#queenathon

[readingoals]

Queenathon Day 13: The Millionaire Waltz

Show us your latest book haul! Have you bought a few books in the last month? Or borrowed a stack from the library? Or have you bought yourself some sort of bookish items - literary funko pop vinyls or a book related puzzle or some cute fanart stickers? 

I don’t often do haul posts cause I don’t often buy more than one or two books at a time and then I figure I should wait until the end of the month because chances are I’ll buy something else on a different visit to the bookstore and a monthly wrap up makes more sense but then i entirely forget about it. So anyway, these are a selection of books I’ve bought in the second half of this year. The only one I’ve already read is Carrie Soto Is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid

[queenmylovely]

Queenathon Day 14: Was It All Worth It

Prompt: Now that we’ve reached the end of the readathon tell us how you went! Did you complete any of the goals you set on day one? Give us a wrap up of what you read and how you went with your bingo board!

I did reach my goals! Both of them! I actually finished 6 books during the time (including the one I finished day one and the one I finished last night, the last night of the queenathon). And I did indeed read every day! Woohoo

That last book didn’t add anything to my bingo board except cozy reading night bc I did drink tea last night and I’m counting it ☕️ I’m v happy with my two bingos but am a bit disappointed I didn’t ever remember to listen to queen 😔 I’m sure I heard some on the radio during the two weeks but that was coincidence and I’m not gonna count that.

Anyway, I loved doing this and it definitely motivated me to read more so I could hit that goal of all five, thank you Brigid @illfoandillfie 💖💖💖

[taiblogcomics]

As Good As Green

Hey there, deer crackers. Well, it's Thursday, and that means it is another comic review and not a terrible soda. Frankly, I'm not sure which is worse. Both leave a bad taste in your mouth. Finishing a single issue of Countdown is quicker than drinking that soda, but finishing all of Countdown takes much, much longer. And in today's example, both of them are even green! I guess I'll leave this one to the philosophers~

How green is my cover?

Hey, a few months ago, do you remember me early on alluding to the idea that Kyle Rayner might show up in this series? Surprise, Kyle Rayner has finally shown up in this series. You can't escape editorial mandates forever, Kyle! And while this cover does look good (let's get that out of the way), it won't save this series! And while we know you were the Jesus metaphor of the Green Lantern books, it won't help you here. At least we're getting that imagery from someone other than Superman for once, though~

Recap time! Donna Troy, Jason Todd, and pals are looking throughout for Ray Palmer, this series' saviour figure, but got caught by a magical queen. Pied Piper and Trickster were in the wrong place at the wrong time, and Wally West won't forgive. Karate Kid and Una are on a long fetch quest to heal the sick. Mary Marvel got the Judas treatment for over-trusting Klarion the Witchboy. Jimmy Olsen receive magic god powers he doesn't know how to use. And Holly Robinson and Harley Quinn are the chosen champions of a different pantheon altogether. Now let us pray we can get through this issue~

So we open right where we left off for once, with Flash interrogating Trickster and Pied Piper after having beaten the hell out of them. They're still trying to beg for both mercy and belief on their tale of the attack on Green Arrow's wedding. Here's another weird bit: Piper also claims they've been implanted with explosive chips in their necks (standard Suicide Squad setup). How or why this happened when they already have a lethal electric handcuff to keep them in line, I don't know. But Wally vibrates the chips out of their necks and blows them up over the harbour.

With the revelation that the explosive chips were true, Wally is inclined to believe them about other things they're saying. For now, at least. Wally then demands details, but all Piper and Trickster know is that Deathstroke is planning "something", and will kill them if it gets out they squealed. Wally calls up Zatanna for help, and the instant they hear her name, Piper and Trickster panic about mindwipes and try to run away. However, they get caught up in whatever teleporter Wally is using, and beam away with him.

So the mindwipe thing is a reference to Identity Crisis, which was already on the required reading for Ray Palmer's backstory leading into this. Long story short, Dr. Light used to be a much more reprehensible villain and attempted sexual assault on Ralph Dibny's wife back in the day. He was caught mid-act, and the Justice League voted to mindwipe him to make him more docile. Dr. Light eventually recovered his memory, but I don't know how or when this became public info among the supervillain community as a whole, particularly reformed ones like Piper and Trickster. But it's hardly the only goof in Countdown's plotting, now is it~?

