megan eccles

I write without happy endings. Curator of @literaturelipstick. www.meganeccles.com

[lilnightmusic]

“Most women suffer thorns for the sake of the flowers, but we who wield power adorn ourselves with flowers to hide the sting of our thorns.” ⚜️ Thinking about strong, sharp women today. How we read them, how we write them, and what the term “unlikeable” really means. I have a lot of feelings about how we talk about women in writing. I won’t share them all today, but I will say, I’m glad that people like @lbardugo write girls like Zoya and Nina. For so long, girls were rarely more than unlikeable, Mary Sues, or manic pixie dream girls. As a lifelong fantasy reader, this is a huge issue. Luckily, YA is run by women and women this isn’t as much of an issue. Still, I’ll never take strong, complex women for granted. #booknerdigans #bookstagram #bookdragon #bookstagrammer #writersofinstagram #kingofscars #grishaverse #fiercereads #womeninfiction #ireadya #yafantasy #bibliophile #bitebeauty https://www.instagram.com/p/B8MOjttAXR9/?igshid=1jjv4td6sny0p

[lilnightmusic]

I was truly devastated by the conclusion to the Truly Devious trilogy. Maureen Johnson is a master of mystery. I loved this book so much. Twists and turns and thrills and heartbreak. If you were wise enough to wait until all three were out to avoid those cliffhangers, run to the nearest bookstore or library. This is one of my favorite series. Noir Red by @besamecosmetics is the perfect winter red for solving decades old mysteries, getting trapped in dusty mazes, and catching the bad guys. It’s something Iris would have worn at some point, before the school and Alice, when all she had were parties and games. These fictional people have stayed with me, long after I put the book down. #besamecosmetics #thehandonthewall #trulydevious #maureenjohnson #katherinetegenbooks #epicreads #harperteen #bookstagram #bookphotography #ireadya #bookdragon #booknerdigans #indiemakeup https://www.instagram.com/p/B8JiBGAA4VH/?igshid=1fsybu3btn1a9

[lilnightmusic]

Blood Countess walks the line between romance and horror. It is dark and thrilling and utterly monstrous. Lana Popovic’s prose is lovely. I binged this book in a day and wanted to go back to the beginning and start it all over again. Snapped by @bitter.lace.beauty is the blood spattered highlight of dreams. It applies and blends beautifully. Ravenous by @ritueldefille is the perfect dried blood shade for countesses and their lovers. This rusted red shade might just guarantee your youth and beauty, if you’re willing do to whatever it takes to keep it. #yafantasy #bloodcountess #lanapopovic #bitterlacebeauty #ritueldefille #indiemakeup #bookdragon #bookstagram #horror #ireadya #lgbtqreads #amuletbooks #igreads #slaytheflatlay https://www.instagram.com/p/B8G7xfQgpTh/?igshid=qk87fltte8uj

[lilnightmusic]

“Isn't that what stories do, make real things fake, and fake things real?” ⚜️ Six weeks of illness passed between the four kids and I’m so ready for a healthy month. I spent the interim with the audiobooks for The Winner’s Trilogy by @marierutkoski on a continuous loop. She’s such a masterful writer, I always feel like I level up my craft when I read. I cannot wait for The Midnight Lie. Preordered and ready to go! What’s your most anticipated book? #marierutkoski #thewinnerscurse #fsgbooks #bookstagram #patmcgrathlabs #beautybookstagram #lipstick #yafantasy https://www.instagram.com/p/B8EnXv3A2fB/?igshid=lsjn86yfrv3n

[lilnightmusic]

