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sophielovesbooks · 10 months

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I was tagged by @dauen for the mid-year book freakout tag, and I was genuinely so excited because I had been meaning to do it, but then I wondered if anybody even cared. So yes, thank you so much! <3 And let's gooo ~

1. Best book you’ve read so far this year

Birnam Wood. Hands down. Everybody go read Birnam Wood.

2. Best sequel you’ve read so far this year

This question made me realise I don't read a lot of sequels. The ONLY one I've read so far this year is Hell Bent (the sequel to "Ninth House"). And it was kind of fun. But I didn't love it.

3. New release you haven’t read yet

Hm... I suppose I don't keep up with new releases like I used to. Though Carrie Soto Is Back comes to mind, if that counts as a new release. And Sea of Tranquility from last year. (I accidentally just mispelled that as "Transquility" lol)

4. Most anticipated release for the second half of the year

Okay, so this is super niche and a bit weird, but it might be The Otherworld by Abbie Emmons. I've never actually read anything by her and I'm not sure if it'll be good, but I know her from YouTube and I'm curious. Has anybody else on here read any of her books?

5. Biggest disappointment

Probably The Midnight Library. I had seen so many people raving about this book online, but I HATED it. Genuinely the most amateurish writing I have come across in years. And so, so preachy. Not trying to be mean here. But yeah, it wasn't for me.

Oh, and Kill All Your Darlings by David Bell was also bad, sadly.

6. Biggest surprise

Hm. Birnam Wood was the biggest surprise regarding how much I loved it. And also regarding the ending. And Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney had one of the coolest plot twists I came across this year.

7. Favourite new author (debut or new to you)

100% ELEANOR CATTON WHO WROTE BIRNAM WOOD IT WAS SO GOOD OMG!

Also Victoria Gosling? I am currently reading Before The Ruins by her and it's quite good as well. Beautiful writing. Kind of entrancing. I feel like fans of The Secret History would be into it?

8. Newest fictional crush/newest favourite character

Hmm, I don't really get fictional crushes. But if I did, I would have to say Mira or Tony from, you guessed it, Birnam Wood. (Oh, and maybe David from Before the Ruins. Also quite cute.)

9. Book that made you cry

Hehe. What do you think. You have one guess. Oh, you said Birnam Wood? Correct. Why have I only read one great book this year so far lmao

10. Book that made you happy

Ummm... All of this is forcing me to face the fact that my reading year so far has NOT been that good. I reread If We Were Villains and that made me happy. For non-fiction I read Undrowned and that made me happy at times. But other passages were really sad and emotional.

11. Favourite Adaptation

Heartstopper! And I'm really excited for Red, White & Royal Blue! <3

12. Prettiest Cover

Though disappointing overall, Kill All Your Darlings did have a lovely cover:

13. A book you need to read before the end of the year

Gosh, so many! From a quick glance at my shelves: The Rehearsal, The Initial Insult, Outliers, Shadow of the Lions, Weapons of Math Destruction... and so many more. That I know I won't get to. So some are on my 2024 TBR.

Tagging @hrimceald @books-and-cookies @b1uetrees @jay-avian @yoongsea @r-osehips @minyardcva if you want to. Curious to hear about your reading years so far :)

#booklr #mid year book freak out tag #mid year book tag #reading #currently reading #tag games

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cakegatedisaster · 2 months

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Any other book recs bestie ?

DO I

(these are all some sort of gay FYI)

Captive Prince, by C. S. Pacat- fantasy vibes, kings and queens, no magic but it doesn't need it, three books, VERY morally grey main character, you really need to love complete assholes to enjoy this one (thankfully I do). Sword throwing, pretend identities, it's illegal to be straight, EXTREME enemies to lovers, they fucking hate each other, politics, but in a nice way, evil-plot-to-take-over-the-thrown shenanigans. EVEN MORE trigger warnings than aftg, like, so many, but nothing happens on screen. Second favorite series ever, right after aftg.

Wolfsong, by TJ Klune- Werewolves, little age gap, magic systems, found family, kinda second chance romance but not really, sad and happy, some violence, like 5 books, each with a different couple, very cheap on Amazon, you will cry.

Not Even Bones, by Rebecca Schaeffer- DARK, so dark, main characters are definitely the villains from anyone elses perspective, magical realism, sorta romance but not really, very plotty, very dramatic. For this series, I would also recommend the webtoon on Webtoon, it's free and has amazing art (but you should pick one, because there's three books and the comic is on the last one), this is another one where you really have to like bad people, or at least exceptionally morally grey people to really enjoy it. Highly recommend.

Summer Sons, by Lee Mandelo- holy shit this is so good, so dark and gritty, very Gothic-like vibes, main character is an absolute disaster being haunted by the love of his life, love interest is the definition of white trash and it's wonderful, I talk about it a little bit on here, go read it.

Damn these are all kinda dark, here's some happy ones:

Red White and Royal Blue, by Casey McQuiston- funniest book I've ever read, so gay it makes you feel like you're vomiting rainbows, a little political but it's easily ignored, rivals to friends to lovers, the movie is mid, read the book first.

The DRAMA series, by Paul Ruditiz- no one ever talks about these and it BREAKS MY HEART because it's so good, I've reread it so many times, this is for the theatre kids who want to feel seen, light and happy and fluffy, with genuine male/female friendship, and a developing relationship you never could have guessed, you can read them all in a day.

Carry On, by Rainbow Rowell- just the author's name should clue you in, imagine drarry but canon and gayer than you could imagine, vampire and wizards who cast spells with nursery rhymes, technically a trilogy but the first ones also a good stand-alone, absolutely perfect.

Song of Achilles, by Madeline Miller- I lied, this one is not just happiness and rainbows, a retelling of the tale of Achilles, read when you're in a good spot or you'll jump off a roof, but still go read it because it's something special, a future classic without a doubt (also go listen to Achilles Come Down on YouTube, it'll put you in the right mood)

That should keep you occupied for a min

#asks #Book recs #book recommendations #ENJOY #WITH CAUTION

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schrodingersachillesheel · 11 months

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i finished TSATS and this is the series of texts i sent to my friend (who has no clue what im going on abt but is supportive) after i found out about the hate for it.

it started with angry rambling

"APPARENTLY A BUNCH OF PPL ARE HATING ON TSATS BC RICK RIORDAN DIDNT WRITE FUCKING RED WHITE AND ROYAL BLUE BRUH ITS A SERIES FOR MIDDLE SCHOOLERS, ADMIT YOUVE BEEN FANDOMIZED AND SHUT THE FUCK UP YOU STUPID FUCKING BITCH I STG I HATE THOSE MOTHERFUCKERS"

then i managed to create a coherent breakdown of why exactly i was so pissed:

