Cover Snark: Script Font Strikes Again

29 September 2025 06:00 am
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Posted by Amanda

Welcome back to Cover Snark!

Unicorn's Instinct by Elva Birch. A man with an open shirt and a stethoscope. The background is a lake and foresty, mountainous area. A strange mini brown unicorn is in the bottom right corner.

From Alea: On the one hand, the colors are lovely. On the other, wtf?

Sarah: Is this My Little Pony fanfic?

Also, why do shifters not have universal child care and must be finding daycare for their offspring?

Amanda: Dr Nips, Unicorn Woman

He just needs a big hat.

Jane Seymour in a big western hat.

Sneezy: That’s a qilin, it’s not even a unicorn.

Going Commando by Pamela Burford. A headless, shirtless man is crouched down. He has on camo pants. The title is in a script font, which makes it hard to read.

From Mabry: What’s with his ribs? What’s with his neck? Does he have an enormous goiter? Should he see his ENT doc? Why is his chin in such a weird place? Has he ever washed his hair?

This makes me want a cover that is blatantly nothing but random body parts from as many guys as needed to match all of the character descriptions. They wouldn’t even need to be attached. Just spread them out on a velvet cloth or maybe a big mountain boulder for this particular book.

Sarah: I am concerned about his lymph nodes. Like, very concerned.

Amanda: I thought the title was “Going Guacamole.”

Sneezy: This is giving me body horror adjacent ick.

Moonlit Temptation by Penelope Black. A smoldering man in a tank top. It's another title in a disastrous script font.

From Pam G: This is primarily a font fail. Is that first word Moontit? Could be Wloontit, but there’s def some titty in there. Just incidentally, I hate all variations of this thumb sucking/finger licking pose and I seem to see them everywhere.

Sarah: Definitely Moontit. Although for a moment my brain said, “Moonut?”

Amanda: My vote is for Moontit!

Sneezy: Moontit for sure.

Alien Abduction for Unicorns by Skye Mackinnon. A very shiny blue bald man with no shirt on is looking back at a white unicorn.

Another PamG suggestion! She says, “Horny Snark!”

From Pam: Is this, like, the ultimate brony romance? That coy, come-and-and-get-me-baby look. That sultry, heavy-lidded response.

Sarah: That unicorn looks SO annoyed. Did the Blue Man Group Alien leave blue paint smears all over the flank area?

Also, I can state with some authority that his skull looks like he was recently born vaginally. And that’s all I shall say about that.

Alia shared this same cover with me – clearly Blue Man Group and the Unicorn are making an impression!

Sneezy: …At least this looks like a unicorn. Even if it has the same energy as three squirrels in a trench coat.

Accidentally worked 9 days in a row

28 September 2025 05:52 pm
conuly: (Default)
[personal profile] conuly
and now Callie is angry at me.

**********


Read more... )

Nominations Queries Post 1

28 September 2025 07:38 pm
yuletidemods: A hippo lounges with laptop in hand, peering at the screen through a pair of pince-nez and smiling. A text bubble with a heart emerges from the screen. The hippo dangles a computer mouse from one toe. By Oro. (Default)
[personal profile] yuletidemods posting in [community profile] yuletide_admin
We are 24 hours into tag approving! We began with 6078 individual fandom nominations to sort (where if two people submitted the same fandom, that would count twice towards the total). We have 3687 fandom nominations still to sort. Please review the questions below to help us sort them quickly and correctly!

Please link your nominations page if telling us what to do about your nomination - thank you! Please either sign in to comment, or include a name with your anonymous comments, including replies to others' comments. Unsigned comments will stay screened.

If we've processed any of your nominations and something doesn't look right, please comment (with your nominations page) to tell us about the problem and how you think it should be corrected. Questions are welcome.



Aliens (1986) - These characters are also nominated under the broader fandom Alien (Original Movies 1979-1997), so we would like to merge your nominations in with the rest of the original movies.

Bibi Blocksberg (2002) - Nominator, do you specifically only want the first movie, or may we approve this as the canonical Bibi Blocksberg (Movies 2002 2004)? Please link your nominations page when you reply.

