#jellicoe road au

[theawkwardterrier]

Book recs ask! 11, 28, 42, 104. Yay for books!

11. a book with a green cover

I’ll go with The Last Graduate from Naomi Novik’s Scholomance series because I just added the third book to my TBR for September.

28. a book you wish you could read as a beginner again

Hmm...Lots of my favorites, but maybe Melina Marchetta’s Jellicoe Road because it’s so confusing but then it becomes something so beautiful as you continue reading. (Although maybe if I had my memory of it completely erased, I wouldn’t keep pushing through until I got to the beautiful part...)

42. a book that made you want to scream by the time you got to the end

Over the weekend I read No Beauties or Monsters by Tara Goedjen, which had a great mysterious, atmospheric setup, and then spent the last quarter introducing an entirely new genre, and, while technically answering all the questions of the first part, doing it in such an annoying, unsatisfying way.

Also, I just finished Crosstalk by Connie Willis, which I finally picked up at  the recommendation of @lavellenchanted and overall really enjoyed, but the literal final scene is a very, very interrupted confessional/romantic bit and I was actively shouting at my audiobook app for the last fifteen minutes or so because every time something was about to happen there was ANOTHER interruption 😂

104. a fluffy, sweet read

Yesss, love these! I’ll go with Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake by Alexis Hall, which is a single-parent, Great British Bake Off romance (as I was reading it, I started wanting to use it for my “inspired by...” prompt for this year’s Steggy Week but then I realized I’d already done a Bake Off AU, which says quite a bit about me). And I’ll throw in a bonus: the very darling graphic novel Chef's Kiss by Jarrett Melendez 🥰

Book ‘em!

[inejswag]

just saying anything by this point but. six of crows on the jellicoe road au

[padfootdidit]

on the road to you (pt.1)

It’s here! The first chapter of my Jellicoe Road AU :) I’ve really enjoyed writing this and so I hope you guys all like it. It’s based on Melina Marchetta’s ‘Jellicoe Road’, which is one of my favourite books. (It’s okay if you haven’t read it the book, it’s still possible to follow the fic.) Atm I’m hoping there’ll be 6 chapters in total, though I can’t promise a regular posting schedule. If you have any questions/thoughts/etc just shoot me a message <3

Thank you so much to Jess (@theodoornott) and Linds (@snapslikethis) for betaing this and thank you to Caroline and Ellie (@jiilys and @alrightpotter) for loving the idea and cheering me on :) 

Also I know it’s sort of cheating but I’d like to give this first chapter as a belated birthday present to the ever beautiful Ria (@gxldentrio), whose smile makes the world a better place.

Word count; 4,778 & Rating: G (some swearing)

Read it on AO3!

Prologue

My father took one hundred and thirty-two minutes to die. I counted. It happened on the Jellicoe Road. The prettiest road I’ve ever seen, where trees made breezy canopies like a tunnel to Shangri-la…

We were going to where my parents had met, so many years ago. They wanted to show me what loved looked like, because they weren’t sure I would ever see it for myself. That’s when the other car hit us and everything changed. My mother only took twenty seconds to die and, once she had, I heard her voice immediately. She was in the other car, not quite crying, but almost. She asked me to crawl through, said she couldn’t move and that her sister needed help. Lily, she said she was called, and her sister was Petunia, except she wasn’t Petunia anymore because she’d stopped breathing. I took Lily’s hand and we counted to hundred and thirty two and then a boy named Sirius came along on his bike and saved both of us.

People asked me later why I thought we’d been spared and, although I couldn’t say it out loud, I thought it was because someone knew we had to, to save each other.

CHAPTER ONE

Twenty Two Years Later

I’m dragged out of bed at one in the morning and led downstairs by the seniors. Girls and boys who will be gone tomorrow and won’t have to suffer through another summer of war. They tell me to be quiet, as if I’m about to yell out to our house father that I’m being kidnapped, and push me first through the bike shed door. My eyes take a second to adjust to the torch light and by the time I can check who’s in the room, the meeting has begun.

“We leave tomorrow and pass the baton on to you. You’ve all been trained and now it’s time to use that training to win the war, ” the leader of Darling house says solemnly.

“All the leaders have chosen who shall be in charge,” the-one-in-charge-right-now says. And then all the house leaders look at me, and I see Hermione’s shoulders visible drop. Everyone, myself included, had thought it would be her. Ron had said they wouldn’t choose someone with such temperamental people skills and I wish I had listened. If I had, I might have been prepared. As it happens, I’m not and my house leader has to nudge me forward.

“You aren’t the obvious choice, Harry,” he says, and all I can think is no kidding. “But you know this place better than any of us and we trust you.” The one-in-charge-no-longer hands me The Purple Book, we watch the seniors leave, and then all eyes turn to me.

“Plans, Potter?” Draco spits. I know he’s probably going to be more of a pain in my arse than the Cadets.

“Granger is my Deputy.” Not exactly awe-inspiring first words, but I need to set up my authority and back up quickly.

Hermione crosses her arms. “Thank you.” She doesn’t sound very thankful.

“We need the Prayer Tree.” Cho Chang says, and my stomach drops a bit.

“We don’t need the Prayer Tree, you just want it because of -”

“Draco, shut up.” I interrupt before he can finish his sentence. He’s already done the damage though, and Hermione shuffles over to put her arm around Cho.

Hermione glares at Draco. “I say we try for the Prayer Tree.”

“It’s not top priority,” I point out. “If we need anything, it’s the paths to town.”

“Jock can’t handle an extra five miles?” Draco’s insults have never been particularly refined and so it’s easy to ignore him.

