china_shop: Close-up of Zhao Yunlan grinning (Default)
The Gauche in the Machine ([personal profile] china_shop) wrote2025-06-05 09:43 am
Entry tags:

Me-and-media update

Previous poll review
In the Detectives poll, the most popular options were softboiled (38.2%), ingredient in alcoholic beverages (32.4%) and hardboiled (26.5%). Over easy, poached, and deviled tied for last place with 14.7%.

In ticky-boxes, dinosaur feathers came second to hugs, 55.9% to 76.5%, yay science! Thank you for your votes.

Reading
The Swish of the Curtain by Pamela Brown -- Revisiting my childhood. I enjoyed this so much. It's episodic, good-natured, and now I want to re-read all the sequels.

Just Kiss Her by Clare Lydon, narrated by Katy Sobey -- This was very silly. It's an f/f romance about a lesbian who fake-dates her closeted-to-his-family gay bff at his cousin's destination wedding and finds herself falling for his mother. Which I would have been here for, but a) the only obstacles were the obvious situational ones, b) neither lead seemed to have a character arc, and c) their connection was 30% feeling comfortable with each other and 70% finding each other sexy, in a telling-not-showing way. (I prefer the proportions reversed, along with some shared interests and values, thanks.) DNF.

Clouds of Witness by Dorothy L. Sayers, narrated by Robert Bathurst -- So much fun! I find the dispassionate descriptions of court appearances and the reading out of letters both drag a little (the letters are always very convenient), but not enough to undermine the general charm of it all. Peter's “justice first” attitude to his brother’s arrest (not a spoiler) was great, and I'm well on my way to shipping him with Parker and/or Bunter. (Will check AO3 when I have more time.) (I know, I know, Harriet, but I haven’t got to her yet. ) I preferred the previous audiobook narrator, Frederick Davidson, but you can't have everything.

Guardian by priest -- The readalong continues, yay! I’m enjoying the mix of ensemble humor, very intense/weird romance, and Miyazaki-esque imagery. It’s pretty easy to lose track of events, but the readalong helps enormously with that.

Still slowly making my way through the 520 Day Guardian Exchange collection. Really need to sit down and write some comments!

Kdramas
Nothing! I hardly recognise myself. (ETA: Okay, now I’ve watched half an episode of Our Unwritten Seoul. Not enough to get a real sense of it yet.)

Other TV
Murderbot -- continues to be a) enjoyable, and b) very different from my experience of the book (and that's okay).
Mike Birbiglia: The Good Life -- a bit less structured than his previous stand-up specials, but still enjoyable.
Doctor Who -- I'm just shaking my head at RTD and whoever gave him this ridiculous budget where he could throw whatever random elements he thought of into the mix. (We still have the final episode to go.)
Turning Point: The Vietnam War -- Turning Point: The Cold War was so good that we thought we’d try this one, too. Fact-filled and meaty.
Department Q -- new Edinburgh-based cold-case unit is staffed by asshole detective with PTSD. Really good so far (two episodes in), even if the asshole detective is... really leaning into the “asshole” bit.
The Expanse -- finished season 4; started season 5. AMOSSSS!!! NAOMI!!! BOBBY!!!! I am earwormed by the opening credits music.
El Eternauta -- we’ve only seen ten or twenty minutes of this eerie Argentinian series, but it looks really good and is on our to-watch list.
Fringe -- my sister and I are still making our way through season 1.
Spy (2015) -- the Melissa McCarthy movie. I loved this when it came out and saw it multiple times at the theatre. So when Netflix said it was being removed in a few days, I thought I should take the opportunity to revisit it. I got halfway through. This is partly attributable to my poor attention span, and partly argh Jason Statham, go away! (I know it’s a deliberate plot/humour choice, but argh.)

Guardian/Fandom
*bounce bounce bounce bounce bounce*

Audio entertainment
Writing Excuses, and bits of Brandon Sanderson’s writing lectures. (I’ve listened to the latter very haphazardly, and I have no idea which ones I meant to review again.)

