ALL THREE MXTX NOVELS ARE GOING TO BE OFFICIALLY PUBLISHED IN ENGLISH, THIS IS NOT A DRILL, IT'S REAL AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH
Here is the link: http://sevenseasdanmei.com/
Also, please check suika's tweet for more details: https://twitter.com/yummysuika/status/1422968206420021253
The sheer power of Arthur Parnassus returning to the island where he was abused and victimized as a child and instead of burning it to the ground, instead of raging and destroying and turning it to ash and slag as he maybe had a right to do, instead choosing to reopen the orphanage that made him a prisoner. To make it instead a place of healing and a home for the lost, to be for children outcast and alone (like he was) a father and a guide and a protector (like others should have been for him), to make the place where he suffered instead a place of safety and love...the power of that is something more then I can put into words.
Arthur chose to write over his trauma and pain with love and acceptance and warmth. He didn't just chose to not let his past define him but instead he chose to redefine his past. And that makes him one of the strongest characters I've ever read about.
*places down 1 and jokes*"uno" *places down 0*"fuckyou-no"
Guys people always complain about how monopoly tears families apart but have you played uno? It slowly makes people hate each other and I swear to god There’s so much yelling “I hate you all!” “I choose red” “we are on red” “I choose green ” “but I don’t have green” “red” “seriously?” “I don’t have red ” “I choose green” “FUCK”
I was tagged by @princessfbi
Buck is hurt, again. But it’s not his fault.
It’s not like any of the other times he’s been hurt on the job were his fault, but he still feels the need to defend himself. A change from how he’s felt in the past. His therapist would probably be proud of him.
Loopy off pain meds and slurring all his words, Buck had told anyone who would listen that it wasn’t his fault. He hadn’t been trying to get hurt, he hadn’t even been doing anything reckless.
Bobby had given Buck a sad smile, gently pushing him back against the hospital bed as he said, “I know, Buck. I know.”
Other people had been there. Hen and Chimney had been the ones to bring him into the hospital. Buck remembers their tense faces in the back of the ambulance as he tried to keep himself from screaming — the cool drip of morphine in his veins not enough to dull the roaring fire of pain surging through his body.
In his hospital room, after the fire simmering in Buck’s veins had been doused by heavy pain medications, Hen and Chimney still looked tense, but less so. Fine lines of worry still gathering around the corners of their eyes, pulling the lines of their smiles too tight. But that’s normal any time one of them ends up in the hospital.
Buck is familiar with all their worried faces and these ones mean he’s hurt, but not dying.
Between the pain, the drugs, and being whisked away to surgery — Buck can’t remember everyone that saw him in the hospital. It’s all become a blur. He thinks that after Hen and Chimney… Bobby had been there, maybe Athena too. Buck thinks he remembers the smell of Maddie’s shampoo, the feeling of her soft hand holding his much larger one, thumb rubbing over the tape keeping his IV line in the back of his hand.
Eddie had been there too, in the ambulance, the emergency room… his face had been the last thing Buck saw before going into surgery — feeling his heart beating in his throat as memories of a doctor telling him he might lose his leg choked all the breath from his lungs. And Eddie’s face was the first thing he saw when he woke up, feeling lost and scooped out, his body feeling disconnected due to the anesthesia.
The soft rumble of Eddie’s voice had kept Buck grounded when he felt like he was spinning out into the stratosphere. His warm, brown eyes kept Buck tied down to earth. Eddie’s hand had been so warm where it curled around Buck’s arm. It had been like he was carrying the heat of the sun in his palm and pressing it into Buck’s skin. Through the haze of pain, drugs, and old buried fear brought back to the surface, the heat of Eddie — alive and whole, it had been the only thing to keep Buck from ripping out all of his lines and leaving the hospital against medical advice.
Now, discharged from the hospital, still sore and aching, Buck feels bereft and alone.
Eddie won’t touch him.
Bundled in too many blankets in the middle of their shared bed, Buck feels more alone than he did lying in the sterile and cramped hospital bed.
Every time Eddie comes close to him, he treats him like spun glass, like one wrong move and Buck will shatter apart.
