#readalong

[hungergamesbookclub]

I've created a readalong for Far From the Madding Crowd on Storygraph. I will be completely honest and say I have not participated or run a readalong so I'll be figuring it out as we go, but I thought it would be helpful to have a more forum-like place to have discussion and possibly reach other interested participants. You can participate just as much in either platforms, whatever suits your needs best!

And if you don't have a Storygraph, I do recommend it as an alternative to Goodreads, which is owned by Amazon.

[cnovel-readalong]

"Fortunately, his shizun was merely testing his progress... if it had been an enemy... Yu Shengyan broke out in a cold sweat at the thought; he couldn't help it. He didn't dare to be so self-assured anymore.

Crippling his student's self-esteem with a single blow

HE REALLY IS A TEACHER!

[stravagatefaster]

Join me on a journey to Talia, an alternate universe 16th century Italy!

I will be hosting a readalong of Stravaganza: City of Masks by Mary Hoffman in January 2024, and I hope that you will join me in reading my favorite YA fantasy series from the early 2000s. This is the perfect time to either re-read the series or explore the world of Talia for the first time. The series has been translated to several languages so you can join even if you don't like to read in English.

You might like Stravaganza if you enjoy one or more of the following:

renaissance Italy/Venice

portal fantasy

complex family dynamics

hijinks

fast/medium paced story

political scheming

assassins and spies

teenagers (affectionate) being teenagers (derogatory)

fun (and a little bit dangerous) adventures

The readalong is hosted on the Storygraph (more info below) and it starts on January 1st and ends on February 4th. The book has been divided into five parts, and after each one we can have a discussion on it.

LINK TO THE READALONG

So come join me and spread the word. Please also reblog this post and make your own Stravaganza-propaganda to get people interested!

More information on the readalong under the cut.

How To: The Storygraph

The readalong is hosted using the Storygraph's new readalong-feature.

The Storygraph is an independently owned (so no Amazon!) Goodreads-alternative

Making an account is easy, and if you already have a Goodreads-account, you can import all your stats from there

You can use either the Storygraph-app or the website https://app.thestorygraph.com/

What to do before the readalong starts (December)?

If you don't already have one, make an account on Storygraph. There are plenty of tutorials on how to use it on YouTube, and I recommend getting familiar with the Storygraph before the readalong starts if you've never used it.

Join the readalong HERE. (There is more info on that page as well, including the different sections I've divided the book into and a recommended reading schedule.)

Find a copy of Stravaganza: City of Masks by Mary Hoffman. The edition/language doesn't matter. At least the e-book should be relatively easy to find depending on where you're from.

Introduce yourself on the readalong's forum.

Convince other people to join as well!

In January, start reading! When you reach the checkpoints on the readalong, add your comments on the forums you'll unlock.

If you need any help with the Storygraph, I'd be happy to help. (I'm not associated with them in any way, I just hate Amazon and want people to migrate from Goodreads to the Storygraph)

This readalong is only for the first book in the series, but if there's interest then we can definitely do the other five books as well.

@thebronzefinder @naominya @marinsmind @haeva @ephemeral-phosphorescence @10-dutchies-12-bicycles

[fine-not-alright]

ahhhhhh

AHHHHHHHHHHHH

[mi6-cafe]

Fanfic Readalong!

We just wrapped up a fic in our long fic readalong and rather than start a new one when people are busy and not likely to be consistently there, we are reading one shots!

We haven't yet picked what short story we'll be reading, so come join us and vote! It’s very freeform and hopefully very fun.

When: The next Saturday (or maybe two) at 9pm eastern/6pm Pacific (your local time here)

Where: We’ll be reading on discord in the readalongs channel. Message the Cafe for an invite to the discord.

[itstimeforstarwars]

If you happen to feel like it, I would greatly enjoy seeing any of the Galidraan AU kids using Dooku's robe.

Here we are! This sketch features an original line from the rough draft that I believe I cut, which was in response to Komari making fun of his outfit. And I could not leave out the Loth-cat hat, lmao.

