#linda sue park

[bangbangwhoa]

books I’ve read in 2024 📖 no. 013

Prairie Lotus by Linda Sue Park

“You stop thinking about yourself. That’s where the sadness is, inside you. You look outside instead. At other people. You do things for other people, it fills you with good feelings, less room for the bad ones.”

[illustration-alcove]

Dion MBD's illustrated book cover for Linda Sue Park's Prairie Lotus.

[spray10101]

all the books i’ve read in middle school ELA

In my district middle school in 6-8 or ages 11-14. I also left middle school in 2019 so things might of changed and I don’t remember most of the books.

These are also books that we’ve read as a class and not my personal reading.

6th Grade: 

A Christmas Carol; Charles Dickens : I don’t know if we actually read the book or just watched the movie but he movie good. 7/10 would recommend.

The Gift of the Magi; O. Henry: We did read this book then had to do a lit analysis on it. Pretty good. I enjoyed it. 9/10 would recommend.

Pax; Sara Pennypacker : I don’t remember this book very much but I remembered liking it so 9/10.

Freddie in the Shade: Do not remember this book at all so 5/10.

7th Grade:

A Long Walk to Water; Linda Sue Park:   It took our class forever to read this book but it was good and kept my attention. 9/10 would recommend.

Swimming for her Life: Again I do not remember this book at all so 5/10.

8th Grade:

Animal Farm; George Orwell: Hated this book. Not my favorite. 4/10.

The Diary of Anne Frank; Anne Frank: I didn’t ready it. We read the play version but I didn’t have to read so that was good. I did like the history behind it. 9/10 would recommend.

The Tell-Tale Heart; Edgar Allen Poe: Not my favorite but not bad. 8/10.

The Gift of the Magi; O. Henry: Liked this book better the second time around. 9/10.

[theunseelielibrary]

Books Read 2024 (2/?): A Single Shard, Lind Sue Park

[glenrocklibraryteens]

BOOK REVIEW: A SINGLE SHARD

A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park Historical Fiction Number of pages: 152 Rating: 5 - Amazing - one of the best books I've read Reviewed by: Tyler

A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park describes a man named Tree-ear making pottery with a master, Crane-man. She describes the training process of Tree-ear as Crane-man’s apprentice, and the hardships that Tree-ear goes through in order to meet Crane-man’s standards. She explains the history of pottery making in Japan, and how Tree-ear deals with a tragedy. The book is incredible, and it describes a lot of history of what it was like at that time. It definitely gave me a new perspective and a new insight to pottery, and the story’s twists and turns gave me enjoyment as well. I would rate it 5 stars, and the reason is because the history behind it is just amazing to me and I found it very interesting to hear about. The way they traveled, the preparations needed for their old pottery, and the uniqueness that you see because of the industrialization of modern days is just fascinating. The book describes something that you don’t see every day, and I think that is a very unique aspect. I have never really read a book like this, and it was exciting to read and know more about history in Japan compared to now. The ending was definitely enjoyable as well, and it was so cool that there was a lesson to be learned, it was just so subtle. It also let our mind wander after the book, to predict what they were going to do next. The author made not only the content of the book amazing, but the thinking and analyzing part as well. It allowed for you to image the results and the description just images things perfectly. The book just had a lot of fun and interesting information, and it felt very educational compared to other typical books that I have read over the years.

[jetslay]

DC Couples + kiss on the cheek.

[bigheartedbibliophile]

A Long Walk to Water by Linda Park Sue

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Summary: 😭😨💧🏜

This story is told from two different perspectives. One is from a girl named Nya in 2009, and the other follows the journey of Salva from 1985 to 2009. 

Salva’s journey takes him far from home. The journey starts when he is at school, and the rebels come into his town and start shooting and bombing. He is separated from his family, and has to walk many days in the desert, without food, shelter, or water. Eventually, he finds a familiar tribe he can join, and they continue their journey from South Sudan to Ethiopia. Salva faces many challenges along his journey and learns what it means to persevere. 

