being woman too loudly
HI!
This is me, charging in the new year and also your inbox.
I have mixed feelings about New Year’s. It’s sort of the Las Vegas of holidays, isn’t it? All about partying, hoping for the best, and not a whole lot of fun if you don’t drink. Which I don’t. Now, New Year’s Day, I like. There’s something about the year turning over that just feels fresh and nice.
Anyways it’s been a month, hasn’t it? Possibly you’ve forgotten who I am, as I have seemingly forgotten how to write this thing. So here’s a new portrait of the artist (me):
New year new me etc (j/k I will never again look that nice) and let’s see if I can figure this out.
Notable Breakfast
Christmas breakfast!
Dog Thing
Christmas card photo!
Mixed Media
I found out about In Other Lands gradually. Someone I follow reblogged a post about it, then a few weeks later friend posted a snapshot with the book in the background. I looked it up. It seemed promising. I suggested my local library purchase it. They did. I put in a hold request. It arrived. I read it. I finished it. I opened it up to a random middle-ish page and read the 2nd half of it again. Eventually the library asked for it back. I renewed it. I’m going to buy it, of course, because I can’t let go of it.
In Other Lands is by Sarah Rees Brennan, with illustrations by Carolyn Nowak. It’s about a boy who very much doesn’t fit in being invited to attend a school in a magical world next to ours. Once there, he discovers that…he still doesn’t fit in. The Borderlands are no wizarding world: there are elves, and trolls, and dwarves, and mermaids, but no actual magic, and the school is more boot camp than Hogwarts. He’s determined to forge a place for himself in spite of this.
Elliot is a singular character, prickly and mean and often self-sabotaging, smart but frequently the last person to figure out what’s obvious to everyone else (if you’ve spent any time reading Teen Wolf fanfiction, Elliot should be VERY familiar). His best friends are Serene-In-The-Heart-Of-Battle, an elf whose culture is delightfully chock-full of misandry, and Luke Sunborn, a Borderlands golden boy. Elliot is also bisexual, and the way the book deals both with his sexuality and sexuality in general, is wonderful. At its heart, it’s about love, and family, and finding the place you belong.
I love it. It felt like it was written just for me.
(illustrations by Irena Freitas!)
The Good Place is back, and continues to be amazing. To promote it, the actors who play Chidi, Tahani, Janet, and Jason each gave interviews and I have read them all, they’re wonderful.
I read so many books in the last month of the year that I will not attempt to list them. The big ones were In Other Lands (loved), Provenance by Ann Leckie (loved), the rest of Diana Wynne Jones’ Chrestomanci Chronicles (loved), Cobalt Squadron written by Elizabeth Wein and illustrated by Phil Noto (Rose Tico from the Last Jedi’s backstory, which I liked a lot), and a reread of The Golden Compass, which was long overdue. (My big annual round-up of the books I read, if you’re interested!)
I saw Star Wars: The Last Jedi, of course. I’ve seen it three times now. I truly love it. I also saw Coco, the newest Pixar movie. I nearly missed it, which would have been a tragedy because it is phenomenal. I saw Call Me By Your Name and The Shape of Water, both of which were exquisite. I saw Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, which was....great?? I was surprised, too. Finally, a friend sat me down and made me watch Spider-Man Homecoming and I loved it.
Anxiety Pyjamas
Fics I Shouted About
I went through the list of fandoms people wrote for for yuletide this year, and made a giant rec list on twitter, if you’re interested! Here are my faves, plus some non-yt recs.
escapades by spookykingdomstarlight // Star Wars Doctor Aphra, Aphra/Magna, future fic. There are now TWO FICS for this pairing! I am desperate, but this one is genuinely great. Aphra captures Magna. Her intentions are good, really!
Luke Sunborn Has A Very Bad Time At A Fancy Elf Party (1, 2, 3, 4) by emilyenrose // In Other Lands, Elliot/Luke, future fic. Golden is throwing a party. Luke is uncomfortable. I love the elven society nuts & bolts in this fic.
That Never Plighted Troth by yunitsa // The Bedlam Stacks, Merrick/Raphael. Picks up immediately at the end of the book. The tone of this is perfect.
His Feet Can’t Touch the Ground by torakowalski // In Other Lands, Elliot/Luke. This is technically a fic for Turn of the Story, the story which became In Other Lands. Elliot & Luke navigate their relationship.
if you let me try by Lexie // Magnus Chase, Magnus/Alex. This was my favourite yuletide fic! Magnus & Alex go searching for Bragi. I’d easily believe this was a legit epilogue. It is spot-on, Alex’s voice in particular.
Here We Go Again by OzQueen // The Mummy, Rick/Evie/Ardeth, between the films. I screamed when I saw this fic, and it was everything I hoped it would be. A perfect beginning to a fantastic ot3.
Right From the Source by Beatrice_Otter // Rivers of London, gen. Abigail learns about magic. This includes a fantastic backstory for Peter’s mum.
Mr Webster’s Wager by emilyenrose & Fahye // Society of Gentlemen, Ash/Francis. I love these two writers so much, I started reading this series just so I could read this fic. The fic, which is longer than the story on which it’s based, takes a what-if moment and goes from there. The result is a beautiful, emotional look at two characters who aren’t given a lot of development in canon.
Lastly
There’s been talk about MailChimp ending the TinyLetter service (which this newsletter operates on), but as of now they’re saying nothing will change for the next year at least. I’ll keep you updated!
ta for now!
