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tryslora · 2 months

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What I'm Reading Wednesday...

On the Duck Prints Press reading server, it’s What I’m Reading Wednesday where we all share what we finished in the last week, what we are currently reading, and what we think of these books.

I figured hey, why not bring that to the rest of the world for myself. Because I love yelling about my current reads. And I’ve always got several things in motion at one time, between physical, audio, and ebooks, plus things I’m reading for specific reasons.

Here’s the summary from the last week in visual format (the actual discussion is behind the read-more):

Fiction

I am currently reading Many Drops Make a Stream by Adrian Harley (from Duck Prints Press). There are so many things to love in this book. The world building packs so much into such a small space. The culture clash between human and shapeshifter is wonderful (and Harley’s shapeshifters truly have a culture all their own). I thought it was going to be a quick read because it’s short, but the language and depth of information have me going slower and savoring every word. That said, I’ve also reached the point where I want to take it in faster, so I find myself spending a little extra time every time I pick it up, just to get a few more pages!

Manga & Graphic Novels

I have one manga and one graphic novel in progress.

I’ve been reading The Complete Elfquest, volume 1 by Wendy & Richard Pini for a little over two weeks now. We have several of these volumes, and my intention is to read one chapter/issue a night, so I am able to savor them slowly, but also get through them. Reading this first volume is like coming home into a fandom from childhood. The first chunk of it was also collected in the original Warp Graphics compilations, and I can’t remember how often I read those back in high school. I’m reaching the parts now where I probably only read the individual issues once or twice, so it’s familiar, but not to the point where I’m like oh yes, I remember gazing at that panel for hours. I still love these elves, and this story, and I cannot wait to get home each day and be allowed to read a chapter. I’m looking forward to when I reach new-to-me material.

I watched the 24 episode anime The Apothecary Diaries and I wasn’t ready to let it go when it was over, so I started reading the manga by Natsu Hyuuga and Nekokurage. I finished volumes 5 & 6 this past week and am currently reading volume 7. I have the remaining already published volumes waiting for when I’m done with this. I adore Maomao and Jinshi, and am incredibly excited to get to the point where canon moves past what is in the anime. That said, getting to revisit events I already watched on TV and linger over what was said and the exact expressions has been soooo good. (And yes, I know the light novels also exist and will be rolling into those in ebook form after the manga; I might be a tad bit obsessed).

Audiobook

A while ago I thought “I should read some TJ Klune” so I checked the library list I had for audiobooks, and the first of his Extraordinaries trilogy was available in audio. I listened to it. I was addicted. I’m now on the third book—Heat Wave—and I find it very very hard to put it down. I can’t listen while working, only while commuting, walking, or doing chores—things that don’t require me to actually think so I can multi-task. But hey, it’s a GREAT way to get me to do my PT since it means fifteen minutes more of audiobook listening! Nick, the POV character, has ADHD and I flail a lot over pretty much everything he thinks and does. I love every character in this series. I love how Klune is using superheroes as an allegory for the queer experience and for racial issues, but at the same time, is actually addressing those issues explicitly. I both want to listen faster to find out what happens, and linger so it doesn’t end.

Ebook

I have been reading Wayfinder by CE Murphy, which is the second in a duology. This is a romance, yes, but it’s another fun culture clash book, this time between humanity and faerie, and I am so here for that. Murphy is an author I used to read a lot from, and I’m trying to work my way through her back catalog slowly because I’ve always enjoyed her style. Accessible and fun. This series is about a woman who has always been able to hear lies (a Truthseeker), and how her talent develops, and how she works with the faerie kingdoms to try to help them (despite some of them not wanting help, and the original situation not being the one she’s actually needed for).

Non-fiction

I have been working my way through three non-fiction books.

One is A Year of Zen by Bonnie Myotai Treace. I had been looking for a journaling prompt book, and decided to give this one a try. I made the difficult decision to write directly in the book itself, then the additional decision to let myself fail if needed. So if I don’t get to answer a prompt on a day, I just answer it the next day. One prompt per day. It’ll take me more than a year to go through it, but that’s okay. The idea is to have me think and write a short paragraph every day, and not feel guilty about messing up. It’s working surprisingly well. Learning to let myself fail has been a big part of my process this year, and hopefully I am learning to let go of some of the anxiety about things needing to be matched and rigid.

The one I am stalled on right now is The Happiness Trap by Russ Harris. It was recommended as a book that therapists like to use for themselves, not merely recommend to their patients, and it reminded me of the radical acceptance I’m supposed to be practicing (and apparently am, despite myself, according to my therapist after she listened to me). The problem is, it has exercises (doesn’t everything?) and I stalled out because I didn’t have time.

Time is a theme, y’know? And that’s what happened with the last non-fiction book. I’ve been working through The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron, taking it as a self-guided 12 week course. I’m currently on week 5. However, I did a week of just doing morning notes before I really got started, then I took a week off when everything went haywire in my schedule because of the power outage. So it’s been about seven weeks so far. This week, as I worked on exercises, I found myself really digging in to my emotions about this book. And in the end, I decided that while I can see the value in some things, the book itself is giving me more anxiety about everything to do with my writing, while at the same time making it impossible for me to find time TO write (while following the advice it gives). So. I am no longer doing it as a course, with exercises, but I will finish reading it. And if an exercise appeals, I’ll do it. It’ll still take time, because I’ll probably still read one chapter each weekend, but I am already feeling WAY less stressed and I only made this decision last night.

So…

That’s it for me! What are you reading?

#what i'm reading wednesday #duck prints press #reading #books

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westanthewaterman · 2 years

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Wakey Wakey Protocol - Engineer!Mark x GN!Captain

Rating: NSFW

Word count: 1700+

TW: consensual somnophilia, fingersucking, possessive captain, oral (m recieving)

Notes: Thank you so much for the request, I hope you like it! Also yes, I know oral is on my will not write list but I’m experimenting.

MASTERLIST - AO3

Wakefulness washes over the Captain slowly, like a wave gently lapping at the shore. They yawn, blinking their eyes open. It’s quiet, the audiobook of poetry they’d put on when they had climbed into bed has long since finished and the only sound to be heard is the quiet breathing of them and the man sound asleep behind them.

Mark is tucked into the covers, his arms loose around the Captain’s waist. With him pressed against their back like this, they’re able to feel his chest expand and deflate with every deep breath he takes.

It also allows them to feel other things.

Something hard is pressed up against their ass and it doesn’t take the Captain much guessing to figure out what it is. Mark always tends to get hard in his sleep. Usually, they pay it no mind, but, tonight, they’re feeling mischievous.

Ever since Mark and the Captain had finally given themselves permission to take up residence planetside, there was always something to do. Too much, if the Captain was honest. The two have hardly had any time to relax, much less to relax together.

But it’s the middle of the night and there are no alarms, no system malfunctions, no wormholes. Sure, Mark could use the sleep, and so could they, but the more they think about it, the more the Captain wants - no, needs - to have him right this second.

They move slowly, gently pushing Mark’s arms off them and rolling him onto his back. He’s a very heavy sleeper, which came as a surprise to the Captain the first time they’d slept together. After everything they’d been through, even just a slight change in the building’s air conditioning will have the Captain up and alert, but they’re happy he feels comfortable and safe enough with them to sleep so soundly.

They’re also happy it makes some things so much easier.

Undoing the tie on the front of Mark’s pajama pants is simple and the Captain slips them down his hips, along with his boxers, just enough to let his cock spring free from the confines of the fabric. He’s almost fully hard, a drop of precum beading at the tip, and the Captain can’t help but lick their lips.

He’s a good length with a little more girth than what might be considered average. It always feels so good when he’s inside them, stretching them open just enough to leave them feeling it for a few hours after they finish messing around. Just thinking about it has the Captain all hot and bothered and they quickly remove their pajamas, leaving them only in a pair of underwear, the cool air in the room doing wonders to their heated skin.

They reach out slowly, wrapping their fingers loosely around the base of his cock, keeping an eye on Mark’s face in case their touch starts to rouse him from his sleep. He’ll have to wake up eventually, it’s much easier to do things that way, but the Captain wants to have their fun for as long as they can.

