ollie 🏳️‍⚧️📚 (he/they)

Seconding this comment. Rest rest rest. Even as you start to feel better (if you’re symptomatic) prioritize resting.

I loved Circe! It's such a good retelling from a different perspective and the author did such a good job with Circe's character
throughout the book.

What are you currently reading and/or listening to? I like to have at least one audio book and one text book to read at a time. I'm currently listening to The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri and reading Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie. So far they're both interesting in different ways! #booksky 📚💙

The image depicts the cover of Naomi Novik's novel Uprooted. At the top of the image is Naomi Novik's name in all caps in a story-book style dark cool gray font. Most of the cover is taken up by an illustration that looks like a mix between paper-cut and painting of a tall tower in the middle casting a shadow on one house in the middle of a small group of white houses. The tower is on a sloping teal-green hill and a dark forest is right behind it, with trees almost as tall as the tower. At the bottom of the image, framed by white tree branches and roots, is the title "Uprooted" in the same font as the author's name.

Finished Uprooted by Naomi Novik last week! I really loved it. There were some slower parts but even those were a joy to read because of the depth of detail. The characters were also so well written, even the bad ones, and I love when stories aren't just black&white with morality. 💙📚 4/5 ⭐ #booksky

I'm listening to Uprooted by Naomi Novik and reading The Tomb of Dragons by Katherine Addison which is the third of a series that was just released, I've been on hold for it for months I'm so excited 🤩 #booksky 📚💙

The image is the book cover of Hera: A Novel by Jennifer Saint. The background features shades of deep red and orange, evoking a fiery, divine atmosphere. Centered is a stylized illustration of Hera, the Greek goddess, with long flowing black hair and intense, glowing eyes. She wears a golden headpiece adorned with a lotus flower, and lightning bolts emerge from her hair and shoulder, symbolizing her power. Her expression is serious and commanding. The author's name "JENNIFER SAINT" is displayed at the top in gold serif lettering, with the title "HERA" in large white letters below. The words "A NOVEL" appear to the right of the illustration.

Finished Hera by Jennifer Saint and was unfortunately disappointed by this one. It was a challenge to finish because it felt more like a bunch of short stories taped together, and Hera had very little character growth so it was not really satisfying to read either. 📚💙 2/5 ⭐ #booksky #bookreview

Also read a classic in one sitting today, Carmilla by J. Sheridan Le Fanu. I'm pretty sure it inspired Dracula? Either way, interesting read and very short. About 3 hrs for the audiobook but it's only about 104 pages so probably quicker for just reading. 💙📚 #booksky #horror #classichorror #carmilla

The image is the book cover of Ariadne by Jennifer Saint. The background is a textured dark blue with a Greek key pattern border in a lighter blue. The central illustration features an intricate design of grapevines with golden leaves and clusters of grapes, entwined with a blue snake and a blue Greek-style amphora (vase). Near the bottom right, there is a classical-style depiction of a woman in a flowing blue gown—presumably Ariadne—holding a vine. The title "ARIADNE" is displayed prominently in elegant, white capital letters across the center, and the author's name "JENNIFER SAINT" is written below in slightly smaller white text. The overall aesthetic evokes ancient Greek art and mythology.

Finished Ariadne by Jennifer Saint today! It took me about 3 days, and was good but not Amazing. Slow in some parts, and a little repetitive toward the end, but still managed to be pretty interesting. I listened to the audiobook, and I think the narrator's talent helped too. 💙📚 3.5/5 ⭐ #booksky

I’ve become a crepe making madman. This was dinner (& dessert) Friday night. All homemade. Savory is baked lemon garlic salmon, scrambled eggs, goat cheese, and dill with cucumbers and a dill aioli. Dessert is Nutella with sugared strawberries and whipped cream. #food #homemade #homecook

Barrie Kreinik is by far my favorite audiobook narrator so far. The worst was the guy who narrated The Ballad of Songbird's and Snakes, I'll never forget his "singing" as Lucy Gray. 📚💙🎧 #booksky #audiobooks

Horimiya is one of my all time favorite shows, I might need to rewatch it soon 😍

What are we all reading or watching rn? 📚🎥💙
Reading:
- (about to start) Ariadne by Jennifer Saint

Watching:
- Severance season 2
- (about to start) White Lotus
- Yellowjackets season 3

#booksky #tvshows

The image is the book cover of Lost Boy: The True Story of Captain Hook by Christina Henry. The background is a muted blue with a distressed texture. The title "LOST BOY" is at the top in large, bold, capital letters—"LOST" in red and "BOY" in black. Below the title, the subtitle reads "The True Story of Captain Hook" in smaller black letters. The central artwork shows two severed hands: one holding a bloody knife and the other transformed into a hook. Red blood splatters are visible around the severed wrists and knife. A quote in the center reads, “All children, except one, grow up…” in small black text. Near the bottom right, there's a praise blurb from author Genevieve Valentine. The author’s name, “CHRISTINA HENRY,” is printed in bold white capital letters at the bottom, with a note below stating she is the national bestselling author of Alice and Red Queen.

