queenslayerbee | Entries tagged with rec post

One of my goals for this year was to read more non-fiction, in general -for enjoyment, and not just academic purposes as I've done some past years lol. This past week I finished two non-fiction books, and started another, so I thought I'd post about it a little.

The first of them was "City of Corpses" by Ōta Yōko, recently translated to Spanish. The author, already an established writer by then, was one of the survivors of Hiroshima's bombing, and wrote this book in the immediate months afterwards, convinced she was inevitably going to die from "atomic bomb syndrome", as many others did even when the danger had seemingly passed. She also wrote a short article that avoided the censorship from one or other side by being published at just the right time, "A light as if from the depths", included at the end of my copy. The book itself was censored, and even its first edition omitted some parts as well, which lead to the author publishing a second one later on, aka the one I read. This edition comes with a prologue that really gets into the history of the time: the literature of the atomic bomb and how it was received, Ōta Yōko's complicated journey as an author, etc., which paint a very interesting context. And the novel itself is harrowing, very descriptive, painting a very vivid picture of her mental state as she lived through this. I definitely recommend it.

The other one was "Wonder Woman Unbound: The Curious History of the World's Most Famous Heroine" by Tim Hanley. It's by the same author as "Investigating Lois Lane: The Turbulent History of the Daily Planet's Ace Reporter". That book analysed the complete journey of the heroine, while this one focuses almost exclusively on the pre-crisis time, particularly on Marston (with a full-on psychological profile of the guy LOL). It talks a lot about how "Corruption of the Innocent" and the Comics Code of Conduct shaped comics, of the Golden/Silver/Bronze era of the character, of the Women's Liberation movement and how it intersected (and didn't) with Wonder Woman's development, comparison with other heroines, public perception of the character... Another recommended read if this kind of thing interests you. I'm definitely going to hunt down his other books on DC/comics history.

The one I just started yesterday is "The Feminist Killjoy Handbook" by Sarah Ahmed. I anticipate finishing it this week, because it's quite an engaging read.

On non-fiction news, today my hardcover copies of "Harrow the Ninth" and "Nona the Ninth" arrive! I tried to start HtN on epub format but it's. Probably not a good idea LOL. I got my copies in Spanish as well, because that's how I read the first and eventually I might try to push these books on other people IRL who aren't fluent in English, so.

Lastly, comic-wise I'm keeping up with a few things (what little Jason is doing, Absolute Wonder Woman, Saga, Monstress, The New Gods...) I just started Zatanna's new run, and the first issue looks promising and came with great art. Next thing on the list is to finish reading through the main appearances of Duke Thomas and New Earth!Talia, before I really get on with Wonder Woman comics from all over the place. Recently I read Wonder Woman Historia by Kelly Sue DeConnick, which I loved, and Wonder Woman: The Once and Future Story by Trina Robbins (another author who entered my list thanks to Wonder Woman Unbound), a heavy one-shot about domestic violence. 2025 is going to be Diana's year for me, surely.

After that... we'll see. I've been eyeing Kate Spencer's Manhunter for a while, but there are a few comics I left half-finished that I want to complete, as well (Young Justice '98 and some of its characters' history, the original Suicide Squad, Gotham Central...). The love-hate affair with detective comics comics will continue for a while, suffice to say xD

Current Mood: cheerful
Current Music: Donna Summer - Bad Girls

Cover Reveal Cover shows a demon rising up from below, lava dripping out of his hands. He stares menacingly ahead, black-skinned and cat-eyed, with a body of lean musculature. A frame surrounds him with red oak leaves and twin hippogriffs at the bottom. Titled: We Will Devour The Night by Camilla Andrew The Essence of the Equinox Book 2 The cover has been blended with a gif of slowly moving flames at the bottom of the image.

sequel to the marvellous “WHEN THE STARS ALIGHT”

Twenty years after that fateful voyage north, Laila has been slowly prepping for her campaign to become the next Impératrice of Soleterea. Unfortunately, she must also contend with competitors attempting to wrangle the throne from her dynasty by capitalising on the negative attitudes towards chaos magic and the demons who wield it. In the meantime, Darius has settled into his new position as the Rex of Mortos, but his rule has not been without conflict and conspiracy.

When her mother suggests that Laila help herself politically by lending a hand to Darius, she finds herself once more crossing paths with her old lover and confronting the whirlwind of emotions that twenty years apart had done little to settle. Determined to put her feelings to one side, Laila throws herself headfirst into the pit of vipers that is Mortesian court politics in the interest of charming them under her influence. However, Darius continues to have an allure of his own - one that is not quite so simple to resist.