With a gentle grip on his cock, the Captain starts to stroke up and down his shaft slowly. A small grunt comes from deep in the engineer’s throat, but, otherwise, he remains still, unbothered.

The Captain shifts quietly, moving so they’re laying on their stomach between his legs, face only inches away from his cock, giving them the perfect angle to watch the way it twitches in their hand and also keep an eye on his face.

Slowly, so slowly, they duck down and start giving small kitten licks to the head of his cock, pausing when Mark lets out a soft whimper, before returning to the task at hand. They take the tip into their mouth, tracing their tongue over it, giving special attention to the spot on the underside where the shaft meets the head.

Feeling brave, the Captain takes him further into their mouth, hollowing their cheeks around his shaft and bobbing their head slowly.

Mark’s hips buck up involuntarily and he startles awake with a moan, looking down at them with wide, glassy eyes.

“C-Capt-”

He cuts himself off with a long groan as they take him all the way into the back of their throat, swallowing around him. Mark buries one hand in their hair and the other in the sheets, back arching at the sudden onslaught of pleasure.

“Captain!”

They pull off his cock with a pop, licking a stripe up the shack before giving him a demure smile. Mark’s chest is heaving with deep breaths, face red, and the Captain swears he’s never looked better.

“Morning, baby.”

“Not that I’m complaining about the wake-up call because,” Mark groans when they start to stroke him slowly. “trust me, I’m not, but w-what’s gotten into you?”

“We haven’t had any time to ourselves lately and I could feel how hard you were when I woke up, so I thought I’d give you a little TLC.”

“Well, I could get used to waking up like this.” He rolls his hips up into their hand.

“You may regret saying that.”

They crawl up the bed, straddling him and ducking down to steal his lips in a kiss. Mark’s responding kiss is slow, uncoordinated. He’s clearly still drowsy and they like how relaxed and pliant he is beneath them, giving them a lazy smile.

“Baby, will you let me have you?” They whisper against his lips.

“You already do.”

“Yes, but you know what I mean. Will you let me fuck you?”

Mark groans, throwing his head back against the pillows and nodding slowly, staring up at them with wide, hungry eyes. “Whatever you want, Captain. You know I’m yours.”

“You are mine. Mine to touch, mine to tease, mine to take .” They roll their hips down against him, making them both moan. “Mine.”

He whimpers at the possessive edge to their voice, turning his head to the side to hide his face in the pillows. “Captain.”

“You look so good beneath me, baby.”

The Captain slips his shirt off over his head quickly, their underwear following suit. With his tanned chest now on display, they trail kisses up from his sternum and all the way to the corner of his jaw, nipping and licking as they go, leaving behind a trail of marks.

Mark groans at the feeling of their teeth scraping over his skin and bucks his hips up, rubbing his cock against the sensitive skin between their legs.

They groan. “So impatient.”

“Please,” he whines, “don’t make me wait. It’s torture.”

“Not yet, baby. I need to get myself ready for you. Open your mouth.”

Without any hesitation, Mark parts his lips. The Captain slips two fingers inside, pressing them against his tongue and easing them in and out slowly. He groans around them, squeezing his eyes shut and sucking on their fingers happily.

“You take me so well.”

Mark glows at the praise, doubling down his effort, bobbing his mouth up and down the length of their fingers.

Once the Captain decides he’s gotten their fingers nice and wet, they slip them from his mouth and down between their legs. Tracing over their entrance, they press their fingers inside themself slowly, letting out a soft groan.

“Mark,” they moan.

“What is it? What do you need?”

“I want you to touch yourself for me, stroke your cock. But you don’t get to cum until you’re inside me, understand?”

“Yes, Captain.”

Eyes fixed on where the Captain’s fingers disappear inside them, Mark fists a hand around his cock, stroking up and down over the shaft quickly.

“Oh god, Captain, I want you so bad. Waking up with my cock in your mouth-” Mark cuts himself off with a moan, stopping his strokes to tighten his hand around the base of his cock, staving off his impending orgasm. “P-Please, I’m so close already.”

They groan, curling their fingers to hit that sensitive spot inside themself. “Don’t worry, baby. I’m gonna take care of you.”

The Captain removes their fingers from themself, slipping them back into his mouth. Mark groans, eyes rolling back as he sucks on them. They reach between their bodies and take ahold of his cock, guiding the head to their entrance and sinking down slowly.

Their fingers fall from his mouth as Mark groans and reaches up to get their hips in a vice grip that is sure to leave bruises, not that they mind. The Captain lowers themself slowly until they’ve taken his entire length inside. They still once their hips are flush with his, resting their hands on either side of Mark’s head and dropping their face into the crook of his neck.

“How does it feel, baby?”

“God,” he groans, “so good. You always make me feel so good.”

Slowly, they raise up and sink back down onto him and Mark swears he can see stars flashing in front of his eyes. He bites his lip, desperately trying to hold back the orgasm that just keeps creeping closer and closer with every roll of their hips.

“It’s okay. Give in to it, let go.”

He shakes his head furiously. “N-No, I want you to cum first. Want to make sure you feel good, too.”

“Oh baby, you always make me feel good, especially when you’re cumming inside me. Love knowing I’m the one that made you cum. You’re all mine, isn’t that right?”

“Y-Yeah, I’m yours, Captain, all yours.”

“Good. I want you to cum, baby, make a mess for me. Show me who you belong to.”

Mark cums with a cry of their name, hips rutting up into them as he fills them with warmth. The Captain groans, picking up their pace to fuck him through his orgasm. It doesn’t take long for pleasure to overtake them as well and they still in his lap, pressing their forehead to his chest while they catch their breath.

“You okay, Captain?” Mark rubs their back.

“So good. How ‘bout you?”

“I’m great.” He sighs happily.

The Captain rolls off him and tucks themself into his side, wrapping their arms around his waist. “I needed that.”

“Me too, we can’t let it go that long again.”

“Agreed.” They yawn and lean up to kiss him. “I love you, get some sleep now."

“You too, Captain. There might be a surprise waiting for you when you wake up.”

#engineer!mark x captain #engineer!mark x captain smut #engineer!mark x gn!captain #captaineer #west writes #engineer egghead #the watcher #nsft #tw somnophilia #tw possessive behaviour

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magicalyaku · 1 year

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After the first week of February I decided I would only read sequels. I made true on that for a few books until my library app fucked me over and didn't download Simon Snow 3 which I intended to start reading during my break at work (where I have no internet). I was so mad! 8D I was sulking afterwards and started a different book once I got home and the resolution was broken. Instead the theme of the month can easily be "I have never read so many books with adult characters in a row."

Das Verbotene Kapitel / The Lost Plot (The Invisible Library 8) (Genevieve Cogman): I honestly wasn't too invested in this. I was like for the first two days, but the writing style of this series always takes so long to read for me. I used to like it, but right now I just lack the patience. Also, it's the eighth volume. High time for it to end, really. Halfway through I switched to the audiobook to listen to while gaming and well. I'm not good at listening while doing other things. Maybe I'll pick the book up again in a few years to give the second half a proper read. I was content though with what I heard of the end.

The High King's Golden Tongue (Tales of the High Court 1) (Megan Derr): I said "I need more fantasy buhu *sad face*". And then I looked at my TBR and realised that out of 50 books only 3 have absolutely no magic, ghosts, different worlds or planets or whatsoever. Uhm. Well. Errr ... That didn't stop me from going through this recommendation list for queer fantasy books. uAu" Found this book. Sounded alright. Read the preview pages. Sounded alright. Looked it up in the library, uhuh available immediately! Borrowed it. Read it for the remainder of the day and a few hours of the night. uAu~ I can safely say I had fun reading this book. It's not fantasy with magic and creatures, just old kingdoms full of queer people. The worldbuilding is good, with all the different regions and languages being a major plot point. I liked the adventure, the characters (Sarrica's and Lesto's friendship is great), the pining. Good times!

