#why is this book so funny is it because it's an audiobook...

[ca-highway49]

Lestat : Go outside and piss and shit and DIE and don't fall in love so much with the night that you lose your way back.

Louis [just drank Lestat's blood and got so hard he got nauseous] : I think I huave COVID

[bluedelliquanti]

Before I go on vacation, I present my list of my top books for 2024.

COMICS:

Roaming by Jillian Tamaki & Mariko Tamaki

Bunt! by Ngozi Ukazu & Mad Rupert

Ukazu and Rupert are a powerhouse team, and as an art school adjunct, this already funny GN is even funnier (albeit in a way that necessitates a skull emoji in the educator groupchat)

Tiffany’s Griffon by Magnolia Porter Siddell & Maddi Gonzalez

Phobos and Deimos by J Dalton

Delicious in Dungeon by Ryoko Kui

It's a tough task to reach a satisfying conclusion to a series that was as strong as Dungeon, but I think Kui accomplished it!

Fool Night by Kasumi Yasuda

King in Limbo by Ai Tanaka

Over the last year I've been drawn towards comic series that work with a retro, fixed-width inking style, and King especially informed some recent experiments of mine.

PROSE:

Twins by Bari Wood & Jack Geasland

When I learned Wood was responsible for the book that became Dead Ringers, I knew I had to try it. This is the one that wins my "Oh, shit! Wow!! Okay!!!" award for the year (distinctions previously awarded to Cyteen and Manhunt).

The Bezzle by Cory Doctorow

DS9: A Stitch in Time by Andrew J. Robinson

Those of you who read my journal comic from last August might recall that I met Robinson at a Trek convention! I'd learned from reading these books that Stitch was considered a white whale among collectors, and now I absolutely understand why. If you're a DS9 fan and you want to try any book from the original run of novels, try this one. By which I mean, try the far easier-to-find audiobook version.

Translation State by Ann Leckie

A Woman of the Iron People by Eleanor Arnason

Fellow SBCF participant Erin Roseberry had shared this title as an inspiration for their comic, The Maker of Grave-Goods, and I was especially interested in trying a book by a Twin Cities author. What a serendipitous find!

Arboreality by Rebecca Campbell

For the third year in a row, a book nominated for the Le Guin Prize makes the list.

Always Coming Home by Ursula K. Le Guin

This is another book I always told myself I'd try someday, and was it ever worth it! I spent some time talking about my experience with this story (and its accompanying materials that fill out the world) in my talk with Evan Dahm on his show.

See you in the new year! I've packed some thick books for a long flight, so I'm starting my 2025 reading pile right away!

Reruns of my previous two lists, 2023, and 2022, below the cut.

2023

COMICS:

Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou by Hitoshi Ashinano

Out of Style by Devi Putri Megwati

Skip and Loafer by Misaki Takamatsu

The Harrowing of Hell by Evan Dahm

The Infinity Particle by Wendy Xu

Esteban by Matthieu Bonhomme

I covered my ShortBox reccs back in October, but since then I also picked up Pearl Hunting by Hana Chatani when it came to itch.io and adored it.

PROSE: 

So yes, maybe I'm cheating by including Moby Dick since I'm not all the way finished, but Whale Weekly really did end up being a great tool for getting me to crack open my gorgeous Evan Dahm-illustrated copy I've had for a while.

My favorite book of the year is Roadside Picnic by Arkady & Boris Strugatsky. I genuinely did read it the first week of January, but after having it recommended to me for years, I'm thrilled it didn't disappoint. Maybe I am someone who likes Russian novels after all???

Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto

Such Nice People by Sandra Scoppettone

Cyteen by C.J. Cherryh (I jokingly placed these three in the "READ 👏 FEMALE 👏 AUTHORS 👏" category because they don't have anything in common other than describing some of the most upsetting/bizarre scenarios I've read this year. Cyteen especially! Wowee!!!)

Brother Alive by Zain Khalid

Glory by Vladimir Nabokov

A Different Trek by David K. Seitz, which I mentioned as my vacation book for the Star Trek convention, but it's given me some great suggestions for more books, both fiction and otherwise. Also, I read... 11 more DS9 books this year. 

2022

COMICS:

Fullmetal Alchemist by Hiromu Arakawa

Vattu by Evan Dahm

The Well by Choo and Jake Wyatt

Wash Day Diaries by Robyn Smith and Jamila Rowser

Some ShortBox Comics Fair entries that are graphic novella length and are really good include Food School by Jade Armstrong and The God of Arepo by Reimena Yee et al.

PROSE:

Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters

The Murders of Molly Southbourne by Tade Thompson

How to Blow Up a Pipeline by Andreas Malm

Manhunt by Gretchen Felker-Martin

Dead Collections by Isaac Fellman

Pale Fire by Vladimir Nabokov

A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers

The Past is Red by Catherynne M. Valente

edit: oh my god I can't believe I forgot Perfume by Patrick Süskind

Honorable mentions from the pile of DS9 novelizations include Revenant by Alex White (for successfully pulling off a Sara Paretsky-style mystery in space) and Dominion War: Call to Arms by Diane Carey (for absolutely unhinged adjective choices).

[unboundbymusic]

If you want something kind of boring but interesting nonetheless, I would suggest The Heath Disparities Podcast! You’ll come away learning something.

If you like medical history that’s for the most part fairly light, you may like Sawbones! You will also learn something here, even if it’s just an icebreaker fact. They do cover some serious and important topics though and do treat them with the respect they deserve.

Oh No Ross And Carrie is fun because they investigate “fringe science, spirituality, and claims of the paranormal”. They joined Scientology because Scientology claims to help people, so they were like “okay! Let’s find out for sure!” (They’re investigative journalists who do this for a living. Please don’t join Scientology for the bit like them. 😅)

Tales From The Rabbit Hole is interesting because it interviews both people with fringe beliefs and their opposition. Good for learning about some of these fringe beliefs and how to combat them.

This one’s dark, but Dr. Death is about a spinal surgeon who was terrible at his job. It’s not a happy listen, but it’s a fascinating look into the US medical system and its failings, and what happens when things go really wrong.

(Also, idk if audiobooks are an option for you, but you should check if your local library uses Libby and/or Hoopla! They allow you to check out audiobooks. For free. LOVE free. 🤌 and if you want any audiobook recs I have those too! But I feel this is a good start ❤️)

does anyone have any podcast recommendations.. i’ve been listening to more podcasts while i work and it’s hard finding good ones (preferably not any of the story driven ones bc i love to tune them out for like 10 minutes at a time and i can’t really do that when i want to listen to a story ghskfhskdh)

[featherquillpen]

The Ten Best Books I Read This Year

In order of when I read them, not how much I liked them.

Yellowface by R.F. Kuang

A novel about a white author who uses yellowface to achieve literary success. I don't usually read realistic fiction, but I loved Kuang's fantasy novel Babel so I gave this one a try. It is difficult to read, but unputdownable. It's like watching a trainwreck because you just have to see how bad it gets. A takedown of the publishing industry in all its ugliness.

2. Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh

This is exactly the kind of sci-fi I most desire. It's a deradicalization story told from the point of view of a far-right zealot slowly deradicalizing herself. I really enjoyed the insights into exactly what it takes for a dangerously radicalized teenager to change her mind.

3. The Saint of Bright Doors by Vajra Chandrasekera

A novel about a Chosen One who walks away from his destined mission and joins group therapy for failed messiahs. Unquestionably the best book on this list. Mind-blowingly excellent. It's as funny as the premise makes it sound, but also deeply profound, politically astute, and the best new spec fic of the COVID-19 era. Big plague CWs here.

4. El Nunca Más de las locas by Matías Máximo

A non-fiction book about the experiences of LGBTQ people in Argentina in the 1970s and 80s. Only available in Spanish, sorry gringues. The book is not only a great work of scholarship, but way more poetically written than I'm used to from history books. Please more historians write with this level of prose, it really adds something.

