#our favorite songs

[lazybug16]

Books I read/reread in the last 3 months of 2022 and recommend (and yes, all apart from two are queer)

Also recommend to check for trigger warnings just in case, this website for books is the one I use, or you can ask!

Act Your Age, Eve Brown by Talia Hibbert

Eve Brown is 26 and still hasn't found her passion, so after an argument with her parents she drives off and finds a cute B&B that is hiring a cook, so she takes her chance, not expecting to find out new things about herself along the way

I read this book because there are autistic characters in it and I felt so fucking seen when reading this book (especially by Eve), very very good book and the dialogue is AMAZING, you will definetly laugh! Also just fyi two very explicit scenes and very graphic (all consensual and lovey dovey) but wanted to say it just in case because they use more explicit language than what I'm used to lol 9/10

All That's Left in the World by Erik J. brown

Almost a year after a flu pandemic two boys find each other and help one another on their journey to find help, and feelings might start up on the way to their destination

Started reading it because I love The Last of Us and knew this was going to be sort of that style and I ABSOLUTELY LOVED it, I couldn't put it down like... I have no words... wow, one of the best stories I've read! Jamie and Andrew my beloved 10/10

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

Two 15 year old boys meet in the summer of 1987 in El Paso, Texas, at the swimming pool where Dante teaches Aristotle how to swim, which marks the start of their friendship and adventures together, and maybe more...

An absolute delight to read and these two boys are just adorable (their parents are also super nice), very easy to read and keeps you wanting to know more about the story 9/10

Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters of the World by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

Continues right where the previous story ends, we see how Ari and Dante's relationship moves forward while also touching the topic about the AIDS epidemic, internalised homophobia, family and friendship

I really liked the sequel, you get to delve deeper into Aristotle and the people around him, and the ending was just as beautiful as the first one, Aristotle and Dante must be protected at all costs 9/10

Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire

Some children find a door/portal to another world which they eventually consider home, but they eventually end up back in the real world again. It might have felt like years since they left, but it's only been days for their parents/siblings who were in the real world waiting for their return, so they send them to a special school to get better (and also meet others like them who have been through the same experience)

Fantasy and mystery book (a bit of gore too because of murder), very very interesting and fast read, and if anyone deadnames Kade I will deck them 9/10

Heartstopper (volume 1-4) by Alice Oseman

A graphic novel showing the journey of young lgbtq+ teenagers showing their life through high school in the UK, the main characters are Nick and Charlie and we see them grow and fall in love

Just an amazingly adorable lgbtq+ story and beautiful illustrations, you will fall in love with the characters instantly, definetly recommend, especially for someone who might not be a "book" person since it's like a comic/graphic novel 10/10

Her Royal Highness by Rachel Hawkins

An American girl goes to a school in Scottland for her final year in high school and gets to be roommates with a princess, what could possibly happen...

The slowest of slow-burns, enemies to friends to lovers, and roommates, what more could you ask for? Sort of a mix between Red, White and Royal Blue and Young Royals but wlw. Also Perry my chaotic beloved 7/10

I Was Born for This by Alice Oseman

Angel is a massive fan of the boy band The Ark and meets up with an internet friend to meet them and go to their concert, all the while we also see how Jimmy and his other two band mates cope with fame and fangirls

You think famous people are perfect? You put them on a pedestal? Feel possessive? Ship them together? Then read this book to learn the reality of it all and maybe you can grow tf up 8/10

Lost Christmas by David Logan

A child called Goose lives with his nan in Manchester and does petty thefts for a bit of cash, alongside his dog Mutt, but what he doesn't know is that stealing a certain jewellery will be the first domino to unravel certain events that might just change his life, and possibly a second chance

This book will break your heart and mend it in the most marvelous way, you can connect with every single main character in one way or another, the story is fascinating and the twist is just so unexpected, one of my favourite books that I read as a kid and reread now 9/10

Loveless by Alice Oseman

Georgia and her two best friends just finished high school and are going to the same university, but things start to unravel when Georgia thinks that she has wasted her teens by not having her first kiss yet at the ripe age of eighteen, but soon finds out why she has never had a crush (and wonders why society is so obsessed with sex and love)

I am Georgia and Georgia is me, I felt so seen in this book and I could understand almost all of the main characters thought process and struggles, thank you Alice for writing this book, it means the world to me 9/10

Nick & Charlie novella by Alice Oseman

Takes place about a year after the 4th volume of Heartstopper, Nick is a few months away from going to university and Charlie is worried that a long distance relationship might not be the best idea... But of course, they are Nick and Charlie, so not even that can stop them

