![[syndicated profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/feed.png){kind=small}
Yuletide reveals!
Jan. 2nd, 2026 11:42 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
soupytwistYuletide reveals have happened!
My gift was What Comes After Tea by Dira, a delightful Gabriel Ward story. I love those books and this fully had the vibe.
I, however, did this:
The Table Is Eternal (1030 words) by soupytwist
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Dimension 20: On A Bus
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Aabria Iyengar, Brennan Lee Mulligan, Matthew Mercer, Katie Marovitch, Jasmine Bhullar
Additional Tags: not exactly rpf but, rpg madness
Summary:
Yep, I inflicted Dimension 20: On a Bus fic on the world, which was both very easy and very difficult. Easy, because I love these people and I enjoy ridiculousness. Difficult, because I was sort of hoping to do an actual RPG plot but then when I reviewed the canon for like the 57th time and still didn't find any sort of hook to hang plot on, I had to admit it might be Too Crack For That. But I had a great time and it is nice to be back into Yuletiding again!
... maybe I will get back into Dreamwidth this year? Stranger things have happened.
My gift was What Comes After Tea by Dira, a delightful Gabriel Ward story. I love those books and this fully had the vibe.
I, however, did this:
The Table Is Eternal (1030 words) by soupytwist
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Dimension 20: On A Bus
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Aabria Iyengar, Brennan Lee Mulligan, Matthew Mercer, Katie Marovitch, Jasmine Bhullar
Additional Tags: not exactly rpf but, rpg madness
Summary:
"Hello everyone and welcome back to Dimenson 20: On a Bus. I am your humble Dragon Master, Katie Marovitch, and with me as always are – hey, stop poking me!"
Yep, I inflicted Dimension 20: On a Bus fic on the world, which was both very easy and very difficult. Easy, because I love these people and I enjoy ridiculousness. Difficult, because I was sort of hoping to do an actual RPG plot but then when I reviewed the canon for like the 57th time and still didn't find any sort of hook to hang plot on, I had to admit it might be Too Crack For That. But I had a great time and it is nice to be back into Yuletiding again!
... maybe I will get back into Dreamwidth this year? Stranger things have happened.
A Year in Review 2025
Jan. 2nd, 2026 08:20 pmmorganmuffleClearly 2025 was an awful year in many many ways for me (and a lot of other people) and if I'm going to give you my year in numbers I should say that I went to 6 funerals last year, only 1 of which was the double funeral for my parents. None of it feels very real even though all of it does.
I also started counting how many times I personally drove to a hospital and it got somewhere over 30 before I stopped, I think it was probably around 40-45 in the end and that was such a small fraction of the visits, we were so lucky to be surrounded by people who would do lifts, shopping, distraction over coffee etc.
But other things happened too.
I walked 788 miles which is very low for me but not nothing! And in my virtual walk along the Nile that means I've reached Abydos (walking from Khartoum to the Nile Delta).
I read 89 books which beat my target and I decided to start counting if I had read a book for/from every country and by year end I was at 62/197... I think I might manage to finish in about a decade or so which will keep me busy!
I only saw 5 exhibitions, plus 3 more general museum visits, which was a lot lower than normal but I loved Vanessa Bell at MK One and I am enormously looking forward to bringing Still Lives from Hepworth Wakefield to St Albans in 2026.
Rather miraculously I made it to 10 musicals, 16 plays and even 3 films plus 7 concerts! Ballet Shoes right at the start of the year has to have been one of the best but I also very much enjoyed Richard II at the Bridge Theatre and Marie & Rosetta gave me a new theatre in the Minerva Theatre, Chichester. Plus I saw two plays with nibling 1.0 <3
Of those 7 concerts I couldn't pick a winner between Stray Kids and Run Jin though I've already abandoned hope of seeing BTS if they really do have a world tour in 2026. But I loved Ruby Turner almost every bit as much and I was a LOT closer to the stage.
I guess the other big number for me was 20 years as a Girlguiding leader though recent decisions from Girlguiding have rather complicated the emotions around that for me. I did some calculations and that's somewhere around 200 girls through which is a little mindblowing.
2026 will bring me 10 years at my current job, nibling 2.0 (God willing), 1 visit to India and quite possibly 1 new home which is a thought that fills me mostly with anxiety but could also be exciting. We shall see. I refuse to say anything as stupid as it has to be better than last year but, well, I really hope it is.
I also started counting how many times I personally drove to a hospital and it got somewhere over 30 before I stopped, I think it was probably around 40-45 in the end and that was such a small fraction of the visits, we were so lucky to be surrounded by people who would do lifts, shopping, distraction over coffee etc.
But other things happened too.
I walked 788 miles which is very low for me but not nothing! And in my virtual walk along the Nile that means I've reached Abydos (walking from Khartoum to the Nile Delta).
I read 89 books which beat my target and I decided to start counting if I had read a book for/from every country and by year end I was at 62/197... I think I might manage to finish in about a decade or so which will keep me busy!
I only saw 5 exhibitions, plus 3 more general museum visits, which was a lot lower than normal but I loved Vanessa Bell at MK One and I am enormously looking forward to bringing Still Lives from Hepworth Wakefield to St Albans in 2026.
Rather miraculously I made it to 10 musicals, 16 plays and even 3 films plus 7 concerts! Ballet Shoes right at the start of the year has to have been one of the best but I also very much enjoyed Richard II at the Bridge Theatre and Marie & Rosetta gave me a new theatre in the Minerva Theatre, Chichester. Plus I saw two plays with nibling 1.0 <3
Of those 7 concerts I couldn't pick a winner between Stray Kids and Run Jin though I've already abandoned hope of seeing BTS if they really do have a world tour in 2026. But I loved Ruby Turner almost every bit as much and I was a LOT closer to the stage.
I guess the other big number for me was 20 years as a Girlguiding leader though recent decisions from Girlguiding have rather complicated the emotions around that for me. I did some calculations and that's somewhere around 200 girls through which is a little mindblowing.
2026 will bring me 10 years at my current job, nibling 2.0 (God willing), 1 visit to India and quite possibly 1 new home which is a thought that fills me mostly with anxiety but could also be exciting. We shall see. I refuse to say anything as stupid as it has to be better than last year but, well, I really hope it is.
