#Karen gillian a bit

[jirnkirks]

.

[the-celluloid-correspondent]

Guardians of the Galaxy VOL. 3

Still reeling from the loss of Gamora, Peter Quill rallies his team to defend the universe and one of their own - a mission that could mean the end of the Guardians.

Ever since EndGame, the MCU has been a complete mess. After numerous critical and box office flops, the franchise has become directionless and soulless. However, the only group of the MCU that still has somewhat of a soul would be the Guardians of the Galaxy. The surprise hit from 2014 took a bunch of nobodies and turned them into a household name. But the question remained on whether or not this group will finally meet their end was up in the air. With the firing and rehiring of James Gunn, their future was uncertain. However, with the announcement that this would be the final Guardians movie, my hopes were renewed and met. Guardians of the Galaxy VOL. 3 is a satisfying and surprisingly moving conclusion to the galaxy's favorite mischiefs.

The heart of VOL. 3 is Rocket, The Raccoon. His story is central to the film as we are shown his heartbreaking backstory. This backstory delves into the darkest material that the MCU has shown. The tone is serious, and a joke is thankfully not found in these scenes. This tonal consistency is what Marvel has been desperately lacking over the past couple of years. The MCU never treated serious moments seriously, and it was a breath of fresh air to see Marvel take itself seriously. As with all Gunn films, the jokes stick their landing, especially the MCU's first F-Bomb. The dialogue is witty and smart, with only a handful of questionable lines. The action is spectacular, though it does run into the MCU trope of a massive CGI battle in its final act. Lastly, all of the characters have their proper and bittersweet send-off that perfectly complements each character. VOL. 3 has a soul that doesn't feel like it was made by a corporate machine.

What adds to my further suprisement is that the actors took their acting seriously here and delivered some of the best acting performances in the MCU. As previously stated, Rocket was the heart of this film, and Bradley Cooper's voice acting here is excellent. His performance is heartbreaking and moving. If there was an Oscar category for voice acting, Cooper would absolutely win it. As for the rest of the returning actors, Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillian, Vin Diesel, and Pom Klementieff they all deliver. They all return to form with their original characters but are given much more to work with as each character is given more layers. Chukwudi Iwuji was one of the most terrifying MCU villains to date, or at least within the first two acts. In the final act, it was hard to take him seriously with his character's constant screaming and shouting. Will Poulter is wasted as Adam Warlock. He is not given all that much to do other than being a bumbling idiot.

As with all Guardians films, the soundtrack has to be kickass, which VOL. 3 lacked. The majority of needle drops were a mixed back, with only four drops actually sticking the landing. The accompanying score is also lacking, as with all MCU films. The character and production design were colorful and unique. The VFX, for the most part, was pretty good, with only a handful of shots of questionable CGI. My only other complaint was the first act was a bit of a mess and scrambling trying to figure out what it wanted to be. Once the movie figured that out, it hit all the strides that it needed to.

Overall, Guardians of the Galaxy VOL. 3 is a heartbreaking and moving send-off to our favorite misfits. It feels like Phase 2 and 3 of Marvel. It has a creative soul that actually cares about its characters and story. This is what the MCU has lost; hopefully, this will be a lesson.

I am giving Guardians of the Galaxy VOL. 3. an A-.

[battyaboutbooksreviews]

🗞️📖 Bookish News - February Edition

🦇 Extra, extra. Read all about it! 📖 Good evening, bookish bats! A lot happened in the publishing industry this month, but here are a few highlights you may have missed! Check below the cut for details.

Adaptations: 🗞️ Chloé Zhao will direct a film adaptation of Hamnet (Maggie O'Farrell) starring Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal 📖 HBO is adapting Dark Places (Gillian Flynn) as a limited series. Flynn will serve as co-creator, writer, and co-showrunner 🗞️ FX has ordered a limited series adaptation of Say Nothing (Patrick Radden Keefe), directed by Michael Lennox 📖 Taika Waititi will direct an adaptation of Klara and the Sun (Kazuo Ishiguro), potentially starring Amy Adams and Jenna Ortega 🗞️ The Terror will base season 3 on The Devil in Silver (Victor LaValle) 📖 The Man in My Basement (Walter Mosley), directed by Nadia Latif, will star Anna Diop, Corey Hawkins, and Willem Dafoe 🗞️ Dark Matter (Blake Crouch) has a trailer 📖 America Ferrera's feature directorial debut for I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter (Erika Sánchez) is in development 🗞️ The adaptation of Turtles All the Way Down (John Green) will stream on MAX this year 📖 Hook’s Daughter: The Pirate Princess Chronicles (R. V. Bowman) is getting a live-action adaptation 🗞️ Interview with the Vampire (based on Anne Rice's novel) is getting a second season 📖 Percy Jackson and the Olympians is getting a second season 🗞️ Seven Days in June (Tia Williams) is being adapted for Prime Video 📖 The adaptation of A Gentleman in Moscow, (Amor Towles) will star Ewan McGregor 🗞️ The Color Purple movie musical will stream on MAX (Feb. 16) 📖 Hulu’s adaptation of A Court of Thorns and Roses was axed 🗞️ The Alex Van Helsing YA books are being adapted for a television series 📖 Ryan Reynolds and Paramount are working on an adaptation of Starter Villain (John Scalzi) 🗞️ A Short History of Nearly Everything (Bill Bryson) will be adapted as an animated TV series 📖 The trailer for the film adaptation of Wicked is up 🗞️ Netflix renewed Survival of the Thickest for season 2 📖 The cast for Marvel’s Fantastic Four has been announced (July 25, 2025) 🗞️ The trailer for the new X-Men animated series is up (Mar. 20) 📖 The Oscar-nominated animated film Nimona is now available to watch for free on YouTube! 🗞️ Reese Witherspoon is producing a film adaptation of Romantic Comedy (Curtis Sittenfeld) 📖 Photos are up for the adaptation of A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder (Holly Jackson)

