#like i want it to be easy to read but so much about historical fiction for me is style i don't know
Text
Sometimes I wonder if writing Character & Caricature in the style I did was unhelpful. I think the language has been really polarising? I have a few people who really enjoy the prose but quite a few more who find it dense and overcomplicated. I guess for me, who reads a lot of historical letters and novels, it seems okay... but maybe I'm leaning too far into it? I don’t want my prose to be impenetrable, but I also don't want my characters to seem too contemporary. 😭
#c&c#i'm having a moment#like i want it to be easy to read but so much about historical fiction for me is style i don't know#urgh having an overthink everything day#gah
31 notes
·
View notes
Text
googling "how to get into writing historical fiction" as though I don't have 4 unfinished wips, a thousand other ideas written and half baked in a folder, and publishers like authors to stick to one genre but I already write contemporaries and high fantasy
#like bitch finish your first book before jumping into historical fiction#i can't even finish the easy grief book I've been working on for years now i'm going to do all this research#just to maybe write about nursing sisters? or the halifax explosion?#and like yeah okay imagine if all of my dead wives got fun little books.#no i can't think of an ENTIRE book focused around the bazaar de la charite#or the SS eastland#but like#god I want to be good at historical fiction#I miss it so much. I used to read almost exclusively historical fiction and now I don't read it at all#and I one of my first wips I remember starting when I was like 10 was historical fiction about the Titanic#I do have another historical fiction book on my shelves to read next but it's not the thing I like right now#(it's the Titanic and I'm currently fixating on the wars)#jamie shut the fuck up#personal blog#just vibing#books#rambling#writing
0 notes
Text
Geology and the Economy/Trade in Your Fictional World: Explained
Hi, I'm Bird. I am a geology Ph.D. student and I love reading fiction and playing videogames, however something that can really pull me out of a fictional universe is a lack of understanding of basic geology, and how that would influence your fictional world. Today I will cover geology that can effect trade, some landscape features, and construction!
Things that are typically necessary/desired in a fictional world are building materials, gemstones/precious metals, and fossil fuels/ sources of energy. However, a lot of these things are not found together, and they typically have some features to make them more distinct in terms of landscape, so lets talk about it!
Gemstones/ Precious metals and landscape features
Typically, gemstones can be found in two different rock types. The first is intrusive igneous rocks (magma that slowly cooled underground to form course-grained rocks like granite) and high grade metamorphic rocks (rocks that got put under intense heat and pressure under the earth's surface). Some minerals are more likely to form in particular conditions than others, but for the most part these minerals can be found interchangeably within both of these places. *Note: this is a gross oversimplification but we are starting small
(Yes it is a shitty chart better pictures will come further in the post)
If you are writing these minerals based off and igneous deposit, good descriptions for the rocks would be speckled, with mineral grains of about the same size and varying in color. They should NOT be striated, and they will often form bald (unforested) cliffs that are typically rounded and not jagged.
If you are writing with metamorphic rocks, you would expect these rocks to be layered, typically having light and dark layers with some minerals possibly being much larger than the others surrounding it. These textures can definitely (sometimes) be observed from a distance.
*Final notes about minerals* Quartz varieties are difficult, quartz can be found in volcanic, metamorphic, sedimentary, and intrusive igneous settings. If you are writing about agate specifically it is almost always volcanic in nature.
Diamonds are found in volcanic ash deposits called kimberlites, these deposits can occur in any rock type, so while they are igneous, they can be found anywhere. They have zero connection to the surrounding rocks.
2. Fossil Fuels
If a region is producing oil or coal, it is going to be from a sedimentary environment that is very rich in ancient plant material (like millions of years old). A unique feature of these locations would be finding lots of plant fossils, and rocks that can be found in association with these would be sandstone, shale, conglomerates/breccias, and limestones. Sedimentary rocks form in layers, so if exposed the layers will be very visible from a distance. You can also get unique features due to preferential weathering (fancy way of saying some rocks are harder than others, so when exposed to the same weather some rocks will break down faster than others). Also, natural oil seeps are a thing in places where natural oil is prevalent, but I couldn't find a good picture sorry.
3. Building Resources
based on the rocks found in each region, the buildings will be made out of different materials, so lets breakdown what building materials would be used based off what rocks are present in the location.
Sedimentary rocks- lots of options here, so I will just info dump. If the region is drier, limestone is a good choice, historically may desert areas use limestone, it is soft and easy to carve, but it will dissolve slowly with rain. Sandstone is a durable rock that can be used, but it is very hard as it is made of quartz. Clay! shale breaks down in humid environments and will often make clay, this is a great, amazing building resource that could drive economy.
Metamorphic rocks- Marble.... if you want to make luxurious marble temples, metamorphic rocks are a must! Other comments, metamorphic rocks will often have layers of weaker minerals and stronger minerals, that means they will break along a defined surface. A lot of older houses in the Italian Alps (Aosta Valley) use these rocks for roofing. Slate roofing is also common in a lot of places, slate is formed from really low grade metamorphism, so this resource can be available in both sedimentary and metamorphic locations within reason.
Igneous- Granite (light) and Gabbro (dark) is very hard and therefore it is used frequently in countertops today. This is also important because these rocks will take a high shine from polishing. Igneous rocks are also perfect for making cement! Volcanic ash mixed with quicklime and salt water is the recipe for roman concrete which is arguable much better than current day concrete but otherwise doesn't offer much more benefit.
Thank you if you made it this far, I want to make more guides in the future to hopefully cover more geology topics that can influence a story (possibly natural disasters and associated landscape features for subtle foreshadowinggggg)
This guide is very simplified! It is supposed to cover a lot of information for people who may not know a lot about geology, but are interesting in creating fictional universes! If you know a lot about geology already, please avert your eyes, or comment something additional!
#geology#rocks#science#creative writing#dnd#worldbuilding#writeblr#fictional world#dnd worldbuilding#writerscommunity#writing resources#writing tips#writing prompt#stem#worldbuilding stuff
501 notes
·
View notes
Text
For a while I’ve been trying to articulate why XWP means so much to me, and I think I’ve figured it out. It seems to come from a bizzaro world where everything is just. Equal. It feels like a real feminist show because the women are so respected.
I realized this when watching episode 6 (or seven maybe?) there was a scene where Xena was imprisoned, feet chained to the floor and hands to the ceiling. A group of men came in with the express purpose to harm, and in a moment of clarity I realized that I didn’t fear for Xena in the way I did for every other female in fantasy. Fantasy (as a male dominated genre) is full of sexual violence towards women, often used as story beats or just shock. It permeates women’s real lives and bleeds into what they read for escapist fantasy. For a long time I’ve felt as if nowhere is truly safe, because most fantasy media eventually has a scene or two where a woman is violated, or a costume that’s glorified lingerie, and I have to remind myself that this genre was never made with women in mind. But that scene ended with Xena beating the shit out of them, because they tried to beat her. Not assault or grab, just punches and kicks, like men would fight in fantasy. And she fucking won because she’s Xena and she’s awesome.
