slow down. nothing bad will happen.
The Flash: Back to Normal
Maybe it was the beer I had at dinner with L., or maybe it was my desire to get back to reading The Raven King, or maybe this was just a very meh episode, but it did not hold my attention at all. The most interesting bits were the Caitlin and Killer Frost conversations, and then they went and killed Killer Frost off, so goodbye to any more fun with her.
I do like that Harry Wells's plan to give Barry back his speed is to build another particle accelerator and have Barry struck by lightning again. Because there's no chance that could go terribly wrong! On the other hand, at least it's taking some sort of action and also blowing shit up, which should make for a more engaging episode than this one was.
Also, how does Wally not know Barry is the Flash? (and also, is this terrible experiment they're planning how Wally and Jesse get their speed?)
So yes, let's talk books:
What I've just finished
The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater. If you've been waiting for the series to be complete to read it, I definitely recommend it. I have some minor quibbles, but overall, I loved it.
Blue and Ronan's friendship gives me LIFE. I love them so much - my two faves being snarky at each other but caring underneath. (HE DREAMT HER A PIG OF HER OWN!) I'm also really happy with Adam finally getting on board with kissing Ronan. ♥♥♥ Basically I loved almost all the resolution Ronan got. He just wants to be a farmer and drive fast cars for fun! I liked that he and Declan reconciled, and that Matthew was safe, though I hated that Aurora died. And I didn't get the point of Orphan Girl. I had thought she was going to somehow be related to Persephone but once it turned out that Ronan dreamed Cabeswater, I knew that couldn't be it. Hopefully a careful reread will make that clearer.
I'm glad Adam got to face his parents and realize that they no longer had any power over him, and I really really LOVED that the whole "I'm leaving and never coming back" was transmuted into "you can leave but you can always come back!" (When I was writing fic during the first three seasons of SPN, this was a huge theme for me - everybody leaves eventually but sometimes people come back, if you let them, if they know it's an option, etc. It's a theme that really resonates with me for reasons.) Though I have to say, when he had his vision moment with Persephone and she was like, "You made the deal with Cabeswater, not with the demon," I wanted the answer to be, he made the deal with Cabeswater = RONAN. But this way worked too.
Oh, Gansey. Trying to be brave, trying to be kingly, whatever that truly means. And asking instead of commanding. ♥♥♥
BLUE! Getting to be a badass and getting her gap year trip to Venezuela! Blue, being allowed to save face by Henry Cheng when she looks like a hypocrite in front of her classmates, and then Gansey rocking up in the Pig and ruining it. Hee! Blue, forgiving Henry Cheng for what he'd said and realizing how alike they were in some ways at the toga party (attending the toga party at all). Blue, realizing that she was in the wrong with Adam (though right that Gansey also was on the hook for that), but not being able to handle the situation. I love her so much, you guys. ♥BLUE♥
I feel like we got decent wrap-ups for Ronan (except for no resolution on how to wake up the dream animals/keep Matthew alive if Ronan dies etc.), Adam, and Blue with regard to their families (though where was Calla? Jimi and Orla left, but Calla didn't go with them and yet was she ever mentioned again?), but I feel like Gansey's situation with his family was never resolved. He didn't show up for the campaign event, Helen was going to blackmail the headmaster about Gansey's bribe, they don't even know he died and came back again. I just...found that unsatisfying.
There's no real explanation for the mistakes with Blue's age - she's 16 when the story starts and then 18 a few months later? I thought there might be something with the time travel/reusing time bits that would account for it, but I guess it's just an error.
I felt the Glendower discovery was unsatisfactory. I guess it works? But it was a huge anticlimax. Artemus was also pretty useless. Though I guess it explains Blue's love for that beech tree and the reason the trees in Cabeswater knew her name (but I have a lot questions then about Cabeswater and how it operates independently once it's not inside Ronan's head anymore). I also felt bad for Mr. Gray, but I guess just when he thought he was out, they pulled him back in.
But I think my major quibble - and this is still relatively small - is how quickly Henry Cheng was integrated into the group. I feel like maybe there should have been more of him in earlier books? Not a lot more, but enough 'more' that it didn't feel like his knowledge and involvement was so sudden. Because it felt really sudden to me, and I think it should have been more organic, more of a "Of course Henry Cheng is involved!" moment than it was. But I love that he's just like, "Yes, Blue, Gansey and I are going to spend a gap year hiking in Venezuela." Because of course they are.
