#this is for you kiera enjoyers

[beezii]

smug serval moment

[safely-in-vhagars-belly]

👑The girl in the silver dress👑New version (Prt 3) (prt 1 here) (Prt 2 here)

Aemond x reader

Tags: Fluffish, royalty, modernroyalty, theselection

Cool devider credits: firefly graphics

🔷Summary: You are invited to become a selected girl for Prince Jacaerys's selection. You never thought you would fall for his uncle, prince Aemond instead.

🔷Author's note: Based on the books by Kiera Cass, but reading them is not required.

🔷Wordcount :3464

🔷Warnings: Non apply

TAGLIST: @connorsui @lportes-22 @thisaccountisrandomsstuff @nikkitc0703 @lijeno

Months have passed since the ball. Yet you still can feel your heart be ripped in two. Aemond has not bothered to come back for you, believing he is somehow doing you a favor by staying away. You wonder if he is doing alright. You should be furious, angry, perhaps take revenge and sleep with other men but….

Part of you knows Aemond too well to even do that. He genuinely believed he did the right thing. The good thing, by leaving and setting you free, so you could become the Queen. But what is a crown over true love? How can you rule over countless people if it is not the man of your dreams by your side, making the horrible choices so worth it, just because you’ll make that choice together? What is the future if you can’t spend it by his side? What is a golden cage if you can live with him in freedom? And why would you care about being Queen, when you could just be the woman he loves? 

Tonight, you all will be interviewed by the press, a common occurrence so the people of Westeros will know you a bit better, perhaps you’ll become someone’s favorite. 

Your make-up team works on your eyeliner, black with silver small tiny glitters. They put gloss on your lips and put your hair up, so the silver necklace around your neck speaks volumes. Baela is already done with her dress, and has taken time to chat with you about Aemond. She has become a close friend of yours in the past months, together with Dyana. You form an alliance with both, against Floris and even Queen Alicent. ‘’He loved me, he said so in his letter.’’ You tell Baela when she asks if Aemond wasn’t playing a fucked up little game. ‘’I’ve seen the man behind the mask when I am near him, Baela. It can’t have been a act.’’

Floris approaches in her black swan feather dress, glancing down at you with great enjoyment of your misery. ‘’Well, Queen Alicent has already said Aemond won’t be coming back from Dorne anytime soon. So, have fun being depressed and disappointed.’’ Alicent likely told Floris that in confidence but Floris takes any chance to make you feel miserable.

Dyana wears a gorgeous red gown and approaches Floris rapidly. She puts her hands on her hips and you and Baela know Dyana has had it with Floris. ‘’Just like your father was when you came in-'’ You see Baela gasp when Dyana opens her mouth, and the last 15 remaining girls listen with their breaths hold in. But you speak up, forcing her to remain calm, grabbing her hand and dragging her back before she can claw out Dyana’s eye.

‘’Don’t stoop to her level, Dy. She is not worth our anger or energy. She craves attention, so she seeks it.’’ Dy nods, before moving back to her chair. Floris scoffs at you three before she and her minions let the tv crew know they are ready.

After watching the other girls excel with their questions, the same questions time after time, you think you are prepared for whatever they may throw at you. You sit down in the comfortable chair, your legs crossed.

The first question is about your first meeting with the prince. The interviewer smiles, but her eyes tell books. ‘’Everyone knows you are a common-born girl. Do you think the reason you are still here is because of favoritism?’’ You first gawk at her, attacked and offended. Until you see the chance to clap back. And you will.

You speak from your heart but you can’t ignore the sting as if you betray Aemond. ‘’Frankly, I believe Prince Jacaerys is quite taken with me, and his opinion matters more than what a small crowd chooses to say about me.’’ 

Her eyebrows rise and this time she is the one who lost her tongue, clearly fumbling over cards to find a good other hostile question. ‘’Do you think you would make a good queen? How would someone as commonborn as you even lead the country?’’

A fair jab, but you are done playing fair. You will come at her with everything you got. ‘’I think us commoners know more about the country than the nobility ever will. We are the ants, carrying the crown. I hope to make life better for all civilians of the Seven Kingdoms, not just the commoners or the nobility. I hope to be a ruler. Not a decoration on a shelf.’’

The woman is seething with rage at your composed sweet answers. ‘’That was my final question.’’ You blink innocently and surprised.

‘’Was it? You seem to have forgotten to ask me the questions you asked all the other girls. Perhaps you need a break.’’ You suggest, sweetly. A few chuckles erupt among the selected.

The interviewer is removed by Lady Aemma before getting a firm talking to off screen. You stand up from the chair and sigh deeply. That went as horrible as could be. The only thing that would have made it worse would be questions about Aemond. You saw her cards, they were on there. Yet she kept from asking. Odd. And someone is working on getting you removed, someone very high up. 

The next major event is the Halloween masquerade. Only 10 girls remain, including you. Jacaerys has been nothing but kind to you, treating you as a true lady whenever you are around him. Floris and four other girls are now under Alicent’s wing. You used to be jealous that she had selected clear favorites. Yet none of that matters. Jacaerys has only eyes for you.

Prince Jacaerys dances with you, under the great chandelier. All those months practicing with the waltzes and dances have finally paid off as you smoothly follow his movements as if you are two body pieces belonging to one soul.

But alas, despite him having you made his favorite, you remain a pawn in a game. And a game has rules, no matter how unfair. Jacaerys ends the dance with a respectful bow before moving to Lady Baela, a sweet kind girl you’ve come to know very well.

You take a glass of champagne, before sitting down on a chair, lost in thought. You’ve been here for months. You miss Aemond, of course you do.

At some point you lost track of Baela and Jace. They must be getting more champagne. A servant loyal to Jacaerys whispers in your ear that you must come to the library. The prince has a surprise for you.

You enter the library not much later. A masked figure stands with his back to you, a black hood covering his hair. ‘’Jace?’’ You ask, before approaching him. Jace does not answer you, instead he grabs you by your hips and drags your body closer until you both collide. Your chin is grabbed and he kisses you fiercely before exhaling deeply, sniffing the perfume on your skin. 

This is improper. You must stop this. Jacaerys and you are not married, this is the selection. This is not fair to the others.

You gasp, as you remove the mask and look into blue eyes, not brown ones. Aemond silently brings his fingers to your lips before slowly bringing his face back to yours. The worst part is, you let him. You welcome him. Your lips find his soft pink lips, gently moving against his lips until the movements become rough as if he is trying to hurt you. ‘’Y/n,’’ he murmurs against your lips, leaving kisses on your skin. ‘’I’m sorry. I honor the traditions, normally. But I can’t stay away from you.’’ He mutters. You kiss his lips again. 

But you look into his eyes. ‘’We’ll make our own traditions.’’ You promise him, hot tears running down your cheeks of pure joy. He kisses you again, much slower and softer as if he wants to savor every moment of this. Aemond murmurs against your lips and you become lost in the passion and the love you feel for one another. You tug at his tie but he shakes his head, before leaning in and whispering in your ear. ‘’I don’t want you to become a secret, or a scandal. I will ask my nephew, and my father for permission.’’ He searches in his pocket for a small rock shaped box and opens the lid, before sinking to one knee and grabbing your hand. Lady Aemma enters the room, holding a smartphone so she can film this wonderful moment as tears sting your eyes.

He is proposing. He is asking you to become his wife. ‘’Lady Y/n, queen of my heart, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife, my equal, and may I bring you under my protection?’’ A small ring with gold and a clear sapphire smiles at you, and you see dreams and hopes in Aemond’s eyes.

You smile.  You wait for him to stand, and nearly slam the ring out of his hands before you kiss him again. ‘’Yes, yes, a dozens times yes.’’

Aemond grins, picking you up from the ground, spinning you around when kissing you. Lady Aemma makes herself known again, gently clearing her throat, but her eyes are misty with tears. ‘’I’m afraid there is a matter of permission. A royal marriage can only exist with the blessing of the king.’

The king has been feeling ill lately. He has taken to bed and refuses to leave for anyone. Queen Alicent rules in his stead, as a faithful wife would. You and Aemond rush past ladies, princes, nobles and paparazzi, hand in hand, clearly smitten as your feet go as fast as you can go. Paparazzi quickly turn their camera’s to you both, but all they get is a messy blurry picture, that is how fast you both are walking. Finally, you reach the rooms of the king.

Queen Alicent sits by his bedside, faithfully reading him the newspaper. She turns around when she sees you both, and you drop into a curtsy. ‘’What are you both doing here?’’ She asks.

Aemond clears his throat, before sitting down on his father’s bed. ‘’Father, I’m sorry. I know you told me I should always follow duty, and that the crown requires sacrifice.’’ He did? King Viserys avoids your eyes and you understand he was behind Aemond’s sudden departure. You cross your arms over your chest.

‘’I did.’’ The king confesses, a bit grumpy.

Aemond gestures for you to come closer, so you do. He takes hold of your hands. ‘’But my path to duty led me to Y/N. She makes me feel things I never felt before. She is the love of my life, Father. I know you both sent me away to Dorne to forget her, but I know by now: No one will ever compare or come close to her. She is all I ever wanted, and I want to spend the rest of my life with her. If I have to give up my titles, so be it.’’ He declares, firmly. 

