Ctrl your plot. Alt your canon. Read everythingUntitled

Bookworm lost in time and space. Gaming by night, reading by starlight. From Dan Brown’s puzzles to Stargate wormholes - decoding mysteries and saving the galaxy (between chapters).

[ctrlaltread]

🌌 Welcome to ctrlaltread 🚀

Hey there. I’m Elias, and this is ctrlaltread, my little chaos console for all things books, fandom, and stories that hit like a plot twist at 2AM.

This blog is part journal, part fandom flail, part book tracker, and 100% unfiltered nerd joy.

If it’s got secret codes, ancient artifacts, wormholes, time travel, or intergalactic diplomacy, I’m all in. You’ll find me spiraling over conspiracy thrillers, yelling about old sci-fi shows, and occasionally disappearing into video games for “research” (read: side quests and cutscene emotions).

What you’ll find here:

📚 Mini reviews & reading reactions 🌀 Fandom deep dives, starter packs & memory posts 🎮 Book/game chatter and crossover thoughts 💥 Rants, raves, and ridiculous theories ✨ Frequent screaming about Doctor Who, Stargate, Trek, Star Wars, and the general nonsense of ancient civilizations hiding USB drives

Stuff I love:

Dan Brown, Matthew Reilly, Tolkien, classic and chaotic sci-fi

Stories that spiral, worlds that expand, and lore I can lose sleep over

Game time that's equal parts puzzle-solving, exploration, and panic

Talking about fandom like it's a historical artifact

This space is casual, slightly unhinged, and built for fellow readers, fandom nerds, and lore goblins. Pull up a chair, say hi, drop a rec, or just lurk and vibe - I’m glad you’re here.

“We’re all stories in the end. Just make it a good one.” – The Eleventh Doctor

Let’s ctrl+alt+read the multiverse. 🌠

[ctrlaltread]

Every now and then, Charley and I trick ourselves into thinking we’ve unlocked the secret level of parenting.

3yo was out cold on the couch by 6:30 — carried her to bed like a sleepy loot drop.

5yo did bedtime without a single side quest or boss battle. Even brushed his teeth without rolling for resistance.

And 7yo? Just casually started putting herself to bed while I was mid-story with her brother.

Is... is this what a peaceful evening feels like? Have we levelled up??

(We fully expect a surprise boss fight at 2am, but for now: bliss.)

[ctrlaltread]

When the Starfleet crew pokes the glowing alien artifact again, like it didn’t almost vaporize everyone last episode.

Also me, watching one of my kids absolutely press the giant red button right after I said “don’t touch that.”

Somewhere between Starfleet command and soft chaos parenting lies Picard’s eternal facepalm.

🖖✨ Sci-fi rule #47: if it glows, hums, or recites ancient prophecy—maybe just leave it alone.

[eugeniedanglars]

literary kinsey scale time

which best describes your reading habits? this includes reading for school or work, not just reading for fun

0: exclusively read fiction

1: primarily read fiction, only incidentally read nonfiction

2: primarily read fiction but more than incidentally read nonfiction

3: equally read fiction and nonfiction

4: primarily read nonfiction but more than incidentally read fiction

5: primarily read nonfiction, only incidentally read fiction

6: exclusively read nonfiction

X: i don’t read

Voting ended onJun 25, 2025

i’m just curious what mix of fiction and nonfiction the average tumblrina is consuming

[cubistemoji]

Some observations on book covers

Edit because apparently this needs to be said: the point of a book cover is to tell you what you're about to read and whether or not you want to read it. Following trends in cover design doesn't mean the book is bad or had a bad cover designer. It's visual communication. I've read and enjoyed about half the books featured here.

[ctrlaltread]

River (3) refused to sleep last night. Just straight-up declared herself queen of the moon and partied until 3am.

She’s now doing laps around the living room like a caffeinated otter.

Me? I’m a shell of a man. A husk. A dad-shaped zombie. Send coffee. Send sleep. Send help.

[ctrlaltread]

📚 Currently Reading: Contest by Matthew Reilly

Alien deathmatch. In a library. With spiral staircases, interdimensional weirdness, and a guy who just wanted to hang out with his kid.

Honestly? Peak chaos. I'm into it.