“We’ll draw up a game plan tomorrow. Let’s go to bed.” I hold the door open for the girls and ensure I’m at least a metre away from Draco for the walk back to the houses. Hermione hugs Cho, wishes me good night and vanishes into Lachlan house. Draco slinks off silently. Being the ever noble gentleman, I make sure Cho makes the extra 50 yards to her house okay before turning back to my own.

I hope I’ll be able to make it up to my room without anyone seeing me, but everyone is waiting up for me. Neville reaches me first.

“So? Who is it?” He asks, all the others waiting just as eagerly for my answer.

“It’s me.” I hold up a hand. “Go to bed, we’ll talk tomorrow.” The juniors groan, but I can tell they’re excited because I have to go down twice in the night to tell them to shut up. Neville is almost as bad, except he picks up that I want to be left alone by my third yawn and says goodnight.

I get into bed and turn the light off, rolling onto my side so I can look out of the window. Down by the river I can see Lupin’s house, the attic window lit up. I want to go tell him, ask him for help, but he’ll just tell me off for being up and out so late, so I roll away and go to sleep.

The next morning I have to face my house and the teachers. Somehow, I survive the formal head of house ceremony without punching Draco in the face. His voice is audible the whole time as he whispers to his cronies, Crabbe and Goyle. I don’t have to pay attention to know he’s trying to convince everyone around him that I’m too mentally unstable for the job. Running away from school with one of the enemy will give you that reputation. Only I know the whole story though, so I just ignore him as Dumbledore congratulates me on becoming a house leader and Lupin winks at me from the teacher’s table.

Afterwards, the leaders gather in the bike shed and spend an hour wasting time arguing over what should be our aim to get back. Cho quietly fights for the Prayer Tree whilst Draco comes up with anything other than what I suggest. Eventually, I break.

“Right. As productive as this is, I think we should check all the boundaries. Draco and Cho, go back to the houses so the teachers don’t get suspicious. Hermione, with me.” I pick up the map and The Purple Book and get out before I can be questioned. Hermione catches up with me by the first bike trail and well fall into step.

“So, are we good?” I ask once we’ve been walking in silence for five minutes.

“You made me Deputy. We’re alright.” She smiles, and I’m glad we haven’t lost several years of friendship over the senior’s choice. “You heard who’s the new Townie leader?”

“There were rumours about it being one of the Patils.”

“Well, according to Luna Lovegood, it’s Ron.”

“Ron Weasley?”

She smiles, her expression sort of nostalgic. “The one and only.”

“The meetings will be fun. The Weasleys are always easy going.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure,” Hermione says as we come to a stop by the closest boundary to the Cadet camp.

“What? Why?”

“Ginny is head of the Cadets.” Hermione looks at me, waiting for a reaction.

It takes all my strength not to give her the satisfaction, but my voice is calm when I reply, “How?”

“Well, she’s one of their best.”

“But they’re brother and sister.” I turn to look at the currently non-existent Cadet camp. “Can that work?”

“She spends most of her time in Sydney, the only difference between her and the other Cadets is that she’s here every holiday.” Hermione, as usual, is right. Being the only girl in her family, Ginny Weasley had taken it upon herself, at the tender age of eleven, to apply to one of the best schools in the country, without telling her parents. Molly and Arthur Weasley had only found out about it when they received the acceptance letter. Then, a year later, Ginny had managed to persuade the school to allow girls on to their all male Cadet programme. No one had been sure if she did it so she could see her family more often, or if she had a genuine interest in joining the army. Even when we’d spent three days together on the run, I hadn’t been able to figure it out.

“Do you think Ron knows yet?” I ask, still refusing to look at her because I’m not sure I look nonchalant enough.

“Judging by the fact he hasn’t given up the leadership, no, I don’t think he does know.” She smirks to herself and we continue walking.

“At least it will be an interesting first meeting then.”

They meet James and Peter exactly a year after the accident. Sirius has kept them alive, his sharpness and his energy the only thing to stop them from trying to join their families. Every day he was there, giving Lily piggy back rides and teaching Remus poker. Whenever Lily started to cry because the memory of Petunia was wilting in her mind, Sirius was there. If Remus couldn’t smile because all he could remember was his father hating him instead of loving him, Sirius was there. He was a beacon for both of them and they were his haven. That year, the best school in the country decided they could improve so set up a six week summer education project for the year eights to year eleven as part of the Cadet programme. They would set up camp during September and leave at the end of October. Sirius couldn’t wait. He was excited for the war games.

Peter noticed the broken flowers first, but James saw the girl. She was watching them from the other side of the road, an angel.

“Look.” Peter nudged James and pointed to the flowers the Cadets in front of them had trodden on. There were four poppies and one other flower James couldn’t identify. They were meant to be there, the circle of stones around them suggesting a purpose. He couldn’t be sure that the girl looked sad because the flowers were destroyed, yet both he and Peter jogged around the stones and agreed to come back the next day.

All of them were there then. Remus holding Lily’s hand and Sirius wearing the same expression a guard dog wore when there was an intruder. James recognised the girl from yesterday and waved tentatively.

“You’re doing it wrong.” Sirius called across.

“Want to help?” James replied.

“We’re sorry.” Peter added, looking at James reproachfully.

“It always happens.” Remus dismissed the apology, checked if the road was clear and then crossed, leading the girl too. Sirius followed disdainfully.

“They have to be here though.” Lily said softly as she knelt beside Peter and showed him how the seed should be planted.

