Could You Repeat That? CCVIII

I have read many books in the past six months. Many. Many. Books.


How to Solve Your Own Murder, Kristen Perrin
I glance at the bedside cabinet, and there is in fact a heavy brass candlestick there. Why didn't I grab that when I needed a weapon? Did I learn nothing from all those rounds of Clue with Jenny?

Birding with Benefits, Sarah T Dubb
"There's something about realizing that the birds have been here all along, and all I have to do is learn how to pay attention. It's sort of like reading, I think, looking for those little gems in the text, the words and phrases that call out to you, weaving together the story."

Silent Parade, Keigo Higashino
"The important thing is this: What you believe to be the truth and the actual truth are not necessarily the same thing. Until you know the difference, you can't make the choice that will decide your fate."

Killer Kung Pao, Vivien Chien
"I hate to ask this, but do you think that June is guilty?"
Her eyes slowly met mine, and there was a sadness in them that hurt my heart. "The stories do not sound good," she repeated.

Camp Jupiter Classified: A Probatio's Journal, Rick Riordan
Today was super fun, except for the near-death experience.

Donut Fall in Love, Jackie Lau
@RyanKwoksFather followed only one "person" other than Ryan. Cookie Monster.

Liars, Sarah Manguso
Without meaning to, I began to restrict the material in my diary. I had become unable to articulate certain feelings. And so my body became their cultivation dish.

A Lady by Midnight, Tessa Dare
Given a choice between watching Miss Kate Taylor weep and offering his own liver to carrion birds, he would have had his knife out and sharpened before the first tear rolled down her face.

Never Let Me Go, Kazuo Ishiguro
Even at the time, I realised this couldn't be right, that this interpretation didn't fit with the rest of the lyrics. But that wasn't an issue with me. The song was about what I said, and I used to listen to it again and again, on my own, whenever I got the chance.

The Maid and the Crocodile, Jordan Ifueko
"The point of these lessons is that you learn to use your voice--"
"I am using my voice now, oga: Shut your mouth and listen," I snapped, which stunned him into blank-faced silence.

How to End a Love Story, Yulin Kuang
He stares at the woman on his porch, whose hidden layers he's just starting to unravel, and he gets a sharp, strange sensation in the back of his lizard brain that he might be in some danger here, which is ridiculous.

Could You Repeat That? CCVI

I did not travel as I'd intended this summer, nor did I do anything that would merit great acclaim. What did I do, instead? I read, friends. I read so many books.


Children of Ruin, Adrian Tchaikovsky
It is the right and proper way of intelligence to be blown on the winds of subconscious whimsy. He does not need to know the deeper workings of his own mind, indeed he cannot, any more than he can know the precise positioning of his arms: the data is simply too complex to be consciously grasped.

The Ninth Metal, Benjamin Percy
"A steak knife magically flew across the street and into his parked SUV and hit him right in the heart. Weirdest thing, right?"

Wannabe: Reckonings with the Pop Culture That Shapes Me, Aisha Harris
This moment gave me the kind of publicity many people dream of and spend an inordinate amount of time and effort attempting to manufacture; meanwhile, I just stumbled into this attention merely because I said I wanted Santa Claus to be a penguin.

Teach Me, Olivia Dade
Annette patted his hand, then removed hers. "Cause her pain, and we'll make quite certain you regret it."
"So much regret." Alfred offered him a genial smile. "The sort of regret that would cause a man to rethink all his critical life choices to that point."

Count Your Lucky Stars, Alexandria Bellefleur
"Livvy, relax. The doctor says I'm healthy as a horse."
She pursed her lips." Are we talking Seabiscuit, or the Red Pony?"

The Red Scholar's Wake, Aliette de Bodard
It was one thing to make the best of a bad situation--to be civil with pirates and try to build relationships even though all she could see, most days, was Ngà's pale face; it was quite another to boldly go kissing the leader of a pirate banner.

Shattered, Kevin Hearne
There is no way to perform Druidry without knowing how first. To even attempt it would be dangerous. I am beginning to think that much of what these people are doing in the name of convenience might be dangerous also. Magic does not happen free of cost.

The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen, KJ Charles
"Joss, he's a baronet. You can't tup a baronet."
"Someone's got to."

Hook, Line, and Sinker, Tessa Bailey
She pressed her lips into a line.
Fox narrowed his eyes at her. "Are you doing that thing with your mouth because you're trying to trap all the psychological terms you want to throw at me?"
Her expression turned miserable. "Yes."