I'm going to tag @lesbianbuck, @honestlydarkprincess, @sainteddie, @lesbiandiaz, @morganofthefairies, and @cowboydiaz (there is no pressure to do this i just tagged y'all cause i luv y'all)
Nevermind. Terrible.
1. Carry On by Rainbow Rowell-
(Fantasy, Witches, Vampires, kind of Harry Potter-y, Romance, TW for mention of suicidal ideation/self-destructiveness, abandonment, foster care, neglect, murder/violence, gun violence and relationship issues in the second book. It has some heavy topics but is written in a pretty light tone.)
2. Red White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston-
(enemies to lovers, about the son of the President and the Prince of England getting into a fight, they have to fake a friendship to fix their PR situation, TW for being publicly outed and semi-graphic sex scenes, also often politically charged discussions)
3. Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller-
(Ancient Greece, demigods, exile, TW for war/violence and tragedy, homophobia, bad parenting)
4. The Foxhole Court by Nora Sakavic-
(It’s about the mafia/college sports and happens to have a compelling queer storyline in the process. Demisexual main character and other gay characters. (slow burn, it’s a trilogy and the romance doesn’t happen in the first book) TW for a lot of things, it’s about kids from broken homes and the mafia so there is abuse, self harm, murder, police intervention, organized crime, drug use, assault, rehab, all kinds of weapons, manipulation, slurs, etc. The second book has mentions of r*pe (not extremely graphic but it is mentioned a handful of times and there is one semi graphic scene), and torture. It is a great series but it has heavy content and is not light reading if you go in unprepared.)
5. The House on the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune -
(fantasy, heartwarming romance, magical creatures)
6. Heartstopper by Alice Oseman-
(MLM, graphic novel, slow burn, coming out TW for anorexia and homophobia)
7. The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater-
(Fantasy, about a secret private school, slow burn)
8. They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera-
(Bisexual Latino characters, whole story takes place in 24 hours because at about midnight- aka the start of the book- they get a phone call saying they’re gonna die, TW for death, family in hospital, violence, police intervention, and foster care)
9. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo-
(queer characters (but no romance in the first book)
10. The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee (Historical Fiction Romance, Travel/Journey, Best Friends to lovers, MLM characters)
11. In Deeper Waters by FT Lukens-
(Royalty, kidnapping, MLM characters not being released until April but it looks great)
12. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz-
(coming of age story, MLM, TW for violence/injury, surgery, transmisogyny, homophobic violence)
14. We Contain Multitudes by Sarah Henstra-
(coming of age, friendship and romance)
15. Love and Other Curses by Michael Thomas Ford-
(magical realism, a curse about falling in love)
16. More Happy than Not by Adam Silvera-
(MLM main character, YA, “it's about a boy who is considering a memory-alteration procedure to forget he's gay because leading a life as a straight teen would probably be way easier for him. It's about science versus nature, friendship, sexuality, and a quest for happiness.” About the happy ending and how even bad moments lead to good. Hopeful but despairing. TW for medical procedure to erase sexuality, internalized homophobia, homophobia from others, depression)
17. I Wish You All the Best by Mason Deaver-
(Nonbinary main character, nonbinary muslim side character, romance/love and building a family out of people you care about. About finding your voice. TW for coming out and misgendering, family rejection/struggle)
18. We Are Okay by Nina LaCour-
(WLW, moving out and coming of age, self-discovery and childhood romance, TW for loss, depression, loneliness)
19. The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness-
(Contemporary, about the normal people’s lives while living among Chosen Ones. Family/coming of age/acceptance story. TW for monsters, apocalypse, violence/explosions, anorexia, anxiety attacks, unrequited romance)
20. Lizard Radio by Pat Schmatz-
(Dystopian story about a teenager struggling with their gender identity, TW for abandonment, oppressive government, outlawed homosexuality)
21. Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas-
(trans main character, hispanic characters, paranormal YA mystery with MLM characters)