“We only have poppies.” James told her, wanting her to speak to him. ‘“I wasn’t sure -”

“Petunia. She was - it was a Petunia.” She pulled a seed from her pocket and held her palm out flat so he could see.

They don’t introduce themselves until the flowers are planted, forgetting they don’t know each other for a moment whilst their hands are all buried in the soil together.

At the same time the next day, the boys returned and the trio were there, waiting. It’s the same until the Cadets leave. Sirius was always last to cross, and James and Peter have to earn the smile on his face. It took them three weeks to see his energy and by that time they know Remus and Lily. The two are like parts of a circuit which need Sirius, their switch, their current, to turn them on and make them come to life. In their tent at night, James and Peter wondered if they would ever be part of that circuit.

The next year they looked for a sign as the Cadet bus pulled onto the Jellicoe road. A sign that their friends hadn’t forgotten them, moved on, let the lights go out. And they get one.

Lily, Remus and Sirius came out of the forest, chasing the buses on their bikes until Lily tired and skidded to a halt. Sirius kept up for the longest, pointing to the tree that stood above all the others so Peter and James would know where to meet them. As Sirius turned to bike back to the others, James leant across to whisper in Peter’s ear.

“Let’s never lose them.”

It was James and Sirius’ idea to play war. The two were always trying to one up the other with their shooting skills, James never having used a loaded gun unless under supervision but having had vigorous hours of routine training, whereas Sirius had grown up with bullets in his kitchen drawers and had taught himself. They were both tall and skinny, agile beyond any of the others’ capabilities, so the only real competition was between them. Except when it came to sprinting. Lily would seem to have finished the race before either of the black-headed boys got off the mark, something Sirius had grown accustomed to but James could never quite seem to let go.

“You can be the messenger.” He said to her when they were all sitting down by the river, Sirius paddling and trying to find stones to fit in his catapult.. Peter and Remus were playing cards, vaguely listening to the plan.

“I don’t want to be the messenger. I want to be the general.” Lily sounded indignant, which was how she usually sounded whenever James underestimated her. She liked to make out that it was a regular occurrence, when really it was only the occasional slip up.

“You can’t be the general. You’ll have to be a general.” Sirius said, crouching to inspect the river bed.

“How many generals are there?” Peter asked, grinning smugly as he won the hand.

“Three.” James said.

“One for each region. The town,”

“- the school, -”

“- and the Cadets.” Sirius finished. Finishing each other’s sentences was a new habit and Lily rolled her eyes.  “You and Remus will lead the school, Peter and I will lead the Cadets and Sirius will lead the townies. If they can comprehend the basic rules of warfare that is.”

Quick as a flash, Sirius had his catapult loaded and James groaned as a pebble smashed into his shin. “You little shit!” They were lost for a moment as James launched himself up and charged at Sirius who, ever the quick thinker, shot off another catapult and then dived into the river, disappearing. He and Lily had been practicing holding their breaths and so James stood on the bank, watching the water. The record was three minutes so far.

“How are we going to persuade everyone else?” Remus had given in to Peter’s superior skills and joined James on the bank.

“They’re all bored out their minds. At least we are.” Peter said, shuffling the cards.

“I’m ready to throw myself into the river and never come up.” Lily agreed, rolling onto her back and looking up at the sky. “Running away is a lot less hassle than starting a war.”

“No ravishing in running away.” James said, looking over his shoulder and taking the opportunity whilst Lily’s eyes were shut to stare at her bare legs.

“You’re a perv.” Remus said and knocked James’ shoulder.

“Was he looking at me again?” Lily asked innocently, leaning up on her elbows to look at James.

“No.” James says at the same time Remus and Peter both say “Yes.” Lily grins.

Sirius surfaces then, clothes and hair plastered to his body, twenty metres down from where he went under. He gives James the middle finger and swims to shore, James waiting for him to reach the group before tackling him to the ground and sitting on his chest. They tussled for a moment and then collapsed next to each other, shit eating grins on their faces.

“Do you think you can explain the rest of this game to us now?” Remus asked dryly.

“It’s not a game.”

“It’s war.” They said, and sat up. It took them another ten minutes to actually begin to explain the game because James pulled a purple book from his back pocket and Remus, Lily and Peter spend eight minutes tearing into the two of them for writing rules. Finally, everyone agreed to shut up and Sirius and James began. By the end of the explanation of the game, and the then fifty six rules, it actually sounded appealing. As Peter has said, everyone was bored out of their minds so it probably wouldn’t even be difficult to persuade all the other townies, students and Cadets to join in.

“Which one of you will lead the school?” Sirius asked.

“Lily.” Remus said, without even consulting her. She didn't seem to mind. “All the house leaders will be on the board of war, and there will be one supreme leader.”

“James will lead the Cadets and I’ll be his Deputy.” Peter added.

“And I shall rule the townies!” Sirius punched a victorious fist into the air and Lily nudged him so he fell onto his side.

“Loser.”

“Is what you’ll be when I win.” He retorted.

“We’ll have to make a map. People won’t be able to just remember the boundaries.” Remus said.

“We’ll draw a map.”

“Three maps. One for each.”

“And then -”

“We go to war”. They all grinned at each other and, at that moment, no one would have guessed any of them had ever known sadness.

We spend the week before the Cadets arrive reminding the juniors of the boundaries and battling over what we should try and trade for first. Cho resolutely campaigns for the Prayer Tree as our first priority, Draco continues to be a dick about everything, and Hermione remains both peace keeper and my only ally in the push for the paths to town. Ron has apparently been grounded by his mother, so we can’t set up a meeting with the townies and it’s becoming increasingly obvious how weak we actually are. None of the seniors had hinted at anything, just left it to us to sort out their mess.

