#jay is a bookworm don't @ me

[ochibrochi]

shakespeare nerd birds

[hoonvrs]

21st CENTURY GIRL

15 sacrificial lamb duh

PREV < MASTERLIST > NEXT

S. NOTE miss me🥸

SYNOPSIS where jay 'claims’ he has a girlfriend but none of his friends believe him because how are you a girl in the 21st century and don't have any social media, right? and if you and jay continue to let them think your relationship is fake for entertainment purposes, nobody has to know.

TAGLIST ( CLOSED ) @dazed-hee @seongclb @enluv @yenqa @satsuri3su @mangowonyo @neocockthotology @treasxreblue @loves0ft @yueriots @lunavixia @mariji @txtlyn @bluxjun @mrchweeee @jackass1123 @the-poetic-side-of-me @flwrshee @jiawji @fakeuwus @ilovehimyourhonour @calumsfringe @en-dream @luvistqrzzz @weird-bookworm @miko1ly @deobitifull @donghyckl @jayujus @skipmay @minl0u @eeeeeeeeeeeeweeeeeeepeeeeee @sngvhs @nyxvrse @sasfransisco @latriii @redm4ri @sxftiell @xiaoderrrr @staerax @captivq @jlheon @tmrx2gther @dammit-jjk @aernx @hyhees @spilled-coffee-cup @ddazed-lhs @elavin @lhspeachie

[thebisexualdogdad]

Jason Todd x Male!MMA fighter reader headcanons

*Oliver Stark used as a fancast*

● you're a personal trainer by day and underground mma fighter by night

● meeting Jason at the gym you work at and always checking each other out

● you'll be with one of your clients and smiling at him across the room while he tries to impress you by upping the amount of his weights

● "I noticed you've got a lot of scars, must have a lot of good stories to tell" you say when you finally talk to him for the first time

● "well how about you let me take you out to dinner and tell you some of them"

● while he doesn't exactly lie about how he got his scars he doesn't tell the entire truth about him being a crime fighting vigilante either

● he plays it as he just happens go be at the wrong place at the wrong time a lot

● you guys spend a whole lot of time together at the gym

● competing to see who can lift more

● and run a mile quicker

● sparring until you can't feel your arms anymore

● he's at the gym so much all of your clients know him

● "So how long until I get biceps as big as your boyfriends Y/N?"

● "it takes a lot of dedication to get biceps like these" Jason says flexing proudly

● Jason actually learns a lot of new moves from training with you

● Dick after a fight where they took down twenty bad guys "that was impressive Jason where did you learn that from"

● "Y/N taught me, you should take a few lessons from him maybe you could actually be a good fighter too Grayson"

● "ha ha very funny don't forget who's been doing this longer"

● going on long motorcycle rides with Jason

● you two race throughout Gotham weaving in between cars

● and loser has to pay for dinner

● Jason doesn't do much upkeep of his apartment

● he's got leftovers in his fridge that are so old its created its own ecosystem

● and there's dirty laundry laying all over the floor

● "when was the last time you did a load of laundry?"

● "well considering I haven't worn any underwear in over a week I'm gonna say a while"

● the very first time you went to his place you were surprised by all the books scattered around

● "I didn't take you to be such a bookworm"

● "do I get to keep my bad boy title if I tell you I'm banned from three libraries for not returning books?"

● this leads to a lot of coffee shop dates where you just quietly read next to each other and enjoy one another's company

● Jason goes to all of your fights

● he always gives you a good luck kiss in the locker room, "go out there and kick some ass babe!"

● you win the majority of your matches so there's a lot of celebrating with Jason after at the bar

● but the one time you got the shit beat out of you Jason had to fight the urge to not to murder the guy right there in the ring

● he and your manager carry you back to the locker room and get you cleaned up and Jason is pissed

● "Jay you gotta calm down I've done worse to people in the ring"

● "yeah but those guys aren't my boyfriend"

● your manager "you've got a lot of passion kid you ever think about signing up to fight?"

● "trust me I do enough fighting just not for money"

● your manager "what, are you involved in a gang or something?"

● "something like that"

● Jason thinks you still don't know about his secret identity but you figured it out a long time ago

● you don't say anything because you want him to feel comfortable telling you himself

● whenever that may be

[mangocustard16]

Moot game !! Tag your moots which match the questions ! :D

Moot/s you got close with under a month.

Moot/s you wish you interacted with more.

Moot/s who you admire/look up to.

And lastly, Non moot/s who you wish to be moots with!

Moot/s you got close with under a month.

omg like sooo many!! but i definitely bonded the quickest with @kkooongie, @weird-bookworm and @nonononranghaee 🤭❤❤

Moot/s you wish you interacted with more.

for sure @blue-jisungs and @seuonji TT i really need to stop overthinking before interacting with people 😭😭

Moot/s who you admire/look up to.

@wheeboo i wish i could write half as good as her🥺🥺❤ and stan half as many groups as @slytherinshua 👹 <33

Non moot/s who you wish to be moots with!

AAAAA this oneee ohmygoshhh i really don't know if i should tag them 🙃🙃 i'm so sorry if i made you uncomfortable!! @fairyhaos like i'm a fangirl for yenaaa 🎀❤ and @jayflrt i'm so freaking sure that heeseung is the one who hired jay (watch me be completely wrong 💩)

[hummingbird-games]

Postmortem: #CrushedVN Edition

Okie doke y'all! It's been some time so I guess we're good to dissect this project!

(I almost didn't bother with writing this up, but at the end of the day I do the dev diaries and the random--game development related--posts for me to look back on and prove I'm learning. Getting better. Not regressing. So. Might as well move forward!)

Background/Inspiration

It's like if you took my late 2022 brain and threw it into a blender!! Most of these are self-explanatory (Boys Love media I adore with emphasis on early to late teen experiences.) Let me draw your attention to The Edge Of Seventeen: not sure how many times I've rewatched, but it makes me tear up every single time. Main character Nadine is awkward AF, still hasn't come to terms with the death of her father years prior, isn't on the best terms with her mom or her older brother, and even ends up on rocky terms with her best friend too!! Anyway, that feeling of being young, and a little angry and a little sad and not feeling quite right on the inside but eventually reaching a place where things fiiiiiinally start to work out...it's just a sliver of what I wanted to capture and infuse into Crushed.

Listen y'all, I just pulled and pulled and pulled from real life experiences. I was inspired by authors Julian Winters, Leah Johnson, and Jay Coles' works (all Young Adult authors LOL! Fitting since I seem to be creating things for the teens at this juncture in my life). This all provided the base for Corey and his inner world. Also, I've been wanting to create a bookworm character...no time like the present right???

As for deciding to specifically create a boys' love visual novel of all things?? First, y'all must understand that I fought the original idea and anything related to it. This was coming off the heels of me suddenly seeing (another) wave of players throwing fits about indie games forcing you to play as a femme character. First off, no one is forcing you to do anything. Secondly, we are still at a point in video games where the majority of characters you play as are male. Forgive some of us for wanting a little variety 😑Thirdly, for those looking for games where there's even more inclusivity (choosing pronouns, playing as nonbinary/trans, and etc) I really wish that players would seek out those games that ARE being made and support them so the developers don't lose steam and drop their projects. It's so disheartening to make something that's meant to be consumed and BOOM, silence.

Anyway, all of that to say that as a developer herself who's tired of watching girls' media be regulated as Less Than, made fun of, and just overall disrespected, I wasn't interested in making any games that didn't center a female character. But back to my main point!!!

I had Heartstopper, the webtoon, infecting my brain. I was so not immune to falling in love with Nick and Charlie like everybody else. But then I was hit for the 34573847th time that I was engaging with white queer media. And I knew that if Nick and Charlie were Black Brits, they wouldn't be getting half the attention they are now. Even less if the boys were girls and we had a sapphic relationship on our hands. (But that sapphic story from Hummingbird Games is still brewing, and Corey and Jacob's story was ready first.)

