Trump vs. Minnesota: A Realization
Jan. 15th, 2026 09:34 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dewlineAll this horror and heroism in Minneapolis-St. Paul of late...in the cities that gave us Charles Schulz of all people.
dewline
Not a full media update
Jan. 16th, 2026 03:27 pmchina_shop1. I am ridiculous and not even managing to keep up with Dreamwidth.
2. Just listened to Bujold's Penric's Demon in audio. Aww!
3. Watching Younger on Netflix, and wow, nothing dates an American show like all of the regular cast members being white. In New York. (Other than that, it's light fun and about what I'm in the mood for. Kind of like an Amy Sherman-Palladino show with less wealth porn.) Also started season 2 of The Pitt, despite intending to rewatch season 1 first.
4. (Burying the lede.) Andrew's surgery went well! We played two games of Scrabble this morning. I'm spending most of my time at the hospital.[a] Halle is confused by his absence and seeking an injunction.
[a] I've spent so long in North American fandoms that I've forgotten when we put "the" in front of "hospital", but I'm pretty sure this is one of those times, it being a specific hospital.
2. Just listened to Bujold's Penric's Demon in audio. Aww!
3. Watching Younger on Netflix, and wow, nothing dates an American show like all of the regular cast members being white. In New York. (Other than that, it's light fun and about what I'm in the mood for. Kind of like an Amy Sherman-Palladino show with less wealth porn.) Also started season 2 of The Pitt, despite intending to rewatch season 1 first.
4. (Burying the lede.) Andrew's surgery went well! We played two games of Scrabble this morning. I'm spending most of my time at the hospital.[a] Halle is confused by his absence and seeking an injunction.
[a] I've spent so long in North American fandoms that I've forgotten when we put "the" in front of "hospital", but I'm pretty sure this is one of those times, it being a specific hospital.
six things make a post
Jan. 15th, 2026 09:14 pmredbirdIn no particular order:
*Last night, I talked with cattitude and adrian_turtle about possible text for my mother's gravestone. I emailed this to my brother today, with a note that these were what I was thinking of.
*I went to TJ Maxx to look for slippers. Disappointingly, there were none that came close to fitting: the ones that might have been in my size were all significantly too tight across the top of my foot. I was wearing thin socks (specifically, lightweight compression socks). It continues to be annoying that not buying slippers (for example) is as tiring as buying some.
*Also, my hips started hurting while I was in the store, so I decided not to look for other things, but headed home with only a quick stop at CVS, and not a grocery store.
*Today was definitely a good day to be outside; yesterday wasn't particularly, and tomorrow is likely to be a lot colder than today (with an afternoon high a little below freezing, so not horrible for January in Boston).
*I got email today from state senator Pat Jehlen, about a bill to ban the use of masks by law enforcement. This is noteworthy because I haven't lived in her district since 2019, and didn't think I was still on her mailing list.
*The skin on my fingertips, and on the rest of my hands, is doing a lot better. I will need to remember to keep applying the serious lotion, so it doesn't start splitting again. However, my shoulder is bothering me, which may be from doing a lot of mousing when I was avoiding using the keyboard.
Read "Hordes of the Khan"
Jan. 15th, 2026 08:19 pmysabetwordsmithMy partner Doug tipped me to "Hordes of the Khan" by Scott R. Brooks, a Johnny Quest fancomic.
Check out the "Quest for Knowledge" page. That is very typical of comics in Terramagne, which often throw in some fun facts about the setting, history, flora and fauna, etc. even if the story is wholly fictional.
Check out the "Quest for Knowledge" page. That is very typical of comics in Terramagne, which often throw in some fun facts about the setting, history, flora and fauna, etc. even if the story is wholly fictional.
Thursday Recs
Jan. 15th, 2026 08:17 pmsoc_puppet posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
queerly_belovedHow is it only the third Thursday of the year? It feels like it should be the twelfth Thursday at the very least!
Do you have a rec for this week? Just reply to this post with something queer or queer-adjacent (such as, soap made by a queer person that isn't necessarily queer themed) that you'd, well, recommend. Self-recs are welcome, as are recs for fandom-related content!