The paths were lost four years ago, the Prayer Tree last year and, although we owned the waterways and all of the land actually belonging to the school legally, we were pretty isolated. The townies and Cadets could move around with ease since the Townies gained the paths and the Cadets got the bike trails. Even one of those would cut the walk to town down to ten minutes for us. Most of the other territories we had were useless because we couldn’t access them without trespassing on someone else’s land or because it didn’t give us any advantage.

“Except for the Club House.” Lupin says once I’ve finished complaining to him.

I frown. “The Townies have the Club House.”

“But you own the moat.” He circles the tiny waterway, symbolised by a thin blue line, on the map which technically means the Club House is on an island.

“There’s a bridge. We don’t own the bridge.”

“Who does?” He asks, taking a sip of his lemonade and then leaning back in his chair. I saw him last week but he looks older already. No one’s sure exactly how old Lupin is and I’ve just always figured he’s in his early thirties, even though he looks like he survived a war.

“No one.”

“Get rid of the bridge.” He looks smug. “Then you have a bargaining chip.”

I pause, look at the map, back at him and then back to the map again. “Are you suggesting destruction of property?”

“Your parents would have approved.” Immediately he realises what he’s said and looks away, the self hatred visible on his face. This happens sometimes. He slips up and breaks whatever promise he broke to whoever he made it about keeping me as much in the dark as he can about my parents.

It makes me hate him, just a little bit. They were my parents and all I know is that my mother left me at the 7-11 on Jellicoe Road when I was 11 and never came back for me. Add that to running away and my reputation looks even worse. Lupin knows them, or knew them, and I’m pretty sure he’s the only link I’ll ever have to them. He picked me up fifteen minutes after my mother drove away and I’ve lived with him since, at the house at the end of the Jellicoe School property, by the river. I can’t remember much before I came here, just a patchwork of different wallpapers, a slither of light under a door and, the pièce de résistance of my memories: being swung between two giants, my feet barely grazing the floor, flying.

I take the map from the table and tuck it into my pocket. “Guess that ends today’s session then.”

“You don’t have to go.” Lupin starts as I stand up and move towards the door. “I -”

“Forget it. I’ve got a war to win anyway.” I force a smile and slam the door behind me, knowing he won’t follow. He never does. I stand on the veranda for a second, trying to stop my hands from shaking. They don’t stop so I make to go before noticing the table. It’s an old lawn table, two green plastic chairs tucked neatly in beneath it. On top of it is the manuscript, held down by two paperweights even though there’s no wind. It looks thicker than last time.

Lupin has been writing it for as long as I can remember. It’s never in order and I only sneak reads when I’m alone in the house but I feel more connected to the characters in there then my own parents, sometimes they seem even realer than Hermione and Neville. I push away the thought of snagging a few pages and start a jog up to the houses, trying to clear my mind. It doesn’t work and when one of the year eights attempts to ask me for homework help, I just ignore him and climb the stairs to my room.

I pay for ignoring the kid the next day when Neville confronts me, nervously, about it. We’re serving the juniors and I’m embarrassed that they can hear him reprimanding me. Luckily, he’s cut short because one of Cho’s girls bursts into the hall and skids to a halt next to me.

She bends over and clutches her knees. “Cadets. Here. Meeting. Decided.” She pants, accepting a glass of water one of my year nines hands her. Everyone who hears looks to me expectantly. Flitwick, our house father, is watching from the dessert station and I know I’ll have to come up with an excuse for the girl’s interruption.

“What are the details?” I ask, snapping the serving gloves off my hands and guiding her away from the eavesdropping juniors.

“Cadets arrived ten minutes ago and Ron sent a messenger, Ernie Macmillan, saying he wants a meeting tonight.”

“Where’s Macmillan now?”

“Being watched by two of our year tens. They’re on the girls rugby team.” She says, almost defensively.

“Right. Tell him we agree to the meeting. Eleven o’clock on neutral territory.” I cast around for somewhere neutral with a building we’d be able to break into. “The Barn. And then go tell all the other house leaders I want to see them in the bike shed after lunch. You got that?”

She hands me the glass, nods and then runs out, dodging clamouring juniors who want to know what’s going on. I join Neville again and whisper the news to him, raising an eyebrow at any kid who lingers too long. Once everyone’s been served we gulp our own lunches down, make a lame excuse to Flitwick about the girl asking us to join some of the other houses on a bushwalk, hand over responsibility of the kids to him and head towards the bike shed.

Cho’s already there and when Hermione and Draco have arrived, we get to business straight away. “This is it. I’m going to take Hermione and Neville and -”

“Why them?” Draco interrupts.

“Hermione is my Deputy, plus she knows Ron and Neville is back up.” I say assertively. Draco looks Neville up and down and then scoffs. Neville blushes, Hermione rolls her eyes and it’s all very not focused. “Anyway. I have a plan.” I tell them what I’ve come up with, shout down Hermione’s objections and Draco’s alternative suggestions, thank Cho for her support and then end the meeting because I want to get on with the plan as quickly as possible. By the time all the juniors are in bed, the plan has been carried out and I lie in bed staring at my clock, wishing time would move faster.

We’re the second ones to arrive at the Barn and I’m grateful that we beat the Cadets. Ron greets me with a handshake and an awkward slap on the back because that’s what acquaintances who are now opposing leaders do apparently. Hermione refuses to look him in the eye and I make a mental note to find out why. He introduces us to his Deputy, Seamus, and we chat for awhile about how shit being at school is. Then the Cadets arrive.

