This is my (our) blog, so I can talk about whatever I want. Today, I want to talk about tattoos.
If you’ve seen a picture of me, you know I’m an enthusiast to put it mildly. While I hold to the ideal that tattoos don’t have to mean something and can just be pretty art pieces that you like, some of my art does in fact mean something. Surprisingly.
My two big passions, for which I am not unique at all, are music and books. Most of my tattoos are related to one of these.
I thought it’d be fun to give a book-related tattoo tour, with a bonus from our dear Saige, whose tattoo virginity was lost before my very eyes nearly two years ago. With the exception of one which I will note, all of my book-related tattoos were done by Courtney at Luna Roja Tattoo in Washington. Check her out!
- Duma Key afterword
Starting small, this tattoo was always somewhere in my head, but in a much worse form. I had the idea of placing it running down my bicep, your classic “line of text on bicep” tattoo that would’ve been nothing special. But Courtney, my dear friend and tattoo artist of three years had a much better idea for these words; two upright lines at the bottom of the bicep. This idea took a basic tattoo concept and made it much more unique. I love the placement and the font we chose, and while I am aware that the small text may blur over the decades, it’s one of my favorites to look down and see. The words are taken from the afterword at the end of Duma Key, my favorite Stephen King book of all time. “And you, my friend Constant Reader; always you”
The line lands toward the end, where King thanks a long list of people involved in the book.
- Room 217 key
This one speaks for itself, honestly. I have seen this one and the next before, but The Shining is just too good of a book to not represent on my body. I was unsure about a color for the tag, though. Courtney to the rescue once again (you’re gonna be seeing that a lot); I love this olive green shade we went with. This tattoo is even more special to me now that I’ve stayed at the one and only Stanley Hotel, the inspiration for the book. I’ve stood right in front of the actual room 217 that King stayed in that fateful night right at the end of their season.
I don’t care if it’s a common tattoo and a common King favorite. There’s a reason The Shining is so beloved by so many. It’s honestly one of King’s scariest books, and it’s also my favorite character study (Jack’s descent as the hotel takes hold).
- Georgie’s boat
This is the other I’ve seen often on other King fans, but such an iconic symbol of one of King’s best works. It has always been very special to me; it was one of the first few Kings I read.
I’ve seen various iterations of it in tattoo form. Sometimes it’s done with newsprint (I thought that would be too busy and blur over time), sometimes it’s plain, but I’ve only seen a few with the blood drops. I like the bloody twist on it- it’s a bloody book.
- Bridge Four elbow
What could possibly be a better choice for an elbow tattoo than a design with thick, bold black lines? In all reality, the spot wasn’t actually that painful, but I know some people have a hard time with it. After my first Stormlight read, I knew I had to get the Bridge Four glyph somewhere. There really isn’t a more inspiring story than that of Kaladin and his struggle to lead his bridge crew to freedom.
Bridge Four is repeatedly shown not just to be a place where a struggle for life was won, but a symbol of survival and perseverance. I loved what it came to stand for and it’s such a great bold design that I think caps the center of my more decorated arm perfectly. In fact, this was another placement that I couldn’t seem to figure out; Courtney is truly a genius when it comes to placement and spacing. I’m not exaggerating, Courtney, you’re the reason my pieces fit together so well. Quit being so modest.
- Brisingr
This is the only book-related tattoo I have (so far) that wasn’t done by Courtney, but by my good pal Corey Francis. Give him some love.
Corey has done several amazing pieces on me, but this one holds a special place. Truly the most important arc in Eragon’s development was his coming into his full power and potential, and that required his own Rider’s sword. Eragon becomes truly a stage three evolution (Pokemon joke, thanks) when he helps to forge his own sword that he puts his own personality into.
I sent Corey the literal description from the book of the sword, and the result is a beautiful design that fit my mental image perfectly. The shade of blue he chose is the most Saphira-blue I could’ve asked for, and the finishing touch of the Japanese-style flames licking the blade is my favorite part of the piece. I loved the personal touches Corey brought to this tattoo, and I hope to be able to show it to Christopher Paolini one day. I had a chance when I met him at Dragonsteel 2023, but I was wearing long sleeves and was way too awestruck by a face-to-face conversation with my literary idol to remember.
- BONUS! Saige’s Alethi anklet
You know I was so delighted when Saige came to me one day in 2023 and said, “Ava, I think I’m ready for my first tattoo.” There’s a special kind of satisfaction that comes from watching someone lose their tattoo virginity at your own encouragement. Saige was so nervous about not knowing what to expect when the day came, though, that I started to feel like a bad influence. Thankfully, she relaxed once the process started (I took her to my trusted Courtney, of course), and we were laughing at the ease of the ordeal by the end.
Fun tidbit- this was a double appointment, and Saige showed me her Sonic the Hedgehog PowerPoints on her phone while Courtney etched the Bridge Four glyph on my elbow once Saige was finished. If you’re a Stormlight fan, you might recognize this Alethi script as the First Ideal- “life before death, strength before weakness, journey before destination”.
What a great idea for a Stormlight tattoo, and I love the placement of it as an anklet. I get jealous every time I see Saige in shorts.
Wanna-dos
Every tattoo enthusiast has that note on their phone full of tattoo ideas. Here are some of the book-related ones from mine.
- 11.22.63 end sentence- “”
This book is my favorite romance of all time, and every time I read this sentence, I cry. I know you’re with me on that one, Constant Readers. Admit it.
- Blue chambray workshirt
I think this would be another great King tattoo, a more obscure reference that only readers would get. However, just on its own, I feel like it might just fade to a blue blob, so this one’s been shelved for now.
- Rambo
If you follow me on socials, you’ll know that I’m a TJ Klune superfan. One of my favorite books of all time is In The Lives of Puppets. If you’ve read it, you get it. Rambo, a spunky but nervous Roomba with heart, was my favorite character by far. I love his design with the little hands. He needs to go somewhere on my body soon.
- Dark Tower- key, rose, revolvers
This is another one that I’ve seen done before in a few different ways, but I love the concept so much and don’t care if it’s been done before. I read The Dark Tower relatively late in my Constant Reader journey, but it instantly became a core tenet of my personality. I love the imagery of the rose, and Eddie’s carving of the key used to draw Jake was one of his best character moments. The dual sandalwood revolvers are just too cool and iconic. The Ka symbol is also an idea, but I lean more heavily towards color designs these days.
Do you have any book tattoos? Share yours in the comments, or tell me what you’re hoping to get one day!
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