Also....the biphobia is real. It's insidious. I could write a whole book about how the straights and the gays need to get their shit together. I could then write a sequel about how the Black community can be some of the worst offenders when it comes to our Bi Fam and say some of the most ignorant and devastating things. But I had limited time on my hands and decided to write a short VN instead. Once I let Corey just be, exist as the person he is, everything fell into place.

Things That Went Right...

I took a very niche, very Specific To Me, very nestled in the space between my heart and my brain and wrote a script just so I could be a part of a game jam specifically highlighting and supporting the work of Black game developers.

And I submitted the bitch on time.

I'm always down for anxiety rep!!! As a fellow anxiety haver, I say the more visibility the better!!! At the same time, it's not a one size fits all, and there were some things I dealt with that I'd never seen depicted and I figured I might as well be true to my experiences. Maybe someone would take solace in Corey the way I've taken solace in other characters for reflecting my lived experiences.

I tried new things I was scared of or didn't have time for with HSD or didn't feel confident enough to sit and learn previously: partial voice acting (and holding auditions to incorporate more), a text message system (which wasn't my own but part of learning to code for me means being able to take what others have done and replicate and/or use it myself), and implementing music and sound effects with intention. I've done it with film, but games are a close cousin in a lot of ways. A LOT of ways. I should remember that.

I still didn't do too well in the marketing department but for this game, it didn't feel like a failure. I also didn't really try. Oops. I've got to do better. I went into Crushed knowing it wouldn't have half the audience HSD does, and yet the feedback I've received for Crushed has made me want to break down into tears of relief.

I launched the game around 10 something at night my time and proceeded to be sick with anxiety for about 3 days. For three whole days I legit felt like I was going to die. And then I wanted to laugh because didn't I just make a game to express a version of the human condition?

Things That Were Different...

HSD showed off my skills when it comes to intensive planning and sticking mostly to that plan. Crushed was a jam entry that became more extensive over time and found me flying off the seat of my pants.

I also had less (aha, zero???) budget this time around. Because again. Jam entry. It wasn't supposed to be a Big Affair. But now that it's over and out to you guys, I'm not mad. You could say that it all worked out.

If I Could Go Back, I Would...

For one, I would have smacked the voice in my head that said "let's add more voice acting now". I love the feature, but there's no reason why I couldn't have done auditions after release. I was impatient and restless waiting for art assets, and my idleness led me to take on more things just to not feel useless. I Have Learned My Lesson, thanks.

I Had The Pleasure of Learning...

There will always be an obstacle in the way of game development. (And sometimes your body will be your own worst enemy, yuck.)

I don't know who my audience is (yet) for HBG but I'm always a part of it. And that's not a bad thing. If I hadn't felt so strongly about Crushed or even HSD, neither project would have happened because I would have given up a long time ago.

To the Future...

Empasis on future, but the world of Crushed isn't exhausted. It lives in the bigger universe of HSD:JY but took on a life of its own. So it's no surprise that Corey and his friends became even more precious to me. Not that I know when I'll be able to work on it, but right after finishing and publishing the demo, I outlined a rough draft for a kinetic novel sequel told through Jacob's POV. In my head, Corey's story was always half of a whole, and busting out Jacob's outline so quickly confirmed that.

(What I didn't anticipate was how loved Oke and Keegan would be, or that there would be a want for their story outside of myself??? Between us and this postmortem, I hope to sort out their deal and get the satisfaction of seeing another type of love story/dynamic I can't get enough of and share it!)

Closing Thoughts

The comments I've gotten concerning Crushed and noting the appreciation for its slice-of-life/grounded-ness is reassuring! Maybe I'll branch out to other genres, but realism will be something I always come back to. Also, making Crushed wasn't too traumatic soooooo that means I'm still making games LOL! Can't get rid of me yet!

- Gemini 💛

(some links of other posts where I went on tangents concerning the creation of Crushed; these can also be found by searching the tag "crushed vn"!)

Music Inspo and Crushed

Memes Tag Game

Game Dev Commentary: Bonus Content

[evilpenguinrika]

Hosie Fankids: 2nd Iteration

I love making fankids I can't help it ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

This could be considered an AU to my main canon Hosie Fankids. Like, don't get me wrong. I LOVE how much I've developed Lana, Hayley, Jay, and Leo and I will continue to write their stories. But I also like the idea of exploring other avenues for my Hosie fankids, and that being "what if Hope and Josie only had twin boys instead". So ta-da, the 2nd iteration of my Hosie fankids that exists in their own little universe away from my main Hosie fankids canon.

You can read the first iteration Hosie fankids here

//

(note: Josie was the one who carried the twins!

second note: i'll try and see if I can't find some time and spoons to do a quick character design sketch for the 2nd iteration Hosie fankids as well!

edit: now with pictures!)

//

Elijah “Eli” Lukas Mikaelson (15) is the son of Hope Mikaelson and Josie Saltzman, and the twin brother of Auggie. He takes after his Mom Hope because he’s more aloof and builds up heavy walls between him and anyone who is not family. He keeps to himself and prefers to observe other people than interact with them. He tends to go lone wolf a lot, doing his own thing and never bothers to let anyone know what he’s doing.

Eli is fiercely protective of his family to the point of it being near possessive. He hates when unfamiliar people interact with his family because he’s scared they will hurt the people he cares about. He’s also overbearingly protective with it comes to Auggie and his relationships because his twin wears his heart on his sleeve and willingly gives it away to whoever he’s with–which makes it easy for Auggie to be heartbroken. He hates seeing his twin brother hurt all the time, so anytime Auggie’s with someone new, Eli will hover around his twin or secretly threaten his brother’s new beau to treat him right or else.

The forest is his favourite place to go when he wants to clear his head and be attuned to his senses. He loves the smell of the woods and the way the soil dips beneath his weight. Eli especially loves going to the forest after it rains because the smell of wet soil always grounds him when he becomes too overwhelmed and oversensitive to things happening around him. Eli is also a huge bookworm and loves getting lost in the stories he reads. He dreamed of becoming a fantasy author when he was younger and has written a few stories–mostly short stories–and has entered them in a couple of story contests and won a couple of them.

Eli is a Tribrid, just like his Mom Hope. He’s not great at magic but he’s also not terrible, though he will sometimes avoid using it if possible. Eli feels more comfortable with his werewolf abilities despite having never activated his curse yet. Eli doesn’t have plans to actively do that since it does mean he has to take a life. He’s content if he never activates his curse or not.

Aside from that, Eli is a pretty good fighter from being trained by both his Mom and Grandpa Alaric. Eli has even taken a few martial classes after school. His fighting style is a mix of MMA, Kickboxing, Kung Fu, and Muay Thai. He can also fight with weapons, but he prefers not to because they often get in the way when he’s in the zone of battle, preferring to use his body as a weapon than anything else.

When he and Auggie were ten, Eli got kidnapped by a group of people who were after their Mom. They were trying to grab both twins, but Eli used magic to shield Auggie away so he ended up being the only hostage. Eli did his best to fight back and survive until his Mom and Momma found him. This event affected him badly and it’s the main reason why he’s distrustful of other people and so possessively protective of his family.

He and Auggie are aware of the Merge and are trying their best not to think about it–they’ve mostly compartmentalized it until they need to worry about it. Their Mom Hope and Momma Josie have been doing their best to figure out a way to stop the Merge without either of them becoming a Heretic or vampire.

[Physical description: 5’9” short dark chestnut brown hair and blue eyes]

.

