slowly, it stirs....

[lagilman]

Wow. I look away for a bit, and a whole bunch of new peoples appear! Welcome, new peoples! Feel free to step forward and introduce yourself -- this is, ideally, an interactive journal, not just me nattering on to myself (no matter how much it seems, some days).

Thanks to my mother graciously gifting me with her Mother's Day Cold from Hell (thanks, mom!) I was all "oh hai! Haz sick. Cannot brain." So I took the last 48 hours to sleep, drink wonton soup, sleep some more, and catch up with my movie-watching.


"I know how to hurt you."
"How?"
"Modern sexual awareness. And soccer."

Oh, I so very much did not want to like this movie. I mean, after the unwatchable disaster Sci-Fi made of "Aztec Rex," how could I expect anything from "Never Cry Werewolf?" But, y'kow? Cheezy like Cheetos, but surprisingly entertaining. I blame the actors. Universe knows, they didn't have much of a script to work from....

(it took me about five minutes to recognize Kevin Sorbo as the faux Bruce Boxleitner "Bring 'em Back Alive" hack, and I almost lost it right there, but the movie managed to recover)

Is it Smart Horror? No. But it's smartly-done dumb horror, and I can live with that.


Also managed some reading, while my headache would allow. Some time ago ellen_datlow gave me a copy of the reissue of Black Thorn, White Rose, one of their Fairy Tale anthologies (originally published in 1994, but don't let that freak you out). Some stories I loved, some I really disliked, and some I just went 'huh' over, but taken as a whole this is a really good sampler of how to take old material and make it -- if not new, then your own.

I'm also reading Set the Seas on Fire by Chris Roberson. It's one of those books I really, really want to enjoy, because I can tell it's well-written and interesting, and should be hitting all my buttons...but just isn't. Sorry, Chris. If you like sea-faring adventure mixed in with some subtle horror, though, you might want to give it a try.

And, although I read it some time before, I just got my copy of Jeri Smith-Ready's Wicked Game. Do not let the somewhat cliched cover fool you -- yes, it's OMG More Angsty Vampires, but this book also made me laugh in sheer readerly joy at parts, and the entire thing pleased even me, the vamp-jaded.

And now, with brain mostly-restored, I have to get back to that Life-and-Deadlines thing. Feline and Equine picspam to come. Don't say you weren't warned!

Comments

[girasole.livejournal.com]

One of the units I teach in my YA literature class is called "Reimagined Fairytales and other Magicks," there being a very rich vein of such in YA lit. Most of the time my students are not fantasy readers (although that usually changes after my class). Two I have had especially strong reactions to over the years are Francesca Lia Block's The Rose and the Beast, a collection of short pieces with some amazing reimaginings, and Donna Jo Napoli's Zel, a very dark and powerful retelling of Rapunzel. And I have more, if anyone's interested.

[copperwise.livejournal.com]

*waves hello*

Several people pointed me this way a while back, and when I went on my mass "add more writers, more, there are never enough" spree I added you.

Names Mia, I write stuff.

[lagilman]

welcome, Mia!

[dls3001.livejournal.com]

It's Debbie Smith. We were on panels together last year at Armadillo Con. I meant to get here sooner but life you know? I'm really enjoying reading your blog.

[lagilman]

*waves back* I had a blast at ArmadilloCon, hope to get back there soon.

[jperceval.livejournal.com]

I quite enjoyed the fairy tale anthologies, and was pleased to see them re-issued.

[controuble.livejournal.com]

Feel free to step forward and introduce yourself
OK - I'm Kerry - also known as Trouble (hence controuble since I use that for con badges)
I read voraciously and follow a few authors' blogs, but I probably won't say a whole lot unless you talk about something I really love. I don't like saying negative things.

[lagilman]

be welcome, Kerry! (how can anyone with the use-name of Trouble not be welcome here?)

Not a new peoples; I iz old peoples

[otterdance.livejournal.com]

Oh, I so very much did not want to like this movie. I mean, after the unwatchable disaster Sci-Fi made of "Aztec Rex,"

With a title like "Aztec Rex" + SciFi network, what else could it be? Pleaz tell me this is something you watched because you were sick on the couch?? I will watch damn near anything when I'm sick; actually, the worse it is, the better I like it. And yay for wonton soup! I crave that when I'm sick, too.

Btw, are you a "House" fan? My current obsession.

Re: Not a new peoples; I iz old peoples

[lagilman]

Wonton Soup: chicken soup for Jewish people. And, apparently, Buddhists. *grin*

Hey, with a title like "Aztec Rex" I figured there was some damn fine mocking to be had. Alas, it was so train-wreck bad I had to give up after five minutes (perhaps a new record). You just can't mock something like that. It's like shooting kittens; even the sadists go "dude, that's just mean."


And I've been a House fan from very first season (and not just because one of our own is exec co-producer). Not every episode wins me over, but a higher percentage than most of what's on tv, regularly.

Re: Not a new peoples; I iz old peoples

[otterdance.livejournal.com]

I discovered Hugh Laurie way back in "Black Adder", then adored him in "Jeeves & Wooster". It's such a hoot to see him playing such a nasty character, and an American! I've had people refuse to believe that he's a Brit.

[handlebar605.livejournal.com]

Someone old is new again??

I just like to read this person, because even for having no Y chomosome, she's smart & funny (well, I really just missed reading about her adventures and hadn't connected since before GEnie was murdered!)

I've started her Retrievers series and right smack in the middle of "Curse the Dark" she puts this relational scene that was uncomfortable for me, because it was totally not in the style I'm accustomed to reading. After thinking about it, I realize that it's mostly because it was written by a woman from a womans point of view with a woman's thoughts and fancies (fantasies?)

[lagilman]

After thinking about it, I realize that it's mostly because it was written by a woman from a womans point of view with a woman's thoughts and fancies (fantasies?)

Your consciousness has thus been expanded. Try to enjoy the experience, it probably won't kill ya.... *adjusts halo*

[handlebar605.livejournal.com]

See what I mean about being smart?? even using the back-handed way of expressing it and she still understood (although she prolly wanted to kill me after reading the first part of my post :-} )

[fakefrenchie.livejournal.com]

Where's the kitty spam?

[betheliz.livejournal.com]

I've been reading (and occasionally commenting) for a while, but I can't recall if I introduced myself. I believe so, but here goes.

I'm a librarian in Anchorage (Alaska) though formerly Kansas City and a huge fan of the retrievers books. And I enjoy reading blogs of authors whose work I enjoy. (Apologies for convoluted sentence structure.)

Also of course I'm a cat owner/parent.