Friday, 17 July 2020

Friday Fics Fix - A Shot of Venom

  ***All Amazon.com links in this post are commission links. This means I earn commission from purchases made in the US*** 

Please do not use my links to make UK purchases.



'Venom crashed through the window and leapt out of the building, leaving Dan to wonder how the hell he was going to explain this to maintenance, or to Anne.'


'Fics Fix!' with purple background and white lightning bolt shape





I love Venom - let's get some Venom!

...I mean the film and/or comic-book character. 

Not, like, poison. Because that would be bad. 

Not, like, hatred, either.

In summary: the Marvel alien symbiote, rather than any other usage of the word venom. 😅


Thursday, 16 July 2020

Comics Wrap-Up - The Clock Is Moving Hands To Midnight

 ***All Amazon.com links in this post are commission links. This means I earn commission from purchases made in the US*** 

Please do not use my links to make UK purchases.



'Comics Wrap-Up' with lined-notebook-style background with speech bubbles containing heart symbols


It's Thursday, I got some awesome-sauce comics-y goodness for ya dearest nerdlets, so let's do this!

Wednesday, 15 July 2020

Micropoetry - May + June 2020


Two very different pieces of Micropoetry from May and June for you, dearest nerdlets!

...Apparently I wasn't done with haiku, so the June poem is a haiku.

And I don't even know wtf I was doing with the May one... let me know if you like it, I guess? Whatever 'it' actually is!

As always, the poems are in the alt-text for those using screen-readers, with line breaks shown with a / mark.

Sunday, 12 July 2020

Nerd Church - If I Had £1million...


Money can't buy you happiness, true. But it can buy you the time, freedom, and resources, to be happy.

Plus, not having to worry about how you're gonna pay for stuff is guaranteed to help your mood. #JustSaying.


'If I Had £1million...' against a gold paint/glitter splotch, in front of a background of gold coins




So, though I doubt it'll ever happen, I felt like doing some day-dreaming of what I would do if I had £1million.

I picked £1million pretty arbitrarily - mainly 'cos it's a nice round milestone number, and because it's a lot of money, but not so much that you wouldn't have to think about what you were gonna do with it.


Friday, 10 July 2020

Friday Fics Fix - A Poisoned Brain

  ***All Amazon.com links in this post are commission links. This means I earn commission from purchases made in the US*** 

Please do not use my links to make UK purchases.



'It was a long distance between knowing that all reds equals bad, and what the information actually said. Alex shook her head and started shouting commands, and Nia felt her heart lodge in her throat. '
 


I love Brainiac 5 and Dreamer. They belong together dammit!

In case you have no idea who I'm talking about - 

In CW's Supergirl TV show, Brainiac 5, aka Brainy, aka Querl Dox, is a cyborg alien from the future, 

...and Dreamer, aka Nia Nal, is the Transgender daughter of a human and an alien who can harnass the power of dream energy to see the future (and also smack people with the dream energy, which is handy.)

Thursday, 9 July 2020

Comics Wrap-Up - You Can't Spell 'Awesome' Without 'Me'

 ***All Amazon.com links in this post are commission links. This means I earn commission from purchases made in the US*** 

Please do not use my links to make UK purchases.



'Comics Wrap-Up' with lined-notebook-style background and speech bubbles containing heart symbols


It's Thursday, the world is still pretty bizarre, let's get some comics-y and superhero-y goodness!

Once again, everything is under the 'Other Stuff' category (seems to be happening a lot!) for which we will once again blame Loki.

Wednesday, 8 July 2020

Month In Review(s) - June 2020



June 2020. Somehow we're only half-way through 2020... which is... interesting.

We're still more-or-less on Lockdown here in Wales, though we're slowly easing things - so as of 6th July, we formed a social bubble with my brother, which meant we could hug him and everything.

Anyways, I had an OK month, although I did have a migraine, and hayfever, and a few bad Depression days... but I'm still here, still standing, still writing slightly rambley blogposts! 😊





Speaking of my blogposts - I once again posted zero reviews this month, and had one of my regular existential crises re: this blog.