Viserys coughs, before smiling at you both. ‘’Aemond, come here my boy. I know I've been a horrible father to you and my other children.’’ You look away, not sure you were meant to hear this.

‘’Yes.’’ Aemond says, agreeing without missing a beat.

Viserys looks at you. ‘’But I'm going to ask you this once, my boy. Do you love that girl?’’ Your heart beats faster and faster and you are afraid it might stop. 

Aemond looks at you when speaking, nodding. ‘’I feel alive when she is with me. Like everything is possible and she makes me whole in ways I used to be broken.’’ Viserys nods.

‘’Then who am I to deny you both? Go, be happy, my boy. You always have been meant for it.’’ Aemond nods, pretending to not tear up, but even you have teary eyes watching this reunion.

This is nice, but there is one other obstacle. Jacaerys. You belonged to his selection. To go with another man is treason. ‘’Jace, of course, I will ask-’’ Aemond is interrupted as the doors open and Jace himself enters with Lady Aemma close behind.

Jacaerys holds up his hands, silencing Aemond. ‘’You don’t have to, Aemond.’’ He turns to the king before speaking. ’I've seen it for myself, Grandsire. Y/n and Aemond are two parts of one soul. We must not keep them separated. They belong to one another.’’

Alicent looks concerned. ‘’But what will the media say?’’ She is right. They have not been kind to you.

Viserys grins. ‘’They can say whatever they like. Y/n will become Aemond's wife,  a princess of house Targaryen. They will learn to mind their tongues over time.’’ You hope so, at least. 

Aemond turns to his mother. ‘’Do I have both your blessings? May we marry?’’ He asks, hopeful. 

Alicent looks you over, and you wonder how much she secretly hates you. She smiles, before touching her son’s forehead, kissing it.  ‘’Your happiness is all that I ever wanted for you, Aemond. Go find it with your wife.’’ And just like that, a nightmare ends and a dream is born. Aemond kisses your lips, not giving a damn about the audience that is present. 

The first moment with the press is there, the engagement photoshoot. Of course you are afraid, but Aemond makes it all worth it. He is still a bit stiff when it comes to press and attention but you bring out his true wonderful self. You and Prince Aemond hold hands in front of the castle, as multiple press magazines, news channels and photographers from all over the world take in this wonderful moment.

‘’Prince Aemond! "Please look here!"

‘’Duchess Y/n! Is it true you and Prince Aemond bonded over your love for Dornish architecture?"

‘’Yes. We are big nerds."

‘’O, that was improper of me wasn't it?’’ You mutter as the press eagerly writes things down.

Aemond shrugs before whispering in your ear. ‘’You're doing just fine. We kinda are big nerds.’’

You return the smile, taking hold of his face before kissing him. ‘’The biggest.’’ You declare before kissing him. The flashes go crazy the moment your lips lock, and all photographers shut up, taking millions of pictures.

Aemond breaks the kiss, grinning at the press when you blush lost in the moment. ‘’Prince Aemond, what was your first thought when you saw her lady?"

Aemond thinks back and you see many emotions cross his face. ‘’Why don't good things ever happen to me? And it's ironic because…she would become the best thing In my life.’’

One photographer clearly adores that and makes a little strangled ‘’awh’’ sound, causing their colleague to smack them lightly on the arm. ‘’What? They are adorable!’’ He declares, simply before returning to making photos.

You glance at Aemond. ‘’I am simply speaking my truth.’’ He says as if he’s defending himself. 

You grin. ‘’Hmhm.’’

An interviewer of the Targaryen times finally asks a question, having worked up the courage. ‘’Princess-I mean, Duchess…’’ She stumbles and blushes, embarrassed as she looks through her notes nervously.

Aemond smiles, reassuringly. ‘’Princess is fine, Ma’am. She must adjust to her new title somehow.’’ Finally she lets go of her cards, and becomes much more confident because of it.

‘’Princess Y/N. What are the plans for the wedding?’’ Aemond grins, turning his head to you as if he wants to hear it as well.

You smile, painting a picture. ‘’A grand one, in the sept, honoring ancient Targaryen traditions. But also a couple of new ones.’’ You for example would love for Vhagar, Aemond’s cat to wear the rings down the aisle or for your wedding dress to be silver. And so, that happened. 25 october, you and Aemond said your vows for dozens of people to see. And after that, came the honeymoon.

You finally stand before the statue of Nymeria, the statue you dreamed of seeing since you were old enough to want anything. Aemond is with you, together with your security, hidden and dressed as ordinary tourists. You look at Nymeria’s statue, at a loss for words, that's how beautiful you find it all. 

‘’I can't believe you took me here.’’ You tell Aemond, searching for his hand to hold as tears of happiness roll down your cheeks. 

He gently wipes them away. ‘’I can. You always wanted to see it. And now we can.’’ He tells you, with a smile and a kiss on your lips. ‘’This does mean that you need a new dream, I’m afraid.’’ He jests but you turn his face back to your own.

‘’I don’t need a new dream. You are my new dream.’’

Next year, you all come together for christmas. You and Aemond have brought gifts. The family sits still in gowns and suits, as royals are expected, but their smiles are the same of any other happy family. 

Finally it is your turn to give something to Viserys, the king.

‘’Grandsire, we have a surprise.’’ Aemond looks around the room, and everyone watches as Viserys unwraps his present with the help of Alicent, and reveals two red with silver baby socks.

Rhaenyra gasps, delighted before hiding her giggle. Jacaerys and Baela grab each other’s hand and Helaena grins. Even Aegon seems to understand what this means. His hair has slightly grown back, but he keeps it shorter than usual, he quite liked it.

Yet the king seems at loss for words. ‘’These are a little too small for my feet.’’ Viserys says, taking in the baby socks.

Aemond grins, putting his arms around you. You beam, waiting patiently for Viserys to get the hint.

Alicent jumps up from her chair, gasping. ‘’Oh my gods, she is pregnant!’’ You break into a bright grin as Aemond softly rubs your belly.

Instantly the king smiles, standing up to hug you both. ‘’Oh! My stupid arse thought you bought the wrong size!’’ He is still very fragile, but manages to walk a few inches.

‘’Father.’’ Rhaenyra says with a chuckle.

Daemon, her newest husband, smirks, before coming over as well. Usually he is too cool for things like this, but this time, it's different. ‘’Ah to hell it with, get here you two.’’ He hugs you both. You look at the beautifully decorated christmas tree, and realize that next christmas might look even more beautiful.

The next Christmas is just like that, beautiful. Baela is now pregnant with her own child, the future heir to the seven Kingdoms. Dyana has been married too, to a friendly sweet woman she met in a coffee shop. She remains one of your closest friends, after the selection and Dyana and Crystina are invited to court, to become your ladies. 

Your son is now born, Prince Daen Targaryen. Aemond and you picked the name together. 

‘’He takes after his father, always with his nose stuck in a book.’’ Prince Viserys comments as you and the young prince look through a picture book he got from his aunt, Aunt Rhaenyra. 

Rhaenyra seems pleased that your son likes her gift and you smile at her. ‘’He likes colorful pictures.’’ 

Rhaenyra nods. ‘’Viserys and Aegon are the same.’’

Aemond talks with his dad, you see them bond more and more, becoming closer. ‘’Do you remember?’’ He asks.  

Viserys almost looks offended. ‘’Of course I do. Your favorite things was to read, to eat cookies and to see the horses.’’ 

Aemond grins, looking at you and your son. ‘’I thought you had forgotten.’’ He confess.

Viserys nearly chokes on his champagne. ‘’Never.’’

You lift Daen from the ground, picking him up and bringing him to Aemond who happily accepts and holds his son. ‘’Look, it’s daddy.’’ You tell your son with a smile. ‘’Say hello to daddy.’’

He grins, hugging your son tightly when rocking him to sleep. ‘’Our little prince.’’ He tells you with a wink. 

You nod. ‘’Our little prince.’’ You have learned a lot in the time of the selection. But the one thing is that your life can change, if you just look past people’s appearances, and past their walls. The most gorgeous crown can be hidden behind a ugly box and the most wonderful story has the dustiest cover. You can’t judge people for the walls they keep around, as everyone has their own stories. But most of all, you learned to fight for things you believe in, and to fight for things you love. 

A/N.

Thank you so much for reading with me. When i started it idk how many people would even like it and the support was insane. Thank you all so much. I hope you all liked the story as much as I did telling it, in hotd/selection fashion.

[littlefoxwithadagger]

Zee's 2023 Reads

Stats:

Books read ˋ°•*⁀➷ 62

Books DNFed ˋ°•*⁀➷ 9

Five-star reads ˋ°•*⁀➷ 23

Note: ☆ counts as a half star, since there isn’t a half star emoji

I tried not to tag any books I didn’t like because I don’t like to hate on books in their fandom tags, so if I accidentally tagged something I have a bad review, please tell me 😭

This list is chaos and I defintely ripped into some of these books because I hated them. Be warned. (I’m sorry ACOTAR fans. Maybe don’t read this if that’s your favorite book series. I didn’t hate them, but I certainly had quite a few criticisms.)