The Pirate of Fathoms Deep (Tales of the High Court 2) (Megan Derr): The follow-up to Golden Tongue! I was unsure at first if I wanted to read the sequels (there are of 5 volumes in the series at the moment), but vol 2 is about Lesto who was my favourite character in vol 1, so no choice. It's like that 5.5 chapter of a boys love manga though. In the 5 chapters of the main story everything is tame until the bonus 5.5 chapter where they can finally do things. In High Court 1, there's exactly one smut scene. In vol 2, there's a million. And the book is only half the size! D: There is a small adventure going on and given the setting it makes sense that it progresses the way it does, but the 3 books afterwards are full length again, so why is it only this one character who gets the short one? u_u He's happy in the end, so all is well, but I would have liked a little more. I guess I have to continue reading the next volumes in the hopes to get a few glimpses. u3u

Husband Material (Forever Material in the German edtion) (Alexis Hall): After two books with middle-aged man and their (amourous) adventures, we slowly inch back to the younger generation. From end-thirties to mid-twenties! Books written by adults for adults, you know. Adult problems. Brrrr. At least, it's funny. Silly even. Was the first one this silly? I think, Oliver and Luc did well sorting through their various issues. I enjoy Luc’s narrative voice. And I loved the ending! xD It must be such a sore point for many people but I was like HELL YEAH!!!

Out of Nowhere (In the Middle of Somewhere 2) (Roan Parrish): I already read the first and third volume of this series, so reading volume 2 was inevitable even though Colin was not the most likeable character in vol 1. And well, he has issues let me tell you. Daniel of vol 1 was a mess but he managed to get a new start and build something for himself in that place. Will of vol 3 may not have the healthiest lifestyle but he was not unhappy with the direction of his life before meeting Leo. Whereas Colin is absolutely miserable and has no idea what to do about it. It was intruiging to read how he and Rafe managed. You know, there's this thing about this kind of books where the characters meet exactly the kind of person they need to survive and to thrive. Even with all the shit going on in this particular one, it's still comforting. xD

Wayward Son (Simon Snow 2) (Rainbow Rowell): The gang is 20, so it doesn't break the streak! I had fun reading this. Curiously, I liked it better than volume 1. Not quite sure why. (Maybe because of Suffering Boys.) Volume 1 was interesting in the way it felt like the 8th season of a series you haven't seen any episodes of before. Now this is the rare look at what happens to the heroes after the series ends and I'm here for it. I also found it remarkable how Baz was described as that utmost evil and ruthless being at first and turns out now he is the most loving and patient boyfriend of all times. xD

Pictures of You (Tina Winter): German author here. It's very basic in the theme and kind of predictable. But in a comforting way. Sometimes it's nice to know where everything will go so you can just lean back and enjoy the ride. The characters were pretty good and the setting was well illustrated. I mentioned last month that my visualisation abilites are not very good but I had no problem seeing the photos the protagonist takes which was pretty neet! I also very much appreciated how all the important conflicts actually happen and are resolved! That’s not a given. xD

Ring of Solomon (Aden Polydoros): I like Mr Polydoros' other books and I appreciate very much how all his books are different from each other. This one is contempory middle grade with a touch of magic. It was pretty okay, but I think it could have been a little bit deeper, a little more ambitious or challenging or complicated. Just more. Yes, it's middle grade but kids are always smarter than adults give them credit for, right? I feel, if you really want them to adore a book you have to give them something challenging that is a little bigger than themselves so that they can grow into it.

Reforged (Seth Haddon): Another gay king+knight story that made me realise I very much have a weakness for this kind of setting. xD Which is so weird because when I look through YA books and see a heroine who is a queen or princess fighting for her kingdom I immediately click away ... Well. This was a solid book. Not quite as joyful as A Taste of Gold and Iron or The High King's Golden Tongue but still solid (also it's a debut). The author clearly put thought and love into his main characters and probably the worldbuilding. Sometimes it was just written in a way that confused me at first, because the actual thing was named late. There's that other paladin guy who works alongside our hero. When he's introduced, it's written "They never got along." and then 90 pages later: "Now that XX was dead, he was his closest friend" And I was like "What?! I thought you hate each other? Did I read wrong? Let me leaf back real quick!" I mean, there is the possibility that among all those people he doesn't get along with this one is still the best but ... that's kinda sad. 8D So, there's small things like that. But the overall story and intrigue was well done I think.

Keeper of the Lost Cities 2: Exile (Shannon Messenger): I stayed at my parents's place for a few days to take care of the cats and thus my commute to work was twice as long as usual, so this came in from the library at just the right time. I listened to the audiobook though, so it was still a struggle for the first 8 hours. I'm so bad with audiobooks. 8D But the beginning was also very slow. It picked up speed around the halfway point, I'd say and also Keefe is my favourite character so I appreciated hearing more of him. I still find it a little odd how some of the characters' attitude towards Sophie is. Guys, she's only thirteen and didn't know about her powers for the longest time! How do you expect her to be perfect at everything and solve everything this very second? Geez. I'll probably continue with the 3rd volume at some point but I should really think about reading it instead of listening. :'D

On to the next month! As of writing this I already have read the best book of March, I swear. xD I’m possibly still high enough to even make a fanart happen.

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goddesspharo · 11 months

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people I'd like to know better tag

Thanks to @at-thestillpoint for the tag!

Last song: I heard that stupid “updated” “We Didn’t Start The Fire” cover that Fall Out Boy did over the weekend and have been annoyed about it since then (it’s bad and not chronological which is literally the whole point!!! also how has their sound not evolved IN TWENTY YEARS??) so I’ve been listening a lot to the Billy Joel original (a timeless classic; the only one who should be updating is Billy Joel). But the actual last last song I listened to was Pearl Jam’s “Rearviewmirror” while eating a bag of chips for dinner because I’m on call and work is killing me.

Currently watching: I watch a lot of movies (and that’s not even logging rewatches). I just finished rewatching the Mission Impossible franchise this weekend in anticipation of the new film (…after having rewatched the franchise last summer when the teaser trailer for MI7 got me so hyped) and, honestly, name a better franchise - you can’t because Fast & Furious has fallen off the rails (derogatory) and even when a Mission Impossible movie is bad (MI2), everyone has great hair! The soft reboot of energy starting with Ghost Protocol has only reinvigorated it. Tom Cruise can make these movies forever as far as I’m concerned and I’ll keep watching them. More recently, I watched Traffic today and it was both terrible (narrative wise) and hideous (did Soderbergh film all of the Mexico scenes on the sun???) and I cannot believe that THIS movie out of all the other (great!) movies he has ever done is what got him an Oscar for directing. Thanks, I hate it. TV-wise: I’m trying to catch up on Silo aka the show where Rebecca Ferguson keeps doing insane things and getting people killed (but also why won’t anyone make out with Common???) because apparently the only Apple TV show I’m actually capable of remembering to keep up with every week is Platonic, which more people should watch because Rose Byrne and Seth Rogen playing off each other is ALWAYS gold. They are my Jessica Chastain/Michael Shannon team up of comedy.

Currently reading: I’ve been trying to finish Laura Dave’s The Last Thing He Told Me for ages, but it’s as much of a slog as the show so I’m not sure that it’ll ever happen (…for either? God, I just want to get to the Victor Garber part!). Working my way through Making Rumours slowly and am about to start reading Piers Paul Read’s Alive: The Story of the Andes Survivors (one of the inspirations behind Yellowjackets!), but I really need to listen to Vendela Vida’s We Run The Tides first before Libby returns my audiobook loan.

Current obsession: spiiiieees (always); the cold brew I’ve been making lately with Cafe Du Monde grounds (highly recommend); the breakfast burritos I made this weekend; Tom Cruise saving cinema (why are the Oppenheimer folks so boring that they couldn’t play the game like Gerwig and Robbie?); Top Gun Maverick - still? forever? I keep waiting for it to leave my system and it simply won’t; mango season; trying to figure out which old HBO shows I finally need to watch before they get shipped off to Netflix (not the end of the world; it would just annoy me to watch an HBO thing not on an HBO platform) or yeeted to hell because David Zaslav is clearly just three kids stacked on top of each other under a trench coat.

