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lebateleurI managed to finish two books this week despite the competing pressures of work, gaming, and other socializing, and aim to have a few more honkers wrapped up within the next few days.
What I Finished Reading This Week
Internet Security Fundamentals - Nick Ioannou
This self-published freemium book covers exactly what the title suggests it will. Because it's free and frequently updated, the editing is atrocious: typos, omitted words, garbled sentences, and occasionally mistakes that utterly change the meaning of what Ioannou surely meant to say (e.g., the equivalent of accidentally omitting the word "never" from the following sentence: "The absolute most important thing you can do is to never leave your doors unlocked when you go out.") That said, this book is free, it's frequently updated, and the information is solid and presented in a fashion that won't overwhelm readers who need an introductory explanation of these concepts and practices; if you're looking for a book that does just that, you could do far worse than this one.
After the Forest – Kell Woods
This book was excellent and I will eagerly read anything else Woods writes. Set in 16th century Germany against a backdrop of interstate conflict, witch trials, and religious intolerance, it tells the story of the folktale Hansel and Gretel's titular characters (Greta and Hans here) after the woods; that is, as adults, post-witch and -oven, and -gingerbread house. The setting is fantastic, the descriptive language is fantastic. The blend of historical fact and fairy tale elements is fantastic. The pacing is fantastic. The characterizations are wonderful and strike the difficult balance of depicting characters with believable strengths and weaknesses without slipping into caricature or melodrama, and desires and agency without relying on anachronism or unrealistic motivations or capabilities. This is a definite winner, and I will read it again.
What I Am Currently Reading
Mannaz – Malene Sølvsten
I've got just about 100 pages to go and can't wait to see how the trilogy concludes.
Freya the Deer – Meg Richman
There I was, calmly reading the prologue, when Richman casually dropped a sentence that came out of nowhere like a blow to the face. "Gripped me from the very first page" is a cliche in book reviews, but the first page of this volume delivers a mean jolt, and so far Richman has the chops to keep the momentum going.
The Disabled Tyrant's Beloved Pet Fish vol. 1 – Xue Shan Fei Hu
Mannaz, After the Woods, and Freya the Deer were all affecting my nightmares, so this has become my bedtime reading, a job to which its unapologetically, gleefully over-the-top premise is perfectly suited.
What I’m Reading Next
I acquired no new books this week.
これで以上です。
What I Finished Reading This Week
Internet Security Fundamentals - Nick Ioannou
This self-published freemium book covers exactly what the title suggests it will. Because it's free and frequently updated, the editing is atrocious: typos, omitted words, garbled sentences, and occasionally mistakes that utterly change the meaning of what Ioannou surely meant to say (e.g., the equivalent of accidentally omitting the word "never" from the following sentence: "The absolute most important thing you can do is to never leave your doors unlocked when you go out.") That said, this book is free, it's frequently updated, and the information is solid and presented in a fashion that won't overwhelm readers who need an introductory explanation of these concepts and practices; if you're looking for a book that does just that, you could do far worse than this one.
After the Forest – Kell Woods
This book was excellent and I will eagerly read anything else Woods writes. Set in 16th century Germany against a backdrop of interstate conflict, witch trials, and religious intolerance, it tells the story of the folktale Hansel and Gretel's titular characters (Greta and Hans here) after the woods; that is, as adults, post-witch and -oven, and -gingerbread house. The setting is fantastic, the descriptive language is fantastic. The blend of historical fact and fairy tale elements is fantastic. The pacing is fantastic. The characterizations are wonderful and strike the difficult balance of depicting characters with believable strengths and weaknesses without slipping into caricature or melodrama, and desires and agency without relying on anachronism or unrealistic motivations or capabilities. This is a definite winner, and I will read it again.
What I Am Currently Reading
Mannaz – Malene Sølvsten
I've got just about 100 pages to go and can't wait to see how the trilogy concludes.
Freya the Deer – Meg Richman
There I was, calmly reading the prologue, when Richman casually dropped a sentence that came out of nowhere like a blow to the face. "Gripped me from the very first page" is a cliche in book reviews, but the first page of this volume delivers a mean jolt, and so far Richman has the chops to keep the momentum going.
The Disabled Tyrant's Beloved Pet Fish vol. 1 – Xue Shan Fei Hu
Mannaz, After the Woods, and Freya the Deer were all affecting my nightmares, so this has become my bedtime reading, a job to which its unapologetically, gleefully over-the-top premise is perfectly suited.
What I’m Reading Next
I acquired no new books this week.
これで以上です。
Tags:
thisbluespiritHello, I am still recovering, etc. Quite nicely as these things go, but still not up to doing all my usual little things.
Anyway, thought of something fannish and fun I could do if anyone wanted it - I made a personalised bingo card fortheseatheseatheopensea once, which was fun, and I do always love doing that kind of thing. So...
... if anyone else would find a custom-made bingo card (for writing/creating prompts) fun/useful/inspiring, comment here and I will have a go at making you one!
(I'll use the Bingo Generator, so it's very easy, and if I fail and include some rubbish prompts, a new card without such prompts can magically be re-generated with no trouble. Will do any size from 2x2 to 5x5.)
So just comment here if you'd like one & say what size card you'd prefer. You can also point me to/away from any fandoms/prompt types etc if you'd like, but no need. (If I'm really stuck for some reason, I'll just ask you for some pointers!)
Anyway, thought of something fannish and fun I could do if anyone wanted it - I made a personalised bingo card for
theseatheseatheopensea once, which was fun, and I do always love doing that kind of thing. So...... if anyone else would find a custom-made bingo card (for writing/creating prompts) fun/useful/inspiring, comment here and I will have a go at making you one!
(I'll use the Bingo Generator, so it's very easy, and if I fail and include some rubbish prompts, a new card without such prompts can magically be re-generated with no trouble. Will do any size from 2x2 to 5x5.)
So just comment here if you'd like one & say what size card you'd prefer. You can also point me to/away from any fandoms/prompt types etc if you'd like, but no need. (If I'm really stuck for some reason, I'll just ask you for some pointers!)
fleetsparrowI am sticking to 3 because, if you saw my last attempt at "top X list" I, uh, have trouble restricting.