I've been eager for this cover to come out since I got the first inklings of it. The artist, Eeva Nikunen, is here in tumblr, but I recommend visiting her instagram page especially.

She also drew the cover of the first book in the trilogy, and she's made a wonderful job in illustrating both the story each book tells, and the progression the series follows. We're really in it now! Things are going to get darker and meatier. WWDTN delves further into the horror that WTSA slowly unraveled under its rosy, lyrically-prosed veneer, and I love it.

THERE'S STILL TIME TO GET AN ADVANCED READER COPY. If you haven't read WTSA, do not fret: when you sign up, there's a chance to request both books. Since the sequel comes out on September 22nd (you can pre-order the ebook too!), there's also plenty of time to read both. There's also a limited offer to get the ebook for only 99p, either in amazon, or in kobo if you're in the UK/AUS/NZD!

I encourage people who love high fantasy, doomed romances, powerful female characters, and lyrical, descriptive prose to give this author a chance!

Current Mood: chipper
Current Music: Kendrick Lamark - Euphoria

The FemFebruary meta posts I wanted to write this month fell to the side due to other obligations ^^U. However, I plan to make up for it now that March Meta Madness approaches!

In the meantime, here's another meme, just like I did for last month's reading.

Three book covers: -Carpe Jugulum by Terry Pratchett (Mightily Oats reading a book and Verenice with a sword next to some Nac Mac Feegles fighting alongside him, at the front; and Agnes, Granny and Nanny in a fighting stand up front, against some floating vampires). -Dare Me by Megan Abbott (close-up to a girl biting her lip, painted red). -Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen (drawing of two young women in period clothes standing in front of a tree, with patterns of flowers drawn on the spine).

Three comic covers. -Arsenal. Roy at the front with his bow shooting and arrow forward, Dinah next to him, and greyscale flashbacks of Oliver as Green Arrow looking disappointed over his shoulder, a kneedle, and a brunette Dinah consoling a crying Roy. It includes subtitles like "Sidekick, Loser... HERO?" or "When you hit rock bottom, you have to aim HIGH!" -Robin volume 1. In the cover, a smiling Shiva is kicking Tim in the face. -The Cull. Young woman drawn with vines and shining flowers growing on her head.

Three comic covers. -Batman: City of Madness. Batman with his arms extended forward, some tentacles seemingly coming out of him, and the court of owls beneath him. -Dark Spaces: The Hollywood Special. Blonde starlet smiles and waves at the camera, holding what looks like a bouquet, but it's made out of human limps, bones, and rotting flowers. She's standing in water, with a stage behind her with the letters "The End". -Batman/Hunterss: Cry for Blood. With the subtitle "...when the pursuer becomes the pursued..." Helena appears at the front, dressed as huntress with a golden cross on her neck, showing her falms stained of blood. Batman looms behind her.

Three comic covers. -Robin II: The Joker's Wild!. Batman looms in the Batcave, snarling with his fists raised. At the front there's a framed picture of Robin. -Text-less cover of Supergirl volume 6 issue 35. Kara is at the front in a fighting stand, with her eyes shining red, and Red Hood fights alongside her with two swords. -Robin III: Cry of the Huntress. Robin stands on a Gargoyle with a high on his hip, frowning, and Huntress is a little ahead of him, with a crossbow pointing up.

Three comics cover. -World Without Robin, part 3 of 5 "Altered States", from the world without Young Justice arc. Stephanie as Robin flies in front of a window; the glass shows Tim reflected on it. -Batman Plus Arsenal. Roy and Batman jump from an exploding plane. Roy has an open-mouthed, shocked face, with his arms thrown up, and Batman is snarling with his arms pointed forward, with direction. -Harley and Ivy: Love on the Lam. Harley is at the front, in Harlequin suit with a toy gun. Behind her there are portraits of Batman with an obscured face, Joker with a huge grin, Harley dressed as Batgirl, and Poison Ivy.

Three comic covers. -An issue of Batman from the Knightfall arc. Batman is tied up to a tree by some vines, and Poison Ivy looms threateningly in front of him while he struggles against them. -An issue of Batgirl from the Bruce Wayne: Murderer?/Fugitive arc. Batgirl is crouching on top a gravestone, leaning her arm on the handle of a shovel and pointing at the gravestone with a lantern. It reads: Rest in Peace. VESPER CATHERINE FAIRCHILD. Octover 14, 1973-January 4, 2002. -Robin volume 2 #102, part of Jon Lewis's run. Robin and Spoiler are at the front, with Steph holding onto his arm and Robin in a fighting stand. Behind them, Natalia Knight dressed all priest-like, with her palms up, extended to the side, and smoke surrounding her, as well as people with zombiefied expressions. The front reads "Things are getting weirder!"