Tags:
- books,
- bts,
- concerts,
- dad,
- exhibitions,
- family,
- mum,
- new year,
- nibling,
- rip,
- stray kids,
- theatre,
- year in review
2026 Resolutions // Friday Five
Jan. 2nd, 2026 12:08 pmaomeIt is my goal this year to be on social media (specifically FB and IG) less. I love it there, but it's interfering with my ability to craft more, read more, sleep more - and check in on my DW friends more.
I am required by my TKD school to come up with at least 5 resolutions each year. This year, I've got 7 - some bigger than others. Some will be an ongoing task (like being on social media less), and some will be a "do it and it's done" thing - like painting the downstairs bathroom.
So, in the name of being more accountable, I'm posting my 2026 resolutions here:
1. Be on social media less
2. Finish incomplete projects already in progress
3. Paint downstairs bathroom
4. Fix all sink drains
5. Go completely through at least one parent’s belongings
6. File my dad’s back taxes
7. Learn Taebaek (my next TKD form)
And now for the Friday Five (gacked viasmallhobbit).
1. Do you mostly drink tap, filtered, or bottled water?
Filtered - we have a filter in our fridge dispenser and also one at the kitchen sink; we live on well water and unfiltered water has a lot of iron in it. I'll drink bottled water only if I've forgotten to bring my refillable bottle and need water. I will drink tap if I'm at a friend's house and that's all they have.
2. Is it safe/recommended to drink tap water where you live? If not, why?
It is completely safe, overall. I have, however, been in countries (China) where it is not. No i
3. What does the tap water taste/smell like where you live?
Where we are it's generally ok. I've lived in plenty of places where unfiltered water tastes like dirt. *shudders*
4. Do you collect rainwater? If so, what do you use it for?
I do not.
5. Do you/have you ever had restrictions on water use where you live? What did you have to change about your lifestyle?
When I lived in CA we often had water restrictions, but we already were very water-conscious, so it didn't make a huge difference in the way we were already living. Even though I've lived on the east coast for literal decades, I still am mindful of water useage. Watching someone leaving the faucet running while they're brushing their teeth or washing dishes is like watching my blood run out. I hate it.
I am required by my TKD school to come up with at least 5 resolutions each year. This year, I've got 7 - some bigger than others. Some will be an ongoing task (like being on social media less), and some will be a "do it and it's done" thing - like painting the downstairs bathroom.
So, in the name of being more accountable, I'm posting my 2026 resolutions here:
1. Be on social media less
2. Finish incomplete projects already in progress
3. Paint downstairs bathroom
4. Fix all sink drains
5. Go completely through at least one parent’s belongings
6. File my dad’s back taxes
7. Learn Taebaek (my next TKD form)
And now for the Friday Five (gacked via
smallhobbit).1. Do you mostly drink tap, filtered, or bottled water?
Filtered - we have a filter in our fridge dispenser and also one at the kitchen sink; we live on well water and unfiltered water has a lot of iron in it. I'll drink bottled water only if I've forgotten to bring my refillable bottle and need water. I will drink tap if I'm at a friend's house and that's all they have.
2. Is it safe/recommended to drink tap water where you live? If not, why?
It is completely safe, overall. I have, however, been in countries (China) where it is not. No i
3. What does the tap water taste/smell like where you live?
Where we are it's generally ok. I've lived in plenty of places where unfiltered water tastes like dirt. *shudders*
4. Do you collect rainwater? If so, what do you use it for?
I do not.
5. Do you/have you ever had restrictions on water use where you live? What did you have to change about your lifestyle?
When I lived in CA we often had water restrictions, but we already were very water-conscious, so it didn't make a huge difference in the way we were already living. Even though I've lived on the east coast for literal decades, I still am mindful of water useage. Watching someone leaving the faucet running while they're brushing their teeth or washing dishes is like watching my blood run out. I hate it.
Happy New Year!
Jan. 1st, 2026 10:18 pmhildigunnurI wish you all a Happy New Year!
I wrote a Yuletide story!
Perception (2904 words) for muuchan (madderskies)
Fandom: Game Changers Series - Rachel Reid
Rating: Not rated
Characters: Shane Hollander, Ilya Rozanov, Troy Barrett
Relationship: Shane Hollander/Ilya Rozanov, Troy Barrett/Harris Drover mentioned
Summary: Troy Barrett comes onto Shane Hollander at a gala when drunk. This does not escape Ilya's perceptiveness.
I don't think I've ever been as nervous posting a fic in Yuletide because the fandom literally exploded while I was still writing the fic, thanks to a certain TV adaption. Unfortunately you need to be book-savy, not just show-savy, for this fic as it's altered/missing scenes fic.
I'm not sure if this has ever happened to me before in Yuletide but I got a gift fic in the same fandom I wrote for.
A huge shout-out to oliviacirce for first-person plural possessive. Pretty much everything I could wish for.
I wrote a Yuletide story!
Perception (2904 words) for muuchan (
madderskies)Fandom: Game Changers Series - Rachel Reid
Rating: Not rated
Characters: Shane Hollander, Ilya Rozanov, Troy Barrett
Relationship: Shane Hollander/Ilya Rozanov, Troy Barrett/Harris Drover mentioned
Summary: Troy Barrett comes onto Shane Hollander at a gala when drunk. This does not escape Ilya's perceptiveness.
I don't think I've ever been as nervous posting a fic in Yuletide because the fandom literally exploded while I was still writing the fic, thanks to a certain TV adaption. Unfortunately you need to be book-savy, not just show-savy, for this fic as it's altered/missing scenes fic.
I'm not sure if this has ever happened to me before in Yuletide but I got a gift fic in the same fandom I wrote for.
A huge shout-out to oliviacirce for first-person plural possessive. Pretty much everything I could wish for.
Yuletide, Snowflake, and fandom meme #2
Jan. 1st, 2026 02:03 pmhamsterwomanHappy New Year! I'm having a fairly pleasant 2026 so far, and hope you all are too! <3
Yuletide reveals! :D
I wrote two things this year (which, it's been a couple of years since I've managed a treat, and I'm very glad I was able to this year).