Nya’s story takes place in 2009, in a village without easily accessible water. She has to walk many miles daily just to get water for herself and her family. One day, strangers come to her village and start trying to find water, in places where she knows there isn’t. Nya learns what it means to persevere and work through the challenges she and her tribe faces, and learn to trust other people. 

Overall I enjoyed this story. I like how the different perspectives connected, and how they had similar challenges to access water. I wish we as the readers were able to learn more about Nya and her journey, because the book mostly focused on Salva. 

I read this with my 6th-grade students in April 2023. This is part of our curriculum, and we do a fundraiser every year for tribes like Nya’s to get access to water.

[mellaithwen]

A quick angsty buckley sibling spec fic for Mondays finale :’) 500ish words.

*spoilers / speculation for 6.18*

.

The bridge collapse brings Los Angeles traffic to a stand still, and by the time Maddie’s made it through the seemingly endless stretch of vehicles between dispatch and the hospital, the one-eighteen have beat her there by more than an hour.

In the car her hands had shook—her trembling fingers drumming out an impossibly fast beat on the steering wheel as she fought to keep the tears at bay. She knows it’s bad, but she can’t be swayed from her mission. She has to get there.

She doesn’t remember parking the car (afterwards Linda will find it in the car park for her as she brings flowers and get well wishes from dispatch). She has no memory of the elevator up to the ICU, or racing around the maze of the hospital in search of familiar turnouts.

One minute she’s praying to a god she doesn’t quite believe in anymore, and the next, she’s standing at the end of a long pale blue corridor, staring at her brothers tall body slumped over the nurse’s station. Their shared surname—usually emblazoned and bright—barely visible through the grime and detritus.

His tall body is slumped over the nurse’s station, pleading with the person behind the computer. His words are lost to the clacking of keys and a ringing in Maddie’s ears but she can guess he’s desperate for news.

But she can’t even begin to focus on any of that, because as though he’d sensed his sisters anguish, he’d turned around. Only to reveal large blotches of blood, under a layer of dust and ash, and god knows what else.

Oh my god, she thinks, her mouth opening and closing like a fish as the words get caught in her throat. The air’s thinner here, isn’t that strange? Her mind whispers as she forgets how to breathe.

Her footsteps falter but Buck’s moving to the close the gap instead—his hands are outstretched now, approaching his sister like one might a skittish animal—projecting a smooth and steady and safe situation before her.

When he’s finally close enough to reach out to Maddie, he continues to telegraph his movements, but the moment the siblings make contact, the bubble of muffled voices bursts. The cacophony of sound rushes in around her, and as suffocating as that can be, her lungs finally expand once more. She heaves in a stuttered breath, dizzy with panic as she tries to find the words.

“Is that—?” She can’t say it, she can’t.

Buck can hardly hide his crushed expression, and he adjusts his position before he speaks, keeping a gentle but firm grip on his sister’s forearms as he ducks down a little to her level.

“It’s not—it’s not mine, Mads,” he tells her, his voice hoarse and tired, close to breaking as he says the words. Their implication however, is clear as day from the misplaced guilt she can see hiding in her brother’s eyes, and the terrible twisted knot she’s felt in her stomach since Sue insisted she head to the hospital for an update.

It’s only when Maddie’s knees give way under the heavy onslaught of anticipatory grief and fear, like an albatross tied around her neck, that she realises her brother had moved in close to specifically catch her when she fell.

And as they’re joined by the rest of their family and friends—all waiting for news on Chimney’s critical condition until the early hours and beyond—Buck never leaves her side.

[illustration-alcove]

Dion MBD’s illustrated book cover for Linda Sue Park’s A Single Shard.