Or have you tried something that's been recced here? Do you have your own report to share about it? I'd love to hear about it!
Do you have a rec for this week? Just reply to this post with something queer or queer-adjacent (such as, soap made by a queer person that isn't necessarily queer themed) that you'd, well, recommend. Self-recs are welcome, as are recs for fandom-related content!
Or have you tried something that's been recced here? Do you have your own report to share about it? I'd love to hear about it!
Dept. of JFC
Jan. 15th, 2026 07:08 pmkaffy_rPer the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
She did not answer reporters' questions as to whether he accepted it.
We are indeed in not only the darkest timeline, but the most fucking surreal timeline.
*wanders off to find alcohol and a wall she can bang her head against*
We are indeed in not only the darkest timeline, but the most fucking surreal timeline.
*wanders off to find alcohol and a wall she can bang her head against*
In memoriam: Renfrew Christie, who sabotaged South Africa's nuclear weapons program
Jan. 15th, 2026 07:42 pmredbirdAs is sometimes the case, I only heard about Christie and his part in the anti-apartheid fight after he died.
Renfrew Christie was a white South African scientist and member of the paramilitary wing of the African National Congress. He went to Oxford University and studied South Africa's history of electrification "so I could get into the electricity supply commission’s library and archives, and work out how much electricity they were using to enrich uranium," he told the BBC. That in turn let them figure out how much enriched uranium South Africa had, and many bombs it could build.
When he returned to South Africa, he was arrested and, after 48 hours of torture, wrote a forced confession, which he told the BBC was the best thing he ever wrote
Christie died of pneumonia last month, at the age of 76.
I'm linking tosiderea's post, which includes the text of the (paywalled) NY Times obituary.
Renfrew Christie was a white South African scientist and member of the paramilitary wing of the African National Congress. He went to Oxford University and studied South Africa's history of electrification "so I could get into the electricity supply commission’s library and archives, and work out how much electricity they were using to enrich uranium," he told the BBC. That in turn let them figure out how much enriched uranium South Africa had, and many bombs it could build.
When he returned to South Africa, he was arrested and, after 48 hours of torture, wrote a forced confession, which he told the BBC was the best thing he ever wrote
noting that he had made sure the confession included “all my recommendations to the African National Congress” about the best way to sabotage Koeberg and other facilities.
“And, gloriously, the judge read it out in court,” Dr. Christie added. “So my recommendations went from the judge’s mouth” straight to the A.N.C.
Christie died of pneumonia last month, at the age of 76.
I'm linking to
siderea's post, which includes the text of the (paywalled) NY Times obituary.Stand with Minnesota
Jan. 15th, 2026 10:59 pmcosmolinguistWebsite I found out about today.
Minnesotans are organized and activated to respond to this violence. But they need our help.
This directory of places to donate to all comes from activists on the ground, plugged into the situation. Everything is vetted, with the exception of individual GoFundMes (not everyone is in our networks, and we don’t want to pick and choose who is worthy of help.)
If you don’t have resources to give, please amplify twhat you are hearing](https://www.standwithminnesota.com/stay-informed) and seeing about Minnesota, across social media, but also to your networks, friends, and family offline.
Read our testimonies and know what life is like in Minnesota right now.
When I was a kid I read a Sleator book
Jan. 16th, 2026 04:42 pmconulyin which two teens independently fall into a toxic mud puddle and develop mind-reading abilities. Spoilers, they're not the only ones!
They're at a family reunion, and one person mentions that there have been a few breakins, how odd, because all the broken-in houses had security systems. And as they mention that, everybody in range automatically thinks their PINs. This, of course, is how the (telepathic!) thief had broken into the houses in the first place.
Ever since then, every time I've had to enter a PIN or a password anywhere, I've carefully also thought some other random letters or numbers. It's a silly habit, which I only developed long after I outgrew poking around closets for Narnia and had nearly outgrown poking around closets for secret passageways, and it wouldn't really deter a mind-reading thief for very long, but I still do it. If there ever is a telepathic malefactor in close proximity to me, at least they'll have to to try a few different codes to use my bank card!