Cover Reveals: 🗞️ When Haru Was Here - Dustin Thao (Sept. 3) 📖 Trick or Treat on Scary Street - Lance Bass (July 23) 🗞️ The Bletchley Riddle - Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin (Oct. 8) 📖 The Rules of Royalty - Cale Dietrich (Dec. 10) 🗞️ Colored Television - Danzy Senna (July 30) 📖 Bits and Pieces: My Mother, My Brother, and Me - Whoopie Goldberg (May 7) 🗞️ House of Bone and Rain - Gabino Iglesias (Aug. 6) 📖 Rani Choudhury Must Die - Adiba Jaigirdar (Nov. 12) 🗞️ Night Owls - A.R. Vishny (Sept. 17) 📖 The Dixon Rule - Elle Kennedy (May 14) 🗞️ A Bánh Mì for Two - Trinity Nguyen (Aug. 27) 📖 The Hitchcock Hotel - Stephanie Wrobel (Sept. 24) 🗞️ In Want of a Suspect - Tirzah Price (Nov. 12) 📖 Memorials - Richard Chizmar (Oct. 22) 🗞️ The Empusium - Olga Tokarczuk (Sept. 24) 📖 Unsinkable Cayenne - Jessica Vitalis (Oct. 29) 🗞️ Cue the Sun! - Emily Nussbaum (June 25) 📖 We're Alone - Edwidge Danticat (Sept. 3) 🗞️ The Sherlock Society - James Ponti (Sept. 3) 📖 The Enchanted Hacienda by J.C. Cervantes (May 21) 🗞️ The Baby-sitters Club: Kristy and the Walking Disaster - Ellen T. Crenshaw (Sept.) 📖 The Baby-sitters Litter Sister: Karen’s Grandmothers - DK Yingst (Oct.) 🗞️ The Millicent Quibb School of Etiquette for Young Ladies of Mad Science - Kate McKinnon (Oct. 1) 📖 The Life Impossible - Matt Haig (Sept. 3) 🗞️ Ruin Road - Lamar Giles (Sept.) 📖 Yours Truly by Katie Shepard (Sept. 3) 🗞️ Wishbone - Justine Pucella Winan (Sep. 17) 📖 Haunt Your Heart Out - Amber Roberts (Oct. 8) 🗞️ The Dividing Sky - Jill Tew (Oct. 8) 📖 Heir - Sabaa Tahir (Oct. 1) 🗞️ Beautiful Dreamers - Minrose Gwin (Aug. 27) 📖 We Solve Murders - Richard Osman (Fall) 🗞️ Till the Last Beat of My Heart - Louangie Bou-Montes (Sept. 10) 📖 Aisle Nine by Ian X (Sept. 24) 🗞️ Warrior of Legend - Kendare Blake (Sept. 17) 📖 The Ancient’s Game - Loni Crittenden (Oct. 29) 🗞️ The Witch of Wol Sin Lake - Lega Jeong (Oct. 29)

Upcoming Releases: 🗞️ Tiny Reparations Books has secured North American rights to two new books by National Book Award–longlisted author LaToya Watkins. The first book, The Book of Chuck, will be published in spring 2026. 📖 Tia Williams has sold North American rights to two new novels to Grand Central. 🗞️ LeVar Burton is releasing two new books

Other News: 🗞️ The Dylan Thomas Prize 2024 longlist is up 📖 The finalists for the 2024 National Book Critics Circle Awards were announced 🗞️ The finalists for the 2024 Audie Awards were announced 📖 Pulitzer-winning author N. Scott Momaday passed away (first Native American author to win a Pulitzer) 🗞️ OCLC has filed a lawsuit against the shadow library search engine Anna’s Archive for allegedly stealing 2.2 TB of data from WorldCat 📖 The St. Paul Public Library launched a laser-eyed loon library card 🗞️ Writers Against the War on Gaza have written an open letter to PEN/America to release an official statement about the “225 poets, playwrights, journalists, scholars, and novelists killed in Gaza” by Israeli forces 📖 Andy Weir released a series of “lost” journal entries from Mark Watney to celebrate The Martian’s 10th anniversary 🗞️ Amazon removed multiple titles about King Charles’ recent cancer diagnoses amid concerns that they were written by AI 📖 This year’s winners and finalists of the Cybils Awards were announced 🗞️ Delacorte is launching a new YA romance imprint

[aconissa]

hi ana do you perhaps have any recs for mother-daughter relationship pieces?

I don't seek out a lot of works on mother-daughter relationships (probably because they're a bit too close to home sometimes), but one I did love a lot when I first read it was Deborah Levy's novel Hot Milk (2016). It's the book which this line comes from:

However, the novel is from the adult daughter's perspective and the mother is pretty awful, so the relationship is more clearly portrayed as toxic. In that vein, if you want a really dysfunctional mother-daughter relationship, read Gillian Flynn's Sharp Objects (2006).

Two books which interrogate mother-daughter relationships from both sides with more empathy are Celeste Ng's standalone novels Everything I Never Told You (2014) and Little Fires Everywhere (2017). I prefer the former over the latter, but both are worth reading (the tv adaptation of the latter is decent enough too).

Jeanette Winterson's novel Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit (1985) and her memoir Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal? (2011) both approach her relationship with religion as a queer woman and with her adoptive mother. Both are fantastic reads.

Rebecca Solnit's The Faraway Nearby (2013) sits somewhere between essays and memoir and everything under the sun, as is her way, but Solnit comes back to her relationship with her ailing mother throughout the book.

The central character in Kazuo Ishiguro's A Pale View of Hills (1982) is a woman reflecting on her daughter's suicide, and it's a beautiful little book, but obviously a difficult read.

Kiran Millwood Hargrave's The Island at the End of Everything (2017) is also beautiful and very sad at times. It's technically a middle grade book but I wouldn't let that stop you, Hargrave's writing is wonderful regardless of the age group she is writing for.

Though I haven't read either book yet, I know that Bernardine Evaristo's Girl, Woman, Other (2019) and Amy Tan's The Joy Luck Club (1989) both feature mothers and daughters (or similar roles) as their core characters.