[loserdiaz]

do u have any sweet or fluffy hcs for 911?

ohhh let me think!!okay so i don't think this one's mine bc im pretty sure i read it somewhere but i really like the idea of bobby, chim and eddie having like a "secret dads club" where they meet every week and they give some tips to chim about bring a dad. sometimes they take jee to walk in the park and sometimes they just play some card games and bitch about whatever.

i think that would be so funny and such a cute and hilarious group.

speaking of clubs!! i also like to think that eddie, may, linda, sue and maddie have this kind of secret book club. and they all read those really cheesy, erotica novels with some half naked dude on the cover. sometimes eddie even invites tía pepa in. and after they discuss the book they also mostly gossip about what's going at dispatch, josh's latest love disastrous experience, some of the new probies at the station, may's asshole classmates from college etc etc.

one day when buck finds out about it, he makes a big deal out of it just to tease eddie. but then he promises not to tell anyone and he will always babysit chris and jee if need be bc he thinks maddie and eddie deserve to have this thing for themselves and enjoy it.

i think athena knows how to cook but she doesn't enjoy it as much as bobby and it's not THAT good at it, but every friday night they both have free they stay on the couch and watch this cooking show bobby really likes. it's a kind of competition so bobby talks the entire time about what he would do differently and what things the contestants are doing wrong and if he had the chance he could totally win. he gets really worked up about it in the most endearing and hilarious of ways and athena just smiles fondly and tries to distract him with neck kisses and then they have a impromptu make out session on the couch like they're hormonal teenagers in love. (they kinda are)

may is a BIG swiftie and for her birthday bobby took her to the eras tour and spent WEEKS making friendship bracelets with her. (he has a few may gave him saved on his nightstand and he also made one for buck bc he's a big softie.)

buck knows how eddie hates driving and also is most of the time really busy with stuff from chris' school or whatever so sometimes when he goes to the grocery, he also shops for eddie and drops the bags casually and without saying anything. eddie tried to argue at first but know he just smiles and reallyyy bravely resists the urge to jump and kiss buck alo over his stupidly handsome face.

also, when eddie is feeling overwhelmed with chores and tía pepa calls him to fix something at her house, buck goes instead and for his troubles he earns a lot of gossip about tía pepa's friends and some DELICIOUS snacks made by her <333

I have more but i think this got a lil long so ill shut up now sksjjs

[andsjuliet]