Very quick read, angsty and spicy at the same time lol 9/10

Our Favorite Songs by Anita Kelly

Aiden and Kai haven't seen each other since high school five years ago, and running into each other in a queer karaoke bar might be just what they needed to reconnect and get to know each other

If you liked Alex and Henry from RWRB then you will love this, it's fluffy, smutty and angsty and it's just an amazing story, very fast read too and it will get you hooked from the very beginning 10/10

Radio Silence by Alice Oseman

Takes place about a year or two after Solitaire, following the life of Frances Janvier and Aled Last. They need to start thinking about their future and university options, but before anything is decided, a YouTube podcast called Universe City might be the answer they needed

Oof okay, this was darker than I thought it was going to be, had to take a few breaks because of intense scenes and personal trigger warnings, that's why I lowered the rating by a point, but just like any other Alice's books, very well written 8/10

Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

FSOTUS Alex and Prince of Wales Henry have to pretend to be friends, and in doing so actually become friends, and something more (shenanigans ensue)

One of my favourite books EVER! (If not my favourite book that I've read so far) Amazing characters, amazing writing and you feel the emotions so deeply, and Alex is a little shit (affectionate) throughout all of it 10/10

Solitaire by Alice Oseman

Takes place in the universe of Heartstopper (around volume 3-4), but this time the protagonist is Victoria "Tori" Spring, Charlie's sister. We get to see her life at school and at home, and how a blog named "Solitaire" changes everything

Much darker that Heartstopper but still an amazing story, you really just want to give Tori a hug 9/10

They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera

People recieve a phone call on the day they are going to die to inform them of the tragic news, two boys in their late teens recieve the call and spend the last day together, forming an unlikely friendship and something more

I'm so much like Mateo it's INSANE, also very interesting how some of the characters were connected with one another, very interesting concept and part four was my favourite, but also get your tissues ready because you will CRY 8/10

This Winter by Alice Oseman

Takes place about 1-2 weeks before Solitaire, during Christmas day. Written in Tori, Charlie and Oliver's POV

Very quick read, and you get to know the extended Spring family a bit more, also Nick's family a bit 9/10

Volverán a por mí by Josan Hatero & Use Lahoz

"Disobedient" teenagers are sent to an academy in scotland over the summer so that they learn how to be good and disciplined, meanwhile three strangers become friends and find out what really happens in that grey mansion and try to escape

This book is in spanish, I read it for the first time when I was in high school (like 10 years ago when it first came out lol) and instantly fell in love with it, it has the same vibes as Every Heart a Doorway but more dramatic, very cool and easy to read 9/10

Queer rep:

Act Your Age, Eve Brown (pansexual character)

All That's Left in the World (gay and bisexual characters)

Aristotle and Dante (gay characters)

Every Heart a Doorway (asexual and transgender characters)

Heartstopper (gay, bisexual, lesbian and transgender characters)

Her Royal Highness (bisexual and lesbian characters)

I Was Born for This (transgender, gay and bisexual characters)

Loveless (asexual, aromantic, gay, lesbian, pansexual and non binary characters)

Nick and Charlie (bisexual and gay characters)

Our Favorite Songs (bisexual, queer and non binary characters)

Radio Silence (bisexual, gay, demisexual and agender characters)

Red, White and Royal Blue (gay, bisexual, pansexual and transgender characters)

Solitaire (bisexual and gay characters)

They Both Die at The End (gay and bisexual characters)

This Winter (bisexual and gay characters)

[aurorawest]

Reading update

I Am Not Your Chosen One by Evelyn Benvie - DNF

Another one of those 'reads like something I would have written as a teenager' books. Definite cozy fantasy undertones to this one. I just don't enjoy the subversion of the Chosen One trope with this kind of winking, genre-aware character. I also don't enjoy when things read like video game walkthroughs.

The Charioteer by Mary Renault - 5/5 stars

I bought this because Cat Sebastian recommended it. I had actually never heard of Mary Renault, nor was I aware this book is a queer classic (FAKE BOOK FAN). But I. Wow. The basic story is a love triangle between our main character, Laurie, who was wounded at Dunkirk and is recovering at a convalescent hospital; Andrew, a conscientious objector and orderly at said hospital; and Ralph, who was a prefect at Laurie's school until he was expelled for being queer. It's so much more than that, though. Very rarely do I read a book that's so gorgeously written. I actually kept thinking as I was reading that I bet Natasha Pulley is a Mary Renault fan, because the prose had that same aching quality.