(Not to be confused with my regular existential crises re: writing, Queerness, productivity, the meaning of life, etc. etc. etc.)

The typical, really: does my blog have enough bookish content? Can I even call it a book blog? Am I somehow misleading people by posting about other topics on here?



June - Mehefin with blue sky and sun symbol


Sunday, 5 July 2020

Nerd Church - Online Responsibility (All The World's A Stage)




I think one of the primary responsibilities we have in life is to not hurt people.

The thing is, not everyone agrees on what, exactly, that entails.

A lot of people don't think that that responsibility to not hurt people covers saying cr*p online, for example.




'Online Responsibility (All The World's A Stage)' written in a white ye olde fashioned script, against a stage and red curtain, with dramatic lighting





It may not hurt someone physically, but what we say online can have serious repercussions. 

And the more 'influence' we have - online or in the mainstream media - the more responsibility we have to consider the consequences of our actions.

The world is full of nuance and 'what ifs' and 'but what abouts' - I'm not going to deny that. It's the way things are.

But I think that, in general, you have the responsibility to think about the ramifications of your words before you say them (whether that's verbally or online or whatever.)

Friday, 3 July 2020

Friday Fics Fix - A Blanket Cocoon



'Dave was probably never going to get answers out of Klaus, but for right now, he was the designated ‘Coax Hargreeves out for Meals’ guy, so he was going to do his job.'


'Fics Fix!' with purple background and white lightning bolt shape



In some ways, fanfolks are just gluttons for punishment - and I'm no different, really. I love me some angst!

Part of that is because I am an emo child to the end of eternity, and the gothicky and/or angsty stuff is always going to appeal to my sense of Drama.

But another part is that actually it's emotionally healthy to give yourself some space to explore your darker and more angsty feelings in a safe environment - such as through media.

(...I don't know whether that last sentence was really smart or really b*llsh**, but I'ma go with it!

And this is where I remind you that I'm not a mental health professional! Just a chick with personal experience of Depression and Anxiety.)

Thursday, 2 July 2020

Comics Wrap-Up - We Might Have Started Singing Just A Little Soon

 ***All Amazon.com links in this post are commission links. This means I earn commission from purchases made in the US*** 

Please do not use my links to make UK purchases.




'Comics Wrap-Up' with lined-notebook-style background and speech bubbles containing heart symbols


It's Thursday, let's get some good goddamn superhero-y comics-y goodness!

Sunday, 28 June 2020

Nerd Church - Covid 19: Seriously, People? There's Still A Pandemic



(Warning: As you can probably tell from the title, this post discusses Coronavirus/Covid 19)


I swear to all that is, or may be, holy: VIRUSES DON'T GO AWAY JUST 'COS YOU GOT BORED.

Covid 19 is still a problem.

So people who are cramming their butts onto beaches? Or celebrating football wins? Or having massive brawls on the beach?

- What, exactly, is wrong with you?



Covid 19: Seriously, People? There's Still A Pandemic


Friday, 26 June 2020

Friday Fics Fix - Pride Fics Fest: The Love They Never Allowed On Screen (Steve x Bucky)



It's the last week of Pride Fics Fest!

I hope you've enjoyed the posts that I've done this month - I've really enjoyed writing them! 

It's nice, now and then, to mix-up and refresh a series of posts (Friday Fics Fix) which I've been writing for over 4 years now - I hope you liked it too, dearest nerdlets!

I'm sure a lot of my fanfiction posts will still be based around LGBTQ+ characters and contents going forward - partly because it's me, and partly because it's fanfiction 😉





'Fics Fix!' with purple background and white lightning bolt shape





This week's post is celebrating my OTP, Stucky - the greatest love story Marvel and Disney ever thwarted.

(Fangirling notes:

OTP = 'One True Pairing' - the couple you believe were destined to be together, and you will fight for 'til your (hopefully metaphorical) dying breath!