5. True Biz by Sara Nović

Again, I don't usually read realistic fiction, but this novel by a Deaf author about a year in the life of a Deaf school really grabbed me. It made me cry a whole bunch, and it took me on a compelling tour of Deaf culture, from former cochlear implant users to CODAs to multigenerational Deaf families.

6. Siren Queen by Nghi Vo

A novel about making it big in the golden age of Hollywood when you're Chinese-American and all the studio execs are fae monsters. I've read novellas by Nghi Vo and loved them so I wanted to graduate to her full novels. Oh my god. She really is such a good writer it makes me foam at the mouth. Magic and fae bargains are such good metaphors for Hollywood.

7. Tell Me I'm Worthless by Alison Rumfitt

Trans horror that endeavors to explain why the UK is LIke That. And boy, does it ever succeed. This book calls for basically every imaginable content warning, but it's so worth it. The audiobook deserves a special shout-out; huge props to Nicky Endres for the spine-chilling and sometimes hilarious performance.

8. The Chosen and the Beautiful by Nghi Vo

After Siren Queen I needed more Nghi Vo as soon as possible, so I got this magical AU of The Great Gatsby told from Jordan Baker's point of view. The magic does add something to Gatsby's parties, but the book is at its best when it delves into the parts that Fitzgerald never touched: Jordan Baker's inner life and her history with Daisy.

9. The Sapling Cage by Margaret Killjoy

Trans anarchist witches? Trans anarchist witches with leftist infighting??? Margaret Killjoy once again I thank you for my life. I love how this book shows you very directly how anarchist societies work on a day to day basis, as well as the problems they face.

10. Pests: How Humans Create Animal Villains by Bethany Brookshire

An amazing non-fiction book about the animals we love to hate. The book's take on controversial issues like white-tailed deer management is very nuanced and takes into account important dynamics of settler colonialism and how it affects all of our relationships with the animals close to us.

[eowynstwin]

I just love love love the way you write! Especially sex scenes! You make them so intimate when they need to be, and absolutely filthy simultaneously.

Have you taken any inspiration from published books? And by that, I mean have there been any notable books that have helped you navigate your writing process, or is it all just organically from the brain?

<3

gasp I love this question. I'm going to ramble.

So the first books that spring to mind are The Locked Tomb books by Tamsyn Muir, I love how simultaneously sincere and irreverent she is!! She has this way of describing things that i find really evocative and charming, and the charm contrasts really sharply with the subject matter (gore and grief and cosmic horror), so it makes it lowkey really funny.

Example, while giving a seminar about not getting swallowed by the ninth layer of hell, a character draws diagrams on a whiteboard with a "chubby marker." Chubby marker has always stuck with me because it's not a pair of words I would normally put together, and that's been pretty keystone to me. It taught me that the way you describe things matters just as much as describing them at all.

I also think about timing a lot thanks to The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater. She's another writer who knows how many times she can make you laugh without undermining the seriousness of the things she writes about, and she is so so so good at character banter and relationships.

There's a bit in Blue Lily, Lily Blue where one character is harassing his friends by rickrolling them with a horrible song, and it's not really important to the plot, but it sort of embroiders the friendships that are important to the plot. Fucking with your friends is a time-honored tradition and it just makes everything feel a bit more real and precious—it makes you really believe in the verisimilitude of the relationships, like they have lives outside of the prose itself.

Then there's Robert MacFarlane! I've only just gotten into him. I'm reading Underland, and I started listening to The Old Ways audiobook but I'm gonna find the book at the library instead. i love the way he sets his scenes, or establishes his details. He's got an economy of detail that I've really been loving.

What I mean is—"The cave is dark and quiet around me" will become "Quiet cave, dark around me" or something similar. He eschews articles like "this" "the" "that" "is" and "are" because they're not necessary, and they'd slow down the pacing. It lends to a very dreamlike quality to his prose, I feel.

I feel like that's a commonality between nature writers too lol because I also love Robin Wall Kimmerer (who he quotes in Underland!!) so I'm going to search out others in that genre.

Honorable mention—I do love Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry for getting the cadence of a western too. Especially when listening to the audiobook. The narrator for that one is GREAT.

For sex scenes—lmao I've honestly never read any in published work that do anything for me. Fanfiction smut still blows trad pub AND self pub out of the water. I suspect that may be because very explicit sex scenes (ironically) put a good majority of readers off—I couldn't say why, though, other than to speculate that a lot of romance readers don't really have a good relationship with their own sexuality. (Hot take.)

How I write sex is instead influenced by the way my friends in this fandom write it, and it's also me thinking about what is noteworthy to ME about sex. I think about the smell, the weight of another person's body, where I want them to put their hands on me.

Sex is also sometimes the vehicle for the narrative, rather than the point in and of itself, so I ask myself "how do I characterize this interaction to serve the story?" It's a conversation, after all; two (or more) bodies navigating each other.

I think that's it! Dear god that got long.

[preheville]

things i read in april ☔️ most of it went really badly but i got some wonderful news on the very last day so maybe everything will be ok... :-) and i read so much! granted most of these books were under 300 pages but that's ok. i will take this win. i won't list all the papers i read because i had my final essays due but i'll list a couple that i liked ^_^ my favies are in pink

articles, essays, and papers

screwing around with "the turn of the screw", businesscasualsuperstar

sexual hysteria, physiognomical bogeymen, and the "ghosts" in the turn of the screw, stanley renner

bye-bye barbar, taiye selasi

why i'm not an afropolitan, emma dabiri (follow-up: why i am (still) not an afropolitan)

why afropolitanism matters, ryan thomas skinner

black women and the new magical negro, chesya burke (a chapter in african american cinema through black lives consciousness)

poetry

a brave and startling truth, maya angelou — short and really lovely... not much to say on the subject but i think it is well worth a read

content warning: everything, akwaeke emezi — i was disappointed by this one! it's very highly rated and i wanted to like it but i fear most of the poems came across as very derivative to me. i liked a few but i'd love to hear your thoughts on it if you read it and liked it (or not!)

books

bad blood: secrets and lies in a silicon valley startup, john carreyrou — this one's about elizabeth holmes and theranos. it's super interesting. rich people are crazy.

princess floralinda and the forty-flight tower, tamsyn muir — a princess gets put at the top of a tower with you will not guess how many flights and quickly realizes no help is coming to save her. sharp and funny and witty... i started this one a year or two ago and never finished but i'm so glad i reread it this month because it's easily a 5-star read. (plus the audiobook by moira quirk is a delight!)

heart of darkness, joseph c. conrad, peter kuper — i will be frank i had the graphic novel version lying around and i chose to read it instead of rereading the original because i cannot stand heart of darkness SORRY. i could talk about it forever but i do not enjoy reading it. i think this book does a good job at adapting the original text. don't feel particularly strongly about it.

a certain hunger, chelsea g. summers — the 'memoir' of a food critic who kills and eats the men in her life. whip-smart and just a great time. i don't know why this book took me MONTHS to read because i ADORE it! it's very compulsively readable and funny and descriptive... it reads exactly how you think an uppity food critic would write a memoir about her cannibalistic escapades.

helpmeet, naben ruthnem — a novella about a devoted wife and her husband who undergoes a gruesome transformation. didn't feel particularly strongly about this one. it's alright and doesn't take very long to read, but i also wasn't as interested or compelled by it as i'd hoped.

the turn of the screw, henry james — I ♥️ TTOTS

i’m thinking of ending things, iain reed — a woman contemplating breaking up with her boyfriend goes with him to his parents' farm in the countryside. atmospheric and vague. i wasn't expecting to like this one very much, but i did! one thing i will say is this is one of those books where the less you know about it going into it, the more you will enjoy it.

the employees: a workplace novel of the 22nd century, olga ravn, trans. martin aitkin — a collection of witness statements from the crew of the six-thousand ship in the wake of an incident. short and prosey. thought this one was quite good. obviously, i enjoyed some statements more than others.

woodworm, layla martínez, trans. sophie hughes, annie mcdermott — a granddaughter and grandmother live together in a haunted house in spain, slowly revealing the intricacies of a terrible crime. this one was EASILY my favourite read of the month (maybe alongside or slightly above a certain hunger). it's so rich and written so wonderfully... i highly recommend it...!