Also, if you see the reviews start to get way longer in October, that’s because I started this post in October, so everything I read after that was reviewed immediately after reading.

↳ March (2)

Red Queen - Victoria Aveyard

March 3rd, ⭐️⭐️⭐️

I read this by request of my aunt (it's her favorite book series) and honestly it was just kinda boring and not my taste...not to mention the ending REALLY pissed me off. The whole powers thing was kinda cool, but the dystopian main plot was kind of generic? Which is fine, but this was kind of bland for a first book. Will not be finishing the series.

Glass Sword - Victoria Aveyard

March 10th, ⭐️⭐️⭐️, DNF

This is the sequel to Red Queen, and frankly I think I read about three chapters of it before I DNFed. The main reason I DNFed this was because of the ending of the first book. I won’t go into detail about it because it spoils the end of the first book, but after my favorite character was taken away from me, I couldn’t finish this series.

Overall, I think this series had great potential but bad execution. I may try to read it again in the new year just to give the entire series a proper, full review, but at the time that I read this, I wasn’t into reading much at all and therefore couldn’t read a book just to say I’d read it.

↳ May (7)

Les Misérables - Victor Hugo

May 5th, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

By far my favorite classic thanks to my mom encouraging me to read it. Loads of beautiful prose and a compelling plot line. I especially liked how he wove a bunch of stories that seemed not at all connected into one. Jean Valjean was a very complicated character, and I enjoyed following his story as it progressed. It felt very full-circle, even if the ending was a bit sad. The author took us all over France, and I felt very immersed in the world even though there was no visual for it. I also appreciated seeing the side characters grow over the length of the story. There were quite a few side characters who got a full arc despite not needing it. I'll probably reread this someday, just not now.

Flip the Script - Lyla Lee

May 20th, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is a cute sapphic love story between two teenage actresses starring together in a Korean drama. Fun fact - I didn't realize it was sapphic for a good while and was confused why sexuality was a hot topic in the book. Whoops! Cute anyways, and the plotline kept me interested.

The Selection - Kiera Cass

May 26th, ⭐️⭐️⭐️☆

This was my first reread of the year! I read this book back in 2021 originally by request of a friend. Rereading it was a bit of a let-down. I found the main girl annoying at times and overall the plot just kinda felt...meh. I will say that I was a bit disappointed that Maxon was the main guy at first because I really loved Aspen, but I think Maxon grew on me quite a bit more towards the end of this book. It was also easier for me to love him on the reread because I’d followed the full story already, so I think I appreciated his character more on this read than I did on the first read. I'm also not huge into dystopian, so that did kill my enjoyment of this a bit.

The Elite - Kiera Cass

May 27th, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

To continue my Selection reread, I read this. This book was better than the first one, though some of it was just very boring if I'm remembering correctly. It was nice to have a smaller group of girls and get to see them getting to know each other better, and this alone made the book more enjoyable than the last. I think the political tension upped a bit in this book, which I didn’t really like, but it did lead to quite a few great scenes between America and Maxon.

The One - Kiera Cass

May 28th, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

To complete the Selection reread, I read this. This was by far the best book in the trilogy. It was fun and full of action, and Maxon and America finally got themselves together. There was a great love confession from Maxon at the very end which will forever have my heart. Five stars just for making me swoon honestly. There were a few things that frustrated me in this book, such as the fact that America and Maxon still didn’t seem to trust each other for a lot of this book, but that’s their problem, not mine. I definitely enjoyed the scene where America saw Maxon’s scars for the first time. It was a very sweet scene, and I love emotional vulnerability between characters. 💔

Honorable mention - The Heir - Kiera Cass

May 29th, ⭐️⭐️, DNF

This book sucked to put it frankly. I recall enjoying it the first time I read it, but upon reread I found the main character entirely unbearable (making America look like a saint) and I think I made it about ten pages before deciding it wasn't worth the reread. I wish I didn't own this book.

The Love Hypothesis - Ali Hazelwood

May 29th, ⭐️⭐️⭐️☆

This book was what really got me back into reading, and I'd been wanting to read it for months after hearing about it all over the internet. I gave it four stars at the time because I cringed a bit at the number of times the main girl referred to the main guy as "big" or something of the sort but overall found it enjoyable. Honestly, I'd probably rate this lower if I re-read it, but I'm not going to bother testing that theory. It got me back into picking up books, and that's what matters.

↳ June (9)

A Court of Thorns and Roses - Sarah J. Maas

June 10th, ⭐️⭐️☆, DNF

This book...was disappointing. This was the first book I bought from the store without reading it first because the internet had me so convinced I'd enjoy it. I didn't. I found myself so bored I didn't bother reading past page 100 before I returned the book to the store. I don't really have much to say about it other than it was boring, honestly. Feyre also annoyed me a decent bit.

The Romantics - Leah Konen

June 14th, ⭐️⭐️⭐️, DNF

This book had the same problem as ACOTAR, only far worse. This book felt like it had absolutely no substance, and I read at least half of it. The entire book was narrated by the entity of Love, and all of the characters we got introduced to were only ever surface-level. I felt like I was watching a bunch of strangers interact with each other. Perhaps it was just that young teenage romance isn’t really my cup of tea, but I found the plot entirely uninteresting.

Once Upon a Broken Heart - Stephanie Garber

June 19th, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

My babyyyyyyyyyy <3 My bread and butter, the reason I got into fantasy books. Definitely not as compelling as the second book, but compelling nonetheless. Jacks and Evangeline have insane tension and it was overall just great. I absolutely loved the whole kisses deal, though I’ll admit this book was NOT what I thought it was. When I picked it up, I was expecting Jacks to be an actual prince, and I was quite surprised to find that he was more of a demigod. Either way, it was a great book, and if you love romantacy, I’d recommend this for SURELY. (I’m biased, can’t you tell? This is a OUBAH blog, after all.)

The Ballad of Never After - Stephanie Garber

June 20th, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I'd give this book six stars if I could. This entire book was just pining and drama, and I live for it. Not to mention...the Hollow? Yes. Yes, yes yes. Everything about this book, yes. The curses in this book were completely crazy, and I felt like we got a lot more world building in this book. The entire world felt a lot more complete in this book, and we really got to start to piece together Jacks’s backstory. Lovely.

One True Loves - Elise Bryant

June 21st, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I'm pretty sure I actually read this book last year, but it got put into my book tracker in July so I'm leaving it here. This was a cutsey little romance about a girl who goes on a cruise in Europe. I don't remember much about it, but I remember loving the two main characters and the realtionship they had with each other.

Happily Ever Afters - Elise Bryant

June 21st, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Pretty sure this is the book before One True Loves? They're in the same series, I know that. This was a cutsey little book about a baker guy and a writer girl who ended up at the same high school. Absolutely loved the character growth the main character had over the course of the book.

In Order to Live - Yeonmi Park

June 26th, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was a biography written by a woman who escaped North Korea. It was truly an amazing read, and this is the one book I cried while reading this year! I would definitely recommend this to anyone because it is extremely informative while also being very immersive.

Caraval - Stephanie Garber

June 27th, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Back to Stephaine Garber! Honestly, I started reading this series for Jacks, but the first book is something entirely on its own. I absolutely loved Julian and Scarlett, and I'll be rereading this again soon. The book very much immersed the reader, and I felt like I was a player in Caraval myself. There was so much fun to be had in this book, and honestly it could just be read as a stand-alone.

Legendary - Stephanie Garber

June 31st, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I drove all the way to the other side of town to get this book, that's how good the first one was. This book was less enjoyable than the first, but the plot was extremely compelling. Sadly, I’m not a huge fan of Tella, so I struggled to immerse myself in this book the way I got immersed in Caraval.

↳ July (11)

(Was I ok in July? How many books is this, Zee?)

Finale - Stephanie Garber

July 1st, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Jacks. That's about all I have to say about this book.

Sugar, Spice, and Can’t Play Nice - Annika Sharma

July 2nd, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Not sure why, but I decided to dump $16? $17? on this when I went to Barnes and Noble with a friend, so I had to finish it. There was a tad too much sexual tension and not enough romance between the main characters for my taste, but it was a good book. I especially enjoyed that the author did so much with her own culture in the book. Both of the characters learned the importance of truly connecting with someone over the course of the book, and I thought it was lovely.

The Spanish Love Deception - Elena Armas

July 2nd, ⭐️⭐️, DNF

This book was...something. I - yet again - purchased a book without reading it first. Learned my lesson this time. I have honestly no idea what this book is about because I read only fifty pages of it and there was...too much of her referring to him as "big" and "tall". I get it. He's tall and wide. Can we please discuss why you hate him? I'd love to know, really. Perhaps this book is for you if you like extreme sexualization of tall, buff men, but it’s not for me.

The Inheritance Games - Jennifer Lynn Barnes

July 6th, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Queen. Puzzles and drama galore, and I love the boys. That's really all I have to say about this. I LOVE puzzles so this book was a big hit with me. Avery is a little genius and I appreciate it, and I also loved getting to see her adapt to her new life.

The Cruel Prince - Holly Black

July 9th, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️☆

This read is courtesy of my bestie. She had not finished the series when she recommended it. Still hasn't. (Nani, this is a plea for you to finish it.) I don't recall much of the book, honestly, but the plot was good enough for me to rate it four and a half stars, so...?

