Monday, June 15th, 2026
Why I'm Writing My Own Stories
koalathebear @ 08:43am
I’ve been thinking about why I’m writing my own stories.
This is partly because I have written a frankly ridiculous number of words over the last few months, and partly because I’ve been rereading some of them and realising that, yes, actually, this is exactly what I wanted to read.
Which sounds self-indulgent, but also, why not? I wrote them for me.
I share them on AO3, so they’re not private in that sense. But the first reader I’m writing for is still me. I’m writing the story I wanted to find and couldn’t, or the version of the story that existed in my head but didn’t exist anywhere else.
I used to read a huge number of romance novels but the reason I started writing my own romance is that a lot of current romance just does not work for me anymore.
I don’t mean nobody else should like it. People can like what they like. I am not the romance police. But I am very easily thrown out of a story when the internal logic doesn’t work.
( Read more...Collapse )Sunday, May 12th, 2024
Maxton Hall fan fiction
koalathebear @ 03:41pm
Drowning In You. This fic is set at the end of episode 3 "Exposed" when James takes Ruby home after the party at Cyril's. Based on the amazon prime series - I've not read the books yet unfortunately because they're in German only and my German isn't good enough to read a novel :P
Nowhere To Go But You. Set at the end of episode 1.06 A Piece of Happiness, the season finale. Spoilers for the season. With nowhere to go, James finds a haven in an unexpected place ... I have not read the books. This is based purely on the amazon prime series.
Nowhere To Go But You. Set at the end of episode 1.06 A Piece of Happiness, the season finale. Spoilers for the season. With nowhere to go, James finds a haven in an unexpected place ... I have not read the books. This is based purely on the amazon prime series.
Koala Speaks - Maxton Hall Season 1 Spoiler Free Review (audio only)
koalathebear @ 03:39pm
This series is a lot of fun. I had a lot of thoughts. I had to talk about it. So this is my very basic, low tech review :D Sorry it's so low tech. I'd never get it out if I tried to be fancy. I may do a separate spoilery video addressing tropes that contains video footage.
My new obsession - Maxton Hall: The World Between us
koalathebear @ 03:33pm
I have recently fallen completely and utterly in love with the German series on amazon prime called Maxton Hall: The World Between Us / Die Welt zwischen uns. If you haven't watched it, you need to watch it but watch it in its original German with the English subtitles because you will lose so much with the English dub. Anyway, I looooooooooooooooooooooove James and Ruby so much. It's almost terrifying how much I love them as a ship.
Tuesday, November 21st, 2023
The Five Warrior Angels Trilogy by Brian Lee Durfee
koalathebear @ 06:53am
I have become totally, totally obsessed with The Five Warrior Angels trilogy by Brian Lee Durfee. I will blog about it because it's easiest to do posts at dreamwidth/livejournal but as an initial placeholder, I've done a super old school webpage for it over here
Blurb for book 1: A massive army on the brink of conquest looms large in a world where prophecies are lies, magic is believed in but never seen, and hope is where you least expect to find it. Welcome to the Five Isles, where war has come in the name of the invading army of Sør Sevier, a merciless host driven by the prophetic fervor of the Angel Prince, Aeros, toward the last unconquered kingdom of Gul Kana. Yet Gault, one of the elite Knights Archaic of Sør Sevier, is growing disillusioned by the crusade he is at the vanguard of just as it embarks on his Lord Aeros’ greatest triumph. While the eldest son of the fallen king of Gul Kana now reigns in ever increasing paranoid isolationism, his two sisters seek their own paths. Jondralyn, the older sister, renowned for her beauty, only desires to prove her worth as a warrior, while Tala, the younger sister, has uncovered a secret that may not only destroy her family but the entire kingdom. Then there’s Hawkwood, the assassin sent to kill Jondralyn who has instead fallen in love with her and trains her in his deadly art. All are led further into dangerous conspiracies within the court. And hidden at the edge of Gul Kana is Nail, the orphan taken by the enigmatic Shawcroft to the remote whaling village of Gallows Haven, a young man who may hold the link to the salvation of the entire Five Isles. You may think you know this story, but everyone is not who they seem, nor do they fit the roles you expect. Durfee has created an epic fantasy full of hope in a world based on lies.
If you like the darkness, complexity and richness of A Song of Ice and Fire you might like this. If you like the immersive story-telling tone of The Stormlight Archive, you might like this. It's very gory, violent and brutal but there's a beautiful and rich world with fascinating characters that are compelling whether you love or hate them - and believe me, there are plenty to hate ... Durfee writes beautiful prose, there are some really thought-provoking and interesting concepts discussed
Monday, January 2nd, 2023
Belated post for 2023
koalathebear @ 07:07am
Happy New Year to those who still remain on such platforms ..
One of my failed new year's resolutions these past few years has been to return to writing a diary / writing a blog ... For so many years of my life, I kept a hard copy diary ... then my blog on actual blogging websites like livejournal/dreamwidth.