(tried to put this behind a read more but dreamwidth is failing me again so. sorry ^^U. how do you guys do the thing where you hide part of the post under a ▶ ....). ETA: I think I managed!

attempt at commentary

NOVELS

Carpe Jugulum by Terry Pratchett. As with every other Discword novel, I practically devoured this one. Very enjoyable, especially Granny's plot, which did hit close to home for me lol.
Dare Me by Megan Abbott. This is proof that, despite having aged out of the YA bracket, some of it, the really good one, still holds up. Still, I know that if I had read this as a teenager, I would've made it my whole personality for at least a while xDD. Nonetheless, it was a great read. It's a pity that the show was cancelled before it covered the entire story, because I would've loved to watched an adaptation :/
Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen. Of the Austen novels I've read so far, I would probably put it in the last place, but I did end up enjoying it. I had a good laugh with the Ferrars family drama, and I enjoy how... anti-karma Austen can be. Sometimes shitty, selfish people behalf shittily and selfishly, and that works out perfectly for them, lbr.

COMICS COMICS COMICS

Arsenal. And absolutely great mini (four issues long) in Devin Grayson's melodrama era. Vandal Savage collecting body parts of his descendants to replace his rotten ones is A Concept. And I loved the cameos by Dinah, Oracle, Connor... perfect.
Robin (vol. 1). Tim goes to Paris to train a bit more after Bruce decides he's ready to be Robin. There he ends up in between mob complots and gets trained by Shiva for a little while. My main takeaway is that Tim should have a musical staff in more stories.
The Cull. I kept waiting for this miniseries to go somewhere and... eh. The ending is a bit open so it might continue, but unless I hear something really solid I wouldn't pick it back up.
Batman: City of Madness. The concept of this story ended up being far grander than its execution, and I think I would've liked a longer, more involved, riskier storyline... The art is still amazing, though. It's given me some proto-ideas, though.
Dark Spaces: The Hollywood Special. I could literally copy-paste the last paragraph here lol.
Batman/Huntress: Cry for Blood. Amazing. Perfect. 10/10. One comic I'm going to recommend.
Robin II: The Joker's Wild!. This should've gone harder with the Jason-haunting-the-narrative concept, IMO, but I am NOT an unbiased party lol.
All of Jason Todd's New 52 (2011-2016) appearances. There is... so much I could say about this. Not much would be good, because yes, I still rage against the reboot xD. RHATO vol. 1 ends up looking even good after Red Hood/Arsenal (which improved a bit at the very end, admittedly); Lobdell is the worst, either way. Batman Incorporated/Wingman... too little effort put on it. Appalling, poorly thought-through characterisation all around, really, alongside a lot of choices I'm still baffled by (chessmaster Joker by beloathed). Batman & Robin Eternal got on my nerves, and not just for Jason. Robin War, Grayson... all of it needed a lot more development for me to be sold on it. The cameos in Deathstroke were... fine, but forgettable, when they shouldn't have been.

I did use the cover for Supergirl vol. 6 #35 because that's the ONE Jason appearance I can say I fully enjoyed! Jason is competent (aided by some "venom" which was an arc that amounted to nothing, but whatever), he is a MENACE, he seeks a team up with Supergirl but is a fucking asshole about it despite clearly wanting to be friends xDD... it felt as if I was almost reading new earth!Jason circa Green Arrow/Outsiders, which I really enjoyed! The stupid uncanny valley helmet makes an appearance but I just ignore that xDD

Robin III: Cry of the Huntress. Tim and Helena meet for the first time and team up! It was all right.
World Without Young Justice. I read the Tim-centric issue as it was one of the firsts in Lewis's run, so I decided to read the other four issues in the arc. Tim's is my favourite, though: it has Steph as the original Robin, in a story that really caught my eye and I might use at some point... honestly, I think superhero!Steph/civilian!Tim is a DELICIOUS set-up for the ship that I know I'll revisit in some fics where I don't have Tim donning a mantle (or at least, not in a traditional way).
Batman Plus Arsenal. Great one-shot (Devin Grayson does it again etc.). The moment where Roy gets on Batman's case for how sparse he is with praise was gr10.
Harley and Ivy: Love on the Lam. Another one-shot, by Winnick this time (I have my selected favourites). The dynamics are very clearly inspired by the DCAU despite being a new earth comic, but as those are my favourite versions of the characters involved, that works for me. It's about cycles and how hard it is to break them, of course
Knightfall. I started reading the arc in January. Although I'd read part of it before, this is the first time I really set out to read the complete thing. My veredict is that it focuses way to much on JPV, who I simply don't connect with LOL. The parts with Bruce, with Tim, and especially with Dick, and even with Gordon and Essen, are far more appealling to me, and I would've preferred them to be expanded upon to JPV's detriment tbh.
Bruce Wayne: Murderer?/Fugitive. Amazing story arc, and as far as I'm concerned, a must-read among Batman/Batfam fans. Bruce's reasons for finally getting his head out of his ass were also very poignant and rang very true to him, as did his shitty non-apology about his actions lol. And in the end, Sasha and Bruce-Sasha ended up being a really fascinating part of it all. I might go back and read her older appearances.
Jon Lewis's Robin Run (vol. 2 #100-120). Really fun! A very enjoyable take on Tim Drake, very cute Steph/Tim stories, really good overall! And the plot with Tim's birthday... jail, jail to Bruce for one thousand years xDD