Book of Night - Holly Black - We also have evidence for this fandom as the Charlatan Duology, and another participant has nominated it under that name. We’d like to combine your nominations, but please get us in touch if there’s a reason that won’t work. Please link your nominations page when you reply.

Clocktaur War Series - T. Kingfisher, Swordheart - T. Kingfisher, Temple of the White Rat Universe - T. Kingfisher, The Saint of Steel - T. Kingfisher - We have some overlap in these nominations. The fandom as a whole is eligible, so we could combine them under Temple of the White Rat Universe, or the Temple of the White Rat Universe nominator could have their characters split into the other fandoms if you are willing to do that. Please comment with a link to your nominations to help us sort this out!

Cousin Bette - Honoré de Balzac - Nominator, you may see some oddities as we get this set up separately from La Comédie Humaine. Pardon our dust, and hopefully you’re used to it by now! Let us know if anything looks wrong when the final tagset is released.

Designing Women - Nominator, please email us (see contact information in the footer).

Dragonfly - Ursula K. Le Guin, Earthsea - Ursula K. Le Guin, The Tombs of Atuan - Ursula K. Le Guin - Our understanding is that these are all in the same continuity. We are planning to combine Earthsea and Tombs of Atuan, especially as there is character overlap in those nominations. Dragonfly nominator, do you have concerns with folding that nomination into Earthsea as well? If so, we would appreciate help understanding exactly what you’re looking for and how to differentiate the larger Earthsea universe.

Enchanted Forest Chronicles - Patricia Wrede - We won’t approve the character nomination Morwen's Cats (Enchanted Forest) as they are all individually named. Nominators, could you please each choose a cat? (Scorn has already been nominated.) Please link your nominations page when you reply.

MAIJO Otaro - Works - We don’t approve fandoms consisting of all of a creator’s works, and the nominated characters appear to come from at least 2 novels. Nominator, could you pick one of Maijō’s works to nominate, along with the associated characters? Please link your nominations page when you reply.

夢中さ きみに。| Muchuu sa Kimi ni (Manga) - We also have a nomination for the Anime; the nominator of that fandom says they have not read the manga but believes these could be combined if needed. Does the Manga nominator have a preference? Please link your nominations page when you reply. ETA: sorry, we have 3 manga nominators and have heard from 2, so it would be great to hear from the third!

Mystery Science Theater 3000 - Nominator, please email us (see contact information in the footer).

Nescafe Advertisment - While this is a canonical fandom on AO3, it’s under review to be renamed, so we’ll approve this as Nescafe "Arctica" | "Polar Explorers" Advertisments (Russia) which is the likely new name. However, we’d like more information on the characters. We’re not sure which of the men is “First Polar” and which is “Second Polar”; some works in the fandom use Ivanov and Petrov. Also, we haven’t seen a polar bear in the 3 ads we’ve found - can you link us to the one that has the polar bear, please?

老洞 | The Old Miao Myth (TV) - Nominator, for the character Jin Bong, are you looking for Chin Pong? We’ve checked several sources and want to confirm whether this is a romanization issue or something else.

Outcast (Video Game series) - this has been nominated with character 'Any' and no other characters. If you mean you are interested in any characters, we will approve this without characters, but we wanted to check just in case there is a character actually named Any. Please link your nominations page when you reply.

Phantom of the Paradise (1974) - Nominator, please email us (see contact information in the footer).

Prophet - Sin Blaché & Helen Macdonald - could we please get more information about 'Prophet' as a character (aside from being the title)?

Spinal Tap II: The End Continues (2025) - Nominator, please email us (see contact information in the footer)

Tennis RPF - We have separate nominations for 2020's Men's Tennis RPF (characters: Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, Alex de Minaur, Taylor Fritz, Terence Atmane) and 2025 Grand Slam Season (Tennis) RPF (characters: Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner) - may we combine these under the former fandom name? Please link your nominations page when you reply.



