#weekly reading recs

[captainkirkk]

✩ WEEKLY FIC ROUND-UP ✩

All the fics I’ve read and really enjoyed in the past week-ish. Reminder: This list features any and all ratings and themes. Please look at tags and warnings on ao3 before reading.

The Umbrella Academy

The Longest Roads Lead to Home by assaily (twistedskys)

Five raised his glass to the rafters. “I’m home,” he said simply. “I’d like to take the time to enjoy that, y’know.”

Diego watched him pour another drink, suddenly understanding him. He’d been gone a long time, lost in a really terrible place that probably never felt like home unless he could somehow forget he was the last soul on Earth. ‘Home’ meant a lot to him.

When Five’s glass was ready again, Diego raised his own, still half-full. “To being home,” he said.

That earned him a smile, a real one that managed to soothe the crease in Five’s brow and make him look so incredibly young in its sincerity, and so incredibly old in its deep gratitude. He raised his glass and clinked it against Diego’s. “To finally being home.”

Or: Five gets kidnapped and it goes wrong (for the kidnapper).

SVSSS

two golden lilies float in silence in cool pond waters by texturralize

After watching one's own life bleed away into something entirely unrecognizable- a denigration, an affront, a massacre of everything one believed in- and yet, something happy, something contented, something so easily attained, a soul grows wearied. Cracked, wearied, hurt. A broken man could only live a broken life, something Shen Jiu had seen proven to him. His martial siblings preferred the other "him" - the kind one, the palatable one. The one that was not Shen Jiu.

In death, he can only wrestle with the intersection of his own wrongs and the sins committed towards him that left him such a spiteful and angered person in life. Can being reborn, into the days when he had only just attained his status as Peak Lord, give him another chance to live a life that is happy, contented, easily attained? Can he do what the other Shen Qingqiu had managed to do? Can he make the miserable wretch he considers himself to be into a better person?

Shen Jiu does not think so. He will make a mockery of the spark of something deep inside him that hopes so to try. Perhaps...at least...this time, he can watch over his disciples and live quietly with the music in Qing Jing Peak.

The Favourite by x_los

Demonic Emperor Luo Binghe's reputation precedes him. It's just not very accurate.

The Owl House

unexpected turns by kathkin

If I go back there, he’ll kill me. it had been nagging at him all day, the certainty in the kid’s voice. But if it wasn’t the Day of Unity, then what? What could he have seen in the emperor’s mind that was worse?

What could Belos possibly have been hiding that had the power to so utterly break the loyalty of his perfect little lapdog.

Clone Wars

The inability to accept No by BitterChocolateStars

One man's inability to accept No as an answer saves the galaxy.

Or: Obi-wan turns down Palpatine's date invite. Sheev gets obsessed and salty about it.

The Goblin Emperor

Snowdrops and Bridges by Orockthro

"Serenity,” Csevet says, and his voice is flat and stoney. Maia’s hands feel clammy in his lap. “There’s been an accident at the Istandaärtha Bridge.”

Or: One accident, one flower, one kiss. Not in that order."

[maaikeatthefullmoon]

This week I have mostly been reading...

May 20-26th, 2024

Hooray, I’ve managed it for the second week in a row! *If you have written/illustrated one of the works I've mentioned and I've not tagged you, please let me know!*

Completed works I've read this week:

Under Construction by @summerofspock Rated E – Honestly, this one can be summed up by the rather excellent tags ‘there was only one wifi’, ‘weaponized coziness’, ‘erotic woodchopping’ and ‘emotionally significant flannel’ (as in the shirt, not the miniature towel for cleaning one’s self…). It’s cosy, it’s Hallmarkian, it’s disaster puppy Crowley, and Aziraphale has a beard. 10/10 no notes.

Temporal Adjustment by @ukcalico & @vavoom-sorted-art Rated E – Written by Calico to accompany the ever-wonderful vavoom’s art, it’s a Post S1 Ritz scene which plays with time and some *very* spicy scenes. Three chapters of mild D/s content – mind the tags if you’re new to that world.

Sweet Dreams: A Companion Fic by @sixbynine-da & @vavoom-sorted-art Rated E – went down a vavoom rabbit hole, which is truly a delightful hole to go down…pun erm…not intended? But perhaps it was. Anyway. The tags initially had me hesitant to read this one (blood drinking, blood as lube) but it was a much more minor point than I was worried about and it ended up being a beautifully accepting, tender, loving story. I shed a couple of tears at this one.

