The Bird's Nest by Shirley Jackson is an in-depth exploration of a complex mental illness, largely from a female viewpoint. It was likely groundbreaking in the 1950s, but a modern lens shows the doctor to be wildly unprofessional, and the presentation of the illness to perhaps not be particularly accurate. It's also pretty circular in its narrative, with a lot of repetition and very little in the way of sympathetic behaviour from any of the characters.
The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer is the start of a YA paranormal series about a girl who may or may not have powers relating to predicting other people's deaths. It probably wasn't a sensible choice for me - it freaked me out pretty early on and I decided I wasn't interested enough in the story to want to carry on with it.
The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer is the start of a YA paranormal series about a girl who may or may not have powers relating to predicting other people's deaths. It probably wasn't a sensible choice for me - it freaked me out pretty early on and I decided I wasn't interested enough in the story to want to carry on with it.
Some friends invited us to the beach ("Beach." It's a little stretch of sand at the edge of the Mississippi River.) today. I didn't want to go, because I had gotten up early for work and was exhausted, and also because I just don't love socializing a ton and lot of it has been expected of me over the past few weeks.
It was nice, though. The weather was beautiful and it wasn't very crowded, and they cooked some chicken over a tiny grill to go with some pasta salad and fruit they'd brought. The mosquitos were a pain in the ass, but I only got bitten a few times, which I guess I can count as a win.
It was nice, though. The weather was beautiful and it wasn't very crowded, and they cooked some chicken over a tiny grill to go with some pasta salad and fruit they'd brought. The mosquitos were a pain in the ass, but I only got bitten a few times, which I guess I can count as a win.
- Mood:
tired
I can't quite tell if this section of broken beaten damned is working or not, and I am unreasonably annoyed by it. It's just Daryan's first conversation with Klavier in prison! I wrote like a dozen of those for until I bring you home, this should not be complicated. (Which might be part of the problem, come to think of it. We've covered some of this ground before.)
( rambling about why this scene isn't working, because if I type it out maybe it'll fix itself )
TL:DR: writing hard, how dare this not simply leap fully formed from my brain to the page
( rambling about why this scene isn't working, because if I type it out maybe it'll fix itself )
TL:DR: writing hard, how dare this not simply leap fully formed from my brain to the page
A Parade of Horribles by Matt Dinniman. 1,100 pages?? Sure, I will read that in 3 days. I've been in place #1 on the holds for this book at the library since it was announced but they usually, understandably, take like a week or two to get and library bind new books and put them in circulation so I was checking digital availability on release day and was able to get a copy from Libby. So I downloaded that new app and my ongoing quest to understand the difference between Libby, Kindle, and Hoopla continues. Is Overdrive still a thing? Why so many eBook platforms? Anyway, book received and I enjoyed my time with Carl and Princess Donut and Prepotente and the rest of the squad!
Does anyone work on the Open Doors project at AO3? Or know someone who does? I am trying to do something similar on Ad Astra, and need some advice from someone who knows the OTW archive software better.
Specifically, there are a couple of people who had accounts and fic on the old Ad Astra archive who are now dead, and we would like to make sure that their works are preserved by transferring them to the new archive. We would like them all to have the same format that unclaimed works imported by Open Doors have on AO3--"by name [archived by archivist]". We have successfully achieved that with shorter works, but I'm trying to import a fic with 363 chapters and half a million words. It cannot be imported; the archive times out. I thought that if I imported the first chapter and then uploaded the rest of the chapters manually, it would work, but trying to import only the first chapter timed out the archive as well. Then I thought about importing another work that would import, changing the title and chapter text to the one I wanted, and then manually adding further chapters. But it's listing it as just "Archivists" in the author space, without the name of the original author.
Help!
ETA: figured it out myself!
Specifically, there are a couple of people who had accounts and fic on the old Ad Astra archive who are now dead, and we would like to make sure that their works are preserved by transferring them to the new archive. We would like them all to have the same format that unclaimed works imported by Open Doors have on AO3--"by name [archived by archivist]". We have successfully achieved that with shorter works, but I'm trying to import a fic with 363 chapters and half a million words. It cannot be imported; the archive times out. I thought that if I imported the first chapter and then uploaded the rest of the chapters manually, it would work, but trying to import only the first chapter timed out the archive as well. Then I thought about importing another work that would import, changing the title and chapter text to the one I wanted, and then manually adding further chapters. But it's listing it as just "Archivists" in the author space, without the name of the original author.
Help!
ETA: figured it out myself!
Never mind, I figured it out myself!