[noahhawthorneauthor]

I am so excited for the readalong! I've got my pencil and playlist ready, going to do all the annotating. I can't believe it's nearly been a while year since this beauty released, and I'm so proud of it.

Are you reading with us? The readalong starts on Halloween and will be very laid back, there's a Storygraph challenge and a Fable Book Club for those who like that sort of thing. I'll also be talking about my annotations and the book here on Tumblr. There is a playlist for the book here.

The ebook is still free for a couple more days, so head on over to my bookfunnel and pickup a copy if you haven't already ❤️🏳️‍🌈🍁

Cover art by @crossroadart-seabear

Blurb:

Arlo Rook has decided it’s time to move out of Garren Castle, home for orphans of all races, magical or not, at 100 years old.

It’s not the first time he’s left home, but after a setback that landed the Hedge Witch in the hospital a year ago, he ended up right back at square one. But now he’s ready to strike out on his own, despite his friend’s worries that he’s not ready for the ‘real world.’

Then, he crashes into a mess of copper curls and bright eyes, sending apothecary goods and his life into a chaotic mess. Thatch is a mysterious and incredibly wealthy benefactor of Levena, only spoken of but never seen. He requests a night of Arlo’s company and a tour of the city, which Arlo immediately declines.

But that’s not the last time they see each other, and it certainly wasn’t the first. Arlo doesn’t remember him, no one remembers Thatch after he visits, but Thatch never forgot the Witch with a familiar mark on his face.

Thatch Phantom is an immortal, the last of his kind and perpetually bored. When he’s not closing inter-dimensional rifts and corralling demons, he’s visiting his favorite city of all, Levena. Centuries ago, when life was particularly dull, he set up a scavenger hunt for a starving village, providing them with a year’s worth of supplies.

He anonymously returned year after year, upping the ante and providing less practical things, as the village had become a city and was wealthy beyond belief. Festivals were thrown in his honor, and have continued every year since. Hundreds of years later, The Game is still put on by the fabled ‘Scarlet Illusionist’, but no one has figured out who blesses them with the puzzles.

Once again, Thatch is listless and has decided to throw a wild card into this year’s Game. Whoever discovers him will win one wish of their choice, no restrictions. Aside from the obvious, such as no falling in love, murder or resurrection.

What he didn’t anticipate was crashing into the one person whose soul mark flares like a beacon when Thatch is around, teasing the immortal with the one thing he wants most.

Someone to call home.

What follows is a wild chain of events filled with magical coffee shops, villains with vendettas against cheese makers, moving tattoos, grand puzzles, and second chances at love, and life.

[stormofsharpthings]

Bond!verse ShortFic Readalong!

We're organizing a shortfic readalong, which will be hosted in the @mi6-cafe Discord server! Since we are across many time zones, we're running a poll to see if we can find the most compatible time to meet.

We are looking to meet every other Sunday or so and we expect to go for about an hour and a half.

Please click the UTC time that works best for you! If you have any questions, please feel free to DM me or drop an ask -

(UTC time zone converter below the poll)

[atomictiki]

In the US you had Muppets and whatnot teaching you how to read, in Canada we had Boot

[isfjmel-phleg]

💬

These are the opening lines of Book 1 Chapter One of my Blackberry Bushes series!

Rachel Doncath readjusted her battered boater hat, clutched her satchel in one hand and her little sister’s squirming fingers in the other, and tried to look as non-threatening to the Faysmondian government as possible. Most fourteen-year-old girls can succeed at this feat, but ever since Rachel had disembarked from the steamship, the certainty that troublemaker was written on every detail of her person had sunk in until she expected the customs officers to apprehend her on sight.

[cnovel-readalong]

"Make a trip directly to Qi and kill the Grand Master of Remonstrace Yan Zhiwen, along with his entire family."