******************
( Read more... )
They're at a family reunion, and one person mentions that there have been a few breakins, how odd, because all the broken-in houses had security systems. And as they mention that, everybody in range automatically thinks their PINs. This, of course, is how the (telepathic!) thief had broken into the houses in the first place.
Ever since then, every time I've had to enter a PIN or a password anywhere, I've carefully also thought some other random letters or numbers. It's a silly habit, which I only developed long after I outgrew poking around closets for Narnia and had nearly outgrown poking around closets for secret passageways, and it wouldn't really deter a mind-reading thief for very long, but I still do it. If there ever is a telepathic malefactor in close proximity to me, at least they'll have to to try a few different codes to use my bank card!
( Read more... )
Poetry Fishbowl Themes for Early 2026
Jan. 15th, 2026 02:42 pmysabetwordsmithThis poll covers the ideas proposed in the recent call for themes. Everyone is eligible to vote in this poll. I will keep it open until at least Friday night. If there are clear answers then, I'll close it. Otherwise I may leave it open a little longer. If you don't have a Dreamwidth account, you can vote in an anonymous comment or email to me, but include some kind of handle to distinguish yourself.
For this poll, you can vote for as many themes as you find appealing. I recommend that you don't vote for all of them, since that makes it harder to whittle down the list. The themes are arranged in alphabetical order.
Here are your options ...
( Read more... )
For this poll, you can vote for as many themes as you find appealing. I recommend that you don't vote for all of them, since that makes it harder to whittle down the list. The themes are arranged in alphabetical order.
Here are your options ...
( Read more... )
before the chilly nightfall
Jan. 15th, 2026 03:24 pmdarkoshi3 little dandelions, braving January sunlight
as the temperature drops
Spin, spin, spin
says the garden wind spinner
Squeak, screech, squeeeeeaaaaaaaal
replies the neighbor's roof turbine
as the temperature drops
Spin, spin, spin
says the garden wind spinner
Squeak, screech, squeeeeeaaaaaaaal
replies the neighbor's roof turbine
Wildlife
Jan. 15th, 2026 02:21 pmysabetwordsmithMonkeys With Smaller Testicles Scream Louder to Compensate
It's a "calls vs balls" tradeoff.
It’s a long-held belief that loudmouths overcompensate for something, but in the case of howler monkeys, science has confirmed it’s a biological fact. A landmark study by Dr. Jacob Dunn at Cambridge University, along with 2026 follow-up research, has established that monkeys who scream the loudest effectively “pay” for that volume with significantly smaller testes and lower sperm counts.
You gotta wonder if this applies to humans and some of their absurd behavior.
It's a "calls vs balls" tradeoff.
It’s a long-held belief that loudmouths overcompensate for something, but in the case of howler monkeys, science has confirmed it’s a biological fact. A landmark study by Dr. Jacob Dunn at Cambridge University, along with 2026 follow-up research, has established that monkeys who scream the loudest effectively “pay” for that volume with significantly smaller testes and lower sperm counts.
You gotta wonder if this applies to humans and some of their absurd behavior.
Neighborhood Poetry
Jan. 15th, 2026 02:06 pmysabetwordsmithsef1029 shared a picture of a tiny bulletin board for neighborhood poetry. This is the kind of thing that anyone could put up, a riff on the Little Free (whatever) concept. It would work just as well for any kind of creative writing that fits on one page, like nature writing or drabbles, as well as things like copies of a journal page with a sketch and description of local flora or fauna. No poem? No problem! Sponsors of my work get nonexclusive reprint rights. I'd be happy to write one-page poems for neighborhood use. See something of mine that you already like? Chip in, you're a cosponsor, you can pass around free copies.
Also keep an eye out for local poets in your area who might like to participate. Watch for bookstores, libraries, coffeehouses, etc. to host an open mike night, poetry reading, author signing, etc. where you can meet poets from your area. These also make good places to put up a poetry post, indoors or outdoors.
Of course, you could also look up classic poems in the public domain and use those.
Birdfeeding
Jan. 15th, 2026 01:38 pmysabetwordsmithToday is mostly sunny and cold.
I fed the birds. I've seen a flock of sparrows and a starling.
