Oracle Dope

idella — Thu, 16 Jan 2014 17:02:43 GMT

daily happiness

idella — Fri, 10 Jan 2014 22:06:01 GMT

1. hummingfly67 sent me a very funky elephant card for my birthday!

2. discordantwords wrote me a brilliant Samantha Mulder story for xf_santa. Check it out, along with a whole bunch of other brand new TXF fanworks, over at the comm. Stories, art, graphics, podfic, and a (very cool) vid are now live. \o/

3. I got a lot of work placement work done today.

FIC: Sea Legs (Puella Magi Madoka Magica; Homura/Madoka, Kyoko/Sayaka, G)

idella — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 10:55:14 GMT

Title: Sea Legs
Author: idella
Fandom: Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magika | Puella Magi Madoka Magica
Pairing: Madoka/Homura, background Kyoko/Sayaka
Rating: PG
Word count: 2600
Warnings: major character death (canon)
A/N: Written for biichan for femslash11. Thank you to netgirl_y2k and especially to sailorptah for beta-reading.
Summary: Homura's never had to be good at what comes after. (Set during the finale.)

click here to read Sea Legs at AO3

The sun is beginning to set behind them when Homura and Kyoko reach the landing outside Mami's apartment. Homura hesitates, and finally Kyoko steps forward, causing the skirts of her dark blue dress to swing slightly. It's the kind of thing Homura has never seen Kyoko wear before, long and shapeless and far less flattering than Kyoko's usual skin-baring outfits. Kyoko lifts her head and straightens her shoulders. "There's nothing for it but to go on," she says, and presses the doorbell.

Mami answers right away, wearing a too-tight, too-short black dress and a set of pearls that look like they belong to someone's mother. Homura feels better about having neglected to change from her usual black and lavender, and then ashamed to have been thinking about clothes at all.

"Akemi-san! Kyoko-chan!" Mami cries. She flings her arms around each of them in turn, smelling faintly of mothballs, and steps aside. "Please come in."

She looks panicked when Kyoko and Homura offer her identical envelopes, along with the identical paper gift bags that have been dangling from their wrists since they ran into each other in a shop on the way here, but she recovers quickly, thanking them for the koden and fussing over the trinkets they've produced. She leads Sakura and Homura to a low table, set in the middle of a soft green carpet, where she serves tea. Mami pours herself a cup but excuses herself without touching it. Homura hears her clattering about in her small kitchen, busy with something, though she refuses all offers of help.

Left with nothing to do, Homura sips her tea and looks around Mami's apartment. It's spacious—almost empty, really—and tidy, with huge windows that overlook the city. The sky, as the sun continues to set, is a breath-taking mixture of deep, bright blue and a vibrant orangey-pink. When Homura tears herself away from the view, she notices a picture of Miki Sayaka in her school uniform, surrounded by baskets of white flowers she recognizes but can't name.

She can tell the exact moment when Kyoko notices the altar too, because she jumps up and removes a fistful of slightly crushed apple blossoms, stems wrapped in a damp napkin to prevent wilting, from her rucksack. She borrows a vase from Mami, places the pink-and-white blossoms next to Sayaka's photo, and returns to sit in silence with Homura. Homura isn't used to Kyoko having so little to say. She isn't used to this timeline—this universe—at all.

After a while the clattering in the kitchen stops, and Mami emerges with plates of small, delicate-looking cakes. She sits with Kyoko and Homura, making faces when she forgets and drinks her cold tea, and apologizing, over and over, for the lack of proper protocol. Homura understands they are making do. Sayaka's body will never be found. Her family will never know the truth about what happened. She wonders if Sayaka's parents realize their daughter is gone yet.

"Even when they do," Kyoko starts. She crams a shu cream in her mouth. "Even when they do," she repeats after she swallows, "even when—we couldn't be at her funeral."

"Questions would be raised," agrees Mami. When she leans forward to pour tea from a fresh pot, Homura sees that her eyes are red and swollen. Homura had been wandering around Mitakihara in late afternoon when her portable telephone rang. She hadn't realized she owned a portable phone, but there it was, in her pocket, ringing. She had almost switched it off instead of answering. It had been Mami, her voice thick, as if she'd been crying. It had been too soon, this morning, too sudden, she hadn't been thinking—she was holding an otsuya tonight for Miki Sayaka and would Homura attend. It would be less formal than a proper otsuya, really not at all what Sayaka-chan's spirit deserves, but if Homura could come….

She eats three shu creams to be polite, and even though they're beautiful, sprinkled with icing sugar and topped with blueberries and pieces of strawberry, they have no taste to them at all. Madoka would be here if she could, for Sayaka, and so Homura is here, in her place.

There is no priest and no sutra reading, but Mami offers incense. Homura watches carefully so that when it's her turn at the altar, she can do her best. She remembers the time she spent in and out of hospital, when she assumed her first otsuya would be her own. It seems very far away. Sayaka, Madoka, Homura herself, all of it seems very far away.

Homura uses her left hand to extinguish the flame she's lit, and places her stick in the incense burner. She put her hands together and offers a prayer for Miki Sayaka's soul. Kyoko goes last, her head bowed for so long Homura wonders if she's crying, but when she sits down, her face is dry. She looks pale and determined, announcing that since there's really no chief mourner, they'll all speak about Sayaka-chan.

Mami smiles and says, "That's a good idea, Kyoko-chan," and Kyoko starts, talking about how brave and kind and loyal Sayaka was. Homura thinks she can tell, from the way Kyoko keeps stopping, pausing, and then starting again, that she's trying to focus on how proud she is, instead of how angry.

Homura sits on a cushion at the three-cornered glass table, her tea cup between her palms, half-listening to Kyoko, and wonders what she's doing here. She feels restless, useless in a way she hasn't been since she came to Mitakihara City. She's never had to be good at this, at what comes after. She's rarely wasted time grieving. Every time Madoka died, Homura restarted the timeline and went back to protect her, as best she could. Every single time. Madoka is gone, and Homura should be leaving her hospital room with determination and a plan. No—Madoka is gone, and Homura should be happy, she will be happy, if only she tries hard enough, it's just difficult right now because she's alone, without her dearest friend, and she doesn't know what's going to happen next.

Homura's vision blurs, and she raises her head, widening her eyes to stop the tears. She lets Kyoko and Mami's voices fade into the background; she doesn't have the energy to stay composed as well as concentrate on what they're saying. She chooses a building on the horizon to direct her eyes toward and lets her mind drift.

She's trying to remember the first thing Madoka ever said to her when she becomes aware that the voices have stopped. Mami and Kyoko are looking at her, Mami with concern, Kyoko with—well, Kyoko looks upset. "What do you have to say about Sayaka-chan?" she demands.

Homura's chest tightens in panic. She should have had a plan for this, she should have been prepared. She can't tell the truth, that she'd never paid much attention to Sayaka, was interested in her only in the context of saving Madoka. She was always hanging around Madoka; they were friends, but how could she worry about Sayaka when Madoka was there? It's not fair to Sayaka, of course, but there it is. She thinks of all the times Sayaka became a mahō shōjo first, taking the pressure off Madoka, delaying Madoka's sacrifice. Homura would have sacrificed Sayaka over and over and over again, if it had meant keeping Madoka safe.

"She—was—she was a good friend," Homura says, and bursts into tears.

***

The windows in Mami's apartment stretch from floor to ceiling and if Homura puts her slippered feet right against the glass, she can pretend she's suspended in mid-air, out of space and maybe out of time, too. In the window's reflection, Homura can see Mami slumped against the arm of her sofa, asleep. Kyoko is curled against her, head on Mami's shoulder. She can hear Kyoko's raspy breathing, almost but not quite loud enough to be snoring.

She thinks she sees red eyes glowing from the rooftop shadows of a building across the street. In the next moment the eyes are gone and something soft, like the fur of a cat, is slithering against her calves.

Homura feels her body tense, go on alert. Even if she hadn't materialized directly after what was obviously a magical battle, in the company of mahō shōjo who take her for one of their own, she would know what she is. She knows it the way she knows her hair needs washing, the way she knows without checking that she has blisters on her feet from walking in circles all day. So it makes sense that Kyuubey is here, too. And Madoka help her, it makes sense that Homura wants to do nothing more than move her foot just slightly, just until she can twist her heel into the Incubator's head and splatter his horrible red flesh all over Mami's shiny wood floor.

She turns around instead and faces Kyuubey. Now he's perched on the back of the sofa, above Mami's head. "Please accept my condolences on this sad occasion," he says.