The Wicked King - Holly Black

July 11th, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️☆

Cardan and Jude...on the couch...with- ahem. I mean what. What was this book about? Also I love the way Cardan speaks. He’s very formally-spoken and I love that for him.

The Queen of Nothing - Holly Black

July 11th, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

yESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS. This entire book. The ENDING??? Insane. How do I not remember any of the plot of these books besides the end of this one? We'll never know.

Skin of the Sea - Natasha Bowen

July 14th, ⭐️⭐️⭐️☆, DNF

This book was probably pretty great. I personally found the introduction to the plot a bit dragging and it lost my interest because of this, but it sounded like it would eventually be a good and intriguing plot. I may eventually pick this back up, but currently there are other books I am actually excited to read, so for now this will be only a DNF.

These Violent Delights - Chloe Gong

July 17th, ⭐️⭐️⭐️, DNF

Ahem...this was actually a great book, despite the DNF and star rating. I DNFed this book because it was too gorey, but I'm currently attempting to finish it. The writing is beautiful and the characters are very compelling. The tension between the main characters is lovely. I'm hoping to give this five stars when I finally finish it.

Six of Crows - Leigh Bardugo

July 18th, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Delicious. A heist, six morally grey characters, lots of fighting and tension - both romantic and plot-wise. Absolutely ate up the characters' backstories. I love a good trauamtic backstory. I was reading fanfics about this book before I even finished reading it, that's how good the character building was. (Sadly I got a ton of the plot spoiled for me between this book and the next because I decided to join the online fandom before finishing the books. I will NOT make that mistake again.)

How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories - Holly Black

July 19th, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A goofy short read about Cardan. I love him. That's it.

(Zee said no reading during birthday month apparently? Was I spending too much time being lovesick over my coworker? We'll never know.)

↳ September (6)

The Forgetting - Sharon Cameron

September 1st, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book surprised me. I had no idea what it was about going into it, and I was entirely surprised. Apparently it's dystopian? Sci-fi? Who knew? (not me) Anyways, I loved the two main characters, and the plot was extremely creative. This is definitely going to be a re-read next year. Sadly, the sequel was not about this pair of characters, so I didn’t end up reading it.

Fourth Wing - Rebecca Yarros

September 15th, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Well, this is a funny story. I put in a request at the library for this book in July, having about zero clue what it was about beyond dragons. I was intrigued, of course, because I LOVE dragons. By the time I got my hands on the book, I'd heard many reviews about how awful the book was. I was convinced I'd hate it, but of course, I had to read it because I waited TWO MONTHS for it. It took a few pages for me to be interested, but it was a VERY good book. I love Xaden. I will kiss him on the head. This got four stars because those smut scenes GAGGED me (and not in a good way), but I have since read worse smut, so perhaps this will be a five-star someday. The smut was truly something, though. I sat on the couch and sobbed from laughter while reading them.

The Stolen Heir - Holly Black

September 16th, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was...gorey, honestly. But other than that, a great read. Both main characters are very compelling, and I adore Oak. Sweetest boy. I can't wait to read the second book. It really took us a lot farther into the world of Elfhame, and I appreciated the book for that.

Lightlark - Alex Aster

September 16th, ☆, DNF

I truly wish I could just say "No." and move on with this list, but this book was probably the worst book I've ever read. I read three pages and was so extremely confused that I couldn't continue. To confuse me that awfully in the first three pages of a book is a feat, I'll give her that. I would not recommend this book to anyone, and generally I believe that everything has an audience. I'm sorry if you're a fan of this book, but I just...can't.

Fireworks - Alice Lin

September 20th, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Cute book about a girl and her childhood best friend turned Kpop star when they finally reunite at age 18. Soooo much romantic tension, and I loved how the book dealt with mental health. I hope these two live happily ever after.

Reread - Fourth Wing - Rebecca Yarros

September 25th, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Yes, I reread it a week after I read it. Sue me. It was a good book. I’ll be rereading it again when my holiday edition shows up.

↳ October (8)

Imogen, Obviously - Becky Albertalli

October 5th, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is going on the list of cutesy sapphic books that make me cry. Absolutely loved the way the realtionship between the two main characters developed, and I thought it did a good job about commenting on what it means to be queer. Also, arguably the best college friend group ever in this book. I'm jealous.

When You Wish Upon a Lantern - Gloria Chao

October 6th, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book was ok. It was cute, but I found it slightly boring. I will say it was very good for a first-person dual POV book, which I usually hate and refuse to read.

Assistant to the Villain - Hannah Nicole Maehrer

October 14th, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was a funny read, because I expected to hate read it, but it had me kicking and screaming, especially the ending. I was so insanely upset when I realized it was a trilogy (mostly because the ending was absolutely jarring and I didn’t expect it to end on a cliffhanger), but at the same time I'm glad this isn't the last we'll see of these characters. I love books where the villains are villains because they felt like that was all they could be. I love. Beyond all of this, I simply enjoyed to see all the characters interact with each other, and I felt like the author did a good job of humanizing all the characters. Not to mention Kingsley. He’s arguably my favorite character despite having no real lines in the book.

The Hawthorne Legacy - Jennifer Lynn Barnes

October 15th, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Puzzles, Hawthorne boys, and...strip bowling (I forgot about this scene until a coworker told me she didn't read the book because there was stripping in it. I laughed.) Anyways I loved Jameson and Avery in this book and that's about all I have to say.

The Final Gambit - Jennifer Lynn Barnes

October 18th, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Ok I’m going to be completely honest this book was one huge blur and it almost felt disconnected from the rest of the series. Don’t get me wrong, it was GREAT, but it was like complete whiplash while simultaneously tying up all the loose ends we had in the last two books. Also *spoilers* but JamesonAvery endgame YAYYYYYY.

Reread - Once Upon a Broken Heart - Stephanie Garber

October 19th, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I reread this in preparation for the third book and it took me a month to read. Idk man.

Reread - The Ballad of Never After - Stephanie Garber

October 23rd, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Good soup. Send me to the Hollow, please.

A Curse for True Love - Stephanie Garber

October 24th, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

*ahem* drum roll please… 🥁🥁🥁 …LOVELY!! Evajacks kiss. This is all I wanted. Also his dimples. And Archer. And- Ok enough about that. To actually review this book, I think it was a great wrap-up of the series. The book had an amazing vibe, and I loved how the first half of the book felt shrouded in mystery since we spent the majority of the time in Evangeline’s head. I read this entire book in one five-hour sitting, completely skipping all the homework I had to do that night just so I could read this IMMEDIATELY. It was totally worth it. I also just loved seeing Jacks as the tortured man I always knew he was. Yes bby be so tortured. Now kiss.

↳ November (8)

A Court of Mist and Fury - Sarah J. Maas

November 3rd, ⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was...a book. It had potential to be a great book in the first 100 pages, but somewhere along the way it got kind of insane. Honestly, I feel like it should've been two books. It was over 600 pages and yet I found most of the scenes were a bit too short. Also, there were too many location changes, and this book is where the bad smut truly is. I couldn't even read the smut scenes...I can usually tolerate them. (Is it clear I don't like smut?). The first half of the book set up this lovely dynamic between Rhys and Feyre that I loved and showed me this new, fun world of the Night Court. I only wish that I’d enjoyed the second half of the book as much as I did the first. The second half didn’t get enough development and kind of just all ran together, which sucked. I would’ve given this four stars if the second half had had better pacing.

Honorable mention - The Queen of Nothing - Holly Black

November 8th, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

*cough* *cough* ahem. I reread like half this book for the scenes between Cardan and Jude…especially a specific scene in chapter 21 (if you know you know) and also the ending <3 yes queen get your ma-

Iron Flame - Rebecca Yarros

November 12th , ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

(I just finished this book right before I started typing this so excuse my screaming) BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR. HANDS DOWN. ABSOLUTELY AMAZING ENDING AND I LOVE YOU REBECCA YARROS. If you like fantasy, I’d recommend this book. (Also rep for the messed up joints girlies 🙏🏼) I love Xaden and Violet sm.

These Violent Delights - Chloe Gong

November 14th, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️☆

This book was very good. Great prose, amazing characters, original plot. I only didn’t give it five stars because I personally felt just a bit disconnected from the story. I didn’t really feel all that stressed by the plot, though this may have been because I only had four hours to read the book. Overall, it was a great book and I’ll be reading the sequel when I have time. (Also, coming off the Iron Flame high does make this book a bit less fascinating.)

Crooked Kingdom - Leigh Bardugo

November 15th, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

After four months, I finally bring myself to finish this. A masterpiece. I didn’t want to leave this world, and yet I finally had to. The entire crew has my heart, and that ending broke me. I wanted so badly to simply not read it and make sure it didn’t happen, but here we are. Our gang all got their not-quite-happily-ever-after, and this may or may not have been the only book to make me cry ever. (That’s not true, but I can’t remember which other book I cried at. Perhaps it was my own.) Five stars. I will be returning to this duology someday to reabsorb the masterpiece that it is.