No pressure tags: @earnmysong, @pearly--rose, @veronicafitzosborne, and anyone else who wants to do it!

#ask me things

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swamp-world · 11 months

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Aaaaa thanks @void-and-virtue for tagging me!! Also I am so sorry I have just vanished off the face of the earth, but consider this a general update and “I’m alive” too. Also it gives me a chance to babble about so very many things!!! And I will do so at length!!!

Currently reading: an incomplete list of what I am reading and cycling my way through at the moment.

1. Rereading The Queen’s Thief series for some levity and joy in my life; I’m currently midway through Thick as Thieves again and am loving it as ever, 10/10 would recommend to anyone who hasn’t read it. Also my partner studies classics and so I get to go and harass them with this book series and ask about how it reflects elements of actual Hellenistic life (I know MWT wasn’t going by any means for a one-to-one but I really really enjoy getting to learn what a lot of the probable inspirations were, and also how the metaphysics of the Geniad reflect neoplatonic philosophy).

2. The Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler. It’s absolutely brutal and I’ve been going through it slowly because it…is rough. It’s really good, but also wow it’s heavy. Feels very relevant to mention that like…my roommates and I have been having long discussions about the climate crisis, wildfires, and just the approaching Crumbles, and it’s lovely as ever to see a book that actually approaches the community-focused approach to the Crumbles. Not just doomsday libertarian preppers.

3. In Deeper Waters, actually on your recommendation Kylie! I started reading the book like a year ago and then dropped it, but found the audiobook again, and the audiobook is also narrated by uhhh. Kevin R. Free if I’m remembering right? Who also does the audiobooks for The Murderbot Diaries, which I love with all of my heart. Loving the book, have to be honest that I don’t necessarily love the voice that he does for Athlen, but I love him too much to not listen to this. (Also I just looked it up and apparently he’s the voice actor for Kevin in WTNV?????? Makes sense but AAAAAAA [kronk voice] oh yeah it’s all coming together.)

4. Tractatus Logico-Philosophiscus by Wittgenstein. Trying it again, finally. But I found the centenary edition by one publisher that lays it out in a tree format of sorts instead of just linearly? Which is apparently how Wittgenstein originally wrote it. This is to say—the edition I’d been reading previously addresses points in an order of like, 2.14; 2.141; 2.15; 2.151; 2.1511; 2.1512; 2.15121; 2.1513 etc. etc. etc. but the tree format addresses all points before addressing subpoints, so it’s 1; 2; 3; 4; […] 2.1; 2.2; 2.11; 2.12; 2.13; 2.14; 2.15; […] which is very very neat and way easier to understand in my humble opinion. (See attached diagram. As you can tell I gave up before even finishing the tree for proposition 2.02123.)

ANYWAYS that’s a lot of words and half an hour of trying to draw this out to say—it’s a piece of logical philosophy which is extremely foundational for 20th c. philosophy in pretty much every way, and it’s also extremely funny to me. A lot of people find it extremely dry but I think that it’s hilarious. And not in a way of like, I’m laughing at Wittgenstein, or that in a lot of ways I don’t think he was writing intending it to be humorous, but I don’t think he’s totally unaware of it. It just feels so cheeky at times. Because the whole thing is written in these expanding propositions which build off of one another, and so the propositions themselves are often very simple and straightforwards. Ex:

2.012 In logic nothing is accidental: if a thing can occur in a state of affairs, the possibility of the state of affairs must be written into the thing itself.

2.0121 It would seem to be a sort of accident, if it turned out that a situation would fit a thing that could already exist entirely on its own.

And that’s just hilarious to me! That part of proposition 2.0121 I’ve just annotated with “cheeky” because I find it very funny. I’ve tried reading this twice now (each time on a plane) and I finally sat down to review my notes from the first two sections, so now I can finally get into the meat of it for propositions 3-6.

What I love about the Tractatus is that a lot of people will cite the part of “What can be said at all can be said clearly and what we cannot talk about we must pass over in silence” but treat that like it’s the only and final conclusion of the Tractatus, because it’s really more like “Look! I did it! I solved all of philosophy, and it’s done nothing!”

Wittgenstein is absolutely on the list of Top 10 Saddest Men Of All Time and he’s a bastard and a motherfucker and I love him. He’s hilarious.

5. Mengele: Unmasking the “Angel of Death” by David G. Marwell. This one is also very heavy and extremely depressing.

6. Silver Under Nightfall by Rin Chupeco. I’m kinda on the fence about this one, I don’t want to DNF it but it’s a bit too heavy on the horny romance for me and not enough on the geopolitical vampire plot (personal preference). But I had been enjoying it for a bit, wouldn’t not recommend I guess

7. Gay Bar: Why We Went Out by Jeremy Atherton, which is about the history and disappearance of gay bars and physical spaces for queer community. This one hits hard personally, right now my city only has one designated “gay club” though there are a lot of other queer places in a less official way. There used to be so many and it breaks my heart, and reading this has been equally heartbreaking and wonderful.

8. Not a book but it’s making up the majority of my reading right now so I’m putting it on here because I need to babble about it that I’ve been catching up on a lot of school readings to try to turn in some late assignments from the last (checks watch) two years, so there’s been a lot of essays by Hannah Arendt, Walter Benjamin, a bit of Heidegger, and a lot of critiques of Heidegger—I’m currently rereading the part of Being and Time on Being-toward-death and Mitsein, and then following it up with sections of critique by Luce Irigaray from The Forgetting of Air in Martin Heidegger, and then the chapter “With Being-With?” from Being Singular Plural by Jean-Luc Nancy (and then after that, Simon Critchley wrote some notes on that, and I’m really looking forwards to reading that too); and also then “On The Coloniality of Being” by Nelson Maldonado-Torres, and then after that Aporias by Derrida, who I’ve also been reading a lot of for classes.

ANYWAYS.

Favourite Colour: You know when there’s a massive storm with really dark clouds, and it then passes, but the clouds are directly across from the sun, and so they’re being illuminated in front of you from the sun behind you, and then you have fresh green trees against the clouds? It’s the color in between the clouds and the trees, at the edges, because they look so golden. (Vital note: I do not wear my glasses as often as I should.)

Last Song: The Man With X-Ray Eyes by Bauhaus. Absolutely adore this album, it’s so so so goofy and I get this song stuck in my head all the time. Next time there’s a karaoke night I’m doing either this or Of Lilies and Remains because “Peter has fallen to the old cold stone floor wheezing and emitting a seemingly endless flow of ectoplasmic white goo from ears and mouth” is just so goofy and great to throw people off-guard. Please please please go listen to this whole album I love it.

Last Show: Baccano! Incredibly fun, 10/10, need to go and rewatch to get the plot straight in my head because of all of the time jumps. Also, outstanding jazz soundtrack. Love it so much. The best kind of bullshit.

Currently Watching: My partner got me watching The Owl House finally and I love it with all of my heart. Eda owns my soul. Hooty is great. Luz is my absolute beloved. I cried seeing on-screen queerness in this kid’s cartoon. Also Eda reminds me of my favourite professor. Identical energy, both absolutely deranged.

Last Movie: oh god. Uh. Literally the only thing coming to mind is Godspeed You! Black Emperor, which is a 1976 Japanese documentary about motorcycle clubs/gangs/movements in Japan in the ‘70s. A very uncomfortable watch, because it’s just…it’s very interesting, but watching bōsōzoku with fascist symbols plastered on their bikes, helmets, clothing, and skin, and their interactions with the cops and legal system, and the one kid’s interactions with his parents? It’s brutal. I know I’ve definitely watched other films since then but for some reason this is literally the only thing coming to mind.

Sweet/Spicy/Savory: Sour and/or salty. It can be sweet or spicy or savory but the important thing is that it’s either sour or salty.