I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 1/15/26 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
EDIT 1/15/26 -- I did more work around the patio.
EDIT 1/15/26 -- I did some work around the yard.
I've seen a downy woodpecker drumming on a branch, and a pair of cardinals flying away.
EDIT 1/15/26 -- I dumped out the cloverleaf pots and stacked them upside-down on the patio. Last year I tried growing wild strawberries in towers. This didn't work great because 1) the berries weren't very good, 2) the towers were difficult to water, and 3) they were prone to falling over. However, I learned some things so it wasn't a wasted effort. I'm not sure what I'll try next. Certainly I could plant better strawberries, either my wild ones or the pink-flowered Toscano that produced excellent berries last summer. Watering should be easier with a hose. Stability, hmm, I might try stakes or just spread them out.
.
I fed the birds. I've seen a flock of sparrows and a starling.
I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 1/15/26 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
EDIT 1/15/26 -- I did more work around the patio.
EDIT 1/15/26 -- I did some work around the yard.
I've seen a downy woodpecker drumming on a branch, and a pair of cardinals flying away.
EDIT 1/15/26 -- I dumped out the cloverleaf pots and stacked them upside-down on the patio. Last year I tried growing wild strawberries in towers. This didn't work great because 1) the berries weren't very good, 2) the towers were difficult to water, and 3) they were prone to falling over. However, I learned some things so it wasn't a wasted effort. I'm not sure what I'll try next. Certainly I could plant better strawberries, either my wild ones or the pink-flowered Toscano that produced excellent berries last summer. Watering should be easier with a hose. Stability, hmm, I might try stakes or just spread them out.
.
and every demon wants his pound of flesh
Jan. 15th, 2026 02:14 pmmusesfoolI had a very long anxiety dream last night that involved trying to get home and failing repeatedly. First I told the driver I lived at my old address on the Upper East Side, then other people joined the ride and demanded to get dropped off before heading to Queens. The then driver bailed and a new set of passengers took over the driving and refused to exit the BQE to the LIE to get me home. Eventually I was dropped off on what appeared to be Hillside Avenue, which is not far from me in the waking world, but somehow in the dream the walk never brought me any closer. Ugh. I guess it was a new spin, since usually I'm trying to get to work in these dreams, but it felt like it lasted all night (I did sleep through for about 6 hours straight, so maybe it did).
Anyway, despite the ongoing trashfire, some cool stuff is coming:
- NEW SIX OF CROWS BOOK IN JUNE!!!! It's supposed to be the "private correspondence of Kaz Brekker with a mysterious person identified only as 'I.'" KAZ/INEJ EPISTOLARY STORY!??! I am seated and ready. Take my money, please!
- You probably already know this, but The Pitt was renewed for a third season last week.
- Pitchers and catchers report in less than 1 month. The Mets only got worse over the winter, so who knows what the hell is going to happen, but that is always a sign spring isn't too far away!
- The (NY football) Giants may be getting an actual factual head coach? I don't expect miracles but maybe they won't be embarrassing next season?
I feel like there were one or two other things I meant to post about but can't remember what they were. Oh, there's a new Fonda Lee novel coming, too! I do want to try out Matt Fraction's Batman at some point, and Cass's new book, but since I generally wait for the trade paperbacks (in ebook form anyway), they're not always top of mind. Still no release date for Alecto the Ninth (is it ever coming out?) and no kindle edition for DCC: Parade of Horribles but I keep checking!
*
Anyway, despite the ongoing trashfire, some cool stuff is coming:
- NEW SIX OF CROWS BOOK IN JUNE!!!! It's supposed to be the "private correspondence of Kaz Brekker with a mysterious person identified only as 'I.'" KAZ/INEJ EPISTOLARY STORY!??! I am seated and ready. Take my money, please!
- You probably already know this, but The Pitt was renewed for a third season last week.
- Pitchers and catchers report in less than 1 month. The Mets only got worse over the winter, so who knows what the hell is going to happen, but that is always a sign spring isn't too far away!
- The (NY football) Giants may be getting an actual factual head coach? I don't expect miracles but maybe they won't be embarrassing next season?