Augustus “Auggie” Joseph Mikaelson (15) is the son of Hope Mikaelson and Josie Saltzman, and the twin brother of Eli. Auggie is more gregarious and the life of the party. He’s popular with everyone in school, not because of who his family is, but just because he’s an all-around awesome guy. He’s also a bit of a mischievous goof and loves a good prank or two. But other than that, Auggie is always the guy people go to when they need help.

Auggie is protective of his family, especially his twin, and always does his best to include Eli in anything even though he knows Eli will turn him down. He’s always worried about Eli because of how recluse he can get. But he also knows it’s because his twin prefers to be alone or with familiar people, and that’s fine! Auggie appreciates Eli a lot and will do whatever to protect him because of all the times Eli has comforted him after every heartbreak, Auggie feels like he owes it to Eli to give back.

He’s a huge nerd. The biggest, dorkiest nerd in existence. Auggie is in the school’s LARP and tabletop RPG club. He’s mostly the DM because he likes to be the one who tells the story and watches his club members have fun. He’s also in the theatre club but as crew. Despite being so beloved and enjoying the attention, he loves being the one who supports others a lot more. He finds way more joy in letting others shine through than taking their spotlight.

Auggie is a Tribrid, just like his Mom Hope, and a Siphoner like his Momma Josie. He loves magic, loves using magic, and loves being a Siphoner because it allows him to challenge himself. He will carry a manageable supply of small trinkets with magical essence stored inside so he can siphon if he finds himself in battle and is alone. He has an affinity for Elemental magic and Ancestral magic. Auggie avoids using Dark Magic if possible, mainly because he’s scared about what will happen to him if he does. When he has no choice and uses Dark Magic, he will secretly put all the negative side effects into a small coin that his Great-Aunt Freya gave him. Nobody knows about this except Eli. He has no plans on triggering his werewolf curse as he doesn’t like the idea of taking a life to do so, nor does he have plans to become a Heretic.

He’s not great at hand-to-hand combat, not like his twin brother, though his werewolf abilities do help him with his quick reflexes. But overall, he prefers to be long-distance when he’s in battle so he can have time to think about alternatives or find exits he can go to if he feels like he’s unable to win.

When he and Eli were ten, Auggie watched Eli be kidnapped by a group of people who were after their Mom. They were trying to grab both twins but Eli used magic to shield Auggie away from danger. Auggie was so distraught that when he ran back to his Mom and Momma for help, he was completely inconsolable. He had to be looked after at his Aunt Lizzie, Uncle MG and Uncle Ethan’s place while his Mom and Momma went to save Eli. When they came back with his twin in tow, Auggie refused to leave Eli’s side. This event is the reason why Auggie feels like he has to pay his twin back for protecting him.

He and Eli are aware of the Merge and are trying their best not to think about it–they’ve mostly compartmentalized it until they need to worry about it. Their Mom Hope and Momma Josie have been doing their best to figure out a way to stop the Merge without either of them becoming a Heretic or vampire.

[Physical description: 5’6.5”, shaggy cinnamon brown hair and brown eyes]

[givemewallywestorgivemedeath]

Anyone remember the show The Amazing Spiez?

It's a spinoff of Totally Spiez and these kids are the new trainees (they get mentored by the Totally Spiez characters). They're all siblings and their parents used to be spies as well before retiring.

Anyway, anytime I joke about Wally and Linda having twins again all I'm thinking about are these kids. Four crime fighting, biracial, colorful spandex clad, grade school aged siblings? Even Megan and Mark (the twins) remind me so much of Irey and Jai with their whole 'bookworm, socially awkward, tech expert brother who looks exactly like his mom' and 'outgoing, energetic, golden child of the family, super athletic sister who looks exactly like her dad' thing.

Their dynamic is great and they work well together as a team. Recently I've seen a lot of people in forums and irl say that the third West kid won't work well or that the third West kid will screw up the dynamic.

I really don't think that will be the case. If it's a boy or if it's twins. I think the dynamic will be fine.

Hell, look at the Power Pack. If you want to see a comics based sibling team that works well then look no further!

I love these guys!

There's also the Shazam fam that has way more than four kids. And then Incredibles has three kids and their whole dynamic is fantastic.

There are so many examples of sibling sets of more than two in media that work really well. I mean, the kids in Narnia for starters.

I really don't know why some people are upset that Wally and Linda are having a kid. I guess I just don't understand why 'it could never work' when it really really could.

[calciumcryptid]

@insomniac-jay I got your ask about the Rogues and Watchers relationship, but Tumblr did a stupid and made me unable to edit it so I'm going to rewrite what I had here for you.

How do you make the Rogues even more queer? Simple, open a dialogue between them and younger queer people.

We discussed this, but the closest moment the Rogues had to a back in my day spiel was when they found out the shit the Watchers could get away with at work (dyed hair, piercings). Riddler and Bookworm were miffed because they had to cut their hair a certain way to get their job.

While some Rogues are doing community service they end up working for the Watchers and it is quite the scene to see the younger direct the elder around.

Killer Croc and the Watchers have a strained relationship, but at the end of the day he would lay down his life for them. Even if they rummage around his sewers and steal his snacks. They did give him a yacht one time which was weird but he isn't going to ask any questions.

The Rogues are so tight lipped about the Watchers around the Bats. They like their pseudo nieces nephews and others, and hell if they are going to let the Bats take them.

Harley Quinn can and will sit you down for a slideshow for all the Watchers greatest hits.

Sirenia gets vocal lessons from Music Meister, and even some of his old equipment. She is the reason he decided he wanted kids, and she is invited to him and Christine's place anytime she needs a place to crash.

Poison Ivy is in the process of figuring out a way to safely make them into plants.

The Watchers don't fuck with Catwoman due to get connection to the Bats. This does not stop Selina from trying to get into their good graces, even if Watchers keep making snide remarks.

Unsurprisingly, it was Jahzara and Vicia who eventually came around to her.

[randofics]

Just hanging around

Bucky Barnes x southern reader pt.1? (18+ kinda)

You get into an embarrassing situation at work when you meet Bucky. He takes an interest in you and you invite him inside for a drink. I may try to make this into a short series 🤷‍♀️.

To say you weren't embarrassed about this situation would be an understatement. It was late evening. You had climbed the scaffolding on the outside of your shop in the alley to weld some stuff when you lost balance and fell. Rope tied to the sturdy metal went taught around your legs catching you. As you hung there several feet off the ground you contemplated how you'd get out of this mess.

Just then a guy walked around the corner and on spotting you ran to help you. "Ma'am are you ok?" "Just peachy!" You could feel the blood rushing to your head now as you looked at him. A grin spread across his face as he observed you. "How did you even get like this?" "Gee I don't know maybe I fell? Now can you get me down please!?" Your face was level with his as he walked closer. He bent down plucking up your glasses and sliding them back on. As your vision became clear again and you looked him in the eye your heart skipped a beat and he gave you a charming grin. He was very handsome with short black hair and slight stubble. You didn't know if it was the blood or if you were actually blushing at this point, what with his face so close to your's. "I don't know you look pretty cute hanging like that." Oh if your head wasn't hurting so much you'd most definitely be blushing.

"Ok for real man my heads hurting." "Right how should I do this?" He was talking more to himself than you. Seemingly deciding on something he climbed up the scaffolding and stood on the level you were hanging in front of. "Give me your hand." Reaching up his gloved hand gripped your's firmly and he easily pulled you up. He held you bridal style with one arm around your shoulders, your rear sat awkwardly on his knee and his other hand took out his knife. He cleanly sliced through the rope freeing your legs. He then put his knife away and slipped his arm under your knees before jumping down to the concrete below. You let out a yelp gripping his jacket as you fell. He landed without so much as a grunt and set you on your feet. Wobbly on your feet you fell into his chest and he placed both hands on your sides to keep you steady.