Finally, there's many beautiful novels which don't focus on mother-daughter relationships but do examine motherhood or other inter-generational relationships between women which are well worth reading: Homegoing (2016) by Yaa Gyasi, The Owl Killers (2009) by Karen Maitland, The Gracekeepers (2015) by Kirsty Logan (who also has an upcoming memoir on queer motherhood called The Unfamiliar), America is Not the Heart (2018) by Elaine Castillo, and The Mercies (2020) by Kiran Millwood Hargrave.

[thealmightyemprex]

Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3

In this 2023 film,Rocket (VOiced by Bradley Cooper ) is mortally wounded and on the brink of death ,as the Guardians struggle to save their friend ,we get flashbacks to Rockets orgins at the hands of the HIgh Evolutionary (Chukwudi Iwuji)

SO......I havent kept up with the MCU ,after Endgame,I have only seen Spiderman Far From Home,Werewolf By Night ,a few episodes of What if and Spider Man No Way Home.....But I love the Guardians of the Galaxy so I rewatched the first two films ,plust the Holiday special (DOnt have much to say about it,its just sweet and funny and I love that to cosmic folks actors are viewed as repulsive ).I think the first film is a fun sci fi romp ,second one I prefer due to the performance of Michael Rooker,soundtrack, Kurt Russel being a phenomenal villain and a tearjerking ending

As for my oppinions on this 3rd film.....I'll have to let it simmer a bit ,but I like it as much as the second film,and I like that film a lot.....I also think this both the most emotional of the three and kind of the darkest .....HOwever if I have an issue,the film isnt as accessable as the first two films ,cause the film follows up on Infinity War and Endgame where (Spoilers) Gamora dies ,and the Gamora in this film is a past Gamora from before the begining of Guardians .Also the Holiday special established Mantis is Peters sister and the gangs base is Knowhere-Look I get when people say modern comic book movies are too complicated .That said its not too complicated and is a good film worth a watch

Now I am doing this review cause @ariel-seagull-wings asked me why I considered this film the most emotional ....WEll for one its all about Rocket ,more accurately what Rocket means to his friends and what he means to himself ,The Guardians are afraid to lose him .....And for Rocket we learn his hidden pain ....In that we meet his first group of friends and learn of the horrors inflicted upon him by the High Evolutionary.....I'll get to him later.Add to that each Guardian has their own baggage ,especially Peter ,and there is just a sense of finality to this one ,that the guardians as we know them cant last

NOw I usually go into the cast...But considering the core actors have been playing these roles off and on for 10 years ,these actors are good .I was impressed by the anguish Chris Pratt could convey,KAren Gillian was possibly my second favorite of the main performances ,Sean Gunn gets some time to shine ,Dave Bautista is fun as always,I think Pom Klementief has really come into her own as Mantis ,Zoe Saldanna is basically playing a diffrent version of a character she has played for years so its a unique performance ,Vin Diesel is solid ,and Bradley Cooper is really solid as one could argue this is the Rocket Racoon movie over being a Guardians movie

OTher highlighted characters,Will Poulter brings himbo energy to Adam Warlock and I love it ,Nathan Fillion is a pretty fun punch clock bad guy for a few scenes ,Maria Baklova brings an adorable energy to Cosmo the space dog (Love her dynamic with Kraglin ) and Linda Cardalini is heartbreakingly good as Lyla,Rockets friend

....So lets talk about the High Evolutionary ,cause I think he is one of my favorite MCU villains.Hes not the strongest,not the most clever,nor is he the most complicated.Hes basically a mad scientist with a god complex ......But wow do I DESPISE this bastard,in a good way ,this raving narcistic egomaniac is one of the most vile villains in the MCU ,especially with all the horrors he subjected to Rocket but hes still fun to watch due to a wonderful scene chewing performance by Chukwudi Iwuji

Overall,I love the movie,worth a watch

@ariel-seagull-wings @the-blue-fairie @amalthea9 @theancientvaleofsoulmaking @themousefromfantasyland @princesssarisa @greektragedydaddy

[mcu-vanity-blog]

GOTG 3 Review (done by the characters I care about)

Disclaimer: I didn't watch the Christmas special

Peter: Has a complete alcoholism arc in the first ten minutes for some reason? It's implied he's been drinking a lot since Endgame and then, like 15 minutes in, he says out loud "This wouldn't've happened if I hadn't been drinking" and then that's just the end of it? My brother in Christ, this movie is 2 and a half hours long, maybe cut that bit aye?

He is very much just another character in this entry. Most of his lines could easily be given to Mantis or Nebula and nothing would really change. Chris Pratt looks visibly unenthused to be here most of the time.

(New) Gamora: Honestly, could've been left out of the MCU entirely since her death in Infinity War. Zoe Saldana is the best part of every MCU film she's been in.

In this film though, she starts off with the Ravagers >> maybe learns that she's a slightly better person than she thought >> goes back to the Ravagers.

She's basically just sort of "also there" for the whole film, and is often just acting as a foil for Peter's arc (which, btw, is realising that this woman who looks like his dead girlfriend isn't actually his dead girlfriend; a fact he already knows).

Idk man, it's weird. I think Zoe just contractually had to be in this one?

Rocket: Is very much the main character of this film, but spends a good two-thirds of it asleep. You mainly see him in flashbacks where he's being abused/experimented on by the film's villain.

It's a very classic James Gunn thing I think; take a small and helpless guy and make the audience empathise with him because of how small and helpless he is. I guess it's not super nuanced in that way, but it's not necessarily an unenjoyable story for him.

It was weird that they decided to give us his origin in what is apparently the final entry of this trilogy though?

Like, "you've loved this character for 9 years now and this might be the last chance you get to see him and his friends all together again! How about we have sleep the entire time and, instead, explain exactly how he became who he was when you met him 5 movies ago!". It's kind of just silly (Dan Harmon articulates this idea really well here at 0:35-0:51).

Nebula: Gets more screen-time and characterization in this film, still not the most interesting character tho :/.

I also don't think that Karen Gillian can act :(. Would much rather have OG Gamora over her

Drax: Still just relegated to unfunny comic relief. His thing in the first movie was that his culture didn't have metaphors and he was a little careless/happy-go-lucky; he wasn't an idiot.