The issue is that when you are uploading a fic for someone else, you are required to put their email in the box so they are contactable. This person is dead and I have no idea what their email address was when they were alive, so I put in the archivists' email. So the system decided that it was just by Archivists despite having the name of someone else and having the box checked that it was someone else's fic that archivists was posting.
I made up an email to put in instead, and it posted as "by name [archived by archivist]" just as it should.
I picked up The Murderer's Ape by Jakob Wegelius from the local station free book exchange - it's a middle grade historical adventure about a gorilla named Sally Jones, who has to try and help her best friend after he's falsely accused of murder.
Unfortunately, it didn't really work for me - Sally Jones narrates the story in first person, but feels rather removed from events because she can't talk, so the other characters don't really interact with her much. There's also a surprising lack of emotional depth to the narration, considering the themes and the first-person perspective. It is middle grade, I suppose, but I've read plenty of middle grade fiction that is really emotive - and this also has come quite adult content (drunkenness, mentions of a brothel!).
I gave it a good go - I got nearly halfway through - but ended up DNF-ing because I just found myself not wanting to pick it back up.
Unfortunately, it didn't really work for me - Sally Jones narrates the story in first person, but feels rather removed from events because she can't talk, so the other characters don't really interact with her much. There's also a surprising lack of emotional depth to the narration, considering the themes and the first-person perspective. It is middle grade, I suppose, but I've read plenty of middle grade fiction that is really emotive - and this also has come quite adult content (drunkenness, mentions of a brothel!).
I gave it a good go - I got nearly halfway through - but ended up DNF-ing because I just found myself not wanting to pick it back up.
Maybe five minutes after I hit Enter on my last post, the fire alarm started blaring.
I was confused at first because there was nothing creating smoke in our apartment. Then I realized it was the building-wide alarm. We grabbed our phones and clipped on Velma's leash and headed downstairs.
The fire department arrived within about five minutes. They went in, came back out, said there is nothing dangerous in there and that someone must have pulled the alarm for some reason, and that we could go back in if we wanted. Literally impossible, it was so loud. For us, let alone for a dog.
We were told maintenance would have to come turn the alarm off, which we figured could take awhile, so we took Velma on a long walk down to one of the college campuses. That took about forty minutes, and the alarm was still blaring when we got back. Tons of people were congregating outside trying to find some shade.
Blair and I decided that it was as good a time as any to go take that scenic apple blossom drive we'd been planning to do, so I braved the noise, ran upstairs to get some water bottles and a bowl for Velma, and my phone charger, and we hit the road for a bit. It was pretty, but we were a little late; the early warm weather meant there weren't any blossoms left. Still lots of nice scenery, though.
Fortunately, the alarm was finally off by the time we got back.
Eesh.
I was confused at first because there was nothing creating smoke in our apartment. Then I realized it was the building-wide alarm. We grabbed our phones and clipped on Velma's leash and headed downstairs.
The fire department arrived within about five minutes. They went in, came back out, said there is nothing dangerous in there and that someone must have pulled the alarm for some reason, and that we could go back in if we wanted. Literally impossible, it was so loud. For us, let alone for a dog.
We were told maintenance would have to come turn the alarm off, which we figured could take awhile, so we took Velma on a long walk down to one of the college campuses. That took about forty minutes, and the alarm was still blaring when we got back. Tons of people were congregating outside trying to find some shade.
Blair and I decided that it was as good a time as any to go take that scenic apple blossom drive we'd been planning to do, so I braved the noise, ran upstairs to get some water bottles and a bowl for Velma, and my phone charger, and we hit the road for a bit. It was pretty, but we were a little late; the early warm weather meant there weren't any blossoms left. Still lots of nice scenery, though.
Fortunately, the alarm was finally off by the time we got back.
Eesh.
- Mood: sleepy
Well, the good news is that Velma does not have Cushing's. The bad news is that if it's not a UTI and it's not Cushing's, we're not sure why she can't go more than three hours without peeing herself.
Today's pretty chill. Just went to return Blair's books to the Student Union and pick out a UWL shirt for the little graduation photo shoot we're going to do on campus tomorrow after work. Had some Korean corndogs and mochi donuts and milk tea and now we're resting on the sofa (in the air conditioning, because it's somehow 85 degrees out today??).
If any of you guys like fandom enamel pins, consider pledging for this Backerkit here! They've got Supernatural, Psych, and Xena designs unlocked so far, but there's more SPN on the way, as well as some horror, Marvel, Star Trek, and a bunch more we've yet to glimpse.
Today's pretty chill. Just went to return Blair's books to the Student Union and pick out a UWL shirt for the little graduation photo shoot we're going to do on campus tomorrow after work. Had some Korean corndogs and mochi donuts and milk tea and now we're resting on the sofa (in the air conditioning, because it's somehow 85 degrees out today??).
