Wonderland

i think my s3 take is that it was literally impossible for it to do what it needed to do in 90 minutes. it wasn’t terrible and it certainly wasn’t perfect it was just too short. a lot of the point was to return to the themes and tone of s1… which took 6 episodes to unpack.

Atmosphere: a love story

WOW OK. I’m gonna have a hard time saying what I want to say about this book but in short: this is my new favorite TJR, and is up there with my favorite romances of all time.

This is the story of Joan, a brilliant and multitalented astronomer. Leaving behind an unfulfilling life as a professor, she earns her place as an astronaut candidate at NASA. Over the next four years, Joan finds a new kind of family, falls in love, and reconnects with her sense of wonder.

I felt every conceivable human emotion while reading this. The highs are so euphoric and the lows are so devastating. Not only do I think this is TJR’s most inventive plot, but also her best writing yet. It’s beautiful throughout, yet restrained enough for the most poetic moments to shine extra brightly. The events of Joan’s life fly at you so quickly and so vividly that you’d be hard pressed to not read the whole thing in one or two sittings.

— MINOR SPOILERS AHEAD —

Oh and the ROMANCE. I was skeptical about the subtitle of this novel being “a love story”, because TJR is known (to me) for being a plot first, romance second kind of author. Atmosphere is a complete departure (pun intended) from that style. Joan and Vanessa fall in love in a way that is so heart achingly beautiful and soooo realistic. I already mentioned that the prose itself is so stunning, and that elevates the romantic moments. There was also a really special attention to the details of queer women’s sexuality and lives, so much so that I started to doubt that TJR was actually straight. May a love like J+V’s CRUSH me.

Additionally, the book features a well-rounded cast of characters that are believably complex and form the cutest little found family you ever did see. There’s also an exploration of parent-child dynamics, with Joan and her sister struggling to raise her niece Frances. It was so clear to me that Frances was a fictionalized version of TJR’s daughter, and I found it extremely moving.

All in all, I *am* the target audience for this book. I’m a lesbian who’s been obsessed with the stars since I was very very young. OF COURSE I ATE UP A STORY ABOUT LESBIANS AND SPACE, and I’d do it again! What an incredible, heart-pounding, thrilling story. I absolutely cannot wait to see what my girl TJR does next!

Just a collection of some things I thought I should share somewhere, with someone!

Friends and Roomates

- Know your roommate well in advance of day one. I don’t care if you face time, text, or instagram DM them, but don’t go to sleep with a stranger when you’re already anxious about moving in.

- Your roommate can absolutely be your bestie or go-to person to eat meals with. If this is the case: amazing, but make sure you both are branching out and not becoming dependent on each other. If this is not the case: that’s ok too. your roommate just has to be your roommate. Respect each other, even if you’re not friends. Sign a roommate agreement and don’t break it. You’ll be fine.

-Meet people as early into the experience as you can. For me, I met my first year best friend before even stepping foot on campus because of a pre-freshman abroad program. A lot of campuses will have opportunities prior to welcome week such as this (I’ve heard outdoor programs and camping trips are common). If you can, go to one!! If not, then use your first couple nights in the dorms to meet the people in your hall and anywhere else you go regularly. Say yes to everything! It becomes much harder and scarier to meet people once the semester really gets under way and friend groups solidify (still possible though!)

- You don’t have to have a lot of friends or acquaintances to have what you need in college. A few close friends are more than enough for you to feel fulfilled and have fun. Quality, not quantity.

Clubs and Activities

- Attend the club fair during welcome week. Then, try everything that sounds interesting to you one time. If you don’t like it or can’t be bothered to show up to another meeting, that’s ok, but hopefully as you try different orgs and clubs you’ll find one (or a few) you really click with.

- It’s smart to think about resume building when getting involved with things in college, but you’re not failing if you just do things that are fun and don’t find yourself with a long term/serious position or commitment. You have so much time to build your career, I promise!

- There are so many random and unique events on every college campus- trivia, crafting, lectures, movies… GO TO THEM! You’ll never regret it!

Academics

- Know that you can do hard things. You will make it through your classes. Try to keep yourself centered and just focus on learning, not an A.

