scream it all out

profile badges!

easterly — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 02:48:31 GMT

I've finished the two profile badges (which are pretty basic and not all that fantastic)! If anyone else is a better hand at photoshop than me, feel free to make your own, and link back to here so we can see them! Also, feel free to edit the codes for the badges as you wish!

Also, you can hotlink because the images were uploaded to imgur. Unless you want to upload them to your own image hoster. :)

♥

What they'll look like:

(last badge by averzierlia)

badge one:

badge two:

badge three:

pimp post!

easterly — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 02:28:32 GMT

Let's get some more members, yeah? It's no fun having discussion posts if there's no one around to discuss things with!

What it'll look like:

This is a community is for book reviews, fanfic recs, and pretty much anything related to literature. Membership will always be open, so feel free to watch/join, but only post if you've got something worth posting!

☞ join | ☞ watch | ♔ distantfridays

Just c/p it into an appropriate journal entry/community post! Thanks so much for supporting this community. ♥ I'll be making profile badges soon, if any of you would like to have one on your profile.

Unpopular Opinion Time!

easterly — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 01:41:18 GMT

On eBooks, eReaders, and normal books:

To be totally honest, I prefer eBooks to real books sometimes. Like, when I’m off to school and I already have to carry around thirty pounds of textbooks, and then I want to bring along a book or two to read during my free time? It’s a heck of a lot easier to just stick my nookColor or tablet in my bag than to try and cram a few more books into my bookbag. Wasn’t Borders going under anyway, before the dawn of eReaders (and the recent popularity of them)? I know the one where I live was losing business long before any sort of eReaders became popular. If you want to blame something for causing family-owned or smaller bookselling chains for going out of business, I suggest you look towards Barnes & Noble, Amazon.com, and Half-Price Books. Seriously.

Not that I don’t love normal books. I like how they smell and I love how the pages feel against my fingers. I also like the weight of them (when it’s not in my bookbag!), because I can drop them without worrying about breaking a $300-ish electronic device.

Unpopular opinion is unpopular? Why can’t eBooks and normal books just live in peace and bibliophilic love together?

WE CAN HAVE BOTH AND BE HAPPY.

What's your opinion on eReaders/eBooks, normal books, and the recent closing of Borders (and local booksellers)? Agree with me? Disagree? Do you have an eReader?

I do. I have a nookColor (Barnes & Noble) and an Iconia Tab (Acer) that can double as one (as well as a tablet computer). Would you consider buying one, ever (ex. if the price went down)? Or are you a hardcore real-books-only-bitch kind of person?

oh, the places i've been!

easterly — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 21:40:55 GMT

This post has both fanfic recs and a book review! I feel so accomplished. This is the first book review posted to thingsoncesaid, and I hope you like it!

These recs are kind of old (there are no new, brilliantly done Supernatural fics that I can find, so if you have any, tell me), but totally worth the read (or re-read!).

Enjoy! ♥

fandoms:

Supernatural (Wincest & Destiel)

Title: The (Mostly Accidental) Courtship of Dean Winchester
Author: everysecondtuesday
Pairing: Dean/Castiel
Rating: R
Summary: Angelic marriage rites were never intended to go quite like this.

Notes: There aren't words for what this fic made me feel. It's so completely them. It's one of those must-reads, so go, go!

Read it here!

Title: Smitten
Author: fleshflutter
Pairing: Sam/Michael (Sam/Dean if you squint hard enough)
Rating: PG
Summary: For all that Michael was the fearsome general of the angelic troops, Sam was finding it a little hard to take him seriously.

Notes: This. THIS. It's almost borderline crack, but I still adore it so. Michael, in love with Sam. It's perfect, and I love how fleshflutter characterized Michael. Plus, Michael's a pretty-pretty princess.

Read it here!

Title: Oh, it is love
Author: fleshflutter
Pairing: Sam/Dean
Rating: PG-13(ish)
Summary: In the time it takes for Sam to roll over and burrow his head deeper under Dean's arm, lips brushing the soft skin of Dean's side in a butterfly kiss, Dean goes from mostly asleep to completely freaking out.

Notes: I love the INCEST siren Dean has installed. No, really, this fic is really funny and so heartbreakingly adorable that I almost can't stand it. Actually, nearly all of fleshflutter's fics are like that.

Read it here!

