denise

Gandalf was a chickenshit with no self-control who could have prevented the massive death toll at Pelennor Fields. Take the ring, kill the baddie, jump into Mount Doom before it has a chance to corrupt you. But nooooo, it's way more fun to have a grey-Maia/fire-Maia punch-up in a bottomless pit in order to emerge in a gleam of backlighting and inspirational music riding a glowing horsey like a tween girl's puberty dreams, than it is to take the ring, zap in, punch the eyeball Maia in his dumb eyeball, and then jump into the lava.

kareila posting in

kareila_books

This 2005 book is technically a reread, but I was surprised to recently learn that it had received sequels in 2012 and 2015. The first time I read it was before I started keeping this journal, and I feel that it deserves a review.

This a juvenile fantasy book, but it's not really about a princess. It's about a girl who lives in a remote mining town in the mountains. The faraway king hears a prophecy that the prince will marry a girl from that town, so an academy is established to educate every girl of marriageable age who lives there, ensuring that whomever the prince eventually chooses to be his bride will be suitable for the role.

To complicate things further, it is gradually revealed that all of the miners can commune telepathically through shared memory, an ability that they call quarry-speech. The heroine, Miri, uses this ability along with her wits and courage to ensure the success of the academy's students and the safety of the town.

What I particularly appreciate about this story, in addition to the subtle feminism, is that there are very few villains despite the tension and character conflicts. Everyone is trying to do their best, and no one is beyond redemption.

tally posting in

common_nature

My favorite photo from my trip home during the holidays.

Current Mood: moody

bookscorpion posting in

common_nature

The snowdrops are starting to flower, I am so excited.

nanila

If you could change one life-changing event in the life of someone important to you, would you?

I know there's a philosophy that experiences make you who you are and you shouldn't wish them away, but I have a few friends who have been through what I feel is a disproportionate and unfair amount of tragedy in their lives. Partner suicide, early death of parents, sudden loss of physical health, financial hardship, homelessness. I don't think any one person should have to go through all of those before the age of thirty. And yet. Here we are. So yes, I absolutely would change that for certain people if I could.
Which do you think is easier to do, being friends for many years, or being life partners for many years?

Uh, neither? Both take work! You have to listen and try to empathise and forgive and communicate. All relationships require effort, and if they don't, someone is being used.
Have you ever walked away from someone you considered a friend?

Yes. It's not very pleasant. But occasionally necessary for the sake of self-preservation.
If you had to choose between telling the truth and hurting a friend or lying and making them happy, which would you choose?

Barring a handful of exceptional circumstances, most of which involve an immediate threat to life, lying and making them happy. Life is difficult enough without intentionally causing pain.
Which would you rather hear--the truth which will hurt, or the comforting lie?

The comforting lie, if it comes to that. I'd hope it wouldn't, most of the time. I'd like to believe that truths can be delivered kindly, most of the time.

purplecat

Black and white photo. There is a lot of foam, including some kind of vaguely weed-like foam covered thing standing to one side. Two mean stand on a raised platofrm in one corner. Another stands before some kind of foam covered console.

Ah! The BBC Foam machine. For a brief period, it figured prominently in Doctor Who.

purplecat

A single standing stone. Straight edges and a diagonal at the top. Field, sea, hills beyond in the background.

A Stone of Stenness, Orkney

kareila

On the one hand, my free trial of Kindle Unlimited ended and I should read the books I downloaded from that so that I can stop paying for it. Mostly LitRPG-type stuff.

On the other hand, I've actually been making some progress on the TBR pile? And I decided to restart Spider Robinson's Callahan series, which I never got around to finishing.

On the third hand, I have my usual pile of library books - ten checked out right now, and another half dozen or so scheduled for holds at the end of the month.

I swear I used to have other hobbies.

Current Mood: busy

kareila posting in

kareila_books

New year, new Wayward Children book! This story finally brings the series full circle, as Nancy reunites with her friends Kade, Sumi, and Christopher to save her chosen home from a mysterious horror. I found myself rereading parts of some of the earliest books in the series to refresh my memory of what happened before, since it's been a while.

I have no idea whose backstory will come next, unless it's that of Talia, a new character introduced here who has an affinity for moths.

purplecat

A large blanket on a double bed. The blanket is made from various crochet sqares in predominantly purple and orange colours.