So that will require rereading repeatedly. Come and talk to me about it! ♥
I also read this month's Star Wars and I kind of have no idea what the hell is going on (this is why I prefer to trade-wait and read a whole thing at once), but I enjoy Leia being in no-bullshit/take charge mode (which is to say, being her awesome self 100% of the time) and Luke being a wheedly little brother to Han, so that was fine.
And there was also this week's Grayson, which is wrapping up next month I guess for rebirth or whatever, so there are a lot of things rapidly spiralling (pun intended) to their ends, and then there's this exchange: (paraphrased, except for what is in ALL CAPS)
Tiger: That's why my plan to keep you out of my business was to tie you up in knots!
Dick: That was your mistake! I LIKE BEING TIED UP!
We know, Dick. Everybody knows. I'm just glad it was finally confirmed textually. ♥
I also enjoyed the Jack Nicholson "Where do you get those toys" reference but it was probably a little gratuitous.
What I'm reading now
Still Apollo: The Race To The Moon by Charles Murray and Catherine Bly Cox, which I'm enjoying but not finding a page-turner. I did have to stop in the middle of Apollo 13 to read TRK though so now I'm back to that.
What I'm reading next
I don't know! I'm no longer anticipating TRK so I'm at loose ends!
***
Today's poem:
In a Beautiful Country
by Kevin Prufer
A good way to fall in love
is to turn off the headlights
and drive very fast down dark roads.
Another way to fall in love
is to say they are only mints
and swallow them with a strong drink.
Then it is autumn in the body.
Your hands are cold.
Then it is winter and we are still at war.
The gold-haired girl is singing into your ear
about how we live in a beautiful country.
Snow sifts from the clouds
into your drink. It doesn't matter about the war.
A good way to fall in love
is to close up the garage and turn the engine on,
then down you'll fall through lovely mists
as a body might fall early one morning
from a high window into love. Love,
the broken glass. Love, the scissors
and the water basin. A good way to fall
is with a rope to catch you.
A good way is with something to drink
to help you march forward.
The gold-haired girl says, Don't worry
about the armies, says, We live in a time
full of love. You're thinking about this too much.
Slow down. Nothing bad will happen.
***
Ugh, it's taken me like two hours to write this post because work keeps interrupting me. Bah.
***
This entry at DW: http://musesfool.dreamwidth.org/837605.html.
people have commented there.
Maybe it was the beer I had at dinner with L., or maybe it was my desire to get back to reading The Raven King, or maybe this was just a very meh episode, but it did not hold my attention at all. The most interesting bits were the Caitlin and Killer Frost conversations, and then they went and killed Killer Frost off, so goodbye to any more fun with her.
I do like that Harry Wells's plan to give Barry back his speed is to build another particle accelerator and have Barry struck by lightning again. Because there's no chance that could go terribly wrong! On the other hand, at least it's taking some sort of action and also blowing shit up, which should make for a more engaging episode than this one was.
Also, how does Wally not know Barry is the Flash? (and also, is this terrible experiment they're planning how Wally and Jesse get their speed?)
So yes, let's talk books:
What I've just finished
The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater. If you've been waiting for the series to be complete to read it, I definitely recommend it. I have some minor quibbles, but overall, I loved it.
Blue and Ronan's friendship gives me LIFE. I love them so much - my two faves being snarky at each other but caring underneath. (HE DREAMT HER A PIG OF HER OWN!) I'm also really happy with Adam finally getting on board with kissing Ronan. ♥♥♥ Basically I loved almost all the resolution Ronan got. He just wants to be a farmer and drive fast cars for fun! I liked that he and Declan reconciled, and that Matthew was safe, though I hated that Aurora died. And I didn't get the point of Orphan Girl. I had thought she was going to somehow be related to Persephone but once it turned out that Ronan dreamed Cabeswater, I knew that couldn't be it. Hopefully a careful reread will make that clearer.
I'm glad Adam got to face his parents and realize that they no longer had any power over him, and I really really LOVED that the whole "I'm leaving and never coming back" was transmuted into "you can leave but you can always come back!" (When I was writing fic during the first three seasons of SPN, this was a huge theme for me - everybody leaves eventually but sometimes people come back, if you let them, if they know it's an option, etc. It's a theme that really resonates with me for reasons.) Though I have to say, when he had his vision moment with Persephone and she was like, "You made the deal with Cabeswater, not with the demon," I wanted the answer to be, he made the deal with Cabeswater = RONAN. But this way worked too.