"IT IS A BEAUTIFUL BOOK ABT OVERCOMING CHALLENGES IN RELATIONSHIPS AND LEARNING TO ACCEPT THE BAD WITH THE GOOD. I WALKED INTO THAT KNOWING IT WAS FOR A TARGET AUDIENCE WAY YOUNGER THAN ME BUT I STILL LOVED IT BC I CARED ABT THE CHARACTER NOT MY PERCEPTION OF THE CHARACTER. NICO WASNT OUT OF CHARACTER BC HE CHANGED AND GREW AND HEALED AND SO WHAT IF HE WASNT SOME ANGSTY BROODING TEEN IN A GAY YA ROMANCE NOVEL? HE WAS NICO. I CAME FOR NICO. I CRIED AND I LAUGHED BC I CAN OVERLOOK INCONSISTENCIES FOR AN AMAZING STORY ABOUT THE BRAVERY IT TAKES TO DARE TO CHANGE AND BE DIFFERENT. IDC IF IT WAS CRINGY, BC IF I WANTED A LGBT YA NOVEL ID PICK UP MY FAVORITE LGBT YA AUTHOR (adam silvera <33) I CHOSE TO READ A BOOK FOR PRETEENS. ANYONE THAT READ TSATS CHOSE TO READ A BOOK FOR PRETEENS. ITS NOT GOING TO AGE WITH YOU BC THOSE PRETEENS NEED IT MORE THAN YOU DO. READ IT KNOWING THAT SOME KID OUT THERE FEELS ALONE JUST LIKE YOU DID. SOME KID OUT THERE IS SCARED AND NEEDS TO KNOW THAT THERE ARE NICOS AND WILLS AND PIPERS OUT THERE. i hit the character limit but it just drives me insane"

i saw someone say they could write an essay on this but wouldn't and id just like to say that i fucking LOVE writing essays so i could and i WILL write an essay on this. this silly little series means way too much to me and nico is my favorite character. im not going to let people treat it like that just bc they can't do the one thing that book was written to teach: accept change. you are changing and growing up, you can outgrow things, that doesn't make them BAD. some kid is going to love that book just as much as you loved the original pjo books. if you read that entire book and came out thinking it should have changed with you then i suggest you reread it with an open mind.

You can't expect anyone to follow your definition of maturity. Change, growth, and maturity are personal paths and all you can hope for is that someone will be willing to meet you halfway and merge your paths together. whether it be traumatic response or a genre you used to love, the questions TSATS ask and the moral it drives home are useful, you just have to understand that Rick assumed outgrowing the genre meant learning these lessons. i guess he was wrong.

crazy idea: minor issues are often overlooked if youre not too shallow to see past them.

#nico di angelo #pjo hoo toa #rick riordan #riordanverse #the sun and the star #tsats #will solace #tsats crit

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blysse-and-blunder · 2 years

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in lieu of the dog days of summer

monday, aug 22, 2022

on my phone again in the hopes it’ll help me preserve (some) brevity! it has not worked! vague but important spoilers below for winter’s orbit (and a little for the left hand of darkness). it’s been a while, actually, since a summer of mine has had real, actual dog days—it requires a combination of heat, breathlessness, and a feeling like time has suspended which is actually quite hard to get, as an adult. you’d think the last two years would have but, for me anyway, not really? anyway, i think we finally got there this weekend—neat. dry grass, bright days, breathlessness. thunder woke me at 2am last night, and it’s been raining on and off all day, at last, at last. i think i’m calmer than I have been in…weeks.

reading it’s been a week+ (a summer, maybe) of space operas. listening to murderbot 4 network effect any time i’m on public transit (and thinking abt how tuning in and out of the events in the audio book while commuting is a bit like having them all coming to me in a feed, actually), got 80% of the way into a memory called empire before the loan expired and i was so so bereft that i’ve turned around and started rereading ancillary justice (fascinating to pair with murderbot, i should talk about that next time). we’re talking empire, we’re talking what it means to be colonized, human- and person-ness, we’re talking gender, and cool info tech, and more political machinations and unpronounceable names than you can shake a stick at. but today’s post is for everina maxwell’s winter’s orbit, since that’s what i actually finished most recently. very good experience, i found it immediately engaging, a good mix of all the above Space Opera Themes with then lots of small touches of humor and genuine fun romance to stand out. i saw a blurb describing this as red, white, and royal blue plus imperial radch, but honestly i think it reads better as its own thing, or at most as a love letter to the left hand of darkness. (it’s not as anthropological or poetic, but there is Gender, there’s negotiations abt joining an echumen-esque galactic alliance, there’s a winter camping trip. winter’s orbit is for people who really wanted genly and estraven to get it on in that tent). is an arranged political marriage tropey as hell? yeah! did i have fun with the miscommunication and unreliable narrators? yeah! was this also one of the most searing portrayals of spousal abuse i’ve ever read? yeah. you can see it immediately if you know what to look for, the details are peppered in very intelligently. we hear the term gaslighting thrown around quite loosely these days— that’s not how i’m using it. i mean quite seriously, it’s clear through flashbacks that a character has previously been made to second guess their own perceptions by their spouse, has had their communications with friends and family shut off, privacy invaded, sense of self eroded, been shamed, manipulated, and taught to anticipate outbursts and apologizes to avoid them, and is an unreliable narrator in part because of negative self-talk learned through abuse. it’s heartbreaking. but there’s a journey of healing started, and watching the other protagonist’s righteous fury was very satisfying. also getting to destroy his own evil ex (even in a hallucination scenario) helped.

listening been spending a lot of time with my spot of fy top songs of 2021 playlist. you know how you sometimes scroll your own blog to bask in your own good taste? a bit like that. it’s also very funny, bc there are songs on there i one thousand percent have barely heard once—i guess they have to algorithmically pad it out to reach 100 songs for weirdos like me. anyway, here’s dom fera’s ‘easy thing’, which grooves like a lazy sunday mid morning bop if I’ve ever heard one but has lyrics that go surprisingly hard!

youtube

watching finished up season 2 of gentleman jack with @hematiterings (including much consternation at some of the rushed, disjointed, mystifying editing in the last episode), watched some full metal alchemist: brotherhood with her, @pep-squad-lizzie and @dimir-charmer, and finally started ‘Turning Red’ for myself! only about halfway through it, and so far the toronto details are my favorite. local friends please weigh in, but it seems like it must be fun to watch if you grew up here. i have also watched another episode of oath of love, bringing me up to 12 i think? @witcheryen they just surprised gu wei with the house warming (bet he haaaaated that) and lzx saw the hot female doctor at his window. gasp.

playing still on my stardew bullshit—more cut scenes with more characters has been really lovely, and leah gave me her statue! i have also purchased a cow and named her marigold ☺️ then tonight, got to play some more ‘it takes two’ with my xbox buddy; i have liked each level of this thing more (we’re done with the squirrels and wasps now and have reached the space-faring baboon!! the scenery is so starry and beautiful!) and have still got to hold myself back from shouting at the dialogue.

making repotted my poor fucking nasturtium, which had been gnawed off at the stem by a squirrel again. it has put out some root hairs after sitting in water for a few days, so it’s back in soil to see if it can actually pull through, but i haven’t much hope. meanwhile, the rest of the garden is starting to really produce!

working on anyone besides me not notice we’d skipped this section last week XD. which is hilarious bc I do think about work almost constantly, however it is depressing so a break isn’t a bad thing. still, as a small check-in, I’ve more or less reframed my chapter plans in my head (‘offering a reading rather than a definition; this isn’t a lexicographical project’) and now just get to explain and justify those to my supervisor on wednesday. still reading this welsh article, as part of getting extra tutoring yn gymraeg. he was very nice to me last week, which is good bc one word conversational gambits still seem to be my limit. oh, and the post doc / publication chat i had with a supportive prof last week thoroughly shook me. everything’s dandy.