These past few years, so many websites/platforms have split/compete for time that seemed ever shrinking. facebook was a huge time waster for a while, although these days, even though facebook says I have 197 friends on facebook - barely any of them post anymore. Instagram which I use as a place to post my baking photographs but it's not really a blog as such given that it has horribly limited functionality and limits how much text you can post. I have a twitter account but never got into it. Goodreads is where I have captured (most of the) books I have read during the year with the occasional brief and not particularly insightful observations on them.
On top of that, sometimes Real Life makes it hard to write in detail. I have carer duties for my mother and combined with work - some days I have no time to write or even if I do have time to write and have a lot I could write about - my head and heart are so full - it's like I really can't bring myself to write anything because I'd either write nothing or too much ... and so I don't write and find another outlet for everything welling up inside of me - walking a dog, baking, reading, watching something ... So what does 2023 hold for me? ( Read more...Collapse )
One of my failed new year's resolutions these past few years has been to return to writing a diary / writing a blog ... For so many years of my life, I kept a hard copy diary ... then my blog on actual blogging websites like livejournal/dreamwidth.
These past few years, so many websites/platforms have split/compete for time that seemed ever shrinking. facebook was a huge time waster for a while, although these days, even though facebook says I have 197 friends on facebook - barely any of them post anymore. Instagram which I use as a place to post my baking photographs but it's not really a blog as such given that it has horribly limited functionality and limits how much text you can post. I have a twitter account but never got into it. Goodreads is where I have captured (most of the) books I have read during the year with the occasional brief and not particularly insightful observations on them.
On top of that, sometimes Real Life makes it hard to write in detail. I have carer duties for my mother and combined with work - some days I have no time to write or even if I do have time to write and have a lot I could write about - my head and heart are so full - it's like I really can't bring myself to write anything because I'd either write nothing or too much ... and so I don't write and find another outlet for everything welling up inside of me - walking a dog, baking, reading, watching something ... So what does 2023 hold for me? ( Read more...Collapse )
Saturday, April 30th, 2022
Asian beauty standards for me
koalathebear @ 10:26am
This was an interesting watch/listen/read - whether from a learning Chinese-language perspective or a cultural perspective - there are both English and simplified Chinese subtitles. The guy in the video speaks Mandarin at a very nice pace and very clearly.
It's talking about different beauty standards and how by modern Chinese standards, Simu Liu, the guy who plays Shang Chi in the recent marvel movie is considered 'ugly' / 'not good looking'. Asian countries have always preferred the large-eyed, double-lidded Western look for female eyes. This has now extended to the men, too I guess. Not surprisingly, the Chinese also seem to have embraced the Japanese/Korean pop idol / movie star look - which is a very pale, delicate, large-eyed, cosmetic-wearing look. It's hard to find non-offensive/binary/gender normative ways to describe it but essentially the current idealised masculine beauty seems to resemble what we would traditionally described as girlish, delicate and feminine. Check out the video to see it. ( Read more...Collapse )
Saturday, January 1st, 2022
goodreads reading challenge 2021
koalathebear @ 12:02am
I started out strong, then dropped off a little later in the year when I got a bit caught up with other things. I really didn't want to not meet this year's challenge so after a mad scramble at the end, I got there.... reading a few zombie apocalypse novels towards the end which seems kind of appropriate.
There were some amazing books in there as well as a lot of trash.
Some standouts were:
- Leviathan Falls, the last book of the Expanse. I tried to drag it out as long as I could, but it had to end.
- Silence in the Library by Katharine Schellman, second in the Lily Adler Mystery series - I really like these books
- A Peculiar Combination, book 1 of the Electra McDonnell series. I LOVED this and can't wait for the next book.
- Books 1 to 3 of the Lady Adelaide mysteries. I can't believe I haven't read book 4 yet - have just bought it and will read it first thing in the new year.
- The Zombie War Battle for Britain. As poignant and absorbing as World War Z.
- Rule of Wolves by Leigh Bardugo, last of the Grishaverse series as well as the whole Shadow and Bone Trilogy.
- reread Blackout and All Clear again by Connie Willis and had my heart broken all over again.
- The Elemental trilogy by Sherry Thomas. I LOVE her Lady Sherlock series and this series was also amazing. I think I might have to reread/re-listen to it in the new year.
As for the new year, i have a tonne of books that I want to read that are coming out ... I've belatedly started The Wheel of Time series after having watched season 1 ... 2022 is going to have a lot of excellent reading in it.
This entry was originally posted at https://koalathebear2.dreamwidth.org/1408283.html. Feel free to comment here or at dreamwidth.
Sunday, September 5th, 2021
Pandemic Baking - not sourdough ...
koalathebear @ 03:04pm
I don't like sourdough, so haven't been making sourdough, but other things during the latest lockdown here in Canberra, Australia. ( Read more...Collapse )
Saturday, December 5th, 2020
Saturday, March 14th, 2020
arguing on the internet ... i keep doing it ..
koalathebear @ 01:25pm
I posted this on facebook today in response to a thread that was devolving into a toxic, racist mess of finger pointing and dismissiveness. I also grow weary of the 'just a cold', 'just a runny nose', 'this doesn't affect' me group of people who just don't get it .. I'm not saying freak out - but we need to take stock of the situation and try to get ahead of things before we're all cactus. ( Read more...Collapse )
Thursday, March 12th, 2020
Living in a time of pandemic ...
koalathebear @ 11:45pm
Here in Canberra, we've just made it through drought, bushfire, toxic smoke that took our air quality to horrific heights ... hail stones the size of golf balls .. torrential rains ... and now we're dealing with ... plague.
