#ruta septys

[hazbinsinners]

tagged by @diresang tagging @femmina-eroe @spider-slvt @mmorning-stars @suchaficklething @hotelbitches @themosthatedbeing @voodoodaaddy and YOU if you want to! :)

alias / name. nico, to most people :)

birthday. may 26th

zodiac sign. i'm actually ass at remembering my zodiacs despite being super interested in it but like i'm a gemini sun AND a gemini rising and that's all i can remember LMAO. i wanna say maybe i'm an aries moon but don't quote me

height. 5'6

hobbies. writing (rp + fics + og novels), reading, video games, music/singing, baking/cooking . . .

favourite colour. pink!! but like a really soft pastel pink

favorite book. as someone who reads a lot of dark romance and smutty adult romance books (oops but like also who is surprised really if you've ever read any of my threads) my absolute favorite book(s) will be going to the grave with me, HOWEVER whenever anyone asks me for book recs i typically give them "between shades of grey" by ruta septys :) a beautiful and important historical fiction novel. i adore it. as far as my typically preferred genre, my favorite author is ana huang, if that tells you anything :) while she actually hasn't written my favorite book of all time i find that i like a lot more of her works consistently. "twisted lies" & "king of wrath" are my favorites by her specifically! what a long-winded answer LMAO

last song. "just kidding" by waterparks haha. right as i typed that though "violet!" from the same band started playing. (bonus) fun fact waterparks is my favorite band and my chosen name was violet for a very long time because of that song :) i still like it tbh so if you're reading this, you officially have permission to call me violet if you'd like! (i'm not a stalker though i swear <3 LMAO lil waterparks reference. if you like waterparks we should 100% be friends i'm serious i'll show you my massive merch collection i've accumulated over the years. ALSO I'M SEEING THEM LIVE IN LIKE A WEEK? PRAY FOR ME Y'ALL. sorry anyways)

last film/show. helluva boss! been rewatching it to study blitzø's character for the like tenth time. i've been sorta tandem watching helluva & hazbin for blitzø's character and for alastor's in hazbin. i need to get better at writing him, gah

recent reads. i'm about halfway through "king of greed" by ana huang right now :') i have been in a HELL of a reading slump since last year when i read about 30 books lmao. it's a good book, i like it! but nothing seems to be holding my attention lately. i think the last book i finished outside of that that i truly loved enough to remember was a reread of "the song of achilles", which also goes down in history as one of my favorite books of all fucking time. i've read it about three times now? and i'm NEVER one to reread books haha

fun fact about me. uuuhhh . . . after asking poor maddox because i couldn't fucking think of a single goddamn thing about me, fun fact is that i have a dog who's 3/4 golden retriever and 1/4 poodle and i named her chica because she looks like markiplier's dog and i've been watching him since i was in 6th grade :))

[rrat-king]

🥫, 🏳️, 🖤 for the writer's asks? :D :D

🥫 - What’s a scene you’ve really enjoyed working on?

the first scene of chapter 3 of something found with tracker taking care of bricker was like, really nice to write because it is based on my own experience of having spent just so much time in hospital waiting rooms both as the one who needed care and as the designated One With a Car who used to have to take people to the doctor all the time. hospital waiting rooms have like such a rough specific vibe so it was nice to write some warmth into that space.

🏳️ - Favorite way you have described something in your works

"For a moment the kitchen was nothing but echoing silence, Kristen stuck staring at the shattered remains of all of their hard work as it lay destroyed at her feet. Thick glass was scattered across the floor covered in oven hot brownies, a chunk of chocolate burning against her ankle as she took in the spectacular mess it made over the checker print tile. In her near delirious state, she couldn’t help but think it almost looked like an angel, the two corners and the bottom broken so that the spilling chocolate made up the wings and the dress, the glass surrounding it in some gross idea of holy light. But it wasn’t. It was just perfectly good brownies that she had ruined."

