rose_griffes

I was trying to think of what to write of Courtney Milan's newest romance novel, The Duke Who Didn't. Fluffy usually isn't a word used for stories that include moments of delving into how racism affects character development, but then again, most historical romances don't explore racism at all. So I'm going to say it: this book is SO FLUFFY! I really liked it, and given a couple of revelatory moments that happen, I think it will be a fun re-read.

A related link: author Alyssa Cole is a friend of Courtney Milan. Cole is the one who--with Milan's permission--leaked the Romance Writers of America's judgment against Milan in late 2019. Cole talks about the RWA, Milan, her own writing, and chickens! One Romance Novelist’s Fight for Diverse Love Stories. Her newest novel, a thriller, sounds interesting.

Currently, I'm stuck in "not actually finishing the books I started" mode (other than Milan's newest). I'm blaming DEVOLSON--the Dark, Evil Vortex of late September, October, and November. Also, a global pandemic resulting in major shifts in teaching practices that have left us struggling to meet the needs of our students in an impossible situation. Y'know. THAT stuff.

My own Person of Interest rewatch is up to the halfway point of season one. That was a good run of episodes for the show: getting Carter as part of their vigilante crew made things a lot more interesting.

Mark Watches PoI is midway through season two, and barreling ahead at a much faster rate. Just two and half weeks until the Terrible Thing happens. I wonder if he'll throw any shoes at the wall, like I did? Probably not, since he films himself watching the episodes, and decorum would probably rule shoe-throwing right out. (Cussing is apparently allowed; I've seen one of his reaction videos, and he's a regular cusser.)

Fic-writing: I've actually written a few things down on paper, and transferred them to google docs. So there's progress. Right now it feels like everything I write is TERRIBLE, but this is still first draft territory. Terribleness is basically built into the bones of it, especially given how long it's been since I actually wrote fic of any kind.

(This is a Carter lives AU of several vignettes from Fusco's POV. Just for the record.)

Real life: I have a roommate, for now. Or rather, a person who rents a bedroom from me. This is a 'help out someone who could use a low rent situation' sort of thing. She'll be done with school in the spring, and will move out shortly after that. I probably won't see her much, thanks to her classes and my job.

Speaking of which, work is moving along at a too-fast pace. We were given a new curriculum over the summer, so I'm trying to adapt to that. Currently it's more frustrating than fun, although my students are a good bunch this year, so there's at least that.

I'm behind on watching Brooklyn Nine-Nine, although part of that is my disinterest in prison as a setting for episodes. WAY behind on Marvel shows on Netflix; I don't plan to watch Iron Fist, but I do want to finish season one of Luke Cage before watching The Defenders. I've managed to avoid most spoilers for both of those shows, to my astonishment.

Hi! *waves* I've been feeling a bit swamped with the new school year, but my brain has been nicer about it than last year, so that's a plus. In other words, some of the depression-related stuff is not so bad right now, in spite of stressful situations. Which is good.

At some point last spring I declared that I was going to alter at least five items of clothing in May. Pretty sure I missed doing that before the end of May, but I did do several sewing-related things over the summer: sliding elastic inside the waistband of a few jeans and trousers, fixing some tears and hems, etc. I even sewed a couple of new shirts, using a really simple pattern. The second one turned out quite cute, if I say so myself. (And it was made from a curtain panel and men's XL tee-shirt, whic makes it weird unique.) I haven't done any pics yet because my current camera doesn't take good pics when I use the timer. Maybe I should dig out the older camera and try that instead.

Anyway. Media stuff now:

Finished reading The Gift of Asher Lev, and I'm not sure what I think. I sort of knew how the end was going to work out, and I don't know if I like it or not. Potok's writing style is catchy, which makes me want to take my current stuck-on-this-and-can't-finish fic idea and rewrite the whole thing in first person present tense.

Maybe that's why I'm so stuck on the fic, come to think of it. Heh. (I really don't plan to rewrite it in first person present tense.)

Reading Potok's work so soon after The Poisonwood Bible was an exercise in frustration at times, because PB had the voices of four women alternating throughout the story. Asher Lev only had Asher's voice. I wanted to know what the other characters were thinking and feeling, especially Asher's wife and mother.