Ever since then? He has exclusively been an idiot.

Don't care, but feel sorry that Dave Bautista still has to play this role, even though he does very well in it <3

Groot: Again, hasn't been interesting since the first movie. He used to be this sort of mysterious, ancient, gentle giant type of character, but he's basically been just a type of sci-fi set dressing in all the movies since then.

I know James Gunn has said he's a brand new Groot from the one we see in that movie, but it's like... why? Compare the scenes of OG Groot to literally any scene of Gunn-written Groot and tell me which one is the more interesting character.

Adam Warlock: Surprisingly good. Unfortunately, he's that same James Gunn character of grown-up person with the mind of a child (think Killer Sharl in Suicide Squad), but it kinda works in this? I like that they let Will Poulter keep his accent and I look forward to seeing him written by more competent writers.

[the-cat-chat]

June 3, 2023

Gunpowder Milkshake (2021)

To protect an 8-year-old girl, a dangerous assassin reunites with her mother and her lethal associates to take down a ruthless crime syndicate and its army of henchmen. 

JayBell: This movie is like a very satirical neo-noir situation, but then they give up on the neo-noir bit halfway through. I like Karen Gillian, and she plays a badass in the movie which is fun. It was over-the-top at times but in a self-aware kind of way. Like the whole deal with the hat that Karen Gillian’s character wears and the whole bit with the milkshake (which kind of weirded me out a little).

There was a big mother-daughter conflict. Honestly, I didn’t understand how the mom was really protecting the daughter by ditching her for so many years but also mentions how she’s been watching her from afar? Sure maybe stay away when she’s a kid, but your daughter is a grown ass adult assassin now. Surely a phone call, a clandestine meeting, a note by carrier pigeon would be okay now.

Also they definitely had time to stash the innocent little girl somewhere safe after the whole hospital escape scene. At that point, the bad guys aren’t after her at all. Just drop her off at a neighbor’s house or a church or something while you go kill some people. And while the little girl is a great character (great child actress too), she’s way too mature for her age. There’s no way she has the emotional ability to forgive her father’s murderer that quickly. But it is good for the story.

All in all, it’s just an entertaining action movie. The fight scenes are pretty good, the characters are fun, and it has a certain style too it that’s interesting to watch.

Rating: 5.5/10 cats 🐈

Anzie: I was pleasantly surprised with how entertaining this movie was since a lot of what I’ve watched on Netflix recently has been duds. But it was fun and dare I say maybe the Girl Gang version of John Wick. Not as good tho, nobody could touch John Wick. I will say the injuries in this movie may have made me go ooof more that the John Wick movies. The aesthetics were fun and groovy and a lot was put into the scenes in just terms of aesthetic and detail, although the music was out there??? Like I don’t know why half of the movie’s fight scenes were to mariachi music?? But what do I know? Very little and at that even less. The cast was verrrry good and I have no idea how Angela Bassett and Michelle Yeoh look as great as the do and never age. It’s rude frankly. The whole concept of the library is really cool too in a movie like this.

Howevvvver, I would be me if I didn’t have some qualms. First off I know it’s a different world like with all the criminal stuff but if someone killed my father bc their boss said and even if they saved me- I don’t think I’m gonna be your bestie. Like I hold grudges for less. Soo that was weird. Also the way they have Karen Gillan talk without an inflection sometimes was just icky- like I know she’s an assassin and probs has very little emotion or tries or whatevs- but it made the dialogue at some points feel cringe for suuure. But it can be overlooked for books that hide weapons and the cool bowling jacket.

Rating: 6/10 Cats 🐈

[lythinksabittoomuch]

I think Amy was so important to be elevens first. This is the youngest time lord acrir there’s ever been, he’d never play as much older than all around his companions. But to have it told my the perspective of someone who met him as a seven year old and fantasised as a magical man wiser than she could ever imagine being all grown up. With Amy he’s the man of her very dreams, and to Rory, she’s choosing the dreams over him.

[gatheringbones]

["Her mother phones my mother. She's opened a letter I posted to Patsie. She says to my mother, "I've never seen such a letter in my life. I would never write such a letter to my own husband." "And she has five children," my mother explains to me, dreadfully distressed. I can't make it out. My letter has words in it like breasts, hair, and thighs. Wanting them, that is. Wanting Patsie. Don't wives want their husbands, then? Patsie's mother doesn't seem to. My mother doesn't seem to, either. Women don't?

I'm send to another doctor. She says it will all pass. She says I should meet more boys. I've already met all the boys the other girls have met. "Meet more then," she says heartily.

Later, I'm sent for psychoanalysis. I do that for four years, and it makes me better and stronger and saner. During that time, I have Kerryn and Ruth and Kate and others... By now, I know the word lesbian (it's in the books) and the word orgasm (it's in the same books), and I've had sex with men, but it never once made my heart thump.

I'm twenty-three and living with a lover called D. We plan to go to Europe and live in England for a bit. She's a musician. I want to travel and write, but what I really want to do is get away with being a lesbian. A couple of years later, on a visit back home, I talk to my mother. She worries all the time about me being "alone" and "not settled" in England. "I'm not alone," I tell her. "If you're going to worry, it might as well be about something true rather than something not true. D is my lover. We live together and sleep together. I'm a lesbian. I'm not alone."

My mother mourns. She's a Christian and thinks it's wrong and that she's wrong and what did she do wrong? "Nothing," I tell her, but it's no use. She mourns and worries and blames herself. But she doesn't change toward me.

Three years later, my mother dies suddenly. I plan to have a baby and become pregnant. I lose that baby and try again, this time successfully. I learn about feminism and gay liberation. I join things, start writing differently, and feel better and better about being a lesbian. But I'm not too sure I can pinpoint my coming out. If you live like a lesbian before you know the word, it all just feels like going on and growing up."]