Homura does not, even for the smallest fraction of an instant time can be measured in, believe he regrets anything. She keeps silent, trying to trust Madoka and this universe she created before her eyes. She tries to hold onto the memory of Madoka everywhere, surrounding everyone and Homura. She believes in Madoka. Her fingers, in her pocket, worry Madoka's bright hair ribbons.

Kyuubey cocks his head to one side. His expression is as bland as it has ever been. "There is something different about you, Akemi Homura," he says.

There must be something different about Kyuubey, something besides his recitation of stock phrases. There has to be. "You are correct," she says. "Incubator."

Kyuubey waits, fixing her with his unblinking stare.

Homura rubs at her eyes, itchy from crying. Once, when Madoka was dying, she'd told Homura that her mother is fond of saying there's nothing for feeling better like a good cry. At least she'll never have to tell Madoka her mother is a liar, though she suspects Madoka's own experiences had already outstripped that platitude, by that time. "We'll talk later," she tells Kyuubey.

"I believe four is an unlucky number for you humans, in any event," is his parting comment, and Homura, against all reason, finds this strangely, wildly comforting.

The barest sliver of moon is rising over the rooftops, competing with the stronger, brighter city lights. It's late, and she considers leaving. It's a long walk home, but Homura isn't afraid of the dark. She's bone-tired though, and there's always the chance her apartment will be worse than empty. If she can remember Madoka, will her house remember, too? There's a reason she's avoided the place all day, she thinks.

She's tired, and it's late, and she thinks about Mami and Kyoko, about how they comforted her earlier, when she was so distraught. Even Kyoko held her while she sobbed, looking on in approval when Mami brought out more food.

Sayaka's body isn't here, but she wakes Kyoko anyway, to keep vigil. She owes Sayaka that much. Homura settles on the sofa, the fabric under her feet warm from where Kyoko's body was. Kyoko is looking out at the night, both arms stretched over her head, trying to wake up. Mami, opposite Homura on the sofa, sleeps on.

Homura closes her eyes. Madoka had promised she would be by her side, always. Homura pretends Madoka is beside her now on the sofa, arms snaked around Homura's waist. Homura doesn't have Madoka's ribbons in her pocket, because Madoka is still wearing them. One of them keeps flopping into Homura's ear, tickling it. Homura has to keep brushing it away, and every time she does, Madoka giggles.

Madoka's breath is warm against Homura's cheek, and her hand, which has slipped under Homura's shirt, next to her skin, is warm on Homura's heart. Homura sleeps.

She wakes up to Mami shaking her, gently. There's a brief instant where Homura doesn't remember anything, and then she does, and it's unbearable. Her neck aches and she's freezing cold. Gradually she realizes Mami's saying something. "Pardon?" Homura manages to croak. Her throat hurts too, and her eyes.

"Are you going to school?" Mami repeats. Homura has been struggling into a sitting position, but she stops, her head frozen against the back of the sofa. She thinks that if she opens her mouth she'll start laughing, hysterically, and never stop.

Mami must see something in her face, because her smile, strained though it had looked, disappears altogether. "It's something to do," she offers. Her curls have been freshly arranged and she's dressed in her Mitakihara Middle School uniform, smart and trim except for the bow at her collar, which is lopsided.

Homura borrows a uniform, pining it in the back because Mami is larger in the chest than she is. She's holding Madoka's ribbons in her hand, about to tuck them away where they'll be safe, when Mami spots them. "You can wear those now," she says.

Homura looks at her. "It's over," Mami says. The peppery scent of incense lingers in the air, and Sayaka's picture is still on display, but she's right, Homura supposes. Mami frowns at Kyoko, sprawled on the carpet in front of the altar, snoring softly. "She'll catch cold, sleeping on the floor like that," she says, but leaves her be.

Homura ties the two ribbons together carefully to make one long strand. She nods permission, and Mami lifts Homura's long hair off her neck. Homura feels Mami's fingers in her hair, sure and quick. She remembers the bridges and landing pads Mami had made for her of ribbon, within the witches' barriers, remembers landing on them over and over, when she was just starting out.

Mami urges to Homura to go look, and Homura complies, more out of inertia – Mami is practically pushing her up the stairs to the loft – than any desire to see what she looks like. She avoids her reflection altogether, sitting on the side of Mami's neatly made bed. Madoka's ribbons should be in Madoka's hair, Homura thinks, but if they can't be, this will have to do.

Mami calls for her to hurry, they'll be late, and when Homura comes downstairs, Kyoko is awake, bleary-eyed and finger-combing her messy hair into a ponytail. "There you are," she says. "Let's get going, eh?"

Outside, light slants between buildings, creating patches of sun on the sidewalks. Kyoko stops at a corner Homura vaguely recognizes, though it looks different in the daylight. Kyoko balls her fists in the pockets of her dress, the same shapeless one she wore yesterday, and breaks the companionable silence that's followed them from Mami's apartment.

"Well, see you later," she says. Her voice is loud enough to draw looks from passers-by. Homura thinks she might have been trying for cheerful, and getting the force but not the feeling. The three of them continue to stand on the corner, waves of people moving around them. Kyoko digs two apples out of her rucksack and hands one each to Homura and Mami. "For lunch," she says.

On impulse, Homura reaches over and hugs Kyoko. It's not her fault she will only ever remember Sayaka dying just once. And Kyoko will never have the chance, now, to become more than Sayaka's friend. There were timelines when Homura spared them just enough notice to be jealous of how close they grew to each other. She draws back from Kyoko, suddenly shy.

Kyoko smiles at her, reaching over at the same time to straighten the ends of Mami's school tie, before she turns the corner and disappears into the early-morning crowd. Then Mami grabs Homura's hand, and Homura lets her, and they cross the street and cut over to the path, following the river to school.

END

when your partner's kidnapped, you're supposed to do something about it

idella — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 00:15:24 GMT

I'm going to paraphrase Steve Martin for a minute, while those of you who read TXF fic help me out by pretending I've just said that perfect thing that will convince you to go read wendelah1's newest story either right now (preferable), or very soon (if you insist).

She has been known to refer to it as her "S2 novel of doom" and if by "doom" she means "complete brilliance," she totally has something there. Or I suppose she could have been referring to the angst. With a summary like, "The X-Files have been reopened. Nearly three months after her abduction, Dana Scully is still missing and Fox Mulder is still searching for her," of course there is angst. Also a compelling and fast-paced plot, great writing, and spot-on characterizations. It slots into TXF canon between "Ascension" and "3," and I wish it could have been actual canon.

In full-disclosure news, I beta read it. That doesn't mean it's not wonderful.

Link to the story (on LJ): Hope Without Reason

In other news, yes, I am still alive. Hi.

idella — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 17:09:05 GMT

Thank you very much, anonymous person, for the paid LJ time! How thoughtful and kind and surprising. *hugs*

idella — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 14:45:40 GMT

Thank you very much, anonymous v-gifter! *hugs*

Yuletide recs

idella — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 18:12:36 GMT

I've barely read anything yet, but I still bring, for those who may be interested, recs.

First off, my two AMAZING gifts:

Nowhere As Strange As Now (5681 words) by Anonymous
Fandom: Skim
Relationships: Kimberly Keiko Cameron/Katie Matthews
Summary:

It's December and there's still no sign of snow.

Or, Kim and Katie think about graduation and growing up, but not necessarily in that order.

Every bit as lovely and complicated as canon. This is just gorgeous. <3 <3 <3

Then and Now (1318 words) by Anonymous
Fandom: Skim
Relationships: Kimberly Keiko Cameron aka Skim/Katie Matthews
Summary:

Kim and Katie, post-canon-a Yuletide treat.

Kim and Katie, growing up, and grown up, and kicking ass. As they would. <3 <3 <3

Not Now But Soon (11051 words) by Anonymous
Fandom: Toki o Kakeru Shoujo | The Girl Who Leapt Through Time
Relationships: Konno Makoto/Mamiya Chiaki
Summary:

And Chiaki knows that there is an expiration date for him, for her and him, for her and him together in this place talking about stupid sisters and favorite puddings and other things that don’t matter -- but despite it all, he still can't let it go. Five instances in the past, present, and future.

Gorgeous, and highly recommended. Chiaki POV.

An Open Door (1071 words) by Anonymous
Fandom: Toki o Kakeru Shoujo | The Girl Who Leapt Through Time
Summary:

Makoto knows the future's coming for her whether she likes it or not, so she's going to tackle it with the insight she's gained and the friends she's still got.