These are not in specific order, just in the order I thought of them:
These are not in specific order, just in the order I thought of them:
- I'm curious
- I'm Justice-oriented
- I am actually 5 puns in a trench coat pretending to be human
fleetsparrowChristmas is my favorite holiday. Its got joy, its got lights, its got music--what could be better!
This year I wenta little fucking crazy deep into the Christmas music archives, adding as many Christmas songs and albums to my single streaming playlist as possible. It now sits at an overwhelming amazing 1,594 songs for a total of 79 hours and 5 minutes!
There are so many songs I had never heard before adding them. Many of my favorites from that bunch were written in the '60s, when Christmas music and lore were not so set in stone as we seem to think of them now. (Even Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is a modern invention, he of the Montgomery-Ward catalogue. But I digress.)
Here is a couple of Top 10(ish) lists. You may have heard of some of them, you may have heard of none of them (or maybe you know all of them??? if so, please share where, as I am constantly looking for more.)
Top 10 World-building songs:
Honorary mentions (eclectic collection):
Shout-out to the spoken word Christmas recordings:
This year I went
There are so many songs I had never heard before adding them. Many of my favorites from that bunch were written in the '60s, when Christmas music and lore were not so set in stone as we seem to think of them now. (Even Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is a modern invention, he of the Montgomery-Ward catalogue. But I digress.)
Here is a couple of Top 10(ish) lists. You may have heard of some of them, you may have heard of none of them (or maybe you know all of them??? if so, please share where, as I am constantly looking for more.)
Top 10 World-building songs:
- Jingle-O The Brownie - Tennessee Ernie Ford
- Uncle Mistletoe - The Three Suns
- Poppy the Puppy - Gene Autry
- The Three Little Dwarfs (Hard Rock, Coco, and Joe) - Gene Autry
- Little Klinker - Tennessee Ernie Ford
- Santa And The Purple People Eater - Sheb Wooley
- Captain Santa Claus (And His Reindeer Space Patrol) - Bobby Helms
- Freddie, The Little Fir Tree - Gene Autry
- Socko, The Smallest Snowball - The Bell Sisters & Spike Jones & His City Slickers
- Christy Christmas - Brenda Lee
Honorary mentions (eclectic collection):
- Christmas Is A-Comin' - Bing Crosby
- Santa Claus, That's Me! - Vernon Dalhart
- Who's That Up On The Roof - The Caroleers
- The Stingiest Man In Town - The Four Lads
- The Christmas Blues - Julia Lee & Her Boyfriends
- Christmas Rappin' - Kurtis Blow
- The Fairy On The Christmas Tree - BBC Orchestra & The Three Sisters
- The Bell That Couldn't Jingle - Burt Bacharach
- Snoopy's Christmas - The Royal Guardsmen
- The Night Before Christmas (In Texas That Is) - Montana Slim
Shout-out to the spoken word Christmas recordings:
- Christmas Dragnet (Yulenet) Parts 1 & 2 - Stan Freberg
- I Was A Teenage Reindeer - Jim Backus & Daws Butler
- I Yust Go Nuts At Christmas - Yogi Yorgesson
- Elvis For Xmas - Mad Milo
- Chinchy Old Scrooge - Phil Moore
- Blink Before Christmas - Phil Moore
- Santa Claus Proves There Is A Santa - Ernest Hare
- Santa Claus Hides In Your Phonograph - Ernest Hare
lebateleurLast week was a pretty good one for leisure media and entertainment.
Games: Gaming group this week! We met at an inconvenient (1+ hour drive) but favorite tavern since there was also a birthday to celebrate. Alas, the games we'd planned to try out (including some recced during![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
snowflake_challenge) were unavailable, so we played First to Worst and King of Tokyo, and had a great time.
The first is a familiar standard; we mixed things up by eschewing scoring entirely and having the ranker draw only four cards from the deck while the rest of the players collectively tried to correctly order the ranker's preferences, to sometimes hilarious results (one player's partner insisting that they disliked "gift giving" much more than the other three, trivial options, or shocked disbelief at another player's—correct—insistence that their partner genuinely preferred pickles and journaling over ice cream sundaes).
The second, is a familiar group standard but one I had personally yet to play (on account of generally playing Betrayal in the House on the Hill or such instead). The setup is that the players are a group of kaiju battling to level Tokyo. It strikes me as a very Munchkin -or MtG-esque game in that the first several players who look like they have a chance at winning will invariably be leveled by the other players. My low-and-slow strategy got me one victory point away from winning the game, but a bad role ultimately gave the GC the win. Still, not bad for a first playthrough.
And now, a brief digression so I can ( gripe about AI. )
We also played more Hive and picked up copies of Betrayal, Everdell Farshore, and Witchcraft, the latter of which I am about to try out very shortly here.
Music: We had a very excellent house session on Monday, after which one of the players used some fancy software to transcribe my playing of some of the tunes. It's pretty cool to see what I'm actually doing set down in notation.
Podcasts/Articles: No podcasts, as I just haven't been in a longform audio mood for the last several months. I did read one longform article: Irish Gothic, however.
Roleplaying: Nothing this week, although there are noises about starting up Oldest D&D Group's homebrew campaign back up.
Television: Late days at work last week + the full slate of extracurriculars meant the GC and I weren't up for much aside from cute animal videos this week, but we did watch Max Headroom S2 Ep 3 today. The main plot was another variation of the "how channels try to corrupt the elections" storyline, and was convoluted with several gaping holes, but one of the subplots is ( among my favorites in the series. )
Video Games: I'm still playing Pentiment and Ultima IV, and started Machinarium; we also got Ghost of Yotei.
In other news, ( I wander in the wilderness no more. )
これで以上です。
Games: Gaming group this week! We met at an inconvenient (1+ hour drive) but favorite tavern since there was also a birthday to celebrate. Alas, the games we'd planned to try out (including some recced during
snowflake_challenge) were unavailable, so we played First to Worst and King of Tokyo, and had a great time.The first is a familiar standard; we mixed things up by eschewing scoring entirely and having the ranker draw only four cards from the deck while the rest of the players collectively tried to correctly order the ranker's preferences, to sometimes hilarious results (one player's partner insisting that they disliked "gift giving" much more than the other three, trivial options, or shocked disbelief at another player's—correct—insistence that their partner genuinely preferred pickles and journaling over ice cream sundaes).