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I don't know what to make of this

28 September 2025 08:37 pm
james_davis_nicoll: (Default)
[personal profile] james_davis_nicoll


The Cherryh titles I dropped into ngram fell into 3 patterns:

Ones whose titles don't play nicely with ngrams. I dropped those.
Ones where the mentions per year decline fairly steadily year to year.
Cyteen. What's up with Cyteen? Did Jo Walton mention it on tor dot com around 2009?

Sunday Sweets: Gothic Elegance

28 September 2025 01:00 pm
[syndicated profile] cakewrecks_feed

Posted by Jen

Who says dark has to be dreary? These gorgeous Gothic cakes will have you cheering:

(By Sweet Lake Cakes)

Sweet Lake seems to specialize in Gothic designs, and I couldn't pick just one favorite!

(By Sweet Lake Cakes)

Look at that lace and "fabric" draping. INCREDIBLE.

One more:

(By Sweet Lake Cakes)

The bird skull cameo is the perfect touch.

And speaking of cameos, check out the raven head design on this little top hat:

(By Cake Central member ChrisJack1)

The feather, the hand painted skulls and swirls, the roses - just beautiful.

(By Candytuft Cakes)

It doesn't get much more classic than rich black and blood-red roses!

I really love the contrast of the white tiers under all this heavy scrollwork:

(Baker unknown. Anyone recognize it?)

WOW. The bottom tier looks like a wrought iron gate, and the second has architectural arch ways. The longer you look, the more detail you see!

On the other hand, sometimes simple can be just as dramatic:

(By Connie Cupcake)

Love.

Now welcome, foolish mortals, to the Haunted Mansion cake:

(By WDW's Contemporary Resort bakery, found here)

That wallpaper and perfect draping has this Dizgeek all atwitter, you guys. Great color on the roses, too!

(By Antonelli di Maria Torte & Design)

One of my personal favorites today; I can't believe that fabric draping, and the perfect color fade on the spider web!

(Baker unknown)

This purple practically glows, it's so vivid. If you look closely, you can see the layered acanthus leaves making up the second tier. Beautiful.

(By Cake Opera Company, featured here)

Another astounding, can't-believe-it's-cake design. That heavy embroidery is insanely intricate, and I've been so busy staring at the cake itself that I just now noticed the cake stand is wrapped in fur!

Ha!

And finally, arguably the simplest design of them all today, but I'm just so smitten with the unusual floral swag:

(By Artistic Bites)

This wedding cake was made for a "Red Riding Hood marries the Wolf" themed photo shoot. It's the perfect blend of dark elegance and fairy-tale whimsy, and I LOVE the succulents and fuzzy mosses they used on the cake.

Hope you enjoyed the Gothic Sweets, everyone! Happy Sunday!

pauraque: Belle reads to sheep (belle reading)
[personal profile] pauraque
This young adult novella (also appearing under the title A Very Long Way From Anywhere Else) is one of Le Guin's few published pieces of non-speculative fiction. Set in the Pacific Northwest, it follows a friendship between two gifted high school students. Owen wants to study at MIT and go into science, but he feels pressured by his parents to be a "normal" guy who likes cars and girls and goes to State; Natalie is a musical prodigy, but feels constrained in her options due to her conservative father and the lack of opportunities for female composers.

The book is very short but densely packed with close observations about the pressure to conform, not only the overt pressure to conform to positive expectations, but also the covert pressure to conform to negative stereotypes and sexist narratives about how guys and girls interact. It's incisive in its portrayal of being very smart but very young and knowing basically nothing about the world outside your home town, and taking a first shaky step towards a broader perspective.

Owen and Natalie reflect a specific kind of gifted experience that wasn't the same as mine. They're aware that they're different from others, but able to play the part of a kid who's kind of an overachiever but basically normal, well enough that they can hide in plain sight. Not that that makes things easy—it's hard to choose to be yourself when the safety of conformity is a real option.