Ginny comes in first and Ron’s draw drops, proving Hermione right, and now I’m the one refusing to meet a Weasley’s eye. Not that she looks at me particularly, just spares a nod and a glance in my direction before taking the last seat at the trestle table.

“What the fuck?” Ron finally manages to spit out.

“You kiss our mother with that mouth?” Ginny asks, tipping the chair back casually. I’d forgotten what she sounded like and I press my heel into my shin until it hurts so I don’t get distracted. I’d forgotten what she looked like too. Sort of. Far prettier than any girl at school. Except pretty didn’t really begin to cover it.

“What the fuck?” Ron repeats and the two girls behind Ginny snigger. Maybe there’s something in Sydney’s water because they too are incredibly pretty. “How are you leader?”

“I’m the best there is.” She answers, probably having expected a reaction similar to this.

“And no one told me?” Ron whips around to look accusingly at Seamus.

Seamus holds his hands up in surrender. “I had no clue. They kept it pretty quiet.”

“Didn’t want to give you any sort of advantage now, did we?” Ginny says, sickly sweet. I press my heel harder into my shin. “Now we’re all acquainted…” her eyes flash imperceptibly to me, “should we try to fight this war?”

The first war council ended with nineteen new rules in what has come to be known as The Purple Book and a very rough draft of a map. It had been discovered that none of them were very good artists, aside from James who bragged so much about it Sirius stole the pencil from him and snapped it, that they’d have to get one of the Jellicoe School’s art students to do it.

All in all, it hadn’t been a great success. Peter blamed Sirius and James for arguing too much, James blamed Sirius for being too much of a prat, Sirius blamed Lily for being too greedy with territory, Lily blamed Peter and Remus for being too pedantic about rules, and Remus blamed Lily and James for distracting each other too much. So much so in fact, that rule number 63 was ‘there can be no cavorting between enemy leaders’.

They held a war council every night for a week until the map had been finalised, everyone else had been brought on board and there were two hundred and six rules in The Purple Book.

The War officially started during the last week of the Cadets stay and it only took a day for there to be a broken arm, thirty new rules, and a capturing of territory by the Townies. Sirius, as it transpired, was an excellent strategist and it took James the rest of the week to capture the territory back. On the last day of the Cadets stay, they called the ceasefire until next year and said goodbye to James and Peter. Just like they did they did every year, Lily, Remus and Sirius followed the buses on their bikes for as long as they could and waved furiously until they vanished off the Jellicoe Road.

When the buses came back the next year, The Purple Book had 558 rules in it.

[milf-harrington]

does anyone else ever remember a book that broke their heart and then immediately think "but what if it was an au-"

anyway, accidentally started thinking about a Jellicoe Road atla au and i hurt my own heart

[oblivionsdream]

Underrated YA Book Recommendations

Thriller:

I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga (I ALWAYS recommend this book. It is among by top 3 book series of all time along with TSC and AFTG. It’s so good! The main character is a snarky boy named Jazz who is the son of a serial killer. It’s gory, surprisingly funny, with SO many amazing plot twists. It’s a perfect thriller.)

Fantasy/Sci-Fi:

Raised by Wolves by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (WEREWOLVES. The main character is a human girl raised by a werewolf pack. I loved the dynamic of all of the characters + werewolves are so bad ass but there are very few books that focus on them much less good ones)

The Curse Workers by Holly Black (In this AU some people have the ability to curse you with the touch of their hand. The main character Cassel comes from a family of con artist curse workers but is the only who apparently can’t do curses. However, his family drags him back into their schemes and he may or may not have murdered his bff Lila a couple years ago.)

Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black (An AMAZING bloody vampire book. But then all of Holly Blacks work is good)

The Seven Realms series by Cinda Williams Chima (This is just such a good fantasy series with great characters and I swear each book seems to get better than the last)

The Host by Stephanie Meyer (I have read this book more times than I count. It’s so emotional and I am here for the alien x human love story)

Chronicles of Nick by Sherrilyn Kenyon (Okay, so this series isn’t flawless. In fact it has several consistency errors. So, honestly don’t read it for plot. To enjoy it you have to be willing to overlook it at some points. HOWEVER. What makes it worth it are some hilarious bomb ass characters, great action scenes and a bunch of lovable misfits who pretty much end up forming a tight knit family. The main character is a boy who finds out he’s half demon and destined to destroy the world but ends up fighting hard to change his destiny.)

Grace Mercy by Robin LaFevers (Lady assassin anyone?)

Contemporary/Romance:

Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta (I can not possibly describe my love for this book!! It has just such an essence of summer days, of being young, of friendship, of love and family, of growth, all wrapped up in the mystery that connects the past and present)

Cinder & Ella by Kelly Oram (Okay so cheesy premise of a normal girl x a movie star but so fucking cute and fluffy and I have never seen this trope done so well. Plus Ella is a disabled WOC and they’re both such freaking nerds. I am trash for this fluff)

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins (another cute fluffy contemporary book that I love. I also fully appreciate that in this case the guy love interest is shorter than the girl which is so rarely done)

Historical Fiction

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller (I’m not sure if this book is counted as underrated but I don’t see enough talk about it to satisfy me so its going on the list. Also it’s technically not YA but whatever. Great retelling of the story of Patroclus and Achilles)

*feel free to add any of your own recommendations to the list :)

[fulltimebookaholic]

Realistic Fiction Favorites

1. JELLICOE ROAD (originally published in AU as On the Jellicoe Road) -- a brilliant, moving story with gorgeous writing, clever connections, and hilarious characters. When Taylor is appointed as the leader of her school in a territory war with the cadets and townies, her “guardian”, Hannah, disappears. Hannah took her in when her mother forgot her at a gas station six years ago. As pieces from her past come together, Taylor tries to find both Hannah and her mother with the help of Hannah’s unfinished manuscript and the boy in Taylor’s dreams.

