Continuing with the EDAs, I read Emotional Chemistry a while ago and was sadly not very impressed: none of the storylines really grabbed me, and overall the book had a bit of a case of original-characters-defaulting-to-male-itis. ( mild spoilers )

I also read a Black Widow book, Kiss or Kill, on the grounds that it was in the library. The story was fine but the art... ugh. WHY. I got all excited for a moment when she discovered how to zip her catsuit up, but sadly it didn't make much difference. (And it kept on undoing itself! ARGH. A catsuit unzipped to below the breasts is NOT a practical crime-fighting outfit. *headdesk*)

"You do read books that aren't science fiction, don't you?" asked my mother anxiously on the phone on Sunday. I do! But recently it has not been going that well.

I tried to read Alan Hollinghurst's The Swimming Pool Library, but did not get very far. Really, I should've known that it wouldn't be my cup of tea when one of the quotes of praise said something about how some may find it unpleasant but that is the nature of TRUTH, which, no, sometimes truth is nice ok. I hate the idea that nasty is necessarily deeper than nice, and I didn't find any of the characters particularly appealing, which more than anything is what kills my chances of liking things. Boo.

Other non-sf books I have read lately include William Boyd's Ordinary Thunderstorms, which was rather a disappointment after how much I've enjoyed his other books, and Anthony Horowitz's new Holmes book, The House of Silk, which I really couldn't get into. BOO. (I also disliked the resolution, but this may have been because I was already grumpy with it for not being as entertaining as I wanted it to be.)

Sometimes I read books and like them! One such book being The Curse of Chalion, FLAILY LOVE AND JOY, HURRAH, and I have just checked and the sequel is waiting for me at the library YAY. And then I reread Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, which made me happy and nostalgic. ♥ I remember reading it for the first time on a minibus on the way to my church youth group's weekend away, the day after it had come out. (My sister and I bought one copy between us and she got first dibs...)

Ages ago I had this plan to read all the Booker and Orange prize winners; I read the 1996 winners (Last Orders and A Spell of Winter) and then never read any more, maybe I should go back to that. 1997's Orange prize winner was Fugitive Pieces by Anne Michaels, anyone read it? (The God of Small Things won the Booker; I've already read that.) (ETA: just after I posted this, Orange announced that they were withdrawing their sponsorship. D:)

This entry was originally posted at http://shinyjenni.dreamwidth.org/187817.html.

So I made an icon last night (yes, one whole icon) and I thought "hey, maybe I have enough of these lying around on my hard drive to make an icon post". And as it turns out, I did, so here is a mixed bag of icons that I have made and don't entirely hate.

Fandoms:
Doctor Who (14: 5 Classic, 1 Big Finish, 8 Eleven-era)
Buffy (3)
Legend of the Seeker (4)
Leverage (3)
Huge (2)
Primeval (1)
Press Gang (1)
The Avengers (1)

Teasers:


( all the icons )

This entry was originally posted at http://shinyjenni.dreamwidth.org/187543.html.

Project Watch ALL The Classic Who In Order is complete! It took nearly four years but was most definitely worth it (and would have taken less time if it hadn't been for the whole full time job, part time MSc thing I've had going on lately. Oh, and falling headfirst into comics didn't help). I would recommend it to everyone, especially people who like me are stubborn and methodical. From a purely practical point of view, you get all the recons out of the way fairly early on, and end on a high note with the brilliant season 26, and also the TV Movie, which I love, even the terrible bits. And it is just a really great experience. As I've mentioned before, I think the First Doctor era benefits the most, because the failures turn into heroic attempts more easily in context. I have been getting very nostalgic for the original TARDIS team as I got further along with the series, and also for the Third Doctor era for some reason, despite not being a massive fan of Three.