You Can Stay At My Place, If You Like by AstroGirl Rated T – A lovely, touching piece about the moment A & C switch corporations/bodies and get to experience each other’s thoughts and feelings. Both POVs are written throughout the story, which adds a richness and emotion to it.

If It Looks Like A Duck, And Buzzes Like A Duck, It’s A Sex Toy by @quefish77 Rated M – Look at me bring the tone down after the last recommendation, but ho hum. This one had me weeping with laughter. Once again, the tags tell the story for me: ‘Look if you’re here for medical advice I got bad news for you’, If you don’t say WTF and laugh at least 3 times I’ve failed’, ‘Tags Are Fun’, ‘How many will you read before you roll your eyes and read the fic?, ‘Congratulations! You made it to the end of the tags’, ‘I lied there are more tags’. Yes…there were more tags. I laughed continuously throughout the entire fic, so I’m not sure if that counted as more than three times, and I read all the tags before I started reading, but I can guarantee this does not disappoint, but then none of Quefish’s work ever does if you’re looking for humour.

Aziraphale’s Diaries series by azzfell & @fellshish Rated T – This is a four-part series of humorous, fluffy diary entries written by A. 1. Empirical study on the principles of snake care – A tries to look after C as you would a snake…be ready to cringe and facepalm and giggle 2. Experiments of an angel who has read entirely too much fanfic – A finds fanfic. Tries some of what he’s read on C. Yikes. 3. How to be a demon: a brief history of the Arrangement – I can’t describe it any better than the authors’ description: “The Arrangement: the hard and challenging life of an angel who tries to make a demon do good deeds, and in turn has to perform temptations and wear devilishly sexy outfits.” 4. Adventures of a mystery shopper in the bookshop – this was by far my favourite. A puts C in charge of the bookshop…and then mystery shops. I laughed. And laughed. And laughed.

Lit by @fellshish Rated T – C decides to take a Uni course on literature (for absolutely no reason whatsoever…definitely not because he wants to impress a certain angel with his literary knowledge, nope, nuh uh)…but it turns out to be slightly different to what he was expecting…and they’re discussing Good Omens. Shit.

If You Touch Me You’ll Understand What Happiness Is by locketofyourhair Rated E – It’s no secret I like a bit of angst. You need only read what I write to get smacked round the side of the head with it. This one’s got it in spades. C confesses their love for A – repeatedly – through time. To keep them safe, A erases the memory of the confession each time. But A never forgets. Ouch. It does have a happy ending, though. Phew.

Lace And Gold Braid by @elsajeni Rated M – After rescuing A from the Bastille, C went to bed for 70 years. He never actually said he was sleeping. This fic goes into lots of delicious detail about A’s slutty, slutty outfit. The imagery is really well written and it has a podfic!

WIPs which have updated this week (which I devour as soon as I get the update!)

There Is A Light And It Never Goes Out by @phoen1xr0se Rated M - A is a researcher (puffins!), C is a lighthouse keeper on the island where A has run away to to escape his problems and do his research. The author has recently spent a week studying puffins - which is the ultimate dedication, if you ask me. Ch 9/26 posted this week

Find The Light by @klikandtuna Rated E - Headmaster A and Rockstar C. The story teases out a fraught history between them whilst keeping a tension between them in the modern day. Ch 6/? posted this week.

Terminus by @emotional-support-demon-crowley Rated T - Astronaut A is guided back to Earth by controller C after 92 years in space. There are many difficulties both of them have to face and they develop an amazing rapport. Ch 16/17 posted this week.

Oddity by @tsyvia48 Rated E - Actor C is contracted by (useless) Gabriel to guest curate an exhibition at the museum where A works. After getting off on the wrong foot, can they work together to pull off this show? Ch 23/26 posted this week (note increased chapter count!)

Under The Summer Stars by @pannotbread Rated E - This wonderful fic has taught me more about physics than school ever did (mostly because I never did any physics, but...well). A & C have to share their time at an observatory because there is Only One Telescope. Not only will you learn about astrophysics, astrobiology, and astroecology, you'll also read some of the most poetically, beautifully written masturbation scenes I've ever seen. *ahem* Ch 7/13 posted this week.