Again, in many episodes men want her. But they’re never violent towards her. In the show she is treated like a man would be treated in any fantasy setting. With respect. That’s true escapism for me, some world where that kind of violence either doesn’t exist or isnt prevalent. A world so easy to make, and yet so often thrown aside because of “historical accuracy”. In fiction. The specifically not historically accurate genre where you can pull anything out of your ass and people just kinda have to vibe with that.
I’ve also mentioned this before, but it’s so rare in fantasy for women to be…carefree I guess? Most of them are jaded from past violence, or future survivors, or meek healers, or old wise women. None of which are very allowed to be silly like their male counterparts. They’re always serious, always the voice of reason. Always so reigned in from what male characters are allowed to be. Xena has a dark past, but she’s still kind. The story is still light. Women are allowed to be happy without being victimized.
XWP is fantasy first and foremost, and it works wonders. There are POC everywhere, and nobody calls attention to it because, well, that’s just how it is in Xena-land. There’s no sexual violence toward any strong women, because, well, that’s just how it is in Xena land. People fight on bamboo poles and race chariots in rivers and the steaks only go up to “Ooooo she has to marry the big bad” which never goes anywhere because we all know Xena is gonna stop them.
Xena Warrior Princess is always gonna be my favorite fantasy show, because it’s fantasy that’s finally geared towards women. A fantasy where women are safe, are capable, are treated in the same regard as men with no quippy girl-power one-liners because nobody needs to quip about the status quo. In a genre where women are so often demeaned and violated for minor story beats or shock value, seeing a work that actually feeds into a more female fantasy is what I’m obsessed with. It’s wonderful to see a magical world where women don’t have to live in fear. Or they do, like because cyclops’s n shit but everybody else does that too.
PS: this mostly applies to modern fantasy. Tolkien and Lewis were two authors I grew up on who I largely blame for my fantasy obsession today.
#xena warrior princess#xena and gabrielle#xenaverse#Never seen Hercules. but I really hope it’s at least the same caliber as this.#posts made wayyyy too late yall I am in my feelings.#xwp#Lucy Lawless??? more like Lucy FLAWLESS
76 notes
·
View notes
Text
Fanfictions and Hinduism.
Those who are active on Wattpad, might know that there are many many writers (including myself) who tend to write fiction over itihāsa or historical epics, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, purely for fun and our love for them. It seems very odd, yes, and we do get to see blasphemy there too. People love some characters, hate the others with a burning passion and there are hour long debates over human nature, characterisations, myths involved, folklores and the many versions both of them have.
We have OCs, we make graphics and video edits, we pair the said OCs with CCs and sometimes with other OCs. The comment sections are the most fun things because writers and their audience interact there. Some works are much more impressive than published paperbacks while some are simply atrocious. You know it, shades are everywhere.
Now, very recently did I come to know that in Tamil literature, a fictional tale that is weaved around a couple or more incidents or points coming from the purānas or itihāsas is called a prabandha. Fun, right?
We do get to see fanfictions in Hinduism by the name of Pancharātram by Bhāsa (the one who also penned Svapna Vāsavadattā) and Kalidāsa's Abhigyāna Shākuntalam. While the latter romanticises and adds non canon events to the canon event of Lady Shakuntala and King Dushyanta's love story, the former is about a "what-if" scenario based on the Mahabharata.
So, do we promote fiction writings on such stuff? Definitely. I got much into the Sanatana culture solely via such fictions. They promote higher thinking skills, brainstorming, even fun facts many a times if the author is literate enough. And is that different from disrespecting scriptures and our very own ancestors? Also yes. Because neither of these authors claim to strictly follow the canon events. You do not like something you see, click away. As easy as that.
Do I support all of them, tho? For sure not. There are some which whitewash the bad guys and blackwash even the divine figures. Some straight up induce cringe. But that's just my opinion. A debate is always based on facts, not personal opinions. So yes, you do you.
But are they also dangerous? Umhm. Look at the Palace of Illusions by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni. One word : atrocious. Some modern day prabandha style novel which sat a little above average in my reading experience? Abhaya by Saiswaroopa Iyer is the one (she's also written Mauri, Avishi, Draupadi and a few more if I'm not wrong.) (Abhaya is an OC paired opposite Kanha and tbh their chemistry was chef's kiss jsjshdjsjd-)
Should you write such, if that is what you want? Yes! I'd love to read-
But do you have to be careful with the message you deliver via your work? Swayam vichar kijiye *wink wink*
Some fanfictions which I may recommend. Note : not all of them involve OCs. All of these are from Wattpad. The authors' usernames are in bold.
— To Love A Murderer, Hope Embodied, and Samsrishti ; ruhitherambler.
— Satata Haritam ; Ramayana_Lover.
— Hello Mahabharata and My Days In Mahabharata ; thewomanwhobleedsink.
— Sambhavāmi ; indeevara18ls.
— Mathuraraaj ; Shivran86.
— Ehi Murare ; kanakangi.
— The Diary Of A Gopika ; Thoughtshub.
#after much procrastination#I'm finally saying this#krishnablr#krishna#gopiblr#kanha#hindublr#hinduism#desiblr#krishna my beloved <3#please feel free to add other fics which suit this category
67 notes
·
View notes
Note
MORE SCARA X YANDERE! FEM! READER OLEASE‼️‼️
Summary: You wish you could wish Wanderer a happy birthday but how could you without revealing the extensive research you performed on his background to be able to possess sensitive information such as his birthdate?
Starring: Wanderer/Scaramouche
Genre: Yandere,
Warnings: stalking, reader is a Yandere
Author’s note: i get really happy when i get asks so thank you sm!! I would’ve posted this yesterday but life happens. Enjoy!!
Word count: 1.3k
A good book remains a good book whether it’s displayed before the eyes of the most respected curators of the world or among millions of books in a local library. To you, Wanderer was a good book. He was an arrangement of words and colours, brought together to form his masterpiece that he kept hidden under pages of silence and mystery.
There was nobody who knew of him who felt like they knew enough, and among those people was you; who knew the most about him but not enough. It would never be enough.
“What will it be this time?” Wanderer said from beside you. “Psychology, true crime or crime fiction?”
You wanted to be a bit greedy, to keep him in a decorative box in your room only for your eyes to see. Why? Because Wanderer was beautiful; beautiful in the way he handed you your library books as you checked them out like he was giving you treasures beyond human imagination. He was beautiful in the way he spoke about various things he’s read about, sometimes his voice would lull you into a trance during the entirety of his rants about the lack of historical accuracy in fiction, and you would hang onto every single one of his words until the sudden snap of his fingers bring you back to reality.
He was too perfect, therefore Wanderer was uncontainable. So much that you wished to contain him. For the time being, you could only do that by taking pictures of him while he wasn’t looking.
“Surprise me.” You said after feigning contemplation. You leaned against the shelf behind you and waited to see what he would do next.
He narrowed his eyes. “No.”
“But I want to extend my reading palate.” You challenged. He watched you for a second and another before sighing and asking you to follow him and so you did.