I have many, many things in my head and I am not pretending to love that Australia is now famous for starting the Great Toilet Paper Panic ... but I have a lot of things to think about and process.
Every day, I read about a new workplace that's had to close down for the day/week because of a suspected case. The ACT had its first COVID19 case today.
I'm painfully conscious that if I attend the wrong meeting or attend work on the wrong day and end up having to self-isolate - then I won't be able to visit my mother at the hospital (all the patients on her ward are elderly) / pick her up for her leave days and also administer her medication on those days ... She needs meds twice a day and it's quite a complicated combination of tablets. I might see how things look at the end of this weekend and then decide. I would like to do a proper post - there's much to say and I want to say it.
Stay safe everyone ... these are tough times. My heart goes out to the people in China, Italy, Iran .. everywhere ..
I have many, many things in my head and I am not pretending to love that Australia is now famous for starting the Great Toilet Paper Panic ... but I have a lot of things to think about and process.
Every day, I read about a new workplace that's had to close down for the day/week because of a suspected case. The ACT had its first COVID19 case today.
I'm painfully conscious that if I attend the wrong meeting or attend work on the wrong day and end up having to self-isolate - then I won't be able to visit my mother at the hospital (all the patients on her ward are elderly) / pick her up for her leave days and also administer her medication on those days ... She needs meds twice a day and it's quite a complicated combination of tablets. I might see how things look at the end of this weekend and then decide. I would like to do a proper post - there's much to say and I want to say it.
Stay safe everyone ... these are tough times. My heart goes out to the people in China, Italy, Iran .. everywhere ..
Sunday, November 24th, 2019
Smart dogs, dogs with history ...
koalathebear @ 03:39pm
Esme, our 21st foster dog arrived with us last Sunday. She is not a Kelpie... Our first non working dog.
If you look at the intelligence classification of dogs according to Stanley Coren, the Border Collie (which is the closest approximation to a Kelpie that I can find in his list), is listed as #1 out of a list of 79.
Coren assessed intelligence based on:
I have to laugh when I see that poor Esme, is descended from a line of dogs far lower down the list of intelligence in the Coren list.
The Maltese Terrier is 59th most intelligent or 31st most dumb, depending on how you look at it. The Shih Tzu is the 70th most intelligent or the 10th most dumb depending on how you look at it.
Nonetheless, the Maltese and the Shih Tzu have the Kelpie beat hands down in terms of sheer history.
The Kelpie is a relatively new/young breed of not quite 150 years of history. The first dog known as a Kelpie was a black and tan female pup bought by Jack Gleeson in around 1872 from a litter born on Warrock Station near Casterton.
Kelpies are descended from the border collie which is turn descended from landrace collies from the British Isles. Given that the word 'collie' didn't really start showing up around until the end of the 19th century, border collies and collies generally aren't that old a breed either. There's a common theory around that Kelpies descended from dingoes. Although many now dispute that statement, if it were true, based on fossils found in Western Australia, dingos have been around for at least around 3,500 years. Still, current thinking says there's no dingo blood in Kelpies so Kelpies are still relatively new, history-wise - just a couple of centuries old.
In contrast, the Maltese Terrier, has been around for centuries, known as the "Maltese Terrier", the "ancient dog of Malta," the "Roman Ladies' Dog," the "Maltese Sleeve Dog," and "Melita" (the former name of Malta). The earliest record of a Maltese was found on a Greek amphora found in the Etruscan town of Vulci, in which a Maltese-like dog is portrayed along with the word Μελιταιε (Melitaie). This record was dated to have been made around 500 BC. The Maltese Terrier was also mentioned by Aristotle in around 370 BC.
Imbued with even more history is the Shih Tzu (西施犬 Xī Shī quǎn), which literally means "lion dog". It is said that the breed originated on the Tibetan Plateau and was developed in China. The Shih Tzu is one of the oldest dog breeds in the world. Fossils from more than 10,000 years ago show that the dogs of that day were closely related to the Shih Tzu of today.
Looking at this fluffy little blob, it's a bit weird to think that she has the blood of thousands of years of breeding flowing through her veins compared to our other three, whose ancestry would only go back a couple of hundred years.
This entry was originally posted at https://koalathebear2.dreamwidth.org/1407881.html. Feel free to comment here or at dreamwidth.
If you look at the intelligence classification of dogs according to Stanley Coren, the Border Collie (which is the closest approximation to a Kelpie that I can find in his list), is listed as #1 out of a list of 79.
