’s plot too!! It is just oh-so-delicious! And the sequel is just as good! Again though, the series is not technically complete. But while I would be overjoyed to see another sequel someday, the two works stand well on their own and shouldn’t leave you unsatisfied at all! (Also I just reread them both while making this list because I couldn’t stop myself and they’re also super funny???? And just? great????)Also I should note that who_la_hoop is one of my all-time favorite writers and I already mentioned Written on the Heart (in which Draco has a soul mark with Harry’s name) in my angst-with-a-happy-ending list. It is also eighth year! And there are more great eighth year fics by her, read them allllll!

At the End of the Day by sara_holmes (7.5K)- No brooms, a distinct lack of balls, no comprehension of the offside rule and a Malfoy who apparently has magic feet. Harry never knew this stupid game could be so much fun.This is a short, really lovely fic that stands out to me because of its plot being so different from that of most eighth-year fics! In a good way though, because who doesn’t love a bit of Harry watching Draco be really really good at football?? Shirts vs skins anybody? ;)Also I already recced Mental by sara_holmes in my slow-burn rec list, but it absolutely deserves mention here too because it is one of my ABSOLUTE FAVORITE eighth year fics of all time! Also Get Some (link to google drive) which is not on AO3, but which IS absolutely fucking brilliant! Harry is drawn to Draco because he’s the only one after the war who refuses to put up with Harry’s shit.

Let Me Be Your Voice by Queenie_Mab (47.5K)- As the hero of the revolution, Harry leads the wizarding world in its efforts to rebuild; but first old wounds must be tended, rifts caused by hate mended, and his history with Draco Malfoy seems like the perfect place to start.This fic is great. First Harry finds a very *ahem* interesting use for Draco’s wand. And then when they get to school Draco isn’t talking for some reason (ooo intrigue!), and Harry is Very Concerned. Plenty of UST, some hurt/comfort, some kink, just really great!

Don’t mind if I keep your tie (and your heart, babe) by Ingi (21.5K)- The Eighth year common room has a parrot in it, courtesy of McGonagall and her mad search for interhouse bonding.Most of the time, it’s just there, until one day it repeats “Potter has a damn fine arse.” And the Slytherins know exactly who the parrot’s mimicking…Draco is not amused.All of the eighth years are sharing a common room with a literal parrot. Need I really say more?

Good Company by Greenflares (8K)- With Hermione and Ron always together, Harry’s return to Hogwarts to complete his education isn’t exactly fun. Somehow, it’s his unlikely friendship with Malfoy that keeps him sane.This fic is pretty short, but something about it made me absolutely fall in love and fangirl all over it for days! I wanted to read it again immediately upon finishing! For some inexplicable reason it also gave me this sense of nostalgia for High School and falling in love as a teenager, which I was alllll about. Definitely read this one if you haven’t.

Love Comes Tumbling by taradiane (22K)- ‘Harry’s thoughts were of how much he would have done differently with Malfoy over the years, and of Dumbledore’s final words to the other boy … “It is my mercy, and not yours, that matters now.” Maybe, Harry wondered, he could find some mercy, too, and give Malfoy the second chance that Dumbledore had believed him worthy of.’Basically Draco is being ostracized, and Harry notices and wants to help. Ron and especially Hermione are not very understanding, but Harry doesn’t let that stop him from befriending Draco! There is some angst, and slow-burn, and the Room of Requirement and coming out and…just yes!

1,000 Points From Gryffindor by blithelybonny (25K)- The story of how Harry Potter single-handedly lost Gryffindor the House Cup while attempting to have a “normal” year at Hogwarts. Featuring Harry’s suspicious nature turned up to eleven again, a new DADA teacher who is so not here for Harry’s fame, multiple detentions, Slytherins being sneaky, Hufflepuffs being sneakier, and the mystery of Draco Malfoy’s hoodie because seriously Hermione who gave that to him and is he wearing it just to torment me? This is ridiculous!AAGH DRACO MALFOY IS WEARING A HUFFLEPUFF HOODIE???!?!? Does this idea intrigue you as much as it does Harry?? Don’t you just NEED to know WHY?? If you want to solve this particular mystery you’ll just have to read this amazing fic!