I had seen a fair amount of stuff before I started watching in order (basically, everything that was out on DVD before about July 2008), so my opinions haven't changed that drastically, though I am a lot fonder of Three than I was. Eight is still my favourite, except on days when Two or Eleven are my favourite instead. Jo has gone up in my opinion, though that was happening anyway, and I was pleasantly surprised by Mel's episodes: I loved her based on her Big Finish stories, and was expecting to have to love her despite some of her on-screen stuff, but she turned out to be really great most of the time, so yay! Favouritest companions remain Ace, Zoe, Romana and Barbara, but I really do love all of them. I was going to pick out some favourite episodes, but the idea of choosing just one or two from each era caused me some distress, so here are some favourite seasons instead: Six! Twelve! Seventeen or eighteen, I can't decide! Twenty Six! ♥

So. There we are, then. ...what shall I do now?

(I should probably mention that I haven't actually seen all of Doctor Who, just all the classic stuff (except for the two newly recovered episodes of course! \o/), as the bits of the RTD era that I skipped at the time have not yet got any more appealing. One day!)

This entry was originally posted at http://shinyjenni.dreamwidth.org/187229.html.

- cosmic_llin wrote me an awesome fic for my birthday! Keeping Up. :D It is a Star Trek/Doctor Who crossover; can't tell you any more without spoiling it but you should all go and read it.

- I am planning to go to the Edinburgh festival this year, from the 14th-ish to the 17th. EXCITING. I have never been before, so any tips would be much appreciated!

- Sulking slightly about how I am too busy revising to go and see The Avengers (and preparing to spend the next fortnight ducking low-flying spoilers; possibly I will just not go on tumblr ever), but on the other hand, it is Friday, which means Community, Castle and Smallville. Hurray! Never thought I'd be that wildly excited about that last one, but I am thoroughly enjoying the season 11 comics. :D

This entry was originally posted at http://shinyjenni.dreamwidth.org/186886.html.

Further adventures in animated DC stuff: I am about a dozen episodes into Young Justice! I like it a lot, although script wise it is... not always that great. ( spoilers up to Homefront )

(I've also been reading the original Young Justice comics, which I love tremendously and which really deserve a post of their own. Maybe I will get round to it eventually. For now I will just mention that I am sad that Red Tornado is not nearly as sarcastic in the cartoon as he was in the comics.)

Also, last night I watched Under the Red Hood, since it was streaming on Lovefilm, which was very good, though, probably inevitably, rather grim. And now I am shipping Dick/Jason based on actual canon, and not just on fic. :D? (I was working on the Batsymbol part of my Batgirl cardigan as I was watching this, heh.)

Oh, I forgot to talk about finishing Justice League Unlimited! ALL THE LOVE. The finale was slightly on the action-heavy side for my taste, but the very end of it was just perfect: ( spoilers )

Picking my one comics icon for this post has reminded me that I haven't flailed properly about Batgirl vol 3 yet. IT IS SO GOOD YOU GUYS. It's basically everything I want in a comic: it's funny, it's got so much heart, and it has a really great ensemble cast including a female/female mentor/mentee relationship (MY FAVOURITE). The parallels and semi-parallels between the characters and their relationships are brilliant, too. ♥ I love all the scenes with Dick and Babs, especially when he tells her off for letting Steph go out and find crime, and she's just all "yes, it is terribly irresponsible of me to take a League of Assassins-trained ten year old out crime fighting OH WAIT THAT WAS YOU." (Sidenote: have I mentioned how much I love Damian? He is all tiny and grumpy and superior, I can relate to that.)

And it's all about hope and new chances and being who you choose to be and all that good stuff. The bit that really sums it up for me is the bit in Rising where Steph tells Damian that "I don't think you understand what Barbara and I are trying to do here. [...] There's room for hope in our line of work, too." ALL THE HEARTS. Also, earlier, Steph saying that she's "whoever I choose to be", and Babs thinking about how "every day is a new chance to make the right choices". LOVE. And the final issue just breaks my heart: ( spoilers ) The only criticism I have is "not enough Cass" (I assume there were behind the scenes reasons not to give her a big role, but she could've been mentioned more), but other than that, perfect comic is perfect.

...yeah, so, comics is my new fandom. :D? I suppose it was inevitable, given that I really like canons where there is LOTS OF CANON.

