Nerd Church - Step By Step

Did you see the Rio Olympic Opening Ceremony?

Let me sum up if you didn't:

People can make a difference.




Tiny actions combine to make beautiful things - to make our world better.

That seed bank, with a few seeds from each country, will grow to make a forest.

That forest will help to absorb the CO2 in the atmosphere, and make our world a better place.




I'll highlight at this point the female 100m runner Kamia Yousufi, who carried the flag for Afghanistan.

She is the only female member of the Afghan team - but as the team is made up of only three athletes, this makes her a third of the team overall.

Kamia Yousufi - and so many others like her - is an inspiration.

These women are the first tentative steps in the fight for women's rights and representation. They are amazing.





And the refugee team is inspiring.

In case you didn't know - this is a team comprised of refugee sportspeople from around the world, led out by 23-year-old flag-bearer Rose Lokonyen.

They are a symbol of hope - and it's simply beautiful.

Small things can achieve so much. I'll see you next week dearest nerdlets, go be amazing! ;)

Nerd Church is a weekly post where I get sappy on your butts talk about issues and try to make the world a little better.

Like this post? Try these:

• Nerd Church - The Real 'You'
• Nerd Church - Getting Back Up Again (And Again, And Again, And...)

Mid-Year Book Freak Out Tag

Thanks to the lovely Imogen @ Wandered Souls for the tag! :)

Right, this is going to be fun because I notoriously have trouble picking my favourite anything - which is essentially what this entire tag is about, by the looks of things.

OK, let's give this a shot...

Best Book You’ve Read in 2016:

Argh! I don't know! I've read so many awesome books...

OK, since I need to pick one (instead of, like, 50, or 100...) I'll go with Swan Boy by Nikki Sheehan (UK - US,) because it really is a work of art.

(You can read my review of Swan Boy here.)

Best Sequel You’ve Read so far in 2016:


I'm going to go with Dead Ice by Laurell K Hamilton (UK - US) which is actually Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter, number 24!

If I ever write a series that is still this good after 24 novels I'll have lived the dream guys; 24 books in this series.

(You can check out my review of Dead Ice here.)

New Release That You Haven’t Read Yet But You Want To:

The Fireman by Joe Hill (UK - US.)

Dudes, I need this book - I'm a total Joe Hill junkie and I had the preview (1st 100 pages) of this from the publisher and it's so good!

I NEED IT! SO MUCH!!!!!!!

Most Anticipated Release For The Second Half Of The Year:

OK, I'm cheating here because I've already read this (the perks of book-blogging!) but it's not released until early September so I'm saying that it counts ;P

Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida Córdova (UK - US) is a really interesting and uber-absorbing YA about a bruja (Latina witch,) struggling to come to terms with her family's legacy, and her own power.

It's super-good!!!!!

 Newest Fictional Crush:


Don't really have any new fictional crushes *shrugs* - c'est la vie.

Newest Favourite Character:

For this one I'm going with Nina from Nina Is Not OK by Shappi Khorsandi (UK.) Because I love her. She rocks.

(You can read my review of Nina Is Not OK here.)

A Book That Made You Cry:

I don't cry much at books (because I'm a hard-a*s,) but I will consent that I teared-up a little at Mojo from Swan Boy (UK - US.)

Because that little boy is heart-breaking dammit!

(Again, you can check out my review of Swan Boy here.)

Favourite Book To Film Adaptation:


Erk! Um... I guess Alice Through The Looking Glass or whatever it's official title is - Alice 2. You all know what I mean.

Anyhow, it rocked :) and was a bunch of fun.

(But Goosebumps was also great. And Captain America: Civil War, and X-Men: Apocalypse. Lots of great movies this year, let's be honest!)

Favourite Post You Have Done This Year:


Urk, I don't know! I've literally written over 200 posts in 2016. That makes it kind of difficult to pick.

I'm not saying this to brag, honestly - I just have no freaking clue how to pick a favourite post. So I'm just going to move on to the next question...

What Book You Need To Read By The End of the Year:

Umm... too many! Apart from The Fireman (UK - US,) obv., I'm going to go with Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz (UK - US.)

I really want to read this, but I've been having a butt-load of trouble finding a copy in the local library system, and I don't always have the money I'd like to have to spend on books.

But yeah, I need to read this.

Like this post? Try these:

• The Diverse Books Tag
• The Panic! At The Disco Book Tag

Friday Fics Fix - It's So Fluffy I'm Gonna Die!

I needed fluff this week - shameless, fluffy, fanfiction that was nothing to do with adult responsibility!

And, as can always be counted on in these situations, the Stucky shippers came through!

(Fangirling notes:

Shipping is when you want characters to be involved romantically.

Shippers are people who want characters to be involved romantically.

Stucky is the 'ship' for Steve Rogers (Captain America) and Bucky Barnes (which you probably know if you read 'Fics Fix' a lot.))