-from old habits

🖤 - What is your favorite book/author?

i have talked on here for ages about my deep deep love of stephen king, but one of my other favs is ruta septys and her book 'out of the easy'

[gatheryepens]

hi!! not sure if you remember but you recommended me rebecca at the start of this year i think? anyways i finally got around to reading it and i loved it (thank u for recommending it omg. it was kinda slow at the start ngl but after a while i felt like i couldnt stop reading it lol. loved the plot twists and that ending)!! are there other similar books or just other book recommendations? once again thank you so muchh <33

Hiii!!! Yes I doo remember, I’m really glad you enjoyed it :). I agree with the start, I think stuff started getting interesting as soon as they got to Manderley - since we get introduced to Jack (Rebecca’s cousin), Mrs Danvers and Beatrice. As soon as we met these characters the narrators doubt in her relationship starts to increase as well as her insecurities - reading her thoughts after all those interactions was when things started heating up!! Now on to book recommendations, I haven’t read a book yet that is similar to Rebecca. The library copy I had of Rebecca compared it to Jane Eyre, I have not read Jane Eyre so I can’t give an opinion. Other book recommendations, my favourite book of the year so far has to be The fountains of Silence by Ruta Septys. I loooooveeeee historical fiction and this book delivered, the writing style was great and the plot was really good (it is also in multiple pov which I reaaaaally enjoy). Other books I’d recommend Book Lovers by Emily Henry, The Secret History by Donna Tartt and Loveless by Emily Oseman. 💖

[autisticgryffindor394]

What’s everyone’s favorite historical fiction book (give author too) and why? But don’t spoil the book for those who might want to read it!

I’ll go first: Ruta Septys’ The Fountain of Silence because it’s quite powerful and is from different perspectives of people experiencing the dictatorship of Franco in Spain. I highly recommend it.

[lost-in-sokovia]

OH MY GOD I LOVE SALT TO THE SEA!! ITS BY RUTA SEPTYS!! i DEVOURED that book

IT IS SO. FREAKING. GOOD OMFG😭🤍 i had to read it for school once and holy crap it was an absolute masterpiece i ADORED it🥹 it’s the only book i’ve ever had to read for school that i’ve actually enjoyed (besides the outsiders when i was in like, 7th grade but i had an obsession with the book and movie prior to having to read it in school)

[teenliterati]

How is it that February is almost over? January felt like 6 months in itself and this month felt like its been a week. My sense of time is all messed up!

Continuing my theme of all things fluffy and lovey-dovey, this week I’m going to be talking about my favorite OTP’s, which stands for “one true pairing.” So basically I’m going to talk about all the relationships that make me emo. 

You all know that feeling, right? The envy that sits deep in your gut that two characters have each other but also the incredibly happy feeling because they’re perfect together. Just me? Ah, okay well...

1. Aelin and Rowan from the Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas

I just finished re-reading the ToG series and I realized how little I appreciated Rowan and Aelin’s relationship. Of course I was all for them being together, me being the hopeless romantic that I am, but the second time around I saw how truly important their relationship is. Not only are they carranam and mates but they’re...soulmates, twin-flames, etc. I dont think there is a word to describe how great they are. They fought their way out of the darkest places in their minds together. They rediscovered who they are together. They dream of a better world because they are together. Everyone says that you love people wholly, despite their faults and flaws and Aelin and Rowan are the epitome of that idea. They accept each other for their pasts and stick together no matter what happens. Whenever they say “to whatever end,” a little part of me breaks because I know they truly mean it.

2.  Juliette and Warner from the Shatter Me series by Tahereh Mafi.

Juliette and Warner are living proof that it’s okay to have faith in the “bad boys.” Their relationship was a slow burn fic in itself and you don’t even realize it until the last book. Warner was smitten with Juliette the first time he laid eyes on her and I HATED him for it. He seemed like such a prick, who was pretending to be on her side to get what he wanted. I wanted to protect Juliette from him at all costs. BUT, that all changed when we learned how much of soft boy Warner really is. Can we reminisce on when he threw tantrums when he was held hostage? And how he wouldn’t stop until he could see/talk to Juliette? Granted, their relationship didn't start off great, starting with Juliette shooting him. But that’s beside the point. Juliette and Warner bring out the best in each other and I cannot wait to see how they run the world.