Current Mood: creative
Current Music: The Verve - Bitter Sweet Symphony

I'm borrowing this idea from

tjs_whatnot , and posting a list of what I read this month, with a little commentary (just a little, I hope! I don't want to go overboard añsldkfja).

NOVELS

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. This was, technically, a reread. I say technically because I don't remember the last part of the book and now I'm wondering if I DNFed it over a decade ago and completely forgot LMAO. I... could see why. While it's A Classic, and there's plenty to like in the novel, especially in the sisters, the moralising really got to me at some points. The biggest was the one where Jo attends this meeting full of artists and geniuses and political giants ~behaving just like people~~ and this is DEVASTATING to her (and then Bhaer peddles some chrisitanism). Gurl, I would have loved that LOL. But all in all I mostly enjoyed the read. I did it bit by bit, subscribed to The Public Domain Book Club in substack; each month (or, in LW's case, each couple of months) they go through a book. I've kept the subscription for February, where it'll post "Sense and Sensibility", another Jane Austen novel I haven't read.
Lud-in-the-Mist by Hope Mirlees. I fucking ADORED this novel. I've mentioned it in this blog before but I just found it such a treat to read. Mirlees' prose is enticing and enchanting and everything I want mine to be. If you're someone that enjoys a good descriptive, florid style of narration, give this one a shot.

SHORT STORIES
I read three short stories by Angel Carter. The first three in "Burning Your Boats", apparently her earliest work: "The Man Who Loved a Double Bass", "A Very, Very Great Lady and Her Son at Home", and "A Victorian Fable (with Glossary)". They're not nearly as good as the handful of later ones I've read, but I enjoyed seeing some signs of her future style. "A Victorian Fable" was also really interesting in a technical sense.

COMICS COMICS COMICS

I'll just list here runs I set out to start and finished. Sometimes that means "reading every appearance of character X", sometimes "reading everything author Y did in this volume", sometimes "this one specific issue-long plot), sometimes it's a run properly speaking.

DC Speechless. Really cute run. Just some popcorn to the brain that you can chill with.
Robin: Year One. A re-read. Sometimes Chuck Dixon writes well. I absolutely don't have to hand it to him though.
The Judas Contract. A staple and a must-read if you're interested in these characters. Tara Markov's characterisation is sure. Something that happened. But unintentionally on the part of the writers, very, very interesting. And I loved reading Joey's introduction! Ngl, I lowkey ship him with Dick. I lowkey ship Dick with a lot of people lol.
Superman: Lost. This run is more interesting in a meta sense than a properly narrative one. I'll have to mull over it.
Oracle: Year One (The Batman Chronicles #5). Another re-read. BTW, it's already suspect that Robin: Year One has FOUR issues (and Nightwing: Year One SIX)m ETA: AND JOKER IS GOING TO HAVE THREE, but Oracle: Year One is like, 18 pages within a random issue of a Batman-adjacent comic ñlaksdjf. She deserved something longer and plottier. BUT. Those 18 pages are near perfect and a must-read to all DC fans.
The Next Batman: Second Son. About Timothy "Jace" Fox, who was Batman for a little while. I was curious, and it's a really short read (the issues are more webtoon-length than usual comics length). It was fine, but I had set out to read it before I was like, 99% done with Prime Earth lol. I wouldn't read it now and I doubt I'll continue his journey. Sorry Jace, you were cool.
Nightwing/Huntress. Loved it. Gave me a new OTP. A bit heavy-handed at times (Devin Grayson's writing gains a lot more subtlety later on), but I still loved it. And the art is gorgeous.
Batman & Son (Batman #655-658). AKA a reread of Damian's introductory arc. Morrison will have to answer for their crimes against Talia lol, but I wanted a refresher.
JLA/Titans. I'd say the same re: Devin's writer (and I'd say the same about the next in the list), but it was also a really enjoyable read. Very long, lots of characters and moving parts, lots of POWER OF FRIENDSHIP Titans stuff but they're messy as fuck (as proved by the continuation of this plot in...).
Titans #1-20, aka Devin's run. LOVED IT. They are SO messy, SO interesting, SO fun to read. The exact opposite of the current Titans run, if you ask me lmao. The character concepts alone... *chef's kiss*.
Devin Grayson's Nightwing run. Oh, this is a controversial one (yes, this one includes the infamous #93, but you have to analyse it in context)... but I adored it. Grayson's writing matured for this one, it's a lot more nuanced, it doesn't lead you by the hand. It was extremely compelling, maybe one of the most compelling storyarcs I've read in DC comics. And ofc, it was cut short and interrupted in an abrupt way by editorial meddling smh. @ dc, fight me.
Far From the Tree (Batman: Gotham Knights #15). I read this one because I wanted a taste for Tim's characterisation under certain circumstances. It's good. Bruce is an ass during it xD

