Subject lines are trapped in the ice

[bironic]

Reading

I finally tried Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell, and I loved it. First, it fit the need for a novel and an easy read during this week of post-snow hell commutes. Second, it was more relatable and moving than anticipated. Plowed through the whole thing in two days.

Should I read Carry On next? I didn't have feelings about Simon and Baz like I had about Cath, but then, before starting Fangirl I didn't think I would have feelings about Cath, either.

Plenty of--maybe too many--other contenders for To Read Next, although none of them seem quite right at the moment. I combed my bookshelves this weekend and compiled a list of things I own and haven't read. It shouldn't have been long, not after I did a major cull a couple of years back when I decided to switch from "collector" to "curator" mode, leaving only books I (a) have read and liked or (b) truly want to / intend to read. Yet the list somehow topped 85? It's weird, it doesn't look like there are that many unread books on the shelves. And only 20 of them are SF/F.

Watching

Kubo and the Two Strings: engrossing story, good score, beauuuuuutiful animation, but super bizarre to discover that it was indeed an American production and not dubbed in English over the original Japanese, because how else on Earth can you justify the casting? White American, English and South African actors as the five main Japanese characters? Why am I hearing Ralph Fiennes while looking at this face? I mean, Charlize Theron stole the movie as the monkey, but those were some seriously questionable choices. Did enjoy the George Takei cameo.

Star Trek: Discovery: I still have no idea what this show is; it seems to change every two or three episodes. Since the pilot, which I loved, it has been alternately entertaining, infuriating and tedious. I don't identify with, adore or find myself fascinated by any of the characters so far, which is probably the main reason I keep taking breaks in the middle of episodes. I did enjoy the latest one and the time loop one, because time loops, and I gasped aloud during a certain moment this week, so some stuff is clearly working. Just not sure I'd still be watching if it weren't Star Trek. It's nice to see so many friends passionate about it on Twitter, though. I would read their Burnham/Lorca d/s fic.

Vidding

Puttering away at the Festivid(s) and auction vid. In more important news, someone asked me to beta one of their Festivids, and it is AMAZING. [Extensive flailing redacted.] If it's not in my top five recs for this round, then we will have experienced a true bounty of excellent vids.

Doing

Battling the messy streets and sidewalks. We've barely had a thaw after clawing our way out of the city's third-longest recorded stretch of days below freezing. It's taking around 90 minutes to get to and from work, which is, by the way, four miles from my house, which saps energy and mood. Something weird was going on as well earlier this week where I kept falling asleep an hour or more early at night, having odd dreams and still waking up tired.

But: a couple of those dreams were good, such as the one where I was about to have sex with Jeff Goldblum. (TMI? Something about how, while we were both lounging in bed, he announced he had overcome his ennui and impotence for the first time in a while, I magically produced a condom, and then circumstances kept intervening.) And it was announced today that some things I wrote at work last year won awards in a national competition. That felt good for a while, until it started to also feel sad that I rely on that kind of external validation to gauge the quality of my work. But there it is.

How are you all faring?

Comments

[yhlee]

I would love to hear more about Fangirl--I'm currently reading an Iain Banks book that I got halfway through before my copy was destroyed in 2016 and I finally replaced it, but in general I am in desperate need of easy comfort read type stuff.

The weather down here is ridiculously mild after a spate of rain.

Congrats on the award stuff! I also rely on external validation, and it's hard; but you might as well enjoy the validation when it comes. *support support*

[bironic]

<3

Forgive me if you already know this! So, it's a YA book about a girl in Nebraska going off to her freshman year of college, growing apart from her twin sister, navigating loneliness and social anxiety, doing well in classes but trying to fill the social and emotional voids by posting chapters of her popular Harry Potter Simon Snow fanfic, making a few good friends somewhat despite herself, worrying about her bipolar dad who is now living alone, struggling with whether she wants to or can be a traditional fiction writer as opposed to [/in addition to; it's a professor in the story who sets them in opposition] a fanfic author, and being obtuse about a couple of boys in her life, although thankfully not to a preposterous extent.

I didn't really know anything about the plot other than that it involved a fanfic writer. I ended up having no problems with Rowell's depiction of the practice or her explanations of its personal benefits, probably because, as she says in her author's note, she is an avid fic reader.