I'm going to be honest: I haven't managed to read all that much fanfiction this week, what with the other reading, and the blogging, and the adult-ing, and the troll-hunting, and the ninja-assassin-princess-ing.

(Yes, I am now apparently a troll-hunter as well as a ninja-assassin-princess.)

via GIPHY

So I've only read, like, 2 or 3 short fics this week - and they were all Stucky. Because I needed some true love in my life ;)





So this week's fic, my dearest nerdlets, is:

Beautiful Sights by niennavalier




There's no smut (more clean fanfiction! I must be on a roll!) but there is a bunch of the kissy-kissing, and the odd swear word.

Believe me, if you're looking for something fluffy for some much-needed self-indulgence, this one's for you!

via GIPHY

Like this post? Try these:

• Friday Fics Fix - Under the Sea, Just Bucky and Me!
• Friday Fics Fix! - Stuck Together

Comics Wrap Up - This 'N' That

This is another one of those times when a quirk of fate means that everything comics-wise that I have to tell you falls into the category of 'other stuff.'

That is, the stuff that is either too random or too multi-category-ish to put into another category. Yup - all of that. That's where everything goes this week, for some reason.

(Dammit Loki!)




So here ya go:

Other Stuff



Benedict Cumberbatch talks Doctor Strange at San Diego Comic Con while wearing an awesome Marvel t-shirt :)

Ahh, isn't he the most adorable little nerdcicle?

-0-

Jared Leto talks The Joker being a 'sweetheart' (in a terrifying kind of way) -

And terrifies the living sh** out of the talk-show guy:

-0-

Will Smith does a full-on fanboy squee - NO-ONE IS TOO COOL FOR FANDOM

-0-

Priya Sridhar @ Panels wrote a discussion post on the iconic (and divisive) Batman story The Killing Joke (UK - US)

The main allegation here is that the fridging problem of The Killing Joke storyline hasn't been dealt with in the recent animated adaptation (UK - US.)

-0-

Also at Panels is this list of their favourite comics of July.

Like this post? Try these:

• Comics Wrap Up - Just Gotta Get Right Out Of Here
• Comics Wrap Up - Sugar Cane in the Easy Morning

Review! (Poetry Edition!) - Blood Season by Claire Meadows

Title: Blood Season

Author: Claire Meadows

Genre: Poetry

Amazon: UK - USA

A few starting notes:

I received a free digital review copy of this book from the publisher, Urbane Publications, via NetGalley. NetGalley provides review copies from publishers in exchange for fair and honest reviews.

You may know that I love poetry - and I've been getting back into it more lately.

That said, this collection seemed interesting. Something about it quirked my distracted-toddler-style interest, and I decided to give it a shot.

Premise:

A poetry collection from Claire Meadows talking passionately about life, love, death, and blood.

Best bits:

Meadows can create imagery in her sleep. Her poems are stuffed with powerful, vivid, imagery - sometimes strikingly stark and raw.

Clearly, she also knows her writing techniques, inside and out.

There's an awareness present throughout this collection of the way in which words weave together to create those strong images she confronts us with time and again.

There's also meaning in buckets for those who like to pick apart metaphors with a fine tooth comb - there are impressive layers to this poetry.

The poet's passion shines through - there's definite feeling throughout.

There's also the slightly uncomfortable but beautifully powerful sub-text of domestic abuse/violence (I'm not sure whether it was intended or not, but this sub-text is most definitely there - whether a metaphor for something else or not.)

Yes, this is going to be problematic for some people - but the raw feeling involved is undoubtedly something to admire.

Not so great bits:

The main problem here, to me, was the cohesion of the collection - or the lack thereof.

I was left really uncertain over whether the speaker (the 'voice' of the poem) was meant to be the same in several places.

Likewise, sometimes it felt like the addressee (the person being talked to) of the poem was the same over several separate poems, and then a detail here or there would throw a discordant note into the mix and confuse me.

This was a problem with the collection arrangement, I think, more than the individual poems. The flow was damaged by the sense of same-but-different in the placement of the poems.

A few poems I didn't like as much of others - but that's a matter of individual preference, and is going to occur in any collection of poems.

Here and there I felt that the images within the poem - though undoubtedly still very vivid - didn't quite gel together into something (and here's that word again) cohesive.

Also, several topics here - specifically the under-tones of abuse and violence - may be distressing to many.

This is a personal thing again - I didn't have a problem with it - but I could completely understand if some of this is too much for some people.

Verdict:

Look, book, me and you? We had some issues, true. But I think we could make this thing between us work.

What do you say? You up for another round? ;)

Buy Now UK – Buy Now USA – Goodreads – Author's Site

Liked this post? Try these:

• The Poetry of Biffy Clyro
• What Is Poetry?

Reading Roald Dahl in Welsh (Part 1)

If you read this blog a lot - firstly, you're an awesome person and I love you! But secondly, you may be aware of my New Year's resolution to read 5 books in Welsh in 2016.