Many synopses of this book say that Owen and Natalie develop romantic feelings for each other, but that is emphatically not what happens in the book. What the book actually says is this: "I had decided that I was in love with Natalie. I hadn't fallen in love with her, please notice that I didn't say that; I had decided that I was in love with her." Owen is very clear that he tries to force himself to be in love with her and to be sexually attracted to her because he thinks it's what other people expect of him. You don't have to read Owen as aroace, but that is a possible reading and I see a lot of my aroace experiences in him.

But even if you don't read it that way, the point of the book is that their connection is about who they are as specific people, and when Owen tries to make it conform to a generic "he was a boy, she was a girl" heteronormative narrative, that connection is almost destroyed. Some of the ideas Owen has already absorbed about hetero relationships at 17 are a little scary, I think intentionally so. He's at a crossroads where he can go down the path of seeing Natalie and other girls as people, or as objects of male conquest. I think it's a good example of using a male POV to demonstrate why all of us need feminism.

The book is really good and I'm not sure why Le Guin didn't write any more like it. Maybe in between other projects she didn't have the time. But this book makes it easy to imagine an alternate timeline where this was the genre where she found success, and came to be best remembered as one of the standout contemporary YA writers of the 1970s alongside Judy Blume.

Sunday Sale Digest!

28 September 2025 07:00 am
[syndicated profile] smartbitches_feed

Posted by Amanda

This piece of literary mayhem is exclusive to Smart Bitches After Dark, but fret not. If you'd like to join, we'd love to have you!

Have a look at our membership options, and come join the fun!

If you want to have a little extra fun, be a little more yourself, and be part of keeping the site open for everyone in the future, we can’t wait to see you in our new subscription-based section with exclusive content and events.

Everything you’re used to seeing at the Hot Pink Palace that is Smart Bitches Trashy Books will remain free as always, because we remain committed to fostering community among brilliant readers who love romance.

Get Rec’d with Amanda – Volume 99

28 September 2025 07:00 am
[syndicated profile] smartbitches_feed

Posted by Amanda

Welcome back, everyone!

We are so close to 100 of these! I can hardly believe it. I have two romance recommendations this time around. Plus, there’s a memoir and an upcoming non-fiction release.

Do you have any book recs to share? Leave them in the comments!

Dukes All Summer Long

I know we’re in a slow spot with historical romances right now, but if you’re still holding on, this anthology is over 1000 pages. It’s great to dip in and out for an HR fix. 

Welcome to Dukes All Summer Long…

One of the most epic Historical Romance collections yet!

Enemies to Lovers – grumpy sunshine – wallflowers vs. rakes – and more!

Over a thousand pages of Regency Romance adventure with never-before published stories.

What are dukes good for? Romance all summer long. Be a fly on the wall for a romantic adventure, or peer into a ballroom as the dancers choose their partners. Enjoy this delectably romantic summer collection with your favorite Historical Romance authors because summer lovin’ has never been so passionate!

Authors in this collection
Kathleen Ayers
Bronwen Evans
Mary Lancaster
Deb Marlowe
Emily E K Murdoch
Tracy Sumner
Ruth A. Casie
Sherry Ewing
Elizabeth Heights
Marie Higgins
Matilda Madison
Amanda Mariel
Cara Maxwell
Paula Quinn
Fil Reid
Wren St. Claire
Tanya Wilde

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

 

 

 

The Genius Bat

This is coming out soon and is for all my animal and nature nerds. Also, how do I get the title of “world’s leading expert on bats,” because that sounds very cool.

An awe-inspiring tour of bat world by the world’s leading expert

With nearly 1500 species, bats account for more than twenty percent of mammalian species. The most successful and most diverse group of mammals, bats come in different sizes, shapes, and colors, from the tiny bumblebee bat to the giant golden-crowned flying fox. Some bats eat fruit and nectar; others eat frogs, scorpions, or fish. Vampire bats feed on blood. Bats are the only mammals that can fly; their fingers have elongated through evolution to become wings with a unique, super-flexible skin membrane stretched between them. Their robust immune system is one of the reasons for their extreme longevity. A tiny bat can live for forty years.