Currently working on: One (1) extremely self-indulgent angst fic that I started ages ago, long-term WIP for when I’m feeling sad. A pile of papers for classes but one for fun on the digital location of (sub)culture and dark academia (in which the only real physical location for “dark academia” to exist is the academy, which is a fundamentally hostile environment that just sublates what “dark academia” considers itself to be); an essay on Benjamin’s Language as Such and the Language of Man and Arendt’s discussion of the inarticulate cry, both in relation to klezmer ornamentation as pure expression of language and/or grief; a piece that I might submit to a music zine about how Bowie’s song TVC-15 uses the stylings of surf rock in ways that create ambivalence about whether he’s singing about a bad trip and a TV (which he is), or a car that he loves deeply (maybe). Also the long-standing thing I’ve been writing about locutions of love, still an ongoing project. A history of my university, maybe? The line between projects for fun and projects for work have gotten a bit blurred.

Current obsession: beating the old Mortal Kombat arcade terminal at the punk bar down the way. It used to cost a quarter per game but now it’s a dollar so I’m very determined to get way way way better at it because otherwise it’s too expensive to play.

Tagging mutuals: Kylie I think you got most people I know but uhhhh. @uppercase-disgrace @edgy-contrarian dragging y’all into this??? anyone else who wants to!

#tag game #haven't done one of these for a hot minute

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calculatedliterature · 1 year

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Tuesday, November 29th

Arguably, I was not that productive today. I didn’t have anything pressing and after working hard the last few days, I wanted a break. I went to class in the morning spent most of my afternoon reading. I have two 4-hour work shifts where I can get work done in the next two days, so I plan on working hard then to make up for today. My next two assignment deadlines are Friday and Monday, so I have plenty of time to get things done.

Instead, I’ve read quite a bit. My sister sent me a copy of The Trial by Franz Kafka ages ago and I finally sat down to read and annotate it. I’m not sure I like it. I wasn’t a fan of The Metamorphosis in high school, so it may just be that Kafka’s not my style of literature. I’ll see how I feel by the end of it.

I also have some other books on my reading list that are more entertaining. I’m listening to the audiobook version of Crown of Midnight by SJ Maas, the second in the Throne of Glass series. And I’ve been slowly working my way through the French translation of the second Harry Potter book, which is usually what I read at night. I’d like to someday own and finish the whole series in both French and English.

So it was a literary day, and tomorrow will be a math day.

#studyblr #college #literature #student #study blog #annotating books #annotation #annotated books #studyspo #study aesthetic

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radiosaturday · 2 years

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@dionysus-complex tagged me in this!

favorite color: I love looking at the bright, dark blue of lapis lazuli, but I basically only wear black

currently reading: in print, I’m rereading Harrow the Ninth in preparation for reading Nona the Ninth; I just started the audiobook of The Tombs of Atuan by Ursula K. LeGuin today, as I make my way through her Earthsea books, having never read them before; my current ebook is Phoenix Extravagant by Yoon Ha Lee which, like all of his other work, is incredible

last song: "Northern Lights” by Thrice

last tv show: I think the last one we watched was either What We Do In the Shadows or The Simpsons, but we’ve also been slowly working our way through Umbrella Academy season 3

last movie: The Empty Man, which we watched in two parts because of having to get up early for work

sweet/savory/spicy: Savory and spicy are just about tied, with sweet a distant third

currently working on: uhhhhhhhh I could be flippant and say, “myself,” but that would just be a coy way of saying, “I am in between long-term projects right now and it is stripping more and more from me with every passing day”

tagging: @infamouslydorky @mother-entropy @batlatte @theonewiththevampires @patternsinnoise @kissmeagainarthas and anyone else who’d like to do it!

#thank you for tagging me!#this was fun!

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thebaepatricia · 11 months

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📚 June Wrap-Up: Books

This month wasn’t the best for me in terms of reading. I didn’t have any strong urge to read + there was no book I hyper-fixated on and excited me enough.

The only reason I was able to finish one more book (Thank you for listening) at the last minute was because I had the flu and I spent 2 days reading on and off. Don’t try it at home though, no sickness is worth upping your wrap up for! 😅

I saw a template before of monthly favorites. I wasn’t able to do it in the past wrap ups obviously so I’ll start this month.

And for June, my book of the month is... *drumroll*

The Foundations of Peak Brain Performance

⭐️ The Foundations of Peak Brain Performance by Louisa Nicola

In The Foundations of Peak Brain Performance, neurophysiologist, brain coach, and Neuro Athletics newsletter author Louisa Nicola discusses your brain and mental state in relationship to peak performance. Going beyond physical training and preparation, Nicola provides evidence-based guidance on how to keep your brain operating at the highest level possible using the same methods as elite athletes. In the course, Nicola gives an overview of what’s going on in the brain, laying out the basic biology and functions of the brain; discusses the importance of hydration in ensuring a healthy and effective brain; how sunlight can give your brain a boost; and practical tips for enhancing brain performance. She also shares exercises along the way to help you put what you’ve learned into practice right away. As scientifically rigorous and fascinating as it is accessible and practical, The Foundations of Peak Brain Performance is perfect for anyone looking to improve their cognitive performance — and understand the how and why at the same time.

It was short and substantial. The narration was also excellent!

Other People's Houses by Abbi Waxman

At any given moment in other people's houses, you can find...repressed hopes and dreams...moments of unexpected joy...someone making love on the floor to a man who is most definitely not her husband... *record scratch* As the longtime local carpool mom, Frances Bloom is sometimes an unwilling witness to her neighbors' private lives. She knows her cousin is hiding her desire for another baby from her spouse, Bill Horton's wife is mysteriously missing, and now this... After the shock of seeing Anne Porter in all her extramarital glory, Frances vows to stay in her own lane. But that's a notion easier said than done when Anne's husband throws her out a couple of days later. The repercussions of the affair reverberate through the four carpool families--and Frances finds herself navigating a moral minefield that could make or break a marriage.

First book done in June

It took me the entirety of May to read this slowly, but since I finished it just now, I didn’t count it for last month’s wrap up.

I went back and forth on how to review this book with justice but at the end of the day, I don’t really have much to say save for it being a “light, humorous read.” If you don’t have the same attention span I do, you can probably finish this in one afternoon.

It didn’t really stand out to me as I thought it would. And it definitely wasn’t as funny and memorable like Eleanor Oliphant, as some reviewers claimed. But then I’m biased, so it might be hard to beat that.

I will say though, every character felt like their own. There was clear distinction with their personalities, mannerisms, quirks, and reputation. In my head, I thought it would make a great series.

Thank You For Listening by Julia Whelan

For Sewanee Chester, being an audiobook narrator is a long way from her old dreams, but the days of being a star on film sets are long behind her. She’s found success and satisfaction from the inside of a sound booth and it allows her to care for her beloved, ailing grandmother. When she arrives in Las Vegas last-minute for a book convention, Sewanee unexpectedly spends a whirlwind night with a charming stranger. On her return home, Sewanee discovers one of the world’s most beloved romance novelists wanted her to perform her last book—with Brock McNight, the industry’s hottest, most secretive voice. Sewanee doesn’t buy what romance novels are selling—not after her own dreams were tragically cut short—and she stopped narrating them years ago. But her admiration of the late author, and the opportunity to get her grandmother more help, makes her decision for her. As Sewanee begins work on the book, resurrecting her old romance pseudonym, she and Brock forge a real connection, hidden behind the comfort of anonymity. Soon, she is dreaming again, but secrets are revealed, and the realities of life come crashing down around her once more. If she can learn to risk everything for desires she has long buried, she will discover a world of intimacy and acceptance she never believed would be hers.

(Audiobook review) This book is a gem 😘🤌🏼 So many memorable characters, amazing narration, substantial storyline. I can't believe I officially have a crush on a fictional character - for the first time ever! And to top it off, Nick can do a strong Irish accent. 🥹

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bobbyinthegarden · 11 months

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Bobby’s 2033 Reading Challenge - Six Months Update

Here is my original post outlining this challenge

And here is my three month update

So far, I’ve read 12/25 books, so I’m making good progress and am on track. I still need to do write-ups for a few of the books, but I shall get to them soon.