Really lovely Makoto and Kosuke frienship fic, with background Kosuke/Kaho.

Snowflakes (1625 words) by Anonymous
Fandom: Dragaera - Steven Brust
Relationships: Morrolan e'Drien/Kragar/Vlad Taltos
Summary:

In which Daymar studies snow.

So much fun, in the tradition (most of) the best Dragaera fic. Captures the canon sense of humour nicely.

Displaced. (1619 words) by Anonymous
Fandom: Dragaera -- Steven Brust
Relationships: Kragar/Morrolan
Summary:

takes place during Phoenix, just before Morrolan and Aleria go rescue Vlad. Again. I apologise deeply for the brevity.

Also fun, and it's always nice to see (heh) more of Kragar.

A Woven Part (3211 words) by Anonymous
Fandom: Legend of the Seeker
Relationships: Cara Mason/Leo Dane
Characters: Cara Mason, Leo Dane, Richard Cypher, Kahlan Amnell, Zeddicus Zu'l Zorander
Summary:

There's no beauty in snow; it's cold and wet and makes the journey treacherous.

Ridiculously happy-making post-series fic. All of the characterizations are great, but Cara is particularly, well, Cara. <3

Sex Is Not The Enemy (But You Still Are) (700 words) by Anonymous
Fandom: Legend of the Seeker
Relationships: Cara Mason/Kahlan Amnell
Summary:

Kahlan meets Cara her very first day of college. It doesn't exactly go well.

Very fun Cara/Kahlan college AU.

There Are No Teams (2866 words) by Anonymous
Fandom: Royal Tenenbaums (2001)
Characters: Ari Tenenbaum, Uzi Tenenbaum
Summary:

Uzi was twelve the year they decided his younger brother was a genius.

So, so good. Exactly as if the movie had kept on going.

Your Shadow (2114 words) by Anonymous
Fandom: Secret History - Donna Tartt
Relationships: Camilla Macaulay/Charles Macaulay
Summary:

Maybe he was supposed to become her shadow, instead of her brother.

Lovely and insightful.

the stars seem out of reach (1030 words) by Anonymous
Fandom: The X-Files RPF
Relationships: Gillian Anderson/David Duchovny
Summary:

He's sitting on the hotel bed and she's rooting through his mini-bar and it's just the two of them, without the buffer of Mulder and Scully, and there aren't any cameras or carpets or kids, and even though he's known her for most of his adult life, he's spent so little time with her like this.

Compelling and well-written.

Good as New (4448 words) by Anonymous
Fandom: Melendy Quartet - Elizabeth Enright
Characters: Randy Melendy, Rush Melendy, Mona Melendy, Oliver Melendy, Mark Herron
Summary:

The Melendys have all returned to New York City to attend Oliver's graduation from Columbia University. An old friend of the family, Mrs. Oliphant, is hosting a dinner party in his honor. For the first time in several years, everyone is together and Randy plans to introduce her boyfriend Alex to the entire family. Except Alex is late and Randy is wondering if he's coming at all.

Everyone, post-canon. Well-written and completely believable.

Snow in the City (1800 words) by Anonymous
Fandom: Melendy Quartet - Elizabeth Enright
Characters: Randy
Summary:

In a grey city, Randy hopes for snow

Randy Melendy, post-canon. Very nicely done.

Strong and Straight (4379 words) by Anonymous
Fandom: Shane - Jack Schaefer
Summary:

It's not getting what you wanted that's the issue. It's the unexpected things that come with it.

I haven't read the book, but this absolutely works as a coda to the movie. Excellent writing and characterizations.

idella — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 18:52:01 GMT

Music meme, from memories_child, who gave me the letter T.

1. Reply to this post and I'll assign you a letter.
2. List (and upload) 5 songs you love that begin with that letter.
3. Post them to your journal with these instructions.

This is What - Horse Feathers

I'm happy to have an excuse to talk about this song! Really all I have to say is that it's my Horse Feathers song of the moment, and I am ~~obssessed~~ preoccupied with the fact that the opening and closing sound exactly like an old-school Gordon Lightfoot song. Possibly, IDK, "Canadian Railway Trilogy." The rest of the song sounds completely Horse Feathers. I got into them when last.fm offered one of their other songs off their first album as a free download; if you like this song, you could always go grab another one. (HF page on lastfm.com)

TV Show - Martha Wainwright

One of my favourite Martha Wainright songs. It reminds me of driving around Freeport in the afternoons, on Midshipman or Seahorse Road or East Sunrise Highway *koff*, with not much traffic on the road and Martha on the stereo. It's kind of drawly (not actually a word, it seems) and jangly and all over the place, but in a good way, you know?

Time Will Do the Talking - Patty Griffin

Oh man, Patty Griffin. Love her, love this album, love that she has a song that begins with T on it for the ~~win~~ meme.

Things I Know - Bonnie Bishop

This is pretty much an insta!rec, given that I started listening to this song about five minutes ago, but gave me goosebumps once, and that's right on. (Also, the line about rubies reminds me of Rachel Howard's TXF fic, "Above Rubies," which is a nice thing to be reminded of.)

Three Pistols - The Tragically Hip

The Tragically Hip (Canadian rock icons, y'all) were my favourite band for years and years, and I would still tell you they are my favourite band, even if I don't listen to them as much as I used to. This is off their third album, I think, and I don't know exactly what's going on in this song, but I am in it for Gordon Downie singing "bring on a brand new renaissance/'cause i think i'm ready/well i've been shaking all night long/but my hands are steady" right near the beginning. And Tom Thompson paddling past!

.rar file with all the songs

Let me know if you want a letter for your very own.

2009 books

idella — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 18:19:54 GMT

So, 2009 books. Obviously quite late, but a) I am not the only one and b) I posted about 2008's books in mid-February last year, so really, this is early. Yes.

A.J. Jacobs

The Year of Living Biblically

A.S. Byatt

Babel Tower

Alice Hoffman

Practical Magic (reread)

Alice Randall

The Wind Done Gone

Anne McCaffrey

Crystal Singer (reread)
Killashandra (reread)

Audrey Niffenegger

The Time Traveler's Wife (reread)

Barbara Trapido

Frankie & Stankie

Benilde Little

The Itch

Charlaine Harris

Dead Until Dark

Charles de Lint

Little (Grrl) Lost

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Purple Hibiscus

Clifford D. Simak

Way Station

Connie Willis

All Seated on the Ground
Passage (reread)

Curtis Sittenfeld

American Wife

Dawn Powell

A Time to be Born

Eden Robinson

Monkey Beach

Elizabeth Bowen

The Little Girls
Eva Trout

Elizabeth Hand

Generation Loss

Evelyn Waugh

Scoop

Heather O'Neill

Lullabies for Little Criminals

Helene Hanff

84, Charing Cross Road (reread)

Jacqueline Carey

Kushiel's Dart

James McPherson

Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era

Jane Austen

Persuasion (reread)
Pride and Prejudice (reread)
Emma (reread)
Northanger Abbey (reread)

John D. MacDonald

The Dreadful Lemon Sky
The Empty Copper Sea

Julia Quinn

The Secret Diaries of Miss Miranda Cheever

Karen Joy Fowler

Sarah Canary (reread)

Kate Akinson

Case Histories (reread)
One Good Turn (reread)
When Will There Be Good News?

