I have come to the conclusion that full-length romance novels and I just don't get along. It's the only explanation I have for my dislike of both the full-length Barbara Metzger novels I've read.

I quite love her regencies, re-read them regularly, even.

But the two full-length historicals? I hated both heroes in them, and disliked how the heroines were meh. I never cared for any of the characters, and mostly finished them out of a sense of duty. sigh.

Book list update:
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1. But I am not sleepy. Yet.

2. I signed up for femslash12, and a part of me is terrified that I'll fail at managing to write. But I do keep writing drabbles, so I suppose that's one thing? (Laura Cadman/Kate Heightmeyer - possibly the fluffiest thing I've ever written, good grief)

3. womenverse seems to be going well, and it's entertaining. ( Recent graphics challenges )

4. I've been listening to Hans Zimmer soundtracks. I feel like I should be writing Epic Fic of some sort.

5. I haven't watched ANY tv outside of The Pretender (and Doctor Who, because rully) in weeks. So, PoI, Haven, etc... I'm a bit behind (I did watch Elementary, of course. But that was ages ago).

6. Updated book list (I'm still slogging through Lucie Abrauc's biog and Vi Kochendoerfer's WWII memoir)( Read more... )

7. ALSO. IN CASE ANYONE MISSED IT. sparktober is coming! =DDD

1. Someone has uploaded the entirety of Mother Love to Youtube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unPXDSOcIsc (I have no watched it twice through and gotten the book from the library and re-read it) Also, I've watched ML a good twenty+ times, so you can imagine that I think it's amazing and people should watch it (what a pity it's not on dvd)

2. I marathonned seasons 9, 10, 6 and 7 of SG-1 a bit ago. I really really liked 9 & 10, more than I remember doing--and I think it didn't get enough airplay, but the Adria-Vala relationship was fun. Then I took at least half a season to adjust to NO CAM OR VALA. And Teal'c's hair. Seriously, I missed the crap out of the season 10 team and wasn't expecting to (I even missed Daniel, which was VERY CONFUSING for me, ngl). And, um, I discovered that I don't really like Jack much anymore--this is even more confusing than missing Daniel, but I kept getting impatient/annoyed with Jack, and with the dynamic when Jack was around--and he was the only thing that wasn't in 9/10, so. I really appreciate Sam getting to do her own thing without constant "sir, may I?" stuff.

3. Having managed 9 and 10, I decided to get over my rage about certain (Atlantis) things (goddamn, I hold a grudge a long time), and watched Ark of Truth and Continuum. I really really liked AoT (IS SO AMAZING I CAN'T EVEN). Continuum, not so much. Too little Vala (I'm aware Claudia was pregnant, but...), too little Teal'c. But it was all right (also, this is what, the sixth? Seventh? time that SG-1 has re-written history).

4. Then I took a break and watched some Atlantis, but the constant "We Are So Amazing and Right, and We Can Take All Your Stuff" mind-set of Rodney McKay/his team just... I wanted to smack them a lot, and NO ONE DOES SO in the show (they tried to give Weir some verbal "you can't do that"s, but no one LISTENS TO HER). Although it was interesting to go from Steen's Weir to Torri's on Atlantis, and see some of the things they did for the former in the latter. (also, the "we can take stuff" thing was a BAD GUY TRAIT from SG-1, so it's a bit hard to take our 'heroes' using it)

5. We are partially-moved into the new apartment (mostly stuff we can haul over in the car). At some point, we're going to have to get a truck and move the Bit Stuff.

6. Book list update:( Read more... )

1. On Saturday, I went and had lunch with frobisher at the Milwaukee Public Market. It was excellent.

2. Sunday, I discovered I was hitting a wall in Bring it On (Laura Anne Gilman), in that the SAME THINGS that had happened in the previous two books were happening in this one. And I suddenly hit a point where I was tired of the over-arcing plot GOING NOWHERE. No forward movement in TWO AND A HALF BOOKS. NONE. So I got annoyed and stopped reading. (say what you will about some of the fluffy crap I was reading--like Black Wings/Night/Howl, but at least THE PLOT MOVED in those)

Then meganbmoore was talking about Scandal at me, and I was bored. So I marathonned the episodes I hadn't seen (well, I saved the last two for Monday). And, yeah. Ridiculous, over-the-top, whatever. But it was still fun. Aside from the True Love of the President for Olivia Pope (maybe he's just jealous of her amazingness, idek).

3. This will be relevant to some members of my flist: thg_kink - a Hunger Games kink meme.

Also,

A multi-fandom, multi-ship place in the shade

And, it is Michael Trucco's birthday, so there is a 'Make Sam Happy'-fest goin' on. (icons, prompts, fics, gifs, fanmixes, etc.)

4. In other news, I'm getting really tired of rape being the go-to threat for any given female protagonist (it's especially prevalent in urban fantasy, though not limited to it). I'm aware rape sucks, but good grief, it's boring. Can't we move on and threaten women with other things? I'm pretty sure having your teeth drilled with no anesthetic is way more effective. At this point, I just roll my eyes at rape threats. But teeth squick me out.

I don't know if it's because there's a subconscious "rape fantasy is hot" thread to it all or what, but it's really annoying.

Also, and I cannot believe I'm saying this, I kind of miss the days when Buffy's tiny size was an asset to trick people into thinking her helpless. Most UF novels have tiny protagonists who are constantly going on about how awful it is that everyone out-classes them in height/weight, and how they'll never defeat larger opponents. And I'm like "WTF IS THIS." because it's FANTASY, people. Vampires, magic, demons and angels are AOK, but short women beating the shit out of tall, built dudes is COMPLETELY OUT? wtf. (and it's so often coupled with rape threats. So, again, rape fantasy? idek)

So far, I haven't found a single UF heroine taller than 5'4". As someone who is 5'6", this makes me sadface. It's harder to identify with the skinny hot protagonist when she's also shorter than me. Where are all the tall women hunting vampires, dammit?

