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43. are you an avid reader?

i am absolutely an avid reader. both of fanfic and original fiction as well as nonfiction. i’ve got certain style preferences, but overall if you put it in front of me i’ll read it. my tbr list on goodreads is 225 books long, and that’s just what i’ve remembered to add. i’m constantly in the middle of multiple books at once, especially because school often cuts into my reading time, and things i want to read have to be set aside in favor of working.
i’m currently actively reading the following:
This Is How You Lose The Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone - a sci fi epistolary romance between two agents on opposite sides of a time war. it’s queer, and the style is wonderfully declarative and succinct. i’m only a couple chapters in so far but it’s fabulous. was recommended to me by my harry potter phenomenon course professor, whose opinion i value greatly
The Body, a Guide For Occupants by Bill Bryson - a nonfiction exploration of the human body, from a cellular level upwards and outwards. dry humor, witty beyond belief, full of weird facts to text your friends and make them ask “cori, what the fuck, why do you know that?” for example: did you know that our bodies don’t have wetness receptors on most of our skin? we rely on temperature cues to let us know, which is why sitting down on something cold often feels like sitting on something wet. it’s wild. i’ve been meaning to read some of Bryson’s work for a while now, and this seems like a good one to start with. i’m also looking forward to digging into his books on other subjects.
Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs? and Other Questions About Dead Bodies by Caitlin Doughty - this is actually my second read through of this & it’s for a purpose. i’m annotating it to pass off to a friend, in a weird sort of informal asynchronous book club we’re doing. it’s a casual walkthrough of questions kids have asked california-based mortician Caitlin Doughty and her answers. Doughty is a personal hero of mine, and her writing is sharp, witty, and conversational in all the right ways. i was exposed to her through her youtube channel Ask A Mortician, and reading her writing feels incredibly similar to watching her videos in the best way. though the book is written in answer to children’s questions i think it’s great for all ages - lighthearted but still serious it’s a great intro to conversations about death for those who aren’t entirely on the Death Positivity train the way i am. i’ll stop rambling about her now because i could talk for hours - feel free to message me or shoot another ask if you’re curious for more about her and her work
things i’ve read this year i’ve enjoyed:
The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune - oh so cute gay romance between a social worker for magical children and the caretaker of a remote magical orphanage that houses the strangest assortment of children. LOVED IT LOVED IT LOVED IT
Harry Potter 1-5 by she who i revile and will not name - took a course on the series impact on society in a literary and social sense. was supposed to read all the books. only managed to get through 5 before the rest of my course load swamped me. will probably launch a full reread through soonish, once i get through the 26 other books i want to finish in 2021 (lol as if cori)
Still Warm, Still Warm by @tsauergrass - read today, hugely atmospheric, lovely portrayal of draco and harry, they’re both idiots and they’re in love and it’s just really wonderful to sink your teeth into
The Ordeal of Being Known, and its sequel The Rewards of Being Loved by @lou-isfake - read a few weeks ago and have not stopped thinking about since. rich world, beautiful relationship build. competent yet anxious draco, magically powerful harry, it’s all there. and the writing... oof. lou makes me want to be a better writer myself
Telling the Bees by @cibeewastaken - yes i know how it’s tagged i promise it is worth it it’s so lovely i keep revisiting the last bit for how harry confesses to draco. it’s just. wow. just trust me on this one
there are literally so many more fics i could tag or rec but i will limit myself to the 3 (4) i have here because this is already too long and all you wanted to know was if i read, not what i’m reading or recommendations. i hope you check some of them out anyway, and i hope you enjoy them if you do. in another life i’m most certainly studying to be a librarian, and that impulse takes over sometimes, oops?
ask me questions from this list!