My assignment:
Voyages of the Valence: The Lanthanide Cluster Job (7862 words) by hamsterwoman
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Elements - Experiments in Character Design - Kaycie D., Object and Concept Anthropomorphism
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Vanadium (Experiments in Character Design), Chromium (Experiments in Character Design), Iodine (Experiments in Character Design), Rhenium (Experiments in Character Design), Sulfur (Experiments in Character Design), Carbon (Experiments in Character Design), Xenon (Experiments in Character Design), Helium (Experiments in Character Design), Dysprosium (Experiments in Character Design), Indium (Experiments in Character Design), Thulium (Experiments in Character Design), Rhodium (Experiments in Character Design), Yttrium (Experiments in Character Design)
Additional Tags: IN SPACE!, Space Opera
Summary:
( Blathering )
The days leading up to story reveals were spent frantically beta-ing a couple of fairly long fics that required a canon primer, so I had given up on the idea of writing a treat. But I felt so blessed by my last-minute crossover treat and the fact that my main gift was in a much rarer fandom than I’d been expecting, that it gave me a sort of second wind – after reveals, obviously, but there was still Madness. And thus:
FAQ: The “Snake Fight” Portion of Your Magical Practitioner Examination (581 words) by hamsterwoman
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: FAQ: The "Snake Fight" Portion of Your Thesis Defense - Luke Burns, Rivers of London - Ben Aaronovitch
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Peter Grant (Rivers of London), Thomas Nightingale
Summary:
( Blathering )
Full text of the ficlet, with the missing bit: ( under here )
*
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
snowflake_challenge is back, with lovely new banners:
Challenge #1: The Icebreaker Challenge: Introduce yourself. Tell us why you're doing the challenge, and what you hope to gain from it.
My intro post from a year ago was mostly current but was missingElis & John a couple of things that feel too relevant not to mention, so, I’m including an updated one below. As for the other challenge questions:
I love the little bright splash of fannishness that Snowflake brings to the start of the year – it always leads to interesting fandom reflections (my own and other people’s), getting to read/watch/look at things I wouldn’t have come across or taken the plunge on otherwise (fic/vids but also trying new canons), creating things I otherwise wouldn’t have created (one tangible highlight: a couple of years ago I wrote a pantoum, a poetic form I hadn’t tried before, for Snowflake’s “try something new” day, and it was actually published this year, which is pretty cool!), and usually also new friends. Which I guess has also answered the question of what I hope to gain from it this year :)
( fannish me in 2026 )
*
YouTube now apparently also does a Wrapped: ( so here are my fairly predictable results )
*
( Fannish end-of-year meme #2 )
Yuletide reveals! :D
I wrote two things this year (which, it's been a couple of years since I've managed a treat, and I'm very glad I was able to this year).
My assignment:
Voyages of the Valence: The Lanthanide Cluster Job (7862 words) by hamsterwoman
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Elements - Experiments in Character Design - Kaycie D., Object and Concept Anthropomorphism
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Vanadium (Experiments in Character Design), Chromium (Experiments in Character Design), Iodine (Experiments in Character Design), Rhenium (Experiments in Character Design), Sulfur (Experiments in Character Design), Carbon (Experiments in Character Design), Xenon (Experiments in Character Design), Helium (Experiments in Character Design), Dysprosium (Experiments in Character Design), Indium (Experiments in Character Design), Thulium (Experiments in Character Design), Rhodium (Experiments in Character Design), Yttrium (Experiments in Character Design)
Additional Tags: IN SPACE!, Space Opera
Summary:
Elements IN SPACE!
( Blathering )
The days leading up to story reveals were spent frantically beta-ing a couple of fairly long fics that required a canon primer, so I had given up on the idea of writing a treat. But I felt so blessed by my last-minute crossover treat and the fact that my main gift was in a much rarer fandom than I’d been expecting, that it gave me a sort of second wind – after reveals, obviously, but there was still Madness. And thus:
FAQ: The “Snake Fight” Portion of Your Magical Practitioner Examination (581 words) by hamsterwoman
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: FAQ: The "Snake Fight" Portion of Your Thesis Defense - Luke Burns, Rivers of London - Ben Aaronovitch
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Peter Grant (Rivers of London), Thomas Nightingale
Summary:
Nightingale was aghast at my lack of ophidian knowledge.
( Blathering )
Full text of the ficlet, with the missing bit: ( under here )
*
snowflake_challenge is back, with lovely new banners: Challenge #1: The Icebreaker Challenge: Introduce yourself. Tell us why you're doing the challenge, and what you hope to gain from it.
My intro post from a year ago was mostly current but was missing
I love the little bright splash of fannishness that Snowflake brings to the start of the year – it always leads to interesting fandom reflections (my own and other people’s), getting to read/watch/look at things I wouldn’t have come across or taken the plunge on otherwise (fic/vids but also trying new canons), creating things I otherwise wouldn’t have created (one tangible highlight: a couple of years ago I wrote a pantoum, a poetic form I hadn’t tried before, for Snowflake’s “try something new” day, and it was actually published this year, which is pretty cool!), and usually also new friends. Which I guess has also answered the question of what I hope to gain from it this year :)
( fannish me in 2026 )
*
YouTube now apparently also does a Wrapped: ( so here are my fairly predictable results )
*
( Fannish end-of-year meme #2 )
Year-end memes
Dec. 31st, 2025 10:48 pmaomeAnd, of course, I couldn't miss out on the annual year-end meme!
1. What did you do in 2025 that you’d never done before?
I had a lot of “firsts” this year, many of them negative, so I’ll focus on a positive one: I went to New Zealand.
2. Did you keep your New Years’ resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Ha ha, no. Will try again this year. (My TKD grandmaster requires us to come up with at least 5 every year.)
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
I don’t think so? I was going to say that I discovered at the annual family Christmas Eve gathering that one of my cousins had a new baby boy I’d never met, but IIRC, he’d *just* turned one, so that means he was born in Dec 2024, not this past year.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
I realize my posting game this year has absolutely SUCKED but I’m pretty sure I mentioned that both of my parents died this year.
5. What countries did you visit?
New Zealand <3 <3 <3
6. What would you like to have in 2026 that you lacked in 2025?
A different President.
7. What date from 2025 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
Feb 26 (Dad) and May 11 (Mom).
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Survival. :-P But, ok, I also earned my 3rd degree black belt in taekwondo in Sept.
9. What was your biggest failure?
Finishing the quilt I started over the summer. Chasing after documents to file my dad’s back taxes. I’d also say, “Landing a permanent job” but given everything else that happened, it’s honestly just as well that I had flexible part-time sub work this year.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Tiny tear in my left shoulder rotator cuff that I’ll fix ... someday. Both knees chronically hate me now, but that seems to just be age.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
Boat tour tickets to see the NaPali Coast on Kauai.