And even though I'm ~15 years out of college, the story took me right back there in a sympathetic way. I wasn't exactly like Cath in a number of ways, but a lot of her characterization still sounded terribly familiar. And it wasn't only through identification that the story worked for me; there were several passages that made me cry, for example, that had to do with maternal abandonment, not a thing I've personally experienced; and I loved Rowell's depiction of a girl keeping herself tightly leashed around a crush lest she betray her feelings or find herself unable to stop touching him once she started.

[yhlee]

I hadn't heard of this book at all before you mentioned it! This sounds definitely up my alley. As it turns out, my library system has a bunch of copies and shelves it in the YA section. I'll have a look sometime. Thank you for the rundown!

[bironic]

Awesome! I hope you like it. The Harry/Draco and other HP in-jokes are funny, too.

[selki]

or find herself unable to stop touching him once she started

Oh, I know that one! *keep those hands back, Selki!*

[bironic]

:D

[aurumcalendula]

Today was fairly warm (for January in general, and in comparison to how it’s been the last week or two) – here’s hoping everything doesn’t suddenly freeze again tomorrow.

I just finished The Raven Stratagem by Yoon Ha Lee, which I really enjoyed. I’m excited about my [redacted] Festivid(s), and I can’t wait to see everyone else’s!

[bironic]

\warmth/ \books/ \Festivids/

[sasha_feather]

I liked Carry On, though it was somewhat bizzare to read, as it's so clearly a HP fanfic-- it's hard not to go through analyzing what she changed from the HP world vs. what she kept. It's an easy and fun read. There was a thing at the end that disappointed me (it's a spoiler).

[bironic]

If I read it and get to the end, I'll come back to check in with you about it!

[meretricula]

I loved Fangirl and I loved Carry On too, but honestly I wouldn't say they had much of anything to do with each other -- Carry On reads pretty much like a very good Harry/Draco fic with a lot of worldbuilding, so if that's something you enjoy, have at it! It's not going to hit the same notes about anything in the real world, but it's a super enjoyable fast read. (And if you end up enjoying Carry On, I would put in a pitch for In Other Lands by Sarah Rees Brennan, which I think basically does a similar "I love this but let me just fix a couple things" take on Narnia.)

[bironic]

>>honestly I wouldn't say they had much of anything to do with each other

Hm, yeah, that's what it sounded like. And I don't have preexisting investment in Harry/Draco. I guess my hope would be that whatever Rainbow Rowell did in Fangirl to make me care about the relationships of strangers would also work in the not-really-sequel. TBD.

[minoanmiss]

*waves hi*

I... am not going to answer that last question right here.

[bironic]

*hug*

[topaz_eyes]

Congratulations on the national awards! I hear you about external validation. It's hard sometimes to feel positive about and believe in your own work; but obviously, others do. So take it when it comes; you earned it, even if you don't think you did.

How am I faring... tonight I spent over 20 minutes searching for a white envelope I dropped, on a very snowy sidewalk, about 10 feet away from our communal mailbox. At -20 C (-4 F). I'm just starting to feel warm again. We did find it though! (Good thing too, b/c it was the cell phone bill.)

[bironic]

Oh nooo. Glad you found it, but brr.

And thanks on the other thing. <3

[jetpack_monkey]

That's the most Jeff Goldblum-y sex dream I've ever heard of. Brava.

At some point I need to peruse the list of Festivids requests and see if there's anything I can devote my brain to for a week.

[bironic]

That could be fun. Too bad The Shape of Water came out too late for Festivids - although it'll probably fit well with the Spring Equinox challenge, yeah?

>>Brava.

:D

[marginaliana]

Congrats on the award!

I was just discussing with A that our 'no new books' rule seems to be falling away, mainly because so many of the things we want to read are UK authored and thus not available at the library. But I've been thinking about doing another cull (I kept a lot of childhood favorites when we moved) so we might find more room on the bookcase. Maybe.

I was glad to see your review of Fangirl, since I've been sort of avoiding it. It seems like it was a love it or hate it sort of thing for most people.