I feel like there were one or two other things I meant to post about but can't remember what they were. Oh, there's a new Fonda Lee novel coming, too! I do want to try out Matt Fraction's Batman at some point, and Cass's new book, but since I generally wait for the trade paperbacks (in ebook form anyway), they're not always top of mind. Still no release date for Alecto the Ninth (is it ever coming out?) and no kindle edition for DCC: Parade of Horribles but I keep checking!
*
Snowflake Challenge 8: Creative Process
Jan. 15th, 2026 11:51 amysabetwordsmithSnowflake Challenge 8: Creative Process
Talk about your creative process.
This challenge looks at what goes on behind the scenes to produce all the wonderful fannish contents that come to be in the world. By ‘create’ we don’t just mean fic or art or videos -- there’s a process behind every blog post, comment or any other kind of fannish engagement. We’re all creators -- and every creator loves to know about other peoples'.
I write fanfic "derive in, extrapolate out." This means I look for something in the canon that could use more explanation, think about how it could have gotten that way, then consider how that could influence further stories.
My biggest fanseries is Love Is For children (The Avengers). Several of these entries dig into the backstory of the characters, starting with a scene in canon that shows something already developed which must have had a way to get started but that part is never mentioned. So I used the character as known, and the context, to build something that would logically fit into that gap.
In the first Iron Man movie, we see Tony Stark build the Mark I suit in a cave, with a box of scraps. Specifically, we see him swinging a hammer, like Hephaestus at his forge. Now blacksmithing is one of those things that cannot be learned entirely from a book. It requires muscles and muscle memory; you actually have to do the work, a lot, over a long time. If you want to learn efficiently and also not set yourself on fire too much, it also requires a master blacksmith to teach you the tools and techniques. But the movie says nothing about how or where or when Tony learned any of that; it shows the end result of a mastersmith building a supergizmo out of junk.
I wrote "What Little Boys Are Made Of" to fill in that part of Tony's backstory. The earliest sections describe, also inspired by canon, examples of Tony's relationship with his father and Howard Stark's A+ parenting. Then it covers college, Tony's boredom because it's too easy, and his continuing efforts to get Howard's attention. The real key comes when Tony revisits Museum Village in Monroe, New York. There he meets a blacksmith and hits on the idea of working as an apprentice for the summer. And the rest is history.
Consider the Six Layers from Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud. With fanwriting, a creator necessarily starts at the surface of the canon element, in this case a movie. "Derive in" means picking a point on the surface, then delving underneath into the structure which supports it, and often consulting the idiom. To create something new requires an idea, which is the first or core layer. From there, "extrapolate out" simply works back up to the surface again.
There in a nutshell is the process for most of my fanwriting. It works equally well with all sizes and media. I use some other methods, but I usually pair them with this one.
Talk about your creative process.
This challenge looks at what goes on behind the scenes to produce all the wonderful fannish contents that come to be in the world. By ‘create’ we don’t just mean fic or art or videos -- there’s a process behind every blog post, comment or any other kind of fannish engagement. We’re all creators -- and every creator loves to know about other peoples'.
I write fanfic "derive in, extrapolate out." This means I look for something in the canon that could use more explanation, think about how it could have gotten that way, then consider how that could influence further stories.
My biggest fanseries is Love Is For children (The Avengers). Several of these entries dig into the backstory of the characters, starting with a scene in canon that shows something already developed which must have had a way to get started but that part is never mentioned. So I used the character as known, and the context, to build something that would logically fit into that gap.
In the first Iron Man movie, we see Tony Stark build the Mark I suit in a cave, with a box of scraps. Specifically, we see him swinging a hammer, like Hephaestus at his forge. Now blacksmithing is one of those things that cannot be learned entirely from a book. It requires muscles and muscle memory; you actually have to do the work, a lot, over a long time. If you want to learn efficiently and also not set yourself on fire too much, it also requires a master blacksmith to teach you the tools and techniques. But the movie says nothing about how or where or when Tony learned any of that; it shows the end result of a mastersmith building a supergizmo out of junk.