3. Lina and Andrius from Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Septys

Just thinking of these two makes my heart hurt. Their relationship is not a typical one, it’s not even a main theme in this story, but it’s extremely important to me nonetheless. Lina and Andrius met in a transportation car while being displaced from their homes in Lithuania. The way their relationship develops isn’t like a typical YA love story, it’s a story about survival. How two teenage kids learned to work together to survive and how to keep others alive by just their wits. Andrius and his mother sacrificed so much for Lina and her family. He snuck her extra food rations, gave her cigarettes, and attempted to teach her Russian. He kept her smiling when she was losing hope on finding her father or ever seeing home again. The fact that they find each other after being transported to separate labor camps shows that they were meant to be.

4. Feyre and Rhysand from A Court of Thorns and Roses series by Sarah J Maas

Do NOT act surprised that you’d find these two in my favorite’s list. They are my number one, absolute FAVORITE duo in the entire world. Their relationship started off kind of like Juliette and Warner’s. Rhysand was the big bad Fae who Feyre hated because Tamlin (her then current love interest) hated. However, Rhysand redeems himself by helping her survive against Amarantha, an evil Fae leader bent on killing her because she loved Tamlin. Rhysand kept her on the brink of life while trapped in the dungeons, and when she actually did die, he convinced the other Fae Lords her life was worth saving. From then on their relationship grows, they become acquaintances to friends to lovers because he saves her from her toxic life in the Spring Court and she sees the man Rhysand really is. Someone who loved her this entire time, but hid it because he wanted her to choose where her happiness came from. AHHHHHH, how can you not love their story?!

5. Calla and Ren from the Nightshade series by Andrea Cremer

So my last couple, aren’t actually a couple. This is my only form of protest, that Calla and Ren should have been the end result to a frustrating love triangle. In the beginning of Nightshade, Calla and Ren are being groomed to become the next leaders of the Nightshade pack, two strong alphas to lead future packs. However, Calla didn’t want that, she questioned the life that was being laid out for her and when she met someone who disrupted that life, she wanted it. She ended up with human scion Shay, someone who she and Ren were supposed to kill on their wedding night as a way to start their new life as pack leaders. Shay ALWAYS gave me the weirdest vibes; he was insecure for the longest time then became annoyingly prideful when he “got the girl.” Ren was a jerk in the beginning, but he was only that way because he didn’t know any better. Calla made him a better person by opening his eyes to a new, free life and he was willing to fight to get away with Calla because he still wanted to be with her. Ren didn’t deserve what he got in the end (which I cant say because I’ll spoil the entire series) and HE SHOULD HAVE ENDED UP WITH CALLA.

There are so many more power couples that I love, but if I named all of them, this post would be too long and I’d be in a puddle of my own tears.

Who are some of your favorites? Let me know!

As always, happy reading! x.

[theladyofink]

20 Questions Book Tag

I saw this tag on Words About Words and I thought it was really interesting and decided to give it a go!

How Many Books Is Too Many Books In a Series?

My collection of books by Sarah J. Maas doesn’t quite fit on my shelf…

I think once a series starts to go over 7 books it becomes a little too long. Reading 7 books takes a long time for anyone even if the books have all been completed, if…

[2021ya]

THE SILVER BLONDE

by Elizabeth Ross

(Delacorte, 7/27/21)