12. Whose behaviour merited celebration this year?
Two finally seems to be getting the hang of driving. Hopefully he’ll pass his test in 2026.
13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?
The President and his MAGA toadies. What else is new? :-P
14. Where did most of your money go?
Travel: NZ, HI (although airfare to/from the islands was mostly covered through points), and Disney. Plus – and I kid you not – SEVEN other trips to the west coast (one to Oregon, six to CA).
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Not to keep harping on it but: New Zealand. I was soooo excited, and it did not disappoint.
16. What song will always remind you of 2025?
I’m drawing a blank. Maybe something from The Great Gatsby musical? Saw it twice with Two this year.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder?
Blank-er. I feel like I really shut down emotionally this year.
ii. thinner or fatter?
The scale says I’m about the same or slightly lighter, but I’ve also lost a lot of muscle mass in the last year or two, so I’d say that the net effect is probably “slightly fatter”.
iii. richer or poorer?
Thanks to my parents, richer. Yay?
18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Sleeping, reading, and crafting. And going through my parents’ stuff. Most of it is still in boxes.
19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Doomscrolling social media. Being appalled by the government. (I mean, I SHOULD be appalled, but I wish I hadn’t HAD to be.)
20. How will you be spending Christmas?
We spent Christmas in CA. The day itself was low-key but cozy and we were happy how it turned out. My extended family’s annual Christmas Eve gathering was really nice.
21. How will you be spending New Year’s?
The usual – hanging out at home, maybe watching a movie, then watching the ball drop on TV.
22. Did you fall in love in 2025?
Stayed in love for the 29th year.
23. How many one-night stands?
Zero.
24. What was your favorite TV program(s)?
I don’t watch much TV these days. My husband made me watch the series “Renegade Nell” and it was cute. I’ve seen about 40 mins of “Heated Rivalry.”
25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
Copying last year’s answer: Nope, I think I hate MAGA nation, anti-trans politicians, and abortion-blocking politicians as much as last year.
26. What was the best book you read?
When the Tides Held the Moon by Venessa Vida Kelly
Salt by Mark Kurlansky
Where You See Yourself by Claire Forrest
In Gad We Trust by Josh Gad
The Ragpicker King by Cassie Clare
The Nightmare Before Kissmas by Sara Raasch
Twenty-Four Seconds From Now by Jason Reynolds
27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Well, a friend literally JUST sent me the link to a song about a miniature T-rex, sung to the tune of “Modern Major General,” and it’s AWESOME.
28. What did you want and get?
Travel. Stuff on my wishlist.
29. What did you want and not get?
For someone else to deal with all my parents’ red tape. :-P
30. What was your favorite film of this year?
Both halves of Wicked. Zootopia 2.
31. What did you do on your birthday?
I ... honestly don’t remember anymore. Dinner out, probably. But I do remember that MiniPlu TOTALLY surprised me by driving down the night before, so she could spend my birthday with me. <3
32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Literally almost anyone else as President. Also, if I could have sold my parents’ homes to a family that intended to live there, and not been essentially forced to accept a house-flipper in both cases.
33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2025?
Same as always: Comfortable.
34. What kept you sane?
Husband.
35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Not a big celeb watcher.
36. What political issue stirred you the most?
Same as the past two years: Anti-trans bills, especially those targeting children. Book banning attempts. Anything involving any mention of The Cheeto or his bootlickers. Genocide of Palestinians.
37. Who did you miss?
I miss sharing things with my mom that I know she would have liked. Many times, she’s the only other person I know who would have appreciated something.
38. Who was the best new person you met?
Can’t think of anyone.
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2025:
1) Put all your worldly goods (house, bank accounts, etc) in a trust. Makes it SO much easier for the executor to have access to what they need once you’re gone.
2) Most of us have way too much junk in our homes.
3) If you can afford to pre-pay for your casket/burial plot or cremation, do it. Again, it will make life much easier for your survivors, especially if they don’t live near you.
4) Share the stories. Good ones. Bad ones. Big moments in your life. Funny little moments. Don’t let family history disappear if you think someone down the line might want to know.
And now for the books:
2024 books
2023 books
2022 books
2021 books
2020 books
2019 books
2018 books
2017 books
2016 books
2015 books
2014 books
2013 books
2012 books
2011 books
2010 books
2009 books
2008 books
2007 books
2006 books
2005 books
( 2025 books )
I don't feel like it's as many books as I've managed the past couple of years, but it isn't terrible, either. I really need to read more books in print/Kindle form, and not doomscrolling's so much. :-P
Since I didn't do reviews of any books this year, feel free to ask about anything on the list.
1. What did you do in 2025 that you’d never done before?
I had a lot of “firsts” this year, many of them negative, so I’ll focus on a positive one: I went to New Zealand.
2. Did you keep your New Years’ resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Ha ha, no. Will try again this year. (My TKD grandmaster requires us to come up with at least 5 every year.)
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
I don’t think so? I was going to say that I discovered at the annual family Christmas Eve gathering that one of my cousins had a new baby boy I’d never met, but IIRC, he’d *just* turned one, so that means he was born in Dec 2024, not this past year.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
I realize my posting game this year has absolutely SUCKED but I’m pretty sure I mentioned that both of my parents died this year.
5. What countries did you visit?
New Zealand <3 <3 <3
6. What would you like to have in 2026 that you lacked in 2025?
A different President.
7. What date from 2025 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
Feb 26 (Dad) and May 11 (Mom).
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Survival. :-P But, ok, I also earned my 3rd degree black belt in taekwondo in Sept.
9. What was your biggest failure?
Finishing the quilt I started over the summer. Chasing after documents to file my dad’s back taxes. I’d also say, “Landing a permanent job” but given everything else that happened, it’s honestly just as well that I had flexible part-time sub work this year.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Tiny tear in my left shoulder rotator cuff that I’ll fix ... someday. Both knees chronically hate me now, but that seems to just be age.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
Boat tour tickets to see the NaPali Coast on Kauai.
12. Whose behaviour merited celebration this year?
Two finally seems to be getting the hang of driving. Hopefully he’ll pass his test in 2026.
13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?
The President and his MAGA toadies. What else is new? :-P
14. Where did most of your money go?
Travel: NZ, HI (although airfare to/from the islands was mostly covered through points), and Disney. Plus – and I kid you not – SEVEN other trips to the west coast (one to Oregon, six to CA).
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Not to keep harping on it but: New Zealand. I was soooo excited, and it did not disappoint.
