No, there is too much; let me sum up.
You guys, I've been trying to sit down and type an update for weeks. I have literally not had the time, especially since, the more time passes, the more there is to say, and the more time such a post would take. I haven't read my LJ flist in a month (I'm up to date on DW - my flist there is much shorter), so if you're LJ-only, I am really REALLY sorry to have fallen behind. Please link me to any important updates? I'm multiple chapters behind on fic I'm following, and just ... gah, life! I spent Nov helping to co-mod the Shoobie November Social, which had daily check-ins. I finished writing my Yuletide fic along the way, but still need to finish editing it. Trying to get gifts a) purchased, b) wrapped and c) shipped [mostly done with a), mostly not done with b) and not at all ready for c)], plus get cards in the mail. It's Will's and Rob's bday today, so there was gift preparation for that, too, plus cake-baking, and making their favorite dinner tonight. I accompanied my SIL to the vet when she had to put down her favorite cat (who had been dealing with kidney issues for over a year) shortly before Thanksgiving, plus there was the actual Thanksgiving (just the same 7 of us as usual, but with all the typical fest foods - I tried this super-easy dry brine recipe for the first time, and it was a HUGE success) and loads of Black Friday weekend shopping (taking MiniPlu briefly on Thurs evening, then taking Two out on Fri afternoon, then MiniPlu again, briefly, after her 8-hour work shift on Friday evening, and then a final round on Saturday). Two had an appointment at CHOP last week, where he had his T dose upped to weekly (instead of every other week), and he'll be back at CHOP next week to have his implant removed. I've had various bloodwork and other tests done for the new gastroenterologist, and physical therapy for the calf injury. And I even got to work as a sub for the first time all year on Wed, when I was a one-on-one aide for a mildly autistic boy at the middle school.
And I realize this post isn't going into detail at all and thus isn't a time-consuming post to write (or, hopefully, read), but at this point, I'm just throwing my hands up in despair.
In books: I finished reading Imprudence by Gail Carriger, which was great fun, as always. Although I was sad to read about Connall's Alpha curse and having to move to Egypt and give up his immortality so he wouldn't lose his sanity. :( I also read a m/m book I stumbled upon (ADOtD, maybe? I can't remember) called Guarding His Melody. This author (Victoria Sue) has written a series of books focusing on an "Enhanced" person - rather like Kristin Cashore's Gracelings, except a) this series is set in modern USA and b) the Enhanced tend to be viewed like dangerous second-class citizens. In theory, I liked the idea. In execution, I had a number of problems with this story. First off, although both men in the story were adults, the fact that one was 38 and the Enhanced guy was only 20 made me uncomfortable. I do know some people do just fine with such an age difference, but it's not very common, especially not when the younger one is barely out of their teens. The Enhanced kid, Sebastian, is a deaf musician, and his Enhanced talent is the ability to hear - phenomenally - when wearing a special pair of bone-conducting headphones. Which felt kind of lackluster, honestly, and it's never really explored or expanded upon. Gray, the 38-year-old, clearly has a traumatic history, a military op gone bad, with strong implications of having been held hostage and tortured for some time before being rescued, but that, too, was never really explored or expanded upon, except in very sketchy passing references. Gray spends most of the book being Seb's bodyguard, but also being instantly concerned for his welfare (for justified reasons, I should add), and thus their budding relationship is completely dominated by h/c. Towards the end of the book, when Seb shakes free of the influences that were endangering him, he deliberately steps free from Gray in order to make sure he can make it on his own, and to make sure Gray sees Seb as a self-sufficient adult - and that's definitely important, yes. But I never really got a good sense of what Seb brought to the relationship in general, since so much time is spent with Gray tending to Seb, and very little of the reverse. What really attracted each one to the other, beyond the physical? Not sure. So, yeah, the overall concept had a lot of good potential, but I felt it fell short in a lot of areas.
Currently reading Going Rogue by Robin Benway, the sequel to a YA spy novel I read ages ago. (It seems to also be called Sleuth or Dare, which is weird.) I think this is the last of my birthday books - just in time to (probably) get a fresh round of Christmas books, lol. Plus other books I've bought on my own and are still in my to-read pile. >_<
In read-aloud: I read Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda aloud to Two, as well as the Leah sequel. He enjoyed both.
Meanwhile: Happy Hanukkah to my Jewish friends! May your light of lights burn brightly.
And I realize this post isn't going into detail at all and thus isn't a time-consuming post to write (or, hopefully, read), but at this point, I'm just throwing my hands up in despair.
In books: I finished reading Imprudence by Gail Carriger, which was great fun, as always. Although I was sad to read about Connall's Alpha curse and having to move to Egypt and give up his immortality so he wouldn't lose his sanity. :( I also read a m/m book I stumbled upon (ADOtD, maybe? I can't remember) called Guarding His Melody. This author (Victoria Sue) has written a series of books focusing on an "Enhanced" person - rather like Kristin Cashore's Gracelings, except a) this series is set in modern USA and b) the Enhanced tend to be viewed like dangerous second-class citizens. In theory, I liked the idea. In execution, I had a number of problems with this story. First off, although both men in the story were adults, the fact that one was 38 and the Enhanced guy was only 20 made me uncomfortable. I do know some people do just fine with such an age difference, but it's not very common, especially not when the younger one is barely out of their teens. The Enhanced kid, Sebastian, is a deaf musician, and his Enhanced talent is the ability to hear - phenomenally - when wearing a special pair of bone-conducting headphones. Which felt kind of lackluster, honestly, and it's never really explored or expanded upon. Gray, the 38-year-old, clearly has a traumatic history, a military op gone bad, with strong implications of having been held hostage and tortured for some time before being rescued, but that, too, was never really explored or expanded upon, except in very sketchy passing references. Gray spends most of the book being Seb's bodyguard, but also being instantly concerned for his welfare (for justified reasons, I should add), and thus their budding relationship is completely dominated by h/c. Towards the end of the book, when Seb shakes free of the influences that were endangering him, he deliberately steps free from Gray in order to make sure he can make it on his own, and to make sure Gray sees Seb as a self-sufficient adult - and that's definitely important, yes. But I never really got a good sense of what Seb brought to the relationship in general, since so much time is spent with Gray tending to Seb, and very little of the reverse. What really attracted each one to the other, beyond the physical? Not sure. So, yeah, the overall concept had a lot of good potential, but I felt it fell short in a lot of areas.
Currently reading Going Rogue by Robin Benway, the sequel to a YA spy novel I read ages ago. (It seems to also be called Sleuth or Dare, which is weird.) I think this is the last of my birthday books - just in time to (probably) get a fresh round of Christmas books, lol. Plus other books I've bought on my own and are still in my to-read pile. >_<
In read-aloud: I read Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda aloud to Two, as well as the Leah sequel. He enjoyed both.
Meanwhile: Happy Hanukkah to my Jewish friends! May your light of lights burn brightly.