#ilcb #in lieu of a commonplace book #weekly roundup

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mediawhorefics · 1 year

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Book ask! 1, 10,19, 20! 💙

book answers <333

book you’ve reread the most times?

excluding the series that shall not be named... i have a few ~comfort reads that i've found myself revisting over the years. the watchmater of filigree street (natash pulley) is one of them. shocker i know, none of you expected this!! i've also read the captive prince series (c.s. pacat) a few times, esp. kings rising the last book. i really don't like diana gabaldon as a person (i think her stance on fanfiction is not only stupid as fuck but also hypocritical considering she stole her male lead from old doctor who episodes and didn't even change his name.) but the first outlander novel remains a favourite of mine in the historical romance department and i've read it many times. the series got lost along the way (at least i lost interest) but the first one is really entertaining! also time travel and scotland, you know i'm there for it. i've read red white & royal blue (casey mcquiston) a bunch. 3 or 4x ? it's got that classic romcom vibe and i deeply connected with the way it approaches grieving someone when you're young/for the first time. i've also read cyrano de bergerac (edmon rostand) a lot. both in the original french and different translations. it's excellent.

10. do you have a guilty fav?

i don't know if i believe in guilty favs tbh! as long as it's not hurting anyone, why should i feel guilty about art that i enjoy? but for the sake of the game/for the sake of argument, i'll try to come up with a list. i guess i read a lot of star wars novels (big nerd over here) and they're very quick adventure-y types with a sprinkle of character study so it's hard to consider them as literature sometimes? so a few of those would be on the list. i really enjoyed the padme trilogy, padawan, master & apprentice, all of claudia gray's sw novels, the rots novelisation, brotherhood etc. there are a few het romances i also love a lot that i suppose i could include here? outlander is the first. but i adore emily henry's writing too which makes me feel pretty basic bitch, but she writes a lot of fun romances with bookish themes and that's like catnip to me. any of the darth vader comics ?? that counts, right? oh! i recently read an arthurian retelling that cast merlin as a queer teenager coming to camelot impersonating her brother and meeting young arthur and kind of falling in love with him. i suppose that had a cringe cover but i had so much fun with it. one of my fav ya i've read recently. it's the other merlin! idk that i'd describe it as a favourite book overall but....

19. most disliked popular books?

i loathe the all for the game series that was popular on tumblr a few years ago? there was nothing compelling about it to me. it wasn't that well written, the characters weren't that compelling, the sport was boring and the romance just didn't have the ooof i needed from it. i truly never understood the hype. i tried reading the kiss quotient (helen huang) which was huge in the romance circles a while back and never finished it. ok this one comes from the depth of my childhood and will not be relatable to many of you but les chevaliers d'emeraude (anne robillard) is SO awfully written it gives me hives. i don't know if it counts but i despise jules verne too. fuck that guy, i know he's ~classic but his writing is so fucking dull. and i haven't read albert camus since high school so my opinion might change if i revisit him, but i remember him making me soooooo angry. i think everything written by cassandra clare is pretty awful. i hate her style. sooooo many people were gushing over boyfriend material (alexis hall) and i hated that. the main character was annoying and immature and simply not charming at all to me. i don't think i laughed even once. i need to laugh in a romcom, come on!! it has a four stars rating on goodreads and i simply do not get it. it was boring and i hated the writing style. and apparently, there's a sequel too ??? talk about the most unnecessary book written ever. sorry to fans of it, it was just no my cup of tea.

20. what are things you look for in a book?

not necessarily all at once but:

a historical setting (i esp. love the first half of the 20th century)

some fantasy elements. it doesn't have to be high fantasy (though i like that too) but a little sprinkle is always fun.

romance !!!!! i love a good pinning, swooning, soft, tender romance!!! (duh) enemies to lovers, friends to lovers, strangers to friends to lovers. it HAS to be a slow burn because instalove turns me off.

i love a good found family/a good friend group!!

time travel is not a must but it's an easy way to seduce me

my main character type is heart of gold/noble intentions/heroic but struggling with anger issues... so a bit of that and i'm sorted.

snarky female characters. (actually just well-written female characters in general, which feels like a very basic ask but we allllll know it's not that easy)

i looooooove a good mystery. not a murder mystery, i'm not super into those. but i love a book that presents us with something to solve (like the shadow of the wind)

i'm not super into unhappy endings (tho. i don't mind them once in a while) but i love melancholic stories and Drama. just something that makes me FEEL.

it has to be atmospheric/it has to transport me.

i love poetic writing/beautiful prose.

also it (almost always) has to be gay. lbr.

book asks

#about me #books #book rec

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doofus-and-dragons · 8 months

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Thoughts on Red, White, and Royal Blue(Taking notes helps me retain information so ofc I do it about my media like a goddamn nerd)

Overall thoughts:

I give this movie a 4/10. The actors were incredible and the jokes landed where they were suppose to. I was really excited for the movie, and I probably would have loved it if I hadn't read the book first (I don't regret reading it first. I adore the book, probably going to reread it). For me, the pacing was just extremely distracting. I didn't know where I was at any point in time. By the time I would figure it out, I was somewhere else. I also think that the removal of certain characters (June,Rafael, and Leo), the sugar coating of Zahra, and the microdosing (idk what else to call it) of other characters (Nora, Bea, Percy, and Shaan) really takes allies away from Henry and Alex, along with major plot devices within the main story. I felt like the movie cut out a lot of scenes (Star Wars, historical letters, the Rumors, Henry's date with June, the campaign, Nora in general, Alex's reaction to the leak, and the exposing Richards to name a few) really hurt the integrity of this movie for me. I was super excited going in, but now I'm just kind of bitter.

I did like how Henry and Alex's actors had some (from my pov) really good chemistry. That or they're just really good actors. They are, but like...differently. loved Oscar, loved the charcarization as a whole (other than maybe Bea (she felt kind of bland) and Zarha (she felt sugar coated). As a whole, all the actors (and yes, I do mean all) did an amazing job. Set design was absolutely breath taking. Most of the music was spot on (still salty about "Your Song" being cut out but yknow), and I'm a band kid and a theater kid so music means a lot to me. I loved the little metaphors, like when Alex gave Henry the key to his house (a bold choice, but it worked). I feel like Ellen deserved more of a "Im struggling to find an election balance and a mom balance" arc that Book!Ellen got, but Uma Thurman did a great job with Ellen. She didn't play too hard into the accent, and it was tasteful (much appreciated by the by). Loved Amy (wish we could have seen he do crafts tho...and her dog). LOVED it when they decked Henry out in commoner clothes!

So, yeah. My review of the movie is a 4/10. Here are the notes that better explain my personal opinion. If you enjoyed it, I'm so happy for you/gen.

Notes:

• The lack of June as a character takes away so many plot points and character building opportunities from all of the characters

• The loss of Leo as a character takes away from much of the drama not only within the First Family but also within the debate

• Who decided Miguell as a character???seems like they took that Post reporter from the book and turned his affection to Alex instead, which I guess they had to since the tossed June.

• I love Ellen, Oscar, Zahra, Amy, Pez (why can't they ever call him pez?), Nora, and Shaan.

• The movie is moving really fast. I can hardly keep up with. I'm constantly in a state of "Wait, where am I? Why am I here? This isn't supposed to happen yet is it?"

• I can't explain it, but Henry has very gay

• Where's Rafael? He's like the reason for the climax (lmao)

• Sending him to Texas? But he's not supposed to be there yet!

• I'm so lost that I can't keep up with the movie. I can't even enjoy the sap from the email reading because I'm really confused.

• The acting is really good! The pacing is just off.

• I hate this Miguel guy.