I wrote "What Little Boys Are Made Of" to fill in that part of Tony's backstory. The earliest sections describe, also inspired by canon, examples of Tony's relationship with his father and Howard Stark's A+ parenting. Then it covers college, Tony's boredom because it's too easy, and his continuing efforts to get Howard's attention. The real key comes when Tony revisits Museum Village in Monroe, New York. There he meets a blacksmith and hits on the idea of working as an apprentice for the summer. And the rest is history.
Consider the Six Layers from Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud. With fanwriting, a creator necessarily starts at the surface of the canon element, in this case a movie. "Derive in" means picking a point on the surface, then delving underneath into the structure which supports it, and often consulting the idiom. To create something new requires an idea, which is the first or core layer. From there, "extrapolate out" simply works back up to the surface again.
There in a nutshell is the process for most of my fanwriting. It works equally well with all sizes and media. I use some other methods, but I usually pair them with this one.
Reading Thursday (First Half of December)
Jan. 15th, 2026 10:08 ammuccamukkAKA, my Very Serious Holiday Break Reading List.
Flamer by Mike Curato
One of my professors (who's also a librarian) mentioned that they'd just gotten this for the library's graphic novel collection because it was on the banned book list yet again. So I picked it up, then left it on the mantel until school ended for the year.
Centred on a teenager in boy scout camp, the summer before high school starts, the story covers about a week of intense emotional turmoil. The Scouts had banned homosexuality, but were filled with homo-erotically charged jokes and behaviour from the boys, as well as overt homophobia, fatphobia and racism. Like the author, the protagonist is mixed race, chubby and gay, and none of those seem to him like they're going to lead anywhere good. He's looking forward to leaving the Catholic school system, where he got religious guilt on top of bullying, but afraid of the big public high school and future bullying. He's desperately in love/lust with his tent-mate, and terrified what might happen if anyone finds out he's gay.
The art is simple grey scale with occasional red and orange, and showcases the juvenile over-exuberance of the characters, and how every emotion is the most emotion anyone has ever felt. Not a whole lot actually happens in this story, but it does a wonderful job of showing how world-endingly monumental the mundane can be at that age, when everything you feel is going to be all you feel for the rest of your life. The specific experiences aren't something I dealt with at that age, but the intensity felt very familiar.
It's a well done story that I think would be very useful to teens and tweens going through similar situations, which I assume is why it's widely banned.
The Claiming of the Shrew by Lauren Esker
(Usual disclaimer about knowing the author.)
The reservation system worked! For those not following the Fated Mountain Lodge series, the previous novels have all depended on reservation system mishaps putting people in odd situations, but this time it worked! We're in business, baby! The hero does end up in the Honeymoon Suite because it's the only available room, but that's no one's fault but his.
This is probably tied with its sister novel, Joy to the Squirrel, as my favourite in the series so far, with the fully charged shrew (as in she can turn into a shrew) heroine ready to go out there and solve some crime! Even if she has no experience in solving crime. She's paired with the honeymoon-suit inhabiting trash panda private detective, who does know how to solve crime, but is definitely getting off to a slower start. And there also a theatre troop living in the woods. And a dragon. It's just really, really sweet and fun, with charming characters to root for, and largely pretty low stakes. I really appreciated having a disabled heroine, and how she worked with her disability as a shapeshifter. Absolutely this series at its best.
The Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold, narrated by James Lloyd
(sanguinity just read this, which made me want to read it again (third or fourth time through), so I did.)
I think Sanguinity does a better job of summing up what's great about this book, but to be brief: Caz, our hero, who has had the worst time of it, is my platonic ideal of an iron woobie. He's just trying to get through the day so he can catch a damn break in some hoped-for future, but unfortunately a variety of gods have other plans for him. Does he set out to save the kingdom? No! He sets out to have a nap, but the nap turns out to be on the other side of some serious political shenanigans, so off he goes. Like it or not. And he very much does not like it.
The book is an exercise in slowly ratcheting up the stakes, until the kingdom's fate rests on the fall of some beads, and just doesn't feel like it's going to work out. I really appreciate Bujold's ability to put the reader through it along with the characters. I also like how though there are heroes and villains (and some convincingly loathsome characters), no one's a panto baddie, who's just evil for the sake of the plot. The story is about corrupting influences, and power turning people into their worst selves, and how to fight back against that, which I appreciated.