Title: Spoils
Author: astolat
Pairing: Sam/Dean
Rating: PG-13
Summary: "Sam, Sammy," Dean was saying, somewhere between sobbing and laughter, wild with it, and Sam was just clutching at him, shaking; they were on their knees together. Bobby looked away and rubbed the back of his hand across his face, pretending his eyes weren't smarting.

Notes: Gah. This is just so. Just go. Now.

Read it here!

Title: A Bit of a Pickle
Author: cherie_morte
Pairing: Sam/Dean
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Dean Winchester is trying to woo his brother. Things are not going well.

Notes: This is just absolute perfection. I wish I could write a better rec than just these little bits of "GO NOW", but the emotions.

Read it here!

-----------------------------------

genre:

dystopian YA

Title: The Maze Runner
Author: James Dashner
Year Published: October 2010
ISBN: 978-0-385-73794-4

Brief Summary: Thomas wakes up to find himself in a box. When he reaches the top, he is pulled out by a group of boys who pull him out into their surroundings. The only thing he remembers is his name, nothing else.

Thomas learns that all these boys live in a place called the Glade. The Glade is surrounded by tall, stone walls with four massive openings (also referred to as doors) in the center of each wall. These doors close each night to protect them from the monsters that live beyond the Glade's walls. The monsters live in a place called the Maze which lies outside of the walls around the Glade. These monsters are called Grievers and attempt to sting the Gladers. If the Gladers get stung, they undergo the Changing, a painful process which people can survive if given the serum in time. The serum has some side effects such as regained memory. The walls to the maze move every night so there is a different maze outside each door every day. (wikipedia)

Review:

Where do I even begin to analyze the perfection that is James Dashner? I've yet to read his The 13th Reality series, but it's definitely next on my list after this.

Despite a rather slow, cumbersome start, I really enjoyed this book. The characters (the main ones, at least) are believable, from Newt's (who has been in the Glade for two years, and is second-in-command) loyalty (with limits!) towards Alby to Gally's cruelty and arrogance. These boys aren't perfect, not by a long shot. But not being a legion of flat characters to back up a Mary Sue (which is basically what YA fiction has fallen to) isn't all that I love about this book.

First off, this isn't the average run-of-the-mill dystopian book. There's no "boy stranded in wild, boy meets girl from a "perfect" civilization, girl and boy fall in love, betray civilization" (see Delirium, if that's the kind of book you're looking for). This is a group of feral teenage boys roughing it out in an environment that is out to kill them.

The structure of the group - with different jobs for different skill sets, a council to decide major things, a whole group of kids set apart to explore the ever-changing maze that's their prison - is extraordinarily well-detailed and well-planned. The organization of the society isn't perfect, but they get shit done. There are boys who handle preparing food, defending their fortress (called the Glade; it's a separate thing from the Maze), and exploring the Maze outside for a way out. The Runners are the top dogs in this hodown; you have to be clever, fast, and fearless to become a Runner. Why? Because they're not alone in that maze.

The monsters - Grievers - are, quite frankly, terrifying. ( "It looked like an experiment gone terribly wrong--something from a nightmare. Part animal, part machine, the Griever rolled and clicked along the stone pathway. It's body resembled a gigantic slug, sparsely covered in hair and glistening with slime, grotesquely pulsating in and out as it breathed. It had no distinguishable head or tail, but front to end it was at least six feet long, four feet thick." ) And, not only are they disgusting, but if they sting you (yes, sting, like they're not awful enough), you die if you don't get a serum made to combat the poison. Oh, and if you get the serum? You get to go through a totally fun process called the Changing, in which you suffer awful pain and hallucinations.

Fun, no?

And all of this is revealed within the first few chapters of the book. And then we get into the (fairly juicy) plot. I can't really say much without spoiling the ending, but...

Think this: Why would they trap a bunch of boys in an ever-changing maze with no way out, provide them with shelter and food, and just leave them there? They don't. Everything's more than it seems, and sooner or later the boys are going to have to leave the Maze, one way or another.

So, do I recommend this book? Hell yeah, I do! There's not a lot of romance (seeing as there's only one female character), but there's plenty of bromance between the boys (especially Newt and Alby, hooboy). This book will interest you if you're into dystopians, adventure, quality YA, or you're just out to read something worth your time. You won't be disappointed, and the ending will have you clawing for the sequel The Scorch Trials.

What do you think? Have any book suggestions? Or perhaps tips for reviewing? .___. I know I'm rubbish at it, but it's fun. So.

