245 posts
Underrated books?
the naturals by jennifer lynn barnes
the fixer by jenniger lynn barnes
penryn and the end of days by susan ee
the archived by victoria schwab
we are the ants by shaun david hutchinson
at the edge of the universe by shaun david hutchinson
all our yesterdays by cristin terrill
the lost girl by sangu mandanna
an ember in the ashes by sabaa tahir
the illuminae files by amie kaufman and jay kristoff
the star-touched queen by roshani chokshi
the diviners by libba bray
graceling realm by kristin cashore
cyclone series by courtney milan
poison study by maria v. snyder
wolf by wolf by ryan graudin
letters to the lost by brigid kemmerer
starbound trilogy by amie kaufman
into the blue by pene henson
mermaids of eriana kawi by tiana warner
timekeeper by tara sim
gallagher girls by ally carter
dangerous girls/dangerous boys by abigail haas
everything by patrick ness/adam silvera/natalia jaster
(anon bc I'm a nerd) but would you recommend any books? 😆 I'm trying to get back into reading and it would be greatly appreciated 💞 love your blog!
AAAAAAA MY FAVORITE KINDS OF ASKS ARE BOOK REC ASKS YES I CAN REC U SOME BOOKS
fantasy/sci fi/magical realsim etc
mistborn trilogy by brandon sanderson
a darker shade of magic by v.e. schwab ★
the archived by victoria schwab
this savage song by victoria schwab
vicious by v.e. schwab
more than this by patrick ness ★
the rest of us just live here by patrick ness ★
an ember in the ashes by sabaa tahir
peter darling by austin chant ★
illuminae by jay kristoff and amie kaufman
the strange and beautiful sorrows of ava lavender by elizabeth wein ☆
of fire and stars by audrey coulthurst ★
the winner’s trilogy by marie rutkoski ☆
ink and bone by rachel caine ★
we are the ants by shaun david hutchinson ★
timekeeper by tara sim ★
the diviners by libba bray ★
the night circus by erin morgenstern
contemporary
i’ll give you the sun by jandy nelson ★
to all the boys i’ve loved before by jenny han ☆
we are okay by nina lacour ★
if i was your girl by meredith russo ★
you know me well by nina lacour and david levithan ★
the sky is everywhere by jandy nelson
this song is (not) for you by laura nowlin★
if he had been with me by laura nowlin
(★=lgbtq+ representation☆= very minor lgbtq+ representation)
i hope this helped!!!
what are some non-ya/adult/classic books you'd recommend?
complete with a KEY because a) then you’ll know WHAT YOU’RE GETTING INTO, b) I KNOW WHAT I’M ABOUT, SON, and c) it’s morning, I’m in bed, I love books, this is nice
DAYS WITHOUT END by SEBASTIAN BARRY ♥✰
THE SECRET HISTORY by DONNA TARTT ♥✰☽
THE BEACH by ALEX GARLAND ♥☽
WUTHERING HEIGHTS by EMILY BRONTË ♥⚤
CALL ME BY YOUR NAME by ANDRÉ ACIMAN ♥✰☂
AS MEAT LOVES SALT by MARIA MCCANN ♥✰☂✗
MAURICE by E. M. FORSTER ♥✰
THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY by OSCAR WILDE ☜☽
MYSTERIOUS SKIN by SCOTT HEIM ✰✗
BIRDSONG by SEBASTIAN FAULKS ☂⚤
ATONEMENT by IAN MCEWAN ⚤
THE WATCHMAKER OF FILIGREE STREET by NATASHA PULLEY ✰☽
THE QUICK by LAUREN OWEN ✰☽
THE GOLDFINCH by DONNA TARTT ♥☜
WE HAVE ALWAYS LIVED IN THE CASTLE by SHIRLEY JACKSON ☽
ANNABEL by KATHLEEN WINTER ☜
TIPPING THE VELVET by SARAH WATERS ✰
THE VINTNER’S LUCK by ELIZABETH KNOX ♥✰☂☽
THE LESSONS by NAOMI ALDERMAN ✰
NEVERWHERE by NEIL GAIMAN ☽⚤
REGENERATION / THE EYE IN THE DOOR / THE GHOST ROAD by PAT BARKER ♥✰
IT by STEPHEN KING ♥☽
TELL THE WOLVES I’M HOME by CAROL RIFKA BRUNT ☜☂
THE CHARIOTEER by MARY RENAULT ✰☂
THE HOURS by MICHAEL CUNNINGHAM ✰
DEATHLESS by CATHERYNNE M. VALENTE ☂☽⚤
A HISTORY OF LONELINESS by JOHN BOYNE ☜☂✗
♥ = all time favourites✰ = queer af☜ = queer vibes, queer-adjacent, a little bit queer, was queer before it was heavily censored, etc. ☂ = I bawled☽ = fantasy, supernatural, spooky, Otherwise Unsettling Reads⚤ = het romance but OH BOY, MY HEART ✗ = tw for rape and/or CSA
hey if you guys are looking for something to read LET ME RECOMMEND YOU the Shades of Magic series by V.E. Schwab
like this series is freaking amazing.