Coren assessed intelligence based on:
- Instinctive intelligence: abilities that the dog possesses instinctively, such as sheepherding, guarding or company, among others.
- Adaptive intelligence: skills that dogs have to solve problems.
- Work intelligence and obedience: the ability to learn from a human being.
I have to laugh when I see that poor Esme, is descended from a line of dogs far lower down the list of intelligence in the Coren list.
The Maltese Terrier is 59th most intelligent or 31st most dumb, depending on how you look at it. The Shih Tzu is the 70th most intelligent or the 10th most dumb depending on how you look at it.
Nonetheless, the Maltese and the Shih Tzu have the Kelpie beat hands down in terms of sheer history.
The Kelpie is a relatively new/young breed of not quite 150 years of history. The first dog known as a Kelpie was a black and tan female pup bought by Jack Gleeson in around 1872 from a litter born on Warrock Station near Casterton.
Kelpies are descended from the border collie which is turn descended from landrace collies from the British Isles. Given that the word 'collie' didn't really start showing up around until the end of the 19th century, border collies and collies generally aren't that old a breed either. There's a common theory around that Kelpies descended from dingoes. Although many now dispute that statement, if it were true, based on fossils found in Western Australia, dingos have been around for at least around 3,500 years. Still, current thinking says there's no dingo blood in Kelpies so Kelpies are still relatively new, history-wise - just a couple of centuries old.
In contrast, the Maltese Terrier, has been around for centuries, known as the "Maltese Terrier", the "ancient dog of Malta," the "Roman Ladies' Dog," the "Maltese Sleeve Dog," and "Melita" (the former name of Malta). The earliest record of a Maltese was found on a Greek amphora found in the Etruscan town of Vulci, in which a Maltese-like dog is portrayed along with the word Μελιταιε (Melitaie). This record was dated to have been made around 500 BC. The Maltese Terrier was also mentioned by Aristotle in around 370 BC.
Imbued with even more history is the Shih Tzu (西施犬 Xī Shī quǎn), which literally means "lion dog". It is said that the breed originated on the Tibetan Plateau and was developed in China. The Shih Tzu is one of the oldest dog breeds in the world. Fossils from more than 10,000 years ago show that the dogs of that day were closely related to the Shih Tzu of today.
Looking at this fluffy little blob, it's a bit weird to think that she has the blood of thousands of years of breeding flowing through her veins compared to our other three, whose ancestry would only go back a couple of hundred years.
This entry was originally posted at https://koalathebear2.dreamwidth.org/1407881.html. Feel free to comment here or at dreamwidth.
Sunday, November 3rd, 2019
Book rec: Beatrice Hyde-Clare mysteries by Lynn Messina
koalathebear @ 07:12pm
Beatrice Hyde-Clare mysteries by Lynn Messina.
It's like a cross between Jane Austen, Georgette Heyer and a little bit of mystery.
Blurb for book 1: England 1816. Twenty-six-year-old Beatrice Hyde-Clare is far too shy to investigate the suspicious death of a fellow guest in the Lake District. A spinster who lives on the sufferance of her relatives, she would certainly not presume to search the rooms of her host's son and his friend looking for evidence. Reared in the twin virtues of deference and docility, she would absolutely never think to question the imperious Duke of Kesgrave about anything, let alone how he chose to represent the incident to the local constable.
And yet when she stumbles upon the bludgeoned corpse of poor Mr. Otley in the deserted library of the Skeffingtons' country house, that's exactly what she does.
I love this series soooo much and have been re-reading them over and over - and the audio books are well-narrated and so hilarious. Bea is delightful. I didn't like Kesgrave at first, but oh wow, he really grew on me and by the later books, I'm totally in love. The author's tone and writing is excellent and I laughed out loud quite a few times.
It's like a cross between Jane Austen, Georgette Heyer and a little bit of mystery.
Blurb for book 1: England 1816. Twenty-six-year-old Beatrice Hyde-Clare is far too shy to investigate the suspicious death of a fellow guest in the Lake District. A spinster who lives on the sufferance of her relatives, she would certainly not presume to search the rooms of her host's son and his friend looking for evidence. Reared in the twin virtues of deference and docility, she would absolutely never think to question the imperious Duke of Kesgrave about anything, let alone how he chose to represent the incident to the local constable.
And yet when she stumbles upon the bludgeoned corpse of poor Mr. Otley in the deserted library of the Skeffingtons' country house, that's exactly what she does.
I love this series soooo much and have been re-reading them over and over - and the audio books are well-narrated and so hilarious. Bea is delightful. I didn't like Kesgrave at first, but oh wow, he really grew on me and by the later books, I'm totally in love. The author's tone and writing is excellent and I laughed out loud quite a few times.
Book rec: The Veronica Speedwell mystery series by Deanna Raybourn
koalathebear @ 06:49pm
The Veronica Speedwell mystery series by Deanna Raybourn.
There are four books out of five and the audio books are extremely well-narrated. The books are entertaining and very well-written.