The books I have read so far are as follows (in no particular order):

Poetry: Deaf Republic by Ilya Kaminsky (Full Review Here)

Essays: Slouching Towards Bethlehem by Joan Didion (Full Review Here)

Non-Fiction: First They Killed My Father by Loung Ung (Full Review Here)

Fantasy: A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. LeGuin (Full Review Here)

Vampires: The Gilda Stories by Jewelle Gomez (Full Review Here)

Re-imagined Classic: Alec by William di Canzio (Full Review Here)

Mystery: The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins (Full Review Here)

Children’s Lit: The Railway Children by E. Nesbit (Full Review Here)

Audiobook: The X Files: Cold Cases by Joe Harris, Chris Carter and Dirk Maggs (Full Review Here)

Superheroes: Watchmen by Alan Moore, Dave Gibbons and John Higgins (Review Incoming)

Popular Classic Novel: Monkey (Journey to the West) by Wu Cheng'en, abridged translation by Arthur Waley (Review Incoming)

Humour / Satire: Breakfast of Champions by Kurt Vonnegut (Review Incoming)

In addition to the books I’ve listed, my bingo card also has a few titles which are greyed out, these are books that I’m in the process of reading but haven’t finished yet, those books are:

Hero’s Quest: The Hobbit & The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien. For some reason I always have to make this harder for myself, because I decided that wanted to read the whole series instead of just one of them, since technically, The Lord of the Rings, is supposed to be read as one book, despite coming in three volumes. I’ve finished The Hobbit and have started The Fellowship of the Ring, making my way through it slowly.

Rerreading a Favourite: The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov. I love this book a lot, and so I’m just taking my time with it, reading it very slowly, while reading other things in-between. Currently on chapter 24 of 32, so in the last third or so.

Popular Modern Novel: A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James. Similar to The Master and Margarita in that I’m reading it pretty slowly, while simultaneously reading other books, I’m about half way through.

More generally, I’ve read 33 books so far this year, some of which I’ve reading enjoyed, some I do not recommend at all, but I won’t go into too much detail about that, otherwise this post would be unnecessarily long.

#bookblr #Bobby speaks #bobby's 2023 reading challenge

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gratitudegainsclub · 1 year

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Friday Feb 3 2023

- highlight of today was definitely poker night but first:

- grateful for getting to spend the morning at home and skipping one hour of class and feeling like a rebel!! But really it’s nice to have a day off from school and immerse in the regular outside world. I biked to Whole Foods in the light rain to get my dang cocoa powder but I was proud of my body and capability!

- grateful for the cadaver bio skills and getting these opportunities to practice on dead patients foleys, LPs, endotracheal tubes on patients from the freezer. It was kind of gross because their bodies are decomposing slowly but crazy we get these resources and learning experiences from such a dope anatomy team too (shoutout Dr whitmore, Dr s, Dr Angeles. They have my whole heart). So so so grateful to learn medicine as always and do more hands on things!!

- grateful for walking home a lot more this quarter, it’s actually quite peaceful and a decent length walk. I actually really enjoy these moments to separate school and after!

- grateful for audiobooks and mr buddy heater (it was ok, I think I prefer the heated blanket). I had an hour after class and I just laid horizontal in the blanket and closed my eyes and listened to the book it was so restful!!

- poker night was one of the funnest things ever I was in such high spirits and got pretty lit and I love my friends and being loud and myself and laughing so hard!!! It was a new dynamic w Chris Christina liz mel Nathan and me but it worked out well and there was so much fun chaotic energy it was absolutely lovely. Im glad people involved me and I felt very present! Im realizing in general I am someone who likes to feel very actively involved in things otherwise it feels meaningless to me. I guess that’s how I go through life! I’m not as much as a watcher I like to be deep in there doing things and participating, making my presence matter hehe. Oooh that’s prob a good way to put it, I like to make a strong presence. Otherwise I feel invisible and useless which is also probably not healthy if it gets too bad (one opposite though is ceramics, I like being invisible there, but it does give me a little anxiety hmm) I guess that’s what people mean when they say they enjoy my presence though!!

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vreugd-madelon · 1 year

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The Lucky One Review

The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks is a 384 page stand-alone contemporary romance novel.

After U.S. Marine Logan Thibault finds a photograph of a smiling young woman buried in the dirt during his tour of duty in Iraq, he experiences a sudden streak of luck -- winning poker games and even surviving deadly combat. Only his best friend, Victor, seems to have an explanation for his good fortune: the photograph -- his lucky charm. Back home in Colorado, Thibault can't seem to get the woman in the photograph out of his mind and he sets out on a journey across the country to find her. But Thibault is caught off guard by the strong attraction he feels for the woman he encounters in North Carolina - Elizabeth, a divorced mother -- and he keeps the story of the photo, and his luck, a secret. As he and Elizabeth embark upon a passionate love affair, his secret soon threatens to tear them apart -- destroying not only their love, but also their lives.

I rate this book 3/5 stars.

I thought this book was alright, but the only way I got through this was because of the free audiobook I found online. I really liked the interaction between Logan and Beth, and Ben and Zeus (Logan’s dog). The way they melt together and slowly but surely become one family is really sweet as it all forms from a friendship, rather than an instant romance. Then there is Keith Clayton, Beth’s ex-husband, and he is just the worst. Just me thinking about a dude like him (and knowing there are such guys out in the world) is making me angry. He is such a hypocrite with everything he does and it boils my blood.

The writing style itself and the story was alright for me. While I loved the characters they are just either 100% pure, without any flaws, or 100% vile, without any redeeming qualities. Within this book I’m missing the grey characters which I’ve come to expect with more modern books (this book is from 2007).

Would I recommend this book? Yeah, if you’re already a reader of Nicholas Sparks or romance novels.

Do you have any questions? Or maybe some recommendations? Send me an ask here on Tumblr or tweet me. If you wish to support me, you can buy me a coffee! Or even buy my debut fantasy novel, The Mending Road.

#The lucky one #Nicholas sparks #novel #book #romance #contemporary #love #books #review #reviews #south carolina #usa #book review #stand alone #military #marine #photo #photograph

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nerdynatreads · 2 years

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☆☆YouTube | Tumblr | Instagram | Storygraph ☆☆

book review || A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

video review || God Bless My Sunglasses -- Author Taste Test: Fredrik Backman

Well, very ironic timing that I’m reading this after Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, given that these two books are incredibly similar. They have a very similar feel, an unlikable character that treats everyone else like their idiots, while he’s usually unaware. Again, it’s hard not to laugh at the ironic situation he gets himself into, but the tone of the book is actually quite somber, as Ove struggles with his mental state and slowly finds a new happiness for himself.

A friendly family moves in next door to him and he spends most of the time griping and groaning about everything they do, which, again, is ridiculously amusing, particularly since you can tell the wife is so over his shit, but still proceeds to kill him with kindness. Y’all, the way Ove’s relationship with this family develops was a big reason I was in tears at the end. I was listening to the audiobook while walking Faith and thank god for sunglasses, bc I was a mess.

At the same time, we’re getting flashbacks of Ove’s life and slowly starting to understand the difficulties he’s lived through and how they have impacted him. Much like Anxious People, the character work has been pretty phenomenal, although we’re only seeing things from a single perspective. The writing doesn’t seem like it is incredibly structured and planned, it’s so casual and light, which I think makes it more convincing that we’re in Ove’s head. It doesn’t seem like Backman is trying to write these life-changing quotes, but there still manage to be lines that really resonate. There were a few quotes I just had to tab though, some that really felt like they captured the meaning of this story and pulled on my heart strings.

Ove’s relationship with his wife was so sweet and wholesome, definitely reminded me of Carl and Ellie from Up, which made me nervous that this book would make me cry and boy did it. I think this ending had the extra oomf I was missing from Eleanor Oliphant. It was so heartwarming but also heart-wrenching. I couldn’t give this anything but 5 stars. This might be my favorite book of the month.