Exodus2 by @tismrot Rated E – Human AU set in a dystopian future. The summary says it best, really: Ezra studies programming at the University of ha-Gan. He’s as determined as he is damaged, as fastidious as he is precise, and likes to believe he'll stop at nothing to achieve his goals. His beliefs are challenged when a new student appears late to the first Ethics module lecture - and his life is changed forever. It's the future, it's dystopian, it's cyber and it's punk. It's political, grimy and slick with tears, lube and chemical snot. TW: Sex, drugs, trauma. Ch 28/35 posted this week.

Free by well, me: imposterssyndrome Rated E - A & C meet (again?) in an acute mental health ward after both having had mental health crises. A runs a bookshop but is very much under his parents' control. C has been homeless since childhood and has struggled his entire life. They do not trust each other when they first meet, but feel strangely drawn to one another all the same. Where will this lead them? This is a passion piece for me. There is a lot of lived experience in it, and extensive research from both professionals and peers. It has been a real journey for me to write it, and as I'm coming closer to the end it's becoming very emotional for me. Ch 45/? posted this week

Want more recommendations? This is last week's list.

[marislittlethings]

fics i've bookmarked this week

The statistical probability of love at first sight

Anthony Bridgerton/Kate Sharma

In which Anthony is feeling jaded and fed up with the marriage market when he stumbles across an interesting new acquaintance. Fluff with a fluffy ending.

notes: this was so sweet and beautiful <3

Two for the Price of One

Colin Bridgerton/Penelope Featherington

Colin gets used to having Pen to himself while she and Eloise are not on speaking terms - then Penelope and Eloise restore their friendship.

(Colin Bridgerton vs the power of female friendship)

notes: eloise is the funniest person to ever live

A Red Thread of Convenience

Anthony Bridgerton/Kate Sharma

At the age of eighteen Kate Sharma, after sending a desperate letter to her father's homeland, receives aid in the form of a letter from Lady Danbury who has arranged a match for the young woman. With only a letter, a promise and hope, Kate takes her mother and sister and sails to England where she is to marry Lord Anthony Bridgerton.

notes: this one is an instant favorite

🩵 We Never Lived Here

Anthony Bridgerton/Kate Sharma

And for the first time since he started his Italy holiday, Anthony stops questioning his behaviour and just lets himself be. He follows Kate into the kitchen, where she hands him a glass of water and stays standing next to him, follows her to her room where she opens the door and beckons him inside with a look. When he cups her face in his hands and she nods and he leans in to kiss her, life finally makes sense again. This he knows how to do. This he can understand.

notes: this one made me cry :) also !!!! this is my favorite portrayal of the sibling dynamics & of Anthony in general, of how Kate changes his perspective on life and on himself, of the way he worships the ground she walks on

operation: barista (snitches get stitches)

Anthony Bridgerton/Kate Sharma

All of the many combinations of the Bridgerton group chats, as they're all back together in their home town for a week and (attempt to) stir up a plot to get Anthony and the barista together.

notes: fun!

[study-coffee-chicago]

A couple hours late, but happy Halloween! Enjoy this post of my ghostie mug, spooky candle, and witchy book!

[luckymoonly]

🏹Weekly Fengqing fic rec🗡

☆The Hardest Truth, rated T, 6k, by kakera @unfortunatelycake

Summary: Feng Xin is on a date. He's determined to make it work this time, because he can't have what he really wants. Women are the only way he knows, so why shouldn't this work?He almost believes it, until the arrival of Mu Qing throws everything he thought into question.

☆ day seven-"if we both want to fit, we'll need to cuddle", rated G, 1.2k, by good_vs_evo @el-writes-things

Summary: and there was only one bed...fengqing miiiight like each other. a little bit.

☆How to lose 800 years of cultivation, rated E, 24.6k by Princeliest

Mu Qing and Feng Xin are together. Any fulfilling and well-rounded romantic relationship is one that involves s. Ergo, Mu Qing and Feng Xin should have s. The only problem with that is that Mu Qing's cultivation is dependent on vows of celibacy that he took 800 years ago. Thankfully, he's never actually been interested in s himself, so as long as Feng Xin doesn't touch him too much, they can do whatever Feng Xin wants. It should be fine. It should be fine.

☆ In my head (i didn't think you'd understand me), rated T, 1.5k, by swyllh

Summary: Mu Qing can't believe his luck.