2. EVERYTHING BEAUTIFUL IS NOT RUINED -- meaningful and funny with a witty, angry main character. Ingrid is the daughter of an opera star, and her life was filled with beauty and music and traveling. When her mother loses her voice, they are forced to pack this past away and move to a nondescript town in America for a boring life. Ingrid longs to be a musician like her mother once was, but her mother is convinced it will only bring Ingrid pain. To accept the opportunity of a lifetime, Ingrid must complete a three-week trek through the wilderness for at-risk teens.

3. FANGIRL -- a funny, relatable story about stepping out of your comfort zone and embracing the unknown. When twin sister Wren wants to meet new people and doesn’t want to be Cath’s college roommate, Cath is thrown into college life alone and friendless. She spends her time writing her Simon Snow fan-fiction in her dorm room, only coming out for her classes. What’s worse, the professor of her favorite Fiction class hates fan-fiction--which is all Cath writes. Cath learns how to navigate college and love for the first time, without her twin by her side.

[youve-cath-to-be-kitten-me]

"Because she's an asthmatic, you moron, and every time you open your mouth and tell her something she forgets how to breathe" (On the Jellicoe Road / Melina Marchetta)

Oh my god where do you GET these???? Seriously the two lines you’ve sent me are positively heart wrenching and GORGEOUS. (On a completely unrelated note, I’m asthmatic so I read the first four words and I was like “damn it’s me”) Here’s the trade!:

“I love you.”

There’s a few seconds of silence before Steve repeats himself.

“I love you, Buck. I do. And I have to tell you before you leave.”

It’s everything Bucky’s wanted to hear for the last seven years and fuck, it hurts.

~ Ambidextrous, Chapter 1: Best Friends Since Childhood (my Stucky soulmate AU, @notsomagicath on AO3 some shameless self promo over here)

[shorthairsonic]

*lowkey wants a jellicoe road! au but highkey doesnt remember at all what happened in the book because i read it several years ago*

[captainkirkmccoy]

@johnreapergrimm tagged me. 

rules: answer 11 questions, think of 11 more and tag 11 people 

1. favorite disney movie?

Tangled!

2. top 3 otps?

Currently: McKirk, Eames/Arthur from Inception and Spirk!

3. favorite tv show?

Currently: Mozart In The Jungle, The Blacklist, iZombie and 12 Monkeys

4. angst or fluff?

Flangst

5. favorite fic trope/au?

Married with kids or presumed dead.

6. rock or pop?

Pop rock

7. going to the movies or watching stuff at home?

Depends on my mood. Both!

7. top 3 books

The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski, I’ll Give You The Sun by Jandy Nelson, The Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta 

8. morning or night?

Night

9. favorite animal?

Owl

10. what’s your dream job?

My current one: Book publicist!

My Questions:

1. Book you wish you could read again for the first time?

2. Song you’re listening on repeat?

3. Fanfic you rec to EVERYONE?

4. You could take one fictional character on a world-wide trip. Who would it be?

5. Last thing you read that made you cry?

6. Last thing you read that made you laugh out loud?

7. What’s your favorite episode of any show?

8. What movie have you seen more times than you can count?

9. What’s the first book you remember reading?

10. What’s one goal you think you can achieve in 2017?

11. What’s one thing that scares you that you wish you could do?

i’m tagging @badasslass, @distractedkat, @excessively--diverted, @dammitmccoy, @theveiledalchemist, @cat-bat-batman, @gorgeousgalatea, @brevityis, @impishtubist, @kirkandbones, @twofacedjanus

[ao3feed-jily]

on the road to you

read it on the AO3 at http://ift.tt/2oG2ubP

by itwasprongs

A Marauders & Harry Potter Jellicoe Road AU - 'People asked me later why I thought we’d been spared and, although I couldn’t say it out loud, I thought it was because someone knew we had to be, to save each other.'

Words: 4778, Chapters: 1/6, Language: English

Fandoms: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, On the Jellicoe Road - Melina Marchetta

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Categories: F/M

Characters: Marauders (Harry Potter), Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, Lily Evans Potter, Seamus Finnigan, Dean Thomas, Draco Malfoy, Neville Longbottom, Ginny Weasley, Vernon Dursley, Cho Chang

Relationships: James Potter/Lily Evans Potter, Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley, Hermione Granger/Ron Weasley, Seamus Finnigan/Dean Thomas, Marauders & Lily Evans Potter

Additional Tags: Jellicoe Road, Two pov, Found Family, Alternate Universe, Dysfunctional Relationships, Long Lost/Secret Relatives

read it on the AO3 at http://ift.tt/2oG2ubP

[beingfacetious]

Thanks @oodlyenough for tagging me in a meme & thanks @ myself for remembering it instead of refreshing facebook yet again