[bironic]

Ah, interesting. I remember a lot of people squeeing about it a while back, but I guess I never paid attention to the substance of their reviews, nor noticed the negative responses. I had also avoided it for a while, probably because when "fandom" LOOOOOVES a thing, I feel like I'm being set up for disappointment? See also: Marvel movies; Murderbot; The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet...

>>so many of the things we want to read are UK authored and thus not available at the library.

Hm, yeah, tricky. And it's probably not easy to let go of meaningful books from childhood! I know I haven't been able to do it; there's a box of them in the closet. The close ties of physical books and personal identity... or, heh, perhaps I'm projecting that.

[kass]

I'm s glad you enjoyed Fangirl! I loved it too. I need to read Carry On, which I hear is a very different book but also a very satisfying one, fannishly speaking.

[bironic]

We'll see how it goes for both of us, then!

[seekingferret]

I liked Fangirl, but a part of me had a 'this is not my Fandom' reaction about the way Cath interacted with fandom. She posts fic and then people comment on it, and overall has a very one-to-many interaction pattern, whereas Fandom for me is mostly this giant many-to-many communal conversation about canon and fanon. I'm sure people exist who do fandom the way Cath does, so it's not like I'm saying it's wrong, it just didn't scratch the itch for me of being a book that represented the way I experience fandom.

[bironic]

That makes complete sense, yeah. I didn't and don't experience fandom the way Cath did, either, but I did hear echoes of my college-era experience in hers, in aspects such as yearning for escape into canon and fanon stories and neglecting a portion of social development in favor of devouring fic - though in my case it was reading and sometimes commenting, and writing for myself, rather than posting epic BNF WIPs. It was also kind of fascinating to be transported inside the head of someone who is able to write prolifically, since that has never been a skill of mine.

The book did make me wonder how much readers' enjoyment of the story might diminish if they didn't identify at least in part with the protag.

[grammarwoman]

A big HUZZAH for your award! I know I find it supremely awkward to toot my own horn, not to mention that I have a hard time accurately judging the merits of my work, so I hear you on relying on external validation. In any case, go you!

[bironic]

Thanks! External validation sympathy FTW. /FTL. :)

[isagel]

The latest Disco ep rather demands Burnham/Lorca d/s fic, it is true.

I admit I desperately love Discovery. Somehow it managed to hit me just exactly right.

[bironic]

I would read your Burnham/Lorca d/s fic ~in particular~.

I am glad the show is hitting the right spots for you! Am a little jealous, actually. :)

[isagel]

I had too many feelings about other things that happened in that ep to properly process it at the time, but the way she drags him around by the scruff of his neck on his knees in that leather jacket and possessively pets him. That is made for kinky exploration of their temporary roles.

Actually, when they were all putting so much effort into getting into costume and preparing for playing their parts, I thought of Born Too Late and roleplay kink.

[bironic]

Have you seen this week's ep? Don't want to spoil anything in a reply.

>>I thought of Born Too Late and roleplay kink.

Oh! Yes, true! I hadn't made the connection but am pleased you did. :) :)

[isagel]

Yes, I’ve seen this week’s ep.

[chagrined]

lol @ that jeff goldblum dream

[bironic]

Another future ex-Mrs. Malcolm.

[chagrined]

hahaha I DID THINK THAT TO MYSELF XD

also i'm mildly curious, was it current jeff goldblum or like a previous version of him? i have to say, i have seen a few recent interviews with him (even tho i still haven't seen thor yet lol) & he is really working his current look/vibe/sweaters lol

[bironic]

Agree!

It actually was a younger version of him, although the dream was taking place "now."

[kouredios]

For the record, I actually like Carry On *better* than Fangirl, and I didn't care much about Simon and Baz in Fangirl, either.

I ended up writing it for Yuletide, is what I'm saying.

[bironic]

Huh! Interesting. I guess we'll see - it's on hold at the library.

[paintedmaypole]

I also think I liked Carry On better than I liked Fangirl. Fangirl was really sweet and charming. It was also just different/similar enough to my fannish life that I had a bit of an uncanny valley feeling as I read it.

Honestly, though? I've liked nearly everything Rowel has written. I might be biased. :)

[bironic]

:) We shall see - Carry On came in at the library and I'm about 100 pages in so far. Easy read, not sure yet about ~feelings~.