ramblings, exchanges and a few reviews
Jan. 15th, 2007 04:03 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
wook77Woke up today to no water at the house I'm sitting out. It seems that the main pipes froze last night (we were SUPER cold last night). So, no shower for me *icks*. I had to go buy bottled water for the puppies and cats so that there's something for them to drink because, of course, the way I found out there was no water was that I went to fill the dogs' dishes.
Got my![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
springtime_gen assignment and I couldn't have asked for a better challenge and assignment! YAYES!!!
Signed up forhpslashnotsmut where, btw, sign-ups are still open.
Thank God I got an extension for myhpvalensmut as I'm finally finishing the wrangling into place. ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
corvidae9 is a brilliant mod and I worship her for the extension *worships*.
slashfest will be opening the mini round soon... gotta finish getting ready for that.
Work is crazy, am trying desperately to finish all my year end crap by January 31st. We're also migrating payroll systems from one company to another so that's a wee bit stressful as well.
Finally - a couple of book reviews (same disclaimers and spoilers abound):
Mistral's Kiss by Laurell K. Hamilton
Oh Laurell... Laurell, Laurell, Laurell. I loved you with the beginnings of the Anita Blake series. Really, it was gritty and plotty with just a bit of sex. Now? Your writing is just one big ole PWP. Really, I used to love you and now? Now, I keep expecting the quality that had me loving you but instead, you give me dreck.
This story was only a few days after the last book in the Merry Gentry series. I cannot tell you how many sex scenes there were in it as it really just blended from one to the next. LKH tries, really really hard, to write edgy sex scenes but they're all the same. They're not edgy in the least because she's done it in another book already. They're also not all that kinky, especially not after being in fandom *grins*. Her threesome was boring as it wasn't really all that much of a threesome.
By the end of the book, I was hoping for someone to die or Merry to discover she was pregnant so the plot could move the fuck on already. Hundreds of pages and it only moved a day. ONE FUCKING DAY. I will read the next book and the one after that but it's because I'm a schmuck that deserves to get kicked in the teeth. It isn't that I liked the book or like the series anymore. I just want to see if it gets better. I doubt it will.
3 out of 10
Artemis Fowl: The Opal Deception
Thank God for plot. This one was entertaining and the darkest of the series so far. What is it about stories with young boys that get dark about the time they hit 14? I'm not complaining, far from it, but I'm curious.
That being said, I liked Butler and Artemis especially. I have decided that, once Artemis gets a bit more mature, this might just be the one cross-gen pairing I like. They have a very good dynamic between the two. I'm really sad about Julius though :(. I know it was needed to move the plot and inspire the plot but poor poor Julius and Holly.
I would've liked to see a bit more of the machinations down in Haven after Holly "shoots" Julius but that's about my only complaint with the book. There was loads of action and some introspection and I didn't find myself bored at any point. The characters are fairly well fleshed out here and I'm enjoying their development. I'm curious who will take over for Butler when he finally feels too old to take care of Artemis because that fall off the roof sure didn't help matters much what with the life-sucking-healing from the last book.
9.5 out of 10
Got my
springtime_gen assignment and I couldn't have asked for a better challenge and assignment! YAYES!!! Signed up for
hpslashnotsmut where, btw, sign-ups are still open. Thank God I got an extension for my
hpvalensmut as I'm finally finishing the wrangling into place. corvidae9 is a brilliant mod and I worship her for the extension *worships*.slashfest will be opening the mini round soon... gotta finish getting ready for that.Work is crazy, am trying desperately to finish all my year end crap by January 31st. We're also migrating payroll systems from one company to another so that's a wee bit stressful as well.
Finally - a couple of book reviews (same disclaimers and spoilers abound):
Mistral's Kiss by Laurell K. Hamilton
Oh Laurell... Laurell, Laurell, Laurell. I loved you with the beginnings of the Anita Blake series. Really, it was gritty and plotty with just a bit of sex. Now? Your writing is just one big ole PWP. Really, I used to love you and now? Now, I keep expecting the quality that had me loving you but instead, you give me dreck.
This story was only a few days after the last book in the Merry Gentry series. I cannot tell you how many sex scenes there were in it as it really just blended from one to the next. LKH tries, really really hard, to write edgy sex scenes but they're all the same. They're not edgy in the least because she's done it in another book already. They're also not all that kinky, especially not after being in fandom *grins*. Her threesome was boring as it wasn't really all that much of a threesome.
By the end of the book, I was hoping for someone to die or Merry to discover she was pregnant so the plot could move the fuck on already. Hundreds of pages and it only moved a day. ONE FUCKING DAY. I will read the next book and the one after that but it's because I'm a schmuck that deserves to get kicked in the teeth. It isn't that I liked the book or like the series anymore. I just want to see if it gets better. I doubt it will.
3 out of 10
Artemis Fowl: The Opal Deception
Thank God for plot. This one was entertaining and the darkest of the series so far. What is it about stories with young boys that get dark about the time they hit 14? I'm not complaining, far from it, but I'm curious.
That being said, I liked Butler and Artemis especially. I have decided that, once Artemis gets a bit more mature, this might just be the one cross-gen pairing I like. They have a very good dynamic between the two. I'm really sad about Julius though :(. I know it was needed to move the plot and inspire the plot but poor poor Julius and Holly.