It's not an easy book to read—there's as much that's unsaid in the dialogue as what's actually said (probably more, actually), so you definitely have to read carefully. And of course it was written in 1953 so blah blah blah problematic something or another. With that out of the way, please, please read this beautiful book.

Of Dragons, Feasts and Murders by Aliette de Bodard - 3.75/5 stars

I don't think my rating is entirely fair, because I haven't read the main series that this novella is based on, so it was very much getting chucked into the deep end of a world that I didn't understand and wasn't ever explained, because familiarity was assumed. That said, I still enjoyed it. I might eventually pick up the main series just to see how Thuan and Asmodeus got together.

Liar City by Allie Therin - 4.75/5 stars

Honestly, the only reason I didn't give this 5 stars was because I wanted more romance. I'm hoping assuming there's going to be another book and that this is a slow burn romance between Reece and Evan. Might flip a table if not.

The Ministry of Utmost Happiness by Arundhati Roy - 4/5 stars

Obviously a book called The Ministry of Utmost Happiness written by Arundhati Roy isn't going to be a lighthearted read, and surprise, it wasn't. What was weird, and very am-I-in-the-matrix, is that the day I started reading this, someone referred to the conflict in Kashmir as "their little conflict" (for those keeping score, it was the same lady that said lab created diamonds have no intrinsic value; clearly a real winner of a human being). Then later in the day I started reading this because it had risen to the top of my TBR, and it's...largely about the conflict in Kashmir.

Our Favorite Songs by Anita Kelly - 4.5/5 stars

Man, I really like Anita Kelly. This is only the second book of theirs I've read but I just really vibe with their style. This was a super quick read. I hadn't read the first book in the series, but that didn't seem to matter at all.

Never Whistle at Night edited by Shane Hawk and Theodore C Van Alst Jr. - 3.75/5 stars

This is an anthology of Native horror stories written by Native writers. Some of these stories were REALLY REALLY good, but there was a run of pretty bad ones in the middle that kept me from rating it higher. There was one in particular that was like...did someone owe you a favor because this is straight up awful. But the ones that were good were very creepy and unsettling. There's also one that was less a horror story and more just a horrible story. I didn't think it really belonged in this anthology but I really enjoyed it regardless. Good spooky read.

The Emperor's Bone Palace by Hailey Turner - 4.75/5 stars

The end of this book wrecked me. It's the middle book in a trilogy so I'm hoping for a happy ending in book 3.

The Venetian and the Rum Runner by LA Witt - 4/5 stars

Irish thief meets, works with, and falls for an Italian underboss in Prohibition-era NYC. This was a slooooooow burn and the romance at times almost felt secondary to the rest of the action. But I enjoyed it and felt like the historical stuff was really well done. Plus as an Italian-American I always appreciate reminders that there was a time when Italian immigrants weren't considered white enough (fun fact, I've been subject to more anti-Italian sentiment in my life than homophobic sentiment). If you're looking for a light hearted historical romance this ain't it. I was kind of shocked by the body count, and some of the deaths really got to me.

[demaparbat-hp]

Little Zuzu for an incoming project 🔥

[professionalintrovert]

❝ I wasn’t holding myself back from the world; I was simply better at standing in the shadows and observing it. I was good at it, observing the world. Writing it down. ❞ Anita Kelly, “Our Favorite Songs” ❄️

[rwrbsource]

@rwrbmovie & @rwrbsource’s rwrbweek: Day 2 | Song ↳ My Favorite Soundtrack Songs [INSP / TEMPLATE]

[xx-sketchy-xx]

“we are so close to opposites, we must be the same!”

@sketchquill I love your oc so much actually though. They are so wonderful

[metamorphesque]

Ari I'm Sokhak (Արի, իմ սոխակ) Come hither, my nightingale

Come hither, my nightingale, leave our garden and come, With your psalms bring slumber to the eyes of my son. But oh, he’s crying! Nightingale, don’t come, Tis not a deacon he wants to become. Come hither, skylark, leave your pastures and fields, Rock my baby gently, he’s longing for sleep. But oh, he’s crying! Baby bird, don’t come, It is not a monk he wants to become. Leave your hunt and come, you brave-hearted hawk! Tis your song, perhaps, that my son shall want. As the hawk drew near, my baby grew quiet, Fell asleep to war songs, his own silent riot.

(translated by metamorphesque)

[freakazoinkk]

Am I incapable of healing? This memory of my fall from grace in your heart?

[romantoy]

did you guys know that ofmd is actually a romance and a love story between two men who happen to be on boats

[echo-goes-mmm]

Ambrose and Elliot #26

Masterpost

Previous

Next

Warnings: dehumanization, conditioning, murder mention, referenced past torture

Elliot woke up alone. The space beside him was cold; Master had been gone a while. Probably off to get rid of the body.