The second, is a familiar group standard but one I had personally yet to play (on account of generally playing Betrayal in the House on the Hill or such instead). The setup is that the players are a group of kaiju battling to level Tokyo. It strikes me as a very Munchkin -or MtG-esque game in that the first several players who look like they have a chance at winning will invariably be leveled by the other players. My low-and-slow strategy got me one victory point away from winning the game, but a bad role ultimately gave the GC the win. Still, not bad for a first playthrough.
And now, a brief digression so I can ( gripe about AI. )
We also played more Hive and picked up copies of Betrayal, Everdell Farshore, and Witchcraft, the latter of which I am about to try out very shortly here.
Music: We had a very excellent house session on Monday, after which one of the players used some fancy software to transcribe my playing of some of the tunes. It's pretty cool to see what I'm actually doing set down in notation.
Podcasts/Articles: No podcasts, as I just haven't been in a longform audio mood for the last several months. I did read one longform article: Irish Gothic, however.
Roleplaying: Nothing this week, although there are noises about starting up Oldest D&D Group's homebrew campaign back up.
Television: Late days at work last week + the full slate of extracurriculars meant the GC and I weren't up for much aside from cute animal videos this week, but we did watch Max Headroom S2 Ep 3 today. The main plot was another variation of the "how channels try to corrupt the elections" storyline, and was convoluted with several gaping holes, but one of the subplots is ( among my favorites in the series. )
Video Games: I'm still playing Pentiment and Ultima IV, and started Machinarium; we also got Ghost of Yotei.
In other news, ( I wander in the wilderness no more. )
これで以上です。
angenoirChallenge #5:
In your own space, create a list of at least three things you'd love to receive, a wishlist of sorts.
( Read more... )
kantayraBehold, this rare and glorious unicorn that I have created! Weep at its unique beauty! For none of us may ever see such a sight again for the rest of our natural lives:
😝
Anyway, it turns out that last week I forgot to mention a lot of important stuff that happened. Like, say, the fact that it was my birthday (I forgot, okay? It snuck up on me this year!). And also that it was a three-day holiday weekend. So, you know, there's that. 🫠
Anyway, I did have a lovely birthday! I got an axolotl t-shirt and capybara socks, both of which I'm wearing right now because I'm A+ at adulting. Anyway, that's a pro-tip for all you kids out there who want to learn how to get people to take you seriously: wear cute, goofy animals at all times!
Here's fandom stuff, which is going amazingly well at the moment, as you may have noted from the beauteous unicorn above:
Goals for next week: 1) Finish SOD assignment, whichever that ends up being! 2) 3 Sentence fics! 3) At least 2 treats or PHs of my choice. 4) More Heaven Official's Blessing! 5) More Deer and the Cauldron! 6) Maybe more Dear Door, if I have time.
😝
Anyway, it turns out that last week I forgot to mention a lot of important stuff that happened. Like, say, the fact that it was my birthday (I forgot, okay? It snuck up on me this year!). And also that it was a three-day holiday weekend. So, you know, there's that. 🫠
Anyway, I did have a lovely birthday! I got an axolotl t-shirt and capybara socks, both of which I'm wearing right now because I'm A+ at adulting. Anyway, that's a pro-tip for all you kids out there who want to learn how to get people to take you seriously: wear cute, goofy animals at all times!
Here's fandom stuff, which is going amazingly well at the moment, as you may have noted from the beauteous unicorn above:
- Exchanges due in January/February (fffx, Just The Tip flash, Fisting Flash, candyheartsex, seasonofdrabbles, threesentenceficathon + mystery pinch-hits and treats + future sign-ups): I am currently at 5/6! And the 6th is my Season Of Drabbles assignment, which I haven't gotten yet, but already I'm going crazy with this one prompt that I'll at the very least treat, if I don't get it outright. threesentenceficathon also opened last weekend, and I haven't had a chance to go wild on that one yet. So my goals for this week are to finish my SOD, have fun with 3 Sentences, and come up with at least 2 treats/PHs to pick up.
- I've been getting gifts, and stuff has been revealing, and whatnot. Here's what I have to report.
Stuff I've received:- Eager - Shen Wei/Zhao Yunlan for Just The Tip flash. Spoilers: Zhao Yunlan wants more than just the tip, but he also wants just the tip because he is very horny and life is very hard. 🤣
- Why not give n? - Endeavor/Hawks for Just The Tip flash, where Hawks also wants more than just the tip, but he also wants just the tip because he is very horny and life is very hard. 🤣 (Look, I have a type, okay, and my authors very graciously indulged me on it perfectly!)
- Say What You Mean - Bakugo/Deku, which Kally wrote for me for my birthday, and I am in love with this, and there's a reason people mistook us for brain twins for years and years. ❤️
Stuff I wrote:- Tease - The Endeavor/Hawks fic I wrote for Just The Tip flash, where Hawks wants... Yeah, you know the drill by now. This trope, I love it! 😝
- Exchanges due in March/April: I need to throw in some more nominations for caseficexchange, and now I'm getting excited again! Still thinking I will probably skip highadrenalineexchange, unless someone requests my dream prompt.
- I finished S2 of The Devil's Hour, nifty show!
- Heaven Official's Blessing by MXTX - I'm nearing the end of volume 4, and I know this is supposed to be an m/m romance, but I am so caught up in the plot right now, it's not even funny. The Wind Master! 🥺 Come baaaaaaaaaaack!
- The Deer and the Cauldron by Louis Cha - I'm continuing to make good progress on this. The plot's really picking up, and I'm in the middle of a haunted house arc, which is like my catnip.
- Dear Door - I didn't do anything on this one last week; the others were too exciting!
Goals for next week: 1) Finish SOD assignment, whichever that ends up being! 2) 3 Sentence fics! 3) At least 2 treats or PHs of my choice. 4) More Heaven Official's Blessing! 5) More Deer and the Cauldron! 6) Maybe more Dear Door, if I have time.
angenoirChallenge #4: Rec The Contents Of Your Last Page
Any website that you like, be it fanfiction, art, social media, or something a bit more eccentric!
flareonfuryBeware the potential spoilers behind the cuts. And if by any chance you are a fan of any of these, please let me know your thoughts!