Speaking of Ray Palmer, the Multiverse Crew out looking for him sure seem to be in a spot. Donna Troy and Queen Plot-Irrelevant are still fighting, and Ryan Choi (now full-size, not trapped, and not a bug) keeps Jason Todd from jumping in. Jason instead opts to help Bob the Monitor. Bob is also inexplicably freed from Queenathon's control. Thankfully, before this can get any more confusing, Kyle Rayner descends from on high to deus ex machina our way out of this plotline. He knocks out the queen, pulls Donna free from the multiverse hole, and joins the party. He's also uncharacteristically flirty with Donna, which stood out to me as a Green Lantern reader.

So Mary Marvel is being held prisoner in a magic bubble, with the intent of being sold. But then Klarion suggest she covers her ears, and as she does so, she's suddenly struck with some sort of sonic spell. Turns out, the bubble Klarion made was a shield, as she was being targeted by another magician, who didn't like her approaching his stall uninvited. Klarion's just playful with his intentions. He doesn't have any ill intentions or desire for compensation himself, he's just a good witchboy. Well, except for maybe a tiny bit of her own power…

So you want confusing shit, huh? We join Jimmy Olsen as he's running through the streets, doing things. Most of these things include dodging a blue sedan tailing him. Truly the most sinister of all cars. This is just very confusing, as it drops us into this instead of building up to him noticing he's being followed as he leaves Steel's lab. Either way, this is all pointless, as his escape gets cut off--he's a guy trying to avoid a car on foot, after all--and a guy steps out. He explains he's the director of Cadmus Labs, and wants to throw his resources behind helping Jimmy solve his problems. Surely this meeting could've been an email~

So Flash has teleported Piper and Trickster to Zatanna's mansion, where guests are staying for the wedding. He assures them they don't mindwipe anyone anymore, and he's just stashing them somewhere safe until he can look into their lead. He also refuses to undo the handcuffs, since he doesn't fully trust them yet. As soon as Flash leaves, the two of them start fighting again. Trickster thinks it's still a trap to be mindwiped, and Piper wants to stay put. So Trickster punches Piper out, and tries to escape, only to trigger one of Zatanna's magical defenses: a mummy with a sword. The finest in home security!

So, to finish up, we return to our cover group. Say, does following five characters around seem like a lot? The comic sure thinks so, as suddenly a giant hand reaches out of the sky, picks up Ryan Choi, and pulls him out of the story. This is probably explained in his solo series, but I haven't read it (I should fix that some time). Kyle and Donna want to go after him, but Jason points out that he's not the Atom they're looking for, and they should move on. Bob concurs, and while the other two don't like it, the comic ends with the four of them heading off for more filler. I mean, adventures.

Well, I'll admit, this isn't an awful issue or anything. Kyle's introduction and promotion to main cast member feels really out of nowhere, even if it was technically foreshadowed way back. Ryan Choi's departure is also very abrupt, and the comic never even gives you a "Find out what happened to Ryan in All-New Atom #whatever", which would at least be something I could look up. Pretty sure that's his last appearance or even mention in Countdown, so fuck you if you wanted closure, I guess~

[killerqueen-ofwillowgreen]

asdgjdksk I just realised that I missed Queenathon 2022, can somebody in the fandom please tag me in this type of thing in future? please and thank you

[illfoandillfie]

In an effort to motivate myself to read a bit more, I’ve decided to host a readathon here on tumblr. And this being a queen fanblog, what better theme than the band itself. So....

Welcome to the Queen-A-Thon! 

This readathon will run for ten days from Saturday, 9 October through Monday 18 October (starting at Midnight in whatever timezone you inhabit). That will hopefully give everyone enough time around work/school/inktober/whatever else you’ve got going on.

Below the cut are daily prompts to encourage community interaction, each one named after a song by Queen. Participants can respond to as many or as few of the prompts as they like and are encourage to respond in whatever way they’re most comfortable with (be that a simple text post or a photo or graphic or even a video). The aim of the game is to have fun with it!

And for those who can’t or don’t want to answer one or more of the daily prompts, there’s a list of bonus prompts which are shorter and might be able inspire a post. You could tell us about your favourite book that fits the criteria, use them as a Book Photo Challenge, or even to help you choose books you’d like to read during the 10 days.

Whichever prompts you choose to respond to and however you do it, tag your posts with #queenathon so I can see and share them!

So without further ado...

Daily Prompts

Day 0: Coming Soon

Before the readathon starts, share what books you intend to read or what you’re hoping to achieve. (a certain number of books or pages you want to finish?  A number of hours you want to spend reading? Just joining in conversations and answering prompts?)