Yossi Yovel, an ecologist and a neurobiologist, is passionate about deciphering the secrets of bats, including using AI to decipher their communication. In The Genius Bat, he brings to vivid life these amazing creatures as well as the obsessive and sometimes eccentric people who study them–bat scientists. From muddy rainforests to star-covered night deserts, from guest houses in Thailand to museum drawers full of fossils in New York, this is an eye-opening and entertaining account of a mighty mammal.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

 

 

 

Leg

This popped up on Dr. Tressie McMillan Cottom’s Instagram feed where she was reading it and highly recommended it. Anything she mentions is always work a second look.

A hilarious and poignant memoir grappling with family, disability, and coming of age in two closets—as a gay man and as a man living with cerebral palsy

Greg Marshall’s early years were pretty bizarre. Rewind the VHS tapes (this is the nineties) and you’ll see a lopsided teenager limping across a high school stage, or in a wheelchair after leg surgeries, pondering why he’s crushing on half of the Utah Jazz. Add to this home video footage a mom clacking away at her newspaper column between chemos, a dad with ALS, and a cast of foulmouthed siblings. Fast forward the tape and you’ll find Marshall happily settled into his life as a gay man only to discover he’s been living in another closet his whole life: he has cerebral palsy. Here, in the hot mess of it all, lies Greg Marshall’s wellspring of wit and wisdom.

Leg is an extraordinarily funny and insightful memoir from a daring new voice. Packed with outrageous stories of a singular childhood, it is also a unique examination of what it means to transform when there are parts of yourself you can’t change, a moving portrait of a family in crisis, and a tale of resilience of spirit. In Marshall’s deft hands, we see a story both personal and universal—of being young and wanting the world, even when the world doesn’t feel like yours to want.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

 

 

 

Slow Burn

A second chance romance between two dancers on a reality TV show. I wished the buzz were bigger for this one!

Filled with scenes of sizzling passion, plot beats of swoon-worthy romance, and a cast of Black female characters that you’ll fall in love with, the unputdownable debut novel from Oti Mabuse brims with heat and heart. Perfect for fans of Talia Hibbert, Laura Jane Williams, Tia Williams, Farrah Rochon, Hannah Grace and Bolu Babalola.

For dancer Lira, Latin Ballroom is everything. Whilst her dreams of fame were cut short aged 19, she’s never forgotten the connection she felt dancing with a stranger at the Paris World Championship afterparty 13 years ago.

Now, with her younger sisters pursuing their own successful dancing careers, and the responsibility of running the family dance studio falling to her, Lira’s ambitious flame is about to flicker out. Until a chance encounter sees her secretly auditioning for Slow Burn, a new dance show about to embark on a 6-week European tour, and coming face to face with a blast from her past that sends her reeling.

Gabriele is the quintessential bad boy of the Latin Ballroom scene. Slim of hip, with long, lean muscles that pop, a chiselled jaw, dark eyes, obscenely long lashes, and a mouth that just won’t give, it’s no surprise when he lands the principal male lead role on Slow Burn. But, with just a few weeks to go till the tour starts, he still hasn’t found his female co-star. All it takes is one audition to set his world on fire…

On the dance floor they’re smouldering, off it, they’re on fire.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

 

 

 

After the Secret

28 September 2025 12:03 am
[syndicated profile] post_secret_feed

Posted by Frank

Hi Frank, 

In 2012 when I was 16 years old, I was date-raped by my then boyfriend at a party. A story not altogether dissimilar to the secret you posted this week from a person who was assaulted by a friend and was considering suicide. It took me 2 years to realize what had happened to me and what that meant, despite it being painful and causing bleeding for weeks. My brain had hidden the memory deep inside to protect me.

In my secret I wrote to you in 2015 I said that I was mad at myself for taking so long to figure it out and that I couldn’t forgive myself. I was considering suicide and felt too much shame to tell anyone about what had happened to me. I felt weak and that I had let myself down. But I was lucky enough to find a supportive community and was eventually able to talk to a therapist about my experience. It took time and a lot of work to overcome the crippling PTSD I didn’t realize I was struggling with. But I DID make it! 

