#can you tell i loved the travelling cat chronicles
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I'm Craving Open Air and Solid Ground
atsushi & kunikida centric (platonic), canon divergent
sneak peek of the current fic i'm writing!! inspired by a post i just made (the brainworms took over😔) it's an AU where atsushi managed to leave the orphanage earlier and ends up being taken in by kunikida, a 16-year-old runaway. this is the first fic ive written that's going to be 1k+ words (though this little snippet is around 800) & will probably have a sequel :D i'm posting the full thing next week! also, if anyone guesses what book nana is a reference to, u get a cookie
When Kunikida turns sixteen, despite his situation, he has a few things going for him.
He's found a place to stay, for one. The man who owns it is always wreathed in cigarette smoke, but he hadn't asked for any identification; just gave Kunikida the room and asked him to keep the noise down. It was why he'd come to the sketchier part of Yokohama—here, no one bothered to check his identity. No one wondered why he was all alone. He was free.
And wasn't that a thought?
When he'd first ran away, a year back, Kunikida hadn't been nervous about them finding him. Hell, his parents had kicked him out of their house. They wouldn't look for him—nobody would. Surviving on the streets hadn't fazed him much either.
(Everyone around him had wondered why he'd gotten into so many fights, why someone as smart and obedient as him was beating bullies into the dirt, and he didn't know how to explain that liking authority and liking order were different things, and protecting people was more important than any symbol of power.)
He was good at surviving on his own. His scabbed-over knuckles and torn jacket were proof of that. It was why, when he walked down the dirty back alleys, he wasn't worried about getting jumped.
Kunikida wasn't an idiot. He knew this part of Yokohama was notorious for its gangs, and the Port Mafia's shadow loomed above them all, from the weakest child to the most hardened criminal. These passages, built from crumbled brick and cardboard, were prime spots to be targeted. But it was mid-afternoon, and the Port Mafia usually left him alone, so he continued walking. Besides, the cats would want to see him.
Shards of glass crunched under tall combat boots as he walked, and the scent of mold filled the air as he walked under tall buildings, awnings blocking the sun, but he didn't mind; he's walked this path so many times he could do it in the dead of night, with only the light of a cigarette flickering against brick walls to illuminate the way, and only the squeaking of rats to keep him company.
Something moved in the dimness to his right. Kunikida glanced in that direction, but didn't change his posture. It was one of the cats: Nana. There were many cats that lived in this alley, shielded from the elements, but Nana was his favorite. He was the first to approach Kunikida, those few months back. It had been injured by a car and crawled its way into a cardboard box in this very alleyway. Kunikida had cleaned it up, and just like that, he'd had a new friend. It was named Nana, nine in Japanese, after the shape of its tail, which was bent at the top, like the Japanese kanji. Checking in on the alley cats had quickly become a new part of his schedule, something that he followed religiously. (Kunikida doesn't like obeying, doesn't like obedience, but this isn't the result of some authority figure pushing their judgment onto him; he trusts himself more than he does one of those, anyway.)
It crept out of its box, slinking closer.
Kunikida holds out a piece of tuna—the remnants of his last dinner, two days before. "Hello, there."
The alleyway was silent save for the quiet sounds of a tail swishing.
He reaches out a hand and waits. Nana inches forward—tentative, like a rat crawling out of a hole. It presses its face into his hand.
Kunikida smiles faintly. "You're a strange one, aren't you?"
The cat peers up at him—
And something moves out of the corner of his eye. Nana jumps up and leaves quickly, dashing for the exit.
Kunikida spins around, suddenly anxious, hands raised. It wasn't the first time he'd needed to fight someone in an alleyway—and then he pauses.
There was someone in the box behind him. A child, to be specific.
Its eyes remind him of the cat he had just been petting. Eyes that currently stare up at him from a hollowed face, painted with terror.
Kunikida frowns down at him—he has a clear enough view to assume that it's a him. "Hello? What are you doing here? A bit too young to be out on your own, don't you think?"
That was probably a little hypocritical. But, this child was even younger than he was, and obviously didn't know how to fend for himself. If Kunikida had to guess, he'd say he was around 10 or so.
Still, it is a child. A clearly starving child who might need his help. So he crouches down at eye level, softening his voice—as much as he knows how to—and says, "I don't have any real food with me, just raw tuna, but there's a restaurant near here. Would you like something to eat?"
Again, the kid doesn't speak, just stares up at Kunikida with those large, unblinking eyes. He suppresses a sigh.
And then—slowly, like someone might hurt him if he moved too fast—the kid gives a silent nod.
Kunikida gets up with a huff. "Well then? Follow me."
He does.
#bsd#bungo stray dogs#doppo kunikida#atsushi nakajima#bsd atsushi#bsd kunikida#bsd fanfic#fanfic#spreading my rebel kunikida agenda#THE SIBLINGS EVER !!#can you tell i loved the travelling cat chronicles#<- may actually be writing a ttcc inspired soukoku au
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Speaking of ikemen/otome games; I want to ask you about the game you seem to really like; lovebrush chronicles
Tell me all about your faves (and least favourites if you have any), what the suitors are like, do you like how the MC(?) Is written, anything is fair game
first of all, thank you so much for asking!! I rarely get any asks like this so this made me really happy!
To answer your question, the game is about travelling through different universes. (The game's Chinese name literally means "the time travelling painter" or something like that) basically the MC (you) is an art major at this one school on an island, St. Shelter Academia (weird name i know) the MC is also a manga author however, and no one else knows except this one guy (I'll explain more about him later, he doesn't have any routes in the main story but he does in events) the MC created the manga because she's been having dreams about it for a while, but she was getting stuck on the content lately
you also adopt a cat
don't wanna spoil it for you in case you wanna find out for yourself, but stuff happens and you get isekaid to the world. in your manga. There you find out that you've been writing manga about an alternate universe, and the 5 (4?) love interests all play important roles in the story
Basically their country was being terrorized by ice butterflies that freeze everything they touch, so it's a neverending winter there. only the mages can hold the butterflies off but the public doesn't trust them
Now onto the love interests!!
the universe the MC came from is the Modern universe (earth) and the alternate universe is Godheim.
Lars is a wealthy entrepreneur who also happens to be a big fan of your manga (he doesn't know that you wrote it though). He's one of the school's investors.
In Godheim, he's the tyrannical emperor who summons you to that world and says that you're to be his bride.
I don't wanna paint him in a negative light because he's actually very caring and holds family close to his heart, he's also one of the few characters in Godheim that can take a joke lol. basically silly happy emperor actually has trauma. He is also a feminist.
His route is really sweet and pretty good but it wasn't my personal favorite.
Ayn is his cousin. In Godheim, he and clarence have an alliance.
His route has the second-most bad endings. He shares this with Ayn.
He's also the tallest-
Clarence is the student council president who abides by the rules and gets good grades. He's also a law major.
In Godheim, he is the steely cold, merciless Archmage (the leader of all the mages) of Magi Tower. He was the one who did the ritual to summon you, and he was gonna keep you in a bird cage with roses on it but Lars said no so you're allowed to roam the castle but if you make even the tiniest of mistakes BAM. Back in the cage.
Clarence isn't my favorite so I don't know much about him, but he wants you to do well so he tries to push you to do so.
Clarence's Godheim route is the last one, so it's where you uncover the secrets of godheim. I didn't like his route much but I did enjoy seeing his soft side. Also, you get to beat a pervert's ass. And the MC cusses in this route (she says "grade A ass whooping). It's amazing.
His route has the most bad endings.
Ayn is a music major and a freshman like you. He's really popular but also doesn't really like interacting with people, he's very much of an introvert. He can come off as rude but he's just tsundere. he's also a gamer, and a pretty dedicated one at that. He very much believes in tough love. He's not the comforting type.
In Godheim, he is the stubborn leader of the Inquisitors, who basically kill rebels and people who disobey the king. He was originally the crown prince but Lars took it from him (the reason why is a spoiler) and Ayn wants to kill Lars as revenge for that. He's been biding his time in order to do that.
Ayn's route was one of my favorites, it was action-packed yet still soft at the same time. Also, his outfit is 😳
I'm pretty sure his route has the same number of bad endings as lars.
He's the shortest.
Alkaid (my favorite!!) helps you and Ayn in this route.
And now, for my favorite, Alkaid!!
He's the kind upperclassman who helps you get settled at school. He's a junior I think, an astronomy major. He's so sweet I swear to God ❤❤ he has a cat, and your cat and his cat play together often. He likes gardening.
In Godheim, alkaid is the submissive but kind mage assigned to protect you and watch you for clarence. Clarence is his boss. He's one of the most powerful mages in the Magi Tower. Anything else I say will be a spoiler for the entirety of Godheim...
In both universes, even though he is kind and believes in the good of people, he doesn't let himself get walked all over and doesn't hesitate to stand up for others if necessary.
Alkaid's route is tooth-rotting fluff. It's so cute because with your help he finally realizes that he shouldn't be afraid to fight or question authority, and that he can't just let everything happen if there's something he can do. His route is my favorite, next to Ayn. It also has the least amount of bad endings, only two, but let me tell you those two bad endings are soul crushing. I got a bad end on my first playthrough and it RIPPED ME APART.
Last but not least, Cael. If you're into butler type characters then he is for you. Cael is the one who took care of you when your mom died (your dad died when you were like 3).
In Godheim, he is the silver knight leading the rebellion against the emperor.
I don't have much to say on him because he's not my favorite and he doesn't have a route, but he's behind the bigger mysteries in Godheim.
He plays a big role in Lars' route.
after Godheim, you can pick an ending for one suitor where you're both happy together. After that, the next world is Eden but I'm not going to go too much into that because i like godheim more
The mc is gorgeous. Her facial expressions in the cards are everything.