[romanticatheartt]

Onyx Storm Review (contains spoilers)

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There is spoilers in this post, you've been warned twice!!!

(this turned out longer than I anticipated...)

First, I want to start with how good this book was!! Honestly, I'm in love with this world and good news I started to love the main characters (after reading 3 books💀 but we will get to it)

I started loving Violet from Iron Flame. The more we know about her, to more I like her, and in this book, she was a total badass!!! She has improved so much since book one and since I reread both FW and IF a week before Onyx Storm, it was more evident to me.

I didn't like Xaden in the first two books... Not exactly hate, but I couldn't feel the connection with him, but this book changed my mind about him. Again, his character growth, like Violet's, was amazing to read. (I just hope we don't go backward in the next book, considering how this book ended😭)

About their relationship: I was not a fan of the romance in this series. In FW it felt rushed and more like lust to love to me and in IF we had to deal with miscommunication on both sides and even tho in this particular case, I didn't mind it that much, it still wasn't healthy and was very toxic. I had lost hope in the romance and as I said before I wasn't reading the series for it. But Onyx Storm completely surprised me!! Because of both sides' character growth as individuals, we get to see them being more open to each other and working well together.

This is ridicules but I appreciate the less use of "Violence" as a nickname😭and Xaden started calling her "Love" which I think was the cutest thing, and it happens to be my favorite nickname too hehe.

I also think that the author really listened to some critiques since I felt so much improvement in this book from the last one, which I appreciate.

I loved the adventure and reading about beyond their continent. Loved the world-building.

Ridoc shined in this book lmao. He's funny, caring and loyal but at the same time a badass and I love that RY fleshed his character out even more in this book. (ngl he has some rizz lol)

As always, I loved the dragons, loved that we get to know more about Andarna's origin. I don't hold what she did against her but still, it broke my heart all the same.

We got to know Violet's second signet and I might be crazy, but I have a feeling it will be the cure to Xaden's condition... Again, I am no theorist, but I have a feeling about this.

We also got to know why Violet's hair is half silver. And her medical condition has nothing to do with it.

The ending... I am speechless. Idk what to think or what to say, just that it was one of those cliffhangers that will make you just stare at the wall for hours and put you in reading slump lmao. I have no idea what happened in those missing hours and why Violet wanted Imogen to whip her memory, but I hope this separation isn't going to be long in the next book. And we really need to find a cure for Xaden or istg-

I think that's all... In general, this book is 4.5⭐ The cliffhanger really fucked me up I'm so serious😭

ps: The graphic audiobook for this one is going to be phenomenal I just know it

[tobi-smp]

Tobi I'm sending this here because doing it on your main feels odd for some reason but genuinely your postings of bilbo mpreg are gonna finally get me to lock the fuck in and read the hobbit because well. It's endearing and that fella does have a certain vibe. Of a man whom should be gravid with a wee babe (or babes plural. Do hobbits have litters? They're like bunnies)

context: [Link]

YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I actually just got into the hobbit because of the poll when it started ! I was curious because I saw people linking fanfic and I thought it was so sweet <3333

I watched the 1977 rankinbass animated version first, and the vibes were IMMACULATE. from the music to the art to bilbo himself <33 [Link]

he's such a funny polite little fellow <3

I want to get my hands on the annotated version of the book [Link], but in the meantime I've been listening to an audiobook for it on youtube [Link] and following along with a pdf I found ! [Link] (it's harder for me to focus when reading pdfs, and it's harder for me to absorb audio without words to follow, so this set up helps on both fronts !)

I actually just finished the peter jackson hobbit trilogy with my boyfriend ! I knew that people have said that it's kind of bad, and I know why (it stretches one book out to a trilogy after all), but HONESTLY I had a TON of fun !! I absolutely see where the fandom is getting at (and I'm Very happy about dragon thorin fanart <333) I'm planning on watching the extended versions with codi later :33

THAT SAID, I DID find a project where someone edited down the trilogy into one theoretical extended edition of the hobbit ! they grabbed the extended editions AND the theatrical editions with book open to cut it down to not only be book accurate, but to also fit better into the lord of the rings movies

it's honestly really crazy, I haven't watched it yet because I wanted to see the trilogy first. but it seems VERY promising, they have a 40 something page document listing out all of their changes. as well As a commentary edition where they talk over the whole 4 hour movie to explain what they did and why. it seems like SUCH a labor of love, and it's VERY fun having both options available

it's a Real two cakes situation, I'll come back to this when I watch it and say if I'd suggest it to anyone intimidated by the trilogy <3 [Link]

this sweet little hobbit has taken me over, and I'm MORE than happy to share in that <3

as for the question of wee babes, that's the fun of it ! getting to decide for yourself how it'd work :3 I read a fic where hobbits have babies by growing them in their gardens, and That's how bilbo had thorin's baby. and it was so imaginative and sweet !!

that Said, there's also the question of how it being a dwobbit specifically would work. if we're going off of the baby being Frodo specifically (as I am fond of <3) then you could argue that he'd have Less fauntlings than would be expected (just the one to be exact) but Bigger than expected as well

OR if you want to stray a little farther from canon (and why not <3) then thorin being surprised (and so So happy) to have triplets would be fun :3c

@need-him-pregnant-poll Finally, Some Worthy Propaganda

[gffa]

hi Lumi, your posting about star wars books made me want to start reading them, which ones would you recommend?

Hi! There are a lot of Star Wars books out there and there's a lot I enjoy about them! Sure, I'll give a warning that I'm picking out the best moments and a lot of the books are not always great in their entirety, especially depending on how much you want to stay 100% true to Lucas' story.

A lot is going to depend on what you're looking for--are you a prequels fan? Are you more interested in original trilogy books? Jedi-centric books? Bounty hunters or pilots instead? Etc. Generally, I assume if you're asking me, you're here for the prequels books, but I have a more generalized list of recommendations here or you can browse my novels recs tag.

But I always generally recommend starting with: - Revenge of the Sith novelization by Matthew Stover isn't a perfect book, I could nitpick some details here and there, but the heart of this book remains unchallenged as the best SW book there is, imo. It elevates the story it's adapting (already a high bar for me, I love ROTS), Stover knows how to turn a phrase to dig deep into a character's motivations, and there's a reason why we're all constantly quoting that book. It adds so much to the story and it's a compelling tale on its own, it makes me love the characters and hurt for them all over again, and there's approximately a thousand lines in this story that you could write an entire essay on.

- Padawan by Kiersten White cannot dethrone the ROTS novelization, but I would say that I think it wound up being my favorite of the Disney era books, because it's such a straight shot to my id. It's definitely on the lighter side, it's a happier look at Obi-Wan's childhood (which I think fits his character better), he struggles and has a lot going on, but overall he's pretty well-adjusted and happy, plus there is an absolute ABUNDANCE OF CUTENESS in this book, it was so delightful and whimsical and adorable, it just made me happy.

- Light of the Jedi by Charles Soule if you're at all interested in The High Republic. This is still my favorite book of the entire series, I think it set the stage incredibly well, it had some absolutely banger lines for someone with prequels brainrot like me, and genuinely made me excited for the entire line-up.

- Dooku: Jedi Lost by Cavan Scott, which is an audiodrama but has a script version available if you're hoh or just don't like them. It's a solid look at Dooku's time as a youngling and why he left the Jedi Order and backstory with Sifo-Dyas that'll break your heart. I prefer the audio version here because the Asajj framing works so much better with the actress' voicework, it really digs into her feelings about all of this as well, making it a nice gut-punch of a story.