[finitepeace]

dramione has it tight grip on my mind. Couldn’t stop thinking (which led to reading) about them last week. My summary might not do them justice but here are the dramione I read last week: 

my heartfelt thanks to @orchita for recommending Remain Nameless !  it’s now my favorite! one of the best fic I’ve read! ever!

Remain Nameless by HeyJude19 | 312k words | adult dramione accidentally reunited in a cafe, the rest is history.|  the character writing is the best! especially draco’s struggle recovering from his past. 

Draco Malfoy and the Mortifying Ordeal of Being in Love by isthisselfcare |199k words | auror draco is assigned to protect researcher hermione because of her secret project | the comedy (?) writing is top notch! loving the banter between the characters! + crookshanks being hermione’s guard/matchmaker (?) 

Unplanned by  rockthecasbah18 | series of 3 shots | accidental pregnancy dramione, but they’re not dating so what then? 

Clean by olivieblake | 118k words | 6th year hogwarts dramione AU, lots of plot twist, my personal favorite is the part when dramione fall in love through potion making assignment 

The Disappearances of Draco Malfoy by speechwriter | 219k words | deathly hallows AU, in which draco accepted dumbledore’s offer, went into hiding and ended up helping the trio on horcrux hunting 

Still Frame by In_Dreams | 25k words | 8th year dramione realizing they might be soulmate after accidental old photographs find in destroyed hogwarts library 

Courting Customs Most Sacred by HeyJude19 | comedy involving pureblood courting steps, misunderstanding, and dramione being friends with meddling pansy. 

this week too, I’m pretty much still into dramione. 

[thinlinez]

This moodboard is a gift for @marchessa for her newest series!

Lovers in the Night

Written By Marchessa @marchessa

Part 1 of Kinktober/Flufftober Fics 2023 series

“Can I help ya?” The trucker asked with raised eyebrows. Louis shook his head to get out of his daydreaming and get to work. “Hello, handsome,” Louis smiled up at him prettily, making sure to bat his eyelashes in a seductive way. “Want some company?” The one where Harry is a truck driver and Louis is a prostitute at a truck stop.

Read on Ao3

[captainkirkk]

✩ WEEKLY FIC ROUND-UP ✩

All the fics I’ve read and really enjoyed in the past week-ish. Reminder: This list features any and all ratings and themes. Please look at tags and warnings on ao3 before reading.

Shadowhunters

Enthrallment by smilebackwards

It does look a little bad, Parmela thinks, looking at it from outside. As more specialists had been called in for consultation, they’d decamped to one of the larger conference rooms—eschewing attendance at A, B, AB, & O: The Impact of Blood Type on Non Subject Specific Blood Magic, because this was vastly more interesting and potentially important—and there are a round dozen high-level warlocks clustered around Alec, poking at him with magic.

Or: Alec attends the Magical Inventions and Advances convention in hopes of recruiting warlocks for another Downworld Cabinet. The warlocks, however, are more interested—and concerned—by the blue magical aura following Alec around.

DC

temporal fraternity by envysparkler

Damian clears his throat. “I require your assistance.”

The words come out easier with the benefit of practice and the knowledge that no one will remember them tomorrow. Today. Tomorrow-today.

The Umbrella Academy

cut me open and i still bleed red by aletterinthenameofsanity

Part 1 of the odds were never in our favor

Ben knows his fellow mentors pretty well, for how long he's spent here, behind the screens of the Games, watching as his tributes die.

Allison, from District One, has a way with the sponsors. Just a word placed here or there, stealthily dropped into conversation, and she can get her tributes the shit they need.

In his time as a Mentor, Klaus has developed a habit of drinking to get through the Games, and through the rest of his life, really- anything to avoid the truth of what's happening, the ghosts of the children he and Ben have sent to their deaths.

Very few people remember what Five’s name was before the Games. Caesar Flickerman and the Gamemakers nicknamed him that when he took out the entire Career Pack on his second day in the Arena.

Vanya’s the newest Mentor, the victor of the Seventy-Third Hunger Games.

Diego’s one of Ben’s oldest not-quite friends. A Victor from District Ten, he’d gone into the Games knowing how to kill an animal.

All the other Mentors Ben knows try never to get attached. Luther, on the other hand, doesn't forget a single name.

(A story of seven victors of the Hunger Games and the lives they live as Mentors.)

Danny Phantom

The Promised Land by redrobin1989

Danny Fenton has been running for years, from his abusive parents, from Vlad's experiments, from his freakish powers. He expected to be running his whole life until he found his way to a small town that felt like the home he'd never had.