I've started watching Scandal--through episode 2.03 so far--and I'm certain that the way I appreciate it is NOT what the show creators intended. It's a soap opera/procedural, and Olivia Pope is the center of the show. She's been labeled (by herself and others) as a white hat, but I don't believe it. She's trying to do the right thing (I think? by her definition of it, anyway), but at this point I find myself rooting for (former) district attorney dude to find out all the laws she's broken and bring her to justice.

Also, the show's favorite couple is my anti-couple, the pair I find completely ridiculous to the point of actually yelling at my TV screen when they're together. Hee!

It really is fun in a sudsy, over the top way. What makes it perfect, though, is that enough of the information is verbal that I can grade papers while 'watching'. Which is why I'm moving forward with it instead of deleting it from my Netflix queue.

Scandal has edged out Longmire and Nikita in recent viewing for the simple reason that I actually like the other two enough to watch, and I haven't had time lately.

Parent: "He's in your classroom. You do what you have to do."

It is theoretically possible to make that a supportive statement to a teacher in the context of a larger conversation. But when that's the entire response you give to me in the phone conversation* about your child's (mis)behavior in my class, it DOESN'T WORK AT ALL as a supportive statement.

*The word conversation implies that there are at least two people trying to, well, converse. Clearly this wasn't the case.

As is sometimes the case in phone calls or face-to-face meetings with parents, this explains SO MUCH about the child.

How is it that I've spent the last two weeks doing all those grown-up things with my precious free time and I still didn't have the time to pay my bills, watch the next episode of SCC (and I'm supposed to write the next recap!) and finish my remix fic? HOW?!? I haven't watched any TV except while multi-tasking, I didn't read any books until last night and... er, something else whiny about how I didn't do fun stuff.

Being responsible is time-consuming and it never ends.

On the plus side: only one class tried to pull an April Fools Day joke and I totally trumped them with my evil teacher skills. Heh.

I'm not trying to ignore livejournal and other stuff I like (sewing, reading, writing) but wow, real life continues to be very hectic. I'm doing physical therapy once a week. It was twice a week, so this is an improvement. I have "homework" to do for that--daily exercises. Piano lessons once a week, also with homework. Visits to the chiropractor every other week. Grading papers (what I'm about to work on again) regularly, along with planning lessons.

At least the physical therapy seems to be helping, although slowly. I may try going to a movie in the next few weeks! (There hasn't been much point lately--who wants to see a movie when it hurts to sit?) Maybe the new Harry Potter movie soon!

In the "yay" column: next week we'll be watching films in some of my classes. I had to jump through even more hoops than usual, but I finally got permission for the films I want to show my students. Should be a bit of a break for me--I have the activities and so forth planned out from previous years.

Okay, back to paperwork and watching Castle. (Listening to Castle, actually.)

Wow, I can't believe I managed to watch this week's episode of Lost already. It's only Wednesday night! ( reaction back here )

*runs in*
As a side note to all of the Twilight talk, I've been wondering about young-adult novels. Here is what wikipedia says: Young-adult fiction (often abbreviated as YAdult fiction, or simply YA) is fiction written for, published for, or marketed to adolescents, roughly between the ages of 13 and 20.

A poll first! ( questions back here )

( Mister Google doesn't know everything about young-adult novels )

'Watching' CSI: New York is really, really icky. Even if I don't look up much because I'm grading papers. Seriously. Ick. (pretty actors < really gory images.)

I wanted to watch Sanctuary while grading papers, but hulu.com now has just the pilot episode. Stupid Sci-Fi channel.

Still haven't had time to watch Lost. Huh, I'm more fannish about that show than I thought, because I'm actually irritated by having to wait.

I do not enjoy grading tests. Right now I'd much rather be trying to finish that fic that's been stuck on the computer for months.

Um... for nefarious unspecified purposes I looked up the titles of Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series in French. It is Saga Fascination.
*giggles a lot*

Book 2 (er, New Moon?) is Saga Fascination: Tentation.
Book 3 (Eclipse; possibly I have 2 and 3 reversed?) is Saga Fascination: Hésitation.
And book 4 (Breaking Dawn) is Saga Fascination: Révélation.

*laughs and laughs*
I'm not sure why this is so funny. It just is. (Say it out loud with the appropriate French accent.) Though it currently costs way more money than I have any intention of spending to acquire the first one. Oh well. Nefarious Unspecified goal will remain unfulfilled.

*crawls off to bed*
Yay, tomorrow is Friday.