(HI. I haven't posted for ages! How are you all? I also haven't commented much recently. I blame being busy revising, but really it is due to my general failings.)

This entry was originally posted at http://shinyjenni.dreamwidth.org/186722.html.

SUNSHINE. Yesterday was my afternoon off, and I spent a good chunk of it sitting in a deckchair in the garden reading a book. YES. Unfortunately, the book was Fearful Symmetry, the next in the DS9 relaunch series, and it had Issues. [this next bit has spoilers, also, trigger warning for discussion of rape] ( oh, as usual, dear )

In other "things I am grumpy about" news: here is a good post about the recent Wonder Woman developments. D: (I haven't been reading Wonder Woman, because I am too cheap to buy single issues and horror's not my thing, but I definitely won't be getting it now! Instead I ordered the first trade from Greg Rucka's run and am waiting impatiently for it to arrive.)

To end on a cheerier note, I watched the first two episodes of of The Legend of Korra yesterday, and loved it TREMENDOUSLY. ALL THE SQUEE IN THE WORLD. ( spoilers )

This entry was originally posted at http://shinyjenni.dreamwidth.org/186340.html.

I have read "DS9: Warpath"! (Some time ago now, this has been my "restore from saved draft" for a while.) Here, have some feelings about it. ( spoilers )

In other spinoffery news, I read Timeless, the last EDA with Eight, Fitz and Anji. They're my favourite TARDIS team and they've had some cracking stories, but as a last hurrah, by an author who's written other things I liked, this was a bit of a disappointment. ( spoilers )

Also I watched some films! Captain America left me cold, though I am glad I have now seen all the individual films in time for (Marvel) Avengers (Assemble) (or whatever it's called now). Chake De! India, on the other hand, I loved. Apparently I really enjoy films about teams of women working together to be tough and brilliant and happy? WHO KNEW.

(Posting this from the new Dreamwidth "Create Entries" page! The tag box is BRILLIANT. LJ is down for me at the moment though so goodness knows if this will crosspost properly... hurray, it did!)

This entry was originally posted at http://shinyjenni.dreamwidth.org/185952.html.

1. Argh, assignments. I have two to do, both 3000 words, both due on the 29th March. D: I ended up going to see The Parents at the weekend, which was possibly not the best idea in terms of amount of work done (though I did do a fair bit), but was definitely a good idea in terms of making me less stressed and flaily. Also, as a result I have accidentally started a Discworld reread, since the shelf they sit on is in exactly the right place for me to lie in bed looking at it and going "those books! So great! I should reread!". (Most of my books live at my parents house, because there are A LOT of them. A library of my own is a distant beautiful dream. This is also one reason why I am always keen to lend people books (aside from the obvious wanting to share the joy type ones): it makes room on the shelves for MORE BOOKS.)

2. In other reading-related news, I am thoroughly enjoying the Vorkosigan saga, as those of you who are following me on twitter may possibly have gathered. I was absolutely wolfing them down, but now I have reached A Civil Campaign I have slowed down to savour each chapter properly, and also so I can turn as many mental cartwheels of delight as I need to. ♥

3. Cybill turns out to be even better than I remember it being. ♥ The Jonathan Frakes episode was a thing of beauty. Also, I am amused to discover that when I was growing up, my mental model for "what teenage girls are like" was basically Zoe. :D

Those are all the things I have to say today. Now, back to A Civil Campaign!

This entry was originally posted at http://shinyjenni.dreamwidth.org/185664.html.

1. I am thinking about getting an ipod touch! But since I am incapable of making decisions on my own, I thought I would mention it here and see if anyone has any thoughts on why I should or shouldn't. The battery in my MP3 player is dying so I need a new one (...for a given value of "need", obvs) and I like the way the ipod touch seems to be like a iphone but without the phone part, and therefore without the monthly contract thing, which would be a waste of money given how much I generally spend on my phone. (I was trying to remember the last time I topped my current phone up and managed to narrow it down to "sometime after March 2008 but before Summer 2010". A while, basically.)