Kate William

Second Chance (SVH #53) (reread)
Showdown (SVH #19) (reread)

Katharine Kerr

A Time of Exile (reread)
A Time of Omens (reread)
Days of Blood and Fire (reread)
Days of Air and Darkness (reread)
The Red Wyvern (reread)
The Black Raven (reread)
The Fire Dragon (reread)
The Gold Falcon
The Spirit Stone
The Shadow Isle

Kazou Ishiguro

The Remains of the Day

Kevin J. Anderson

Ground Zero

Laura Ingalls Wilder

Little House in the Big Woods (reread)

Laura Miller

The Magician's Book: A Skeptic's Adventures in Narnia

Laurie Colwin

Family Happiness
Happy All the Time (reread)

Laurie R. King

A Grave Talent
To Play the Fool
With Child

Lorrie Moore

A Gate at the Stairs

Malcolm Gladwell

Outliers: The Story of Success

Marcel Proust

Swann's Way
Within a Budding Grove

Marian Keyes

Rachel's Holiday (reread)

Mariko Tamaki & Jilliam Tamaki

Skim (x2)

Mary Wesley

The Vacillations of Poppy Carew

Maud Hart Lovelace

Winona's Pony Cart
Carney's Party
Emily of Deep Valley

Meg Wolitzer

The Ten-Year Nap

Michael Dirda

Classics for Pleasure

Michael Ondaatje

Divisadero

Nick Hornby

Housekeeping vs. the Dirt (reread)
Shakespeare Wrote for Money

Octavia E. Butler

Kindred

Orson Scott Card

Ender's Game (reread)
Speaker for the Dead (reread)

Otto Friedrich

City of Nets: A Portrait of Hollywood in the 1940's

Pamela Dean

The Dubious Hills

Patrice Hannon

101 Things You Didn't Know About Jane Austen

Patrick O'Brian

The Wine-Dark Sea
The Commodore
The Yellow Admiral

Philip Ziegler

Diana Cooper

Sarah Dessen

This Lullaby

Sarah Waters

Tipping the Velvet
The Little Stranger

Shannon Olson

Welcome to My Planet (reread)
Children of God Go Bowling (reread)

Stephen King (Editor)

The Best American Stories 2007

Stephenie Meyer

Twilight (reread)
New Moon (reread)

Steven Brust

Orca (reread)
Jhegaala (reread)
Athyra (reread)
Dragon (reread)

Susan Beth Pfeffer

Life As We Knew It

Susanna Kearsley

The Winter Sea

Sylvia Townsend Warner

Mr. Fortune's Maggot (reread)

Tana French

In the Woods
The Likeness

Tobias Woolf

Old School

Vera Brittain

Testament of Youth

Walter Mosley

The Long Fall

Right, so I was going to say more about these, but all I am coming up with is fluff like "gorgeous sentences! except for the clunkers!" (Lullabies for Little Criminals, probably my favourite of the favourites), and "a love letter to GRAMMAR. and also books and reading. and how is Frederica Potter so awesome, anyway?" (Babel Tower, which, like every A.S. Byatt novel I have ever read, contains a lot of stuff I could do without, too) and "the novel about adultery most like a warm, fuzzy blanket" (Family Happiness), and "plucky, literate, baby-sitting orphans FOREVER" (When Will There Be Good News?) for some books, while half the other books are putting on airs and pretending they're too IMPORTANT for this cavalier treatment, so I am just going to list all my very favourite first reads of 2009:

Babel Tower – A.S. Byatt
Purple Hibiscus – Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Monkey Beach – Eden Robinson
Generation Loss – Elizabeth Hand
Lullabies for Little Criminals – Heather O'Neill
Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era – James McPherson
When Will There Be Good News? – Kate Atkinson
Family Happiness – Laurie Colwin
Skim – Mariko Tamaki & Jillian Tamaki
Kindred – Octavia E. Butler
The Dubious Hills – Pamela Dean
Tipping the Velvet – Sarah Waters
In the Woods – Tana French
The Likeness – Tana French

idella — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 23:52:36 GMT

Happy birthday, sarcasma!

My bidding thread for help_haiti is here, if anyone is interested. TXF, Leverage, and a couple of small fandoms.

Check out the comm for other ways you can help, either by offering your creative services, or by bidding on the creative services of other people. OR BOTH.

idella — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 03:08:58 GMT

Happy New Year, flist!

I have read ridiculously few of this year's Yuletide stories. This is still a rec post. Twenty bookmarks at AO3, and links to ten favourites under the cut.

Babylon 5
The Stars Her Destination

Folk music echoes from the street, and Catherine hears in it the tendrils of time, history resonating into the future. The stars her destination; the past her solid ground.

My gift story, and it is perfect. Catherine Sakai's past and future, with bonus Catherine/Susan.

Anastasia Krupnik series - Lois Lowry
Anastasia's Future Plans

At age seventeen, Anastasia starts to figure out what her plans for her life are--with a little help.

Great Anastasia voice. The rest of the Krupniks (and Henry Peabody) are along for the ride, too.

Bridge to Terabithia - Katherine Paterson
And Climb on Every Rung

Jess is dreaming about Leslie again. Ten years post-canon.

Great look at Jess's everyday life. This is a bit of a sad one.

Don't Care High - Gordon Korman
Heartburn Hotel

At eighteen, Paul Abrams takes control of his culinary destiny.

Funny and Korman-esque, and there is at least one Wanye-O shout-out. Score.

Dragaera (Vlad Taltos) series - Steven Brust
In Which Tazendra Catches a Thief

How Tazendra and Mica go on a journey to find adventure; succeed in finding adventure; and meet a thief who is more than she appears.

Perfect Paarfi voice. Perfect all around, in fact, and loads of fun. I ♥ Tazendra.

Fairy Tales (Rumpelstiltskin)
The Queen Sent Messengers

This is the third day since you sent us out to search for a name.

Gorgeous writing, interesting retelling.

Harriet the Spy - Louise Fitzhugh
Claimed Spaces

A semi-impromptu spy route for Harriet, set approximately ten years from the end of the original novel.

Harriet! In all her glory. Great voice.

Pigeon series - Mo Willems
The Pigeon Wants A Story

The pigeon is very excited about Yuletide.

This is sweet and fun and funny, and it's about Yuletide, too. (Yeah, you probably figured that out from the summary.)

The Royal Tenenbaums
A Cowboy, a Saloon Girl With a False Hand & a Mexican Named Ricardo Royale Walk Into A Bar

"It starts out with a guy walking into a bar, when Curtis comes in looking for the Royales gang, and they get into a shootout. And then Curtis accidentally winds up shooting the saloon girl in the hand. Ricardo is this native doctor who nurses her back to health and winds up giving her an entirely new hand strung together from the bones of the Aztecs. Curtis comes back looking for redemption, and Ricardo starts looking for revenge, and they both end up in love with the saloon girl, even as they end up bonding closer than brothers. It's this whole love triangle thing."

If you love the movie, you'll likely love this. Great writing and character insight. Eli/Margot/Richie.

The Thin Man
What a Swell Party This Is

Nora's going to need another drink for this.

As sparkly and delightful as canon. abracax will back me up on this one.

The Wire
It's Just the Way the Game is Played

"Wallace really got into the whole chess thing. He made Bodie play with him, even after some dope fiend stole all the white pieces while high." 5 times Bodie talked about chess.

Brilliant (and funny) Bodie voice. Very good look at the series and its characters.

For the like, three of you who read Sarah Caudwell...

idella — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:30:22 GMT

I was reading Pride and Prejudice in a pub last night, and yes, eventually it did hit me that it was JUST LIKE the bit with Selena (ha) and the party in The Shortest Way to Hades. Only with beer instead of special brownies.

(Okay, instead of "throwing all propriety to the wind," it was more like "waiting to get a ride home because I'd misjudged how much sole, exactly, my shoes had left," but you can't have everything. SIGH.)

Yuletide Letter: This year, almost entirely capslock free!

idella — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 06:49:39 GMT

Dear Yuletide author,

Thank you so much for taking on one of my requested fandoms and writing a story just for me! You are awesome.

In general:

I am all about gen, het, and f/f slash. I don’t dislike m/m slash, but chances are, if I’m digging a particular fandom, it’s because of the female characters.

I love character exploration only slightly more than I do a good plot.

If you are moved to write sex, I’d like it if it weren’t the only component of your story.

It may be relevant, so I’ll say here that I am fine with consensual sex between underage characters.

And with kink.

I get a kick out of dark, angsty, twisted fic, but fluff can make me very happy, too.

I am squicked by character embarrassment.

If you make me laugh or cry, or laugh and cry, I will love you.

I have written two of the characters I’ve requested. If you chose to read my versions (and you definitely don’t have to), please don’t let my characterizations confine you in any way!

I am open to experimental styles and structures.

If you are in doubt, I encourage you to go for it. I read all sorts of different stuff, and I’m sure I will appreciate your risk-taking.

Likes: friendship fic, private conversations in public places, angst, flawed characters, unlikable characters, math, passion, conflict, ust, regret, posturing, yearning, competence, desperation, bad choices, impossible choices, secret histories, a sense of history, cities, banter, snark, moral ambiguity, repressed feelings, secrets, smiling, mutual sacrifice, sex that doesn't solve anything, bleak endings, happy endings, knowing what people are wearing, finding out how things work, first times, last times, private jokes, explosions, capers, awkward situations, complications, humour, dark humour, and cats. (This is not a laundry list of things I expect you to include! Think of it more as a shopping list, from which you can pick and choose and discard at will.)