• HENRY IS SUPPOSE TO BE CONFORTING HIM BECAUSE OF THE BETRAYAL

• Not enough Bea

• I am enjoying this 20 Questions scene, very cute yet very sad

• Zarha is suppose to be angrier at him for being awake.

• Henry in the closet will never not be funny to me.

• "...good morning!" -Prince Henry of Wales, 2023

• "And my sister" "awww I didn't know that!" "Yeah she was really happy for us."

• "Tetnhically I'm the spare!" "Not talking to you sir!" So funny!

• I'm assuming Miguel is the leak

• I'm back to being confused. Also, not enough Amy. I need more of her. I need to see her dog Johnathan

• "She happens to be a he....and he happens to be henry..."

• Ellen is the best mom I love her

• I WANTED TO SEE ELLEN'S POWER POINT COME ON AMAZON :(

• Love how he's got a University of Texas Austin hat (it's not UT to me I'm from Tennessee, UT is University of Tennessee)

• Love how they Texas-ified Henry

• Sad we didn't get the kimonos

• So Oscar is Sen. Of Texas??? I thought that was Ellen before elected?

• Haha gays

• Needs more Pez

• Ok, wait, I know where I am! The start of the week of sad!

• Already? It feels like I've been sitting here for like half an hour. I'm not retaining any of this. God the pacing is killing me

• Also they didn't include them Skinny dipping which is honestly tragic

• Sad gay prince hours

• *megamind meme* No bunk beds?

• Bea calling him Hen is the world. That's it.

• WHY AM I ONLY GETTING ONE SCENE WITH SHAAN?

• Alex was suppose to be angrier, making a scene. Shaan needed to almost throw him out. I need more Shaan.

• Eye opening for Henry time ehe

• Did he put his ring on the mantle I didn't catch it.

• He was suppose to have make up time THEN go to the museum I'm lost again

• I can't help falling in love" and not "your song is" a choice

• They didn't bring up Sampson :(

• Wait he was suppose to put the ring on the chain. It was sweet to give him the key tho. I see you "key to my heart" symbolism. I see you and I love you.

• DAVID!!!BABY BOY!!!

• Where's Zarha's anger? Alex's concern? AHA Zarha and Shaan engagement real??? 👀

• Miguel is the leak and I dispise him.

• No meeting with the king? No Catherine? No Phillip getting hot tea spilled on him? Tragic.

• Henry not getting to get a word in is tragic.

• I love Alex's speech it's so heart wrenching

• I need to see zarha's anger- oh Shaan is into it isnt he? Love those two! They are the true heros of this movie.

• "I'll break the sound barrier for you" 🥺😭

• Henry playing Yankie doodle and Alex playing God Save The Queen is wonderful

• "Im white and upperclass so my affection comes on strings"

• Alex fidgeting with Henry's ring 🥺

• Stfu Pip, the fact you're the only one sitting on the side of the king is telling

• Stfu king Mary (he has no name just king so he's king Mary now).

• "Uh-bec-becu-because!!" 🙄

• Bea needs to spill tea on Phillip pls

• We don't get to see Alex's rslley speech? We're already at the election?

• No Zarha/Shaan makeouts? Srsly?

• No Liam? Where did the bikes come from?

• This movie has so many plot holes, it's like driving down a secret highway...

#red white and royal blue

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forever-a-dreamer · 1 year

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Guess who just reread Red White and Royal Blue

#it’s me #❤️

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inthewild-flowers · 3 years

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,,,,, going through the rwrb tag and now I have to reread not only that but also my other two favourite books I can’t believe I’ve done this to myself 😔

#/j #abt the being sad about it bit shhsdbshs #I love rereading my favourite books #red white and royal blue gentleman’s guide to vice and virtue and lady’s guide to petticoats and piracy #top three books ever 😌#they’re just...... all so lovely and soft and sweet and fnskaslskdbdhskskskshsjd #actually lady’s guide less so #but it’s s o g o o d #anyway I’m just thinking about those books now and how much I love them #they’re just. very important to me. and I like to give them far more meaning than they’re probably meant to have #bc they have a lot of meaning to me 😌#and I love them #hmmmm I should sleep now and then I can read them tomorrowwww #!! and write the next chapter of text fic tomorrow!! :D #hehe anyone who actually reads all these tags yall now know it’s coming soon I guess #no idea who will but uhhhh yeah hope u enjoyed whatever the fuck this was!! <3 #Ben i know u did #<33 #or at least u didn’t hate it idk #okay yes bedtime

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porschekittisawasds · 4 years

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#all excellent points #red white and royal blue #guess who’s re rereading

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unnecessarilygrandiose · 3 years

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Rereading Red White & Royal Blue: Random stuff that I totally forgot happened:

Ellen Claremont was nicknamed Lometa Longshot by an Austin newspaper

June's in-flight reading list includes books like Death Comes for the Archbishop (don't know if it's even a real book, but the name is too funny)

Alex's favourite summer olympics sport is rhythmic gymnastics

Just before their This Morning interview, the crowd they're greeting includes a blue haired girl who's holding up a placard entitled GET IN ME, PRINCE HENRY!

BITCH MCCONNELL. Actually I didn't forget this but I couldn't not include it

Ellen used to hustle pool when she was sixteen doing homework at her mom's shitty bar

They kiss under a linden tree!

Alex takes a class named Ethical Issues in International Relations and wishes his classes weren't so painfully relevant to his life

binds Henry’s wrists to a hotel bedpost with his own necktie What. This happened and I didn't remember it. What.

We all remember the famed Ellen Claremont presentation, but the stuff surrounding it was just as funny. Like the way that particular meeting is called 'International Ethics and Sexual Identity Debrief', or when she reminds him to use a condom(he's 22, ma'am). But the prize, according to me, goes to: “Wait, honey,” she calls after him, “I had Planned Parenthood send over all these pamphlets, take one! They sent a bike messenger and everything!”

...so Alex is a good cook too. Ever the oblivious overachiever.

Alex is five-nine! After rounding up!

His codename is Barracuda. why

The day he gave his speech to the country was October 2nd, 2020. This is important to me

There is a minor scandal about Bea ordering cullen skinks on the day of Henry and Alex's officially courtship photographs

Alex calls Henry 'H'. Look the first time it happened I thought it was a one-off but it has happened 3 or 4 times now, why didn't I remember this,

Alex pooped his pants in the bus on the way back from the aquarium in fourth grade. (Alex disagrees, but. I guess we'll never know.)

#red white and royal blue #rwrb #alex claremont diaz #henry fox mountchristen windsor #henry wales #june claremont diaz #nora holleran #ellen claremont #firstprince #alex and henry

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sendme-2hell · 3 years

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Rating the Books I read after Gideon the Ninth (in order) by how well they made me forget my Gideon the Ninth angst

I starred the ones that I actually recommend if you want something similar to gtn.

I was bored so I made this. Mostly just so I can look back at this and laugh at myself in a few months and remember what I’ve read.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - -

**Harrow the Ninth -Tamsyn Muir

Summary: A depressed girl has to navigate murder attempts by both the mom and the dad of her dead ex-girlfriend who she can’t remember. She tries to make soup and writes fanfic to cope.

How well it helped me forget: -100/10 but also 10/10

Rating explanation: This one gets a 10/10 because it did make me feel better about a *particular* GTN plotpoint which I was very angsty about, but tragically it did make me more feral. After reading it I reread both books so I don’t think it helped me forget my angst.