Upon your arrival in another library section, Wanderer had presented you with two recommendations; with one book in each hand he began to explain the contents of both books.
His voice was quiet, as expected since you were in a library, but you did not miss the way his voice would lower whenever someone walked by. You noticed a long time ago that Wanderer was a very private person but you didn't think there was anything wrong with your display of affection, it was only admiring someone with limited boundaries. He did, however, have rather strict boundaries and you knew there must be some you've violated or crossed by now, you've been stalking him… No, you've been watching him. Admiring him. You like him so you're more observant with him than with others, because he's interesting. Is this how he sees it as well?
“The latter sounds very interesting.” You said, after he concluded his explanation, pushing down your moral dilemma. He hummed in acknowledgment and pushed the book against your chest as he walked past you to return to the front of the library, but just before your shoulders brushed he paused, regarding you with a gaze you couldn't perceive.
“Are you free this evening?”
Your heart leaped to your throat and you were unable to think of an appropriate reply; I always have time for you- no, that sounds too desperate. What about ‘time with you is time well spent’- no, that's too artificial!
“Yes- I mean- sure, yeah.” You glared at the ground because your anxiety was very easy to pick up on. Your thoughts shifted from your embarrassment to the pressure on your chest decreasing, Wanderer had let go of the book and was making his way to the front of the library. His ears were bright red and you wished you hadn't forgotten your camera at home that morning.
________
Pictures of Wanderer in various places and scenarios were scattered all over your bedroom walls, each picture was surrounded by at least two sticky notes with your thoughts and observations concerning the picture written down in the neatest handwriting you could muster.
There was the picture of Wanderer when he first started working at the library, his shoulders were sunken as if there was an invisible force weighing him down. The two notes accompanying this picture pointed out how this was a week after he moved here, and the fatui were rumoured to have increased their activity because they were in search of someone.
You scanned a few other shots from that day, the urge to just watch the original surveillance video from the day was difficult to overcome. Not Nearly as difficult as it was to gather all the information you had on Wanderer, from how he had been running from the fatui: a Snezhnayan organisation deeply rooted in the political and economic systems of various nations, to how he was of inazuman origins and closely related to the Raiden Shogun- but you didn't know how. Not yet, at least.
Your wondering thoughts halted when you came across a picture you took the previous week; Wanderer looking directly into the camera with an irritated expression. You couldn’t fight off your smile, it was the first time you had taken a picture of him with his consent and this was progress. You treasured this picture because it was evidence of how far your relationship with him had come. Will he allow you to take more pictures of him like this? Or even better, will he open up to you about his past soon?
Speak of the devil, your phone rang and when the screen flashed on, the caller ID belonged to Wanderer and so you picked up.
“Hello?”
“Is there anything you’re allergic to?” No time for formalities, this was the Wanderer you knew and loved.
“Not any that I know of.”
“Great, then let’s agree to meet in 40 minutes.” Wanderer said, but you knew this was only him being considerate of you- or at least you assumed as much, because you could hear the hum of various conversations in the background. He definitely wasn’t home.
“That’s perfect,” you said, but your voice had quieted as you scanned his pictures in your room. How would he react if he found out about this… quality of yours? Would he be upset? Would he hate you? Those possibilities could scare anyone, but you’ve found yourself being drawn to all of Wanderers reactions whether good or bad. What you really disliked was no reactions from him at all- or perhaps dislike was too strong a word; could you really dislike anything about him?
Your gaze shifted to a picture you contemplated burning because of how terrible it looked, you had taken it in a rush but despite the terrible quality, it grew on you just because it was Wanderer. There was no need for better reasoning, that was more than enough.
Wanderer’s voice had softened when it filtered through the previously quiet line. “What’s on your mind?”
You hummed as you mulled over your response, “I’m just wondering if there was any special reason you wanted to hang out today.” By now, your attention had shifted to the middle of the wall beside your door where you had stuck a note written in bold black letters ‘3rd of Jan’: his birthday. Today. He hadn’t told anyone the real date of his birth, probably because he was trying to hide his previous identity as ‘the balladeer’ but no Information about him would ever be out of reach for you.
“There’s no special reason,” he mumbled. “Just felt like spending time with a friend today.”
The corners of your mouth tilted, his voice had always sounded pretty and no matter how many times you heard it you would never get tired of it.
“Then allow me to get prepared.” You finally said, ignoring the flutter in your chest.
“I trust that you’ll be here on time, 34 minutes left.” His voice was back to being monotone and sarcastic.
This filled you with amusement, and you decided to tease, “You trust me?”
He went quiet for a second and another, then finally he replied. “I always have.” He ended the call.
You held your phone to your chest as you gazed at his pictures again and thought, would he still trust you after seeing your room like this?
It didn’t matter. Even if he didn’t know you knew… Happy birthday, Wanderer <3
#silaswritesthings#silas#genshin impact#genshin x you#wanderer x reader#anemo supremacy#genshin wanderer#happy birthday wanderer!!#genshin impact wanderer#scaramouche#scaramouche x reader
95 notes
·
View notes
Text
Amanda Cessor • A Writeblr Intro
Hey everyone! I'm Amanda Cessor and I write historical fantasy and romance. I have words published in Merciless Mermaids (An Anthology,) Full Mood Mag, and I have my first novel coming out with Inked in Gray Press.
I'll be posting tips, essays, creative nonfiction and excerpts from my work here, as well as documenting the process of publishing my first book with a small, independent press. I hope we can be friends!
The Novel is called "With Love, Juniper" and the little elevator pitch is: Herbalist and witch Juniper, who suffers from severe social phobia, finds herself caught between the courtships of her oldest friend, Oleander, and handsome, influential stranger, Theo, while trying to deal with the expectations of her parents and the members of the small village she lives in.
I have entirely too many projects I'm currently working on, behold:
A Dawn Without Ashes -- Vampire Romance, Stand Alone (for now?)
Projected Word Count -- 100k
Setting
Fantasy Anachronistic 1920's vibes, in a land where Vampires rule and humans are seen as little more than a food source.
Synopsis
In Oubliette, Vampires rule from the shadows. Humans are considered pests at their worst, beloved pets at best. Orianna is the lowest of the low, an impoverished thief awaiting her sentencing after stealing coins to buy some food. When the charming Count Diable hand picks her as a commodity for his blood-brothel, she worries she has jumped out of the frying pan and straight into the fire.
She has no idea how true that really is until she meets Atlas, Count of House Lune, darling of the Empress and and keeper of a secret that could change everything. Not only for her, but for all of human kind.
Of Foxes and Follies -- Fae Meets Peaky Blinders -- Trilogy
Projected Word Count -- 100k
Setting
Fictional version of Scotland, which I like to call Not!land and actually called Dimloch, around the 1910's or 1920's.
Synopsis
Rheannon Todd has a debt to pay. A debt she plans to pay by stealing from drunken guests at a Midsummer Soiree hosted by the notorious gangster known as The Magpie.
What she doesn't know is that The Magpie is more than just a charming card sharp with a penchant for cruelty. He's a member of the Unseelie Court and he doesn't much like being stolen from.