Writing/making things
Writing continues apace. I don’t generally keep track of word counts, but I wrote 4,343 words in one day recently, which is astonishing for me. What is even happening? Currently on the hunt for a title, and whittling away at a WIP.

Random aside: partly because of the state of my arms, I reasonably often don’t hit the keys hard enough. One of my common typos is “hae” instead of “have”, which always makes me feel I’m writing in Scots.

Life/health/mental state things
I find it so hard to put anything here these days... which is probably telling. Let's try. )

Food
The dish I’ve been referring to as “the vegan thing” (Youtube link) isn’t even vegetarian when I make it, because there’s bonito extract in my miso paste. Oops. It’s still delicious, though. Somehow, the combination of fresh ginger, fresh tomatoes, random vege, miso paste, soy sauce, sesame oil, and sesame seeds makes a really delicious gravy.

Good things
Anticipating getting shelves in my cupboard and imposing some order on (*gestures*) all this. Also, anticipating my windows not leaking. Guardian fandom, especially on Dreamwidth. Zhao Yunlaaaaaan. Writing. Books and Kdramas and so much TV. Cooking. Friends, online and off. Wonderful insightful beta. The boy and the cat and the house and the city. The view from my living-room window. Clean sheets. Baby!red panda blep face (Insta link).

Poll #33200 hair, there and everywhair
Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 10


How do you dry your hair?

View Answers

air dry
7 (70.0%)

towel dry roughly
3 (30.0%)

towel dry carefully / squeezingly
3 (30.0%)

hair dryer or other device
5 (50.0%)

other
0 (0.0%)

not applicable
0 (0.0%)

add styling stuff
1 (10.0%)

add conditioning stuff
1 (10.0%)

add anti-frizz stuff
0 (0.0%)

other
0 (0.0%)

ticky-box of other people are, generally speaking, quite mysterious
3 (30.0%)

ticky-box full of poll votes
4 (40.0%)

tickybox full of a yawning cat broadcasting calm and satisfaction into the world
5 (50.0%)

ticky-box full of the tickly froth edge of a wave on pale sparkly sand, at dawn
4 (40.0%)

ticky-box of rationing your exclamation marks
3 (30.0%)

ticky-box full of hugs
5 (50.0%)

tozka: Dawn (from Buffy) reading a book with a starry background (buffy dawn with stars)
mx. tozka ([personal profile] tozka) wrote2025-06-04 02:11 pm

reading wednesday

2025 Reading Log | 35/200 yearly goal (+2 from last update)

I've gotten sucked into a fanfic-reading frenzy (Naruto, of all things) so my book-reading has been sparse these past few weeks. However, I did read two books since my last Reading Wednesday post!

First, I decided to read the Oz books (including the post-Baum books by Ruth Plumly Thompson) as a kind of reading project thing, and I of course started with The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

I've read it before, but the last time was (I'm pretty sure) back in 2007 when I got my first ereader and put a bunch of public domain books on it.

It's a charming book, and I especially liked the intro from Baum in the beginning that spells out the aim of the book: to be a modern fairy tale for kids that isn't focused on morality lessons. And it does that!

Chatter about Wonderful Wizard of Oz, including spoilers )

Besides that, I also read a novella by KL Noone called The Pooka's Share. It's a m/m urban fantasy romance between a paranormal police officer and a pookah (Celtic shape-changing spirit) with surprise (to me, because I hadn't read the summary) BDSM elements. A cute story! Perhaps spent a bit too much time on the worldbuilding when this is just a one-off and short to boot, but overall good.
case: (Default)
Case ([personal profile] case) wrote in [community profile] fandomsecrets2025-06-04 05:21 pm

[ SECRET POST #6725 ]


⌈ Secret Post #6725 ⌋

Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.


01.