Blurb for book 1: London, 1887. As the city prepares to celebrate Queen Victoria's golden jubilee, Veronica Speedwell is marking a milestone of her own. After burying her spinster aunt, the orphaned Veronica is free to resume her world travels in pursuit of scientific inquiry-and the occasional romantic dalliance. As familiar with hunting butterflies as she is fending off admirers, Veronica wields her butterfly net and a sharpened hatpin with equal aplomb, and with her last connection to England now gone, she intends to embark upon the journey of a lifetime.
But fate has other plans, as Veronica discovers when she thwarts her own abduction with the help of an enigmatic German baron with ties to her mysterious past. Promising to reveal in time what he knows of the plot against her, the baron offers her temporary sanctuary in the care of his friend Stoker-a reclusive natural historian as intriguing as he is bad-tempered. But before the baron can deliver on his tantalizing vow to reveal the secrets he has concealed for decades, he is found murdered. Suddenly Veronica and Stoker are forced to go on the run from an elusive assailant, wary partners in search of the villainous truth.
I much prefer Veronica Speedwell to Lady Julia Grey as a character and a series - although you do have to get over the rather intricate descriptions of Lepidopterology... I really enjoy the dynamic between Veronica and Stoker and recommend listening/reading them.
There are four books out of five and the audio books are extremely well-narrated. The books are entertaining and very well-written.
Blurb for book 1: London, 1887. As the city prepares to celebrate Queen Victoria's golden jubilee, Veronica Speedwell is marking a milestone of her own. After burying her spinster aunt, the orphaned Veronica is free to resume her world travels in pursuit of scientific inquiry-and the occasional romantic dalliance. As familiar with hunting butterflies as she is fending off admirers, Veronica wields her butterfly net and a sharpened hatpin with equal aplomb, and with her last connection to England now gone, she intends to embark upon the journey of a lifetime.
But fate has other plans, as Veronica discovers when she thwarts her own abduction with the help of an enigmatic German baron with ties to her mysterious past. Promising to reveal in time what he knows of the plot against her, the baron offers her temporary sanctuary in the care of his friend Stoker-a reclusive natural historian as intriguing as he is bad-tempered. But before the baron can deliver on his tantalizing vow to reveal the secrets he has concealed for decades, he is found murdered. Suddenly Veronica and Stoker are forced to go on the run from an elusive assailant, wary partners in search of the villainous truth.
I much prefer Veronica Speedwell to Lady Julia Grey as a character and a series - although you do have to get over the rather intricate descriptions of Lepidopterology... I really enjoy the dynamic between Veronica and Stoker and recommend listening/reading them.
Friday, October 18th, 2019
Lady Sherlock series by Sherry Thomas and the issue of "Maximum Tolerable Chins" :D
koalathebear @ 12:52pm
I have totally and utterly fallen in love with the Lady Sherlock series by Sherry Thomas. It's utterly enchanting. There are four in the series thusfar, being "A Study in Scarlet Women", "A Conspiracy in Belgravia", "The Hollow of Fear" and "The Art of Theft," the last of which was released this month.
I've read and listened to all four books and adore them. I thought I had grown weary of reboots of the Sherlock Holmes story, but this one is very fresh and delightful.
Blurb: USA Today bestselling author Sherry Thomas turns the story of the renowned Sherlock Holmes upside down in the first novel in this Victorian mystery series….
With her inquisitive mind, Charlotte Holmes has never felt comfortable with the demureness expected of the fairer sex in upper class society. But even she never thought that she would become a social pariah, an outcast fending for herself on the mean streets of London.
When the city is struck by a trio of unexpected deaths and suspicion falls on her sister and her father, Charlotte is desperate to find the true culprits and clear the family name. She’ll have help from friends new and old—a kind-hearted widow, a police inspector, and a man who has long loved her.
But in the end, it will be up to Charlotte, under the assumed name Sherlock Holmes, to challenge society’s expectations and match wits against an unseen mastermind.
*
I'll write more about the series at a later point, but one very small, prosaic point that I particularly love is the fact that notwithstanding her almost supernatural brilliance, Charlotte is constantly battling against her love of food - which wars with her desire to fend off the approach of weight gain which she describes as maintaining Maximum Tolerable Chins :D Quotes beneath the cut. ( Read more...Collapse )
I've read and listened to all four books and adore them. I thought I had grown weary of reboots of the Sherlock Holmes story, but this one is very fresh and delightful.
Blurb: USA Today bestselling author Sherry Thomas turns the story of the renowned Sherlock Holmes upside down in the first novel in this Victorian mystery series….
With her inquisitive mind, Charlotte Holmes has never felt comfortable with the demureness expected of the fairer sex in upper class society. But even she never thought that she would become a social pariah, an outcast fending for herself on the mean streets of London.
When the city is struck by a trio of unexpected deaths and suspicion falls on her sister and her father, Charlotte is desperate to find the true culprits and clear the family name. She’ll have help from friends new and old—a kind-hearted widow, a police inspector, and a man who has long loved her.
But in the end, it will be up to Charlotte, under the assumed name Sherlock Holmes, to challenge society’s expectations and match wits against an unseen mastermind.