16. What song will always remind you of 2025?
I’m drawing a blank. Maybe something from The Great Gatsby musical? Saw it twice with Two this year.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder?
Blank-er. I feel like I really shut down emotionally this year.
ii. thinner or fatter?
The scale says I’m about the same or slightly lighter, but I’ve also lost a lot of muscle mass in the last year or two, so I’d say that the net effect is probably “slightly fatter”.
iii. richer or poorer?
Thanks to my parents, richer. Yay?
18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Sleeping, reading, and crafting. And going through my parents’ stuff. Most of it is still in boxes.
19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Doomscrolling social media. Being appalled by the government. (I mean, I SHOULD be appalled, but I wish I hadn’t HAD to be.)
20. How will you be spending Christmas?
We spent Christmas in CA. The day itself was low-key but cozy and we were happy how it turned out. My extended family’s annual Christmas Eve gathering was really nice.
21. How will you be spending New Year’s?
The usual – hanging out at home, maybe watching a movie, then watching the ball drop on TV.
22. Did you fall in love in 2025?
Stayed in love for the 29th year.
23. How many one-night stands?
Zero.
24. What was your favorite TV program(s)?
I don’t watch much TV these days. My husband made me watch the series “Renegade Nell” and it was cute. I’ve seen about 40 mins of “Heated Rivalry.”
25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
Copying last year’s answer: Nope, I think I hate MAGA nation, anti-trans politicians, and abortion-blocking politicians as much as last year.
26. What was the best book you read?
When the Tides Held the Moon by Venessa Vida Kelly
Salt by Mark Kurlansky
Where You See Yourself by Claire Forrest
In Gad We Trust by Josh Gad
The Ragpicker King by Cassie Clare
The Nightmare Before Kissmas by Sara Raasch
Twenty-Four Seconds From Now by Jason Reynolds
27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Well, a friend literally JUST sent me the link to a song about a miniature T-rex, sung to the tune of “Modern Major General,” and it’s AWESOME.
28. What did you want and get?
Travel. Stuff on my wishlist.
29. What did you want and not get?
For someone else to deal with all my parents’ red tape. :-P
30. What was your favorite film of this year?
Both halves of Wicked. Zootopia 2.
31. What did you do on your birthday?
I ... honestly don’t remember anymore. Dinner out, probably. But I do remember that MiniPlu TOTALLY surprised me by driving down the night before, so she could spend my birthday with me. <3
32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Literally almost anyone else as President. Also, if I could have sold my parents’ homes to a family that intended to live there, and not been essentially forced to accept a house-flipper in both cases.
33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2025?
Same as always: Comfortable.
34. What kept you sane?
Husband.
35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Not a big celeb watcher.
36. What political issue stirred you the most?
Same as the past two years: Anti-trans bills, especially those targeting children. Book banning attempts. Anything involving any mention of The Cheeto or his bootlickers. Genocide of Palestinians.
37. Who did you miss?
I miss sharing things with my mom that I know she would have liked. Many times, she’s the only other person I know who would have appreciated something.
38. Who was the best new person you met?
Can’t think of anyone.
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2025:
1) Put all your worldly goods (house, bank accounts, etc) in a trust. Makes it SO much easier for the executor to have access to what they need once you’re gone.
2) Most of us have way too much junk in our homes.
3) If you can afford to pre-pay for your casket/burial plot or cremation, do it. Again, it will make life much easier for your survivors, especially if they don’t live near you.
4) Share the stories. Good ones. Bad ones. Big moments in your life. Funny little moments. Don’t let family history disappear if you think someone down the line might want to know.
And now for the books:
2024 books
2023 books
2022 books
2021 books
2020 books
2019 books
2018 books
2017 books
2016 books
2015 books
2014 books
2013 books
2012 books
2011 books
2010 books
2009 books
2008 books
2007 books
2006 books
2005 books
( 2025 books )
I don't feel like it's as many books as I've managed the past couple of years, but it isn't terrible, either. I really need to read more books in print/Kindle form, and not doomscrolling's so much. :-P
Since I didn't do reviews of any books this year, feel free to ask about anything on the list.
2025 at a glance
Dec. 31st, 2025 10:36 pmaome*dusts off journal*
I don't really know what to say about my absence except that my attention span felt short so I gravitated more to FB and IG this year. This is something I'm hoping to improve on for 2026, because I miss you guys.
So, to sum up my year:
January: Visited Mom (this made visit #4 since the week of Thanksgiving 2024), and had her car shipped out to NJ, as she decided she wasn't likely to be driving anymore, and Two needed an automatic-shift car to learn to drive (again). Also substituted a lot. Had MRI of L knee because PT wasn't really helping.
( The other 11 months )
And here we are.
I don't really know what to say about my absence except that my attention span felt short so I gravitated more to FB and IG this year. This is something I'm hoping to improve on for 2026, because I miss you guys.
So, to sum up my year:
January: Visited Mom (this made visit #4 since the week of Thanksgiving 2024), and had her car shipped out to NJ, as she decided she wasn't likely to be driving anymore, and Two needed an automatic-shift car to learn to drive (again). Also substituted a lot. Had MRI of L knee because PT wasn't really helping.
( The other 11 months )
And here we are.
Tags:
Привет! LiveJournal imports may be slow
Dec. 31st, 2025 08:24 pm![[staff profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user_staff.png){kind=small}
denise posting in ![[site community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/comm_staff.png){kind=small}
dw_maintenanceПривет and welcome to our new Russian friends from LiveJournal! We are happy to offer you a new home. We will not require identification for you to post or comment. We also do not cooperate with Russian government requests for any information about your account unless they go through a United States court first. (And it hasn't happened in 16 years!)
Importing your journal from ЖЖ may be slow. There are a lot of you, with many posts and comments, and we have to limit how fast we download your information from ЖЖ so they don't block us. Please be patient! We have been watching and fixing errors, and we will go back to doing that after the holiday is over.
I am very sorry that we can't translate the site into Russian or offer support in Russian. We are a much, much smaller company than LiveJournal is, and my high school Russian classes were a very long time ago :) But at least we aren't owned by Sberbank!
С Новым Годом, and welcome home!
EDIT: Большое спасибо всем за помощь друг другу в комментариях! Я ценю каждого, кто предоставляет нашим новым соседям информацию, понятную им без необходимости искать её в Google. :) И спасибо вам за терпение к моему русскому переводу с помощью Google Translate! Прошло уже много-много лет со школьных времен!