Drizzle, Dreams, and Lovestruck Things - Maya Prasad

November 22nd, ⭐️⭐️⭐️☆

This book was pretty good. The sisters had a cute relationship and the inn was fun. The book was split into four parts - one for each sister - and personally I enjoyed the first two the best. The third one was also pretty cute, but the last one…I didn’t connect with the character as well, and her plot seemed to drag. I actually stopped reading like 3 pages before the end because the plot was basically over like 20 pages before and it was just focusing on side characters. I think I’m just not a huge fan of slice of life in book form, so if you like that, then this book is for you. I have the sequel sitting on my shelf, but I might just take it back to the library at this point.

A Court of Wings and Ruin - Sarah J. Maas

November 23rd, ⭐️⭐️

This book was way too long, to put it bluntly. I considered DNFing it a number of times, and the plot just seemed to drag on. I don’t understand what Maas has against question marks, either. I can’t tell you how many times I read a question in here that ended with a period. I’m not sure whether it was supposed to emphasize tone or what she was trying to do, but it was extremely irritating and distracting. I didn’t notice this happening in the other two books, but maybe I just missed it. The only reason I finished this book was so that I could read ACOSF with full context because I do love Cassian and Nesta, but otherwise I probably would’ve DNFed about 2/3 of the way in. The fandom wasn’t kidding when they said ACOMAF was the best book in the series. I’m only glad I finished this because of the Nessian scene we got at the end 💔 my heart cried.

A Court of Silver Flames - Sarah J. Maas

November 25th, ⭐️⭐️⭐️☆

To my surprise and delight, this book has question marks!!! Yayyy!!! To start this review off, I’ll begin by saying - Sarah finally got a decent review out of me. I really enjoyed this book except for a few small details. Now, that may just be because I love Cassian and Nesta, but I consider it a win that she wrote two characters that I LOVE.

That being said, this book made me dislike Rhysand even more than I already did. I’m not sure what it is about him, but I find him a bit intolerable. I won’t dwell on this point, but I found him especially irritating in relation to the Feyre B-plot. Oof. That in combination with the ridiculous number of smut scenes made me knock this down a star. I was fine with them at first, but then it just became too much. Google says there were only 7 smut scenes in the book, but I swear there were more. This is just a personal gripe and nothing against the book or its readers, but it certainly downgraded my enjoyment of it.

Beyond that, I really loved the tension between Cassian and Nesta, and I also enjoyed seeing the two of them work through their issues. They’re extremely sweet and I love them. One thing though - Sarah, why did you tease a mating ceremony for like three pages and then we don’t even get to see it??? Miss ma’am at the very least I wanted to see Cassian being all sweet as they consummated the mating or whatever. But instead we get another scene of someone crying over Feyre’s painting??? COME ON!!! This will probably be the only time I’ll rate an SJM book over 3 stars.

↳ December (11)

The Brothers Hawthorne - Jennifer Lynn Barnes

December 2nd, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

To start this off, I was completely thrilled to read a book about the boys. Don’t get me wrong, I love Avery, but the three youngest Hawthorne brothers have always piqued my interest more. I honestly didn’t think a book in this series could be better than the others, but there was something about this book that was even more incredible than the trilogy. This book was even better than I thought it would be. I expected to enjoy Jameson’s part of the story even more than Grayson’s part, but I actually found myself enjoying getting to know Grayson quite a bit more. (Don’t get me wrong, I loved Jameson’s part of the story, but this book made me love Gray a lot more.). I’d give this book six stars if I could. Absolutely lovely and completely compelling read, and I love all the new characters we’re introduced to. I do hope that someday we get a book about Xander and Nash, but for now, this will quench my Hawthorne thirst. I definitely have a new favorite Hawthorne though (sorry Jameson). I will kiss Gray-

The Half-Life of Love - Brianna Bourne

December 9th, ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Uh so to put it simply. I hated this book (in the best way possible). I don’t know why I read this. I knew how it would end from the start, but it intrigued me enough that I read it anyways!!?? Haha. I sobbed at the ending. I never want to think about this book again. I loved the characters but I hated the plot. That’s it. (I will also say this book dealt HEAVILY with death and was very heavy so. Yeah. Be warned.) Update after a week of processing: I actually loved this book a lot, but it broke my heart. I loved the character development that Flint went through over the course of the book, and it absolutely broke me that that was the end. I may change my star rating for this before I officially post this, but for now it stays at 3 for hurting me.

Fireborne - Rosaria Munda

December 16th, ⭐️⭐️☆, DNF

This book was…odd, to say the least. It had potential, but something about the world building felt off to me. Perhaps it’s just not my vibe. My main gripe with it has to be the characters’ names. Some of them had very modern names, some of them had very old names, and some of them only went by extremely weird nicknames. The names alone took me out of the immersion of the world, because every time I’d finally get into it, I’d read a name and go oh, yeah, this is a book. It took me about a week to decide to DNF this, but after reading so many books I genuinely enjoyed, I just couldn’t force myself to finish it.

Greymist Fair - Francesca Zappia

December 16th, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️☆

This was one of my most anticipated reads of the season. I saw the cover at the library and was like oh, yeah, that’ll be a good read. I didn’t even read the summary. Turns out, I was so right. The book kind of has similar vibes to the tales of The Brothers Grimm, but oddly I didn’t find any of this story very creepy. It was dark and a bit gory, but I thoroughly enjoyed the progression of the story. I wouldn’t say this was a five-star read, but I really enjoyed this book. It’s a collection of stories about Greymist Fair that weave together very beautifully, and I absolutely love the atmosphere this book created. Come to find out after I read it, it’s classified as a horror book? I would’ve probably said it was more paranormal fiction, but alas. This was not a horror book to me. I should know, I hate horror. Would definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes morally twisted fantasy books - especially classic fae stories. This book gave me similar vibes to those.

The Matzah Ball - Jean Meltzer

December 22nd, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️☆

This book was so much fun. I think I read it in 3.5 hours. I wasn’t sure what to expect going into this, because honestly it’s one of the four Christmas (this book wasn’t technically Christmas but based on certain themes I think you could categorize it that way) books I impulsively rented from the library, but I loved it. The main girl had a chronic illness, and as someone who struggles physically myself, I really enjoyed reading about a main character going through the mental struggles of such a thing. This book gave silly Hallmark movie vibes, but it was completely enjoyable. The main guy was extremely sweet albeit a bumbling idiot, and I actually didn’t mind the major misunderstanding trope that carried this plot. I also really enjoyed reading a book that included lots of Jewish culture. It felt like home. There were a few aspects of this book I found a bit childish for a book about two people who were nearly thirty, but I guess different people enjoy different things. It was a fun, quick read if you’re looking for something with a holiday theme.

These Hollow Vows - Lexi Ryan

December 23rd, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️☆

I’m not really sure why, but I started reading this in October and couldn’t get into it. A couple pages in and I was HOOKED. I love me a book about Fae realms. (At least, the original Fae. ACOTAR was too far from the source material for me to enjoy it, sadly.) This book has all the mystery and wonder of the Fae lands while being extremely simple to read and understand. I LOVED the plot progression, and the plot twists were predictable in a roundabout way where you could sort of guess them, but they still surprised you. The ending made me scream in both an angry and excited way. I totally saw the ending coming, but it still pissed me off!

I can’t wait to read the next book, but sadly I must wait until I return from vacation. I would DEFINITELY recommend this if you like fae books, especially if you enjoyed The Cruel Prince. The only reason I didn’t give this book five stars is that I felt the side characters were all a bit underdeveloped. I’m not sure if this was on purpose since the book is from the main character’s point of view, but I felt like I didn’t even know the love interests well enough to actually make a good judgement of either of them. I did, according to the ending, end up pegging both of their true characters correctly, but I still felt they were underdeveloped for how much time they spent in the book.

Honorable mention - The Queen of the Tearling - Erika Johansen

December 24rd, unrated, DNF

I tried to read this book about ten different times before I had to return it to the library, but it just isn’t my cup of tea. It didn’t capture my attention in the twenty pages I read, and I don’t think I can follow the character on her journey. It’s very sad, because I truly love a learned royalty plot, but I couldn’t do it. Perhaps I will pick it up again someday, but I don’t plan on it being anytime in the near future.

Defy the Night - Brigid Kemmerer

December 25th, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Ok, this one surprised me. I picked this book up at the library back in the summer, but I realized it was dual POV, and at that point I just couldn’t handle reading that, so I returned the book. I picked it up again on Christmas because my grandma bought me a kindle and I really wanted to try it, but the options at my library that were immediately available were limited. I’m so glad I gave it a second chance, because I loved it. This book had everything I love in a fantasy novel. There were so many twists I didn’t see coming, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. This book made me enjoy a wholly political plot, and I love that for it. Usually, I’m not a huge fan of political plots, but I loved the way this one developed. The romance was absolutely adorable as well, and it made me so happy I decided to give this book a second chance. As it stands, I will probably be reading the sequel tomorrow, and I am very excited, although I’m a bit upset the third book isn’t out until January! I was so happy to give another book five stars this month, because with how it was going, I didn’t think I would be.