*
I'll write more about the series at a later point, but one very small, prosaic point that I particularly love is the fact that notwithstanding her almost supernatural brilliance, Charlotte is constantly battling against her love of food - which wars with her desire to fend off the approach of weight gain which she describes as maintaining Maximum Tolerable Chins :D Quotes beneath the cut. ( Read more...Collapse )
Monday, September 30th, 2019
The Expanse: Re-read of Cibola Burn by James S.A. Corey
koalathebear @ 12:13pm
Originally posted 3 October 2016. Updated 30 September 2019.
( Read more...Collapse )
I didn’t really care for this book much the first time I read it and I know that a lot of people hate it - and hate the audiobook even more - poor old Erik Davies, he’s never going to get another reading gig, but as part of a re-read of the series I decided I liked the book a lot more the second time around.
In anticipation of the fourth season airing soon, I listened to the audiobook version of Cibola Burn as narrated by the much adored Jefferson Mays and on my now third reading (albeit listening) of this book, I completely and utterly fell in love with it.
Tuesday, January 15th, 2019
link: 40 Comics That I Made To Show The Differences And Similarities Between Chinese And Western Cul
koalathebear @ 02:10pm
I really like this - I can relate to so many.
40 Comics That I Made To Show The Differences And Similarities Between Chinese And Western Cultures
40 Comics That I Made To Show The Differences And Similarities Between Chinese And Western Cultures
Wednesday, January 2nd, 2019
Farewell 2018 and hullo 2019
koalathebear @ 03:09pm
Belated New Year’s post. What a year 2018 was … I felt emotionally and physically exhausted by the end of the year. ( Read more...Collapse )
Sunday, December 16th, 2018
When a group rips itself apart ...
koalathebear @ 09:26am
I've seen it happen with minority groups. One group ripping on the other one for not carrying its weight enough, not being militant enough, being too militant ... not being as disadvantaged or disenfranchised enough. I've seen minorities attack their own for not marrying/dating someone within their own minority group and going out with someone white... Or worse - going out with someone who isn't considered dark enough/mixed blooded. Sexual/romantic apartheid if you will ...
The latest infighting I've seen is in the plus sized group of women. These days plus is a polite, nicer way to describe being fat. It is basically designed to encompass anything from being slightly overweight to downright morbidly obese. They also call it Big Is Beautiful or Extended sizes and there was some debate about calling it plus for a while, but plus seems to have been settled upon as the generally acceptable description. The clothing categories are supposed to help anyone who can't get clothes in the average size range stocked in most standard clothing stores.( Read more...Collapse )
The latest infighting I've seen is in the plus sized group of women. These days plus is a polite, nicer way to describe being fat. It is basically designed to encompass anything from being slightly overweight to downright morbidly obese. They also call it Big Is Beautiful or Extended sizes and there was some debate about calling it plus for a while, but plus seems to have been settled upon as the generally acceptable description. The clothing categories are supposed to help anyone who can't get clothes in the average size range stocked in most standard clothing stores.( Read more...Collapse )
Sunday, April 1st, 2018
Movie: Please Stand By
koalathebear @ 02:31pm
Blurb: Wendy sees things differently: she's fiercely independent, with a brilliant mind and a mischievous sense of hilarity. Wendy also has autism. To her, people are an indecipherable code and the world's a confusing place. Inspired by her no-nonsense caregiver, Wendy comes of age and escapes from her care home on the road trip of a lifetime to deliver her 500-page script to a writing competition.
*
I've been so incredibly impressed by Dakota Fanning's performance as Sara Howard in the series "The Alienist" that I decided to watch the film Please Stand By in which she plays a young woman with Aspergers who defies her own fears and issues to travel to Los Angeles to try to deliver a Star Trek screenplay that she has written. It sounds like an odd story but it's such a gorgeous road movie / coming of ages movie / journey of self discovery movie. I loved it.( Read more...Collapse )
This entry was originally posted at https://koalathebear2.dreamwidth.org/1402880.html. Feel free to comment here or at dreamwidth.
Sunday, March 25th, 2018
Film: Gifted (2017)
koalathebear @ 09:32pm
Blurb: Frank Adler (Chris Evans) is a single man raising a child prodigy - his spirited young niece Mary (Mckenna Grace) - in a coastal town in Florida. Frank's plans for a normal school life for Mary are foiled when the 7-year-old's mathematical abilities come to the attention of Frank's formidable mother, Evelyn (Lindsay Duncan), whose plans for her granddaughter threaten to separate Frank and Mary.( Read more...Collapse )
This entry was originally posted at https://koalathebear2.dreamwidth.org/1402631.html. Feel free to comment here or at dreamwidth.
Film: Wonder (2017)
koalathebear @ 09:08pm
Blurb: Based on the New York Times bestseller, WONDER tells the incredibly inspiring and heartwarming story of August Pullman, a boy with facial differences who enters fifth grade, attending a mainstream elementary school for the first time. ( Read more...Collapse )
This entry was originally posted at https://koalathebear2.dreamwidth.org/1402596.html. Feel free to comment here or at dreamwidth.