2023 books read

updated reading goal: 150

1) nancy drew: the curse → micol ostow (audiobook, reread) / (jan 1) 2) all the dangerous things → stacy willingham (arc) / (jan 2) 3) lunar love → lauren kung jessen (arc) / (jan 3 - jan 4) 4) death by dumpling → vivien chien (audiobook) / (jan 6) 5) where echoes die → courtney gould (arc) / (jan 4 - jan 7) 6) the no-show → beth o’leary (audiobook) / (jan 6 - jan 8) 7) 6 times we almost kissed (and one time we did) → tess sharpe (arc) / (jan 8) 8) a fatal thing happened on the way to the forum: murder in ancient rome → emma southon (audiobook) / (jan 8 - jan 9) 9) this appearing house → ally malinenko (audiobook) / (jan 9) 10) spare → prince harry (audiobook) / (jan 10) 11) hell bent → leigh bardugo (audiobook) / (jan 10 - jan 12) 12) have i told you this already? → lauren graham / (jan 12 - jan 13) 13) partners in crime → alisha rai (audiobook) / (jan 13) 14) always the almost → edward underhill (arc) / (jan 14) 15) a room of one’s own → virgina woolf / (jan 5 - jan 14) 16) icebreaker → hannah grace (audiobook) / (jan 15) 17) the companion → e.e. ottoman / (jan 15 - jan 16) 18) feel your way through → kelsea ballerini / (jan 16) 19) comfort me with apples → catherynne m. valente (audiobook) / (jan 17) 20) a strange loop → michael r. jackson / (jan 21) 21) maybe in another life → taylor jenkins reid / (jan 23) 22) the fraud squad → kyla zhao / (jan 23 - jan 25) 23) the family game → catherine steadman (audiobook) / (jan 25 - jan 26) 24) the six deaths of the saint → alix e. harrow / (jan 28) 25) these fleeting shadows → kate alice marshall (audiobook) / (jan 28) 26) better than fiction → alexa martin (audiobook) / (jan 30 - jan 31) 27) this is not a personal statement → tracy badua / (jan 28 - feb 1) 28) nine liars → maureen johnson / (feb 2 - feb 4) 29) the nanny → lana ferguson (arc) / (feb 6) 30) finlay donovan is killing it → elle cosimano (audiobook) / (feb 7) 31) finlay donovan knocks ‘em dead → elle cosimano (audiobook) / (feb 8) 32) finaly donovan jumps the gun → elle cosimano (audiobook) / (feb 8) 33) someone had to do it → amber brown & danielle brown (audiobook) / (feb 12) 34) daisy jones & the six → taylor jenkins reid (reread, annotation) / (feb 8 - feb 12) 35) wuthering heights → emily brontë (audiobook, reread) / (feb 13 - feb 14) 36) practical magic → alice hoffman (audiobook) / (feb 16) 37) delicious monsters → liselle sambury (arc) / (feb 11 - feb 17) 38) the world cannot give → tara isabella burton (audiobook) / (feb 18 - feb 19) 39) this time it’s real → ann liang / (feb 14 - feb 19) 40) partners in crime → agatha christie (audiobook) / (feb 20) 41) the glass menagerie → tennessee williams (reread) / (feb 22) 42) missing clarissa → ripley jones (arc) / (feb 22 - feb 23) 43) the reunion → kayla olson (audiobook) / (feb 23) 44) twelfth night → william shakespeare (reread, annotation) / (jan 15 - feb 23) 45) the summer i turned pretty → jenny han (reread, audiobook) / (mar 1) 46) it’s not summer without you → jenny han (reread, audiobook) / (mar 1) 47) we’ll always have summer → jenny han (reread, audiobook) / (mar 1) 48) the late mrs. willoughby → claudia gray (arc) / (feb 23 - mar 2) 49) the appeal → janice hallett / (mar 2 - mar 3) 50) fatal throne: the wives of henry vii tell all → candice fleming, m.t. anderson, jennifer donnelly, stephanie hemphill, debrah hopkinson, linda sue park, lisa anna sandell (audiobook) / (mar 4) 51) a quiet life in the country → t.e. kinsey (audiobook) / (mar 6 - mar 7) 52) leave it to the march sisters → annie sereno (arc) / (mar 7 - mar 8) 53) wild is the witch → rachel griffin (audiobook) / (mar 9) 54) no exit → taylor adams / (mar 9 - mar 10) 55) julius caesar → william shakespeare (reread, audiobook) / (mar 15) 56) last violent call → chloe gong / (mar 10 - mar 15) 57) the witch and the vampire → francesca flores (arc) / (mar 15 - mar 16) 58) what lies in the woods → kate alice marshall (audiobook) / (mar 17) 59) the writing retreat → julia bartz (audiobook) / (mar 18 - mar 20) 60) spells for forgetting → adrienne young (audiobook) / (mar 23) 61) anne of green gables → l.m. montgomery (reread) / (mar 21 - mar 24) 62) an elderly lady is