Yu Shengyan:

[ailelie]

Jekyll & Hyde Thoughts & Reactions (Chapters 1 and 2)

This week's Jekyll & Hyde reminded me to catch up on last week's.

The gist is that Utterson is definitely a secret hedonist and I'd love to see that iron self-control of his crack. The other main points are that Stevenson is very careful with his descriptions (which I like) and he keeps creating divisions where they aren't expected (apt).

Chapter 1

Oh, Utterson. I really, really want a story now where you are entirely undone. I want you tempted with wine and rich chocolates and music. I want you tugged back into a theater and consumed with stories. I want to see you revel in life.

Okay. I already love the Utterson-Enfield dynamic. These two men do not understand each other in the slightest, but they still treasure one another and time together. They gift each other their time and receive that same gift of time with joy, even if they've no idea how to use it.

"like a fire in a forest" gives me a hint of foreboding. Every other description in that paragraph is very positive, but then we get this one hint of absolute devastation before returning to the light and positive. This could be absolutely accidental, but it is like a wrong chord in a lovely melody before it turns into something haunting and menacing. It helps that I've idea where this story is going.

But then, immediately, we get another wrong note--this far more obvious. Amidst all of the welcoming buildings, one block is "sinister." Then the description explains how.

We already know the doctor is Scottish, but Enfield also describes him as "emotional as a bagpipe" just to drive that point home in case we missed his accent. This is making me think the fire description earlier was deliberate.

I wish wish wish whoever is running this substack bothered to add in paragraphs to Enfield's speech.

...seriously, Hyde? You paid with your alter ego's check and expected no consequence?

I really appreciate that, while the look Hyde gives Enfield is ugly, Hyde is not (yet) described as being particularly ugly. It isn't his looks that inspires everyone else to hatred, but rather something far more innate about him.

Enfield doesn't ask questions out of fear of opening up new questions and accidentally hurting someone unrelated to the original query. That is such an interesting character note for him. He's very blasé about it, but it speaks to a deeper sense of compassion and thoughtfulness that hasn't been otherwise shown (except, perhaps, when he collared Hyde). He is a "man about town" but he is also very considerate and thinks not only of the consequences of his actions, but the consequences of those consequences. I'll be interested to see if this holds true throughout or if I'm reading too deeply.

Side note: If the above bullet is true, that is a strong mark in favor of his friendship with Utterson, because I think Utterson would be aware of this aspect of him.

So, I am thinking "your tale has gone home" in this case means that Utterson has taken it to heart. When he asks Enfield to be sure of the details, he is also making sure he hasn't internalized an exaggeration. (Not a bad move on his part since Enfield is prone to exaggeration).

I had to be sure, but "long tongue" means someone who talks a lot and maybe someone who gossips. Utterson definitely wants to know more, which is why he asks they never speak of it again. He denies his wants.

Seriously, I need Utterson to be dragged kicking and screaming into a relationship he desperately wants, but does not believe he should have. I also desperately want to know the root of his austerity. My current hypothesis is that he is an utter hedonist and that terrifies him, so he denies himself everything for fear that if he allows the slightest measure of joy, he won't be able to keep from taking it all. And that would make people talk.

Utterson even calls Enfield "Enfield" while Enfield calls him "Richard." He keeps even his closest friend at a remove.

Chapter Two!

I just love the sentence structure here "And hitherto it was his ignorance of Mr. Hyde that had swelled his indignation; now, by a sudden turn, it was his knowledge."

Oh. He worries for Jekyll. "“I thought it was madness,” he said, as he replaced the obnoxious paper in the safe, “and now I begin to fear it is disgrace.”"

I really like how Utterson's friends are so unlike himself. Lanyon indulges where Utterson abstains. He is over the top where Utterson is reserved. Yet, at the heart, both are genuine and they recognize that in each other. It is this heart, not the flourishes, that counts.