And now I would add Padawan's Pride by Brian Q. Miller (audiobook only, unfortunately) because it's a lovely, charming look at Anakin's time as an apprentice. It's very deliberately written as a lead-in to the Obi-Wan & Anakin comic (which I think you're supposed to be keeping in mind as you read, so I'd suggest reading in release order rather than chronological order), showing the conflict between Obi-Wan and Anakin, between Anakin the Jedi way of life, yet all the love that's growing there and the hope that they weren't wrong to hold onto. Just the right amount of crunch and sweet.

I recently read The Living Force by John Jackson Miller and, while I have a couple of issues with it (it was less spiritual than I'd like, some clunky "attachment" discourse moments that clash against Lucas' definitions, etc.), overall it was a book I loved. It was laugh out loud funny at several moments, it showed the Jedi as deeply caring, it gave time and page space to Jedi who don't usually get much focus, it had some knockout administrative worldbuilding details, and a genuinely fun experience of a story.

There are more that I personally loved (Force Collector was really good for me but not an easy one to recommend, The Legends of Luke Skywalker was very dear to me for being so in love with the galaxy far, far away, Obi-Wan & Anakin: Choose Your Destiny is a Choose Your Adventure style book that's not going to be for everyone but I adored and got so much out of, that's where Theater Nerd Mace Windu came from, the first and third From a Certain Point of View anthologies had 3-4 incredible stories in them each, the ESB one didn't impress me, etc.) and a lot of comics that I think are just as good to read if you haven't started on those, but I think this is a good starting place for prequels nerds.

(I stuck mostly to Disney continuity, it's what I'm more familiar with, and the only Legends books I fully recommend are Revenge of the Sith novelization and Dark Rendezvous, not even my beloved Wild Space comes without a bunch of caveats, but if you're interested in Legends, let me know!)

[onfirebyday]

#7 the stranger

I felt like Emily Ellet has a better take on Rachel's voice than the previous narrator has of Jake's - though that could be because I was already familiar with her from the animorphology podcast. I really liked her Marco as well, and thought that her Ax is really deadpan.

I really hate the "people say I'm pretty. I don't know and I don't care" line (though the audiobook delivery was brilliant). I just think it is pretty transparently untrue. Even if all her hobbies and taste of style were completely coincidentally correlated to what people think looks good and is on trend, she definitely knows it. like, c'mon. maybe I'm being sensitive to the gender of it all because we've been discussing it heavily in the recently recorded episodes of my podcast (check out e is for dragon if you're in the the Eragon books btw 😉) as Inheritance completely changes the characters of all the female characters for the worse.

love Cassie pointing out the skunk and it's kits, nice foreshadowing for number 9 (I think that's the skunk book?)

Ax's story about being attacked by a cougar is so so funny, and something I had completely forgotten

Marco and Tobias working together is super unusual. so far they have both been pretty open in their narration about not really getting along, so it's interesting that they work together (excluding Jake) to figure out the entry to the pool

the grizzly's poor eyesight is mentioned so many times before it becomes relevant

I love the Ellimist! I like how immediately annoyed by him the kids are, and the andalite superstitions/fairytales about him. the "humility? from an andalite?" quote has been my twitter header for at least four years at this point

Tobias freaking out in his human body is so sad, and it's also sad that his embarrassment means he doesn't even consider the offer - of course, he's right not too, but he is definitely having a kneejerk reaction here

I wonder how much of Marco's thought process in this book relates to the chance that the Ellimist could save his mother? He says he's changing his vote because Rachel "is losing it" but surely that also factors? also interesting how obvious his change of heart re: the war is to everyone, even if they don't know why yet

tbh I listened to the rest of this while playing the sims and didn't take many notes haha

I love the future vision, and how they all just decide to go with it. Having the pretend to be Visser 3 plan without discussing it is a nice show of how they are growing as a team and are understanding each other better

super interesting that future!Rachel and co don't expect to see Ax. I wish there were a way to know what different events happened in their timeline/universe

I really like how Rachel has this massive brainwave, gets up (leaves a note saying she's going running at 2am lmao) and gathers everyone immediately. it's just a great reaction, and it's kind of funny seeing as it isn't actually time sensitive information. they really didn't have to hit the kandrona that night, but I guess everyone's up for it

and of course, the "I wasn't being brave, I was just blind" quote ♥️ it's such an evocative sentence, and you can def read a lot into it wrt Rachel's character going forward

[light-wrath-paradise]

Animorphs Book club book 8

My reaction can be summarised as this (yet again):

I don't have many thoughts because uh. That was depressing as hell and I need to stare at a wall.

But I DO gotta say that the subplot with the dead "wife" was so telenovela-esque that for a good minute it was more funny than depressing. Then it got depressing. But it was so jarring and so far out of the left field that for a good second my friend and I had to pause the audiobook and laugh because ????????? Unhinged to just appear, go "I am Eslin, I have a G U N. My secret wife was killed. By my boss. Now I yearn for sweet sweet revenge." and not elaborate. Like. Damn dude ok. Sorry about our wife also. Fucking killed me that he continued like "So anyway I reacted adequately by killing all of my boss' friends. Starvation style." Like ???? Jjhsgdjsdfghsjdfh what????? I mean damn I do respect the grind set but also that's such an absurd escalation out of context. Did your boss kill your wife? Kill all of his friends! And in context the most absurd part is probably the notion that Visser 3 has friends??????? Like??? Wait no Eslin. Eslin wait. I love your John Wick-esque "fridged wife" trope swag but you need to slow down. I need details. I need you to tell me HOW your boss even has friends.

In my heart I do not believe we will see that madman ever again but on god I do wish for an insane telenovela-esque sequence of him just showing up at the most random moment to do exactly one thing and that's to pull a gun on Visser 3. For no reason, I just think it would be kinda funny. Like,,,did your boss kill your wife?:

Kill all of his friends

Acquire a G U N

Attempt to make the local Andalite youth assassinate your boss for you

Pull the gun on your boss

???????

Profit (probably die)

Aside from that, I also need to say that the moment when Ax called Tobias his close friend at the end was so sweet. Also ngl kinda...concerning/harrowing how much Tobias really doesn't give a shit about not being a human. Like it doesn't seem so concerning from other points of view but the way Ax gets increasingly weirded out by Tobias not asking him about the nothlit (idk if I'm spelling that right rn) really reminds you that it IS kinda worrying. Like I get it, I mean...Tobias has no family that cares about him, he has no friends outside of the Animorphs friend group, why would he care? But it's still kinda...yeah.

Also unimaginably surprised by the amount of collective guilt present in the Andalite society. You'd think they're Catholic or something the way they keep beating themselves up and force everyone to also beat themselves up and their system itself is saturated with the guilt and shame and they teach it to kids at school from an early age. Like. Jesus Christ calm down. Stop that. As the Animorphs said at the end of the book - the Andalites made an oopsie once. It sucked, yes, it continues to have consequences that suck, yes, but it happens. Sometimes you think you're doing something kind and it turns into a disaster. That does not mean you should beat yourself up for it or, god forbid, tell other people that they should not be kind lest they make a mistake. Damn I guess we should all be cold assholes forever, huh? I'm sure that can't have any negative consequences.

Andalite society in general seems kinda unhinged. Like...do I get why it is like that? Yeah. But do I find it unhinged? Also yeah. Like ok duty and the collective being the most important things is totally sensible for a prey animal. Safety of the herd and all that. But it's still kinda unhinged that they do make everyone have duty as their number 1 priority and that they have rituals devoted to it. Not all rituals are spiritual or religious in nature, but the morning ritual is kinda...borderline religious in a way. More spiritual than religious, I suppose, but yeah.

Also I love Ax so much. 10/10 character. He has it all: an incredibly hilarious desire for cinnamon buns, the inability to act like a human being (same dude), spitting random facts at completely random times, a thirst for blood only a 13(?) years old could have, a dysfunctional obsession with duty and doing what is right that only a 13(?) years old could have (also lol yeah dude I was like that when I was 13 too. dw you'll grow out of it), he can even code. And he might even be bi (I'm joking but I' referring to the fact that he was like "Yeah so when I morph into a human form I suddenly agree that Rachel is beautiful and that Marco is cute.").