22. Captive Prince by C.S. Pacat-
(Bisexual main character, TW for kidnapping/stockholm syndrome, abuse, sex scenes)
23. Witch Eyes by Scott Tracey-
(fantasy, MLM, supernatural)
24. Simon vs the Homosapiens Agenda by Becki Albertalli-
(romance, MLM, coming of age, TW for a closeted boy being blackmailed)
25. Fun Home by Alison Bechdel-
(WLW, graphic novel, coming of age, TW for csa, pedophilia, teacher/student relationships, none explicit if my memory serves correct)
26. George by Alex Gino-
(Trans girl, slice of life, coming out story, TW for deadnaming, homophobia, transphobia)
27. Afterworlds by Scott Westerfield-
(WLW, supernatural, fantasy)
28. Witchmark by C.L. Polk-
(MLM, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, mystery, Alternate universe post WW1, TW for murder/war, depression/angst)
29. The Luminous Dead by Caitlin Starling-
(WLW, Sci-Fi Horror, dystopian future, fictional planet, TW for psychological/emotional horror, toxic relationship, death)
30. The Culling by Steven Dos Santos-
(MLM, Dystopian Fantasy under a totalitarian, extremely cruel government. People must undergo ‘the trials’ in order to work for a government task force- if you fail at any of the trials you are forced to participate in the Culling, where the member has to choose a family member of theirs to die. TW for death, extortion, brutal violence, murder, totalitarian government)
31. Deposing Nathan by Zack Smedley-
(MLM, about a court case regarding the main character and his best friend- deals with breaking points in friendships and how people and perception change. TW for biphobia, gay bashing, legal trial, abuse, knives, violence)
32. Ziggy, Stardust, and Me by James Brandon-
(MLM, Gay main character, historical fiction (Vietnam war), about a character dealing with his alcoholic father and family issues who creates a fictional world to cope where he can be out and openly himself. Coming of age. TW for bullying, alcoholism, institutionalized homophobia, familial homophobia, war mentions)
(this list is a WIP and anyone can add to it! If I need to add TWs or further explanations let me know!)
I watched it when it first came out and have regretted it ever since.
I was so excited bc if the movie was good I could show it to my friends and actually talk about it with people. But the movie wasn't good. And I felt betrayed.
Years ago I read the first 9 books of The Last Apprentice series and only recently realized they turned the first book into a movie. Watching it now and I want to die. I can forgive ageing up the characters since they are aiming for an older audience but why….? Why did they make the witches hot? And why did they make Alice Mother Malkin’s sister?! It ruins the whole plot twist that is supposed to happen!
They really took a gritty, dark, coming-of-age story and turned it into a typical action film with hot ladies.
This series could have easily turned into another Harry Potter or Percy Jackson movie franchise but they had to ruin it 😒
At this point, is it even possible for a studio to make a good book-based movie?
There's a rule I have (that I took from author Emery Lee) that says that every time someone mentions JKR, I have to rec 2 books by trans authors. Here are some of my favorite YA recs if you ever felt like adapting the same rule in your friend groups.
As always, the pictures and jacket copy are from publishers’ sites! If they didn’t have info available, I used info from author sites! :)
If any of these interest you and if you are able, please support your favorite independent bookstores when purchasing these and other books!
Emery's book isn't out until 05/04/21, but because I saw this rule from em, I couldn't NOT rec eir book!
Noah Ramirez thinks he’s an expert on romance. He has to be for his popular blog, the Meet Cute Diary, a collection of trans happily ever afters. There’s just one problem—all the stories are fake. What started as the fantasies of a trans boy afraid to step out of the closet has grown into a beacon of hope for trans readers across the globe. When a troll exposes the blog as fiction, Noah’s world unravels. The only way to save the Diary is to convince everyone that the stories are true, but he doesn’t have any proof. Then Drew walks into Noah’s life, and the pieces fall into place: Drew is willing to fake-date Noah to save the Diary. But when Noah’s feelings grow beyond their staged romance, he realizes that dating in real life isn’t quite the same as finding love on the page. In this charming novel by Emery Lee, Noah will have to choose between following his own rules for love or discovering that the most romantic endings are the ones that go off script.