2. Continuing with reading the DS9 relaunch books, here are some thoughts on "Ferenginar", as it turns out I have a reasonable amount of them: ( spoilers )

3. I've been watching Justice League (Unlimited) and am pretty much in the "all the squee!" stage. :D It's so funny and lovely and happy making, and it makes me grin all the time. (Superman: Some of us need to work on our teamwork skills. *pointed look at Batman*) "Hereafter" was particularly great and caused me to have unexpected feelings, and the Christmas episode was just ADORABLE IN EVERY WAY. I haven't seen "Starcrossed" yet (Lovefilm is predicting a "short wait"), but have gone on with Unlimited regardless. I do like the shorter format - it's snappier, and sillier, though the latter may be unrelated - and the way it has ALL the characters. YAY! Happy happy happy.

This entry was originally posted at http://shinyjenni.dreamwidth.org/185575.html.

TELLY. First off, "The Happiness Patrol"!

( Happiness Will Prevail )


Also, Voyager. I have got to the episodes I've seen! Last up was "Retrospect".

( Earth's moon! I'm still dreaming! )


BOOKS. (Though also slightly TELLY.) cosmic_llin has been lending me the DS9 relaunch books and like her I liked them very much up to the end of Unity and then less so afterwards.

( spoilers for Worlds of DS9 volumes 1 and 2 )

And finally, tying together both the fandoms in this post, such_heights is running a Star Trek/Doctor Who crossover fest YAY. It is in honour of the upcoming canon Doctor Who/TNG comics crossover, which I still cannot entirely believe is a real thing that is happening. TOO MUCH YAY TO BE BELIEVED.

This entry was originally posted at http://shinyjenni.dreamwidth.org/185181.html.

- It is THE COLDEST in my flat. THE VERY COLDEST. I remember that in the past I have left the house in only a t-shirt and a wee skirt and sandals, but right now I don't really BELIEVE it.

- Here are some more festivids recs! I typed all these up before reveals but didn't actually post them for some reason. Also, didn't manage to say things about them all. THEY ARE ALL GREAT.

( recs! vids! )

- Also in my life at the moment I am watching Voyager, and possibly overidentifying with Seven of Nine. *points at subject line* Also, having all the feelings about Janeway, because she is the GREATEST. JANEWAY JANEWAY JANEWAY. I thought when I started typing this bit I would have some substantive things to say. Apparently not!

This entry was originally posted at http://shinyjenni.dreamwidth.org/184936.html.

Getting a bit burnt out on vid-watching for today, so here is my first batch of festivids recs!

( this got long )

This entry was originally posted at http://shinyjenni.dreamwidth.org/184666.html.

Can I continue with my writing-about-Doctor-Who streak? I watched "Dragonfire" last night, so let's see.

( words )

(On an unrelated note, is anyone else having problems with Google Docs? I had to recode soniclipstick from scratch yesterday evening because the document with everything I'd done earlier had disappeared. Annoyingly said document reappeared this morning. Too late, Google Docs, too late!)

This entry was originally posted at http://shinyjenni.dreamwidth.org/184439.html.

...in bulletpoints! BULLETPOINTS OF LOVE. (NB I did not get much sleep last night, since all the dust I stirred up in my clearing out binge yesterday settled in my lungs and impeded my ability to breathe, so I don't know how much sense this is all going to make.)

( anyway, spoilers! )

This entry was originally posted at http://shinyjenni.dreamwidth.org/184240.html.

I really want to get back into the swing of a) watching and b) posting about Classic Who. To that end, here are some words about "Paradise Towers"!

( spoilers )

I never know how to round off these posts. Those are all the words I have at the moment. Here endeth this post.

This entry was originally posted at http://shinyjenni.dreamwidth.org/183825.html.