These days, I don’t think about it and if I do, it no longer has any power over me. I have forgiven myself and now I have a wonderful partner who respects me and never makes me feel unsafe. Moving on wasn’t easy but it is SO worth it. EMDR saved my life and allowed me to see that I was in fact strong and that life was worth living. 

I guess I just wanted them to know that they are not alone. Unfortunately 1 in 5 women and 1 in 16 men in the US will experience sexual assault in their lifetimes. But, IT DOES GET BETTER! This is not your fault and that person was never really a friend at all. You deserve to be safe and loved. You are not tainted or ruined, you are so incredibly strong. I hope you are able to find the help you need and are able to give yourself grace. We are not victims, we are survivors.

Much love from one survivor to another,

J.

PS: If I submitted a secret today it would probably say something like, “I am not my past. I change everyday and I can’t wait to see who I become.”

The post After the Secret appeared first on PostSecret.

conuly: (Default)
[personal profile] conuly
but it was a set of two regular palmsized scrubbie brushes for dishes. Which was disappointing, but E made the amazing discovery that they are really fun to smash together, bristle to bristle, so that's all right.

****************


Read more... )
[personal profile] huberthubert posting in [community profile] little_details
Hello everyone!

I am writing a oneshot essentially set in the Zhangjiajie National Forest Park. My character is so surprised and overwhelmed by what he is seeing that I am introducing his senses one by one, but I couldnt quite imagine what it would smell like being in his position.

I know its quite humid, so thats probably the bulk of the experience, but are there any other, more subtle undertones I could include to make the scene feel more alive?
Even if you havent been to the exact location, any experience in a subtropical, humid climate would already be quite helpful.

Thank you!
[syndicated profile] smartbitches_feed

Posted by SB Sarah

This piece of literary mayhem is exclusive to Smart Bitches After Dark, but fret not. If you'd like to join, we'd love to have you!

Have a look at our membership options, and come join the fun!

If you want to have a little extra fun, be a little more yourself, and be part of keeping the site open for everyone in the future, we can’t wait to see you in our new subscription-based section with exclusive content and events.

Everything you’re used to seeing at the Hot Pink Palace that is Smart Bitches Trashy Books will remain free as always, because we remain committed to fostering community among brilliant readers who love romance.

james_davis_nicoll: (Default)
[personal profile] james_davis_nicoll


Six works new to me: four fantasy, one mystery, one non-fiction (from an unexpected source)... unless you count the fantasy-mystery as mystery, in which case it's three fantasy and two mysteries. At least two are series. I don't know why publishers are so averse to labelling series.

Books Received, September 20 — September 26

Poll #33662 Books Received, September 20 — September 26
Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 44


Which of these look interesting?

View Answers

An Ordinary Sort of Evil by Kelley Armstrong
12 (27.3%)

Sea of Charms by Sarah Beth Durst (July 2026)
13 (29.5%)

Following My Nose by Alexei Panshin (December 2024)
12 (27.3%)

The Fake Divination Offense by Sara Raasch (May 2026)
8 (18.2%)

The Harvey Girl by Dana Stabenow (February 2026)
9 (20.5%)

Scarlet Morning by ND Stevenson (September 2025)
18 (40.9%)

Some other option (see comments)
1 (2.3%)

Cats!
33 (75.0%)

Yuletide 2025 Nominations Closed

27 September 2025 07:05 am
yuletidemods: A hippo lounges with laptop in hand, peering at the screen through a pair of pince-nez and smiling. A text bubble with a heart emerges from the screen. The hippo dangles a computer mouse from one toe. By Oro. (Default)
[personal profile] yuletidemods posting in [community profile] yuletide_admin
Thank you for your nominations! Nominations are now closed. We have 6078 fandom nominations to sort through: that means that at least 1216 people nominated, but probably more. This is lower than our highest ever number of nominations received previously - 6257 - but higher than last year's 5950 nominations.