Day 1: Bohemian Rhapsody

Queen were never afraid to try new genres and mix up music styles while creating their albums. Is there a particular genre of book you find yourself drawn to more than others? Or perhaps a genre you’d like to read more of?

Day 2: Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy

Tell us about your favourite relationship(s) you’ve read about - romantic or platonic or somewhere in between. Is there a trope that you especially love? A ship you can’t stop reading fics about? A real life literary relationship you want to ramble about? We’d love to hear about it!

Day 3:  These Are The Days of Our Lives

Queen published albums from the 70s through to the 90s and now, in the 2020s, are experiencing something of a revival. Do you have any favourite authors or series that were published over multiple decades?

Day 4: Teo Torriatte

Let’s talk languages! Do you ever read any books in a language other than your native one? Or do you have any favourite books that have been translated from another langauge?

Day 5:  Let Me Entertain You

Recommend something! This is your chance to tell us about a favourite book/author/series/bookstore/whatever other bookish thing!  

Day 6:  Fight From The Inside

Share a strong opinion you’ve got about something book related, whether that opinion is popular or not.

Day 7: I Want It All

Tell us about some of your favourite bookish items! Do you collect funko pop vinyls from a book series? Or maybe you’ve got a stash of bookmarks, or a favourite book you keep buying new editions of? Whatever it is, we want to know about it!

Day 8: I Want To Break Free

How do you handle a book you’re not loving? Will you DNF it as soon as you lose interest, or are you more likely to persevere in the hopes it gets better?

Day 9: Good Company

Tell us about your favourite time period to read about! Do you have a soft spot for novels set in the Regency era? Or maybe you have a collection of non-fiction books about Ancient Egypt? Or are historical novels not your thing and you prefer books set in the present?

Day 10: We Are The Champions (was it all worth it?)

Now that we’ve reached the end of the readathon tell us how you went! Did you complete any of your goals? What were your general opinions of the books you read and the experience you had?

Bonus Prompts

A book about a musician or band

A book set in England

A book with a music format on the cover (record/CD/cassette/iPod/etc)

A book written by a Freddie, Brian, John, or Roger

A book that features fairies, ogres, dragons and/or queens

A book with an LGBT+ main character

A book referenced in a Queen song/song title (eg: Invisible Man)

A book that was adapted into a movie/TV show staring one of the Bohemian Rhapsody cast

A book published or set in the 70s

A book about Queen

[ao3feed-dramione]

Rules of Love OR How to Snag a Ferret in Eight Easy Steps

read it on the AO3 at http://bit.ly/2VsE4Q5

by the_rainbow_jen

Written for the Livejournal queenathon challenge in 2006. Prompt: Play The Game by Queen

Words: 4701, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Fandoms: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling

Rating: Mature

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: F/M

Characters: Draco Malfoy, Hermione Granger

Relationships: Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy

Additional Tags: Sexual Situations, Angst, Song Lyrics, Prompt Fic

read it on the AO3 at http://bit.ly/2VsE4Q5

[readingoals]

Queenathon Day 11: I Was Born To Love You

Are there any authors you consider “must-buys” or “must-reads”? Or maybe a particular book that you keep buying new editions of? 

I have a few ‘must buy’ authors. At the moment Taylor Jenkins Reid is one of them but I have absolutely zero interest in any of her books published before Evelyn Hugo so I guess we’ll see which direction her writing goes in next.

Another author that I keep buying as soon as I see he has a new book out (even though I’m yet to read a couple of them) is David Mitchell. Like Reid, he ties all his books into the same universe with characters that get mentioned in multiple stories. I find it absolutely fascinating when authors do that.

And then we have Joe Hill. Again, I haven’t got around to all his books yet but I do keep buying them. But there is a reason I haven’t read them all yet. I’m not actually super into horror books. I read Horns a few years ago because I knew there was a movie in the works that Daniel Radcliffe was cast in and I figured I was probably going to see it (still haven’t) so I should read it first. And I really enjoyed it and then went out and bought more of his stuff. But I can only psych myself up for reading them every so often lmao.

And then, of course, I have to mention Frankenstein by Mary Shelley because I am always on the lookout for editions I don’t own.

[readingoals]

Queenathon Day 14: Was It All Worth It

Now that we’ve reached the end of the readathon tell us how you went! Did you complete any of the goals you set on day one? Give us a wrap up of what you read and how you went with your bingo board!

These are the four books I finished during Queenathon! Didn’t quite get to my goal of 5 but I will say, I don’t normally read this much when I’m not working so I’m still very happy with the 4!