Ta~

Just a few recs, to start.

bloodtoblush — Sun, 04 Sep 2011 06:34:09 GMT

And not even special recs. Just some basic fics that everyone everywhere who is a fan of Supernatural should read. Like. Everyone. And a warning, ahead of time: most of these are either R or NC-17, so beware!

Also. These are less summaries than me telling you to go read things because I like them; don't expect much information on the actual plot of the stories, or whether or not they're AUs, or if they've got loads of smut. Because I am lazy.

Fandom:

Supernatural

(Pairings are all slash, of all varieties.)

We'll start with Wincest, since it's a somewhat-secret love of mine. Also because it's the shortest list, since the majority of wincest that I read is pretty much well-known, just like the three I've rec'd.

Last Outpost of All That Is, by the lovely eighth_horizon. If you haven't read this, you haven't read wincest. It's amazing. That is all.

When it Crackles by lyra_wing is also amazing, and, like Outpost, absolutely needs to be read. I'm currently not finished with it, as I started reading it about half an hour ago, but damn. The premise is the best.

And also the Fetters of Fenrir, if you can find it. As you can see from here, it's kind of gone. I don't remember where I read it, but I did, and it was amazing. If I ever dig up where I found it (though it's probably something embarrassingly obvious and everyone probably knows about it), I'll add a link to here.

And now, Destiel. Because this list is shorter than the J2 one.

For Me This is Heaven, by thunder_nari. I love it. So hard. It's an AU of How to Train Your Dragon. Much like Outpost, you just have to read this. You have to.

Obligatory 300 Things rec, by the fabulous cautionzombies. This you must read, because it will be one of the best things you will ever read. And, since 300 Things may or may not be the most rec'd Destiel fic of all time, if you haven't read it, you have to now. As in. Right now.

I Seek Shelter in the Base of your Spine, by moonlettuce. Very, very, very much smut. That is all.

Aschenflügel, by liadan14. Also amazing. Actually, fuck it. Everything on here is amazing. Just assume. Because this? There are words, but I don't have them. A take, somewhat, on Cinderella. And also evil bastard Zachariah, which I approve of.

And on to the J2, because even though I have about 5 or 6 more Destiel, it is late and I am le lazy.

No Sleep Till Bedtime was the first ever J2 I ever read. It's nothing huge, nothing spectacular, but it's one of my all-time favorites. It's written by the lovely veronamay.

It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time is also nothing huge or spectacular, but it's another of my favorites. All you need to know is that Jared speaks Spanish. By joyfulgirl41.

And the Rest, They Say, is History. Oh man. Go and bow to raina_at right now. RIGHT. NOW. This is one of the best J2 out there, and though it's pretty commonly rec'd, I have to rec it. It's a requirement.

Apocalypse: Cancelled is also fabulous. The plot was amazing, the characterization spot-on. There were moments where I felt like yelling at both Jensen and Jared for being idiots to each other, and that's always a good thing- this is a must-read, especially if you like apocalypse!AUs. By the lovely jeyhawk.

In a Brand New West, by movablehistory. Jared is a mail-order bride, and Jensen works in space. SPAAAAAAACE. SPAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACE. I like space. And Jensen in space, especially when he is gruff.

The Chapterhouse, by essene and allegraconbrio. Oh man. This AU is so artfully crafted and tasteful that I wanted it to be a book and never, ever, ever end. It was just. So vivid and involved. And it reminded me of Jedi. Which is always a good thing.

A Certain Smile, by elise_509, is worth reading, as well. Jensen rides motorcycles and it is based in 1958, which makes everything so much better, if you understand the time period.

Lost and Found. Oh. Oh man. It is only fitting that the last rec on this list is Lost and Found, because mediaville is amazing and writes things that are the most inspiring and romantic and asdfjkl;.

And that's that, loves! Not many, but I might add on to this later. Happy reading (if you've not read everything that I've rec'd, and if you have, well. I salute you.), and if you think there's something not on this list that you feel needs to be mentioned, feel free to let me know!

and still more fanfic recs.

easterly — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 00:22:22 GMT

So I lied and decided to review a different book (one perhaps not so ambitious), so have some fanfic recs to comfort you until I get the new review written?

Fandoms:

X-Men: First Class

Title: Technicolor

Author: CamouflageCamel @ archiveofourown

Pairing: Charles/Erik

Rating: PG-13

Summary: Charles, Erik, and an appliance store.

