#cuckoo's calling

[belongstocaptaindoyle]

"John was jealous when she first came to us. He had been devastated about Charlie…but they ended up being very close friends. Very close."

―John Bristow & Lula Landry | Cuckoo's Calling

[verucac]

Rereading Cormoran Strike

Strike's inner musings

[miramar-stuff]

[robinblue]

LETHAL WHITE

HALF AN HOUR TILL LETHAL WHITE EPISODE 4 I’M SO EXCITED I MAY DIE

i’m still kinda hoping for the accidental kiss lol we’ll see

[residentofthedisc]

[rustandruin]

Hiya Rust 😊 Probably quite a strange ask but I'll go ahead anyway... Are there any books that you'd recommend reading?? I haven't read a book for my own enjoyment for years and I really want to but I don't know where to start!! I'm going to read Good Omens as I desperately want to read the book before watching the TV show. Any genre's good (apart from horror or romance). If you can't think of any don't worry!! Just thought I'd ask saying I found out about Good Omens from you 😂 x

Charlie! This is such exciting news! I’m so so excited for you. Reading is good (even though I have been so lax about it lately) and Good Omens is truly an excellent book. Come hit me up as you’re reading it! I’m aiming to do a reread before the show premieres on May 31st!

But let's get you some other book recommendations! (I tried to keep these kind of general and across the board in the hopes that you’ll find at least one thing you’ll like? If not, please do come back and tell me. That way I can generate a new list!) 

CORALINE: I don’t know how familiar you are with Neil Gaiman’s writing, or even this book (or the movie based on it), but I figured I’d throw at least one book on here by him, because he really hasn’t produced any clunkers. This is just a really good story about being brave and facing your fears -- something I feel is relevant in your college years. (And at various other points in your life!) You might also want to check out his book Stardust, and the excellent movie based on it. 

HIS DARK MATERIALS: This iconic trilogy from Philip Pullman is easily three of my favourite books, and they get better each time I reread them. It starts as the story of a young girl setting out to rescue her friend and grows into something much larger. It seems meant for kids, but to me feels universal, and each time I’ve reread it, I’ve come away with new meaning. I hope it does the same for you.

GENTLEMAN’S GUIDE TO VICE AND VIRTUE: A historical YA novel that tells the story of Henry “Monty” Montague, a young bisexual disaster of a man who is hopelessly in love with his best friend, Percy. It’s one of my favourite books of all time, and has a modern sensibility to it as it examines sexuality, gender, and race in that time. One of my favourite characters in it, Felicity, happens to be asexual and is the lead of her own novel, Ladies Guide to Petticoats and Piracy. (Which I also adored.) [Side note: There is a romance in this, but it isn’t of the “romance” genre, which is what I took you to mean.]

SIX OF CROWS: The first part of a duology (the second is called Crooked Kingdom), that is basically a heist novel. It’s tense, action-packed, and filled with an inclusive cast, each of whom is my children and I would die for them. Netflix is adapting both books, as well as Leigh Bardugo’s trilogy, which is set in the same universe as this, so it’ll be nice to get a jump on that! 

ARISTOTLE AND DANTE DISCOVER THE SECRETS OF THE UNIVERSE: I have yet to meet someone who didn’t love this book, which is about two young Mexican boys growing up in, I think, the 80s and their friendship as they discover who they are and what it means for their friendship and each other. The coming of age story the author weaves is super tender and very heartfelt, but what really sings is his wriing. He’s an incredible author and you just feel everything he describes. I feel like this one really stayed with me. 

CUCKOO’S CALLING: The first Cormorran Strike novel has a great mystery at its heart and is a fine introduction to Strike and his partner Robin. It’s a nice reminder that Rowling can write a very good mystery and that she makes it all seem effortless. (I also breezed by all the books in the series during a rough reading patch, and I feel like that might help you.) This has also since been adapted. 

THIRTEENTH TALE: It’s part mystery, part examination of the tales we tell ourselves and what stories can mean and how they can guide us. I love it so much, and I read it one fell swoop. The writing is quite lush and she sucks in you effectively. It’s about a young woman asked to write a biography of this older woman, and her days spent doing that. Olivia Colman starred in the BBC movie of it. I quite enjoyed that too. 

NIGHT CIRCUS: I always pair this one with the one above, because I read them the same summer and they both just took me by the hand and made my heart run. But this is more romantic fairy tale fantasy, about two dueling magicians who are trying to prove what is better, nature vs. nurture while outdoing each other with magic tricks, while falling deeper and deeper in love with each other. It’s incredible. 

GIANT DAYS: This is a comic, but it’s one of my absolute favourites in that I fucking pay to get each issue as it comes rather than waiting for a collected volume. The pop culture references are on point and John Allison is a wiz with humour, but I think the thing I love most is just how relatable it is on so many levels. You get the joys and pain and humour and ridiculousness of friendships and college life and I think it’ll really speak to you. (Also, Daisy’s coming out is rather nice.) 

SAGA: I had to take a break from reading it because I just sat around thinking about how good this comic series is. There’s a reason it wins so many awards, and that’s because it’s just masterful. The art is exquisite, and the writing top notch, and I fall in love with it more every time I read it. I can’t sum it up accurately. But just know that it’s about love and family and doing what you have to in order to survive in the face of a universe that wants you apart. It’s gorgeous. (Also, kind of a space opera.) 

[thefaerielights]

BEST OF 2018 » Books

Cuckoo’s Calling by J.K. Rowling (reread)

[allthemenilovearefictional]

No pity parties for these two.