up to no good → helene tursten (audiobook, translated work) / (mar 27) 63) murder your employer: the mcmasters guide to homicide → rupert holmes (audiobook) / (mar 28 - mar 29) 64) fake dates and mooncakes → sher lee (arc) / (mar 29 - mar 30) 65) the sweetest connection → denise williams (audiobook) / (apr 1) 66) immortal longings → chloe gong (arc) / (mar 16 - apr 1) 67) lost in the never woods → aiden thomas / (apr 2 - apr 3) 68) that wasn’t in the script → sarah ainslee (arc) / (apr 3) 69) tell me what really happened → chelsea sedoti (arc) / (apr 3) 70) shakespeare in love → lee hall / (apr 4) 71) the golden spoon → jessa maxwell (audiobook) / (apr 6 - apr 7) 72) hamlet → william shakespeare (reread, annotation) / (mar 4 - apr 8) 73) anne of avonlea → l.m. montgomery (reread) / (apr 4 - apr 9) 74) anne of the island → l.m. montgomery (reread) (apr 9) 75) of human kindness: what shakespeare teaches us about empathy → paula marantz cohen (audiobook) / (apr 7 - apr 10) 76) ophelia → lisa m. klein (audiobook) / (apr 12 - apr 13) 77) anne of windy poplars → l.m. montgomery (reread) (apr 10 - apr 13) 78) women of will: following the feminine in shakespeare’s plays → tina packer (audiobook) / (apr 14 - apr 17) 79) juliet: the life and afterlives of shakespeare's first tragic heroine → sophie duncan (arc) / (apr 5 - apr 18) 80) your guide to not getting murdered in a quaint english village → maureen johnson, jay cooper / (apr 20) 81) when the reckoning comes → latanya mcqueen (audiobook) / (apr 21 - apr 22) 82) laertes: a hamlet retelling → carly stevens / (apr 23) 83) the broken girls → simone st. james / (apr 21 - apr 26) 84) the night swim → megan golden (audiobook) / (may 1 - may 2) 85) when you wish upon a lantern → gloria chao (audiobook) / (may 3 - may 4) 86) chloe and the kaishao boys → mae coyiuto / (may 2 - may 7) 87) ghosted: a northanger abbey novel → amanda quain (arc) / (may 2 - may 7) 88) happy place → emily henry / (may 7 - may 9) 89) the mad women’s ball → victoria mas / (may 9 - may 11) 90) the fiancée farce → alexandria bellefleur (audiobook) / (may 14 - may 15) 91) the strange case of the alchemist's daughter → theodora goss (audiobook) / (may 18 - may 19) 92) the weight of blood → tiffany d. jackson (audiobook) / (may 19 - may 20) 93) the twyford code → janice hallett / (may 18 - may 21) 94) never vacation with your ex → emily wibberley and austin siegemund-broka / (may 22) 95) the dos and donuts of love → adiba jaigirdar (arc) / (may 23 - may 24) 96) european travel for the monstrous gentlewoman → theodora goss (audiobook) / (may 22 - may 25) 97) one jump at a time: my story → nathan chen (audiobook) / (jun 1) 98) death of a bookseller → alice slater (audiobook) / (jun 1 - jun 2) 99) a treacherous tale → elizabeth penny (audiobook) / (jun 3 - jun 5) 100) chapter and curse → elizabeth penny (audiobook) / (jun 5) 101) julieta and the romeos → maria e. andreu (audiobook) / (jun 5 - jun 6) 102) a far wilder magic → allison saft (audiobook) / (jun 7 - jun 11) 103) meet me at the lake → carly fortune (audiobook) / (jun 11 - jun 12) 104) foul heart huntsman → chloe gong (arc) / (may 25 - jun 17) 105) rules for vanishing → kate alice marshall / (jun 1 - jun 19) 106) little thieves → margaret own (audiobook) / (jun 15 - jun 21) 107) the last word → taylor adams / (jun 19 - jun 21) 108) the three dahlias → katy watson / (jun 5 - jun 24) 109) painted devils → margaret own (audiobook) / (jun 25 - jun 29) 110) reign → katharine mcgee (arc) / (jun 25 - jul 1) 111) the chateau → jaclyn goldis / (jul 1 - jul 4) 112) a most agreeable murder → julia seals / (jul 2 - jul 4) 113) the shadow sister → lily meade / (july 4 - july 5) 114) if we were villains → m.l. rio (reread, audiobook) / (jul 6) 115) something is killing the children, vol 1 → james tynion iv / (jul 7) 116) something is killing the children, vol 2 → james tynion iv / (jul 7) 117) something is killing the children, vol 3 → james tynion iv / (jul 7) 118) you’re not supposed to die tonight → kalynn bayron / (jul 8) 119) something is killing the children, vol 4 → james tynion iv / (jul 9) 120) lock every door → riley sager (audiobook) / (jul 8 - jul 9) 121) something is killing