"Easy we don't want you falling for me now do we?" You looked up at him and blushed giving him a small smile. Your hands on his chest kept you somewhat steady but his grip made you feel safe. "Um thank you Mr.?" "Im James but my friends call me Bucky." "Is it alright if I call you Jay then?" "Sure if you're planning on seeing me more often. And preferably not to rescue you from another situation like that." You giggle and push your glasses up your nose. "My names y/n." "Pretty name y/n. What were you even doing up there anyway?" "Well I was going to do some welding repairs to my shop but just as soon as I got up there I fell." "You weld?" "Yeah." "Huh I would've thought bookworm or computer nerd not welder." "I get that a lot." He smiles and pushes a strand of hair out of your face. "I bet it's a mess after hanging upside down." You run a hand through your hair to straighten it out. "And I thought you looked pretty hanging upside down but right side up you're gorgeous. "Oh tha-thanks." You blush again. "Would you like to come inside for a bit? I have sweet tea in the fridge." "That would be great. I was actually going to get something to drink when I spotted you."

Letting go of you he held out his right arm and you linked your arm with his. You walked to the front of the building which at this point was mostly illuminated by the street lights and neon signs. Unlocking the door you pushed it open and let him come inside. It was a small mud room with a staircase leading upstairs and the right wall had a metal door with warning signage next to and on it. *Warning metal and other materials being fabricated.* *Warning dangerous fumes wear respirator.* *Warning heavy equipment in use.* *Warning use ear protection beyond this point.* "Is that your shop?" "Yeah it's a good sized space with lots of fabrication equipment and other stuff. If you want you can leave your coat down here." "Im fine for now." After you shrugged off your welding gloves and coat you led him upstairs. Your place wasn't quite like he'd expected. You seemed to be a jack of all trades quite literally. There was a welding helmet on the counter in the process of repairs, an easel in the livingroom corner with a mostly finished piece on the canvas. There were a few bookshelves scattered throughout the room all of which were packed with books. From his vantage only one had fictional novels and series on all the shelves, the others had a menagerie of different topics all of which were non fiction. They were all in order of topic too.

"You've got quite the collection of books." "Oh yeah I love a variety of topics. If you see anything interesting I'll let you borrow it." "Really?" "Think of it as a thank you for saving me." He scanned the shelves of the closest bookcase finding several books interesting so he skipped them for now. He did notice a pattern though. You seemed to prefer homesteading books as well as survival books, even your novel collection reflected that aspect of you. He was surprised he didn't find any romance novels but maybe you had those in your bedroom? Posters of some rock bands and TV shows covered what little of the walls were blank. And you walked back into the room. He hadn't realized you'd left. "So you want that tea?" You opened the fridge pulling out a pitcher full of amber liquid. "Oh it looks like I have A&W root beer too if you'd rather have that." He walked into the kitchen and leaned against the wall behind you. "A&W sounds good." You sat the pitcher on the counter and grabbed a root beer for him. Handing it to him you grabbed a cup for yourself and poured the tea. "Let's go sit." He let you pass and followed behind you.

"You know I don't think I've ever met someone with as wide of a range of topics that they like as you. You're really interesting." "Yeah I do a bunch of different stuff. I don't know if you could tell by my survival collection but I'm a bit of a prepper." He takes a sip of his drink. "Yeah I did notice." "I like to be safer than sorry you know?" He nods. "Oh I meant to ask but why are you still wearing your gloves, I figured you'd at least take those off." He suddenly looks a bit nervous and you second guess asking that. "Hey you don't have to answer that if you don't want to." "No no it's alright I've got um... poor circulation so they help with that." "Oh ok." You give him a bright smile to reassure him. "So what music do you like? I figured I could put something on if you want." " That's ok I'm not sure you'd care for it." "Jay I have as wide of a range of music I enjoy as my book topics so I don't think you'll surprise me." "Ok if you say so. I like... 40s music." You smile and type something in on your phone, seconds later the music starts playing (Moonlight in Vermont- Margaret Whiting). His grin has you smiling happily and he takes another sip of his drink.

"You really are something else you know that?" Suddenly a black blur jumps on the table startling him. "Holy cow... didn't know you had a cat either." "Jinx honey c'mere she crosses the table to you with a shivering tail." "Meow." You scratch under her chin and she starts to purr loudly. Scratching the base of her tail makes her stand on her tiptoes tail shivering happily. "Sorry about her she's usually more skittish with strangers so I thought she'd stay in the bedroom." "It's ok I'm not allergic or anything." She moved over to him and he held out his right hand letting her sniff his glove. She rubbed up against him making him smile. She then turned her attention to his left hand and he tensed. Sniffing it longer than the other she licked the gloved fingers and nuzzled into his palm. He felt happiness swell in his chest at that. But just as quickly as she'd gotten there she left, going to lay on the couch.

You looked quizzically at his reaction. "Why did you react weird when she sniffed your left hand?" He sighs. "I would have to tell you anyway so better now than never." Confused you watch him pull off his gloves and jacket. Dark stained shiny metal meets your eyes. You react surprisingly well, eyes lighting up at the sight. "Woah that's so cool!" You round the table to sit next to him. "May I?" He nods and you touch the cool metal. "This is so intricate and beautifully fabricated!" You take the metal hand and turn it over examining the didgets and overlapping plates. "What's it made of?" He hesitates for a moment. "Hi carbon steel." "Ha no I know hi carbon steel when I see it and this is definitely not hi carbon. I can't even imagine the intricate robotics that are in this. That's one topic I've never been very good with." Your eyes get big when you realize something. He expects you to connect that he was the winter soldier but thats not what you say. "Wait is this... Vibranium!?" "Yeah it is." When you get excited at that he finds you adorable. "Do you mind if I see the rest of it? Like where it connects?" "Um... sure." The sleeve of his shirt goes down to his elbow and it's too tight for him to pull it up to his shoulder so he just takes off his shirt.

A bright blush covers your cheeks when you see his bare muscular torso but you turn your attention back to his metal arm. Jagged scars connect to the base of the metal and you observe the slim crack separating the connecting ring from the rest of the metal. "This would be impossible for me to even dream of fabricating. I mean there's musculature blended into the plates, it's incredible!" You didn't realize how close you got to him and when you looked up, your face was only a few inches from his. His right hand pushed another stray strand of hair behind your ear as his gaze flickers over your face. Cupping your jaw he pulls you into him and your lips connect in slow chaste kisses. As it gets a bit heated he scoots his chair away from the table pulling you into his lap. You squeak at his strength and he chuckles against you. The kiss is sweet and slow, languid and relaxed as (Its been a long, long time- Harry James) plays in the background.

Your fingers pull at his short hair eliciting small moans from his throat. His metal hand caresses your lower back as his flesh hand moves to your thigh squeezing gently. He breaks away only to kiss your neck, featherlight at first. Your breathing quickens as his kisses get more passionate. His flesh hand moves further down your thigh and his thumb brushes the inside. You let out a shaky breath nails scratching lightly over the back of his neck. Suddenly the cold feeling of metal on your lower back makes you jolt in surprise. He takes his hands off you. "Didn't hurt you did I?" "No no the metal is cold so when it touched my back, it surprised me." He looks at his metal hand turning it over, clenching and unclenching it. "Hmm yeah I forget about stuff like that." "It would be nice to hold onto when it gets hot out though."