Dislikes: babyfic, kidfic, character bashing, sappy romance, mpreg, OTPs (in the sense that everyone is destined for one person, and one person only)

Specific fandoms, in alphabetical order, ahead. This gets long. I would be equally happy to receive a story in any of these fandoms! Pay no attention to the varying word counts in the details. :)

Babylon 5 – Catherine Sakai

Anything about Catherine Sakai would be wonderful, particularly anything that ignores the existence of the tie-in novel To Dream in the City of Sorrows. If you want some direction, I’d love to see something where she interacts with the major characters on the station (particularly the women), or where she’s on a job that ties into one of the show’s established story arcs (the Shadow war, one of the civil wars, a storyline of your choice), or really, anything you care to come up with where Catherine Sakai is at the centre of the story, and is AWESOME. Oh, and I like her relationship with Jeffery Sinclair, but I’d (probably) prefer that your story focus elsewhere.

The thing I don’t like about To Dream in the City of Sorrows is that Catherine Sakai is, for all intents and purposes, written out of the show. I am also skeptical that the (pretty awesome) off-again, on-again nature of her relationship with Jeffery Sinclair would lead her to follow him to Minbar (and especially to the past), even if they did get (very endearingly) engaged in the S1 finale. (I am cool with Sakai joining the Rangers, however!) If you set your story either sometime during the five years of the show, or before it starts, that would be great, because I am not at all familiar with any of the novel trilogies, Crusade, or even any of the movies except In the Beginning. (I would be a bad fan, except that Babylon 5 is only my favourite TV show ever.) If you want to bring any of the show’s other characters in, my favourites are Delenn, Londo, G’Kar, Ivanova, and Vir, and the only major character I’d prefer not to see a lot of is Lennier. My favourite things about the show are its grand scope, its characters, and the fact that everything matters, whether you realize it at the time or not. I would love to see some of Sakai’s competence (at her job, and/or with people) and her dry sense of humour. If you are the kind of person who finds this kind of thing at all useful, I have written Sakai, very briefly, here.

(If we don’t match on this fandom, and you are thinking of switching fandoms: Catherine Sakai appears in only a few S1 episodes. S1 is apparently available on Hulu if you are online in the United States. I would be perfectly happy with a story set in S1, even a story that has no knowledge of future events. How you will manage to watch S1 without wanting to mainline the entire show, I don’t even know.)

Hancock – Mary Embrey

Anything in this fandom that focuses on Mary, and overwrites her cardboard cut-out characterization in the movie, would be excellent. If you want some direction, something where Mary is using her powers—either in the past or the future—would be nice to see. As far as relationships in this fandom go, I like Mary/Hancock and Mary/Ray, and Mary/Ray/Hancock is pretty much my OT3. Feel free to play down any pairings, etc. that don’t work for you, though I’d prefer it if you didn’t completely ignore the existence of the two canon pairings I’ve listed.

If you decide to set your story in the past (and I am very curious about Mary’s past), I’d like for you not to appropriate any cultures for the sake of Mary’s journey. When I mentioned the future in my request, I was thinking the near future, but there is no reason at all why your fic couldn’t be set in the far future. If you are the kind of person who finds this kind of thing at all useful, I have written in this fandom here. (I will let you know that the part of my Mary characterization that doesn’t really work for me is my explanation for her return to superheroing. I am sure there is more to it than that, probably to do with why she stopped in the first place.) Writing about Mary’s powers is just a suggestion! I’d love anything that explores her character or where she gets to do stuff. Any story where Mary is all brave and vulnerable and scary-competent would be cool.

(If we don’t match on this fandom, and you are thinking of switching fandoms: Hancock is an American movie that came out in 2008. Vince Gilligan, who wrote awesome X-Files episodes, co-wrote it with Vincent Ngo. Will Smith is in it, and Jason Bateman and Charlize Theron. It has superheroes. I kind of like it a lot. I know it’s out on DVD, etc. It’s probably widely available.)

Katharine Kerr’s Deverry Cycle – Dallandra/Evandar/Rhodry

Gen, canon pairings, or the kind of complicated, awkward threesome where no more than two characters are ever on the same plane of existence at any one time—any of these would be awesome. (Okay, threesome fic would maybe be a bit more awesome, but as long as all three characters are featured, I’ll be happy.) Dalla is my favourite of the three, so I’d love to see her get a chance to shine. If you want some direction, something set around the characters’ time at Cengarn would be great. (Please don’t spoil me for the final book in the series, as I won’t be able to get my hands on a copy until January. Thanks!)

(It occurred to me that there is no reason why these three characters can’t, in fact, be on the same plane of existence together! I’m sorry for the confusion. It’s just, in canon, they never seem to be.) On reincarnation: I like it as a means of telling a story over time; I really dislike it as an OTP generator. (Though one of my favourite things about the series is recognizing old characters in new lives.) On dweomer: I appreciate it as a craft; I am gently bored by it as a system of magic. On gay characters in the Deverry series: they are non-existent in general, or non-existent in specific, not-good ways (Branoic/Maddyn, by structure of the series, should be canon), or cookie-cutter bad guys. Evandar/Rhodry is the closest thing to a positive slash pairing in this series, but even so, the relationship is shrouded in mystery. If you chose to set your story in a part of the timeline where Evandar/Rhodry is canon, I’d like it if you didn’t ignore the existence of their relationship, especially if you are acknowledging Dalla/Rhodry. (A gen story is always completely fine, too!) If you chose to write Evandar/Rhodry (and you totally don’t have to), I would like to see something that expands on what little we see canon, perhaps from Rhodry’s perspective. (If you do, please don’t forget that I love Dalla and would like to see her feature prominently. And that she and Evandar are in love.) If you write Dalla/Rhodry, please don’t have them act like they’re anything more than good friends who are sleeping together. (Unless you are writing, idk, some sort of AU where they fall in love.) From the way Evandar seduces Rhodry, I am convinced Dalla/Evandar/Rhodry is canon, so anything that smacks of threesome fic would be well-received. I like to see Rhodry rolling with punches (not literally, probably), Evandar as he starts thinking more like a person from the living world, and Dalla, well, doing anything really. We don’t know a lot about her, and I’d love to find out more, especially about her internal life. I mentioned that something set at the siege of Cengarn would not go amiss, but I also really like the city and people of Cerr Cawen, and the Westfolk and their lives on the grasslands (in part because both cultures are more advanced, socially, than Devarry is). I realize this is a lot of rambling, but this fandom’s canon is so big, and I’m trying to narrow it down somewhat. Oh, and I haven’t read far enough in the series to know if this would be applicable (I’m reading The Spirit Stone right now, and I plan on following it up with The Shadow Isle) but if Evandar shows up somewhere in there, and you want to write fic where Rhodry is Rori and Dalla is Dalla and Evandar is...idek, that could be really neat, as long as it doesn’t spoil me for the last book. Feel free to write anything, really, with these three characters.

(If we don’t match on this fandom, and and you are thinking of switching fandoms: Yeah, this probably isn’t the fandom you’re looking for. It’s a fifteen-book high fantasy series. With elves. If you are at all familiar with the series, the relevant books are A Time of Exile, A Time of Omens, Days of Blood and Fire, Days of Air and Darkness, The Red Wyvern, The Black Raven, and The Fire Dragon. Skip all the flashback sequences, and it’s like reading four massive books instead of seven. Still too much to read? I hear you. I mean, I love this series to bits, but I hear you. The last half of The Fire Dragon is your friend. Alternately, A Time of Exile would probably do it.)

Skim – Kimberly Keiko Cameron aka Skim

The comic is so short and so utterly fabulous that my first thought on finishing was “MORE, PLZ.” Anything in the spirit of the source would be perfect, but if you want some direction, I love Skim’s relationship with Katie. Friendship fic would be great, but so would femslash. Alternately, I’d like something about Skim and art, or Skim and Lisa, or just about Skim’s daily life in general—the episodic style of the comic really works for me. About the only thing I don’t think I’d like to see is Skim and Ms. Archer’s relationship continuing after canon. (References to her impact on Skim’s life would be fine, however.)

Really, I love this canon and its characters so much that I would be thrilled with anything. Something that focuses on one aspect of Skim’s life would be as welcome as something that touches on several. I could see something angsty here, or something really sweet and fluffy, or both. I’d like to see something set just after the end of canon, but this is in no way required. Something set before, during, or far after canon would be cool, too. I love the way the comic captures life from the perspective of a teenager who would be on the outside of life, looking in, except that she is crafting a life for herself. She’s smart and angry and confused and caring and talented and she likes girls, and I just want more of her. (Something that is clearly set in Canada would be a bonus.)