the children, vol 5 → james tynion iv / (jul 10) 122) the sun down motel → simone st. james / (jul 9 - jul 11) 123) the only survivors → megan miranda (audiobook) / (jul 13) 124) at home with the horrors → sammy scott / (jul 16 - jul 21) 125) one of us is lying → karen m. mcmanus (reread, audiobook) / (jul 31) 126) bring me your midnight → rachel griffin (arc) / (jul 21 - jul 31) 127) one of us is next → karen m. mcmanus (reread, audiobook) / (jul 31 - aug 1) 128) the summer of broken rules → k.l. walther / (jul 30 - aug 1) 129) one of us is back → karen m. mcmanus / (aug 1 - aug 3) 130) what happens after midnight → k.l. walther / (aug 4 - aug 6) 131) the narrow → kate alice marshall / (aug 3 - aug 6) 132) night of the living queers: 13 tales of terror delight → edited by shelly page and alex brown (arc) / (aug 9 - aug 15) 133) the death i gave him → em x. liu (arc) / (aug 17 - aug 19) 134) heartstopper, vol 1 (reread) → alice oseman / (aug 19) 135) heartstopper, vol 2 (reread) → alice oseman / (aug 19) 136) heartstopper, vol 3 (reread) → alice oseman / (aug 19) 137) heartstopper, vol 4 (reread) → alice oseman / (aug 19) 138) the only one left → riley sager / (aug 19 - aug 21) 139) the getaway list → emma lord (arc) / (aug 21 - aug 22) 140) a good girl’s guide to murder → holly jackson (reread, audiobook) / (aug 23 - aug 24) 141) good girl, bad blood → holly jackson (reread, audiobook) / (aug 24 - aug 26) 142) as good as dead → holly jackson (reread, audiobook) / (aug 26 - aug 27) 143) five survive → holly jackson (reread, audiobook) / (aug 27) 144) one for my enemy → olivie blake / (aug 31 - sep 5) 145) business or pleasure → rachel lynn solomon / (sep 5) 146) maybe meant to be → k.l. walther (audiobook) / (sep 6 - sep 7) 147) yellowface → r.f. kuang (audiobook) / (sep 10 - sep 11) 148) going bicostal → dahlia adler (audiobook) / (sep 19) 149) teach the torches to burn: a romeo and juliet remix → caleb roehig / (sep 16 - sep 23) 150) none of this is true → lisa jewell / (sep 24) 151) the girls in the garden → lisa jewell (audiobook) / (sep 29 - sep 30) 152) a very lively murder → katy watson / (oct 3 - oct 4) 153) she is a haunting → trang thanh tran (audiobook) / (oct 4 - oct 5) 154) murder and mamon → mia p. manansala / (oct 5) 155) in these hallowed halls: a dark academia anthology → edited by marie o’regan & paul kane / (sep 14 - oct 7) 156) hallowe’en party  → agatha christie (audiobook) / (oct 8 - oct 9) 157) the second death of edie and violet bond → amanda glaze (audiobook) / (oct 9 - oct 11) 158) the fall of the house of usher → edgar allan poe / (oct 12) 159) home before dark → riley sager (audiobook) / (oct 13 - oct 14) 160) a haunting on the hill → elizabeth hand / (oct 7 - oct 16) 161) the lost coast → a.r. capetta (audiobook) / (oct 14 - oct 19) 162) murder in the family → cara hunter / (oct 18 - oct 21) 163) starling house → alix e. harrow (audiobook) / (oct 22 - oct 25) 164) the unmaking of june farrow → adrienne young (physical and audiobook) / (oct 23 - oct 28) 165) when ghosts call us home → katya de becerra / (oct 28 - oct 30) 166) a christmas carol → charles dickens (reread) / (nov 5) 167) the fall of whit rivera → crystal maldonado (audiobook) / (nov 9 - nov 10) 168) iris kelly doesn’t date → ashley herring blake (audiobook) / (nov 11 - nov 12) 169) fair rosaline → natasha solomon / (nov 8 - nov 14) 170) the dead romantics → ashley poston (audiobook) / (nov 20) 171) if we were villains → m.l. rio (reread, physical and audiobook) / (nov 8 - nov 22) 172) the ballad of songbirds and snakes → suzanne collins / (nov 23 - nov 25) 173) i hope this doesn’t find you → ann liang (arc) / (nov 27 - nov 28) 174) the hunger games → suzanne collins (reread, annotation) / (dec 1 - dec 2) 175) the christmas appeal → janice hallett (audiobook) / (dec 6) 176) enchanted to meet you → meg cabot (audiobook) / (dec 8 - dec 10) 177) catching fire → suzanne collins (reread, annotation) / (dec 3 - dec 17) 178) mockingjay → suzanne collins (reread, annotation) / (dec 18 - dec 23) 179) none shall sleep → ellie marney (audiobook) / (dec 15 - dec 23) 180) little women → louisa may alcott (reread, physical and audiobook) / (dec 25 - dec 28)