Similar themes to GTN: all of it, plus more memes

I Want to Be Where The Normal People Are - Rachel Bloom

Summary: Rachel Bloom who wrote the world’s most relatable song: “You Stupid Bitch,” and starred/created in Crazy Ex Girlfriend, writes about having anxiety, feeling like she’s not normal, and Harry Potter fanfic.

How well it helped me forget: 8/10

Rating explanation: For a few minutes I actually did forget about my griddlehark angst while I learned more about Bloom’s life and laughed at the painful relatability of it all.

Similar themes to TLT: ummm depression, feeling very out of place, memes

Fingersmith - Sarah Waters

Summary: The book The Handmaiden was based on. A girl is sent to become a Lady’s handmaiden to con her out of some money. She falls in love. Many plot twists.

How well it helped me forget: 5/10

Rating explanation: I was sadly still thinking about TLT the whole time I read this. I liked it but I actually like the Handmaiden better because the women spend more time together. Like in this book, I wish that Harrow and Gideon could spend more time together.

Similar themes: wlw enemies to lovers, at some point you realize the main character’s love interest understands what’s going on way more than the main character

Kindred - Octavia Butler

Summary: Very dark book about slave narratives. I cannot make a joke here, but this book is excellent.

How well it helped me forget: 10/10

Rating explanation: Again, I can’t make a joke. But Octavia Butler is amazing.

Ash - Malinda Lo

Summary: A wlw retelling of Cinderella with fairies and an emphasis on stories

How well it helped me forget:7/10

Rating explanation: This was really quick and fun and I definitely was rooting for the lesbians. Also it was nice it had a happy ending! If you liked Crier’s War (which I did), this was clearly an influence for Nina Varela.

Similar themes: wlw, the magic one + the fighting one dynamic

Station Eleven - Emily St. John Mandel

Summary: A deadly pandemic wipes out so many people that the world spins into chaos and no one can figure out how to use electricity apparently? But the book is really about fame and wanting to be remembered. Go figure.

How well it helped me forget: -10/10

Rating explanation: Ok that’s not fair. It helped me forget about Gideon and Harrow but it did NOT help me forget about Corona. It was technically good and a lot of people I respect love it, but either because I was still thinking about TLT or because it was about a pandemic, I couldn’t really enjoy it.

Similar themes: post-apocalyptic

Red, White & Royal Blue - Casey McQuiston

Summary: The Prince of England and The son of the president of the US are enemies. They are definitely enemies.

How well it helped me forget: 6/10

Rating explanation: This was such a fun read that it almost distracted me! Tragically I was in such TLT headspace that I kept pausing to read fanfics where Gideon and Harrow switch eyes.

Similar themes: Enemies to lovers, queer

Troubling Love - Elena Ferrante

Summary: In true Elena Ferrante fashion, an event spurs an Italian woman to do a lot of internal processing and have some flashbacks.

How well it helped me forget: 7/10

Rating explanation: This book was a bit disturbing so it distracted me in that way. Plus I love Elena Ferrante’s writing so much that it felt like coming home to an old friend. Unfortunately for me, this is Elena Ferrante’s least queer book. I know because I have now read them all. Her most queer book, The Lying Life of Adults, would have distracted me better. Also just using this space to tell anyone who’s still reading this (probably no one) to go read My Brilliant Friend (and the corresponding Neopolitan Novels). They are not similar to TLT except they are vaguely queer and about competitive friendships where the girls are obsessed with each other in maybe an unhealthy way. Ok so a bit similar. Genuinely my favorite books ever.

Similar themes: mommy issues, daddy issues, childhood trauma

On This Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous -Ocean Vuong

Summary: A Vietnamese immigrant reflects on his mother, grandmother, and his own life experience in the US. It is poetic and beautiful and will make you cry.

How well it helped me forget: 10/10

Rating explanation: This book is beautiful. It really changes how you think about the US. Plus really interesting stuff about the western way of telling stories. Cannot recommend it enough, though very little to do with TLT.

Similar themes: queer, stuff about language, childhood trauma, you will cry

**The Priory of the Orange Tree - Samantha Shannon

Summary: OK sorry none of those were good suggestions for what to read after GTN. THIS is what you should read after GTN. It is an incredibly slow burn wlw enemies to lovers. There are dragons, there is magic, there are very cool female characters who I am in love with. This is like Game of Thrones but if it was good, queer, and only one 800 page book.

How well it helped me forget: 10/10

Rating explanation: Enemies to lovers!!!! What more do I have to say? Also very cool world-building, interesting religious themes.

Similar themes: wlw enemies to lovers, religious themes, magic, very old wizard milfs, also mlm

*The Traitor Baru Cormorant

Summary: Baru is a very smart girl in a colonized island. She decides she will play the game of the colonizers, rise up in their society, and destroy them from within. How is that going, Baru?

How well it helped me forget: 100/10

Rating explanation: This DID make me forget TLT. The only book to truly make me. It made me forget so badly that I wanted my Griddlehark angst BACK. GIVE ME IT BACK I don’t wanna feel sad about Baru anymore. I cannot recommend it more, it is so good, but it did make me ugly cry. It also made me majorly depressed about colonization and the state of the world.

Similar themes: wlw enemies to lovers, ending will make you cry

*The Monster Baru Cormorant - Seth Dickinson

Summary: Baru is depressed, has brain damage, throws up a lot, is sad about (redacted), does some things without remembering them because there’s something going on in her brain. Sound familiar? It’s kinda like Harrow the Ninth but more depressing. Oh also a lot of new characters are introduced, old characters come back, a lot of setup for the next book. Euler’s identity shows up out of nowhere?!

How well it helped me forget: 10/10

Rating explanation: Again, it made me forget but only because I was so engrossed in this story. Also kinda depressed. This book is kinda depressing. But Baru is very fun to be around, and there are some other great characters. Marry me, Yawa.

Similar themes: again, this is just harrow the ninth on steroids, I am in love with every single woman in this series

*The Tyrant Baru Cormorant - Seth Dickinson

Summary: Baru makes a new bestie, reunites with an old bestie, and discovers a dead bestie in her brain!

How well it helped me forget: 1000/10

Rating explanation: I loved this book. There were a few scenes I reread >four times. This book makes the other books in the series worth it.

Similar themes: please see my venn diagram comparing tlt, baru, and A memory called empire for more information

*The Ninth House - Leigh Bardugo

Summary: A girl has seen ghosts her whole life and because of that, gets accepted at Yale even though she didn’t finish high school. Yale is like a hotspot for ghosts I guess. It’s dark academia, the girl has a secret, the narrator is pretty funny.

How well it helped me forget: 6/10

Rating explanation: I was trying to get distracted from TLT (and Baru at this point), but it’s hard to forget about Harrow and Gideon in a book called The Ninth House (hello?). It was enjoyable and there was some good humor. I’m curious about the next book in the series when it comes out. It is not wlw unless you squint (which I do).

Similar themes: debatably wlw body posession, nine houses, the ninth one being important, nerd boy who reminds me of pal, woman is revealed to be MUCH older than I originally thought, soul eating, revenants, tombs, necromancy, character named Mercy

The Bone Season - Samantha Shannon

Summary: It’s the future and London is a hotspot for clairvoyants. Paige is a woman who has a special gift and can jump into people’s bodies and possess them briefly (among other things, this is a terrible explanation). Because of this, she is sent to a secret part of the city where clairvoyants are trained to be monster fighters (but also like, kept there in captivity against their will). Unlike every other book on this list I honestly wouldn’t recommend. I know there are other books in the series. If you’ve read on and it gets better let me know. (I know no one has gotten this far reading this but still)

How well it helped me forget: 4/10

Rating explanation: This one was disappointing because I loved Priory of the Orange Tree so much. This book did not distract me from my griddlehark or barhu feels. There’s also a character named Warden so I thought about SexPal a lot.

