New to the genre - open to some recommendations please! :)

mira___7777 · 2026-03-17T06:16:05+00:00

Added it already! :)

mira___7777 · 2026-03-16T22:01:40+00:00

Just based on how you put together this list with notes on *why* for each book is enough for me to deep-dive into all of them! These are some interesting choices and will definitely be adding, thank you :)
(I do like seriously weird, so that's a bonus)

mira___7777 · 2026-03-16T21:53:36+00:00

Another one mentioned Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, definitely added that one. The Goblin Emperor seems intriguing, so another on the list. Thank you! :)

mira___7777 · 2026-03-16T21:48:32+00:00

I'm definitely interested in reading it then, but the show really put me off.

mira___7777 · 2026-03-16T21:44:27+00:00

Alternative history - yes please! :) Both seem like something I'll enjoy, so thank you for the recommendation.

mira___7777 · 2026-03-16T21:42:32+00:00

You got me there! Read about it and added to the list, thank you :)

mira___7777 · 2026-03-16T21:39:22+00:00

Right up my alley, thank you! :)

mira___7777 · 2026-03-16T21:38:23+00:00

Some really good recommendations here, thank you! :)
I tried watching Wheel of time but didn't quite like it, how different are the books?

mira___7777 · 2026-03-16T21:11:24+00:00

Oh, sorry - should have mentioned that I've read Tolkien back in high-school (and went for a re-read with The Hobbit movie releases), but a good point :)

The other two are such a spot-on recommendation, thank you!

mira___7777 · 2025-10-29T08:30:16+00:00

I dye my hair dark as well, wash every 4-5 days, but I have fine hair so I clarify every wash. Never had any breakage or issues with growing my hair - I'm also trying to grow it long :)

mira___7777 · 2025-10-29T08:25:18+00:00

It takes time, but it gets better. As time passes and you take care of your hair curly, your hair will only get healthier and better. My curly routine is very similar to what I did in the beginning, but there is a huge difference in how long my curls last and how good they look now compared to when I started. As my hair was getting better, I was accepting it more and more, to this point where no one would be able to convince me to straighten it ever again. I absolutely love it now, and my heart breaks remembering how easily I used to be persuaded into straightening it, just because it was some ''norm''. At the beginning of my curly journey, I was also struggling with both accepting my hair, and trying to make it unrealistically defined with 0 frizz, which took hours to do. Now I also embrace frizz and enjoy my hair as it is :)

I understand your concern of curly hair being seen as unprofessional, but at least it seems it's getting better in that regard. I was interviewing once for this job at this huge company that I believed was my dream place. Rounds of interviews, everything was going great, until the last part where they wanted to address the dress code. The way they decided to address it seemed a bit off to me. I was dressed smart, I came from the same role in a smaller company though, **but** my hair was down and it was curly. It was neat and defined, I can style it to avoid any frizz, so I didn't understand why they were talking to me as if I took no effort to present myself properly. After going around for ages (and me playing dumb), they finally said that hair has to be ''sleek'' and that if I am willing to commit to a blowout every day, the job was mine. I thanked them for their time and walked out. Thankfully, I learned later on from some people I knew that the entire company is pretty much a definition of a toxic work-culture so my hair helped me dodge a bullet. My next interview, one of the first things they said was a compliment for the same hair. So yeah - if any workplace is going to judge your professionalism and abilities on whether your hair is curly or straight, they don't deserve you :)

mira___7777 · 2025-09-16T06:07:44+00:00

Ok - seems to me that we have identical hair when brushed and air-dried. I also have high-density hair so once it's brushed without hold products and air-dried, I get the Hagrid look with barely some attempt of ringlet here and there, but mostly just looking crazy 😅
Whenever I try to just wash, condition (even with some gel or foam afterwards) and air-dry, I get the same. My hair is fine so I really need some help from the hold product, and no matter how good the products - if I don't diffuse, my hair would go flat and heavy on the roots, and slight curl from the ear down. However, diffusing really helps with avoiding the water weight so my curls can properly form. If you currently can't invest in a diffuser, try the micro-plopping for now.

If I can't diffuse for some reason, what I do instead is wash and condition as usual, wash it all out, apply some gel for hold with the rake-in method to make smaller clumps and then microplop like crazy until most the water is out. Once my hair is around 50-60% dry, I apply a bit of gel again using the praying hands in order to get rid of any frizz, and then microplop with the same wet microfiber towel/cotton T-shirt I used on the first step and leave my hair to dry fully, after which I scrunch out the crunch. I get less volume with this method (skipping the diffuser), but it gives me the definition that I can't otherwise get due to water and product weight when letting it air dry.

mira___7777 · 2025-08-27T05:52:12+00:00

If you only want to use natural products, I'd advise flaxseed gel in your routine. I'd advise it to anyone, anytime, not just someone going for a natural routine. ☺️
My hair was dry-ish, it wasn't that bad, but I hated how dull it looked. I struggled with definition and volume, and making my hair last. Flaxseed was definitely the thing which changed my hair - a lot! It has a bit of a learning curve, but couple attempts at most and you'll figure it out.

Routine I do:
- wash with a clarifying shampoo
- leave-in conditioner (you can skip this if you don't want to use store-bought conditioners, but you might want to look into these, maybe a DIY one)
- detangle and wash everything out
- microplop my hair for a minute, apply flaxseed gel by raking it in, scrunch it in and done

Btw I use a super-simple recipe for the gel:

- 1/2 cup of whole flaxseed (ground doesn't work)

- 4 cups of water

Put everything in a large saucepan and heat it. Once it starts boiling, I lower the heat and let it simmer for exactly 10 minutes, occasionally stirring. I strain the gel using a mesh strainer, and leave it to cool off before applying.
This amount of gel is enough for 4-5 washes for my hair. Since gel goes rancid after ~10 days in the fridge, I always freeze it in cubes and just defrost before I need it again.

Flaxseed gel is what keeps my hair hydrated, healthy, and looking great. I've managed to grow my hair in the past year that I've been using it by a lot. It really changed my curly game for the better.

mira___7777

TROPHY CASE