Starfleet Academy - watched the first two episodes of it tonight and I enjoyed it. It was a little weird, 'cause it was a different set up than I was expecting (I did not watch any trailers going into it, nor any news articles other than the fact that Tig Notaro and the Doctor from Voyager would be in it). ( Read more... )
The Hunting Party - Season 2 started airing, and I'm enjoying it so far, I really loved Season 1 so I was excited to see it return. I just did a rewatch it (first season is only 10 episodes so it's a semi-quick rewatch) - still love it! It stars Melissa Roxburgh (from Manifest and Tracker) as Bex Henderson, Nick Wechsler (aka Kyle from Roswell) as Oliver Odell, Josh McKenzie (from La Brea) as Shane Florence, Patrick Sabongui (David Singh from the Arrowverse) as Ryan Hassani and Sara Garcia (apparently also from The Flash) as Jennifer Morales. ( Read more... )The fandom for the show is super small but hopefully it grows more. I definitely recommend it if you enjoyed the Blacklist or Fringe or Mindhunter or other procedural type shows.
Animal Control - came to Netflix and it made me realize I missed a whole season (season 3), so I did a rewatch of the series and am currently up to date. I laughed out loud a lot with this show and I really enjoyed it. If anyone likes animals and enjoyed Community, I'd say you'd like this. This is also a small fandom? Not a lot of fanworks (gifs or fics that I could find). I did come out of this rewatch shipping completely different ship ( Read more... )
Stumble - NBC's newest show that reminds me a lot of early Glee (and weirdly Pitch Perfect). It's sitcom show filmed mock-documentary style for the most part I guess like the Office but it's about the cheer coach and her cheerleaders. Jenn Lyon (Esther Finch from Dead Boy Detectives) portrays the coach, Courteney and I absolutely love her (definitely on my favorite characters). Kristin Chenoweth is Tammy Istiny, former assistant coach to Courteney and even though her storyline is predictable - I like her. I think my favorite cheerleader on the team are Peaches and Madonna though. But the whole team is great. Definitely check it out if you like sitcoms, although like Animal Control might not be for everyone. Again super small fandom.
DMV - enjoying this sitcom a lot and I am appreciating that it is not a mock-documentary type show - while I like Stumble, I do not enjoy that concept of a sitcom. Now this show reminds me of Parks & Rec, so I recommend it if you enjoyed that show or Community.
Fallout - THE LATEST EPISODE MAN. So many feelings. Did I expect what happened would happen? Duh. It's not that huge of a surprise but the WAY it was shot was. Beautiful. I do of course want like fix-it Ghoulcy fics right now though...
Doc - these last few episodes are so emotional, and I did not really expect to see where it took them. ( Read more... )
High Potential - I really liked this episode, and I enjoyed the Morgan/Karadec scenes of course. ( Read more... )
Starfleet Academy - watched the first two episodes of it tonight and I enjoyed it. It was a little weird, 'cause it was a different set up than I was expecting (I did not watch any trailers going into it, nor any news articles other than the fact that Tig Notaro and the Doctor from Voyager would be in it). ( Read more... )
The Hunting Party - Season 2 started airing, and I'm enjoying it so far, I really loved Season 1 so I was excited to see it return. I just did a rewatch it (first season is only 10 episodes so it's a semi-quick rewatch) - still love it! It stars Melissa Roxburgh (from Manifest and Tracker) as Bex Henderson, Nick Wechsler (aka Kyle from Roswell) as Oliver Odell, Josh McKenzie (from La Brea) as Shane Florence, Patrick Sabongui (David Singh from the Arrowverse) as Ryan Hassani and Sara Garcia (apparently also from The Flash) as Jennifer Morales. ( Read more... )The fandom for the show is super small but hopefully it grows more. I definitely recommend it if you enjoyed the Blacklist or Fringe or Mindhunter or other procedural type shows.
Animal Control - came to Netflix and it made me realize I missed a whole season (season 3), so I did a rewatch of the series and am currently up to date. I laughed out loud a lot with this show and I really enjoyed it. If anyone likes animals and enjoyed Community, I'd say you'd like this. This is also a small fandom? Not a lot of fanworks (gifs or fics that I could find). I did come out of this rewatch shipping completely different ship ( Read more... )
Stumble - NBC's newest show that reminds me a lot of early Glee (and weirdly Pitch Perfect). It's sitcom show filmed mock-documentary style for the most part I guess like the Office but it's about the cheer coach and her cheerleaders. Jenn Lyon (Esther Finch from Dead Boy Detectives) portrays the coach, Courteney and I absolutely love her (definitely on my favorite characters). Kristin Chenoweth is Tammy Istiny, former assistant coach to Courteney and even though her storyline is predictable - I like her. I think my favorite cheerleader on the team are Peaches and Madonna though. But the whole team is great. Definitely check it out if you like sitcoms, although like Animal Control might not be for everyone. Again super small fandom.
DMV - enjoying this sitcom a lot and I am appreciating that it is not a mock-documentary type show - while I like Stumble, I do not enjoy that concept of a sitcom. Now this show reminds me of Parks & Rec, so I recommend it if you enjoyed that show or Community.
Fallout - THE LATEST EPISODE MAN. So many feelings. Did I expect what happened would happen? Duh. It's not that huge of a surprise but the WAY it was shot was. Beautiful. I do of course want like fix-it Ghoulcy fics right now though...
Doc - these last few episodes are so emotional, and I did not really expect to see where it took them. ( Read more... )
High Potential - I really liked this episode, and I enjoyed the Morgan/Karadec scenes of course. ( Read more... )
fleetsparrowI always feel like wishlists are so hard for me to create. They feel a lot like asking for help, another thing I have a terribly hard time doing. Yes, this is something I'm currently working on in therapy. How is that going? Haha, don't worry about it.
But, in the interest of Putting Myself Out There, here is a wishlist:
please do not judge the fact that it took me 3 entire hours to post this single thing akdhgaolksdjflkhajd I sleep now before I break out in hives for Wanting Things and Letting People Know I Want Things
But, in the interest of Putting Myself Out There, here is a wishlist:
- Top surgery
Oh, we're starting in Hard Mode I see... fun!