it has:
amazing writing that is beautiful without being overwrought
a really hecking good plot with magic and adventure and great worldbuilding
NO LOVE TRIANGLES
all the romances feel organic
amazing antiheroes
there’s rotating main characters and they include a badass fucking lady who is disabled (one eye) and a bisexual prince
AND!! the prince’s bisexuality isn’t a Secret or a Big Plot Point it’s just ‘here he is making out with ladies. now dudes’ but it’s also prominent enough that his romances are featured in the books and not mentioned as an afterthought (looking at you, J.K. Rowling)
the series actaully (imo) gets better as it progresses instead of derailing
THE WRITING IS SO GOOD OKAY
From the shadowy walls of Weep to the twisting alleys of Ketterdam to the sleek penthouses of NYC 2118, there are dozens of intriguing settings in YA lit—and we can’t get enough. Strange the Dreamer, Laini Taylor’s newest epic fantasy, features her best world-building yet—so, in honor of its release, we’ve rounded up some of our favorite mysterious cities of YA.
Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black
The Thousandth Floor by Katharine McGee
The Walled City by Ryan Graudin
You never know what’s lurking around the bend in these places… it could be wonders beyond imagining or dangers beyond comprehension. You’d better start reading ASAP to find out!
Hey. I was wondering if you had any books you've read that you'd recommend to others? Thanks in advance.
Oh yes, I always have many book recommendations! It depends on what your preferred genre or tastes are, so I’ll just list a bunch of my favorites for you. Also apologies for taking so long to respond to this - college is wrecking my time availability. ( & taking away from my reading time )
Classics :
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Paradise Lost by John Milton
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë
1984 by George Orwell
Contemporary :
Aristotle and Dante discover the secrets of the universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
Heist society by Ally Carter
It ends with Us by Colleen Hoover
November 9 by Colleen Hoover
The Foxhole Court by Nora Sakavic
This is where it ends by Marieke Nijkamp
Historical Fiction :
And I Darken by Kiersten White
Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
Deathless by Catherynne M. Valente
Legacy of Kings by Eleanor Herman
Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
Horror :
Mara Dyer series by Michelle Hodkin
The Call by Peadar Ó Guilín
The Winter People by Jennifer McMahon
Fantasy/Young Adult :
A book of spirits and thieves by Morgan Rhodes
A court of thorns and roses by Sarah J. Maas
A daughter of smoke and bone by Laini Taylor
A series of unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket
An Ember in the Ashes series by Sabaa Tahir
Falling Kingdoms series by Morgan Rhodes
Hush Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick
Incarcenon duology by Catherine Fisher
Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare
Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard series by Rick Riordan
Night Angel Trilogy by Brent Weeks
Obsidian Blade by Morgan Rhodes
Red Queen series by Victoria Aveyard
Six Of Crows Duology by Leigh Bardugo
The Diviners by Libba Bray
The False Prince series by Jennifer A. Nielsen
The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare
The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater
The Winner’s Trilogy by Marie Rutkoski
The wrath and the dawn by Renee Ahdieh
Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
Mystery/Crime :
Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn
The Secret History by Donna Tartt
Plays :
Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare
Medea by Euripides
Anything by Euripides for that matter!
Sir gawain and the green knight
Romance :
Bloodlines by Richelle Mead
Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
The Bronze Horseman by Paullina Simons
Science Fiction/Dystopia :
Insider duology by Maria V. Snyder
Legend by Marie Lu
Passenger by Alexandra Bracken
Red Rising Trilogy by Pierce Brown
Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
The Darkest Minds series by Alexandra Bracken
The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey
THE WATCHMAKER OF FILIGREE STREET by NATASHA PULLEY
g u y s
I picked this book up a couple of days ago purely because a) I was in a Game of Thrones re-read rut and b) someone whose taste I trust recommended it to me, and I am SO GLAD that those things happened at the same time because otherwise I probably never would have bothered with this WEIRD, WHIMSICAL LITTLE BOOK, AND I NEVER WOULD HAVE KNOWN WHAT I WAS MISSING!!!
it’s impossible to be like ‘oh, if you liked so-and-so you’ll love this!’ or ‘it’s for fans of x, y and z!’ because it’s INDEFINABLE. (but I guess if you’re into lots of weirdly niche things – like the social history of Victorian England, or watchmaking, or old-timey physics, or the Japanese civil war in 1877, or all of those things in one book, with bonus Irish Republicanism and low key mind-blowing Stuff surrounding clairvoyance – then give it a read maybe.)
but if you like CLOCKWORK OCTOPI WHO STEAL PEOPLE’S SOCKS, or UPPITY LADY SCIENTISTS, or TEA, or ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES and SOULMATES, then you should absolutely check this book out, because it will warm your heart. it will melt your heart. it will roast your heart over an open flame. it will set your heart ablaze. a blackened husk will be all that is left of you and your heart. I cannot look directly at my watch, for I am burned.