Stucky - a relationship between Steve Rogers, aka Captain America, and Bucky Barnes, aka The Winter Soldier)

Thursday, 25 June 2020

Comics Wrap-Up - Just Keep Staring At the Sun, Pray For Summer's End

 ***All Amazon.com links in this post are commission links. This means I earn commission from purchases made in the US*** 

Please do not use my links to make UK purchases.



'Comics Wrap-Up' with lined-notebook-style background with speech bubbles containing heart symbols


It's Thursday, the UK is way too hot, let's cool off with some superhero-y comics-y goodness!

Everything this week is once again in the 'Other Stuff' category, and therefore, as per tradition, we shall blame Loki.

Sunday, 21 June 2020

Nerd Church - A Short Ramble on Father's Day



Happy Father's Day!

This post is gonna be short and ramble-y because I have a migraine and it sucks. 

I'll be fine in a day or two, but I need to write this post now, when I feel like I've been hit by a shovel, which is great timing. 😅

And sorry if this post looks a little strange - migraines affect your vision with obstructions (like blindspots/sunspots,) light sensitivity, and colour differences, so if things look a little odd, then it's because I physically can't see the post or graphics in the way I normally would.




'A Short Ramble on Father's Day' against a wooden floor background, complete with mucky boot prints




I love my dad.

I know that, sadly, a lot of people have less-than-ideal relationships with their dad. A lot of people have no relationship with their dad. And a lot of people understandably don't want a relationship with their dad.

A lot of dads, likewise, may have mixed feelings about their relationships with their kids.

A lot of people have also lost their fathers, or their children, and that hurts.

So hugs all round, dearest nerdlets, hugs all round!

Friday, 19 June 2020

Friday Fics Fix - Pride Fics Fest: Fics With Trans+ Characters



It's another Friday in June my dearest nerdlets, which means that it's another instalment in my Pride Fics Fest - and this time we're gonna look at fics with Trans+ main characters.




'Fics Fix!' with purple background and white lightning bolt shape




Fanfiction is here to support our Trans and Non-Binary siblings!

Fanfiction can be a place where Trans+/NB+ people can find the kind of representation that is largely not present in mainstream media.

Thursday, 18 June 2020

Comics Wrap-Up - Slowly Words Break Through, Walls Break Down

 ***All Amazon.com links in this post are commission links. This means I earn commission from purchases made in the US*** 

Please do not use my links to make UK purchases.




'Comics Wrap-Up' with lined-notebbok-style background and heart shapes in speech bubbles


It's Thursday. Somehow it's still 2020. Let's get some comics-y goodness!

Once again this week is only the 'Other Stuff' category - for which, as is traditional, we will blame Loki.

Sunday, 14 June 2020

Nerd Church - Supporting Black People, Trans People, and Black Trans People



(Warning: this post discusses racism, Transphobia, and racist, Transphobic, and Transmysogynoiristic murder.)



Brief note before I start: 

Please, please, please remember that we are still in the middle of a global pandemic with Covid 19/Coronavirus - a pandemic that disproportionately takes the lives of People of Colour/BAME people.

Stay safe. 
KEEP SOCIAL DISTANCING - 2m/6ft apart if possible. 
Stay home when you can. 
Wash your hands A LOT. 
Wear a face mask if/when appropriate.






Supporting Black People, Trans People, and Black Trans People




 
Once again, the rights and lives of Black people, Trans people, and Black Trans people, are under threat.

I'm privileged in that I'm a White Cis woman. 

And after all the media attention has died down, I will still be a White Cis woman, and Black people will still be Black, and Trans+ people will still be Trans+.

Friday, 12 June 2020

Friday Fics Fix - Pride Fics Fest: Queer Canon!


Welcome back to Pride Fics Fest dearest nerdlets!


This week we're gonna look at those oh-so-amazing canonically Queer characters and relationships, and fanfiction that celebrates that.

For those who don't know, canon is the official stuff that's actually in the book or TV series or film or whatever, explicitly...