The Hallowed Wilds -- Serial on Hiatus -- Grounded Romantasy
Setting
Pseudo Appalachian small town in the 1840's.
Synopsis
Ezra lives near a mysterious forest called The Wilds. People who go in there tend to not come out, but even as a boy he feels drawn to the strange place. One day, when his parents are out, he sneaks into The Wilds and meets Aurelia, a strange, beautiful witch who has lived in the forest since she was born.
What starts as a beloved childhood friendship develops into a star crossed love over the years. The fear in the village and the brutality of the witches in the forest threaten to tear them apart.
Currently on Hiatus, but you can read about 60k of it here!
Red Skies -- Standalone Novel -- Pirate Romantasy
Projected Word Count -- 100k
Setting
Psuedo Imperial open world around the 18th Century.
Synopsis
Cordelia Shurka will do anything to provide for her family. She's worked herself to the bone since she was a child to keep the house afloat after her father vanished from their lives. When things get too hard, though, she seeks to raise her station by marrying herself to the viceroy. It seems an easy trade, her utter devotion and obedience in exchange for finally having the security she so desperately wants.
On her wedding day, the thinks she's finally out of the woods. That is until handsome pirate, Edric Davenport steals her for himself.
Want Updates?
If you happen to be interested in getting updates on any of these projects, you can join my tag list here!
#writeblr#creative writing#writers#novel writing#authors#book quotes#writers on tumblr#writing community#writing#writers of tumblr#writers community#writeblr intro#my writing#pirate book#red skies#vampire book#a dawn without ashes#The Hallowed Wilds#Witch Book#Fae Book#Of Foxes and Follies
77 notes
·
View notes
Note
This recent talk about authors has me curious: Do you have favourite authors? Or favourite books that you'd recommend (as in not specifically recommend to a person looking to read a specific genre etc. but rather a book you loved reading and would love to shove into absolutely everybody's faces if you could)? Do you only read in English or do you also like to read in other languages? What book or books are you currently reading?
And just so these aren't one-way-street-like snoopily curious questions: my favourite authors are Emma Donoghue and Hannah Kent; my favourite books are "Slammerkin" by Emma Donoghue, "Burial Rites" by Hannah Kent, "Christmas Eve Kittens" by Wilma Counts, Cathleen Clare and Debbie Raleigh, "Every day" by David Levithan, "Der Kristallpalast" (The Crystal Palace) by Oliver Plaschka, Alexander Flory and Matthias Mösch; I'm currently reading "Time of the Magicians" by Wolfram Eilenberger and anxiously awaiting Hannah Kent's most recent book "Devotion" to be translated to my native language.
I am very bad at accurately sorting books into genres, but I'd guess most of the books I've read may be classified as YA, though I personally don't know what classifies a book as YA apart from "is written with young adults as the target group," but that's too broad a description to be useful to anyone in my opinion, heh.
Some things I've read I'd sort into (also way too broadly classified) stuff like romance (Christmas Eve Kittens), crime or detective fiction [Krimi in german combines both] (for kids The Three Investigators and The Famous Five, and arguably for adults Sherlock Holmes, Miss Marple, Hercule Poirot though I've only seen Poirot films not yet read Poirot books, shame on me!), horror (Fear Street series as horror for kids and Lovecraft for adults), historical fiction (books by Hannah Kent and Emma Donoghue, Lilac Girls), historical nonfiction (Time of the Magicians and The Visionaries by Wolfram Eilenberger), steampunk (Der Kristallpalast, World Shaker, Steamed, Magierdämmerung), nonfiction (Zoo Station: The Story of Christiane F.), poetry (Heinrich Heine and Edgar Allan Poe) among other things like light-hearted children's books (St. Clare's series).
Some of the aforementioned books are classified as YA, and in my opinion reasonably so, though I do believe that classifying YA as a genre itself is quite useless since it only describes the target group but barely describes what a book is about, if that makes sense.
If I had to write down some classifiers for YA, I'd say it's maybe books that are written in a way that's accessible to a person who is no longer a child but still may be likely to not have experienced much of the adult world yet and may not necessarily be very well-read or knowledgeable about more "mature" topics on a deeper level.
I'd guess that for example a book that's about topics that people may have come into contact with during their adolescence in some way may be YA like drugs (Blue Highway by Diane Tullson) and emotional rollercoasters and bullying (Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher, Easy Meat by Maureen Stewart) and stalking (Unheimliche Nähe by Patricia Schröder) and mental illnesses like eating disorders (Jeansgröße 0 by Brigitte Blobel) or depression and physical ilnesses (Before I Die by Jenny Downham, Skellig by David Almond though it's mainly about fantasy and arthritis isn't the focal point if I'm not misremembering) etc. (all of the examples are YA I've read and would also classify as such) or maybe a book that contains entry-level knowledge about philosophy that you may have learned in school or that you may yourself have come across in some way unrelated to school but that doesn't require deeper knowledge on that topic or on specific philosophers or philosophy schools for its target audience to understand well...
Now that I've forgotten whatever point I wanted to make: sorry for rambling, I've been sitting in your askbox trying to remember the titles and looking up their translations and the authors' names for the past hour or so instead of doing the household chores I had planned to do today lol. Off to eat bread for lunch because now I'm too hungry to cook, oops.
Have a nice day!
--
I'm currently reading Invitation to a Banquet: The Story of Chinese Food by Fuchsia Dunlop.
I don't have any books I want to thrust upon everyone. I think that's a good way to breed haters for things I love.
In general, favorite authors of mine are... hmm... Agatha Christie, Tamara Allen, Loretta Chase, Georgette Heyer, Mary Elizabeth Braddon... IDK. It's hard to think of people off the top of my head. I like the current indie "m/m romance" scene in English, but it feels like it's still early days for that industry, and I can't think of a lot of authors I love who have multiple series and who aren't going through a career slump. (Like I love Jordan L. Hawk in general, but his latest stuff isn't making me rush to read more even if I'm still backing his Patreon. KJ Charles not only irritated me with dumb posts but started writing suckier books till I no longer buy her at all.)
I've read a lot of Golden Age detective fiction and some hard boiled US stuff (think 1930s and 40s). I've probably reread those sorts of books more than any others. While I certainly have authors I like, I only very, very rarely reread anything, and a lot of what I read is by non-prolific or long-dead people, so I don't have a bunch of names I go to the bookstore for currently.
My grandmother owned a fuckton of Three Investigators books, so I devoured those as a kid, though I think most Americans my age don't care about them.
I read in Spanish too. The only thing I've gotten through a lot of that springs to mind is the capitan Alatriste series. In general, if I travel somewhere Spanish speaking, I'll try to pick up some books, but I usually end up with things that are too highfallutin and literary for my taste or that are real downers. (Plus I'm a slow reader in Spanish, so the more literary stuff is a slog.) I like fun trash, and most of the fun trash I've seen on bookshelves is translated American romance novels and that kind of thing. I'll read in translation, but not if it's from English.
I do read manga in Japanese, but I'm not anywhere near good enough to read novels at this point.
