Graphic Novel Score!

Scored a graphic novel this morning in the post! Woo! Been wanting to read 'The Invincible Iron Man: Demon in a Bottle' for a long time now because I've heard good things and dudes, it's classic Iron Man for the love of Stark!

Plus, I got one of these awesome Book Depository bookmarks free with it (no, I don't benefit from the plug, I just really like the bookmarks I get from them!)

 

Isn't it freaking adorable?!?!?! Sorry, I love bookmarks - one of these days I'll have to upload a pic of my Gorjuss by Santoro bookmark which my father bought for me because he's amazing and I can never afford Santoro products and I love them. So. Bad.

 

Happy reading! (Sorry for the close-ups of my pudgy fingers ;) )

Friday Fics Fix

Friday Fics Fix!

Hello again! Welcome to the second instalment of 'Friday Fics Fix!' This is where I highlight 5 fan fics a week that are worthy of mention - either for good or not-so-good reasons!

Basically, I trawl my way through reams upon reams of fanfiction and share my infinite wisdom (by which I mean cackle like a lunatic due to the amount of craziness I have been exposed to.) Seriously, these posts are warping my perceptions already. There are very few strands of life where a billionaire who faffs around in a technologically advanced suit of armour has fairly graphic sexy times with a Norse god, or a Word War Two veteran; even fewer parts of life then allow said billionaire to give birth to the lovechild of one of these fine gentlemen. Yet in fanfiction we don't blink an eye. (Don't worry there is no Mpreg (male pregnancy) in this week's pics.)

Again, a reminder that most couples in fan fiction are gay, there is much porn, and if I give you a warning I mean it. 'M' means mature (18+) audiences only.

Feel free to comment and leave suggestions (not too disturbing please.)

So, here's this weeks Fics Fix -


To Have a Heart by ibelieveinguardianangels.

This is a Sherlock fic - short and sweet, but a bit distressing, the author has rated this K (which is suitable for everyone) but I'd say it's more for teens. There's references to violence to children which may upset/distress some readers.

Avengers Text Messages by K A Carlyle.

This does what it says on the tin - and is amazing! And Deadpool slams in every now and then for absolutely no reason! What more could you want out of life?!?! (OK, I may have been spending too much time on the Internet, I'm starting to sound like a bats**t crazy fangirl (again)) Anyway, there's some swearing in this, but generally it's just light-hearted and honest-to-goodness laugh-out-loud funny. Enjoy!

Cell phones are a wonderous thing by coconut-and-metal.

This is FrostIron (which, as I taught you last week is where Loki and Tony Stark get together romantically and usually do very naughty things which require an M rating - this fic is also M only.) Basically, this is Loki sexting Tony - it's worth reading just for Clint's line near the end, but it is very adult, with very adult humour. It starts out fun, and then descends into porn.

Shades of Darkness by opalish.

This is a short Dark! Harry fic. This is where Harry Potter, the symbol of Light in the wizarding world, turns instead to the Dark and all that that represents. This is quite good, actually, and has that right level of tipping into the darkness. It's very angst-y though. I would say (and apparently the author agreed,) that this is for a teen audience. This was written all the way back in 2005 - a decade ago people! Proof that the Potterheads know have a veritable library full of fanfiction. I wasn't even a teenager when the author wrote this.

Honestly Merlin by Wordinrain.

This is a Merlin fluff fic. For those of you who don't know, fluff is where things are romantic and kissy-kissy but without the explicit sex. Y'know - it's kind of 'fluffy!' This is based on a Merlin/Arthur romantic relationship and is fairly entertaining. There is much gayness.

Reviewing the Evidence (Classics Edition!) - 12 Years a Slave

Title: 12 Years a Slave (US Link)
Author: Solomon Northup
Genre: classics, non-fiction, memoirs, autobiography

A few starting notes:

I approached this book with a mix of trepidation and interest - I'd heard of the film, but not seen it, and knew a little about the story, but didn't know what the writing would be like or how the tone would be. I needn't have worried.

Premise:

Solomon Northup was a black man born free in the time of slavery in the USA. He is tricked, kidnapped, and enslaved, enduring the life of a Southern slave for a period of 12 years. This is his own account of his time spent in slavery.

Best bits:

The very best bit is our narrator - Solomon Northup himself. He never lacks perspective, considers the opinions and feelings of others, and speaks with a strong voice that reverberates through the pages. His account keeps a level of admirable dignity up throughout its entirety, and he weaves the prose together better than many bestsellers today.

Mr Northup never shies away from the realities of slavery - we are told of the whippings and beatings, and the pain of separated families, whilst maintaining that same dignity. He never includes gratuitous levels of violence or suffering simply for their own sakes, and is honest about everything - the good times and the bad.

He also always gives credit where credit is due in a gracious and understanding way. He refrains from judging slave-owners simply for being slave-owners. His first master, William Ford, he has genuine affection for and Ford joins the ranks of white men who put themselves out for Mr Northup's sakes (the others including but not limited to an English sailor, and the Canadian carpenter, Bass.) Northup insists that, in his estimation, Ford was only a slave-owner because he had been born and raised in the South - something which he could not help any more than Solomon could help being black.