I have some thoughts about the theology and world building, which will probably get their own post some day.
The Gifts of the Magpie by Lauren Esker
(Know the author, etc.)
The most recent Fated Mountain Lodge book, and the reservation system is... working! But several characters still accidentally get booked into the honeymoon suite, because why not? There were also some fun winter adventures on snowmobiles, and I really liked the set up for the next book's main character.
Unfortunately, that's about all that worked for me. ( slight negativity )
Flamer by Mike CuratoOne of my professors (who's also a librarian) mentioned that they'd just gotten this for the library's graphic novel collection because it was on the banned book list yet again. So I picked it up, then left it on the mantel until school ended for the year.
Centred on a teenager in boy scout camp, the summer before high school starts, the story covers about a week of intense emotional turmoil. The Scouts had banned homosexuality, but were filled with homo-erotically charged jokes and behaviour from the boys, as well as overt homophobia, fatphobia and racism. Like the author, the protagonist is mixed race, chubby and gay, and none of those seem to him like they're going to lead anywhere good. He's looking forward to leaving the Catholic school system, where he got religious guilt on top of bullying, but afraid of the big public high school and future bullying. He's desperately in love/lust with his tent-mate, and terrified what might happen if anyone finds out he's gay.
The art is simple grey scale with occasional red and orange, and showcases the juvenile over-exuberance of the characters, and how every emotion is the most emotion anyone has ever felt. Not a whole lot actually happens in this story, but it does a wonderful job of showing how world-endingly monumental the mundane can be at that age, when everything you feel is going to be all you feel for the rest of your life. The specific experiences aren't something I dealt with at that age, but the intensity felt very familiar.
It's a well done story that I think would be very useful to teens and tweens going through similar situations, which I assume is why it's widely banned.
The Claiming of the Shrew by Lauren Esker
(Usual disclaimer about knowing the author.)
The reservation system worked! For those not following the Fated Mountain Lodge series, the previous novels have all depended on reservation system mishaps putting people in odd situations, but this time it worked! We're in business, baby! The hero does end up in the Honeymoon Suite because it's the only available room, but that's no one's fault but his.
This is probably tied with its sister novel, Joy to the Squirrel, as my favourite in the series so far, with the fully charged shrew (as in she can turn into a shrew) heroine ready to go out there and solve some crime! Even if she has no experience in solving crime. She's paired with the honeymoon-suit inhabiting trash panda private detective, who does know how to solve crime, but is definitely getting off to a slower start. And there also a theatre troop living in the woods. And a dragon. It's just really, really sweet and fun, with charming characters to root for, and largely pretty low stakes. I really appreciated having a disabled heroine, and how she worked with her disability as a shapeshifter. Absolutely this series at its best.
The Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold, narrated by James Lloyd
(
sanguinity just read this, which made me want to read it again (third or fourth time through), so I did.)I think Sanguinity does a better job of summing up what's great about this book, but to be brief: Caz, our hero, who has had the worst time of it, is my platonic ideal of an iron woobie. He's just trying to get through the day so he can catch a damn break in some hoped-for future, but unfortunately a variety of gods have other plans for him. Does he set out to save the kingdom? No! He sets out to have a nap, but the nap turns out to be on the other side of some serious political shenanigans, so off he goes. Like it or not. And he very much does not like it.
The book is an exercise in slowly ratcheting up the stakes, until the kingdom's fate rests on the fall of some beads, and just doesn't feel like it's going to work out. I really appreciate Bujold's ability to put the reader through it along with the characters. I also like how though there are heroes and villains (and some convincingly loathsome characters), no one's a panto baddie, who's just evil for the sake of the plot. The story is about corrupting influences, and power turning people into their worst selves, and how to fight back against that, which I appreciated.
I have some thoughts about the theology and world building, which will probably get their own post some day.
The Gifts of the Magpie by Lauren Esker
(Know the author, etc.)