All in all the game's pretty good, but it's not very well-known here so it has a fairly small and non-toxic fandom
In the battles, something called "assist events" can trigger where you have to choose the correct option to get a buff. If you choose the incorrect option then you get a debuff. The voice acting is amazing and the illustrations are really pretty, the soundtrack is beautiful too
Sorry for the word dump ;; I just wrote and wrote and i didn't see how big it got 😅
Hope this answered your question!! lots of platonic kisses and i hope you're doing well <33
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ARI MLL IM SO SORRY THAT THIS IS SENT OUT SO LATE HSJSJS. I FEEL SO BAD FOR NOT REPLYING EARLIER 😭 it was assessment week and istg everyday was just filled with assignments/exams/pracs etc. i just wanna go back to high school already!! i’m not mentally prepared for this ☹️☹️
UR SO REAL ABT THE JJK DILFS THO. like they’ve raised my standards up for men so high haksjsj. i so badly want, no, NEED a college bf! geto in my life to make my very own uni life a lil more bearable. HES SO BF CODED OMG 😻 okok but hear me out. geto playing guitar?? i repeat. GETO PLAYING GUITAR??? more specifically ELECTRIC GUITAR PHEWWW. i’m sorry it’s been plaguing my mind for the past few days but i so believe that geto can play guitar w ease. hsjsjsj guitarist! geto has me melting icl 😭✋ with his piercings nd tattoos nd the reading glasses he wears at home hshshshs. its not a want, it’s a need 😔
AHHH UR SO RIGHT ABT STEM GIRLIES AND LIBERAL ARTS GIRLIES HOLDING HANDS HSJJSJ. us stem girlies have sm respect for you guys 🙇♀️ from what i’ve heard, lit is a pretty tough major (i took lit as an atar subject back in hs and i FAILED LMAOO). plus lit girlies are so knowledgeable it js blows my mind away. like give me ur brain please 🙏
i’ve tried getting out of my reading slump (WE’RE GETTING THERE WOOHOO!!) like i’ve recently started little woman by louis may alcott (a classic ik idk why i’m even referencing it shshs) and so far it’s pretty good! sometimes the dialogue throws me off a little since it was written so long ago and my mind just goes blank as soon as i read anything that’s not modern day english (i’m talking anything published before the 2000s 😭). i watched the movie a while ago so i’m kinda excited to see if there’s any major differences between the books and the movies. apparently there are a few but i didnt listen in further bc i didn’t wanna spoil myself hahah. welp ig i’ll k when i commit to actually finishing the book.
i haven’t heard abt the travelling cat chronicles yet but i’ll sure be adding it to my tbr 🫡 I LOVE LOVE LOVE CATS SMMM!! ive always just preferred cats more than dogs idkk. speaking abt cats, i have two ragdoll cats hsjsjs. funnily enough, someone pointed out that they somewhat remind them of gojo 😹😹 whelp i fear that i might as well grow up to be an old cat lady hsjsj. not that i’m complaining tho 🤭 really out of the blue question but dy have any pets? 👀 i’m just curious hahah.
also thank u so so so much for the advice ari! i’ll definitely be checking out the summaries + quotes for any future books i wanna read. and nooo ur not incompetent at all, don’t worry!! and thank u sm for being so supportive bby i have sm love for you 💗 AND YEAH I AGREE, READING IS SM FUN WHEN YOU’RE NOT BEING FORCED INTO IT.
and aww the tags were absolutely no problem at all! ur geto drabble was written SO WELL. like ari bby you are so talented and i cannot emphasise that enough. you have a way with words and it’s so admirable!! ++ you nailed geto’s characterisation so well, i was genuinely in awe while reading it. ahhh i still think abt it even to this day!! cult leader geto plagues my mind once a week istg. SAME W HIM AND HIS DYNAMIC W SATORU. like hello?? every time i hear abt satosugu i wanna BAWL MY EYES OUT. they’re soulmates (both platonically and somewhat romantically?? idk if you can have both hahah). but omigosh they’re so tragic shskajsjs. brb i’m not crying, i’m chopping up onions!! !! !! 😃
OMG THAT RESEMBLANCE BETWEEN GOJO AND RHE KITTY CAT OMFDDHDH. someone tell me they’re twins and i’ll believe every. single. word. thank u sm for the treat ari, i hope ur day/night is going well!! i’m so sorry that this is long overdue but i genuinely LOVE talking to you bby <333 remember to take care of urself too! ilysm 💞🥹
p.s hes so fine i swearrrr 😍 i saw this on twitter and it’s been my roman empire ever since
UKIIIII MY BELOVED PLS FORGIVE ME FOR THE WAIT 😔😔😔 i’m finally here !!!!!!
first of alllll i hope your studies n work have gone well!!!!!! 🥺🥺 you know i’m always cheering you on hehe. i just have a month left n then i’m free but i’m not sure how it is for you :’3 i hope you’ll get to rest properly soon!!!!
ANDDDDDDDD GUITARIST!SUGU. GOOD GOD 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 your hcs of him made me LOSE it i hope you know that…… he’s literally so bf…… PLSSS PIERCINGS AND TATTOOS AND READING GLASSES ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL ME 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 OUGHHH UKI I NEED HIM SO BAD….. he would strum his pretty guitar for you on nights you couldn’t sleep 🥺🥺 i just know he would!!!!! he’s such a loverboy…..
LIBERAL ARTS GIRLIES 🤝 STEM GIRLIES FR….. from my perspective stem subjects are a LOT more difficult i rlly can’t overstate how impressed i am by how much you guys study …… 😭😭 i’ve heard . horror stories abt it LMAO…..
AND THE BOOKSSSSS i’m so proud of you for trying to get out of your reading slump uki!!!!!! i actually haven’t read little women yet hehe, pls tell me if it ends up being good!!!!! i’ve heard great things abt it….. AND AND ANDDD i get you!!!! i think it’s important to pick books that are written in ways that you like!!! it’s easy to think that older books are like . harder to read and relate to but that’s usually more bc of the author than the time period!!! i prefer mine to be from around the 1800s-1900s and they aren’t difficult to understand at all!! some classics are super hard to get into bc of how just. Heavy they are writing wise (side eyeing shakespeare n dostoevsky rn) but others aren’t!!! one classic i absolutely adore is the stranger by albert camus, idk if you’re interested in existentialism but!!! the writing is very pretty :3
anyway anyway…. FELLOW CAT PERSONNNN i knew i could trust you!!!! and you have ragdolls!!! 🥺🥺 my current housemate has four of them LMAO and they all look like gojo ngl …. act like him too……. this little guy just follows me around n sleeps in my lap and yaps <33333
BUT YES i think you’d really love the travelling cat chronicles!!!! i read it so quickly bc it’s just. so lovely!!!! and pretty!!!!! and cute n sweet :(((( i love it lots!!!!! but it made me sob so much… so pls make sure you have tissues close by if you read it……
ANDDDD again 🥺🥺🥺 thank you sooooo much for being so sweet …. you rlly are too kind!!!!! i’m so happy you like my geto, i loveloveloveee yours too <33333 AND . YES. i cry over stsg all the time too…. sniffle……. they’re soulmates both platonically and romantically imo :’3 they just . belong together no matter what!!!!!! wish they weren’t so doomed by the narrative tho…..
THANK YOU SO MUCHHH FOR CHATTING W ME SWEETIE <33333 i hope you’re doing soso well!!!!! and i rlly am sorry abt how long you’ve had to wait for this response 😭😭 my brain has Not been braining correctly recently. but i adore you sb 🥺
#AND GAHHHHHH THE GUITARIST!SUGU ART…….. i’m gnawing at his forearms PHEWWW#he’s the world….. the movement……….#hehe ily uki <33333 cant wait to dig into your masterlist soon!!!!!#rn im working on answering asks and then i think im gonna have a go at my tbr :33#im sending you lots of good vibes!!!! always!!!!!#ask tag ✩#uki !! ✩
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Hi.....just saw your random facts....can I ask your top 10 fav books (fiction) that you had? Sorry for asking another random ask.....Thanks....
No worries, anon! Love to talk about random things! It's a lot of fun!
Top ten books... it'll be top ten books at least of today. I could easily compile a top fifty.
Catwings series by Ursula K. Le Guin. Really simple children's stories that are some of the first books I can remember reading and are still some of my favorites.
The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley. A completely different heroine from so many I'd read as a young kid and she still stands out to me today. Just a beautiful comfort read.
Modaozushi by Mo Xiang Tong Xu. A much more recent entry into this list, but it has soared up to one of my favorite books of all time due to wonderful characters, beautiful complex plot and a something about it that continues to engage me after more than a year of focusing on it.
Ciara's Song by Andre Norton and Lyn McConchie. A Witch World book that is set mostly outside of the big plots, but is a story about an orphan who grows up to be happy even in the midsts of her world being at war and so much loss.
Dealing with Dragons/Calling on Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede. Two of the Enchanted Forest Chronicle books and I cannot pick one above the other. Dealing with Dragons is the funny and charming series of a princess who is utterly bored with her life and decides to go become the princess to a dragon instead. Calling on Dragons is the quest to recover a magical sword featuring a no-nonsense witch, the same princess who is now a queen, a clever magician, two cats and a rabbit who's manage to transform himself into a donkey. Makes me laugh and grin the whole time.
Corambis by Sara Monet (the last book in the Doctrine of Labyrinths series) Specifically just this one. After three books of the leads struggling to overcome the absolutely miserable upbringing they had combined with the miserable present day, they actually begin to make something of it and find some sort of peace and happiness all the while dealing with a mysterious clockwork engine that seems to be gearing up to try and kill everyone around them.
Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones. A lot of gently poking fun at typical fairy tale tropes combined with a very sassy narrator and a romance that leans into constant bickering that I actually enjoy.
The Forgotten Beasts of Eld by Patricia A. McKillip. This one I can't quite put my finger on why I love it so much other than that it is haunting. It is not the happiest of stories by any means, it is about a young woman who has lived alone with only many mystical animals called by her family who is in search of a mysterious bird called the Liralen, one of the last strange beasts not in her menagerie, while below the kingdoms seek to control her and her mysterious animals in their wars.
Deerskin by Robin McKinley. If the previous book is somewhat haunting, this one definitely is. It is a retelling of the fairytale of Deerskin/Donkeyskin/Catskin, where the fairest queen in the world dies and makes her husband promise to not marry anyone again unless they are as beautiful as her. He swears that he will not, but cannot find anyone until their daughter comes of age and resembles her mother exactly. Deerskin is a much darker take on a dark fairytale, yet there is some light and hope and it ends on a gentle note. Not a story for the faint of heart, but still one of my favorites all the same.
Sunshine by Robin McKinley. If at this point you haven't guessed that she's one of my favorite authors, then I don't know what to tell you. Sunshine is a bit of a departure from the others, it is a modern day story set in a world in which vampires and werewolves and such are real, and our protagonist is an ordinary baker who makes the mistake of traveling out on her own to a lake where she is shortly snatched away by vampires to torment an old enemy of theirs, where it turns out that Sunshine is a little more than they were prepared for. Full of lavish descriptions of food, a lot of sass and snark and a world that gives you just enough description to be starving for more.
Thank you so much anon! I hope you enjoyed my desperate attempt to wrangle all my faves into some sort of order.
#asks#anon#anon asks#I could talk all day about my book collection#I've only read like half of them#but eventually I will read them all!
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’walks in with serious business’
corporate needs you to answer these five important questions ‘hands over list’
What’s your favorite movie (doesn’t haven’t to be of all time)
who was your first fictional crush 👀👀
how long have you been a writer or started writing
This is extremely important corporate needs you to pick one of these two images left or right??
4. If you could do anything you wanted and money and time was no obstacle what would you do
5. finally. Corporate asks you to please have a lovely evening/morning and that you stay hydrated and keep taking care of yourself cause your awesome and corporate loves you 💕🫂
ps: it’s me I’m corporate ‘corny alert’
Hey boo, tell corporate I'm about to print out the papers and send them to them!! 🤭
What’s your favorite movie (doesn’t haven’t to be of all time)
`·..➭ Avatar & Avatar: The Way of Water, Any Marvel movies, Tangled, The Emoji Movie, Frozen, Aquamarine, Think Like a Man 1&2, The Chronicles of Narnia; the lion, the witch, and the wardrobe, Monster High (not the new one, the old ones), barbie movies, Bratz movies, etc…
Who was your first fictional crush 👀👀
`·..➭ You made me think with this one, it had to be Riven from Winx Club (old cartoon show), Clawd (Old monster high movies), and Zuko (atla).
How long have you been a writer or started writing
`·..➭ When I was a kid I wanted to create my own stories cause I loved reading so when I was 12 I found episode but the rule was you have to be 13 to write so I waited til I turned 13 and went back to episode, fast forward, I had a story I was doing on episode but ever since atwow came out and I found out people were writing on Tumblr, I jumped on the bandwagon and episode hasn't seen me since cause I like this format of writing better and I love avatar, I watched it with my mom when I was 8.
`·..➭ Definitely cats, I do love dogs but I love cats more and wish I can have one but still live with my mom. My furry companion will have to wait.
If you could do anything you wanted and money and time was no obstacle what would you do
`·..➭ Travel to LA and Paris, I always wanted to go there ever since I was little.
Aww, I love you so much, thank you for coming into my inbox with the kind words, I hope you're staying hydrated as well and taking care of yourself!! I hope you have an amazing day/evening/night as well!!
Am I getting a raise? 😏
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Caroline, you have great taste. Pretty please, can I have some book recs?
I like romance, fantasy, sci-fi, anything! Frankly, genre isn’t as important as having the Caroline stamp of approval. Please, I am dying out here in the book dessert.
oh my dear darling anon you are the sweetest person EVER to say that to me <3
honestly i am kind of ALSO dying in the book desert!! i've read fair amount of books this year, but i haven't read that many that i would consider really *great* -- i've read some that i thought were fine (and some that i thought were really awful) but honestly it's SO difficult to find books that are really GOOD (though that said it's also probably because i've been mostly trying to get a grasp on contemporary fiction because i feel like that was a huge gap in my literature brain after college, and what i'm learning is that a lot of contemporary fiction is kind of... not great.) ALL OF THAT SAID though i am happy to talk about some good books i have read recently!!
the last book i read that i thought was truly amazing was why be happy when you could be normal? by jeanette winterson -- it was the kind of book that made me want to turn myself inside out and scream into a void for like three hours (i mean that as the highest compliment). it was a book that made me feel like YES!! THIS IS WHY WE DO IT!! THIS IS WHY WE READ AND WRITE AND TELL STORIES YES!! it's winterson's personal memoir and i thought it was just so well-written and incredible to read. i have a lot of her books on my reading list and i can't wait to read more of her work!!
another book i read recently that had me straight up sobbing by the end was the travelling cat chronicles by hiro arikawa -- i saw someone describe this book as "like reading a studio ghibli movie" and i thought it did feel like that in many ways!! fair warning it was super sad and i literally had to put it down because i could not read it through my tears, but it was cathartic and poignant and beautiful all at once and i really liked it
in my quest to get away from contemporary fiction i also read rebecca by daphne du maurier because it is my grandma's favorite book and she lent me a copy of it. and well... it is really a flawless book. i mean plenty has already been said about rebecca so there isn't much i have to add and i guess it's sort of a basic recommendation, but it really is a good book haha
a contemporary debut novel i read that i thought was pretty good was the margot affair by sanaë lemione -- i was at the library and i just happened to grab this book off the shelf, and i thought it was a really interesting piece. as far as contemporary literary fiction goes, i thought it was actually really well done. the plot was interesting and engaging, i thought the characters had dimension, and the prose was nice to read as well
i also just read the book cultish by amanda montell and i thought it was a great read. i posted a few quotes on here that i really liked and i found it to be really illuminating and thought provoking. the end was a little meh to me but the first like 75% of the book was genuinely amazing and i think that anyone who is like, alive in the world should read it, because it has some really fantastic insight into cults, language, and influence. it prompted me to re-examine a lot of things in my own life and past -- and i think it was a fruitful exercise and i wish more people would do the same.
some other books i've recommended before but that i do genuinely love (most of which i read in college) would be: homegoing by yaa gyasi, there there by tommy orange, a visit from the goon squad by jennifer egan (side note i just found out that she released a sequel to this book and i have it on hold at the library and i'm very excited to read it), emma by jane austen (the best book ever written), and anything by louise erdrich (my personal favorite is the plague of doves). and if you want to peek inside my brain it's always good to read more shakespeare, though honestly it's probably better to see shakespeare done live. (random side note, i recently got to see the play teenage dick and i thought it was one of the best modern shakespeare adaptions i've seen in a LONG TIME. maybe ever.)
my ya recommendations are the same as always... the hunger games, percy jackson, anne of green gables, howl's moving castle. same with my classics recs: emma, les miserables, great expectations. there are plenty more i can think of but those are my top books of all time :P all of those are books i have read and reread countless times and they never get old.
well hopefully that was even a little bit helpful and perhaps i will have even more new recommendations soon! and as always please send any book recs my way as well -- i love hearing what you guys are reading and i'm always on the hunt for new things to read!!! <3 <3 sending all my loveeeeee :)
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TROPED Chapters: Round 1 — Fics + Voting Link!
Welcome to the voting for Round One of our TROPED Chapters Event!! We got EIGHT (8!!!) incredible fics for this event, and we are so excited to see where our authors take these amazing stories in the upcoming rounds! We hope you have enjoyed this first round as much as we have!
Please try to read as many fics as you can! Take some notes, leave some kudos/comments for the authors, and help us vote on the winners!
Voting ends June 14th at 11:59pm EST! Winners announced June 15th!!
———
come morning light - the war outside our door keeps raging on (Rated M) [Chronicles of Narnia - Susan/Caspian]
Seven years ago, Susan and her siblings were sent away from a war to the safety of the country side only to be thrust into another war. As the years wear on, their soldiers return from battle fewer and fewer in number, and the graves multiply overnight.
Running out of options and manpower, their last chance is proposing an alliance with the King of Telmar, a kingdom seemly just barely allied with the Witch and itching to get out from under her power.
Susan walks into the meeting with the King with Edmund at her side and little hope left in her heart, and leaves with an alliance that could turn the tide of the war - and a husband.
wishing on city lights - Chapter 1 (Not Rated) [Spider-Man - Mechelle Jones/Peter Parker]
Peter loves the city lights. Loves his work at the law firm, loves his best friend Ned, loves dancing. And he might love that girl with ink-stained fingertips and fire in her steps.
Michelle loves dancing too, although she would never tell. She loves rainy days in her small apartment and hearing secrets in the halls of Brant Enterprises. She most certainly doesn't love the young lawyer with eyes like copper and honey.
But life amid flapper girls and mafia bars isn't easy, and when your millionare best friends get engaged and the dance floor is small, a girl with fire in her heart and a boy with care in his hands might get along after all.
Waiting On The Winds Of Change To Blow - save your love and buy me diamonds (Rated T) [Emelan - Briar Moss & Sandrilene fa Toren]
Briar was taken in from the streets of Summersea by Duke Vedris and raised to hold a position in his household. He's been given many honours and opportunities, and now his match to a wealthy merchant's daughter will give him money and connections as well. He's grateful, really he is. But sometimes he wonders if it's really what he wants.