Gillian Hanscombe, from Sweating, Thumping, Telling, from Testimonies: Lesbian Coming-Out Stories, edited by Karen Barber and Sarah Holmes, Alyson Publications, 1994

[bcacstuff]

I think S just did a fantastic thing with the scholarship because he wanted to and he could, don’t see any over the top fanfare just a well done professional announcement. Of course certain sections of the fandom will elevate him to sainthood but they are the ones who already think he’s an ‘earth angel’ just for getting out of bed in the morning. I think he is genuine in his intentions here yes some other RCS actors have done similar, most haven’t and he has always supported various causes BTS not always financially but now that he can he is.

I think it is a good thing for ten years some students who normally can not afford this kind of study will have a kick-start by having financial support for a year. Hopefully they'll be able to continue after that.

It's not unique, we know James McAvoy is doing this already for some years. Myabe the requirements are a bit different. And my good friend and blogger @cherishloveadore pointed me to a IG post of Karen Gillian in which she shares her personal story that led to her education and helped her career and is now funding 4 students at TFX Performing Arts Academy.

About the over the top fanfare, well I'm quite okay with the announcement, all good. But I already see how he starts RT-ing each article about it, today so far 2 and I'm not having much doubts about how many it will be at the end of the week. And that's where I draw a line. Just keep it with the announcement, it's perfect. We don't need the links to all articles reporting about it.

[buckys-metal-arm]

Unsolicited thoughts on the newest What If in no particular order

(I'm on mobile and can't do a read more so SPOILERS AHEAD)

I think the most upsetting thing about the change from Peter to T'Challa is the implication that if it had been T'Challa Yondu would have actually acted like a father instead of what Peter describes in the main timeline but also I would oppress my adopted son if he was Chr*s P*att too

The Thanos thing felt like a bit of a reach. This episode didn't take itself too seriously so it didn't hinder my enjoyment at all (and I have to remember this is marketed specifically as a kid's show), but it just felt weird that the conflict they spent 10 years building up to in the 616 timeline was resolved with a stern talking to

That said it felt like, at least to me, they balanced the 'this is kind of a silly outlandish What if so like we won't take this too seriously, which makes it fun' and 'this needs to be a proper memorial to an incredible actor and the amazing character he brought to life' really really well

I liked this ending for the Collector and Nowhere better. It never sat right with me that most if not all his collection of captured beings sold to him like property but Howard and Cosmo most likely died when the explosion happened in GOTG 1, but the Collector lived to tell about it because he and Grandmaster are ancient beings who are immortal or close to it. Letting his collection get their revenge felt much more satisfying

Nebula with hair good but the blonde is too much, I feel like something darker would be better with her skintone, or even Ginger if they wanted to go the make her look like Karen Gillian route

Cosmo the Soace Dog my beloved 🥺🥺

Overall it was a really good episode and I enjoyed it but the Ego thing has me WORRIED

[notbecauseofvictories]

Hi Sarah! My friend and I are starting a bookclub (as much as you can with two people who aren't pressed for deadlines) and I was wondering if you have any recommendations? (That is if you have time to rec anything!) We're starting off with Deathless and have Fitzgerald next in line somewhere but I def want to try to expand the genres we read and tbh from years of following you, I trust your judgement

I don’t...like giving recommendations? At least not directly, it seems like too much opportunity for getting it wrong. Everybody has their own tastes, after all, and even the best of friends don’t necessarily vibe with what you vibe with. (I’ve experienced this with multiple friends, so I know what I’m talking about.) Truly, one of the reasons that my whole “I’m going to get back into reading for pleasure!” push has been so successful is that I only bother with books that interest me, and stop reading when they fail to catch my attention.

But I’ve now read at least 60 books in 2020, which is approximately 60 more than I’ve read in the years prior, so I’m happy to share that. Below is my list of recent reads, beginning to end, along with a very short review---I keep this list in the notes app on my phone, so they have to be. Where I’ve talked about a book in a post, I’ve tried to link to it. 

Peruse, and if something catches your interest I hope you enjoy!

2020 Reading List

Crazy Rich Asians series, Kevin Kwan (here)

Blackwater, Michael McDowell (here; pulpy horror and southern gothic in one novel; come for the monster but stay for the family drama.)

Fire and Hemlock, Diane Wynne Jones (here; weird and thoughtful, in ways I’m still thinking about)

The Secret History, Donna Tartt

Gone Girl, Gillian Flynn (here; loved it! I can see why people glommed onto it)

Swamplandia!, Karen Russell (unfinished, I could not get past the first paragraph; just....no.)

Rules of Scoundrels series, Sarah MacLean (an enjoyable romp through classic romancelandia, though if you read through 4 back to back you realize that MacLean really only writes 1 type of relationship and 1 type of sexual encounter, though I do appreciate insisting that the hero go down first.)

The Bear and the Nightingale, Katherine Arden (here)

Dread Nation, Justine Ireland (great, put it with Stealing Thunder in terms of fun YA fantasy that makes everything less white and Eurocentric)

The Haunting of Hill House, Shirley Jackson (VERY good. haunting good.)

Tell My Horse, Zora Neale Hurston (I read an interesting critique of Hurston that said she stripped a lot of the radicalism out of black stories - these might be an example, or counterexample. I haven't decided yet.)

The Rose MacGregor Drinking and Admiration Society, T. Kingfisher (fun!)

St. Lucy’s Home for Girls Raised by Wolves, Karen Russell (some of these short stories are wonderful; however, Swamplandia's inspiration is still unreadable, which is wild.)

17776, Jon Bois (made me cry. deeply human. A triumph of internet storytelling)

The Girl with All the Gifts, M. R. Carey (deeply enjoyable. the ending is a bittersweet kick in the teeth, and I really enjoyed the adults' relationships)

The Door in the Hedge and Other Stories, Robin McKinley (enjoyable, but never really resolved into anything.)

The Hero and the Crown, Robin McKinley (fun, but feels very early fantasy - or maybe I've just read too many of the subsequent knock-offs.)

Mrs. Caliban, Rachel Ingalls (weird little pulp novel.)

All Systems Red, Martha Wells (enjoyable, but I don't get the hype. won't be looking into the series unless opportunity arises.)

A People's History of Chicago, Kevin Coval (made me cry. bought a copy. am still thinking about it.)

