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Books and Book-Like Things
Shadow Magic. By Jaida Jones and Danielle Bennett. I started this in March and finished it a few weeks ago. I was Not Impressed. Although I loved the prequel, Havemercy, I found this one drab in comparison. I didn't particularly like any of the four narrators, and although Caius Greylace teetered on the edge of interestingness, his unusual personality felt forced. Another of the novel's shortcomings was how little action was in it. That is to be expected about a novel that takes place in the aftermath of war, when the tense relationships are all diplomacy and court intrigue and running away because your brother is plotting to have you killed, which was not as exciting as it sounds, but I feel like nothing significant happened in the novel. They ate rice and dumplings. Some insults were exchanged. There was some commotion in a theater and an attempted assassination. I hope the third book, Dragon Soul, will be more thrilling than this one.

Harry Potter Books One, Three, Four, and Five. By J. K. Rowling. This is my third time reading through most of the series, and like the first time, I am in love with Remus Lupin. (The second time, I was most interested in Sirius, our resident Peter Pan.) This readthrough had be gushing love out my pores for all knowledgeable and competent characters, though, in particular Severus Snape, Ginny Weasley, Fred and George Weasley, Minerva McGonagall, Albus Dumbledore, and Harry Freakin' Potter. (I think I am too used to Hermione being knowledgeable and competent, and Harry is too used to Hermione being knowledgeable and competent, for me to be especially impressed.) I had tears, tears, many tears at the end of Order of the Phoenix. I didn't even mind Harry's constant state of capslock, such was my sympathy for him. I am starting to get annoyed by the overuse of ellipses; some days, it seems like every single page has at least two paragraphs that end in ellipses and at least five that contain them. The story is remarkably well-organized, structured, and plotted, though, so I forgive all flaws in the prose.

Shoebox Project AAAAAAH. AAAAAAAAH. AUGH. SO MANY TEARS BUT SO MUCH JOY. ♥

Television
Doctor Who. I'm five or six episodes into the first season, and I am pretty impressed. I rather like the Doctor, and I think the plant lady in the second episode may be one of my favorite one-shot characters, despite my inability to remember her name. (I like people with shiny skin. The Oracles from Angel are also on my list.) The show does seem a bit overdramatic, though. Even taking into account that the Doctor is a time traveller, does the fate of the world need to be threatened in every single episode?

LOST. I've taken a hiatus in favor of watching Doctor Who, but I think I like LOST more. I had just finished episode 13. Episode 15 is written by one of my favorite TV writers, Drew Goddard, so I will definitely be returning to the show eventually.

"YERAUGH!"

May. 28th, 2011 07:42 pm
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1. I have been continuing to reread, rather voraciously, the Shoebox Project, the Harry Potter fan fiction of epic proportions which convinced me to read the book series in the first place. I had forgotten what teases [livejournal.com profile] ladyjaida and [livejournal.com profile] dorkorific could be and read several more chapters last night than I had intended because I thought that I might be able to reach some resolution to all the tension that has arisen between Remus Lupin and Sirius Black. I did not, but I did decide that "Part Seventeen: November, 1976. One Esteemed Person's Birthday, a Photo-Album, Thirty-five Notes of Various Import, a Banner, A Benjy, and a Raven" is my most favorite, narrowly beating out "Part Eleven: May, 1976. One Birthday and Too Much Gillyweed." (Marauders have the best birthdays.) The timing could not be better because in my rereading of the Harry Potter books, I have just come across the single mention of Benjy Fenwick, who makes an appearance in Part Seventeen. A later part which I have yet to reread may beat out the aforementioned two; I remember many tears. I enjoy tears and anger and long, beautiful monologues about memory and happiness and friendship. Here, have two excerpts from different parts, neither of which contain any of those things:

The strength of Remus J. Lupin is an incalculable thing. )

&

Not afraid to be out after dark, are you? )

edit: Wait, what am I talking about? "Part Five: Losing Moony. Four photographs, many notes, and part of a journal." is my favorite. How did I forget? I think that first excerpt is from "Losing Moony." Good lord. /edit

2. Speaking of rereading the Harry Potter books, I SHOULD BE REREADING THESE ALL THE TIME AND NEVER STOP. I am not so fond of the first book, and I completely skipped the second book this time around, but Prisoner of Azkaban has fully rekindled my love for Remus Lupin, Goblet of Fire had me clawing at my face in blissful agony, and Order of the Phoenix is TEARING ME APART, LISA. I love them all. Lupin. Sirius. Molly Weasley. Ron. Ginny. Fred and George. Dumbledore. Hedwig. Others, I am sure. They'll have their turn.