Film: Revolt (2017)
koalathebear @ 08:26pm
Blurb: The story of humankind’s last stand against a cataclysmic alien invasion. In the war-ravaged African countryside, a U.S. soldier and a French foreign aid worker team up to survive the alien onslaught. Their bond will be tested as they search for refuge across a crumbling world. ( Read more...Collapse )
This entry was originally posted at https://koalathebear2.dreamwidth.org/1402236.html. Feel free to comment here or at dreamwidth.
Monday, January 1st, 2018
The Vietnam War documentary series by Ken Burns
koalathebear @ 11:12pm
Trailer:
Blurb: Directed by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick, 'The Vietnam War' tells the epic story of the Vietnam War as it has never before been told on film. Featuring testimonies from more than 60 witnesses, including many Americans who fought in the war and others who opposed it, as well as Vietnamese combatants and civilians from both the winning and losing sides, it brings the war and chaotic epoch it encompassed viscerally to life. After a long and brutal war, Vietnamese revolutionaries led by Ho Chi Minh end nearly a century of French colonial occupation. With the Cold War intensifying, Vietnam is divided in two at Geneva. Communists in the North aim to reunify the country, while America supports Ngo Dinh Diem’s untested regime in the South.
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I just finished watching the Ken Burns series. SBS Australia has it online here. You can buy the episodes from PBS here and someone has uploaded the episodes to youtube, although it needs to be noted that the Vietnamese dialogue does not have English subtitles.
I've always enjoyed Ken Burns documentaries and I'm surprised at myself for not having watched this one before, especially given that I am a Vietnamese refugee and that stories of the Vietnam War have coloured almost every part of my existence growing up. My father was a captain in the military police in the South Vietnamese army - the Army of the Republic of Vietnam a.k.a. ARVN. Growing up we were told stories of our escape from Vietnam, stories of the Vietnam war, my father's childhood in Chợ Lớn, growing up in an ethnically Chinese family. When my father died in 2010, he had still never gone back to visit Vietnam, the country of his birth even though a part of him always yearned to return.
I went back with my mother, sobered by the realisation that most of her childhood friends were long dead and gone and that the traumas inflicted by the war would never really release their grip on anyone who had been through it. As long as I knew him, my father was always very sad to the point of being bitter about the Vietnam War narrative. How it was always framed as essentially an American war and seen through American eyes. That it was the Americans against the Viet Cong and always excluded from the narrative were the stories of the ARVN, the South Vietnamese soldiers who lost their lives for their country.( Read more...Collapse )
This entry was originally posted at https://koalathebear2.dreamwidth.org/1402020.html. Feel free to comment here or at dreamwidth.
Blurb: Directed by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick, 'The Vietnam War' tells the epic story of the Vietnam War as it has never before been told on film. Featuring testimonies from more than 60 witnesses, including many Americans who fought in the war and others who opposed it, as well as Vietnamese combatants and civilians from both the winning and losing sides, it brings the war and chaotic epoch it encompassed viscerally to life. After a long and brutal war, Vietnamese revolutionaries led by Ho Chi Minh end nearly a century of French colonial occupation. With the Cold War intensifying, Vietnam is divided in two at Geneva. Communists in the North aim to reunify the country, while America supports Ngo Dinh Diem’s untested regime in the South.
*
I just finished watching the Ken Burns series. SBS Australia has it online here. You can buy the episodes from PBS here and someone has uploaded the episodes to youtube, although it needs to be noted that the Vietnamese dialogue does not have English subtitles.
I've always enjoyed Ken Burns documentaries and I'm surprised at myself for not having watched this one before, especially given that I am a Vietnamese refugee and that stories of the Vietnam War have coloured almost every part of my existence growing up. My father was a captain in the military police in the South Vietnamese army - the Army of the Republic of Vietnam a.k.a. ARVN. Growing up we were told stories of our escape from Vietnam, stories of the Vietnam war, my father's childhood in Chợ Lớn, growing up in an ethnically Chinese family. When my father died in 2010, he had still never gone back to visit Vietnam, the country of his birth even though a part of him always yearned to return.
I went back with my mother, sobered by the realisation that most of her childhood friends were long dead and gone and that the traumas inflicted by the war would never really release their grip on anyone who had been through it. As long as I knew him, my father was always very sad to the point of being bitter about the Vietnam War narrative. How it was always framed as essentially an American war and seen through American eyes. That it was the Americans against the Viet Cong and always excluded from the narrative were the stories of the ARVN, the South Vietnamese soldiers who lost their lives for their country.( Read more...Collapse )
This entry was originally posted at https://koalathebear2.dreamwidth.org/1402020.html. Feel free to comment here or at dreamwidth.
Sunday, December 3rd, 2017
Television: The Brave: 1.03 The Greater Good (recap/pic spam/review) [spoilers]
koalathebear @ 11:55pm
Blurb: The team is tasked with planting a bug on an extremely paranoid arms dealer who supplies weapons to terrorists, aided by an undercover Mexican agent and a mole in the terrorist organization – the leader's mistress.