M!ik

Study Dates Are Not Real Dates by StormySteady

A very important exam is coming up, and Asmodeus is trying his hardest to get Iruma and Clara to study for it. But his soulmates have other ideas.

Star Wars

Starlight, In All Its Forms by Soap_And_Lye

When Luke was eight, he was taken from his home on Tatooine and delivered into the hands of the emperor and his right hand.

When Luke was sixteen, he overheard the emperor's plans to steal a tiny Force sensitive child and saves him first, before being caught and dragged back to his masters' keeping.

When Luke was eighteen, he finds that same child on Gideon's cruiser, and spares both him and his family, including a silver clad Mandalorian.

And when Luke was twenty-four, he is captured by the Rebellion (captured or did he just let it happen? Really up for debate) and secretly sent as a prisoner to Mandalore, where Mand'alor Din Djarin rebuilds his planet and raises his son.

And the rest was history. Or the beginning.

Clone Wars

will you be an anarchist with me? by a_alene

Once the Kenobi floodgates are opened, they cannot be closed. Cody has apparently been keeping an itemized list of disagreements, and he is determined to tell Rex each and every one of them.

Kenobi refuses to listen to Cody’s input. Kenobi throws himself into battle with no regard for previously established battle plans. Kenobi uses the Force so recklessly and obviously that every undercover assignment is blown within the first few minutes. Kenobi is a hypocrite who berates Cody for sidestepping protocol, but flouts it himself at every opportunity.

CT-7567: bet you wish you had skywalker now

CC-2224: I wish for nothing but the cold embrace of space

Right. And he says Kenobi’s dramatic.

(Marshal Commander Cody and High General Obi-Wan Kenobi of the 212th cannot stand each other. Rex doesn't know why this is his problem.)

poetry is what you find (in the dirt in the corner) by fivecenturiesverse

(In which Cody becomes an anonymous poet after the war and his brothers find out.)

Rex launches forwards immediately and so does Bly, because he can admit to himself that he likes gifts. He likes gifts a whole lot more than Cody and Wolffe, anyway, who both act like martyrs who don’t need any material love. “Poetry, vod?” Bly asks, incredulous. “Cody’s right, you are going soft.”

“It’s by a clone,” Fox says, defensively, “it’s quite good, actually. For poetry. It made Sergeant Hound cry at the service.

[quills-and-fantasy]

Reading and Watching Record: 2024

So, this year I was planning on keeping a database on all of the anime I watch and complete, and all of the manga I watch and complete. I figured it would be easier to keep a record here because it'll be easy for me to refer to, and people might wanna get recommendations either way. I plan on updating it weekly, and setting goals for each month.

January manga/anime goals:

Monster, by Naoki Urusawa

Progress: 0/162

Mobile Suit Gundam (1979)

Progress: 0/43

[maaikeatthefullmoon]

This week I have mostly been reading...

May 27th – Jun 2nd, 2024

This week has mostly been taken up by reading the behemoth that is Rough Enough…AND I finished my WIP – all details below. It’s been a week.

Completed works I've read this week:

Rough Enough For Love by Nekhen Rated E – A GO Human AU classic. It’s *extremely* E rated, so pass it up if that’s not your thing – the NSFW isn’t skippable. It’s an absolute BEAST at 403,339 words over 42 chapters and took me most of the week to read but I was HOOKED. It’s a D/s themed story, but atypical and beautifully written. There is so much beautiful vulnerability and the most achingly gorgeous CARE ever written. Also major, hardcore Pining™️ & ©️Yearning. I’ve got some experience in D/s spheres and thought I had my preferences iron-clad in my head and this story has managed to turn EVERYTHING on its head, or at least it's given me a lot to think about. This is one of those fics which will stick with me. As someone with family-related trauma, I’d add a content warning for family judgement/feelings of severe inferiority due to family trauma.

Terminus by @emotional-support-demon-crowley Rated T – This was on my WIP list but has now been completed - *sniffle*. Astronaut A is guided back to Earth by controller C after 92 years in space. There are many difficulties both of them have to face and they develop an amazing rapport. Ch 17/17 posted this week.

WIPs which have updated this week (which I devour as soon as I get the update!)