hey, i was wondering if you had any book recommendations for someone who loved trc? it doesn't have to be similar but any of your faves 💜
hi!! i tried to think of books similar to trc but tbh i can’t come up with anything that’s exactly like it buuut i managed to think of some faves with a similar vibe, either mystery like or a little magical (does this even make sense..) (in the end they probably have nothing in common with trc and it’s just me that somehow sees them with a similar vibe)
the night circus 10/10 on the magic side + such a great story & characters!! (and the cover alone already makes it worth it)on the jellicoe road 10/10 on the tears, a wonderful book, great squads, feels magical even if there’s no actual magica darker shade of magic (first book of the shades of magic trilogy) a+++ magic & a wonderful world buildingi’ll give you the sun super magical writing + art is magic so you got that… great tears but also so sweetwe were liars a book that totally destroys u and you won’t stop thinking about it, it’s a tragic mysteryaristotle and dante discover the secrets of the universe the magic is in how good and poetic this book isthe secret series which i haven’t read in years but i miss it so much it was mystery af and fun and i just remember loving it as a kid and the characters had a cool squad thing going on toodaughter of smoke and bone i have only just bought this one so i haven’t actually read it but i’ve heard many good things about it & i feel like it would belong in this category
Furthermore, it goes without saying that all of the people, living, dead, and otherwise, in this story are fictional or used in a fictional context. Only the gods are real.
American Gods, Neil Gaiman
Day 14: Favorite book of your favorite writer
(via thewizardofgays)
“I wondered what that was like, to hold someone’s hand. I bet you could sometimes find all of the mysteries of the universe in someone’s hand.” — Benjamin Alire Sáenz, Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe
I JUST FINISHED THE WATCHMAKER OF FILIGREE STREET AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO READ NEXT. CAN YOU RECOMMEND ME SOMETHING OF THE SAME CALIBER?
THE BEDLAM STACKS, ALSO BY NATASHA PULLEY, HAHA
I’m deadly serious – I loved The Bedlam Stacks even MORE than Watchmaker, if that’s possible. the same ‘here’s a weird, random period of history’ setting, the same ‘here are some really niche things you know nothing slash don’t care about’ plot, the same ‘here’s the quietest, sneakiest love story you’ve ever not noticed creeping up on you’ romance. but with more ADVENTURING. and PERIL. and a CAMEO from a certain CLAIRVOYANT, eh eh eh
buuuuut it doesn’t come out until July, so to tide you over here are some lists for books in the same-ish vein: queer historical novels, queer fantasy (almost exclusively YA), and some non-YA, adult, classic novels.
Can you rec some of your favorite books?
sure thing!!
middle grade
percy jackson and the olympians by rick riordan
a monsters call by patrick ness
matilda/ the witches by roald dahl
young adult
penryn and the end of days by susan ee
the darkest minds by alexandra bracken
the infernal devices by cassandra clare
the rest of us just live here by patrick ness
before i fall by lauren oliver
six of crows by leigh bardugo
shatter me by tahereh mafi
the wrath and the dawn by renee ahdieh
the naturals by jennifer lynn barnes
and i darken by kiersten white
all our yesterdays by cristin terrill
we are the ants by shaun david hutchinson
at the edge of the universe by shaun david (currently reading this)
new adult
addicted series by krista and becca ritchie
aerial ethereal by krista and becca ritchie
touch by natalia jaster
managed by kristen callihan
cyclone series by courtney milan
beginner’s guide: love and other chemical reactions by six de los reyes
adult
the hating game by sally thorne
vicious by v.e. schwab
classic lit
to kill a mockingbird by harper lee
the great gatsby by f. scott fitzgerald
frankenstein by mary shelley
night by elie wiesel
Do you have a book masterlist? Because I want to read everythingbthat I hear mentioned on your entire blog.
I’m touched, and I actually do! Someone previously asked that here. It is in need of an update though so here are more.
Books I have drawn fanart for:
Heroes of Olympus
The Raven Cycle
Carry On
The Diviners
The Palace Job
Discworld
Graceling
Prisoner
Griffin & Whybourne
Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda
The Lunar Chronicles
A lot of things by Tamora Pierce.
Everything by Gail Carriger.
A lot of things by Megan Derr
The Darkest Part of the Forest
A Darker Shade of Magic
Seraphina
Natural History of Dragons
Six Of Crows
Good Omens
Swordspoint
First off, we have Gail Carson Levine. She writes children lit, her most famous is Ella Enchanted aka the best retelling of Cinderella ever. This is an objective fact, not an opinion*. Her books are witty and her main characters don’t fall into the trope of “strong female character” and are all unique. They have relationships with other women. The romances are well developed, but still allow room for character development, setting, and plot.
Tamora Pierce has created two different worlds: Circle of Magic and Tortall, both incredibly flushed out worlds and have multiple series set in both. She has mainly female protagonists, some are WOC and others are queer, and they all have amazing story arcs. In the Tortall series, each woman gets her own series and develops so much.
Malinda Lo writes high fantasy books (and some scifi) and it’s very gay. They are very clear cut stories, with beautiful writing and plays on well known tropes in the fantasy genre. Her books feature WOC as well and she is still writing new books, although some of her newer ones are sci fi and realistic fiction.
Robin McKinley writes beautifully written books, almost all with female leads. They center around female relationships and most are retellings of fairy tales. Most are high fantasy, but a few are urban fantasy. They are pretty open ended, and finish with a lot of unanswered questions, which I find refreshing.
Kirsten Cashore only has three books out, but they are perfect for entering into the fantasy world. Her series can all be read as standalones, but best read in order of publication. Her books feature WOC and queer women, with healthy romantic relationships and politics and friendships.