Defend the Dawn - Brigid Kemmerer

December 26th, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️☆

Hah. This book. True to my word, I finished it the day after Defy the Night. I’ll be honest, this book was slightly disappointing after how amazing the first book was, but I’ll let it slide solely because we got to know a new and amazing character. Besides that, this book did BOUNDS of character work. We got to know more and more about our main characters, and they all learned to overcome their stubbornness in this book. One thing I really loved about this book is that we got to see more about how close the brothers are. I feel like I don’t read many books where boys are very close to each other, especially not in a royalty setting, so it was refreshing to read a book where two brothers rule the throne united instead of going to war over it.

I was a bit disappointed that they spent the majority of the book on a ship, but because of the development that happened in the ship both character-wise and plot-wise, I can’t necessarily complain. For one, we got away from Allisander in this book, and I really had no character in this book more than him (yet). I’m very excited to read the last book when it comes out, though I wish I could read it right now. This series is truly worth the hype it had when I first discovered it, and I can’t wait to see where the relationships go in the next book.

The Lost Sisters - Holly Black

December 26th, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Truth be told, this was a whole lot shorter than I thought it would be. It was essentially a letter from Taryn to Jude about the events of the first book. I found it to be a very interesting character study, honestly, and it showed us a bit more about Cardan too. I would recommend reading this if you’ve read The Cruel Prince series.

These Twisted Bonds - Lexi Ryan

December 29th, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Oh my gosh this book did more than I could’ve ever imagined it would. This book gave me all the character development the first book was lacking, and the way the plot developed was insanely amazing. I absolutely love Finn, and the way he calls Abriella Princess just absolutely melts me. The world got extremely fleshed out in this book, and I really enjoyed seeing how this author put her own twist on the world of the Fae. I also, oddly, really liked how the spice was done in this book. It was there but it mostly lacked detail and description, which is how I like my spice. I want a vague idea and nothing more! 😆 Overall, I really enjoyed this book, and it will probably be my last book of the year. I think it was a great conclusion to this year’s reading, and I’m glad I ended the year on a high note.

If you read this far, thanks for sticking around! For 2024, I will be doing monthly wrap-ups, so don’t expect another post like this…unless I decide to do a yearly wrap-up after my monthly ones are done…

If you have any recommendations to start my year off, tell me! I currently am planning on reading the Percy Jackson series, but that’s the only thing I’m really looking forward to reading

[morningstargirl666]

I just finished reading through The Big Bad Wolf and have loved it. I can’t wait for more!! Any updates or news?

Hi! So happy to hear you loved it! ❤️✨

I'm currently in the process of editing/rewriting TBBW right now! I've also outlined chapter 36 and started writing some of the dialogue, but I'm hesitant to start writing it in its entirety because I feel like I'm going to end up changing a lot of TBBW and want it all up to date before I fully commit my attention to the next chapter. I'm not changing anything plot-line wise, but I am making tweaks to the lore, character development, etc. It's still the same story, but now that the first 35 chapters are written, I find I'm going back and adding bits that you'd normally see in 'filler' episodes. Anything and everything that develops characters, relationships or lore - or even just there simply because I find it fun and enjoyable. I keep reminding myself that writing these first 35 chapters was me stuffing sand into buckets and now, with time to edit, I can finally make the sandcastles: carve turrets and staircases, mount flags and add seashells, adding every scrap of detail that will ultimately make this story come alive.

For example, chapter 5 on its own, has 6.5K of entirely NEW unseen content added to it so far (it's not posted yet, nor are any other edits for TBBW, so don't get too excited). And that's not counting the scene between Sam and Kiera on the phone, which has been re-written completely for the most part. There is also at least one more new scene I still want to write. If the chapter gets too long, it might mean splitting it in two and re-organising the chapters again, like I did for chapter 11 and 12 a while ago when I edited them.

Chapter 5, I hope, is an outlier and most chapters won't have as much done to them. Chapter 1 is edited and finished, yet its mostly the same except for grammar corrections. Though Chapter 2 has a deeper insight into Klaus' mindset - particularly his pure dislike for doppelgangers - purely because it's fun for me, as well as highlighting the development of his character between The Little Wolf and the start of TBBW. There's also going to be an extra canon forwood scene at the end of that chapter, as I want to develop them more, in preparation for when I destroy the relationship in the future chapters after 35. But who nows - all the chapters centered around the Mikaelson Ball I'm eyeing hungrily, my mind whizzing with a few ideas on how I might expand on them a little bit. I also want to focus more on the hybrids, which until now I've kinda ignored.

I know it may be a little disappointing, to hear the next chapter update is a long way off yet. But I don't want to rush this. I want to savour it, every single second. And who knows, by the time you get chapter 36, you won't just be getting a 20k chapter - you'll be getting a 50k bonus update of brand new content as well, sprinkled throughout the first 35 chapters. The word count is going to be over 400k by the time I update the next chapter, probably closer to 450k, I'm almost sure of it.

I can't promise when the next chapter will arrive, but I can promise this:

It will be worth the wait.

[tangledbea]

Which characters do you think would love Halloween the most?

Eugene and Lance have fond memories of getting free candy and pulling pranks from when they were kids. But their enjoyment doesn't hold a candle to Kiera and Catalina, who also like to get free candy and pull pranks, and one of whom is a literal werewolf.

[msmargaretmurry]

hiii my dear, hope you’re having a wonderful day!

21, 35 and 45 for the book worm ask game please 🌞🌼

thank you my dear same to you!! 💕

21. The book(s) on your school reading list you actually enjoyed. — answered here!

35. Least favorite trope in your most favorite book genre.

i don't think i actually have a most favorite book genre? 😂 i read pretty widely and i really enjoy variety. however as a fantasy lover and a romance enjoyer i suppose this is a good place to complain that i often don't like romantasy books. also i kind of hate the term "romantasy." the ones i have tried have had really lackluster worldbuilding and focus more on whatever tropes they're using than on showing me why i should care about these people and they world they're in. i think that romance tropes can work super well in fantasy stories but the fantasy world cannot be built around making the tropes happen, and i won't buy into a story just because it's billed as having certain tropes.

45. What book(s) would you sell your soul to get a TV or movie adaptation of?

also answered here but i will add a few more! not "sell your soul" level but i do enjoy thinking about how a book might be adapted when i read it and a couple of novels i think would make great dramatic miniseries are small game by blair braverman and people of the book by geraldine brooks. i think that such a fun age by kiley reid could make a wickedly smart and funny movie. evvie drake starts over would make a lovely movie. oh you know what would be so fun — the selection series by kiera cass. those books are NOT good, they are the epitome of fluffy trash reads, but i think they could be made into a fantastically cw-esque trash-fluff television series that improves upon the source material and really leans into the reality tv of it all. also i love a teen sports movie so much so i would love a movie version of michigan vs. the boys.

[kikithedreamerwriter]

Welcome all! I’m Kiki, a fellow fanfic writer.

MASTERLIST

POLLS

My Leo OC: Sayuri Mizuno 「水の小百合」

MEET MY OC

OC!SAYURI X BAYVERSE!LEO HCS

My Raph OC: Asa De Leon

MEET MY OC

This is my first Tumblr blog, but I’ve been writing fanfiction for as long I can remember :) Until now, I never had the courage to publicize my work so I’m excited to take on the challenge of putting myself out there, joining a community, and allowing myself to interact with people of similar interests. The Blue Pages is a personal project inspired by Hamato Leonardo from the TMNT 2012 series and Leonardo from the 2014-2016 Bayverse Movies.

A few facts about me

I’m a nursing student.

I love anime (SNK, KNY, FMA, JJK, Studio Ghibli) and reading books (HP, PJO/HOO, Kiera Cass, Dan Brown, Kalil Gibran, Mitch Albom, Khaled Hosseini)

I’m learning Japanese.

🄰🅂🄺 🄶🅄🄸🄳🄴🄻🄸🄽🄴🅂

I mainly write for Leonardo from either the 2012 series or the Bayverse movies in 2014-2016. But I can accommodate other turtles too, (1) given that they are also either from the 2012 series or Bayverse movies and (2) depending on the ask. My turtles are often aged up, 18 or older.

I will write angst and fluff. Sometimes, my writings have suggestive themes (NSFW), but not anything explicit. I will not write smut.

I am only comfortable writing for female OCs.

I accept requests for one-shots, HCs, and reader inserts.

I am in my right to decline asks that I deem inappropriate and uncomfortable for me to write.

I do not accept anonymous asks for security and safety reasons. If you do not want your blog name to be mentioned in your ask, let me know via message. Your privacy is respected in this blog.

The Blue Pages is purely for my own enjoyment, therefore it is not my top priority. Waiting times for asks will vary. I humbly ask for your patience.

Let me know if you want to be tagged in my future posts.

Hate is not tolerated on this blog. It is in your liberty to unfollow it.

Message me for any more questions!

[iminlovewithpercyjackson]

your opinion on the last book you read?