9780385741484

Add to Goodreads

Purchase from Bookshop

For fans of Ruta Septys and Monica Hesse comes a lush historical mystery set in post-World War II America against the flashy backdrop of Hollywood's film studios about a shocking murder that threatens to unearth the ghosts of a young German immigrant's past. Hollywood, 1946. The war is over, and eighteen-year-old Clara Berg spends her days shelving reels as a vault girl at Silver Pacific Studios, with all her dreams pinned on getting a break in film editing. That and a real date with handsome yet unpredictable screenwriter Gil. But when she returns a reel of film to storage one night, Clara stumbles across the lifeless body of a woman in Vault 5. The costume, the makeup, the ash-blond hair are unmistakable--it has to be Babe Bannon, A-list star. And it looks like murder. Suddenly Clara's world is in free-fall, her future in movies upended--not to mention that her refugee parents are planning to return to Germany and don't want her to set foot on the studio lot again. As the Silver Blonde murder ignites Tinseltown, rumors and accusations swirl. The studio wants a quick solve, but the reality of the situation is far more complicated. Nothing is what it seems--not even the victim herself. Clara finds herself drawn, inevitably, to the murder investigation, and the dark side of Hollywood. But how far is she willing to go to find the truth?

[firestcrm]

01 / ( alias / name ):  jana 02 / ( date of birth ):  january14th 03 / ( zodiac sign ):  capricorn  04 / ( height ):  5 ‘ 6 05 / ( hobbies ):  reading, writing, video games, RP,  06 / ( favorite color ):  i always say green, blue-green. =) 07 / ( favorite books ):  i work in a library this question is not fair. =P the truth about forever by sarah dessen (YA), The Prince & the Dressmaker by Jen Wang (YA), Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Septys, Get A Life, Chole Brown by  Talia Hibbert (AF), Tokyo Ghoul by Sui Ishida 08 / ( last song listened to ):  The Best You Had by Nina Nesbitt  09 / ( last film or show watched ): howl’s moving castle  10 / ( story behind url ): my old url was taken after I had a bad moment and deleted my blog. i had it saved, but something happened and i couldn’t get it back once i tried to use it again. so i had to come up with a new one. so i made a list and liked this one. one of sasuke’s elements is fire and he is like is a storm so WHAM smushed them together. :)  11 / ( inspiration for muse ):  hmmm exploring him more than what was given in the manga. there are aspects about him untouched, and plus i just like picturing him in different scenarios. I can bounce from AU to AU like no tomorrow. >.> 

tagged by: @heavensfyre​

tagging: you! please do this! let us know all your likes. i wanna know what you read bc books are <333

[flowerwebs]

jeannie, you're actually the sweetest person ever omg. it's hard to put in words how thankful and elated i am to have you as one of my greatest friends :') i'm reading your snaps now and stars, i love you so much! you're so talented and so smart and i love to read all that you have to say. thank you for being my friend ♡

NOLANA ILYSM THIS IS LITERALLY ONE OF THE MOST NICEST AND KINDEST THINGS I HAVE RECEIVED IN MY INBOX EVER SINCE I STARTED TUMBLR (srsly ur a literal angel + i love just hanging out and chatting with u in general. ever since we met on wattpad, from voting on each other’s stories and talking abt books and how we rly loved rain [whenever i see salt to the sea by ruta septys on my bookshelf i immediately get reminded of u + i still remember the video that u sent me a year ago on kik where u were talking and the rain outside looked rly beautiful] to telling each other abt the guys we liked on snapchat and interacting on tumblr, you’ve been one of the most warmest ppl i know in general. ur so dedicated and insightful, and u always notice and appreciate so much the little details in life + u inspire me to be the best i can be, and ur such a supportive and caring friend. i’m so glad to have met such a great person, and ur one of my best mutuals ever 💗💘💖💝💕 )

[incorrect00liners]

If you still wanna do the asks, petal, softie, starlight, and princess? (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧

hi, hello my smol bub!! of course I’m still down to do those asks so thank you for sending these in!!

petal; favorite novel and author?

okay so I actually have two favorite novels; the first one is The Outsiders by S.E Hinton and the second is Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Septys

As for favorite author I think I would have to go with R.L. Stine (I cannot tell you just how many of his books that I’ve read) or George R.R Martin (I really need to re-read the A Song of Ice and Fire series)

softie; talk about your sexuality.