...as opposed to stuff where you have to scramble around in the sub-text, or stuff which fandom picks up and Queers all on its lonesome ;)



'Fics Fix!' with purple background and white lightning bolt shape




Let's start with the horror masterpiece I will never shut up about: 2009's unapologetically Queer Megan Fox film, Jennifer's Body.

In 2009, there was a girl named Jennifer Check, and in 2019 I rec'd Big Red by spheeris1 - a fic that is essentially a love letter to this under-appreciated film.

(Seriously, I'm never gonna shut up about this film! I love it so much!)

Thursday, 11 June 2020

Comics Wrap-Up - Tell the Neighbours I'm Not Sorry If I'm Breaking Walls Down

 ***All Amazon.com links in this post are commission links. This means I earn commission from purchases made in the US*** 

Please do not use my links to make UK purchases.




'Comics Wrap-Up' with lined-notebook-style background and speech bubbles containing heart symbols


It's Thursday. I think we could all still do with some heroes. Let's get that comics-y goodness!

And once again this week, everything is in the 'Other Stuff' category, for which we will blame Loki - as is traditional here on Dora Reads ;)

Sunday, 7 June 2020

Nerd Church - Paul Robeson and His Beloved Wales



1920s London. An unlikely meeting that would forge an unbreakable bond.

I figured, given the ongoing racial injustices and prejudice against Black people, that now was a good time to talk about and highlight a Black hero of the (mainly White) Welsh miners: Paul Robeson.

Some of the details are a little disputed - it's become its own mythology over the years - but I've tried to go with the consensus, and there're resources at the end of the post if you're interested to learn more!

(And yes, she's talking about Wales again!)



'Paul Robeson and His Beloved Wales' next to a photo of Paul Robeson onstage at the National Eisteddfod in 1958

Image of Paul Robeson: Geoff Charles (1909-2002)/Wikimedia Commons




Paul Robeson was a Black American actor, singer, athlete, and political activist - including Civil Rights and Socialist activism. 

He is also a national hero here in Wales, especially among the older generations.

Friday, 5 June 2020

Friday Fics Fix - Pride Fics Fest: Bringing Subtext Into The Spotlight



June is Pride Month dearest nerdlets! 

So, since a lot of events have been cancelled this year (*whispers* I've never actually been to an event and that's OK! There's no checklist for Queer validation!) and fanfiction is, generally, Queer af, I figured I'd have my own li'l Pride Fics Fest!




'Fics Fix!' with purple background and white lightning bolt shape




This week, I'm looking at fics which take that Queer subtext (which ranges from slipping under the radar to just plain Queerbaiting,) and bring it to the forefront!

Because fanfiction, as mentioned, is hella Gay!

So, I've been mining my extensive fanfiction-related blogpost archive, to bring attention to the fics which bring attention to the subtext! :)

Thursday, 4 June 2020

Comics Wrap-Up - Can't Erase the Scars With A Bandage

 ***All Amazon.com links in this post are commission links. This means I earn commission from purchases made in the US*** 

Please do not use my links to make UK purchases.




'Comics Wrap-Up' with lined-notebook-style background and speech bubbles containing heart symbols


It's Thursday. 2020 is still 2020. Let's get some superhero-y goodness!

Wednesday, 3 June 2020

Month in Review(s) - May 2020

(Warning: this post discusses the Coronavirus/Covid 19, and references the death of George Floyd)



May 2020... who wrote this film?!

Obviously, globally, May was a dumpster fire. 

(And Black Lives Matter. George Floyd deserves justice. If you disagree, you can eff off.)




'May - Mai' witha pink flower on the right-hand side


Sunday, 31 May 2020

Nerd Church - Power and Privilege In 2020


(Warning: This post discusses 2020. 

Which means it discusses:

- Coronavirus/Covid 19, and the death statistics
- racism
- racist murder (inc. murder of Black people by the police)
- Transphobia
- Transphobic murder
- Homophobia/Queerphobia
- Donald Trump

...I think that's everything. 2020, everyone.)



Power and Privilege in 2020



Well... it's been a week, right?


