Ronan Boys nonsense (now on Tumblr), reading roundup, and The Martian movie

[hamsterwoman]

Today is apparently International Fanwork Day? Or so AO3 informs me. Anyway, I accidentally made a fanwork anyway, sorta. So, remember my Raven Cycle poems (on AO3), which are all ikel89's fault? For a while I've been trying to figure out if there was a way to release them into the wilds of Tumblr, and that got me down the path of turning them into

Comments

[hamsterwoman]

Lo! it is my masterwork XD

Pls oblige me with a guess!

Hmm... I'm not sure; I wouldn't rule it out, but I'm actually not very good at predicting what might work for you beyond a "veselo and strelyayut" sort of metric, and this does not fit under that rubric :P But let me try to describe it non-spoilerly (at the level of cover blurb/things you'd get from the first couple of pages) and you can judge for yourself? With the rider that I found it charming enough that if you're on the fence, it may be still worth a try.

Anyway, so first half of the couple, and first-person narrator for the book, is Whyborne, whom I liked, and who I think may appeal to you for "precious introvert" reasons. He is a young doctor of comparative philology, speaking a dozen languages, many of them dead ones. He is... well, zatyukanyj, basically, at the beginning, due to a combination of family issues and youthful trauma, but he is not actually pathetic (though he thinks he is at the start). And over the course of the book he faces things about himself and makes/strengthens connections with people and all that kind of stuff. I liked his arc.

Gentleman #2 is Griffin, who is on the surface a dashing private eye, but has demons of his own, blah blah blah. He is a lot less interesting to me personally, at least so far, but I don't mind him. I didn't get any staggering chemistry from the two of them as a couple, but I very seldom do. But this didn't interfere with my enjoyment of the book, or even the sex scenes.

There is also Whyborne's friend, a lady archeologist, who is like the least nurturing person ever but heroically tries to be supportive of him. She's a secondary character, but she's my favorite!

Plot-wise, we're talking mystery-with-horror-elements. The mystery is not especially mysterious, but the refreshing thing is that characters who are supposed to be intelligent actually go about investigating it in a fairly intelligent fashion, and drew conclusions only a little behind my realizations, which is always a nice thing in a book where there's a secondary mystery plot (the primary genre definitely being romance). Because it's definitely romance more than anything, and I do think more time is spent on pining and getting to know each other than on the investigation. The worldbuilding (magical, dunno about historical accuracy) is reasonable but not amazing, as in, it did not bug me, but it also is not a reason to read this book.

Tone-wise, at least this book feels rather Clair. But I find I do not mind that at all when there are horror-like things lurking in parts of the plot (my tolerance for horror is pretty low, so I'm probably overstating the horrorness, though. But it seems to be set in a Lovecraftian universe, worldbuilding-wise, or at least it namedrops Lovecrafty things that I knew enough to recognize by osmosis, depsite never having read any Lovecraft).

Does any of this help at all?

[ikel89]

Oh, thank you! That's very detailed and pretty perfect for mentally cataloging the book :D I think I'm gonna put it under "for when I want a m/m romance that's not fanfic" haha, which is a legit concern, given what kind of reading I primarily had in 2015 :'D It doesn't sound too bad if you go there with lowered expectations, imo. I was also trying to remember if this is the book I saw reviewed (pretty negatively lol) by a tumblr person recently, but bah, can't seem to find it since looking things up on tumblr is a holy grail levels of easy mission XD (I'll link you to it if I eventually find it, or let you know if I was wrong and it's some other vaguely historic m/m book that mislead me:'D)

[hamsterwoman]

Oh good, I'm glad this is helpful! I don't even think one's expectations need to be lowered that far, beyond generally knowing it's paranormal romance and so contains the tropes inherent therein.

I was also trying to remember if this is the book I saw reviewed (pretty negatively lol) by a tumblr person recently, but bah, can't seem to find it since looking things up on tumblr

I've only seen good things about this one (but not, I think, on Tumblr), but would be definitely curious if you do find that review! (which, yeah, is a feat. The only way I can find anything on Tumblr is just be searching Google for it; Tumblr's own search is totally useless to me.)