“Is something the matter, Briar?” Sandry asked.
Briar sighed. “No, it’s nothing, I just…” He trailed off, not sure how to explain it without sounding ungrateful.
Sandry studied him for a moment. “Are you nervous?” she asked. “I wouldn’t have expected it of you; you’re always so confident – but this is a significant moment for you.”
“I suppose I am,” Briar said slowly. Nervous wasn’t exactly how he’d describe it, but he could work with it. “I just… wasn’t expecting this. Marriage was never really something I considered for myself – given my upbringing, you know.”
Whatever Our Souls Are Made Of - The Exiled Prince (Rated M) [The 100 - Raven/Roan]
A decade ago, Roan was exiled from the Kingdom of Azgeda when his brother, Rapier, ascended to the throne. Roan travelled to the other side of the ocean aboard his ship, the Exiled Prince, and took on a new life as the Captain of his own pirate vessel. For ten years, Roan was content.
However when his beloved brother is lost, Roan is faced with unexpected choices, the weight of obligations and the presence of the woman who broke his heart as he returns to Azgeda and reclaims the throne.
With Your Name In My Throat - Chapter 1 (Rated M) [The 100 - Lexa/Clarke]
Lexa is content in her life just the way it is, until a so called "perfect match" on her friend's matchmaking service promises to help the people she cares most about in the world. The only catch is she has to marry a perfect stranger. But Lexa can do just about anything, if it helps her friends, and there's no way she will fall in love. Right?
Even Boulders - you're the king, baby, i'm your queen (Rated T) [The 100 - Bellamy & Clarke (+ Surprising Pairing!)]
As queen of the island country Populise, Clarke always knew she would have to marry someday to continue the royal line. However, she had at least expected to be able to choose her own spouse. Instead, her royal advisors have chosen one for her.
And somehow, that's the least complicated part of the situation.
Dragons and Alicorns and Political Weddings - Chapter 1 (Rated T) [My Little Pony - Princess Ember/Twilight Sparkle]
In order to better relations with the Dragon Lands, Twilight has been arranged to marry the current dragon lord, Ember. With her friends by her side, she's excited for the big day, even if she's nervous at the prospect of not meeting her fiancee yet. When she finally does, things seem to go well, spurning on her excitement.
At least, going well for now.
The Wedding Planet - Chapter 1 (Rated T) [The 100 - Octavia/Clarke]
Bounty hunter Octavia Blake has chased her latest prey, Josephine Lightbourne, all the way to the second moon of Arkadia--the last place she'd expect Josie it be, and the last place Octavia wants to visit--ARK-1002014: The Wedding Planet. There, Clarke Griffin arranges beautiful destination weddings for people from all over the galaxy, every detail provided for, right down to the spouse. Her AI-driven system has turned the ancient art of matchmaking into a commercialized, mechanized, streamlined, and extremely successful, enterprise.
Octavia's already found and lost the great love of her life. She's not looking to love again. But an accident, a chance meeting, and a high-stakes bet change all of her plans. Now she'll either find her match, or spend years of her life providing fairy tales for others, while she proves that chemistry, passion, and spark can never be forced into being by a machine.
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i want to start reading and i'm a very slow reader. but i don't know what to start. do you mind recommend some books? thanks loads!
Hi there! This is quite tricky because it depends on what kind of genre of books you like but I'll recommend some that are and will continue to be my favourite books thus far.
Firstly, you can try and look for Carlos Ruiz Zafon's Shadow of The Wind. Personally, I love it. SO SO MUCH. To the point that I’ve read it three times, and each time the book has taught me different things. You can go on to Goodreads to read the synopsis but I'll give you the gist of it: the central character, Daniel, stumbles upon a book called The Shadow of The Wind, and uncovers secrets along the way.
Second book is The Devotion of Suspect X by Keigo Higashino. It's part of the author's Detective Galileo series, and the first time, I read it, I just fell completely in love with it. Planning to get a few more of his books in the near future.
Lastly is The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa. If you like cats, this is defo a go-to book. It's very heartwarming to read, and it brought me to a bucketful of tears. Nana is a cat, and is the main narrator of the book. It tells the story of his adventures with his owner, Satoru while they're on a road trip together.
You can start with these three if you want to start reading. And another thing, it doesn't matter if you're a slow reader. You just have to start, and pace yourself with it.
Thanks for the ask! Let me know if you need anymore book recommendations in the future, lovely.
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hiya! i hope you're havin a lovely day. dya have any book reccs for japanese literature/poetry?
hi! i don’t have anything on poetry and even with literature, i can tell you what’s on my tbr:
the housekeeper and the professor by yoko ogawa
heaven by mieko kawakami
the travelling cat chronicles by hiro arikawa
lonely castle in the mirror by mizuki tsujimura
murakami: sputnik sweetheart and the wind-up bird chronicle are on my tbr; i enjoyed 1Q84 and killing commendatore
the sound of waves by yukio mishima
strange weather in tokyo by hiromi kawakami
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End of the Year Book Tag
I was tagged by @aliteraryprincess, thank you!
Did you reach your reading goal for the year (if you had one)?
I did, yes! I had several different goals and not all of them have been met, but I set my reading number to 90 this year and have read 94 so far (will finish a book tonight so 95!).
What are your top 3 books you read this year?
Ooooh difficult. Today’s top three is El infinito en un junco, by Irene Vallejo (not available in English), Jane Austen at Home, by Lucy Worsley, and The Travelling Cat Chronicles, by Hiro Arikawa (my version was translated by Philip Gabriel). But I’ve actually read several 5-star, 4.5-star and 4-star books this year, so if you ask me at another time I might have a different top three!
What’s a book that you didn’t expect to enjoy quite so much going in?
The Binding, by Bridget Collins. I absolutely loved it but going in I thought it was simply going to be an okay-ish book. I was more than pleasantly surprised!
Were there any books that didn’t live up to your expectations?
Oh, plenty of them! To give an example, The Siege of Troy, by Theodor Kallifatides (my version was translated by Neila García) was incredibly bad, and I wasn’t expecting it to be because it had actually been a rec from my mum... Yikes.
Did you reread any old faves? If so, which one was your favourite?
No re-reads this year at all!
Did you DNF any books?
Nope. I am simply physically incapable of it. Very bad, I know!
Did you read any books outside your usual preferred genre(s)?
Yeah, actually! I read more non-fiction this year than any other year and I’m loving it, also a couple of graphic novels, and I definitely was more diverse than ever in terms of plots/countries/ideas so I think we can count that too.
What was your predominant format this year?
As always, ebooks!
What’s the longest book you read this year?
StoryGraph tells me it was Master and Margarita, by Mikhail Bulgakov (my copy was translated by Amaya Lacasa), while Goodreads tells me it was Evelina, by Francis Burney. Both are around 510 pages so let’s say that.
What are your top 3 anticipated 2022 releases?
The League of Gentlewomen Witches, by India Holton, and Four Aunties and a Wedding, by Jessie Q. Sutanto. Sorry, I can’t provide a third book because I have no idea what’s coming out next year...
What books from your TBR did you not get to this year, but are excited to read in 2022?
Well, all of them, clearly! I dearly need to update both my GR and my StoryGraph TBR self, because I have a long physical list of books to read (yes I do things in paper...) but haven’t updated my internet ones in so so long. I’ll attempt to tomorrow, so I can star the year with an updated account!
I don’t know who to tag because I don’t know who has done this already so I leave this open! If you see this, you’re tagged! Please tag me in your posts, I want to see your asnwers :)
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Gojo’s Geto Suguru is still alive
‘My Hachi died. Back when I was in high school. Your Hachi, Kosuke, is still alive.’ That’s right. Satoru, in his mind, had already laid Hachi to rest and moved on. So Hachi’s place and my place were different. But that’s not true of you, is it, Kosuke? You know in your head that Hachi’s dead, but emotionally you can’t accept it, right? If you don’t mourn a dead cat properly, you’ll never get over it.
‘You have to mourn your cat properly, or you won’t get over it. Don’t just sit here fretting about being too late. Go there and mourn him. Tell him you’re sorry you didn’t make it in time, that you wanted to see him.’
(An expansion of this post)
i. Introduction
This is a quote from The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa. It is a pretty good indicator on what can happen when the death of someone is left to languish. If you don't go through the grieving process properly, it will never let you go.
Of course, grieving translates differently to each individual. It's also something that can't be forced or sped up, as healing happens gradually.
When discussing grief Freud (1917), suggests that the end of the grieving process comes when the person lets the attachment go, so that a new object of love/desire can take its place.
I believe this is where it went wrong for Gojo, and I will discuss this under the cut.
( Please keep in mind, in canon it's only been a year and it is perfectly normal for a grieving process to take multiple years. )
ii. Gojo’s relationship with mourning
What I found notable is that Gojo isn't allowed to mourn.
1. For one, he isn't allowed to mourn by the system. After Geto turned rouge he was to be executed on sight. Subsequently, Gojo came across Geto in Shinjuku, but he couldn't bring himself to kill Geto. He was questioned about this later by Yaga.
Gojo's feelings were rightfully complex concerning Geto at that time.
On one hand, he knew that Geto was far gone - dead, in a sense. The old Geto, the Geto Gojo knew couldn’t be saved.
But when did the old Geto die? When the girl he swore to protect was killed in front of him? When Toji told him that Gojo was dead? When Haibara died? When he massacred an entire village? This death, the metaphorical death of old Geto was a slow, painful process.
On the other hand, while Gojo realised that he can't save his friend, his feelings toward him remained even after a decade. In the prequel he mentioned that he knew that someone with Geto's belief wouldn't take a young sorcerer's life just like that. His trust remained. While it's obviously not the same connection they had before, it still speaks volumes.