Had an exam yesterday, it was rubbish. Well, it was alright. No, it was rubbish. Either way, it's over now and I can relax a bit, apart from the fact that lectures start again on Wednesday and I have stuff to read for them, and the going to work every day thing, and also my flat's a tip because I've been ignoring things that aren't revision... ANYWAY, I do have a bit more time now to do important things like watch TV. And last night I had time to finish looking at all the fantastic things in my fandom_stocking! ♥ ♥ ♥ I didn't manage to make/write as much stuff as I wanted to for other people, sadly: combination of revision and terrible time management, sorry! I did make some podfics, though, which was a lot of fun (apart from the probably-inevitable moment of "is that really what my voice sounds like? ...oh dear."). Here they are:

Not Only The Rivers Dream
Author: glinda
Reader: shinyjenni
Rating: Teen
Fandom: Doctor Who
Characters: Ace/Kaara
Summary: She carries part of that world with her where-ever she travels, the one who made her part of that world, held safe in her dreams.
Original story | Podfic (3MB, 3:13)

If Love Is A Red Bus
Author: glinda
Reader: shinyjenni
Rating: Teen
Fandom: Doctor Who
Characters: Iris Wildthyme/Sam, Eight/Fitz
Summary: It's draftier than she's used to and the hot water is, if anything, less reliable than in the Doctor's ship.
Original story | Podfic (2.8MB, 3:06)

This entry was originally posted at http://shinyjenni.dreamwidth.org/183557.html.

Or, in which I steal an idea from nwhyte: which of these books, which I have read this year, have you also read?



(apologies to LJ-only people; I was going to post this poll in both places, but I don't think I can face doing all that cutting and pasting all over again. /o\)

This entry was originally posted at http://shinyjenni.dreamwidth.org/183276.html.

- Am having a "too much internet, too little time" type problem. I hereby apologise for anything I have failed to reply to in the past or will fail to reply to in the future. D: Please let me know about things I should've replied to but haven't!

- LJ's new comment page, aside from everything else, appears to have messed up my layout a little. *sigh* And syndicated feeds don't seem to be updating either.

- At home for Christmas, thus I have played many games ("I've just remembered why I live on another continent", commented The Sister, halfway through Trivial Pursuits) and eaten a great deal of food. Also, earlier this evening I overheard my mother remarking that she wanted to use the top oven to heat the plates as the bottom oven "uses ALL the gas". I AM SO PROUD.

- The Sister and I went to see the new Sherlock Holmes film! I may get round to posting about it eventually, but basically ( very general impressions, not spoilers ) In related news, I went to a pub quiz and gained a point for my team by correctly identifying a picture of Jude Law in drag. Hurray!

This entry was originally posted at http://shinyjenni.dreamwidth.org/182663.html.

- It is the MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR. By which I mean it is fandom_stocking time! My stocking is here; let me know where yours are! ♥

- Haven't been posting very much recently; this is because I have an assignment due in next Wednesday and my response to stress is basically "hide in a corner; bite anyone who tries to talk to me". Which is not ideal, especially as I have to go to work every day, an arena where biting is generally discouraged.

- My local library was closed for TWO WHOLE WEEKS. It was terrible. But now it is open again and they had books for me! As a result I finished 52: Volume 3 last night, which I liked more than the previous volumes because it had a) lots more Batfamily-action and b) Christmas. Also it almost made me cry a couple of times.

- Also on a comics note, I have been watching Justice League (on everlasting_day's recommendation), which I love a lot. It made me like Batman by the simple expedient of having him be hilariously grumpy and sarcastic basically all the time, and it has Wonder Woman who I already loved (I just watched an episode which was all about her getting a girlfriend. Possibly that is not what it was supposed to be about. Nevermind. IT WAS GREAT), yay. And I adore The Flash, and am growing v. fond of Hawkgirl, especially in her scenes with Green Lantern. And J'onn J'onzz is voiced by Carl Lumbly! DIXON! ♥

- Have I linked to DC girls in sweaters yet? I don't think I have, which is clearly an error on my part. The Batwoman one has just gone up and it is SO PRETTY.

- Apparently if you hit return after typing a tag you can end up accidentally posting an entry before you meant to. This is a thing that I did not know until about ten minutes ago. Whoops!

This entry was originally posted at http://shinyjenni.dreamwidth.org/182474.html.