23 notes
·
View notes
Text
2023 Reading Wrap-up
I feel like this year was pretty average in terms of my reading. Some great books, some awful books, a lot of books in the middle. And while I feel as if I kept hitting slumps, I don’t think my stats really reflect that. I kept reading and even though I didn’t hit my goal of 140 books, that’s more because I read more thick and dense books, spent more time writing, and am one year further from the direness of 2020 and 2021.
This also seems to have been the year of T. Kingfisher for me (and also Ursula Vernon). I read several of her horror novels, as well as Digger and a bunch of the ebooks she makes free for patrons, which are really easy go-tos when you want something light and right now. I was kind of surprised when I realized she was my top author because usually that’s Seanan McGuire.
And I read more ebooks in general, because why should I wait for two months for the library to get a physical book in circulation when I can wait two weeks for it to come in on Libby? I’m still trying to reserve Libby use for lighter, faster, less involved books, because I tend to end up skimming a little more and there’s something about physical paper that helps me retain info better when the text is dense.
Now, stats!
Yearly total: 128, excluding rereads and picture books
Queer books: 44 (34%)
Authors of colour: 15 (11.7%)
Books by women: 74.5 (58%)
Authors outside the binary: 7.5 (5.8%)
Canadian authors: 14 (10.9%)
Off the TBR shelves: 39 (30.4%)
Books hauled: 41
ARCs acquired: 57
ARCs unhauled: 60
DNFs: 9
Rereads: 3
Picture Books: 6
If you look at last year’s stats and the year before’s, I’m pretty much holding steady in terms of my diverse reading—a little more than a third queer, about 60% female and 10% Canadian, around 6% gender-diverse authors. I’m way down on authors of colour though, and I didn’t hit my stretch goal of 20 Canadians, so those are things I’ll have to pay attention to in the year to come. It would be nice if I could manage more queer books too, but that’s not something I’m going to try for quite as much.
Two of my reading goals for the year were to read more books from my TBR than I acquired, and to keep my ARC levels about even. Seems like I pretty much hit them! I expect that 2024 will see fewer book acquisitions because a lot of my 2023 haul was bookstore visits with my dad and we’ve now hit pretty much every store in the city. I was honestly kind of surprised that my ARC problem stands where it does. I was so sure that I was going to have at least 10 more incoming books than outgoing. Go me! My spring ARC purge really, really helped.
I did all right on the rest of my reading goals. All but one book read (The Great Cat Massacre), which was the real point of the list! I only managed to finish one StoryGraph challenge, if you don’t count my pages goal, and as always I failed to read as many classics as I wanted. I’m starting to suspect I’m not a classics person, despite my interest in history and historical fiction. If anyone has classics recs for me, let me know?
To be completely honest, though, I'm not sure I'm going to continue posting to Tumblr. I pretty much stopped updating my feed in the summer and I've felt more relaxed, both in terms of Things To Do Each Day but also in terms of my reading. When I was more active on here, I felt pressured to read diversely at all times and though I try to have a healthy spread of perspectives, I know that I generally don't and am therefore a bad person by Tumblr standards. I am curious what my mutuals have been getting up to this year so please, sound off! And let me know if you do want to see reviews and wrap-ups continue here.
(Friendly reminder that I'm ninjamuse on Storygraph and LibraryThing, if you'd like to follow me there.)
And if anyone’s interested, here are the rest of my year’s highlights:
Top Five Fiction (not ranked)
The Hollow Places - T. Kingfisher
Menewood - Nicola Griffith
Bookshops and Bonedust - Travis Baldree
A Half-Built Garden - Ruthanna Emrys
The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi - Shannon Chakraborty
Top Five Non-Fiction (not ranked)
Magisteria - Nicholas Spencer
Diary of a Misfit - Casey Parks
Evidence of Things Seen - Sarah Weinman, editor
Lay Them to Rest - Laurah Norton
Like Every Form of Love - Padma Viswanathan
Most Impressed By:
Shubeik Lubeik - Deena Mohamed
Diary of a Misfit - Casey Parks
The Hands of the Emperor by Victoria Goddard
A Half-Built Garden - Ruthanna Emrys
Most Disappointing:
Tortilla Flat - John Steinbeck
British Columbiana - Josie Teed
A Killing in Costumes - Zac Bissonette
Tauhou - Kōtuku Titihuia Nuttall
Longest Book: The Hands of the Emperor - Victoria Goddard
Best queer book: Diary of a Misfit - Casey Parks
Did I beat 2022? No.
Did I beat my Best Year Ever? No. That would be 2021.
Did I read more classics? Not even close.
Did I read more Canadians? No. I held about steady.
Did I whittle my TBR shelves down any? No.
Was it a good reading year? Probably about average?
Breakdowns by month:
January February March April May June July August September October November December
38 notes
·
View notes
Text
Re: Historical accuracy in fiction
Tl;dr: it is not your job as a fiction author to provide complete historical accuracy. It is your job to evoke a time period and communicate it. Don't get bogged down in research unless you really want to.
First of all, this is my disclaimer: I am talking about the kind of things I like to read and write. I am speaking as a historical fiction fan, author and lover of history. This is my personal taste.
Perfect historical accuracy in fiction is massively overrated. In the past have gotten stuck on writing historical fiction pieces because I felt I needed to research more. This killed my story. The piece of art that could have been amazing sat languishing on a hard drive forever.
I do not think historical fiction needs to be stunningly accurate. In fact, it's easy to see when an author has clearly over-researched their book: it reads like a history text that talks about topics your average person would have never even thought about.
Example:
What an author I read recently thought a 1st century Roman citizen would think about: Ah yes, I remember the British campaign like it was yesterday, even though it was ten years ago, in AD 61. Nero was emperor then....etc.
Me, when I think about something that happened 10 years ago: Shit, that was 10 years ago? Wait, was David Cameron PM then?
(And I know how to read and use Google.)
I'm not saying "don't research the time period you are writing in". I'm saying "research the time period you are writing in as much as you feel like doing, then forget most of it when you get in your character's head, except for what might be meaningful for them".
It is not necessarily the purpose of historical fiction to give readers a detailed and realistic version of the time period. All you really need to give them is the vibes that make them feel as though they're in that time.
I just saw a post that explained how Medieval Europeans had access to spices we might usually associate with Indian cuisine. But is that what people would expect to see in a story set in Medieval Europe? No, and you don't get to put in a little "um, actually" author's note explaining every little detail that feels incongruous but is "technically" accurate. It just feels incongruous.
However, am I going to give my Indian character who lives in London in the 1930s access to curry spices? Yes, because he'd look high and low for them and I bet he'd find a good grocer somewhere in London at that time. I haven't researched how realistic that is, and I don't really care. It will still feel in-touch with the setting, and that's all I care about.
Ever since I gave up on perfect historical accuracy, I have written so many more stories in historical settings, and I love the hell out of them. Would a Louisiana jazz band tour in the UK in 1923? Maybe. But I am definitely putting a Louisiana jazz band in my novel set in the UK in 1923 because people want to see jazz in the jazz-age novel! And so do I!