(If we don’t match on this fandom, and you are thinking of switching fandoms: Of the 95 books I’ve read so far this year, Skim totally makes my top five. It’s a very short comic, and it seems to have been widely reviewed, so I would hope it would be fairly easy to acquire or borrow. It came out in paperback (with a whitewashing of the original cover, ew) in May. You can read about the awesome here and here.)

Having said all that, optional details are totally optional. Consider them even more optional whenever I mention potential plots. I would love to be surprised with something I'm not expecting, and I would rather read something you are passionate about than something you feel you have to write. I mean it.

Have fun with your story, YT author! I can’t wait to see what you come up with.

idella — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 02:56:17 GMT

From glitterboy1. Name ten female poets off the top of your head. (Quick, before I peek at his answers!)

Margaret Atwood
Mary Oliver
Gwendolyn ~~McEwan~~ MacEwan
P.K. Page
Elizabeth Bishop
Adrienne Rich
Sylvia Plath
Anne Sexton
Judith ~~Moffet~~ Moffett
Alexis ~~Keinlan~~ Keinlen

ETA that I spelled Gwendolyn MacEwan and Judith Moffett's names wrong. Coming up with ten names was harder than I thought it would be. Whoops, and I spelled Alexis Kienlen's name wrong, too. Sorry, blue_lotus!

idella — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 21:07:55 GMT

Two quick things:

1) ficfinishing is a community where writers who join/sign up can get help completing unfinished fics. Fandoms served include Battlestar Galactica, Bones, and starting this month, The X-Files. You can get involved as either a reader or writer, but if you want to participate this month, today is the last day to sign up. (Sign-ups do happen monthly, though.) More information can be found here.

2) bsg_pornbattle. DO I EVEN NEED TO SAY MORE.

PSA

idella — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 07:58:49 GMT

(I can't get the words to work, you guys. This is why I haven't been posting. But this is important.)

I found out about the discussions collectively known as RaceFail '09 through metafandom. As a result, I've been educating myself on white privilege and racism. I needed (and need) it. This particular post is not about me, though.

This post exists partly as a way of speaking out. I don't want my silence to be assent to racism in science fiction and fantasy circles (or anywhere, for that matter).

I am mostly, however, interested in bring RaceFail to the attention of people on my flist who may not be aware of what is going on, especially people who read science fiction and fantasy.

So, for anyone who is interested, some further reading. (Quotes are from their respective links.)

Two introductory links:

1) tablesaw's O HAI RACEFAILZ: Notes on Reading an Internet Conflict

"RaceFail is a discussion about science fiction, fantasy, fandom, publishing, race, racism, power, and many other things."

"Emotions are high in RaceFail, and it may remind you of other internet discussions where emotions run high that we generally refer to as "wank." Don't let the similarity lead you to dismiss RaceFail as wank."

2) throughadoor's Some Advice for White Fans Who Have Only Recently Encountered RaceFail

"It's okay if the only thing you take from having engaged in this mess is which professional science fiction authors are people you can respect and which ones aren't."

(I'm uncomfortable with it being okay that this is the only thing someone may take from this, but I think it's an important thing. See tablesaw's post for more information.)

"The only thing you may learn from RaceFail is that we're all a whole lot more racist than you previously wanted to suspect."

Stuff you can do (see the introductory links, too):

sparkymonster's Race Fail, Silence and Words

Recommended reading for, among other things, the symmetry:

bossymarmalade's response to Elizabeth Bear's...post

*

There is a daddy-long-legs crawling on the wall above my computer, keeping me company.

I hope everyone is well.

*

ETA more links: 1) For Clueless White People and 2) rydra_wong's epic linkspam. Thank you, tree.

when fandoms collide

idella — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 17:04:16 GMT

I think it's Timothy Geithner's hand that does it. Pelosi looks more pissed off than Roslin would let herself appear, though.

Books I read in 2008

idella — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 20:54:56 GMT

Okay, okay, it's February, but I never got around to posting my 2008 book stuff.

Total: 127

First reads: 88
Rereads: 39

Fiction: 102
NF: 5
Kidlit/YA: 20

If you want to know what I thought about any of these, just ask.

January

Moonraker’s Bride – Madeleine Brent
A Savage Place – Robert B. Parker
Looking for Rachel Wallace – Robert B. Parker
Passage – Connie Willis (reread)
Thus Was Adonis Murdered – Sarah Caudwell (reread)
Ceremony – Robert B. Parker
Masters of Illusion – Mary-Ann Tirone Smith
Jhereg – Steven Brust (reread)
Rock Star’s Girl – Kate William (reread)
Yendi – Steven Brust (reread)
The Ionian Mission – Patrick O’Brian
Teckla – Steven Brust (reread)
Phoenix – Steven Brust (reread)
Treason’s Harbour – Patrick O’Brian

February

The Saturdays – Elizabeth Enright (reread)
The Four-Story Mistake – Elizabeth Enright (reread)
The Girl in the Plain Brown Wrapper – John D. MacDonald
How Much For Just the Planet? – John M. Ford (reread)
Then There Were Five – Elizabeth Enright (reread)
Brokedown Palace – Steven Brust
The Bookshop at 10 Curzon Street – John Saumarez Smith (ed.) (reread)
Spiderweb for Two – Elizabeth Enright (reread)
American Gods – Neil Gaiman
Dress Her in Indigo – John D. MacDonald

March

Issola – Steven Brust (reread)

April

Medea – Euripides
Something Borrowed – Emily Giffin
Harriet the Spy – Louise Fitzhugh (reread)
Flying in Place – Susan Palwick (reread)
Post Captain – Patrick O’Brian (reread)
Romancing Mr. Bridgerton – Julia Quinn
Bad Girls – Cynthia Voigt
The Translator – John Crowley (reread)
The House in Paris – Elizabeth Bowen
Wit’s End – Karen Joy Fowler
The Long Secret – Louise Fitzhugh (reread)
Impossible Things – Connie Willis (reread)
The Duke and I – Julia Quinn
Don’t Care High – Gordon Korman (reread)

May

Daggerspell – Katharine Kerr (reread)
Shards of Honor – Lois McMaster Bujold (reread)
The Far Side of the World – Patrick O’Brian
The Nonesuch – Georgette Heyer
The Long Lavender Look – John D. MacDonald
Gossip Girl – Cecily von Ziegsar
You Know You Love Me – Cecily von Ziegsar
The Oresteia – Aeschylus
Mister Sandman – Barbara Gowdy
The Reverse of the Medal – Patrick O’Brian
When He Was Wicked – Julia Quinn
All I Want is Everything – Cecily von Ziegsar
Sprig Muslin – Georgette Heyer (reread)
The Widening Gyre – Robert B. Parker
A Tan and Sandy Silence – John D. MacDonald
It’s in His Kiss – Julia Quinn
The Scarlet Ruse – John D. MacDonald
Darkspell – Katharine Kerr (reread)
Look at Me – Anita Brookner

June

Slow River – Nicola Griffith
Barrayar – Lois McMaster Bujold (reread)
Tam Lin – Pamela Dean (reread)
The Letter of Marque – Patrick O’Brian
T is for Trespass – Sue Grafton
Friend of My Youth – Alice Munro
Happy All the Time – Laurie Colwin
Mansfield Park – Jane Austen (reread)
Bad, Badder, Baddest – Cynthia Voigt
Roommates – Emily Chase (reread)
Much Ado About You – Eloisa James
I Like it Like That – Cecily von Ziegesar
So Long, See You Tomorrow – William Maxwell
The Sun Also Rises – Ernest Hemingway (reread)
Cat’s Eye – Margaret Atwood (reread)
Juniper, Gentian, and Rosemary – Pamela Dean (reread)
The Thirteen Gun Salute – Patrick O’Brian
The Heat of the Day – Elizabeth Bowen

July

Valediction – Robert B. Parker
Web of Love – Mary Balogh
Phoenix – Steven Brust (reread)
The Nutmeg of Consolation – Patrick O’Brian
Devil’s Cub – Georgette Heyer
The Big Sleep – Raymond Chandler
Hide – Lisa Gardner
The Bristling Wood – Katharine Kerr (reread)
Human Croquet – Kate Atkinson
This Alien Shore – C. S. Friedman
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell – Susanna Clarke
Jenna Starborn – Sharon Shinn
Wit’s End – Karen Joy Fowler (reread)
The Dragon Revenant – Katharine Kerr (reread)
The Year’s Best Science Fiction 20th Annual Collection – Gardner Dozois (ed.)
You’re the One that I Want – Cecily von Ziegesar
Jhegaala – Steven Brust
At Large and At Small – Anne Fadiman
The Lies of Locke Lamora – Scott Lynch