[cloudwhich]

enjoy this rambling i found in my notes app after i listened to the ascendancy trilogy audiobooks for the first time. i was working on my final animation project and i literally had to stop and write this down in the studio at like two am

it is SO heartbreaking ‘re-reading’ thrawn ascendancy. Like it just hurts my soul a little bit. I’m near the end of the third book after the final battle and GOD. Every character mentioned has such a distinct personality. Everything meshes together. The perspectives come from every single person EXCEPT thrawn. In a book about him. GENIUS.

The eventual trust that forms between Samakro and Thalias as well… after so much drama… honestly. Both of them as characters are so potent and persuading… they are real in my mind. And in my mind they are happy. (Also. I think I ship it)

AND ZIINDA… my love for her. A flawed character, but likable for relatable reasons. Her old doubts shadow her but she Persists. And does the right thing!!!! Also the way she’s voiced in the audiobook is just so fun. Like a reserved, slightly southern accent. Her and Sakmaro’s voices are so good. Each characterizes them PERFECTLY. Thank god for good voice actors to read my Star Wars audiobooks 🙏

IT WAS A PUNCH IN THE FUCKING GUT when Thrass was first mentioned because I knew what was coming. As did everyone else. But the memory interludes… good god. Those two deserved to live and thrive together it HURTS. And seeing Thrass’ view of thrawn through his perspective… they are BROTHERSSS. THRAWN NEEDED THAT BRO. And the words repeated from outbound flight in the last flashback… I cried in the studio. A single tear ran down my face bro PLEASEEEEE and I am DREADING the final flashback. I know the pain that awaits me. And then Thrawns final exile… why WHYY

Oh. Wutroow and Aralani my favorite command duo. Ever. Such a good dynamic it makes me wonder… (I can’t prove it. But they kissed once.)

But don’t get me STARTED on aralani and thrawn. Don’t. Because I can’t even. Equally stoic and skillful, but Thrawns autistic socially awkward ass wouldn’t survive a second without Ziara . And also… Don’t play. We all heard what she said about their museum “outing”. Ziara thought thrawn was taking her out. But she still enjoyed watching him ramble about art. Then she asks to GO BACK TO HER QUARTERS WITH HIM to “show him her wire sculptures”. And all that oblivious man does is Study. The. Sculptures. And psychoanalyze her. and THEN. Yall SPARRED??? Oh my god. Please. They probably had the most situationshipy friendship ever that only Aralani realizes ever had that connotation to it. I think after that ‘date’ ended she was like yeah. he’s either gay, autistic, or completely oblivious but i like his weird ass mind so imma keep him around

Oh. And Ba’kif was Stybla?? Did not know. I fuck w the Stybla not gonna lie. big fan of family drama

also. I find it so fucking funny when the officers get pissed off and curse or go out of standard protocol. I be giggling and kicking my feet when one of them says “damn”. Or when they swear under their breath WHAT DID YOU SAYYY I NEED TO KNWO

final thought: let Wutroow curse. Homegirl is itching to drop an f bomb let her do it

[wondereads]

December Reading Wrap-Up

The Villain Edit by Laurie Devore (★★★★☆)

I saw this author speak at Yallfest, hence why I decided to branch out quite a bit from my typical choices. The Villain Edit is a contemporary romance about a failed romance author who goes on a Bachelor-esque show to drum up sales for her backlist. She has a one night stand the day before production starts, who turns out to be a producer on the show. As much as this has the premise of a romance novel, I would consider it a contemporary novel with a strong side of romance. The focus is by and large on the development of the main character, Jac, as she struggles with her personal issues and starts to crack under the spotlight. I did enjoy the romance—even though the "love triangle" has a completely obvious end, Devore does some fun things with it—but I would have been perfectly content if Jac ended up alone, as long as she came to terms with herself.

Jac is a decidedly 'unlikeable' character, in both the show and the book, but she's highly entertaining to read about, and I felt a lot of empathy for her. She makes so many bad decisions and is unfailingly rude, but she rarely felt grating, even if I was banging my head against my steering wheel as I listened to the audiobook. There were some moments that felt a little misogynistic to me, but I think it was just playing into the dehumanizing aspects of reality tv. Even though this book is outside of my comfort zone, I had a great time with it, and it did a good job maintaining tension throughout.

Harrow the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir (★★★★★)

I am always blown away by how Tamsyn Muir constructs such intricate plots. I've read Harrow before, but I was still astonished by how neatly everything came together, each mystery playing into the others (I also have a crap memory so I forgot a lot of the book). Of the three Locked Tomb protagonists, Harrow is definitely my favorite. She's not 'funny' like Gideon or Nona, but she's snarky in her own way, and I have a soft spot for overachievers. She's also ridiculously competent and dedicated, and it's incredibly satisfying to see her always take it further than anyone thinks she will (soup).

Since I wasn't panicking about what the actual fuck was going on like the first time I read this, I got to slow down and take in more of the side relationships a bit more. Augustine and Mercy are both hilarious characters in their own right, and it's only multiplied when they're put together. I am an Ianthe hater (this would all be over if it wasn't for her), but she's just as compelling a character as everyone else. And then there's Jod. Fuck Jod. Anyway, on a technical level, Muir's writing is just breathtaking, with serious, flowery descriptions cut with hard-hitting, simplistic statements, occasionally lightened by humor that would be out of place in any other story. What an amazing book.

More books under the cut

Nona the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir (★★★★★)

It took me a while to decide to give Nona five stars. Not because it isn't a spectacular book, it is, but because I experienced so much emotional turmoil while reading it that I wanted to withhold a perfect rating out of spite. Paul?? You can't put Paul in a novel and expect me to reward you for it. And yet it's all so good there's no other option. I'm actually quite furious with myself that it took so long to catch on to what was happening. I've still got absolutely no clue how necromancy works, but it was very interesting to learn its origins, only recorded through Ye Olde Twitch.

I was very excited to see the return of a fan-favorite character. I was a bit worried she Came Back Wrong. She probably did a little, but for the most part it just seems like her own, genuine decision to behave in this way in some semblance of a quarter-life-crisis. The first half of the book is rife with amazing new relationships, though I am hesitant to describe it as found family as it only lasts around 300 pages before quickly becoming lost family (that's not a spoiler, Muir would never let anyone be happy). In terms of the worldbuilding, beyond the origin story, it was so interesting to see what life is like outside of the Nine Houses, and there are many new mysteries introduced. I think the thing I most want to know more about is what the hell is going on with the Resurrection Beasts. I'm sure I'm not alone when I say I wait news of Alecto eagerly.

For She Is Wrath by Emily Varga (★★★☆☆.5)

This started off as a very strong book. The story revolves around Dani, who used to be the daughter of an esteemed swordsmith before she was framed for the murder of a warlord and sent to prison. She is able to break out of said prison with the help of another young girl who just so happens to have a secret stash of magic. Dani puts this magic to use to disguise herself in order to infiltrate the royal court and take revenge on all who ruined her life—especially her former paramour, Prince Mazin..

I really liked Dani, the main character, and her pursuit of vengeance is a classic tale, even if this weren't a retelling. The very beginning is a little convenient (really, of all prison cells?), but once Dani is able to start working toward revenge I was hooked. I found the magic system intriguing, the romance had a lot of good tension, and it was incredibly satisfying to see the execution of said revenge. The big issue I had with this book was pacing. I seriously thought this would be the first in a series; it felt like there wasn't nearly enough time to do everything the characters wanted to in just over 400 pages. However, in the last 100 or so pages of this book, so much happens. A character is kidnapped and saved, an ill-advised bargain is made and broken, a big betrayal and a big reunion occur, on top of like seven other plot points. These major plot points, which would usually be given at least a full chapter if not multiple, were being cycled through with only a few pages each, not allowing the reader, or the characters, room to dwell on what was happening. It was so disorienting and unsatisfying that I docked what could have easily been a 4.5/4.75 star read down to 3.5.