ETA: I've nearly given up on my read mores working lmao. I was gonna add graphics but they made it worse, so I'll edit it/post them tomorrow.

ETA II: Okay! Let's see if I can make a read more work for the images, at the very least!

( Read more... )

Snowflake Challenge promotional banner with image of gingerbread Christmas trees, a silver ball, a tea light candle and a white confectionary snowflake on a beige falling-snowflakes background. Text: Snowflake Challenge January 1-31.

Make a rec list! Post your answer to today’s challenge in your own space and leave a comment in this post saying you did it. Include a link to your post if you feel comfortable doing so.

I fear you'll get tired of me reccing things (I feel I have done nothing but during this challenge!), but I'll obey the challenge,so, here: a few more! Exclusively comics, this time, and I'll try to pic some mini-runs and self-contained issues that I haven't talked about yet (that I remember lol).

Oracle: Year One. This criminally short story can be found in "The Batman Chronicles" #5. It should be AT LEAST four issues long, on par with other "Year One" arcs (the Joker is getting THREE FREAKING ISSUES this month smh), but it is pretty damn near perfect as it is. A love letter to Barbara Gordon's character and a look into how she rebuilds herself after TKJ. The perfect un-fridging.
JLA/Titans #1-3. Mainly a Titans story and a precursor for Titans (1999). Very, very interesting, seemingly like everything Devin Grayson writes, one way or another.
The Enigma of the Amigara Fault by Junji Ito. Just read it. I won't spoil anything, just embrace the creepiness.
Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow #1-6. If you know and love Kara Zor-El, read it. If you're only vaguely aware of who her character is, READ IT.
Dark Knights of Steel #1-12 (+ Tales from the Three Kingdoms). A "medieval" AU of DC. Quite interesting concepts. Might inspire you.
Batman '89 #1-6. A must if you liked Burton's Batman. It's set after Batman Returns, it's only six issues long, and it has a great (and very different) Barbara, AND a new Robin character that I feel for almost immediately.
Waller vs. Wildstorm #1-4. A reddit comment described its writers as “a de facto communist and a diversity hire grifter”, so it had to be at least interesting. Also, it has a better Waller than the one in canon rn.
Batman: Son of the Demon. A classic. Great Talia, great Brutalia, and the original inspiration of Damian.

If you have a short run/one-shot comic you'd like to recommend, feel free to leave a comment!

Current Mood: geeky
Current Music: Mägo de Oz - La Dama del Mar

Snowflake Challenge promotional banner with image of snow-covered trees and an old barn in the background. Text: Snowflake Challenge January 1-31.

Rec Us Your Newest Thing. Post your answer to today’s challenge in your own space and leave a comment in this post saying you did it. Include a link to your post if you feel comfortable doing so.

I feel like all I've been doing during this event is recommending things LOL, but why not continue? I do like talking about my new shiny interests.

Titans (1999) #1-20. I just finish Devin Grayson's run in this volume and I really, really enjoyed it. It's definitely unpolished in some parts, heavy-handed in others but a.) the plot is solid and traps you, b.) the characters are MIGHTY interesting in this, and c.) the dynamics involved between them are JUICY AS FUCK. And the art is peak comic-book art. I really don't ask for more.
"Lud-in-the-Mist" by Hope Mirrless. This book has been on my to-read list for a long time now, after a friend's recommendation. I've just started it, I've only read a few episodes, but it's been a while since a book ensnared me so quickly. The jist of the premise is as follows:

Lud-in-the-Mist, the capital city of the small country Dorimare, is a port at the conﬂuence of two rivers, the Dapple and the Dawl. The Dapple has its origin beyond the Debatable Hills to the west of Lud-in-the-Mist, in Fairyland. In the days of Duke Aubrey, some centuries earlier, fairy things had been looked upon with reverence, and fairy fruit was brought down the Dapple and enjoyed by the people of Dorimare. But after Duke Aubrey had been expelled from Dorimare by the burghers, the eating of fairy fruit came to be regarded as a crime, and anything related to Fairyland was unspeakable. Now, when his son Ranulph is believed to have eaten fairy fruit, Nathaniel Chanticleer, the mayor of Lud-in-the-Mist, finds himself looking into old mysteries in order to save his son and the people of his city.