Thank you also to everyone who's been giving our new neighbors a warm welcome. I love you all ❤️
In Which I Discover a New Fandom and, Wow! Fandom's Changed
Dec. 29th, 2025 08:57 amloup_noirI've always been a fan of cartoons, pardon me, animations, anime, graphic novels. The freedom that that artwork gives a story, especially a good one, ignores all fleshly restrictions. What's making me happy right now? Hazbin Hotel on Prime is.
The Princess of Hell, Lucifer Morningstar's daughter Charlie (Why Charlie? That's a question I'd like to ask the creator of the show.) believes in redemption, and she wants to help the damned achieve that state. With songs! Angst! And surprisingly good Catholic dogma, says the very lapsed Catholic here. It was fun as it was, but when the Seraphim showed up with all the eyes, I was in for the ride.
I had no expectation that it would survive for a second season, but it did and the storyline continued to be good. In many ways, it has A Knight's Tale feeling. There's a silly, shiny layer, but there's also a lot of history holding it together. All that reading for my Durmstrang series on the levels of heaven and hell, who inhabits where, etc. made Hazbin a lot more fun.
What was completely new to me was the fandom. Amazon has Hazbin Hotel Live on Broadway. All the voice actors, a lot of the songs, and wonderful, lingering shots of the fans, who know all the words and motions to the songs and many wearing fantastic costumes. The Alastors were especially good.
youtu.be/G1C1MFv7CKU Hope that works. It's a link to the show-stopper for S2. If you haven't seen the series, Lute (again, why that name?) is the angel, the dark male figure is Adam (as in Adam and Eve), and the angel at the door is Abel.
The Princess of Hell, Lucifer Morningstar's daughter Charlie (Why Charlie? That's a question I'd like to ask the creator of the show.) believes in redemption, and she wants to help the damned achieve that state. With songs! Angst! And surprisingly good Catholic dogma, says the very lapsed Catholic here. It was fun as it was, but when the Seraphim showed up with all the eyes, I was in for the ride.
I had no expectation that it would survive for a second season, but it did and the storyline continued to be good. In many ways, it has A Knight's Tale feeling. There's a silly, shiny layer, but there's also a lot of history holding it together. All that reading for my Durmstrang series on the levels of heaven and hell, who inhabits where, etc. made Hazbin a lot more fun.
What was completely new to me was the fandom. Amazon has Hazbin Hotel Live on Broadway. All the voice actors, a lot of the songs, and wonderful, lingering shots of the fans, who know all the words and motions to the songs and many wearing fantastic costumes. The Alastors were especially good.
youtu.be/G1C1MFv7CKU Hope that works. It's a link to the show-stopper for S2. If you haven't seen the series, Lute (again, why that name?) is the angel, the dark male figure is Adam (as in Adam and Eve), and the angel at the door is Abel.
(no subject)
Dec. 28th, 2025 05:15 pmloup_noir2025 can go now. It wasn't that bad, but it was annoying. For me, there were physical issues. My back, my shoulder, my elbow, and most came from a couple of bad falls on one pelagic birding trip. I now know that it takes about three months for that particular soft tissue injury(ies) to heal up, and it doesn't help if you're a klutz and fall down again after tangling feet in a hose and then a blackberry cane. Currently finishing up a back episode. Seriously, universe, I'm only sixty-five. Not going to go into the current state of politics.
The state had a huge storm system. Power went out all over, not just here, but here it was out for almost a week. Yeah, we have a generator, a generator on what sounds like its last few uses. The FiL bought it during the lead up to Y2K. Not sure if he ever used it, but we certainly have. The WBH isn't eager to buy another, but when you live where we do, it's either a generator, a propane back-up, or pretending you live in the 19th Century.
I don't make New Year's Resolutions. I hate breaking promises to myself or anyone else, and let's face it, most resolutions never make it past January. Goals. I like goals, especially goals you can check off.
The last few things I've read have been cookbooks. I need more ways to use fruit, and a retired caterer friend has been making suggestions. There's only one small crate of apples left, and they've gone mushy and tasteless. See, if I had more recipes, I could throw out less and probably have to buy more jars.
I haven't seen anything I feel comfortable recommending lately. We tried "Cemetery Road," which was not bad until the last couple of episodes, when we yelled at the characters for being stupid. Currently, it's "House of Guinness." I've stopped paying attention to the plot in favor of enjoying the costumes and set dressing. Any recs for things streaming on Netflix, Amazon Prime, or Apple +?
The state had a huge storm system. Power went out all over, not just here, but here it was out for almost a week. Yeah, we have a generator, a generator on what sounds like its last few uses. The FiL bought it during the lead up to Y2K. Not sure if he ever used it, but we certainly have. The WBH isn't eager to buy another, but when you live where we do, it's either a generator, a propane back-up, or pretending you live in the 19th Century.
I don't make New Year's Resolutions. I hate breaking promises to myself or anyone else, and let's face it, most resolutions never make it past January. Goals. I like goals, especially goals you can check off.
The last few things I've read have been cookbooks. I need more ways to use fruit, and a retired caterer friend has been making suggestions. There's only one small crate of apples left, and they've gone mushy and tasteless. See, if I had more recipes, I could throw out less and probably have to buy more jars.
I haven't seen anything I feel comfortable recommending lately. We tried "Cemetery Road," which was not bad until the last couple of episodes, when we yelled at the characters for being stupid. Currently, it's "House of Guinness." I've stopped paying attention to the plot in favor of enjoying the costumes and set dressing. Any recs for things streaming on Netflix, Amazon Prime, or Apple +?
Yuletide recs, end of year fandom meme
Dec. 26th, 2025 09:57 amhamsterwomanB is back and appears to have somehow given me his jetlag, because I was awake around 5 a.m. and then got up about half an hour later so he could make me coffee and eggs, since he was making himself some.