In Your Arms, Rests My World by loveglowsinthedark (24K)- Harry presses his mouth to Malfoy’s forehead; he wants to tell him that he’ll never leave, that he wouldn’t dream of it.“You make me feel safe, Potter” Malfoy whispers. “You keep me safe.”UGH THIS FIC! I honestly should have recced this one on the heavy angst with a happy ending list because it is SO ANGSTY there is the middle and I HATED IT and I HATE @l0vegl0wsinthedark FOR DOING IT TO ME (read: amazing, beautifully written fic with tons of feels and I was SO SO invested and I loved it so much; go read it ASAP so you can cry with me). Tip: while reading, keep in mind that there is a super fluffy short sequel that will soothe all of your pain! Warning for rape (not h/d).

The Owl Who Came for Christmas by dracogotgame (17.5K)- Draco has a debt to pay off, no matter what Potter thinks. And he has a Very Good Idea to go along with it. Things don’t go as planned.OMGGGG Draco is an animagus and guess what he becomes?! Srsly, guess!!! Okay, I’ll tell you. An OWL, a lovely fucking OWL who delivers very sweet presents to Harry and eilwryudksj it’s just so cute and lovely and sweet!!

Also I just want to recommend every single eighth-year fic by Faithwood, who is in my opinion the queen of fluff (and often fluffy smut)! If you sort eighth-year HD fics by kudos on AO3, hers make up about half of the front page so OBVIOUSLY they are all required reading! 

And lastly(!!) idk if this violates some sort of etiquette, but I thought I’d mention that I myself have written three fics, and they are all eighth year! Unbearable is really short and fluffy and about Draco being dared to kiss Harry, All You Want for Christmas is Me features Draco wearing nothing but a big red ribbon, and His Little Something is basically a bunch of Harry failing to resist slutty Draco and me indulging my HUGE (heh) love of size kink. And…I think they’re…good? I hope? Read them and let me know?? ;D

Wow this became SO LONG and yet there are still about a billion other eighth year fics that I could rec! But I’ll stop here and keep this list mildly readable :D ENJOY!! 😁😁😁

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The Name of the Wind

I can’t believe I am typing this right now: I hated this book.

To backtrack a little: it’s been awhile since I posted; between work and studying (and zoning out in front of the TV!) my tiny blog has unfortunately gotten short shrift.

I haven’t read much that would be suited to a short review either, in the past few months. I’ve been reading either short novels that are fun but forgettable, or longer and more complex works that I need to think more carefully about before I put pen to paper (metaphorically, of course).

One of the books that I thought would be easy to review was The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss. It’s a straightforward fantasy novel, so it doesn’t require me to gather my thoughts before writing; but it’s also exciting and epic enough for me to gush about on my blog.

The thing is, The Name of the Wind is technically a reread for me. I think I was in the ninth grade or so when I read it for the first time, enjoyed it tremendously, and promptly forgot about it. I’m much older now, but I was still quite excited when I noticed it at the library a few months back, thinking it would be a fun and delicious book to sink into for a few days.

It turned out that Kvothe, the main character, was just downright unlikeable. Time really changes your perspective. To a high-schooler, Kvothe was perhaps just like every other fantasy hero: talented, special, destined to save the world, all that kind of crap. But with this reread, I noticed how annoying Kvothe was; how presumptuous, arrogant, and downright stupid he was at times.

With some more fantasy books under my belt, I also realized how mundane and unoriginal the plot is. There is literally nothing here that is new. We have a young prodigy who breezily excels at everything he puts his mind to. He falls in love with a manic pixie dream girl, a girl who forlornly flits in and out of his life because she is beautiful, vulnerable, beautiful, talented, and beautiful. Did I say beautiful?