1. Coke or Pepsi: Pepsi for sure if we’re talking regular HOWEVER the other day I had fountain cherry coke and I had forgotten that it is the definitive best soda ever created 2: Disney or Dreamworks: lol what, Disney, what did Dreamworks ever give me (Prince of Egypt) (and cute dragon) (still, come on) 3: Coffee or tea: coffee, always. I used to enjoy tea as like a recreational afternoon drink and still have it at hoe but now I pretty much need coffee all the time, so 4: Books or movies: I mean…books, I think, on the whole, but the obvious/shameful real answer is TV 5: Windows or Mac: Windows 6: DC or Marvel: Marvel 7: Xbox or Playstation: Xbox I guess, it’s what I have and I do love it, but I also kind of wish I’d waited and gotten either the newer xbox or a playstation just because I can’t play anything new 8: Dragon Age or Mass Effect: I don’t understand the question and I won’t respond to it 9: Night owl or early riser: Preferably a night owl but adult life is terrible and if I’m not in bed by 10:30 weeknights my life is ruined 10: Cards or chess: I actually love card games! I used to be all right at chess but it’s been years and I’d embarrass myself 11: Chocolate or vanilla: Chocolate but I’m kind of meh about either 12: Vans or Converse: an AU Catey wears converse; regular Catey owns four pairs of shoes and can only tell you that one of them is hushpuppies   13: Lavellan, Trevelyan, Cadash, or Adaar: I don’t understand the question and I won’t respond to it 14: Fluff or angst: lol I don’t know how to answer this because I so infrequently read fanfic and don’t think in these terms when I’m watching stuff, uh…probably angst tbh  15: Beach or forest: My ideal place to be is the porch of a beach house, rockin’ and readin’ and hearing and seeing the ocean and not getting sand anywhere it doesn’t need to be 16: Dogs or Cats: lol. dogs. 17: Clear skies or rain: depends on the ~mood  18: Cooking or eating out: Eating out I’m so lazy 19: Spicy food or mild food: I’m addicted to buffalo chicken tenders but that’s about as spicy as I want to get; I buy medium salsa at the grocery store lol  20: Halloween/Samhain or Solstice/Yule/Christmas: this is like…weirdly inclusive while still not mentioning Hanukkah lol. anyway Christmas obviously 21: Would you rather forever be a little too cold or a little too hot (and no the winter coats and AC’s are not an option): I…exist a little too cold, so I guess that just for the sake of familiarity  22: If you could have a superpower, what would it be: I have always said flight but you know what, it would really be to control minor actions of other people. I KNOW THAT’S A SUPERVILLAIN POWER!!!! but listen, I am tired of being tailgated in a line of traffic that’s all moving slowly, and of PhD-having adults who won’t fix their own paper jams, and of having to be around people who endlessly take and never think to give compliments, and of my mother-in-law and everyone else not knowing how to not reply-all, and of people talking through Viola Davis’s scenes in anything, so there you go, my supervillain origin story 23: Animation or live action: ia with Kali, live action in general, animation for Disney movies for the love of God  24: Paragon or renegade: this is nonsense. am I old?  25: Baths or showers: Showers 26: Team Cap or Team Ironman: GASP KALI lol I always forget you hate Steve, anyway I refuse to answer this question I can’t pick between my boyfriends 27: Fantasy or Sci-Fi: sci-fi, I have never really ~gotten fantasy  28: Do you have three or four favourite quotes, if so what are they? If not do you think you will in future? tbh mooost of my daily interactions are made up of quotes and/or reference humor so like, maybe, and also probably not, but the book quotes I always think of are a moody one from Jellicoe Road about always wanting more from everyone and also one from All the Rage about teenage girls praying to each other. what a great answer to this questions, gj catey  29: Youtube or Netflix: netflix 30. Classic Disney, Disney Renaissance, or Modern Disney? Disney Renaissance 4eva 31. What would you tell your younger self? how much younger are we talking? I’ma go back like 5 years and tell myself to pick a different mentor/thesis committee member lol  32. If you could change one thing about the world around you, what would it be? again Kali’s answer about fixing the US presidency seems like the most obvious first step 33. Make music or listen to music? I very much enjoy both and btw if you’d like to see me singing “Gonna Get Over You” by Sara Bareilles AND playing bass, you can do so here. Surprise! Sometimes I’m goodish at things!   34. Shakespeare’s Comedies or Tragedies? Tragedies and SPEAKING OF, WHERE is the Gillian Flynn update of Hamlet I was promised???? I’VE DONE MY WAITING 35. What Song do you have stuck in your head right now? I’m listening to Sara B with headphones so it’s literally in my head. (”Breathe Again,” not my fave. Did I mention my fave is “Gonna Get Over You”) 36. Going to a concert or to a huge party? Concert! Though I guess I’d rather go to a ~show than either  37. If you could meet a fictional character who would it be? I think I would also still say Ten. I’m feeling so wooed by Veronica Mars these days but idk that I’d actually get along very well with any of them??  38 . Do you have songs that makes you feel strong ? if so what are they ? A few came to mind but they are tbh more like angry songs than strength songs lol uh…to stay with the Sara B theme there’s “Eden” 39. Travel through time or through space? space for sure 

Uh tagging @miscellaineeous @chelzperetti @gallifreyburning anyone else who wants to!

[ao3feed-deamus]

on the road to you

read it on the AO3 at http://ift.tt/2oG2ubP

by itwasprongs

A Marauders & Harry Potter Jellicoe Road AU - 'People asked me later why I thought we’d been spared and, although I couldn’t say it out loud, I thought it was because someone knew we had to be, to save each other.'