Felix Love has never been in love—and, yes, he’s painfully aware of the irony. He desperately wants to know what it’s like and why it seems so easy for everyone but him to find someone. What’s worse is that, even though he is proud of his identity, Felix also secretly fears that he’s one marginalization too many—Black, queer, and transgender—to ever get his own happily-ever-after. When an anonymous student begins sending him transphobic messages—after publicly posting Felix’s deadname alongside images of him before he transitioned—Felix comes up with a plan for revenge. What he didn’t count on: his catfish scenario landing him in a quasi–love triangle.... But as he navigates his complicated feelings, Felix begins a journey of questioning and self-discovery that helps redefine his most important relationship: how he feels about himself. Felix Ever After is an honest and layered story about identity, falling in love, and recognizing the love you deserve.
TW for a forced outing.
There are no monsters anymore, or so the children in the city of Lucille are taught. Jam and her best friend, Redemption, have grown up with this lesson all their life. But when Jam meets Pet, a creature made of horns and colors and claws, who emerges from one of her mother’s paintings and a drop of Jam’s blood, she must reconsider what she’s been told. Pet has come to hunt a monster, and the shadow of something grim lurks in Redemption’s house. Jam must fight not only to protect her best friend, but also to uncover the truth, and the answer to the question–How do you save the world from monsters if no one will admit they exist? Acclaimed novelist Akwaeke Emezi makes their riveting and timely young adult debut with a book that asks difficult questions about what choices you can make when the society around you is in denial.
TW for discussions about child abuse.
Yadriel has summoned a ghost, and now he can't get rid of him. When his traditional Latinx family has problems accepting his true gender, Yadriel becomes determined to prove himself a real brujo. With the help of his cousin and best friend Maritza, he performs the ritual himself, and then sets out to find the ghost of his murdered cousin and set it free. However, the ghost he summons is actually Julian Diaz, the school's resident bad boy, and Julian is not about to go quietly into death. He's determined to find out what happened and tie off some loose ends before he leaves. Left with no choice, Yadriel agrees to help Julian, so that they can both get what they want. But the longer Yadriel spends with Julian, the less he wants to let him leave.
Summer, 1518. A strange sickness sweeps through Strasbourg: women dance in the streets, some until they fall down dead. As rumors of witchcraft spread, suspicion turns toward Lavinia and her family, and Lavinia may have to do the unimaginable to save herself and everyone she loves. Five centuries later, a pair of red shoes seal to Rosella Oliva’s feet, making her dance uncontrollably. They draw her toward a boy who knows the dancing fever’s history better than anyone: Emil, whose family was blamed for the fever five hundred years ago. But there’s more to what happened in 1518 than even Emil knows, and discovering the truth may decide whether Rosella survives the red shoes.
There are two things that Corinne Parker knows to be true: that she is in love with Maggie Bailey, the captain of the rival high school's cross-country team and her secret girlfriend of a year, and that she isn't ready for anyone to know she's bisexual. But then Maggie dies, and Corinne quickly learns that the only thing worse than losing Maggie is being left heartbroken over a relationship no one knows existed. And to make things even more complicated, the only person she can turn to is Elissa—Maggie's ex, and the single person who understands how Corinne is feeling. As Corinne struggles to make sense of her grief and what she truly wants out of life, she begins to have feelings for the last person she should fall for. But to move forward after losing Maggie, Corinne will have to learn to be honest with the people in her life...starting with herself.
*This book comes out April 27, 2021 but I'm excited enough about it that I'll share it a week before it comes out.
Dean Foster knows he’s a trans guy. He’s watched enough YouTube videos and done enough questioning to be sure. But everyone at his high school thinks he’s a lesbian—including his girlfriend Zoe, and his theater director, who just cast him as a “nontraditional” Romeo. He wonders if maybe it would be easier to wait until college to come out. But as he plays Romeo every day in rehearsals, Dean realizes he wants everyone to see him as he really is now––not just on the stage, but everywhere in his life. Dean knows what he needs to do. Can playing a role help Dean be his true self?