- A couple new multi-color packs of Pilot Varsity disposable fountain pens
- A good region-free DVD player
- Any kind of recommendations on how to learn written shorthand
- Advice on how to do candle magic when you can't burn candles
- Or, alternatively I guess, what to substitute for candle magic when you can't burn candles
- Recommendations for language learning apps that aren't Duolingo (or Rosetta Stone, only because I already have that)
- A year of Boot.dev
- Gift card(s) to Bookshop.org, Google Play Store, or BetterWorldBooks (
the last of which might make me finally move my unending wishlist from Thriftbooks to BWB) - Best places to learn Linux and such
- Obligatory newly-curated Amazon wishlist
fleetsparrowApologies for a link to a link, but I cannot for the life of me figure out DW image formatting and I do not care to learn tonight.
Cats, cats, and... cats???
Cats, cats, and... cats???
flareonfury
@ xmen100 
@ mcu100 Submissions for the Bi-Weekly Prompt will be accepted until January 24, 11:59PM EST.
@ xmen100
@ mcu100Submissions for the Monthly Challenges will be accepted until December 31, 11:59PM EST.
dcfemslashevents community, they are having a February Comment Fest - I love the concept of it and the whole community and because of it:Found out a "fanweek" happening next month that I'm interested in DC Rarepair Week (Feb 8-14), we shall see if I remember it. I'm interested in participating because I tend to ship a lot of rare or rare-ish ships for DC. I'm going to try for pairings I haven't written before... or maybe just any since I technically haven't written any DC stuff in 6 years (the last being Courtney/Henry Jr. of Stargirl TV series and Kara/Maxwell of Supergirl TV series). Both are actually extremely rare pairings.
Also discovered a DC Fandom Events tumblr, which lists & tracks various DC challenges & when they are happening which is helpful because I've been wondering what other "fanweeks" would be happening this year since I know a good portion of fandoms are located on other platforms such as AO3 or Tumblr or Discords now and not everything is promoted to
fandomcalendar or whenisitdue or one of the other communities about events. Usually I stumble upon them way after they are done - plus fanlore's fanweeks category are mostly about ones years past and as far as I can tell on all the ones I was interested in only happened once or twice. Discovered Raven/Dick apparently has their own "fanweek" in the past so hopefully a new one happens this year - I just have to remember to check in April. According AO3 tags, there is less than 700 works for Raven/Dick so they can be considered rarepair for the DC Rarepair Week.Are there any "fanweeks" you are looking forward to this year? Or one that you hope will happen again? Doesn't have to be DC or Marvel...
chomijiThere's a very, very generous Humble Bundle offer going for the next 12 days:
Fierce Women of Science Fiction and Horror
It's heavy on Mira Grant (Seanan McGuire in her Horror persona), Kate Elliott, and Pamela Sargent, and I own a few of the others, but wow, 65 books for a minimum $1 contribution?
I just have to figure out the logistics of how to deal with where I'd prefer to run the download vs. where I want to books while I read them.
Tags:
flareonfurySo over at fandomtrees, I made a book rec comment for someone, but I don't think I have one here (unless you read my profile), so I figured I should post it here. I'll probably add to it if I remember any other favorites. They are not ordered in any particular order.
I usually do Romance just FYI, so if you're looking for something "new" (but probably old), check out below!
Queer Love Stories:
( Read more... )
Non-Queer Love Stories:
( Read more... )
YA or Younger Stories:
( Read more... )
fandomtrees, I made a book rec comment for someone, but I don't think I have one here (unless you read my profile), so I figured I should post it here. I'll probably add to it if I remember any other favorites. They are not ordered in any particular order.I usually do Romance just FYI, so if you're looking for something "new" (but probably old), check out below!
Queer Love Stories:
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Challenge #9
Talk about your favorite tropes in media or transformative works. (Feel free to substitute in theme/motif/cliche if "trope" doesn't resonate with you.)
There are so many tropes that I love but I'll try to narrow it down, though I'm sure I will forget a couple.
Amnesia: I lean toward partial amnesia rather than complete, but I'll read both! There's something really appealing about a character trying to figure out what has changed in their life since the last thing they remember, especially when it comes to the love interest. Seeing them look at a relationship with new eyes or try to struggle to remember the already established one gives me both angst and humorous possibilities, both which I enjoy. And I love it from the other side too! Where the LI wants them to remember but also wants to help them heal at their own pace (while pining!).
Canon Divergence/Fork In the Road: There are always points in canon, or even pre-canon, where I wonder 'what if x had happened instead of y' and it's just interesting to explore the possibilities.
Fake Dating/Relationship/Marriage of Convenience: Whether it is for something low stakes like needing a date for a wedding or trying to escape the "helpful" matchmaking of friends/relatives or a little more high stakes like going undercover, this trope is just fun and full of pining, angst, and potential for others, like misunderstandings and accidental love confessions. All of which I enjoy. I like it when one half of the ship has feelings or both have feelings and think that this is all they can ever get. Or when they don't even consider each other and slowly fall for one another while they're "pretending". This extends to marriages where the ship gets married for "reasons" and then just doesn't want to divorce but thinks the other one doesn't want that.
( a few more )
Tags:
anrAnd I Would Be the One to Hold You Down (884 words) by anr
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Game of Thrones (TV), A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Jon Snow/Sansa Stark
Characters: Jon Snow, Sansa Stark
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Wedding Night, Just the Tip, Creampie, Kissing, Sex, Touching, Loss of Virginity, Incest, Brother/Sister Incest, Cousin/Cousin Incest
Summary: Standing, he looks down at Sansa, his expression soft. "My lady?" he offers.
She stands too, her palm sliding against his as their hands adjust. "My lord," she nods.
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Game of Thrones (TV), A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Jon Snow/Sansa Stark
Characters: Jon Snow, Sansa Stark
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Wedding Night, Just the Tip, Creampie, Kissing, Sex, Touching, Loss of Virginity, Incest, Brother/Sister Incest, Cousin/Cousin Incest
Summary: Standing, he looks down at Sansa, his expression soft. "My lady?" he offers.
She stands too, her palm sliding against his as their hands adjust. "My lord," she nods.
anr Shining Like the Stars
Hope is like the sun. If you only believe in it when you see it, you’ll never make it through the night.