You grab his metal hand in both of your's bringing it up to your cheek. "Like I used to do to my brother. I'd grab a cold can of soda and sneak up on him. Then I'd push the cold can into the back of his neck making him jump." You laugh smiling fondly at the memory. "During the winter you'd have to sleep on my right side." "Heh yeah I probably would. Wait you're already thinking about that stuff?" He rubbs the back of his neck. "I... could see myself living with you. I mean you're nice and intelligent and very interesting. Call me old fashioned but I do want to eventually settle down with a girl." "Huh maybe it was fate that I fell off that scaffolding then, cause I want to settle down eventually too. Just haven't found the right guy, but maybe you're him?" "We should probably take it slow first just to be on the safe side." "Yeah that's a good idea, we need to get to know each other more."

You smile and lean into him giving him a peck on the lips and nose. He chuckles giving you a bright happy grin. Your arms snake around his neck again and you nestle into his embrace, completely comfortable. "I could probably fall asleep like this." You feel him hum deep in his chest. "Yeah I could too." His strong arms wrap around your back, holding you to him gently. A calm quiet envelopes you both and you close your eyes relaxing into him. "You wanna stay the night?" "Sure I might get the best sleep I've had in a while." You stay like that for a while just enjoying each other's embrace.

[einsteinsugly]

Tough challenge but how would you rank every member of the That 70s Show gang from your favorite to least favorite, no ties allowed?! I have the UO of liking Donna the least by far---not that she's a bad person, but she's just not a very engaging, compelling and entertaining character for me :) I'm sending this to a few people and am psyched to see your responses!

1. Eric- He's my favorite, no doubt. He's a stubborn nerd with a big heart and a questionable hero complex, and considering his season 7 arc of him wanting to get beyond just his geeky hobbies, T9S failed to do him justice (and tbh, he was downright annoying). I wanted to see him as a teacher like Mr. Feeny, not as a hella unrealistic professor of Star Wars.

2. Donna-I'm not gonna lie anymore, Donna's my second favorite. She's honest, smart, politically minded, a massive bookworm, and yes, she's a little temperamental. She's flawed but real, and wants to find success and happiness her foremothers seldom were able to achieve.

3. Hyde- On the surface, it seems like he is merely a rebel without a cause. But underneath, he's a smart guy who gives a shit about the people he cares about. Which is why him seemingly floating around without a cause in T9S/ceasing to exist after the first half of the OG show is so OOC.

4. Jackie- On the surface, she's a vapid, obnoxious rich girl, but throughout the series, she matures like a fine wine. She's smart, savvy, ambitious, and yes... she's very, very stubborn. T9S (and season 8) only addresses her surface level traits, and erases all of her growth (and tbh, since Jay is sixteen, her growth from seasons 5-7 is nonexistent in the world of T9S).

5. Kelso- He's a selfish fool, but as a character, he's strangely endearing. Brooke rounded him out, and with Jackie, he's just a selfish fool. With Brooke, he can be responsible (as responsible as he can be) and fun-loving. All at the same time.

6. Fez- He's fine in seasons 1-4 (well, most of season 4). He would still be number six, but I don't have anything substantial against him. But in seasons 5-8, he's an invasive, needy creep.

[nin-jay-go]

liveblogging dragons rising

all thoughts under the cut!

this is so pretty so far

oh this is a lesbian. kreel is like if the mad hatter was a lesbian

LOBBO IS MY NEW FAVORITE CHARACTER

"i'm going to kill your whole family" GOOD LIRD THIS IS DARK

"I THINK I MADE A BOMB" JSHFKJSKDJF

"elemental powers are complicated" yea dude they sure are

THEYRE BROTHERS YOUR HONOR

oh why is it RAIyu and not REEyu. i thought they were riffing off the japanese word for dragon for his name (ryuu)

lobbo my BEST FRIEND

oh THATS why cole's memorial thing was in the trailer. i see.

is this dorama guy here to . here to c. here to cause drama

(he's so fun actually i like him)

Oh What The Fuck

oh shit the showman is coming back?? excited

kai is fuckin dead

SCIENTIST LADY 😳😳😳😳😳😳

oh wait. if all imperium ppl have those markings, is this like the secret markings humans have? but visible? bc that'd be cool

my friend: [the cragling mud] looks like their eyes. i don't like that.

buddy why are you excited to eat mud...... buddy........... arin.....

sometimes i can still hear his voice 😔😔😔

dragon = nuke

THE CLOUD FUCKING KINGDOM ARE YOU KIDDING ME

thats a fucking mindflayer. what the fuck.

WHAT

THE NEW MASTER OF WIND??????? IS A CLOUD KINGDOM MONK??????? HUHHHHHHHH WHAT THE FUCK

i hate the cloud kingdom. whyyyyy is it the way that it is

my friend: it is interesting that the cloud kingdom is confirmed to be full of shit

WHAT IS THIS BOOKWORM LITTLE THING. I LOVE THEM CAN I HAVE TWENTY

alright time to see this so-called wind master

why does she sound like a self-insert 😭

EUPHRASIA?!?!?!!?!!!??!!?!?!?!?

*insert the crying of everyone with a morro lives / morro redemption au*

(like its fine for canon but alterline is weeping)

me: [the wolf] is a hologram with mass! my friend: that means it matters :)

sora has protagonist hair jdkfhgkjdfgkjh

oh!!! the imperium markings come in with age :0 or maybe they're a rank thing idk yet

ohhhhh the scientist lady (dr larrow?) is her role model :0 [this is the point where i lost subtitles lol]

did those kids call sora anna?

WOMANNNNNNNN

"sora? the ancient imperium word for orphan?" HELLO??????

me: i want to kiss [larrow] on the mouth my friend: why do you want to go for the villain me: she's hot my friend: women in stem!

BRO SHE JUST GOT DISOWNED. JESUS CHRIST.

dr. lampshade floorpanel and dr doyll donmagar.......

lloyd: what's the shaming floor my friend: twitter sora: its a livestream me: so its twitch

i forgot to write this down but arin is the new master of SPIN

PERCIVAL TARTIGRADE

STOP DEADNAMING SORA LET HER BE NONBINARY

get flashbanged idiots

oh!!!! wildfire was raised by dragons!!! thats so fun

what is happening- OH WILDFIRE

friend: do you remember atla? the dragons

why is wu's ghost haunting the monastery my friend: its a wu-o-wisp!

TINY LLOYD WITH SAM VINCENT'S VOICE IS SO FUNNY JKHGSFKDSKDJH really couldn't get jillian michaels

OH AND THE S10 GI ON A BABY LLOYD LMAOOOOO

"this looks like a monastery!" no the fuck it doesn't you're in an underground Chamber

DONT LET THE FUCKING GOLDEN WEAPONS REPEAT

sora: i can't use my true potential my friend: then use your fake potential

mmmmm beatrix hot woman :]

I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS IS CELESTIA, PRINCESS OF EQUESTRIA my friend: i wanna see someone overlay this dialogue on top of footage of celestia

MEANERY

they're seriously gonna torture a BABY DRAGON?????

hehehe ras ear twitch :3

LLOYD HAS A CONCUSSION

THE GHOST OF MASTER WU

ZANE IS IN THE FUCKING EGG????

ZANE WAS IN CRYO??????

WHERE ARE JAY COLE AND PIX. WHERE ARE THEY

my friend, in response to sora's name reveal: we named the dog indiana

me: jay and cole are off on their honeymoon my friend: they're in the bahamas

"there can't be two elemental masters of fire! it doesn't make sense! also its rude!"

