i totally forgot abt this account, ngl. but with the big snow storm i have been largely cuddled up with my cat, enjoying some extra time reading...!! im at, uh. 12 books so far this month, actually....
i still basically dont exist but seeing ppl calling the knight and the moth slowburn makes me feel wilddddd. like wdym. have we forgotten what slowburn is. is this just bc i dont usually read romance and have fanfic brain sometimes?? slowburn???? slowburn???
to give myself credit, ive also been working a lot on commissions and some other projects, and so reading is a bit on the backburner rn. i find it hard to read when im emotionally overwhelmed, haha.
do you have any idea how hard it is to read vengeful (even tho i loved vicious with my entire heart) when zhz exists. i cant believe how long it's taking me
nothing wrong w that!!! reposting here is v much a part of the ecosystem, and super important!!
zhz keeps hitting me w the misinformation trope tho and i am constantly screaming internally abt it
im glad youre at least enjoying it 😭 the bad reads have been hitting me hard when i get them lately
imo bsky is much like tumblr used to be (still is? i havent been on tumblr in a long while tbh)-- this is a place for yapping lmao
i only ask that novoa research historical attire a bit more, because it's always infuriating to see the same nonsensical depictions of stays and corsets in media.
most ardently, for me, opens a door to a potential subgenre of romance i can actually enjoy. and there is something so wonderful about that, and about being reminded that people like myself have always existed and are present in the historical record.
all in all, most ardently is what i would usually categorize as cavity-inducing fluff. a marshmallow of a story. i very much enjoyed it for what it was, and am glad i was finally able to get my grubby little queer hands on it. it is the first time i have ever read romance and not just been annoyed.
there's something wonderful and unique about the art of taking pre-existing characters and placing them in a different situation, one that inherently changes who they are and how they act within the story. and i thoroughly enjoyed both oliver and darcy in this story.
... well, drastically changed to provide antagonists beyond just the original pride and prejudice the story covers. i still don't know how i feel about that. but at the same time, most ardently had the energy of a coffee shop au. which isn't a bad thing!
in some ways, i think that's both a blessing and a curse for most ardently; the characters were familiar enough that i found myself with fondness for them on the outset, but distinct enough from the originals that i didn't generally find myself tired of them. however, some characters are...
in fact, one of my only frustrations with this book focused on a misunderstanding of the basic functionality of stays and tightlacing, which is a practice that wouldnt exist until significantly later-- and rarely, even then. the story also bears little real resemblance to the original P&P.
i'll start with the things that may put one off reading it, because i believe that's important and i don't believe in wasting anyone's time with a recommendation that will not suit them. historical accuracy, at least in the clothing of this book, is not particularly high.
book cover of most ardently, a pride and prejudice retelling. a dark haired man holds a book and looks away from the other man on the cover, who is glancing at him with a soft expression and holding a letter. a peacock is in the bottom left corner, looking up at them both. the colours are soft, almost watercolour-esque, and there is an abundance of filigree and a dreamlike quality to the cover.
i know i am incredibly late to the party with this, and im sure most everyone on #booksky has already either already read most ardently, or at minimum already heard of it. but i want to take a small moment to talk about this book and the way it touched me as a nonbinary person. 🧵
For Booksky 📚
Everyone should have library access.
Queer Liberation Library: free membership with ecard, accepts donations.
Internet Archive: non-profit library with free texts, movies, software, music, websites, and more.
Non-resident library card ⬇️
(trying to read vengeful again now, since i enjoyed the first book so much and it was a soft dnf for me last year. but the call of zhenhuanzhuan... putting me onto an 83 episode cdrama is a crime. im only 22 in still.)
i absolutely DEVOURED most ardently. im not a big romance reader-- it just doesnt do anything for me personally. but most ardently was something special for my heart. i think i need to read more queer romance...
finished how to become the dark lord and die trying. i cannot remember a book ive read in the last few years that i hated more, omfg.
who are u deciding to romance?
time for another episode of apothecary diaries s2 to wind down lmao
after that it's prolly either more zhenhuanzhuan or maybe starting mononoke... (and then back to my cr that im wading through)
Good morning! This is your reminder to support your local library! Get your card and see what resources you have access to from programs and events to seed libraries, maker spaces and digital resources. Libraries are more than *just* books. (Although books are very lovely!)
i would love to be added if you have space!!
Looking for queer, BIPOC and/or disabled BookTok? 👇
Let me know if you want to be added!
#booksky #booktok #bipocbooksky #queerbooksky #blackbooksky #disabledbooksky
go.bsky.app/Ax5LErr
ALSO if you have some general interests i highly suggest searching out "starter packs" of people (keeping in mind that they may not be your cup of tea and you may eventually unfollow them). that will get things rolling a bit better as well!
but the discover feed will eventually be useful!! bsky is much more akin to tumblr than anything else, in my experience. you'll get a good one eventually, but it takes time and effort in a way tiktok has spoiled us for lmao. but the fastest way is just to engage w everyone who you enjoy.
and im only just rlly getting a discover feed that's useful. HOWEVER. however. you can search for additional feeds and pin them, and THOSE are super useful. you can also pin a mutuals only feed. it takes a lot of engagement to train your algo here, including commenting and reposting.