Words: 4778, Chapters: 1/6, Language: English

Fandoms: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, On the Jellicoe Road - Melina Marchetta

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Categories: F/M

Characters: Marauders (Harry Potter), Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, Lily Evans Potter, Seamus Finnigan, Dean Thomas, Draco Malfoy, Neville Longbottom, Ginny Weasley, Vernon Dursley, Cho Chang

Relationships: James Potter/Lily Evans Potter, Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley, Hermione Granger/Ron Weasley, Seamus Finnigan/Dean Thomas, Marauders & Lily Evans Potter

Additional Tags: Jellicoe Road, Two pov, Found Family, Alternate Universe, Dysfunctional Relationships, Long Lost/Secret Relatives

read it on the AO3 at http://ift.tt/2oG2ubP

[padfootdidit]

I'm so blown away by part one of the jellicoe road au! I love that book so much and I'm so so so excited to see how you adapt it. the first part was amazing and I can't wait for more

Ah, thank you so much!! Means a lot that you like it when you know the book :))) I’m writing chapter two now x

[padfootdidit]

Hi! Just wanted to say I read Jellicoe Road last summer because of your AU and now it's my favorite book. So thanks for writing, you're amazing.

this is ??? one of my favourite asks ever. i have loved Jellicoe Road for years and years and it makes me feel So Much and it is so beautiful.... knowing someone else has found it and read it because of me is bizarre but also amazing, i’m so glad you love it because it deserves recognition. thank you thank you thank you

[padfootdidit]

first sentence of my last 20 jily fic to find any patterns

tagged in this by the absolute light of my life @jiilys and doing it now because i can’t prioritise my to do list properly.

It happens in April. (‘find a way’ - june 2017, zombie au bday fic for ellie) 

It’s Sirius’ idea because, if it involves a stupid waste of money and the promise of celebrity chefs, it will always be his idea. (’burn through my soul’ - may 2017, fyre festival au)

We were going to where my parents had met, so many years ago. (’on the road to you pt.1′ - april 2017, jellicoe road au)

The mirror keeps buzzing in her bag and she’s sure it’s Sirius, calling to see if they made it back alright. (’nowhere else i’d rather be’ - march 2017, james potter bday fic)

The dinner table is silent. (’i’ve been calling (i need you)’ - feb 2017, things you said series)

The door slams shut behind them and they’re thrust into the dark, until James whispers lumos and the cupboard is flooded with dim light. (’the shortest order’ - jan 2017, secret santa fic)

Summer cannot come quick enough. (’there’s something better to come (it’s on the horizon)’ - dec 2016, things you said series)

It happens in a blur and it’s over before Lily can catch her breath. (’i won’t lose you (i can’t)’ - dec 2016, things you said series)

An article in the morning’s paper had declared three squibs dead in a suspicious attack near Diagon Alley, possibly linked to last week’s murder of ten muggles. (’when the world comes tumbling down (i’ll stand with you)’ - nov 2016, things you said series)

“Alright, Evans?” James smiles slightly, letting the words tug up one corner of his lip in her favourite smile. (’we’ll meet again’ - dec 2015, one lived, one died au)

Maybe, one day, we’ll be happy again. (’when the tide comes in (we’ll go out with it)’ - oct 2015, they all survived au)

They meet accidentally, strings entangling together beneath the ink of Paris’ night. (’laisser derrière tout ce qui est perdu’ - aug 2015, backpacker in paris au)

Harry and his girlfriend are twenty minutes late. (’better than our own genes’ - aug 2015, they all survived au)

Hands shaking, James pulls his mirror from his pocket and raises it up to his face. (’as i say goodbye’- apr 2015, james dies alone au)

Patience has never been a virtue Lily Evans possessed so when the door opens to Sirius’ apartment, five minutes after she rung the bell she’s checked her watch eleven times and is tapping her foot obnoxiously. (’necessary information’ - apr 2015, sirius doesn’t tell lily about his hot roommate au)

“Hiya,” James craned his neck backwards to see Lily leaning over the back of the armchair, arms folded on the cushion, eyes focused across the common room. (’expect anything else evans?’ - apr 2015, april fools fic)

It hurts sometimes (all the time) but he never tells anyone. (’sometimes’ - march 2015, remus angst fic)

(1) Not allowed to tell first years that the only way to get Peeves to stop annoying them is to serenade him with the Weird Sister’s song “I Want To Polter-Kiss You.” (’101 Things The Marauders Are Not Allowed, Under Any Circumstances, To Do’ - feb 2015, skippy’s list au)

Okay, so it was him who set off the fire alarm at 3 in the morning because he was trying to make pancakes. (’burning desire’ - feb 2015, valentine’s fic)

“James, for fuck’s sake, it’s New Years Eve, why are you practicing now?” Sirius Black is drunk, frustrated and 100% certain that his best mate is a prat. (’start of something new’ - dec 2014, hsm au/new years fic)

patterns: I favour ‘it’ and ‘the’ over anything else. Pretty even mix of short and long sentences. My titles are obnoxious and generally contain brackets because, clearly, I am a fan. My most productive year was 2015 and my least was 2016 (I cannot believe I only wrote 3 fics....... like. wow). Mainly present tense. Not a big user of dialogue openers apparently, even though I thought I was. 

tagging: @bantasticbeasts​ @alrightevans​ @hiddenpolkadots​ @tamilprongspotter​ @braveremus​ @gxldentrio​

[padfootdidit]

Okay so for the ask thingy (this is the blogger formerly known as theodoornott btw) - I remember reading your Paris au at a time when I was in a rut writing-wise, and it was just so beautiful that it made me want to write again like I'm going to reread that fic today bc it has Magic Powers. I'm also entirely obsessed with your Jellicoe Road au like that's an au I've always wanted but never thought I'd live to see and I never wrote it myself bc it seemed too difficult and you've done it PERFECTLY

Jess!! Honestly.. I’m crying, your words are too kind