There Is A Light And It Never Goes Out by @phoen1xr0se Rated M - A is a researcher (puffins!), C is a lighthouse keeper on the island where A has run away to to escape his problems and do his research. The author has recently spent a week studying puffins - which is the ultimate dedication, if you ask me. Ch 9/26 posted this week

Find The Light by @klikandtuna Rated E - Headmaster A and Rockstar C. The story teases out a fraught history between them whilst keeping a tension between them in the modern day. Ch 8/? posted this week.

Oddity by @tsyvia48 Rated E - Actor C is contracted by (useless) Gabriel to guest curate an exhibition at the museum where A works. After getting off on the wrong foot, can they work together to pull off this show? Ch 24/26 posted this week

Under The Summer Stars by @pannotbread Rated E - This wonderful fic has taught me more about physics than school ever did (mostly because I never did any physics, but...well). A & C have to share their time at an observatory because there is Only One Telescope. Not only will you learn about astrophysics, astrobiology, and astroecology, you'll also read some of the most poetically, beautifully written masturbation scenes I've ever seen. *ahem* Ch 8/13 posted this week.

Exodus_2 by @tismrot Rated E – Human AU set in a dystopian future. The summary says it best, really: Ezra studies programming at the University of ha-Gan. He’s as determined as he is damaged, as fastidious as he is precise, and likes to believe he'll stop at nothing to achieve his goals. His beliefs are challenged when a new student appears late to the first Ethics module lecture - and his life is changed forever. It's the future, it's dystopian, it's cyber and it's punk. It's political, grimy and slick with tears, lube and chemical snot. TW: Sex, drugs, trauma. Ch 30/35 posted this week.

Free by well, me: imposterssyndrome Rated E - A & C meet (again?) in an acute mental health ward after both having had mental health crises. A runs a bookshop but is very much under his parents' control. C has been homeless since childhood and has struggled his entire life. They do not trust each other when they first meet, but feel strangely drawn to one another all the same. Where will this lead them? This is a passion piece for me. There is a lot of lived experience in it, and extensive research from both professionals and peers. It has been a real journey for me to write it, and as I'm coming closer to the end it's becoming very emotional for me. Ch 48/56 posted this week – I officially finished writing this this week! I’m updating more frequently now, although I still have to proof & edit each chapter before I publish it.

Want more recommendations? This is last week's list.

[weekly-welsknight]

[89]

There was a rush as the air was sucked out. Wels clung on as Jevin came closer. He wasn’t lined up perfectly. The flying machine was going to pass under the ship. Wels was going to have to reach down and pull Jevin up. He needed to get his attention. Wels pulled his bow from his inventory. This was going to be risky, but it’s not like there were better options. Wels notched an arrow, aimed, and let it soar, hoping he accounted for the lack of gravity properly.

first fic rec is a knight in spacesuit armor by avivakitty (aka @concorp)!

[twobellsilence]

i want to play modded minecraft SO bad. god

[mermaidsirennikita]

Weekly Book Recs: 9/22-9/29

Duke of Depravity by Scarlett Scott

A very classic historical--pair a drunken, PTSD-ridden war veteran duke with a takes-no-shit governess who's actually spying on him because he's suspected of treason? It's delicious. This is the first time I've read Scarlett Scott, and I love the heat to her books, the wit and sense of humor matched with melodramatic emotion. The air is a bit... Tessa Dare meets Elizabeth Hoyt. Which is a really good combo, I've gotta say. Will definitely read more from her soon.

The Billionaire's Fake Fiancee by Annika Martin

Annika Martin's Billionaires of Manhattan series always evokes the sense of a truly great cinematic romcom. A lot of "romcom" novels are not actually funny, and she has such an upbeat sense of humor in her writing, along with some serious sex appeal. I didn't love the third installment after super enjoying the first two, but this one was a return to form--it may be my favorite yet. You pair a hairdresser obsessed with daytime soaps and Hello Kitty on a yacht with her stern client who hates everything she represents (... or rather, he's obsessed with everything she represents) and force them into a fake relationship... You have magic. Actually, fake dating is so ubiquitous in contemporary at the moment that it often doesn't work--but here, it so does. A fabulous "grumpy hero has a love realization" moment included.