The Sol Majestic, Ferrett Steinmetz (charming, a sf novel mostly about fine dining)

House in the Cerulean Sea, TJ Klune (immensely enjoyable read, for all it feels like fic with the serial numbers filed off)

The Au Pair, Emma Rous (not bad, but felt like it wanted to be more than it is)

The Night Tiger, Yangsze Choo (preferred this to Ghost Bride; I enjoy a well-crafted mystery novel and this delivered)

The Left Hand of Darkness, Ursula Le Guin (unfinished, I cannot fucking get into Le Guin and should really stop trying)

The Ghost Bride, Yangsze Choo (enjoyable, but not nearly as fun as Ghost Bride - the romance felt very disjointed, and could have used another round of editing)

Temptation's Darling, Johanna Lindsey (pure, unadulterated id in a romance novel, complete with a girl dressing as a boy to avoid detection)

Social Creature, Tara Isabella Burton (a strange, dark psychological portrait; really made a mark even though I can't quite put my finger on why)

The Girl on the Train, Paula Hawkins (slow at first, but picks up halfway through and builds nicely; a whiff of Gone Girl with the staggered perspectives building together)

Stealing Thunder, Alina Boyden (fun Tortall vibes, but set in Mughal India)

The Traitor Baru Cormorant; The Monster Baru Commorant, The Tyrant Baru Cormorant, Seth Dickinson (LOVE this, so much misery, terrible, ecstatic; more here)

This Is How You Lose the Time War, Amal El-Mohtar, Max Gladstone (epistolary love poetry, vicious and lovely; more here)

The Elementals, Michael McDowell

Gideon the Ninth, Tamsyn Muir (didn't like this one as much as I thought I would; narrator's contemporary voice was so jarring against the stylized world and action sequences read like the novelization for a video game; more here)

Finna, Nino Cipri (a fun little romp through interdimensional Ikea, if on the lighter side)

Magic for Liars, Sarah Gailey (engrossing, even if I could see every plot twist coming from a mile away)

Desdemona and the Deep, C. S. E. Cooney (enjoyed the weirdness & the fae bits, but very light fare)

A Blink of the Screen, Terry Pratchett (admittedly just read this for the Discworld bits)

A Memory Called Empire, Arkady Martine (not as good about politics and colonialism as Baru, but still a powerful book about The Empire, and EXTREMELY cool worldbuilding that manages to be wholly alien and yet never heavily expositional)

Blackfish City, Sam J. Miller (see my post)

Last Werewolf, Glen Duncan (didn't finish, got to to first explicit sex scene and couldn't get any further)

Prosper's Demon, KJ Parker (didn't work for me...felt like a short story that wanted to be fleshed out into a novel)

The Secret Garden, Frances Hodgson Burnett

His Majesty's Dragon, Naomi Novik (extremely fun, even for a reader who doesn't much like Napoleonic stories)

Three Parts Dead, Max Gladstone (fun romp - hard to believe that this is the same author as Time War though you can see glimmers of it in the imagery here)

A Scot in the Dark, Sarah MacLean (palette cleanser, she does write a good romance novel even it's basically the same romance novel over and over)

The Resurrectionist, E. B. Hudspeth (borrowed it on a whim one night, kept feeling like there was something I was supposed to /get/ about it, but never did - though I liked the Mutter Museum parallels)

Stories of Your Life and Others, Ted Chiang (he's a better ideas guy than a writer, though Hell Is The Absence of God made my skin prickle all over)

Gods of Jade and Shadow, Silvia Moreno-Garcia (fun, very much a throwback to my YA days of fairytale retellings, though obviously less European)

Four Roads Cross, Max Gladstone (it turns out I was a LOT more fond of Tara than I initially realized - plus this book had a good Pratchett-esque pacing and reliance on characterization)

Get in Trouble, Kelly Link (reading this after the Chiang was instructive - Link is such a better storyteller, better at prioritizing the human over the concept)

Gods Behaving Badly, Marie Phillips

Soulless; Changeless; Blameless, all by Gail Carriger (this series is basically a romance novel with some fantasy plot thrown in for fun; extremely charming and funny)

Black Leopard, Red Wolf, Marlon James (got about 1/3 of the way through and had to wave the white flag; will try again because I like the plot and the worldbuilding; the tone is just so hard to get through)

Pew, Catherine Lacey (a strange book, I'm still thinking about it; a good Southern book, though)

Nuremberg Diary, GM Gilbert (it took me two months to finish, and was worth it)

River of Teeth, Sarah Gailey (I wanted to like this one a lot more than I actually did; would have made a terrific movie but ultimately was not a great novel. Preferred Magic for Liars.)

Mexican Gothic, Silvia Moreno-Garcia (extremely fun, though more trippy than Gods and the plot didn't work as well for me - though it was very original)

The New Voices of Fantasy, Peter S. Beagle (collected anthology, with some favorites I've read before Ursula Vernon's "Jackalope Wives", "Hungry Daughters of Starving Mothers" "The Husband Stitch"; others that were great new finds "Selkie Stories are for Losers" from Sofia Satamar and "A Kiss With Teeth" from Max Gladstone and "The Philosophers" from Adam Ehrlich Sachs)

[nadia-writes-ds1]

Everything ends

And it’s always sad

But everything begins again too

And that’s always happy

Be happy

—-

Ahhh, just a small tribute to my favorite sci-fi TV series!

Doctor Who was introduced to me by a friend, and I immediately fell in love with the show. I started watching little bits and pieces, like the runaway bride and some more of Tennant’s run, but my first actual series I watched was Capaldi’s second. I would go on to borrow every episode from 2005 on from my library, but that series always stuck with me.

Peter Capaldi was my Doctor. He looked stern and gruff, but he was one of the kindest doctors in the show. My favorite series was probably the 6th, with Matt Smith, Karen Gillian, and Arthur Darvil running around space and time. Amy and Rory were my favorite companions. They were funny, brave, and really down to Earth (for being taken to a different planet every day). They seemed real, and I loved the contrast between them and the Doctor, who had no sense of time (or personal space).