An empowering and emotional debut about a genderqueer teen who finds the courage to stand up and speak out for equality when they are discriminated against by their high school administration. Carey Parker dreams of being a diva, and bringing the house down with song. They can hit every note of all the top pop and Broadway hits. But despite their talent, emotional scars from an incident with a homophobic classmate and their grandmother's spiraling dementia make it harder and harder for Carey to find their voice. Then Carey meets Cris, a singer/guitarist who makes Carey feel seen for the first time in their life. With the rush of a promising new romantic relationship, Carey finds the confidence to audition for the role of Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, in the school musical, setting off a chain reaction of prejudice by Carey's tormentor and others in the school. It's up to Carey, Cris, and their friends to defend their rights--and they refuse to be silenced. Told in alternating chapters with identifying pronouns, debut author Steven Salvatore's Can't Take That Away conducts a powerful, uplifting anthem, a swoony romance, and an affirmation of self-identity that will ignite the activist in all of us.
Ten years ago, Peter Pan left Neverland to grow up, leaving behind his adolescent dreams of boyhood and resigning himself to life as Wendy Darling. Growing up, however, has only made him realize how inescapable his identity as a man is. But when he returns to Neverland, everything has changed: the Lost Boys have become men, and the war games they once played are now real and deadly. Even more shocking is the attraction Peter never knew he could feel for his old rival, Captain Hook—and the realization that he no longer knows which of them is the real villain.
L E T M E B E C L E A R : I never intended to raise my brother from his grave, though he may claim otherwise. If there’s anything I’ve learned from him in the years since, it’s that the dead hide truths as well as the living.
When Tea accidentally resurrects her brother from the dead, she learns she is different from the other witches in her family. Her gift for necromancy means that she’s a bone witch, a title that makes her feared and ostracized by her community. But Tea finds solace and guidance with an older, wiser bone witch, who takes Tea and her brother to another land for training. In her new home, Tea puts all her energy into becoming an asha—one who can wield magic. But dark forces are approaching quickly, and in the face of danger, Tea will have to overcome her obstacles…and make a powerful choice.
I just looked through my blog and idk what was wrong with me back then I apologize
So since tomorrow is Halloween, I decided to make a recommendation list of my favourite horror podcast episodes to recommend on Halloween as a way of celebration, and for anyone looking to get into podcasts but maybe being too intimidated by starting a whole series at once and just wanting a taste. As such, all of these episodes can be enjoyed as a stand alone and without needing the context of the rest of the series' story.
1) Penumbra Podcast
( 1.13 Home)
Summary:
When a family is preparing to move out of their old house in a week and the parents are away for a night, siblings Jake and Lily find out their home has a lot more heart than they may be comfortable with.
This was the last stand alone oneshot episode the Penumbra Podcast did, and one of the only horror ones. I'd say it's more spooky than scary with a wholesome twist to it, which makes it welcoming for any newcomers to the horror genre or someone looking to listen to something for Halloween that isn't as dark as the other recommendations on this list. It does get intense in certain parts, and while it isn't a story about domestic abuse it may be disturbing to those who find those themes triggering.
Runtime: 30mins
2) Old Gods of Appalachia
( 0.5 The Witch Queen)
Summary:
They say there's a witch in that valley, and you'd do well to stay away from there. Journey back to the settling of the central plateau and witness the power of mountain women.
Oh I do love a good witch character, and the Witch Queen is one of my favourites. It feels somewhere half between a fairytale and a ghost story. This is the prologue to the main series (and the first chapter in the Witch Queen storyline). It's well written, performed, and genuinely creepy. The setting of the story is an alternate Appalachia (that draws from the real life events and history of Appalachia) where the supernatural is real and impossibly strange, with what lies beneath the mountains and the power that dwells within the forests.
Runtime: 24mins
3) The Silt Verses
( 1.04 Of Lovers, Gods and Beasts)
Summary:
We follow Sister Carpenter, worshipper of an outlawed river god, travelling up the length of their deity’s great black river, searching for holy revelations. As she attempts to locate the Trawler-Man's church in the woods of Penda's Slake she runs into trouble instead, in the way of a strange elk.
This was the first episode of the Silt Verses that gained the series a level of attention, and it's through that I came to hear about the series. This is certainly one of the more dramatic episodes, and it's worth listening to for Méabh de Brún's performance alone, but if you like allusions to greek myth and themes of religious existentialism interwined with body horror, then this episode is an absolute delight.