The Princess Trap by Talia Hibbert

Kind of wild that I've been bitching about being bored with fake dating lately, only to recommend two fake dating books back to back. But in my defense a) they're both really good and b) they both came out a few years ago, back before the trope was quite so exhausted. Anyway! This is great. I'm a sucker for a good royal romance, and this hits. Ruben's a very "nice guy in the streets, fuck you and leave (consensual) bruises in the sheets" type of hero, which is difficult to resist. And he's a Danish-ish prince! But where Talia Hibbert really excels is in writing great heroines, and Cherry is no exception. No nonsense yet bratty (in other words, the ideal match for Ruben) with a tough veneer that masks a very sweet, very kind heart. It's super hot--there's a moment where he tells her he likes to take control in bed, and has an "oral fetish", as if these are potential problems--but it has a soft center. TW: domestic violence (not between the couple). #23for23

Her Errant Earl by Scarlett Scott

A classic "marriage in trouble by way of his dipshittery" book, short and sweet--or not so sweet. I personally enjoy a cheating book. In this case, Will and Victoria never really had a relationship before he began cheating; he marries her to appease his father, sleeps with her once, and is off on his way for six months. But it doesn't hurt her any less, and so you have a lot of groveling, some secret keeping, and plenty of righteous anger on her part. It's not complicated, and it could stand to be a bit longer. But if you want a good long grovel with actual misdeeds to make up for? This is it.

Her Lovestruck Lord by Scarlett Scott

Another "low-down cheating dog" book, as the second installment of Scott's Wicked Husbands series (a series with a premise for me if there ever was one). In this case, however, Maggie's husband Simon never bothered to consummate the marriage before ditching her--because he was already in love with a married woman, who subsequently dumped his ass, leading him to accidentally deflower his wife at a masked sex party, during which she was planning on cucking him in revenge. Whew. And I kind of fucking loved this one. Whereas Will of Errant is a rake through and through, Simon is stern. And possessive as fuck. And so confused, because he does not love wife!!! But why is wife all he can think about??? Why wife so pretty??? This one is for the "alpha male is downed by love" crowd, with a charming heroine and a third act twist that I didn't love, but--I did love the subsequent angst. Definitely scratched an itch.

[finitepeace]

november: imi reads grindeldore

dear forgiveness, i saved a plate for you by Kierkegarden | Words:10,020 | Almost thirty years after Ariana's death, a stagnant and repressed Albus Dumbledore decides he could use some counseling. Susan Wybourne, a dirt-poor and unconventional muggle therapist, is just the woman for the job.

Lines We've Crossed by Ascel | 8 ch., 34,314 words, WIP last updated 2020 | In another world, when a niffler slips free in a catacombs of Père Lachaise, he finds his way to a silver pendant hanging from a coat of a strange looking man. It's not particularly shiny, but he niffs it anyway, and then goes on his way, until Newt Scamander catches him again. In this world, he doesn't, and so things change.

the devil you know by Laeveteinn | M, 11,273 words | Upon rising to power, Voldemort needs a way to dispose of Dumbledore without killing him personally. He decides to lock the old coot up in Nurmengard, to be efficiently murdered by his oldest enemy.

kugelmensch by NiciLupin | 5362 words |Albus Dumbledore was the greatest headmaster Hogwarts ever had. Albus Dumbledore found a home at Hogwarts when his life had crumbled as a young man. Albus Dumbledore was buried on the grounds of Hogwarts. And Gellert Grindelwald wished to be buried with him.

[0celestialbitch0]

RANDOM THOUGHTS!!

So this is obviously about my personal journey with having difficulty with the English language and with the Spanish language(is my first language and I still have issues with reading and speaking it so like?!? Shits tough). But I was always placed in speech classes in elementary school, put in extra help English classes cause I had low scores, and I just didn’t read for pleasure or grapple any reading material that didn’t have pictures in it until late middle school early high school.

I’m saying this because I know I’ll always have a hard time reading things in any language, and it’s a thing I’ve realized early over time. It’s especially hard with being in grad level classes in my university and it’s been exhausting to say the least

And adding to that I haven’t been really giving myself time to do creative things or projects for a while now and if I do it is a brief moment than it’s back to work so…

TELL ME WHY I FINSHED A WHOLE CHAPTER BOOK IN LESS THAN A WEEK!!! I’ve never done that before holy shit

ANYWAY THIS IS BIG TO ME LIKE TRULY DECADES WORTH OF PROGRESS IM SO AMAZED

[machiavellli]

Main Masterlist🕊️

This is a personal track of the fics I read every week. MDNI❕

2024✨

week 2

week 3

week 4

week 1

week 2 and 3

week 4 and 5