*jk, you can have your own personal fave
Keep reading
Episode 1: You hate hanging out with us (full)
Episode 2: I’m a boy, I don’t get hate (full)
Episode 3: What do you think about drinking? (full)
Episode 4: Allah would dig you (full)
Episode 5: If you’re sad then I’m sad (full)
Episode 6: Are you having a bad day? (full)
Episode 7: We must stand together (full)
Episode 8: The biggest losers at school (full)
Episode 9: Life smiles (full)
Episode 10: Thanks for everything ↳ (Part 1-Vilde // Part 2-Penetrator Chris // Part 3-Jonas // Part 4-Chris // Part 5-Even // Part 6-William // Part 7-Eskild & Linn // Part 8-Dear Sana [1][2])
For all you Sailor Moon fans! 🌙
More info at: http://instagram.com/nancy.limstore
To help move away from summary and toward ANALYSIS, it’s important to incorporate strong verbs into your writing when discussing the writer’s rhetorical choices. Below is a list of verbs that are considered weak (imply summary) and a list of verbs that are considered strong (imply analysis). Strive to use the stronger verbs in your essays to help push yourself away from summary and toward analysis: ex “The writer flatters…” NOT “The writer says…”
Weak Verbs (Summary):
says
explains
relates
states
goes on to say
shows
tells
this quote shows
Strong Verbs (Analysis):
Argues, admonishes, analyzes, compares, contrasts, defines, demonizes, denigrates, describes, dismisses, enumerate, expounds, emphasizes, establishes, flatters, implies, lionizes, lists, minimizes, narrates, praises, processes, qualifies, questions, ridicules, suggests, supports, trivializes, vilifies, warns
Powerful and Meaningful Verbs to Use in an Analysis (Alternatives to Show):
Acknowledge, Address, Analyze, Apply, Argue, Assert, Augment
Broaden
Calculate, Capitalize, Characterize, Claim, Clarify,Compare, Complicate, Confine, Connect, Consider, Construct, Contradict, Correct, Create, Convince, Critique
Declare, Deduce, Defend, Demonstrate, Deny, Describe, Determine, Differentiate, Disagree, Discard, Discover, Discuss, Dismiss, Distinguish, Duplicate
Elaborate, Emphasize, Employ, Enable, Engage, Enhance, Establish, Evaluate, Exacerbate, Examine, Exclude, Exhibit, Expand, Explain, Exploit, Express, Extend
Facilitate, Feature, Forecast, Formulate, Fracture
Generalize, Group, Guide
Hamper, Hypothesize
Identify, Illuminate, Illustrate, Impair, Implement, Implicate, Imply, Improve, Include, Incorporate, Indicate, Induce, Initiate, Inquire, Instigate, Integrate, Interpret, Intervene, Invert, Isolate
Justify
Locate, Loosen
Maintain, Manifest, Manipulate, Measure, Merge, Minimize, Modify, Monitor
Necessitate, Negate, Nullify
Obscure, Observe, Obtain, Offer, Omit, Optimize, Organize, Outline, Overstate
Persist, Point out, Possess, Predict, Present, Probe, Produce, Promote, Propose, Prove, Provide
Qualify, Quantify, Question
Realize, Recommend, Reconstruct, Redefine, Reduce, Refer, Reference, Refine, Reflect, Refute, Regard, Reject, Relate, Rely, Remove, Repair, Report, Represent, Resolve, Retrieve, Reveal, Revise
Separate, Shape, Signify, Simulate, Solve, Specify, Structure, Suggest, Summarize, Support, Suspend, Sustain
Tailor, Terminate, Testify, Theorize, Translate
Undermine, Understand, Unify, Utilize
Validate, Vary, View, Vindicate
Yield
adenoidal: if someone’s voice is adenoidal, some of the sound seems to come through their nose
appealing: an appealing look, voice etc shows that you want help, approval, or agreement
breathy: with loud breathing noises
brittle: if you speak in a brittle voice, you sound as if you are about to cry
croaky: if someone’s voice sounds croaky, they speak in a low rough voice that sounds as if they have a sore throat
dead: if someone’s eyes are dead, or if their voice is dead, they feel or show no emotion
disembodied: a disembodied voice comes from someone who you cannot see
flat: spoken in a voice that does not go up and down. This word is often used for describing the speech of people from a particular region.
fruity: a fruity voice or laugh is deep and strong in a pleasant way
grating: a grating voice, laugh, or sound is unpleasant and annoying
gravelly: a gravelly voice sounds low and rough
gruff: a gruff voice has a rough low sound
guttural: a guttural sound is deep and made at the back of your throat
high-pitched: a high-pitched voice or sound is very high
hoarse: someone who is hoarse or has a hoarse voice speaks in a low rough voice, usually because their throat is sore
honeyed: honeyed words or a honeyed voice sound very nice but you cannot trust the person who is speaking
husky: a husky voice is deep and sounds hoarse (=as if you have a sore throat), often in an attractive way
low adjective: a low voice or sound is quiet and difficult to hear
low adverb: in a deep voice, or with a deep sound
matter-of-fact: used about someone’s behaviour or voice
modulated: a modulated voice is controlled and pleasant to listen to
monotonous: a monotonous sound or voice is boring and unpleasant because it does not change in loudness or become higher or lower
nasal: someone with a nasal voice sounds as if they are speaking through their nose
orotund: an orotund voice is loud and clear
penetrating: a penetrating voice or sound is so high or loud that it makes you slightly uncomfortable
plummy: a plummy voice or way of speaking is considered to be typical of an English person of a high social class. This word shows that you dislike people who speak like this.