THE IMPOSSIBLE KID

STOP DEADNAMING HERRRRRRRR

miss beatrix can i kiss you on the mouth

i warned you about those stairs bro :y

THE DRAGON TALKS?????? and why does it sound like unagami

OH HES BIG

a conduit?????? changed forever????? 👀👀👀👀

he gettin ZOOMED

me and my friend: DID LLOYD DIE??? AGAIN????

now lloyd and arin BOTH have concussions!

oh he glowin

your holograms appear to be glitching maam

I WARNED YOU ABOUT THOSE STAIRS BRO :y

rapton is very pathetic

LLOYD'S WAR FLASHBACKS OH NO

lloyd voice i'm adopting you arin

OOP RAS IS CAPTURED. THIS IS ANTI-FURRY

oh. she has a mech.

so that means the weird green ghosty guy (and jay/cole/pix) are in season 2 :0 i'm so excitedddddd

final thoughts this was cool as shit. i loved this very much. ouoUOAUOAUAOAUOU

[hoonvrs]

21st CENTURY GIRL

extra: random

TWENTY < MASTERLIST

S. NOTE the real end💔

SYNOPSIS where jay 'claims’ he has a girlfriend but none of his friends believe him because how are you a girl in the 21st century and don't have any social media, right? and if you and jay continue to let them think your relationship is fake for entertainment purposes, nobody has to know.

TAGLIST ( CLOSED ) @dazed-hee @seongclb @enluv @yenqa @satsuri3su @mangowonyo @neocockthotology @treasxreblue @loves0ft @yueriots @lunavixia @mariji @txtlyn @bluxjun @mrchweeee @jackass1123 @the-poetic-side-of-me @flwrshee @jiawji @fakeuwus @ilovehimyourhonour @calumsfringe @en-dream @luvistqrzzz @weird-bookworm @miko1ly @deobitifull @donghyckl @jayujus @skipmay @minl0u @eeeeeeeeeeeeweeeeeeepeeeeee @sngvhs @nyxvrse @sasfransisco @latriii @redm4ri @sxftiell @xiaoderrrr @staerax @captivq @jlheon @tmrx2gther @dammit-jjk @aernx @hyhees @spilled-coffee-cup @ddazed-lhs @elavin @lhspeachie

[lettersfromandie]

#JanuaryInJapan: 5 Japanese Books I Read in January

Ever since I started watching anime avidly last year, I gradually became more interested with Japanese culture. It began with just consuming anime, then reading mangas, later developed into being curious to learning Nihongo, and now I'm at that phase where I want to tuck myself with books written by Japanese authors.

Besides that, my 2021 new year's resolution is to read more books. At the same time, I also want to diversify my reading selection. So if I'm interested in Japanese culture and also wish to venture outside the YA genre, there's all the more reason to add books to my cart, right? 😅

Thus far, it's been a great start in accomplishing my new year's resolution since I had read 7 ½ books this month! (The ½ is a novel that I paused on reading last year and read again where I left off.) And five of those are Japanese books that I'm going to share in this blog post.

So for the bookworms out there, this one's for you.

1. Rashomon and Seventeen Other Stories by Ryunosuke Akutagawa (translated by Jay Rubin)

Rashomon and Seventeen Other Stories is a collection of Akutagawa's short stories and autobiographical writings. It contains 18 works (including the famous Spider Thread, Rashomon, and The Life of a Stupid Man) and is divided into four parts: A World in Decay, Under the Sword, Modern Tragicomedy, and my favorite part, Akutagawa's Own Story, in which his works are based from his personal life.

Apart from just reading, I also wanted to "study" since I believe it's the only way to be able to comprehend more his writings. Luckily, the copy I got is kind of like a study material too. It is full of notes and indices which I super appreciate. If it weren't for those added information in the book, I think I'd merely understand words in their face value. I think it's hard to grasp the message and what the words imply if you don't, in one way or another, "study" it. That's why I'm so happy that I bought a really good copy from Fully Booked even if it's worth two books. Lol.

If you want to delve right into Japanese lit, it would be perfect to consume works from one of the most notable Japanese writers. Even Haruki Murakami wrote an 18-page introduction about him in this one. If you do, I think you'll find one story familiar (at least to me that was my reaction, I didn't know it was Akutagawa who wrote it 😉). 

2. The Setting Sun by Osamu Dazai (translated by Donald Keene)

It follows a story of a Japanese aristocratic family in crisis and decline during Japan's transition after the Second World War. It is narrated by the family's daughter, Kazuko, who struggles in the midst of fragile existence with her ill mother and drug-addicted brother.

There is something about Japanese literature that will always make me feel that bittersweet emotion even in the presence of serious social themes. At first I thought I'll be diving myself into a social science reading material and geek about Post-World War II Japan. Little did I know that I would end up shedding tears (which is my usual reaction whenever I consume a deeply moving material). What I most especially loved in this book is the protagonist's letters to her "M.C.". It warmed my heart how genuine and unapologetic she was in writing her feelings and sentiments. Grabe. I am incredibly in love with her honesty and sincerity, that I wish I'd be able to write letters as beautiful as hers. Overall I am amazed by how Dazai can effortlessly write an utterly sublime story describing the challenges of human existence. I finished it in one sitting so it wasn't a heavy read. Definitely recommend.

3. The Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa (translated by Stephen Snyder)

This dystopian novel takes place in a surveillanced island where people, and even things, are controlled by the Memory Police. From time to time, things disappear in the island and along with these disappearances, people also 'forget' about them. The Memory Police makes sure that these objects are completely vanished from the island and eradicate people who continue to remember them. The story follows on a female novelist whose editor, R, is one of those who are still capable of remembering the disappeared objects. Together with the help of an old man, she tries to help R hide away from the Memory Police.

Sci-fi/dystopian novels are scary because it is possible that they can happen in the future, whether we think it now as far-fetched or not. But this one gave me a different feeling. It is terrifying, but beautiful. Terrifying in a sense that its totalitarian-like setting is evident in today's milieu in different parts of the globe. I don't wish for the events to happen in real life, even if disappearing objects are too dreamy to think that it could possibly happen in this world (the future is uncertain, but hopefully not). However, it is also beautiful because of its writing. It is so compelling that no matter how depressing it is when an object disappears, the writer describes it as if it has its own funeral. I love how a vanishing moment, a short inkling, a lost attachment, can be described so exquisitely, that I can't ever forget how deeply moved I was while reading it. The ending made me want to blankly stare at the wall for a long time because it tugged my heart SO MUCH :'-) As of this post, I think this is my favorite book. HIGHLY recommend.

4. Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami (translated by Philip Gabriel)

Kafka on the Shore revolves around two interrelated plots of two characters: a teenage boy named Kafka, who runs away from home trying to escape his father's "curse" similar to Oedipus myth; and a not-so-bright old man named Nakata, who is able to talk to cats and is in search for something.

Personally I did not enjoy the book as much as I had expected (like I super had high expectations for myself with this), and it's probably because the explicit content still lingered in my thoughts even if I'm already reading a rated-G page. By explicit content, I mean the "Oedipus myth" concept involved in the story. If you're familiar about the story of Oedipus, then I guess you already know what to expect in this novel... So, this novel isn't necessarily for everyone's consumption and it's not something I want to recommend in general. However, if that hadn't made me uncomfy, then I think I would've really loved it. I still enjoyed the journey of the two protagonists in the story though. Haruki Murakami said himself that the Oedipus myth contained in the story isn't really the main point -- that there's so much deeper sense and meaning to the story. He also said that it is full of riddles and you get to really understand it once you read it more than once (but I still have a lot of TBR so I only read it once hihi). I mean, Jenn Im, a Youtuber and book enthusiast, has it as one of her favorite books and even recommended it as a must-read. PewDiePie also found it disturbing but still gave it a 4/5 rating regardless. So I guess, to each their own. I'm just saying that it's a good book but you might find some parts disturbing.

5. The Ten Loves of Mr. Nishino by Hiromi Kawakami (translated by Allison Markin Powell)

Yukihiko Nishino hopelessly falls in love and in love again. It is divided into ten parts - representing different stories from the ten women that Nishino has loved over the course of his life.