(aka, Five times Rey dreams of Ben.)
Star Wars: Sequel Trilogy. Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren. Mature. February 2025.
Say the Word and I Will
After the photo.
Supernatural. Jo Harvelle/Dean Winchester. Teen And Up Audiences. February 2025.
Third From the End
When his fingers catch hers and hold, she smiles and doesn't pull away.
(aka, Five times McCoy and Chapel touch.)
Star Trek: Reboot. Christine Chapel/Leonard "Bones" McCoy. Teen And Up Audiences. April 2025.
My Heart Is Playing Hide and Seek
She feels too much like she used to after the farm and the girls and Henry, grief and longing warring within her until her love seems like a bitter curse that only her running can save him from.
The Walking Dead. Daryl Dixon/Carol Peletier. Teen And Up Audiences. April 2025.
Under Different Stars
The days slide into weeks and then months, their grief ebbing as the twins pull them relentlessly forward with gummy smiles and sticky fingers.
Star Wars: Prequel Trilogy. Padmé Amidala/Obi-Wan Kenobi. Teen And Up Audiences. May 2025.
Heard the Risk Is Drowning
He goes out hunting, dragging her along with him like she wasn't itching for a moment of peace and freedom anyway, rolling his eyes each time she tries to bait him into a game he already knows she'll never let him win.
(aka, Five times Daryl and Carol hang out.)
The Walking Dead. Daryl Dixon/Carol Peletier. Mature. June 2025.
Aim Your Arrow at the Sky
She gets a job flying local between the original colony and the one on the far side of the continent that's still trying to get itself self-sufficient. She doesn't get to break atmo, but she likes it better than the docks work she was doing back on Gateway, he knows.
"One of the other pilots mentioned a quarantine today," she tells him. "On Fiorina 161."
Aliens. Dwayne Hicks/Ellen Ripley. Mature. June 2025.
Can You Hear My Heart Through the Prison Bars
It's the warmest sleep he can remember.
(aka, Five times Daryl and Carol touch.)
The Walking Dead. Daryl Dixon/Carol Peletier. Teen And Up Audiences. June 2025.
Through the Dark Side of the Mornin'
She struggles to keep the mask on after awhile.
The Walking Dead. Daryl Dixon/Carol Peletier. Teen And Up Audiences. July 2025.
Suddenly the Summer
Haymitch and Effie, after the war.
The Hunger Games. Haymitch Abernathy/Effie Trinket. Mature. July 2025.
Depression Works the Graveyard Shift
"I wish you were not gone," she says, and he says, but I'm not, T'Pol, I'm not, I'm right here, I am, look at me, see me, I'm here, I'm here, I'm here.
Star Trek: Enterprise. T'Pol/Charles "Trip" Tucker III. Teen And Up Audiences. July 2025.
Swallows in the Air
She takes a slow drag of the cigarette. And then another. And then says, "you found me." Alone in a clearing of dead leaves and destroyed hope.
He meets her stare evenly. "You found me," he counters.
Ready or Not. Daniel Le Domas/Grace Le Domas. Teen And Up Audiences. August 2025.
I'd Marry You With Paper Rings
"It's always been you," she whispers against his mouth. "Always. Ever since the farm."
(aka, Five times Carol dreams of marrying Daryl.)
The Walking Dead. Daryl Dixon/Carol Peletier. Mature. September 2025.
Look Up From the Pavement
He's starting to sweat again, his gut tightening and his pulse kicking into high gear, his dick hardening like he's not in withdrawal and tangled around his sister, her body warm everywhere it's touching him.
(aka, Five times Nick fantasizes about Alicia while high.)
Fear the Walking Dead. Alicia Clark/Nick Clark. Explicit. September 2025.
Maybe It Might Be Love
She takes pity on him. "Don't worry about it, Kenick. I'm not gonna hold you to it." She tries to keep her tone light and not mean, not disappointed. "Your offer? You can take it back."
He blinks, surprised. "You're sayin' no?"
Grease. Kenickie/Betty Rizzo. Teen And Up Audiences. September 2025.
Travelling Through the Sky
She moves like no one else he's ever seen fight before, as sleek and graceful as she is deadly, and he allows himself to think beautiful for the shortest ever second in the 'verse before banishing that thought back to whatever special hell it came from.
Firefly. Jayne Cobb/River Tam. Teen And Up Audiences. October 2025.
Never Want Once
"It's the weed," she thinks he says, tasting the words more than hearing them, "a bad crop, maybe, maybe, I don't --"
"I don't care." She nips at the curve of his jaw, his stubble rough against her lips. "I won't." If they stop now she'll die, she thinks. "I want."
Stranger Things. Chrissy Cunningham/Eddie Munson. Explicit. October 2025.
When the Sun Won't Let You Sleep
"Just saying," he says, reclining on his pool float. "We're both here, and alone, and wearing very little clothing..."
(aka, Five times Sarah thinks about kissing Nyles.)
Palm Springs. Nyles/Sarah Wilder. Teen And Up Audiences. October 2025.
Too Soon to Tell You 'I Love You'
"Killing me, sweetheart," he swears into their kiss, "murdering me dead."
She arches into him, her fingers slipping under the hem of his t-shirt. "Good."
(aka, Five times Chrissy and Eddie kiss.)
Stranger Things. Chrissy Cunningham/Eddie Munson. Teen And Up Audiences. November 2025.
In the Low Lamplight
Her smile is quick and fleeting, barely touching on her lips before disappearing again into her usual frown of grief and anger and stubborn survival, but pretty too, in that way he's been noticing more and more often lately.
(aka, Five times Carol smiles at Daryl.)
The Walking Dead. Daryl Dixon/Carol Peletier. Teen And Up Audiences. November 2025.
All the Stars We Steal From the Night Sky
Her first time.
(aka, Five times Cassie loses her virginity with Nick for the first time.)
Push. Nick Gant/Cassie Holmes. Explicit. November 2025.
Holding the Atmosphere
Eddie frowns. "Out?"
Yes. "Out of Hawkins," she says, uncurling on her seat, the idea forming as she talks, "I need to go somewhere else, anywhere else," her words spilling out faster now, "and I'll pay you! I'll pay for the gas, and for everything, I will, just please -- please." She reaches out to him and grabs at his arm, her fingers still shaking but not as bad now, not as terrified, now that she has something -- someone -- to hold onto. "Can you take me?"