quietly: in a quiet voice
raucous: a raucous voice or noise is loud and sounds rough
ringing: a ringing sound or voice is very loud and clear
rough: a rough voice is not soft and is unpleasant to listen to
shrill: a shrill noise or voice is very loud, high, and unpleasant
silvery: a silvery voice or sound is clear, light, and pleasant
singsong: if you speak in a singsong voice, your voice rises and falls in a musical way
small: a small voice or sound is quiet
smoky: a smoky voice or smoky eyes are sexually attractive in a slightly mysterious way
softly spoken: someone who is softly spoken has a quiet gentle voice
sotto voce adjective, adverb: in a very quiet voice
stentorian: a stentorian voice sounds very loud and severe
strangled: a strangled sound is one that someone stops before they finish making it
strangulated: strangled
strident: a strident voice or sound is loud and unpleasant
taut: used about something such as a voice or expression that shows someone is nervous or angry
thick: if your voice is thick with an emotion, it sounds less clear than usual because of the emotion
thickly: with a low voice that comes mostly from your throat
thin: a thin voice or sound is high and unpleasant to listen to
throaty: a throaty sound is low and seems to come from deep in your throat
tight: a tight voice or expression shows that you are nervous or annoyed
toneless: a toneless voice does not express any emotion
tremulous: if something such as your voice or smile is tremulous, it is not steady, for example because you are afraid or excited
wheezy: a wheezy noise sounds as if it is made by someone who has difficulty breathing
wobbly: if your voice is wobbly, it goes up and down, usually because you are frightened, not confident, or are going to cry
Working on an essay or a paper? Looking for feedback, help or editing support but have no idea where to turn for unbiased, constructive criticism and professional advice? Here are some great resources to help get you going!
General
Harvard’s Strategies for Essay Writing
Queen’s University Online Thesis Manager
How To Write A Great Essay About Anything
How to Write Dazzlingly Brilliant Essays: Sharp Advice for Ambitious Students
University of Cambridge - How to Write a Paper
Purdue OWL: Writing a Research Paper
Microsoft Research - How to write a great research paper
Georgetown University - How to Write a Research Paper
University of South California - Organizing Your Social Sciences Research Paper: Guide
Abstract Writing
Berkeley - HOW TO WRITE AN ABSTRACT: Tips and Samples
Purdue OWL - Writing Report Abstracts
University of Toronto - The Abstract
How to write a good abstract for a scientific paper or conference presentation
Introductions and Conclusions
Columbia University - Writing a Good Introduction
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill - Introductions
Birmingham City University - Writing Introductions
University of Toronto - Introductions and Conclusions
Purdue OWL - Writing a Developed and Detailed Conclusion
Harvard - Ending the Essay: Conclusions
Editing
Paper Rater
Ginger’s Essay Checker
Hemingway Editor
ProWritingAid
editMinion
After the Deadline
Slick Write
Grammarly
GrammarBase
Citation
Citation Machine
BibMe
EasyBib
RefMe: APA
RefMe: MLA
Cite This For Me
University of South California - Citation Guide
RIP, if it's any comfort there was once a spider on my light fixture and it fell on my head as I was watching it.
therr’s a fucking spider in my room and i don’t know where it went it was nice knowing you guys
women should not be drafted into the US military
nobody should be drafted into the US military
nobody should be forced to participate in imperialist violence.
Alrighty folks, here are some nifty tips on how I survived (and could have better survived) college:
As soon as you have your schedule, email your professors. Everyone. Especially if you have questions about the course, if you’re going to miss, etc. also make sure you do it from your school email, many professors will not check an email if it isn’t from a school address.
On move in day, bring a door stop. moving in is so much easier when you don’t need someone to hold the door for everything.
Shoe racks and command strips/hooks will be your best friend. Use the racks for misc. things like utensils, seasonings, Keurig mixes, hot chocolate, etc.
Bring a whiteboard/corkboard. Write down your classes and anything you need to get done for those classes and make sure that you keep it updated. On the cork side post up papers with important numbers, a map of campus, and other things you get.
SIGN UP FOR ACTIVITIES (ESPECIALLY IF YOU’RE ON A SMALL CAMPUS) otherwise you’re not going to have a fun experience. Even if it’s just something you THINK you may have a slight interest in, try it!
Go to one or two sporting events, just for the hell of it
Put important dates in your phone calendar or even a planner. Somewhere you will be reminded of them. Times and dates are critical.
Eat. and eat well.
Use chegg, upper classmen, or other resources for textbooks before you buy them. Campus bookstores are astronomically expensive and it can be a lot cheaper going somewhere else. I use Chegg and they also send you free tide pods, coffee samples, etc.
Bring medicine that you’ve used in the last two years, even if you haven’t used it in a while just to be safe.
If you’re gonna do laundry on the weekends Friday and Saturday nights OR Sunday mornings are prime time. Be prepared for staying up late or getting up early to do laundry
PUT. A TIMER. ON. YOUR. LAUNDRY. Seriously, when you have to share a laundry room there is nothing more annoying than someone who won’t move their laundry out for other people.