"for when I want a m/m romance that's not fanfic" haha, which is a legit concern, given what kind of reading I primarily had in 2015 :'D

I was gonna say! :P

But, actually, this reminds me that now is probably a good time for me to give Watchmaker of Filigree Street a shot... I seem to be in a Victorian groove.

[ikel89]

Recently I find it hard to trust high expectations *stares into the camera* so I'd rather go with low haha

Sooo *rolls sleeves* because I'm a genius, I found that post that for some reason tugged at my brain cells, suggesting it was a review for this book - which it totally wasn't XD Idek why I thought it should be, maybe I'm not used to seeing many m/m books with a mystery component reviewed? *scratches head* And as to HOW I found it, I just knew whose blog I saw it on, otherwise - le impossible. And because tags what tags, I had to scroll through the archive, sorting it by text-type posts only >_>

YOU DOn'T GET TO MOCK ME :< :< :< :P

Yeah, I think if you're in Victorian groove, definitely give Watchmaker a try! Also, I had specifically returned to my own review that one time you bullied me at Alina's journal about withholding critical critter information, and turns out, I had mentioned the clockwork octopus! Not in colorful detail, but still :P

[hamsterwoman]

I just knew whose blog I saw it on, otherwise - le impossible. And because tags what tags, I had to scroll through the archive, sorting it by text-type posts only >_>

Ah Tumblr, wonderful functional system, you! (I am impressed you found it! Also, it is an entertaining review, but, yeah the book in question does not have much in common with Widdershins except for a mystery component (maybe? this one seems more like a thriller) and the love interest's name starting with G :)

YOU DOn'T GET TO MOCK ME :< :< :< :P

Not when you got me to read most of them too! :P

Also, I am very sorry that I overlooked the mention of octopus in your review. Possibly it was... whatever that thing is called when you don't see things that are in front of you because they are not things that you expect to see in the context, like a cow on a freeway. Oh! situational blindness!

Recently I find it hard to trust high expectations *stares into the camera* so I'd rather go with low haha

*nods sympathetically*

Oh, and looks like my library has Watchmaker in ebook, so, downloaded now! Though I'll read the next Whyborne and Griffin book first, since aome already lent that to me.

[ikel89]

Speaking of tumblr, it's such a rare pleasure to be seeing you show signs of life there, and it's been happening often these days, too <3

LOL please let it be known for posterity's sake that I don't actually bully you into reading Questionable Literature :'D I just see to it that you volunteer alright :PP

I don't know whether I should feel embarrassed or proud with that situational blindness remark XD BUT! You should know that I discovered I could play QuizClash against poor volunteers recently, and to my own astonishment critter questions are not my worst! TV series is :DD

Ok, keep me posted wrt your Watchmaker impressions, and enjoy this one <3

[hamsterwoman]

Aww, I'm glad my essentially-zero-content appearance on Tumblr is cheering :) (It is the worst, but also the best way to spend an essentially infinite amount of time doing nothing. And weirdly it's not been as enraging as I remember it, lately. Maybe those people have moved on somewhere else?)

I just see to it that you volunteer alright :PP

That is actually an incredibly apt description LOL XD XD XD

and to my own astonishment critter questions are not my worst! TV series is :DD

What about pop music?

(Too soon?)

[ikel89]

I think there has been less of obtuse misguided campaigns by people who just need for an excuse to rage against other people? I see it much less too! But then again, I attained levels of zen which make it ok to unfollow obnoxious people easily :D

I...actually don't even choose pop music as a theme if I have a say in it XD

Too soon refers to what, sorry? *confused*

[hamsterwoman]

Too soon refers to what, sorry? *confused*

Your Radio Pharma adventures/trauma! :P

See, I didn't even have to unfollow anyone for my dashboard to no longer be obnoxious and/or depressing. It is like some sort of miracle...

Which I've probably jinxed by now. Shutting up!

[ikel89]

Ah yes XD Quite possibly! Speaking of that, I did pick up that mug that was my prized...prize -___-

Have you jinxed it yet?*pats* I just read your latest post, and I guess I was expecting a meh story to explain your tumblr presence, so I'm sorry! *hugs* May all the nuisances pass asap.