Could You Repeat That? CCIII

So it turns out I haven't posted one of these since September. Whoops? This includes most of my Hugos reading, in fact, plus a bunch for the Tournament of Books.

Tess of the Road, Rachel Hartman
Tess clasped a hand to her heart (she felt it beating even through Florian's jacket) and wished with all her might. Not for the classical piratical standbys--vengeance, fame, or fortune--but that she might shed the past like a skin and walk on with nothing, empty and new.

Snacking Cakes, Yossy Arefi
Okay, okay, raisin haters--you win.

Dreams Bigger Than Heartbreak, Charlie Jane Anders
Rachel never told Yiwei she loves him before. Maybe she should have picked a more romantic setting, like a moonlit beach, instead of a mutilation cave.

Akata Woman, Nnedi Okorafor
"Seeing is not the same as caring," the magician replied. "You're American; you should understand that more than anyone."

Saga, Volume One, Brian K Vaughan and Fiona Staples, x2

Miscellaneous Movie Moments XCIV (July 2023)

Once again, I am way behind on my movie updates! I'm trying to catch up before the end of the year, so I won't be writing a ton about any of these. Expect a lot of GIFs, though!

July was a pretty busy month for me, between a conference and a family wedding, so I didn't see a TON. But among them were some good 'uns!



Past Lives | Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken | Joy Ride (2023) | Mission: Impossible--Dead Reckoning, Part One | Kung Fu Panda 2 | Kung Fu Panda 3

Miscellaneous Movie Moments XCIII (May & June 2023)

I love summer movie season. I love living ten minutes away from a movie theatre. What a time to be alive!

The Hating Game | Big George Foreman | Love Again | The Green Knight | Five Easy Pieces | Fast X | Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse | You Hurt My Feelings | The Flash | Transformers: Rise of the Beasts | The Little Mermaid (2023) | Elemental | Asteroid City | No Hard Feelings | Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny

Miscellaneous Movie Moments LXXXVII (November & December 2022)

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever | Rise of the Guardians | Slumberland | Avatar | Avatar: The Way of Water | Ratatouille | Christmas with a Prince

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, 11 November 2022, Century Olympia 

I went to a 9 AM showing of the film, forgetting it would inevitably start with a funeral. Guys, I wept watching the friggin' Marvel Studios logo.

Four specific things I really, really love about #WakandaForever:

Bridgerton 1.01: Diamond of the First Water

I decided to rewatch Bridgerton from the beginning again and things kind of got out of hand.

The Whistledown Report
I may be paraphrasing some of this.

• "It has been said that of all bitches, dead or alive, a scribbling woman is the most canine. If that should be true, than this author would like to show you her teeth." That is a KILLER opener, but my god, Whistledown, who the hell actually said that?
  
  
• Featherington has three ladies on the marriage market and their mother has shit taste in clothes and also manners.
  
  
• Violet Bridgerton and her late husband churned out a clutch of ridiculously attractive children, but Lady Whistledown finds their alphabetical naming convention utterly banal.
  
  
  
  This is, for the record, accompanied by a couple of portraits that are hilarious mostly because it's clear they were painted somewhere in the recent past, which means poor Gregory and Hyacinth got shoved into a closet or something for the space of a month or so.

Could You Repeat That? CXCV: Quarantined Globetrotter Edition

Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake, Alexis Hall
Oh God. Oh help. He was doing kindness at her. Rosaline couldn't cope with people doing kindness at her. It made her feel like she'd shoplifted a lipstick. Except the lipstick was made of time and emotional energy.

Give Unto Others, Donna Leon
'I've always thought the people who want to help save the world are probably the worst people to be in charge of a charity.'

The Secret History of the Pink Carnation, Lauren Willig
"Look, if it makes you feel better, I promise to do a very bad job hiding your body."

Boyfriend Material, Alexis Hall
This was why relationships sucked: they made you need shit you'd been perfectly happy not needing. And then they took them away.

Sea of Tranquility, Emily St John Mandel
There's a low-level, specific pain in having to accept that putting up with you requires a certain generosity of spirit in your loved ones.

The Secret Diaries of Miss Miranda Cheever, Julia Quinn
Good God, the butler had punched him in the jaw. Stunned, Turner stroked his tender flesh. "Are you mad?"
"Not at all, my lord. I take great pride in my work."