The Last Graduate by Naomi Novik (★★★★★)

I don't really have much new to say about this one; I remembered it pretty well, I just reread it for potential use in my thesis. It was tough to stay focused on the actual reason I was combing through instead of just underlining every time El and Orion were in the same room. I continue to be obsessed with their relationship, even years after the series has ended. My favorite part of this book is probably the Scholomance itself; I love that it is shown to be somewhat sentient, even if it is only to fulfill the parameters of its creation. I honestly wish we could have gotten more of it as a character in its own right, but I know the plot wouldn't work otherwise.

The Golden Enclaves by Naomi Novik (★★★★★)

This one was a bit different. Still reading for my thesis, but I honestly forgot a good bit of the story, so there were some twists that surprised me once again. Novik is not subtle about the magical world being an allegory for ours, the fortunate creating problems (pollution, poverty, etc.) for the less so and needing to be forced to do something about it. The only truly fantastical thing about the whole situation is that El truly can single-handedly force them to care, which is quite cathartic to read. While there are a lot of new characters and relationships introduced in this book, and I'm a fan of all of them (particularly El and Liesel), my favorite is El's mom. Her and El play off each other well, and it's interesting to see the woman El constantly brings up in her narration.

Threads That Bind by Kika Hatzopoulou (★★★★☆.75)

I was not anticipating this book to be so good! Threads That Bind follows Io, who uses her skills as a Fate-born, allowing to see the threads of fate, as a private investigator in the city of Alante. Her latest case leads her to a run-in with an inhumanly strong and half-crazed woman who wields her own cut life thread as a weapon. Investigating the mystery leads Io to criminal gangs, up-and-coming politicians, and her own absent sister, all involved in something dark in the city's past. I think the mystery of this book was very good; I definitely had my suspicions for the ultimate culprit (and there were some red herrings that just felt unnecessary), but the process of Io discovering the truth was highly entertaining and it wasn't completely obvious.

I also loved the magic system! The idea of characters being distantly descended from various mythological figures, giving them appropriate powers, was very interesting, especially since it isn't the typical demigod approach. My favorite part of it is that the powers come in sets of siblings, each one playing a different role. For example, of her three sisters, Io is a Cutter, representing the Fate that cuts the threads of life, which allows her to sacrifice one of her own threads to cut someone else's. The worldbuilding is also one of my favorite tropes, which is that it seems to be Earth but far in the future, after some sort of climate disaster. I hope the rest of the series explains more of the history! Io herself was mostly a likable and easy-to-root-for protagonist. My one gripe with this book was that she felt a little too perfect sometimes, a lot of her mistakes and failings coming from her rough upbringing, not necessarily her personal flaws. Still, I enjoyed reading about her, and I really liked the romance. Her and Edei have a pretty natural progression from allies to friends to lovers that doesn't feel rushed, which is often an issue I have with YA romances these days. There was one thing I was hoping would happen, but I'm holding out for the sequel (the title, Hearts That Cut, bodes well). Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book, and I'm looking to get the second one soon!

Wolf Siren by Beth O'Brien (★★★★☆)

Can't say much about this one, it's unreleased and I read it for work, but it balanced an understandable middle grade writing style well with the heavy topics it addresses.

Forged by Blood by Ehigbor Okosun (★★★☆☆.25)

This one was a bit of a disappointment. Forged by Blood tells the story of Demi, an Oluso who can wield magic in a land that has forbidden it. She is hired by a lord to kidnap the prince of her kingdom, Jonas, in a deceptive bid to get him a higher position that would hopefully benefit her people. Demi does so with the help of her close friend, Colin, but a wrench in their plans requires them to go on a bit of a journey with the prince. This book isn't really advertised as such, but it's absolutely a romantasy, not a high fantasy. Demi's world is an unsubtle allegory for colonization, the northerners having overthrown the original royal family and oppressing literally everyone else. This is a typical plot, but it's not the unoriginality I have an issue with; it's the fact that the romance kind of neuters the whole metaphor. In an attempt to allow Demi a romantic relationship with Jonas, prince of her oppressors, the story has to take a whole forgiveness-and-collaboration approach to what is basically colonization, and it just misses the mark.

In general, I wasn't a huge fan of the romance in this book. There are a lot of plot gaps that clearly only exist to make room for popular romance scenes, and the romance just wasn't good enough for me to forgive that. I was sort of into it in the beginning, but that was more the concept; the characters don't really have much chemistry. The thing is, I really enjoyed Demi and Jonas as characters (Colin less so, he was clearly only there for love triangle drama). They're both passionate and dedicated, which the romance doesn't really add to. The magic system is also interesting, based on Nigerian mythology, but the book doesn't dwell on it as much as I'd like. Overall, there wasn't really anything egregiously wrong with this book, but it wasn't nearly as good as it could have been.

The Poppy War by R. F. Kuang (★★★★★)

Another thesis reread!

Impossible by Lyra Cole (★★★☆☆.75)

This book is an omegaverse about five incredibly damaged people. Indie is an isolated girl with an intense eating disorder who discovers that she is an omega. In this world, omegas and alphas live in relative secret, making the transition difficult for her on top of her psychological struggles. Meanwhile, Hollis, Joshua, Leon, and Risk are four alphas whose pack fell apart in a mysterious, violent 'incident,' leaving them all traumatized. Normally books like this shy away from the impact PTSD and depression can have on someone's life. Impossible doesn't sugarcoat how flashbacks and severe depression fuck with a person's psyche, which I really appreciated. This is first and foremost a romance book, but it still allocates a decent amount of time to discussing the characters' problems and their healing process.

Other than that, there is a loose political undercurrent in the story, things that have far too serious implications for an omegaverse romance duology. Concerning that, I would have appreciated more happening; I was anticipating a bit more conflict coming from that area. The romance itself is pretty good; Indie and Leon by far spend the most time together, so their relationship develops the most naturally. The others feel a bit rushed, but I still like them. The book feels a little vague and directionless, but I enjoyed the characters and romance.

Kushiel's Dart by Jacqueline Carey (★★★★☆.5)

My longest read of the year tells the story of Phedre no Dalaunay. In the country of Terre D'Ange, there is one precept valued above all others: love as thou wilt. D'Angelines have a unique desire for beauty that presents itself in art, governance, and, crucially, sex. In the Houses of Night, which worship Namaah, sex is their method of tribute, and Phedre, sold by her mother to Namaah's service, has known all her life what she is meant to do. The only thing out of the ordinary about her is a red mote in her eye, Kushiel's Dart, which marks her as someone who experiences pain and pleasure as one. A noble, Lord Delaunay, takes notice of Phedre and purchases her indenture to then train her in the art of espionage. Her position allow her into places typical spies have no access to, and her skills loosen her clients' tongues. But Terre D'Ange is unstable, and her subterfuge leads her into a conspiracy to take a kingdom.

For a book published in 2001, this book is astonishing pro-LGBTQ and sex-positive. It portrays an understanding and healthy depiction of BDSM, draws a tasteful line between consensual sex work and rape, and boasts multiple characters that are openly queer. It's more politics and arranged marriages that get in the way of relationships than gender. This is also a complex and compelling political fantasy, pulling in court intrigue, diplomatic relations, and pretty good accuracy for medieval Europe (the map is just Europe, Terre D'Ange is France, it's not subtle). Phedre herself is a wonderful protagonist; she is dedicated, headstrong but clever, and knows how to utilize her talents to the best of her abilities. She has multiple entanglements throughout the course of the novel, but there are two main relationships, both of which were wonderful to read. One is a deadly dance, exploring the lines between love and hate, and one is complete devotion as the two go through hell together. Even for a book that discusses sex so openly, there actually aren't many sex scenes and most take up very little space; don't go into this one expecting a ton of smut. My only complaint is that the story does drag at times; it is over 1000 pages. I would read the trigger warnings before picking up this book, but otherwise I highly recommend it if you're looking for an in-depth political fantasy.