On a related note DO NOT THROW OTHER PEOPLE’S LAUNDRY ON THE FLOOR. Fold it up, leave it on the dryers or w/e with a little note. Don’t be an asshole.
Keep extra pads and tampons around everywhere you go. Help yourself and/or ya menstruating friends out.
Bring a phone/laptop charger with you throughout the day. I know I personally have some long breaks between my classes where I do homework and w/e
Use Google docs for your assignments, or other programs that back up your work to the cloud. My laptop broke halfway through the semester and the only thing that saved me was Google Docs because my school uses gmail
Download Groupme. Right now. Do it. It’s a great way to create group chats, keep them in one place, and keep them backed up somewhere, you’re gonna have some for group projects, your dorm, any programs, etc.
Bring a three hole punch, scissors, glue, tape, notecards, and binders. Also get pocketed folders for any important research papers you may need to turn in.
ALSO DRY ERASE MARKERS ARE A LIFE SAVER. bring them around for studying in empty classrooms it’s v helpful
COLOR CODE YOUR BINDERS/NOTE BOOKS/STICKY NOTES. Your binder for one class and all its accessories should be one colors. Color organize your notes. (If you’re colorblind, use patterns or something simple for you.)
Try typing up your notes after classes, save them to your laptop and whatever online thing you use. Sometimes you’ll need your notes and you either won’t have your notebook, laptop, or both and it can be very important to keep your notes accessible.
Make use of tutoring services or other students/friends that are good in your classes. C’s get degrees and if people can help you understand it better then WOO
Try not to miss too many classes, but if you do make sure you contact your professors about it (or someone in that class.)
Sleep is v important, but can also be too good so set alarms at least a half hour before your classes to get ready and go.
Take deep breaths. Make friends. Take no shit, do no harm.
((These are based off of my personal experiences, feel free to add on if you think of something))
Because I am complete trash for Soulmate AUs, I decided to try and make a post about them. Hope you guys like it! ♥
✖ Soulmate AUs involving measurement
[ Time // Countdown ]
Where for whatever reason, your clock is stuck/frozen/it’s not counting down anymore but it hasn’t reached 00:00:00:00 yet and you’re freaking out because this hasn’t happened to anyone before.
Reverse one where the clock starts at 00:00:00:00 from the moment you’re born and stops counting the moment you meet your soulmate, so it’s like a reminder that “It took me 19 years, 11 months, 20 hours, and 13 seconds to meet you, you fuck, and you do it by spilling coffee on me, thanks, now my laptop’s broken—what, you’re buying me a new one? Okay.”
Your soulmate clock is actually a countdown of how long your soulmate has left to live and holy shit you have to find your soulmate soon because your clock says you have three months left (for angst maybe).
Alternate version of above where your clock is a countdown of how long you and your soulmate have left to find each other or else you both will die because the universe is sadistic af—and if you find your soulmate you get to live longer.
Another alternate version of above where you and your soulmate’s clocks have each other’s life spans on it but you can give your time to your soulmate if you want to so they can live longer. Again, because the universe is sadistic af.
The soulmate clock is actually something breakable and you accidentally break yours or vice versa.
Alternate version of above where someone purposely breaks their soulmate clock so they can be with someone they fell in love with that isn’t their soulmate/they are strongly opposed to the whole soulmate idea and want to defy the system.
Your clock is counting down too fast (as opposed to everyone else’s) and you have no idea what’s going on anymore.
It’s been a busy week and after finally having some time to yourself, you just happened to look at your soulmate clock and see that it’s already at 00:00:00:00 and you don’t know when that happened because you don’t religiously check your clock either.
Your soulmate clock is actually telling you what time it is where your soulmate is currently at (could include AM/PM/time zones or not, for example 3:46:31 MDT).
I already wrote something similar to this but a countdown au where your soulmate has died and you two still happen to meet each other (one is a ghost, one is alive) and the other finds peace after the meeting.
[ Distance ]
Where you actually have a compass instead of a clock, and it leads you to where your soulmate should be.
✖ Soulmate AUs involving colors
[ Eyes ]
Reverse colors AU where you can see in color but once you meet/marry your soulmate your world turns black and white, this is how people can tell that married couples really love each other because they’re willing to give up a world of colors for their soulmate. If your soulmate dies you get to see color again.
Between you and your soulmate, only one of you can see other colors and the other sees black and white. Like you can see all the other colors except black/white/grays, and the other one can only see in black/white/grays. If you two meet, you’ll get to see all the colors.
You can see colors but realize that recently, with each passing day, your world of colors is becoming a little duller and you’re panicking because you don’t know what’s going on, or what it means, or if your soulmate is okay.
You can see colors and your world turns black and white but it doesn’t necessarily have to mean your soulmate is dead. There can be other factors that will result in a black and white world like losing eyesight, but you don’t know that.
You will be able to see the world in full color once you meet your soulmate but until then, you can only see the world in the eye color of your soulmate. However, you can alter the color your soulmate can see, for example, by wearing contact lenses. Like if you wear blue contact lenses, your soulmate sees the world in blue, purple makes them see the world in purple and etc. And you realize each day/week you get to see the world in a different color because your soulmate is being all cute and would want you to see every color there is and they probably have a huge collection of contact lenses by the time you both meet.