He buried his face into the pillows, squeezing one of them to his chest.

Master Ambrose had killed someone. Murdered a man. For him. 

Elliot thought Ambrose was the kindest man in the world, but Horneswood’s screams last night told him that wasn’t true.

What did that mean?

Elliot rolled over, and sat up. Thinking was so hard, always, but he had been clever last night. He’d been right; there was a before time. Before his old master had gotten his hands on him.

His cleverness frightened him. It was so much easier to be stupid and dumb. It didn’t give him headaches like being smart did.

Elliot got out of bed and straightened the covers, smoothing out the wrinkles. 

He was good at making things neat. He liked it; cleaning made his head quiet. 

He should check to see if there was any blood left on the floor.

Elliot slipped out of the bedroom, but the sitting room floor was spotless. The furniture was back in its place, the rug spread out again. A part of him was disappointed; he wanted a distraction from last night’s revelations.

Elliot made his way downstairs. There was no sign of Ambrose.

He made himself a bowl of oatmeal and ate slowly. The hot food and late morning sunlight made him feel a bit better. 

There was dried mud on the floor, and he didn’t know what it was from, but he welcomed the opportunity to scrub something away.

He grabbed a dishrag from the kitchen and a bowl of water, and got on his knees to wash away the mud. It was good work, and satisfying to see the dirty floor become shiny again.

The front door opened, and he knew from the sound of the swing that it was Ambrose.

“Hey,” he said. “How’re you feeling?”

“I’m fine, Master.” He kept rubbing away the dirt.

“Fine?”

Elliot paused. “Yes, Master. Just fine.”

Ambrose’s footsteps came closer, until he was standing right next to him. Elliot leaned into his leg, sighing. Master Ambrose put a hand on his head.

It was nice. 

No matter what happened before, it felt… right to kneel at Ambrose’s feet.

“You called me Master. Twice, now.” 

Elliot pulled away. “Sorry.”

“No, it’s just-” Ambrose sighed. “Are you sure you’re alright? Last night was a lot.”

Elliot stared at the streak of mud left on the floor. “I don’t know. But, um, I’m glad he’s gone.”

Master hummed. “Me too.”

“What- what if you get caught?” Elliot hadn’t really thought about it, but now…

“Oh, I already talked to the elders. They understood.”

Elliot blinked, and looked up at Ambrose. “What?” He wasn’t sure he heard him right.

“I took care of it. They know, and it’s fine.”

“They just… let you kill people.”

“I mean- no- but, well. I’ve been here a long time, and they trust me. And it’s not like Horneswood was a ‘beloved member of town’ or anything. I did have to tell them about… what he did to you. I’m really sorry about that.”

Elliot thought it over. Gods, he was tired, and so mixed up inside.

He didn’t want a bunch of people hearing about his old master, but if it kept Ambrose from getting into trouble it must be fine.

“Okay.”

He picked up the rag and went back to scrubbing the floor. Ambrose watched him for a moment before wandering off.

Elliot let his thoughts melt away, and felt at peace.

___________________

It was only noon-ish, but Ambrose poured himself some wine. An old bottle from before he moved to Little Wood; a good year.

He didn’t drink much, but he felt he deserved a little treat.

Elliot didn’t seem any different. Still quiet, still not-quite-there when he wasn’t being addressed. He just drifted around like a ghost. Doing housework. As usual.

Ambrose guessed that was the best he could hope for. A part of him wished Elliot would be less jumpy, more relaxed, but that still seemed to be in the far future.

He began to work on some soup while he sipped on his drink. He needed something to do to take his mind off of the lingering horror of last night.

Wordlessly, Elliot caught on to what he was doing, and joined him in the kitchen.

For someone who often didn’t understand kindness, he was plenty observant of everything else.

Elliot grabbed some of the vegetables he’d pulled out and started to roughly chop them as Ambrose took care of the aromatics.

“Do you want some wine?” Ellie didn’t drink, but it was polite to offer.

“Okay.” Huh.

He poured him a glass and they worked in silence.

Ambrose poured some oil into the pot and added the onion and garlic, listening to it sizzle. When it began to smell nice, he put in the ground beef mix he had set out. 

Once it was browned, Ellie added the chopped tomatoes, celery, carrots, green beans, and potatoes. Ambrose stripped some dried herbs off their stems and tossed it in while Elliot fetched some stock.

Soon it was simmering, and Ambrose finished it with some pepper and coarse salt.