The most recent Fated Mountain Lodge book, and the reservation system is... working! But several characters still accidentally get booked into the honeymoon suite, because why not? There were also some fun winter adventures on snowmobiles, and I really liked the set up for the next book's main character.
Unfortunately, that's about all that worked for me. ( slight negativity )
Krampus, by Brom
Jan. 15th, 2026 09:55 amrachelmanija
Brom was a fantasy illustrator before he started writing his own books. They all contain spectacular color plates as well as black and white illustrations, which add a lot to the story.
Krampus opens with a prologue of the imprisoned Krampus vowing revenge on Santa Claus, then cuts to Santa Claus being chased through a trailer park by horned goblins, one of whom falls to his death when Santa escapes on his sleigh drawn by flying reindeer.
But he left his sack behind, which is promptly picked up Jesse, who just moments previously was considering suicide because he's basically a character from a country song: he's broke; his wife left him, taking their kid with her, and she's now with the town sheriff; Jesse never had the music career he wanted because of poor self-esteem and stage fright, AND he's being forced to do dangerous drug smuggling by the crime lord who runs the town with help from the sheriff. Santa's sack will provide any toy you want, but only toys; Jesse, not the sharpest knife in the drawer, uses it get his daughter every toy she's ever wanted, so now his wife thinks he stole them and the corrupt sheriff is on his ass again. And so are Krampus's band of Bellsnickles, who also want the sack because it's the key to freeing Krampus...
This book is absolutely nuts. The tone isn't as absurd as the summary might make it sound; it is often pretty funny, but it's more of a mythic fantasy meets gritty crime drama, sort of like Charles de Lint was writing in the 80s. Absolutely the best part is when Krampus finally gets to be Krampus in the modern day, spreading Yule tidings, terrorizing suburban adults, and terrifying but also delighting suburban children.
Just One Thing (15 January 2026)
Jan. 15th, 2026 04:29 pmnanila posting in awesomeersIt's challenge time!
Comment with Just One Thing you've accomplished in the last 24 hours or so. It doesn't have to be a hard thing, or even a thing that you think is particularly awesome. Just a thing that you did.
Feel free to share more than one thing if you're feeling particularly accomplished! Extra credit: find someone in the comments and give them props for what they achieved!
Nothing is too big, too small, too strange or too cryptic. And in case you'd rather do this in private, anonymous comments are screened. I will only unscreen if you ask me to.
Go!
Comment with Just One Thing you've accomplished in the last 24 hours or so. It doesn't have to be a hard thing, or even a thing that you think is particularly awesome. Just a thing that you did.
Feel free to share more than one thing if you're feeling particularly accomplished! Extra credit: find someone in the comments and give them props for what they achieved!
Nothing is too big, too small, too strange or too cryptic. And in case you'd rather do this in private, anonymous comments are screened. I will only unscreen if you ask me to.
Go!
Pluses and minuses
Jan. 15th, 2026 02:54 pmoursinThis is being one of those weeks when I'm not sure if Mercury is in retrograde or in the opposite of retrograde, if there is an opposite.
In that some things are going unwontedly smoothly and unexpectedly well, and other things not, and plans being thwarted, etc.
E.g., further to the expeditious renewal of my library membership, I was going to boogy on down to the relevant institution to pick up my card and do a spot of light research (I think I may have copies of the books I need to look at but they are not in any of the places where I would anticipate them to be). However, it is chucking down rain in buckets, I think I will leave this until a drier day. Dangers untold and hardships unnumbered is one thing, sitting around with wet shoes in an airconditioned reading room is another.
However, in connection with the research, I remembered that Elderly Antiquarian Bookdealer/Bibliographer had mentioned to me a Person who has come up as Of Interest, and I thought I would see whether they are still around, and apparently they are at the latest report though nearly 90. And not only that, last year, why was I not told, there was published a limited edition from a small press of various of their uncollected writings, including an essay on the very person. This is something I would have bought anyway had I known it existed.
And lo and behold, I ponied up for this hardback, limited edition etc: and got a massively discounted price in their winter sale calloo callay.
On the prehensile tail, I managed to break a soup bowl at lunchtime. Fortunately not containing any soup.