Stranger Things. Chrissy Cunningham/Eddie Munson. Teen And Up Audiences. December 2025.
You Should Come Home
She attends the funeral in a daze.
Gone With the Wind. Rhett Butler/Scarlett O'Hara. Teen And Up Audiences. December 2025.
Saw the Scoreboard and Ran for My Life
Grace shakes her head. "Trust me," she sighs. "There's no chance of me winning this. I'm as good as dead."
The room goes silent as everybody turns and looks to her as if on some sort of cue.
Grace blinks back at them all, bemused by the synchronicity, "... what?"
(aka, Five times Grace learns about the games the Le Domas' play.)
Ready or Not. Daniel Le Domas/Grace Le Domas. Teen And Up Audiences. December 2025.
TOTAL FICS: 24
TOTAL WORDS: 30,454
Hope is like the sun. If you only believe in it when you see it, you’ll never make it through the night.
(aka, Five times Rey dreams of Ben.)
Star Wars: Sequel Trilogy. Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren. Mature. February 2025.
Say the Word and I Will
After the photo.
Supernatural. Jo Harvelle/Dean Winchester. Teen And Up Audiences. February 2025.
Third From the End
When his fingers catch hers and hold, she smiles and doesn't pull away.
(aka, Five times McCoy and Chapel touch.)
Star Trek: Reboot. Christine Chapel/Leonard "Bones" McCoy. Teen And Up Audiences. April 2025.
My Heart Is Playing Hide and Seek
She feels too much like she used to after the farm and the girls and Henry, grief and longing warring within her until her love seems like a bitter curse that only her running can save him from.
The Walking Dead. Daryl Dixon/Carol Peletier. Teen And Up Audiences. April 2025.
Under Different Stars
The days slide into weeks and then months, their grief ebbing as the twins pull them relentlessly forward with gummy smiles and sticky fingers.
Star Wars: Prequel Trilogy. Padmé Amidala/Obi-Wan Kenobi. Teen And Up Audiences. May 2025.
Heard the Risk Is Drowning
He goes out hunting, dragging her along with him like she wasn't itching for a moment of peace and freedom anyway, rolling his eyes each time she tries to bait him into a game he already knows she'll never let him win.
(aka, Five times Daryl and Carol hang out.)
The Walking Dead. Daryl Dixon/Carol Peletier. Mature. June 2025.
Aim Your Arrow at the Sky
She gets a job flying local between the original colony and the one on the far side of the continent that's still trying to get itself self-sufficient. She doesn't get to break atmo, but she likes it better than the docks work she was doing back on Gateway, he knows.
"One of the other pilots mentioned a quarantine today," she tells him. "On Fiorina 161."
Aliens. Dwayne Hicks/Ellen Ripley. Mature. June 2025.
Can You Hear My Heart Through the Prison Bars
It's the warmest sleep he can remember.
(aka, Five times Daryl and Carol touch.)
The Walking Dead. Daryl Dixon/Carol Peletier. Teen And Up Audiences. June 2025.
Through the Dark Side of the Mornin'
She struggles to keep the mask on after awhile.
The Walking Dead. Daryl Dixon/Carol Peletier. Teen And Up Audiences. July 2025.
Suddenly the Summer
Haymitch and Effie, after the war.
The Hunger Games. Haymitch Abernathy/Effie Trinket. Mature. July 2025.
Depression Works the Graveyard Shift
"I wish you were not gone," she says, and he says, but I'm not, T'Pol, I'm not, I'm right here, I am, look at me, see me, I'm here, I'm here, I'm here.
Star Trek: Enterprise. T'Pol/Charles "Trip" Tucker III. Teen And Up Audiences. July 2025.
Swallows in the Air
She takes a slow drag of the cigarette. And then another. And then says, "you found me." Alone in a clearing of dead leaves and destroyed hope.
He meets her stare evenly. "You found me," he counters.
Ready or Not. Daniel Le Domas/Grace Le Domas. Teen And Up Audiences. August 2025.
I'd Marry You With Paper Rings
"It's always been you," she whispers against his mouth. "Always. Ever since the farm."
(aka, Five times Carol dreams of marrying Daryl.)
The Walking Dead. Daryl Dixon/Carol Peletier. Mature. September 2025.
Look Up From the Pavement
He's starting to sweat again, his gut tightening and his pulse kicking into high gear, his dick hardening like he's not in withdrawal and tangled around his sister, her body warm everywhere it's touching him.
(aka, Five times Nick fantasizes about Alicia while high.)
Fear the Walking Dead. Alicia Clark/Nick Clark. Explicit. September 2025.
Maybe It Might Be Love
She takes pity on him. "Don't worry about it, Kenick. I'm not gonna hold you to it." She tries to keep her tone light and not mean, not disappointed. "Your offer? You can take it back."
He blinks, surprised. "You're sayin' no?"
Grease. Kenickie/Betty Rizzo. Teen And Up Audiences. September 2025.
Travelling Through the Sky
She moves like no one else he's ever seen fight before, as sleek and graceful as she is deadly, and he allows himself to think beautiful for the shortest ever second in the 'verse before banishing that thought back to whatever special hell it came from.
Firefly. Jayne Cobb/River Tam. Teen And Up Audiences. October 2025.
Never Want Once
"It's the weed," she thinks he says, tasting the words more than hearing them, "a bad crop, maybe, maybe, I don't --"
"I don't care." She nips at the curve of his jaw, his stubble rough against her lips. "I won't." If they stop now she'll die, she thinks. "I want."
Stranger Things. Chrissy Cunningham/Eddie Munson. Explicit. October 2025.
When the Sun Won't Let You Sleep
"Just saying," he says, reclining on his pool float. "We're both here, and alone, and wearing very little clothing..."
(aka, Five times Sarah thinks about kissing Nyles.)
Palm Springs. Nyles/Sarah Wilder. Teen And Up Audiences. October 2025.
Too Soon to Tell You 'I Love You'
"Killing me, sweetheart," he swears into their kiss, "murdering me dead."
She arches into him, her fingers slipping under the hem of his t-shirt. "Good."