More! )


Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 01 pages, 14 secrets from Secret Submission Post #961..
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 0 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.
immortalje: Typwriter with hands typing (Default)
immortalje ([personal profile] immortalje) wrote in [community profile] dailyicons2025-06-04 11:15 pm

Prompt 2504: Artefact

Today's prompt is: artefact



• You have 2 days time to submit an icon for this prompt (in other words, until prompt 2506 gets posted)!
• Prompt 2502 has been closed.
• If you have any questions regarding the prompt, feel free to ask in a comment.
• To submit an icon you simply reply to this post with the following information:
Icon:
Claim: (only necessary if it's a specific claim)
Status: (e.g. #1/10 - number of icon completed/table size)

Pre-formatted
silversea: Cat reading a red book (Reading Cat)
silversea ([personal profile] silversea) wrote in [community profile] booknook2025-06-04 04:39 pm
Entry tags:

RIP (Read In Progress) Wednesday

Happy June!

What are you reading?
dizzojay: (Default)
dizzojay ([personal profile] dizzojay) wrote2025-06-04 09:34 pm
Entry tags:

Happy post: someone wants some attentoon

 I was playing with the bunnies last week, and Juniper was sitting with me letting me photograph her and video her.
Then someone who was in the litter tray, got jealous of all the attention!  XD

Video here
booksbardsandbaselines: (Books and specs)
Danielle ([personal profile] booksbardsandbaselines) wrote in [community profile] addme2025-06-04 08:04 pm

myth, matches & me: a hello post

Name: Danielle

Age: 30s

I mostly post about: life, books I'm reading (or re-reading!), music I'm loving, tennis matches I'm yelling at the TV about, and all the soft little joys in between.

My hobbies are: reading, writing, journalling, cooking, gardening, watching tennis, listening to music, doing crosswords, talking about Greek myths, collecting daffodils (not literally, just in spirit), and wandering around museums and libraries like a nerd in her natural habitat.

My fandoms are: Percy Jackson, Greek mythology in general, Taylor Swift, various tennis players (Aryna Sabalenka, Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, Jasmine Paolini, Qinwen Zheng).

I'm looking to meet people who: are curious, kind, thoughtful, and enjoy rambling about things they love. Fellow readers, writers, myth geeks, ADHD brains, and warm-hearted nerds especially welcome!

My posting schedule tends to be: softly chaotic, but aiming for 3–4 posts a week—somewhere between “routine” and “inspired flurry.”

When I add people, my dealbreakers are: bigotry of any kind, cruelty, or just generally being mean-spirited. I like my internet spaces kind and cozy.

Before adding me, you should know: I'm a chatterbox when I'm excited, and I’ll probably mention Greek gods, tennis scores, and obscure historical tidbits in the same breath. I write with a lot of heart, and I love connecting with thoughtful people. 💛

sineala: Detail of Harry Wilson Watrous, "Just a Couple of Girls" (Reading)
Sineala ([personal profile] sineala) wrote2025-06-04 04:25 pm

Wednesday Reading Meme

What I Just Finished Reading

Marie Javins, Iron Man: Extremis Prose Novel: Extremis is an Iron Man arc I have read a lot, and I read this prose adaptation because I was interested in comparing the two; novelizations often flesh out the stories with additional details and I wanted to see what additional material was in here and what it was like.

(Also I promised myself I'd read one book a month and I finished this on the 31st in, like, an hour. I had a lot of migraines last month.)

The answer is that it's... weird. There is a lot of MCUification -- Tony has an arc reactor, a public superhero identity, and an AI named JARVIS, as well as a massive crush on Pepper -- but then it's also very comics -- Tony is sober, is clearly a working superhero and has been one for many many years, has a human butler named Jarvis who still works for the Avengers (who are clearly Tony's longtime friends), and has undergone at least a few of his bigger comics storylines, like being drunk and losing his company to Stane and being broke and living on the streets. You know. That one.

So I'm not really sure who this is for, because it's gonna annoy die-hard comics fans. I guess it's for fans who want to read some Iron Man and don't care much about continuity. Also, if you want a whole bunch of body-horror details about how Extremis works that are even more body-horrific than canon (like, Tony is conscious, mostly lucid, and blind and paralyzed and in pain the entire time he's in the cocoon and he is aware that Maya is talking to him) then I guess this is for you?