I wouldn’t have gotten into the show though, if not for Christoper Eccleston. He was funny, smart, and not afraid to play his cards. Eccleston played the Doctor with such ease, and to follow him with long-time Doctor Who fan David Tennant; people sometimes forget about him. He’s what kept me watching, and introduced me to the massive whoverse.

Anyways, Doctor Who is continuing to change, and I think that’s good, but it just won’t be the same without Moffat at the helm. Steven Moffat was the best thing Doctor Who could ask for. His stories excited us, every episode hinting at another. His villains scared us half to death, and his resurrections of old villains were great. He added so much to the old villains, giving some of them new looks, new weapons, or a new agenda entirely!

That’s my rant on Doctor Who, thanks for listening.

—-

[tolive1000lives]

My goal this year was to read 45 books and so far I’ve read 50! I promised myself that I’d try to read more Nonfiction this year just to branch out a bit and I think I kept that promise and surprised myself by finding quite a few that I really enjoyed! Overall I’m happy with my picks this year though I need to read at least one more because I do NOT want to end my year with The Taming of the Shrew!

Harry Potter (1-7)- JK Rowling

Glass Sword- Victoria Aveyard

American Duchess: A Novel of Consuelo Vanderbilt- Karen Harper

The Snow Queen- Hans Christian Anderson 

King’s Cage- Victoria Aveyard

War Storm- Victoria Aveyard

Ten Restaurants That Changed America- Paul Freedman

Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville: A True Romance- Amy Licence 

How To Be A Victorian: A Dawn to Dusk Guide to Victorian Life- Ruth Goodman 

The Rocket Man- Ray Bradbury (a reread) 

We Hunt The Flame- Hafsah Faizal 

Hedda Garbler- Henrik Ibsen 

Daughters of the Winter Queen: Four Remarkable Sisters, The Crown of Bohemia, and the Enduring Legacy of Mary Queen of Scotts- Nancy Goldstone

We Free The Stars- Hafsah Faizal

The Birth of Venus- Sarah Durant

Sharp Objects- Gillian Flynn

The Bone Witch (1-3)- Rin Chupeco

Early Graves- Thomas H. Cook

Zero Hour- Ray Bradbury (a reread)

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd- Agatha Christie

Crazy Rich Asians- Kevin Kwan

Women & Power: A Manifesto- Mary Beard

Northanger Abbey- Jane Austen

Fullerton Parsonage- Laura Simons

Marie Antoinette: The Last Queen of France- Evelyne Lever

Pride and Prejudice- Jane Austen (a reread) 

Persuasion- Jane Austen (a reread) 

Emma- Jane Austen (a reread) 

Surfacing- Margaret Atwood

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow- Washington Irving

The Last Castle: The Epic Story of Love, Loss, and American Royalty in the Nation’s Largest Home- Denise Kiernan

Sense and Sensibility- Jane Austen (a reread) 

Picnic at Hanging Rock- Joan Lindsay

In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler’s Berlin- Erik Larson

Lady Susan- Jane Austen (a reread) 

The Maidens- Alex Michaelides

Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland- Patrick Radden Keef

China Rich Girlfriend- Kevin Kwan

Artemis- Andy Weir

The Way We Live Now- Anthony Trollope 

The Winds of War- Herman Wouk

The Taming of the Shrew- William Shakespeare

[lilydalexf]

Old School X is a project interviewing X-Files fanfic authors who were posting fic during the original run of the show. New interviews are posted every Tuesday.

Interview with MaybeAmanda

MaybeAmanda has been a longtime participant in X-files fandom. She has 29 stories at Gossamer, the earliest being archived there in 1998 and the latest in 2012. I've recced some of my favorites of her stories here before, including "Malus Genus" and "Snow in Alabama." Big thanks to MaybeAmanda for doing this interview.

Does it surprise you that people are still interested in reading your X-Files fanfics and others that were posted during the original run of the show (1993-2002)?

It does, in a way.  The feedback I get nowadays is either of the "I read this like 20 years ago and I just read it again" variety or the "I was too young back in the day but I have been watching the show in reruns/on XYZ streaming service/on the full-series of DVDs I got for $3 from the thrift store and I was THRILLED to discover fanfiction was being written even in the Dark Ages!" So it's a bit of a surprise, but it's a pleasant one. I answer every mail/comment because my mama raised me right!

What do you think of when you think about your X-Files fandom experience? What did you take away from it?

It was great. It was fun. It was educational. It was a godsend. Even with the occasional bouts of back-stabbing and flame-throwing, it was mainly a welcoming, inclusive place to be. I made so many online friends who have turned into meat-friends (do they still call them that? Probably not).  During the first run of the show I had small children and we had relocated for my husband's job.  I had very little social life, but the fandom gave me a chance to meet and connect with people who liked what I liked. Then I discovered online fanfic, and it was even better!

Social media didn't really exist during the show's original run. How were you most involved with the X-Files online (atxc, message board, email mailing list, etc.)?

ATXC I think.  A lot of email lists - 5 or 6 or 7 or so over the years. Gossamer, of course, Ephemeral when that came into being.  Haven discussion boards. My own websites.

What did you take away from your experience with X-Files fic or with the fandom in general?

More than anything?  I am a fangirl.

What was it that got you hooked on the X-Files as a show?

I have always been partial to sci-fi and speculative fiction, but it rarely makes it to the screen - large or small - without being trite, clichéd, or just plain bad. It's easy to forget that The X-Files was groundbreaking - smart, scary, funny, insightful, intriguing, complex plots, on-going mythology. It looked great. It sounded great. David Duchovny was pleasant to look at, too, and damn! Gillian Anderson is/was one hell of an actress.

What got you involved with X-Files fanfic?

I found XF fanfic - somehow - probably by accident, or by way of a recommendation - and it blew my mind.  I had written fanfic (of a sort) with my friends in highschool, so I was familiar with the beast, but to find what amounted to excellent story after excellent story for free within (relatively) easy reach (because dial-up, right?) written by people who, for the most part, were thrilled you read their story and were happy to talk to you about it, about writing in general, about your shared obsession - that was amazing. As I am sitting here typing this I am feeling that thrill again - discovering Karen Rasch, Madeliene Partous, Paula Graves [Lilydale note: AKA Anne Haynes], Sheryl Martin and all the other early BNFs was, well, the only word is exciting. I felt like I was a member of a secret society and that I was sitting at the popular kids lunch table, all at once. (Don't forget, in the early days, shippers were considered delusional outliers - seriously!)