I'm first-language English (due to, y'know, history, politics, etc.) but I think it's really important to at least attempt to improve my Welsh-language skills.





I can now tell you, my dearest nerdlets, that I have completed part 1 (of 5, obviously) of my goal!

I have now finished reading Moddion Rhyfeddol George  - a translation into Welsh of the much-loved Roald Dahl book, George's Marvellous Medicine.

Roald Dahl, of course, was a fab author from the Welsh capital, Cardiff. He wrote in English, but it's great to have his books available in Welsh - especially since so many kids love them.

Plus, for me, there was the added bonus of already being familiar with the story of George's Marvellous Medicine, so I could get my bearings even when the language was more difficult to me in places.





But, what about Roald Dahl's famous skill with language?

Well, obviously, things are different in translation.

The things George's grandmother says (or 'Nain,' as she is in this version,) seem much more sinister, somehow, when said yng Gymraeg (in Welsh,) but a lot of the fun is still there too.

A lot of Welsh words are pretty funny to start with, without the help of a Roald Dahl story behind them, but I have to say that the translator (Elin Meek) did a good job of keeping the flavour of Dahl's original.





My plan for the other 4 books I want to read in Welsh? To read more Roald Dahl wrth gwrs (of course.)

One day I'd love to graduate to books which were actually written in Welsh, but as things stand, this means I have a frame of reference for the story I'm reading - which helps me get less lost along the way!

Like this post? Try these:

• St David's Day - My Top 5 Roald Dahl Books
• 1/2 Year Resolutions Update

Nerd Church - The Real 'You'

I'm sure you've heard, time and again, that real life is not as 'glamourous' as it's portrayed by people on social media accounts.

And that's totally true. We, as people, like to impress and/or shock, so we tend to spin things to their fully exaggerated potential.

I hope that I personally don't do this - since I largely like to be honest with you lovely folks, and since most of my social media consists of me tweeting about how I want coffee. Because... well, coffee.

The Bestie will agree that this is a relatively accurate portrayal of my caffeine-habits (though maybe not much else.) I am essentially made up of coffee and cake - which maybe isn't traditionally 'healthy' but I think they get ignored too much in our diets #JustSaying. ;)





Still, when interacting with other people online, an element of trust is required.

You guys don't know my real name (because I'm paranoid about axe-wielding stalkers - it would be just my luck,) but you trust me when I tell you that I'm Welsh, or when I discuss my depression.

via GIPHY

For all you lot know, those things may not be true (they are,) so there's definitely an element of you trusting me not to lie to you.

But the point has been argued (many times) that ignoring the mundane, the painful, or the less-than-glamourous, gives a less-than-accurate depiction of our lives - creating two of us: the online us, and the real us.





Now, from where I stand my life is pretty mundane all-in-all. It's only when I describe events to other people that it begins to sound like something that might be worthy of sensationalising in a made-for-TV movie.

Is this my fault? Is there something I do when I speak/write which makes things seem more exciting or dramatic than they really are/were? Am I subconsciously trying to make myself seem more interesting?

Or is it that we have a tendency to downplay things which happen to us? Are we trying to distance ourselves from the emotions they might cause if we looked at them objectively? (Or is this just me with my depression-logic?)

via GIPHY

I can sit here, in my living-room, legs crossed as one foot falls asleep beneath me, and tell you about the time I spent as a carer for my mother while she had cancer, or the days I suffered through gut-convulsions, which put a random end to my uni studies before they'd even started.

Or I could tell you about all the painfully-long days I had, when I was trying to work through my office temp. job, when really all I wanted was to not exist. I could tell you about the time I spent wishing to be dead.

But still, to me, none of that feels dramatic.

Because even the painful stuff was interspersed with very long periods of boring day-to-day life. And even that very same painful stuff just seems... well, like par for the course.





As far as I'm concerned, my life is, indeed, boring.

I'm not a jet-setter, I'm not a famous writer (yet! fingers crossed!) and I've never been a militia-fighter or a drug-smuggler, or the CEO of a multinational corporation.

Yet if I think about the events of my life happening to someone who is not me - say, a character on a TV show, or in a novel - they take on a dramatic hue that I didn't realise they had. Suddenly, my boring, average, life becomes something worthy of note.

via GIPHY

And that totally baffles me. Because, like I said, in my life, they just felt like something that was. Nothing extraordinary - just life being life.

So maybe, just maybe, the real 'you' isn't the one you portray on social media or the one you think of when you think of your day-to-day life.

Maybe it's a mixture of both - with a couple more ingredients thrown in for luck ;)




Nerd Church is a weekly post where I talk utter nonsense discuss topics and stuff like that!









Like This Post? Try These:

• Nerd Church - Getting Back Up Again (And Again, And Again, And...)
• Nerd Church - The World Won't Save Itself