"If you like Haruki Murakami and Yoko Ogawa, it's a safe bet that you'll love The Ten Loves of Nishino" this was printed on an alternative cover of this book. It piqued my interest because I admire Murakami's unique and magical realm and Ogawa's captivating writing style, so I thought that it was the perfect book to have a light read on.

I loved how Hiromi Kawakami described Nishino through the eyes of her love interests. Albeit the story is fragmented by the different experiences of the women in Nishino's past, these different stories aggregate to the conclusion that he is a hopeless romantic, but has a hard time committing to a solid relationship since he can't even decipher his feelings (let alone understand what love is). But even if we already presume that he is a "womanizer" (which is kinda obvious from the title itself), it'd still be interesting to know who he is from whom he "womanized" (similar as being curious on what other people think of us). Most would say na, "Ah, pakboi." Lol. But what if that's not the kind of person he is to one of his loves ? Nevertheless, I enjoy this style of storytelling wherein different point-of-views are integrated. Though personally not so thought-provoking, it succeeded in making me tear up 😢 Because no matter how he is labeled as a ladykiller, I still feel sorry for him. And more so wish him well, even if he's just a fictional character.

So that's it for this month's #JanuaryinJapan! I'm happy that these books compelled me to read more Japanese literary fiction. I wholeheartedly love the subtleties, imagery, and the uniquely-composed narratives in Japanese literature; so I am looking forward to relish more 💗

Love, Andie

[wolfs-howling]

About Me...

Welcome, welcome to all of you who enter in my lair.

My name is Rain, but you can call me Wolf as well, I dont mind.

It's a pleasure to knew you all.

I`m a 93` liner, ESFP, Leo, Brazilian and Pagan person. A Professional Musician (Focus: Vocal, Electric Bass, Music Production and Music Research) who is also an Actor, a Dancer, a Streamer and of course, a Writer.

I'm also a Gamer, an Anime/Mangá addicted, an Animation addicted, Bookworm and of course, a Disney lover and a Musical kid.

I'm a music fanatic, so i hear everything. My favorite genres of music is Kpop, Rock/Metal, Folk, Musicals Songs, OST's, Brazilian Music etc...

I enter in the Kpop universe in 2023, so it's not so long ago but i'm already lost in this rabbit hole. xD

My Favorite Groups are Stray Kids, Ateez, Tomorrow By Together, Enhypen, New Jeans, GI-DLE, DreamCatcher.

I start to follow NMIXX, Xdinary Heroes, The Rose, BTOB, Somi, CSR, EVNNE, &Team, Girls Generation, FTIsland...

Let's make clear before I started to say my list:

I admire and adore all the members of the groups I like, if I not biased them doesn't mean I don't like them, I love all the members. But of course, you have the ones who captivate you more then others. Tysm...

I have utts in each group and bias in each one of them. But my Biggest one of all of them it's obvious... It's Bang Chan.

In SKZ I'm a OT8 Biased... DON'T JUGDE ME! How can I don't love ALL OF THEM???? hahahahaha In Utts case is Bang Chan (My inspiration, my love, my everything), Han and Felix. (I.N. and Lee Know ALWAYS been wrecked this house down, They REALLY want a place in the Uttimate House.)

In Ateez, I'm Yeosang Biased, Mingi Wrecked and Seonghwa Reigns this house with Yunho and San. (Seonghwa is my Second supreme utt).

In TXT, I'm Soobin Biased and HueningKai and Yeojun Utt. (Kai I'll always adore you my baby ;0;)

In Enhypen, I'm Jay and Jake Biased, Sunghoon and Heeseung Wrecked here and there and Sunoo and Jungwoon Utt. (SUNOOOOOO ;0;)

In New Jeans, I'm Haerin and Hanni Biased and Danniele Utt :D My babies >w<

In Gi-dle I'm OT5. They are always WRECKED me... So I just gave up hahahahaha

In Dreamcatcher I'm Dami Biased and Gahyeon Utt (My foxy ;-;)

As a LGBTQ+ person, i'm Gender Fluid, Bissexual and Demissexual. (The design of the flags isn't mine, I pick on pinterest)

I'm confort with all pronoums. But if you want to speak to me with the correct pronoum of the day, you can always ask my dear lambs. I don't mind.

All I ask is respect! For me, for the members of the groups and for the others who interact here.

Ok, moving on!

That's all that I can remenber for now!

If you all want to knew more things about me, you always can ask with respect of course! I'm always looking for your interactions my dear lambs.

Until then...

Beware with the forest... You'll never know what you can found there...

[baked-hylian]

I started a little late on my new years resolution to read more (I started mid february to be specific,) but in no particular order here is my full list for 2022

Novels

Black Water Sister — Zen Cho

The Jasmine Throne — Tasha Suri

Gideon the Ninth — Tamsyn Muir

Harrow the Ninth — Tamsyn Muir

Nona the Ninth — Tamsyn Muir

Tian Guan Ci Fu (Heaven Official's Blessing) — Mo Xiang Tong Xiu (volumes 1-4)

Mo Dao Zu Shi (Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation) — Mo Xiang Tong Xiu (volumes 1-3)

Iron Widow — Xiran Jay Xhao

The House of the Cerulean Sea — T.J. Klune

Under the Whispering Door — T.J. Klune

1984 — George Orwell

Among Thieves — M.J. Kuhn

Ishmael — Daniel Quinn

Shutter Island — Dennis Lehane

Frankenstein — Mary Shelley

Jurassic Park — Michael Crichton

The Hollow Ones — Chuck Hogan and Guillermo del Toro

Good Omens — Terry Pratchet & Neil Gaiman

Howl's Moving Castle — Dianne Wynne Jones

Novellas/Short Stories

Animal Farm — George Orwell

The Order of the Pure Moon Reflected in Water — Zen Cho

Spirits Abound — Zen Cho

Manga

Cells at Work: Code Black — written by Shigemitsu Harada, art by Issei Hatsuyoshiya (volumes 1-4)

Chainsaw Man — Tatsuki Fujimoto (volumes 1-11)

Delicious in Dungeon — Ryoko Kui (volumes 1-11)

Jujutsu Kaisen — Gege Akutami (volumes 0-18)

Made in Abyss — Akihito Tsukushi (volumes 1-10, plus the 4 anthology volumes by multiple authors and artists)

My Dress-up Darling — Shinichi Fukuda (volumes 1-6)

Spy x Family — Tatsuya Endo (volumes 1-8)

Witch Hat Atelier — Kamome Shirahama (volumes 1-10)

Light Novels

Ascendance of a Bookworm — Miya Kazuki (part one: volumes 1, 2, 3)

The Faraway Paladin — Kanata Yanagino (books 1, 2, 3)

Re:Zero—Starting Life in Another World — Tappei Nagatsuki (volumes 16-19)

Re:Zero—Starting Life in Another world Extras — Tappei Nagatsuki (volume 1)

Further thoughts and comments on some things below the cut

I never thought I'd clear through this much in under a year? Especially considering the last couple months I've been a little lax in reading. Typically I read at work on break and before my shift starts if I'm early, but I've been hit or miss for that so it wound up taking nearly a month for me to finish Good Omens.

Some of the series above are definitely in the reread category, but there's others that left me a little disappointed. Like I had heard so much positive talk about Klune's works, but I was left kinda disappointed with Under the Whispering Door, however maybe it was the subject matter, because I did also enjoy The House on the Cerulean Sea from him. And others like some of the classics I've read through, Idk maybe I'm spoiled, but I like having frequent paragraph breaks? And at least with Orwell in particular, he seems to really enjoy going nearly a whole page without one break. Which wouldn't be so bad if it wasn't nearly ever 5 or so pages.

Definitely going to be rereading The Locked Tomb series entirely once Alecto the Ninth is out, I love the batshit wild ride that series puts you on.