*
Another enjoyable episode! ( Read more...Collapse )
Tristan the Minion: "I'm OK!" :)
koalathebear @ 08:30pm
I love this video. Tristan the Toddler topples over and not only does not cry, his first reaction is to reassure those around him.
Dan and I were wondering if it was his natural personality or if his parents brought him up to be so caring and thoughtful of others? :) #imok
The Brave fan vid: Omega Team
koalathebear @ 07:10pm
My first fan vid for this fandom. I'm not really a vidder - and feel more comfortable doing pic spams and writing fan fic, but really wanted to do something!
Music is "Growing Up Londinium" from the soundtrack to King Arthur: Legend of the Sword.
Music is "Growing Up Londinium" from the soundtrack to King Arthur: Legend of the Sword.
Television: The Brave: 1.02 Moscow Rules (recap/pic spam/review) [spoilers]
koalathebear @ 12:34am
Blurb: When a CIA safe house in Ukraine is attacked and one of the operatives hurt and on the run, the team must both locate her while evading the highly skilled Russian ops team in pursuit of her.
*
So I kind of loved this episode a lot. It was like a much more enjoyable version of Homeland with characters that were actually likeable. ( Read more...Collapse )
Monday, November 27th, 2017
Television: The Brave: 1.01 Pilot (recap/pic spam/review) Spoilers. I talk about the whole episode
koalathebear @ 01:10pm
Blurb: When Dr. Kimberly Wells, an ophthalmologist with Doctors Without Borders, is kidnapped by the Al-Nusra Front in Northern Syria, it is up to DIA Special Ops Capt. Adam Dalton and his team of misfits to find the terrorists responsible and bring her home safely.
*
Not sure I'd call Dalton's team "misfits", but hey. I've already written a general blurb in my post NBC's The Brave: a new show I'm enjoying and why, but decided I want to do a discussion of each episode in more detail. My recap of the pilot will be the most detailed given that it's the introductory episode.
( Read more...Collapse )
Fan Fic: The Brave: Missing Scenes and Book Ends (3 new chapters)
koalathebear @ 12:15pm
- Alone. Set during and after 1.05 Enhanced Protection.
- The Magnificent Five. Set during and after 1.08 Stealth.
- Bruised. Set after 1.08 Stealth.
Thursday, November 23rd, 2017
The Brave fic: Marco Polo (Adam Dalton/Jaz Khan)
koalathebear @ 12:14am
Title: Marco Polo
Characters: Adam Dalton, Jasmine “Jaz” Khan, Ezekiel “Preach” Carter, Joseph J. “McG” McGuire, Amir Al-Raisani
Relationship: Adam Dalton/Jaz Khan, Adam Dalton & Jaz Khan
Warning: Violence and brief descriptions of torture
Blurb: Set just after 1.09 Desperate Times which was such a suspenseful and painful cliff hanger. I’ve deliberately not included this fic in my ongoing fic The Brave: Missing Scenes and Book Ends because I’m trying to keep as much to canon as possible in that one and this one worked better as a standalone fic.
An interview with Natacha Karam who plays Jaz pretty clearly indicates that Jaz is going to go through a very hard time following her capture in episode 1.09, so I decided to explore that a little. Apologies for the brief descriptions of torture.
Tuesday, November 21st, 2017
Article: The Brave Star Dishes Jaz/Dalton in Wake of Fall Finale
koalathebear @ 09:54pm
tvline.com: The Brave Star Dishes Jaz/Dalton in Wake of Fall Finale: 'You Can't Not Love Someone You Trust With Your Life'
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Sunday, November 19th, 2017
Movie Thoughts: Justice League (2017) (spoilers)
koalathebear @ 11:47pm
Blurb: Fueled by his restored faith in humanity and inspired by Superman's selfless act, Bruce Wayne enlists newfound ally Diana Prince to face an even greater threat. Together, Batman and Wonder Woman work quickly to recruit a team to stand against this newly awakened enemy. Despite the formation of an unprecedented league of heroes -- Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Cyborg and the Flash -- it may be too late to save the planet from an assault of catastrophic proportions.
*
Unlike the critics who hated this film (rottentomatoes has it at 39%), I loved it. I've come to the conclusion that as far as the critics are concerned, D.C. can do no right - except Wonder Woman (92% on rottentomatoes). People were careful to diss Wonder Woman in case they were characterised as problematic. This was not the terrible movie that people say it is. Iron Man 3 was awful yet that's at 79%, Guardians of the Galaxy 2 was a hot mess as far as I was concerned, and that's sitting at 82%. I've given up reading reviews for Man of Steel, Batman v Superman and Justice League simply because I know that so many of the reviews are horribly biased. Seriously ... all the nit-picking about CGI-erased moustaches and Amazon costumes which really were not that skimpy and in any case, were not in any way the focus of the scenes! If you actually watch the movie, when the Amazons are onscreen there's far more to deal with than what they're wearing.( Read more...Collapse )