If any of you guys like fandom enamel pins, consider pledging for this Backerkit here! They've got Supernatural, Psych, and Xena designs unlocked so far, but there's more SPN on the way, as well as some horror, Marvel, Star Trek, and a bunch more we've yet to glimpse.
- Mood:
relaxed
The faces of two cats who absolutely did not find a spider in the bathroom litter box and unleash chaos in the middle of my nice relaxing shower. That did not happen. Please pay no attention to the mess in the bathroom. Look at those innocent faces. Who could possibly suspect them of anything chaotic?
The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters is set in 1922 and follows Frances and her mother, who are forced to invite lodgers into their home because of financial difficulties after the war.
It gripped me entirely for the first half, took a rather unpleasant turn in Part 2 and then got quite dreary by the end, unfortunately.
Quite a lot of it was very awkward and painful, with a fair few very annoying characters, and I lost sympathy for the protagonists in the latter sections, which was a shame because the writing was excellent and I was initially quite invested.
The Incandescent by Emily Tesh follows Dr Saffy Walden, the director of magic at an elite boarding school. It's a lot more about teaching and school management than it is about demon summoning, though there's enough demon summoning to provide quite a bit of excitement along the way.
There's great bisexual representation and I loved the approach to the romance - the only sex scene is wholly practical and amazing because of it, while the main relationship is adorable because of the awkwardness of the mid-to-late-30s participants.
What I thought was going to be the main climax actually happened only a third of the way through, the second climax was also rather a red herring and it took a very odd turn towards the end, with a style change that went on perhaps a bit too long.
But overall, I absolutely loved this - as a middle-aged, bisexual, ex-teacher, who loves process and form-filling more than actual inter-personal interactions, this was very definitely the book for me. The protagonist even went to the same Oxford college as me!
It gripped me entirely for the first half, took a rather unpleasant turn in Part 2 and then got quite dreary by the end, unfortunately.
Quite a lot of it was very awkward and painful, with a fair few very annoying characters, and I lost sympathy for the protagonists in the latter sections, which was a shame because the writing was excellent and I was initially quite invested.
The Incandescent by Emily Tesh follows Dr Saffy Walden, the director of magic at an elite boarding school. It's a lot more about teaching and school management than it is about demon summoning, though there's enough demon summoning to provide quite a bit of excitement along the way.
There's great bisexual representation and I loved the approach to the romance - the only sex scene is wholly practical and amazing because of it, while the main relationship is adorable because of the awkwardness of the mid-to-late-30s participants.
What I thought was going to be the main climax actually happened only a third of the way through, the second climax was also rather a red herring and it took a very odd turn towards the end, with a style change that went on perhaps a bit too long.
But overall, I absolutely loved this - as a middle-aged, bisexual, ex-teacher, who loves process and form-filling more than actual inter-personal interactions, this was very definitely the book for me. The protagonist even went to the same Oxford college as me!
Wowie, today was Blair's final day of college. She got up super early, went and took two back-to-back final exams, came home and has been crashed out in her room dead asleep.
It's a beautiful day out. I've been lounging here on the couch with my laptop, all the windows open to let in the breeze, just kind of tooling around. Playing some browser games, window shopping, chatting here and there with folks. It's been a really nice day.
When Blair wakes up, we're going to head to the local co-op to pick up some sushi, sake, and mochi; she'd expressed wanting this as her I'm Done With School Forever! celebration dinner. We'll cook up some gyoza as well.
I'm looking forward to The Mandalorian and Grogu. I'm also looking forward to hiring a "smuggler" to cop me some merch from Disneyland now that I can't go do it myself anymore, because I have heard tell that they are releasing a BD-X droid popcorn bucket. I don't use buckets for popcorn but these little guys are so cute, fun and cool, that I'm excited for any merch Disney might make of them.
I've also been feeling the writing bug. I don't know what I'll write or for what occasion but I just. Really, really want to get back into it. While I was updating my fic list on my profile, I saw the publication dates on my latest works, and I can't believe that I would only posted a few things per year. Yikes. I guess I've just been waiting for inspiration, when I should be trying to find my own.
It's a beautiful day out. I've been lounging here on the couch with my laptop, all the windows open to let in the breeze, just kind of tooling around. Playing some browser games, window shopping, chatting here and there with folks. It's been a really nice day.
When Blair wakes up, we're going to head to the local co-op to pick up some sushi, sake, and mochi; she'd expressed wanting this as her I'm Done With School Forever! celebration dinner. We'll cook up some gyoza as well.