I would've liked to see a bit more of the machinations down in Haven after Holly "shoots" Julius but that's about my only complaint with the book. There was loads of action and some introspection and I didn't find myself bored at any point. The characters are fairly well fleshed out here and I'm enjoying their development. I'm curious who will take over for Butler when he finally feels too old to take care of Artemis because that fall off the roof sure didn't help matters much what with the life-sucking-healing from the last book.
9.5 out of 10
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2007-01-15 11:27 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-01-16 01:26 am (UTC)The first book of this series started out fairly well but then the second was a bit worse and the third was worse and then this one is shudder inducing bad.
I agree completely and totally that the sex is MUCH better here. Maybe that's why LKH gets pissy about fanfiction in her realm? She knows we'll write it better.
no subject
Date: 2007-01-16 03:25 am (UTC)And unfortunately, fic is not portable like a good, bad book.
The best sex I've ever read has always been on the internet. XD
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Date: 2007-01-16 01:15 am (UTC)I may or may not have just looked at your slashnotsmut sign up. ♥
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Date: 2007-01-16 01:27 am (UTC)you should've seen my springtime_gen signupno subject
Date: 2007-01-16 01:34 am (UTC)just read that one, toono subject
Date: 2007-01-16 01:39 am (UTC)that's actually the nicer version of the signupno subject
Date: 2007-01-16 01:41 am (UTC)i applaud your restraint.no subject
Date: 2007-01-16 01:45 am (UTC)thanks, I had a friend read it over to keep it from being TOO meanno subject
Date: 2007-01-16 01:50 am (UTC)oh, wait...
we should also do a 'things you wish you could say in your fandom sign up' meme. under flock or in email.no subject
Date: 2007-01-16 01:53 am (UTC)TOTALLY AND COMPLETELY!no subject
Date: 2007-01-16 02:01 am (UTC)*picspams*
no subject
Date: 2007-01-16 02:05 am (UTC)*FLAILS*
He looks like Dean just shagged him six ways to sunday and then once more for good measure.
*spams back*
no subject
Date: 2007-01-16 02:08 am (UTC)omg, marky mark. i do love that boy more than is healthy. and most of it doesn't have to do with the fact that he's from boston.
*continues*
milk, it does a body good...
no subject
Date: 2007-01-16 02:19 am (UTC)*I see your milk and raise you...
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Date: 2007-01-16 02:32 am (UTC)you see? more men should hold their balls while their underwear gets tugged off. *nods*
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Date: 2007-01-16 02:35 am (UTC)I'm torn on whether men should wear make up though...
no subject
Date: 2007-01-16 02:38 am (UTC)It could be like a job -- sort of like a fluffer, but a "cupper."
[omg, I'm insane]
And in terms of make up? Some men should wear make up:
no subject
Date: 2007-01-16 02:45 am (UTC)At least Mark isn't afraid to show his effeminate side sans wig... actually, I prefer him sans blond wig.
no subject
Date: 2007-01-16 11:01 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-01-17 12:28 am (UTC)so commence with the picspammage...
[do you like james blake, btw?]
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Date: 2007-01-17 12:30 am (UTC)James Blake is sexy.
Brotherly Love -
no subject
Date: 2007-01-17 12:36 am (UTC)*bites*
I assume you've seen this one, yes?
no subject
Date: 2007-01-17 12:39 am (UTC)*licks again*
Um, I mean, you can never see that one enough. GAH, he has the absolute most perfect hips EVER. Those collarbones? JESUS GOD, I WANT THEM NOW.
More brotherly love -
no subject
Date: 2007-01-17 12:41 am (UTC)[i have such a boston thing, if you can't tell]
and, omg, yes, he really, really, really does have the best hipbones ever. and rar for loving to show his pubes. more people should. and like really, really often.
also, mmm... underarms
no subject
Date: 2007-01-17 12:48 am (UTC)Though, the armpits are sexy too.
no subject
Date: 2007-01-17 01:33 am (UTC)yis. armpits.
um. oh, god. or muscles
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Date: 2007-01-17 03:32 am (UTC)They should also be wet.
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Date: 2007-01-16 01:39 am (UTC):P
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Date: 2007-01-16 01:44 am (UTC)But, see? It's brilliant! Because we'd have each other and NOT BE ABLE TO TELL EACH OTHER! There's even humor and good cliche television right there!
[how come you are a happy pigeon?]
no subject
Date: 2007-01-16 01:53 am (UTC)OR - I could assign one of you to the other, but assign the other to somone else. Then you'd THINK you were writing for each other, but really not. Becase, as wook says, I really am that evil.
Due to the slash (not smut) nature of this conversation, I am unable to elaborate on just why my default user icon is a happy pigeon. ;)
no subject
Date: 2007-01-16 01:57 am (UTC)That WOULD be evil. Though, on the scale of evil, not as bad as say, an... evil pigeon. [watch kaalee use humor she knows nothing about!]
Alas, but I have no interesting icons with which to decline to elaborate on the happiness of.
So, I'll just use an alcohol one. :D
no subject
Date: 2007-01-16 02:22 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-01-16 02:32 am (UTC)[except that I totally agree. ♥ hi hi hi! am kaalee! *sticks out hand and hides pigeon*]
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Date: 2007-01-16 02:25 am (UTC)(^)>♥<(^)
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Date: 2007-01-16 02:33 am (UTC)also, your kissing hearts pigeons are way cute.
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Date: 2007-01-16 03:18 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-01-16 07:37 am (UTC)I've actually met Eoin Colfer too, nice man he is :)