August

A Catskill Eagle – Robert B. Parker
Powder and Patch – Georgette Heyer
The Devil Wears Prada – Lauren Weisberger
The Thin Man – Dashiell Hammett
The Dud Avacado – Elaine Dundy
Nadya – Pat Murphy
The Viscount Who Loved Me – Julia Quinn
The Black Moth – Georgette Heyer
Dreaming of You – Lisa Kleypas
To Sir Philip, with Love – Julia Quinn
Taming a Sea-Horse – Robert B. Parker
The Turquoise Lament – John D. MacDonald
Middlemarch – George Elliot

September

Friday’s Child – Georgette Heyer
The Ivy Tree – Mary Stewart
The Truelove – Patrick O’Brian
Pale Kings and Princes – Robert B. Parker
The Curse of Chalion – Lois McMaster Bujold
Anna Karenina – Leo Tolstoy
Close to a Killer – Marsha Qualey

October

Belong to Me – Marisa de los Santos
Paladin of Souls – Lois McMaster Bujold
Brainiac – Ken Jennings
The Big Love – Sarah Dunn (reread)
The Edible Woman – Margaret Atwood (reread)
Red Seas Under Red Skies – Scott Lynch

November

Cranberry Queen – Kathleen DeMarco
Crimson Joy – Robert B. Parker

December

Playmates – Robert B. Parker
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever – Barbara Robinson (reread)
The End of Mr Y – Scarlett Thomas

Favourites

In no particular order, and I can only pick favourites from first reads. That's just the way it is. I originally tried to describe the plots of these books, but they all came out sounding hopelessly boring, and they’re really not! I love these books because they are about people being people, and (with one exception) for the authors’ writing styles.

The House in Paris - Elizabeth Bowen
The Heat of the Day - Elizabeth Bowen

Damn. Where has Elizabeth Bowen been all my life? (Right, right. Dead. She died in 1973, same year as Nancy Mitford.) I need to read everything she's ever written. These are drenched in atmosphere and place and character and true things. The Heat of the Day takes place in London during WWII and one of the characters comes to believe she’s dating a spy. The House in Paris takes place mostly in England, actually, and has sharp, well-done children (though the book mainly focuses on the parents of one of the children).

Wit's End - Karen Joy Fowler

The only book I read twice in 2008. Fowler's sense of humour is very like my own, and I thought this was pretty damn funny. I love Fowler’s voice. The mystery plot is totally weak, but there’s not a lot of it, luckily, and Fowler’s characters and character development and story-telling more than make up for it. Neat things: Crime-scene doll-houses, a mystery author as a major character, (liberal) politics, immortality cult history, Wikipedia wars and fannish culture. And found-in-an-attic letters. It’s a pop culture wonderland.

Happy All the Time - Laurie Colwin

I fell so hard for this book. I would totally have married it after just the first chapter. I wanted to make this last and also to devour it in one big bite. I made it last for two days, but it’s pretty damn addictive, so it was hard. (Though I did mumble something in my reading journal about the style being a bit much in large doses.) It made me giggle a lot. I want to read all of Colwin’s other books, but I’m worried I’ll wind up not liking this one as much if I do. Is that strange?

The Lies of Locke Lamora - Scott Lynch

This the odd book out on list because it’s the only one I don’t love for its use of language. Lynch’s writing is perfectly acceptable, but it is his plotting and world-building I love. I read Red Seas Under Red Skies too, but it wasn’t as good. (I imagine I’ll buy Lynch’s third book in paperback, though.) Neat things: glass cities, confidence games, real consequences, suspense.

So Long, See You Tomorrow - William Maxwell

If I had secret pretend boyfriends, William Maxwell would totally be my dead-fiction-editor-for-The New Yorker boyfriend, but only because it sounds snappy: the important thing about William Maxwell is that he can write. (Also, he is smart and kind.) I love his sentences.

At Large and At Small: Familiar Essays – Anne Fadiman

Anne Fadiman should write about EVERYTHING, and she should do it ALL THE TIME. That is all.

Human Croquet – Kate Atkinson

This was marvelous. All of the style and mystery and fun I expect of Atkinson, but with bonus literary references. It’s kind of dark, too, and pretty trippy. Fairly close to the top of my list of favourite books by Atkinson.

Ha! Just when you thought this meme was gone for good...

idella — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 16:18:50 GMT

Pick up to 15 OTPs.
Describe them in ~~fewer than~~ about fifteen words.
Have your flist guess the OTP.

1. His grandfather would have called her an Elf; now she's always at his side, protecting him.

Vlad and Teldra, from the Vlad Taltos books by Steven Brust.

~~2. They had a television friendship (with UST), a hardcover romance, and a movie marriage.~~

Riker and Troi from Star Trek: The Next Generation, guessed by hummingfly67.

3. When they met she had her head in a book and he was chasing painted bees.

Holmes and Russell from Laurie R. King's Mary Russell series.

~~4. She went on a "shopping trip" to the Capital and brought him back a present.~~

Cordelia Naismith and Aral Vorkosigan from the Miles Vorkosigan series by Lois McMaster Bujold, guessed by trialia.

5. They traveled through time on a serious mission to locate a frivolous – and ugly – artifact.

Verity Kindle and Ned Henry from Connie Willis' To Say Nothing of the Dog

~~6. When he approached the stand, she look off her glasses and used her old name for him.~~

Laura Roslin and Lee Adama from Battlestar Galactica, guessed by trialia, dashakay, and bluerosefairy.

7. They've shared life after life together, but they've both been men in only one of them.

Jill and Rhodry (and their other incarnations) from Katharine Kerr's Deverry series.

~~8. She was a rose in a Bible (with nasty, hooky thorns); their love was forbidden.~~

Meggie Cleary and Ralph de Bricassart from The Thornbirds, guessed by dashakay and abracax.

~~9. She wouldn't be a widow long, not with her money, her husband said.~~

Nick and Nora Charles from The Thin Man, guessed by abracax and starfishchick.

~~10. They shared a House even though they've never lived together; he's not really her valet.~~

Rahm Emanuel and Nancy Pelosi, guessed by bluerosefairy.

~~11. Their very first time was in (pick one) S1 – S2 – S3 – S4 – S5 – the movie – S6 – S7.~~

Mulder and Scully from The X-Files, guessed by dashakay and bluerosefairy.

~~12. He proposed after he came back from the dead; they were married off-screen.~~

John and Delenn from Babylon 5, guessed by abracax.

~~13. He was a man with a gun. She was a woman with a ship's engine.~~

Jayne and Kaylee from Firefly, guessed by trialia and bluerosefairy.

14. It was just so romantic when she couldn't shoot him a second time. (Silly AFI...)

Walter Neff and Phyllis Dietrichson from Double Indemnity.

15. They shared a talent – one of them kept it a secret; the other one was an unwitting sleeper agent.

Susan Ivanova and Talia Winters, Babylon 5.

Nothing new, really.

idella — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 03:42:24 GMT

A couple quick notes...

I love how everyone knows perfectly well that D'Anna knows who the final Cylon is, and yet no one seems the slightest bit interested in badgering her for the information. Not even Saul, who KNOWS SHE'S PLANNING ON CHECKING OUT BECAUSE THEY TALK ABOUT IT. It's so nice of everyone to be so considerate of dramatic timing (or epic mind-fuckery; take your pick).

It seems like Dee was offed in order to push Adama over the edge? That's not on, eh. It really is all about the Adamas, isn't it? It's enough to drive me into the arms of...no. No, it's not.

If the 13th Tribe were all Cylons, does that mean they can all be Cylons? Can that work? *doesn't remember the mythology*

Also, how many years older than Tricia Helfer is Kate Vernon (?) anyway? Does anyone know, offhand? (The last time I looked up some innocuous bit of BSG lore, I was shocked - shocked! - by spoilers. I'm not keen on repeating the experience.)

That's...all I've got.

Spoilers, eh.

idella — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 04:17:34 GMT

OMG OMG OMG. CAN WE HAVE ELLEN TIGH AS THE FINAL CYLON? PLEASEPLEASEPLEASE. I THOUGHT IT WAS TOO MUCH TO HOPE FOR, BSG, BUT YOU HAVE (APPARENTLY) STEPPED UP TO THE PLATE OF PURE AWESOME. MAYBE.

It is taking all I have not to use my Ellen Tign icon for this post, people.