Everyone is born color blind and their sights are fixed once they meet their soulmate, or your soulmate is blind and you have the choice to give them your sight, but it’s irreversible and if they die, they take your sight with them.
[ Hair ]
If you dye your hair, your soulmate’s hair color changes as well and you swear the moment you see your soulmate you will choke them because you just woke up with your hair colored like a rainbow and it’s your first job interview at a prestigious company what the fuck. Oh, and your best friend just took a picture to post online and wait—what, how many likes is that?
Like the above AU but you only get highlights for the dyed color of your soulmate’s hair. If your hair color returns to normal, it means your soulmate has returned to their natural hair color too.
Related to the first two AUs—you decide to get revenge on your soulmate by dying your hair the most absurd color combination you can think of and the exchange goes back and forth until you meet each other. It can be that if you meet, you two can dye your hair without affecting the other anymore.
If your soulmate dyes their hair your fingernails turn into that color (like nail polish?) and you’re hoping your soulmate isn’t bald by the time you meet because it’s the fifth time the past two months that your nails have changed colors.
If your soulmate dyes their hair, your eyes turn into that color and you wish your soulmate wouldn’t change it again because you really like this shade in your eyes.
✖ Soulmate AUs involving any kind of body mark
[ Tattoos ]
You and your soulmate have identical tattoos on your wrist about the date when you’ll meet each other. Place and time can be included (as opposed to the countdown AUs).
Like the countdown AU, an alternate version where it’s your soulmate’s date of death that’s tattooed on your skin.
Where a tattoo isn’t set from the moment you’re born and whatever tattoos your soulmate gets, you get it too and it’s all cool because you kind of like the designs, except you also feel the pain of getting a tattoo and that sucks because you’re kind of in the middle of an exam right now and it’s getting harder to concentrate on your work.
You remove your tattoo because you hate the idea of someone dictating who you can be with for the rest of your life and the person who’s removing it happens to be your soulmate and they’re torn between letting you know and just not bringing it up because you kind of went there because you didn’t want a soulmate and vice versa.
Your tattoo is only half complete and it completes itself the moment you find your soulmate, like if you had half a heart, you’d get a full heart on your skin.
You’re not sure if the other half of your tattoo should end with this person’s words, or that one’s—wait, I think it might end with the phrase of that other person too. It’s just a very open-ended sentence…
You don’t have a name tattoo on your wrist, meaning you probably don’t have a soulmate but you didn’t want your friends to tease you about it so you had a tattoo made on your wrist about some name you picked at random because your friend said she wanted to see it soon. And then somehow there’s a person claiming to be your soulmate and they’re kind of cute and sweet so you don’t know what to do.
Because the universe is sadistic af, it only gave you the first letter of your soulmate’s name.
Your tattoo is like a mood ring, it changes its color depending on what your soulmate is feeling at the moment and you’re not sure exactly what rainbow means.
[ Scars ]
The only way for your scars to disappear is when your soulmate kisses them goodbye.
[ Others ]
Whatever mark you get on your skin your soulmate gets it too so one day, you just kind of just get a sharpie and start writing on your skin. You definitely didn’t expect to get a reply, but you did. Now it’s five in the morning and you’re just about covered in ink and this will be a pain to wash off later.
Imagine the above point but like, your soulmate maybe falls off a bike and you write on your arm what happened, and your soulmate replies to reassure you everything’s okay. Yes, you always carry a non-permanent marker to write on your skin at all times.
You accidentally fell down the stairs and broke a leg, oh, and fate must love you because it seems your soulmate also broke the other leg (or something else) and whatever happens to the other, you feel it too (no actual injury but you feel the same amount of pain) so now you’re in the hospital and you happen to meet your soulmate in the waiting area.
Wait, imagine the above point but way into the future and you’re about to give birth and your soulmate must be cursing you and rolling on the floor by the operating table or the waiting area screaming murder and punching walls while crying. Also periods, yes periods. Okay, I’ll shut up now.
You can choose to take the pain of your soulmate away. Like if they’re sick or even if they just have a paper cut, you can choose to transfer the pain/sickness to yourself instead and they’ll heal. You can only do it once you meet them though, since what happens to them doesn’t happen to you, unless you transfer it to yourself.
Like above but what if the pain becomes two times or more worse. Imagine someone afraid of pain, and the other soulmate shouldering everything or maybe you can half the pain your soulmate feels if you can’t handle taking everything on your own.
Alternate version of above two points where you can also transfer your pain to your soulmate. Imagine the payback you can do.
✖ Soulmate AUs involving reincarnation
There wasn’t a soulmate system in place before, now it’s about a thousand and more years later, and—wait, aren’t you the person that killed me in that back alley?
Where you’re reborn with the memories of your soulmate and you can only get your past memories if you meet each other again in this lifetime.
You somehow find a diary/journal of your old self and read through the contents of how you met your soulmate centuries ago.
Your soulmate was an artist of centuries ago, and currently, you’re an art student at university (or not but you’re taking an arts class). Then one day for a field trip, you go to a far-away museum and you just find yourself staring at what was your reflection, wearing different clothes to fit the timeline but it was definitely a split-image of you, on one of the framed displays.