I just finished kiera cass's a thousand heartbeats haha

I didn't like it as much as her the betrothed duology

but it was good I quite liked it I had an enjoyable time reading it

was more in love with the mc's brother than the main guy tho

[myreygn]

7, 8, 15, 18, 22, 53 & 52 for the book ask thingy if that is okay? ^^ ♥️

yes ma'am thanks for asking! 💛

¸¸♬·¯·♩¸¸♪·¯·♫¸¸¸¸♫·¯·♪¸¸♩·¯·♬¸¸

7. a book you did not finish

the heir by kiera cass... i read the first three books of the selection series and was not impressed to put it nicely. i started reading the fourth one because i thought the romance wouldn't be as predictable but after reading two chapters i knew who it was gonna be so i said to myself "no miss you're not putting up with this shit again" and closed it forever lmao

8. a book you finished in one sitting

den schattenmann belügst du nicht ("you don't fool the shadow man") by marvin grauwolf, it's a german fantasy comedy murder mystery with ~280 pages and too hilarious to put down even once haha! the writing style was very terry pratchett whose books i LOVE so we were all good there

15. a book rec you really enjoyed

my friends recommended the song of achilles by madeline miller and while i was not head over heels (and will probably be slaughtered for some opinions i have lmao) i had a lot of fun with it and really loved the writing style

18. your least favorite book ever

mia i thank you from the bottom of my heart for giving me the opportunity to hate on things <3 ahem. THE TOBACCONIST! THIS IS NOT A QUESTION! the tobacconist by robert seethaler is a book i had to read for german class and it was honestly the least enjoyable, most annoying and overall just worst reading experience i ever had in my life! it's about a young guy who comes to vienna shortly before ww2, meets the first love of his life (to have an insufferable romance with her), befriends dr sigmund fucking freud (barf.) and experiences the takeover of the nazis. that book won prices and i have no idea how tf it pulled that off because it's awful!!

22. your favorite thriller

tbh the only thriller i ever read was dear child by romy hausmann and it was pretty good so imma go with that lol

52. a popular book/series that you love

i don't really read a lot of books that are very popular with the mainstream but what is very popular amongst designated fantasy readers (such as yours sincerely) is the first law by joe abercrombie. i think i already said once that abercrombie is one of the best authors i ever read and i still stand by that, the first law is basically game of thrones but better (and speaking of which, a song of ice and fire by george r r martin is also a series i really love lol)

53. a popular book/series that your hate

omg. selection by kiera cass and mortal instruments by cassandra clare. one character is not enough to cancel out everything else which sucks but just for the record, mortal instrument's only plus is alec lightwood and selection's only plus is celeste. spoiler alert she dies and it's the only plottwist in all of the books and probably only there for the sake of having a plottwist because it contributes absolutely NOTHING to the story ("all of the books" she said when she only read the first 3. i assume the love interest for america's and maxon's daughter in book 4 was supposed to be a plottwist but as mentioned above, it was so painfully obvious by chapter 2(!!) that i could not have been suprised by it if my fucking life depended on it)

[the-cat-chat]

July 23, 2022

Run (2020)

A home-schooled teenager begins to suspect her mother is keeping a dark secret from her.

JayBell: Nothing is scarier than an unhealthy parent-child relationship. The creepy music really made this movie an unsettling experience. Even normal, everyday actions were made scary with the sound design.

While we went into this movie completely blind, we ended up predicting the twists not even five minutes into the movie. With that said, it was still incredibly enjoyable to watch it all unfold and the horrible realizations to be uncovered. The actors, Sarah Paulson as mom and Kiera Allen as daughter, did an amazing job. Their performances were so effective and convincing.

I loved how the daughter’s physical condition highlights her dependence on her mother, even though she’s completely ready to be more independent. The mother is just so suspicious all the time that I couldn’t help but be tense watching. The mom also gaslights her so much that it’s painful to watch. It has definite Misery vibes.

My biggest and perhaps only gripe with this movie was the encounter with the pharmacist, who has to be the stupidest and most unobservant person in the world. Why the daughter wouldn’t just tell the truth in this scenario is also a little confusing. Other than this small thing, I was very engrossed by the movie and pleased with it overall.

Rating: 7/10 cats  🐈

Anzie:   I think the multiple technical difficulties endured that led to randomly watching this movie should be appreciated. Without them I may have never watched this movie. Not because of any particular reason other than the Gypsy Rose/ munchausen by proxy vibe that is the plot seemed a little too much and very heavily used in tv/movies when this first came out.

Buttttt….. it was amazing and terrifying and so engrossing the whole time we were watching the movie. I’ve watched every season of American Horror Story….. and Sarah Paulson was NEVER this scary. She did such a phenomenal job in this role and I was anxious the entire time. The daughter, Kiera Allen, is amaaaazing at being as terrified as everyone watching should be.

The story is so good, it makes you piece together what is happening from the start- is this her daughter- no it can’t be - maybe it is - no she so totally kidnapped her- wait maybe it is her kid. On and on. And then just when you think you know how something will play out- BAM!! It’s the complete opposite. And the MUSIC- makes you so nervous!! And add into that there are scenes where if you play close enough attention Sarah Paulson is just CREeeeping in the background. And the ending!!!! Gawd. 

Side Note: the pharmacist really peeved me….. like don’t be dumb lady please just do your job. Ooo you “love games” pls shut up.

Rating: 8/10 non-existent dogs 🐶

[steelycunt]

as an austen enjoyer i greatly recommended pride & prejudice ik thats literally one of her most popular novel but its so so good❤️❤️ i promise!!! U could also just watch the movie instead (2005), might be biased bc of Kiera Knightley loml but its really good and pretty accurate!!! also emma and persuasion are greta but ngl i can’t say id recommend Sense and Sensibility🙁🙁 esp if i’d be ur first austen novel . have fun either way tho xx

ahh thank you noted!! i am drawn to p&p even if it's not the first one i read because i know its so popular....and if i fail at that i AM committed to watching the knightley macfadyen adaptation...definitely will b reading emma at some point because i love the adaptations ive seen but persuasion is also on the list!! thank you for the recs babs mwah xox

[dear-indies]

i hope you're having a good day so far! it's really rainy where i am so i hope the weather is at least enjoyable for you! :D i was just wondering if you had any fcs who could play the children of samantha ferris? preferably ages 21 to 30

Maia Mitchell (1993) - has spoken up for Palestine!

Olivia Cooke (1993)

Lydia West (1993) Afro Montserratian / White.

Sophie Skelton (1994)

Aimee Lou Wood (1994) - has spoken up for Palestine!

Ivana Baquero (1994)

Nick Robinson (1995)

Jack Mulhern (1995)

Jessie Mei Li (1995) Hongkonger / White - is a gender non-conforming woman who uses she/they - has spoken up for Palestine!

Alex Fitzalan (1996)

Chase Sui Wonders (1996) Chinese, some Japanese and Tahitian / White.

Courtney Eaton (1996) Chinese, Cook Islander Māori / White.

Brittany O'Grady (1996) Louisiana Creole [African, French] / White.

Emma Mackey (1996)

Elliot Fletcher (1996) - is a trans man.

Evan Mock (1997) Bisaya Filipino / White.

Nicole Maines (1997) - is a trans woman.

Alison Oliver (1997)

Quintessa Swindell (1997) African-American / White - is non-binary (they/he) - has spoken up for Palestine!

Kiera Allen (1997) - is paraplegic.

Felix Mallard (1998)

Ella Hunt (1998) - is queer.

Erin Kellyman (1998) Afro Jamaican / White - is a lesbian.

Mackenzie Foy (2000)

Devyn Nekoda (2000) Japanese / White.

Lucas Jade Zumann (2000) Ashkenazi Jewish / possibly German - has spoken up for Palestine!

Zoe Terakes (2000) - is a trans masc non-binary guy (they/he) - has spoken up for Palestine!

Ruby Cruz (2000) - is queer.

Ari Notartomaso (2001) - is non-binary (they/he) - has spoken up for Palestine!

Rachel Zegler (2001) Colombian / White - has spoken up for Palestine!

Ian Alexander (2001) Vietnamese / White - is non-binary (they/he).