Also, weirdly, one of the ongoing themes is basically that it's Sexual Humiliation Hour for Tony? The first page of this book wants to tell us that there are tabloid stories about how Tony can't get it up, and the big Extremis reveal features Maya making fun of Tony because his dick's not bigger. I, uh. Okay? Yeah? Wasn't expecting any of that.


What I'm Reading Now

Comics Wednesday!

Doctor Strange of Asgard #4, Imperial #1, Ultimate Spider-Man Incursion #1, Ultimate Wolverine #1 )

What I'm Reading Next

IDK. All my Not Having Migraines time is going to finishing this exchange fic and not reading.
bluedreaming: (pseudonym - bookspines)
ice cream ([personal profile] bluedreaming) wrote in [community profile] fan_flashworks2025-06-04 03:11 pm

Original: Fanfic: go on

Title: go on
Fandom: Original
Rating: G
Length: 100 words
Content notes: implied invasion/colonization in the past (science fiction)
Author notes: The title is from 10:10 o’clock by Lynn Moe Swe, translated by ko ko thett. I wanted to make this fit a fandom, but I got to the end and sat on it and I still haven't found one of mine for which this resonates.
Summary: In which two young people, not quite friends, on different sides of [something], talk anyway.

Read more... )
kitewithfish: (Default)
kitewithfish ([personal profile] kitewithfish) wrote2025-06-04 04:07 pm

Wednesday Reading Meme for June 4, 2025

I skipped last week because, while I had done a lot of reading, I hadn't actually finished anything. I was burned out by the past few weeks at work and personal life, so I didn't write anything up. 

What I Have Read

If you were a Mythical Thing by Kangofu_CB - Re-read bc I love this author. Solid romance between gym teacher Clint and Bucky, who is also a were wolf.

He Who Drowned the World - Shelley Parker-Chan - Book Club Re-Read. THis book rewards rereading. The characters all feel so real and could be main characters in their own stories. I had completely forgotten the last third of the book.

My Favorite Thing is Monsters  vol 1- Emil Ferris - Well written and the art is beautiful, however, the conceit is that the book is a handwritten child's notebook and so it's literally on lined paper and HARD TO READ. The POV of a young lesbian main character in 1960s Chicago and is deeply lovely -her fascination with monsters is so charming and so recognizable. Not a Hugos nominee this year, but the second volume is.

The Hunger and The Dusk vol 1. by G. Willow Wilson - A romance and adventure story - an orc healer is set to work with a team of human adventurers to face an enemy to both human and orc society, and fulfill a peace treaty between the enemy societies. I think this is mediocre, unfortunately . The art is lovely, but the writing is thin. They refer to tropes but don't actually depict them, so it feels very lazy and informed rather than characterized. Neither main romantic lead seems to have been really written, just assembled from tropes - and while I love romance novels and tropes, this isn't even using the tropes in the writing, it's just having the characters mention the tropes in their informed backstory. As a sidebar, I think the alliance between orcs and humans is supposed to be a commentary on racism in DnD settings - orcs are often treated as nonsentient and racially evil in gaming settings, while this books fleshes out orc society and culture and makes the secondary pairing into two really interesting people. If you want to pick it up, they are actually pretty interesting! However, the common enemy just.... evil hive mind nonsentient elves? Who maybe actually have a horrible king and a shared cunning plan? It kind of undercuts the exploration of orcs as sentient and worthy of attention and care if you turn around and assign the name traits to a different random fantasy species. Hugo award nominee, does not merit the award.

We Called Them Giants - Kieron Gillen - I read this immediately after The Hunger and The Dusk and contrast is striking. This book is also working hard from some tropes, but really works them and digs right in. The POV character is engaging with a terrifying and inhuman opponent, only to discover slowly that there is intelligence, compassion, and even communication. Overwhelmingly well done, great character work, the art is haunting and the pacing is excellent. It is a much tighter story with a simpler premise and delivers on it.