Runtime: 55mins
4) The Magnus Archives
(1.32 Hive)
Summary:
Statement of Jane Prentiss, regarding… a wasps’ nest in her attic. Original statement given February 23rd, 2014. Audio recording by Jonathan Sims, Head Archivist of the Magnus Institute, London.
"There is a wasps’ nest in my attic. A fat, sprawling thing that crouches in the shadowed corner. It thrums with life and malice. I could sit there for hours, watching the swirls of pulp and paper on its surface. I have done. It is not the patterns that enthral me, I’m not one of those fools chasing fractals; no, it’s what sings behind them. Sings that I am beautiful. Sings that I am a home. That I can be fully consumed by what loves me..."
I am sorry. Every other episode on this list is fantastic, but Hive will always be my favourite. The nature of the Magnus Archives as a horror anthology podcast that has an overarching meta plot means I could've picked any episode from the first two seasons that would've worked well for this list to jump into. But it had to be Hive. This is the kind of thing that reminds me why I love horror. The structure of the episode devolving into Jane's mind, the blurred lines between human and monster, the powerful imagery squirming it's way into your brain, crawling under your skin, the way Jon's voice shifts as he's recording the statement, slipping further and further away, becoming more intensely hypnotic, I just... please listen to it. It will deeply unsettle you. (warning for trypophobia). Also, for anyone curious about getting into the Magnus Archives, this episode is filled with a lot of foreshadowing and symbolism, so it's a great one to listen to on its own and also within the context of the series!
Runtime: 20mins
5) I Am in Eskew
(Ep4: Culpability)
Summary:
In a city of steep and winding streets, where the mime artists prance in their ghastly masks and the rain never stops, is the monstrous kafkaesque city of Eskew. David Ward, our protagonist, records his strange experiences with the city that was not built or made, but born.
David meets a murderer - and hears the story of a horrific, life-altering childhood experience.
I almost feel guilty for including this one, since I already have Of Lovers, Gods, and Beasts from the Silt Verses on this list, which is by the same writer Jon Ware. Buuuut I just really like this one and think it's a shame it sometimes gets overlooked. I liked listening to I Am in Eskew, but it wasn't till this episode that I was truly intrigued by it. Culpability feels like a murder mystery being unravelled where you're waiting for the unexpected twist round the corner only to find the knife was sticking out of your back the whole time.
This was also the first time the series made me sit down and think about what it was trying to say, the potential metaphors of depression, guilt, disassociation, and isolation. As well as the idea of becoming so accustomed to pain and fear that hope and comfort become the greater and unfamiliar terrors to be used against you. You can probably summarize from that this is the bleakest episode on this list, though not the goriest (though there is some child violence/abuse/body horror) but not bleak to the point of pointlessness.
Runtime: 28mins
6) Tales from the Gas Station
(A Murdxr at the Gas Station)
Summary:
While working the nightshift at the gas station at the edge of town, Jack Townsend is used to having encounters ranging from weird to downright horrifying. Tonight is no different, when a crow suddenly flies in.
This series is just some fun horror comedy that pokes fun at horror tropes while leaning into them, maintaining its own sense of unsettling and weird. There are a few intense and gory moments in this episode, but I picked this one simply because it's the stand alone episode in the series that made me laugh the most, and the one I relisten to the most frequently. It's dark, it's fun, it's spooky, plain and simple. (This one is only available on YouTube to listen to and not on any other usual podcast platforms)
Runtime: 30mins
And with that, I hope there is something on this list for everyone who loves or is new to horror podcasts to enjoy!
To end out 2021, here are some more books that fall into the category "it's gay and it slaps." Once again a range of styles and genres, but if there's a queer main character and it's a 4-5 star book, it's gay and it slaps. 😁
Not pictured but also gay and they slap, so they deserve a mention:
- Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall
- The Incubus series by A. H. Lee (warning that these are an mmf relationship that's pretty weird/paranormal and very spicy but I enjoyed them)
- Covenant (webtoon) by explodikid
- Six of Crows (the first in the duology with Crooked Kingdom) could be on this list, but no one is really explicitly queer until book two. Still a great book though!
Go forth and enjoy, my friends! And as always, feel free to recommend me more. My giant tbr can always get bigger!
just one, is that too much to ask? - 19yo he/them
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