[cal-daisies-and-briars]

FIC UPDATE: Why Not Take All of Me?

Hi everyone! Wednesday is almost over and I am SLEEPY. But here is Chapter Two.

Summary:

An earthquake leaves Buck, Chim, and Hen stuck on the Pacific Coast Highway while Eddie tries to calm Maddie's nerves in a rapidly heating up elevator.

Snippet:

Hen takes a deep breath as Buck puts the vehicle into park.

“So that was…”

“An earthquake,” Chim finishes. “On my wedding day.”

“Yep,” Buck confirms. 

“An earthquake on my wedding day ,” Chim says again. 

“Who had that on their 2024 bingo card?” Buck jokes weakly.

Hen swats his shoulder.

Buck pulls out his phone. “Signal is down, but I’m going to try 9-1-1.”

“Hmm, Maddie, Josh, Sue, and Linda are all off,” Chim grumbles. “Because it’s my wedding day! ”

“I think there are other employees, Chim,” Hen says gently. 

[lizziethereader]

November 2022 wrapup

I did nonfiction November this month, with the challenge of reading (almost) only nonfiction (the actual challenge is not that strict, I just enjoy giving it a try) and I had one of the best reading months this year, I think! There was so much good stuff and nothing was dry or exhausting to read. Good times! 

[not pictured: A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue, Park

favorite of the month: I really can’t choose! There was so much good stuff! 

nonfiction reads (8):  A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park,  Many Different Kinds of Love: A story of life, death and the NHS by Michael Rosen,  Broken Horses by Brandi Carlile,  This Is What It Sounds Like: What the Music You Love Says About You by Susan Rogers and Ogi Ogas,  Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times by Katherine May, How We Go Home: Voices from Indigenous North America by Sara Sinclair, Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud,  Traumatized: Identify, Understand, and Cope with PTSD and Emotional Stress by Kati Morton, Schluss - mit lustig!: Wahre Wiener Begräbnisgeschichten by Patrick Budgen

classics (1): The Postman always rings twice by James M. Cain

poetry (1): Queer poems edited by Mary Jean Chan and Andrew McMillan

graphic novel (1): Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud, There’s a ghost in this house by Oliver Jeffers

[barris-events]