Otherworldly by F. T. Lukens (★★★★☆)

This was a cute, lighthearted paranormal romance between a goddess' familiar and a teenager who doesn't believe in magic. Ellery's region of the world has been stuck in an eternal winter for five years, but they might have a chance to save their city (and their family's farm) when they meet Knox, a familiar who's gone rogue for the chance to live his own life for once. The deal is simple: Knox helps Ellery discover why their Goddess has abandoned them, and Ellery helps Knox experience normal teenage things. Lukens has always been quite good at writing these cozy fantasy romances; they use magic tropes well to further the romance. I've previously had issues with them creating a world that 300-page romances just don't have time to explore, but this one was pretty self-contained and I didn't feel unsatisfied at the end.

The romance itself is very cute; Ellery and Knox play off each other well, and the story doesn't feel overly contrived or too rushed. I do think it's a little ridiculous that this one area of the world has been trapped in winter for five years and Ellery still doesn't believe in the supernatural. Oddly, it was the skepticism that broke my immersion. However, once they get past that, I thoroughly enjoyed the story. If you're looking for cute, fantastical romances, F. T. Lukens is a great bet, and I've enjoyed every book from them I've read.

[brb-on-a-quest]

Brb Book Club Reviews: The Queen's Thief by Megan Whalen Turner

tagging: @ramblings-of-lola and @hiddenvioletsgrow (who recommended the book, and i feel bad about lack of updates until like very end)

Date finished: 2/17/2025

Format: Audiobook from Libby :)

Length: 8hrs

Rating: 4.5 stars (AUGHHHHHHHH)

Thoughts: Literally straight up a fun time. Not for Our main character but it was for *meee*. It was a really cool plot and really cool set up and the worldbuilding (Literally the worldbuilding was excellent) was excellently done and I grew to love most of the characters (even if i hated most of them at first). Vaguely kind of like the Italian Job movie if it took place in like ancient history and there's only one person who's really competent at his job (like if you squinted).

Also gen gives very much bloodless vhas from rolling with difficulty vibes but literally no one's going to get it except me but if there was ever a modern au gen's got a bad australian accent.

Started off on the slow side but literally so worth it and not bad pacing overall really

the audiobook narrator did a really good job but literally will never hear 'yogurt' the same way.

Spoilery thoughts (There are actual spoilers, ppl be wary im sorry):

*screaming shaking crying*

Literally exactly the kind of book I wanted at the time. I don't know where to begin to be perfectly honest.

LIterally the build up that Gen's actually from like one of The Most Important Families caught me so off-guard and yet looking back to lines in the book it makes sense (especially the nobility)

Sophos/Sofos (I literally have no clue how any of these names are spelled im so sorry i just listen to it) best boi. Literally will kill anyone who harms him. Would make a terrible leader probs but i'd follow him anyway.

literally cried real tears with the Pol death like NOOOOOOO-

Literally always knew ambiades was a scumbag but chalked it up to normal elitism an pride that is so so everywhere in academia so was still surprised when he was traitor all the way from very beginning

Literally the temple scenes gave me actual chills especially when they met the gods for the first time.

Actually all the exposition was done really well. Like We love the magus for world-dumping all of the things for us and Moreover We Love Gen being like "actually ur wrong here's why."

BUT ALSO THE DYNAMICS BETWEEN EVERYONE SCREAMING

The magus and gen gaining a respect for the other and their positions. Magus being an absolute karen /aff to help gen and get him medical help he needs. Gen absolutely risking his own life over and over to get magus and sophos alive

literally the whole "everyone's secretly actually nobility" ending made me laugh and scream so hard. It's not so out of the realm of possibility that it didn't make sense, but I want to reread with that knowledge and be like heh. heh. heh. Also sophos being the kings nephew and the Heir to sunis is so funny. Like we're going to steal a magic rock to make ur uncle get married so he can have an actual heir and u can be ignored." Like sophos had actual motive to sabatoge and yet my boi did nothing. (although sophos probably would prefer to not be king of sunis)

Literally queen of attolia asking him to be her theif instead and gen responding that he already has a mistress *squeals* its sooooo gooddd (especially after finding out the mistress is actually Edis idk why it makes me laugh sm).

Moira. Just. Moira. I love her.

And Eugenides

Someone could really do an essay about the different approaches to find truth and justice between gen, ambiedes, sophos, and magus and even pol because it's very interesting but it's 1am so not doing that rn

the worldbuilding the vibes were 10/10. Screaming. I am currently in the middle of book 2 and so scared

Queen of Edis <3 the way she spills the whole tea with gen like we love catching up time

Gen being the historical fiction version of james bond

literally screamed after they found hermaitheses' gift (like yea i knew gen was gonna have it bc ofc my beloveds. but I was not expecting in his hair

If they make this in a movie i request the flynn rider man for gen. i'll think about everyone else.

[carriagelamp]

How is it that February felt so long, but March and April flew by? I didn't read as much as I would have liked this month because work was picking up and keeping me busy, but I found some very pleasant, comforting books which was exactly what I needed

The Essential Dykes to Watch Out For

Alison Bechdel is obviously a name I’ve known for years, and I’ve been aware of Dykes to Watch Out For as well since it’s something of a cornerstone for queer lit, but it’s not something I’ve ever sought out beyond the occasional panel passed around on Tumblr. I read Fun Home last month though, and in doing so I found out that my library also had the completed collection of comics so I finally checked it out!

Dykes to Watch Out For is a weekly “gag-a-day” comic strip that ran from the early 80s to the early 00s that follows the lives of lesbians/queer women who all move in similar circles (are generally part of the same friendship group, to varying degrees). It was an excellent read, because Bechdel is able to really capture how diverse queer women are. There are different personalities, body types, ethnicities, political beliefs, sexualities, ages, families… and through all these different types of character you get to see politics and society of the day critiqued in real time while still having things to laugh about. (And man I really did laugh a lot, I didn't realise how much I'd been missing gag-a-day style comics until this moment)

It was honestly one of the most self-affirming works I’ve read in… I don’t know, years. I honestly can’t say the last time I felt so *seen* in any one work before. There was something so wholly reassuring about reading it, and I highly recommend it to any queer person (or anyone who just enjoyed political satire newspaper comics). That being said, I did ’t find that I enjoyed the first two-thirds more than the last third… the last third got more into family, pregnancy, and divorce drama which isn’t really my thing. It also became… perhaps a bit more cynical and a little less optimistic? But it still had funny or insightful moments, and the first two-thirds were so outstanding that I didn’t regret reading it for a moment.

Everything Is Tuberculosis

Man, this seemed like the book that everyone was hyped for this year, so I decided to give it a try too — I was looking for a new nonfiction to read after all — but… nah. Could not get into it. After a bit I just gave up. I realise that I’m the anomaly here, I couldn’t even tell you why I didn’t hit for me… the narration? subject matter? not in the right headspace? the stars didn’t align? Who knows.

The Guy She Was Interest In Wasn’t A Guy At All v1

Another comic I’ve seen bandied about on tumblr for a while and finally decided to read — and it was delightful! The art style with its green accent colour was so enticing, it made it an absolute treat to read, and the story was adorable, I'm already excited to get my hands on book 2 (as if my brother, who finished reading this, looked at me, and informed me that I *would* be buying the next book) I love mistaken identity stories, and watching how the characters’ relationship grew both in school and at the record store was fun.

The comic follows Aya, a highschool girl who develops a crush on the cool guy working at the local CD store, where they connect over similar music tastes — tastes which Aya feels are not shared among her usual school friends and which she’s used to keeping very private. However she has no idea that the “cool guy” she has a crush on is in fact the shy female classmate in her class.

