And then I belch, and I feel normal again. It’s so fucking embarrassing to have this issue. I always think I’m going to die or pass out and it’s just GAS. How can gas affect my life this much?
I have two cats who are the loves of my life. I went down a rabbit hole of people saying they’ve lived with cats their entire lives and suddenly became allergic. I am so anxious that this will happen to me, especially because cat allergies are so common. I know that there are so many ways to deal with it and a lot of people who have cats actually do have cat allergies, but what if they show up so severe that I can’t be around my babies?
I wear a 32G right now, but according to the calculator my true size is 30H!
I have narrow roots, so my breast tissue is fullest towards the sides. I LOVE the way my boobs look in high support sports bras, aka I love the squeeze, but I don’t want to be wearing sports bras all the time. Especially not when I’m wearing nicer/dressier clothes.
I want to accentuate my waist but the non-sports bras I currently have don’t give the “push-in” effect and I end up looking wider and heavier overall. Not to mention, the typical narrow root problems like strap gapping and the cup just not sitting right with my breast volume.
Side note: I absolutely love this subreddit and it’s made me a lot less insecure about my breast shape and size.
I think I’m a Romantic. I am constantly struggling to dress myself. I have a short torso, big boobs, wide hips, but not a very large waist. So I did not win the lottery in terms of body types that fashion caters to 😅 (although I love and am grateful for my body)
I bought a few tight-fitting tops that are lower cut as I thought that they’d accentuate my waist and the neckline would make me look less top-heavy. I also did not get cropped ones because I wanted to elongate my torso.
But now I’m running into the problem where, my jeans are mostly high-waisted, so all the fabric bunches up there,accentuates my belly, and makes my torso look even shorter.
What kinds of jeans/bottoms do you wear with tight, longer tops like this?
Or, do I simply not have the body type for a tight-fitting tank top? I won’t be offended, I swear!
I tend to prefer books that are more serious and have higher stakes, and I tend to not enjoy cozier books. Emma is just really funny and lovable so I continued. But book 4? Wow, the depiction of grief, Pierce being there for her…. The found family aspect really comes to life in this book. I am so attached to Emma and the ensemble now. Onto book 5 🫡
I’m tired of anti-choice narratives in romance media (both books and movies) and portraying keeping the pregnancy like it’s some sort of moral high ground. I’m looking for books that feature an abortion, and it’s not a huge deal, more of a “no-brainer,” and the partner is supportive.
I need a proper slow burn that’s more focused on emotional trust, and romantic chemistry and tension, than spice. I hate when the characters are instantly attracted to each other. I am also tired of the typical shadow daddy hero, I prefer a hero that is more nice and caring, bonus points if he’s nerdy. I also just CANNOT do virgin/inexperienced heroines.
I don’t care about spice at all, it could be 🫑 or 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️. As long as it is well written.
I’ve loved ❤️:
Guild Codex: Demonized (and also Spellbound!)
Daughter of No Worlds
The entirety of Ilona Andrews’s works
Veronica Speedwell (not fantasy)
The Bone Season
Priory of the Orange Tree
A Darker Shade of Magic
Draco Malfoy & the Mortifying Ordeal
All of Emily Henry’s works (not fantasy)
Six of Crows
ETA: loved the Raven Scholar
I’ve liked 🙂:
The Everlasting (though I liked everything other than the romance more than the romance itself)
The Knight and the Moth
Radiance
Swordheart
Did not care for 😒:
Fourth Wing
ACOTAR
Road of Bones (mostly bc I can’t do virgin heroines)
The Second Death of Locke
On the TBR:
Fever series by KM Moning
An Ember in the Ashes
Silvercloak
Fireborne
A Deadly Education
Swordcatcher
The Raven Cycle
Cruel Prince
One Dark Window
Edited to add: I’ve read Emily Wilde and thought it was ok, but maybe I need to reread/ maybe the rest of the series is better?
I’m reading Vol 2 (almost done, page 125) and I’m confused and why the Duke of Islington left his journal in Lapis Lazuli and also why he was just there in the drawing room when the conclave of Jane Eyres was happening? Did I miss a major detail?