(aka, Five times Chrissy and Eddie kiss.)
Stranger Things. Chrissy Cunningham/Eddie Munson. Teen And Up Audiences. November 2025.
In the Low Lamplight
Her smile is quick and fleeting, barely touching on her lips before disappearing again into her usual frown of grief and anger and stubborn survival, but pretty too, in that way he's been noticing more and more often lately.
(aka, Five times Carol smiles at Daryl.)
The Walking Dead. Daryl Dixon/Carol Peletier. Teen And Up Audiences. November 2025.
All the Stars We Steal From the Night Sky
Her first time.
(aka, Five times Cassie loses her virginity with Nick for the first time.)
Push. Nick Gant/Cassie Holmes. Explicit. November 2025.
Holding the Atmosphere
Eddie frowns. "Out?"
Yes. "Out of Hawkins," she says, uncurling on her seat, the idea forming as she talks, "I need to go somewhere else, anywhere else," her words spilling out faster now, "and I'll pay you! I'll pay for the gas, and for everything, I will, just please -- please." She reaches out to him and grabs at his arm, her fingers still shaking but not as bad now, not as terrified, now that she has something -- someone -- to hold onto. "Can you take me?"
Stranger Things. Chrissy Cunningham/Eddie Munson. Teen And Up Audiences. December 2025.
You Should Come Home
She attends the funeral in a daze.
Gone With the Wind. Rhett Butler/Scarlett O'Hara. Teen And Up Audiences. December 2025.
Saw the Scoreboard and Ran for My Life
Grace shakes her head. "Trust me," she sighs. "There's no chance of me winning this. I'm as good as dead."
The room goes silent as everybody turns and looks to her as if on some sort of cue.
Grace blinks back at them all, bemused by the synchronicity, "... what?"
(aka, Five times Grace learns about the games the Le Domas' play.)
Ready or Not. Daniel Le Domas/Grace Le Domas. Teen And Up Audiences. December 2025.
TOTAL FICS: 24
TOTAL WORDS: 30,454
Tags:
- aliens,
- anretc,
- fanfic,
- fanfic by anr,
- fear the walking dead,
- fic,
- firefly,
- ftwd,
- gone with the wind,
- grease,
- palm springs,
- push,
- ready or not,
- star trek,
- star trek: alternate original series,
- star trek: enterprise,
- star wars,
- star wars: prequel trilogy,
- star wars: sequel trilogy,
- stranger things,
- supernatural,
- the book of carol,
- the hunger games,
- the walking dead,
- the walking dead: daryl dixon,
- twd,
- twd: dd,
- writing
mossy_benchOne of those bucket list fandom achievements happened to me this month: fanart of a fic I wrote!! Turns out the trick is returning to an impossibly tiny fandom and enthusiastically joining the local fanartist in their enclosure, lol. You need to be logged in on Tumblr to view it at this link, so I'll also share a direct link to the image itself. It's for the epistolary Hello From the Magic Tavern fic I wrote for Yuletide, and I love the artist's attention to detail, like Dripfang's ripped sleeve. <33
I'm nearly done with Midst season 3 (a sci-fantasy audio drama) and I must apologize to the person who recced it on the strength of its M/M mentor/mentee ship, because I was instead bewitched by the most toxic, disgusting, mutually manipulative het duo ever, Moc Weepe and Imelda Goldfinch. I love that he thought he was getting the better of her, only for it to turn out she was (smilingly) playing him like a violin the whole time.
Spoilers, but there's a moment when this scumbag mafioso-type man is begging and begging for mercy as a much older woman tortures him nearly to death, genuinely thinking it's "for his own good" even as she weeps in sympathy...idk it scratched my id something fierce. Characters who do terrible things with gentle sanctimonious earnestness, eyes wide open, are so much fun. And then the fact that he becomes a repulsive walking corpse with translucent skin that grosses out everyone who sees him EXCEPT Imelda, who wants to ride that thang—sorry! I'm obsessed!
Writing update: I need to check in atushobwri and inkingitout but the gist is that writing smut is hard and every potential word choice is annoying me right now. (Disappointed that the several years I've spent writing smut does not cancel out this problem.) I'm writing still, it's just not at the clip I want. BUT I did adjust my desired emotional arc for one of the characters, so I think that should help things flow a bit better. After this installment, the series will be done, yayyy.
Some other things...
How are you doing? What's happening in your neck of the fannish woods?
I'm nearly done with Midst season 3 (a sci-fantasy audio drama) and I must apologize to the person who recced it on the strength of its M/M mentor/mentee ship, because I was instead bewitched by the most toxic, disgusting, mutually manipulative het duo ever, Moc Weepe and Imelda Goldfinch. I love that he thought he was getting the better of her, only for it to turn out she was (smilingly) playing him like a violin the whole time.
Spoilers, but there's a moment when this scumbag mafioso-type man is begging and begging for mercy as a much older woman tortures him nearly to death, genuinely thinking it's "for his own good" even as she weeps in sympathy...idk it scratched my id something fierce. Characters who do terrible things with gentle sanctimonious earnestness, eyes wide open, are so much fun. And then the fact that he becomes a repulsive walking corpse with translucent skin that grosses out everyone who sees him EXCEPT Imelda, who wants to ride that thang—sorry! I'm obsessed!
Writing update: I need to check in at
ushobwri and inkingitout but the gist is that writing smut is hard and every potential word choice is annoying me right now. (Disappointed that the several years I've spent writing smut does not cancel out this problem.) I'm writing still, it's just not at the clip I want. BUT I did adjust my desired emotional arc for one of the characters, so I think that should help things flow a bit better. After this installment, the series will be done, yayyy.Some other things...
- seasonsofdrabbles signups close soon! I haven't properly signed up to an exchange in years but I stuffed the tagset with things I like, because who knows.
- Having a lot of fun using snowflake_challenge to meet people and check out new-to-me journals! I'm not fussed about participating myself, because I already have my own topics I want to journal about, but might respond to a prompt if I feel particularly inspired by one.
- I became enamored with the idea of a hanahaki-flavored rewrite of one of the HFTMT miniseries' seasons. It would be really fun, but also time-consuming when I am trying to get languishing drafts out the door. In due time, hopefully.
How are you doing? What's happening in your neck of the fannish woods?