Oh, Dee. Dee Dee Dee. DEE.

And Laura.

What else, while I'm here all incoherent?

Lots of fake-outs, eh. I am such a fan of a good fake-out.

Tory looked really hot in that bastard lighting on Earth. Were the Dylan Four all in a band together on Earth? They all should have totally have been in a band together.

Mostly a BSG 'ship manifesto, it turns out

idella — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 19:16:20 GMT

(I have joined the ranks of the sick. Boo.)

I got a NYR yuletide fic! bluemoon02 wrote me near-perfect Mitford Family RPF!

Not Very Sisterly ("Lost letters between Nancy and Jessica Mitford, dated 1941 and 1943, in which they share dark secrets." Rated G.)

My definitely shallow and quite possibly irresponsible wish-list for BSG season 4.5 under the cuts.

Series-destroying spoilers up to 4x10, but I am unspoiled beyond that point and I wish to remain that way!

(Also, I have not watched any BSG for a while - I still have to re-watch S4 - so I know I am missing many, many things that would be awesome.) (Also, I mentioned this is shallow, right?)

I want everyone I like to be happy, except Laura Roslin. She needs to be DED.

WHAT. I feel the show has to let Laura Roslin die this time in order to maintain its integrity. BUT SHE IS MY FAVOURITE CHARACTER. *wibbles*

Other things I want:

More scenes with Lee and Laura. More scenes with Lee and Laura alone. More scenes where one of them has the other one pinned against a bulkhead and sexiness ensues. Or just more scenes where they sit around in other people's quarters and chat about the presidency. I AM EASY.

Saul and Caprica to get along and be HAPPY happy. Not Saul & Ellen happy. (They're probably going to have to stop beating each other up, eh.)

Baltar and head!Baltar, together again. OTP.

Athena/Chief gen. Athena/Adama gen. Athena/EVERYONE gen.

Happy!Sam. Content!Kara. (Very probably not together, though. Sadly.)

Can Dualla do something meaningful? Please?

The Opera House is very pretty. I'm just saying.

D'Anna doing anything.

Baltar/Gaeta. So. Canon.

I kind of want Adama to be the Final Cylon just so Lee can be the half-human/half-Cylon president of everything? Even though I often don't think much of him? And then Adama and Tigh could be all-Cylon BFFs. Yeah. But Roslin as the Final Cylon would rock my world, too. Or Ellen Tigh. MWAH.

Humans and Cylons getting along. I am a sucker for people getting along.

Roslin/Baltar snark. They could sit around all episode, every episode picking at each other, and I'd probably be fine with that. (I am a sucker for people not getting along, too.)

Gaius Baltar being Gaius Baltar. Whatever that means.

Kara and Helo being BFFs.

~~Callum Keith Rennie~~ Leoben.

Sixes/love OTP.

Things I don't want:

Tedious, soulful scenes where we can't help but notice Adama and Lee and OMG FATHER AND SON WHO KNEW. I did. I knew. They had me at "Adama".

Lee/Kara. (*yawns*)

Lee/Dee.

Mushy Roslin/Adama.

I may actually have had enough of Romo Lampkin.

Bottom line:

It goes without saying that I want everyone who is awesome to continue being awesome, right? And for everyone to have thoughtful, meaningful character arcs? I don't need to say that, do I? And I ♥ the angst, so if it all goes down in a big ball of disaster, I WILL BE COOL WITH THAT.

Give me great writing and great acting and I will be happy. Period.

Every day is friending amnesty day 'round here.

idella — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 18:57:15 GMT

I don't know that this necessarily requires a public announcement, but I've made some cuts to my friends list, for the usual reasons of little time + little contact.

As always, feel free to remove me from your flist if you are so inclined.

No hard feelings either way.

Icon meme

idella — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 18:01:40 GMT

These five selected by anniemarie75
1. Reply to this post and I will select five of your icons
2. Make a post (including the meme info) and talk about the icons I chose if you damn well feel like it
3. Other people can them comment to you and make their own posts
4. This will result in a never-ending cycle of icon glee

(This icon was created by the very talented nicole_anell. She makes good BSG vids, too.) I don't even know why I have so many Tory icons. She's kind of a twerp. Her character arc interests me, though, and she's ~~a sexy lady~~ hot. This icon is very pleasing to me, with the red and the black, and just half of Tory, looking a bit cowed by her new digs. She would have done better, I think, to have stuck around Galactica, getting schooled by Athena on how to be a) ~~human~~ Cylon and b) hardcore. I use this icon when I want to look at something pretty.

(Another awesome icon by nicole_anell.) This icon tickles me with its nod to Tory's future hijinks. I would like to state, for the record, that I don't fangirl Tory, or Baltar, or the two of them together (because that is just not my brand of unhealthy). Balter IS my second favourite character on BSG, though, after Laura Roslin, because ~~James Callis is brilliant~~ he cracks me up and because I find his train wreck of a life fascinating. I wouldn't vote for him, or join his crazy cult, or let him touch me with a ten-foot pole, but I'm always interested in what he's up to. This icon comes in handy for fannish posts/comments that aren't represented with their own icon.

(Okay, yesterday when I was trying to see if there are any half-decent Laura/Lee vids, I stumbled on this brilliant, hilarious Baltar vid. bop_radar's summary - "Gaius Balter is...Gaius Baltar" - is so apt, and if you get any sort of kick out of Baltar being a slimy bastard, I strongly encourage you to to check it out. The song she uses is perfect, as are her editing/pacing/clip choices. I watched this at least four times yesterday and it made me laugh SO MUCH.)

(This was made by kismet_icons.) I've had this icon ever since I've had a LJ (four and a half years), and it's in rotation fairly frequently. It's my iconic representation of ♥ and I use it for people I like. It doubles as a food icon, because CANDY. If I don't have anything sexier in rotation (not a problem right now because Tory's stepped up), it's my sexy icon, too.

(This pretty icon was made by rowan_belle.) This is Susan and Peter from the first Narnia movie. I'm not the biggest fan of the books or the movie, but I've always had a soft spot for Susan, particularly Susan as I want her to be, not as she is. I love the colouring, the icy blues and the bluey whites and the pinks that are too pink to be real. It reminds me of winter and magic. I'm using this as my holiday icon.

(This was made by shazzerwise, who clearly has great taste in books.) This is the Pigeon from Mo Willems' Pigeon books for young children/EVERYONE. This picture is from the first book, where the Pigeon wants to drive a bus, and you're not supposed to let him. In later books, the Pigeon finds a hot dog, wants to stay up late (my kind of Pigeon) and wants a puppy dog. I love the clean lines and simplicity of Willems' illustrations, and I love the Pigeon, with all his (or her?) irascible charm. Kids at my (old) school love the Pigeon, too. I use this icon for posting or commenting about children, books and children's books. It's also good for being bossy or when I am THIS CLOSE to losing it. Recently, it came in very handy over the American Thanksgiving weekend. The Pigeon is the closest thing I have to a turkey.

"I would have made it for the title alone."

idella — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 06:43:36 GMT

(This post is inspired by recent attempts by people on my flist to name stuff. This will not help them. It probably won't help you, either.)

(Subject line shout-out to Douglas Sirk and his thoughts on remaking Imitation of Life.)

Best book title: Clearly this is owned by M.E. Kerr's classic, Dinky Hocker Shoots Smack! (Though I feel it would be a stronger title without the exclamation point.)

Best movie title: Dude, Where's My Car?

Best title of an episode of the original Star Trek television show: It's a tie between "The City on the Edge of Forever" and "For the World is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky". Unless the winner is actually "Spock's Brain".

Best XF fic title: "Strangers and the Strange Dead" by Kipler. (Have a link. It's fantastic.)

It's possibly worth noting that with a couple of exceptions ("The City on the Edge of Forever" and "Strangers and the Strange Dead"), I have not read/viewed any of these selections. Also, these, to me, are all memorable titles - in other words, no research was done in the compilation of this post. As if that was not obvious already, you say. Well, yeah.

These are titles that please me with their irreverence, their alliteration, their attempts at grandeur and/or their elegance. These are titles that engage me, sometimes to the point where I will actually consume the product.

If you have any titles you particularly like, for whatever reason, I'd be interesting in hearing about them.

On an unrelated note, I feel the New Yorker should have either made or let Anthony Lane review Twilight. There can't be any good reasons why this didn't happen. I'd say the NY has no respect for the LULZ, but they do employ the man.

(An interesting article by Malcolm Gladwell about creative genius: Late Bloomers)