Lanyon is worried about and angry over Jekyll. I like the call out of Damon and Pythias. That, more than anything else, shows their former friendship as being very deep, founded on mutual faith in each other. Lanyon, though, has lost that faith. ...it also makes me wonder, just a bit, about shipping Jekyll/Lanyon in their college years with that sense of halcyon doom for their relationship falling apart over Jekyll's 'scientific' pursuits.

I'm glad Utterson has a "great, dark bed." It makes me think that there's at least one comfort he gives himself.

Utterson has a rich imagination. Of course he does. I'm sure he tries to leash that as well.

“If he be Mr. Hyde,” he had thought, “I shall be Mr. Seek.” <-I love this. I love every glimpse of the man Utterson tries so hard not to be.

Of course, Utterson has to be this way. In a story about a man literally divided into his angels and demons, we need a protagonist who is likewise, figuratively so divided.

I love the encounter between Utterson and Hyde and how quickly Hyde decides Utterson is lying and that sparks his immediate disgust. Hyde is no demon delighting in others' sins.

Side note: I'd never heard of Dr. Fell before and so I looked him up. Here.

Utterson can find nothing distasteful in Hyde's appearance and yet finds him ugly still because of the feelings (e.g., fear, disgust) Hyde arouses in him. And then he lands on the idea of inner nature affecting outer countenance. But I find that I almost like this take. Hyde's presumed inner nature doesn't physically, literally make him ugly. Rather, it causes others to perceive him as ugly. He could have the most angelic of features, but others would still perceive him as ugly because of his heart. This is a step above "someone is ugly and therefore must be evil." Instead it is "because someone is evil it is impossible to see them as beautiful, no matter how lovely their features."

The above interests me because it is another division of something that seems intrinsic. How someone looks and how they're perceived are usually the same, but here, with Hyde, they are not. He looks one way and is perceived another. Stevenson keeps creating these little divisions. Utterson's inner hedonism and enforced austerity. Enfield is a lighthearted playboy (basically) who is deeply considerate and looking several steps ahead. Lanyon is genuine while appearing false. This division of perception and appearance. Even, perhaps, the rending of Damon and Pythias.

Oh, Utterson knew what Enfield's door was the entire time.

Ooh, Jekyll had a wild youth. This is not discrediting my Jekyll/Lanyon idea at all.

[proustianrevelry]

"the great emptiness west of Christendom"

OH MY GOD THATS SUCH A GOOD PHRAAAAAAASE

[mi6-cafe]

Holiday Readalong!

We have THREE different holiday readalongs planned!

Readalong 1: Join us on December 17th at 9am GMT for an Eastern Hemisphere holiday readalong!

Readalong 2 and 3: We are taking two weeks off from our usual long fic readalong (December 23rd and 30th at 9pm ET) to read some festive fanfics in discord!

We don't know what we'll be reading yet, but you can add ideas to the list here.

Need an invite to the Cafe discord? Message the Cafe blog and we'll share the link.

[juliangreystoke]

Don't forget to check out this next section of the read along!

[thejessleigh]

Okay, so. I am so psyched that a whole new cohort of people is discovering the wonderful hot mess that is the original Dracula. It’s so much weirder than it gets credit for. Like, the movie adaptations don’t go nearly hard enough. There are so many gems coming up and I can’t wait for folks to be introduced. Would anyone here who has already read Dracula be interested in doing a readalong sometime of Powers of Darkness: the lost version of Dracula? This has been on my list since it came out in English in 2016 and I finally got a physical copy of it on indie bookstore day. It’s honestly wild that Powers of Darkness exists. It was supposed to be a Swedish translation published in serial. However, the anonymous translator just straight up added chapters, changed significant plot elements, moved things around, and did whatever they liked. After the serial was published in Swedish, it was released as a novel in Icelandic the following year. The Icelandic novel was thought to be just an abridged translation for the longest time because back in the 1890s you could just get away with shit. If you acted confident no one would check you. Anyway, you don’t have to answer now. I just think it would be fun to talk about Powers of Darkness with folks after they’ve read the original novel.