What is your relationship like now to X-Files fandom?

Good?   It's not as lively a place as it once was, but I haven't renounced my citizenship or anything. If I get a rec, I check it out. I know there are those who like to pretend they never had anything to do with the fandom, but why? I am still a proud XPhile.

Were you involved with any fandoms after the X-Files? If so, what was it like compared to X-Files?

Angel (a teeny tiny bit) while XF was still running, but those fans were - I don't know the word.  Hardcore does not begin to do it justice. I wrote two short pieces at a friend's request then backed away slowly. Sherlock (a bit) - it is/was very LJ centred and that made it hard to find things. A lot of it moved to tumblr which made it harder, then to twitter, which - no.  I was involved in one of the less fashionable facets of the Sherlock fandom, so I was really a fringe-dweller there, too. It seemed clique-ier than XF, and they all seemed so young, and they all knew EVERYTHING about everything, and every damned thing was political, and, and, and... GET OFF MY LAWN!

But maybe I am remembering the XF fandom wrong. ;)

Who are some of your favorite fictional characters? Why?

Like, all fiction? Mulder and Scully for sure. Arthur Dent. Sherlock Holmes in most of his incarnations. Spock. Winnie the Pooh. Why do I like them?  They speak to me, I guess.

Do you ever still watch The X-Files or think about Mulder and Scully?

I haven't watched an episode in probably two years (back when it was on regular tv).  Yeah, I think about them surprisingly often.  Story ideas, weirdly.

Do you ever still read X-Files fic?

I finished re-reading The Iolokus Series a couple of weeks back, so yes.  It's excellent comfort reading.

Do you have any favorite X-Files fanfic stories or authors?

Lots! But as far as authors go, I hate playing favourites. I will miss someone I shouldn't and feel like crap.  The Iolokus Series by MustangSally and Rivka T. is probably my all-time favourite fic because it's so very well-written, and so very fucked-up. Kipler's Strangers and the Strange Dead is also terrifically well-written and clever. For complex, interesting case files, you can’t beat syntax6 - pick any of them.

What is your favorite of your own fics, X-Files and/or otherwise?

Oh geez. Seriously? I wrote a lot of collaborations and I love them - and my co-authors - all!  Stuff I wrote on my own: Anniversary Waltz (first XF fic I wrote so it's sentimental.) Or Blue Patches. Or Epiphany. Or The Gifts of the Magi (On a Kaiser Roll). Or 221XF.  Gonna stop now.

Do you think you'll ever write another X-Files story?

Every time I thought I wouldn't, I did. I would never say never.

Or dust off and post an oldie that for whatever reason never made it online?

Nothing finished ever went un-posted. All the unfinished stuff remains unfinished.

Do you still write fic now?

Haven't for a while, but it's not as if I have said "I SHALL NEVER WRITE FANFIC AGAIN!" I just have nothing in the works at this moment.

Where do you get ideas for stories?

With fic, it's usually from canon - some question unanswered, some road unexplored, some "what if?" that needs iffing.  With "original" fiction, damned if I know.  A snippet of overheard conversation, an interesting photo, something a random story generator spit out at me.  Sometimes things just click.

What's the story behind your pen name?

Okay so...many years ago I was on a (smallish) fic list with a friend.  There was a challenge posted - a bad fic challenge. We knew we could write some truly bad fic if we really tried.  One of the rules of the challenge was to post under an assumed name so no one would know who they were voting for. Well, my friend and I wrote something truly, painfully horrid and we were very proud of its ghastliness, so were brainstorming possible pseudonyms. She hated everything but had no real suggestions of her own.  I knew that she was a bit of a Trekkie (like me) and I said - What about Amanda Greyson and Joanna McCoy?  And she said  - What?? Huh?? Why?? And I said - Spock's mother and McCoy's daughter and she replied, "Maybe Amanda is Spock's mother but on Star Trek there is not a Joanna." By this point, I was SO DONE, and I became MaybeAmanda and she became NotJoanna. Really.

Do your friends and family know about your fic and, if so, what have been their reactions?

It took years for me to admit it, but yeah, they know.  They didn't entirely get it.  The reactions I most often got were:

"Ew! You write stuff without being forced?? Ew!!"

or:

"Is it smut? I bet it's just smut. You write smut, don't you? Pure filth, right? I can't believe you are wasting your time writing pornography! That's disgusting! You sicken me! Um, can I read some of it?"

And of course:

"If you are going to write anyway, why don't you get published and become fabulously wealthy?"

which is really two questions, neither of which is easily answerable.

Anyone who tracked my work down (because I told them I wrote, but not my pseudonym) usually said something like, "Hey! You're an okay/passable/decent writer! Why don't you get published and become fabulously wealthy?"

Yeah.

Is there a place online (tumblr, twitter, AO3, etc.) where people can find you and/or your stories now?

Same old email (maybe_a@rocketmail_dot_com). Gossamer, my site, my LJ and probably some other places.  I can't lie - it's a bit scattered.

(Posted by Lilydale on August 4, 2020)

[redroomwidows]

Hi, could you ship me with someone from the Marauder’s Era. I don’t identify with any gender and use all pronouns. I’m omni and I don’t care which gender. I’m Slytherin and an Aquarius. I have blue eyes and light brown hair with the under layers dyed pink. I’m about 5’7. I’m introverted and try to be very independent. A bit sarcastic and appear mean, but when you get to know me I’m a total softy. Also, I love cuddles. Thank you!

I ship you with Lily Evans ❤️

(no one come for me for my fancast okay, i love Karen Gillian and see her as like older, mother to harry lily)

honestly i think she’d really enjoy your company

loves your hair and thinks it’s super cool

totally helps you re-dye it if you need help

will definitely cuddle you