Just finished Lost Boy by Christina Henry and honestly loved it. My expectations were not very high and it soared over them. I binged it in 2 days because I needed to know what happened next. A good, dark retelling of Peter Pan that is believable as it is sad. 4.5/5 ⭐ 💙📚 #booksky

The image is the cover of Sunrise on the Reaping, a Hunger Games novel by Suzanne Collins. The background is dark purple with a segmented circular design in a lighter shade of purple. The title, "SUNRISE ON THE REAPING," is displayed in bold, capitalized, gold-and-white letters at the top. Below the title, the central illustration features a golden serpent and a golden bird, both with scales, intertwined in a circular shape. The serpent has its mouth open, fangs visible, while the bird has a sharp, pointed beak. The bottom of the cover displays the text "A HUNGER GAMES NOVEL BY" in smaller, white capital letters, followed by the author's name, "SUZANNE COLLINS," in larger, bold white letters.

Finished Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins. 📚💙 Gotta say, it is my least favorite of the THG series. It lacked the same heart the original series has, and woefully lacked world building. I know Collins is a screenplay writer and this felt like a screenplay more than a novel. 3/5 ⭐ #booksky

The image is the cover of Sunrise on the Reaping, a Hunger Games novel by Suzanne Collins. The background is dark purple with a segmented circular design in a lighter shade of purple. The title, "SUNRISE ON THE REAPING," is displayed in bold, capitalized, gold-and-white letters at the top. Below the title, the central illustration features a golden serpent and a golden bird, both with scales, intertwined in a circular shape. The serpent has its mouth open, fangs visible, while the bird has a sharp, pointed beak. The bottom of the cover displays the text "A HUNGER GAMES NOVEL BY" in smaller, white capital letters, followed by the author's name, "SUZANNE COLLINS," in larger, bold white letters.

Started Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins a few days ago. Probably my least favorite of her series so far, but I don't want to judge too harshly as I'm only 35% in. #booksky #currentlyreading #thg #thehungergames #suzzanecollins 📚💙

2 books in my DNF list so far, one because I got COVID right after starting it and just haven't picked it up and the other I just couldn't get into. MC was too passive and the story felt forced, a lot of the prose was pretty on its own but not enough to make me want to keep reading.

I don't really want to be put into a niche when it comes to writing. The only niche I'm going for is found family and gay/queer men that are 30+ years old falling in love.

1 sentence/day, any project for 20 days. No explanations or judgment. 📚💙Day 13/20 #booksky #wipwriting #writesky #writingcommunity #amwriting

“I can manage that,” Knox hates how ragged he sounds, “she’ll be okay?”

1 sentence/day, any project for 20 days. No explanations or judgment. 📚💙Day 12/20 #booksky #wipwriting #writesky #writingcommunity #amwriting

Blood coats the room, it’s in every direction, in long arcs and ugly dark splotches.

1 sentence/day, any project for 20 days. No explanations or judgment. 📚💙Day 11/20 #booksky #wipwriting #writesky #writingcommunity #amwriting

Knox blinks, his eyes dry as sandpaper, and watches the life come back to Jiji’s cheeks as she stirs on the table.

1 sentence/day, any project for 20 days. No explanations or judgment. 📚💙Day 10/20 #booksky #wipwriting #writesky #writingcommunity #amwriting

“Poor thing,” Terry whispers as they poke gently at the wound on her side, “what happened?”

Noticing grammatical errors after sharing the sentence is the bane of my existence. I am sharing from my rough draft, so of course there's going to be errors, but the little perfectionist in me rages at them when I notice them.

1 sentence/day, any project for 20 days. No explanations or judgment. 📚💙Day 9/20 #booksky #wipwriting #writesky #writingcommunity #amwriting

It’s not until the sun is down that he braves getting closer, and finding a place to sit for his solemn vigil.

1 sentence/day, any project for 20 days. No explanations or judgment. 📚💙Day 8/20 #booksky #wipwriting #writesky #writingcommunity #amwriting

The gun in his pocket feels like a black hole as his finger gingerly traces the trigger in time with his footsteps.

(also why the more words i get on paper, and the more real the prospect of actually finishing & trying to publish this work fills me with the deepest terror. i want to do this story the justice it deserves.)

Nothing like a very real reminder of why the novel I'm writing is so close to my heart popping up tonight. Over the 10-ish years of planning this story in my mind, and now finally on paper, I've infused so much of my own childhood experiences and the trauma I still carry from those years into it.

1 sentence/day, any project for 20 days. No explanations or judgment. 📚💙Day 7/20 #booksky #wipwriting #writesky #writingcommunity #amwriting

Knox grips the phone with both hands on either side, straining as he snaps the phone in half with a satisfyingly loud pop and crackle.

Immediately fixed the grammar mistake in the last line I shared with that 1 sentence/day thing, no judgement!!!

1 sentence/day, any project for 20 days. No explanations or judgment. 📚💙Day 6/20 #booksky #wipwriting #writesky #writingcommunity #amwriting

“Messy,” Artos breezes through each of his swings, pushing them away as if fighting a butterfly, “I thought you are quicker, or mightier, big man.”

1 sentence/day, any project for 20 days. No explanations or judgment. 📚💙Day 5/20 #booksky #wipwriting #writesky #writingcommunity #amwriting

Worry gnawed away at him, hollowing him out from the inside.