Ambrose ladled out two bowls, and Elliot took their wine to the table.

The soup was good and comforting, and the tension in Ambrose’s shoulders gradually bled out of him.

Elliot didn’t seem interested in getting seconds, which was odd. He pushed around a scrap of meat with his spoon, head on his hand.

“Are you alright, Ellie?”

“Why are you so kind to me? You don’t have to be. I wouldn’t do anything if you weren’t.”

Ambrose sat back in his chair.

“Everyone deserves kindness.”

“What about Mr. Horneswood?” Ambrose swirled the wine in his glass.

“I’m a hypocrite,” he shrugged.

Elliot didn’t smile at the joke. It wasn’t really a joke anyway. Ambrose turned to look out the window. Gray, dirty slush sat on the ground, matching the gray, sad sky. He took another sip of wine.

“How long will you let me stay here? I’ve only ever caused you trouble.”

“That’s not true.”

“It is. I’ve broken your dishes, I’ve gotten in a fight, I haven’t stopped crying and taking up your attention, and you just murdered someone for me,” listed off Elliot.

Ambrose didn’t quite know what to say.

“You help me out,” he said. “And I like you. You can stay as long as you need to.”

“And when I don’t need to anymore?”

“You can still stay.”

Elliot bit his lip and put down his spoon. He took a sip of the wine in his glass.

“Do you love me?”

Ambrose stared at him. Elliot met his gaze, and this was the most exhausted Ambrose had seen him since the first few weeks.

His hair was longer now, bangs brushing just above his blue eyes. It was clean and fluffy, still stark white like snow or clouds. 

Elliot had even put on weight, and looked nearly healthy.

Aside from the deep dark shadows under his dead, dead eyes. Usually they were vacant and fleeting, but now that he was focused and alert (despite the wine, somehow), Ambrose could see the damage in his soul.

He looked away.

“I had a husband once, did you know?”

Elliot looked down at his bowl, shoulders sagging. Ellie shook his head.

“No, Master.” There was that title again.

Ambrose poured himself more wine.

“One day he just left. Didn’t say goodbye. A long time ago, but-” he shrugged. “-Still hurts. Then I moved here.”

“I didn’t know,” Elliot whispered.

“All that to say, I love my husband. I wish he’d come back.” Ambrose reached out, his hand on Elliot’s. “I can’t love you that way-”

“I don’t mind.”

“-But there’s more than one way to love someone, and I care for you deeply. I’ve been incredibly lonely since he left, and I value your company more than words. I hope you’ll stay, even when you don’t need me anymore.”

Elliot didn’t move. “You love me?”

“Mhm.”

“No one’s ever loved me before.”

“You mean, you don’t remember.”

“No. I mean no one has.” Elliot looked up at Ambrose, his eyes shiny with tears. “If someone loved me, they wouldn’t have let my old master do those things. They would have come for me. Right?”

Ambrose didn’t have an answer.

taglist: @cupcakes-and-pain @secretwhumplair @paintedpigeon1 @whump-blog @whump-em @thingsthatgo-whump-inthenight @starfields08000 @littlespacecastle @mylovelyme @whump-cravings @zeewbee @just-a-whumping-racoon-with-wifi @keepingwhumpwiththekardashians @fanastyfinder @roblingoblin285 @whumpzone @snakebites-and-ink @astrokea @magdalena-writes @latenightcupsofcoffee @tobiaslut @whumpsoda @loserwithstyle

[lightscamerabitchsmileee]

Vote for your fave, reblog & share your thoughts if you wish ☺️☺️

Check my masterpost for the debut and fearless polls that are still open ☺️☺️

Also theres still some time to vote in the red vault & other taylor songs polls check my other masterpost for that ☺️☺️

Thank you and have fun ☺️☺️

[wingsandpetals]

crazy how the 'this song is so mysognistic and fire' youtube comment permanently cemented itself into my mind but i cant just reference my own screenshot of somebody's youtube comment and expect people to get it

[spinjitsuburst]

watched the end of Skybound and day of the departed in my watchthrough with my friend that we put off for months so take a Cole I sketched during dotd

[hazellevessque]

“There’s no morning glory, it was war, it wasn’t fair…”

My favorite couples as Taylor Swift songs part v | The Great War (Roma Montagov and Juliette Cai’s Version)

[edwardbabygirlteach]

Rhys Darby - Rhys Darby hears Desert Sparrow preforming “You Don’t Mess Around With Jim”

Video link below the cut.

[fleshadept]

legends say that if you say “our flag means death” 3 times into a mirror taika waititi will appear to tell you it’s a love story about two guys who happen to be on a boat