I'm looking forward to The Mandalorian and Grogu. I'm also looking forward to hiring a "smuggler" to cop me some merch from Disneyland now that I can't go do it myself anymore, because I have heard tell that they are releasing a BD-X droid popcorn bucket. I don't use buckets for popcorn but these little guys are so cute, fun and cool, that I'm excited for any merch Disney might make of them.
I've also been feeling the writing bug. I don't know what I'll write or for what occasion but I just. Really, really want to get back into it. While I was updating my fic list on my profile, I saw the publication dates on my latest works, and I can't believe that I would only posted a few things per year. Yikes. I guess I've just been waiting for inspiration, when I should be trying to find my own.
- Mood: peaceful
ONLINE E-BOOK (html, epub, mobi, pdf, and xhtml)
Free at my website.
The Motley Crew (The Thousand Nations). When a young man named Dolan flees from the north, he faces danger on all sides. The Northern Army wants him back. The Empire of Emor wants him dead. His native homeland of Koretia may not want him at all. And his only protection is a man with motives that are mysterious and possibly deadly.
New installments:
4 | Apprehension of the Ambassador. A border crossing gone awry turns an escape into a new realm of danger.
Historical Note. [The historical note appears at the end of the omnibus, after the side stories.]
BLOG FICTION
Tempestuous Tours (Crossing Worlds: A Visitor's Guide to the Three Lands #2). A whirlwind tour of the sites in the Three Lands that are most steeped in history, culture, and the occasional pickpocket.
New installments:
My fiction announcements are also available by e-mail and feeds.
Another meme I snagged from ![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
maevedarcy, who created it here.
#mycharacters
Rules: make a list of your top 10 favorite characters to think about. Then let people in the comments choose one question for you to answer about them.
My characters:
-Clark Kent (Smallville)
-Lois Lane (Smallville)
-Oliver Queen (Smallville)
-Eddie Diaz (9-1-1)
-Evan Buckley (9-1-1)
-Rory Gilmore (Gilmore Girls)
-Jess Mariano (Gilmore Girls)
-Steve Rogers (MCU)
-Sam Wilson (MCU)
-Shane Hollander (Heated Rivalry)
The questions:
1- What’s the one thing they refuse to admit they want, even to themselves?
2- If they could undo one moment, would they actually do it—or has it become part of who they are?
3- What kind of love do they think they deserve vs. what they actually accept?
4- What’s their “I’m fine” behavior that clearly means they are not fine?
5-What song would absolutely destroy them emotionally if it came on at the wrong moment?
6- In another life, who would they have been if things had gone right?
7- What’s the smallest, most insignificant thing that still reminds them of someone they lost?
8- What's something they desperately want people to know about them but won't tell a single soul?
maevedarcy, who created it here. #mycharacters
Rules: make a list of your top 10 favorite characters to think about. Then let people in the comments choose one question for you to answer about them.
My characters:
-Clark Kent (Smallville)
-Lois Lane (Smallville)
-Oliver Queen (Smallville)
-Eddie Diaz (9-1-1)
-Evan Buckley (9-1-1)
-Rory Gilmore (Gilmore Girls)
-Jess Mariano (Gilmore Girls)
-Steve Rogers (MCU)
-Sam Wilson (MCU)
-Shane Hollander (Heated Rivalry)
The questions:
1- What’s the one thing they refuse to admit they want, even to themselves?
2- If they could undo one moment, would they actually do it—or has it become part of who they are?
3- What kind of love do they think they deserve vs. what they actually accept?
4- What’s their “I’m fine” behavior that clearly means they are not fine?
5-What song would absolutely destroy them emotionally if it came on at the wrong moment?
6- In another life, who would they have been if things had gone right?
7- What’s the smallest, most insignificant thing that still reminds them of someone they lost?
8- What's something they desperately want people to know about them but won't tell a single soul?
The Moon is Down by John Steinbeck. This was apparently written as WWII era propaganda for nations that had been invaded by Germany and they translated and secretly printed copies. It's about a fictional town under occupation and how the people clandestinely fight back--escaping, slowing work, general everyday hostility, dynamiting railroad tracks, not giving up, etc. Honestly some of it feels relevant to today with regards to capitalism and the current rise of fascism.
-
Mostly I've been catching up on some classic movies I never watched. Memento, The Hurt Locker, Lawrence of Arabia, My Own Private Idaho, Everything Everywhere All at Once. EEAAO was fun and did make me cry over the fucking rocks and the mother/daughter relationship and the 'I would have liked just doing laundry and taxes with you' scene.