5. What have I been reading?
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6. What have I tried to read?
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7. In job-hunt news: still looking. Had an exam for a position earlier in the week and I'm on their list now. Whatever that means.

1. I received this PM from a ff'net user: i still cant figure out how u wrote all those stories. - and I'm currently thinking of replying "there is this thing called imagination. Have you used it, recently?"

2. I read Ash by Malindo Lo due to someone on Goodreads referencing it as the ~lesbian Cinderella. And, no. It's really not. For it to be Cinderella, the prince should have been a princess. On top of which, there is the whole creepy thing where the fairy dude spends the whole book lusting after the 11-year-old--and the book treats it as this sweet, wonderful thing. ugh.

3. I saw The Avengers; it was...all right? idk. I didn't really come out of it feeling the over-blown-giddy-glee-and-joy that basically everyone else has? Though I did come out liking Maria Hill (I have zero interest in reading any comics she is in, however).

4. Watched the first episode of Continuum. Don't know what I think about it aside from being annoyed that all the good guys are white and all the terrorists are not-white. Also, only one main female character surrounded by dudes (and a creepy teenage boy--and I doubt the show sees what he does as creepy and invasive; Bionic Woman didn't, either). Otoh, I did like that there's no "we're sorry our lead is female" bullshit like you sometimes get. (actually, Tony Amendola basically stole the entire show, but he only had like a minute of screen-time. sadly)

5. Read Staying Dead by Laura Anne Gilman - I liked it, some decent world-building (though some awkward words, 'fatae'? for srs?), and I'm always a sucker for thieves (while Raylene from Cherie Priest's books is totally Parker, Wren isn't). Some of the plot elements were a bit eye-roll-worthy (too many conspiracies/sekrit societies, not enough snark), and the pastede on 'romance' angle made me wish that Urban Fantasy didn't have 'omg sex must happen' as a staple (though it didn't, which I appreciated). But the book didn't spend pages talking about leather pants, great asses or boobs, so it's got more than a few points on its side. There was one sub-plot that I didn't feel worked or was given enough gravity (involving the 'client'). But overall, I enjoyed it (though it was... bland? Maybe that's the word I'm looking for. idk), and liked the resolution of the main plot enough that I'll probably read others in the series.

1. I bounced hard off of Seance in Sepia by Michelle Black. Which is sad, as it looked interesting, but the first three chapters were not interesting. Sigh.

2. I have caught up on Person of Interest and Revenge. My thoughts are basically full of gleeful handwaviness.

3. Cherie Priest's Dreadnought was amazing, and I'm going to have to track down a copy so it can join my Annual Re-Read pile (war! death! battlefield triage! class issues! trains, boats, steam engines, zombies! Also, a bit of politics and mystery). Clementine was good, too, but it was too short and not as immersive.

4. Such_Heights is hosting a female character tropefest. Again. (I should be more startled that it's been a year) Anyway. Go prompt.

5. I'm vaguely tempted by this anthology

6. For records, updated booklist: Clementine and Dreadnought by Cherie Priest (two books, brain)

1. Gmail, why is your new layout so ugly?

2. I picked up Mercedes Lackey's 'The Lark and the Wren', and read it all in one go. I deeply suspect that it is AU Menolly/Robinton fanfiction. It is also a book that seems to meander along until someone (an editor) suddenly told the author that it needed, y'know, a firm ending. Which is then rushed and sort of hackneyed and eye-roll-inducing.

3. The Daughters of Mannerling did not end with Mannerling being burnt to the ground, sadly. No, instead, one of the new children born to a Daughter of M. fell in love with the house and wants to hug it and squeeze it and call it George. Still creepy.

4. The Midwife by Jennifer Worth is remarkably like watching the TV show (Call the Midwife), though the show at least doesn't appear to rave on about how marvelous Cockneys are for living in filth, and how happy they are to be destitute. Srsly, Ms. Worth, no. Most of the happenings in the book don't occur in the show, though they take bits and pieces of some of them and work them together in ways that do work well.

5. Updated booklist.
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The estate of Mannerling continues to be creepy as hell. Houses should not continually kill people off. Even if it's merely the obsession that does it. Tsk.

(and chandeliers that revolve with no wind should not be creepy. And yet)
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1. Two femslash ficlets: Lady Sif/Jane Foster (Thor movie), and Evony/Bo (Lost Girl)

2. Mostly because I'm curious to see if I manage to keep a list all year.

booklist:( Read more... )

1. Scott and Bailey is back. I'm fairly certain my gleeful happiness could be heard all up and down the street. My thoughts basically boil down to: <3 <3 <3 OMG Gill's bff from the other syndicate <3 <3 Gill! <3 Janet! Janet's mum! Rachel! <3 etc, etc, etc.

2. Lost Girl is having its season finale next Sunday. What am I going to do while it's on hiatus? *angsts* (that said, 2x21 <3)

3. Mac was back in the latest Phryne Fisher installment (hurrah!). The show continues to be entertaining fluff. With dead bodies.

4. I plowed my way through Dragonsdawn last week (maybe plow is the wrong word, as I mostly enjoyed the re-read, though I disliked Sean Connell a lot more than I did the last time), and skimmed straight through Dragonsong and Dragonsinger last night (OMG THE TEEN ANGST OMG).

4a. This was because I'd managed Moreta: Dragonlady of Pern not that long ago, and didn't hate it. Which is possibly faint praise, as it hit many of my kinks like WORLDWIDE EPIDEMICS and people desperately running against the clock to saaaaave everyone and Moreta basically pwning everyone's balls.
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