Oh, Gansey. Trying to be brave, trying to be kingly, whatever that truly means. And asking instead of commanding. ♥♥♥
BLUE! Getting to be a badass and getting her gap year trip to Venezuela! Blue, being allowed to save face by Henry Cheng when she looks like a hypocrite in front of her classmates, and then Gansey rocking up in the Pig and ruining it. Hee! Blue, forgiving Henry Cheng for what he'd said and realizing how alike they were in some ways at the toga party (attending the toga party at all). Blue, realizing that she was in the wrong with Adam (though right that Gansey also was on the hook for that), but not being able to handle the situation. I love her so much, you guys. ♥BLUE♥
I feel like we got decent wrap-ups for Ronan (except for no resolution on how to wake up the dream animals/keep Matthew alive if Ronan dies etc.), Adam, and Blue with regard to their families (though where was Calla? Jimi and Orla left, but Calla didn't go with them and yet was she ever mentioned again?), but I feel like Gansey's situation with his family was never resolved. He didn't show up for the campaign event, Helen was going to blackmail the headmaster about Gansey's bribe, they don't even know he died and came back again. I just...found that unsatisfying.
There's no real explanation for the mistakes with Blue's age - she's 16 when the story starts and then 18 a few months later? I thought there might be something with the time travel/reusing time bits that would account for it, but I guess it's just an error.
I felt the Glendower discovery was unsatisfactory. I guess it works? But it was a huge anticlimax. Artemus was also pretty useless. Though I guess it explains Blue's love for that beech tree and the reason the trees in Cabeswater knew her name (but I have a lot questions then about Cabeswater and how it operates independently once it's not inside Ronan's head anymore). I also felt bad for Mr. Gray, but I guess just when he thought he was out, they pulled him back in.
But I think my major quibble - and this is still relatively small - is how quickly Henry Cheng was integrated into the group. I feel like maybe there should have been more of him in earlier books? Not a lot more, but enough 'more' that it didn't feel like his knowledge and involvement was so sudden. Because it felt really sudden to me, and I think it should have been more organic, more of a "Of course Henry Cheng is involved!" moment than it was. But I love that he's just like, "Yes, Blue, Gansey and I are going to spend a gap year hiking in Venezuela." Because of course they are.
So that will require rereading repeatedly. Come and talk to me about it! ♥
I also read this month's Star Wars and I kind of have no idea what the hell is going on (this is why I prefer to trade-wait and read a whole thing at once), but I enjoy Leia being in no-bullshit/take charge mode (which is to say, being her awesome self 100% of the time) and Luke being a wheedly little brother to Han, so that was fine.
And there was also this week's Grayson, which is wrapping up next month I guess for rebirth or whatever, so there are a lot of things rapidly spiralling (pun intended) to their ends, and then there's this exchange: (paraphrased, except for what is in ALL CAPS)
Tiger: That's why my plan to keep you out of my business was to tie you up in knots!
Dick: That was your mistake! I LIKE BEING TIED UP!
We know, Dick. Everybody knows. I'm just glad it was finally confirmed textually. ♥
I also enjoyed the Jack Nicholson "Where do you get those toys" reference but it was probably a little gratuitous.
What I'm reading now
Still Apollo: The Race To The Moon by Charles Murray and Catherine Bly Cox, which I'm enjoying but not finding a page-turner. I did have to stop in the middle of Apollo 13 to read TRK though so now I'm back to that.
What I'm reading next
I don't know! I'm no longer anticipating TRK so I'm at loose ends!
***
Today's poem:
In a Beautiful Country
by Kevin Prufer
A good way to fall in love
is to turn off the headlights
and drive very fast down dark roads.
Another way to fall in love
is to say they are only mints
and swallow them with a strong drink.
Then it is autumn in the body.
Your hands are cold.
Then it is winter and we are still at war.
The gold-haired girl is singing into your ear
about how we live in a beautiful country.
Snow sifts from the clouds
into your drink. It doesn't matter about the war.
A good way to fall in love
is to close up the garage and turn the engine on,
then down you'll fall through lovely mists
as a body might fall early one morning
from a high window into love. Love,
the broken glass. Love, the scissors
and the water basin. A good way to fall
is with a rope to catch you.
A good way is with something to drink
to help you march forward.
The gold-haired girl says, Don't worry
about the armies, says, We live in a time
full of love. You're thinking about this too much.
Slow down. Nothing bad will happen.
***
Ugh, it's taken me like two hours to write this post because work keeps interrupting me. Bah.
***
This entry at DW: http://musesfool.dreamwidth.org/837605.html.
people have commented there.