Also watched Good Luck Have Fun Don't Die which I enjoyed as a weird timeloop movie. Immediately clocked Dino Fetscher in his bit part but did not realize for the entire movie that Sam Rockwell was the main character. Then I looked up what else Dino Fetscher is in lately and unfortunately I cannot find Welsh detective show Under Salt Marsh anywhere because I would watch that. Will just have to watch him and Ben Daniels in season 2 of Foundation again.
Fandomwise, I'm still trapped in my obsession with Scott and Kip from the hockey show and I made a fic rec list for fun and community service since this is not the ship 99% of the fandom is obsessed with but there is great fic for people to read!
-
Mostly I've been catching up on some classic movies I never watched. Memento, The Hurt Locker, Lawrence of Arabia, My Own Private Idaho, Everything Everywhere All at Once. EEAAO was fun and did make me cry over the fucking rocks and the mother/daughter relationship and the 'I would have liked just doing laundry and taxes with you' scene.
Also watched Good Luck Have Fun Don't Die which I enjoyed as a weird timeloop movie. Immediately clocked Dino Fetscher in his bit part but did not realize for the entire movie that Sam Rockwell was the main character. Then I looked up what else Dino Fetscher is in lately and unfortunately I cannot find Welsh detective show Under Salt Marsh anywhere because I would watch that. Will just have to watch him and Ben Daniels in season 2 of Foundation again.
Fandomwise, I'm still trapped in my obsession with Scott and Kip from the hockey show and I made a fic rec list for fun and community service since this is not the ship 99% of the fandom is obsessed with but there is great fic for people to read!
It's been a while since I did one of these.
HOME: currently in the middle of revamping my "Do ALL The Things" list so I can knuckle down and achieve things over summer and autumn.
HEALTH: still not quite built in regular gym attendance. Am back to taking all the supplements as feeling a bit run down and my knee is a bit crunchy right now.
LIFE ADMIN: completely forgot about green waste for cottage and first council tax payments. Dealing with those today. Sorting pensions on back burner until decluttering done - which should reveal where I stashed all the paperwork!
DIGITAL DECLUTTER: looked away from my email for a month - back to purging my main and secondary email accounts and unsubbing from things. Staying on top of transferring To Keep items from tablet to dropbox, have started reviewing and decanting images from phone because it is FULL.
GARDENING/ALLOTMENTING: need a full weekend on the allotment and several evenings on the garden.
COOKING/EATING: have actually been cooking and eating properly!
READING/LISTENING: unsurprisingly I'm reading exclusively Heated Rivalry fanfic and there's so much of it - 33,268 fics as of 1pm today. I'm barely scratching the surface and most of what I've read is sooooooo good. I've broken my own rule multiple times and am reading so many WIPs.
WATCHING: still Heated Rivalry - though I have started to catch up on my back log of other shows. But I feel a proper one episode a day HR rewatch coming on.
CREATING/LEARNING: still have crochet projects underway - but classes were suspended for a while as tutor ended up in hospital with pneumonia. She's out and doing staged return now. Hopefully will be a meet up this Friday.
CATS: all good. They're both being super affectionate at the moment. Cuddles all the time.
VOLUNTEERING: allotment plant sale was Saturday - well attended, bought loads of things.
SOCIALISING: had weekend away withgingerpig as per previous post which was delightful.
WORK: office move done, still under-resourced and under-budgeted - but I just need to hang on
4 more years until 2030 when I can retire.
Today I'm working from home (which means a tip run at 3pm - results of more decluttering) then office days until Friday lunchtime.
HOME: currently in the middle of revamping my "Do ALL The Things" list so I can knuckle down and achieve things over summer and autumn.
HEALTH: still not quite built in regular gym attendance. Am back to taking all the supplements as feeling a bit run down and my knee is a bit crunchy right now.
LIFE ADMIN: completely forgot about green waste for cottage and first council tax payments. Dealing with those today. Sorting pensions on back burner until decluttering done - which should reveal where I stashed all the paperwork!
DIGITAL DECLUTTER: looked away from my email for a month - back to purging my main and secondary email accounts and unsubbing from things. Staying on top of transferring To Keep items from tablet to dropbox, have started reviewing and decanting images from phone because it is FULL.
GARDENING/ALLOTMENTING: need a full weekend on the allotment and several evenings on the garden.
COOKING/EATING: have actually been cooking and eating properly!
READING/LISTENING: unsurprisingly I'm reading exclusively Heated Rivalry fanfic and there's so much of it - 33,268 fics as of 1pm today. I'm barely scratching the surface and most of what I've read is sooooooo good. I've broken my own rule multiple times and am reading so many WIPs.
WATCHING: still Heated Rivalry - though I have started to catch up on my back log of other shows. But I feel a proper one episode a day HR rewatch coming on.