The key thing is, I've only done the level of research that I'm interested in, enough to get me comfortably embedded in the time.
The fiction author's job is to deliver on the promise of the premise. Don't get caught up accidentally writing non-fiction!
You don't have to "put in your research" to write a historical novel. You get to put in as much research as you want to, and you get to disregard the stuff that doesn't spark joy, because it's your story.
I'd love to talk about this more. Historical fiction fans, what's your taste? Have you ever read anything that felt over-researched, or anything that was under-researched to the point of taking you out of the immersion? Let me know.
37 notes
·
View notes
Note
May I have some lovely book recommendations on this day <3 😁😁 I'm trying to read more this next year
you sure can!!!!! i'll list my fave reads of the past few years:
convenience store woman by sayaka murata -one of my fave books of all timeeeeee. its basically about a woman who just doesnt fit in into 'normal' society and even tho she's happy ppl feel like she shouldnt be bc she's not progressing w everyone else. if you've been the weird girl ever this book will
ring shout - p djeli clark. a historical fiction novel where the kkk are like demons and theres this organization of black hunters. its action packed but what makes it so amazing is the emotional growth of the characters :') an all time fave
the vanishing half - brit bennett. another AMAZING historical fiction book. its abt family lines....and colorism and twins and what it means to be white passing and privilege and generational trauma. it honestly has toni morrison core vibes where there's a lot of pain but thru love all is healed!
there's no such thing as an easy job by kikuko tsumura. a bit of an eclectic read. this woman takes on different jobs and they each give her grief in a new way. very relatable esp if you hate your job 😭
the vegetarian by han kang. THEE GOAT. i will recc this book until the day i DIE. and even then. its technically a horror story abt the fallout after a woman has a dream/vision and decides to stop eating meat but its sooo much deeper than that. its such a great look at how, as a woman, everything abt you is subject to critique down to what you eat
parasite eve. thee classic scifi horror the video game was inspired by! think frankenstein but there's a love story underneath. but also you question if it was love at all bc what if the mitochrondria inside of us are just manipulating everything we do? i loved it! writing style is a bit clinical but idc
my sister the serial killer by oyinkan braithwaite...i read this one in a single day it was THAT GOOD. sister is a serial killer and the fucking implications and fucked up shit that comes from lookism and family expectations and misogyny tbh. love it~
annihilation by jeff vandermeer. the first in a series but you can just read the first one. its sooooooooooooooooooo good. its a scifi book about this mysterious barrier off the coast that's slowly expanding and inside nature is reclaiming its space and most everyone that enters the barrier never returns.....another quick read bc it will have you HOOKED
yellowface by r f kuang. i don't usually enjoy satire but r f kuang really TOOK IT THERE. this is the most infuriating book you'll ever read but in the best way. this white author w an inferiority complex objectifies her friend that she secretly hates and then steals her friend's book. only thing is the friend is proudly asian and her book is abt specific cultural history so the white girl does diet yellowface and is just a massive bitch
beloved by toni morrison. how do you sum up beloved? i cannot sum up beloved. if i had to sum up beloved i would say 'love is a haunting but not every haunting is love and the only thing that can clear a haunting is love'
in the dream house by carmen maria machado. god probably the best prose i've read all year. a really beautiful but bittersweet autobiographical novel about a bisexual woman's experience with a fucked up abusive relationship and how subtle abuse can be. heavy subject matter but handled soooo beautifully.
the only good indians by stephen graham jones. WHEW. this is a horror......and this book will take you for a fucking ride i'll tell you that. its abt a group of native american men who were childhood friends and due to one mistake they're all haunted by...something that wants to get revenge on them. this book had me going 'DID THAT JUST HAPPEN?' multiple times
32 notes
·
View notes
Note
Me : Hasn't watched a single drama from 2024 because I was too busy
Me: Goes to mydramalist to find something romantic to watch and starts reading comments on all the stuff that seems interesting sees that for almost every one of these fall into one of two camps the first one which houses the majority of shows the comments are exclusively about the guy and how much of a simp or green flag he is (their words not mine) the second category is people are criticizing the show for portraying an uneven dynamic where the fl treats the ml like shit
Me: backs away slowly and goes back to my binge watch of star trek deep space nine
Idk what it is if it's the writing or the different type of fans or a combination of both all I know I'm very confused 🤔 have we fallen into a different timeline ? Parallel universe? Have screens cooked our brains completely?
my friend, your first mistake was raw dogging the comments section on MDL 🙈😂😭 gotta proceed with caution these days 🚧🚧🚧🚧
but I got you. If you want to dip your toes back into 2024 cdramas romances,
* Legend of Shen Li is almost universally liked. I don't know that I encountered a real hater. Don't turn that into sky high expectations that can't be met, though. It's simply a solid xanxia romance with a very strong landing - 1 full length episode dedicated to the happy ending, instead of the xanxia standard 1 minute. The most high god in the universe x demon general who is engaged to heaven's notorious playboy that's terrified of her. and who is temporarily a chicken. (just go with it) The main couple have chemistry & are very capable actors. Rarely do I make it thru a xanxia without ever being consumed with rage at some awful thing the plot has one of the main couple perpetrate on the other... but this one passed! The main actress is convincing as an immortal warrior.
* Blossoms in Adversity is NOT universally liked, tbh it got almost no traction on tumblr. But despite all its flaws I found myself watching it eagerly. I am a sucker for historical costume dramas with feminist themes - if you enjoyed Dream of Splendor, this one might appeal. After all the men in the family are exiled and they are stripped of their noble status, the main wives, concubines, children, and servants of a large official's household have to figure out a way to survive on their own. Without the guidance (and yoke) of men. The strength of the drama is that it isn't easy - these women are not all kind & smart & selfless. They're complicated people and a product of their environment. But watching them slowly come together was so satisfying, and how all the women begin to explore an identity beyond the strict roles they held in that manor. It's so direct about how much power men had over their wives in that era and what that means for these women. The main otp will appeal if you like ships of 2 mature adults who have their own goals and respect each other as equals, who are supportive but don't step on each other's independence. The FL's practicality was so pleasing to me. It just dropped it's final episodes via Express.
* The Spirealm available legally now on Viki, if your tastes run to censored gay romance. And if you like mystery/ horror and like fiction that asks, what is reality (and does the definition of 'real' matter). Like in korean bl Love for Love's Sake, the protagonist enters a game world and ends up caring about that world. (unlike LFLS, a distinct lack of kissing with tongue)
* In Blossom - Chinese het web novel vibes just exploding onto the screen. Childhood sweathearts torn apart years ago, now he's a rich noble while she's poor but he still wants to marry her as promised. (She is less sure about this.... then she gets her body swapped by this crazy chick who really REALLY wants to marry the ML. who, ooops gets murdered on their wedding night.) So now FL is in crazy chick's body and the #1 suspect for her gruesome murder is ML, that childhood sweetheart who showed up out of the blue to propose. and happens to be the top candidate in running to marry the crown princess 🤔🤔🤔 . She thinks he (tried to) kill her. He thinks she's dead and hates the lady she's stuck impersonating. Spoiler: they fall in love.