5 / 5 stars

#a man called ove #a man called ove by fredrik backman #fredrick backman #book review #bookblr #booklr #book tumblr #booktube #book youtube #book recs #book recommendations #contemporary books #contemporary book recs #contemporary book recommendations #books to make you cry #books to cry #sad books

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uppermocns-moved · 3 years

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if you’re taking requests maybe roadtrips with eren, jean, armin and connie?

road trips

oh my god this is the greatest idea i’ve ever heard.

eren, jean, armin, connie + road trips

(going on a road trip with all four of them at the end)

cw: fairly gender-neutral, modernverse, weed references

𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻 𝗷𝗮𝗲𝗴𝗲𝗿

eren insists on driving the whole time, no matter how long the trip is.

his phone is plugged into the aux because “my car, my rules” but he doesn’t complain when you unlock his phone and start picking songs.

forcing him to pull into a drive-through so he can eat real food, not just the 44 oz of mountain dew and monster energy he got from the gas station before you left.

hand-feeding him french fries.

playing i spy when it’s too dark to see anything, or on long highway stretches where the scenery doesn’t change.

“i spy... something blue.” “is it the sky?” “you’re so good at this, babe.”

it’s very easy to talk him into impulsive detours, even if they’re in the opposite direction – he may be the one driving, but he’s relying solely on you for instructions. just tell him where you’re going and he’ll take you there.

“___ is only a two hour drive from here! we should go!” “yeah? okay.”

driving with the windows down and enjoying the cool nighttime air.

car-camping in national parks – putting the seats down in the back and throwing together your bed for the night, sitting on the hood of his car to look at the stars with no light pollution, getting baked and watching a dumb show off his phone before going to sleep.

at this point, eren realizes he forgot to pack his phone charger so you’ve gotta share.

getting breakfast together. eren’s not a morning person, but he can’t be grumpy when you’re looking so cute and sleepy in one of his hoodies.

eren driving with one hand on the wheel and the other holding yours, occasionally lifting it up for a kiss as a silent thank you for being there with him. as if you’d dream of being anywhere else.

𝗷𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗸𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗶𝗻

listening to the radio to keep things spontaneous, usually the classic rock stations.

jean taking his hands off the wheel because he needs to air-bass along.

listening to true crime podcasts when the radio cuts out – it’s funny watching jean’s face twist up in disgust during crime scene details, and sometimes he yells in response as if the podcasters can hear him. you also play detective about who you think did it – loser buys food at the next stop.

music keeps things energetic at the start, but podcasts keep his mind stimulated when he’s been driving for a while.

the original plan is to split the driving, but you end up falling asleep with your face smushed against the window and jean doesn’t have the heart to wake you up. he doesn’t mind driving the rest of the way.

stopping for food every couple of hours to make sure you’re both eating properly, not just snacks. you do have plenty of snacks, though.

jean going "uh – excuse me” whenever you open a bag of something and sticking his hand out. he’s like a dad, he always needs a handful of whatever you’re having. sharing is caring.

jean always packs a lot of unnecessary things, and he will reserve the right to say i told you so when his double-hammock comes in handy.

limited stops along the way (minus food/gas/bathroom) – getting there relatively early means you can relax in the hotel room and maybe explore/go out for dinner later that night.

when you take over driving, jean is a big window-watcher and takes a lot of pictures of the mountains/scenery.

already making plans on cool things you can do on the way back, when you have no time restraints – day trips, scenic rest stops, hikes, etc.

𝗮𝗿𝗺𝗶𝗻 𝗮𝗿𝗹𝗲𝗿𝘁

stopping at a starbucks first-thing to get drinks for the road (he makes sure to get some food too so you’re not just running off a venti iced coffee)

splitting the driving – armin is the better (and calmer) navigator so you usually take the first and final shift.

dozens of cute polaroids to put in your adventure scrapbook

researches fun (and romantic) things you can do when you get to your destination and reads them aloud to you. you come up with a plan together. that waterfall hike sounded really fun.

armin takes lots of videos because he likes making little montages for his socials

you’re in control of the music. armin likes when you show him new artists – he’ll slowly nod his head along and inevitably add the songs to his spotify. he really likes snail mail.

he takes over driving when you get tired – he likes holding your hand when he drives, or sometimes you’ll lean over and rest your hand on his thigh.

armin trying not to melt when you put on one of his hoodies for warmth – you have your own, but his are comfier and they smell like him.

silly games to pass time like i spy or looking for different license plates. it’s fun until armin gets clever and spies things like the mile marker from 10 miles back.

you insist you aren’t going to fall asleep because you wanna keep him company, but you end up curling into your pillow and dozing off mid-conversation. it’s adorable, and he doesn’t mind. he’ll usually turn on a podcast or an audiobook.

armin stays awake the whole time but it catches up with him once you reach your destination – all he wants to do is cuddle and rest up

𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗲 𝘀𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿

leaving a day in advance or very early in the morning because you stop at every tourist attraction along the way.

scenic lookout? let’s go there. world’s biggest ball of yarn? fuck, count me in. meteor craters? already merging onto the exit. dinosaur bones? you read my mind.

picking up cool souvenirs along the way like geodes and stickers to put on his water bottle. maybe a funky lil alien to hang from the rearview mirror, along with his 20 tree air fresheners.

taking cute, cheesy pictures of and with each other – connie posing with his arms out like he’s holding the mountain, standing in front of national park signs, etc.

you collaborated on a road-trip playlist in advance (it’s 12 hours long)

somehow you end up listening to veggie tales or absolutely losing it until the car starts rocking to britney spears

"i love this song” to every song, as if he didn’t put it on the playlist

listening to connie sing along and butcher all the lyrics. impressive falsetto, though.

arsenal of snacks – more than you realistically need

screaming every time you see a new “welcome to ___” sign

“WELCOME TO ___!” “WOOOOOO!”

connie rocking the socks with slides. it’s comfortable.

pulling through drive throughs every once in a while for food, continuously forgetting to throw out the trash bag from your last stop.

𝗴𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻 𝗮 𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗽 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺

stopping at the gas station to fill up the gas tank and stock up on snacks for the road – almost everything from the candy aisle, giant bags of doritos, slushies, energy drinks. nobody really thinks to get actual food.

the driving is split between eren “i’m serious, pull the fucking car over or i’m gonna piss myself, jean” jaeger and jean “eren stop honking my fucking horn, traffic won’t go any faster” kirstein. armin is the navigator because they’ll both get everyone lost.

everyone has their turn with the aux cord – until connie cracks himself up playing the same song over and over, then you have to pry it from eren’s cold, dead hands.

so many pictures

impulsive stops at tourist attractions.

playing dumb games to pass the time (quickly turns into replacing one word on each sign with “poop” because they’re all a bunch of children).

finally stopping at a diner later that night for real food

making it to the campsite and setting up tents and hammocks

getting baked around the campfire and telling spooky stories

connie complaining and scaring himself while he wanders off into the dark forest to find a spot to piss

smores (ofc)

going on group hikes and jumping into lakes/down waterfalls together. video of jean belly-flopping.

#attack on titan x reader #aot x reader #eren jaeger #eren jaeger x reader #eren x reader #eren yeager #eren yeager x reader #armin arlert #armin arlert x reader #armin x reader #jean kirstein x reader #jean kirstein #jean x reader #connie springer #connie springer x reader #connie x reader #my writing #mine #mystiiclevi requests

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accidentalspaceexplorer · 2 years

Photo

Snapshot Reviews: Discworld Books

I’m still slowly making my way through the audiobooks for the Discworld series, and really enjoying them.

Maskerade

I have very few complaints about this installment in the Discworld, which was a delightful take on The Phantom of the Opera. I very much enjoyed Agnes and her struggle to be taken seriously and seen as valuable, and Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg were clever and hilarious, as always. Also, I thought that the main mystery was very well done - I guessed several of the twists ahead of time, but only after a couple of failed guesses first - and was a much more satisfying way to end The Phantom of the Opera. My one complaint is how often weight was used as the center of a joke - it got very tiresome after the first several.

My Rating: 4.5/5

---

Feet of Clay

An excellent installment - you can really see Pratchett getting into his groove with Discworld, and just writing fantastic book after fantastic book. Really good character work, I still love the Watch, and I’m excited to read more.

My Rating: 4.5/5

---

Hogfather

Very fun and funny, and with a well put together plot, too. I quite enjoyed Susan this second time around, although I want her to embrace her magic powers already!! Normal is overrated. Death was delightful, as always.