Unfortunately, if there's one theme to this week, both here in the UK and over in the USA, it's this: The more power and privilege someone has, the more they will abuse that power and privilege.

Friday, 29 May 2020

Friday Fics Fix - Wholesome Hargreeves Family Bonding!



'“We’re having a game night. A family game night. Because that’s what families do.” 

“It is?” Vanya asked. 

“Since when?” Five said at almost exactly the same time.'



'Fics Fix!' with purple background and white lightning bolt shape




I can't stay away from The Umbrella Academy for long - and neither do I want to!

There's a popular meme in the fandom of a family games night.


...Well, amazing. Tbh.

Thursday, 28 May 2020

Comics Wrap-Up - I Said There's So Much More That You Won't See

 ***All Amazon.com links in this post are commission links. This means I earn commission from purchases made in the US*** 

Please do not use my links to make UK purchases.



'Comics Wrap-Up' with lined-notebook-style background and speech bubbles containing heart symbols


It's Thursday, we're still here, let's get some superhero-y and comics-y goodness!

(And once again everything's in the 'Other Stuff' category, for which we will blame Loki.)


Sunday, 24 May 2020

Nerd Church - The Writer Diaries: One of My Side Characters Is Pouting!



I can't get the side characters from my Work-in-Progress (WIP) to do what I want!



I know, to people who don't write fiction that probably doesn't make much sense. 

Surely, I, as the author, am in control? *laughs in writer* HELL NO!

Sorry to break this to you, but authors have extremely limited control over their characters. 

Essentially we write down what they're doing to the best of our ability... and attempt to cut out any scenes where they're doing sh** they shouldn't. With mixed results.



'One of My Side Characters Is Pouting!' above a bunch of outlined people shapes in different colours - they're arranged so that it looks like they're in a crowd


Friday, 22 May 2020

Friday Fics Fix - Drarry In An Elevator



They stand in another stretch of silence before a great screeching sound reverberates throughout the elevator.



'Fics Fix!' with purple background and white lightning bolt shape




For reasons best known to yourselves, dearest nerdlets, one of my perenially popular posts - especially with Google searches - is Drarry In A Cupboard.

So, if you're a fan of Drarry in a cupboard, then I have a treat for you today - Drarry in an elevator!

(Anybody else mentally singing Aerosmith's 'Love In An Elevator'? Just me. Ok.)

(Fangirling notes: Drarry is Draco and Harry with a romantical and/or sexy-ness relationship.)

Thursday, 21 May 2020

Comics Wrap-Up - Children Behave, That's What They Say When We're Together

 ***All Amazon.com links in this post are commission links. This means I earn commission from purchases made in the US*** 

Please do not use my links to make UK purchases.



'Comics Wrap-Up' with lined-notebook-style background and speech bubbles containing heart symbols


It's Thursday, the world keeps turning, and we could all do with some superheroes and comics!

Wednesday, 20 May 2020

Micropoetry - April 2020


I realise it's the 20th of May, but I have a very limited sense of space/time and a lack of organisation so... *shrugs*



OK, here's the micropoetry I wrote in April.

...And for some reason in April my brain decided to produce Haikus. I don't even know, tbh.

As always, for those using screen-readers, the poetry is in the alt-text, with / marks to show line breaks.

Sunday, 17 May 2020

Nerd Church - For Those Of Us Feeling Overwhelmed Right Now


(Warning: this post discusses Covid 19/Coronavirus, and references Anxiety and mental health problems)



This post isn't a magical solution to feeling overwhelmed, but hopefully it'll help a little.

Disclaimer time: I'm not a medical or mental health professional. I'm someone with my own personal experiences of Depression/Anxiety which may or may not be helpful to you. Always do what's right for you, k? K.



'For Those Of Us Feeling Overwhelmed Right Now' against a background of a sky with fluffy clouds




Sometimes it can be hard to keep moving forward. It can feel overwhelming as f**k, let's be honest. 

But to make it less overwhelming?