2. But Gojo doesn't let himself mourn either. How does he deal with death in general? The first death we saw him deal with was Riko's. He used this as a driving source for his 'power up'. What did he use Geto's death for? Creating a powerful generation of sorcerers? Changing the system so the world changes into one that can Geto freely laugh in?
Of course, he has more reasons than just Geto's death for changing the system ( And those reasons are equally as important, some that come to mind are the way the higher-ups treat children like Yuta, Yuuji or even himself. ) but at the same time I do believe that he wants to create a world where Geto can be free.
iii. How Gojo dealt with Geto’s death
1.Does he let the attachment to Geto go?
It is often emphasized that Gojo keeps somewhat of a distance from other people. Part of it is something that comes with his cursed technique, the infinity. He can choose to let something touch him or not. But this also relates to how he chooses to let people in. - or rather the lack of it. Geto was one of the few people we saw Gojo let in.
We also see Gojo pushing his emotions down quite a lot. There are many examples to this, but I'd like to focus on his behaviour right after he kills Geto. He's able to push his feelings aside and be the cheerful teacher he is known to be.
2.Did Gojo ever make peace with Geto's death?
I believe he didn't. Will he ever get to? He may make peace with his death if he either: succeeds in changing the system, or if Geto's soul comes back in some form.
We still don't know what Getwo's / floppy brain!Geto's / however you want to call the brain that currently occupies Geto's body identity is, but we saw Geto's soul responding to Gojo. This will surely come into play later in one way or another.
#jjk#jujutsu kaisen#geto suguru#suguru geto#gojo satoru#satoru gojo#satosugu#jjk meta#jjk spoilers#rere.jjk
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Books Books Books
100 Years of Solitude
11.22.63
120 Days of Sodom
1491
1984
A Brief History of Time
A Canticle for Leibowitz
A Child Called It
A Clockwork Orange
A Confederacy of Dunces
A History of the World in Ten and a Half Chapters
A Land Fit for Heroes Trilogy
A Little Life
A Naked Singularity
A People's History of the United States
A Scanner Darkly
A Series of Unfortunate Events
A Short History of Nearly Everything
A Song of Ice and Fire
A Storm of Swords
A Supposedly Fun Thing I’ll Never Do Again: Essays and Arguments
A Thousand Splendid Suns
A Walk in the Woods
A World Lit Only by Fire
Accursed Kings
Alice in Wonderland
All Quiet on the Western Front
All the Light We Cannot See
All the Pretty Horses
America, the Book
American Gods
American Psycho
And then There Were None
Angela’s Ashes
Animal Farm
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle
Anna Karenina
Anything Terry Pratchett, But, Mort is My Favorite
Anything Written by Robin Hobb
Apt Pupil
Artemis Fowl
Asimov's Guide to the Bible
Asoiaf
Atlas Shrugged
Bartimeaus
Batman: the Long Halloween
Battle Royale
Beat the Turtle Drum
Behind the Beautiful Forevers
Belgariad Series
Beloved
Berserk
Bestiario
Black Company
Blankets/habibi
Blind Faith
Blindness
Blood Meridian
Blood and Guts: a History of Surgery
Bluest Eye
Brandon Sanderson
Brave New World
Breakfast of Champions
Bridge to Terabithia
Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee: an Indian History of the American West
Calvin and Hobbs
Candide
Carrie
Cat's Cradle
Catch 22
Cats Cradle
Chaos
Child of God
Choke
Chuck Palahniuk
City of Ember
City of Thieves
Cloud
Collapse
Come Closer
Complaint
Confessions of a Mask
Contact
Conversation in the Cathedral
Cosmos
Crime and Punishment
Dan Brown
David
Dead Birds Singing
Dead Mountain: the Untold True Story of the Dyatlov Pass Incident
Delta Venus
Die Räuber (the Robbers)
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep
Don Quixote
Dragonlance
Dune
Dying of the Light
East of Eden
Educated
Empire of Sin: a Story of Sex, Jazz, Murder, and the Battle for Modern New Orleans
Enders Game
Enders Shadow
Escape from Camp 14
Ever Since Darwin
Every Man Dies Alone
Everybody Poops
Everything is Illuminated
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
Fahrenheit 451
Far from the Madding Crowd
Faust
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S Thompson
Feet of Clay
Fight Club
First Law
Flowers for Algernon
Flowers in the Attic
Foundation
Foundation Series
Foundation Trilogy
Frankenstein
Freakonomics
Fun Home
Galapagos
Geek Love
Gerald’s Game
Ghost Story
Go Ask Alice
Go Dog Go
Godel, Escher, Bach: an Eternal Golden Braid
Goldfinch
Gone Girl
Gone with the Wind
Good Omens
Grapes of Wrath
Great Expectations
Greg Egan
Guards! Guards!
Guns Germs and Steel
Guts (short Story)
Half a World
Ham on Rye
Hannibal Rising
Hard Boiled Wonderland
Hatchet
Haunted
Hawaii
Heart Shaped Box
Heart of Darkness
Hellbound Heart
Hellraiser
Hell’s Angels
Helter Skelter
His Dark Materials
Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
Hogg
Holocaust by Bullets
House of Leaves
How to Cook for Fourty Humans
How to Win Friends and Influence People
Huckleberry Finn
Hyperion
I Am America, and So Can You
I Am the Messenger
I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream
I Was Dr. Mengele’s Assistant
In Cold Blood
In Search of Our Mother's Gardens
Independent People
Infinite Jest
Into Thin Air
Into the Wild
Introduction to Linear Algebra
Invisible Monsters
Ishmael
It
Jacques Le Fataliste
Jane Eyre
Jaunt
Job: a Comedy of Justice
John Dies at the End
John Grisham
Johnathan Livingston Seagull
Johnny Got His Gun
Jon Ronson
Journal of a Novel
Jurassic Park
Justine
L'histoire D'o
Lamb
Last Exit to Brooklyn
Les Miserables
Lies My Teacher Told Me
Life of Pi
Limits and Renewals
Little House in the Big Woods
Lockwood & Co.
Lolita
Looking for Trouble
Lord Foul’s Bane
Lord of the Flies
Lyddie
Malazan Book of the Fallen
Maldoror
Manufacturing Consent: the Political Economy of the Mass Media
Man’s Search for Meaning
Mark Twain’s Autobiography
Maus
Meditations
Megamorphs (series)
Mein Kampf
Memnooch the Devil
Metro 2033
Michael Crichton
Middlesex
Mindhunter
Misery
Mistborn
Moby Dick
Mrs. Dalloway
My Side of the Mountain
My Sweet Audrina
Nacht über Der Prärie (night over the Prairie)
Naked Lunch
Name of the Wind
Neuromancer
Never Let Me Go
Neverwhere
New York
Next
Night
Night Shift
Norwegian Wood
Notes from Underground
Nothing to Envy: Real Lives in North Korea
Of Mice and Men
Of Nightingales That Weep
Ohio
Old Mans War
Old Mother West Wind
On Heroes and Tombs
On Laughter and Forgetting
On the Road
One Flew over the Cuckoos Nest
One Hundred Years of Solitude
One of Us
Painted Bird
Patrick Rothfuss
Perfume: the Story of a Murderer
Persepolis
Pet Sematary
Peter Pan
Pillars of the Earth
Poisonwood Bible
Pride and Predjudice
Ready Player One
Rebecca
Red Mars
Red Night (series)
Red Shirts
Red Storm Rising
Redwall
Replay
Requiem for a Dream
Revenge
Riftwar Saga
Ringworld
Roald Dahl
Rolls of Thunder, Hear My Cry
Round Ireland with a Fridge
Running with Scissors
Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes
Sapiens, a Brief History of Humankind
Scary Stories to Read in the Dark
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark
Schindler’s List
Sein Und Zeit
Shades of Grey
Sharp Objects
Shattered Dreams
Sherlock Holmes
Sho-gun
Siddhartha
Sisypho
Skin and Other Stories
Slaughterhouse Five
Smoke & Mirrors
Snow Crash
Soldier Son
Sometimes a Great Notion
Sphere
Starship Troopers
Stiff, the Curious Lives of Human Cadavers
Storied Life of A.j. Fikry
Stormlight Archives
Story of the Eye
Stranger in a Strange Land
Surely, You're Joking
Survivor Type (short Story)
Suttree
Swan Song
Tale of Two Cities
Tales of the South Pacific
The Alchemist
The Altered Carbon Trilogy
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay
The Art of Deception
The Art of Fielding
The Art of War
The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation
The Autobiography of Henry Viii
The Autobiography of Malcolm X
The Beach
The Bell Jar
The Bible
The Bloody Chamber
The Book Thief
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
The Brothers Karamazov
The Call of Cthulu and Other Weird Stories
The Cask of Amontillado (short Story)
The Catcher in the Rye
The Chronicles of Narnia
The Clown
The Color out of Space
The Communist Manifesto
The Complete Fiction of H.p. Lovecraft
The Count of Monte Cristo
The Curious Case of the Dog in the Night Time
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime
The Dagger and the Coin
The Damage Done
The Dark Tower
The Declaration of Independence, the Us Constitution, and the Bill of Rights
The Devil in the White City
The Dharma Bums
The Diamond Age
The Dice Man
The Discworld Series
The Dresden Files
The Elegant Universe
The First Law Trilogy
The Forever War
The Foundation Trilogy
The Gentleman Bastard Sequence
The Geography of Nowhere
The Girl Next Door
The Girl on the Milk Carton
The Giver
The Giving Tree
The God of Small Things
The Grapes of Wrath
The Great Gatsby
The Great Gilly Hopkins
The Hagakure
The Half a World Trilogy
The Handmaid’s Tale
The Heart is a Lonely Hunter
The Hiding Place
The History of Love
The Hobbit
The Hot Zone
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
The Hyperion Cantos
The Jaunt
The Jungle
The Key to Midnight
The Killing Star
The Kingkiller Chronicles
The Kite Runner
The Last Question (short Story)
The Lies of Lock Lamora
The Little Prince
The Long Walk
The Lord of the Rings
The Lottery (short Story)
The Lovely Bones
The Magicians
The Magus
The Martian
The Master and Margarita
The Metamorphosis of Prime Intellect
The Monster at the End of This Book
The Moon is a Harsh Mistress
The Music of Eric Zahn (short Story)
The Name of the Wind & the Wise Man's Fear
The Necronomicon
The New Age of Adventure: Ten Years of Great Writing
The Night Circus
The Nightmare Box
The Odyssey
The Omnivore's Dilemma
The Orphan Master’s Son
The Outsiders
The Painted Bird
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
The Phantom Tollbooth
The Picture of Dorian Gray
The Pit and the Pendulum
The Plague
The Prince
The Prince of Tides
The Princess Bride
The Prophet
The Queen’s Gambit
The Rape of Nanking
The Red Dwarf
The Republic
The Rifter Saga
The Road
The Satanic Verses
The Screwtape Letters
The Secret History
The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel
The Selfish Gene
The Shining
The Shrine of Jeffrey Dahmer
The Silmarillion
The Sirens of Titan
The Six Wives of Henry the 8th
The Solitude of Prime Numbers
The Speaker of the Dead
The Stars My Destination
The Stormlight Archive
The Story of My Tits
The Stranger
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck
The Suspicions of Mr. Witcher
The Tao of Pooh
The Things They Carried
The Time Machine
The Time Traveller’s Wife
The Tin Drum
The Unbearable Lightness of Being
The Unthinkable Thoughts of Jacob Green
The Wasp Factory
The Wind Up Bird Chronicle
The Wind-up Bird Chronicle
The World According to Garp
The Yellow Wallpaper
Their Eyes Were Watching God
Things Fall Apart
Thirsty
This Blinding Absence of Light
Tiger!