Similar themes: enemies to lovers, ghosts, possession, queer but only background characters

****The Unspoken Name - A.K. Larkwood

Summary: A girl is in an isolated cult that wants her to die as a sacrifice (sound familiar?). A definitely not evil wizard helps her escape. She meets a cute necromancer who’s also kinda from a cult. She goes on some gay adventures, gets the help of a morally grey older necromancer (who I’m in love with), and fights with her frenemy.

How well it helped me forget: 10/10

Rating explanation: This is the most similar to TLT on this list. Gideon and Csorwe would be friends. Seriously I recommend this! And the second book comes out soon! And it’s not sad like TLT or Baru!

Similar themes: sword lesbian + necromancer dynamic, wlw enemies to lovers, cults, tombs, necromancy, character named “the sleeper”, also mlm

The Invisible Life of Addie Larue - V. E. Schwab

Summary: Adeline Larue made a deal with a demon in 1714 France, because she wanted to see the world and stuff. It backfires of course. She is immortal but no one remembers her. This causes all sorts of problems and makes her very angsty. The narrative flashes between her going through the years, and her falling in love with the only person who will remember her.

How well it helped me forget: 2/10

Rating explanation: I know people loved this book but I did not. I liked the last 50 pages, I’ll give it that. I wish it was more queer (it was a little queer).

Similar themes: as I said, a little wlw, immortality, demons, I guess falling in love with someone and them not remembering you now that I think about it

Sula - Toni Morrison

Summary: A story about two black women in the 1920’s-1960’s in an Ohio town. It is really great and interesting. It is a book about complicated female friendships (among so many other things that better writers not writing a list no one will read about their TLT feels have outlined) which I love. I was told I should read this after the Neapolitan Novels by Elena Ferrante and it did not disappoint. Same vibes.

How well it helped me forget: 10/10

Rating explanation: This was just a great book. Has really nothing to do with TLT

Similar themes: debatably queer

*Murderbot Diaries: All Systems Red, Artificial Condition, Rogue Protocol, Exit Strategy, Network Effect, - Martha Wells

Summary: Muderbot is an artificial construct who just wants to be left alone to watch tv, damnit! It doesn’t want to interact with humans, and it definitely does not want to talk about feelings. Too bad some humans want to become friends with it.

How well it helped me forget: 10/10

Rating explanation: These books were so good. They did help me forget! The books are really about having anxiety, making friends, and letting yourself have feelings. Also they are SO FUNNY. Highly recommend. In the way that I love Gideon’s POV, I love Murderbot’s POV

Similar themes: funny narrator, queer characters, space, people who don’t want to deal with their feelings being forced to deal with their feelings

*A Memory Called Empire - Arkady Martine

Summary: Mahit is sent a dangerous, evil empire to be an ambassador. Lots of beautiful writing about colonialism, assimilation, language, and culture.There is gay angst and funny characters. I am once again in love with a morally grey older woman character.

How well it helped me forget: 10/10

Rating explanation: Yes this book is great and did distract me from gtn (mostly. I did end up reading a great fanfic about wake, g1deon, and pyrrah in the middle but otherwise...). It is part of my holy trilogy of wlw books (this, baru, tlt) that I just read recently. The next book comes out on March 2nd so it will be a good distraction from waiting for Alecto. Like Baru, it made me feel like shit about colonialism but unlike the other two books in my trilogy (redacted but if you’ve read those books you know) didn’t happen. It had a not too sad ending.

Similar themes: see my venn diagram, but seriously what is going on with brain surgery in these books...

*The Luminous Dead - Cailtin Starling 9/10

Summary: A woman needs money and to get the money she goes on a risky cave dive. It turns out the only contact she has with the rest of the world is a woman who’s kinda a dick. It’s 400 pages of creepy cave diving and these two women talking to each other. It’s creepy and uncomfortable and I loved it. I did spend the whole book thinking it would be such a good story podcast.

How well it helped me forget: 10/10

Rating explanation: It did make me forget about tlt! There are some kinda boring parts but it pays off. The relationship between the two main characters is very interesting (though a bit fucked up).

Similar themes: wlw enemies to lovers, traumatised characters, shitty moms

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insomniac-dot-ink · 4 years

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Books I’ve Read in 2020

AHello! I’m trying to read as many books as I can during the quarantine, here’s what I’ve finished so far:

On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong (literary fiction): a son writes a letter about his life to his illiterate mother. Breathtakingly beautiful with it’s way with words this book is lovely and real in the hardest and sweetest ways. The author’s combination of prose and poetry is dazzling and intricate, this book has stuck with me for days afterward. 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik (fantasy): a money-lender gets in trouble after bragging she can turn silver into gold and is kidnapped and ordered to do so by a fey creature. It may be that I am the perfect audience for this type of book, but it’s my favorite thing I’ve read all year. It’s a book that equally takes on the fantastical and real-world with compelling female characters at the center of the whole thing. A wonderful fantasy journey inspired by eastern-European Jewish folklore. 5 out of 5 stars.

Through the Woods by Emily Carroll (horror graphic novel): a series of short horror comics. Absolutely bone-chilling! This was a really fun type of scary story, especially the last one which made my skin absolutely crawl. Deliciously eerie, this was treat to read if not a little too short. 4 out of 5 stars.

The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender (magical realism): a young girl can taste other people’s emotions in their cooking and begins to understand her family in new ways. This was a weird book, but it has everything you’ve got to love about that combination of the surreal and mundane. It’s sense of character was electrifying and I had fun engaging with this type of off-kilter real world. I was a little frustrated in parts bc of some characters choices, but that too was true to life. 4 out of 5 stars.

Crier’s War by Nina Varela (steampunk fantasy wlw): about a Made automaton heir to a throne and her human hand-maiden that is trying to kill her. This was an easy read with a lot of tension between the two main characters that I liked, but the writing itself was very weak. There was waaay too much exposition in parts and the dialogue had some really hockey lines. I enjoyed the twists and turns in the middle of the book, but the beginning and end didn’t have much movement. 2.5 stars out of 5.

The Huntress by Kate Quinn (historical fiction): honestly, I’m a little disappointed. This book just did not hit my sweet spots, it wasn’t fast-paced enough for me to get immersed in the plot, and the characters weren’t real enough to be wholly invested in them. That said I adored Nina Markova and the Night Witches, so that did help. 3 starts out of 5.

The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein by Kiersten White (horror sci-fi retelling): HAND IN UNLOVABLE HAND. A retelling of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein from the perspective of Victor Frankenstein’s wife and my God! The characters! The plot was well-enough, but the characters took the whole show for being complex and compelling. The main character was breathtakingly layered and I was wholly invested in Elizabeth and her story and the triumph at the end of this story was tangible. 4 out of 5 stars!

Uprooted by Naomi Novik (fantasy): A story of a young woman who lives in a valley where a girl must go live with a wizard for 10 years. She is certain she won’t be chosen, but ends up having to be “uprooted” herself. I enjoyed most of this book! However, I think I liked “Spinning Silver” a lot more just because the ending of this one somehow lost me. The characters were good and plot compelling, but (SPOILERS) the big battle at the end seemed to drag and didn’t interest me somehow. 3.8 out of 5 stars.

Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (fantasy): excellent read! A story of a young woman in Jazz Age Mexico who goes on an adventure with a Mayan death God who is trying to regain his throne. A romp across the country absolutely brimming with likable characters and fairy tale twists. My only complaint would be that most of it felt a little predictable due to the fact we knew where we were going throughout the whole story, However, it was still greatly enjoyable for the heroine herself, Casiopea. 4 out of 5 stars!

Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng (literary): a story of two families in a progressive “planned” community, how their lives intertwine, their secrets, and a central question surrounding motherhood. Deeply empathetic to its characters and introspective, this is an every-day story of people in suburbia that reads like a thriller. I could barely put it down and felt deeply for its characters and situations, 5 out of 5 stars!

Wilder Girls by Rory Power (YA sci-fi suspense): a story of a group of girls at a boarding school on an island affected by the “tox” which alters their bodies in strange ways like giving them scales or an extra spine. This was an eerie, interesting read with a wlw romance! Watch out for the body horror in this one, but it was very gripping and held my interest. Some of the pacing was off in places (like the romance), but had a very creepy atmosphere that did it for me. 3.8 out of 5 stars!

If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio (thriller-mystery): A thriller about a group of Shakespeare actors in their last year of college and one of their classmates who turns up dead. I enjoyed the murder mystery part of this novel more than I expected despite the fact I had guessed who had “done it” pretty early on. I really enjoyed the James-Oliver dynamic with its growing homoeroticism, but I didn’t like how the character of Meredith was handled at all. She felt like a one-note aside. I might have given this book four stars, but the ending was EXTREMELY frustrating for me and I did not like the “open-ended” conclusion. 3 out of 5 stars.

A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman (literary humor): a weird character-driven comedy about an old grumpy man and a new family that moves in next to him. Warning for themes of suicide. Anyway, I don’t normally indulge in cliches like “I laughed, I cried, I loved one Cat Annoyance.” However, that’s exactly what I did. I laughed out loud, I cried my eyes out (THE CAT’S HEAD WAS IN HIS PALM), I loved this book. It was sweet and compelling and thoroughly immersive. 5 out of 5 stars!

The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow (historical fantasy): set in the early 1900s comes a story of a young girl and her experience with “Doors” that lead to different worlds. This book had a lot of great character development and really interesting descriptions, however, I didn’t like it as much as I wanted to. I found it hard to get myself to sit down a read it. There was just something missing with the push to “page-turn,” but it was still a really good book. 3.7 out of 5 stars!

Gideon the 9th by Tamsyn Muir (high fantasy, kinda gay): I AM FILLED WITH EMOTIONS. This was book was definitely a page-turner. I was very confused with it at the beginning, but the characters and their interactions were, forgive the expression, the life blood of the story and kept me wholly invested. The ending has CRUSHED my heart, but damn did I have a good time reading it. 4.5 out of 5 stars!

Harrow the 9th by Tamsyn Muir (sequel to Gideon the 9th): I really enjoyed this book. It was just as strange and twisting as the first book, though I think I enjoyed the first one a bit more since I love Gideon. It was fun ride overall, though the ending was kind of really confusing. So 4 out of 5 stars.

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo (historical fiction): Overall, I really enjoyed this book! The writing style was personable and grounded in reality. I found myself really liking the main characters and the exploration of the life of a bi main character was really well done I thought. A solid book with drama and glamor to boot. 4.6 out of 5 stars!

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah (historical fiction): A story of two sisters during WWII and their resistance to Nazi occupation. To be honest, this book wasn’t my cup of tea. It was compelling, but also wholly depressing and I felt like gloried in the pain of the two main characters too much. The history was wonderful and realistic, but it didn’t make me feel anything good afterward. It was just dark. 3 out of 5 stars.

Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston (mlm romance): I finally finished this after the heaviness of The Nightingale. This is a story of the First Son of the USA falling for the prince of England. And it turned out to be a very fun and light hearted read! Some of it was kinda generic and too political, and it coulda been shorter, but I thought the romance itself made up for it. It just made me feel so sweet and lovely inside. 4 out of 5 stars!

Anxious People by Fredrik Backman (literary humor): I’m searching out heartfelt books and this one ticked off all the marks on my “sweet” list. A lovely book that made me cry more times than I would like to admit. Compassionate beyond belief, funny and heartfelt. I think I enjoyed A Man Called Ove slightly more, but this book was also dear to me and something I hope to reread in the future. 4.2 out of 5 stars!

Station Eleven by Emily St John Mandel (sci-fi): A post-apocalyptical story about a group of traveling Shakespeare actors and a symphony. Overall, an excellent read that somehow pictures a more realistic or even softer version of the apocalypse. At first, I wasn't happy with the jumping around of the story, but as I progressed I grew fonder and fonder of the interwoven characters and their journey. A very fascinating read about a world that hits a little too close to home. The appreciation of the arts and preserving humanity was somehow very hopeful and I was fully engaged with this story. 5 out of 5 Stars!

Up next: The Hidden Life of Trees by by Peter Wohlleben (nonfiction science), The City We Became by N. K. Jemisin (urban fantasy), The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern (fantasy)

#I'll keep this list updated!#am reading #bookblr #IA talks #I've mostly read books I've really liked this year!#then again I rarely finish books I don't like

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a-dandelion-dreamer · 4 years

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Books with Bisexual Characters

I’ve always been a book lover, and lately I’ve been taking note of some of the bi characters I meet along my journey. I thought I’d share some book recommendations.

First, In Other Lands by Sarah Rees Brennan. I love this book so much—it’s honestly one of my favourites. It features a bisexual protagonist, Elliot Schafer, who goes across a wall into a magical, fantasyland and actively rebels against its war-like ways, choosing to draft treaties instead. He’s a snarky, grumpy, pacifist who has relationships with people of multiple genders throughout the course of the book. This book is super funny. Seriously, it made me laugh out loud on more than occasion. It also features truly phenomenal character development and explores the joys and trials of friendship between Elliot and his two best friends Luke Sunborn (the shy golden boy, born to a warrior family) and Serene-Heart-in-the-Chaos-of-Battle (a bold elf whose society’s gender roles are completely flipped). Shenanigans ensue.

A quote:

“‘Why is language in the Borderlands so weird? Some of it’s modern, and some of it’s medieval, and I guess that makes sense with the influx of a certain amount of new blood to the training camp every year, but how do some words and phrases transfer, while others don’t? Why do you know the word ‘jerk’ and not the word ‘bisexual’?’

‘I guess people say the first word more,’ said Luke.”

Next, The Nevernight Chronicle by Jay Kristoff. This epic three book series features badass bisexual Mia Corvere. It’s dark, bloody and heart-breaking, with an endless series of twists. Mia’s parents were killed during their attempt to start a rebellion and her quest for revenge leads her to join a school for assassins. Follow Mia’s journey as she attempts to bring down the leaders of the Republic with her constant companion, Mister Kindly, the wise-cracking shadow-that-is-shaped-like-a-cat. I loved this series as well. It’s a very different tone from the recommendation above (don’t get attached to your faves!) and it’s marked as adult fantasy (be prepared for sex and violence), so be warned, but wow, is it a wild ride!