Looking for hidden gems > 20 years old. I love: epic fantasy, adventure/swashbuckling, strong and unique FMCs, Juliet Marillier, coming of age stories, and I love love love a strong slow-burn romance subplot.
After reading Juliet Marillier’s Sevenwaters series, I’ve realized I’m doing myself a disservice by reading only what’s modern.
After numerous Reddit searches, goodreads perusals, and TikTok scrolling, I’ve compiled a list of SFF books by women that have a slow-burn, compelling romance subplot, so romance is not the focus but is still there!
I haven’t read most of these myself so please comment and correct me if something doesn’t fit the bill. For series, I’ve only included the first title.
✨ Magic Bites by Ilona Andrews (actually by a married couple…)
✨ Silvercloak by LK Steven
✨ Daughter of No Worlds by Carissa Broadbent
✨ Taming Demons for Beginners by Annette Marie
✨ Children of Falling Gods by Shauna Lawless
✨ The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon
✨ Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning
✨ The Ninth Rain by Jen Williams
✨ The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden
✨ Rules of Redemption by TA White
✨ Emperor’s Edge by Lindsay Buroker
✨ Jade City by Fonda Lee
✨ Red City by Marie Lu
✨ City of Brass by SA Chakraborty
✨ Fireborne by Rosario Munda (YA)
✨ A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik (YA)
✨ The Cruel Prince by Holly Black (YA)
✨ Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier (YA)
Drop more recs if you have them :)
I have two cats, one is 5 and the other just turned 1. They are young, they aren’t showing any symptoms of anything, but my entire social media is full of people talking about how cats are really good at hiding what they’re going through. I constantly worry about them with every little thing they do, even if it’s as routine as a hairball.
When I got pets, I feel like I transferred all of my anxiety by projecting it onto them.
I’m talking legs bent in a way that gives me back and hip pain in the morning, hands bent at the wrist against my pillows, curled into a ball at the expense of my neck, etc etc. As in, sleeping positions that are not good for my body, but feel so comfy in the moment and put me to sleep faster.
I used to think this was just me, but my husband sleeps in weird positions like this too, and I talked to my friends and this seems to be a common phenomenon??
Hi all. I want to go buy yarn for the La Rentree sweater by Sonder Yarn Co. it’s a free pattern on ravelry.
It says they hold 2 fluffy lace weight yarn strands together and ravelry equates this to a DK weight, but wouldn’t lace + lace be sport weight?
I am still new to knitting so there’s a lot I don’t understand about gauge. I just want to make sure I buy the right yarn for the pattern, and I don’t want to hold two strands together.
I have been working out 4-5 days a week consistently for over a year now. I got back into working out through hot power yoga classes, but switched to strength training which is the majority of what I do these days. I have also been eating largely in a calorie deficit but I won’t lie, I enjoy the occasional sweet treat, but even with the sweet treats I almost always stay under my daily calorie limit.
When I flex my arms, you can see the definition. Same with my legs and abs. However, I still have too much body fat overall. I don’t look like a person who works out. For example, my arms just look BIG, not toned, unless I flex them and you see the muscle lines.
I think I need to burn fat to really get the effect I desire. Do I need to do more cardio? I definitely don’t eat a lot of protein, probably 20–50g a day (I’m vegetarian), so that could be part of it.
I am 5’2” and 126 pounds, my goal weight is 120. Even if I don’t lose pounds, I want to at least look defined and not large.
Every time my Amtrak has passed Rte 128 I asked myself this. And the other day I went to the University Station mall in Westwood. Was there ever a university here? Or is it really just named that way because of the avenue name?
I see tons of posts on here about slow burns not slowly burning like they should… hell, I’ve made posts about that myself! But may I humbly raise you the urban fantasy genre?
UF doesn’t get enough love on this sub. Because the books tend to be extremely plot-driven, the MCs often don’t officially get together until several books into the series. Almost every UF series that I’ve read features a very strong and competent FMC and the romance is a true partnership. They get to know each other through working together. And every series I’ve read in the UF genre has an incredible cast of side characters.