But really, what has captured me is Mirrless' prose. It's vivid, whimsical in the best way, and utterly, utterly beautiful. Prose that is just functional has its place, don't get me wrong, but I do often feel that prose itself -beyond characters, tropes, ships, whatever-, receives very little appreciation. Craft matters!! And I love it when I'm before a book where the writer obviously gave it their all, where they thought long and hard about it, where every word is well-placed and produces a nearly musical effect. I want to write like this, damn xD

To close this, I wanted to link to the ficlets I've received in response to my prompts in the three sentences ficathon, so far

DC comics, Dick Grayson, family. Dick & the (Teen) Titans, by lumiosecity
DC comics, Jason Todd, Robin. By wingedflight
DC comics, Kara Zor-el, homesick. By lyntergalactic
DC comics, Stephanie Brown, vindication. By be_themoon AND by saiditallbefore
DC comics, Talia al Ghul, tragedy. By starriewolf
DC Comics, Dick/Helena Bertinelli, second one-night stand. By templefugate

And that's all for now! But I encourage you to share your recs here, especially if you know any book with beautiful prose.

Current Mood: bouncy
Current Music: Destiny's Child - Independent Women, pt. 1

Snowflake Challenge promotional banner with image of cofee with over a cozy blanket. Text: Snowflake Challenge January 1-31.

In your own space, share a favourite piece of original canon (a show, a specific TV episode, a storyline, a book or series, a scene from a movie, etc) and explain why you love it so much. . Post your answer to today’s challenge in your own space and leave a comment in this post saying you did it. Include a link to your post if you feel comfortable doing so.

A while ago I started doing posts with a few recs that got sidetracked when I stopped using this journal for a little while, so I thought I'd do one of those!

ONE SHOW: yesterday I decided to watch a few episodes from the first season of "Batman: The Animated Series" and was once again overtaken by how much I love that show. I haven't really watched the other seasons, but from what I've seen new adventures didn't quite land that... baby's first gothic vibe season one had going on. Season one though? Superb. The Cat and the Claw and the first meeting between Bruce-Batman and Selina-Catwoman, the utter heartbreak in Heart of Ice, the melancholy It's Never Too Late, the tragic bent in On Leather Wings and ESPECIALLY Feet of Clay, the catharsis in Joker's Favor... this show had hit after hit after hit.
ONE FILM: "The Lion in Winter". If you enjoy a good story about an immensely fucked up royal family, this one is my favourite of all time. No character leaves you indifferent. And although we're already halfway through January, I love to watch it in winter. Really gets me in the spirit of the holidays!
ONE COMIC: I recently read "Nightwing/Huntress" (written by the infamous Devin Grayson, whose writing I'm just getting familiar with). Loved it. It's a take on Dick not everyone will enjoy, but I dig it, and the dynamic it presents between the characters is fascinating. Also, it's only four issues long, the art is gorgeous, and Helena should always wear that version of the suit.
ONE BOOK: "The Sanguine Sorceress" by Camilla Andrew. I don't get tired of recommending this book and this author, someone who I consider both a friend and a remarkable artist. I love a good tale of revenge starting an imperfect victim, with opulent descriptive prose and a detailed fantasy worldbuilding, and this novelette has it all. The paperback edition (still available for purchase) finally arrived in the mail, and it has gooooorgeous illustrations (ETA: forgot to add credit to the artist, Rachel Bostick). If it sounds like it could be the story for you, I wholeheartedly recommend it.

three pictures. The first one shows a book opened on its first page, with an illustration on the left. Over a black background, there's a maiden dressed modestly, in white, drawn as in inside a white guilded cage; over her, the red shadow of a butterfly obscures her. The middle is a book cover for "The Sanguine Sorceress", with red vines over a black background that form the shape of a ribcage, with a dagger insearted in the hard encaged in it. On the left there's another illustration of the same woman, now dressed in black, inside black vines, with the same butterfly shadow; this time, she seems to have blood on her mouth.

Current Mood: cheerful
Current Music: Kovacs - Diggin'

Every summer I can, I attend a short film festival I have nearby. It lasts four nights, and it's always a good time.