And here’s my bingo board at the end of the readathon. I managed 1 bingo and being close to 3 or 4 more.

The one bingo I got was based off of a single book. 5 Star Prediction, Bestseller, LGBT+ Character and Been Putting Off all counted for The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. And then Guilt Free Activity was very easy to check off.

4.50 From Paddington got me Set In England and Favourite Genre.

The Stranger got me Black and White Cover and Translation

and then the Welcome To Night Vale book checked off Multiple Authors, Featuring a Pet (since Khoshekh was quite important) and Featuring a Dragon (Hiram McDaniels, literally a 5 headed dragon)

I’m a little disappointed I didn’t get Cosy Reading Night done, especially because we had some stormy weather in the middle of the readathon. I fully intended to do it and take some photos to share but it just never happened, unfortunately. But overall I’m very happy with what I achieved!

[queenmylovely]

Queenathon Day 13: The Millionaire Waltz

Prompt: Show us your latest book haul! Have you bought a few books in the last month? Or borrowed a stack from the library? Or have you bought yourself some sort of bookish items - literary funko pop vinyls or a book related puzzle or some cute fanart stickers? 

Not so much a haul but a what’s on my nightstand rn. I own THO and the other two are from the library, where most of the books I read are from. I’ve tried to change so I only buy books if I’ve already read them and want to own them or for collecting reasons (such as Jane Austen or Shakespeare). It saves a lot of space that I don’t have at the moment lol

[queenmylovely]

Queenathon Day 12: Dreamers Ball

Prompt: If tomorrow a magician appeared and said he could conjure you the perfect place to read what would it look like? A sprawling Beauty and the Beast library? A cosy little nook with just the essentials for reading? This is your dream library or reading space, so don’t hold back, tell us what you wish for!

Ooo I definitely think Beauty and the Beast style but maybe about half the size. And then not everything is filled with books, it could be also like an arts and crafts space with plenty of storage. And then loooooots of seating. Every window has a different type of window seat, maybe some hanging chairs, definitely couches, blankets, soft rugs, big squishy chairs, and yeah a fireplace would be sooooo nice and maybe a sound system for playing ambient music over or having a dance party!

No reading update today, just plugging along!

[readingoals]

Queenathon Day 12: Dreamers Ball

If tomorrow a magician appeared and said he could conjure you the perfect place to read what would it look like? A sprawling Beauty and the Beast library? A cosy little nook with just the essentials for reading? This is your dream library or reading space, so don’t hold back, tell us what you wish for!

My brothers used to play AFL at this local club and every time we drove to pick them up from training we’d pass this house in one of the neighbouring streets. It had a room on the second floor which was usually lit up and had its curtain open so you could sort of see inside. Just a brief glimpse as we drove past but it stuck with me and to me it feels like the ideal reading room/personal library. Every visible wall was lined with bookshelves and there was a lamp and a winged armchair in the center of it all. It looked like a pretty classic home library and my god am I jealous of the people who own it lmao.

So mine would be quite similar - the room wouldn’t have to be too big but there’d be bookshelves on all the walls. I could possibly sacrifice one wall of shelves to put a fireplace in but I live in Brisbane, Australia and it never gets cold enough to need one so maybe if I moved further south. The winged armchair would preferably be a dark green but I do already have an ikea armchair of that style and it’s yellow so that would also work. Ideally there would be a matching footstool and of course a nice lamp - something art deco maybe - and a little round table for tea slash snacks.

Also, I have apparently hit the age where I should be doing up my own home because all instagram is recomending to me rn is renovation videos, which has made me really really want to fuck around with those like vinyl wallpapers or whatever they are. Maybe the wall above the fireplace could be decorated with a busy wallpaper, or even the inside of the bookshelves could be.

[queenmylovely]

Queenathon Day 10: Long Away + I Was Born to Love You

Prompt: Tell us about any books you’re looking forward to reading soon! Is there something yet to be published that you’re excited about? Or something you already own that you’re going to pick up next?

I just read the first two of Kate Bateman’s Ruthless Rivals series and am looking forward to the third which will be published in December I think. And then that Pat of Silver Bush has a sequel, Mistress Pat, which will hopefully tie up some loose ends which I’m excited to read when I get it from the library!

Prompt: Are there any authors you consider “must-buys” or “must-reads”? Or maybe a particular book that you keep buying new editions of? 