What I'm Reading
The Ministry of Time by Kailane Bradley – 25% ish,
Hunting Toward Heartstill by Blackkat -about 45%
The Antarctica Conspiracy Derin Edala – slightly on hold.
Someone You Can Build a Nest In – John Wiswell – 15%

What I'll Read Next
Hugo Nominees are out!
Track Changes
The Deep Dark
My Favorite Thing Is Monsters, Book 2
The Tainted Cup
Alien Clay
Service Model
The Ministry of Time
Someone You Can Build a Nest In
Star Trek: Lower Decks: Warp Your Own Way
Monstress, Vol. 9: The Possessed
Navigational Entanglements
The Butcher of the Forest
The Practice, the Horizon, and the Chain
Speculative Whiteness: Science Fiction and the Alt-Right
The Brides of High Hill
The Tusks of Extinction
“Charting the Cliff: An Investigation into the 2023 Hugo Nomination Statistics”
“Signs of Life”
“By Salt, By Sea, By Light of Stars”
“The Brotherhood of Montague St. Video”
“Loneliness Universe”
“The 2023 Hugo Awards: A Report on Censorship and Exclusion”
“The Four Sisters Overlooking the Sea”
“Lake of Souls”
maju: Clean my kitchen (Default)
maju ([personal profile] maju) wrote2025-06-04 04:01 pm

(no subject)

I love using my bank's app for depositing cheques, but until today I did not know there is a monthly maximum for mobile deposits. I had received some money from a life insurance policy a few weeks ago, which came with drafts which I can use like cheques. Early in May I transferred a smallish amount to my bank account by writing one of these drafts and depositing it via the mobile app, but today I tried to transfer a much larger amount and the deposit was refused because it was more than my monthly limit. Therefore I had to go to a bank (apparently bank branches are now known as "financial centres/centers") and make the deposit in person. Later I received an email from the bank saying they had put a hold on the deposit because there might be insufficient funds to cover it (which I know is not true), so now I'm waiting for confirmation that the money has in fact been credited to my account, but I can't help feeling like I'm being treated with suspicion. Also handling this amount of money doesn't feel real to me, which is also what S said when she inherited money from her mother years ago.

Around lunch time I had an out of the blue email from someone I'd never heard of from S's employer saying the S had some equipment that he needed to retrieve (her computer), and he could let me have a shipping label so I could send it in, or if I was close enough he could come and pick it up in person. I told him my location and he said he could come and get it, and in fact he was here only about 20 minutes later. I was very happy to finally have this taken off my hands.
omens: woman typing (writing)
omens ([personal profile] omens) wrote in [community profile] writethisfanfic2025-06-04 03:49 pm
Entry tags:

Check in Day 4!

We've made it to mid-week \o/!

Poll #33199 Writing!
Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 4


Did you write today?

View Answers

Yes!
3 (75.0%)

No!
1 (25.0%)

I thought about it..
0 (0.0%)

I plan to!
0 (0.0%)



How's it going today?
vampiricprose: (reading snoopy)
vampiricprose ([personal profile] vampiricprose) wrote2025-06-04 02:44 pm
vampiricprose: (reading snoopy)
vampiricprose ([personal profile] vampiricprose) wrote2025-06-04 02:41 pm
vampiricprose: (reading snoopy)
vampiricprose ([personal profile] vampiricprose) wrote2025-05-17 02:36 pm

Vampire Kisses - Ellen Schreiber review


Vampire Kisses (Vampire Kisses, #1)Vampire Kisses by Ellen Schreiber

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

dates read: 5/15/25 - 5/17/25

corny, silly, and inane. reads as if this women wanted to have a goth character after browsing r/goth for 30 whole seconds. awful.

View all my reviews

vampiricprose: (school snoopy)
vampiricprose ([personal profile] vampiricprose) wrote2025-06-04 02:30 pm

Law Notes: Civil Litigation

Civil Litigation Notes / Assignment Repository:


 

Read more... )