This year the films themselves have been 50/50. The ones that were good were REALLY good; the ones that were bad were mind-numbingly boring LOL. The best was definitely saved for last, on Saturday night. My favourite ones were the last three, all covering heavy topics in quite interesting, sometimes new ways. I don't know how likely it'll be to find them online, especially outside Spain/with subtitles, but I'll link their IMDb pages just in case:

-"SOLO UN ENSAYO" ("just a rehearsal"). Two sisters, seven and eleven years old, are hiding inside a closet in a house. THe little sister thinks they are rehearsing for a game but the older one knows that a terrible threat lurks outside. Domestic violence. This one won the technical prizes (editing, sound, direction), and they were more than well-deserved.

-"TU TIJERA EN MI OREJA" ("your scissor in my ear"). Desperate for a last minute haircut the night before his wedding, a fancy client enters a cheap barbershop. But he'll get more than he bargained for when the barber recognises him as a very important person from his past. Bullying, internalised homophobia. This one only won best script (REALLY well-deserved), but I also wish either of the guys had won best actor. They were incredible.

-"ACTOS POR PARTES" ("acts in parts"). Four ormer cancer patiences retell/reenact humourous annecdotes from experiences they lived at that time. This one was a shoe-in for the audience's prize: incredibly hilarious AND quite emotional. For once I didn't know which short to vote amongst these three, but this one earned it.

Another one I liked was "NO HAY FANTASMAS" ("there are no ghosts"). It wasn't as good as the other three, but it might've inspired an idea for a story LOL (I'm not saying the primary reason I go to this festival is for inspiration but. It doesn't hurt that often I get the embryo of an idea out of a small moment in them!). It's about a young woman who can hear the "echoes" left by the dead, and tries to help those they leave behind to move on with their lives; all while, obviously, she fails to do the same in her personal life. The idea of doing something with the barebones of that premise has started to knock around my head... that + a comic I read last week that has me thinking about clones are fighting for my attention (among many, many other plotbunnies).

Current Mood: artistic
Current Music: Bewis de la Rosa - Mal agüero

Just felt like doing one of these again!

-ONE SHOW: as I return to my DCU roots, I decided to rewatch & complete "YOUNG JUSTICE" this month, as I never watched the fourth, and for now last, season. I finished the first a few days ago; it is, without a doubt, the best one, and the one I'd recommend without caveats. Quite a few of the show's choices have frustrated me since season 2 and especially season 3 (which committed the cardinal sin of being largely... boring). But it still offers a lot that interests me, and that first season... that first season is impecable and I do recommend it wholeheartedly. Especially if you want to work on building believable, organic group dynamics for your characters; I consider it quite a good reference for one of my original WIPs, in that sense.

-ONE ESSAY: "YOU GET THOUGH. YOU GET EVEN: RAPE, ANGER, CYNICISM, AND THE VIGILANTE GIRL DETECTIVE IN VERONICA MARS" by Alaine Martaus. Quite an interesting piece on one of the best protagonists of our era, IMO. It's barely 10 pages long, all in all, and it's available here in academia(.)edu, where you can make a free acount.

-ONE COMIC BOOK: now that I'm reading other Image titles, I'm thinking back to "PAPER GIRLS", one of my faovurite comics. It's a mystery/sci-fi series following the story of four 12yo newspaper delivery girls from the 80s and their time travel mishaps. It ended a few years ago, with 30 issues total. Amazon started an adaptation, and it was quite good, promising to faithfully adapt the comic's spirit while deviating from it in interesting ways... and ofc it was cancelled right after the first season xDD. But the comic itself is more than worth it!

Current Mood: bouncy
Current Music: Beethoven - Fifth Symphony

Election day is tomorrow and I'm still in need of distractions everywhere I get them, SO.

-ONE SHORT STORY: "THE SUFFICIENT LOSS PROTOCOL" by Kemi Ashing-Giwa. A little while ago I ended up reading this & the author's other available short stories one day. This one was definitely my favourite. Especially recommended if you dig the premise of the Alien prequels and unlikeable leading women.

-ONE SONG: lately I've been listening to Jazmine Sullivan's "TRAGIC" on a loop. It's a lot of fun LOL.

-ONE FIC: one of the few fics I read to completition last year was "LAMB TO THE SLAUGHTER" by angelfishofthelord, one of my tumblr mutuals. It's a Supernatural fic (I know, I know xD) set on season 14 and going in a different direction with the "John returns" episode. Gen, Castiel & Winchesters, 85k. Perfect for fans of hurt/comfort, whump, and some torture and gore.