“Love isn’t running away to save yourself,” Joy says. “Love is staying together to survive.” ⚜️ I feel incredibly privileged to be part of the blog tour for A People’s History of Heaven. Thank you @algonquinbooks for including me. And thank you, @mathangiwrites for writing this beautiful book. This book weaves a rich tapestry of interconnected lives. The prose is so lovely, it made the book impossible to put down. Heaven exists because of these women, unwilling to to bend to the world and be anything other than themselves. This book was an absolute treat. I thought long and hard about what the right lipstick would be and settled on @besamecosmetics Red Velvet. This is a red of hope, of indomitable girls, of endless, impossible rage. This is the red you take into the night, to see the butterflies, to face the bulldozers. The perfect red for the people of Heaven. BLURB: A pre-teen graffiti artist. A transgender Christian convert. A blind girl born to an orphan stricken by pregnancy loss. A queer daughter of a hijabi union leader. These girls and women make up a small part of Heaven – eking out a modest existence from the scraps of the surrounding city, fiercely driven to protect themselves and each other from outside threats: those who cannot accept these women for being their true selves – queer, or transgender, or poor, or visually impaired. Subramanian peels back the layers of these interconnected stories with a tenderness that feels poignantly at odds with their daily reality: the silent, patient dedication with which the girls construct a barrier around their classroom, so they can focus on their learning, unmolested by rats. A group of children who collect bags of fragrant frangipani flowers for a poor young girl’s offering, so the gods will grant her the privilege of going to school. The daring and determination of a line of women and children facing down an approaching bulldozer, unwilling to step aside to allow for the destruction of their homes, their lives. #algonquin #algonquinbooks #booktour #apeopleshistoryofheaven #mathangisubramanian #literaryfiction #bookstagram #bookreview #bookdragon #besamecosmetics #booklove #beautyblogger #bookblogger https://www.instagram.com/p/B7WzX8QABRu/?igshid=1lxum5qdwmt0j

[lilnightmusic]

I’m about halfway through The Night Country by @melissaalbertauthor and oh my goodness. This book is a wild, terrifying adventure and I cannot put it down. That voice, though. If you’re a writer, this is one worth studying. It’s sharp and beautiful and sometimes I just sit and stare at the sentences. Noir Red by @besamecosmetics is the perfect match for solving murders, committing crimes, and sending messages across fairytale worlds. Everything The Night Country needs it to be. #besamecosmetics #thenightcountry #melissaalbert #thehazelwood #instabeauty #bookstagram #bookish #bookdragon #booknerdigans #flatironbooks #fiercereads https://www.instagram.com/p/B7Q_u8QAqrT/?igshid=4iirrt8r1qo4

[lilnightmusic]

At long last, Scavenge the Stars by @tarasimauthor is in my hands. This is a Count of Monte Cristo retelling in space. And if that doesn’t hook you immediately, get ready to be taken in by Tara Sim’s sharp, lovely writing. This book is impossible to put down. I love the packaging of the @ctilburymakeup new lipsticks. This was once Carina’s Love, which my toddler thought was pretty enough for his face and the walls. Luckily, this bullet is refillable and I opted for Glowing Jen, which is a gorgeous pinky nude that I could wear every day. What’s your go-to lipstick? #scavengethestars #hyperion #tarasims #yascifi #charlottetilbury #lipstick #bookdragon #amreading https://www.instagram.com/p/B7L1QKXAKsW/?igshid=flrey1lcu5p8

[lilnightmusic]

TFW one of your favorite makeup brand does a relaunch and doesn’t include your favorite lipstick. RIP Bite Beauty’s amuse bouche line. It’s a good think I bought all of my favorites before you died. #bitebeauty #veschwab #makeupnews #tunnelofbones #lipsticklover #cleanbeauty #bookstagram #slaytheflatlay https://www.instagram.com/p/B7Jk6Lug6v5/?igshid=1jyxdjr9m559e

[lilnightmusic]

The rain has come. Today is made for tea and stories. #patmcgrathlabs #booksandtea #maggiestiefvater #thescorpioraces #scholastic #bookdragon #readersofig #bookflatlay https://www.instagram.com/p/B7GrnDtAnM2/?igshid=9v7mp3cbmjnm

[lilnightmusic]

Do you read new releases right away or do you stick to your TBR? I’ve been trying to strike a balance, but that means about half of the new releases end up as TBR. It’s a flawed system. Serpent & Dove by @shelbymahurin is one of the books that ended up in the TBR last year. I’m hoping to get to it soon! #serpentanddove #shelbymahurin #pmglablove #patmcgrathlabs #bookdragon #tbr #yafantasy https://www.instagram.com/p/B7EEIvygP61/?igshid=agp5egowuj0l

[lilnightmusic]

Welcome to 2020, book friends. Ringing in the new year with my favorite read of 2019: The Worst Kind of Want by @liskab. This book is so beautifully written, heartbreaking, and lovely. I think about that last line all the time. And that’s Velvet Decade. One of my all time favorite lipstick formulas in one of my favorite shades. Perfect for Cilla, for ushering in the Reading 20s, and for every lipstick lover ever. There are so many great books coming out this year. What are you looking forward to the most? #theworstkindofwant #liskajacobs #bestbooksof2019 #velvetdecade #lisaeldridgemakeup #mcdbooks #fsgbooks #bookstagram #literaryfiction https://www.instagram.com/p/B6ySaLTgE79/?igshid=qkm6pf02jj29