Not so great bits:

Slavery is understandably an uncomfortable subject - and though Solomon Northup is an excellent narrator, he uses the language and the attitudes of his time. He thinks nothing of classifying people according to their skin colour - something which actually becomes very interesting in the case of the slave Celeste who is paler than her owner - and this can jar with modern sensibilities.

He also uses the 'n' word a lot - simply because this is how black people were referred to by those he is in contact with. This is historically accurate but mightily uncomfortable.

The subject matter, as can be expected, is not always pleasant, though is not gratuitous.

Verdict:

This book is excellent. It is written sublimely with a voice that is not often heard in accounts of slavery - that of an actual slave. More than just an outstanding piece of literature, this is also a work of historical importance - and should be just as much as a necessity on reading lists as the likes of Anne Frank's Diary.

Friday Fics Fix

Hello! And welcome to my first ever Friday Fics Fix!

This is where I trail through reams of fanfiction so you don't have to! Because fanfics are a really, really strange portion of the internet - yet weirdly addictive!

I plan to highlight about five fics every Friday, pointing out the weird and wonderful. I want to say now that if I give a warning I mean it. Seriously, I'm not responsible if you ignore it. Nor am I responsible for the general disturbing-ness and bonkers-osity that occurs in a helluva lotta fics!  I'll try to give an age range as well, because let's face it, a lot of fics are porn - or whatever your preferred word: slash, smut, lemon, citrus, PWP... I'm wise to you erotica peddlers! I will mark M (mature) anything that's not suitable for under 18s. Although you'll probably just ignore me; but I'll have tried.

But why fics? Because it's reading! Plus, some of them are actually quite good, and some...just have to be seen to be believed. And I love anything that explores the characters and stories I enjoy. I'm going to try to keep as fandom-neutral as possible, but obviously I'll be able to understand and evaluate fics from my own fandoms far more easily.

Ooh! And before I forget, there are very few heterosexual (straight) pairings in fanfiction. So if you have any issues with homosexuality then a) love will still win, and b) fanfiction isn't going to be for you.

Without further ado - here is your Fics Fix!

The Talk - by Starkers.

Rated M (by author.) This is a superfamily one-shot (one chapter) fic. Supefamily is non-canon (non-official plots and aspects) Marvel fiction where Steve Rogers and Tony Stark are married (usually this pairing is referred to as Stony) and raising Peter Parker - who they've adopted. Yep, Captain America and Iron Man are Spidey's fathers. It's actually usually ridiculously cute, and this is no exception.

At first, this seems really really awkward - Steve makes Tony have a 'talk' with Peter about certain...biological urges...that may lead to him spending a long time in his bedroom alone; the awkwardness is part of what makes it endearing, and the ending just makes it really adorable! I actually really enjoyed this fic, and the fluff (i.e. lovey-dovey non-sexual stuff) between Steve and Tony is done really well.

The Lightning Strike - by Batsutousai.

Rated M (by author and probably pretty much anybody who has ever read it.) This is an Omegaverse fic for the Marvel universe. If you're naïve and/or new to fics I'm so, so sorry I'm about to tell you about this. Move on to the next one if you want. OK, the Omegaverse is where people are born with the sexuality and social structure inherent in wolf packs. Again, feel free to skip. So the Alpha is the dominant one, the Beta is like a second (not always included in these fics) and the Omega is the subservient one (often very bad things happen to them.) People also go into heat when they're ready to mate, and in some fics there's 'knotting' as part of sex. Generally, in this genre, heats are painful and lead to hormones and pheromones taking almost complete control.

There were aspects of this fic that what really interesting - particularly in terms of Loki. This fic has Loki as Omega, who suddenly goes into heat in a battle, leading Alpha Tony's protective instincts to set off a rather unusual set of events. Basically it's a FrostIron (Tony and Loki pairing) Omegaverse fic.

Warnings for this I would say are: implied/desired dub/non-con sex; threesome; repressed sexuality; sex toys; much and various sexual things; mate-bonding; a bunch of prejudice; a bunch of physical and emotional distress.

Sherlock' Secrete - by The Posh Pancake.

Rated K+ (older kids) (by author) - I would say this is for age 16+ or possibly even older. I assume that the author means Sherlock's Secret, as they use secrete for secret throughout. This is JohnLock for the Sherlock fandom (John Watson and Sherlock Holmes pairings.)

It's quite fun and a light-hearted, but there's a bit of adult themes here - particularly at the end. Still, it's wonderfully wacky.

Goodbye's the Saddest Word - by roelliej.

This is a Harry Potter fic - it's a very short fic about Draco and Harry as married fathers. It's OK, not my cup of tea, but something that shows the imagination of fans. It's cute fluff really, and is quick and readable - if a little random.

Stucky - by Gonardo.

This is M. No question about it. This is porn. This is a Marvel, Stucky, fic (Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes) and includes much graphic gay sex. To be honest, the whole thing is graphic gay sex. I thought I'd highlight this one because it's just such a definitive example of so much 18+ rated fanfiction (and is PWP - plot what plot? as far as I'm concerned.) (Still, those of you who like Stucky smut/citrus/lemon will love it.)