Time Enough for Love
To Kill a Mockingbird
To Say Nothing of the Dog
Toni Morrison
Too Many Magicians
Traumnovelle
Tuesdays with Morrie
Tuf Voyaging
Undeniable
Under Plum Lake
Universe in a Nutshell
Unwind
Uzumaki
Various
Village Life in Late Tsarist Russia
Walden
War & Peace
War and Peace
Warriors: Bluestar’s Prophecy
Watchers
Water for Elephants
Watership Down
We Have Always Lived in the Castle
We Need to Talk About Kevin
Wheel of Time
When Rabbit Howls
Where the Red Fern Grows
Where the Sidewalk Ends
Why I Am Not a Christian
Why People Believe Weird Things
Wizards First Rule
Wool
World War Z
Worm
Wuthering Heights
You Can Choose to Be Happy
Zen & the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
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Part III Wed By Candlelight (The Portrait of the Secret Bride)
Supercorp The Corpse Bride AU
Part I, Part II , AO3
EPILOGUE
The lush verdancy of the countryside unfurls itself on the road in front of Kara, and she rolls down the windows of her rental car to let the fresh air in. A deep inhale brings the smells of grass and earth, and Kara smiles to herself.
It's Kara's second day here. She'd gotten in late from her flight and she'd spent most of yesterday in her hotel room, jet-lagged and feeling barely human. The long flight, the bustle of the city, and the general fatigue that accompanies travel had settled on her and she'd allowed herself one day to recover in bed.
She would take longer to recuperate, maybe do some sightseeing in the city -- but honestly, she'd been too excited. So despite still feeling the effects of jet lag like a bad hangover, she'd taken her rented Subaru and set off for the countryside.
Alex would probably laugh at her impatience, but this moment has been two years in the making, Kara can hardly be blamed for being unable to wait.
Two years. Since the last time she'd dreamed about ghosts from the past. And in those two years, it's almost all she's been thinking about.
The book is almost finished.
For two years, Kara has been writing her family's secret legacy. Each page has been a loving chronicle of Lena and her Kara's story.
She's taken some liberties, of course. There are no records of what happened that fateful night, and the full story only lives in Kara's memories now. No one else knows, and apart from the portrait of Lena inside the locket around Kara's neck, there's no proof that this had even happened.
But it did. And now, it just needs an ending.
For the past two years, Kara has been combing through references, records, centuries-old documents to find information on the Luthor family. The last of the line were Lex and Lena, and the name had ended with them. With their deaths, the fortune had dissipated -- and of course, the home had been transformed by her ancestor and now belongs to Kara's family.
But Kara has something in her memories that records don't have.
Something Lex had said to Lena had wormed its way into Kara's mind all these years, and it still hasn't left.
“You’ve never been poisoned before, have you, little sister? Well, I have. Arsenic has a very mild odor. Usually, one would never recognize it, but I know because my bitch of a wife put it in my drink the night she left me, sneaking off like a frightened little rat, just like you were planning to.”
As loathe as she had been to recall Lex Luthor or his caustic words, once she remembered it, a theory had planted itself in Kara's brain, and it had taken hold.
All the records said that Lex had brought infamy to the family for killing his wife and child. But if Lex's wife had managed to escape him, then she may well have survived. And if she had, what happened to her baby? Was she able to take the child with her? If so, where did they go? What happened to them?
It's taken two years of careful research -- fueled by Kara's dedication to telling Lena's story, and her own natural curiosity -- to find out. Tracking down Lex Luthor's wife to her hometown, sifting through various names she might have used and tracking down descendants, finding exciting leads, and coming up against numerous dead ends.
And then three months ago, she'd finally tracked down a doctor living in the small town Kara’s heading to now, who -- if her theories are correct -- could be a long-lost descendant of Lex Luthor.
Kara had contacted her, explaining as much as she could about her book without totally freaking this stranger out. The doctor was very interested in hearing Kara's story -- if a little skeptical at first. She had been polite enough in her earlier emails, but the more Kara told her about the story, the more intrigued she became. And the stronger Kara’s conviction that her theories were correct became as well.
And now four months and a whole barrage of emails between them later, Kara's finally about to meet her.
Kara spies the charming little mailbox on the side of the road, and knows she's at the right place. She steers the rented Subaru into the road beyond it and curiously surveys the place.
As she turns the corner, she finds the picturesque cottage, half-hidden by ivy climbing up its walls and a small grove of blackthorn and aspen trees. Rows of bright little sea-lavender blooms line the walkway. A lovely tabby cat perched on the wall licking its paws completes the delightful picture.
Once she's parked, Kara self-consciously straightens her appearance. The fresh air helped with the jet lag a bit, but she still looks exactly like she got off a ten-hour flight.
She lets out an exasperated sigh as she straightens her button-up and tries to flatten her hair from where it had been blown all over her face during the ride. When she's satisfied, she takes a deep breath and approaches the door to ring the bell.
Kara is fiddling with her glasses as she waits -- a nervous habit -- and when the door opens, she nearly snaps them clean in half. She chokes as she gets her first sight of the doctor. "H-Hello."
"Yes?" The face on the other side of the door wrinkles slightly in confusion and concern at her tone and the expression of utter shock that Kara is wearing right now.
It's the same face in the locket resting over Kara's heart, nearly identical at first glance -- from the sharp angle of her jaw to the high forehead to the clear viridian eyes. It's as if the portrait has come to life right in front of Kara's eyes two hundred years later.
She feels an odd sensation in her chest that she can’t quite understand -- it’s at once a sting and a balm. It's been two years since Kara's seen that face outside of lines and brush strokes on a old memento.
But the longer Kara stares, the more she notices the differences. This woman's face is slightly rounder, her features just a degree softer, and she has a scar near her right eye.
The woman inches slightly away, and Kara realizes she's been staring at her for a full thirty seconds without saying anything. "Sorry. Y-you're Dr. Kieran?"
Kara almost wants to laugh, because of course this is Dr. Kieran. Of course Lex Luthor's last living descendant has his sister's face. Wherever that bastard is, he must surely be rolling in his grave.
"Oh, you're Kara Danvers!"
The woman's voice trills over a small laugh, and Kara can't help but stare more. Hearing her own name in that voice is so strange but delightful in a way that makes Kara shiver. That voice is familiar -- yet somehow lighter and more melodic than that of the woman Kara had met two years ago. The voice of a woman who didn't live under the shadow of the Luthor name, who didn’t spend so many years alone and nearly-forgotten.
"It's lovely to meet you." The woman opens the door wider and extends a hand toward Kara. "Please, call me Lena."
Something pings inside Kara at the name, and she takes the woman's hand with a smile she can’t contain.
"Hello, Lena. I'm so happy to finally meet you. I have so much to tell you."
_________
by SorrowsFlower
I had a note to myself that said “This is the year we finish fics, bitch! Yeah!” and actually 3 fics (out of my 8 SG fics) finished this year ain’t bad.
I’m optimistically making this into a series in the hopes that I can actually write the other scenes I thought up for this AU that didn’t make it in the fic.
#supercorp#supergirl#kara danvers#lena luthor#katie mcgrath#melissa benoist#supercorp au#tumblr is a chapter ahead but i'll be updating the ao3 link soon#Holy shit look at me being all optimistic wtf??
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My Favorite Books I Read In 2020
I read about 30 print books in 2020 (you can see them all here) (a LOT of light novels...needed that escapism) and I really liked most of them! I discovered a few gems I’d like to talk about here. From cats to Greek mythology to fantasy-horror-yuri, we’ve got a nice range!