I’m consequently a bit bleary for anything productive, but might as well post some Yuletide recs:
( recs for Ballad of Wallis Island, Doctrine of Labyrinths, D&D:HAT, The Odyssey, Philosopher's Flight, R&G Are Dead, Some Desperate Glory, Summer in Orcus, and a couple of 5 min fandoms )
*
I think new fandom developments are unlikely in the next 5 days, so I might as well do the year-end fandom meme:
Fandom end-of-year meme: ( fandom meme #1 )
I’m consequently a bit bleary for anything productive, but might as well post some Yuletide recs:
( recs for Ballad of Wallis Island, Doctrine of Labyrinths, D&D:HAT, The Odyssey, Philosopher's Flight, R&G Are Dead, Some Desperate Glory, Summer in Orcus, and a couple of 5 min fandoms )
*
I think new fandom developments are unlikely in the next 5 days, so I might as well do the year-end fandom meme:
Fandom end-of-year meme: ( fandom meme #1 )
Yuletide! :DD
Dec. 24th, 2025 03:42 pmhamsterwomanYuletide has revealed! (a bit more than intended, LOL, but everything appears to be back in order now, thanks to some swift manual workarounds by the mods! ♥)
I got two wonderful fics, which both really, really surprised me. I was convinced that I was getting a Rivers of London fic, because when my gift popped up, that was the only fandom I had requested with stories, and there was a RoL fic that fit what I had requested, which had recently appeared, so of course I figured it was mine. Then a treat popped up the night before reveals, and the fandoms were unchanged, so I figured it had to be another RoL fic… except Varvara wasn’t tagged in more than one fic, so I was very puzzled. Until I remembered/realized that Lady Eve’s Last Con would not have been wrangled yet, so, OK, my treat was probably that. But it never for a second occurred to me that my main gift could ALSO be Lady Eve’s Last Con, so I was completely blindsided by it:
Forgetting is Musical (1214 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Lady Eve's Last Con - Rebecca Fraimow
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Esteben Mendez-Yuki & Sol Mendez-Yuki, Esteban Mendez-Yuki/Jules Johnson
Characters: Esteban Mendez-Yuki, Sol Mendez-Yuki, Ruthi Johnson
Summary:
It is a set of Esteban-centric vignettes, pre- and post-canon, and through this format it manages to fit pretty much ALL of my letter prompts into a single elegant package (all the more impressive because I know it was a late pinch hit). I loved getting a glimpse of the roots (heh) of Esteban’s interest in soil, the light humor, complicated family stuff, the abiding but very sibling-y love of his relationship with Sol, and a hopeful ending, the whole of it very poignant and warm.
I also absolutely loved my treat, which was indeed also Lady Eve’s Last Con, but still surprised me because it was for the crossover prompt I never expected to get, because I’ve been prompting crossovers since my very first Yuletide, in every fandom, and have never gotten any, until now! And not just a crossover between fandoms, but the specific crossover prompt that had greatly amused me when I was reflecting on the book:
Natural Habitats (2161 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Lady Eve's Last Con - Rebecca Fraimow, Vorkosigan Saga - Lois McMaster Bujold
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Esteban Mendez-Yuki, Mark Vorkosigan
Additional Tags: Yuletide Treat
Summary:
This was such a fun fic! The crossover works perfectly, the universes blended seamlessly, the fun of the premise itself – but I’d posited it offhandedly, as a cracky plot idea, and my author took it deeper, into excellent character work where Mark and Esteban can relate to each other in interesting ways. And I love this Esteban’s POV, and his awkward flailing at an academic conference, and the uplifting win-win ending.
(It appears from the comments that it is entirely possible to enjoy this fic with only Vorkosigan Saga knowledge, so, y’all who are Vorkosiverse fans should go do that, and then you should read Lady Eve’s Last Con, and read the other fic too ;)
Anyway, so, both fics were a blast, in highly complementary ways. And I’m so pleased that Lady Eve fic now exists in the archive! :D
And I got a very nice comment from my recipient within an hour of the collection opening, so, Yuletide is being very good to me :D
Also, it’s nice to be able to read my gift(s) and comment immediately, instead of reading them either while falling asleep or still bleary pre-coffee, so I’m a fan of this new reveal time.
*
In non-Yuletide news – Merry Christmas to friends who celebrate! Or actually, Merry Krysa-mouse!
(Backstory is that B made a joke, pronouncing "Merry Christmas" as "Merry Krysa-mas" and then L took it a step further to "Merry Krysa-mouse" [krysa = rat, for the non-Russian-speakers]. Of course, I embraced this new holiday, and was even compelled to illustrate it. You are looking at the pinnacle of my artistic ability, y'all. Drawn from "life" -- i.e. a rubber Halloween rat (which is no more, as it melted/disintegrated several years ago -- horrifying pictures available upon request) and a box of mouse finger puppets.)
We are having a quiet day after a very active Tuesday and before B’s return tomorrow, so I’m going to enjoy the peace and quiet for a bit :)
I got two wonderful fics, which both really, really surprised me. I was convinced that I was getting a Rivers of London fic, because when my gift popped up, that was the only fandom I had requested with stories, and there was a RoL fic that fit what I had requested, which had recently appeared, so of course I figured it was mine. Then a treat popped up the night before reveals, and the fandoms were unchanged, so I figured it had to be another RoL fic… except Varvara wasn’t tagged in more than one fic, so I was very puzzled. Until I remembered/realized that Lady Eve’s Last Con would not have been wrangled yet, so, OK, my treat was probably that. But it never for a second occurred to me that my main gift could ALSO be Lady Eve’s Last Con, so I was completely blindsided by it:
Forgetting is Musical (1214 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Lady Eve's Last Con - Rebecca Fraimow
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Esteben Mendez-Yuki & Sol Mendez-Yuki, Esteban Mendez-Yuki/Jules Johnson
Characters: Esteban Mendez-Yuki, Sol Mendez-Yuki, Ruthi Johnson
Summary:
Intimacy is a name given to an infinite distance.
Esteban has a few more things to learn.
It is a set of Esteban-centric vignettes, pre- and post-canon, and through this format it manages to fit pretty much ALL of my letter prompts into a single elegant package (all the more impressive because I know it was a late pinch hit). I loved getting a glimpse of the roots (heh) of Esteban’s interest in soil, the light humor, complicated family stuff, the abiding but very sibling-y love of his relationship with Sol, and a hopeful ending, the whole of it very poignant and warm.
I also absolutely loved my treat, which was indeed also Lady Eve’s Last Con, but still surprised me because it was for the crossover prompt I never expected to get, because I’ve been prompting crossovers since my very first Yuletide, in every fandom, and have never gotten any, until now! And not just a crossover between fandoms, but the specific crossover prompt that had greatly amused me when I was reflecting on the book:
Natural Habitats (2161 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Lady Eve's Last Con - Rebecca Fraimow, Vorkosigan Saga - Lois McMaster Bujold
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Esteban Mendez-Yuki, Mark Vorkosigan
Additional Tags: Yuletide Treat
Summary:
Esteban escapes New Monte for an academic conference on Escobar, where he receives an intriguing business proposal.