Well, that was my first Friday Fics Fix - providing your Fix of Fics to stop reading and fandom withdrawal! :)

I hope I haven't disturbed you too badly with all this! Feel free to comment and let me know what you think, and tell me about any fics you think I should feature (please not too disturbing!!!! There's some f****d up s**t out there!) And please attempt to go by my ratings/warnings. Although I do wonder why I bother.

Reviewing the Evidence - Bloody Valentine

Title: Bloody Valentine (US Link)
Author: James Patterson
Genre: crime
Series: Quick Reads

A few starting notes:

Having previously read James Patterson books, and found his books entertaining if sometimes a little devoid of depth, and being a sucker for the excellent and always commendable Quick Reads series, I decided to pick this up in my last library haul.

Premise:

It's Valentine's day. But something is wrong in the Barnes apartments - the block of flats shared by entrepreneur Jack Barnes and his extended family. An awful and gory crime has been committed...could it have been by one of their own?

Best bits:

The locked-room style aspects of the mystery at the heart of this book is always interesting - and for the most part Patterson does justice to the concept.

The other thing that really stands out about this book is the sense of secrets, hidden deep within a well-off family, bubbling beneath the surface until they spill forward. The interplay of the tension is well-used, and the view of rich families as somehow hiding sin and betrayal, though a well-trodden path, is also used to good effect.

Patterson's main appeal is his sheer readability - and there is no difference here. The chapters are short and draw you onwards through the tale, and the whole book is also short - this being the Quick Reads series - so it is handy for those in-between moments, and for the busy reader.

Not so great bits:

The ending feels a little rushed, as if we're sprinting at the finish, and I think it would've benefited from a little more detail at the end. The prose is sometimes clumsy and a little bewildering, though largely it remains clear and readable.

The characters too could have done with a little more development - the standout perhaps being Leila and Ted, who both stand out more than Zee, Jack, or any of the detectives.

Verdict:

This is a quick and entertaining mystery. Yes, it's a little rough around the edges in more than a few places, but it's still pretty readable, and you'll want to read to the end, if only to reach the final answer to the whodunit? question.

Quick Note: I forgot to mention before but there is a scene or two in this book that is very gory - might not be to everyone's taste.

We're All Stories in the End

image courtesy of jannoon028 at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

I got to thinking recently that we essentially tell the same stories over and over, since the beginning of time.
This isn't to say that we are repetitive idiots who are unable to come up with anything original. Not at all. What my point is, is that clearly there are things in these stories that we need to hear. There are things that we have recognised as fundamental since the very beginning, and we feel the need to repeat it - to get the message through again and again. But why? Are we still not hearing it?!?! Well, given the state the world seems to be in as of late, that's a distinct possibility. But I think it's more to do with it speaking to something inherently human in us.

We never abandoned the old Gods - Thor and Loki are still with us (literally if you're a Marvel fan,) but the rest are still here too. Does no one else see the Robin Hood parallels with The Green Arrow or Hawkeye? Or older still, the Eros/Cupid and Apollo associations with archery etc?

We have literally clung on to all of the old traditions, the myths, the stories, we just give them a new cape and a mask, and set them to it. But it's not just comics and their associated media (i.e. movies) that are affected by this phenomena. We litter the pages of our novels with the things that go bump in the night - vampires, werewolves, angels and demons haunt our pages. But, more subtly than that, the same stories play out in front of our eyes again and again. Even the dreaded Twilight owes so much to Romeo and Juliet, which in turn is a retelling of Pyramus and Thisbe. 'Fallen' by Lauren Kate leans heavily on Biblical tales and the legends of fallen angels. Hell, The Hunger Games' Katniss Everdeen bears more than a passing resemblance to Artemis. And I won't mention the obvious Percy Jackson parallels - I think you can figure that one out by yourselves.

I kind of like it, if I'm going to be honest with you lovely people: I like the thought that our stories are such a fundamental part of us that we tell the same tales over and over, shaping and framing, adding and subtracting - and that's what really shows the strength of these ideas and stories. They still captivate and intrigue. And fan-fiction feeds into that (no, really, it does!) - it's us hearing the story and adding our interpretation, our hopes, our feelings (and lots of the feels,) taking the parts that most speak to us and zooming in on them. We're the myth-tellers, sat around the collective glow of the laptop and the tablet, instead of the fire, and telling just one more tale of love and hurt, of bravery and sorrow, to get us through one more dark night when we're tired and hungry and afraid. And isn't that beautiful.

Reading Addict vs Reality

OK, so we're currently having the bathrooms refurbished, and it feels like the ceiling is going to come down on my freaking head! It's driving me completely bugf**k! I can barely hear myself think - how's a girl s'posed to read in these conditions!

I wish I could dive into a book world for a bit to avoid all the noise - like Hogwarts. Except, Hogwarts doesn't exactly have the most calm of environments...or the best record when it comes to bathrooms...

This is my poorly drawn snake btw; he has sunglasses. Yeah. Sunglasses.