CREATING/LEARNING: still have crochet projects underway - but classes were suspended for a while as tutor ended up in hospital with pneumonia. She's out and doing staged return now. Hopefully will be a meet up this Friday.
CATS: all good. They're both being super affectionate at the moment. Cuddles all the time.
VOLUNTEERING: allotment plant sale was Saturday - well attended, bought loads of things.
SOCIALISING: had weekend away with
gingerpig as per previous post which was delightful.WORK: office move done, still under-resourced and under-budgeted - but I just need to hang on
4 more years until 2030 when I can retire.
Today I'm working from home (which means a tip run at 3pm - results of more decluttering) then office days until Friday lunchtime.
Shane (1953)
I like how quiet it is. I wasn't expecting that, and that was nice. But it didn't really grip me. Maybe on a rewatch.
Kiss of the Spider Woman (1985)
Movies that act like plays are always a jam. You may not agree with them 100%, but you know and understand why Luis and Valentin are the way they are. They change each other for the better and it's so natural and fascinating. You can tell Puig has a thing for old movies and I love that. The world is crumbling, and you shouldn't hide under a rock, but you shouldn't let it consume you. The connection between art and politics. It's gay. It's genderfuck. It's sad. Gomez Adams is there. It's perfect.
The Hunger (1983)
My train of thought: cool poster -> it's about vampires -> what do you mean, it's got David Bowie and Catherine Deneuve?? It's gorgeous and vibe-y and its take on vampires is different. Surprise! The vampire lady is bisexual! I did see there was a difference between John and Miriam's sex scene and Miriam and Sarah's. The way the latter is shot is more, voyeuristic?? But ultimately, I think the style is the substance here, and that's not a bad thing.
Une corde, un Colt (1969)
A French western?? And it's depressing, all the characters are arseholes (not a bad thing!). Death and more death, it never ends. Good stuff, ngl.
Bonus stuff I wrote yesterday (whichs is why they're longer, they are fresher)
On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969)
A TV channel over here is showing all the James Bonds (until Quantum of Solace). That includes the weird Casino Royale movie with Deborah Kerr, which I just couldn't watch. I'm sorry, Deborah Kerr. And I like zany British things.
Putting that aside, I cried. I cried over a bloody James Bond movie. I'm still not sold on Lazenby, he's wooden, and it's jarring because his predecessor was Sean Connery, a man who oozes charisma as Bond. And his Bond can get very nasty (anyone who watched Goldfinger knows), yet I can't hate him. Almost all the 007 movies we had in the house were his, and like James Stewart, I imprinted on him like a duckling. Anyway, I simply cannot see Connery!Bond say and do the things Lazenby!Bond says and does. Funny, isn't it?
The action and the setpieces are awesome (the ski chase down the mountains and the pursuit at the festival! the tobogans! the editing is chef's kiss), the soundtrack fucks and it looks even more gorgeous than, say, From Russia With Love, which in my very original opinion is the best of the first batch of movies.
And the reason I cried is not just because I love Tracy as a character (Diana Rigg is excellent! Good call in getting an experienced Shakesperean actress to counterbalance the model), but because I ended up becoming invested in her and Bond's relationship. Which is wild. There's character development?? In my Bond movie?? And that's why I can't see Connery!Bond say things like "I love you."
Is this why people hate the movie? (Besides Lazenby) Because there's more character stuff? Because Bond gets to be emotionally vulnerable? Because a woman gets to be Bond's equal (kinda, these movies always have a huge misogyny problem)?
And I knew IT was going to happen. And it sucks that it does but it needed to be done because "how else will we make more Bond movies?". But it hit me like a rock still. Ffs.
And I haven't seen Diamonds Are Forever, but I've heard not-good things about it.
Count me in on the OHMSS fanclub.
(Not that the movie is perfect. It's still sexist, and there's a painful racist scene. Because of course, the black woman eats bananas -_- )
Death Becomes Her (1992)
Very mixed feelings on this one. I was expecting a fun time, but ended up getting a woman-hating movie. "Women are obssessed with being young and beautiful" gee! I wonder why that is?? "And let's make fun of them when they aren't young and beautiful!" Don't you see the irony?? There's a Greta Garbo reference that tickled me, then they ruined towards the end (there's a Marilyn Monroe reference that was distasteful).
I can't hate it fully. There's great effects work though. Isabella Rossellini slays, so when I get to watch The Saddest Music in the World in 2036 (if the world hasn't collapsed by then) I'm gonna be in for a treat. 'Cause that seems more up her alley.
I'm both mad and disappointed.