So, what happens next?
First there's a pause. We review the information we have already and get our ducks in a row. Then, when we begin to approve your nominations, it won't be in any obvious order. The approvals interface shows us fandoms at random, rather than according to who nominated them or when the nomination was submitted.

Help us get through approvals faster - please keep an eye on this community for questions about nominations we find confusing. In turn, if you are confused by how we've approved your nomination, you can ask us about it. If you submitted evidence close to the end of nominations, we may also have follow-up comments for you; however, we won't be accepting any evidence for new canons now that nominations are closed.

While we approve fandoms, you can:


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Posted by Amanda

Bath tub with flower petals and lemon slices. Book, candles and beauty product on a tray. Organic spa relaxation in luxury Bali outdoor bathroom.Welcome back to Whatcha Reading! Here’s how we’re capping off this month:

Sneezy: I’ve been rereading Only Hope. It’s still ongoing, and I’m VERY much not a thriller person, but something about some Will Kill You cinnamon rolls is making my brain happy right now.

Lara: I’ve been so lucky with books lately. So many good ones! At the moment, I am knee deep in And Then There Was the One by Martha Waters. ( A | BN | K | AB ) It’s a 1930s murder mystery romance and the heroine is just the kind of grump that makes me happy.

Tara: I’m reading Can We Skip to the Good Part by Melissa Brayden. ( A | BN ) It’s her first self-published book after 10 years with a publisher and I’m really enjoying it.

Carrie: I’m just about to start Women of the Fairy Tale Resistance by Jane Harrington ( A | BN | K | AB ) and I’m SO EXCITED! Expect to see this book pop up in Kickass Women.

Whatcha reading? Let us know in the comments!

Nominations Closing Soon

26 September 2025 07:48 pm
yuletidemods: A hippo lounges with laptop in hand, peering at the screen through a pair of pince-nez and smiling. A text bubble with a heart emerges from the screen. The hippo dangles a computer mouse from one toe. By Oro. (Default)
[personal profile] yuletidemods posting in [community profile] yuletide_admin
We need your fandom & character nominations by 1pm UTC 27 September. That’s 12 hours away!

See countdown!

If your fandom requires evidence, please also submit it by that time.

Please check previous posts in this community for guidance on what can be nominated.




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Haven't done this in a while

26 September 2025 04:36 pm
zenigotchas: (clownmouth)
[personal profile] zenigotchas posting in [community profile] addme
Intro:
Hi my name is Mint Chocolate Chip but I also go by more sensible names like The Overlord of The Pasta as well. That is actually a childhood nickname given to me when I was 42...

I'm abt 25.... A zillenial/zoomer-millenial hybrid and no, I was not grown in a lab despite the rumors.

I post frequently and the blahg is a hybrid between personal/recovery stuff for my cptsd and interests and passions. I am many things, but aren't we all? Things I regularly think about and do (or at least TRY to engage with regularly) are reading, writing, comicking (I'm trying my hand at my own super robot series. It's very.... Me), indulging my musicphilia, lifting, animals (dinosaurs and evolutionary theory oh my!), smol chubby things (think pibbins as an example) and generally trying new things in these categories.

I will say my personality is Cheerfully dark or darkly cheerful. A lot of gross, creepy, weird things cheer me up, make me laugh or inspire me to do better. And I am a very easily amused person who really likes jokes, but my ideas of what's funny can be really odd or morbid. Like I thought the movie Tusk was just okay but had a very life affirming message about personhood. Ultimately, scary stuff registers to me as beautiful. Is it because it's so scary it's pretty? Or it's not scary at all? I don't think I'll ever know, but the closest equivalent I can think of is what gothic fiction describes as "the sublime."

How I try to live can be summed up by something I wrote on my blog recently that I will paraphrase here:
1. Death is the ultimate equalizer. If it won't matter after you're dead, it's not going to matter while you're alive.

2. Being yourself is the only way out.

3. Everything you know and love will pass and be forgotten one day. Including you. It's like we all get to keep special secrets from the next generations.