Alternate version of the above where your soulmate still was an artist of centuries ago but you were there too, and you both were able to meet again in this lifetime. You don’t remember anything but you’d be at the museum, looking at the picture that looks like you with curiosity until your soulmate (who remembers everything) comes by and asks you what you think of the painting.
You’re sent to an insane asylum because everyone is convinced you’ve lost your hold on reality since you’re the only one that remembers everything from your past life. Also, that new doctor is your soulmate.
Your soulmate from the past life is not your soulmate in this life.
You become a writer and your series of novels become extremely popular, but what they don’t know is that you’re retelling your previous life where certain circumstances made it so you and your soulmate did not end up together but your soulmate promises to be with you the next lifetime. At a book signing you open the book cover of a fan’s copy to see something written on the front page: “I’m sorry I took so long.”
You don’t remember anything from your previous life but your soulmate does—your first meeting under the tree with the broken swing in summer, the way you smiled when you met each other again at the start of the school year, your eyes that were filled with such mirth and depth and beauty, even the way your hands fit together like missing piece of a puzzle—everything, even the gasps for air, the coarse little pleas, the way you stared with a look of betrayal until your bright eyes became nothing but a dull sheet of color at the hands encasing your neck in a vice grip.
You keep going to this place, and you always notice another person here too. Neither of you know that this is the place where the both of you had died/first met in the past life.
✖ Soulmate AUs involving dreams
Kind of a reincarnation AU where you’re losing the distinction between reality and dreams because when you’re asleep, you actually relive your past life, and you’re not sure if you’d much rather stay in the past or in the present anymore.
If you’re on separate time zones, when you sleep, you see the world in the eyes of your soulmate at present time. You see the world through your soulmate’s eyes, what they’re eating, who they’re talking to, the contents of the essay paper they’re trying to finish, but if they look into a mirror/reflective surface/picture, the image is blurred so you don’t really have a clue what they look like.
You see your soulmate in the eyes of their friend instead.
Imagine that soulmates just have this ability to dream together/meet each other in your dreams regardless of whether or not you two meet in real life. Your dreams could then be like a real-life video game, for example, you two could be in a zombie-apocalypse type of dream and you both would try your best to help each other out. If one gets bitten/dies you wake up and your soulmate is there to tell you everything is alright or tease you how you couldn’t shoot fast enough and then you’d both go back to sleep and maybe start round two.
Just like the above point, imagine how you and your soulmate could pretty much be with each other even after you’d both gone to your separate homes/shared bed.
Your soulmate is dead and the only way you two can see each other again is in your dreams and everyday your soulmate tries to make sure you know they love you and will always be there for you the moment you close your eyes and retire for the night.
✖ Other Soulmate AUs
You and your soulmate can communicate with thoughts and your soulmate happens to be a math major and you really need help with this test right now.
On some days, whatever your soulmate thinks of is something you can hear in your mind and your soulmate is currently reading really hardcore smut fics and you’re trying so hard not to mess up this class presentation which shoulders half your mark for the semester.
You get to share the same talents as your soulmate and you probably hit the jackpot because it’s the first time you’ve ever touched this instrument but you’re quite the professional at it, what? Shredding? I don’t know what that is but—oh… hey okay, I just did it I think.
The Red String of Fate exists, and only some people have the ability to see the strings, and these people can actually cut strings and knot other people’s strings in to alter the soulmate laws. Your best friend’s wedding is tomorrow and they know you can see the string. They ask you to help them defy the laws of the universe and help them be with the person they love even though they know that’s not their soulmate. You know they love each other so much so you help them, even though the person your best friend’s marrying/your best friend is your soulmate.
How about like the colors AU except it can be your voice or your hearing instead that comes and goes when your soulmate dies. Imagine how your soulmate’s voice is the first and the last thing you’ll ever hear.
So I decided to just make a post of all the ideas I’ve thought of so far for each theme! I tried to think of things I haven’t read before but I’m pretty sure with tons of people out there, some of these are sure to exist already. I was also planning to write more but maybe next time, my heart hurts already from typing these ;////;)’
I hope you guys like it though and please feel free to add on to this or make these into stories please I’ll love you forever and tag me please I’d love to read them.
++ justfandomwritings is queen of Soulmate AUs, and I’d like to dedicate this to her because she’s amazing and so much more ♥ ^^
Word Counter - Not only does it count the number of words you’ve written, it tells you which words are used most often and how many times they appear.
Tip Of My Tongue - Have you ever had a word on the tip of your tongue, but you just can’t figure out what it is? This site searches words by letters, length, definition, and more to alleviate that.
Readability Score - This calculates a multitude of text statistics, including character, syllable, word, and sentence count, characters and syllables per word, words per sentence, and average grade level.
Writer’s Block (Desktop Application) - This free application for your computer will block out everything on your computer until you meet a certain word count or spend a certain amount of time writing.
Cliche Finder - It does what the name says.
Write Rhymes - It’ll find rhymes for words as you write.
Verbix - This site conjugates verbs, because English is a weird language.
Graviax - This grammar checker is much more comprehensive than Microsoft Word, again, because English is a weird language.
Sorry for how short this is! I wanted to only include things I genuinely find useful.