- Mood:
pensive
For ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
highadrenalineexchange I got this absolutely delightful Fandom for Robots fic that was everything I wanted! Go read it.
Farther Adventures of Robot and Human (10233 words) by BardicRaven
Chapters: 6/6
Fandom: Fandom For Robots - Vina Jie-Min Prasad
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: bjornruffian & Computron (Fandom for Robots), Computron & Hexode (Fandom for Robots)
Characters: bjornruffian (Fandom For Robots), Computron (Fandom for Robots), Hexode (Fandom For Robots)
Additional Tags: Canonical Character Death, Canonical Abuse, Friendship, Robots, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Post-Canon
Summary:
highadrenalineexchange I got this absolutely delightful Fandom for Robots fic that was everything I wanted! Go read it.Farther Adventures of Robot and Human (10233 words) by BardicRaven
Chapters: 6/6
Fandom: Fandom For Robots - Vina Jie-Min Prasad
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: bjornruffian & Computron (Fandom for Robots), Computron & Hexode (Fandom for Robots)
Characters: bjornruffian (Fandom For Robots), Computron (Fandom for Robots), Hexode (Fandom For Robots)
Additional Tags: Canonical Character Death, Canonical Abuse, Friendship, Robots, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Post-Canon
Summary:
Computron is well aware that he exists on sufferance.
highadrenalineexchange has revealed authors, and I can reveal what I wrote! I had a lot of fun with a Vedero-focused Goblin Emperor fic.Title: The Obloquy of Newness
Author: Beatrice_otter
Fandom: Goblin Emperor
Characters: Vedero Drazhin
Written for: DontStopHerNow in High Adrenaline 2026
Summary: Vedero would like nothing more than to study the stars. If only court politics and gossip did not get in her way ...
Author's Note: Betaed by Irina. Title from The Old Astronomer by Sarah Williams.
On AO3. On Squidgeworld. On Dreamwidth. On tumblr. On Pillowfort.
Vedero could barely see her hands as they worked.
That was alright; they knew their business. They did not need to see more than the ghostly outlines of the white tubs in the sink to fish around in the sodium sulfite solution with rubber-coated tongs and grab the edge of the paper and hold it up so that some of the fluid would drip off, before settling it gently in the tub of acetic acid that would stop the silver halide crystals from continuing to develop. She counted the seconds, and then moved the paper to the sodium thiosulfate that would wash away the excess silver from the paper, so that when she took the images out into the light, they would not be re-exposed.
( On the whole, it was a very meditative process. )
I've been resisting trying Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman for quite some time - even though, or perhaps because, everyone I follow on BookTube has been going on and on for months about how good it was. It really didn't appeal to me, particularly as I don't generally react well to comedy - but I was even more worried that I'd love it and then be stuck having to catch up on seven more books before then having to wait for the next ones to come out...
And I'm just gonna say it - everyone was right. Goddammit, Doughnut!
I wasn't initially keen on the narrator's 'normal' voice - though performance and production values on the audiobook are very high. All the character voices are awesome, the special effects are just enough to give extra layers of enjoyment without being over the top, and I got used to the narrator well before the end.
It had me snort-laughing out loud in the street, which is rare and always welcome. It also had me frowning at certain aspects of the humour and going, 'EWWWW!' quite a bit, but the pure enjoyment of the overall adventure far outweighed the aspects I wasn't so keen on.
And it does have levels - and not just the dungeon levels! It doesn't delve massively into the trauma of most of the human population being killed in the initial creation of the dungeon, but it does touch on it. And Carl does reflect on how distasteful it is to be forced to kill the monsters, as well as lamenting how many of the other crawlers keep dying as things go on. There's also the start of a really beautiful friendship between Carl and Princess Doughnut (the cat), which I can see deepening a lot as the series continues.
There's a lot of clever seeding of what's to come to make you want to read on, both in this book and drawing you into later instalments - plus lots of inventive variety which presumably keeps making it fresh and interesting, even though it's essentially just Carl working his way down the levels.
The grimace-inducing bro humour is in there - but it's almost entirely restricted to the achievement announcements, which are simulating video game text, so it's pretty authentic for this kind of game... It treads a clever line so it will retain people who might be offended by implying it's satirising these types of games, but also provide the humour itself for those who will enjoy it.
By the second half, I was wanting to keep listening to the exclusion of everything else and can see myself powering through the whole series without a break. This is not how I envisaged the next few months of my life going. Goddammit, Doughnut!
And I'm just gonna say it - everyone was right. Goddammit, Doughnut!
I wasn't initially keen on the narrator's 'normal' voice - though performance and production values on the audiobook are very high. All the character voices are awesome, the special effects are just enough to give extra layers of enjoyment without being over the top, and I got used to the narrator well before the end.
