(no subject)
Things have been so busy (in a good way) and I keep writing posts and never finishing them and HOPEFULLY a list form will be the charm.
1. I had a super busy but fun weekend. On Friday I got up, did chores, made breakfast, then
reutii and I did our nails, then I had to leave to do an escape room with two friends. After the escape room we went for an early dinner at a breakfast-all-day place and THEN went next door to split a dessert and hot drinks.
I came home and 10 minutes later an author friend came by and we wrote together for a few hours, and then drove to her place to watch Black Sails with her girlfriend. We ended up watching 2 episodes to finish season 3, which meant I left their place by around 1am. Went to my parents' (they were still out partying with friends!), ended up falling asleep around 2am.
On Saturday I slept in, then helped my mom put her old car up for sale (taking pictures, putting an ad online), then did some writing, then had a late family lunch and went to meet my cousin, who's just come back from Ukraine, for coffee. We ended up hanging out for about 3 hours, so by the time I got home it was like 10pm, and I again went to sleep super late because I had to hang up laundry and shower and just generally wind down.
2. I finished a draft of a short story on Saturday, which means I no longer have written drafts but only outlines and scraps of ideas. I feel like I've been working on the the same 2 stories for like 7 months (I'm very slow, ok?) so this newfound freedom to write instead of edit feels pretty heady!
3. I saw Ocrean's 8 and thought it was delightful though horribly directed (WHY is it shot like a drama rather than a comedy?!) and I will take one billion more stories about Debbie and Lou in particular, though honestly their entire girl gang.
4. I finished a book! (I'm really getting into the hang of audiobooks, which is making a big impact.) I think it started stronger than it finished but overall I LOVED its world and characters and prose and after listening to it I literally want to buy a paper copy so I can savor all my favorite bits.
The book is The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue, and it's about a bisexual teenager from a very rich, very privileged British family in the 18th century who goes on his European tour with his best friend who he's in love with (and who is mixed race) and his little sister who wants to learn medicine instead of going to finishing school.
It's clever and funny and adorable, and even the elements that I generally associate strongly with YA (the genre this book belongs to) and that don't work for me normally were fine for me here. I think the book changes focus about halfway through, but overall I still loved and and enjoyed it, start to finish.
The only thing I'd change, being me, is the fact that while the historical details are simplified for a younger audience but are not incorrect, the discourse about identity is too rooted in modern definitions, for my liking. I would have loved this book even more if it had made the characters rely more heavily on 18th century understandings of sexuality and disability, at least, but it was really a very minor annoyance. (And again, I feel like I have to make allowances for the genre, since younger readers are less likely to be familiar with the social history of marginalized identities.)
Anyway, READ THIS BOOK so we can flail about its clever, sparkling prose together!
5. A weird thing has been happening lately where people say ridiculous(ly amazing) things to me like "omg you're THAT Marina? OH MY GOD it's so cool to meet you!" in real life, which is just... I can't. I CAN'T. How does one even respond to that? I've tried ignoring it or telling they must be mistaken in their reaction to meeting me or whatever but people take that as rudeness. IDK IDK /o\
After strolling around in a group at Tel Aviv's book fair two weeks ago and having strangers react this way to finding out who I was THREE SEPARATE TIMES, last week a friend of a friend told me her association with me made her "grow in stature" in the eyes of a person she'd known for over a decade.
This is all INCREDIBLY flattering though also mildly stressful and I just honestly don't know how to react.
6. This is the most amaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaazing Black Sails fanvid, a Max POV that is just... so perfect in song choice and style, omg: Got Her Own.
.........AND I'M OUT OF TIME so I guess we're stopping at 6 and posting this thing.
comments on Dreamwidth
1. I had a super busy but fun weekend. On Friday I got up, did chores, made breakfast, then
reutii and I did our nails, then I had to leave to do an escape room with two friends. After the escape room we went for an early dinner at a breakfast-all-day place and THEN went next door to split a dessert and hot drinks.
I came home and 10 minutes later an author friend came by and we wrote together for a few hours, and then drove to her place to watch Black Sails with her girlfriend. We ended up watching 2 episodes to finish season 3, which meant I left their place by around 1am. Went to my parents' (they were still out partying with friends!), ended up falling asleep around 2am.
On Saturday I slept in, then helped my mom put her old car up for sale (taking pictures, putting an ad online), then did some writing, then had a late family lunch and went to meet my cousin, who's just come back from Ukraine, for coffee. We ended up hanging out for about 3 hours, so by the time I got home it was like 10pm, and I again went to sleep super late because I had to hang up laundry and shower and just generally wind down.
2. I finished a draft of a short story on Saturday, which means I no longer have written drafts but only outlines and scraps of ideas. I feel like I've been working on the the same 2 stories for like 7 months (I'm very slow, ok?) so this newfound freedom to write instead of edit feels pretty heady!
3. I saw Ocrean's 8 and thought it was delightful though horribly directed (WHY is it shot like a drama rather than a comedy?!) and I will take one billion more stories about Debbie and Lou in particular, though honestly their entire girl gang.
4. I finished a book! (I'm really getting into the hang of audiobooks, which is making a big impact.) I think it started stronger than it finished but overall I LOVED its world and characters and prose and after listening to it I literally want to buy a paper copy so I can savor all my favorite bits.
The book is The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue, and it's about a bisexual teenager from a very rich, very privileged British family in the 18th century who goes on his European tour with his best friend who he's in love with (and who is mixed race) and his little sister who wants to learn medicine instead of going to finishing school.
It's clever and funny and adorable, and even the elements that I generally associate strongly with YA (the genre this book belongs to) and that don't work for me normally were fine for me here. I think the book changes focus about halfway through, but overall I still loved and and enjoyed it, start to finish.
The only thing I'd change, being me, is the fact that while the historical details are simplified for a younger audience but are not incorrect, the discourse about identity is too rooted in modern definitions, for my liking. I would have loved this book even more if it had made the characters rely more heavily on 18th century understandings of sexuality and disability, at least, but it was really a very minor annoyance. (And again, I feel like I have to make allowances for the genre, since younger readers are less likely to be familiar with the social history of marginalized identities.)
Anyway, READ THIS BOOK so we can flail about its clever, sparkling prose together!
5. A weird thing has been happening lately where people say ridiculous(ly amazing) things to me like "omg you're THAT Marina? OH MY GOD it's so cool to meet you!" in real life, which is just... I can't. I CAN'T. How does one even respond to that? I've tried ignoring it or telling they must be mistaken in their reaction to meeting me or whatever but people take that as rudeness. IDK IDK /o\
After strolling around in a group at Tel Aviv's book fair two weeks ago and having strangers react this way to finding out who I was THREE SEPARATE TIMES, last week a friend of a friend told me her association with me made her "grow in stature" in the eyes of a person she'd known for over a decade.
This is all INCREDIBLY flattering though also mildly stressful and I just honestly don't know how to react.
6. This is the most amaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaazing Black Sails fanvid, a Max POV that is just... so perfect in song choice and style, omg: Got Her Own.
.........AND I'M OUT OF TIME so I guess we're stopping at 6 and posting this thing.
comments on Dreamwidth