Notes: This is, in one word, adorable. If you're looking for something lighthearted and easy, this is for you.

Read it here!

Title: Synthesis and Transcription

Author: frantic_allonsy

Pairing: Erik/Charles

Rating: NC-17

Summary: Charles riding Erik. Yeah, that's about it.

Notes: Hard, fast, and ridiculously hot. There's a great deal of angst in this, as well, and some really excellent telepathy-porn.

Read it here!

Title: Placing Bets

Author: i_know_its_0ver

Pairing: Charles/Erik

Rating: PG

Summary: The kids place bets on how long it will take Erik and Charles to finally kiss, then set about trying to make it happen.

Notes: This is lovely, light, and extremely funny. I love Raven in this.

Read it here!

Title: Any Day Now

Author: entangled_now

Pairing: charles/Erik

Rating: NC-17

Summary: Raven's smiling so hard her face has to hurt, and he can feel the wash of her amusement. It's mildly humiliating.

Notes: Crossdressing!Charles. Need I say more?

Read it here!

Title: Direct Current

Author: entangled_now

Pairing: Charles/Erik

Rating: PG-13

Summary: The paperwork is infuriatingly immune to Charles's particular brand of persuasion.

Notes: This is lazy and tender in ways that will leave your heart hurting for absolutely no reason.

Read it here!

And here's the template for fanfic recs, because I'm lazy and don't want to be typing it up over and over again;

there's much to be said for containing oneself - fanfic recs

easterly — Sat, 02 Jul 2011 18:17:52 GMT

I’ve got a book review in the works, but it’s not quite ready yet. So I’m gonna do some fanfiction recs, and ya’ll can tell me whether or not I’m doing it wrong!

Fandoms:
X-Men: First Class
Axis Powers Hetalia

X-Men: First Class

Title: Any Measure Of Peace

Author: manic_intent on AO3

Pairing: Charles/Erik

Rating: Most certainly NC-17

Summary: Written for the prompt: "AU in which there was no beach divorce. Charles has been throwing himself at Erik, but Erik refuses to give in to his desires. Something about not wanting to sully Charles' happy life with his darkness. He's done some things, you see. Some very bad things. Charles, however, is nothing if not persistent. So he seduces Erik with everything he's got. Erik suffers an epic case of blue balls."

Or: an AU where USA and Russia do not suddenly have a collective case of stupid by firing missiles at people who can lift submarines out of the water. People who know my work would also know that I ramble like hell in advance before I actually get to the prompt proper, so I hope OP likes this anyway.

Notes: I really, really liked this one. Erik is gorgeously dark, Charles is devious, and there is a lovely plot under all of it. Logan is such an asshole, and it makes me ridiculously happy that the author pulled him into this fic. All in all, lovely and well-done.

Read it here!

Title: How Deep the Bullet Lies

Author: littledust on AO3

Pairing: Charles/Erik

Rating: NC-17

Summary "This is drowning, their first meeting all over again, the natural conclusion of the moment Charles felt Erik in the water, fevered with anguish and history." Charles, from the beginning to the end.

Notes This was agonizingly sad, but I loved it anyway. Charles in this is so gorgeously written in this, and Erik is so heart wrenching. A lovely read!

Read it here!

Title: Hearts and Minds

Author: argyleheir

Pairing: Charles/Erik

Rating: R

Summary: Erik and Charles hit the open road in search of mutant recruits. This is how they pass the time.

Notes: I love, love, love this one. Erik in this (and all of her works) is flawlessly done. I love the way he analyzes Charles and picks him apart, and I love the emotion in it all. A wonderful interpretation of the roadtrip (I wish it were canon, hell, it could be). I love all of argyleheir’s X-Men: First Class fics, and you should definitely check her out!

Read it here!

Axis Powers Hetalia

Title: Gutters

Author: glassamilk

Pairing: stated Denmark/Sealand, but it’s really Denmark/Norway.

Rating: R

Summary: 'The Calamity' has left the world stripped and dying. Alone in a civilian bunker in Munich, Sealand will be reunited with the last known living member of his surrogate family and together, they will set out across Europe to find those they have lost.

Notes: This ripped me apart, and it took a full week for me to get it back together. And then I was ruined for Hetalia for months. This is, in one word, heartbreaking. I can’t say much else without ruining the whole thing, but if you’re a fan of the Nordics (especially Denmark!) and post-apocalyptic fics, this is the one. She states it as unfinished, but I think it pretty much is...?