It had me snort-laughing out loud in the street, which is rare and always welcome. It also had me frowning at certain aspects of the humour and going, 'EWWWW!' quite a bit, but the pure enjoyment of the overall adventure far outweighed the aspects I wasn't so keen on.
And it does have levels - and not just the dungeon levels! It doesn't delve massively into the trauma of most of the human population being killed in the initial creation of the dungeon, but it does touch on it. And Carl does reflect on how distasteful it is to be forced to kill the monsters, as well as lamenting how many of the other crawlers keep dying as things go on. There's also the start of a really beautiful friendship between Carl and Princess Doughnut (the cat), which I can see deepening a lot as the series continues.
There's a lot of clever seeding of what's to come to make you want to read on, both in this book and drawing you into later instalments - plus lots of inventive variety which presumably keeps making it fresh and interesting, even though it's essentially just Carl working his way down the levels.
The grimace-inducing bro humour is in there - but it's almost entirely restricted to the achievement announcements, which are simulating video game text, so it's pretty authentic for this kind of game... It treads a clever line so it will retain people who might be offended by implying it's satirising these types of games, but also provide the humour itself for those who will enjoy it.
By the second half, I was wanting to keep listening to the exclusion of everything else and can see myself powering through the whole series without a break. This is not how I envisaged the next few months of my life going. Goddammit, Doughnut!
Oh man, I've realized that my profile is in need of a serious face-lift. I've got to add/edit interests and fandom lists, change some personal bits to reflect what I'm actually like and where I'm actually at now, and update my fic directory.
I'll pluck away at that while Blair lies on the couch next to me twitching (she twitches in her sleep like a dog, hehe).
In the meantime, a meme I stole frommxcatmoon.
soft questions
What song makes you feel better?
One Headlight by The Wallflowers. It's my jam. I get so hype whenever I hear it, not just because I love it and can't resist singing along, but because it takes me back to a very specific period in my life that makes me feel happy, safe, and nostalgic.
What is your go to comfort show?
The Dog House (There are UK and Australian versions). It's a reality show about pairing people with dogs at an animal rescue center.
What’s your favorite candle scent?
Hot Cocoa from Bath and Body Works
Who do you feel most like yourself around?
Blair. Also my friends James, Tina and Jess, who I have known for 25+ years.
What calms you down?
Curling up in bed with my favorite blanket and closing my eyes for a bit. Hugs from Blair. Favorite snacks.
What's something upcoming that you’re excited for?
My birthday! Blair has said she's taking me somewhere, but I don't know where. My work has also given me the day off, paid.
Have you ever written or received a love letter?
Yes, both. It comes with the territory of being in a lot of long-distance relationships.
Tea, Coffee, or hot cocoa?
Tea all year, hot chocolate during colder months. I never drink coffee because I hate the taste, and also because my stomach will punish me severely for ingesting it.
How many pillows do you sleep with?
One. It's a rectangle pillow for side-sleepers.
Do you have a comfort book? Which one?
Probably Luck in the Shadows, I have read it SO many times.
I'll pluck away at that while Blair lies on the couch next to me twitching (she twitches in her sleep like a dog, hehe).
In the meantime, a meme I stole from
mxcatmoon.soft questions
What song makes you feel better?
One Headlight by The Wallflowers. It's my jam. I get so hype whenever I hear it, not just because I love it and can't resist singing along, but because it takes me back to a very specific period in my life that makes me feel happy, safe, and nostalgic.
What is your go to comfort show?
The Dog House (There are UK and Australian versions). It's a reality show about pairing people with dogs at an animal rescue center.
What’s your favorite candle scent?
Hot Cocoa from Bath and Body Works
Who do you feel most like yourself around?
Blair. Also my friends James, Tina and Jess, who I have known for 25+ years.
What calms you down?
Curling up in bed with my favorite blanket and closing my eyes for a bit. Hugs from Blair. Favorite snacks.
What's something upcoming that you’re excited for?
My birthday! Blair has said she's taking me somewhere, but I don't know where. My work has also given me the day off, paid.
Have you ever written or received a love letter?
Yes, both. It comes with the territory of being in a lot of long-distance relationships.
Tea, Coffee, or hot cocoa?
Tea all year, hot chocolate during colder months. I never drink coffee because I hate the taste, and also because my stomach will punish me severely for ingesting it.
How many pillows do you sleep with?
One. It's a rectangle pillow for side-sleepers.
Do you have a comfort book? Which one?
Probably Luck in the Shadows, I have read it SO many times.
- Mood: calm
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