there is no sense in pretending
In the past few days, I finished Rapture by Kameron Hurley, the third book of the Bel Dame Apocrypha series (trilogy?). I liked it, though not as much as the first two books. I think endings often suffer in these book series, but also I feel like the third book is not the time to introduce a whole bunch of new characters to Nyx's team, because we're not going to really get attached to them - I mean, I fully expected more of them to die horribly (and I don't think she really capitalized on the potential emotional resonance of Eshe's death), so I didn't get attached to them (though I would have liked to know more about Kage in particular and the Drucians in general). I wanted more with Inaya as badass revolutionary rather than Inaya as helpless captive. I wanted Nyx to be a little smarter for once, I guess, too. I did like how Inaya took care of the flesh-eating sand. And that Nyx gave Ahmed the farm. And the very ending for Nyx.
On the other hand, I really enjoyed Whispers Under Ground by Ben Aaronovitch, the third Peter Grant book. I think the mystery was a little... thin, but I like Peter and enjoy his narration so much that I don't really care as much about the mysteries - I just want to spend time with him and his cast of characters. Yay Lesley is learning magic too! And at the end, Abigail may end up learning as well. I liked the way the rivers showed up this time - a reminder of their existence but not really integral to the story, I enjoyed seeing Guleed again and Stephanopoulos and Seawoll, and getting to know Kumar, and of course, the whole business of there being a whole settlement of people living in London Below was awesome. Plus all of Peter's geeky references feel organic and in character, rather than pastede on and forced. How everyone asks about aliens. Also, earthbenders! Hee! I really hope there's another one of these on the way, and actually many, many more.
*
Today, after a run to Walgreens for contact lens solution, I spent the day cooking one way or another. I made mock cranberry bliss bars (pics), though I didn't end up putting the drizzle on, because it was GROSS. I whisked and whisked and got it to a drizzly consistency but when I put it in the plastic bag to pipe, it separated and was just... ugh. Gross. And I don't think they needed any more icing, because the cream cheese frosting has THREE CUPS of powdered sugar! (I know I've mentioned before my distaste for icing recipes that require that quantity - OR MORE - of sugar. Ugh. TOO SWEET. DO NOT WANT. I haven't yet tried one of the milk-based frostings that you actually have to cook as a replacement, but someday soon maybe.)
ANYWAY. It tastes okay? But it doesn't taste like the ones you get at Starbucks, so I'm probably not going to make it again, unless someone requests it (my mom seemed to really like it).
I also made ice cream, to test the new ice cream maker, and I'm happy to report that no, my parents' house isn't some anomalous zone where the laws of physics do not apply; the ice cream maker worked fine and there was delicious vanilla ice cream at the end of it. I don't know what is up with the KitchenAid one, but I'm writing it off as it didn't work three times, and three times is a pattern.
Then I cooked dinner: spaghetti al limone, as requested by my mother. Though part of her request included using rigatoni instead of bucatini, so I guess technically it was rigatoni al limone. Whatever. It tasted good.
*
So where is the epic Steve Rogers vid to "American Pie"? I realize it would totally be a LKBV, but this is me we're talking about here - if I could vid, I would make nothing BUT lord king bad vids.
*
This entry at DW: http://musesfool.dreamwidth.org/520841.html.
people have commented there.
On the other hand, I really enjoyed Whispers Under Ground by Ben Aaronovitch, the third Peter Grant book. I think the mystery was a little... thin, but I like Peter and enjoy his narration so much that I don't really care as much about the mysteries - I just want to spend time with him and his cast of characters. Yay Lesley is learning magic too! And at the end, Abigail may end up learning as well. I liked the way the rivers showed up this time - a reminder of their existence but not really integral to the story, I enjoyed seeing Guleed again and Stephanopoulos and Seawoll, and getting to know Kumar, and of course, the whole business of there being a whole settlement of people living in London Below was awesome. Plus all of Peter's geeky references feel organic and in character, rather than pastede on and forced. How everyone asks about aliens. Also, earthbenders! Hee! I really hope there's another one of these on the way, and actually many, many more.
*
Today, after a run to Walgreens for contact lens solution, I spent the day cooking one way or another. I made mock cranberry bliss bars (pics), though I didn't end up putting the drizzle on, because it was GROSS. I whisked and whisked and got it to a drizzly consistency but when I put it in the plastic bag to pipe, it separated and was just... ugh. Gross. And I don't think they needed any more icing, because the cream cheese frosting has THREE CUPS of powdered sugar! (I know I've mentioned before my distaste for icing recipes that require that quantity - OR MORE - of sugar. Ugh. TOO SWEET. DO NOT WANT. I haven't yet tried one of the milk-based frostings that you actually have to cook as a replacement, but someday soon maybe.)
ANYWAY. It tastes okay? But it doesn't taste like the ones you get at Starbucks, so I'm probably not going to make it again, unless someone requests it (my mom seemed to really like it).
I also made ice cream, to test the new ice cream maker, and I'm happy to report that no, my parents' house isn't some anomalous zone where the laws of physics do not apply; the ice cream maker worked fine and there was delicious vanilla ice cream at the end of it. I don't know what is up with the KitchenAid one, but I'm writing it off as it didn't work three times, and three times is a pattern.
Then I cooked dinner: spaghetti al limone, as requested by my mother. Though part of her request included using rigatoni instead of bucatini, so I guess technically it was rigatoni al limone. Whatever. It tasted good.
*
So where is the epic Steve Rogers vid to "American Pie"? I realize it would totally be a LKBV, but this is me we're talking about here - if I could vid, I would make nothing BUT lord king bad vids.
*
This entry at DW: http://musesfool.dreamwidth.org/520841.html.
people have commented there.