You have to take everything one step at a time - as goddamn irritating as that can be, sometimes. 

Friday, 15 May 2020

Friday Fics Fix - The Fear of Jonathan Crane

 
(Warning: this post references child abuse and systemic child protection failings.)
 
'Jonathan held up his hands, retreating into his hood. Hide your face. It’s a monster.'




'Fics Fix!' with purple background and white lightning bolt shape
 




One of the most compelling and mature superhero shows of recent years is Gotham.

It's also one of the most under-rated, because people suck, and haters gonna hate. 

(Luckily, those of us who love this show know how goddamn awesome it is!)

Gotham is a Batman-prequel, showing the lives of many of the villains, and a few of the heroes, in the years between the murder of Thomas and Martha Wayne, and the time baby Bruce put on the Batman cowl.

It shows bad people doing good things, and good people doing bad things. Because life - especially in Gotham - is problematic and messy.

Thursday, 14 May 2020

Comics Wrap-Up - Such A Surreal Place To See

 ***All Amazon.com links in this post are commission links. This means I earn commission from purchases made in the US*** 

Please do not use my links to make UK purchases.




'Comics Wrap-Up' with lined-notebook-style background and speech bubbles containing heart symbols


It's Thursday, the world is all kinds of messed up, we def. need another portion of superhero and comics-y goodness!

Wednesday, 13 May 2020

Month In Review(s) - April 2020

(Warning: this post discusses Covid 19/Coronavirus, and Anxiety)


April 2020.

Um... yeah... 

(I know it's the 13th of May - I'm disorganised, and you all know this.)




'April - Ebrill' with girl in a coat holding an umbrella, and an artsy swirl around it




OK, plus side: I had fewer panic attacks this month!

I mean, I still had panic attacks, and a butt-tonne of Anxiety, but I had slightly less of it! Woo!

(Small victories, dearest nerdlets, small victories.)

Sunday, 10 May 2020

Nerd Church - How Are You Bored...?


(Warning: this post references Coronavirus/Covid 19, and Lockdown)


"Bored!" I kicked the carpet with my heel. "Bored!" I kicked it with my other heel. "Bored!" I switched back to the first heel.

...That's the last time I can remember being plain bored. 

I think I was eight. I definitely wasn't older than ten.





How Are You Bored...?





Don't get me wrong - I've been bored of things plenty of times. Teachers, mostly. 

(School is good and something you should go to and all that - but my school sucked. On many levels.

We used to hide maths homework inside our PSE (Personal Social Education) booklets - because apparently LSD was a big threat to the teens of the mid-to-late 00s. (Spoiler: it wasn't.) 

Also we had to colour in the pictures of drugs for some reason? Like this is gonna put us off in any way? (Don't do drugs, dearest nerdlets, k? K.)

Also the teacher I had for PSE told us way too much about the various times she 'ran away with [man] to [location] and it all went wrong and I ended up stranded in [location - not necessarily the 1st location]' We honestly didn't want to know. 

We were hiding maths homework, dearest nerdlets. Maths. Homework.)


Friday, 8 May 2020

Friday Fics Fix - A Star Wars Trio




I know Star Wars day was technically Monday (for those who are less fluent in nerd - 'May the Fourth be with you' is a pun that's taken on a life of its own,) but I figured now was a good time to take another look at some Star Wars fics!


Fics Fix!




Oh, and just assume that everything in this post has SPOILERS up to and including The Last Jedi.

(No, I haven't seen The Rise of Skywalker yet, so there won't be spoilers for that - but everything else is fair game.)

(Side-note: I'm still getting used to the new Blogger (the platform I use,) interface, so apologies if things look a bit strange!)


Thursday, 7 May 2020

Comics Wrap-Up - The Stories I Hear Are The Stories I Tell

 ***All Amazon.com links in this post are commission links. This means I earn commission from purchases made in the US*** 

Please do not use my links to make UK purchases.



Comics Wrap-Up


It's Thursday, we could all do with that superhero-y comics-y goodness, let's do this dearest nerdlets!