Kvothe has some sympathetic tutors and some not-so-sympathetic ones. He learns some magic. He makes an enemy and dispatches of him in short order. He is the best singer around, the best lutist around, the youngest student at the Arcanum, you get the idea. With his stunning musical talents and his out-of-world magical talents, Kvothe saves the world and ascends to the heavens, to be embroidered onto the stars.

I kid there; I don’t remember what happens at the end of the book. I’m sure I knew it at some point—when I was in the ninth grade, perhaps—but I put this book down out of frustration at a certain scene. In this scene, Kvothe rescues a fellow student, a girl named Fela, by slinging her across his shoulder and carrying her out of a burning building. But Rothfuss doesn’t want you to think that he’s using the damsel-in-distress trope. No, Kvothe is a FEMINIST. He earnestly tells Fela that she wasn’t a damsel in distress—even she clearly was—and that she could have saved herself—even though she clearly didn’t.

I’m sorry, Patrick. You can’t have your cake and eat it too. You can’t demote women to hapless victims and then justify it by saying you didn’t mean to. (Did you also not mean to substitute flimsy cardboard cutouts for all the other women in your book, with different cookie-cutter variations of vulnerable, or beautiful, or matronly, or delicate? Were all of them accidents too?) Kvothe’s justifications are completely inadequate, because to any reader who has finished the novel, it is clear that there are no female protagonists who stand as a foil to Fela, as characters who are capable and worthy of respect. None. Why bother to include Kvothe’s speech in the first place, if it only serves to highlight its complete hollowness and the hypocrisy of the author? And as if to hammer the last nail into the coffin, Rothfuss uses the scene where Fela thanks Kvothe (for saving her) to open a small rift between Kvothe and his lady-love, Denna, because of jealousy. Not only does this book fail the Bechdel test, it actively sets women against each other.

In a scene which I marked down at the time (in fury) but can’t be bothered to find now, someone tells Kvothe that the object of his love, Denna, is very lonely: she’s so beautiful that men only have designs on her, and women only hate her. (This is doing a disservice to female AND male characters; is every character in this universe so shallow? Also, does Kvothe even notice how he’s also complicit in Denna’s isolation because of his sexual interest in her? He’s not exonerated here…) The book frantically stabs at “deep” and “meaningful” pronouncements; all I could do was try to stop rolling my eyes.

I was so frustrated, I went to Patrick Rothfuss’s Goodreads page to see what he had to say for himself. For someone who advises “college feminists” and also a “sorority,” he sure is keen to point out—on his author bio—that he is also a “skilled lover of women.” Is this a necessary testimonial to his writing skill? I don’t know, I’m just pointing it out. I usually don’t like ad hominem attacks but the misogyny in his writing was so blatant, I felt like it was necessary to point out the source.

What really galls me, and what REALLY drove me to write this review—since normally I don’t have the energy and time to review books I don’t even like—is that this book is well-received. Sure, it’s fantasy and not literary enough for mainstream reviews, but most magazines and outlets that have reviewed it have been pretty positive. Which is weird, considering this is pure fanboy wish-fulfillment drivel. Now, I don’t have anything against wish-fulfillment specifically; I think there’s definitely a market and need for guilty pleasures that I completely understand. There’s a problem, however, when products associated with teenage girls (Twilight, for example) get shot down as shallow and hysterical whereas those associated with teenage boys are hip and cool. This topic was mentioned a lot when Twilight came out and in my opinion it’s definitely applicable here. The Name of the Wind is a prime example; its quality is probably on par with Twilight (which I have no problem with), but it’s touted as the next great fantasy series, the successor to Harry Potter and the Lord of the Rings, et cetera, et cetera … despite having only trite plot points and a whole lot of ingrained misogyny papered over with thin and unconvincing protests. Please spare the fantasy genre such slander. This is far from the best that the genre can offer; in fact, perhaps it’s more like the opposite.

The Name of the Wind was originally published on Friends, Romans, Countrymen