My Rating: 4.5/5

---

Jingo

I thought that Jingo was excellent. Some lines that made me fully laugh out loud rather than just chuckle, a really engaging story, and excellent character work. I thought that the Disorganizer's gimmick in this book was really well done, and there was a particular moment that really hit me hard. An excellent Discworld, and one that's held up extremely well in my opinion.

My Rating: 4.75/5

#discworld #book review #feet of clay #hogfather #jingo #maskerade

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marauderundercover · 3 years

Text

Taking Chances Ch. 22: Petrichor and Bibliosmia (Library/books)

AO3

Marinette frowned at the rain outside of her window. She had wanted to go to the botanical gardens with Harley and Ivy today. But with the rain, both women decided it would be better to just reschedule. They didn’t want her to get sick. Which, to be fair, was sweet. But still upsetting because she really wanted to go to the gardens. She’d planned on using the plants as inspiration to make something for Ivy.

“Tikki, I’m bored.” She says, looking at her smallest friend. Tikki just looks at her.

“You’ve been stuck inside because of the weather before, Marinette. Why don’t you design?” Tikki suggests. Marinette huffs, flopping back down onto the cushioned window seat.

“But there’s nothing inspiring in my room, Tikki.” She mumbles, before shooting back up. “Do you think any of the boys are here?” She asks.

“Only one way to find out!” Tikki says with a smile, obviously relieved to have avoided any more whining from Marinette. She jumps up, throwing one of Dick’s old hoodies on over her t-shirt. She’d always gotten cold easily, and becoming the holder of the Ladybug Miraculous didn’t help. That, and the manor was cold on a good day- it would probably be freezing with how bad the weather was. She slides down the banister, knowing her Dad was at work and couldn’t yell at her.

“Miss Marinette, if you insist on behaving like your brothers, I will have to resort to treating you like your brothers.” Alfred says with raised eyebrows. But she can sense the smile wanting to break through. She just grins apologetically.

“Sorry, Alfred.” She says. “Speaking of my brothers, are any of them here right now?” She asks. If they’re not, she could probably convince Alfred to bake something with her. As long as she promises not to slide down the banister again.

“I believe Master Jason is in the library. Masters Dick and Damian are in the gym and Master Tim is at Wayne Enterprises with your father.” He says and she hums, thinking. She could go do some training with Dick and Damian, or she could go sit and sketch in the library with Jason.

“Thanks Alfred!” She says, giving him a wide smile before turning and walking down one of the many halls. She glances in open doors as she walks. Despite having lived here for nearly a month, she still got lost going anywhere other than her room, the dining room, the kitchen, and the Batcave. They were kind of the places she’d gone the most. She could also easily find her dad’s study and the main sitting room, most of the time. But the library wasn’t really a place she’d spent a lot of time in. And while she loved Dick and Damian, she also knew that they hadn’t gotten time to hang out just the two of them in a while. She’d talked to Dick before, about how when their dad was missing, he was basically Damian’s father. She knew that bonds like that didn’t just go away, knew that neither boy wanted it to. So she figured she’d just annoy Jay instead of barging in on the others’ bonding time.

Finally finding the library, she grins. Pushing the cracked door open a little more, she moves into the room, jaw dropping. The floor to ceiling bookshelves were packed. There were huge overstuffed couches, and the large windows had window seats attached- perfect little reading nooks. Quickly making a mental note to come to the library more, she starts to search for Jay. She knew he had to be in here. Alfred is never wrong. She grins when she spots him, sitting in what looked like an insanely uncomfortable position, but one she knew from experience was the best.

“Whatchya reading?” She asks, walking over and getting comfortable on the couch next to him.

“<i>Pride and Prejudice<i>.” He says, continuing reading for a moment before putting a little scrap of paper in the book and shutting it. “What’s up, Pixie Pop?” He asks, looking at her with a grin. Marinette sighs dramatically and moves so that she’s upside down on the couch.

“It’s raining. And I was supposed to go to the gardens with Ivy and Harley but they canceled because of my ‘health’ and they were ‘concerned’.” She says with a pout.

“And you decided the library was the best place to curb your boredom? No offense kid, but you don’t seem like the type to read.” He says and she huffs.

“I like books! It’s just-” She pauses, remembering the way Lila had teased her for it back in Paris. Her classmates hadn’t joined in, not really. They’d just agreed that she was a little odd.

“You okay, Pix?” Jason asks, his earlier grin replaced with a slightly concerned look. Marinette winces and nods.

“Yeah it’s- I can read. I swear I can. But when I’m looking at a book, or an article or anything with a lot of text, it gets hard to pick out the pieces. Things just kind of swirl together and then I can’t decode it and I get frustrated and just stop reading. It sucks, ‘cause I do like books. I listen to audiobooks while doing commissions.” She rambles, stopping and turning red. Though that may be from hanging upside down on the couch. Sighing, she sits up and shrugs. “Sorry I’m so weird.” She says. Jason’s face morphs into a scowl.

“Just ‘cause you learn differently doesn’t mean you’re weird, kid. Just means you’ve got your own style. Don’t let any of those little shits you go to school with tell you differently.” He says, reaching out and ruffling her hair. She smiles at him, a genuine happy smile. She was so relieved that he didn’t think she was weird. Or stupid. Lila had thrown that word around. That one hurt. Marinette prided herself on her quick thinking and cleverness. And her grades. They were some of the best in the class! So for Lila to call her stupid…

“Pixie.” Jason says, drawing the nickname out in a sing-song voice. She looks at him and raises an eyebrow. “You were zoned out, kid. So, was there something ya wanna do?” He asks. Marinette glances down at the book in his hand and frowns.

“I don’t wanna keep you from reading. I can just sit in here with you. I’ll probably end up grabbing my sketchbook.” She says. Jason waves in a ‘no big deal’ motion.

“I’ve read this book a million times.” He reassures her. She glances at the cover again, realizing it’s not one she’s really heard much about before.

“What’s it about?” She asks. “I’ve never read it.” Jay’s face morphs into a huge grin.

“You said you like listening to books, right?” He asks. She nods. “Well, then settle in because I’m going to read to you.” He says proudly with a grin.

“Oh, you really don’t-” She tries to say. She didn’t want to make him read to her. That was not-

“Oh but I want to.” He says, effectively cutting off her mental ramble before she can complete her meltdown. “Listen Pix, this is one of my favorite books. If you go listen to some dumb audio book, you won’t get my commentary. Trust me, this is the best way for you to read the book.” He says and she snorts, shaking her head lightly.

“Okay, Jay, let’s read a book.”

---

Finally arriving home after being stuck at the office, Bruce sets off to find his daughter. Since his apology a few days ago, he’d attempted to make an effort to check in on her and see how she was doing. He tried to also do the same with the boys, but they had all given him odd looks, so he didn’t continue. He checks her room, the Batcave, the sitting room- nothing. He finally decides to check the kitchen. If he had to guess, she’d be there baking with Alfred. He walks in and sees Alfred, but no Marinette.

“Good evening, Alfred. Have you seen Marinette?” Bruce asks, silently hoping she hadn’t left the planet again.

“I believe she’s in the library with Master Jason.” Alfred says and Bruce blinks in surprise. He’d never seen her read a book before, while Jason always had a book on him. He supposed it could be a hobby of hers that he just hasn’t noticed. Or, she could have just followed Jason. Which seems more likely. The two of them were all but attached at the hip ever since the Gala. It was surprising, but at the same time welcoming. Thanking Alfred quickly, he walks towards the library. He’d just say hi and leave. No need to make them stop reading if they were having fun. Gently pushing open the library door he walks in and pauses at the sight. Marinette had wrapped herself in a blanket and was almost sitting on the edge of the couch, leaning forward with an intense look of concentration on her face. Jason had his legs swung over the arm of the couch and was reading out loud. Immediately recognizing the book as Jason’s favorite, Bruce slowly leaves the library, careful not to let the door slam. He’d have the chance to talk to Marinette later, but for now, he’d let the two continue reading in peace.

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