* Amidst a Snowstorm of Love - Slice of life soft cdrama, if you like that kind of thing. Developing relationship for like 30 episodes about 2 professional snooker players. Relaxing vibes, sweet romance. They're both kind, talented, and capable. They're good for each other and really humanly awkward about starting a relationship. You don't watch this kinda drama for dramatic tension, you just chill with it and wind down after a hard day. It's baked-in that they'll get married at the end.
#cdrama#drama recs#i can say this anon: a ton of cdramas take years to air#thus i would say mdl is just getting more wackadoodle#there isnt a new breed of drama in 2024 thats making them polarize#because some of the stuff airing now was filmed in 2020#(ok so the thing that stays with me about Blossoms in Adversity is that every time#each time one of the manor women would do something pretty awful#because she is sheltered or scared or just naturally selfish and or internalized mysogny#most of the time she eventually found her way and became someone i rooted for#i would write one of these women off and she would prove me wrong#but not every time because thats too predictable)#(i appreciated how real that felt - that the patriarchy sucks but women arent perfect victims and they can be ugly#but people are more than their worst traits and impulses and they can change)
8 notes
·
View notes
Text
March 2024 Reading Wrap Up
I got bronchitis and my period at the same time in March, and then spilled tea on my computer, so March was a very stressful time for me. Regardless, I managed to read 10 books! And honestly, overall, this is one of the better months - the lowest I've ranked a book is 6/10, which is damn good considering the absolute bullshit I usually read.
Religious Text
None applicable.
1/10 - Why Did They Publish This?
None applicable.
2/10 - Trash
None applicable.
3/10 - Meh
None applicable.
4 to 6/10 - Mid-Tier
Tomb Sweeping | Alexandra Chang
I read this book while sick. And boy howdy, did that make it a weird experience. I get what it was going for, but it really wasn't my vibe. It just felt like everything was...unfinished. Which was the point, I suppose, but it was still annoying.
7 to 8/10 - Good With Caveats
What the Bible Really Says about Homosexuality | Daniel A Helminiak
This is a very short book compared to my usual reads, topping at 152 pages. And I appreciate a book that gets straight to the point and analyzes the historical context around various works, particularly religious works. Good job. My only complaint is some editing issues.
Born to Love, Cursed to Feel | Samantha King
This was a poetry collection and was the only other book I read while sick, and boy howdy did I have a time of it. I spent most of the reading just...putting post-it notes in and nodding along to the lines. It was a surprisingly good book, considering I found it in the back alley version of a book store.
Southern Cunning: Folkloric Witchcraft in the American South | Aaron Oberon
Look. This is not a 101 book. It's not a 102 book. It's not even a 201 book. It simply is. And as much as I enjoyed it and enjoyed reading it, the fact that I spent most of my reading time fixing the editing means that I cannot, in good faith, put this any higher than an 8 out of 10. Dear Aaron Oberon, if you ever read this, PLEASE give me access to the original file so I can fix your punctuation and spelling mistakes. Sincerely, a fellow Southerner.
9/10 - Very Very Good
Snow White with the Red Hair, volumes 21-23 | Sorata Akiduki
I am still so fucking feral over this series. I love them so fucking much. I want them all to be happy but I also like seeing their shenanigans. Unfortunately, though we're at 26 published volumes, we've reached the end of the ones in Missouri Evergreen that I may access. I'll either have to wait and hope that someone gets them, or I'll have to bite the bullet and buy them myself.
Not Pounded By Anything: Six Platonic Tales Of Non-Sexual Encounters | Chuck Tingle
This is my first expedition into the erotic Tingleverse after reading some pieces of the horror Tingleverse in Straight and Camp Damascus. And I really, really like this book. It's 77 pages and is such an easy read. Godspeed, you glorious bastard.
10/10 - Unironically Recommend To Everyone
Well, everyone who's into the genre these fall under, at least.
Writing Fiction: A Guide to Narrative Craft, tenth edition | Janet Burroway
I found this in the free section of a bookstore in the middle of nowhere, and let me tell you, it is now marked up one side and down the other with highlighter, because I needed it. There are so many good parts of this book that it's genuinely one I would recommend to people who are trying to figure out why their writing feels flat.
Sacred Gender: Create Trans and Nonbinary Spiritual Connections | Ariana Serpentine
First, I want to congratulate the author on what is possibly the coolest name ever.
Second, if you're an occultist, polytheist, witch, magic practitioner, or in any other way affiliated with things beyond or within mortal ken...get this book. It's making me rethink a lot of my own experiences with my craft and my religion, but in a good way.
9 notes
·
View notes
Text
About a year and some change ago, I decided to buy the first three Artemis Fowl books. I don't exactly remember why I wanted to read them. I had never heard anything about them when I was a kid, seeing as I only read graphic novels and historical fiction, but while wondering around Books-A-Million, I saw them, and after some out-loud debating with myself, my mom chimed in and said: "You should get them, I'm happy you're reading again."
The books just kinda sat around for a while until the day I started A Wizard of Earthsea because I also had started Artemis Fowl that same day. I had an audition later in the day, and I wanted to read something easy and fun to shake my nerves, but I ended up only reading a chapter and then forgot about it, trying to finish Earthsea.
Now, don't get me wrong, Earthsea is a phenomenal book that I now love deeply, but at the time, I was struggling to read it. So after a week of trying to brute force my way through, I decided to tell my friend (Who wanted me to read it) that I was taking a break from the book to read something else and while trying to figure out what book I was gonna read I remembered Artemis Fowl. I saw it on my bookshelf and thought, "Oh yeah, I started that, sure why not? It's middle grade. It'll be quick and easy." I then proceeded to take a month to read the first book.
A month, I know!!! Why did it take me so long? Was I not enjoying it? Did I at least pick Earthsea back up? Well, to answer that last one, the answer is no. In the entire month it took me to read Artemis Fowl, I didn't read any other books, much to the dismay of my friend, who just sat with the knowledge that I was literally 4 pages from THE massive turning point in Earthsea, but anyway, that still doesn't answer the first two questions. The simple answer to the first question is things like school, work, and rehearsal and the fact that I'm just a slow reader. The simple answer to the second was yes, 100% absolutely, but there's more to it than just those surface-level answers.
The answer to those questions is why I'm writing this in the first place, and it all starts with what my mom said to me when I first bought the books in the first place: "You should get them, I'm happy you're reading again." Cuz you see, when I was a kid, I was a reading MACHINE; from the ages of 3 to 11, I always had a book in my hand despite the fact that reading was always kinda hard because the words and letters jumped around on the page (They still do that, I'm in the process of seeing if I have dyslexia. I think I do), but I still read with passion and fervor. Reading was my first taste of escapism, full-on "transported-to-another-world" kind of escapism, and I loved it. It manifested as this warm feeling in my chest and a hazy filter on the world around me. When I got so overwhelmed by the world around me and even my own mind, the escapism from books was there to calm me down and put me at ease.
And then, one day, I stopped.