Everything, once again is in the 'Other Stuff' category, for which we shall blame Loki! (As is traditional.)

(Side-note: after years of changing literally nothing, Blogger (the blogging platform I use,) suddenly decided to change everything to do with its design interface - so if anything looks wonky, please forgive me, I'm still getting the hang of this new set-up!)

Sunday, 3 May 2020

Nerd Church - I'm SO Tired


(Warning: this post references Coronavirus/Covid 19 and Lockdown, and discusses mental health problems and Anxiety throughout.)


I'm so tired.

Like, SO tired.

Part of that is probably due to an existential tiredness related to the Lockdown and wanting things to go back to 'normal' - whatever normal is.

(Stay Home though, dearest nerdlets - STAY HOME PLEASE! It's so important!)



'I'm SO Tired' in a shadow-block font over a bed and bedside table


Friday, 1 May 2020

Friday Fics Fix - Witches Loving Witches


'Ginny started to laugh. The Death Eater stopped walking. He was speaking angrily now, growling or snarling something.'



'Fics Fix!' with purple background and white lightning bolt shape




Argh, how do I explain this week's fic?!?!

Well, for a start, it turns out good F/F fics are like buses - nothing for ages, then they come along one after the other.

Thursday, 30 April 2020

Comics Wrap-Up - Stealing Kisses From Your Missus, Does It Make You Freak Out?

 ***All Amazon.com links in this post are commission links. This means I earn commission from purchases made in the US*** 

Please do not use my links to make UK purchases.



'Comics Wrap-Up' with lined-notebook-style background and speech bubbles containing heart symbols


It's Thursday, we're all still in need of some superheroes, so let's get some comics-y goodness!

And once again this week, everything I have for you is in the 'Other Stuff' category, for which we will blame Loki.


Tuesday, 28 April 2020

Mini-Review! - Legendary by Stephanie Garber

 ***All Amazon.com links in this post are commission links. This means I earn commission from purchases made in the US*** 

Please do not use my links to make UK purchases.



'Legendary' in a black heart outlined in dripping red, there is a smattering of stars thrown across the whole image






Title: Legendary


Author: Stephanie Garber'Legendary' book cover with red Ace of Spades

Series: Caraval #2

Genre: YA, Fantasy

Amazon: USA





The Verdict:


I don't think I've ever enjoyed a second book so much when I found the first book so... meh.

Don't get me wrong - Caraval was ok. 


It was an enjoyable enough read. 

I did have some... issues... with it when I reviewed it a few years ago, but overall it was just ok.



Sunday, 26 April 2020

Nerd Church - Covid 19: Why Are People Like This?



(Warning: this post discusses Coronavirus/Covid 19 and lockdown/quarantine throughout. It also discusses Donald Trump and medical misinformation. It also gets kinda rant-y.)



What is wrong with people? 

I mean... does anyone know?



'Covid 19; Why Are People Like This?' against a blue artsy background




As I sit here, still on full lockdown in the UK, my neighbours have gone out. Again.

If you read this blog/follow my Twitter (thank you, I love you!) you may know that I have Problem Neighbours™.

What started as some sloppiness with letting their 2 dogs out has morphed into a general disregard for the people around them (...and they have 4 dogs now.)


Friday, 24 April 2020

Friday Fics Fix - Some Happy Super-Sapphics For #LesbianVisibilityWeek



'“Nobody’s going to bother you if you’re sitting with us,” she promised. “I mean, they’ll probably say plenty, but Alex has this look that I swear could kill a man.”'



'Fics Fix!' with purple background and white lightning bolt shape




This week marks the first Lesbian Visibility Week an awesomely inclusive campaign to celebrate and support Queer people who ID as Lesbian, and Queer women in general.

So I figured fanfiction is Gay af, but also has some work to do when it comes to Queer girls (male Queer people and relationships tend to be written about more.)

So what better than to rec a fic this week which celebrates Lesbians and Queer girls?