[lilnightmusic]

“I think you’re a fairy tale. I think you’re magical, and brave, and exquisite. And I hope you'll let me be in your story.” ⚜️ Introducing Strangè by @patmcgrathreal. My new favorite red. And suddenly I have a new match for these gorgeous books. #hodderandstoughton #lainitaylor #strangethedreamer #museofnightmares #patmcgrathlabs #beautybooks #makeuplover #luxetrance #bookdragon https://www.instagram.com/p/B6bNs_pA6yz/?igshid=19zhlnevj99b3

[lilnightmusic]

“She knew she shouldn't feel that way about a monster, but right then, she wanted nothing more than a monster of her very own.” -The Coldest Girl In Coldtown Despite my growing TBR pile, I’m rereading one of my all time favorites. This book is as delightful as the first time. The perfect match: Written in Blood by @ritueldefille. I’m still smitten with this brand. Have you tried them? Their highlighters and eyesoots are incredible. #thecoldestgirlincoldtown #hollyblack #ritueldefille #cleanbeauty #littlebrownbooks #bookstagram #bookdragon https://www.instagram.com/p/B6TcjqcgFzl/?igshid=1cu9eo7pq8mzx

[lilnightmusic]

Canceling my plans and embracing this smart, feel-all-the-feels contemporary YA. Emma Mills is the best at breaking my heart in a funny, true way. I can’t wait to dive into Lucky Caller. Paired with Sorry Not Sorry by @patmcgrathreal. A nod to all the others who entered to win this ARC. Thank you so much, @fiercereads. I can’t wait to start reading. #emmamills #fiercereads #luckycaller #henryholt #currentlyreading #patmcgrathlabs #sorrynotsorry #bookdragon #contemporaryya #ireadya https://www.instagram.com/p/B6QrXuEg9Mg/?igshid=1uo6hx7xt442k

[lilnightmusic]

I am deep into a bookshelf revamp, friends, and I am actually terrified by the amount of books I own. I used to organize based on read or unread, but as it turns out staring at a shelf filled with books I need to read just causes anxiety. Who knew? From my former TBR, now on my fantasy shelf, A Curse So Dark and Lonely by @brigidkemmerer. I’m hoping to break this open early 2020. Paired with sugar flower by @bitebeauty, one of the few products to survive the mass discontinuation. I hope the new formulas are just as good as the old! #acursesodarkandlonely #brigidkemmerer #tbr #bitebeauty #booksandflowers #bookdragon https://www.instagram.com/p/B6OZ0ThALm6/?igshid=yidyck8eylgp

[lilnightmusic]

At long last, my luxetrance Cyber Monday lipsticks are here. Please excuse me while I catch my reflection in every surface. This lipstick is everything. #patmcgrathlabs #luxetrance #beautybookstagram #luxurymakeup #serpentanddove #shelbymahurin #lipsticklover https://www.instagram.com/p/B6JdmiTgqGw/?igshid=1h9598x17w8p6

[lilnightmusic]

Some people have secret societies. Mine is not a secret. Sometimes it takes awhile to find your people and your place. It’s something I’ve struggled with. I’ve never felt at home with a group of people more than @ucrpdlrmfa. I am heading back today for the alumni party and I couldn’t be happier. Sometimes MFA programs get a bad rap. They can be elitist, focusing only on craft with no practical connotation. People emerge writing literary short stories that all sound the same. You don’t need a degree to write, but here’s what my degree taught me: -how to write what I want (ya fantasy!), the best way I can -how to read like a writer -how to navigate the business of writing -how to be a good literary citizen -how to ask the right questions and make the best choices for me -how to navigate motherhood and the real world and my writing life Not all MFA programs are created equally, and my genre-loving, family friendly MFA is better than all the rest. I haven’t decided which @lisaeldridgemakeup lipstick I’ll be wearing tonight, but I know for sure it will be one of my precious velvets. Nothing but the best for the best. (at Omni Rancho Las Palmas Resort & Spa) https://www.instagram.com/p/B6BH7asAkpc/?igshid=1h98k8fd5wc3b