I suppose so, because there are a few that I’m working through their bibliographies. They include Louisa May Alcott, Maya Angelou, Ta-Nehisi Coates, L. M. Montgomery, Toni Morrison, and Julia Quinn! Then I decide whether to buy based on how much I liked each individual book!

Edit: Meant to say I finished The Hidden Oracle and started Miracle Drive by Natasha Tretheway. THO filled out bestseller and been putting off (I’ve been meaning to catch up with the series since it came out). And as such, I got 2 bingos!!!!!! Woohoo!!!

[queenmylovely]

Queenathon Day 7 + 8 + 9: Don’t Stop Me Now + Procession + In The Lap Of The Gods….Revisited

Prompt: This is the halfway point of the readathon! We’re a week in, so how are you going? Have you been enjoying the books you’ve chosen? Have you completed any of your goals? Celebrate your progress! 

It’s going good! Reading a lot at work and some at home, and the books have all been good so far! I’ve read 4 out of 5 that I wanted to, have not gotten a bingo yet, but have read every day so that’s good 😊

Prompt: Tell us your thoughts on series! Do you read a lot or prefer stand-alone books? Do you prefer a series with only 2 or 3 books or something that goes on a bit longer? Will you start a series as soon as the first book catches your eye or do you hold off until at least a few have been released? 

I do love a good series, it must be said. I think 5 is kind of a good number but I may be saying that bc I just read two series that were each 5 books long and am about to read another. But it makes sense to me bc it’s not too long where you lose track of stuff but it’s long enough to have a wide arc and go into detail on everything. I usually wait until a series is done until I read it, but the Kate Bateman “series” I’m reading now is still in progress (it’s romance so series’ in general are different and less connected)

Prompt: How do you feel about re-reading books you’ve already read? Do you enjoy revisiting an old favourite? Or is there too many new books to even think about reading something twice? Has re-reading something changed your opinion of it? Are there any books you’ve re-read multiple times?

I LOVE rereading, I think at least 15ish books I’ll read this year will/have been rereads. I’ve read some childhood series such as HP, and then I just finished rereading Percy Jackson for at least the second time. I reread Ella Enchanted this year and I have read the book The Legend of Holly Claus many times. I used to really love Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli but my most recent reread had me feeling different. I think I used to like it so much bc I was in a pick-me phase, but I’ve grown beyond that lol

I finished Pat of Silver Bush in the last couple days, and that has checked off favorite genre (historical) and seasonal read (many different autumns were featured in the books, lots of nature imagery) and then I checked off guilt free activity bc there were definitely times I felt like I should be reading but I was on my phone but that’s okay bc guilt free! PoSB was lovely ☺️

[readingoals]

Day 9: In The Lap Of The Gods….Revisited

How do you feel about re-reading books you’ve already read? Do you enjoy revisiting an old favourite? Or is there too many new books to even think about reading something twice? Has re-reading something changed your opinion of it? Are there any books you’ve re-read multiple times?

oh I absolutely LOVE a re-read! This is a stack of books i’ve read multiple times. There is a handful of books, like Frankenstein and Pride and Prejudice, and The Shadow of the Wind, that I tend to read every couple of years just because I love them so much. I love seeing what new bits I can pick up on a second or third or fourth time through the story - little bits of foreshadowing or turns of phrase that you didn’t notice before.

I also love re-reading books I loved as a kid. It’s a little more dangerous because you can absolutely ruin a series you used to enjoy but I can’t help being a bit of a sucker for nostalgia and it can be really lovely!

I’m considering doing a big re-read of the Rivers of London series over the next couple of years and if we ever get word on when the next A Song Of Ice And Fire Book is going to be released then I’ll definitely be re-reading it too!

[readingoals]

Finished a third book for Queenathon! I think I enjoyed this one a little more than the first one. Which might be because the second season of WTNV had more of an overarching storyline that carried through the whole season. Or maybe because I wasn’t expecting as much from the little explanatory/behind the scenesy introductions to each episode. I also listened to a few episodes as I read which was a very good choice if I do say so myself. Also this was the 25th book I’ve read this year so I’ve officially reached my goodreads goal!

[readingoals]

My 4th finished book for Queenathon. Honestly I really only borrowed this from work because it matched a couple of the bingo prompts and it was short so I thought it would be good for the readathon. In that regard it was a success - I ticked off 2 prompts and I was able to read it in a day basically. But boy was it a waste of time otherwise.

Nothing happened in it. The characters were blah at best and horrid at worst, the story was pretty boring. I get it’s like a philosophical thing and Camus’ whole deal was writing absurdist books but my god. At least it was only 120 pages long.