Under the cut you will find a list of prompts to inspire your works for this fest. You're free to use whatever you want, to combine two or more of them, whatever you like. When you post your work, just let us know which one(s) inspired you in your notes and don't forget to tag us. If you need a reminder on the guidelines, you can find them here. Otherwise, happy writing/drawing/giffing 🌙💙🌕

Quotes, Poetry & Lyrics

🔵 The moon understands what it means to be human. Uncertain. Alone. Cratered by imperfections. - Tahereh Mafi, Shatter Me 

🟦 Moonlight drowns out all but the brightest stars. - J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings

📘 Place, park, scene, dark / Silvery moon is shining through the trees / Cast, two, me, you / Summer kisses floating on the breeze - By the Light of the Silvery Moon 

🦋 It's me, hi, I'm the problem, it's me / At tea time, everybody agrees / I'll stare directly at the sun but never in the mirror / It must be exhausting always rooting for the anti-hero -Taylor Swift, Anti-hero 

💙 Your hands, like no-one else's / the ring around the blue of your eyes / lift all the sighs out of me / like the memory of something beautiful: / the moon, how close you are, how far. - Blue Moon, Linda France 

🔷 I heard somebody whisper "Please adore me" / And when I looked, the moon had turned to gold - Blue Moon, Hart & Rogers 

🔵 The month of August had turned into a griddle where the days just lay there and sizzled. - Sue Monk Kidd, The Secret Life of Bees

🟦 So much for summer love and saying "us" / 'Cause you weren't mine to lose - Taylor Swift, August 

🦋 I really wanna stop, but I just got the taste for it / I feel like I could fly with the boy on the moon / So honey, hold my hand, you like making me wait for it / I feel like I could die walking up to the room - Carly Rae Jepson, I Really Like You

Scenarios

🔵 Scenario: summer thunder storm traps them inside. they play board games to pass the time.

📘 Scenario, choose your own adventure: a trip to the beach goes awry. Do they a) discover a body, b) encounter someone from Thomas's past, or c) get caught up in a smuggling adventure.

🔷 Scenario: AU in which Thomas is an exasperated teacher at a private school and Richard is PA to one of the school wealthiest benefactors. Richard has been charged with dealing with the appalling behaviour of the benefactor's trouble-making child.

💙 Scenario: future fic. Richard and Thomas move into a cottage on the estate. It’s perfect, except for being haunted by Carson.

🟦 Scenario: there's an interlinking door between Thomas's room and the one where Richard stays at Downton Abbey.

🌀Scenario: Richard time travels to the past and encounters a younger Thomas. Whether he’s there to fix something or some other reason is up to you.

🔷 Scenario: AU based on the Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story subplot with the King's valet and the Queen's footman (spoilers for plot). Thomas is newly assigned to Queen Charlotte as her personal footman. He lives for knowing what's going on in society and reporting useful gossip to her. Richard is King George's valet and the only person who knows about his mental health situation and what's really going on with him and keeps it secret from all the other staff and Charlotte, using various machinations and making excuses for why the King is doing certain erratic things. When they start hooking up, Thomas quickly sees through Richard's web of lies. Richard has a choice about whether to trust the footman (known gossip and schemer) with the King's secret and bring him into his schemes or part ways with him to protect the king.

💙 Scenario: AU where Thomas owns a plant shop and Richard is a frequent customer.

📘 Scenario: Thomas is surprised/confused when Richard shows concern for his well-being, he's used to it only happening when his partner wants sex/intimacy.

Misc

🔵 Moon tarot meaning: Hidden enemies, danger, calumny, darkness, terror, deception, occult forces, error. Reversed: Instability, inconstancy, silence, lesser degrees of deception and error.

🔷 Blue colour meaning: Blue is the colour of trust and loyalty. It has a calming and soothing effect and you can always count on its support.

Images

If you'd rather some visual inspiration, take a look at these picture prompts. You can use all the images from any set, mix and match, or just pick a single image to use.

🟦 Image set 1

🦋 Image set 2

🔵 Image set 3