The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa
Nothing beats a good snarky cat voice. The Travelling Cat Chronicles follows the journey of Nana the cat as he goes on a road trip with his owner Satoru and meets many of his owner’s old friends. We learn a lot about Nana and Satoru’s pasts along the way and bit by bit, the mysterious purpose of their journey becomes clear.
This book shows how a strong narrative voice can take a reading experience to the next level. Nana’s narration is acerbic, lively, and just plain fun to read. Again, a pitch perfect kitty cat. The tale is also tearjerker and had me bawling like a baby, but they were good, cathartic tears that come from reading a story that touches on the tragic aspects of life as well as the beautiful ones, helping one come to terms with how bittersweet but meaningful our experiences can be. Nana and his owner encounter many people struggling to find happiness and love along their way and each tale is touching without ever crossing into cloying sentimentality. I definitely strongly recommend this one, for both cat lovers and lovers of a solid, sweet stories.
Circe and The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
I really enjoy how bizarre and messy and sprawling Greek mythology is and Madeline Miller doesn’t shy away from that weirdness, instead fully embracing it while giving strong reinterpretations of classic characters and allowing for resonant emotional journeys.
Circe follows the titular witch, who has long been used as an expression of men’s fears and anxieties about women in power, and tells “her side of the story”. Miller has a vivid, lyrical narrative style that really carries her big ideas well. She does a great job communicating Circe’s emotional torment as a lesser goddess growing up among the petty and ruthless gods of Mount Olympus, and how she understandably develops a fascination with humanity. Yet even among mortals Circe doesn’t have it easy, as often mortal men, they devalue her for being woman before recognizing her power. Circe is a compelling, layered character throughout, making many mistakes along the way as discovers her own power and struggles to find her place among the world of gods and humans. Her journey and the journeys of those around her are rife with tragedy, much like the Greek myths that inspired this novel (and BOY does Miller manage to pull in a lot of those myths). Yet it’s so epic in scope you don’t get bogged down by the bleakness, and there’s always a defiant, hopeful undercurrent. It was certainly the most ambitious (successfully so!) and inventive book I read this year.
Speaking of tragedy, The Song of Achilles gives us a tender, heartfelt look at some of mythology’s earliest Tragic Gays. It tells the story of Achilles and Patroclus, from their childhood up ‘til their end in the Trojan War. In the Iliad, we know so little about Patroclus he functions more as a plot device than a character, but Miller focuses on his point of view and fully fleshes him out, really exploring his backstory, his aversion to violence and the development of his romance with Achilles- so a reader can finally fully understand exactly why Achilles is so devastated at the loss of his love. You also fully feel the tragedy of Achilles developing from a brash, but very open and loving kid, to someone who loses himself in pride and warfare. The clear moral of the book- that these acts of violence or “heroic war deeds” are not what should be celebrated about men but instead we should focus on their capacity for love and mercy- is executed well, coming across strongly without feeling like it’s being hammered into your skull. And Miller’s lyrical way of writing is well suited for a romance, with some nice poetic lines like “our lips landed clumsily on each other. They were like the fat bodies of bees, soft and round and giddy with pollen”
Favorite light novels: Otherside Picnic series by Iori Miyazawa
Otherside Picnic follows the adventures of two university students, Sorawo and Toriko, as the venture through portals to a mysterious alternate world the two girls dub the “Otherside”. In this other world, the girls often encounter strange creatures that seem to be straight out of popular Japanese creepypasta/”true ghost stories”. But despite the terrifying things they find there, the girls are drawn to keep visiting this dangerous place. For Toriko, she’s partly motivated by the search for her missing (and somewhat shady) mentor, Satsuki, who got lost in this other world a while ago, yet Toriko still holds out hope she’s alive. Sorawo finds that she simply enjoys going on adventures with Toriko, and starts feeling increasingly nettled and irritated about the specter of Satsuki hanging over them...
Otherside Picnic is a fun blend of fantasy, action, horror, and slow-burn yuri. Sorawo is a really unusual and interesting female protagonist for a light novel- she’s prickly, dryly sarcastic, a withdrawn loner and also an anxious mess at times. Her rough backstory actually has clear psychological effects on her and you can see her social isolation in how she gets confused by Toriko being affectionate. Overall, she’s a really good character and breath of fresh air among all the hyper cheerful or overpowered protagonists, and her acerbic narration and biting banter is fun to read.
She’s also got really good chemistry with the more easygoing-but-not-without-her-own-baggage Toriko, and their romance is done quite well. It builds slowly and sweetly, not getting explicit until the end of the third and throughout the fourth volume (and Sorawo is VERY dense and on the defensive about it- but again, at least her denseness makes sense considering her isolated background).
The series format is very suited to anime/manga, with each novel containing a few episodic arcs that can end somewhat abruptly at times, but all the arcs build on each other and the character develop bit by bit. The different bizarre creatures the girls meet are pretty interesting (my favorite being the ninja cats. Yes, you read that right. It’s glorious) and the action is generally pretty solid. My only real complaint is sometimes the author sometimes gets too wrapped up in the technical details of things like the equipment they bring to the otherside and it can slow things down.
Here’s hoping the anime adaptation coming out does this good little series justice!
#the travelling cat chronicles#hiro arikawa#circe#the song of achilles#madeline miller#otherside picnic#iori miyazawa#my reviews#my book reviews#2020 books#light novels#year in books
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Review of The Forest of Wool and Steel by Natsu Miyashita
The Forest of Wool and Steel
by Natsu Miyashita
The Summary:
The story revolves around Tomura who discovers the beauty of the piano and decides he wants to become a Piano tuner, through the book we see how he practices under three mentors: Mr. Itadori, Mr. Yanagi, and Mr. Akino.
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As for the characters, they are all very real with their own distinct view towards life, art, and piano tuning. Mr. Yanagi especially was an interesting man who had an artist’s perspective towards life, comparing the piano to flowers and cheez. His beautiful metaphors guide you to understand the other dimensions you missed about the piano and how it can affect your life.
As for Tomura, our main character, his dedication and yearning to learn inspired me to go back to my passion of painting. It would definitely be interested in trying something!
As for the rest of the characters each give you a different outlook and makes the story so much more exciting.
The writing style is poetic and easy to understand (I read the English version) and the pacing was a bit slow, even though it is less than 200 pages, but it was the right one for me since I wanted to enjoy the book as long as it takes.
An important component of the story would be the use of imagery and metaphors. The author was very good at using this to connect us to the characters even if we are not pianists or understand the first thing about creating music. Here is an excerpt to give you an insight into the lovely writing style and the use of metaphor, it is taken from the chapter where Tomura realizes how hearing the piano for the first time changes his life:
“It liberated me to have a word for these things - for the trees, the mountains, the seasons. To call them beautiful meant I could take them out any time I wished, exchange them with friends. Beauty was everywhere in the world. I had just never known what to call it or how to recognize it - until that afternoon in the school gym, when it flooded me with joy. If a piano can bring light to the beauty that has become invisible to us, and give it audible form, then it is a miraculous instrument and I thrill to be its lowly servant”
For my general impression, this book made me reflect on how each person views “beauty” and “art” differently. However, it also made me think how auditory art is the least form appreciated today, in the era of photoshop and aesthetic visuals. The appreciation for the music I see here is similar to the one in the novel “Kafka on the Shore” by Haruki Murakami.
This idea also brought back memories of listening to Quran reciters such as Subhi Taha, or Houssam Al-Din Abbadi. Or listening closely to the music in Disney movies such as Brother Bear. Auditory memory has a way of evoking nostalgia like no other sense.
Another thing this book brought to my attention is the idea that we always appreciate the music and the instruments but know very little about the people who fix them and tune them. Lots of effort and practice goes into bringing the right noises out of the instruments, and more importantly, it needs an "understanding the vibrations and interactions among and between the notes".
Lastly, I think if you look for a heartwarming and inspiring book this might be it !
Other similar books that I enjoyed and have the same heartwarming component are Sweet Bean Paste and The Travelling Cat Chronicles.
I would like to know your thoughts about this book if you read it or tell me about a book that made you reconsider your thoughts about something?
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Interview given to The Severus Snape and Hermione Granger Shipping Fan Group.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/199718373383293/
Hello CorvusDraconis and welcome to Behind the Quill, thank-you so much for sitting down with us to chat.
You’re a well known and beloved figure in the SS/HG community for your many stories - including a personal favourite of mine, A chance for happiness.
Okay, let’s jump right in.
What's the story behind your pen name?
I have always had a fascination for the shiny things and the Northwest Coast depictions of Raven the Trickster/Creator, and, I tend to hoard (and get super protective) of my art supplies. Corvids have always been a positive sign in my life. They tend to show up when I’m feeling down and engage in funny antics in the yard. As for dragons, I’ve always had a love for them and think the Western depiction of them as dangerous beasts with no mind but for hoarding treasure and killing people only to be slain by a knight quite despicable.
Which Harry Potter character do you identify with the most?
Severus, actually. I see a lot of my life in his. Hardships, challenges, bullying— trying to be something better and later wondering about unwise decisions. I have a very similar dislike for dunderheads, but I do not share his inclination to denude rosebushes of their petals.
Do you have a favourite genre to read? (not in fic, just in general)
I have always preferred fantasy and sci-fi.
Do you have a favourite "classic" novel?