This is the 2025 Mooglycal blanket. I was still attempting to use up the stash which, it transpired, had mostly orange and purple wool in it - not the most auspicious combination but there is now at least a lot less of it than there was and all that really bright orange has gone. The general concept was vertical stripes of red/orange and purple/pink with the darker colours at the top and lighter colours at the bottom. It didn't really work, in part because there was just so much of some colours. Anyway, I have decided to actually have a colour scheme next year since the stash is now under control (well at least that bit of the stash that involves the wool I use for making these blankets).

bookscorpion posting in

common_nature

I buy primroses and pots full of bulbs as soon as they are available, it does so much for my mood to have them where I can see them from the couch. I have daffodils, grape hyacinths, a couple of different hyacinths and these netted irises.

Current Mood: chill
Current Music: Baldur's Gate 3 soundtrack

nanila

Do you have a favourite cause that you support?
I support multiple causes through charitable donations, but one of the most important to me is the Abortion Support Network, which does exactly what it says on the tin: It helps people in the UK and Europe to get abortions, particularly those who live in areas with restrictive laws.
If so, how do you support it?
I give them as much money per month as I can. When they have fundraising drives, I donate more. When they ask for comments they can use in their promotional materials, I provide as much detail as I can.
Have you been an active member of an organization (attending meetings, volunteering, etc)?
Yes. I was a school governor for a while, and I’ve also volunteered for Parkrun, as well as other charitable organisations.
Have you ever led any group?
No, I’ve never had the capacity with either full-time work or academic study to lead a volunteer group.
If so, how was your experience with it?
See above. I’m sure I’d find it very fulfilling, but it’ll have to wait until I retire (or go part-time).

puddleshark posting in

common_nature

A bright cold morning, the fields silvered with frost, and the paths an entertaining mix of ice and mud.

( Read more... )

ysabetwordsmith posting in

common_nature

I took some pictures yesterday but didn't have time to upload and post them until today. The night before, a windstorm blew down the contorta willow sapling that used to stand between the house yard and the south lot, near the big maple tree.

( Walk with me ... )

Current Mood: accomplished

jadelennox

IMO vigils and protests shouldn’t cost spoons.

Also when you’re already deep in spoon deficit spending it’s probably not an ideal time to go to the spoon loan shark. They charge a lot.

Anyway my heart will always be here for protest medics who can be trusted to have instant cold packs. ❤️‍🔥

(I’m going to leave comments open on this post, which contains no requests for advice. I trust none of you will make me regret it.)

purplecat

An image of red demons on a totem poll. A tribe of native Americans with feathered headresses is in the background walking towards an English village.

This is the cover from Lawrence Miles' Christmas on a Rational Planet New Adventure. This was his debut novel. I recall very little about it. I think many people immediately recognised him as someone with an exciting suffeit of ideas, but sadly, I can not claim to have been among them.

nanila

Remember how I was being salty about our lack of "significant" snow? Well, it all arrived at once last night. We got hammered. The picture is my view as I stepped off what would transpire was the final service to arrive at my home station last night. All the trains were cancelled today.

However, the children were furious this morning because despite the high school and the other middle school in the area being closed, their school was...open. And, cruel parents that we are, we made them attend. A third to half of their classes were missing, some of whom we know live within walking distance of the school. (Our children don't.)

I'm not sure how long we can expect to be in the doghouse, but I suspect it's going to take more than a packet of Haribo to get them to forgive us.

purplecat

A tiny wee dinosaur skeleton held in the palms of two hands.

Mussaurus - the above, stolen shamelessly from Darren Naish's The Great Dinosaur Discoveries, is of a hatchling.

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Denise

November 2022

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In this essay I will

#3: Shannon Hale, Princess Academy (Princess Academy #1)

tree silhouette

Snowdrops

The Friday Five on a Saturday

Random Doctor Who Picture

Random Neolithic Stones on a Friday

inside me are two wolves - make that 3 actually...

#2: Seanan McGuire, Through Gates of Garnet and Gold (Wayward Children #11)

2025 Blanket

Spring Flowers

The Friday Five on a Sunday

January bridleways

Photos: Contorta Willow

This seems unfair

Random Doctor Who Picture

Snow, but no Snow Day

Fossil Friday

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November 2022

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