oh! I struggled with coming to terms with my sexuality for quite a while (from 5th grade all the way up until 10th grade) but I’m very happy that I’ve figure these things out about myself. That being said, I’m demisexual + panromantic

starlight; do you believe in love at first sight and soulmates? why/why not?

soulmates? yeah. love at first sight? no

there’s such thing as attraction at first sight in which someone is physically attracted to someone that they’ve just seen for the first time but I just don’t really see love at first sight. like they’ve just met this person and know nothing about them, there’s no way that they can fall in love with that person just like that.

now my stance on soulmates is kinda…odd i guess? i believe that everyone has platonic and/or romantic soulmates. this is someone who sticks with you through thick and thin, despite knowing all of your flaws and mistakes you have made. this someone who knows you like the back of their hand and you them. it’s someone who makes you happy and brings you comfort just by being in their presence. 

princess; what do you value most in people?

um…I would probably say honesty. a lot of people act like being honest is the hardest thing in the world, when it really isn’t, so i really value honesty the most in people.

( send me dreamy asks if you wanna!!)

[booktalkwithashlee-blog]

What had human beings become?

Salt to the Sea by Ruta Septys

My heart goes out to all of those who lost their lives at the hands of Stalins missels which were torpedoed into the Wilhelm Gustloff. 😭 this was no tragedy, it was murder. Thats all there is to it.

[sarcasmic-skies]

salt to the sea by ruta septys and the lightning thief by rick riordan (for the book asks!! <3)

added to tbr: i hadnt heart of salt to the sea before but i’m SO glad you made me aware of its existence. wwii era historical fiction???? say less! definitely going to be on the lookout for a copy 👀

loved it: i grew up with percy jackson and i adored the lightning thief w all my soul. i //heavily// identified w percy and that series kinda sparked my obsession with history & mythology! i really need to go back n reread the whole series, it’s been so long now i don’t remember most of it </3

[winningthesweepstakes]

between shades of gray: The Graphic Novel by Ruta Septys, adapted by Andrew Donkin, Art by Dave Kopka, color by Brann Livesay

between shades of gray: The Graphic Novel by Ruta Septys, adapted by Andrew Donkin, Art by Dave Kopka, color by Brann Livesay

            between shades of gray: The Graphic Novel by Ruta Septys, adapted by Andrew Donkin, Art by Dave Kopka, color by Brann Livesay, Philomel, 2021. 9780593404850  Rating: 1-5 (5 is an excellent or a Starred review) 5 Format: Softcover graphic novel Genre: Historical fiction What did you like about the book? The story is powerful and horrific.  15-year-old Lina, her younger brother and her…

[theatremp3]

i was tagged by @hauntedhousemd !! and i guess i do these things now? i did the last one i got tagged in so here i am bc why not

colors: orange is an unappreciated color babey!! i love that tacky obnoxiousness

last band t-shirt i bought: probably the fall out boy shirt i got when i saw them in november? yeah 

last band i saw live: see above (first and only concert)

last song i listened to: zero zero by gerard way

last movie i watched: big hero 6 (a rewatch because i love that movie)

last three tv shows i watched: oh yikes i almost never watch tv? black mirror, stranger things a few months ago and then probably like. an illegal youtube upload of some old disney show ngl

last three characters i identified with: uhhh my irl friends will tell you that i literally never identify with characters? this character claudia from a book i read a month or two ago (i can’t remember what it was called), erin tieng from paper girls, and (edit: i just realized i posted this without a third dslkfjkldsjf i can’t remember what it could’ve been sorry)

book i’m currently reading: salt to the sea by ruta septys. also 1984 because i’m required to for school 

i guess i’ll tag people hsdfjdkljk i tag @believersneverdie @shamfriend @softlords @earthmorgue @thebluepoptarts and @unholyvers (ofc only do it if you want to!!)

[teenliterati]

Summer Reading: What I Read the Summer of 2017 (Part 1)

Long time no see everyone! I wish I could say that I spent my summer vacation backpacking in Europe or camping in the Yosemite, then I’d have an excuse as to why I haven’t posted anything in what seems like years. Embarrassingly (for me) I’ve either been at home, working or sitting around doing nothing.