Anyone who is curious may have noticed that I started with volume 16 for Re:Zero—that series is long okay? I opted to start with the beginning of arc five, since the anime ends with the conclusion of arc four. I do however plan to go back and read the other arcs, however I'm not in a major rush to finish them off since I doubt season 3 is coming any time soon.

I've also discovered that I enjoy some movie/television adaptions of books, now that I've read multiple while having watched the movie back to back. Maybe it has to do with a more mature understanding of good and bad in everything. However that still isn't going to make me rewatch The Last Airbender anytime soon lol

It's also super true: anime is just a commercial for the manga. Seriously, nearly every new series I picked up and really enjoyed I picked up the manga. The quickest was Spy x Family, next Chainsaw Man but holy, I only have two manga series I've been reading that don't have an anime adaption (although Witch Hat Atelier has an anime announcement from last year, so probably only another couple until that happens.) Although I would love to see J.C. Staff animate a Dungeon Meshi anime.

I think going into 2023 I'm going to look for more non-fiction books to check out as that seems to be an area I'm greatly lacking in.

[beeblackburn]

4, 15, 19, 22, 23 and 24 for the bookworm asks please :)

Thank you, @books-and-doodles!

4. Most overrated classic book?

Honestly, can it be anything but The Great Gatsby? I tried to read this thing when assigned in college, and it bored the fucking hell out of me, and I'm about 90% sure it wasn't just because it was assigned from school. Maybe it's due for a reread, now that I'm free from the constraints of academia-shackled reading, but aside from Jay Gatsby's introduction (which astonishes me in how underplayed it actually is, compared to adaptations) and one killer last sentence in "So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past." I feel like it's the Great American Novel (of Boredom) to me.

15. Do you prefer: chapter titles or not? Table of contents or not? Prologues and/or epilogues or not?

Both. Both is good. On a more serious note, if I had to choose between chapter titles or not, I'd absolutely go chapter titles. Abercrombie's chapter titles (and some of Hobb's) are electric and evoke enough of a vibe that I tense up or delightfully anticipate the events to come, whereas a chapter number doesn't have as much character to it. It's just a number, with no inherent sense of emotion or flair to hype me up to keep reading. Whereas a chapter title can spark my attention, if it's good.

I'm torn on table of contents. Or, on principle, I'm mostly for them. Digitally, they make for accessible ways to return to where you were reading or reference to a chapter you want to look back on. They're very easy on the rereader (me!), but if they're near the start of a book, they might spoil things for me before I even start. It's also pretty dependent on context and how you structure your chapters: George R.R. Martin's Name-as-Chapter-Title effectively means that, if I had a table of contents for A Clash of Kings, I could look at it and see a fake-out death was indeed a fake-out by dint of having seen the "killed-off" character's name at the end of the table of contents. Not to mention that, reading Abercrombie's The Wisdom of Crowds's table of contents meant I was just that much more secure in the Owl's identity way before it was revealed by dint of the chapter title evoked.

After A Song of Ice and Fire, I was never going to say no to Prologues and/or Epilogues. They're potentially great ways to set the plot up, away from the more principal players, world-build facets that you might not return to for awhile, establish themes in the immediate and succinct, and give backstory/context to the events to come. Of course, they can go horribly wrong. I took a look at John Gwynne's Malice in the previews at the end of Abraham's The Widow's House and wowzie, talk about amateurish writing and tossing nonsense words out like they're salads that we'll munch on gladly.

19. What’s a book you love that other people don’t “get” or understand?

Red Country Red Country RED COUNTRY

Don't get me wrong, there's legit problems with it. The Ro stuff is rather underserved (she needed another chapter or two to be plausible to me), the ways Abercrombie strikes at racism in this can definitely veer towards miss, especially with the Ghosts (even though I think it's a little more mixed than that, I genuinely think the Dragon People are sympathetically drawn enough that you do get the sense that Abercrombie's critiquing the racist lens of the Western era), and people who take issue with the Western trappings probably have a valid point...

... But the number of people who claim Cosca or Lamb were character-assassinated is profoundly ridiculous. Cosca wanted to sell children into slavery in his backstory! Lamb's killed friends and nearly killed other allies and felt nothing for it in his own past! Temple and Shy are both there, worn down and tired by their own crimes and existential ennui, to point out how full of shit the above two are for continuing to indulge their bullshit. Red Country is Abercrombie, with a more mature, somber, down-to-earth hand, attacking his own tropes and I love it. It's not hugely lighter than his other fare, but the crack of sunrise optimism, and the focus on more grounded little people, is such a refreshing distinction from his prior works that it almost breaks my heart to see it be condemned to the least of the standalones. I want a sequel to this damn book.

22. Any book(s) you were surprised to end up liking?

Hmmm. Here's the thing. I don't usually impulse-buy, so when I buy a book, I've done enough research that I'm pretty damn confident I'm going to come out of it, bare minimum liking it. So, I'm actually not sure there are any recent picks that fit this sort of answer. I think Senlin Ascends might be the closest recent book to count? For sheer "this seems more flash than substance, but it'll be a fun yarn of a time, oh, oh, this is actually Good" value.

... But there is one true answer, from way back when I internet-researched my books less, and it's Assassin's Apprentice. Yes, that one.

To give context: I was sixteen and my biggest point-of-reference with assassins, especially fantasy assassins, were, video game-wise, from Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, and literature-wise, Brent Weeks' Durzo Blint, Brandon Sanderson's Szeth, and Steven Erikson's Claws, with their flashy, magical kills. So, you know, I read that Robin Hobb had great character development, but it had an assassin in the premise, so I figured the character development was overstated or that it'd be better than the prior stuff. That I was due for flashy, magical sword duels. Whatever, it was fine, I was a teen and suspended enough disbelief for Durzo and Szeth alone. It'll be fun. It won't be anything more than disposable, I guess. So I cracked it open...

And immediately got my feelings smashed up by the fifth chapter alone. Even when I realized this wouldn't go the typical route of fantasy assassins, I ate it all up. I consumed this damn book in hours because I had to keep reading every aspect of Fitz's childhood, even if it hurt me to do so, given how much I hurt for him. How much I cared for him. I needed more, and I got them, and fifteen books later...

Well. Here I am. Perpetually emotionally compromised by Realm of the Elderlings, as readers of it generally are.

23. Favorite book cover?

You can't make me choose between my children, Books. 😂

24. Favorite book title?

If nothing else, it has to be a The First Law title, right? Martin and Hobb are actually not that great/creative with book titles, while Abercrombie's pulled nothing but winners out of his arse in that series and everyone's striving to keep up, lest he overlap them again.

Granted, series-wise, I legit dig Marie Brennnan's The Memoirs of Lady Trent titles. A Natural History of Dragons alone is fun, evocative, and says enough about the premise! Devin Madson's The Reborn Empire also has some metal book titles that go raw as hell like We Ride the Storm and We Cry for Blood, and, regardless of how I feel about the books themselves, Steven Erikson's Malazan Book of the Fallen has some uniquely flavored book titles like Gardens of the Moon, Deadhouse Gates, House of Chains, and The Bonehunters.

That being said, as separate book titles go, A Desolation Called Peace, The Lies of Locke Lamora, The Traitor Baru Cormorant, How to Rule an Empire and Get Away with It, Black Leopard, Red Wolf, The Fifth Season, Time of Contempt, Monstrous Regiment, and She Who Became the Sun are all really good titles that could easily take a spot as favorite book title...

... If not for the fact that they are not Before They Are Hanged, Last Argument of Kings, The Trouble with Peace, or The Wisdom of Crowds. I'm sorry, it's just a fact of law: no other title will ever be as good as a The First Law title, until proven otherwise. We'll just have to accept that (and weep at our ineptitude) for the time being.