Home: A Memoir of My Early Years

A memoir of Julie Andrews' early life pre-Hollywood success. I got the audiobook of this to have something to listen to at bedtime, and it served its purpose admirably. I didn’t find it a terribly exciting read, the anecdotes somewhat rambling and not always very cohesive, but it was all interesting enough to keep me going and there was an undeniable comfort to it which really helped me unwind and drift off in the evenings — and hey, if nothing else I got to listen to Julie Andrews in my ear as I fell asleep every night which is a win! I may listen to the next volume the follows the Hollywood years after I finish one or two of my current audiobooks.

The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles

A children’s librarian recommended this to me as one of her favourite children’s novels (and is the reason I went on to read Home, Julie Andrews connection!) and now having read it I completely agree with her! I actually had to immediately go out and by my own copy after reading it...

There was something terribly nostalgic about it despite my never having read it before, it makes you feel like you're seven years old again in the middle of the summer. The visual descriptions and pure whimsy of the book made it a treat to read, and it went at a leisurely pace that reminded me of classic children’s tales, like Alice in Wonderland or Phantom Tollbooth or Charlotte’s Web. While it had an adventure and surprises and some tension, it was never in a rush and never sacrificed its prose or childhood gentleness by rushing through the narration.

The story follows three children who meet a professor who claims that he knows how to enter a semi-imaginary world where the last of the really great Whangdoodles rules over a vast land of other strange, whimsical creatures. The children befriend the professor and work with him until all four of them are able to enter Whangdoodleland.

The Magic Fish

A beautifully made graphic novel that tells the story of teenaged boy Tiến through the framing device of fairy tales. The story explores his Vietnamese family learning English through shared stories and finding ways to connect to a new culture, one that Tiến is fully immersed in, without losing the culture they left, as well as Tiến’s sexuality and his struggles to find a way to come out to his parents. It's all interspersed with fairytales that highlight what the family is going through in their own ways and provide starting points of connection and communication. It was a lovely read.

Grandmaster of Demonic Cultvation (MDZS) v4

Continuing my reread of The Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation through the fan-audiobooks made by @redoftheturks. Book 4 was an especially nice one to revisit after the intensity of Book 3's backstory — and also because I’m pretty sure I read this one very quickly when I had it the first time around so it was nice to take it a bit slower this time around;;; I loved the return to the Burial Mounds and seeing the Juniors all jump up to defend Wei Wuxian when it was clear that he was being set up to take a fall, and the commentary on how fickle reputation and society's favour can be that comes about from it. Just an excellent bit of storytelling! Plus I love Jiang Cheng and all the angst related to that... everything, so can't help but love his return ( •̀ ᴗ •́ )

And as usual I can’t recommend this fan-audiobook enough! Redoftheturk’s handles it so well, the reading manages to make the dramatic moments in this book feel tense and stressful, and then can totally swing around and elevate the comedy bits in the next breath! Considering how much these books oscillate between between tones, it’s honestly impressive how seamlessly Redoftheturk’s reading is able to flow between them and never make it feel jarring. It’s all very natural and lots of fun. I’ve already started relistening to Book 5.

Three Bags Full

Probably my favourite book from this month? Three Bags Full is a murder mystery that takes place in Ireland and is about the death of a shepherd. He’s found in his own field with a spade through his chest. Obviously, this is of interest and concern to all the people from the local village (for quite a variety of reasons) but the chief investigators? His flock of sheep.

They’re appalled by the death of their shepherd (that’s wolf behaviour!) and they’re determined to figure out what happened (otherwise who knows who’s doing this, it’s like having a wolf in sheep’s clothing in your midst!). This author does a great job of portraying the sheep's viewpoint and how they both do and don’t relate to the world of humans. Each sheep has its own personality and its own strengths, and they work together as only a flock can in order to slowly unravel the secrets of the humans that surround them. Since things aren’t always straightforward to a pack of sheep, it means that as the reader you really do need to pay attention to the strange little details that come up and how they’re mentioned, because things that seem unfamiliar or unimportant to the sheep could end up being very relevant to a human trying to solve the mystery. 

Highly recommend if you enjoy a “cosy” murder mystery. (Although if you've heard anyone try to distill this down to just a comedy, ignore them. It's definitely comedic at times, but there's way more happening in here that "just comedy", everything with Gabriel's flock? *chefs kiss*)

My Dress-Up Darling v11, 12, 13

I have to say, Books 11 and 12 were… fine. And I can’t say much beyond that. I read them, I liked them well enough, I don’t remember much about what happened in them. Book 13 though? Oh ho ho, now we’re talking. Gojo getting more and more obsessed with this story and character? Marin failing to understand what’s really going on with him? People seeing and really being blown away by both of their hard work? Them going accidentally viral? Oh my god, there are going to be so many fallouts from this volume and I cannot wait. How Gojo’s mental health doing? With he and Marin get back on the same page? Will Marin admit her feelings? What’s going to happen with people going insane over the cosplay???? Ah!!! (and also this was just such a pretty volume, the pictures of the new creepy angel cosplay were something else, I couldn’t look away!)

Doctor Who: The Resurrection Casket

Another Doctor Who novel, I will often grab one of these if I’m feeling a bit stressed or if I have a lot of driving to do, and I met both of those criteria recently — I drove down to the States for a weekend and holy shit guys, don’t think I’ll be doing that again in a hurry. It’s getting really unnerving to cross the border.

Anyway, this is one of the better Doctor Who novels I’ve read in a while. It was a sci-fi, space-faring retelling of Treasure Island with the 10th Doctor and Rose, and I think they did it quite well. I enjoyed the new characters they introduced and it never felt like they overshadowed the Doctor or companion, I liked trying to figure out all the reference (when I finally clued in to who Long John Silver was…), and the adventure was an enjoyable romp the whole way through with lots of creativity. As far as Doctor Who novels go, this is one I would recommend.

[funishment-time]

4-8 for Junko on the ask game? (Sorry if you've already answered for her)

(from this ask game)

4. If you could put this character in any other media, be it a book, a movie, anything, what would you put them in?

junko4smash. she can sheik/zelda with Monokuma. also unrelated she would kill everyone in harry potter and it'd be so so funny

5. What's the first song that comes to mind when you think about them?

lots, but these days it's "JOYRIDE" by kesha

6. What's something you have in common with this character?

hmm. hopefully no one takes this Out of Context in a shitty way, buuuut...

in my early 20s i had intense anhedonia where everything bored me so much it was agonizing: not even music perked me up, which is one of the tell-tale signs that you have Something Wrong on like, a chemical level. i was dopamine-deprived and it almost physically hurt. hard to describe unless you've been there. i spent days listening to audiobooks for hours at a time while staring at the ceiling, going to class, and sleeping. nothing was interesting, nothing was stimulating, nothing was new or exciting or fun, and i looked forward to nothing. it was Advanced Depression in a way that wasn't even depression because i wasn't sad, necessarily, just...unable to genuinely feel.

this is small-scale shit but the anhedonia was so intense i would have done anything to end it, so like. i mean. i don't want to say "i get it" but i don't think Junko is unrealistic is what i'm saying, from my own experience.

also. we're both big sexy bears

7. What's something the fandom does when it comes to this character that you like?

that people can openly like Junko at all without 5000 disclaimers is a blessing to me. you all know there'd be some Fandoms where she wouldn't fly as a character and there'd be DNI lists about her fans due to her problematic, totally non-fictional real life behavior in Danganronpa, a story that totally happened

8. What's something the fandom does when it comes to this character that you despise?

forgetting that, at least in DR1, Monokuma really isn't his own guy. he's a persona of Junko's. he isn't in V3, obviously, and you can argue both ways in DR2, but DR1 he is Junko, he is Junko's way of fucking with everyone and not revealing herself, and a lot of what Monokuma says tells us a bunch about her Worldview and her Relationships with her class. i don't know why this is so important to me But It Is so deal with it yo