Upright Women Wanted, Sarah Gailey
She knew that they weren't an oasis--no cool shade or sweet water was waiting for her there. But they weren't a mirage, either, and that hope felt like just enough to fit in her fists.

A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking, T Kingfisher
I wondered if having a baker save the city would have any political repercussions.

Across the Green Grass Fields, Seanan McGuire
"Civilized people don't know how to listen," said Gristle.
"All their magic goes into the places they believe it belongs."



Calculated Risks, Seanan McGuire
"It's nice how you remember dissecting cuckoos without remembering me," I said mildly. "It makes me feel very special and not at all like you're going to slit my throat as soon as I fall asleep."

Could You Repeat That? CXCIV

The Grace of Kings, Ken Liu
"I refuse to believe in the futility of change, because I have seen how the lowly dandelion, with time and patience, can crack the strongest paving stone."

The Chosen and the Beautiful, Nghi Vo
Nick laughed, and I wondered if that was what love was, making someone forget the pain that gnawed at them and would not stop.



The Silvered Serpent, Roshani Chokshi
Before Enrique could start talking about the mythological significance of eggs, Tristan had loudly asked: "What came first, the chicken or the egg?"
Zofia was the first to answer: "Scientifically speaking, the rooster."

The Bronzed Beasts, Roshani Chokshi
"What do you think you're doing?" hissed Eva, under her breath.
Severin raised an eyebrow. "I assume 'watching and waiting with bated breath for my apotheosis' is not the answer you're looking for."

A Rogue of One's Own, Evie Dunmore
"Society is dumber but stronger than you," he murmured. "Be devious. Be subtle. If you can."

Could You Repeat That? CXCIII

In anticipation of my upcoming move, I've been burning through my hardcovers so I can donate/give away some books beforehand. I have...I have read a lot recently.

Outlawed, Anna North
And so I began my criminal career there in the house of God, with a leaky pen instead of a pistol and books instead of silver for my reward.

When He Was Wicked, Julia Quinn, x2
Michael wondered what the legal ramifications were for strangling a knight of the realm. Surely nothing he couldn't live with.

Legendborn, Tracy Deonn
I gaze hopefully down the hall as if someone might appear and rescue me from the Schrodinger's Cat of Conscious Boys scenario I find myself in, but it's empty and unhelpful.



These Violent Delights, Chloe Gong
There was a direct correlation between her willingness to be civil and the distance between them. With him several strides away, she wanted to commit homicide a little less.

Our Violent Ends, Chloe Gong
"Less than an hour ago, you wanted me dead."
"I said I wanted you dead," Roma confirmed. "I never said I didn't love you."

Could You Repeat That? CXCII

Girls of Fate and Fury, Natasha Ngan
I called her heartless in my rage and despair once, but it wasn't fair. Not once has that been true. Wren has always had a heart.
She's just been taught to ignore it.

The Heart Goes Last, Margaret Atwood
Are you having qualms, Charmaine? asks the little voice in her head.
No, silly, she answers. I'm having dessert. Plum crumble.
The women at her table are making mmm sounds. Red crumbs cling to their lips.

Libertie, Kaitlyn Greenidge
You thought he was braver than he was. You thought he had a bigger imagination. His imagination was a cooking pot with the lid on, boiling.

First Comes Scandal, Julia Quinn
And so she continued in her apparent quest to have the most awkward conversation of her life.

Miscellaneous (Oscar) Movie Moments LXXXIV (March 2022)

It's OSCAR SEASON, baby. I spent my entire Spring Break watching all the films I hadn't already seen and it was so worth it.

I'll probably post a full Oscars index post tomorrow or Sunday. Anyway. Onward!

Drive My Car | Summer of Soul | West Side Story | Licorice Pizza | Nightmare Alley | The Hand of God | The Mitchells vs. the Machines | CODA | Attica | The Tragedy of Macbeth | Coming 2 America | Parallel Mothers | Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom | Four Good Days | Writing With Fire | Cyrano

Could You Repeat That? CXCI

So much Dresden Files. So many Bridgertons. And a TON of AAPI authors.


Version Zero, David Yoon
It scared Max to his core to realize that when people saw one another, they saw different things.

The Silence of Bones, June Hur
The four-hour-long journey had filled my heart with one prayer--a prayer so immense, it felt as though I'd swallowed a heap of cloud.

Dial A for Aunties, Jesse Q Sutanto
Trust Ma to take pride in my etiquette when I've just shown her my date, whom I've killed, in the trunk of my car.