3. I need to learn to use better positive adjectives than "excellent," "wonderful," "lovely," "beautiful," and "magnificent." Not only do I overuse them, but I ought to steer clear of such general adjectives, anyway.
ariad: (ffx // anima)
IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER (NUMBERED BECAUSE I CAN'T COUNT OTHERWISE)

TOP TEN LOCATIONS I WANT TO VISIT BUT CAN'T

1. Thremedon (Havemercy by Jaida Jones and Danielle Bennet)
THREMEDON. THE THREE MAIDENS. MIRANDA, CHARLOTTE, MOLLYEDGE, FUCK, I WANT TO GO. HIGH, IMPOSSIBLE MAGICIANS' TOWERS, THE BASQUIAT, THE ESAR'S PALACE, OUR LADY OF A THOUSAND FANS. THE AIRMAN. CAN I GO? STEP LIVELY, WATCH WHERE YOUR BOOTS GO. MAYBE STRAY INTO MOLLYEDGE A LITTLE. MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS. KEEP YOUR NOSE WHERE IT BELONGS. LOOK. WONDER. YEARN. I WANT TO GO. FUCKING THREMEDON. WHY'D YOU HAVE TO BE FICTIONAL. FUCK.

2. Hogwarts & Diagon Alley (Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling)
WHO DOES NOT WANT TO GO TO HOGWARTS? RAISE YOUR HAND. IF YOU RAISED YOUR HAND, WELL, YOU ARE WRONG BECAUSE EVERYBODY WANTS TO GO TO HOGWARTS. I AM STILL WAITING FOR MY ACCEPTANCE LETTER YOU ASSWIPES HOW DO YOUR STUPID OWLS LOSE SOMETHING LIKE THAT IN THE MAIL? BUT MOSTLY, I WANT TO GO TO DIAGON ALLEY BECAUSE I LIKE TO SHOP AND I WANT TO HAVE THE BITCHINGEST SCHOOLBOOKS UP IN THERE.

3. 18th Century Boston
FUCKING FUCK, BOSTON. YOU ARE WHERE IT ALL HAPPENS. OLD STATE HOUSE. DESTRUCTION OF THE TEA. THE BRITISH HOLING THEMSELVES IN. POLITICS AND WAR. UNICORNS. I WANT TO GO SO BAD. ~HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE~ AND ALL.

4. San Francisco
IS A BOSS. FUCKING INCEPTION IN REAL LIFE. OH WHAT I GO THERE ALL THE TIME? OOPS.

5. Lindblum (Final Fantasy IX)
BUSINESS DISTRICT. THEATRE DISTRICT. SOME OTHER DISTRICTS. PEOPLE WHO PLAY CARDS WITH YOU IN THE STREET AND WHO WRITE RIDICULOUS DIALOGUE FOR THEIR PLAYS, LIKE, "No cloud, no squall shall hinder us!" THAT IS POETRY RIGHT THERE. FUCKING SHAKESPEARE MOVE OUT OF THE WAY BECAUSE TANTALUS IS MY BAY BAY. ALSO, THAT HUNTING THING. THAT WAS PRETTY TIGHT.

6. Disneyworld
DISNEY WORLD. DISNEY WORLD. DISNEY WORLD. DISNEY WORLD. DISNEY WORLD. DISNEY WORLD. DISNEY WORLD. DISNEY WORLD. DISNEY WORLD. DISNEY WORLD. DISNEY WORLD. DISNEY WORLD. DISNEY WORLD. DISNEY WORLD. DISNEY WORLD. DISNEY WORLD. DISNEY WORLD. DISNEY WORLD. DISNEY WORLD. DISNEY WORLD. DISNEY WORLD. DISNEY WORLD. DISNEY WORLD. DISNEY WORLD. DISNEY WORLD. DISNEY WORLD. DISNEY WORLD. DISNEY WORLD. DISNEY WORLD. DISNEY WORLD.

7. Tidus' Zanarkand (Final Fantasy X)
WATCH BLITZBALL. CHEER AND CHEER. MAKE THROAT HOARSE. THEN PARTY. EVEN AT NIGHT? ZANARKAND NEVER SLEEPS!

8. Mt. Selene (mine)
THE MOMENT I DECIDED THEY HAVE GIANT FUCKING LIBRARIES ON THE SCALE OF TRAJAN'S BATHS, IT WAS OVER. CHESS. POOLS. CAFE. BIGASS SOFAS. ARCHERY CLASSES, FUCK YEAH.

9. Rome of the Roman Empire
I WANT TO VISIT A FUCKING BATH HOUSE AND SWIM NAKED IN ALL THAT OSTENTATIOUS GLORY OF MARBLE AND GOLD AND COLORED STONE.

10. The Dollhouse (Dollhouse)
NOT THAT I WOULD WANT TO WORK THERE BUT IT IS LIKE A PERFECT SPA WITH PERFECT MASSAGES AND PERFECT YOGA AND PERFECT BONSAI TREE TRIMMING CLASSES AND PERFECTLY CRUNCHY LETTUCE.

I PINE. SO MUCH.

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