-ONE COMIC BOOK: "NIMONA" by Noelle Stevenson. I read it a few weeks ago in anticipation to eventually watching the new film with some friends aaaaaand. In a strange way, it made me not wanna watch the film LOL. I've heard good things of its actual content! I probably will watch it eventually! But man. I do NOT care for the film's art style... the books' was so whimsical and assimetrical and beautiful... and 2D... smh xDD

-ETA: ONE DRAWING: this super cool werewolf-themed drawing I saw on tumblr just now *-*

Current Mood: bouncy
Current Music: Jazmine Sullivan - Tragic

This upcoming Sunday there's a national election here in Spain that has everyone in a frenzy, and with good reason. In a few days I'll find out whether or not I'm going to be governed by a coalition of fascists, so I'm understandably stressed xDD

I'm semi-active in the political landscape of my area (semi, because for professional reasons, it would NOT be a good idea for me to officially join a party), so I've been doing stuff these past weeks and I'll continue to do it on D Day -basically offering free car rides to the polling station. So I really, REALLY need to decompress for a few days. In case I really, REALLY can't do it on Monday...

In that vein, I thought I'd offer a few recommendations, Just Because. It might become a semi-regular thing, but for now...

-ONE SHOW: a little while ago I finished THE MARVELOUS MRS. MAISEL. I had watched all previous four seasons last year, and although I did enjoy it, I was a pretty casual fan. But the choices they made in the final season impressed me, and were a balm after one too many disappointing journeys for female leads I've had to witness. Both Midge AND Susie were characters that resonated a lot with me, each for their own reasons, and I'm immensely happy with how the last season decided to close their stories. In hindsight, I should've had more faith: I'm one of those (inexplicably few) weirdos who LOVED the Gilmore Girls revival LOL. I think its ending AND TMMM's show that ASP knows how to stick the landing with endings I will find satisfying and, most of all, true to her characters, without concerning herself for the wrongful assumptions, misconceptions and spectations tha audience might've built in their heads along the way.

-ONE BOOK: I wanted to give a shout out to a friend's book, "WHEN THE STARS ALIGHT". The novel, the first installment in a trilogy, came out last month. If you think you'd enjoy a high fantasy book with a setting very different from the clichés of the genre, a majority female cast with weight in the narrative, heavily descriptive and immersive prose, and a gothic heroine/villain Romance (capital R) under no illusions, I'd recommend it. I posted a more detailed review of the ARC here, for anyone curious. And check out the author's page, for info on where to buy a copy (especially if you don't want to depend on amazon), other material she has like newsletters, short stories or merch, etc.

Here are a couple of pictures of my copy, because it's beautiful and I wanted to share them:

Photograph of a book, focusing on the cover. It's "When The Stars Alight" by Camilla Andrew. The cover has a dark blue background, with the title in golden yellow and the borders adorned with golden roses and stars. The bottom corners have two mirroring unicorns framing the author's name, and at the centre there's an oval framing a night sky, with falling stars, the protagonist Laila among them, falling into the earth.

Photograph of a page inside the book. It shows the beginning of a chapter (XXII, the twenty second one), preceded by a small, greyscale drawing of a rabbit in a wolf's embrace, with the wolf holding a rose in its mouth. The first paragraph it's completely visible, with the first letter adorned with flowers. It says, "AMIRA ROSE SAT HIGH ON HER SOLAR THRONE, its name reflected in the gilt carvings of sun rays that ringed the head of the ivory chair. Her brown, beautiful face emitted enough rage to outshine the merciless radiance of ten thousand burning suns. Such was the fury she felt towards the accused standing opposite her." The second paragraph is partially visible, interrupted by my fingers. "Since word had travelled [...] the water of the attempt on her daughter's life she had [...] for [...] extradition. While [...] way of tenderness [...]."

-ONE FILM: today I'm going to go with a very short film (only 4 minutes long, really), a revenge tale called "SNOW STEAM IRON", by Zack Snyder. I know he's a polarising director LMAO, but as a lover of Beautiful Aesthetics fuck anybody who objects to them, as if they mean a story lacks substance by default. This one doesn't IMO, despite its shortness. Warnings for violence, specifically violence against women, but it's not particularly explicit, by my standards.

-ONE ESSAY: "FAME, MALE PRIVILEGE AND A MEDIA CIRCUS - REVISITING ERROL FLYNN'S RAPE TRIAL 80 YEARS ON" by Patricia A. O'Brien. If this brings to mind recent events... well. Join me in my despair and fury about how we're definitely, definitely never getting out of the patriarchy.

Aaaaaand to not end on that depressing note. I made a new icon! It's Lisa Simpson, because I've randomly had her on the brain lately. If you're asking if I was one of those annoying little girls that seriously related to her... you're onto something LMAO. I'll be using her for more fandom-y stuff, since all my other icons minus my default are specific to an original WIP.