Books by Ellen Kushner!!! I recently discovered her and I’m in love. Ellen Kushner herself is bi and has a wife who is also a writer. The two of her books I’ve read so far are Swordspoint (published 1987!) and The Privilege of the Sword. Both are fantasy of manners with bisexual duelists as protagonists. Swordspoint features Richard St Vier, an elite swordsman, as well as his close companion (and lover) Alec, a sarcastic scholar with a mysterious past. The Privilege of the Sword is set in the future of the same world, featuring a young girl named Katherine (who I love with all my heart) as she’s called by her uncle to the city to embark upon a path nontraditional to a lady, that of a swordsman. Both are excellent and super fun!

The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee. Meet Lord Henry “Monty” Montague as he embarks upon a Grand Tour of Europe (the historical fiction version of a road trip) with his best friend Percy (who he’s hopelessly in love with) and his sister Felicity (who’s ace and has her own follow-up book which I also recommend – the Lady’s Guide to Petticoats and Piracy). Monty is charming, privileged, hilarious and the definition of a disaster bisexual. Follow along as the three of them stumble into hijinks and character development.

Radio Silence by Alice Oseman. Our main girl Frances Janvier is a study machine whose only respite from academics is the fan art she draws for a podcast called Universe City. Then one day, the mysterious narrator asks her if she wants to collaborate. In a relatable turn, Frances is bi, but it’s just a part of her identity and the focus of the book is not a romance. Instead, it’s all about friendship and finding platonic soulmates and figuring out what you want to pursue in life. Alice Oseman’s writing is lovely and she tackles issues that feel very modern and relatable. I’ll also mention her webcomic (which you can find online for free) Heartstopper, which follows the romance between two boys Charlie Spring and Nick Nelson (and includes Nick’s bisexual crisis).

A quote:

“And I’m platonically in love with you.”

“That was literally the boy-girl version of ‘no homo’, but I appreciate the sentiment.”

Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston. Speaking of bisexual crises, meet Alex Claremont-Diaz, whose mother is the President of the United States. His long-time rival, Henry, is a prince of England, and after an incident involving an expensive cake, the two are forced to fake a bromance for the sake of international relations. Actual romance blossoms instead.

Kushiel’s Dart by Jacqueline Carey. In the land of Terre d’Ange, the motto is “Love as thou wilt”. Phèdre is a bisexual courtesan who receives pleasure from pain. Another adult fantasy (published 2001!), our heroine trains as a spy and is increasingly entangled in a web of politics and plots.

The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater. This series is well-known, but I love it! Maggie Stiefvater’s prose is atmospheric, littered with small details that reward a reread, and her character relationships are complex. This series is a gem full of magical realism. Here’s a shout-out to our bisexual boy, Adam Parrish!

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo. Again, another popular book (part of a duology), but the hype is totally deserved! A diverse crew sets out on an impossible heist. Let’s send some love to two bisexual icons, Jesper Fahey and Nina Zenik!

A quote:

“If only you could talk to girls in equations.”

There was a long silence, and then, eyes trained on the notch they’d created in the link, Wylan said, “Just girls?”

Jesper restrained a grin. “No. Not just girls.”

Those are some of my favourites that I’ve come across so far. Hopefully I’ll find some more! I’m always open to book recommendations, especially those that feature queer ladies :)

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phdmama · 2 years

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For the get to know me asks:

1, 4, 13, 14, 23, 27, 29,34, 39, and 95 please?! 👀❤️

haa haa omg I love you, darling!! xox I am quite sure this is going to be very long because I am so wordy ha ha

1. What were your summers like as a kid?

I had pretty amazing summers as a kid. I grew up in a small town in a rural state at a time where kids had significantly more freedom than they do now (I mean, I was pretty radically underparented so there is that ha ha). My mom worked full-time but my dad was a teacher and had summers off. When I was really young, he used to take me and my sister out to the state park lake. He'd hang out and read and we'd play and swim. When I got a bit older, I did a lot of the "take off into the woods with friends" or "on bikes with friends" or "go into town and buy penny candy and read books at the library" stuff. My town built a pool when I was... 11? 12? So my best friend and I joined the summer swim team and would also go there pretty much every single afternoon, on our bikes, no adults.

4. What is your favorite book?

Oh my gosh, so many. I'll say in part, a whole bunch of years ago I just made peace with the fact that when it comes to entertainment, I'm not that interested in being intellectually stimulated or reading high literature, so I generally... don't. I have authors I love - there are a few Stephen King books that I read and reread, same with John Irving (haven't done a reread of him in years, wonder how he held up!?). I love fantasy fic and space opera. There are some romance authors I really enjoy - I think Nora Roberts has written herself out but there's a lot of her stuff that I like and reread! Elizabeth Moon's The Deed of Paksenarrion was a really profound reading experience for me! For the last bunch of years, I've been reading mostly fic (though I did super-enjoy Red White & Royal Blue), and there are absolutely fic that own my heart and are some of the best writing I've ever read!

13. Bright colors or neutral tones?

I guess it depends on what it's for. I wear... unhhh. black? I've got a couple of dark wine shirts and a couple of dark green shirts (all from ON - I am not someone who gets fashion at all ha ha). I have very strong preferences for colors (SHOCKINGLY) - so I love greens and purples (my basement where I am right now is a sage green, as is my bedroom). I love wines and roses. I'm not a warm color person at all. My hair is purple but not that bright!

14. Breakfast for dinner or pizza for breakfast?

Bisexual privilege baby, I go both ways with great enthusiasm!

23. What’s your dream date?

I am such a basic person. Dinner and a movie (or a movie and dinner) is a classic for reason! I love being with people that I can be quiet with, so even going to a coffee shop and both of us reading or writing would be amazing. These days even just dinner out with my better half without our progeny (where we don't talk about them - that's a rule we made) is amazing. I do movie dates with my middle kid because we like the same kinds of things. I could definitely do a museum date (like a science museum or aquarium), but there should be food involved.

[I hope you're not bored yet!!!]

27. Who is the craziest person in your family and why?

Hmmm. I really have to say, I think it's me (both in my family of origin and my family of creation). I have a... let's call it colorful and exciting mental health history that involves a whole long list of diagnoses! I will say, these days I manage it fairly well - good meds good therapist lots of work. But yeah. It's me.

29. Can you describe your laugh?

Loud and unrestrained. I've been told I'm, um, expressive and when something hits me as funny, I laugh. Which happens a lot, so I do laugh a lot and I refuse to be embarrassed by it. :-D

34. Do you scare easily?

Oh my god, do I ever!! Not to be a downer but one consequence of my C-PTSD is that I have a really strong startle response, so if I'm not expecting something, I jump and shriek! To which my better half usually says, "um, hey? I live here? we've been married for 21 years?" I also don't love to be scared in my entertainment so I don't really do horror movies (I hate jumpscares ), I don't ski black diamonds, etc.

[Are you sure you're not bored???]

95. Worst tinder or date experience?

So, I am way too old for tinder (omg I am full of rage about tinder and a research project that someone in my class is doing, do not get me STARTED about That Fucking Guy) - and I... was always really bad at dating. I did have a terrible Valentine's Day date with my then-boyfriend - I went all out doing what 21-year-olds think is sexy and romantic and he gave me... chocolates (which one, I don't really love chocolate and two I had a raging eating disorder at the time which he knew). He'd clearly put no thought or effort into it. This was exactly how he was in the relationship.

I am so amused at all these questions!! xox

#long post #phdmama shares ha ha

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