Honestly, I’m not going to feel bad about it because that’s what vacation is for right? I was lazy, recuperating from my first year at college and I spent my time doing what I love most: reading. 

Hence this post, because summer is coming to a close and school is near. Since I’ve gotten so much reading done I thought I’d share some of what I read with all of you! I’m so happy with all the books I found this summer because it’s such a wide variety and most have made it into my favorites. I hope you find something that peaks your interest as well! (These will have longer reviews to-be-posted at a later date.)

1. Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Septys

Lina is just like any other fifteen-year-old Lithuanian girl in 1941. She paints, she draws, she gets crushes on boys. Until one night when Soviet officers barge into her home, tearing her family from the comfortable life they've known. Separated from her father, forced onto a crowded and dirty train car, Lina, her mother, and her young brother slowly make their way north, crossing the Arctic Circle, to a work camp in the coldest reaches of Siberia. Here they are forced, under Stalin's orders, to dig for beets and fight for their lives under the cruelest of conditions. Lina finds solace in her art, meticulously--and at great risk--documenting events by drawing, hoping these messages will make their way to her father's prison camp to let him know they are still alive. It is a long and harrowing journey, spanning years and covering 6,500 miles, but it is through incredible strength, love, and hope that Lina ultimately survives. Between Shades of Gray is a novel that will steal your breath and capture your heart 

This was by far my favorite summer read! Historical fiction isn’t one of my usual go-to’s but listening to people’s stories are. Which is why Lina and her story about living through Stalin’s “cleansing” of the Baltics was so alluring. A heartbreakingly beautiful story about love, loss, and survival. Between Shades of Gray shows you a part of history that history books don’t.

2. To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han

What if all the crushes you ever had found out how you felt about them… all at once? Sixteen-year-old Lara Jean Song keeps her love letters in a hatbox her mother gave her. They aren’t love letters that anyone else wrote for her; these are ones she’s written. One for every boy she’s ever loved—five in all. When she writes, she pours out her heart and soul and says all the things she would never say in real life, because her letters are for her eyes only. Until the day her secret letters are mailed, and suddenly, Lara Jean’s love life goes from imaginary to out of control. 

I’m sure you’ve seen the entire “Booklr” world going crazy for this feel-good novel and it’s totally justified. Lara Jean is the lovable, quirky main character that everyone remembers being when they were a teenager. We sit beside her on the rollercoaster of love, life, friends, and family and have a great time on the ride.

3. Caraval by Stephanie Garber

Remember, it’s only a game… Scarlett Dragna has never left the tiny island where she and her sister, Tella, live with their powerful, and cruel, father. Now Scarlett’s father has arranged a marriage for her, and Scarlett thinks her dreams of seeing Caraval—the faraway, once-a-year performance where the audience participates in the show—are over. But this year, Scarlett’s long-dreamt-of invitation finally arrives. With the help of a mysterious sailor, Tella whisks Scarlett away to the show. Only, as soon as they arrive, Tella is kidnapped by Caraval’s mastermind organizer, Legend. It turns out that this season’s Caraval revolves around Tella, and whoever finds her first is the winner. Scarlett has been told that everything that happens during Caraval is only an elaborate performance. Nevertheless she becomes enmeshed in a game of love, heartbreak, and magic. And whether Caraval is real or not, Scarlett must find Tella before the five nights of the game are over or a dangerous domino effect of consequences will be set off, and her beloved sister will disappear forever. Welcome, welcome to Caraval…beware of getting swept too far away.

If someone asked you to show them a physical example defining the word “captivating”, a copy of Caraval would be it. Scarlett brings you on her journey through the wonders of a mysterious carnival and gets to live her childhood dream--sort of. She’s forced to experience the carnival on a time crunch and quest to rescue her sister but she’s met with the obstacle of not knowing right from wrong and true from false. You’ll be questioning every move she makes and speculating what she should and shouldn’t believe.