I can't tell you why I randomly stopped reading one day; I can give you some guesses, but I can't give you a concrete answer. But I stopped, and soon I grew sour towards reading, and I mean sour. Reading became "nerd shit" to me, and I held this weird, arrogant achievement of how long it had been since I stepped foot in my school's library, and over time I slowly forgot the comfort reading used to provide me.
Now, in a more cliche but sweet story, I would say Artemis Fowl was the book that got me back into reading and made me fall back in love with it, but that's not this story because the book that got me into it was none other than Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. Trust me, I was not expecting it either! But something about that book in my junior year of high school fucking rerouted my brain and sent me back to the library with a new lease on literature. But then why am I talking about Artemis Fowl? Well, let me answer those two remaining questions. I wasn't just enjoying Artemis Fowl; I was savoring it, and that's why it took me a full month to finish it.
When I decided to go back to Artemis Fowl, I often read it at night before bed (On the nights that I wasn't exhausted from a four-hour rehearsal) with a little battery-powered lantern and my cat Finny next to me. The setup was very similar to when I would read as a kid with my Ikea nightlights and my cat Smokey. And the more I read, the more I found myself saying, "This is exactly what I wanted to read as a kid!" I also was saying, "I'd be insufferable if I read these as a kid!" because Artemis was my peak idea of cool so I would've absolutely, without a doubt, adopted him into my personality, but who knows.
I didn't consciously realize it then, but the further I got into the book, the more that warm feeling in my chest returned and the stronger the hazy filter became. When I cracked this book open, I fell into its world, and it caught me in its cool, badass, loving arms, and it happened every time I went to read it. I laughed, I gasped, I cried, I had such strong feelings about it that I couldn't put it into words. It was like I didn't have the words to describe what I was feeling, much like when I was a kid.
I started Artemis Fowl on October 29th, 2022, and I finished it on November 29th, 2022. It was a full and true month in the middle of my very hectic senior year and it was probably one of the best because,
Artemis Fowl handed me a piece of my childhood back.
And it wasn't the usual kind of nostalgia that you get from finding an old toy or seeing an old cartoon from your childhood because I never interacted with Fowl as a kid! It didn't bring me to the past; it brought the past to me. And in a way that I so desperately needed as adulthood stared me down. And though I didn't know it then, I know it now.
I read Arctic Incident a couple of months later, and the feeling returned, and now, as I write this, I'm reading Eternity Code. This whole post came about because I had the idea to live-blog my experience with Eternity Code (because I read the back and WIGGED OUT), but after thinking about it for a bit, I decided against it and wrote this instead. Live blogging felt a little too personal, even though I just dumped out my fucking emotional attachment to these books for the entire internet to see. Still, it felt too personal because stopping to write felt like it would break my warm cocoon of haze, and I don't wanna lose that, not again.
I may talk about Eternity Code once I finish it, I may not (I probably won't), but I just wanted to shout into the void about what this book has done for me.
I don't believe your inner child ever goes away. Sometimes, they just get lost and need help getting back home. It may take a while, they may keep getting lost, hell, they may not even want to come home, but when they do finally come home, something just clicks into place and relief just washes over you.
If I ever meet Eoin Colfer, I'm probably gonna say something silly like, "Nah, man, I read these books when I was 17, I didn't even know they existed as a kid", but at some point, I have to thank him for these books.
Artemis Fowl didn't change me; it brought me home.
#creative writing... i guess#reading#artemis fowl#I nearly cried while writing this#it didn't help that I was listening to the Spiritfarer soundtrack the whole time#funny to think this all came about because the plot for eternity code is my worst nightmare#childhood#i didnt proof read this#felt like it wouldnt be right to edited like raw feelings ya know#sorry to anyone who reads this in bed alone at 2 am#long post#literature
8 notes
·
View notes
Text
So a bunch of contemporary secondary-world SFF that is explicitly about imperialism nevertheless takes place in totally gender-egalitarian worlds where all kinds of sexual orientation are completely normalised and accepted at all levels of society, which is like. Fine I guess. Obviously a lot of people are into fiction for escapism and therefore don’t want to read about hompohobia or whatever, and if you’re a writer who’s not interested in dealing with gender-as-a-theme then that’s an easy way around it, but it does feel a bit weird since historical imperialisms have definitely not ignored those dimensions of society. This is especially incongruous in stuff like C. L. Clark’s The Unbroken, a book which is very much about specific nations and moments in history.
Anyway this meant I was not at all expecting The Traitor Baru Cormorant to open with hey so the thing you need to know about the empire in this story is, being gay is punishable by death. Ok Mx Dickinson, you have my attention!
256 notes
·
View notes
Note
Floraaaaaa give me your top 10 books you've read this year 📝
talking about books is literally my life, this made me realize i frogot keeping track of the books i read on goodreads this year and now i can barely recall everything i've read
top ten in no particular order😭
Babel by RF Kuang, this woman writes the most creative fantasy stories and really comes up with the most intruiging magic systems, this books is all about translating and langauges and it's perfect for people who are polyglot or in any way interested in the etymology of languages
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus, i have not watched the apple tv show yet but i really really enjoyed the book, it's a very easy and enjoyable read but still gives a lot of depth to its characters
Kindred by Octavia E Butler, this is a mix of scifi fantasy historical fiction, a lot going on but it works really really well, Butler is an amazing writer, i've enjoyed everything i've read by her so far
The Color Purple by Alice Walker, it's been a forever since a book had so many quotes that moved me to my core, the writing is absolutely beautiful, the first few chapters are incredibly dark and difficult to get through but overall the story is so hopeful and joyous still while still heavy
The Fifth Season trilogy by NK Jeminsin, oh my god, where do i even start to explain how much i love this trilogy, it a fantasy story about people that can move stones and mountains but are feared for it, it's amazing, i really dont want to give too much away, but the first book in the series is probably the best book i've read this year
Happy Place by Emily Henry, THE romcom writer in my humble opinion, she just never misses, this is a second chance romance book, so light hearted so many good steamy scenes, cute friendships, good realistic dialouge, 10/10 a wonderful time
North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell, i've heard this be descibed as "pride and prejudice for socialists" and yeah, that's it, it's a really cute romance novel but there is the constant theme of the working class unionizing and going on a strike
Bi by Julia Shaw, really insightful and well researched history of the label bisexuality, made me really connect to the label again and embrace it more than ever
The Cruel Prince series, i don't read too much YA fiction anymore and if i do it often leaves me more underwhelmed but this one had me hooked, i read all three books in like a week
Desert Flower by Waris Dirie, i remember we read it in school many many years ago and i had to reread it for one of my seminars and it's really such a compelling (auto)biography, it is really enjoyable and easy to read and defintiely has a story worth telling
10 notes
·
View notes
Last Seen Blogs
ezhilmozhi
This Is My Scrap Book ரவுடிராக்கம்மா
bimale47579
Bi Male
strategy-law-llp
Strategy Law LLP
nordiclilys
Nordic Lilys
another-punk-trans-woman
Keep Loving. Keep Fighting.