Miscellaneous Movie Moments LXXXI (January 2022)

It's Oscars season, y'all!

Venom: Let There Be Carnage | No Time to Die | Respect | | The Incredibly True Adventure of Two Girls in Love | Flee | The Worst Person in the World | Encanto | The Power of the Dog | Passing | Simple as Water | The Eyes of Tammy Faye | The Lost Daughter | Procession | Don't Look Up | Faya Dayi | Being the Ricardos | tick, tick...BOOM! | Swan Song | 892 AKA Breaking

Miscellaneous Movie Moments LXXX (December 2021)

Marie Antoinette, 05 December 2021, DVD via university library
When, close the beginning of the movie, the titular protagonist crosses over from her native Austria and into her new home, France, then hugs the mistress of her household, bids goodbye to all her friends, is stripped of her clothing, and is robbed of her Austrian puppy (You can have as many FRENCH dogs as you want, they tell her), you sort of see how everything is already going to go wrong for her.

Movie Moments LXXIX: Princess Edition

Happy Christmas, Grace! I take this opportunity to celebrate you, as you are just as awesome and innovative as all of these ladies here, and also probably much better in social situations.

What's the Deal

I've been doing Disney-associated princesses, mostly when looking at clusters of fairy tales. The following three, however, stand on their own, and I thought they deserved some spotlight, too.

Movie Moments LXXVII: Wes Anderson Edition

Happy Christmas, Jeff and Stacey! I hope you enjoy my enduring resentment reluctant admiration! Or whatever.

Previously, from the Oeuvre
Seen:
The Royal Tenenbaums, The Grand Budapest Hotel

Not Seen:
Bottle Rocket, Rushmore, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, The Darjeeling Limited, Fantastic Mr Fox, Moonrise Kingdom, Isle of Dogs, The French Dispatch

What's the Deal
Look, I recognize Anderson's a wizard at framing a tableau, but there's only so much twee that I can take, ESPECIALLY if it's all White people, all the time. There's enough out there for me to watch, obvs, that it's easy enough to rule out a whole pool of films that I know are Not For Me.

That said, knowing this antipathy, Jeff gave me all of Anderson's films on DVD for my birthday once. I trust he enjoyed the entirety of the Fast and Furious movies I gave him in response. So yeah, I have all these movies already, so I GUESS I will watch. (Though I confess I have streamed them here, for ease of use--I pause more readily when I stream, and I don't when I watch on discs. Go fig.)

TV Tellings IX: My So-Called Life

Happy Christmas, Ro! I hope you're in the mood for some teenage shenanigans!

My So-Called Life falls squarely into my 90s kid purview AND YET I never watched it and even further, never really wanted to watch it. Like, what do I care about teenage angst when I could be, like, memorizing the scripts of X-Men: The Animated Series? (Yeah, it's coming.) But I guess IT IS TIME.



This is a lot of flannel, y'all. A LOT.

Logline
Teenagers. Have. So. Many. Feelings.

Could You Repeat That? CLXXXIX

Everybody should read Silvia Moreno-Garcia's Mexican Gothic and Xiran Jay Zhao's Iron Widow immediately.


Transient Desires, Donna Leon
'Ah,' Brunetti exclaimed, forcing his voice into a deeper register, 'The voice of love responds, and my heart opens, brimming with the joy of...?'
'What is it, Guido?'

Murder in the Sentier, Cara Black
Every poem has an unwritten line. In this case, Aimee thought, a tragic one.

and

The small room didn't hold more than fifteen people. All men. And as much ethnic variety as bechamel sauce.

Romancing Mister Bridgerton, Julia Quinn
Penelope turned to her sister in disbelief. "Surely you're being a little melodramatic."
Felicity's overblown shrug was worthy of the stage. "Am I? Am I?"

Movie Moments LXXI: Little Mermaid Edition (October 2021)

Another round of fairy tales! We've gone Hans Christian Andersen for this one. Guys, "The Little Mermaid" is a pretty dang messed up story. Walking feels like knives! And then she can only stay human if she goes to stabbytown on the prince who, OF COURSE, married some perfectly normal princess instead. WTF, HCA?
Thankfully, the film versions of adolescent angst are less graphically painful.



(I should also confess that I usually springboard off of the selections by fairy tale podcast Of Slippers and Spindles, though I tend to add a few more films to round things out.)