I am not sure if you would call it a classic novel, but grew up on all things Tolkien (and even puzzled through the Silmarillion at the grand age of seven), and have a special place in my heart for Watership Down. While I’ve read pieces like War and Peace, Iliad, Ulysses, Pride and Prejudice, Grapes of Wrath, Moby Dick, Great Gatsby, Little Women, Catcher in the Rye, Tom Sawyer/Huckleberry Finn, Scarlet Letter, Don Quixote, To Kill a Mockingbird, Animal Farm, Jane Eyre, Lord of the Flies, Tale of Two Cities, Heart of Darkness, Robinson Crusoe, Alice in Wonderland, Great Expectations, Odyssey, Frankenstein, Dracula, Crime and Punishment, Heart of Darkness, Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, The Secret Garden, Treasure Island, Anne of Green Gables, Les Misérables, Peter Pan, Gulliver’s Travels, all things Jack London, 20000 Leagues, etc.— they never captured me as aptly as Anne McCaffery’s Dragonriders of Pern or Mercedes Lackley’s the Last Herald Mage. Though, if I were to pick classic stories I read more than once (litmus test for things I like) it would be things such as The Secret Garden, Call of the Wild, Wild Fang, The Hobbit, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, and The Last Unicorn.
At what age did you start writing?
The moment I could pick up pencil and paper, I was writing. I had notepads full of stories I wrote as a kid. Alas, my dad found them one day when I was off to college, made fun of them, and I came home and burned every single one in mortification.
How did you get into writing fanfiction?
The moment TV shows did “stupid things” to their characters. I used to write things about Beauty and the Beast (the old CBS show) when they killed off the main character, Knight Rider, Robocop, Transformers— there are probably far more that I just don’t remember now. I was writing it long before there was a fanfiction dot net or a term to even call it.
What's the best theme you've ever come across in a fic? Is it a theme represented in your own works?
I am a shameless romantic for the beauty within and sometimes the quite literal love for a monster (not just some person who acts like a monster and changes into a better person.) The misunderstood monster is perhaps my most favourite theme, and it shows up in my stories often if not always.
What fandoms are you involved in other than Harry Potter?
I ship SessKag from Inuyasha, Lucard/Sophie from Dracula: The Series, and Loki/Hermione when I’m feeling crossover-y.
If you could make one change to canon, what would it be? Do you have a favourite piece of fanon?
Other than my favourite fanon that Severus lives/survives/finds a better life free of two masters and his guilt, I would say I would want Harry to wise the heck up and realise his father was a swine, his godfather was an almost successful murderer that used his own best mate to try and kill off another student, and his mother wasn’t all that hot either. I would want him to find value in himself without having to make stuff up about his “perfect” parents. Then again, I would want Vernon/Petunia to be arrested for child abuse and put in gaol, but— then the story would have been very different XD
Do you listen to music when you write or do you prefer quiet?
Sometimes quiet, sometimes music. But usually, I am best mates with Spotify.
What are your favourite fanfictions of all time?
In the HP universe: I honestly don’t read many of them because I’m always writing my own stuff XD, but when I really feel like I need a good Ron bashing SSHG HEA, I read just about anything by IShouldBeWritingSomethingElse. However, that being said, I often return to “The Sun is Often Out” by Hannah-1888 for just the right amount of angst and HEA to make me happy.
In the Inuyasha universe: A Trick of Fate by PristinelyUngifted
In the Marvel universe: Mutual Respect Sends His Regrets by moor
In the Star Trek universe: Gratified By Your Company by starfleetdream
Are you a plotter or a pantser? How does that affect your writing process?
I go by the seat of my feathered rump, to be honest. Inspiration is a fickle, unpredictable beast, and I usually don’t know what is going to happen until it does.
What is your writing genre of choice?
Fantasy
Which of your stories are you most proud of? Why?
Chance of Happiness because it was my very first publication. It may not have been my best, but it was my first, and it very well could have been my last yet somehow wasn’t.
Looks Can Be Deceiving and One Step Forward, Two Decades Back are two epic tales that seemed to demand being written. The fact I finished them was something I think deserves a little pride.
Did it unfold as you imagined it or did you find the unexpected cropped up as you wrote? What did you learn from writing it?
Looks started off with me attempted to write Dramione just once. It failed. Draco demanded to be her brother of the heart, Viktor came in and said “nope she’s mine,” and no one was more surprised at the outcome of that story than me. The characters did what THEY wanted.
I learned that trying to plan a story from start to finish is useless when the characters decide what they want. The story demanded more, and I was just a conduit that typed it down. For me, at least, attempting to outline and plan is utterly useless
How personal is the story to you, and do you think that made it harder or easier to write?
I think every story I write is personal in some way. The inspiration comes from somewhere inside, and I often have no idea what it is until I go back and read it later. I think the story wrote itself in a lot of ways, which made it easier in a way, but there are a lot of things I can’t say were from personal experience because as a high fantasy of talking gryphons and such I can only imagine it. There is no basis in real life on how any of that would go down. There is a freedom in that but also many challenges in making it real enough to identify with despite how alien and fantastic the idea is.
What books or authors have influenced you? How do you think that shows in your writing?
Dragonriders of Pern introduced sentient dragons and the idea that despite a vast difference in species there could be teamwork and love between the two as they teamed up against a greater threat.
The herald-mage books by Mercedes Lackley were also important staples in my childhood because it impressed the values of responsibility despite having powers others did not, and that people were fallible despite greatness and potential.
Gandalara Cycle by Randall Garrett and Vicki Ann Heydron: I cannot tell you how often I read this story. I had dog ears on these novels because there was so much I loved about them. It was a search for humanity when displaced in a seemingly alien world, societal clashes, and the great sha’um (the giant rideable cats) that were the main characters’ partners for life.
The Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia C Wrede: A princess rebels against her arranged marriage by running away to be a dragon princess.
All of these books had creatures in it that chose to partner with a human and be with them for life, not as lovers that you find in the more modern supernatural romance blender out there, but the ultimate friend for life— the family you choose.
Do people in your everyday life know you write fanfiction?
Oh heck no. Hah. They have their secrets, and I have mine. Personally, I think mine are more healthy than theirs.
How true for you is the notion of "writing for yourself"?
Very.
I write for myself. Sometimes I’ll write a story for one of my betas or a sshg friend, but for the most part, I write for my own entertainment because nothing like what I write is out there. There is a lot of SSHG out there, but mine is almost always a creature feature story. I blame X-Files growing up. It tickles me that others enjoy my stories, but in the end I write to get things down and out of my head. They just so happen to entertain others as they do me.
How important is it for you to interact with your audience? How do you engage with them? Just at the point of publishing? Through social media?
I will often engage in A/N talk at the end of chapters, but I really don’t engage in the fandom. I loathe social media. That being said, I read every review, and while I don’t reply to everything because FF dot net is a horrible platform for messaging anymore (or ever was really)-- I appreciate every single one. Sometimes it helps to know people are enjoying the story for the story’s sake.
What is the best advice you've received about writing?
Get a beta, even if you are pretty good at writing. Get one because a second pair of eyes will catch things you don’t. Read your own stuff out loud. If you trip over it, your audience will too. If you stumble, so will they.
Get a beta who isn’t afraid to tell you that your shite stinks in places and you make no sense. You may want a cheerleader, but what you need is a beta. If you are super lucky, you can have both at once.
What do you do when you hit writer's block?
I play computer games and sew things. I’ve sewn a lot of things lately. Scrub caps and masks for work—
There has been a lot of writer’s block lately due to the times, and I will not write when I’m uninspired. I will not force inspiration. That’s not fair to me or those unfortunate enough to share in the reading. I want to be able to go back on a story I wrote and enjoy it and not curse at myself. XD
Has anything in real life trickled down into your writing?
Sometimes certain catch phrases and things from real life friends have trickled in as a sort of Easter egg (unbeknownst to them since I don’t tell them I write fanfic). Sometimes random news stories or whatnot find their way in. Lessons of the day. Random events. Things that are too odd not to stick in my brain somehow. I can’t say I always do it on purpose, though.
Do you have any stories in the works? Can you give us a teaser?
No, I have a goal this year to finish off the unfinished stories. This is made harder because Dragon and the Rose keeps adding more and more bunnies into the idea bin, and my brain wants to run with them, but I’m like NO DANGIT, I HAVE STUFF TO FINISH STILL! It’s a hard thing trying to finish what you start when so much interesting stuff pops up and waves at you like “heeeeeyyyyy I’m cool too!”
Any words of encouragement to other writers?
Keep writing but remember you can always be better. You can always improve. Writing isn’t a popularity contest. It isn’t about how many reviews you get or how many fans you may or may not have. Write because you want to write. Write what you like not what other people like. Write for you because in the end, you are the one who goes back to read it and say “I wrote this story, and I still love it” instead of forcing yourself to write something just because the topic is “popular” and gets a lot of visitors. Write something you’ll be proud to go back and read and enjoy. You’ll find when you write something genuinely, readers will come. And if only one person leaves you a paragraph review on how much your story meant to them out of someone else’s hundreds of “great!” (with nothing else)-- think of what you value more.
If my story helped someone through a dark time.
Just one person—
Then it was a good effort.
Maybe that person didn’t have the bravery to leave a message. Maybe they are ashamed. Maybe they send you a PM instead of a review.
That is, to me, the ultimate reason why I realised that despite writing stories for myself that there are people out there that needed to hear my story at just the right time in their life. If my story can bring a little joy to someone else, then it doesn’t matter how many reviews I have. It doesn’t matter that I don’t have thousands of reviews like “that other author.” What matters is that I told my story; someone out there read it and it spoke to them.
I love hearing from people and what they liked about my stories, but I also am glad that there are some people out there who secretly like my stories but do not feel safe enough to review.
So, I would say to the aspiring author: write for yourself but share it. You never know whose day you will make with your story. They may never tell you. They may tell you years later (happened to me!). There is a good chance that someone out there needs your story as much as you need to write it. That being said, find yourself a beta to share your journey with you. You may find a few friend in the process.
Thanks so much for giving us your time.
You are quite welcome.
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