Likes: Metal, classical music, jazz, french house, horror, sci fi, surrealism, reading, philosophy, Friedrich Nietszche (did I spell that right?), superheroes, mecha/super robot (real robot is okay), violent stuff, birds, birds being dinosaurs, bones, medsci, dentalsci, psychology, flexibility, playfulness, puns, wordplay, spicy food, clowns, birds, dragons. A lot more but I'll be here all day if I list everything. Fandoms include Sonic, Mario, Getter Robo, Pokemon, Batman, Spawn, Godzilla, Street Fighter, Story of Seasons, Stardew Valley. Again, a lot of fandoms. That's not even all of them. Most of all, anything filled with cheese, hopium or grossness is what I love most.

Dislikes: The way a certain strain of nerds are like that, people who are mean to animals, country music, folk music, SOME types of pop music (I enjoy the genre but am not fond of certain pop artists who are currently big) AI """art,""" rigidity and inflexibility.

I'm working on being more interested than interesting and I like people of different backgrounds. I like swapping thoughts with people who share similar feels abt things + have good boundaries. I like independent personalities who like to laugh.

As a warning, I wouldn't describe my blog as gloomy but very honest. I am someone who likes having the ability to be articulate and say what I mean and mean what I say, mental illness be damned! So I WILL talk abt the hard times, when mental illness hurts and stuff like that.

There will ALWAYS be TWs, but I'm mentioning this bc I don't think I will be good match for people who find that stuff inherently depressing as I don't see it that way at all and don't want to repress how I talk for the comfort of others. I am going through some major changes in my life after a lot of personal tragedy, including but not limited to homelessness, and I want to feel free to share it honestly.

On interactions:
Just bc it's in my dislikes doesn't mean I dislike people who like what I don't. Unless you're into some sick shit, I will be interested in hearing your differing perspective and would be open to friendship or whatever other type of platonic relationship it evolves into. I'm not someone who is easily scandalized or put off by people.

Though I admit, remembering to write back or to be unafraid to be emotionally vulnerable is NOT always easy and I'm trying hard to get better at it.

I don't tolerate ableism or any abusive rhetoric towards the poor or homeless.

Going back to what I said earlier. Most shit we are told matters actually does not matter and that fits a lot of nerd drama/discourse well. I will never see lolisho or whatever else some people go to bat for as some free speech issue I am obligated to fight for, I think it's disgusting, I don't have to justify myself and I'm not interested in being converted (people have tried that before). Those are the types of people who I block liberally.

I do not add minors.

If you are mentally well, NOT white trash, monosexual, or are just curious, I ask you to please be open minded and to ask questions if you decide to follow and interact. I am like. A random bi religious lady who was raised and identifies strongly with the white trash thing. I can't tell you how EVERYONE who falls under this very niche overlap thinks and I don't intend to, but I think I can tell you an excellent story.

Anythin else?
I'm white trash.

I never got to finish highschool.

I don't post horny stuff but I'm not allergic to discussing media that portrays sexuality or discussing sexuality itself.

I don't post many graphic pictures or vids, but I do like media with graphic stuff in it.

I don't get political, as a personal boundary and way to make sure I stay respectful online. Please do not push me to share my beliefs. I do not mind if YOU get political (tho a journal all about politics isn't my bag), but I will only share my political stances if I feel comfortable doing so.

Evolution is the most important scientific fact for me. It is a driving factor in my decision making and personal worldviews. I like that people are monkeys. Don't you think that's hilarious? I love that birds are dinosaurs.

I'm bi. I was agnostic for most of my life but I like that I started practicing christianity as an adult. I don't see these as contradictory. I like theistic evolution. I read a lot of things I disagree with anyway bc it's good for the soul.

I am someone's whose definition of freedom is "I am allowed free to do or say what I like" rather than "I am free from the consequences of what I do or say." So speaking honestly and openly is more abt self improvement than just being a dick and then saying "Well I'm just being HONEST! You're violating my freedoms if you push back or block me!" It's about having uncomfortable conversations and realizing we don't know everything and we never will and that's just more reason to keep having conversations.

Add me! Or don't. I don't really care.

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delphipsmith

December 2022

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