Read it on ff.net or on the kink_meme

Title: It’ll Have to Do

Author: cutthroatpixie

Pairing: Spamano (Romano/Fem!Spain)

Rating: PG-13

Summary: Spain is dumb, Romano is awkward, and getting together is never easy for these two lovebirds.

Notes: This is not cutthroatpixie’s longest, best, or most awesome fic. But I love it, because Romano is such a little ass and she’s brilliant at writing the both of them. Everyone could use a little Fem!Spain, and I love her to death. Any and all of cutthroatpixie’s fics are brilliant, and if you’re a fan of Spamano and haven’t read them yet, you don’t know what you’re missing.

Read it here!

Title: Romano Tells It Like It Is To Small Children

Author: counterheist (I told you you’d be half my recs. This is just the beginning.)

Pairing: Strangely enough, none.

Rating: PG-12

Summary: The next time there’s a drawing for who has to look after the micronations at meetings, the world will remember not to put Romano’s name in.

Notes: As with the previous rec, this is not the best of counterheist’s fics. But I enjoyed it too much not to rec it. I love Romano in this, and the micronations are wonderbar. This fic borderlines pee-your-pants hilarity.

Read it here!

Title: 32 Thursdays

Author: counterheist (I told you it was just the beginning.)

Pairing: Spamano

Rating: PG-13

Summary: Antonio is a physics student in love. To Lovino’s embarrassment, so is he.

Notes: This is, in actual fact, the first of counterheist’s fics I read. Why? Because it’s hilarious and there are physics pick-up lines. I love all of her fics, but this one is my favorite because it’s my first one and it’s kind of like sex, with her fics. The first one you read, you remember forever.

Read it here!

Huhwell. I see a pattern with the pairings on the Hetalia fics, but it’s to be expected because I love Spamano. More recs to come soon (hopefully!), and that book review I need to finish.

Also, if you have a book/fanfiction you want me to read/rec/review, feel free to drop me a note or PM me! This is ridiculously fun.

Got any suggestions? Am I doing it wrong? Let me know! ♥

From the Surface to the Furnace- a book review

fadingsundays — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 22:59:29 GMT

You've probably never heard of the Escape From Furnace series by Alexander Gordon Smith, and that makes perfect sense. The genre, like the plot itself, is deep in the underground. A somewhat eclectic mix of horror, adventure, sci-fi, and something that may or may not be magic, it's buried pretty deep under the staggering slums of paranormal romance.

I won't give away the main plot- after all, you have gotta read this series, or, at least, the first book- but it's thrilling and terrifying. The tension and fight-for-your-life air that this series presents is intoxicating, the horror sharp and actually frightening. The dreaded blood watch monsters of Furnace are on the same level of scary as the girl from the Ring, not even joking. The action scenes are cutting and fresh, the characters flawed and yet flawlessly integrated into the books.

The tone is dark, matter-of-fact, and, in some places, laced with dark humor and the slightest flutters of hope. Alex, the main character, narrates the story with a clear, concise voice. There are no overt frilly-fluffy details (unless you count the descriptions of the most horrible aspects of Furnace), just cold, somewhat desolate facts. There is no romance in this series, only a camaraderie, that, at times, breaks your heart.

Personally, I loved this book. It was met with rave reviews- James Patterson declared it was "Fresh and ferocious", Darren Shan (the author of Cirque du Freak) named it "Hotter than Hell and twice as much fun!".

If you're interested, the first book of the series- Lockdown- as well as the rest of the books, are available at Barnes and Noble booksellers, as well as on Amazon. I paid $8.99 for the first book in paperback; the others I've found in my local library.

Check 'em out- they're totally worth the read. You can find more information here and here.

welcome to thingsoncesaid!

easterly — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 18:18:22 GMT

this is a community by easterly, where she (and a select few others?) will post book reviews, fanfic recs, general rants about literature/fanworks, and anything else that comes to mind.

feel free to join/watch. posting is restricted to members only, but membership is (and always will be) open; posts are unmoderated. you can request a poster tag here, or we will give you one after you've posted at least twice to the community.

one request- only post something if you feel it's worth posting.

fridays | sundays | starting point

got something to say? suggestions? review requests for a certain book or fanwork? let us know here!