This was such a fun fic! The crossover works perfectly, the universes blended seamlessly, the fun of the premise itself – but I’d posited it offhandedly, as a cracky plot idea, and my author took it deeper, into excellent character work where Mark and Esteban can relate to each other in interesting ways. And I love this Esteban’s POV, and his awkward flailing at an academic conference, and the uplifting win-win ending.
(It appears from the comments that it is entirely possible to enjoy this fic with only Vorkosigan Saga knowledge, so, y’all who are Vorkosiverse fans should go do that, and then you should read Lady Eve’s Last Con, and read the other fic too ;)
Anyway, so, both fics were a blast, in highly complementary ways. And I’m so pleased that Lady Eve fic now exists in the archive! :D
And I got a very nice comment from my recipient within an hour of the collection opening, so, Yuletide is being very good to me :D
Also, it’s nice to be able to read my gift(s) and comment immediately, instead of reading them either while falling asleep or still bleary pre-coffee, so I’m a fan of this new reveal time.
*
In non-Yuletide news – Merry Christmas to friends who celebrate! Or actually, Merry Krysa-mouse!
(Backstory is that B made a joke, pronouncing "Merry Christmas" as "Merry Krysa-mas" and then L took it a step further to "Merry Krysa-mouse" [krysa = rat, for the non-Russian-speakers]. Of course, I embraced this new holiday, and was even compelled to illustrate it. You are looking at the pinnacle of my artistic ability, y'all. Drawn from "life" -- i.e. a rubber Halloween rat (which is no more, as it melted/disintegrated several years ago -- horrifying pictures available upon request) and a box of mouse finger puppets.)
We are having a quiet day after a very active Tuesday and before B’s return tomorrow, so I’m going to enjoy the peace and quiet for a bit :)
Taskmaster CoC 4 and reading roundup (Penrics)
Dec. 22nd, 2025 09:32 pmhamsterwomanI was watching/reading a bunch of CoC IV-related content in the lead-up, and I’m going to post about it before posting about the episode itself, though I’ve obviously watched it as soon as that was an option. ( Askmaster and interviews )
Which reminded me that I should revisit my quantitative ranking of the series, because I’d fallen a couple behind, and some of the more recent ones were worth re-scoring.
original post
( Revisiting s15-17, scoring s18-20 )
OK, and the main event:
Tasmkaster CoC 4 – So, I did end up going and spoiling myself for the winner and the scores before sitting down to watch, which was the correct decision. ( SPOILERS )
I’m just really sad we don’t get more than one episode with this group. This was a really good line-up (even if one of them is someone whose comedy I don’t enjoy that much).
*
There’s some kind of weird thing with me and the Penric books, where I’ll read a bunch in a row, then not read any of the new ones coming out for a couple of years, until I have a bunch in a row to read again, repeat. So, like, the last time I read Penric, it was to read 6 in quick succession in late 2022, and meanwhile she’s released 4 more, that I’m finally getting around to reading. (I think it’s that the novella length is not quite long enough to be worth re-immersing myself in the world and the growing cast for just one of them.)
7. Lois McMaster Bujold, Demon Daughter (Pen & Des #12) – I was intrigued by the premise of this one, and enjoyed it, even though it was very, very domestic – much more so than I expected from the dramatic cover. ( More, with spoilers )
8. Lois McMaster Bujold, The Adventure of the Demonic Ox (Pen & Des #14) – I skipped Penric and the Bandit semi-accidentally – by which I mean that I finished Demon Daughter on the plane to Oregon, went to see what else was openable on my Kindle, and it was the ox one, so I figured it had to be the next one. Then when I realized it was not, because there was a significant time-skip and it referenced an incident with bandits, I figured I’d just keep reading. (And later it turned out I did have ‘Bandit’ on my Kindle, I just couldn’t call it up for some reason, in offline mode.)
This was a weird one… I found the first half of it slow and fairly boring, and found myself skimming, which I pretty much never do with LMB’s books. ( But then it picked up some (spoilers) )
I’m presently catching up on reading Penric and the Bandit, so we’ll see if I make it through all of the currently-out Penrics (that one + one more) before I run out of reading steam…
Which reminded me that I should revisit my quantitative ranking of the series, because I’d fallen a couple behind, and some of the more recent ones were worth re-scoring.
original post
( Revisiting s15-17, scoring s18-20 )
OK, and the main event:
Tasmkaster CoC 4 – So, I did end up going and spoiling myself for the winner and the scores before sitting down to watch, which was the correct decision. ( SPOILERS )
I’m just really sad we don’t get more than one episode with this group. This was a really good line-up (even if one of them is someone whose comedy I don’t enjoy that much).
*
There’s some kind of weird thing with me and the Penric books, where I’ll read a bunch in a row, then not read any of the new ones coming out for a couple of years, until I have a bunch in a row to read again, repeat. So, like, the last time I read Penric, it was to read 6 in quick succession in late 2022, and meanwhile she’s released 4 more, that I’m finally getting around to reading. (I think it’s that the novella length is not quite long enough to be worth re-immersing myself in the world and the growing cast for just one of them.)
7. Lois McMaster Bujold, Demon Daughter (Pen & Des #12) – I was intrigued by the premise of this one, and enjoyed it, even though it was very, very domestic – much more so than I expected from the dramatic cover. ( More, with spoilers )
8. Lois McMaster Bujold, The Adventure of the Demonic Ox (Pen & Des #14) – I skipped Penric and the Bandit semi-accidentally – by which I mean that I finished Demon Daughter on the plane to Oregon, went to see what else was openable on my Kindle, and it was the ox one, so I figured it had to be the next one. Then when I realized it was not, because there was a significant time-skip and it referenced an incident with bandits, I figured I’d just keep reading. (And later it turned out I did have ‘Bandit’ on my Kindle, I just couldn’t call it up for some reason, in offline mode.)
This was a weird one… I found the first half of it slow and fairly boring, and found myself skimming, which I pretty much never do with LMB’s books. ( But then it picked up some (spoilers) )
I’m presently catching up on reading Penric and the Bandit, so we’ll see if I make it through all of the currently-out Penrics (that one + one more) before I run out of reading steam…