Hey anon! If you want something more specific feel free to send another ask. 💌

[topreviewin]

Get prepared, everybody else. Nordstrom only established a significant fall sale. Yes, i am discussing a large purchase before real Ebony Friday and Cyber period with around 50 per cent down on things. Through November 6, it can save you on a selection of great things.I took a scroll through on-sale providing to curate an edit of pieces that i discovered become specially stylish provided their particular modern-day design details. Contained in the combine? Sets from breathtaking sweaters to cool off tailoring silhouettes to top-notch denim cuts.Keep scrolling to see the chicest what to purchase from Nordstrom's autumn purchase. Levi's Wedgie Icon Fit tall Waist Jeans (ended up being $98) Every editor's preferred jeans. Birkenstock Arizona Big Buckle slip Sandal (ended up being $160) Vince Camuto Center Seam Crewneck Sweater (ended up being $69) Love the center-seam information. Topshop Single-breasted Blazer (ended up being $102) Bring polish to virtually any appearance. Thread & provide Plaid Woven Shacket (ended up being $49) & various other tales Raw Hem directly Leg natural & Recycled Cotton Jeans (ended up being $99) Nordstrom Crewneck Cashmere Sweater (ended up being $149) Levi's Faux Leather Moto Jacket (ended up being $150) This moto coat seems therefore costly. Free Individuals Alli V-Neck Sweater (ended up being $148) Treasure & Bond Dobby Timeless Shirt (ended up being $59) Sam Edelman double-breasted Wool Blend Coat (ended up being £220) Halogen V-Neck Tunic Sweater (ended up being $69) MIA Rigo Lug Chelsea Boot (ended up being $80) EDIKTED Oversize Stripe Cotton Sweater (ended up being $77) Open Edit 3-Piece Cozy Knit Lounge Set (ended up being $99) Franco Sarto Balin system Loafer (ended up being $99) Wit & Wisdom 'Ab'Solution Slim Fit Raw Hem directly Leg Jeans (ended up being $78) Treasure & Bond Oversize Plaid Blazer (ended up being $99) Another powerful blazer choice. Bernardo Hooded Quilted water-repellent Jacket (ended up being $180) & various other tales Balloon Sleeve Ribbed Wool & Mohair combination Sweater (ended up being $129) Good US Fit & Flatter Blazer (ended up being $169) Marc Fisher Georgiey Pointed Toe knee-high Boot (ended up being $269) Picture these shoes along with your preferred top. & Various other tales Ruched Cap Sleeve Top (ended up being $59) AllSaints Kiera Fray Edge Crewneck Sweater (ended up being $379) Cool aided by the frayed advantage. Reebok Club C Revenge Vintage Sneaker (ended up being $90) Nordstrom One-Button Blazer ($179) Sam Edelman Christy Loafer (ended up being $150) i can not get an adequate amount of loafers. Open Edit Asymmetric Hem Bouclé Sweater ($69 at Nordstrom) The asymmetric hemline is enjoyable. Topshop Pinstripe Oversize Cotton Poplin Button-Up Shirt (ended up being $74) This top would look stylish with leggings. Open Edit Vented Flare Pants (ended up being $69) Marc Fisher Rally Pointed Toe Boot (ended up being $299) O'Dolly Dearest The Miranda Skirt (ended up being $88) Wear this top with sets from flats to shoes. Levi's Quilted Fleece longer Teddy Coat (ended up being $200) You may just need are now living in this layer. Levi's Ribcage Ripped tall Waist Ankle directly Leg Jeans (ended up being $108) Distressed denim when it comes to win. Nordstrom Cashmere Turtleneck Sweater (ended up being $169) Another great cashmere minute. Nordstrom Miller 2 water-resistant Boot (ended up being $100) Yes, these shoes tend to be waterproof. Vince Camuto Longline Cozy Cardigan (ended up being $89) As title says, comfortable. Treasure & Bond Speckled comfortable Fit Sweater (ended up being $69) Open Edit Unstructured Blazer (ended up being $75)

Our editors love this blazer. & Various other tales tall Waist Pleat Front large knee pants ($139) Sam Edelman Colin Penny Loafer (ended up being $150) Feeling the two-tone vibe. AG Ex-Boyfriend Ripped Jeans (ended up being $236) Designer jeans for sale? Complete. Topshop Oversize Denim Trucker Jacket ($84) Linea Paolo Aylin Mule (ended up being $130) Andrew Marc Sport Quilted Zip-Up Jacket (ended up being $149) A great outerwear option! Pistola Bobbie Twisted Seam Ankle large Leg Jeans Open Edit longer Sleeve Rib Cardigan Dress (ended up being $89) Wear this piece as it is or higher pants. This article had been initially posted on Who What Wear. window.reliableConsentGiven.then(function() !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function() n.callMethod? n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments) ;if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n; n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0; t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)(window, document,'script',' fbq('init', '756449714459937'); fbq('track', 'PageView'); ) #Nordstrom #established #purchase #forward #Cyber #MonthThese #products #Chic

[returntosaturn271995]

Wednesday, May 17th: What goes up...

Yesterday was firing on all cylinders- doing the 10% extra instead of the one.

And today I paid for it. For whatever reason (racing thoughts), I couldn’t fall asleep until 5 am. No amount of yoga, meditation, or well-intentioned cleaning seemed to be to snap me out of thoughts/anxieties.

Green noise? Fuck you. Deep breaths and mindfulness. Nice try, bitch. I was up and today I was down. 

But still, I got up again. And it forces the question, what is my baseline for a successful day? What counts as having enjoyably experienced life and managed to take some trembling step forward towards a better version of myself? Did today have a point? Did it age me or lead to something good? 

If I’m going to have a low day, what can I still do when the fire’s out and call it “enough”. 

1.  Getting outside everyday - I walked and listened to new music all the way to the pier and back. It was grey as hell, but two humanity moments stuck out to me: a surfer trailing from the beach leaving perfect wet footsteps on the concrete and a shy teenage girl filming the ocean, I smiled at her and she smiled back so nervously I felt a weird pang in my heart. 

2. Reading and Writing. This will have to do for writing but hello- still happened. And as for reading I think I’m going to commit to getting either another chapter of Sapiens or the 90′s book I’m reading under my belt. 

3. Cooking and Cleaning: Cooked a fabulous pork chop with dijon-fig glaze and balsamic roasted asparagus and potatoes. Listened to the FREAKIEST Radio Rental and low key spooked myself lol. Cleaned the kitchen afterward and also am currently attempting to remove a ring stain from my night stand. But who the hell owns white vinegar? 

4. Politically Aware: Still reading the Crooked Media daily newsletter because it’s A). Liberal like me and B). Funny. Survey says: the world is pretty fucking grim and Donald Trump is still a banal aura of evil that prevents Biden’s agenda. I’m not even a huge Biden stan, but these our my choices. 

5. Yoga and Meditation: It is 7:44...WOOF I DON’T FUCKING WANNA. I called Orange Theory to set up a free class and will try and persuade my lazy ass to do at least 10 min of each. 

6. Dressing Well + General Skin/Body Grooming: Wore a bunch of layers of blue work out gear on my walk. Sunscreen always. Tonight going to have a verrrry long hot shower and moisturize. Zero drinking since last Thursday when Sarah and I went to the beach.

7. Positive Relationships: Connected with Mom and Dad, Ashley, Erik, Maddy, Dasha, Kiera, Nate, and Hannah.

8. Dating: Boooooo. Sent a Hinge message but I have dating FATIGUE honey.

9. Comedy/Sleeping Better/Less weed: Yeaaaaaaaaah could and need to do better. Katie’s out of town so I’m using the empty home to practice. Sleeping less needs research at this point, set my alarm with hope in my heart, and fuck it: no weed past ten.

10. Career: Have a strong lead with Ashley’s friend Sarah and set up a call. 

[internetbookworm]

Enjoyable Books

Recently I have been reading a lot of books are some books that I personally find enjoyable (if anyone cares):

Radio Silence-Alice Oseman

Rules for stealing the stars-Corey Ann Haydu

The Mysterious Benedict Society-Trenton Lee Stewart

How to break a heart-Kiera Stewart

Tell Me if you read this books an find them interesting

[copperbadge]

Favourite version of Pride & Prejudice: Colin Firth or Kiera Knightly? Also seeking your views on Sense and Sensibility, if you would be so kind, Sir Sam. 😊

Oh, it's difficult to say. The Colin Firth P&P is culturally iconic and certainly was for me. I'm old enough that when it was first popular, if you wanted to own it you had to buy a six-cassette set. I taped it off A&E for my mother when I was in my teens somewhere, but I think I liked it more than she did. The tape I made was circulated among my peers in school, and every straight girl I knew swooned at Colin Firth's....*whisper* wet bare shoulders.

But the thing is, the Keira Knightley P&P is a fresher take than I thought possible, and I love how it's weird and unwashed, like, they are the same story but it's very apples-to-oranges trying to say which one is better. My favorite story to tell about it is that I went with mum to see it in the theater and I knew, but she didn't, that Donald Sutherland played the father in it. I love him but my mother can't stand him because she hates the numerous villains he's played. I was wondering if she'd even recognize him in period hair/dress, and she didn't react during the movie, but in the parking lot after she leaned over to me and said, in a voice filled with loathing, "Was Mr. Bennett played by....Donald Sutherland?"

When I say I laughed....

I also really like Sense & Sensibility -- it's up there with both P&Ps as a comfort watch because I can both enjoy and ignore it. It has a ton of great actors and great moments, the writing is superb, and Alan Rickman lives rent-free in my head specifically because of this movie. Often, if you see me writing something where a character repeats a word or splits a phrase, it's because I am thinking of Alan Rickman in S&S. There is actually a line in Infinite Jes that I can identify as a "Rickman Line" -- in one of the later chapters Michaelis says "It's a great education but not, I think, for you," and that is absolutely drawn directly from Alan Rickman's vocal cadence in S&S. But I also can't talk about S&S without sharing a link to the acceptance speech Emma Thompson gave, in the character of Jane Austen, when she won for best screenplay. (Skip to about 1:45 to miss all the announcement nonsense.) Emma Thompson is so outrageously talented and funny that it's almost unbearable.

So yeah, there are very few Austen adaptations I'm not here for. I'm also a big fan of the 1995 Persuasion -- the 90s were so good to Austen fans -- which I think is a little underrated both as book and movie. Emma's one of my less favorite of her novels, but the Paltrow Emma and the 2020 Emma are both perfectly enjoyable films.