Turn to the UF subgenre and you’ll never feel a lack of slow burn again!
Where to start:
- Ilona Andrews. This author has been getting love on this sub, FINALLY, because of their new book “This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me.” I’m begging you to check out their other work, especially the Kate Daniels series.
- Hailey Edwards. Her books are more witchy. My favorite series of hers is The Black Hat Bureau.
- Annette Marie. Specifically, Guild Codex: Demonized which is the best slow burn I’ve ever read and left me with the worst book hangover.
Other honorable mentions for authors: Mercy Thompson, Nalini Singh, Helen Harper, Deborah Wilde
I have a super specific request. This obsession really started after I read the Veronica Speedwell Series by Deanna Raybourne. I absolutely LOVE the problem-solving slow burn dynamic that burns over a few books. I love banter and simmering tension and characters getting to know each other deeply before they really act on their feelings.
Here are books I’ve read and loved. Most of these seem to fall under the cozy mystery/historical mystery subgenre but there are also some urban fantasies in there!
Veronica Speedwell series by Deanna Raybourne— I love the banter and competence of Veronica and Stoker
Lady Julia Grey series by Deanna Raybourne
Gaslight Mysteries by Victoria Thompson— I loved how Sarah was an educated, competent woman and not all virginal and shy, while Frank was the flustered one. I also loved the instances when Frank got jealous over Sarah’s (non-romantic) relationships with other men.
Gilded Gotham mysteries by Kate Belli
Wrexford & Sloane mysteries by Andrea Penrose
Lady Darby series by Anna Lee Huber
Cleopatra Fox mysteries by CJ Archer
Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews
Hidden Legacy series by Ilona Andrews
Guild Codex: Demonized by Annette Marie
Villains and Virtues by AK Caggiano
Microtropes I love include MMC jealousy, if you couldn’t tell, haha. I do NOT like virgin heroines at all, but can make an exception if she’s super smart/competent and not “virginal.” But overall I hate virgin FMCs. I don’t like massive age gaps unless one of the characters is like immortal or paranormal and the other character is an adult human (or something like that).
Some things on my TBR:
Lily Adler series by Katharine Schellman
Bone Season by Samantha Shannon
Nosey Parker mysteries
Raven & Wren series by Darcy Burke
Tempris series by Stephanie Fisher
I started The Road of Bones by Demi Winters but it’s leaning a little too YA for me and I don’t like the innocence/naïveté of the FMC.
Just finished The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary and I am obsessed. Basically, the MMC is a hospice nurse with the night shift, FMC just got dumped and is broke and needs a place to live. FMC has the apartment from 6pm to 8am or something like that, MMC has it during the day. They “share a bed” but not really. They communicate through post-its. They develop a lovely friendship first before any hint of romance develops.
First of all, FMC is super tall (like 6ft I think) and MMC is Black and there’s a B-plot involving MMC’s younger brother who was wrongfully jailed for a crime he didn’t commit. The side characters/friend group was awesome. The British humor was awesome
I felt like I was watching a 90s/early 2000s golden age rom com (but as a book lol)
I absolutely love Juliet Marillier. She is such a unique author. Her prose is beautiful and her characters are lovely, and the worlds are so immersive. I truly get lost in the vibes. Daughter of the Forest is one of my favorite books (I am on my 3rd reread) and I read a couple of the other Sevenwaters books, Wildwood Dancing, and started the Bridei series.
It seems like age-gap romances are a common theme in her books, which is so disappointing because they leave me with a sour taste in my mouth. The age gap between Red and Sorcha was definitely off-putting but I just ignored it and created my own headcanon where they’re the same age, because I love that book too much. The romantic subplot in the first Bridei book is a little bit too much of a weird age gap situation for me.
Does anyone have recommendations for books with similar styles, character building, themes, or straight up vibes, that do not have these age gap romances?
To be clear, I do love a good romantic subplot in my fantasy books. I just can’t do with the age gaps.
I saw Rebecca Ross and Heather Fawcett recommended in other subs for people who like Marillier, but I feel like their books just weren’t on the same level either from a prose or worldbuilding standpoint.