Thursday, 23 April 2020

Comics Wrap-Up - Heaven Ablaze In Our Eyes, We're Standing Still In Time

 ***All Amazon.com links in this post are commission links. This means I earn commission from purchases made in the US*** 

Please do not use my links to make UK purchases.




'Comics Wrap-Up' with lined-notebook-style background and speech bubbles containing heart symbols


(Warning: This post references the Quarantine/Lockdown for Coronavirus/Covid 19)


You need some superheroes? Well it's a good job it's Thursday - let's get some comics-y goodness!

Everything this week is in the 'Other Stuff' category again - for which, as is traditional, we will blame Loki.


Wednesday, 22 April 2020

Micropoetry - February + March 2020


(What do you mean it's nearly the end of April? Shhhhh! 😉)


I'm not sure what to make of the pieces of Micropoetry I wrote in February and March.

Like... I don't know whether I like them or not. To be honest.

Anyway, um... tell me what you think, I guess!

As always, the poetry is in the alt-text for those usng screen-readers, with line breaks shown by / symbols.

Sunday, 19 April 2020

Nerd Church - Oliver Queen, You Have Saved This Girl's Life



(Warning: this post discusses Depression and low self-esteem/self-worth, as well as referencing suicidal thoughts and feelings.)



Oliver Queen, you have saved this girl’s life.

People who’ve read this blog before will be aware that I credit a lot of things for saving my life – from fanfiction to meds, from blogging to Fall Out Boy. With what feels like millions of other things in between.




'Oliver Queen, You Have Saved This Girl's Life' with a green background and white arrow shapes




I mean all of it. Completely.

When Depression sinks it’s teeth in so deep that you think you are the worst creature to ever draw breath – that, in fact, you’re probably hogging oxygen from someone who deserves to breathe it more – you need more than just one thing to rescue you.

Friday, 17 April 2020

Friday Fics Fix - The Self-Care Fanfic Rec-List



Fanfiction is a fab form of self-care (which I know I've said more than once, but that's because it's true!)

And seeing as how:

a) we could all do with all the self-care we can get atm...

and b) I have written a lot of fanfiction posts over the years...




I figured I'd take a look over my blog archives, and select some of the most useful fics for self-care.

(Side-note: looking through my archive is super-weird!)



'Fics Fix!' with purple background and white lightning bolt shape



Thursday, 16 April 2020

Comics Wrap-Up - Best Friends With Each Other But Always Wished They Were More

 ***All Amazon.com links in this post are commission links. This means I earn commission from purchases made in the US*** 

Please do not use my links to make UK purchases.




'Comics Wrap-Up' with lined-notebook-style background and speech bubbles containing heart symbols


Hello dearest nerdlets! I have all the superhero-y comics-y goodness that we all need, it's Thursday, let's do this!

(Everything's under the 'Other Stuff' category today, for which we will of course blame Loki - as is tradition.)


Sunday, 12 April 2020

Nerd Church - Watching 'Orange Is The New Black' In Lockdown



(Warning: this post discusses Coronavirus/Covid 19, and prison, and references drugs and death.)


You know all those shows that you just don't get around to for whatever reason? 

Orange Is The New Black was one of those for me.



'Watching 'Orange Is The New Black' in Lockdown' with an orange background, and black stripes down the left-hand side




So what better series to start when we can't go out, than one where they can't either, y'know? 

The UK is in Lockdown - we can only go out for specific reasons, which does currently include 1hr exercise, provided we practice social distancing, so we're better off than some.


Friday, 10 April 2020

Friday Fics Fix - Three Hearts


'“Hey, He-Who-Lurks-Creepily-in-Corners,” Tony said. “You want a smoothie? You need to replace all the stuff you lost earlier.”'


'Fics Fix!' with purple background and white lightning bolt shape



Amongst the shippers of the MCU, there are many ships on which to sail.

(Yes, I'm talking Avengers again - I know, I've kind of been alternating between Avengers and Umbrella Academy lately, but they're the fics I've found that are worth recc'ing *shrugs* what's a nerdgirl to do?)