- USE. YOUR. RESOURCES. Especially if you’re at a big state school like me, there will be a million tutors and advisors available to you. They will help you, all you have to do is go to them!

- Study what you love. Even if your major is more of practical use to you then your one true love, take fun electives that make you excited to learn.

-Get to know your professors and go to office hours! I’ll admit, I didn’t really follow this classic piece of advice this year. I regret it! So many of my professors were perfectly interesting, and I would’ve loved to get to know them. Instead, I lost out on interesting conversation and potential future references. Don’t be like me! Your professors are there for you to learn from, so talk to them often and ask them questions as they come up (even if you do it over email like me, it’s better than nothing).

-Participate whenever you feel comfortable, especially in your smaller classes.

Campus life and parties

- Going to parties is NOT essential to a good college experience. That’s right, I said it. You can have just as much fun watching a movie in your friend’s dorm.

- If you do like to party, that’s great. Enjoy yourself fully. Be safe and responsible, always stick with the people you arrived with until you’re all home safe, and alternate drinks with water.

- My personal opinion: get yourself to a house or apartment party, not a frat, if possible. Frats are smelly, hot, loud, and sometimes won’t have drinks, because parties are supposed to be officially registered with the greek life board, meaning they can’t serve to under-21s. Apartments/houses are cleaner, usually provide drinks (less money spent on pre gaming!), and give you a more intimate space to talk to people.

General tips

- Invest in a good, memory foam mattress topper. Nothing cheaper than 30 bucks is gonna keep you comfy all year. It’s so worth it, I promise.

- Beware of wasting dining dollars/points!! They will go down the drain if you’re not careful to spend them all by the end of the week or term! Adjust your meal plan if necessary.

- You don’t need to spend money on textbooks in most cases. Look for free PDFs online, ask around in class to see if someone will share their link, grab a copy from the library, or buy used books for half the price. Just make sure you have the correct edition.

- Never underestimate how important down time is! It’s ok to rot in your room sometimes and not be constantly on the go. Keep up your hobbies from high school, read fun books, and do what you gotta do to keep yourself healthy and happy. For introverts, it’s a good idea to coordinate with your roommate so you get some alone time in your room to decompress.

So, about a year and a half ago, I read a little book called the house in the cerulean sea. It quickly became one of my favorite stories of all time, somehow possessing the cutest characters, most organic romance, relevant social themes, and truly gorgeous writing. What’s more, I had the honor of seeing author TJ Klune speak at my local library recently, and he was just as lovely as I had guessed he would be.

Needless to say, I had high expectations for the sequel and… that was my bad. I think expecting the same feelings from this second installment hindered my ability to enjoy it for what it was. I found the book a bit lacking in cohesion- the first 100ish pages felt like it should’ve been an ending to book 1. Arthur’s hearing and Linus’ proposal were both powerful moments, but felt out of place at the beginning of a story. The middle was more or less a 200 page skirmish between the main cast and various evil bureaucrats. Personally, I think it got old pretty quickly, but it’s helpful to remember that Klune is technically a children’s author, and the silly shenanigans are maybe not there for me but for an eight year old. I will say: the ending was spectacular. I love queen Zoe with all my heart, and I’m a sucker for a wedding scene. Plus, that little “don’t you wish you were here” callback made me grin like an idiot.

Overall, I admire Klune’s commitment to using this sequel as a way of extending a (albeit a bit heavy handed/ on the nose) message of joy and hope directly to the trans community in a moment where it is greatly needed. I hope every day for my queer siblings to feel as safe as the residents of Marsyas. As a work of fiction on its own, I don’t know how well somewhere beyond the sea holds up, but as a sequel, it is a solid addition to the canon with some very sweet moments. I think somewhere out there is a young kid who really needs this book right now, and for that I am glad it exists. Hope is the thing with feathers! Keep fighting my loves!

even though we haven’t been in the same room for years, even though i don’t know if i know her anymore.

we just caught up for the first time in a while.

we talk of crushes and college coursework now,

we used to talk of mermaids and legos.

I still think her old family house would feel like home if I could step over the threshold.

I hope she remembers our good times more than our bad.

I’m so lucky she texts me when I forget.

i’m so lucky she’s in my life.

I met this girl when i was three